M2G

GG - I was like you in that I wasn't a binge eater, or purger or anything like that...my biggest obstacle was grazing. Pre-sleeve I never had much in the way of SET times that I would eat, measure out a portion of food, etc. It was just grab what you want when you want. Unfortunately the sleeve will allow me to graze, so it's up to me to not allow that to happen. I eat on a fairly regular schedule now, and that seems to help a lot with grazing.

Well my husband is also sleeved (about 5 months after I had mine) so we generally do not argue about food unless we are at a restaurant and trying to pick something to "share" (we usually get what we want and eat the leftovers the next day but on rare occasions it doesn't make sense to have leftovers and then we split...our biggest disagreement is over the way steak is cooked...he likes pink middle and mine better be one level below charred. ) But OMG, my girls...let me say we have made great strides in the past 3 years. We do small bowls for everything...no more sitting and mindlessly eating OUT OF THE BOX or the BAG, etc. They are 11 and almost 13 so they are old enough to know all about the rules. They know all about both of our surgeries and they realize that we do a lot of Protein heavy stuff, but I don't deny carbs for them. Afterall I can't expect them to eat as if they have been sleeved as well. But if you *ask* them they will say we NEVER eat bread, Pasta, potoatoes, rice...the list goes on and on. It's said a bit tongue and cheek because we DO allow them that stuff but sometimes we just won't make the effort to add extra carbs to a meal of meat and veggies. And the baking...omg if I ever *dare* preface something with the word *healthy* I get moans and groans from everyone in the household. I have tried baking with every type of healthy alternative around and it usually goes uneaten by everyone except me. So I've learned to bake and give to others. Or just cave sometimes and bake with regular flour, eggs, sugar and butter. My youngest takes the cake (sorry about the word choice there... ) when one time I portioned out a some snack Cookies for her. After her little tiny bowl was empty she got up and promptly went for more. I started in with the whole "hey, don't have too many, dinner is right around the corner, etc." speech, she looked at me, rolled her eyes and said "Yeah, well not EVERYONE in this household has the stomach the size of a squirrel!" Wow. Point to the youngest.

Dee, thank you so much for setting up the group...I was so happy that we had a lifeline during the time when we couldn't get on here...and we may need it someday. Thank you for spending the time to do that! Daisy, here is my super-quick rewrite of your profile. Feel free to take or not take anything I've suggested. Maybe Laura will trot along here and inject some humor to it... A little about me... I am a witty woman, who loves life. My glass is half full and I'm always trying to find the sunny side of any situation. One of my best assets is my easy going nature. With my sunny disposition, and excitment for life, I feel I'm very blessed. I have great kids and I adore my grandchildren. I don't have a lot of baggage and do my best to keep my life stress and drama free. I love being outdoors, and finding the beauty in nature. Hiking on the many trails we have in this area is one of my favorite things to do. I also love dacing and going out to have a good time. I have a very open mind and love trying new things! About the one I'm looking for... Someone who is easy going and isn't afraid to communicate. He likes to talk about a wide range of subjects and is a good listener as well. Having a good sense of humor is very important not only in a relationship but in life as well! He enjoys the outdoors and having adventures, but is just as comfortable snuggling on the couch and watching a movie. This person wants to build a future with a woman who is his equal and his best friend.

Oh Cathy...I'm so sorry! Hugs! You have the right attitude, but this is a big life change. HUGS TO YOU!!!

Lynda, you look darling!!! That actually looks like a cake and I honestly think my brain would be disappointed that it was "savory" and not "sweet"...LOL!

Sheryl, many apologies for spelling your name wrong. I would go back and edit this post but when I first hit "post" the site went all wackado and my thread looked cray cray. I'm too afraid to go edit a post that long!

Okay, back today and a few more minutes to spend "here" and not "there" LOL! (Yeah, what the heck is up with that comment, great you went and had ***love this part*** HALF your stomach ***um, duh it's 85%*** out and it's all just gonna grow back and you will be a little piggy again) I believe that the Google group will indeed just sit there. When I signed in I saw a few other groups I had joined that were just dead, but still there. lol Sarah, OMG, your pics are amazing! Truly a huge difference, you are beautiful! Daisy, please do send us (or you can PM me if you want) your new improved version, maybe I can add something to it. I was a graphic designer for 20 years and a lot of my job involved "seeing" other people's edits, so therefore by osmosis I am also an editor. And you are looking for witty, yes? I don't know how "witty" I am, maybe Laura can chime in also. Georgia, OMG love the cruise photos...you got all dressed up and I love that. It's one thing that I *hated* doing as a plus-size gal, was dressing up. Everything just looked ridiculous with my fat rolls stuffed in. You are just darling, as is your granddaughter! (You have 2 right?) Thanks for sharing. Brown, I'm so glad you are here...and keeping up the good fight! (What is your real name, BTW?...now that we are private at all!) Coops, I know the struggle only too well. I'm so glad you went out drinking and had a good time. You are a gem and I adore you so much! Cheri, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! OMG, I'm the same age as your hubby. You are just a baby. LOL. Don't you hate it when people say that? I hope you are feeling better, that shingles sounds awful. And a nap-striking baby too.. NO FUN!!! On a side note about age, I've been putting off going to my hairdresser (saw her in early Aug) because I'm really trying to grow my hair longer (not sure why, maybe a vain attempt at looking younger???) Anyway, I'm finally going to see her this next Wed because I cannot cannot cannot deal with the gray hair anymore. It's only been a few months since it was colored but sh*t these gray hairs are just more than I can stomach. I usually go every 3 months like clockwork, but tried to just "extend" it a little bit and am finding I just cannot deal. Ugh. It looks the worst when I pull it into a ponytail to go workout. Cheryl, it does sound as if the time off for recovery is giving you a chance to process and have some clarity. I hope you will find a man that is both wonderful, makes you feel like sexy godess AND is there for you 100%. We women deserve NOTHING LESS! The part-time stuff doesn't sound like it's making you happy, and you deserve to be happy. Alright, sorry if I forgot anyone or anything...I had 2 pages to read. But just want to say again how happy I am that we are private!!! Oh and I won't post them here but my most recent photos are HERE: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/285050-3-years-ago-today-i-had-the-vsg/#entry3206404 I think most of you have seen it but if you want my most recent photos, that is where you will find them. It's funny because as much as I'm striving to get the extra weight off, as I look at the photos of myself, I realize there is about only an +8lb difference between my most recent photos and the one photo that is my "after" on my profile that was taken when I was still a newbie at 14 months post-op. I don't really see any difference even though the scale says I'm +8lbs heavier. So all this obsessing...well, let's just say maybe I need to do a little less of it.

So something that my surgeon said at a bariatric "motivational" speech (aimed at all his post-op peeps...from the 3 diff. types of surgeries he performs) was this: (I will summarize) I don't care about the BMI chart ...and frankly I don't care what you "weigh". (He went on to say he wished that they didn't even have to weigh us at all of our appointments...) Are you happier NOW (post-op) than you were when you first came to see me? Are you out living the life you thought you wanted, and are you doing the things that you weren't able to do before, when the extra weight was holding you back? So as much as he is still a surgeon and still all about the "numbers" he gets it. He gets that all this number chasing is really NOT what this journey is about. It's about being happy with WHO you are, and enjoying the success that comes with losing the extra weight. Not to say you shouldn't strive or try harder or be about the numbers, but life, to me, is MORE than the number blinks up on my scale each week. Especially since this is posted in the Vet's Forum...let's all do a little more happy dancing about losing weight. No matter where we ARE or what we WEIGH, we are all a lot better off than who we "were" when we first decided to step into the office of a bariatric surgeon. And that is a GOOD thing!

OMG I'm SO happy we are back together again and that we are completely PRIVATE!!! YAY! Thank you Laura-ven!!! I don't have time to read everyone's updates because I got stuck over in the lapband vs. sleeve vs. RNY thread that is over in lapband land...I decided to respond. Now I'm out of time but just wanted to pop in here and say YAY! So glad the gang is back together again! :wub:

Hugs OD! I know this is a rough time, and I like that you made a list. Don't worry if he gets "snapped" up quickly by other women, because unless he is going to change the things that are on that list, unfortunately whoever "gets" him gets all the problems and issues as well. Take this time to focus on YOU, what YOU want, and who YOU are. I think that will take some of the pressure off from finding someone else to take his place. Remember it's not a race to find someone new...take some time to enjoy not having the stress of being "in a relationship" right now. Hugs my dear friend!

Welcome to the party!

I'm a sleever and while choosing what WLS is best for you is really more about YOU than what I say, I will put forth my reasons for choosing the sleeve. In all honesty, when I first decided I wanted WLS, I wanted a band. I had long thought about RNY but I was worried about malabsorption, and the restrictions due to medication. Even though I don't take any medication on a daily basis, (God willing) I have a lot of life yet to live and I didn't want to be restricted in any way due to having WLS. So I focused on the band. When I learned about the *possible* negatives to the band, erosion, slipping, cracked tubing, ports flipping, etc. even that didn't scare me away as much because honestly that stuff can be replaced. But when I learned about PBing your food or your medication, or God forbid, Water...that sealed the deal. I will do just about everything humanly possible to avoid having food come back up. I've never even drank so much alcohol that it made me vomit. Never! I've also never thrown up or slimed or PB'd or anything remotely like that since being sleeved 3 years ago. Not even right after surgery...had the patch behind my ear to keep nausea at bay. There are long-term band people who will say "I've only PB'd 4 times in 4 years!" but to me, that is TOO many! I decided that for me personally that I can't live like that. I also believe that with the band there is always a chance of having to do another surgery (as I mentioned parts can break and slip, but they can also be replaced) but for me I wanted ONE surgery and DONE. I didn't want to have to worry that in 2, 5, 10 years I would need to go back in and have a tune-up on anything. I've been sleeved for over 3 years and seriously have not had one single complication. Surgery recovery was pretty easy, I don't take any type of PPI (no reflux), and now 3 years later I still don't take any medication for anything. I'm healthier now than I have ever been in my entire adult life. The sleeve also puts me in control. I decide WHAT I'm going to eat, WHEN I'm going to eat it and the sleeve pretty much takes care of HOW much I can eat at one time. I max out at about 3-4oz of dense Protein. I can squeeze a bit of "other" food in there but my meals rarely go over the 5oz mark total. So yep, you can come here and hear the good, the bad and ugly about each surgery, and they are all REAL experiences with real people who are living life post WLS, but you will have to look at what is best for you. Best wishes on your continued journey!

Wow, that is really a cool story! Thanks for sharing. I hope he can get the plastics he needs/wants!

When I was in the losing phase someone (another mom at the school where my kids went) said to me: "Girl what kind of crack coccaine are you on...because you are getting so skinny!" I replied with: "OMG, crack would have been soooooooooo much easier than what I did" And then I didn't elaborate because we were just having the exchange in "passing"...lol

I'm the same way, usually after dinner that's IT for the day. But I wasn't ever a big nighttime snacker so it might be easier for me since I wasn't in that habit before. And I'm a morning person so I tend to go to bed fairly early... Can you try brushing your teeth, chewing on gum or picking up a habit that involves using your hands? Sorry if those seem lame...but you gotta dig deep and try to win this battle! Hang in there and never give up!

Amazing transformation Butter! Thanks for sticking around here and offering your wisdom to those who wish to take it.

Okay, mileage is up to 100.9...yay broke 100! Goal for the month is 175 at least... I'm anticipating that Thanksgiving will put a damper on my intense workout schedule as we will be traveling for the holiday and out of the "norm" routine. I'm making part of my challenge this month to at least walk or do something active while we are on break...even if it's not the gym routine that I follow.

So I've been sleeved 3 years and I honestly feel like the way I eat now is how everyone *should* be able to eat. Small portions (my dense Protein rarely goes over 4oz, usually 3 is about all I can manage) so a regular "meal" for me is 3 oz of meat... and then a little bit of something else. Today for lunch I had 3 oz of shredded chicken topped with a little cheese, sour cream, and salsa. I dipped about 5 tortilla chips in there and that was it. Easy peasy. Full, satisfied and it's been 2.5 hours since I last ate and I'm still full and basically NOT THINKING ABOUT food...or when my next meal will be (well except that I just typed about food...lol.) Tonight will be some type of meat and either salad (reall small, 1 cup total of lettuce topped with a few bits of other veggies) or some other type of veggie. I would have NEVER before been happy or satisfied with eating such small portions of food pre-sleeve. It truly has changed my whole entire relationship with food. LOVE THAT FEELING! Also even though it's been a while since I was sleeved I remember feeling almost *normal* about 10 days post-op. It was kind of a lightbulb moment where I went "wow, I really just had surgery 10 days ago..." it already felt like a lifetime ago. So everyone is different with recovery and my personal feeling is that if you are at least somewhat active before surgery you will have a better/easier time of recovery but there just are no guarantees. I also have battled a little bit of a weight regain, but am working it back off. I wrote about it here if you want some more info about the sleeved life for the past 3 years. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/285050-3-years-ago-today-i-had-the-vsg/ Anyway, I agree this was the best decision I've ever made in regards to my own health!

LOL, nah, you will be good. It's not like you sat still this entire time...you might feel a bit rusty but a day or two of that and you will start feeling like the old Bean.

Hi Hazelsbliss! I understand where you are coming from, and I'm 3+ years post-op so marching along also. I don't think that you were being adversarial but there was an undertone that did strike a chord with me. I know you said you weren't trying to derail from her post, but that is sort of how it came accross to me. It was basically like "yeah, this ONE person had complications, but not everyone does and sometimes it's related to patient compliance" ...as I said it struck a nerve. I'm happy that you have done so well with your band, I just didn't need to see/hear about it on a thread where someone is pouring their heart out over their own personal experience. Part of this whole thing is the walls have been torn down so-to-speak. I doubt in the old days that I would have ventured over into RNY or Band territory, and even though I could have used my VST login to log in and comment over there, I'm sure I would never have done that. I have a hard enough time just keeping up with ONE site, let alone many. Please also don't take what I said as "you aren't allowed to post here" because that is NOT what I'm saying. And I realize that everything is "meshed" together now, so when we look at trending topics or new posts it's kind of hard to tell where they are posted...until you click on them and see the top link to orient where you are reading. I just don't want people of any of the boards to feel like they can't post their truth without someone jumping in and saying "but you are just ONE person, not everyone experiences that!!!" because that's kind of the truth about each and every post on here.

Will you be released for FULL ON exercise...lifting, etc. nothing held back? Or is it granted in "stages"...just curious!

Hi Mark...well, we had a week "break" between 6 week sessions and I was so proud of myself getting to the gym and lifting twice during my break. I found that it was NOT the same as having our instructor "push us" but I was proud for doing it. Which makes me glad I signed up for the next 6 week session. Unfortunately, the fitness center allowed 8 people to register for this session (I guess normally it's capped at 6) and so the instructor was MAD and so she decided to try and see if she could get some ladies to drop by attrition...lol. So there were two "yoga" ladies who were not used to lifting and she put us through some punishing stuff to see if maybe they would quit. So we'll see how it all shakes out...made me glad I was on her "good" side! And ...you...congrats on your two year...Do we get an update post?

Sounds like you are doing GREAT and I can tell you are looking GREAT, so kudos to both you and your wife. Definitely an adventure worth sharing!!

Congratulations on your new adventure! I'm still sorry you had to endure such a rough start with your sleeve, but I'm sure happy that it is having a wonderful outcome! How exciting!