gowalking

Hi friends. Jury duty today so I took a couple of pics of the courthouse. For those Law & Order fans, you'll probably recognize it. Enjoy.

I've got a regular followup with my bariatric surgeon tomorrow. The last time I was there was about six or seven months ago. I'm going to be one of those people in the waiting room who I used to look at and think, 'why the heck is that skinny thing sitting here? Obviously he/she doesn't need WLS'. Now I know why there are thin people waiting to see the doctor(s).

she is, right?? I hated her when I first met her...

See Lisa's post above. I hope you can make it.

You are absolutely beautiful. Not that you weren't before, but the transformation is truly amazing. Congrats!!

Super! See you Sunday.

You'll find an amazing amount of support here. I know I have. Welcome.

..but that's where I seem to wind up now. Anytime we go out to eat, if there's a tight corner, I wind up there because I'm smaller than everyone else in the family or with my friends. And that's compared to even the 'normal' sized people. I don't mean I'm skin and bones but at just five feet tall and 117 or so lbs., I fit where no one else does. What an amazing transformation from when I needed a chair because I didn't fit in a booth or where I had to squeeze past people if the restaurant was busy...or people would have to get up to let me pass by or the fear of a wobbly chair breaking on me. Twice last week and again this past Friday, I was in the smallest space. And I fit just fine.

You sound like a person who will succeed. The head hunger and other behaviors are the biggest challenge and those who realize it, usually can control those negative behaviors. Good luck...I am shorter than you but was also 267 lbs at one time. Today, I'm 115 lbs.

Hope you can make it on Sunday BloomingLotus. The meeting details are in the post. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Update!! The next meeting of the NYC/Long Island Bariatric Pal Support Group will be held on Sunday, January 11th, from 2PM till 4 PM at The Atrium at 805 Third Avenue. The building is on Third Ave between 49th and 50th Streets. The Atrium is at the back of the space on the lower level. Topics of discussion will be surrounding post holiday 'damage' and how to minimize it heading into the New Year. We will also discuss starting a clothing swap which we think is a handy option to constantly buying clothes in varying sizes...especially for special occasions. Please feel free to PM Lisa or myself if you have any questions or comments and check the link below for the local chapter thread. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/304888-ny-nyclong-island/page-14

The next meeting of the NYC/Long Island Bariatric Pal Support Group will be held on Sunday, January 11th, from 2PM till 4 PM at The Atrium at 805 Third Avenue. The building is on Third Ave between 49th and 50th Streets. The Atrium is at the back of the space on the lower level. Topics of discussion will be surrounding post holiday 'damage' and how to minimize it heading into the New Year. We will also discuss starting a clothing swap which we think is a handy option to constantly buying clothes in varying sizes...especially for special occasions.

I'm two years ahead of you all. I started my pre-op diet on December 31, 2012 and was banded January 14, 2013. Good luck to you all!

Hummus has become a staple for me but what has become a real favorite for me is fish. It's so band-friendly and when made well, is just so delicious. It was never a go to food for me but is now.

The thing that matters most about your post is that you celebrated. You participated. That's what it's all about. Having the ability via weight loss, to engage in all that life offers. Everything else is secondary.

Beautiful!

Most people can't imagine it so I've attached a before/after picture so you can see what it looks like to lose that much weight. Good luck to you and know that if I can do it, so can you.

It took nearly 50 pounds lost for me to drop a size or two from 26/28 to maybe 22/24. But once I hit oh...around 100 pounds down, I dropped sizes faster than you can imagine. I was in a size 16 when I lost the first 100 but since then, I've dropped 50 more and gone from size 16 to a 6. Just hang in there...it will happen soon enough.

I wasn't upset because I didn't want to have the surgery at all. I did this completely under duress. If I didn't lose weight, I would have wound up in a wheelchair and then I wouldn't have been able to work. To my utter surprise, the band worked great for me even though I wasn't in a good frame of mind and as you can see from my ticker, I've lost a tremendous amount of weight and I've gotten my life back in the process. It's been like a miracle for me and am more grateful than you could possibly imagine.

Told my gentleman friend earlier today that this New Year's Eve will be very different than years past. I always felt down as another year came to a close but this time, I am so looking forward to 2015 with joy and anticipation and that makes all the difference. This time last year, I was recovering still from the hip surgery and had been through another health issue that took up alot of my time for the first three months of 2014. All these things are hopefully in the past and there are currently no health issues in my life that will require yet another surgery. So, I have my trip to China likely in the fall. My grandson arrives in April and my oldest boy and I are getting along much better which means I spend time with his family again....most importantly, I will get to see my granddaughter a couple of times this year. She plays travel softball and is very good. So much so that she might be scholarship caliber as her mother was. I just enjoy watching her play. 2015 will be a good year and for that, I'm so very grateful. Happy New Year to my BP friends!

Not sure if you're asking me or stay75 but if it's me, my doctor was Christine Ren-Fielding at NYU Bariatric Group. I started the process in July of 2012 and was scheduled for surgery in October. It was postponed till January of 2013 because Sandy hit and NYU was closed for three months with storm damage. My insurance needed three months documentation of doctor-supervised weight loss attempts.

I live in NYC and had my band surgery at NYU. Very happy with the practice and my care there.

Oh boy do I understand your frame of mind. Same thing here. I'm down 150 lbs. and I weigh somewhere in the neighborhood of 116-118 lbs. If not for the excess skin, I too would be wearing size 4. People call me skinny and I feel like a fraud. I am thin now...I know that. But I feel like a fat woman in this thin body. I agree with my friend JustWatchMe...think about seeing a therapist. I've been in therapy for a year already and I truly think it's vital for the psyche. Even my bariatric surgeon agrees. I saw her last week and she said I'm not the same person I was when I was obese and professional help is an important component in the journey. Good luck and keep us posted on how you are doing.

Oh yes...that's right Alex. You mentioned an area for us to discuss dating based on the interest level when I posted a while back about this topic. How is that going?

After my first husband passed away, I thought the worst thing in the world was to be alone. I found out after being married to my second husband for a few years, that being alone is easy compared to laying in bed next to someone and still feel all alone. Nothing worse than that. I knew he would never make the first move to break up the marriage so I found the strength to do it. Surprisingly we found that living apart was much better for us than being together and we stayed friends long after the marriage ended. All I can say to you is that you must be a strong woman to have tackled you weight issues under difficult circumstances. That tells me you have the strength to tackle anything else you need to in order to improve you life. Talk to your therapist about practical plans and solutions to making the changes you need to. I thought I was weak and pitiful till my therapist laid out my accomplishments and made me realize just how strong I really am. Good luck and feel free to ask for help and support from us. We care and hope to help however we can.