LipstickLady

Pics or I don't believe you.

Loved mine. Nothing was more fun than watching myself pee while walking down the hall.

I say the same. I will accept prayers because I know the intent is wonderful, it's just not MY thing. Positive energy, good thoughts, love and well wishes, that's what I send.

Yup.

I was totally expecting pics of your bum.

Not a fan myself, but it's really not common so don't be too turned off. Ignore it. I do.

Yikes! Perhaps you should take a break before this board gets you too worked up. This type of anger can't be helpful to you.

You are in for a whirlwind of fun and excitement, I'm sure. It's so much fun to figure out that your personal style is so much more than "whatever fits, conceals my size, and comes in several colors". The choices are overwhelming at first but it won't take you long to dive in to the fun of shopping. I love consignment shops as there is such a huge variety of choices and the savings are great as you change sizes pretty quickly. It's just as fun to figure out all the cool things your body can do. Walk up steps without breathing hard? CHECK! Go to the park with the kids without coming home exhausted? CHECK! Walk the dog without sweating profusely? CHECK! Do your first mud run with your kids? CHECKITY CHECK CHECK CHECK!!! Your normal is not my normal or anyone else's normal. You will find your own normal as your weight decreases and your body shrinks. You will fall in love with activities you never thought you could do, stores you never thought you could shop in and compliments you never thought you would hear again. It's am amazing journey, one I am still experiencing every day as I reclaim my life.

I'm so sorry you are having so many problems and I hope they are resolved quickly. I will keep you in my thoughts.

I call mine Sleevilla -- she's half super hero, half villain. She did great things for me, but good golly if I cross her... A friend of mine calls her's Sleevie Wonder. HA!

I kind of wonder if you are having those feeling towards those women in the gym as a reflection of how you feel/felt about yourself and the habits you had that got you to where you were. That would make total sense to me. Why are you so angry at them, do you think?

Gorgeous! Great boobs, girl!

Your hormones are all out of whack and your meds probably need some adjusting as your body changes. It's great that you are being honest with yourself about your personality changes and acknowledge that you need to work on yourself. Might I suggest rereading your initial post regularly so that you can refocus on what you were feeling when you wrote it? Have you considered a gratitude journal so you can write about things that make you happy and read it when you aren't? You'll make it through this, I just want you to make it through it with your important relationships intact.

Exactly why I generally keep my mouth shut. Phew. I was hoping I wasn't the only one, too.

Thanks!! No, no plastics. I would love to, though.

I've lost a few since. HOW FUN!! So, when people post lots of selfies of themselves in sexy poses and sexy clothes and say, I think I'm still fat even though everybody tells me I'm not, do they really feel fat? I don't think so. I think they need a pat on the back. Come on ladies, just post your pics and say very loudly......"Look at what I've accomplished". Nobody is going to slam you for it. After all, you've managed to accomplish what we all are working for. I think you know you look good, but need to hear it from others.

Forced?

The beauty of Zumba is that it is all about shaking your big ole' (or little) a$$ while working up a sweat. It doesn't matter if you can master the moves or the rhythm, it's about having fun, shaking your thang and having a great time. Do what you can, march to the rest and SMILE!!! I love love love Zumba, I sucked at it at 264 pounds and I am a little better at it at 152 pounds. Either way, it's the funnest of all funs in MY opinion. shake it!!

Unless you are on my side. If that's the case, you couldn't be more right.

I so feel you. That would have made the hair on my arms raise and curl. Not for me, so much, I was raised Catholic but I am NOT religious. I would have been so offended for the Jewish or Muslim people in the audience, not because I am "PC" but because I respect their rights to believe however they wish. I don't get offended at all here, but I do cringe, even when I agree. No matter what side you are on, if you assume that everyone else is on the same side as you-- you are wrong.

I so so so absolutely agree! So if you are in the sweet camp and say "WE ALL agree" or in the pissy camp and say "NO ONE here feels that way", you are taking away from the reality of the diversity of this place. The diversity is what makes for a great experience.

Oh! I do prefer pre-mixed over powders. If you can afford them, do it. Drink them over ice to add Water to your diet, too.

EXCITING!!! Congrats on the weight loss so far! You've done great. 1. I rarely drink Protein Shakes and haven't since I was 6 weeks out. I drank them for a month pre op, too. I loved the EAS carb advantage in rich dark chocolate and I like (not love) the Premier Protein from costco. I use a little SF banana/almond/coffee/cherry coffee syrup in my chocolate drinks. In my occasional vanilla, I will add SF cherry or coconut. 2. I have saggy skin. No way around it. I look at it with the thoughts that I may look kind of weird naked but I look great in my size 6/8 clothes. Before, I looked gross naked and clothed. WIN. 3. If you do the work, it will work. Period. Erase the self doubt. This is like nothing you've ever done for yourself. YOU CAN DO THIS.

Almost 15 months out here and I would say that YES, you do get hungry again. It's natural and it's ok. The hunger is different for me and much more manageable. It's no longer the constant buzzing craving that couldn't have possibly been physical hunger because I rarely denied myself food. Now it's a physical sensation and while it can be really intense, especially after a big workout or if I've gone far too long without food, it's so much easier to control. I am forced to slow down and can only eat 2-4oz, less than a cup of food. I have to make good choices, especially when I am very hungry, because if I make bad choices and eat too fast, I am physically sick instead of feeling fueled. Over the last year+, I have learned my physical eating limits and my "full" indicators (runny nose, need to burp) and know when to stop. I have learned that if I eat quickly, I can only eat about half of what I should be able to eat. I have also learned if I eat too much, I will not be able to have even a sip of liquid for an hour or more and I hate that. It's going to be OK.

@@Teachamy - Look for sauces, too. I need wetter Proteins than I did pre-sleeve. Experiment with flavors like blue cheese dressing, teriyaki, chimichurri, salsa, avocado, etc. to flavor your faves. It makes a huge diff in your dishes.