Teachamy

My mom developed the turkey neck too. (Late 50's, without weight loss) She got a few non-invasive plastic "skin-tightening" procedures. Not sure exactly what it entails, but it did make a big difference!

Also not there yet, but my dietician and I talked about adding more healthy fats like avocado and olive oil, and adding an extra healthy snack, like eating 2 servings of almonds, instead of one. I am going to try to keep my carbs low, because the more carbs I eat, the more insulin I need to take. (In the case of non-diabetics, the more insulin your body produces.) In my experience, insulin=fat. Looking forward to getting to goal!

About 6 mos. before I decided on surgery, I told my trainer if I went through with it and lost the weight, I would post a picture of me in a bikini on Facebook! Scary thought right now--I hope these scars go away eventually! A bikini? Me? Still can't picture it, but I've got some pounds to go before I really need to start worrying.

Great thread. Just bought tickets to John Hiatt and Robert Cray for my husband's Father's Day gift. DATE NIGHT!

Beautiful lady! So happy for you!

That's great! Hope to meet you there very soon!

Make-up artist

I have a little hair shedding, but my nails are fine.

Shopping! Size 10/medium. YES! Being called, "string bean"! Seeing my reflection in a window and realizing I look thin. Perfect blood work results all the time. TGFS! (Thank goodness for sleeve!)

Happy dance jig for you!

As a diabetic since the age of 8, I lived on diet soda. Diet pepsi, in particular. About a year before surgery, I weaned myself from these carbonated chemicals and noticed a few things. #1--I wasn't craving salty, crunchy junk food as often. #2--My body didn't feel as bloated #3--My bloodsugar didn't spike after drinking it. (Diet didn't necessarily mean anything to my body, the caffeine and chemicals caused my body to react as it would with regular soda.) #4--I wasn't dehydrated anymore because I drank much more Water. There are many theories that exist about what diet pop does to the body, none of which sound very good. How many of us ate far too much and washed it down with the diet versions of our favorite soft drink pre-op? Clearly, there's a link somewhere. That being said, you can try a sip of soda, if you must. I grabbed a can of seltzer from my husband one day because I had a "frog" in my throat, and I was surprised how weird it felt going down. Super filling and not satisfying. SO you may find your mind has changed about soda. Best, Amy

Nope. Never happens to me. You are not normal! I am perfect! OK--that was shameless sarcasm. Sometimes when we're on this message board, we get a lot of the "blah, blah, blah--I am perfect!" messages, such as,"I ate blackened bean curd with a side of Protein goo and I feel fabulous!" Truth be told, I am right there with you. I have those moments (especially during PMS) when my hunger suddenly picks up. I don't know what it is sometimes. 1 day I can barely choke down 2 oz. of meat in one sitting, the next day, I eat 5 oz. easily. Where did my restriction go when 5 oz. was perfect? Not sure. My only means of fighting it is to get outta the house and log EVERYTHING that goes into my mouth so I can feel guilty about it later. Then I come on this website and brag about my perfection! Hee hee.

For me, I could name all of the syndromes and diseases I have, and all the doctors I had on board with me. I gave him some time to get used to the idea that it was happening, period. He eventually gave me his support, because it wasn't his choice to make. He was fearful of what would happen to me during surgery, but I am fine today, thanks to my decision!

So, we're all shocked you were able to do this, not that you DID do it. Feel no shame. Learn about your meal plan, shake it off and move on. No biggie!

Nuts--I eat 28 almonds, or 24 cashews Quest bars--I eat 1/2 of one sugar free popsicles--I eat 1-2 WW string cheese--I usually eat 2 yogurt--Kinda sick of it right now, but I tend to eat Dannon Light and Fit Greek Veggies and hummus And I consider coffee with cream a meal! (JK--but I do enjoy it and always log it in MFP) Enjoy eating again! GO SLOW!

That means your average weight loss is over 2 pounds a week! Safe, sustainable loss. It's excellent! What was your starting weight? If your BMI is lower to begin with, you may see a slower loss than some others on the page. (My BMI was 35, and I have lost 46 as of a couple weeks ago. This is my 6th month.) Keep the faith. New clothes on the horizon!

I average under 800 calories per day. (I take a week at a time and average my calories) There are occasional days when I go over 800, but it all averages out in the end. I haven't weighed in a couple weeks, so I'll probably weigh early next week. I am close to 50 pounds. Love being told how thin I am! My health is fabulous, and I am feeling good. Overall, my Protein is solid, I don't drink Protein shakes anymore. I keep snack a noun so I don't find myself "snacking" (a verb). I have had the occasional carby snack, but I account for everything in my fitness pal, suck it up, and move on. Have you tried nuts? They come in interesting flavors, high protein, and you can count them out, stick 'em in a baggie, and you're good to go! I appreciate a salty crunch now and again! Surgery date: 12/18/13 Highest weight: 210 Weight at last weigh-in: 164 BTW--you may want to add December sleevers in your post title.

I go for the cream, but it always takes up a lot of calories...ah well. I need a vice, I guess. Whatever works for us coffee lovers!

I never look forward to exercise, but nothing can beat the endorphins when I am done! The use of the possessive is important to me because it reminds me of my commitment to myself, and it sends a clear message to husband and kids this is my time. Look out--Mommy's workin' up a sweat!

Initially, I dry heaved a lot. When I started eating, I couldn't manage all the tiny amount of the food that I measured, so I vomited then. Occasionally it was only saliva, occasionally a little food. It taught me to slow down and stop at the first sign of feeling full, even if food is left on my plate. This is not the type of vomiting one experiences during a stomach virus--it is tiny amounts in comparison and not violent heaving. It isn't pleasant, but it sometimes takes a while to learn what you can handle.

Agreed. I'm avoiding this thread from now on, because I think I was just attacked and told to act like an adult? Really? All I said was I have never felt bullied here and hope that no one has felt bullied by me, and that it is easy to misread tone...

There are a lot of misconceptions about WLS that exist. People see it as a "cop-out" and think those of us who understand the struggle are "cheating" our way through Weight Loss. It's nice that you feel comfortable sharing your future experience (and then subsequently educating those you tell), but I don't think it is unreasonable for people to want to keep this information private. Sometimes avoiding the misguided judgement of others is preferable for people, and that's OK!

I want to start by saying I no longer have high BP, high cholesterol, uncontrolled Type I diabetes, or sleep apnea. I did do this for my health, and so glad I had the support of a large team of doctors. That being said, I love being told how thin I have become, and how nice I look. Yes, Carly Simon I have 1 eye on the mirror as I watch myself walk by...It is so fun to shop for size medium and size 10. Not gonna lie. Some call it narcissistic. I call it proud!

You get used to it, eventually. At least I have. Small plates are helpful!