DropWt4Life

I view overweight people the same as I did at 326 pounds...as people. They have feelings, dreams and aspirations just as I do. Who am I to judge them, when I had to have help to make my life better?

I take most studies with a grain of salt. You can say that a high percentage of people that skip breakfast are overweight, but is it really because they skip breakfast, or is there another reason? Do they really expect us to believe that if those people added a bowl of Frosted Flakes and whole milk to their diet, they would actually start to lose the weight? I doubt that. I eat breakfast though. Not because I think it will help me to lose weight, but because my stomach yells at me if I haven't had something to eat by 10am.

How are Popeyes blackened chicken? I used to eat at Popeyes all of the time, but I avoid it like the plague now. I can't have their spicy tenders and red beans and rice anymore, but I might consider trying their blackened tenders the next time the wife gets drive-thru there. They appear to be pretty healthy.

You aren't alone in this. I am sure most people succumb to old habits at some point. The goal is to not give into that stuff but every so often. You just will not be successful if you can't get that under control. I eat out once every week or so, but choose places that will allow me to have options at least (a salad or protein and veg). You can find okay options at most places... At KFC, for example, a grilled chicken breast, and 2 green bean sides contains 260 calories, 7g of fat, 8g of carbs, and 40g of protein. Not so bad unless you are watching your sodium (1230mg). Everything else Is loaded with carbs, salt, sugar or fat. At Taco Bell, there is a power menu bowl with chicken that will pack in 500 calories, 20g of fat, 53g of carbs, and 28g of protein. It is 12 ounces, so if you eat half, you are clocking 250 calories, 10g of fat, 27g of carbs, and 14g of protein. Everything else is blah. I used to love KFC and Taco Bell, but wouldn't be caught dead in either of their drive-thrus or dining rooms. There is just too much temptation there for me. I prefer sit down restaurants over fast food, although I have been known to devour a small Wendy's chili with cheese and onions (only once or twice over the last 4 months, I swear). Learn to forgive yourself though, and move on when you mess up. Letting it linger is not going to help you. Formulate a plan if you are going out. Look at the menus before hand to see what on their menu is healthy, and have that. Remember, success means doing the right things 90% of the time. I doubt that having a taco or some fried chicken once every 10 days is going to explode your diet, especially if the rest of your eating is on point, but it is a slippery slope nonetheless. Good luck.

Dreaming...You are over half way there! Great Job! Keep up the hard work! You will get there someday soon!

Congratulations! You look great! What an accomplishment! Keep up the good work!

Congratulations! Just in time to make that New Years resolution come true for real! You will do fine. Start walking now if you haven't already. I was up and walking for 15-20 minutes about 2 hours after surgery with no pain (other than gas pains). Don't worry about working out right now. Walking is fine. Your doctor might want you to stay away from any serious workouts for 6-8 weeks. Before surgery, get any cleaning, laundry, etc. out of the way. You won't feel like doing it for at least the first week after. Also take care of your post-op grocery shopping, stock your fridge with water, g2, propel, vitamin water, etc. so you don't have to worry about that. Get you some chewable vitamins as some can't swallow regular ones for at least the first week or so. Get you some good content to watch on tv. I binge watched several series on Netflix. It was awesome! Oh yeah, if you drink any caffeinated drinks, drop them now. You don't want to be going through withdrawals after surgery. The headaches suck big time. Anyway, good luck!

I think that a 34 bmi as a female should be fine for wls. Doubts are normal. Don't listen to them in this case. Your brain is super powerful, and wants you to stay overweight/obese. Many of these doubts end up in...I should be able to do it on my own. However, they begin in...My lifestyle will have to change. My eating habits will have to change. I will have to give up many of my favorite foods, and won't be able to drink alcohol. What will people say or think? What if I fail? What if I have complications from surgery? These are just a few that I felt myself, and have read in this very forum over and over again. Some are true. Some are not. Your lifestyle and eating habits will have to change, but is that a bad thing? Your relationship with food is going to jeopardize your health in the long-run. I never had health issues...Until I had them this year. I still enjoy most of my favorite foods, but in a healthy way. I also only have them every once in a while. I will be having my first alcoholic drink on New Years Eve. I don't care what people think, nor am I afraid of failing. This tool is helping me to do what I need to do to ensure my long-term success. I didn't have any complications from surgery, so that is good. The chances of having complications are very small. You can lower them even more by choosing a reputable surgery team with proven success, following your plan to a "T", staying hydrated, and walking as much as possible before and after surgery. You'll be fine. You've jumped through all of the hoops, because you obviously felt that you needed this. Do it for you!

12/6 CW: 237.2 YES!

Excellent decision!

You have to make the decision that is the best for you. I, however, would have the surgery. The hurdles are cleared, and the deductibles are met. I wish I could have had surgery at 30. That would have given me 15 more years of bliss. This was the absolute best decision that I have ever made for myself. I struggled with my decision as well. I was at 326 two months before surgery, and 289 on my surgery date. That amount of weight loss weighed on me. However, I remembered all of the diets that I had endured during my lifetime...How I had lost and then regained a bit more than I started with. I just can't say enough about the value of having good health, and not having to worry about my weight every waking hour of my life. Good luck with your decision!

Yesterday, I ate 10 ounces of vegetables. I was super hungry after my workout. I was worried about the amount that I was able to eat without getting full. Last night, I ate 3 ounces of salmon for dinner with vegetables. I was content after just 3 ounces of vegetables. So, lean protein reduces the amount of food that you can consume in a sitting. I try to get protein in for every meal so that I won't eat too much, but sometimes, I just want to kill a spinach salad or bowl of peas or green beans without any meat. I guess if you don't measure or weigh, the important thing is to stop as soon as you no longer feel hunger. Don't wait until you are full, as that might be too late.

Congratulations on joining the Loser's Club! You're going to kill it!

You look awesome! Keep up the good work! That damned scale doesn't define you...or me for that matter!

Don't worry about it. You are doing just fine. Stalls happen. I had stalls at weeks 3, 6, and 12 (lasted 2 weeks). You are more than likely still losing inches anyway, so keep on track. The number on the scale will move soon enough.

Well thank you, ma'am! My weight loss has slowed to a crawl. I have a lot of muscle, and think that I might be close to maintenance already. I am still dropping 1-2 pounds per week, so time will tell. I would like to reach my goal by the beginning of February as I will be 6 months post-op. You're doing as well as I am, and you haven't even had surgery yet. You are going to kill it once that date is in the rear-view.

I enjoy food now as much as I did before. I can eat more now, and honestly, I am glad that I have a good foundation. I love veggies, even bland ones. I eat some lean protein, and follow up with veggies. I could probably eat up to 10 ounces of veggies and/or grains in one sitting. I still have enough restriction when I eat lean protein, and that's good. I could only eat 6 ounces if I have 3-4 ounces of lean protein. I hated not being able to eat but a few bites of things. It was great for weight loss, but I couldn't really enjoy anything. Things are great now. I can eat more, but not enough to get me into trouble...Well, as long as I don't replace good healthy options with crap. I know that in the coming months, I will be able to eat even more. However, I won't push the envelope. I will continue to weigh and portion out 6-10 ounces per sitting depending on what I am eating. This will allow me to hit my 1,200 calorie per day mark. Good luck to you!

I have never blacked out, but I do get dizzy whenever I go from sitting to standing and walk immediately. If I wait a second or two, I am fine. My doctor thinks that it is my equilibrium. My levels and bp are all fine. I never had this issue before surgery, but I'm not too worried about it.

I have never blacked out, but I do get dizzy whenever I go from sitting to standing and walk immediately. If I wait a second or two, I am fine. My doctor thinks that it is my equilibrium. My levels and bp are all fine. I never had this issue before surgery, but I'm not too worried about it.

Congratulations! The time will fly by!

Good Job! You look great! Great Transformation! Keep up the good work!

I think this weird guy is making it rain. You get the point. He might be a creeper though. LOL

I chose vsg, because I didn't have gerd or acid reflux issues, and didn't want to have to worry about taking tons of vitamins. I also didn't have that much weight to lose, and didn't think that I needed the malabsorptive benefits of RNY. Both surgeries have tons of benefits and some drawbacks though. Good Luck!

I agree with summerset. I would add that the only affirmation that you need is from that beautiful lady in the mirror. Once you develop a great relationship with her, and see that she loves the way that you look, nobody else's opinion will matter. Congratulations on making it this far in your journey!

The use of the word "loose" bothers me as well, but I never point it out. We live in a society where people quickly type things out, and nobody uses spell or grammar check. I think it is allowed in a non-formal setting, so I never lose sleep over it. I'm more concerned with people that ask questions without giving any information. Ex. I stopped losing weight...Is that normal? I normally chuckle, then answer by asking questions of my own. Don't judge me. At least I still try to help!