1Day1Life4Now

You are facing your emotions so that is a great job on your part. Though I've never been through a divorce, I shared the pain and uneasiness when both of my sisters went through theirs. Change is so difficult when you don't know what is on the other side but you have to believe that it will be better....different and better. Make yourself a priority and practice the positive affirmations that will help you get through the day. I've always been a stress eater and stress is a constant in my life so when I am faced with stressful situations and I want to eat to self medicate.... I pull out some of my old clothes and put them on. This reminds me that I don't want to go back.... Then I put on a new pair of pants that I can't quite wear yet . I purposely bought them too small to help motivate me. This helps put me in a good frame of mind... I see where I came from and where I am going. Eating off plan is then the last thing I want to do. I feel so much healthier, and I feel like I am more attractive, even to myself. My self confidence is higher than it has been in years and...... I don't mind having a photo taken. LOL You will do well, just remember to put yourself first and love yourself and your quickly changing body. Don't look back...look forward...that is where your future is.

My hubby eats everything I don't finish on my plate so sadly....he has gained weight. I'm trying to get him to eat like I do but so far he's not sold. I'm still working on him but he is so pleased with my progress.

Hi MsMae, Congratulations on making a great decision. I wish I had done my surgery when I was 27. Great choice on your part. I am much older than you but I too am 5'4' and my weight started out at 261. Are you going to a WLS doctor or your GP? You meet height/weight qualifications but do you have any comorbidities/ health issues? Insurance companies generally look for those but sometimes you can qualify on just weight. The sleeve is awesome and you will love it (as will your husband) The healing process is pretty quick actually and at your age it should be a breeze. The first two weeks are difficult but after that you should be fine and you will soon have so much energy that your boys won't be able to keep up with you. :-) Good Luck to you and hope you can be sleeved soon.

My group explained all of the negatives in regard to caffeine so I gave it up and have not missed it a bit. I do have an occassional cup of coffee when I go to visit my 85 yr old dad, sharing a cup of coffee has always been our thing. If my dad was not there I would not even think about drinking coffee. Sodas are just not appealing any more so I stick to my flavored Water. Life is good.

Im 59 and Had my surgery in February. I wish you ladies a lot of luck. I don't think you are ever too old for the surgery. If you are willing to put in the work... then go for it. It's fabulous and you will feel so wonderful.

There are multiple reasons for that 6 month weight loss. My insurance company only required 3 months. They want to make sure you can stick to a diet and that you are actually motivated to sticking to it. The sleeve is a tool and you will have to live on a diet after surgery. If you can't diet... the surgery will not be that effective over a long period of time. Also they need you to lose weight in order to shrink your liver so that the surgery will be safer for you. Use the time to research the diet, the recipes and the surgery so you will be prepared. Start exercising even if its just riding a stationary bike. The healthier you are at surgery the easier it will be on you and the faster the recovery. Wishing you all luck and quick healing,

The EGD is usually done at the same time the colonoscopy is done but not everyone has the EGD. It's the upper GI where they put a scope down your throat to see your esophagus and your stomach. People with Reflux and such have to have this done prior to surgery. It involves no prep and is easy. The colonoscopy ...........well that is no fun. ha

Hi Pam, I'm near Jackson, Mississippi. I had my sleeve in February. I'm newer at this than you are but would be happy to offer you support. What exactly has got you so off focus?

When I was 260 pounds I hated shopping. It was so difficult to find anything to fit or anything that looked decent. Shopping was a chore. Though I am not at goal weight yet, I am small enough that it is much easier to find things in regular stores and I can get things on sale at bargain prices. Now I love shopping and when I get frustrated, bored, upset... what ever... I find myself medicating by shopping. I can see it as a problem If I don't figure out how to curb the shopping. I'm out of closet space and I have way too many shoes. I have substituted one addiction for another. I hope I can get a grip on this one.

I had pain for the first 3 weeks. It gets a little better each day. stick to the fluids and don't attempt the solids any earlier than your doctor allows. You don't want to mess up your new stomach. In time it gets much easier to eat. Use this time to follow the diet and you will lose weight the quickest during this time. Good luck on your progress.

Yes it is. Its a healthy low fat food and it tastes great. Problem is... you don't need to be eating pita bread with that. Depending on how far out you are, try eating it with some veggies or a few whole wheat crackers. It's a go to snack food for me. I love it.

Stick it out and finish the masters. The older your kids are the harder it will be for you to do this. I always regret not having gotten mine when I first finished college. My Dad even offered to pay for it but I thought i knew better and needed a break. Well, I got that break and once I was married and had kids i never had the money or opportunity to go back to school to get my Masters. You will do more for your children if you get your education now.

Judging is a two way street. If the OP doesn't want to be judged maybe she needs to quit judging others. I'm Bipolar as well but I make an effort to be positive to others because that is what I need from others when I post here. Mental illness explains a lot of behavior for things we do and situations we put ourselves in but it's not a Free Pass to get away with hurting others and being mean and disrespectful. You don't have to agree with anyone's religious views but they should be free to post their views with out being insulted. All extremely over weight people have "issues'. That's why we are here. If you come on this forum and ask for help, don't be mean to people because you don't like their suggestions, they are only trying to help. If you already know what works, don't ask... go on to your therapist and work it out there. I love this forum and most of the people on here . I've received a lot of good advice and what wasn't so good ...well, I thanked them for it and immediately forgot what they said. We are all adults here and should be able to treat one another with respect.

Good news. Wishing you the best.

A lot of our social life involves going to restaurants and parties. food will always be with us so we have to deal with it the best we can. I take the food I can eat and I nibble at it. Otherwise I get a glass of flavored Water and spend my time being sociable or helping the hostess keep things neat and tidy. I refuse to sit home and be afraid of food. I am in control and will not let the food control me. Take it one day at a time...you will do well.

I had surgery on Feb 11th. I started at 262 and have lost 60 pounds. I am stuck at 202 and have been here for over a month. I don't know how to get out of this stall. I started losing hair at 3 months so I increased my red meat and added olive oil to my diet to increase the good fats. Now at 6 months I think the hair loss has stopped, or at least slowed down. I do have a little bit of shedding. My hair is blonde so it shows up on my clothing if I wear anything dark. I am 59 so I think the age has a lot to do with the slow down in weight loss. I just realized today is my 6 month anniversary. Life is good...now if I could just get back on the losing track again.

thank you for sharing. I think this is something many of us could incorporate into our daily lives.

Hi Bobby. Congratulations on your surgery date. You are in for an experience for sure. First just let me say...I love my sleeve and would do it again if I had to. I have had many surgeries but they have all been different and the Sleeve surgery was also different but much like the gall bladder surgery as far as the pain. The first four days was pretty rough for me, I felt terrible as I always do after any anesthesia, and I kept saying to myself...What in the hell have I done to myself. But by the 5th day I was truly onboard with it. At first it is so difficult to swallow the Water and Soup but each day gets easier and easier. Its a process that just gets better and better. My daughter stayed with me most of the time and helped me get up and down and helped with my shower. I was too weak to do it on my own but as I said, the anesthesia always knocks me for a loop. I did not have the severe gas pains that others have mentioned on here but my daughter had me up and walking every 3 hours, no excuses. That I think made a big difference. I had all of my foods and meds ready at home so all I had to do was heat them up when I got home from the hospital. My husband helped a bit but he was against the surgery so I didn't want to be dependent on him. After I started losing weight and feeling good he jumped on board with this sleeve thing and he is now my biggest supporter. Everyone's experience is different but similar and complications, though real and possible, are very rare. The Best thing you can do for yourself is to follow your doctor's instructions. They really do know best and have a lot more experience at this than we do. I wish you well and hope you have a non-eventful surgery and an easy healing. Good luck and welcome to the world of Healthy and Happy.

For anyone to want you to stay morbidly obese, its proof that they are only wanting to satisfy their own needs. You are risking lowering your quality of life, not to mention, lowering your longevity. To love someone means to want what is best for them and to help them achieve health and happiness. I hope you will consider getting some counseling and realize your personal health and happiness is far more important than any man in your life. You can do this. Good luck.

I have BCBS Federal. I had to go through a 3 month supervised diet but then it only took them about a week or so to approve on the first letter. I had to pay my 15% co pay but it was worth it.

If I pose for medical pics I'm going to get a thong first. Now having said that....I've never worn a thong and the thought of one makes my butt cheeks cringe. LOL

Chatterbox, I am so sorry to hear about your complications. It sounds like you have had a very rough complicated time. I hope they have got everything repaired and you are on your way to being healthy. Hope you are feeling better, take care of yourself.

Time to call the doctor if you are having pain.

yep,I had and still have pretty bad GERD but there was no Barretts Esopagus so all was good and I had my surgery. I'm almost 6 months out and I'm still taking prilosec. I'm still happy with my sleeve though.

You're still too new for mushy foods so don't push it. Keep walking as much as you can, it will push the gas out of your system. It just takes a little bit of time, you can't rush these things. You might want to lay off the juice for a few days and stick with the Water and popsicles. The juice might be adding to your gas and runny stools. broth, Jello, and yogurt should be pretty much what you're supposed to eat for another week or so. Your stomach is very sensitive and you could hurt it by putting food in there that it is not able to digest. Take it easy and the sleeve will take care of you during your weight loss. Good luck to you.