OKCPirate

I hold a minority position in that I really like the Green Tea Isopure. Not asking you to like it, but it was great to get those 40g of Protein in after I was cleared for liquids. Try it out, if you like it, it will keep the energy up while you are healing.

I can't figure out why women put up with the crap the fashion industry throws at them. Your sizes are not uniform. Many items are designed to break down after a few wearings. Many items are just not comfortable. (ex: High heals) I have shoes that I purchased a year after college that have been resoled which are still great. I have books Brother's shirts from 20 years ago that still look great. I don't know why you don't demand better. RANT: I occasionally run into Walmart to grab something, but I feel dirty when I do. I feel like I am supporting some illicit far-eastern slave trade or something. NOTE: This was a RANT. If it was supposed to be 100% completely factual content, it would have contained links. This is strictly my opinion and I'm not asking anyone to share it. END RANT

I get the rant. I always thought of myself as a healthy, albeit big, fat guy. I could perform, still exercised and led a vigorous life. Hey I looked like Teddy Roosevelt, and he did great things. But I could not ignore the health warning lights that were showing up. If I had chosen to ignore them I'd be diabetic, or have a heart attack. I'm glad I chose the path I did. And actually everyone who counts in my life is very glad that I did.

Yes, I take prescription strength Vitamin D and testosterone. The brain is a complicated organ. I'm just thankful we live in an age where we can try to make it better. It is both "art" as well as "science" but I have a good team working on it.

@@VSGAnn2014 - Good point, I knew the facts of the story because I was working against a proposed NY law that required mental health people to report people who "might be violent" which I objected to for two reasons: 1) I thought it would keep people who needed help away from it 2) Mental Health people were not perfect predictors But remembering which article I found the information 3 years ago...well I'm not perfect. How does this article work: http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/articles/state-mental-health-system BTW, the person who pointed out the limits of mental health professionals in predicting violence was my counselor, who was also the Chair of Consoling and Pyscology at his university.

Try using a little ginger and mustard. Way less fat than Mayo and I think it tastes great.

@@Kindle - For no good particular reason, for the last couple of months I have noticed myself in depression. It seemed to be getting deeper for me. It was as if everything that went wrong would add an extra 5 pounds to my shoulders. Little stupid things were dragging me down. So my doctor wrote a script for wellbutrin. I'm getting the initial start up side effects that are possible. Legs are restless (think Thumper from Bambi) and some hand tremors. The odd thing about the drug is you get a host of side effects early, but you don't know if its going to work for you for a while. But the reason for the post is to share a piece of advice I found when researching the drug..."the drug is a tool to help get you to a place where you can actually deal with the issues that got you here." I thought that was good council. Something WLS people can relate to.

I find I find my meaning in strange metaphysical places, like chat rooms.

I'm going to make a generalization (and I hate generalizations, because I am ridiculously libertarian), I will bet she was dependent on someone else to pay for the surgery. I think self payers should be exempted from psyc evaluations. I did my own internal work with my own counselor in making the decision, and I don't need the stamp of approval of someone I barely know. BTW, please don't think that mental health people are better at predicting behavior than others. (see Psychiatric expertise in the prediction of ‘dangerousness’ is not established and clinicians should avoid ‘conclusory judgments in this regard.’'" https://lackofresultswamh.com/disability-and-violence/psychiatric-drugs-cause-violence/

@@Andrea72 Before surgery I tried the C25K Program. Injured myself so bad I could barely walk for two week. One of my goals post surgery was to do the Redbud 5K in OKC. I still enjoy running 3.5 miles in my neighborhood 2-3 times a week. However, I'm now looking to push into the 10K zone. Why? Because I just want a challenge. No, that's not it really. My girlfriend is a "real" runner, however she has wiped out the cartledge in her knee and she is really limited to 3.1 miles at a time. I know I am not going to beat her at a 5K, so I'm going to out distance her .

That is a great story and it rings true with all my experience. If people notice you at all, it is usually because they are really supporting you. It's like this "tribe" here in WLS land. It's a highly supportive community.

I realized when I was there why the infection rates were so low...they have huge rooms, they mop three times a day, and they don't cram the room with equipment which isn't as clean as we'd like to think in the states. If you don't have any conditions which makes for complications, get it done in Mexico. The people are nice, language is a small barrier but not huge. Now I would not say the same for plastic surgery, that is very different and I will shop for the best surgeon because that is as much art as it is science.

We really are not. We are rooting for one another.

@@OKCPirate - remember when you said that? Allow me to direct your eyes to the quote below: I hope that is ok !! No problem here

@@OKCPirate - remember when you said that? Allow me to direct your eyes to the quote below: I told you, women flocking to the beefcake thread! I stand corrected. The women here will treat us like a side of beef (albeit a much smaller side of beef)

I'm moving more, eating less (technically very true). And THAT is all anyone else needs to know. I only share with true seekers who are trying to change their life for the better.

Invest in these: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/345876-ratchet-belt/?hl=%2Bratchet#entry3893733 I hate wasting money on belts , but I'm glad they keep getting smaller.

@@FinallyFit50s - glad you are paying attention...I'm heading off for a weekend with HER. Oh this is so cool and worth all the dang work and numbers. When you finally find the one, it makes you really appreciate it.

Your butt is smaller and that affects the inseam. (At least it did mine)

@@KristenLe - I am with you. It is not my style to yell (well I did have at least one rant that I had to apologize for). I was just trying to explain the style difference. But as far as the alcohol thing, I am all in favor of adults making their own calls (see: http://www.bariatricpal.com/page/articles.html/_/healthy-living/bariatric-realities-%E2%80%93-medical-professionals%E2%80%99-guidelines-about-alcohol-use-wls-r601). There is great danger in the "absolute shall not" and nothing good comes from it.

@@2goldengirl "I haven't found that insulting people encourages behavior change, BTW." It actually has the opposite effect. I didn't object to @@Stevehud's tough love though. He made some good points, and while everyone has their own online tone, he's been around long enough to earn some grace if it appears abrasive to you. While shame is not an effective motivator, I am reminded of the Proverb, "as Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." I don't think the gender was accidental. This is not a persuasion tool for men to use with women (and children) and not every guy either. But there are times I need another guy to get in my face and tell me, "dude you are screwing up." And we all need a kick in the butt every now and then. It may not be the case here, and I know this isn't in the guys room, but that is often the way guys help each other.

Gravity wins every time. If you want it back, do an inversion board in the morning and get your height checked then. It will give you that extra 1/2". But wait a minute ladies, I thought you all said size doesn't matter?

What part of IL do you live in? Everything I have read that if you are trying to develop an exorcise habit, your best chances of success depends on location. If it is a pain to get to a gym, you won't go. So my first suggestion is to make a list of what's available. Use Groupon's to try out a variety of activities until you find the thing you find challenging. I found I enjoy "wall climbing" however, it is a pain to get to, so I don't do it. However my gym is 24/7 and three minutes away...so it's tough to make an excuse not to go. The place where I did yoga closed and moved an extra 10 miles further away from my house and with traffic when I could attend, that was actually an extra 30 minutes, not worth it to me. Fun also helps. When I am traveling, and there are mountains/hills to climb I go enjoy nature and get some cardio in. So start with what is available, and then start trying. It can be an adventure and fun.

For coffee I use SweetLeaf vanilla creme. It's Stevia with vanilla extract. That and some cinnamon and I'm ready to go in the morning. http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Vanilla-Flavored-Liquid-Stevia/dp/B000E8WIAS

I learned that if you are mentally ill, you are really screwed. And I would not use her as NUT. She said there wasn't any long term studies on success, and that's flat out not true. I really hate when someone takes a dogmatic, "Stay off the web" stance. I don't mind the cautions, but her recommendations are too extreme. But to her credit, she seems to specialize in working with hard case eating disorder people. I don't think her advise applies to anyone who is more "normal*." *Everyone is "normal" until you get to know them.