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Where did you have your surgery?

I feel that my family has been supportive and the nutritionist. My schedule has made it difficult for me to attend a regular support group I have gone a few times. I have found Weight Watchers to be supportive n years past depending on the group. We just have to find the person or group that can answer our questions when necessary and give us encouragemnt when we start heading the wrong direction. This is a long-term life long struggle that we may never totally feel free from. I have come to realize over this year that most of my struggles are between my ears now that I cannot eat as much and I have had to really look for ways to ease boredom, express anger, sorrow or Celebrate outside of food. Exercise is very important to me and I get up early every morning and go to the gym. Actually I was doing this prior to surgery as a gift to myself and once I got into for awhile I miss it when I can't. When my children were small it was more difficult, but it is important to your overall healing and wellbeing to find ways to move more when you are experiencing eating desires. This is a way of support for yourself. We moms sometimes caretake everyone else but ourselves!

I live in Seattle but would love to help if I can. I am almost a year post-op and down 80 lbs still have 20 to go and often feel stuck. You are down nearly 100 lbs what a victory!!

You could warm in the microwave for a few seconds and drnk immediatly.

I was 60 on my day of surgery 5/29/12 now 61 and lost so far 75 lbs. kind of slow but I am about 20 ils from goal.

I live nearby when are you all thinking of getting together? I live in Boulevard Park.

Just stuck for last two weeks! 190,189 back and forth, up and down. Date of surgery 5/29 253 Now 190-189 Trying not to get discouraged....all is well.

There is a PB that is powdered and you rehydrate with water. The fat in a food can sometimes cause dumping also and this brand has most fat removed. It tastes very good, is half the calories and you canpurchase online. The company is Bells plantation I think but you can find on Amazon, if you love PB it will save the day. Also, because it is powdered you can add to protein smoothies if you like.

I've tried it all from laxatives, prunes, prune juice, sliced apples, stool softener, enema, suppositories and miralax. None of these consistently helps. I even drink some Chinese herbal tea concoction perscribed by a Chinese herbal doctor. I also eat somewhere around 30grams of fiber daily but the best results have been with the tea every other day and miralax on the day between. I read someone took miralax twice daily--is that an ok thing??? I was taking it daily and it stopped working as well after a month. I've been a little concrned about dependency so started every other day alternating with the tea. What are your docs saying about miralax??

I think that we get so focused on this because our culture values the perfect body way too much. We begin to buy into this as young girls and it carries into our adult life. We may be overweight and are teased or lack male attention and through that process we devalue ourselves as less than perfect somehow flawed. Now we begin the process of losing weight and our brains are still convinced we are flawed and we struggle with success because perfection is not the result. We have flabby arms and hanging bellys way short of the ideal and we cannot see the body change as success because it is not perfection. I think the key to some of this for me at least is to not focus on our flaws, hanging skin etc. but on the internal changes, the new self image we can construct and begin to affirm the positive changes we see. As overweight people we often become too self absorbed and perhaps need to look for ways to focus on others through activities, volunteer or social activities that will keep us other oriented and less worried about ourselves. Find our joy and the flaws will seem minor compared to our victories. At least ths has helped me deal with the thoughts I will never be skinny.

So today 189! My goal for Christmas is 180 hopefully doable. Surgery date 5/29/12. 253 lbs total of 64 lbs. My progress is slow but steady but at my age,61 is an amazing miracle as losing weight these years requires huge efforts in exercise, 1hour 5 days a week, and careful control of every bite. I am so grateful for this tool gifted to me this Thanksgiving season. God bless all of you who are sharing this struggle to health and wellness with me.

Weight at surgery 05/29. 253 Today 192.8 just about 60 lbs give or take an ounce or two. Wishing for faster loss but so glad to be below 200 and heading south!!!!

Again, everyone is different and my constipation got so bad that I thought I could have an obstruction which is far more serious. I was bleeding and in horrible pain so taking a laxative was imperative for me. I tried every remedy, drank gallons of water, cups of fiber, exercise for an hour daily, suppositories, enemas, you name it!!! Getting something that worked at least most of the time(miralax) was a miracle for me. I began feeling so much better so take whatever you need to, ask your doctor's office for recommendations but do whatever you need to.