VSGAnn2014

I've said this before ... It's like the bumper sticker I saw on the back of a San Francisco taxi 40 years ago: OPPOSED TO ABORTION? DON'T HAVE ONE. In other words, you do you; I'll do me.

To tell or not is one of the hottest, most self righteously debated topics on WLS boards. It often becomes a debate posturing those who don't tell any and all that they had WLS as an ethical failure. I don't doubt that those who feel that way really do think it's a lie. I think this is another one of the many examples I see on message boards of what meets X's needs or has been their experience must be the best or even only option all should choose. Humans are so varied. I really don't get why X's ideology requires him or her to condemn me if I have a different belief system. There's too much of that in the world. Hell, we're not even talking about Protein grams!

Jeez. This thread went sideways. Anyway, @@Cape Crooner, I hope your anxiety is allayed as time goes along. I just returned from a conference of 1500 people who all know me or know who I am. I'm now 15 pounds lighter than last year's conference. And this year's reaction to my final 15 pound annual loss was considerably more subdued than last year's. Now I'm just one of the skinny chicks. End of story.

With all due respect, this ^^^ would make me nuts. Who has time to wait for all that car door opening!

Mine included all the above plus a battery of 3 tests totaling 600 questions. There were 2 sessions with a shrink. Lots of background info collected. A strengths and threats to long-term success assessment was done. Was interesting.

Lol. I'm all over the internet. Another reason I'm on the WLS down-low.

What a stupid B12 Rx! So stupid.

Tink, I haven't been depressed since being sleeved nearly 20 months ago. That's not to say that "depressing" things haven't happened to hubby and me during that time. But depression isn't one of the cards I drew in this life, I guess (knock on wood). I'm alert though, because this happens to some patients, to watch if depression symptoms could be sliding in. There's so much happening in later life that certainly could trigger depression. I appreciate your sharing here your experiences.

ISG, you rock!

It seems difficult for some of you who post here to appreciate that others' circumstances are not the same as your own. Personalities vary. Spouses' needs and wishes vary. Values vary. There is no "right" for everyone. There is a best for each of us.

Diet programs are big money makers. And Oprah is in the money-making business. That is all there is to it.

I don't know what you should do. I'm just happy you have this "problem" now. Really tickled for you.

News alert! You all surely remember that when you're sleeved that the largest portion of your stomach that's removed (the fundus) is where the body produces ghrelin, the hunger hormone. That's wonderful for sleeved patients for obvious reasons. Well, guess what else ghrelin is called? The "thirst hormone." Yup, the same hormone lets us know when it's time to hydrate ourselves. But now post-op, you have to hydrate yourself regularly without being told to do so by ghrelin. It's something all sleeved patients must do. So if you're sitting around waiting to feel thirsty before you drink, you'll be waiting a long time. Just drink Water whether you feel like it or not.

Everyone here can and should speak their truth. But that's all it is ... *their* truth. No one really knows what your situation is. Set your own goals and go for them.

He's tolerating chemo pretty well, and believes it will drive the cancer into remission again. We're being very present. Very present. Love that man! We're so lucky.

Whether you count calories or not, they do matter. But I guess you know that.

P.S. Many WLS patients report that, after announcing they are going to undergo WLS, they receive the nastiest treatment from other obese people. So you're not alone.

Gee, that's too bad. That's not an attitude you will find here. There are people here who started at all sizes, and we get along fine. Lots of folks here were around your size when we started out. FYI, I am 5'5" and was 235 at my highest and 216 surgery day (after putting myself on a diet for 2 months and then going on my surgeons 2-week diet). I have lost a total of 100 pounds and now weigh 135 pounds.

Great job at 3 years out!

Let me be a bit clearer about my opinion on this topic: When I finally chose WLS, I was done with the "one more courageous attempt at conquering my obesity via a diet / exercise plan." That's why at age 68 I finally admitted to myself it really wasn't ever going to happen that way. And why I finally found the courage to try the "drastic" solution -- weight loss surgery. The reason I suggested you try a six-month diet/exercise program is that no one should go into WLS imagining that it's the easy way out and that they could actually have achieved good health and a normal weight by one more time doing it "the hard way." I think you have to be committed to the WLS path and convinced it's the last chance you have to conquer your obesity. As you probably have read here over and over again, it takes a lot of commitment to succeed with WLS long-term. Ultimately, you have to do what the the diet/exercise program would have taken you to the point of having to do to maintain a weight loss: Permanently change your lifestyle. There are many similarities between what WLS patients do and those who are able to succeed via diet/exercise do. But WLS gives many patients the edge they need and can't succeed without (depending on the specific WLS they choose) -- to feel less hungry, to feel full faster, to metabolize food differently, to cure some deadly diseases, e.g., diabetes, hypertension, etc. However, WLS alone doesn't solve obesity for anyone. You have to change what you're eating. You have to change how much you're eating. You have to change when you're eating. You have to change how much Water you drink, how much and how you exercise, which supplements you take and how consistently you take them. And more. Some of us have to commit to long-term psychological counseling, support groups or twelve-step programs. Some of us have to change significant relationships with our families of origin, spouses and significant others, friends, employers, jobs, etc. And all of us have to confront the fact that we are for **** at self-care and putting ourselves first, before all others. Without a serious come-to-Jesus conversion on those two fronts, I don't know that any of us can succeed long-term. But that's the topic of a long, long conversation. In any event, the above ^^^ are my own core values about and my experience with weight loss surgery. I'm 20 months post-op. I've lost 100 pounds and maintained my weight loss at or below goal for a year now. I have NEVER EVER done that before in my 70 years. And I've fought obesity since I was seven years old. This is the first time I have a fighting chance to remain slim and healthy. I think weight loss surgery is a freakin' miracle!

@@FocusOnMeNow ... Gotcha. And I sure didn't offer my comment about a new thread as a criticism! Was just observing that that was a very interesting development -- and would be with anyone's ex.

Don't have a time machine, so cannot say. But if you are worried, why don't you give yourself six months and give dieting and exercise a serious go. You will find out. Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App

My advice would be no. Don't buy now. This next bit applies mostly if you're a woman (I can't tell from your profile). Many women who lose weight rapidly via WLS wind up completely redefining their clothing / hair / makeup / style. Someone said here once, and it so rang true for me, that when you're fat you just buy anything that fits because you're so grateful it accommodates your body mass. After you lose weight, your selection criteria become much more complicated than that. Also, and I know you know this, Target ALWAYS has big sales. This isn't the last sale they'll ever have. Save the gift card for when you want to reward yourself for having lost 10-20-30-50-100 pounds.

Whoa! That's got to be worth a new thread!

Well, the deal is that during a conversation you get to say how you feel about something and the other person gets to say how they feel about what you just said. Unless the other person is your therapist. This is why I haven't told anyone about my WLS other than my husband and two friends who live 1,000 miles away in opposite directions, none of whom would ever try to discourage me from making a health decision I'd researched carefully. Beats the hell out of listening to crap from people who know absolutely nothing about weight loss surgery. Boy, I love that one! Thank you.