Suzannesh

:heart: Hi Everyone, Where do you want to be in 1 year from now? When I had weight loss surgery, I had no idea how long it was going to take me to lose weight; I was older than most of you and everyone l drops their weight at different speeds. Most all of us ladies know that men lose much faster than we do. For me it took me about 14 months to lose 105 pounds. I was thrilled it only took me that long. I know when I started this journey like the rest of you I wanted it to just melt off of me. As first it felt like it was, but I knew that would slow down and it did. What I want you to do it take it in small steps. Set you goals by weeks or by a month, and DO NOT put yourself down if you don’t reach that goal. Remember we are all individuals. I had a walking buddy and she was good to keep me motivated and when she was down I did the same for her. She had sleeve surgery with Dr. Aceves about 6 months after I had mine. I was honored when she asked me to go with her for her surgery. :angel_smile: Mix things up, become creative with your food ideas. I actually have become a much better cook now that I am healthy and at my goal weight, but that didn’t happen overnight. I started searching out recipes that I could incorporate in my lifestyle and something that taste great and that my husband and I both would eat. Find the Protein that you like and find 50 different ways to cook with it and watch your carbs. chicken happens to be a protein that I use the most. Those sneaky carbs have a way of messing up your weight loss. If you are eating carbs make them WHOLE GRAIN carbs, not whole wheat—the key word is Whole Grain. Summer is coming along find some great salads and put your protein in along with a little fresh fruit—like strawberries and then make the salad your entire meal. Watch the dressing that you are using. I learned to NOT put the dressing on my salad, but dip my forks into the dressing and with every bite I always get dressing. :clock: So look at the calendar and put a goal in your mind where you would like to be one year from today. Some will be there and some will not. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too big of a goal. :heart: I also used to like to look at catalog or magazines that had beautiful clothes that I wanted to be able to buy when I reached my goal. Looking at these beautiful clothes kept me from eating too. Do what works best for you. I will admit I have bought a lot of new clothes once I reached my goal.:lightbulb: If you haven’t picked your doctor yet I would like to tell you the Dr. Aceves is the very best that you can have for your surgery. If you have any questions about him, I am more than happy to answer anything you would like to know. I wanted the best I could have and after a lot of research and talking to people on these boards, I knew he was the one.:lightbulb: I wish you great success, remember do this one day at a time. If you had a bad day the good news is that day ends and you can start all over the next day.:cheer2: Hugs,:thumbs_up: Suzanne Sleeved 10/210/2008

Hi, Before you know it, it will be Aug and you will be on a journey that will change your entire life. Congratulations on taking the steps that will make such a difference in your life. Hugs to you Suzanne

Hi I loved what you said when you said the sleeve saved your life and it could save someone else's life too. That is part of us being willing to talk about our WLS and telling others who ask us how we did it. So many people are embarrassed to say they have had WLS. NOT me, I am all about educating others. I get it if they are uncomfortable talking about it. But if we can talk about WLS it may make a difference in someones quality of life. Congratulations on ALL your accomplishments. You have done GREAT. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, Where do you want to be in 1 year from now? When I had weight loss surgery, I had no idea how long it was going to take me to lose weight; I was older than most of you and everyone l drops their weight at different speeds. Most all of us ladies know that men lose much faster than we do. For me it took me about 14 months to lose 105 pounds. I was thrilled it only took me that long. I know when I started this journey like the rest of you I wanted it to just melt off of me. As first it felt like it was, but I knew that would slow down and it did. What I want you to do it take it in small steps. Set you goals by weeks or by a month, and DO NOT put yourself down if you don’t reach that goal. Remember we are all individuals. I had a walking buddy and she was good to keep me motivated and when she was down I did the same for her. She had sleeve surgery with Dr. Aceves about 6 months after I had mine. I was honored when she asked me to go with her for her surgery. Mix things up, become creative with your food ideas. I actually have become a much better cook now that I am healthy and at my goal weight, but that didn’t happen overnight. I started searching out recipes that I could incorporate in my lifestyle and something that taste great and that my husband and I both would eat. Find the protein that you like and find 50 different ways to cook with it and watch your carbs. Chicken happens to be a protein that I use the most. Those sneaky carbs have a way of messing up your weight loss. If you are eating carbs make them WHOLE GRAIN carbs, not whole wheat—the key word is Whole Grain. Summer is coming along find some great salads and put your protein in along with a little fresh fruit—like strawberries and then make the salad your entire meal. Watch the dressing that you are using. I learned to NOT put the dressing on my salad, but dip my forks into the dressing and with every bite I always get dressing. So look at the calendar and put a goal in your mind where you would like to be one year from today. Some will be there and some will not. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too big of a goal. I also used to like to look at catalog or magazines that had beautiful clothes that I wanted to be able to buy when I reached my goal. Looking at these beautiful clothes kept me from eating too. Do what works best for you. I will admit I have bought a lot of new clothes once I reached my goal. If you haven’t picked your doctor yet I would like to tell you the Dr. Aceves is the very best that you can have for your surgery. If you have any questions about him, I am more than happy to answer anything you would like to know. I wanted the best I could have and after a lot of research and talking to people on these boards, I knew he was the one. I wish you great success, remember do this one day at a time. If you had a bad day the good news is that day ends and you can start all over the next day. Hugs, Suzanne Sleeved 10/210/2008

Hi, I think you can do just that. It is something that you should be able to achieve. Keep that great attitude. Suzanne

Hey, You go girl !!!!!!! Anything is possible if you want it bad enough and you have the right attitude and drive to make it happen. I will be excited following your progress. Since I have been down this road ahead of you, please feel free to send me a note with any questions that you might have. :cheer2: I love they way you dream about being where you want to be. It can happen and it isn't unreasonable. Sometimes just visualizing yourself at that weight really does help :happy: . I also learned that looking at others before and after pictures really motivated me a LOT. Stay in touch and Hugs,:cheer2: Suzanne

Hi Susanne, Another Suzanne only spelled a little different. I think you have a great attitude--it is only a number and you are so correct there. And to be running is fabulous. I walk a lot. I have a shirt from Nike that says "Running Sucks." LOL. I am proud of you for running, but it is something that when I see a runner smiling and enjoying it then I would consider running, until then I will walk everyday. Everyone has a form of exercise that works for them, and for me it has been walking. I think that you will be at your goal weight without a doubt. Keep doing what you are doing. It is working! I also think after a year you will have figured out how to control your goal weight--pretty simple calories in calories out. If you gain you will bump up the exercise or eat less calories. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, Congratulations to you. Looks like you just got started. I think it is very reasonable to be at your goal, and you might surprise yourself and be below your goal. I am here if you have any questions along your journey. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, We are never going to be or eat like we used to. We have a restriction--and thanks goodness for it. How about working on one addiction at a time. Right now work on your food addiction, then with some help go after your smoking addiction OK. Don't overwhelm yourself with TOO MANY things that need to be done. We don't need to beat ourselves up--we have done that too many times in the past. You will find that later on you can have a small taste of something that you love or want. Noticed I said small--example-- a sliver of a piece of cake--NOT THE ENTIRE piece of cake. You will notice that just the taste of it really does satisfy your needs. We all had to learn our way around our sleeve and learn what we could or couldn't eat. I suggest that if you have issues and aren't losing like you want to that you go back and start writing down everything you are putting into your month--there are some great sites on line that will keep track of it--it takes time to record everything but it is well worth the effort. You might be shocked to know that are eating more than 800 calories a day. And after awhile you will not have to read all the labels because you will have a lot of it figured out. When you exercise you can eat more because you can burn up some calories. It is a relearning process and we all have to do it ONE STEP at a time. Hugs, and I am always here to answer any question that you may have. Suzanne

Hi, I think your have a fantastic attitude. The last thing we need is to beat ourselves up over how fast or slow we are going. You are having great success right now. We have NEVER had this kind of success before with anything else we have tried. When you lose it slow like this it will be much easier to maintain your weight loss. NEVER give up on your dreams. We are human and we aren't like anyone else--thank goodness. I happen to love who I am and the way I am. It took me a lot of years to say to heck with everyone else. It is "MY" turn in life to take care of me. I raised my family and now it was my turn in life to do the things I needed for me. And I have earned the right to do this. So this is your turn in life and you have earned the right to do what ever you need to do to achieve your goal. You go girls and NEVER look back. I have NO regrets for what I have done when it comes WLS. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, Thanks for what you said. I agree you have to do what is best for you. And you and I did pick what was best for us. I have always thought that Dr. Aceves was the one who had the best statics of any surgeon that I checked out. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I do understand all your reasons why you are having your surgery where you are. I wish you great success. Suzanne

Hi Congratulations to you for having WLS. I must say I used to think like you do about being able to stay in the US--UNTIL I did a litttle research and found out that most hospitals infection rate is so much greater than Dr. Aceves's hospital. You are running the risk of an infection any time you go to a hospital or have surgery. I also know that they only keep your for 1 or at the most 2 days in the US hospital and send you home. This does not happen with Dr. Aceves. And he tests your new stomach 3 times before he will release you to go home. He hasmore experience and has done more WLS than and US doctor. Being in Mexicali and having doctor Aceves do my surgery was 10 times better than any kind of care or service I have EVER received from any US doctor. I saw 2 doctors 3 times a day while I was there. When was the last time you saw 2 doctors 3 times a day in any US hospital? I have never received that kind of care from any US doctor. They just don't have the time and I understand that. I know you are going to do just fine and everything is going to be good for you, but I can speak about being in Mexico and having Doctor Aceves and that is something you have no knowledge about. Suzanne

Hi, Oh, I think this is a very reasonable goal. And you will be surprised at how easy getting below and staying blow 200 will be for you. I want you to think positive OK. And never give up on your dreams. You deserve to have it ALL. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, This is not an unreasonale goal to have. Take it like it comes. I learned the closer I got to my goal, the harder I had to work at it. But, that is pretty normal. Just keep doing what you are doing. :cheer2: Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, What GREAT goals you have. And they are all things that you can accomplish. I remember how wonderful the words sounded when I said I had lost 105 pounds. You can do this too. NEVER give up on yourself. You are worth the effort . Hugs, Suzie

Hi, Those are great choices. And being able to maintain the weight loss is a pretty easy thing. Suzanne

Hi, You have the right thoughts. One day at a time. Sometimes we stall and don't lose anything. That is pretty normal, I did that once for 9 days. I just keep doing the same thing and all of a sudden my weight started to come off again. Hang in there and congratulations on your progress. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi Where do you want to be in 1 year from now? When I had weight loss surgery, I had no idea how long it was going to take me to lose weight; I was older than most of you and everyone l drops their weight at different speeds. Most all of us ladies know that men lose much faster than we do. For me it took me about 14 months to lose 105 pounds. I was thrilled it only took me that long. I know when I started this journey like the rest of you I wanted it to just melt off of me. As first it felt like it was, but I knew that would slow down and it did. What I want you to do it take it in small steps. Set you goals by weeks or by a month, and DO NOT put yourself down if you don’t reach that goal. Remember we are all individuals. I had a walking buddy and she was good to keep me motivated and when she was down I did the same for her. She had sleeve surgery with Dr. Aceves about 6 months after I had mine. I was honored when she asked me to go with her for her surgery. Mix things up, become creative with your food ideas. I actually have become a much better cook now that I am healthy and at my goal weight, but that didn’t happen overnight. I started searching out recipes that I could incorporate in my lifestyle and something that taste great and that my husband and I both would eat. Find the Protein that you like and find 50 different ways to cook with it and watch your carbs. chicken happens to be a protein that I use the most. Those sneaky carbs have a way of messing up your weight loss. If you are eating carbs make them WHOLE GRAIN carbs, not whole wheat—the key word is Whole Grain. Summer is coming along find some great salads and put your protein in along with a little fresh fruit—like strawberries and then make the salad your entire meal. Watch the dressing that you are using. I learned to NOT put the dressing on my salad, but dip my forks into the dressing and with every bite I always get dressing. :angel: So look at the calendar and put a goal in your mind where you would like to be one year from today. Some will be there and some will not. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too big of a goal. :thumbs_up: I also used to like to look at catalog or magazines that had beautiful clothes that I wanted to be able to buy when I reached my goal. Looking at these beautiful clothes kept me from eating too. Do what works best for you. I will admit I have bought a lot of new clothes once I reached my goal.:wink_smile: If you haven’t picked your doctor yet I would like to tell you the Dr. Aceves is the very best that you can have for your surgery. If you have any questions about him, I am more than happy to answer anything you would like to know. I wanted the best I could have and after a lot of research and talking to people on these boards, I knew he was the one.:attention: I wish you great success, remember do this one day at a time. If you had a bad day the good news is that day ends and you can start all over the next day. Hugs,:cheer2: Suzanne Sleeved 10/210/2008

Hi Everyone, Listed below is the meaning of Attitude. Attitude: A position of the body or manner of carrying oneself. A state of mind or feeling with regard to some matters. I realized that during my weight loss my entire ATTITUDE changed about how I thought and what I was feeling. I always had confidence in myself, but my confidence really started to increase as I lost weight. My new ATTITUDE was that I could for the first time in a long time start to believe that I was going to achieve my weight loss goal. The closer I got to my goal my weight loss seemed to slow down—now what. But, with my new and improved ATTITUDE I knew what I needed to do to make it happen. I had to step up the exercise more. I did this and my ATTITUDE just kept getting better. Now once I got to my goal, I had the skills to maintain this weight loss. So everyone, I want you to get in touch with your ATTITUDE. We are here to help you with your confidence, be your new friends, and support you from this site. I want you to have the ATTITUDE that you can do anything you want in life including this journey you are on to lose weight. I was 63 when I started this and by 64 I was well on my way. Why did it take me so long to develop this ATTITUDE? I am positive that I would have never done this if I wouldn’t have gone to Dr. Aceves and his staff and had “Sleeve” WLS, I would have struggled like I had been doing for 30 some years. He gave me the tool to do this, I did the work, I developed by ATTITUDE and I became successful. Now it is your turn to follow so many of us who have done this. We are there for you every step of the way. NEVER give up on your dreams. Dreams do come true, I am living proof of it. Is it easy—No way is it easy—it doesn’t just melt off of you. It requires work and commitment on your part. Making lifestyle changes to eat healthy, and incorporate some exercise with it. I know a few who have not done any exercise and that is OK, they said they just lost a little slower. For me I actually started to like how I felt when I would exercise. So make your plan, ask for help if you need it, and ask us any questions that you might have. I can only speak about my experience that I had with Dr. Aceves, because I knew he was the best before I went to him after all my research. It is all about ATTITUDE so work on your ATTITUDE. This is ALL about YOU and NO one else. Hugs to you,

Hi, I see you have your head in the right place and that is 75% of the battle to lose the weight. You are doing fantastic. Congratulations to you. Wow, I hear what you are saying when you say people eat way too much for one serving of something. I am amazed when I watch someone eat and we are out for dinner. I think to myself, I used to inhale all that food too and for what reason? Now we share a meal and I can never eat all of it. Too bad me couldn't have figured this out a long time ago. But we have now and we are going to be able to live like this for the rest of our lives. The very best part is that you will always be able to maintain your weight loss becasue you have made a lifestyle change. Stay in touch and enjoy your day. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, Thanks for you kind words. Our brain (master control center) is always making us work and thing. Sometimes we go down the wrong path, but we turn things around and get back on track. That makes us human and pretty normal. It is amazing what weight loss does for us. It sure has changed my entire life and all for the better. Enjoy your day, we are having sun here in Oregon and I am going out to work in the yard today. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, Thanks for reading it. You are sooooooooooooooo right when you say a positive attitude really does make a world of difference in our weight loss journey. Our life as we knew it is changing daily. We have those moments when we stumble and take a step back wards, but we know that we will be successful--nothing can stop us. You are doing an excellent job. If you have any questions or just want to talk send me a note OK. I have gone down this road ahead of you, so I have some experience at this. Hugs.

Hi, Thanks for your remarks. I am right there with you. The cost of a sleeve here in the US was about $20,000 and NO one had the experience that Dr. Aceves had. So he was my choice. Hugs, Suzanne