Bree

I'm not struggling, but then again, it doesn't feel real yet. I know that I'll struggle with the pre-op diet... but not too worried. Honestly I just want to get it over and done with as soon as possible. I wish I did this years ago!!

Apologies if this thread is in the wrong section, or if it's already been done, as I'm pretty new here. I have several tattoos, some of which have stretched to DOUBLE their original size and one of which has been ruined due to gaining weight. All my tattoos I got when I was thin. Do any of you have before/after pics of tattoos from when you were heavy and now that you've reached goal weight? Do they return to normal or what type of experience with this did you have? I seriously can't wait to get to my goal weight so I can get more tats! :wub:

she totally is! I wonder what ever happened to "she" by Sheree

Real Housewives of Atlanta, she's one of the women on the show and she's planning on doing an exercise video for plumping the trunk. TBH I think she's kind of a joke. One minute phaedra (who hates dogs) is flapping her gums about starting a doggy funeral business, next she's trying to get into the health video business.

it was my chest tattoo that stretched the worst, though by back tattoo is somewhat stretched too. It's bad enough I'll probably get it covered but I have to wait!

Good luck with your surgery!

That's still a damn fine a-- I mean... I'd give that heiny a 90! From what I hear anything that works your glutes is going to improve it but only just... after that you can consider fat transfers (taking fat out of one part of the body and injecting it into your booty, or the butt implants route though I hear that is one of the most painful of the surgeries. OR you and your boo can fall in love with the new booty all over again. Because really... it's pretty nice

you look gorgeous, even your skin/complexion is improved and glowing!

It seems as though a number of people have played the gallbladder surgery card or the hiatal hernia repair card. I'd say you're getting both done

After reading people's posts about how their binge eating was related to their psychological issues and used as a coping mechanism, I've no doubt that I have something going on too, but I am just not able to see the forest through the trees, yet. I am also a binge eater and I can pinpoint exactly when I started overeating, and it was when my father passed away in 2002. I was early 20's and just started packing on the pounds, and I ate to soothe my woes. However, its been well over 10 years now, and I have done my grieving a long time ago, I don't get upset anymore and I've come to terms. At this point I don't know exactly what keeps me eating or what issues I need to address. I do wonder if I should see a therapist about it, perhaps get to the root of the problem, whatever that may be. Generally though, aside from the typical minor annoyances of everyday life, I am a very happy person I would say, well adjusted, I rarely ever cry or get emotional, not prone to anger or depression, my marriage is great - no issues there, and overall I feel a BLESSED person. Only thing I can think of is that I eat because I'm fat, and I'm fat because I eat, and I eat because I'm.... well you get the idea. I'm no dummy: I know that losing weight won't fix everything. But I can't think of any other life issues that make me want to eat, other than being unhappy with my fatness. Could it be that simple? Should I see a therapist? For any of you happy folks out there without major life / emotional issues, was it as simple as that for you? I hope I'm being clear enough!

Caffiene, it's so ingrained in the culture where I live. coffee, espresso, it's everywhere, I've been consuming it my entire adult life and I can't imagine functioning without it :wub: . I am probably just as addicted to it as I am to food. *rimshot* Skipping my morning latte, coffee, or black tea creates nasty results for my body. I'm haggard, not with it, not alert, I'm less creative, and I have to drag my ass through the day. While , it is a diuretic which I'm aware is bad for sleevers who need their Water and hydration. I am being sleeved on March 14th 2013, and my surgeon prescribed that I wean myself off caffiene. I managed to get off lattes, all that milk was no doubt making me fat, I got down to coffee with a splash of cream, now I'm down to one black tea with a splash of low fat milk. I'm handling the reduction of calories better than I thought I would! But the less caffiene in the tea has been rough. I've quit caffiene before and it's bad, the intense headaches, even migraines, the irritability, the tiredness... Maybe it's the addict talking in me, but am I to never enjoy caffiene again? Is it that bad a diuretic? How do you guys get your butts in gear and find yourself bright eyed and bushy tailed at 9am and ready to blurt out ideas at the conference table? I hear that Vitamin B12 supplements give an energy boost, I'd like to hear your eperiences, is it anything to write home about? Do any of you sleevers end up returning to caffiene after several months post-op? Many thanks! ---------- Bree

While I expect a lot of it is hormone change, I sort of see it also as coming off of a lifetime addiction. Watching people I love battle drug and alcohol addiction, I know that extreme irritability, depression and mood swings are all part of the package when you try to detox or break an addiction. Specifically on Atkins, I did induction for 2 weeks and I was such an emotional, irritable mess I couldn't handle it and I had to stop and revert back. Once I brought carbs and sugar back into my diet it was as though I was magically re-aligned again.

Mexico or bust, baby. Mine wouldn't cover it either. I'm paying about $8750, all inclusive, for March Surgery in Mexicali. However there are good Mexico surgeons who will do it for as little as 4K-5K.

There are a lot of things I really am looking forward to gaining, once I lose. While I love flying first class (god it's nice) it'll be really nice to fly coach again, and save money, and travel more often. I can't wait to get back on roller coasters again!!! I used to love them so much. I want to get back up on a horse and do some horseback riding. Granted, my father in law's clydesdale could carry me, but it's the "getting up" part that I am still too fat to do. I recently fell in love with Scuba (maybe because I felt almost weightless?) and it was VERY difficult getting into a mens 3x suit, I needed help putting on shoes and fins, etc. I can't wait to be able to do it with ease! I want to start looking for a new/better job which I know weight loss will greatly improve my chances to compete in the workplace. And of course the usual woman stuff like fitting into trendy clothes. Oh! And accessing my shoe collection again! I used to be a shoe-holic, louboutin, betsy johnson, you name it. I want to fit my feet back in them, it's a damn fine shoe collection if I do say so. I think this list could go on forever!

it does seem to be. My husband said, "Why can't you just exercise?" I couldn't even get into all the reasons why exercise isn't possible for me, between swollen, Fluid filled feet, arthritic knees, a compressed disc with shooting sciatic pain, and I'm only 31! Exercise = dangerous and painful. He thought I could just zumba for a few months and be fit. Uh, no! LOL

Two reasons: 1) Because people judge / shame. You might be tough enough to stand up against that kind of judgement but many of us aren't and it can be tiresome and humiliating to deal with that. 2) And because of internal guilt. I am not proud that I've come to this, I know full well I should have not shoveled food in my face for the past 10 years, I could have done something when I was 20 pounds overweight, and I didn't. I, for one, have told no one but my husband, and it'll stay that way. I'm not proud of it, I guess. But I'm doing what I need to before I end up diabetic or dead of a heart attack.