VSGAnn2014

I don't have a date yet, but the surgeon's office is now saying "August." Progress! I'm so ready for this. For several months, I've been exercising and getting stronger and journaling my food, water, exercise, and eating much more slowly. Have lost 10+ pounds in the last 5 weeks. No food funerals here. I'm ready to get this show on the road. Come on!

Your boss doesn't know the law.

Holy Moly! That's so great. I cannot wait!

This isn't directed toward anyone in particular, nor to any "side" in this discussion. If you have never had serious interactions with a serious con man or a con woman (most of them are sociopaths), you may not believe that a person could or would act as they do. A couple of their attributes are that they are astonishingly charming, intelligent and manipulative. One thing they do very well is to strike up rapport immediately by showing you that they share your own interests and values. For instance, a sociopath might carry with them photographs of "their children, wife, home, dogs, cats, etc." and show them to people whom they hoped to impress with their family stability. In fact, he or she would have a variety of photographs (and a variety of stories to tell about them) to strike ready rapport with a wide array of people he or she was trying to impress. Here's a surprising attribute sociopaths tend to share: They give intense, uninterrupted eye contact. For some of their targets, these long gazes seem soulful and romantic. Other targets feel uncomfortable and do or give the con man/woman what they want, just to get rid of them. Here's a link to an unacademic, but nonetheless good description of sociopaths' easily recognized attributes: http://www.wikihow.com/Spot-a-Sociopath

Stop the presses! He's married? The Fabulous Omar is currently married and has 3 kids? Seriously?

Hi - I am 38 and been obese for most of my life. I carried my weight mostly in stomach region so it is of no surprise that is where I have some lose skin. Not a lot. It is about 1/4 inch and not a big deal, but does separate me mentally from achieving complete success. I have done a lot of strength related things since post op 7 months from cross fit to p90 x to body weight workouts at home. I have a good definition in my arms and legs from working out, not lose skin there at all. No lose skin on my back or chest either, but I have done a lot of push-up and pull-up variations over time. That probably helped a lot. I drink a lot of Water and go overboard on Protein every day. The former helps with encouraging skin elasticity and the latter encourages muscle growth (after I thoroughly beat them up). I eat a lot of carbs that are usually in the form of quinoa, steel oats, Fiber one and bananas. Carbs are needed for the body to effectively synthesize protein. Building muscle really helps in filling out any loose skin with definition. Mentally, I am more about strength, fitness and health then I am about body building, but that is just me. One step at a time. I too have been through the new op struggles, but am here to say that it gets easier after 6 months, after one year and so on. I could not successfully eat a lot of vegetable types until after reaching goal. They just would not process right. However, being two years out now, I can eat any vegetable without uncomfortable consequence. Keep at it everyone! Thank you, thank you, Fiddleman, for those details. That is very helpful to me. And thanks for posting here two years down the road. It's such a contribution to us who are just about to step on the road.

I'm going to say something here: I think at least some of the Team Illan people are dangerous. There's bullying. And then there's criminal behavior. You guys are stepping over the line, and you don't seem to know it.

For one thing, coexist23's handle and her real name are linked all over the Internet. Just google coexist23.

For the record, the Team Illan founder's and head admin's names are published at the Team Illan Facebook page. (The group is "closed," but not "secret.")

That Whitney girl, she cray cray. And she's also just committed a crime. And Whitney -- it's "affect," not "effect."

Have you watched a video of the surgery yet? If not, you might like to get up-close-and-personal with what happens to your poor little tummy during surgery. Here's a 7 1/2 minute video for you. (Others may have other vids they think are better.)

Madame, I always want to hear your point of view. Please!

It seems that the members of Team Illan who've spoken up here have a different moral code than those of us who support the six women who fell prey to The Fabulous Omar. Not saying it's better or worse--but definitely different. So unless some more of those six women want to tell their stories or the two who've already posted here wish to expand on their stories, I guess the two groups are just hanging around staring at each other with our mouths open, unable to understand how the other side can possibly see things the way they see things. In the meantime, a record about The Fabulous Omar and His Treacheries (or His Romances, depending on which camp you're in) has been created here for all to read and interpret. Alex has made clear the thread won't be deleted. So unless someone wants to post pix of their tattoos or before-and-after plastic surgeries, what else is there to talk about?

Somebody needs to take out the trash.

What in the world is happening at Dr. Illan's establishment? This version describes no medical facility I have ever heard of in my life. Why are Dr. Illan's patients acting like this? We already heard charges of medical staff behaving unethically. And now you're making charges of patients sexually assaulting the medical staff. What do you guys put in the water down there?!

Well, one thing seems clear. The Facebook "Team Illan" (by any name) is a den of vipers.

Google or search on Bariatric Pal for "three week stall." It happens to almost everyone. Not kidding.

Have you heard of it happening at another bariatric surgical clinic?

I'm not subscribed. I'm on my phone and this is ALWAYS at the top when I am looking at the others. This thread needs to be locked or deleted. This is no what I come here for. Don't open the thread anymore.

I really do wonder what uncivilized culture the women are living in who say, essentially, "he's a man and he has his urges, so you can't blame him." Let me introduce you to the actual facts of this matter. The sexual comments and events described in this thread took place in a bariatric surgery center. A bariatric surgery center is NOT a bar. It is NOT a dance club. It is NOT a singles mixer. It is, I repeat, a MEDICAL CLINIC. The people working there--ALL of them, not just the doctor--have a standard of care they must meet, which is to care for the health of their patients who are trusting that the people working at the clinic have the patients' best interests at heart and that they will be healed and helped, not hurt. And regarding the doctor's culpability, read the bloody medical code of ethics. You will see that a doctor is responsible in every way for the delivery of the services of his/her medical team. Whether the doctor knows or doesn't know about misbehavior like this, he/she is STILL responsible for the misbehavior BECAUSE IT IS HIS/HER CLINIC and the people working there are his/her employees. That's exactly how a Medical Board of Examiners will look at it.

I LOVE MY FITBIT. I have the Flex. It is great for me (I'm online most of the day with work, so it's easy to find stuff ... plus I love the report graphs. Truly, the Fitbit has helped me double my daily steps. And I haven't even been sleeved yet.

I have a very different view of the patient/doctor relationship I expect to have with my bariatric surgeon. I do not view the relationship as antagonistic - with a winner and a loser or (as you seem to view it) a doctor who financially exploits a patient. Yes, we pay doctors (and lawyers, engineers, architects, and other professionals) for their services. And that's fine with me. But lifelong weight loss for those who have been overweight most of their lives is a very complicated disability to unwind and resolve. And it isn't typically solved solely by WLS. Follow-up with support, counseling (nutritional, exercise, psychological) is critical for some people to be successful long-term. As a professional myself (not medical), I have a big vested interest in all my clients doing well after I've worked with them. After all, "long-term satisfied clients" and the unsolicited referrals they give to future clients is how professionals have a satisfactory career. The long-term doctor/patient relationship is not only about money, but about satisfaction and the promise of satisfaction. And of course there's that other little thing -- the medical code of ethics.

Lol. You must be a southern girl too! Bless her heart indeed. I will talk to Bill tonight about getting you and Alex your rings! LOL! Lipstick Lady is a Virginia Southerner. They're special.

I am flying to Mexico tonight to meet The Fabulous Omar!

My dear, you are GORGEOUS! Truly, just gorgeous. So proud of you. Keep going. Achieve all your dreams.