Babbs

Yeah, just normal fluctuations from water retention or whatever. No worries. Like you said, hide your scale and weigh periodically if it's going to drive you nuts

Were did you get the dress?

Oh my goodness what a beautiful dress! You look great in it too! It's unfortunate your friends have a condition that makes their faces look like flowers, though....

How far out are you?

@@Nomorethickchick You really need to stop jumping to all these conclusions and just let yourself heal and worry about getting your fluids and Protein in right now. My god how in the world do you even know what's going on 2 weeks after surgery? And YES, you are swollen. Your stomach has been CUT OFF AND RE STAPLED back together. Unless you have magic healing powers, it's still swollen after 2 weeks. And if there's a "pouch" as you say at the end of your sleeve, something is wrong. Is that what the doctor said? Because that's not supposed to be there.... FYI, I had no problem with fluids, either. I could drink quite a bit quite quickly with no problems. You need to be measuring out your portions, and not just eating and eating until you think you should feel full. You could do some damage to your sleeve. The surgery is NOT about just restriction. Yes, the restriction helps, but cementing healthy eating habits and moving more is also a big equation, as restriction wanes naturally over time anyway. You will lose the first 6 months to a year because of the restriction, but you won't keep it off because of it. Many, many are living proof of that!

@@MzStockton Love your enthusiasm!! Keep it up!

My PCP didn't have a choice. I told her I was thinking of doing WLS, she made a face and gave me the "speech": You know it's just a tool, blah blah blah.... I told her yes, I am very aware as my husband has had WLS very successfully 8 years ago (at the time), and if I couldn't get you to write my letter of recommendation, I will find another doctor who will. Needless to say, now at 13 months out, she is very happy with my results and is my biggest cheerleader.

@@Djmohr Let's look at this from a different perspective. Number one, you're tall (LUCKY), so you are going to carry your weight really well. Number two, I think with your back issues, you should really not consider how you look, but how much that additional 24 pounds could help alleviate some of the strain you deal with because of your issues. Obviously the less you weigh, the less strain on your bones and joints. And you've done phenomenal to this point! Just amazing!

This is just....beautiful!

OMG Nutter Butters! I used to be able to polish off a whole package in a day or 2. Yeah, those wouldn't be allowed in my house anymore! It was bad enough yesterday that my husband had bought some pastries for his work crew in the morning, along with some chocolate donut holes. They were calling my name, but I resisted! Sometimes I feel like an addict or alcoholic. I have to just take it one day, even one minute, at a time.

Looking good there! Congrats! I'm still too chicken to get off the treadmill and do it!

I've been looking into this also, and I have Cigna. They will only cover a pannectomy after proper documentation (pictures, notes) showing the pannus area is causing rashes. My pannus isn't causing rashes, so I am going to pay for a tummy tuck with Pannectomy out of pocket. It will be around $8,000. Still on the fence about the boobs

My surgeon doesn't do the pre op diet. He told me he learned at a conference he attended that the shrinking is so minimal, that it doesn't make a difference for surgery. *Shrug*

I say you keep losing until you are at a weight you're comfortable with. I agree, it doesn't make sense to stop when you aren't ready to and you still are not comfortable with your BMI. I made my goal, but because of the 10-15 pound gain she speaks of, I'm going to try to get 10 pounds lower. Try is the key word, lol. I've been fighting the same 3 pounds for 6 weeks now, so I think my body may want me to stop now

Cereal is a trigger food for me, so I stay away. I liked it all little too much pre op, which contributed to me getting to 235 pounds

Well you started off with one....tea! I just LOVE trying all the seasonal herbal teas! I also love the fact that the help with my fluid intake

Oh my gosh you're NEVER too old for a new lease on life! One of our most successful and prominent members of this site had surgery over a year ago at 69 and has lost 95 pounds and is as happy as can be with her new life! Right @@VSGAnn2014??

My daughter is overweight, and my son is obese. No, I wouldn't wish it upon them, and I'm sure they absolutely hate it, but if I had to choose between my kids struggling with their weight (which they can do something about, by the way) or some other horrific things that could be thrust upon them, I'll take the weight. Because they are still wonderful, kind, normal, highly intellegent, functioning adults who have a lot to contribute to this world and do on a daily basis. I'd rather have them be fat and be good people than be skinny and be horrible.

You can't POSSIBLY be insinuating that there's nothing worse in the human experience than being fat?? I can name a few just off the top of my head: Losing a child Suffering from cancer Living in a war torn country I mean, let's get some perspective here....

Or, a co-worker says that whatever happens, she hopes her daughters never get fat, because that would be the absolute worst thing to ever happen to anyone. That's....I don't even..... What a despicable person!

Ha. Not just fat guy issues. Fat girl issues, too! I used to hang dry my clothes because that darn "dryer" used to shrink them all the time! It was such a huge NSV the day I realized I was drying EVERYTHING all of the sudden. And sometimes in hopes that they would shrink because the were too big! Ah, the little things that make us happy through this journey.

Hey, I hear ya!

Ditto on the weighing ritual. Sounds a little overboard. I'm getting rid of everything but one size up. The average gain statistically a couple years out is the equivalent of that, and I can live with that. Anything more than just 1 size? GONE.

Find Proteins you like. Make sure you're taking Vitamins to substitute for your lack of veggies. Like @@Sharon1964 said, lay off the rice, tortillas and sugar. Protien fills you up, and carbs make you hungry and crave junk. Your weight loss is fine, but don't expect much more unless you change your diet up to what it's supposed to be (Protein, veggies, lots of water).