Chelenka

I've never liked my pic taken and I still don't but I admit I mind it less now. A friend sent me these today so I thought I'd share. I also don't like to talk about my success, in any area of my life. Some how I feel bad for those that are not as fortunate as me even though I know I am where I'm am because of sound choices and hard work. Anyway, here's a before and after.
I'm four months out on the 23rd and have lost a total of 90lbs with no complications. I still get most of my Protein from whey but I can eat anything without issues as long as I chew chew chew. The other day I forgot that and I paid for it. Good luck everyone.

Processed sugar may not be a manufactured chemical but isn't truly a natural sweetener either. Sugar cane bears little resemblance to the product that results from it. For most of us processed sugar triggers overeating and acts like a drug in our brains. Also, post-op it causes many people to have dumping syndrome. I was told it would slow my weight loss. I do eat some foods with processed sugar but try to limit it. It triggers me to want to eat all the time. There are natural sweeteners like stevia and also one called Nectressa which I like better. It doesn't have any bitter aftertaste like Stevia.

Highest weight 313
Current weight 178
8.5 months out from surgery
5'7" - 28 years old

Inspiration for newbies... Highest weight :315.6 Surgery weight: 297.5 Current Weight: 187.0!!!! 14 months out (4/18/13)

Well, what a shame. If she would have stuck around I could have referred her to the "Life's Manual" by: T. H. Doesnotexist.
It's a complete guide to everything in life.....step by step, for everybody, in all situations....from birth to death. Takes out all the mistakes and guesswork.
Plus......I still have some prime swamp land on the market......any takers...????

Efx is a DVD . You can find it on Amazon. It is by Mark Lauren, same guy that makes "you are your own gym" and formal special ops elite fitness trainer. His videos are so well made and his personality is perfect, not overly in your face, very friendly and down to earth. I never get tired of him as my @home trainer. I personally think you will find efx exercises are very approachable since you have a Pilate's background. There is a lot of stability and balancing built into the exercises.

It it a rough ride when an emotional eater is no longer able to use food to quell all their emotions and keep themselves calm and even tempered. I should know cuz that's my MO! Is your fiancé part of a support group for weight loss surgery? If not she probably needs to find one or a therapist. However, if you say that to her you will probably piss her off royally. You are in the proverbial hard spot my friend. Try to be patient and ask her what she needs and wants from you in terms of support. Tell her what you just wrote, that you don't understand what she is going through but you want to help her. It may be that she just needs to vent. The good news is that it gets easier as time goes on. I am about 17 months post op and I can eat a lot more now than I could at 5 months.

@@Fiddleman Is the EFX program a class or on a DVD? Sounds intersting. I have improved my shoulder issues somewhat through stretching but am having some new upper back and shoulder issues and I think I may be losing muscle mass. I probably should do some strength training but find the machines to be pretty useless, not to mention boring, and I can't afford a trainer. I'm pretty clueless about using free weights but I like yoga and Pilates, both of which can help with strengthening.

You are BEAUTIFUL! I'm 6' 1&3/4". I'm struggling to get to 220. I was 325 pre-op and 307 on my DOS, but highest weight was 357. Our body types look very similar, carry most of my weight below the waist. I have been obese my entire life so the idea of reaching a "normal" BMI seems unrealistic to me. Been struggling for the past few months with the same 2 or 3 lbs. i keep saying I'm going to try the 5:2 diet but haven't gotten myself to do it yet, sigh.

Processed sugar may not be a manufactured chemical but isn't truly a natural sweetener either. Sugar cane bears little resemblance to the product that results from it. For most of us processed sugar triggers overeating and acts like a drug in our brains. Also, post-op it causes many people to have dumping syndrome. I was told it would slow my weight loss. I do eat some foods with processed sugar but try to limit it. It triggers me to want to eat all the time. There are natural sweeteners like stevia and also one called Nectressa which I like better. It doesn't have any bitter aftertaste like Stevia.

Processed sugar may not be a manufactured chemical but isn't truly a natural sweetener either. Sugar cane bears little resemblance to the product that results from it. For most of us processed sugar triggers overeating and acts like a drug in our brains. Also, post-op it causes many people to have dumping syndrome. I was told it would slow my weight loss. I do eat some foods with processed sugar but try to limit it. It triggers me to want to eat all the time. There are natural sweeteners like stevia and also one called Nectressa which I like better. It doesn't have any bitter aftertaste like Stevia.

Dear Lisa: you have been an incredible source of love, care and comfort to your husband at the end of his life. I believe it is one of the greatest acts of love one can give. You don't feel this way now, in your grief, but you have been and continue to be blessed. You have been an angel of love to your husband and suffered along with him. My heart goes out to you. I pray that God sends you deep and abiding peace and a sense of His unending love for you.

I will share and they should be here any day now.
I do think a nutrients issue could definitely trigger a mild depression but I think the truth is a lifetime of anxiety has been stuffed down with food and is now coming home to roost so to speak. I am doing great at the moment and learning (i hope) to retrain my brain how to react.
Yesterday was my kiddos college graduation so I spent the whole ceremony plus a dinner party after with my ex husband his girlfriend his mother and other relatives PLUS my ex boyfriend of 15 years who is the kids step dad PLUS other relatives. I wondered how stressed I would feel with all the ex's etc. but I felt great, no anxiety and a huge appetite. It was a wonderful day as it should be -very proud of my boy.

So sorry you are having such a rough time. Please do your best to stay hydrated. Perhaps the can feed you intravenously for the short term. I hope they figure out how to help you quickly. I can only imagine how you are feeling. Sending you a big cyber hug! ((()))

Closet eating is an old MO of mine thanks to my well-meaning parents who scrutinized what I was eating from a very early age. Your post has really got me thinking. When eating becomes connected to feelings of shame and you feel like you have to hide then you have a potential problem. It can quickly spiral into a cycle of self-defeat. It's great that you have realized it and are bringing it into the light. Your family needs to be told gently but firmly to MYOB when it comes to your food choices and food amounts. I also am struggling with getting to my goal weight and some of my old food demons are messing with me. I can eat more now and also don't seem to have any adverse reactions to anything like I did in the beginning. One of my students gave me a small box of chocolates which I ate over three days (hubby got a few pieces) and it didn't upset my system at all. However, I couldn't stop thinking about it and put it in the freezer but then got it back out, put it way in the back of the fridge, thought of throwing it away but it was such good, high-quality chocolate that I couldn't bring myself to do it, total sugar addict here. A better choice would have been to leave the chocolate in the break room at the school since I know that I don't have good control with that sort of thing. I'm mad at myself for allowing my addiction behavior to run me. It makes me feel badly about myself which just makes me want to eat more. Letting go of shameful feelings around food and eating, especially when I choose poorly, is part of the learning process for me. I have to take ownership of what I choose to eat but not shame myself.

Closet eating is an old MO of mine thanks to my well-meaning parents who scrutinized what I was eating from a very early age. Your post has really got me thinking. When eating becomes connected to feelings of shame and you feel like you have to hide then you have a potential problem. It can quickly spiral into a cycle of self-defeat. It's great that you have realized it and are bringing it into the light. Your family needs to be told gently but firmly to MYOB when it comes to your food choices and food amounts. I also am struggling with getting to my goal weight and some of my old food demons are messing with me. I can eat more now and also don't seem to have any adverse reactions to anything like I did in the beginning. One of my students gave me a small box of chocolates which I ate over three days (hubby got a few pieces) and it didn't upset my system at all. However, I couldn't stop thinking about it and put it in the freezer but then got it back out, put it way in the back of the fridge, thought of throwing it away but it was such good, high-quality chocolate that I couldn't bring myself to do it, total sugar addict here. A better choice would have been to leave the chocolate in the break room at the school since I know that I don't have good control with that sort of thing. I'm mad at myself for allowing my addiction behavior to run me. It makes me feel badly about myself which just makes me want to eat more. Letting go of shameful feelings around food and eating, especially when I choose poorly, is part of the learning process for me. I have to take ownership of what I choose to eat but not shame myself.

Closet eating is an old MO of mine thanks to my well-meaning parents who scrutinized what I was eating from a very early age. Your post has really got me thinking. When eating becomes connected to feelings of shame and you feel like you have to hide then you have a potential problem. It can quickly spiral into a cycle of self-defeat. It's great that you have realized it and are bringing it into the light. Your family needs to be told gently but firmly to MYOB when it comes to your food choices and food amounts. I also am struggling with getting to my goal weight and some of my old food demons are messing with me. I can eat more now and also don't seem to have any adverse reactions to anything like I did in the beginning. One of my students gave me a small box of chocolates which I ate over three days (hubby got a few pieces) and it didn't upset my system at all. However, I couldn't stop thinking about it and put it in the freezer but then got it back out, put it way in the back of the fridge, thought of throwing it away but it was such good, high-quality chocolate that I couldn't bring myself to do it, total sugar addict here. A better choice would have been to leave the chocolate in the break room at the school since I know that I don't have good control with that sort of thing. I'm mad at myself for allowing my addiction behavior to run me. It makes me feel badly about myself which just makes me want to eat more. Letting go of shameful feelings around food and eating, especially when I choose poorly, is part of the learning process for me. I have to take ownership of what I choose to eat but not shame myself.

My co-workers sent me this Edible Arrangement today in honor of my 100 lb weight loss. They are the nicest people!

I used to feel this way...But now I just go about my business and they can stare all they want and say dumb things all they want....Usually though they are waiting for me to push my plate away from myself so that they can dive for it.....
Don't feel ashamed of making healthier choices and looking out for your health...It is about you girl and no one else. You are in control..Take and run with it.....And stop the closet eating because you may find that you will pick up those bad eating habits again and you will feel even worse.....Stick to the 1 cup amount and 2 Snacks......
You've got this kid!

I want something that will be a tool for a lifetime, not just for a few months to a year. I wish I could post this same question in the veteran's forum, but it won't let me. I would love to hear from people who are 5 or more years out. The trouble is, because of human nature, I may not hear from many people for whom this hasn't worked that great for that far out.
Thank you all for your input and again, I am very happy for you and wish you continued success.
Hi powaqqatsi,
A Veterans Forum member here--I'm not 5 years as you asked for, but I am 3 years post-surgery and I am so glad you asked this question. My sleeve will be "working" just as well at 5, 10, 20 years as it is working now because I AM THE ONE who makes it work; IT DOESN'T WORK BY ITSELF just because I had the operation.
Please don't take this as a rude or flip answer--your question really is what a lot of people who are just begining to look into weight loss surgery believe to be true--You have the surgery, and then you lose the weight, and then you're not hungry any more, yet you can eat all the same unhealthy stuff you always ate (that got you into the trouble you're in in the first place), and you live happily ever after. As so many people say--weight loss surgery is the "easy way out." Nothing could be further from the truth!
There are two distinctive parts to WLS: 1) the operation 2) a FOREVER new eating plan & physical/emotional lifestyle
Any weight loss surgery is about personal CHOICES, ACCOUNTABILITY, POSITIVE ATTITUDE, and CHANGING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH food that you have had for your entire life. It is a lot of hard work every day, but among the most life-changing events you will ever experience. I love eating healthy now. I use food as medicine for my body and don't like putting junk food in it any more. Can you believe that a formerly morbidly obese person can change their way of thinking THAT MUCH? Sometimes I still have to pinch myself that that's ME talking!
I was morbidly obese since puberty. At age 59 and 252 lbs I was sleeved. I have maintained my 105 lb weight loss with a peace and joy I have never known. I CHOSE to make my adventure FUN, not DRUDGERY. I was diabetic, on 4 BP meds, 2 chol meds. No more of any of that. Healthy body, healthy mind, healthy life--who could ask for more? Please feel free to send me a private message if you have any questions I could help you with.

If I had a nickel for every time a "well-meaning" soul has told me about someone who had WLS and gained it all back I'd be a fricken millionaire! Quite frankly it really peeves me because it's like they want you to fail and thus prove them right in all their mistaken and uninformed ideas about WLS. Most of us do struggle at some point to maintain our weight loss. The surgery isn't a cure and one must still work at keeping the weight off and deal with all the emotional and behavioral issues around food and eating in order to have long-term success. The majority of people who've had WLS do keep most of their excess weight off.

If I had a nickel for every time a "well-meaning" soul has told me about someone who had WLS and gained it all back I'd be a fricken millionaire! Quite frankly it really peeves me because it's like they want you to fail and thus prove them right in all their mistaken and uninformed ideas about WLS. Most of us do struggle at some point to maintain our weight loss. The surgery isn't a cure and one must still work at keeping the weight off and deal with all the emotional and behavioral issues around food and eating in order to have long-term success. The majority of people who've had WLS do keep most of their excess weight off.

Great question! At 16 months out I am now a "veteran" so I'm going to weigh-in, yuk, yuk!
I have struggled with obesity my entire life. I have a very slow metabolism. First went to Weight Watchers at the age of 11, way too young in my opinion. I did countless diets and was never able to lose a significant amount of weight and would always get discouraged and quit at some point. SOS. What decided me on this particular WLS was the promise of decreased hunger. However, knowing the difference between true physical hunger vs. emotional head-hunger is a work in progress for me. Everything that others have written here is true. Ultimately how well we do with our weight loss and maintenance is up to us. So yes, I still track my food and weigh myself every day. It's the only way I know to stay on track. It gets old and sometimes I relax about it, take a vacation, and usually I will gain a couple of lbs but if I get back on track quickly I will lose it again much faster than I ever would have pre-surgery. Also weighing daily, even if I've not racked my food keeps me from regaining as much as I might otherwise.
So why get the surgery? If you know that you have the ability and patience to lose the weight and maintain without the help of WLS then you don't need the surgery. I knew I needed the help, but that's me. Only you can make this decision for yourself based on your medical history, self-knowledge and awareness and ability to handle the risk of surgery and possible complications. It's a big, life-changing decision and should never be taken lightly.
Whatever you decide for yourself I wish you all the best. Thanks so much for posting your question.

I am so sorry that you are experiencing such awful complications. I hope that your Dr has a solution to get your digestive system working properly and that the feeding tube will help in the short term. Sending you a cyber hug (()) and prayers of healing and light.

Great question! At 16 months out I am now a "veteran" so I'm going to weigh-in, yuk, yuk!
I have struggled with obesity my entire life. I have a very slow metabolism. First went to Weight Watchers at the age of 11, way too young in my opinion. I did countless diets and was never able to lose a significant amount of weight and would always get discouraged and quit at some point. SOS. What decided me on this particular WLS was the promise of decreased hunger. However, knowing the difference between true physical hunger vs. emotional head-hunger is a work in progress for me. Everything that others have written here is true. Ultimately how well we do with our weight loss and maintenance is up to us. So yes, I still track my food and weigh myself every day. It's the only way I know to stay on track. It gets old and sometimes I relax about it, take a vacation, and usually I will gain a couple of lbs but if I get back on track quickly I will lose it again much faster than I ever would have pre-surgery. Also weighing daily, even if I've not racked my food keeps me from regaining as much as I might otherwise.
So why get the surgery? If you know that you have the ability and patience to lose the weight and maintain without the help of WLS then you don't need the surgery. I knew I needed the help, but that's me. Only you can make this decision for yourself based on your medical history, self-knowledge and awareness and ability to handle the risk of surgery and possible complications. It's a big, life-changing decision and should never be taken lightly.
Whatever you decide for yourself I wish you all the best. Thanks so much for posting your question.