VSGAnn2014

@@OutsideMatchInside ... your one-year surgiversary post is so impressive! You have shown every poster and lurker here at BariatricPal what is possible when WLS patients FULLY COMMIT to to their success post-op. I know you will reach every WLS goal you set. Congratulations and continued best wishes!

Tears! I love, love, love your post and your photograph and how you look. xoxoxoxo

My mom died last year at 96 and a half. She suffered from Alzheimers and had a very long diagnosis (for 15 years). She ate very well until the last two years of her life. Her appetite was reduced only when she began to lose the ability to chew her food well and we had to puree ALL her food. (Alzheimers is a BITCH of a disease.) But then my mom really wanted to live. It's one of the many, many reasons I admired her so.

(sigh) You have completely misunderstood me. To my knowledge, we don't have any other veterans around here with 15 years of WLS experience. There's got to be so much knowledge to be gleaned from so many years of WLS experience. If you don't want to respond here, I hope you will share your knowledge elsewhere at BP on other threads. Peace.

@@fatgirlsvelte -- would you PLEASE re-post your picture and the general gist of your original post? Pretty please! (I didn't get to see the original post.)

No, seriously -- given your prior comments about who REALLY qualifies as a veteran -- you have really been around a long time. Seriously, seriously, seriously -- what do you think helps people conquer obesity through WLS? SERIOUSLY!

LMFAO! Please, please, please don't leave!

For 25 months (started 2 months pre-op) I've been planning and tracking all my food / drink on My Fitness Pal. I also weigh every morning and record my weight in MFP. It's the second-best tool (the sleeve is #1) that has helped me lose all my excess weight and maintain my weight at or below goal (for the last 14 months). It's essential for me. I plan to do this for the foreseeable future. P.S. I think those who track are a pretty small minority of WLS patients.

@@summerset -- I realize you're fascinated by this veteran forum dealio, but as a Super Veteran (someone who's had two WLSs), you must have a lot of good advice to share with everyone -- both newbies and mere "veterans." I'd love to hear your WLS pearls of wisdom. What do you think will help those who have WLS become healthy long-term (or any other definition of "WLS success")?

Damn, all these pictures are SO inspirational! Thanks to everyone for posting them. Amazing work!

DAMN, Craig! You look wonderful. That was so FAST! Seems like you just got on here.

Thank you, @@theantichick . That's very sweet. With over 5,000 posts here at BP posted in about 2.5 years, clearly I enjoy message board life. It really helps me to be "in community" about one of the biggest things currently happening in my life -- learning how to maintain my weight and a (still relatively new) healthy lifestyle. I enjoy helping people, obviously. And typing. Again with those 5,000+ posts! I have made some very good friends here. There are some smart Cookies at BP who know a lot. Like you, I'll miss @@Kindle a lot. I met her on another board about 3 years ago and was drawn to her no-nonsense style and approach to life in general. I think the world of her. You're very sharp, too.

Duplicate post. Sorry.

These are tough times. So many of us have been there. We and our pets deserve all the love we give each other. And we deserve to love and be loved again. Hugs.

To be successful, put yourself and your needs first -- probably for the first time in your life. You are so worth it.

Hmmm ... good, "slider" Protein ... cheese, wonderful cheese! Below are a few ideas, with a caveat: I think you could consider combining a delicious cheese protein with complex, tasty carbs, to meet both of your goals: (1) hit your protein targets and (2) increase your physical and mental energy (which has to come from carbs). * Slices of full-fat cheese on seed crackers (those crackers are higher Fiber, higher protein than crap crackers) are lovely. I put sugar-free strawberry jam on the cracker before adding the cheese. Love it! * Grilled ham / cheese sandwiches (using whole grain, low-cal, high-fiber, high protein bread - Aldi's Fit & Active whole wheat whole grain bread is only 35 calories/slice). You don't actually have to "grill" the sandwiches -- you can just toast the bread, put on the ham and cheese, and nuke the sandwich for 20-30 seconds, which warms up the ham and melts the cheese a little without uncrisping the bread. * Chili with cheese - I make my chili with lean ground beef, black Beans, diced tomatoes and chili seasoning. Very simple. Put your portion of chili in a cup, nuke some cheese on the top and add a dollop of sour cream. * Cheese with sliced apple - Not sure you're able to eat apple slices yet, but if so this is a nice snack between meals. For me, the trick is finding great tasting cheese: Aged cheddars, bleu cheeses, goat cheeses, Edams, Goudas, etc. And that's not hard at all. Good luck!

There are numerous threads on here that start out -- "Is there something wrong? I'm recovering so well and feel so good!" And then dozens of people (who don't post a lot) chirp up and say, "Me, too! I thought I was the only one." Honestly, WLS surgeries with no complications and fast, easy recoveries and little drama llama truly are the norm. Doesn't mean that other people don't have difficulties. But they're the exceptions.

I'm 70. And I'm still hungry. Real hungry.

@@higher ... Most folks have a relatively easy and fast recovery. Congrats, you're "normal."

We ALL need therapy! Truly.

I'm nearly 2 years post-op (sleeve). I've been seeing a therapist (who works with a lot of bariatric patients) for all that time. When I decided to have WLS I committed to seeing a therapist for three years: 1. The year of losing weight 2. The year of maintaining weight 3. The year of boring real life I have had many benefits from my monthly sessions. I've dealt with a lot of stresses in my life post-op, including family deaths, family illnesses, relocations, retirement and more -- not to mention some issues related to eating, dysmorphia, helping my friends and others negotiate THEIR adjustments to the changes in my size, etc. Great weight loss is a LOT to deal with. Usually obesity is a symptom of other issues. And obesity is not something that's "over" just because you have lost weight. As we all know losing weight isn't the big challenge -- it's changing your life so you can maintain your weight loss, regain your health and go on to living life quite differently than you did in the past. If you can figure all this s**t out on your own, more power to you. I chose to access the resources a therapist offered me in making all these changes in ways that could *stick*.

Never been in your shoes, exactly. So I'm just spit-balling this .... I realized when I was losing weight that I should be choosing what I ate and drank for a second reason: To restore my health -- because I was pretty unhealthy just before I had WLS. Maybe you could shift your mental focus toward the "getting healthy" goal for a while. You've lost weight like a house afire. You know you can lose weight. Don't misunderstand -- I'm not saying you should stop doing that. I'm just suggesting that you focus on the nutrition you're getting in and how it will support your body's health. Does that even make any sense?

Are you kidding?!?!?! There are women who would KILL to look like you! Your eyes haven't caught up with reality yet. Seriously, you are one hot mamajamma! Repeat out loud: I am NOT too skinny. I look amazing. I am the best looking woman in the universe! Hear me roar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WTH?

Kaze, there's nothing I can NEVER have. I was just told to avoid slider foods while I was losing weight. I've been in maintenance for 14 months. So I eat anything I dare as long as it supports my maintenance. That means I don't get to eat everything I want anytime I want it. I do eat crackers now, but not until I reached goal. But not often, since for me they're not only a slider food but a trigger food. My program, like yours, did emphasize exercise. But back to your original question ... The highest fibrous crackers I've found are Wasa crackers and seed crackers, although seed crackers are problematic so early out, due to healing not being complete yet. Good luck.