VSGAnn2014

@ ... not sure which comment you're referring to. Could you quote it for me?

It's very clear that many WLS patients are world-class yo-yo dieters. And their avatars are their skinny pix.

@@ssflbelle ... you are so freakin' awesome! Respect!

I won't comment on your particular therapist -- don't know at all what she knows or doesn't know about WLS. But be warned that WLS doesn't fix binge-eating. That may seem counterintuitive -- after all, the sleeve is a much smaller stomach, so how could anyone binge eat post-op? Trust me, you could. Yes, you'll probably lose a significant amount of weight post-op. But as your stomach heals and the early, temporary strong restriction eases and a year or longer out when you can eat more than a cup of food at a meal, you will find just how many calories you can put away. Post-op, you can always graze (nibble on throughout the day) "slider foods" (highly processed foods with little nutrition in them that don't require much stomach digestion (ice cream, sweets, chips, crackers, dips, etc.). Those foods and high-calorie drinks -- like sodas, sweet tea, high-cal coffee drinks, sugary alcoholic drinks -- will pack the pounds back on. There's an old saying around here -- they operate on your stomach, not your brain. Yes, you could have the surgery. But keep your therapist (or find a new one) and work on your brain, too.

Welcome, Chuck. I was sleeved 2years ago at age 68. Like @@SassyNanny I have been issue-free. I've lost 100 pounds and now weigh 135. More importantly, I have my life back now better than ever.

You know what changes you need to make. But you're not making those changes. Why? What's going on? What are the negative forces in your life right now that are stopping you? What motivated you to have WLS in the first place? Why aren't those things motivating you anymore?

Yeah, it's both strange and bad. But probably not in the ways you think it is.

KF ... you're a hoot! Such a clever boy, too. Thanks.

Mico, you've come so far. Impressive, young man.

@@Dr-Patient , thanks. Hubby has a PT scan this Friday, and we'll learn next week how effective the last series of chemo treatments, which he finished almost 3 weeks ago, has been. Fingers and all other digits crossed here.

Sorry to hear that, @@Sharon1964 . You care for mentally ill folks in crisis who want drugs that you won't give them. And some of them have guns. Have you ever considered a career as a bartender?

Another huge fan of Water aerobics here!

Double ditto!

Hmm, well, I'm not sure why you assume that someone who drinks is an alcoholic. I'm fairly certain and confident that I am not, so AA would not really be much help. As for therapy, sure, I've been in therapy my entire adult life. I'm a big fan of therapy, but again, as I said in my OP, I know what I should do, but doing it is tough, I'm looking for others in the same boat, not for people who want to pathologize what is simply the human experience! I sincerely wish you the very best results in addressing your regain. I'm truly sorry if my questions offended you. I certainly don't think everyone who drinks is an alcoholic. I certainly don't know if you are an alcoholic. You said you're taking in more calories daily via beer than through the food you eat and that you are having a hard time cutting out the beer. You offered as context your struggles with depression after a physical injury. And since transfer addictions are real dangers for WLS patients post-op, I asked whether you thought AA or therapy could be helpful. You sound very determined to regain your health and to lose the weight you've gained. Again, I wish for you great success in achieving your goals.

The details are not helping. I can't think of any way to interpret this passage as anything other than mechanically assisted bulimia: "... sometimes I go to flush in public washrooms but in parties I wait until I'm at home because I eat a lot and don't want to empty my stomach only to add more food."

Jeez, Sharon -- when I hear stories of your work day I hope you have armed security at your facility.

I hope you don't take this brief post as "preaching." Have you also considered: * Alcoholics Anonymous? * Therapy? If not, what are your thoughts about these resources?

I weigh 135 pounds. And I still can't do that!

Everyone is not a special snowflake. Most of us were / are fat because we ate too much and moved too little. Yes, I know that every calorie is not equal and that every person's basal metabolism is not the same, pound for pound, but you get my drift. Are calories all of the story for everyone? Surely not. But overeating (however you define that -- whether it's the "wrong foods" or "too much food") is usually the behavior that contributes most to obesity. (Please note that I did not use any absolutes in this post.)

@@Kyn13 -- what did you actually say / how did you actually respond to her?

In the last 10 years more and more American women have become obese. Yet obesity among men has not increased. In your opinion, what factors are causing this gender difference? From The Week: Obesity surges among women More than 40 percent of American women are obese, a 5 percent jump over the past decade, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. "It's a really alarming figure, and it's alarming that it's continuing to go up despite government calls to action on weight loss and healthy eating," UCLA Medical Center dietitian Dana Hunnes tells The Guardian (U.K.). Obesity is calculated by measuring a person's body mass index, a ratio of weight to height. For example, at 5-foot-4, the average height for U.S. women, someone who weighs 174 pounds or more is considered obese. The condition is more common among African-American women, 57 percent of whom qualify as obese, compared with 47 percent of Hispanic women, 38 percent of white women, and 12 percent of Asian women. The rate of obesity among men remains 35 percent, with no increase since 2005. After analyzing information compiled on more than 5,000 adults, the CDC found no explanation for why women struggle more than men do with this serious health issue, which is associated with heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. What's clear, however, is that the billions of dollars spent on weight-loss devices, drugs, research, and community programs have done little to curb the nation's 30-year-long obesity epidemic. Researchers suggest no progress will be made until the food and restaurant industries apply their marketing skills to promote healthier options.

Here's a little more information about the study from a different source: 1. For men, current smokers were more likely to be obese. This same association was not seen in women. 2. Women with an education beyond high school were significantly less likely to be obese. 3. For all U.S. children ages 2 to 19, the prevalence of obesity in 2011-2014 was 17 percent. 4. Over the past 25 years, there has been a positive shift in the very youngest Americans — perhaps signaling that efforts such as first lady Michelle Obama's campaign to get kids to move more are working — with the obesity prevalence decreasing among those ages 2 to 5 and leveling off in children ages 6 to 10. 5. Unfortunately, it has increased among adolescents ages 12 to 19. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/06/08/troubling-shift-in-american-obesity-women-surge-ahead-of-men-40-percent-now-obese/

Boy, oh boy, can I relate to this, @@LipstickLady . Two years post-op and nearly a year at my lowest weight my body is still looking for its new center of gravity. Pre-op, it was definitely in my a**.

What a gorgeous photo and beautiful people you three are. You are so cool.

I'm in a yoga class with about 20 women. It's mostly women 50 years old and older. It's not competitive. It focuses equally on poses and forms, breathing, body acceptance, and calming down. So far as I can tell, there is zero negative energy in that room. I feel incredibly lucky to have a resource like this. So lucky!