Aussiegirl

So yesterday I was sitting at work, a bit bored, it is holiday and there is not much to do.
I was looking at my hands......and I no longer recognised them. My fingers are longer, or so it seems and it just looks more toned.
Feels weird cause I can no longer say, I know something like the back of my hand, cause clearly I dont know my own hand.
Just weird!>?Q?

food porn got me through the first 2 weeks of recovery after surgery. It was weird I looked in every magazine for recipes and watching the cooking channels. Crazy! Tho weirdly I was happy to just look.

Hi VST family,
It's hard to believe that a year ago I had a revision from the band to the sleeve. I never could have imagined how amazing life would be after the pain I went through with the band. The sleeve has given me restriction, health, and happiness. I finally feel like myself. I have lost a total of 91 pounds in the past year with the sleeve and 133 pounds total with both surgeries. I weigh in at 153. I am four pounds from a normal weight. I was hoping to be at a normal BMI by my surgiversary today, but my body didn't cooperate. LOL I WILL get there though! My ultimate goal is to weigh 143, which is half of where I started on my journey with the lapband over four years ago. I do have pretty bad hanging skin issues on my stomach, which I am hoping to one day correct. Other than that, life is great. It is so nice to have control over my food issues. Shopping is so much fun! People tell me I am like an entirely different person. I guess it is true. I am living life now, instead of being depressed because of my size. I am so thankful to all the wonderful friends I have met here. I would never have had the courage to have my revision if it weren't the support of all my sleeve sisters and brothers here. I love you all and I also LOVE my sleeve!

WHOOP WHOOP went to the sales last night and bought size 14 SLIM jeans--thats down from 24 just 2 1/2 months ago--this just gets better and better!!!!

OK, people. I know we are all used to having me be the fattest one in the group, but times have changed and you HAVE TO GET OVER IT!!!
For those of you who now outweigh me, Yes, I do weigh less than you now. And I'm taller than you so my BMI is lower, but we won't talk about that. Please pull your face back into a look that approaches normalcy. I promise I will never bring up my weight or yours. I did this for my health, not so I could lord it over those who are still struggling with weight. I realize you have spent years patting yourself on the back because you are not as big as me, but those days are past. Pull up your big person panties and move on.
And for many others, yes, my goal weight is less than what you currently weigh. No, I will not be anorexic at a healthy BMI of 22. Please don't compulsively ask how much I now weigh each time you see me and then calculate how much I have to lose before I weigh less than you. Please see the notes above for how I prefer you to handle this brave new world.
Best wishes,
Lynda

Having the confidence to begin dating for the first time since 2006 or so.

Good for you!
I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone here who didnt have concerns going in, what if there are complications, excess skin, how do you handle social engagements,,,the what ifs.
I came to the conclusion that I could not do it on my own before I chose this particular surgery.
I did alot of research before selecting which helped ease some of the issues. My normal doctor had not even heard of the surgery, but I found an awesome surgeon who put me at ease with it. Not to say on the day of the operation I was not freaking out, hell I was loosing most my stomach...voluntarily.
But even at only 6 weeks out I would not change a thing. food does not have the hold over me that it did before. I am able to get around easier, already feel the benefits, am loosing weight. I am starting to feel comfortable in my own body for the first time in along time.
Good luck with your journey!

I have a slightly different perspective since my surgery. I am following the rules, getting my Protein in first etc. but I decided when I had this surgery that I was not on a diet anymore, a lifestyle change instead and my days of deprivation and starving were over! I have been to taco bell once and got a fresco chicken taco and ate the middle out, only one small bite of the tortilla. I was satsified and it was good. There are lots of healthy people that are thin also and they eat where they want to, just not like we used to eat! I could put away a half dozen tacos and a nacho bell grande easy before this! I was always looking for that stuffed feeling as a sign I was full. Now i get that in just a few bites of the inside of a taco. I am looking to lead a normal life, like other normal healthy people and not eating any more fast food ever is not in my vocabulary. I dont advocate eating fast food all the time but occassionally, I think its fine.
I am not saying this is for everyone. I respect you so much for deciding fast food is not for you anymore and doing what you need to do to be sucessful. I think we are all on our own journey and we have to find what works for us individually. I dont partake in fast food often but I dont want to live my life saying...oh I cant have that or having others decide for me. I hate that worse. My husband or coworkers will say... we are going to chilis..oh but you cant have that... now my coworkers dont invite me anymore. Of course I can have it. They have chicken, beef, Protein choices all day long... I think I can make a good decision and i dont need them to decide for me what I can eat and where I can go. Sorry... got myself worked up over that.
I say, find what works for you, eliminating foods or not and work your sleeve! I am proud for you that you are realizing the differences in how you ate before and how you dont have any desire to return to that lifestyle. Good going! Keep up the good work.

OOPS! Sorry, this should have gone in recipes....
This is one from my old lowcarb recipe repertoire that I've been eating lately in the morning. For some reason it goes down better than eggs and it's less boring than my old standby cottage cheese. Ready?
1/4 cup flaxseeds
One egg
Touch of breve cream, coffee creamer or whipping cream
sweetener
sea salt
pepper
lemon
butter
maple Syrup extract
Grind the flaxseeds in a coffee grinder until you get a moist flour. Dump it in a bowl with the egg and a dab of whipping cream. Add sweetener, a pinch of salt, and one grind of pepper.
Put a half teaspoon of butter in a frying pan, and pour the batter in. Make a panacke
When it's finished, you can twist a little lemon on the top. Flax is a little more bitter than regular flour and the lemon can cut that and put a bit of freshness into the flavor. You can skip that if you want. You can just top it with a sprinkle of sweetener OR, you can do this:
Take another half teaspoon of butter, put it in a bowl with a sprinkle of maple flavor extract and a packet of sweetener, and nuke it for ten to fifteen seconds. Result? Maple syrup flavored butter, one carb.
OR:
Replace the breve cream with sour cream, and ad a second pinch of salt:do not add sweetener. Serve it with sour cream on the side for a faux potato pancake. Brillant!

I can't wait to go para sailing

I want to be able to see my future grand babies come into my life and have a chance to roll around on the floor and play with them. I want my children to be proud of me again. I want my doctor to be proud of me, but most of all..... I want to be proud of me.

When you can fit in a swing at the park.

When you actually start to like who you see in the mirror!

When someone looks at your ID card and says that it is not you Happened last week for the first time, I was so stinkin excited!

When for years you had a hard time finding pants with a 54 inch waist and go to Macy's and can't find pants with a waist under 40 inches without looking at every tag to find 38 inches.

When your old clothes fit you like MC Hammer's balloon paints.