butterfly23

@@Momwith3minions congratulations on your approval and quick timeline until surgery! Good luck today with the liquid diet...while the first few days are rough, it gets better AND makes such a huge difference for your surgery if you can shrink your liver to to help your surgeon be successful. Do not listen to the naysayers, you know why you want this and that you will be successful. Best of luck! PS your minions are adorable

@@GibbsGirl you both look so happy, congrats on your success, you look fabulous (and your hair is an awesome color!) My NSV this week was seeing someone I had not seen in a while....she was so surprised by my weight loss, she kept stammering "you look amazing...I mean you look amazing...I mean really, you look really amazing". She sounded so shocked it was funny that she said the same thing at least half a dozen times.

@@FinallyFree! sad to read about your friend's passing and sending you and her loved ones my prayers. @ISG, as always, thought provoking post. Mine right now are: I am enough I do enough I have enough (my new one since post WLS clothes shopping frenzy and shopping addiction transfer)

I am doing a "free mediation experience" called Shedding the Weight: Mind, Body and Spirit so I thought I'd share in case others were interested. I have done 4 or 5 of these free 21-day meditation classes and enjoy them (usually 5 min or so of Deepak/Oprah trying to sound profound and 15 min of meditation daily around a theme). If you can get past the cheesiness, I have done some good healing with these. https://chopracentermeditation.com Starts tomorrow, however they keep 5 days of archives up so you do not have to start right away...if you decide to join, perhaps we can chat about it here.

@@livvsmum that is fantastic! Your success is an inspiration and as a social worker I can really appreciate how important it is to apply change theories to real life - and you exemplify the power of motivation and success. I know you will inspire the class and may never know the true impact of your willingness to share. Yay!

Yay for you and your well earned rewards for all your hard work!! Hope you are going to celebrate

@@Lexigurl82 wow! You are dealing with so much right now. As @@Cervidae said, you are a strong woman and you've have prioritized your health (emotional and physical) with these changes you've made. Just keep doing that. Each day do the best you can, love yourself regardless of what you do or don't do and know that eventually, your hard work will bring you closer to what you want and what you deserve. I also had a crisis (death) soon after my WLS and it was really overwhelming. I just got through each 16 hour day doing the best I could and then one day I was a little less overwhelmed, and then finally I felt there was room to re-focus on me and my food issues. Keep reaching out to us and others who can see what an amazing woman you are for taking care of yourself by having WLS and leaving an abusive husband.

@@Ashoryb I hope you hear soon! You are really dedicated to your health and this process so even if they give you more hoops to jump through it will suck but you will make it and reach your goals I have no doubt! Your hope about your future and willingness to reach out will fuel your success. Best of luck to you.

@@smb1966 congrats on your success thus far! ISG said it well, recheck your metrics (I find the sweet cravings come when carbs creep in). Only other suggestion is some folks on here (me included) have had success with the 5 day pouch test, basically going back to liquids only (high Protein low carb) like you did in the beginning. Can increase restriction and decrease cravings.

@@Kindle, as my husband and I like to say, that is your paycheck! Moments like this sustain us when work is hard (and paycheck too little). Thank you for the important work you do.

@@anjelikaj Yes! It is Senator Schatz! Are you here in Hawaii? I've been seeking someone in my area who has gotten or will get WLS, let me know if you want to chat, best of luck to you.

I have not wanted to have my picture taken for over 20 years. Now after losing 160 pounds, I traveled to Washington DC to meet with my Senators about topics very important to my heart and soul. They took pictures and for the first time not only did I not shy away from the camera but I actually was willing to share it through social media. This is the first time I have ever done that. I still have a lot to lose, but this is huge for me. I do a lot of advocacy and have always done it in the background. Now I finally feel comfortable being in the spotlight. Who else is now willing to have their pic taken?

Is anyone else getting tons of poptart ads on their mobile BP app? I love BP and know they need sponsors and to make revenue but please, I really do not want to think about poptarts!!!

I realize BP is free and that they need to generate revenue so I am ok with ads. Since this is the rant and raves section, thought it would be ok place to rant about not wanting to think about pop tarts. I am genuinely happy for those of you who can look past them, not think about them etc. Upon reflection, I realize that I am MUCH more sensitive when on BP. Makes sense, this is the hardest transformation and change I have embarked on in my life and when I come here I allow myself to be vulnerable and try and do healing work by dealing with my demons while being inspired by others. I think that is why the ads triggered me yesterday and I am able to look past the triggers in almost all other areas of life (am I the only one that gets more butt hurt on BP than anywhere else in my life? Like this post it often is resolved with some reflection and distance). It isn't BP or anyone's job to take care of me or not trigger me, but I do appreciate the rants and raves section to be able to share my irrational rants so I can let go, and perhaps figure out another piece to my healing. BTW, the ads were on my iPhone with the latest version, never seen them otherwise.

@@Cervidae yes altoids!! (love SF cinnamon too). I have also been getting I to essential oils like peppermint and lavender. I have never had anxiety before my WLS yet have it now, but makes sense now that I'm not numbing with food.

Way to go! Thanks for sharing

ISG that is wonderful about your selfie! Isn't it an amazing feeling?

Wow that is a powerful story on so many levels. What is so fantastic is that it is not just a NSV for you but also for him too. It sounds like the seed was already planted but boy you sure are the water! I know that this man's life will be different because of you. You are awesome.

Love this topic, though I love it a little bit too much. I have been treating myself along the way, however I have treated myself into a bit of a financial bind. Wonder if I am exchanging my food addiction for a shopping addiction?? Plus at over 150 pounds down, clothes and shoes are needed (I tell myself). So currently trying to find ways to treat myself that don't cost money. Trading massages and pedis, selling large clothes and using the $ for new, free makeover at Sephora, day trip.... Others have ideas of free or low cost treats?

Happy happy joy joy! Do a jig in the pool (love Aqua Zumba!!) Congratulations ISG! Hope you're getting a massage to treat yourself

@@iamshazza its called Smooth Move by Natures Medicinals I think - they make a peppermint flavor. I got mine at Walmart but have seen at most stores in the tea section. Just in case you need to move things again. Glad to read you also got your GB out - mine had to come out 5 months after my VSG because of the rapid loss. Hope you are able to rest and heal for the next few weeks!

@@iamshazza congrats on your surgery! Sounds like you are taking good care of yourself, just sip sip sip as much as possible. I also found that the tea "smooth move" really helped move things, better than the softener for me anyway. Take care and on to the next stage of your life!

@@msjg46 fantastic! Congrats to you on your success and that you have exercise you love. What a great NSV for you!

@@Cervidae thank you for this, as always I am inspired by your writings. I can really relate to your post, especially this part: "It made me feel like I've been fooling myself by finally feeling like I can go out in public and my fatness isn't a glaring thing that offends the precious eyes of all the judgmental assholes that feel entitled to stare at me and make comments like I'm less than human, all because I'm fat." I sometimes feel this way too and in some ways have had to work harder at not worrying about what others think than when I was over 400 lbs. I want validation from those whose opinion I value because damn, this has been hard work (and I still have so far to go!) Regardless of your boyfriend's mother's intentions or impact, I hope you feel the incredible success you have achieved and will continue to achieve. It is moments like this that give us a chance to further our healing so that we can thrive, and it seems like you have done that by reaching out and telling your truth and getting the support that I wish she could have given and that you deserve. Thanks for being an inspiration to me and many others on this site.

@@Inner Surfer Girl thanks for the article - and the site! I hadn't seen that before. I also often check out tiny buddha - here is a good article I read recently. http://tinybuddha.com/blog/why-another-diet-is-not-the-answer/ I love this new forum!