OKCPirate

His parents divorced and did it the wrong way. When his daughter was born they had negotiate visitation times so the parents were not in the same room at the same time. He was nice enough to share the story to remind me not to make that mistake. I don't want to put my kids in that situation so I bite my tongue and remember the goal.

@@Sophie74656 - there is an a** for every seat. I like Quest bars in an emergency and keep it with me when I travel. I am in the minority and enjoy Isopure drinks, even though I admit, most can't stand them. So find what you like, but realize it is a rescue food, not what you need everyday.

Scared of the 8 days of no pooping post surgery...yes that too shall pass. It turned out to be a non-problem. It sucked that I gained weight post surgery, but it went away quickly after the IV fluids left my system. I really hated that I had pizza 8 weeks post op, that crap got all stuck and ended up retching. (Never again). But over all, not getting it done sooner. But I'm a hard ass who thought this was the easy way out and didn't really look at it in a significant way until two years ago.

Read this section, it has been going on for five years for a reason...it will make you laugh, cry, and think...which is a perfect thing to happen in a day. And prepare you for the changes that are coming... http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/195065-you-know-you-lost-weight-when/

@@Christinamo7 - no appologies needed, it is a great juxtaposition example.

Really? Warranted? Chastised because of a single cookie? I sometimes wonder what NUTs expect. Robots or something who always function perfectly? Umm, I'm not so sure that may not have been warranted. Summerset seemed to take it well, which tells me the NUT did it in the right spirit. There is a place for tough love.

@@Clementine Sky - "google university" that is a great description. It is in the mix of knowing the right questions to ask and the right person to ask. It's not easy. I really do rely on the expertise of many professionals, but by god it is my body and future and I'll be damned if I am going to die because someone was having a bad day. I want to know enough to ask good questions and when my "quack" alarm should be going off.

You are kind of missing the irony in the statement on "revenge." When you read the Count of Monte Cristo, and his elaborate plot of revenge and even when it succeeded, it did not satisfy him. What my attorney said in essence was "don't worry about striking back. Don't worry about revenging past wrongs, live a good, fun, and wonderful life. The Karma takes care of itself." I think that is great advise.

Yeah, what she said.

@@nerd_is_inferred - we exist to serve the ship

When I started the 72 hour freak out, I found this post: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/195065-you-know-you-lost-weight-when/ It reminded me why I was doing this. You can do this when you have a clear goal. And getting your weight back to normal is a worthy goal.

Before I begin something, I like to look at the downside and see if I could live with the worse case. Most of the worst cases are people who: 1) Didn't follow instructions 2) Didn't do their homework on facility or surgeon 3) Had other problems than being overweight (substance abuse, heart issues, diabetics et al) The saddest though are those who really didn't want the surgery but were kind of forced into it by well meaning family members and those who think they can get WLS and continue to eat crap. Read through many of those posts and you will start to get a real sense of what the deeper problem was. I'm not saying that everyone's experience will be perfect, but most of the risk comes with anesthesia and infection. VS surgery is pretty safe, IF you follow the rules.

It is a numbers game. My last three months on Match.com I sent 149 emails via their site I received 61 back 15 coffee dates 6 real dates 3 multiple dates 1 possible match that had to be aborted because of serious signs of mental illness And finally She showed up and we have been going out for the last eight months and it keeps getting better every time we go out. Here is an interesting thread on the subject: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/336754-unsolicited-online-dating-advice/

@@mngreeneyes - I do wish my ex had shared my philosophy too ;-( Every now and then she has a lucid moment and will let me know that she does appreciate how I set things up for her.

@@Christinamo7 - I am very sorry to hear that, but I hope you are proud of surviving that struggle.

Solution: pick better parents next time

@@hopefulmom76 - possibly time for some diet analysis. Are there sources of trans fats in your diet? Switching my diet over to mostly lean meat, eggs and some fruit and vegies with little processed food has significantly lowered my "bad" cholesterol. I am not yet convinced all the evidence is in about cholesterol though. I am thinking that inflammation is more dangerous, but I am not that dogmatic yet (and neither is my doctor, FYI). We have discussed, "just how much of these government recommendations are being influenced by some major food companies." All that said, Dr. Dean Ornish might have the best diet in the world, but I would rather die early than eat only that. That is the price I will pay for enjoying life.

Spices And high quality meats. I only need 3-4 ounces so I can go high end. If worse comes to worse I'll read @@dubs food porn

@@nerd_is_inferred - Yep this is hard for many Americans to wrap their heads around, but in the post ObamaCare environment I think it will gain even more acceptance. My mom was highly skeptical going in, but she was a big fan by the time I was done. [she is a retired RN, lives in San Diego and has a good working knowledge of Spanish so I paid for her to join me, because it got everyone else off my back]. She was impressed with the nursing care. It reminded her of what she was used to before managed care took over the US. The rooms are bigger and less cluttered than they are in the states. We do a great deal of unnecessary procedures in the states because of fear of lawsuits. I felt safer in Mexico than I do in parts of Chicago and Washington DC (when I get lost, it is always in the wrong neighborhood). Google your facility and see if there are any objective studies on post-operative infection rates from ISID or other groups. I was surprised to find out that the hospital I went to had a lower rate of post-operative infections that most locations in Oklahoma. I don't think the US is the gold standard we think we are: http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/26/health/hospital-infections/. We have too much crap in small rooms with multiple patients. We don't clean enough, but they mopped four times a day at the facility I was at. So I am not above shaming anyone who wants to attack private care in Mexico and in most countries in Central/South America. You can find crap surgeons in the US or anywhere else if you don't do your homework. But most I have checked out from reputable medical tourism services have great credentials. And many practice in the states too.

@@WLSResources/ClothingExch and @@Fredbear - Very good points. I dated a lady who was a "nutritionists" and took some really tough classes...from an absolute quack.

Q. You know what you call someone who was at the bottom of his class in medical school? A. Doctor In every profession, a few are great, most average and some dangerously incompetent. I am blessed to have done political work for some of the best doctors in Oklahoma. They give me referrals to the best specialists when I need something specific looked at. This probably saved my ex-wife's life, when I realized her neurologist wasn't taking her symptoms seriously. (Side note: this is a real problem for women, I have only met a few who can talk to male doctors in a way that works with the doc's brain, and male doctors too often don't know how to communicate with women). With that said realize no GP doctor can keep track of all the latest findings in all the various fields of medicine. Heck the specialists have a tough time keeping up. That's why I try to bring copies of research studies I have found on my concern to my doc. I always ask "what do you think? are they just blowing smoke or is there some thing to this?" He is the one who took 8+ years of his life to become a doctor, I didn't. (If he ever tried to tell me how to get a bill through the legislature I'd remind him I'm the one with 30 years experience in that area). My point is if you find something on this site that may contradict what you have been told, ask the poster, "where did you get that info" and take it to your doctor. This should be a collaborative effort, not a competition. And enjoy the encouragement and camaraderie of this site (and occasional tough love when needed).

A subtle, but important change is I don't hunt for an end/aisle seat because I'm no longer self conscious of my weight. That gets me into the middle of conversations I used to miss out on. But overall I'm still the same person I used to be. But it did change the number and quality of prospects in the dating pool when I was in there.

@@Sophie74656 - I'm glad you have a great support team. I didn't. The people in Mexico did supply me with the basics, but I did learn a great deal more here. And some people like to get validation. And then there are those poor souls who want to find a loophole to get back into their bad habits. But you do raise a bigger point, it really is up to each of us to verify what we reading. 78.6% of statistics presented online are made up on the spot, so caveat emptor.

People who feel the need to stop in doorways or other entrance into a room. If they would just enter and move to the side I wouldn't have to keep hurting my elbow with blows to their thick heads. And when did people start stopping 10' behind the car in front at traffic lights? Get closer people, other people want to get in line. And finally - as you approach a light, and you live in a state where you can make a right turn on a red light, don't use the right lane unless you are making a turn or there are a ton of cars in the left lane. I really hate waiting 2-3 minutes because you are an insensitive idiot. Hmm, this wasn't as therapeutic as I thought it would be, now I'm kind of ticked.

@@Beck90 this is actually a more complicated area than simple counting of calories: http://www.core3training.com/7-reasons-cant-count-calorie-counting-weight-loss/ Think of it as a tool, but don't get too wrapped up in it. As others have stated, the most important thing is the source of your calories. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/best-diet-quality-counts/ Now with all that said, I use http://www.myfitnesspal.com to track my protein/carbs/calories. I know some days I'm not going to get all my Protein in and some days I'll go over a little. But by keeping track, it forces me to be mindful of what I'm eating. I am so ADD, I'll lose track unless it is written down.