Babbs

@@Kindle I'm actually going to apply to volunteer at our local animal shelter. It was one of my New Years resolutions

My mom had a Havanoodle! His name was Tuffy. I inherited him after she passed. He was 13 at the time of her passing, so I only had him a year after she passed. Almost a year to the day, I had him put to sleep because of his failing health. That was a rough day, but I knew she would be happy to see him again

I love this thread! Keep your pics of your beloved babies coming!

Sorry...drink not drunk...lol.

@@Crha I don't know a lot about the Plication, but I had VSG August 22. Although I initially needed to lose 90lbs, I was considered a lightweight and chose to go with the sleeve. The only side effect or complication I've had was my GERD got a little worse. I knew that was a possibility with the sleeve, not sure with the plication. Other than that, it has been amazing and very successful for me. I know the plication is reversible, and the sleeve is not, so that is something you will have to take into consideration. Personally, I like the idea of the non reversible procedure. Go big or go home! If I'm going to do this, I may as well go all the way and completely change my lifestyle. For the first time in my life, I'm in complete control of what and how much I eat, and that to me was worth it! Good Luck to you whatever decision you make!

Herbal tea! I use 16 oz bottles of water to fill my cup, and any left over in the bottle I make sure to drink. You make a few cups if tea day, that's 48 oz...along with my protein shake and some other residual liquid I have throughout the day, I easily reach my water goals for the day. Of course I'm over 4 months out, so it's easier for me to drunk more now

I'm so sorry for your loss, but happy you rescued another to love. He's adorable! He's lucky to have you This is my Basset Hound, Daisy. We have 3 Bassets actually, and I love them all to the moon and back, but Daisy is really special to me because my husband had gotten her for me as a pup because he felt I needed something to occupy my time because I had just lost my mom and was taking it really hard. Taking care of a new puppy was just what I needed! Now she's all grown up, and as naughty as ever!

No bread for me! I'm staying away from bread, potatoes and rice for now. I may slowly introduce them when I'm in maintenance, but for now I don't need those carbs hindering my weight loss.

Hey! We are the same age! And yes, you are correct. Me being a little older has definitely caused me to lose a little slower than others. All that matters to me is I'm still losing and NOT gaining

As all of us know by now, there's no amount of talking, begging, asking, and criticizing that will make a bit of difference until he and he alone he is ready to do something. We all knew being obese was unhealthy, but until we had that "ah ha" moment, we also weren't ready to do anything about it. Like Elode said, you've done your part letting him know your concerns. Just wait for the day he has his "Ah ha" moment and support him 100% when he does! **EDIT** I have been through this exact same scenario with my husband. I never 'forced' the issue with him, (not saying you are either) because I knew he wasn't ready. His breaking point was hitting 300lbs and having problems with his feet because of his weight. Then he made the decision to have a gastric bypass 8 years ago, and has said over and over it was the best thing he has ever done. He just had to get to that point.

It depends. Are you going to let the numbers on the scale dictate how the rest of your day goes? Are you going to be able to deal with stalls and even weight gain if you weigh daily? If you think that's not going to bother you, by all means weigh daily. If it is a problem for you, stay off the scale and weigh weekly, bi monthly or even monthly if you feel that will work best for you. I weigh once a week, Monday morning no fail. Even weekly still can be annoying when you're in a longer stall

Okay, but what about regain? She just said that she's been a yo yo dieter her whole life...as was I. I could lose like gangbusters. Lost over 50-60 lbs many, many times. But the thing that will be different for me this time is I now have a tool that will help me prevent regain if I stay diligent and work it properly. I didn't have this surgery just to lose the weight...I am in this for the long haul. That may be just what she needs, also.

If you feel this is right for you, go for it! Just know that it's not going to be "the easy way out". Although its a wonderful tool, you will still have to eat right (lean protein, low carbs) and move your body so you can get the biggest bang for your buck from the surgery. Also know that because you are a lightweight, the weight may take a bit longer to come off than someone with a little more to lose. Now that I'm about your weight now, I'm stalling frequently and my weight loss has slowed considerably. I know at this point I'm going to have to work really hard to get this last 40 some pounds off. But yeah, if this is what you want to do, go for it

@@katmaar Read this...great ideas! The Ricotta bake is to die for! http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html

You look amazing! Good luck with your body lift! Can't wait to be where you are!

Congrats! You look amazing! Sassy and sexy!

OMG! That is TOTALLY what I watched while recovering! I kind of lost interest after a while, though

I am LOVING fish after being sleeved! It's a great protein source, and really treats my sleeve well. Another thing...I hated green beans pre sleeve, now I LOVE them! Go figure

I have yet to buy it but I plan to on the suggestion of many, many people on this site...it called The Emotional First Aid Kit by Cynthia Alexander. I hear it's almost a must read for those of us who have had weight loss surgery.

My resolutions are all about my Real Estate career this year. Nice to focus on something other than dieting for once!

Completely normal. Pretty much everyone has regret at first. Once you start feeling better and start eating a little more "normally" and seeing how much you're changing as you lose, you will be happy you did it. It gets better and better each month that goes by. Hang in there!

Justin, you are a true inspiration! Thank You so much for sharing your incredible story!

My problem is I still have an issue believing the true compliments (not the backhanded ones). I always have to come back with a "Yeah Thanks, but....) I really need to knock that off and be proud of what I've lost so far and not be so darn hard on myself!

You got this! You know we ALL go through it, so you're not alone! I like your idea, also, and may try that when I'm having "one of those days"

I too suffer from depression. I have since my early 20's, and have been medicated for it ever since and probably will be for the rest of my life. My mother was Bipolar. Although I am not Bipolar, I have been diagnosed as clinically depressed. I have lost and gained weight many times in my life. Does diet and exercise help with the depression? Yes, I feel it curbs it a little. Does looking better and physically feeling better help? Yes, it definitely helps when you feel better physically and even like what you are seeing in the mirror. But none of that will ever take away the chemical imbalance in my brain. The only thing that really treats it are my medication and counseling. Even then, I still have my dark days, but with the help of medication and counseling, I can climb my way back out of them as opposed to not ever being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.... My counselor said this once and it stuck with me: Everyone has "down" days, especially when things aren't going well. But a person who is truly depressed is still depressed when things ARE going well.