LipstickLady

Brain tumors are over rated. They wouldn't even let me have mine after they removed it. Jerks.

I'm going to dream of you tonight! What a no eyed hottie you are.

I'd do him.

Oh em gee!! I think I want to have sex with you.

Less effort? I've put a hell of a lot of effort into this for much longer than any other "diet" I've ever done. HA! And trust me, I've worked HARD on other diets.

I've seen quite a few people around these parts talking about people they know who have lost weight "on their own" while they personally had WLS and I must say, this mindset makes me a bit pissy. Before having VSG, I tried every freaking diet out there. I exercised like a maniac. I tried drugs I knew were potentially harmful to my long term health. I resigned myself to being fat every single time I failed before slapping myself around and trying something new or trying something old again and again. I saw nutritionists, I saw gastro specialists. I considered a hypnotist, but I waved that off as hogwash. (No offense to anyone who tried it, just not my cup of tea.) I lost weight, I gained weight, I lost weight, I gained weight, I lost, I gained, I yo-yo'd myself right into a flucked up metabolism and mass frustration for myself and my family. I finally decided that I had no other options and settled on the Vertical Sleeve after researching my WLS options for almost a year. I went through 4 months with one surgeon before realizing there was no way in H E double hockey sticks could I let him cut me open before starting the process over with another surgeon that I felt comfortable with. I did all the pre-op work with a nutritionist (whack job!!) figuring that if I could concentrate on losing for those 6 months, maybe I wouldn't need surgery after all. I saw the counselor (WHACK JOB!!!) and never got to the root of my troubles other than the fact that I am a greedy piglet. (She swears I am repressing sexual abuse in a past life -- no REALLY, a PAST life, not just in my past. Uhmmm...) I did my pre-op diet for a month instead of the required two weeks because I wanted to. I exercised my fanny off (literally) over the last 7 months. I weigh, measure and log my food. I read labels. I make good choices putting my Protein needs first. I make sure to get in my 10k steps every single day even if that means running in place for an hour at 10pm when I know I have to be up, bright eyed and bushy tailed in 7 hours. I look for recipes that are healthier for my family that I can eat as well but I often cook two meals so they can eat what they like and I can eat what I need to eat. I put the fork down before I want to so that I don't spend the next 30 minutes bent over the toilet even when it took me an hour to prepare a meal and I've only had two or three bites because ,my tiny tummy isn't tolerating more than an ounce instead of it's usual 3 or 4. I read menus days in advance if I know I am going out so that I can order seamlessly with everyone else. I attend parties and conferences and work functions and eat mindfully so I can enjoy the event without calling attention to myself. I suffer through stalls in my head so that my family doesn't have to hear my incessant whining because I know they've suffered enough of my nonsense over the years. I appreciate everything my changing body has allowed me to do over the years despite the abuse I put it through and I appreciate how much it's thanking me as I am relieving it of all the excess weight. I went to kickboxing even when I don't feel like it and now I teach it so I don't have a choice but to go. I joined a high dollar gym and hired a high dollar trainer, not because I am a high dollar girl but because I am now forced to go. I look at my saggy skin and my floppy boobs and my melty thighs and my squishy bum and my hangy arms and while I regret that I didn't do this 5, 10, 15 years ago, I smile that I did do it seven months ago. I am losing this weight ON MY OWN. If you honestly think I'm not, please tell me who is doing it for me. They owe me a whole bunch of money, time and heartache for all the things I've put myself through over the last year+ and I owe them a HUGE amount of thanks for getting me where I am today.

It doesn't HURT but it is very weird and uncomfortable, in my opinion. I hated the removal of it but that said, it only took a few seconds and it wasn't painful after. Totally worth it.

GOOD FOR YOU!!!

And then you did what with it? Did you toss it? Good for you for recognizing your behavior! You will lose a battle here and there but that does not mean you will lose the war.

What is your definition of skinny? Is that your ultimate weight loss goal? How do you determine if and when you have reached this allusive size and shape? I am working really hard just to feel normal! I can't even begin to wrap my head around the idea that one day I might actually be skinny again. Even when I was a size 2, 110 pound college freshman, I didn't feel skinny. How the hell am I going to feel that way at 42, after two children and a lot of wear and tear on these old bones?

Seven months out and my recovery has been spotty. I feel good, nah nahhh nah naahhh nah naahhh nah nahhhh nahhh nahh nahhh nahhhhh....

Yum! If it's the one I make, it's like a chocolate chess pie! YUMMMMM...

Oooops! Posted too soon! How do you explain those who lose 20-30 pounds and stop? They, too, have built in portion control and never get to goal or even halfway to goal. There are those who eat around their sleeve/band/pouch and there are those who drink their calories and barely lose at all. The sleeve is a fantastic TOOL but it is not the magic solution. **I** am my own magic solution and I have a great resource to help me maximize my efforts. I am still doing this *on my own* because I can certainly fail and if I did, that would be 100% on ME.

So why do so many people regain?

This morning I got up, got dressed in the cutest new outfit (size 12 AEO skinny trousers, medium white top, medium Ann Taylor sage green crop jacket), hopped in my car with my cup of coffee and a list of things to do that gave me not a moment to deviate from schedule and started my day happy as a clam. Got almost to my destination, took a swig of coffee and spilled it all the way down my shirt. WTF?!?!?! As I was cleaning myself up and cussing up a storm, I noticed more coffee on my pants. As y'all former fatties know, we can't just run into any store, grab a quick outfit and move on with our day, especially at 8 in the morning when no fat girl stores are open and I had no time to run home. (Won't even talk about the expense IF you could find something that fit.) Into Target I went! Within 10 minutes I was back out of the door, bag of clothes in hand that freaking fit! And didn't cost a fortune! In REGULAR sizes! Are you kidding?! Best freaking coffee spill ever! I'm a normal person! NORMAL!!!!!!!!

Forgive my confusion, but I don't understand how we are not doing this 100% on our own. Would you say that someone who can afford a personal trainer/personal chef/complete medical supervision and/or who can spend 100% of their time on their body isn't doing it on their own? These are great advantages that most people do not have access to. My "advantage" isn't a cheat or something that other people can not choose to do. I'm not lucky or special in regards to having WLS. . Please help me understand your point of view.

I am making two kinds of quiche, sausage balls and blue cheese stuffed bacon wrapped figs to go with the country ham my FIL is bringing. Dishes that are entering my home with various relatives are corn pudding, deviled eggs, potato salad, greens (barf!!), meatballs, fruit salad, green salad and mashed taters. Lots of sleeve friendly choices to fill me up!

It look great! I am so happy for you.

Love! What made him change his mind about surgery?

This is my first holiday season post op and at only seven months out, not quite at VET status yet, so MUCH easier for me than some of you, but I would like to know what you are doing GOOD! Me? I have baked about 15 dozen Cookies and only indulged in one or two of each kind. I am making mini cookies, so my indulgence is there, but nothing diet crushing. I am sending out most of cookies but what I am making to keep for guests are being wrapped and ready to go home with them istead of being out on the counter as a free for all. For my holiday meal contributions, I am concentrating on high Protein, low carb things like quiche, (turkey) sausage balls, cheese crisps and veggies. I am making things I love, but also foods that are high in flavor without the bread that I would have cooked in years past. I am making foods that I know that I can eat and that are healthier for my family. I feel very fortunate that I am not "mourning" foods nor do I feel guilt in not making "traditional" foods that we have always enjoyed and it amazes me that no one misses the 3-5 kinds of breads, biscuits, potatoes, stuffing, etc. that I usually make and instead are enjoying the new recipes that I am trying. I know that as I get to closer to goal and can tolerate more foods than I could a few months ago so I am getting my family into the habit of eating more healthfully. As the mom and food provider of the family, it is up to me not only to feed myself more mindfully, but my two teenage girls and my husband as well. We are also planning trips to our gym daily, walks with our pup, ways we can get out of our house (and therefore the kitchen) and do fun things together that are much more fun and healthy than eating. I am not a religious person, and I have come to the realization that our habit has been that of consumption, something that I am not proud of. I realize now that I am the one who is responsible for guiding my family towards a more healthy lifestyle and it is up to me to make sure they learn that food does not have to be the definition of love but that togetherness does. This year I am not stressed about what I am cooking and how much "joy" I can produce on a plate. Instead, it's about playing a game, walking the mall, preparing for a race, walking, talking, being together and not necessarily around the table. How awesome is that?? What are YOU doing good for you and your family?? Food is love for many of us. How are you choosing to express love in in place of food this year?

Is that good or bad? (Hides wine bottle.)

There is nothing you can do but decide to stop eating it. I know that this is easier said than done, but really, what choice do you have? It will suck for a day or three and your head will tell you that you want it MUCH longer than your body will, but YOU and only YOU can make the decision to stop eating it. Stop eating it. Carb will scream your name for a day or four and then the "need" for them will fade and you will be able to break away from the addiction. What good is that candy doing for you anyways? Why are you eating it? I know you want to hear more than to stop eating it, but really, that's all that can be said. Stop eating it. Don't buy it, don't keep it, don't go near it. Oh! I put boogers in it. Just so you know.

WOOOOHOOOOO! You can and WILL do this!

II am 7 months out but beef jerky has been a staple for me since about 4 months. I've been one to have terrible difficulty with food but for some reason, beef jerky has worked fine. I did cut it up into fingernail clipping sized pieces from the the start but it provides me a ton of daily Protein every day. I have tried every brand, every store, every price point and the the Walmart brand is the best for me! I like the sweet hot. You can see through each pack to see if that cut looks fatty, dry, etc. It's the least expensive and the best quality in my opinion. Love it. My kids laugh because I truly do almost live off it. They love it, too, so the fact that I always have a mega pack in my car for them to snack off of bothers them not at all.