VSGAnn2014

Says the person who commented on two words she didn't know the definition of. Oh, Lard!

Like-minded people have always formed communities. I think it's nice to have this little community of other agnostics and atheists to hang with. Now, who's going to open the meeting tonight with a little prayer?

BTW, it would be nice if we could get the word "atheist" spelled right. If anyone who has admin powers is listening ...

Hey, @@Babbs . Glad you found the joint.

Thank you, Dr-Patient. I am very happy. And a little nervous. This is an awkward, unusual place for me to be -- at goal. Every other time in my life I've hit my weight goal (I'm a brilliant dieter ) I've sort of bounced on "bottom" and then floated upward pretty fast. I don't really think I'm going to do that now. This is a real different feeling place -- no urges yet to eat "bad" things, etc. But it still really does feel ... awkward.

Oh, shut up!

'Tis the season! For the first time in decades, last Friday night I went to dinner in a beautiful linen sleeveless dress. I still can't believe I did it. And no, my arms did not look great. But they didn't look nearly as horrific as a year ago. And I was proud of myself and my arms.

That's a question I have asked myself often. The obvious answer is that it's no wonder we didn't move more when we were enormous! It's no wonder I was walking 900 steps a day (all indoors) instead of the 10,000 a day I now walk. It's no wonder I was eating a normal person's daily calories (under 2,000) and still gaining weight. It's no wonder I was effing miserable! This surgery has been a miraculous, amazing thing for me. I am so full of gratitude. It's like I walked out of a terrible life into a wonderful, wonderful life. Bottom line: I think people who have weight loss surgery are some of the smartest, bravest, coolest people around. The alternative was to live miserably and die too young.

You're the customer. Period. That's how healthcare works these days. Finally!

For all those who were confused by my last post, I have reached my goal (a weight of 150 pounds). I lost 85.6 pounds (started at 235.6). I lost 20 pounds pre-op (my own diet and then my surgeon's liver-shrinking diet). The day of surgery (August 18, 2014) I weighed 216. I imagine those of you who are reading this forum on your phone can't see all the information that's visible on the laptop version of this message board -- our current weights, the dates of our surgeries, how much weight we've lost, etc. Welcome to all the newbie people in their 60s. This surgery is a miracle. You'll do great.

You're rejecting your surgeon's advice, and you're asking non-medicos on a public message board? My advice is take your surgeon's advice.

How's it going, @@CowgirlJane? I love this one: "Write my weight on my bathroom mirror once a week compared to my goal... (dry erase markers are perfect on mirrors!)" Have never done that one.

My surgeon and his team say no liquids 15 mins before meals or 30 mins after meals. I follow those instrucs pretty well. And from personal experience, I do stay fuller longer (and my tummy is more comfortable) if I wait 30 mins after meals to drink.

Do you know what our minds believe? Our minds believe what we tell ourselves. But with all that negative self-talk you guys are doing you are abusing yourselves. Every time you doubt or criticize yourself you're doing damage. So stop it right now. Don't do that to yourself. You wouldn't allow anyone else to treat you that badly. Instead, tell yourself what you wish someone would tell you: Tell yourself: You're beautiful. You're powerful. You're smart. You're confident. You're in charge of your life. You're disciplined. You have a great sense of style. You are a good person who is a positive role model for other people. Etc. Inside, you are all of those things. And you know that eventually you're going to shine in those ways. So now, not later, give yourself the permission you need to do and be all those things right now. Poof!!!

I've had several colonoscopies. Like others have said ^^^ it's not a biggie. The prep is a drag. But even that is easier than it used to be. What about it scares you?

Congrats, @@nprcowboy . I reached goal last week. What a trip!

You and I are about the same age, Ann. So far at month 3 my pattern is like yours. I'm glad to hear that you continue to lose while increasing calories/protein and are so close to goal. Are you doing any exercise in addition? Hi, @@Debbie Jean ... I hit goal about a week ago. Most of my exercise has been walking. About Month 5 I finally reached 10,000 steps. I was in TERRIBLE shape pre-op, and it took me a while to get there. I also did a seated elliptical (NuStep machine) a bit. I'm finally in the gym doing early strength (weight) training. I hit 10,000 steps today. Every day I do that, I feel great. From here on out for me it's about getting stronger and building more muscle. And, of course, eating the right amount of nutritious food. What a fun trip.

Month 1 post-op I lost 10.4 pounds. I was very happy with that. Most I'd lost in a month in decades! My gentle advice is not to set monthly scale goals. Instead, focus on something you can control -- like your Protein grams, Water ounces, steps walked, etc.

^^^ Sounds like you're adapting to reality pretty well. Of course, we all use this site from time to time to vent. Therefore, I know this will probably come across as snarky, but I really don't mean it that way at all. Here goes ... At some point we figure out that Mom and Dad are not just our parents -- they're people with issues of their own. And that's when we start growing up by learning how to live without their approval -- or even their support. It's just another phase of life. I think you're going to be fine, with or without her approval / support.

In this world there are some (a lot of?) people who think they know all there is to know about almost any subject. They tend to be black-and-white thinkers who think there's a single correct way to do things and reject all other approaches as "wrong." They feel almost religious about the superiority of their right way vs. others' wrong ways. Trouble is, they're hard-wired to think and act in this manner. In my experience, you can't reason with them or expect that that sharing your experiences with them will expand their perspective. They like the simple way their minds and lives are ordered and feel stressed at the prospect of having to change their minds. I'm not even sure they can change their minds. It can be tough on both single-perspective people and multiple-perspectives people who have to work or live closely together. Needless to say, this human attribute is not categorical, but a matter of degrees. Easy to tell which group I fall into, eh?

@@Kindle ... I've thought about your so much as you endure and recover from this loss. So impressed by your decision and actions about drinking since your friend died. Just know I'm sending you my support. Please reach out to me if I can help. Ann

You're getting good advice. The right choice for me doesn't mean that it would be the right choice for you. None of us has identical physical, mental and emotional resources and challenges. Therefore, if you were to be more specific about your own resources and challenges, that might help us respond more specifically to your situation, based on our experiences.

Alcohol stretches your stomach? I don't really think that's true. Never ever heard that before. How? Has anyone actually watched the video Babbs put up here?

Many people hate tracking on MFP and other online tools. But I love it! When I want to feel good about how well I'm doing I click on "Reports" and look at my 180-day or year-long weight chart (I weigh most mornings and record it). Or I look at the 90-day calories and Protein grams charts. I'm doing great. And it really shows on those graphs. Yes, there's fluctuation -- but fluctuation around where my eating and weight-loss goals are.

First, congrats on your acceptance to that oenology / vitaculture program. It sounds terrific! I started drinking 4 ounces of wine 5-6 days a week after I was 5 months post-op. Looking back, I don't think it stopped my weight loss. Yes, my weight loss started slowing down after 6 months post-op, but I think that was because I was smaller then and was ramping up my daily calories (on purpose) to make sure my metabolism didn't get used to a starvation diet. One thought ... there's a huge variance in how much wine "people who drink wine" drink. On the days I drink I really do drink only 4 ounces/day. But I know from observation that some people who drink wine daily drink several BIG glasses of wine (16-20 ounces/day). That's a big difference. And that can make a world of difference in how well we continue to lose weight. With wines, as with all foods, it's about portion control. So spit, baby, spit.