longercurlz

Good luck everybody! And worm2872...you can stress eat all you want...just make sure it's healthy! You don't need to eat garbage...freeze some grapes, which is my favorite snack,

Oh my gosh.. Sorry for all of the spelling errors in my response! I'm on my iPhone and can't see! Just to make a few corrections.... I meant to say gastric bypass seat and ca t be a frond we hang out with anymore!

Thinking of food as fun is what landed us all in the g Astros bypass seat! Think of food as fuel and as a friend you unfortunately you can't ha out with anymore. The minute you start missing food your bill gain ad really get discouraged! Keep it up!!

To answer some of your questions. The weight gain (blah)...yes, it happens. I gained the 40 lbs between 2003 and 2006 and, after a significant breakup, I just needed something else to focus on. I started simple with walking and eating only vegetarian. I didn't join the gym until about 3 years ago but, since then, I am a regular and do not go less than 5 days a week/often 7. I held on to two pair of my favorite post op/weight loss pants and was determined to get back into them...they fit big now. I think the way you can get motivated is to put it into your schedule. It should be as regular as making dinner, going to work, taking a shower..the gym/working out needs to be added to your day schedule. Even if it's just 20 mins walking around your neighborhood! I have managed to avoid a bunch of loose skin and I contribute that to being active and drinking TONS of Water. I don't drink soda anymore and my "soft drink" will either be Crystal Light or iced tea/with Splenda. Also, when I got back to work after two weeks of recovery, I started walking around my office during my 15 minute breaks. Now I'm that crazy workout lady who walks during her lunch too :-) Oh and as far as hydration goes, try coconut water...if you can find it in your area. It's SO good and refreshing, with different flavors like mango and pineapple. I feel extra hydrated when I have coconut water. PS...my dear friend had GB a year after I did. At first she refused to get it done because she was going to do the "cabbage Soup diet"...well, that didn't work...obviously. She is one of the people who wasn't dedicated and has gained a lot of her weight back She had a lot of loose skin, went to Mexico to get it removed and I really think they just took her money and didn't do anything but cut her open and sew her up (swear). Now she's on the "pouch shrinking" diet. What? Yes, that's a real diet and I just let her vent and tell me she doesn't eat that much, etc. But I've seen her snack on sugary things a lot. Hope this helped! Betsie

Wow..you're tiny! Is that a healthy weigh for you? My healthy weight would be 150 but I work out so much that my muscle weighs more than fat. Is your doctor concerned about your weight? 12 years ago I couldn't imagine a damn size 14 let alone 8!!

It started to slow a lot after about 9 months...I actually got that gaunt look that you see some GB people get a about 9 months and that was because I wasn't getting my protein and not only did the color start coming out of my skin but my hair thinned! Just know that after a year, you will be half your size.

Take a picture the morning of surgery and don't forget to take some along the way during your transformation. You won't regret it!

Hi Snow, My life is unrealistic to MOST, so you're not alone. Believe it or not, Im a corporate professional and have been a single mom for 12 years. Unlike my peers, I don't sit in the lunchroom during lunch but I take a 1.5 mile walk. Also, during my 15 minute brakes, I walk down and back up this hill..which takes no more than ten minutes. I pick up my son from school, get him home, usually have something cooked in the crockpot or made the morning, so I can feed them both quickly (16 and 20) and then I go to the gym. Yes, it's very busy but I enjoy the gym and I won't miss it. I think ANY exercise is good, to be honest. What do I eat? Well, I eat a lot of Protein...eggs, Beans, tofu "based" foods..veggie hot dogs are my favorite. The good thing is that I live in San Diego where we have a lot of vegetarian options in terms of restaurants and markets. Also, I don't eat sugar at all...my body rejects it to this day. Milk is also out of the question although it used to be my favorite beverage (along with COKE)... Have you had surgery yet or getting ready to start the process? Betsie

I cannot eat Chinese food from the "hole in the wall " places anymore because the MSG bothers me. I only trust the non-traditional places like Panda Express and I always get sauce on the side. I'm vegetarian anyway so I'm a little safer than most.

I took Advil after my surgery and, since I had it 12 years ago, I had the full incision form my sternum to my belly button! I don't know how I did it but I know that I took one percocet and it made me feel so horrible that I just relied on Advil.

Oh and save an outfit, too! Save a pair of pants and a shirt. I even saved a pair of my underwear...big, ole granny panties made out of that gross, shiny nylon material. YUCK. But, so glad I saved them.

You will regret it if you don't take a "before" picture. I hated the camera too! Im very excited for you and thanks for adding me as a friend. Also, I tried every diet (like most of you have) and the only other "diet" that worked was Weight Watchers. One thing that stuck from them was when they told us to bring in a BEFORE picture and tape it to the end of a straw...and we called it our "last straw." I still have that thing! B

Make sure you take pictures of your transformation. Take one the morning of surgery and then once every 15 lbs...that's what I did. I'm so happy I have this little photo album!

Hello...I have posted some pictures of before and after. Now that I'm on my laptop, I'm a little more computer literate! Love my Iphone but wow that screen is tiny and I'm blind :-) To answer some of your questions..I work out every day and I never miss the gym. I do a core workout at 4 AM, walk during my lunch on the hills and go to the gym every night. I am also a very careful eater, basically I eat for FUEL. You need to train yourself to eat like that, too. I make sure i get my Protein first thing in the morning because that's when I'm the hungriest. Also, pay attention to dumping syndrome..it's a very real thing and you will not eat garbage again once you experience it. To this day, people say I took the easy way out..how is it easy? I can't eat more than a cup of food, I cannot eat what I want and I've had to change everything about my life because of the surgery. Don't let people discourage you. Take a long, hard look at them..how they eat, how they live and you will see that they're jealous. What do I eat? Well, I am a vegetarian because that just works for me. I gained 40 lbs of my 200 back and I have since lost 60. I contribute my diet and my workouts to my tone body and not having to get surgery to remove skin. I am a size 8 now (was a 30/32 from Lane Bryant) and even lost a shoe size. I am so excited for all of you who are about to get this surgery...truely excited. It's life changing and, although you will still struggle with food decisions, you will feel so good about yourself. Get ready, you will literally melt and that's why exercise is so important. Even if you do about 10 minutes up and down your street every day. I have nightmares that I have been dreaming that I am thin...I have to pinch myself sometimes!