MrsGamgee

I've gone through periods of thinning hair in the past (postpartum, different meds, etc) and while it always comes back, it is a frustration. I have found, given my skin and hair pigmentation, colouring my hair actually makes it look fuller/thicker and it makes me feel better about how I look. Just my two cents...

Fat stores estrogen, so when you start to lose weight it releases all those extra hormones into your body and can really mess with your cycle. Add in the trauma of surgery and it's not surprising that things are a bit wonky. If you are really concerned, check with your surgeon and your gyno.

Honestly, I'm hoping that post-op I will get some of my old libido back. Years with type 2 diabetes has really dampened the flame. My DH is very patient with me, but I'd love to get back to a bit like the old days.

O.M.G! My mom was a weight watchers leader for many years and that is just appalling!!! I'm gob-smacked.

I hear you! My problem is, my SIL who had WLS a couple of years ago through the same hospital where I'm going told me to expect it to take two years from intake to surgery. (I'm in Canada... elective surgeries always take longer). I didn't want to believe her, but the longer I go the more I'm expecting that she's right. It's been a year since I first talked to my GP doc about a referral to the bariatric clinic and I feel like I'm languishing in this limbo state of frustration. I have an appointment each month with a different member of my team (nutritionist, surgeon, mental health, my assigned nurse) but I feel like I'm just treading water. I *think* I will get to sign my paperwork with the surgeon in April or May, and then it's just waiting for a date, which can take up to a year.

I spent a number of years struggling with infertility/recurrent pregnancy loss and the same stigma haunts that community too. The number of times I'd hear comments about 'natural' versus IVF/assisted reproductive therapies... I swear I'd want to strangle folks. People think that if something was easy for them, it automatically must be easy (natural) for everyone else. This is a medical situation that needs to be treated medically.

I'm looking forward to experiencing that kind of thing, because there are a lot of foods that I'm afraid I'll crave but can't have when I'm post-op. (And deprivation has certainly never worked for me before) Chinese food has always been my birthday/Mother's Day food...

I needed to read this thread today. I'm a year in from when I first talked to my GP about getting referred to our local bariatric clinic, and I've been feeling discouraged and wondering if I really want to do this. I *know* I want WLS and that I need it for all the same reasons as the rest of you. I've just hit a bit of a wall with the waiting game, and trying my damnedest to lose the 10% my surgeon requires. The questions and doubts just keep creeping in. I'm trying to think about it like waiting in line to get on a roller coaster, which is always far worse than the actual ride (which I end up loving 9 times out of ten). Right now I'm about halfway through the line and trying not to let the knots in my stomach put me off.

Something to look forward to... I started experiencing 'personal summers' (aka hot flashes) a little over a year ago, and my poor husband has often is shivering at night while I have the fan running to keep things bearable for me.

What bugs me is when the sizes are inconsistent even within the same store... I do most of my shopping at one store and in regular pants and jeans I'm a 16 or an 18 (most of my weight is on my stomach, my caboose has always been smaller given my weight) but in their jeggings and leggings I'm a 20 or a 22. I know cut should make a bit of a difference, but four sizes is a bit excessive.

I met my husband online 12 years ago. Things have changed a lot, but one thing hasn't (IMO)... when you go onto the free dating apps/sites, you get what you pay for. If you're really looking to connect with someone and want to go the online route (totally valid way to meet someone), then do your research and find a reputable site/app that charges a bit. You'll get a higher quality of options. (just my two cents... good luck!)

I've told everybody (family, close friends, Facebook )... but that's who I am. When I was dealing with infertility a number of years ago, I talked about it openly too. For me, I like helping educate people on the realities of it, and helping to dispel any misinformation they may have. I wasn't always pro-WLS, but I did my research and found out I was wrong about a lot. Has everyone been positive about it? No. My sister was incredulous and dismissive about the whole thing. One friend expressed concerns because she knows my passion for cooking and is worried about how I'll adjust. I try to be honest about my struggles and my nervousness about the surgery, in hopes that if someone else is on the fence about it, maybe I can help them make a decision. Most of my family and friends, have been great about it. I'm not the first in my family to have WLS... an aunt and two SILs have had it done with differing levels of success. When I explain to those who ask why, I talk about my history of the cycle of weight loss/weight gain, the fad diets, the exercise programs I've tried. And I talk about my comorbidities... I'm the mom of two young kids and I want to be around when they graduate from high school, get married, have kids of their own, etc. Once they understand that I'm not just jumping into it willy-nilly, they're usually pretty on board.

Just to chime in... lap-band isn't even open for discussion with my clinic. There have been just too many removals and revisions for them to see it as a worthwhile option.

I have a ways to go until I get my surgery date but my surgeon had asked for a 10% weight loss when I saw him the first time (amounts to 27lbs). I have lost weight before, small-ish amounts that I have always found again, but I was really certain I would be able to do this 10% thing without much of a problem... I'd done it before. All through the fall, I was doing okay. The weight was coming off, albeit super slow. I even made it through most of December with the scale going in the right direction. I weighed in on Christmas Eve I was down to my lowest in the last few years. And then the week between Christmas and New Year happened. I got off track. I made stupid choices. I own my mistakes. I've tried to get myself back on track since, but I seem to be sabotaging myself at every turn. I'm in a funk about it and that just starts that same old tape in my head... I can't do this... why bother... I'm only going to fail again. I know it has to be me that makes the food and activity choices. I'm not looking for anyone to 'fix' this for me. I just needed to get it out, and hopefully find some support. My husband and kids support my decision to get WLS, but they don't understand how hard this is.

I'm from Red Deer, a small city in central Alberta, Canada.

To echo what kakatlady said, it really depends on your program, your doctor, and in the US, your insurance. The program I'm in is actually closer to 2 years, but I'm in Canada.

I'm not post-op, but I already use a spiralizer pretty regularly (my family LOVES pasta) and I also second the recommendation for the silicon ice cube trays. You can get them in different shapes and sizes... I found one that makes cubes in the size and shape of cheese strings (great for freezing yoghurt snacks!).

Because I control most of the food at home (I do the cooking and control the portion sizes), my husband has lost a bit. This is a tad frustrating for me as weighing less than him is one of my milestones... and he keeps moving the finish line!

I'd love to say travel or a fancy new wardrobe, but I know that my budget won't change even though my body will. The things I'm planning on are new family portraits/being in more pictures with my family and friends, and maybe a tattoo.

I was also given the 10% target as well... 27 pounds for me. It's slow going, and especially tricky right now during the holidays. One of my motivations is that my next appointment (and weigh in) is on Jan 9... I desperately want to be down at that appointment. You can do this!

oops.

Just to throw yet another perspective into the mix... I'm in Canada and the program I'm in is considerably longer than what I've seen most post here. I went to my first info session in May of this year, and I've had an appointment a month since... each with different people (my assigned nurse, surgeon, nutritionist, mental health, etc.). I *think* I have 3 or maybe 4 more months until I sign my surgical waivers, and then I wait for my surgery date. I'm not sure what to expect post-op, but I imagine I'll still be having monthly appointments for a while. The one thing I'm getting from all of the medical staff is that they focus on one stage at a time... they don't like to talk about the next stage until you're there. It's challenging for me, because I like to have time to prep mentally for what's coming. But it does mean that I have less to distract me from this part of the journey.

I've often wondered what influence, if any, the 'when' of skipping breakfast has. What I mean is, most girls I knew started skipping breakfast sometime around junior high/middle school. What is going on developmentally, in habit formation and in physical development at that time that could be noteworthy? If I'm honest, when I look back at my relationship with food, that is about the same time in my life when things started to go haywire. Just a bit of a tangent to this conversation...

So just over a week ago, my oven died. A pain in the butt to be sure, especially at this time of year. I've been playing phone tag ever since with a repair man just to find out if it is actually repairable. But there is a silver lining. The oven died before I got around to doing any Christmas baking. I guess there won't be any sweet treats to tempt me this Christmas season! My family isn't pleased, but I say thank heaven!

That's so awesome! Congrats!