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My Niece and her fiance announced their engagement a year ago this month. At the time, I had only been to one diet visit with the clinic I went to for surgery and I was still debating if I wanted to have the procedure done. A month after their announcement, she asked me to be her maid of honor. But inside I was already dreading it. At that time, I had maybe 2 outfits that fit correctly and was always uncomfortable. I knew I was going to have a struggle trying to find a dress that fit and that I could afford. I was already thinking of how fat I was going to look in the pictures....I felt like I would ruin them. I never said it out loud, but I was certain she would regret asking me to do it due to my size. That is very mean and shallow thinking on my part. I know my niece loves me regardless of my size. But that is the way I thought of myself at the time. I hated looking in the mirror. I hated having my picture taken. I flat out didn't like looking at myself. Being part of the wedding didn't make the decision to have the surgery, as I had already been considering it. But it did help push me in the right direction. Here it is a year later, post op, and lost 40+ pounds. The best part? I went from a size 28 down to a 22 in 2 months. Not only was I able to buy a dress at a regular department store, but I ordered in ONLINE and it FIT!!! Something I have NEVER done!!!! First pic is of me and my niece the day she asked me to be the MOH. I know you can't see my body but that's as good as it gets. I had to approve the photo to be posted and I wouldn't have if my body was in it. lol The other is me in my dress!!!!! (Forgive the awful lighting and basement background, lol)

I had VGS surgery on 9/15/16; this was almost 18 months from my introductory class for the program. I put off the decision to have surgery almost 6 months, and then due to scheduling issues rescheduled a couple of times before finally having the surgery. My high weight once I decided to start the program was 287- so I have lost 104 pounds as of this morning. I was pretty dutiful in following the eating plan, both pre- and post- surgery until I was about 9 months post-op. By that time, I'd bypassed my surgeon's weight goal for me by about 7 pounds. At that point, I did some serious thinking about what I wanted out of this surgery, and made the following decisions: First, I didn't have this surgery, this elective mutilation, to NOT be successful. There is no way on this Earth that I am going to backslide and let my weight creep up. Second, I also decided that I don't want to be "on a diet" for the rest of my life. I have ALWAYS been on a diet, for as long as I can remember. I didn't have this surgery so I'd have to continue to always be on a diet. Third, I have to be happy with my life. SO... I decided that I was going to have to balance these things, figure out how to make eating "normal" food work without gaining weight. I've tested things out, learned my limits, learned how to eat and drink that work with my insides and my head. OCCASIONALLY I will eat pizza, nachos, drink beer, have ice cream or pie, etc., but NOT all the time, and NOT in large quantity. Fortunately my sleeve restriction is still snug; I can eat about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of food at a sitting, depending on the food. What does this mean for something like pizza? I take one piece, I eat a couple of bites of the edge and also the toppings. I don't eat any of the crust, except those 2 bites of the edge. Believe me, it's enough for me, and if it's not, I"ll eat the topping only from part of another piece. I've tested out all my favorite foods, and yes, sadly, there are some things that I just don't eat because I can't, because they make me feel gross (haven't given up on 'good' bread yet, but rice and pasta are things of my past). I've learned that some things go down way too easily, and so I know where to be careful, what to avoid. I've also learned (take a deep breath, hard to admit) that I'm probably never going to weigh 135 pounds again, and that, regardless of my weight, I'll always feel like I need to lose 10 or 20 pounds. I don't think that's the after effect of being fat... I think it's the association of being a woman in the USA. It's OK... I can accept these things, because I have come so far and been so successful- in my doctor's eyes, in my husband's and daughter's eyes, and mostly, IN MY OWN OPINION. There are still things I can't do (eat and drink at the same time) or things I forget to do (eat slowly/chew lots) and I pay the price. HOWEVER... It's all been worth it. I am HAPPY. I don't wake up in the morning and hate myself for being weak, for being fat, for eating and drinking when I swore I wasn't going to. I went to Disney World with my daughter this summer and for the first time EVER (we've been going annually for 20 years), I happily posed for photos. She and I haven't had a photo in front of the castle since she was 6 (and she'll be 25 next week). I don't hate shopping for clothes anymore. I went to the pool in a bathing suit IN PUBLIC this summer and wasn't embarrassed. Most importantly, I look in the mirror and LIKE what I see there. Sometimes I even think, "Wow, you look cute!" I realize how much of my life I let go by because I felt fat, miserable, unsuccessful, unlovable, and I wish I'd done this surgery 10 years ago. I don't hate myself and my life anymore, and that is worth SO MUCH MORE than anything I could ever eat, in any quantity, at any restaurant. You know how they say, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels?" That's sort-of true, but being skinny (and I'm not) doesn't hold a candle to not hating yourself all the time. I am just so damned happy now!

Surgery buddies! Hi-5!

Hi y’all, I had RNY on Aug. 1. It’s been what I expected so far. Love the weight loss the most. Ha. However, I still have very smelly gas, even hours after I eat. I’m taking a probiotic my surgeon recommended, which has helped some, but mainly the burbs I would get. How do others deal with this embarrassing issue, especially now that I’m back at work? Luckily, I have a private office but still!

Just drink lots of your fluids especially water to help with head hunger. I relied heavily on homemade bone broths and yes, it does get easier.

I found that I like the powdered protein shake mix MUCH better than the ready to drink kind. I used Syntrax nectars, mixed with unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I like the Almond Breeze or Walmart/store brands better than Silk). I know it'll take time to order it, but you are probably looking at 4 weeks of liquid diet (2 pre-op, 2 post-op) so you will need to find something you like- or at least don't actively hate. I bought a shaker bottle at Walmart, the kind with the metal-coil ball in the bottom, and everything mixes pretty well. For a savory option, I made my own chicken and beef broth. Roast the beef bones on 375 for about an hour, then simmer them in bouillon broth (I got mine at the Dollar Tree) with onion, garlic, carrot (can't remember if I used celery or not). Drain out all the solids and keep the broth (you'll probably need to remove the fat layer after the first chilling). You make the chicken the same way, except I used the carcass from a grocery store rotisserie chicken (I always freeze the carcasses when we are finished with the chicken- but you could buy one, pick the meat and freeze it- some day in the not-too-distant future you'll be able to use it in soup, stew, chicken salad, etc.)

The liquid diet wasn't fun. I did lose 18 pounds in 12 days on mine though - so that was exciting. My surgeon told me I could mix fruit in my shake as long as I blended it thoroughly. I didn't want to overdo it, so I put a 1/2 of a small banana in my shake, and added a cup of ice. The banana helped, but the ice really helped. I turned a liquid premier protein shake of 11 ounces into a huge frothy 32 ounce shake that actually filled me up. The banana added maybe 35 calories. The ice - none. A couple of days I did the ice only. So I'd have a super thick 32 ounce shake that was way more filling that the 11 ounce premier protein shake. That definitely worked for me.

Find a new doctor who will support your weight loss surgery, my doctor was very happy for me when I told her I wanted to have WLS as she should be because she knows how hard I was struggling with trying to lose weight on my own and all of my medical issues. You pay him not the other way around...just my opinion because I’m a no nonsense person, I have no problem changing if they are not supporting me...the insurance company has enough requirements, you don’t need more on top of that. maybe others here have some better suggestions. I wish you the best!

Milk it while you can It's the golden window to get to levels of leanness you only imagined

Still in my 6 month process. Hope to get a date in November. Jus wanna wish you guys the best of luck. Prayers for strength at this time. There is a brighter, healthier and better life waiting for you. At your weakest you are tested to search for that strength within you. You gotta search deep but you will find that strength and be successful. Can’t wait to hear about your success later.