Globetrotter

I've been lying off and on about my age since I was 21! I take 3 years off, standard. So, when I turn 33 this year, I will be turning ..... 30!!!! lol lol Actually, I feel totally justified, particularly this year. When I really turned 30 I was terribly overweight and unhappy. I hope this time I turn 30 (hee hee) that I will be at goal and can Celebrate in public with friends family and acquaintances and not feel like a Fat Embarrassment. I think I have an image in my mind of me in a bar with lots of girlfriends, kissing cute boys and maybe riding a mechanical bull!! And NOT having food be the only thing I can participate in!

I've said it before and I will say it again, Brown Cow Greek Yogurt is wonderful; 23 grams of protein in a serving (1 cup), 4 grams carbs, no extra creepy chemicals. Toss in some real fruit, slivered or ground nuts, or a drizzle of organic honey and you've got a snack you can be proud of!

When I reach goal ... Well, I hope that I will be doing the things that bring me joy (dancing, hiking) long before then so I guess this thread is about what specific reward we are going to give ourselves for achieving goal ... I can't think of anything? I'm already pretty fulfilled, and don't hold much store by material objects unless they have some personal meaning. Perhaps a piece of significant jewelry. However, I just thought of something - and yikes this makes my stomach (what's left of it ha ha) flip flop!! When I hit goal, I want to hold my head high, walk straight up to a man that I find attractive, and ask him out!! Open, out there, unflinching. YIKES!!!!!!!!!! *of course, this will be done in a stunning LBD on sky high FM pumps with professionally done hair and makeup, but STILL!!!! =P I've never done that, and I've only ever asked a guy to dance once

Now that was satisfying! I remember when that explanation was first posted, it really is a good one, and absolutely - when I look at my weight loss history on my online food tracker it is a long downward stair-stepping slope. =) I'm just really tired of eating lately. Although I do cardio everyday I'm going to only do weights every other day now and I've GOT to get better about my Water, I think today I've only drunk 60 ounces and for some reason I'm feeling rebellious and barely took in a couple hundred calories and like 60 gs Protein. Wonder what the psychology behind that is ...

I am really curious about Mirena; does it lead to more UTIs? I am prone to them anyway. Do the strings get in the way? Are they noticeable during sex? Don't they get dirty and full of bacteria? I was on the pill for about 6 months and had to finally stop because i was basically just having my period constantly, I just never stopped spotting 30 days a month. What does Mirena do for the period? It's not chemical, so why would it interfere with the weight loss? My surgeon warned against going back on the pill during my losing phase because of the way the pill chemicals work in the body and slow down loss. So what about Mirena? Thanks!

I've only just crossed over that weight threshold where real changes are happening to the body itself; I'm 73 lbs down and recently went on R&R (vacation). I was eager to go to my favorite lingerie boutique back home to see what new size I would wear; I adore this shop, it is in a tiny coastal town that still relies on the JC Penny catelog delivery, and gives the local women some femininity, quality, and glamour. Well, after an hour of trying on bras, I was really frustrated. The bras I had were 40DDD and 42 DDD. Clearly the 42s were out, and maybe the 40s too. Also, the Triple Ds were definitely out, but was I in just a single D?!! Turns out - not that simple. =( All this emtpy surplus pudding-skin distorted the shape of my breasts, and my side-boob-fat is now floppy and refuses to tuck away quietly. =( =( I ended up buying 38Ds in my favorite brand (Lunaire) but I think I should have bought 40 DDs because now it is an upsetting chore to tuck and tamp down all the pudding skin. =(

My frustration (one of) is that I lost 20 pounds in the 2 weeks following surgery, when I was on a strictly liquid diet. That was the fastest and most concentrated weight that I've ever lost and it really throws off my total pound count. So people see that I've lost 73 pounds in 5.5 months and tell me I'm not a slow loser but it's not a true reflection! Those 20 post-op pounds raise my overall monthly averages and make it seem like I've lost close to 14 pounds a month when the truth is that it is more like an average of 8 lbs a month. Still better than nothing, I realize, but still. whine!

So I have been a member of VST since before my surgery, 5 1/2 months ago. I have longed to submit an NSV thread, but never felt like I had a "legitimate" one to share. I recently went on R&R, home to my parents. Those who know me here know that I am a frustrated slow loser. Well my first victory is I guess a scale victory; By the time I was set up at my parents house and got to the gym, 8 days had passed since my last weigh in and ... I lost 8 pounds! Baffled doesn't begin to describe, I ate eggs benedict, chocolate, high tea cakes and sandwiches, and fancy cheese plates in those 8 days! So that was pretty groovy. My NSVs however, are these: going to the gym I realized that I was tying my shoes with zero strain or effort, just bending down, and tying them. Though the memories have become cloudy of life pre-op, I definitely know that tying my gym shoes used to be dangerous and depressing. To reach my laces I used to risk throwing my back out or had to lift my foot up to a high stair and even then felt the struggle to do this simple act around my fat. Now - bend and tie. The other NSV is that I was able to pour myself into a size 16. Due to vanity sizing and a discount brand, this doesn't really mean SO much, but when I stop to remember that I started out in a 24 - and that at my highest ever I was even in a snug 28- then I realize that yeah, I've made some progress. I bought a blouse from Old Navy, right from the store, in a regular XL. The embroidered terry bathrobe that came with my hotel room fit - not loosely, but it fit. I can scratch between my shoulder blades without an instrument. Although it was stretched to its limit, I was able to use the actual seatbelt in the airplane without and extention, and was able to bring down the tray, though that was a snug fit. Still, it was impossible before. I fit into the seat without my hips painfully bubbling over the arms. I'm in a 38D, from a starting point of 42G I think I've lost 6 inches off my hips and I think 3 inches off my waist and one off my calves. All of my old jewelry fits again and my newer jewelry is all loose - rings that I could barely shove onto my ring finger now fit my pointer and middle fingers. And as for that scale? I am mere ounces away from having lost 70 pounds, and barely 6 away from the milestone of 75 pounds lost. This is really happening, isn't it?! =)

To be more trusting, of others and myself. To be more loving to myself and more open to love from others. To take the real chances, not just the ones that seem daring. To take vitamins regularly and really exert myself at the gym.

I was sleeved 5 1/2 months ago and I concur with Tiffykins, we all go through it and this too shall pass. At first I was revolted by all food, even when the idea of it was great, all of my senses post op were so wonky. This was followed by what I call my "vampire" phase, wherein I felt no need/interest/desire for food and all my bodily functions seemed to stop. Then came the frustration, wherein food smelled wonderful and tasted gross. Now, I am in a place where the desires have returned, the emotional aspect of why we were overeaters, and I am keenly aware of how I "could" sabotage myself, should I choose too, so now it is a choice to listen to my body rather than my head. My body couldn't care less about whether we eat or not, but my interest may be there, for a variety of reasons. I still don't get hungry. It depends on my mood really; if I'm super hyper or busy I could easily not eat all day and never notice. If I'm emotional or anxious or bored, then it is easier to notice the "empty" cues that are now my version of hunger. Also, my "full" cue is different; I get a tight stretched feeling when I have overeaten and a full stretched feeling when I have eaten the right size, but satiety doesn't really exist - because the hunger that precedes it doesn't exist, does that make sense? There is no mind-body connection any longer regarding food.

Thanks guys!!! My laptop decided to give up the ghost so my ability to post anything to the internet is temporarily suspended, but once everything gets figured out I will definitely post a Then&Now. Another NSV this morning - a year before my surgery I had bought a cute t-shirt in the biggest size available from a grocery store in my hometown, it had the store logo and dancing vegetables and I thought it was cute. The biggest size in the women's style was an XL and when I tried it on I could barely get it over my breasts, it felt exactly like a corset, and forget about pulling it down any further. Fellow sleevers, as I write this, I am wearing that shirt with a pair of jeans. In public. =) =) Oh, and I'm down another 2 pounds - I am now officially half way to my surgeon's goal, and 10 lbs from halfway to my personal goal. =) =) =)

Since this is not a forum for judgment and is rather a place where sleevers can feel safe in sharing the tumultuous and sometimes confusing emotions and experiences we have, there is no call for negativity. Myori, you stood up for yourself, good for you! You didn't let his needling slide; had you, he might have started doing it more often. It is frustrating to achieve a certain milestone and be in this fragile place of starting to feel proud of a real weight loss accomplishment, and then have a loved one or even just person we see regularly, not comment favorably. It can be crushing. I've lost 72 pounds, I can sorta realize that this is major, but in the environment that I work in, people just don't mention it. They notice everything, but nobody comments on anything personal. So I was thinking I hadn't changed much at all, until I went home on R&R and my friends and family's faces reflected their amazed delight and then I could finally see that I had changed. Chin up! Hope you and DH were able to have a (pardon the pun) fully fleshed out discussion once emotions calmed down.

Actually, it is totally illegal for your boss or supervisor to ask or in any way coerce information from you regarding your medical status of any kind, full stop. HPPA laws (spelling?) cover all of this and it is flat out illegal for him to request any information beyond "I'm having surgery". If he tries to get nasty over this, or use the fact that you do not share that info with him, let me tell you what a HUGE opportunity you would have to sue his ass off!!!! You can tell him, "You know that I am having surgery however, I do not feel that it is APPROPRIATE (huge buzz word!) to discuss my personal details." Also, remind him that, "Per HPPA laws, it is inappropriate to pressure me for deeper information." Throw the legal terms out there, and show that you are fully aware of your rights, and watch how fast bullies retreat!!

I've been eating steamed veggies since about 3 months out, raw veggies too, and at 5 months out started eating wonderful raw salad greens, with zero issues. I probably could have been eating all of those things at 3 months out but they weren't available to me.

theworldaccordingtoeggface.com has some amazing recipes for tortilla pizzas from the blogs author, Michele Vicari.

Okay, I feel like mentioning something. We are so good at being politically correct, us sleevers. Maybe it is because we spend so much time defending our decision to people who don't understand, so we get good at downplaying how much being not-fat would change our lives for the better. I'm always seeing people write, "I know being thin won't mean life is perfect" or, "I know just being thin won't bring happiness". Well I am coming out of the closet - Being average or thin is GOING TO BRING ME A LOT OF HAPPINESS!!!! :confused1: And being average or thin IS going to solve a LOT of my problems!! I just posted to a thread about your top 10 reasons to get VSG. I read everyone's reasons and then posted my own and that's what got me to thinking - gee, without all these problems, life IS a lot better. We say "if only I was thin", FOR A REASON. Because being not-fat will vastly improve our lives. There, I said it. I get that there are issues for all of us that don't go away just because we fit in with society but at least we will be focusing on those, and not those PLUS our weight. Please don't flame me.

It's all about the Brown Cow, baby!! Brown Cow Greek Yogurt is super delish, without unecessary chemicals and super low in carbs - 4 grams per serving if memory serves? Deeee-lish!!

I think this hair-dye-equals-hair-loss is also a myth. I have been dying my roots evrey 3 weeks since surgery and my hair didn't start falling out till my fourth month. When I was in the Peace Corps we were told that our hair would fall out around the 3rd month after arrival, because that's how long it takes the body to process trauma. Sure enough, 3 months later all of us females were losing clumps. Mine never recovered but I think that has to do with thyroid issues and genetics.

months ago I posted here about feeling "stoned" from peanut butter; the first time I had peanut butter was about 2 months post op. I slowly licked a tablespoon of peanut butter by itself and by the time I was done I felt like I had just knocked back shot of something. Didn't get sick but could've taken a niiice nap. =)

This happened to me after eating (too quickly I suspect) some plain cheeseburger patty. And by some, I mean 2 small bites well chewed. When the feeling came on I was laying down; it started with sudden saliva production and that tingle in the jaws that means uh oh! I dry heaved and spat copious amounts of saliva for the next 20 minutes. That was 3 months ago and I still don't want to eat another hamburger patty!

It is pretty traumatic to see fat chunks of hair swirl toward the drain in the shower! I shampoo only once a week now, even though that grosses me out, just to hang on to what I have. I''ve also taken to moussing and hairspraying throughout the week, purposely creating build up, because it gives the illusion of mass and heft so I can use a bobby pin without it just slipping right out. My nut said that in order for protein to act as a preventative you would have to be getting in well over 90 grams a day, every day. I'm heading home on R&R and will pick up some of this biotin you guys talk about, also, CQ10, which my nut recommends.

It's all about the Lunaire .... I have never felt prettier or more comfortable in a bra. The construction and quality are amazing, and they are actually beautiful. I'm currently in a 40 DDD and by the time I go home in a month I think I will be buying some 40 DD's. I like to spend my money locally so I frequent local boutiques but when I am elsewhere I use herroom.com or barenecessities.com or figleaves.com. I'll tell you what the real secret for large breasts is - european brands!! The British bra brands are frickin amazing, elomi is a particular standout. Below is a link to the lunaire bras - www.prettier.com/

Sizes vary so much by manufacturer, and now with the rampant use of vanity sizing, I can't really say that I have a size goal. However I have noticed that the higher end clothes are smaller in the same number than bargain clothes, for example, a J Crew 10 is a lot different then an Old Navy 10. So if I had a size goal, it would be brand-related. I would like to wear a White House/Black Market size 6/8, a J Crew 6/8, and just be able to fit into anything from Anthropologie. =)

How long have you been at goal, or rather, since you hit your original goal? How long did it take for you to get there? How much weight did you have to lose to get there? You say you didn't exercise, so how did you eat? I guess I'm wanting to live a bit vicariously by hearing from a person who has achieved goal, since I am experiencing a horrible stall/gain pattern that is really putting me down in the dumps.