CowgirlJane

@@windycitymom I do know you - glad to see you are posting again! @@Georgia The veteran's forum is back, but it has lost it's sense of "community". I used to post there alot but never think about it anymore. There is a maintenance forum. actually, there are so many forums now that I never really know where to post what! When I started this thread I was letting myself get wrapped into some drama and issues that i couldn't make a difference on and this whole experience clarified in my mind how I do add value and how I want to interact here. In truth, I get alot out of it too. NEVER EVER in my whole life have I maintained significant weight loss for 3 years! I end the holiday season AT GOAL and while I couldn't have done it without the sleeve, I think I couldn't have done it without the support, learnings and experiences shared here. So, thank you all.

@@coops I also went through menopause really young. It kinda bummed me out but truth is I only have one symptom...and it's a bad one..the dryness thing... @@Georgia what beautiful babes. .so good to hear from you! More later...

WTF If it weren't for all the replies supporting your claim such a show exists, I would have thought you made this up!

@@UK Cathy I have cut way back on my drinking to prepare for surgery, but I realize how many calories I have been consuming that way! I have the opposite problem, I will forget to eat if I drink alcohol and that aint good either! I think the best answer is to combine alcohol with a real meal (or at least an appetizer) so you don't wind up eating munchy type foods. I tried to see Kinky Boots when I was in New York city 2 years ago, but couldn't get tickets. Can't wait to hear what you think of it! So, I have been doing some casual dating, but this guy Steve I have been seeing since October. No future in it, but super nice guy and fun to do stuff with. anyway, he has gone off the rails. Like depressed. There are some things that have happened that suck, but I think he has a depressive type personality as he has given me hints of it before. I think the reason he is attracted to me is that while I have my ups and downs, I am basically bubbly and outgoing. Anyway, he is hiding from me, like he texts alot but won't even talk on the phone. It doesn't really matter as we aren't in deep or anything, but it is just part of that whole... wtf??? Are there any men on the planet who are fit, middle aged, SINGLE, fun without being irresponsible and not suffering from major emotional issues? Ha

Okay, this is tough because when I get started on cold Cereal - it is like an addiction! My boys love the crap, so we put it on the shelf I must never open. Actually, i discovered that cereal and milk was probably my main trigger food before but I didn't even realize it. My afternoon snack is almost always one of the following: -Protein drink -sandwich meat wrapped around a dill pickle... even better with a bit of cream cheese and honey mustard (sweet and tart and creamy all together) -Greek yogurt with berries and stevia -Leftover roasted veggies since I make them for dinner a few times a week. Yes, I eat cold roasted asparagus, brussel sprouts, carrots etc... -Protein Bars, but they are so high carb!

I spent the months of Nov and Dec in heavy Physical therapy for my arthritic hip - strength (lunges etc etc) and flexibilty (stretches, rolling out IT band etc). It has made a big difference and I do nearly 30 minutes 5x a week strength/stretch. Best way to protect joints is with strong, flexible muscles.

I used to walk at night alot. Even in a safe area, just keep wits about you and learn some basic self defense. I dont mean karate, I mean knowing how to send body language that says "don't eff with me" if a dicey situation comes up. I do enjoy the peace of it, and yes getting out and moving is better than sitting around in the evening!

Remember the blood type diet? I am "O" which is the type that is said to thrive on a paleo type diet. It didn't work for me back in the 1990s but it sure works now. Mostly it didn't work because I couldn't stick to it... carb addict that I am. Anyway I do think we are so individual that fine tuning ourselves needs to be an experiment.

Even if you have osteoarthritis, walking is good for you. When I as 100# overweight I did the 3 day walk, so walked ALOT to train for it. Some things I Learned: Excellent shoes, replaced often Stretch including calves and shins Add some other strength exercise..doesn't have to be lifting weights, but lunges, planks etc Back off if you feel like you are overtraining. That doesn't mean stop it means scale back a little bit until your fitness catches up to your ambition Take 1-2 days off a week to allow recovery. Since you primarily walk, maybe that means your day off is 1-2 miles not the 5 plus. I do high intensity spinning bike and was having trouble...realized as I had amped up the intensity I forgot to add rest days. You absolutely need recovery especially now that you added jogging.

I have worked from home since late Dec 2008. It is a mixed blessing. I LOVE no commute, time to do my horse chores during daylight and the ability to talk to my European colleagues (skype, phone) at the crack of dawn (well, before the crack of dawn!) without having to have detangled my hair. In the summer it is great because it stays light so late, i have practically a full day after work to horse around, do my chores or just enjoy the sunshine. Down side, although i talk alot over the phone, I miss the energy and excitement and socialization I used to experience as part of work. Trouble is that MOST of the people I work with now aren't even in my timezone, much less in the same local office...

Do you have a nutritionalist or support from your surgeons office? I think your pills add a little bit of complexity and they can help you with that. So, if you feel "hungry" it frankly is probably acid if you are only 9 days out. Do you take a PPI? I became somewhat lactose intolerant post sleeve - if it doesn't agree with you, don't consume it for now. Give your system some time to recover and try again later. Honestly, hydration is the most important thing. Your body has alot of calorie reserves if you are obese so you aren't going to starve to death I hated the Protein drinks until I found ways to work with them. Syntrax nectar has a bunch of flavors and it is "thin". Later on, I graduated to Premier Protein, and 4 years later - I still drink at least one day to get to my protein goals. In those early weeks, I ate and drank by the clock. I followed my schedule like it was taking a prescription. It was alot of work. I was on full normal foods after about 6 weeks which was a very difficult, and kinda scary transition for me. That was probably a bit of a low point - I had this feeling of "OMG, this is a full time job"..... but it gets easier. I hope I answered at least some of your worries, but it would be really great if you could talk this over with a good NUT or support person from your surgeons office. Hang in there!

You can be slim and not fit. I would also say that my personal experience is I felt pretty crappy about the first 10-12 weeks too - you might be dehydrated, lots of factors. The way you get fitter is by doing... just start easy and slowly build up. I went from a very obese woman to someone who is pretty fit for middle age, but it was a process, not an event. Hang in there, you will feel better!

It's natural to be nervous and there are pros and cons. The very high BMI people, my practice does in a hospital but I think that had alot to do with the weight capacity of their tables etc. They also do that if the patient wants it, but their default is the surgical center which is right next door to the hospital. One of the pros to the surgical center is they don't have sick people there - ha! Anyway, sounds like your arrangement is great - mine was a center of excellence with a great track record and it sounds like yours is too. Because mine was outpatient, but I did stay the night, they loaded me up with IV fluids that morning because for MOST people dehydration is one of their biggest "risks" in the early weeks post op and getting off to a very hydrated start maybe helped.

Kim, horseback riding is just like that - a horse tends to steer in the direction that you look! It is incredible to me how that works. The consequence in horse back riding is that fearful riders tend to "look at" the scary thing which often causes the horse to head toward it, sense their rider is scared and then bad things can happen! I think you are very bold and brave to take on motorcycling. I am fairly well terrified of it. I have decided that about 50% of the dating pool in my age range ride motorcycles! It's apparently the default midlife crisis-mobile for men. If they are harley riders, they want the woman to ride along and I just don't like it much. I do hope you make the trek and consider staying with me... might be camping in my yard as I have a freaking full house right now, but I have a big yard. So, I am right at goal. I want to be under goal. I have been working at getting in better shape though and have been rehabbing my hip since November and have made great progress ... woo hoo! On the 18th of Jan I have my breast implant replaced so I will be largely out of commission for 4 weeks, but I figured it is worth it to get in as best shape I can, i will lose ground, but then restart March 1 (after I get back from Hawaii!).

I tried to join a"lifestyle" type program- 2 years long and a huge commitment. I have to say it was the best thing ever that they wouldn't take my money and referred me to a bariatric surgeon with a strong 2 year follow up (nutrition,activity and medical). I am sorry you are upset and that person was so rude, but statistically, you were told the truth. I spent DECADES losing some weight, maintaining for a range of 3 minutes to 3 years, but always weighed more at the end. Obesity is now being thought of as a disease process....and in my case it was quite advanced. I am 5'5" and I thought it was great if I could maintain around 240, my highest weight was nearly 350. I started the sleeve preop diet at 308. That was 4 years ago and I maintain at half my former size. WLS is a big deal, and I always encourage people to be sure they have really tried EVERYTHING before jumping in, but my personal experience matches what you were told. After every weight loss attempt, never getting to a normal body size, I would eventually regain to a higher weight than I started. The sleeve has saved me..or rather helped me save myself... from that hellish cycle.

I read this earlier and thought about it. I could say alot of things about my career and the opportunities it has given me and my children, but in truth, I work because I don't know another way. I mean..I have ALWAYS worked. In recent years I have learned alot about fun, but working is what I was raised to do.

I appreciate that everyone shares their experiences but there is alot of assuming that their surgeon's approach is the"only" way. I say find a surgeon with documented great results and below average complications AND THEN TRUST HE OR SHE MIGHT ACTUALLY KNOW SOMETHING. My lapband was placed in 2001, and I was held captive in a German hospital for DAYS. Around day 4 I told the surgeon I thought I might be having a stroke because I had a perma headache, and feared I might die alone. He wisely relented that I needed fresh air, sunshine and my family and set me free. In Sept 2011 I had that band removed as an outpatient procedure in the USA. I once again felt terrible. I went in to be checked because I thought something was really wrong. Hindsight, I was probably depressed at the band failure and the spot were the port had been was terribly painful. In Dec 2011, i was sleeved, technically outpatient but due to my sleep apnea was required to stay the night. That was fairly awesome. I am prone to naseau from anesthesia so they hit me hard with the anti naseau drugs. The 2 other ladies there were very social and the nurse was sweet (and bored). Our biggest challenge was the restroom door was HEAVY and she had to let us in and out in our weakened state...Ha. My surgeon didn't do leak tests...I know...horrible! But, they have good reason for this and why their techniques evolved. I am not claiming my way was theonly right way but look at the evidence, surgical centers have excellent results.

I have been rehabbing my right hip...lots of stretching and strength. I can tell I am getting stronger but actually slimmer there. Seems we always lose from the spot we don't want to lose from! Thanks for generous offer. I will take you up on it!

I was very high BMI. .nobody noticed until I lost 50#!

Awesome information. I have a surgery soon and so will be back at strength training March 1. I will start with your Protein regimen and then consider adding the others is I don't make progress. I would like to add bulk to my skinny butt and even calves, but have been told that is really hard if you are naturally skinny butted!

Boob fixing is just around the corner....all set to go back to Dr Sauceda Jan 18.....very nervous but I NEED to put this behind me. I am going to have fat transfer to my face and a mole removed while I am there. I am suddenly looking my age....grrr...not ready for facelift, but fighting back!

It's because you are no longer invisible.

The surgery reduces the capacity of your stomach and appetite. To lose and maintain weight loss you must comply with making lifestyle changes - the surgery gives you a tool to do this. Most people have pretty rapid weight loss the first 3 months, but you won't see a difference the first few days. I highly recommend you Google gastric sleeve to get an understanding of the procedure and lifestyle changes. Good luck!

I would have a premier Protein for the road. ..

When I got to goal I found moving hay and opening heavy doors (seriously? ??!) to be a challenge. It dawned on me how I used my mass before.