thinoneday

well, let me tell you something interesting. . I'm out 18 months and still losing hair like mad (mine started at 3 months out). . amazingly I'm not bald yet, but it's definately thinned out a lot. . . i eat normally and it's not stopping. . soooo as far as nutrition goes, nope i don't believe it either. . will it eventually stop? Who knows. . . I've used shampoos, vitamins, more vitamins, more protein, with no luck. . . I'm just darn lucky i don't have bald spots or bald areas. . . don't know what to tell ya. . .

Wow what a fabulous story. . . thanks for sharing. . . yes being in the medical field myself, it's amazing how good it feels to have our bodies function the proper way. . .well keep walking, sipping, and doing what your doing. . .how are you doing? keep us posted and good luck with your journey. . have you told your family or will this just be your own thing? Good luck again!

love the story. . . but really, i personally wouldn't have cared what that young woman said . . . she is probably one of those divas that have to have all the latest fashions. . . i wear all my 80's stuff and you know what? I get told i look really cool. . . if you look into some of the magazines, you'll notice those styles are coming back in. . . but oh well. . . don't throw them out quite yet. . . know what looks really weird? A 50 year old woman wearing her 20 year old daughters clothes from American Eagle, Wet Seal, etc. . . now that looks weird. . . but like you, hey they fit and i'm a tight wad and work too hard for my money to spend on clothes right now. . . hehehe. . . i say wear whats comfortable who cares what others think anyhow. . . your here to please yourself not the jones. . . good luck!

I am out 18 months now and have been the same weight give or take 5 lbs here or there. . . My problem is exercise (I really really hate it. . I would rather scrub clothes with a rock in a creekbed then exercise) but at last, i have succumbed to my dreaded hatred of the word and am going to the gym. . . I always feel better after the workout, but the thought of getting there sucks. . . really sucks. . . so I'll see what happens with it, this time. . . . as far as eating, well we fall into old routines and habits really quickly don't we. . . amazing. . .but at least we're not as heavy as we used to be and we can correct ourselves if we really try. . . this sleeve is not easy as some think it is. . . you have to work with it. . . i love carbs (yum, they are soooo good and go down so well) but like one poster said "don't drink your calories" . . . eat more dense proteins, eggs, cheese, meats, fish, etc. . . have some carbs but not a bunch, I use orowheat thins and bagel thins instead of bread. . . i eat greek yogurts mixed with good stuff like berries or honey instead of ice cream (although I'll treat myself occasionally) . . i still eat pizza but only 1 slice (thats all that fits anyhow) . . . but only rarely. . . now I'm throwing in exercise and am going to see how it goes. . . I've only 20 - 30 lbs to go and it's tough! Good luck. . . you can do this and together we can all do this!

interesting question, but definately not stupid. . . i've always have had puffy/heavy eyelids, now i've lost 150 lbs and still have heavy/puffy eyelids. . i still do my makeup as i would encourage you to. . . as you lose weight, you'll see difference and can adjust then. . . sorry i didn't help much. . . good luck!

You may or may not want to hear my side. . but it's great to rely on God for everything. . however there is a story in the good book about 3 brothers who were given talents by God. . . two of the brothers misused their talents however the 3rd used his talents wisely. . .he was blessed with the greatest rewards, the other two were regarded as fools. . . if we were to all be able to do this weight loss thing by ourselves by the shear of will, then America wouldn't have such an obesity problem right? We were all, however, handed talents to use wisely. . . by using our talents, we make decisions on what to do. . . we made the decision to have WLS, this talent is a wise one because it not only helps us loose the weight, it strenghtens us in every way INCLUDING in our religion. . . we give thanks to God for giving us the trusting surgeon and medical staff, we thank Him for everyday we can wake up and rejoice with our new found health and strenghts. . . sooooo I must beg to differ with your friend. . . if she/he can use their will powers good for them, for us we have found our talents to use in a new and better way. . . good luck and God bless

Hi there Ouroborous! First off let me tell you that yesterday I was thinking about and wondering how you were doing, hadn't seen you around the boards in while. . . and today let me tell you that you are not alone in the waking up early thing. . . my wake up times are 5:50 am EVERYDAY, weekends and all. . . and if i should need a nap in the afternoon on a sunday it's 10 - 15 minutes but a darn good one. . . i love it. . . I love getting up early on the weekends to feed the birds and Water the garden, get stuff done and then enjoy the rest of the day. . . it's great. . . could be cause we're not a sluggish anymore, I noticed that when i was heavier, i could sleep for ever. . . also, maybe we're not depressed anymore either. . . never know huh???? Anyhow glad to see you back on the boards. . . .

from your screen name, i am assuming you are a nurse. . . aren't we nurses silly. . . I stood all day long 12 hour shifts in the pre-op holding area starting IV's and telling people they would be ok and everything would be fine. . . that their anesthesiologist was great and so was their surgeon. . . then along comes our surgery and we're like "OH MY GOD"!!!!!! Now the shoe is on the other foot! hehehehe. . . you'll be ok, everything will be fine. . . your surgeon and anesthesiologist are great and will take good care of you. . . You don't need xanax, you need trust. . . Really, everything will be fine, and so will you. . . a few months from now you'll be giving newbies advise too. . .good luck and see you on the losers bench soon!!!

Hi there, well i'm 18 months out and am pretty much back to "normal" Here is todays menu Breakfast: bagel thin with chive cream cheese and cup of coffee Lunch: may eat or may not depends if i'm hungry if so, then I brought a orowheat thin multigrain with fat free turkey slices Dinner: lean cuisine if I'm not too tired to eat. . . I come home from work by 6pm then off to the gym i go from 6:40 - 7:40. Snacks : these are usually what keep me going throughout the day. . I have FiberOne bars, or fresh fruit, or crackers, or something I also drink tons of Water and about 2 diet sodas throughout the day. Thats me in a nutshell. . . I've reached the doctors goal for me, but would love to lose about 20 - 30 lbs more just for me. . . we'll see. . . have been on a plateau since January. . . ugh

OH YES YOU WILL !!! Just wait! You'll be able to enjoy yourself just as normal, only in smaller amounts! I enjoy my alcohol, my pizza, spaghetti, etc. . only in small amounts. . but i sure do enjoy them!

Welcome and good for you for taking this step! Your going to find us a pretty neat group of people. I'm glad you found us and together we'll get through this! Good luck and keep posting!

You are totally beautiful Irene! Love the pictures. . . wish I was confident enough to take pictures like that. . . never liked pictures of me though. . . well you keep up the excellent work and in no time you'll be over there on the goal side! Lucky girl! (doing the victory dance for Diva)

Sorry to sound stupid, but extreme sports as in video games or actually doing them? If your actually doing them then yeah it's very dangerous I think. . I've seen some of these things on TV shows and can't help to ask myself "why" . . . but then some people need that. . . i need order and neatness. . not complusive neatness, just neatness (when I go to a hotel, I make my bed in the morning! heehehe). . .but my "addiction" won't kill me, yours could. . . be careful in all you do. . .

You will be fine, your going to do very well and I will keep you in my thoughts today, tomorrow and always. Our paths in life are tough ones, but we are never given more then we can burden. . . let us know how you do. Good luck and all the best to you during this difficult time.

Like N2BR8 says, you have to be ripped. I have always had the bodybuilder body (genetics) even as a 350 lb woman I never looked that weight, but after i lost 150 lbs I did check out what was "still there" I can still flex the pecs and pump the deltoids, the "wings" still pop, the calf muscles never left. and with the weight off, I notice a little ripple in the tummy area . . soooooooooo with that in check, now i've started the gym and am working on those things. . . skin is a bit of an issue but so what, I don't want to be a model, just fit again. (nothing a little duck tape won't cure huh????hehehehe) good luck and keep doing what you do, you'll be healthier for it in the long run. . .

Well hello there and welcome. . . i laughed at your image of walking home in the gown. . . that would have definately been a show stopper!!!! Good for you! What can I say except follow doctor orders and keep exercising. . . soon you'll hit that magic number called goal. . . the journey is different and you'll have your moments, as we all have had, but it's so worth it. . . I'm out 18 months and still can't complete a whole orowheat thin in one sitting. . . so restriction remains for quite some time (thank god) . . . I'm 6'0 so i know exactly what you mean about certain weights looking too fragile. . . hehehe my fragile starts after 190 lbs or so. . . well good luck and keep up the excellant work

Hows' it going?

The scale is DEFINATELY your enemy. . . bad scale!!! After i had surgery i threw my scale into the garage. After my first year, I retrieved the scale and now use it sparingly. That thing can cause you to go crazy if you get up on every second! Use the doctors scales only at your appts. You'll be much happier with your progress! Good luck!

Just cause of the higher Protein actually. I love Oikos plain yogurt. my mom used to make yogurt when i was small and Oikos reminds me of hers. . exactly the same texture. . . yummm

Naww, your not the only one chilo, I've got about 15- 20 lbs to go and been stalled out since January. . . but then like you i'm not really trying hard either. . . i'm so tired. . . so i'm just chillin' and giving myself a break. . . i watch very carefully that i don't gain though and have done well on that. . . i've come such a long way, as have you, i'm proud of my success, as should you. . .i'm starting some gym classes on Wed thurs, and fridays and hopefully i'll enjoy these enough to keep going. . .good luck and keep posting as will i. . . .

I think a few of us have gone through this phase. . . it's hard, it's not easy. . . I hated my sleeve for a very long time. . . I'm out now 17 months and there are days I really regret it, but you know I think I would hate being morbidly obese instead, so I take the good with the bad. . . you'll be ok, your going to eventually get used to this and you'll be fine. . . i'm sorry this is happening but I can totally relate. . . no matter how prepared you really think you were, you really are not. . . good luck and PM me if you need to talk further. . .

I'm sorry, your question is valid but you made me really laugh. . . honey you'll look as old as you want to look. . . I'm 50 years old and people say that i look about 32 years old and they nearly die when i tell them i'm 50. . . but i'm pretty lucky I have good genetics on my side too. . .so that helps. . . but if your going to cause extra wrinkles worrying about getting wrinkled, well i'm sorry. . . enjoy life, don't worry so much and take it one day at a time. . . look at your grandparents (I know they all look wrinkled ) but seriously, look at them and your mom, how did they look at your age? Where they fat then or slim? Maybe genetics will be kind to you too. . . good luck!

Hi and welcome to you and all newbies. . . well you certainly come to the right place for advice and hints and such. . . I've noticed lots of advice and that is good. . so I won't say to much other then do your research. Be sure this is what you really want. Remember that this surgery is permanent there is no going back once you have it. . .it's not a cure all either, you still have to work at it and I mean work at it. . . your body does great in the beginning but then slows right down and you don't lose fast at all anymore, then you have to kick in and increase the exercise, follow your diet plan, etc. . . it's tough, it's not a easy ride like a lot of people think. . . . good luck with the decisions you make. . .

Sorry to hear your having this problem. I really can't relate(so why bother write anything right?) it's because I count every blessing I'm given. I had to self pay so took out a loan and am paying that back, plus putting my daughter through college. We decided she should not work during her 6 years of college and only concentrate on school. . .it's really tough to maintain 2 homes and 2 sets of bills, plus cars, and her spending money and tuition. . .but you know what? she is doing so well and only has 2 years left now. . this is only temporary and a small sacrifice to pay in order to give her the best we can. . (blessing 1) , the next one is i weighed 350 lbs and was really not doing well health wise, positive stress tests, talk about getting bilateral knee replacements, spinal fusions due to herniations of the discs, uterine cancer (hysterectomy took care of that) . . I was given the opportunity to have this WL surgery in which I lost 150 lbs and no more problems. . . no more surgeries! I'm really happy. . . sure I have loose skin and need to loose about 15 - 20 lbs more, but you know I was never a beauty queen or ultra slim and my family loves me regardless how i look, so if i have some loose skin flopping around so be it, at least i won't be dying from a heart attack or be in a wheel chair from a possible mistake on spinal fusion. . . I'm really blessed and I'm happy to be able to see the sun every morning. . . we are only here for a short time and life is too short to spend it on being angry with ourselves or others. . . I don't want to seem preachy and if i do i'm sorry, but this is the only way I could explain. . . good luck and i hope you find the help your looking for

I'm 17 months out, so my choices are large, normally I'll have some pecans, or almonds, yogurt, or those bagel thins toasted (not all together mind you! ) Sometimes cereal (Kashi + protein) or a breakfast taco. sometimes nothing except my coffee. I believe you should be able to have whatever for breakfast, even if it's dinner food like Tiffy overthere. . (love chili or hamburger meat for breakfast! Definately not gross). . I think we are just made to believe breakfast is supposed to be breakfast. . . I even eat spaghetti and meat sauce for breakfast.