gowalking

Go to the state medical board website. That should help you alot better than just random comments that you really cannot validate. Don't go with your gut.....not with something as serious as who is going to cut you open and rearrange your insides. Get real data. Good luck and let us know what happens. If you have to postpone the surgery and see someone else, do it. This is serious business. When I was told I needed my hips replaced last year, it was the head of orthopaedics at NYU who told me. I still went to see the head of ortho at Beth Israel before consenting to such an invasive procedure.

Great idea. I'll start I guess. My before/after pic is attached. This is what 140 lbs. lost looks like. Can't wait to see all of your pics as well.

Thank you for sharing your story. You are an inspiration and it never hurts to read over and over again, how so many of us have abnormal feelings/relationships with food. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the taste of food but many of us turn to food for emotional needs that we are not getting from somewhere, or someone else. I've also done the easy part....losing 140 lbs. I'm still doing the hard part....sitting in a therapist's office once a week dredging up terrible feelings and memories that I hope eventually help me to not turn to food if/when my life goes a little or a lot off the rails. I never want to be fat again. Never. And therapy is part of the process for me.

Good luck. Even with a high BMI, you can be successful as long as you follow your doctor's instructions and stay compliant. I had a BMI that was over 50 which made me morbidly obese and I am now a normal weight...and I can do anything and go anywhere I want to now.

Same here. I'm the same weight as I was when I got married in 1977. Obviously, I'm not the same size...not after 37 years and two children. But I haven't been 125 lbs. since getting pregnant with the first one...who just turned 36. I look at myself in the mirror or in a window when I'm walking outside all the time. Not because I'm enamored of my new figure....but because I don't know who that skinny girl I see in the mirror is. 125 lbs. and wearing a size 6 yet all I see is the morbidly obese woman I was prior to surgery. I'm also a work in progress.

I kept it quiet at first but as the weight started to literally fall off, I knew that most folks could figure it out anyway. I must say that all the comments have been positive so that's a good thing. But for me, it was an obvious medical need as my mobility was in jeopardy. I used to use a cane and was in terrible pain. These days, I walk unaided and nearly normally again so there's no reason for anyone to be negative. Good luck...as long as you are good with your decision, that's all that matters.

Good morning friends. I haven't posted any pics for a while so I thought I'd post pics from my day yesterday. I went to Queens to watch the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Races. It was fun to watch but the bestest part of the day was my being able to walk from the shuttle drop off well into the park where the races were being held. I never could have done that a year ago. I wouldn't have even been able to go. I know that one day, this will all become ordinary for me, but for now, I thank my band and my orthopedic surgeon every day for giving me my life back. Today is my birthday and for the first time in a very long time, I am looking forward to a future of endless possibilities.

I had to lose around 50 lbs. to go down one or two sizes...but once you start to get smaller, the sizes change much more rapidly even though you are losing less weight. Once I hit around 150, I was in size 12 or 14 jeans but now that I'm 125, I'm wearing size 6 or 8.

This post is a personal attack and there is no place for that on this forum. I will ask Alex to lock this thread as it's not at all helpful.

Congrats.

Usually.

You bet they do. I didn't think about it until I went from an 8 1/2 wide to a 7 or 7 1/2 regular width. Another plus is that I have ingrown toenails and they used to bother me all the time. These days, I don't have to see the podiatrist for several months at a time.

I'm so sorry for your problems. You need to find another doctor because this one does not have your best intentions. The fact that he got angry shows he is a bully and no one should have a bully take care of them. Please let us know what a new doctor tells you.

Hi Ceema. I can't help you personally with the clothes...I gave most of my stuff away to another NYC forum member but I think it would be a good idea to look to organize a clothes swap when we have our support group meetings. I'm going to discuss it with Lisa, my co-leader. We just had our August meeting but maybe we can include this in the next meeting. We've had gals who are all sizes and I bet we could have a pretty good selection of items to chose from eventually.

Was shopping tonight to supplement my work wardrobe. Dresses were half price so I looked there instead of more slacks/blouses. I tried on a dark blue dress that was way more form fitting than I'm used to but I thought it looked pretty good. It came with a shrug-like top and I wasn't sure if it looked OK because it seemed a little big so I asked the young woman in the dressing room next to me for her opinion. She took one look and told me the dark color did nothing for me, nor did all the material used for the coverup. She said to me that it made me look old and that I had a lovely figure so why would I want to hide it? I don't see it...I swear I don't. All I see are the things I don't like about my body, and obviously no one else sees those things. I was morbidly obese a year and a half ago and I'm not someone who has a lovely figure. Not in my head at least. I'm struggling so much with this my friends. I wish I could see what everyone else sees. Sometimes I see a glimmer of it...usually because I don't realize it's me...you know...a quick glance in a mirror or passing a plate glass window and catching myself in the corner of my eye. When am I going to revel in my success? I am enjoying the mobility that has returned to me...but I can't seem to enjoy the pleasure of my new smaller body. I worry that I may never be comfortable in my own skin....

Met a friend for Breakfast this morning. I ordered two scrambled eggs, bacon and rye toast. My friend had an omelet. While we were chatting, I took two of the three pieces of bacon and put it on her plate. Did it without even breaking stride in our conversation and she didn't even notice....even when she was eating it. After we got up from the table, I glanced at my plate. About half of one egg left over. I ate my one piece of bacon. All the fried potatoes still on the plate. Half of one piece of rye toast gone and the other piece untouched. coffee cup drained but the OJ went untouched as well. I know at some point I won't even notice this type of stuff but I'm still early in the process and the changes in my eating habits are still very obvious to me. I truly was proud of myself when I saw what was on that plate. I didn't care what I had spent...and what was left over. It was way more important to see what the plate of a normal sized person looks like.

Oh brother...I have sciatica pain so I know what you're going through. Here's hoping this resolves quickly.

Learn to swim because Water exercise is better for you than anything. It was the only exercise I could do before WLS and hip replacement and now that I'm half my size and have two new hips, it's still the best exercise there is. I recommend it highly.

Yes and yes. I have the same struggle and I see a therapist because I am also too hard on myself and only find fault with how I look. I am not comfortable in my new body and still feel fat. I worry that I will sabotage myself so I am working with this therapist to find the root cause of my body image issues so I can embrace my new self, both with the improvements I've made and the work in progress I still feel I am. Good luck to you..hope you get the help you need.

Be strong!! You can do it!

I never order clothes online for the same reason...sizing is all over the place. For a time, I was wearing size 14 jeans and tops anywhere from small to XL depending on the cut/style. I have noticed though that as I go into smaller sizes, they start to stabilize. I'm in size 6 or 8 jeans now and mostly medium tops. But again..I wouldn't presume to buy anything without trying on first.

My forum name is gowalking. I chose it because when I started this journey, I was looking at living the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I have joint degeneration and needed my hips replaced and no one would guarantee a good outcome unless I lost a significant amount of weight. I lost 70 lbs. and scheduled the surgery. It was brutal and the recovery long and difficult but nearly a year later, I am able to walk unassisted and nearly normally. I have some residual issues but they are nothing compared to where I was just a short 18 months ago. Almost two years ago, I was on a cruise and it was a small ship. I could barely navigate it and I never got off the ship at any of the ports since it was so hard for me to move. Two weeks ago, I was on a cruise on one of the biggest ships out there and was able to go anywhere I wanted both on and off the ship. I shopped for hours, went snorkeling and diving, I fit anywhere and everywhere. It is truly miraculous being able to say that I've gotten my life back. Next spring, I'll check something off my bucket list...something I though I'd never be able to do. My sister and I are going to plan a trip to China. I think that when I get my first glimpse of the Forbidden City, I might just start bawling like a baby. None of this would have been possible without the band and I am more grateful than I can ever express in just words. Nice topic...thanks for letting me post.

I'm half the size I was when I started this journey and I see a therapist to help me with my body image issues...which are largely dictated by how others act(ed) towards me. I get compliments and don't quite know how to handle them...I've been called the 'S' word...skinny...and it makes me very uncomfortable. I often feel like I'm pretending to be a thin person because in my head, I'm still fat. I have become very aware that people are nicer to me now. Not that they were mean before, but I'm talking about the guy on the plane who helps me to put my suitcase in the overhead...or the men who hold the door, or let me get off the elevator first. Those are fairly new experiences. I'm still a work in progress. I'm just now starting to look people in the eye instead of always looking down. I do dress nicer, I wear makeup, do my hair, nails, etc. I wasn't a slob before...not at all. But I didn't do anything special either. This really is pretty new territory for me and I'm still learning how to navigate it in this smaller body. I even find myself looking with disgust at other large people and I stop myself right away. God...I used to be that person...I should have nothing but compassion and yet I don't always. Terrible, right? Any other addiction is hidden from people till they get to know you but our food addiction is there for all to see and judge without ever getting to know us. I'm glad I get professional help. I know I never want to be fat again because I'm finally able to live a normal life. The trick now is to learn to live this way for the rest of my life. And we all know based on 'fell off the wagon' posts that it's easy to self sabotage. This was a great topic to post. I appreciate being able to respond to it.

Take a look in the Bariatric Local Chapters section of the forum. There are meetings listed by region. If there's nothing for Northern Jersey, you are welcome to join our meeting...it's really for the tri-state area and we've had Jersey folks come to them.

here you go. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/304888-ny-nyclong-island/