mngreeneyes

WHOOOHOOOO! How exciting! You are such an inspiration! pam

@@BonnieJo I am about 10 weeks out from surgery. So far, I have found that the key to success after surgery is the work you put in before surgery. One of my support group buddies likes to point out that "its not brain surgery". The surgery will help you lose the weight, but you still have the same brain that got you in this shape in the first place. Do the work and get your brain ready for later. My NUT had me practicing from day 1 habits that were going to be necessary after surgery, such as the 30/30 rule, eating slowly, Protein, Protein, Protein. Those habits were ingrained enough by surgery that I can focus on other things now to stay on track. You will get out of the surgery what you put into it. If you are ready to put the work in before, you will be able to maintain once you hit goal. Good luck, and it has been the best decision I have ever made, pam

I have been told, by people I enlisted to tell me, that I need to go through my closet and clean out the too big stuff! I also brought a load of 18s up from storage and am SO close to fitting in them. I also have breathing room in the size 20 dress (I am larger on the top than the bottom) that I am wearing for my nephew's wedding next weekend! pam

@@Inner Surfer Girl Thanks, great article! very eye opening and reassuring. As my "last ditch effort" before considering surgery, I went to a weight management clinic and started meeting with a "fat psychologist". (He was actually a very thin man, but that's what I called him!) He had shown me studies that said to lose weight I needed to exercise 2 hours a day! I work full-time so it was a challenge, but I kept it up for the better part of a year. I lost 25 pounds in the first 2 months and then stopped losing! No matter what I did I could not get out of the stall. Then I stopped taking Victoza and gained the 10 pounds I lost when I started that. To say that I got frustrated was an understatement. I gave up for about a year. I still was pretty active, but not focused. I gained it all back plus about 10 more. Then my knees started hurting climbing the stairs to my apartment and my journey to surgery began. My Fat psychologist seemed to think I was cheating somewhere so I wasn't losing, but I really was trying. Now I have some idea of why. Thanks again, pam

I also started walking as soon as they would let me out of bed. I walked whenever I woke up from a nap, even if I woke up in the middle of the night, while I was in the hospital. I believe that was once every 2-3 hours. I found that I had energy to burn when I first woke up so I put it to use. When I left the hospital I went to stay with my parents for a while and I walked a mile 3 -4 times a day. (Dad, who had double knee replacement in late August, walked with me so it took us about 25 minutes to do a mile. I healed really well and walked a 5k race at 3.5 weeks after surgery! I set no land speed records, but it wasn't much slower than my normal walking time for a 5k. I credit a lot of the pace of my healing to the walking. I also was a walker before surgery so that probably helped too. You can do it! pam

WHOOOHOOO! Way to go! Keep it up! pam

I had a year (2010) where several of my ex's found me on facebook. A was still single and realizing that I had been a great catch. He was finally looking to settle down and get married and I was high on his list of options. He lived in Texas and I live in Minnesota so that was an issue for me, but since he assumed I would come visit him (on my own dime!) and eventually move to Texas, it was not an issue for him. (we met and dated in Minnesota so I was never sure how he figured I would be okay with moving to Texas, but...) He was also a bit of a bully when it came to getting what he wanted. He just would not accept or listen to my answer. This was really getting annoying, but he was in Texas so it was nice to have the attention from a distance. Eventually, I got tired of him calling me when he was drunk to tell me he loved me, but never mentioning it when he was sober among other things and I ended even our phone and internet conversations. I never even made it down to Texas to visit him, which was one of the things he was bullying me about. About the same time, E, my high school sweetheart who asked me to marry him, found me on Facebook. He was looking for online friends and had looked up several friends from high school. During our 8+ months of conversations, his wife left him and the kids and he started divorce proceedings. I focused on being his friend and sounding board, but there was always a little bit of "what if" too. We finally got to see each other at our high school class reunion. I think we both had "what if" thoughts. We had a great time hanging out and hung out until LONG after the reunion was over that day, but nothing happened. I wasn't good at initiating and he didn't so there you are. After the reunion I barely heard from him again. I am sure it wouldn't have lasted for the same reasons it didn't last back in high school. We wanted too vastly different things from our lives and what we did share, we saw divergent paths to get there. It was at least nice to get final closure on that one! Although I am obviously not above giving second chances, both "second chances" ended for basically the same reason the first chance ended. I have definitely learned to trust my gut over the past years! pam

WOW! That sounds great. Let us know how it goes, if you decide to try it. I still have some clothes, just brought some out of storage last night, but it isn't going to be too long before I have to find some other clothes. pam

My running partner is particularly gifted in the trunk department. I am top heavy, but also have a large belly so I am pretty much invisible. I never even knew what it was like to be catcalled until Kari and I started working out together 18 months ago. Without fail she would get catcalled or slow drivebys or whatever every time we worked out. At first I thought it was kind of funny because I was still invisible, but the more it happened I realized how annoying it could be. Then one night we were coming back from a night time race and needed to switch from the light rail to my car. The McDonalds parking lot had a sizable group of young black men, the age and race demographic that most often comments about Kari's backside, hanging out. Kari rushed us to get in the car. Once there she explained that she has had groups of men surround her and not want to let her on her way because they felt they had a right to "admire" her backside and that she should be pleased by the attention and if she rebuffed there advances, they would get very angry. She said it was really scary and she didn't want us, two women alone, to have to try to deal with it. We were fortunate that they paid us no attention, but it really illustrated the dangers and problems with catcalling, etc. Although I still don't get the attention, wanted or unwanted, I am much more cognizant of the comments made towards others. Take care and be safe! pam

From what I have seen it is a very individual thing - how fast you lose. I have about 140 to lose. I sat next to someone at support group last week who had surgery almost the same time as I did and she was smaller than me to begin with and had lost 57 lbs in two months. I have lost slightly over 40 in two months. Your recovery makes a difference, your activity makes a difference, your food intake makes a difference. My recoevery has been fairly easy so I have been able to eat and drink almost from getting out of surgery. (Mind you it was ice chips then) I am hoping to maintain an average of 15-20 lbs a month, but I have no idea if that is realistic. I have lost 20 for each of the last two. I also exercise about an hour 5 days a week, although shortly that will increase too as I start weight training on top of my 5 hours of cardio a week. It all affects each of us differently. No two of us go into surgery in exactly the same place and none of us reach goal on exactly the same path. Find YOUR path. You can do it! pam

@@Lemm61 You can do it! Keep it up. I keep hearing that my skin is so much clearer since I quit Diet Coke. And overall, I would have to agree. pam

I dont' have a watch, but I have a Garmin Vivofit 2. I love mine. It does have a clock function and I believe GPS, but I have been running on the treadmill so I'm not sure. It has a function where you can time your activity as well as just counting your steps. I bought mine because I can wear it swimming, which besides running is my main cardio activity. I don't know if that helps. pam

My rings are moving a finger. I used to wear most of my rings on my middle fingers but they got too small. They are back on my middle fingers. (that way no one will think they mean I am attached!) pam

I started this process in July and had my surgery in November. I was impatient too. I wanted to go faster, but when I focused on learning as much as I could, it helped. Also when I focused on today each day, instead of how long until my time was up, it actually went by really fast. It especially went fast once I got the surgery date and had to make sure all my ducks were finally in a row. I'm glad I had the time to develop new habits. I am now two months out and I am smaller than I have been in a decade! My habits I developed before surgery are sticking and the weight is coming off, sometimes slower than I wish, but progressively nonetheless. You can do it! Focus on the learning and you will be ready to bloom after surgery! pam

I assume you mean after the NUT and Nurse appointments. The first time I met my surgeon (besides at the info session) was 2 weeks before my surgery. We talked about my weight loss, made sure I had met all my requirements and finally nailed down which surgery I was going to have. At that point he finally requested insurance approval. I think its probably different depending on your surgeon though. Does that help? pam

WAY TO GO! I finally got into some 18 pants. That was a big deal for me. I can understand your excitement. pam

I had my surgery nearly 2 months ago and have lost nearly 40 lbs. The only friends I have really seen since surgery are the ones who already know about my surgery. With the holidays and work and surgery, I haven't seen some groups of my friends in months. I also haven't told a lot of people about my surgery, just specific ones who I am closest to. Tonight is the birthday party of a friend who is part of a group of friends I haven't seen or talked to since summer, I think. A large number of our friends will be at said party and I am going after I workout tonight. Part of me is wondering if anyone will notice and part of me is hoping that they will. I specifically wore something that enhances my better, smaller curves. To say I am a little nervous might be an understatement. Wish me luck! pam

So according to my ticker in my signature I have a BMI of 39 something. That means I am no longer Extremely/Morbidly/Super Obese! I am now just Obese! Next goal: Onederland then Overweight! I also have a few clothing sizes in there, but I am well on my way! Other goals/benchmarks along this journey: 1st flight post surgery - Feb. 5 (hoping for not needing seatbelt extender.) next med. check with PCP - Feb. 22 (hoping to get off Diabetes meds - already got rid of high blood pressure med in December.) 1st 5k with chance of running the most or all of the way - April 9th. I love all my little benchmarks. Tonight I get to dig out my next size down box of clothes to start trying on. Happy Dancing! pam

I really like unjury. It comes in two kinds of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. I order it online from unjury and it usually arrives in the mail in less than a week. They also have a starter pack to try the individual packets. pam

I had surgery on Wednesday and took a shower on Friday. I have to be honest although I was walking a lot during those days, I don't remember feeling up to a shower. I remember it felt really good on Friday when I took one, but before that I don't remember really caring, mostly I think because all I did was walk, eat, and sleep. pam

I remember that feeling when I first got that news. I was pretty sure they were going to approve me, but until I had it in my hand and could schedule my surgery, it was still scary! Congrats! HUGS! pam

I remember being rolled toward the OR and then nothing until the PA who helped with my surgery stopped by and introduced himself. I asked him if he was sure he did surgery on me because it didn't feel different! I asked him again when he visited me the next day in my hospital room. Both times he just laughed and promised they actually did the surgery. I also remember thinking he was cute and noticing the next day that he was married!

I use unjury with Fairlife milk. The milk is lactose free and makes a Protein shake 34 grams of protein per 8 oz. serving. I like the chocolate Splendor. I have developed a sensitivity to lactose since surgery but this doesn't bother me. best, pam

I am just over two months post-op and I have been using fitness pal since I got off all liquids at 2 weeks. I like that I can check my Protein goals and keep track of my calories. As a few others said, in the past this was a hard one for me on previous diets. I hated tracking although I knew it was good. I am doing a much better job this time since I seem to have had a shift in my thought processes about tracking. For some reason, I used to think it was a pain, but with it online (my FItness Pal) and the app make it easier and takes away the excuse. I also can see the benefits, which wasn't always the case during previous diets. It helps me reinforce the idea that things have changed and its working this time!

I have PCOS and used to cycle maybe 2 or 3 times a year unless on bc. Then in 2012 it stopped for two years almost to the day. In 2014 I started working out with a trainer and my periods came back almost exactly 28 days apart for the first time in my life! I got my period days after surgery, right on schedule and they have been within a day or two since. I'm only 2 months post-op, but I am on my third period and they seem to be staying on track. I was a little worried about them going haywire again, but so far so good. pam