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Hey March buddies, Just checking on y’all. Hope everyone’s journey has been going smoothly. I will admit that I have been struggling to get both the recommended amount of protein AND water down each day. It feels like I have to choose one or the other, because there doesn’t seem to be adequate time to fit both. I’ve been prioritizing the protein, but I have my checkup with my surgeon in a couple weeks and hopefully they’ll have some tips. I’ve been lucky, I haven’t experienced dumping at all yet. I’m not a huge sweets person, but even when I’ve had dessert, I was okay. My stomach did not approve of fresh corn the last time I tried it, but that’s been the only thing to give me an issue. Popcorn at a movie was fine. My hair has thinned dramatically, and I’m praying it comes back. I already have alopecia and was prepared for this to happen—I’ve been wearing wigs all summer, but I miss my hair and I’m trying not to worry, but it’s hard. I’m down 65 pounds, but I’ve been in a stall for the last 3-4 weeks. I’m going to try to get up earlier to get more water in and I’m starting to weight train in the gym, which is something I’ve wanted to do for a while but just felt super self-conscious. Just gonna pull up my big girl panties and get to it. Hang in there, friends. Even with the challenges, I wouldn’t go back to what was before. I’m excited for a season change and for the weather to be cooler so that I can walk outside a little more. Sending good vibes to all of you!

I've been struggling to keep up with the diet so I thought I would try to focus on all the things that I hope to accomplish from the surgery so that I can remind myself what better times I have to come. Not just big things like better health but also the smaller things that I think are just as important. 1st: Sleep! I want to lose enough weight to sleep well. I don't have sleep apnoea yet, but my doctor says I'm at risk because of my weight and even without the sleep apnoea, it's still really hard to get comfortable and lying on my back definitely affects my breathing and my spine. 2nd: Activity! I ride my bike everywhere and I enjoy it, but I would love to do other things without pain in my knees. I go to concerts a lot and usually need to stand because no one sits at rock concerts (unless it was like when I went to see the Scorpions last month when the average age of music fan was 56 so it was all seats). Standing for a long time hurts and then I can't enjoy the concert as much as I was hoping. Maybe be able to lose the ebike and get an "acoustic" bike. 3rd: Fashion! Being able to shop at cheaper stores. Plus size clothes comes with a plus size price tag. Years ago, (teenage years) I bought a t-shirt that was a size 16. They had the same t-shirt in the "plus size section" (also a size 16 and the exact same size) and it was £2 extra for the same amount of fabric. And as someone with a more alternative sense of fashion, not a lot of plus size clothes have skulls and flames and vampires and things like that. They tend to make plus size clothes with puppies and kitties and cutesy things. There's nothing cutesy about me.

I have two bad knees, just bone on bone, and would not be able to walk or stand for long without being in agony that night in bed and sore for a day or two afterwards. Since the surgery the pain is much less, nearly zero, I do so much more and just have the aches I think would be normal from the exertion. For my upcoming trips (work and holiday ones) I will be on my feet a lot and doing a lot of walking so I am still going to get what has become my annual knee injections in the hospital in advance and bring a muscle gel with me on the trips but it is more just so I am not impacted at all while away so I can enjoy it. I am hoping that the ortho surgeon will say to give it longer before he sees a need to replace the knees now that there is considerably less weight on them.

Hi everyone. I'm a bit of a complicated outlier, as my duodenal switch will be a modified duodenal switch with Demeester adjustment. I'm getting a duodenal switch for biliary diversion ( bile reflux). And I have a herniated stomach, so it will need a hernia repair. This means my stomach will not be reduced, but it will be restored in terms of hernia. And the new bile limb will only be around a 100 to a 150cm down. Enough to prevent bile from flowing into my stomach, but less malabsorption and weight loss issues. The issue is, that my stomach gas gastroptosis ( which means it is very elongated and stretched down towards my pelvis) this means it is quite painful and traumatic when vomiting occurs. I have read so many horror stories about vomiting post op or even within the first 3 to 6 months. I'm wondering, does that mainly occur due to reduction of the stomach? Or is it an unavoidable cause of the new limbs being created. I'm terrified of obstructions, ileus and other nasty complications.

Yesterday I bought my first “regular” sized clothes in many, many years! (Maybe since high school which would have been 35+ years ago…) I’ve been wearing smaller plus-sized clothes (yes, a range of sizes) that I’ve had in storage from previous weight loss but they are all beginning to get loose too. I’m hoping to make it through summer in them but it was thrilling to find some well-fitting fall items for work. I was shopping with some plus-sized friends who have been very supportive but I didn’t want to make a big deal of it in front of them. Fun to celebrate it here though!

I've had a very up-and-down sort of week, mentally/emotionally (and weight-wise too, I guess). It started in that I'd finally gotten out of a stall, and everything stayed good for 10 days or so? And then a week with absolutely no weightloss. On the back of a stall, it just crushed my spirit. I said fine, by next week it'll be better, stay off the scale... and instead I hopped back on 2 days later to a 1.4lb gain. I think I went into a sort of zombie-state. I was still doing what I needed to (work-wise, diet-wise, exercise-wise) but it was like some kind of emotional shock: I was functioning but apathetic about pretty much everything. My brain and heart just couldn't take it, and shut down. Then the physical side. I'm sure it will surprise nobody here, but when you're behaving kind of like an automaton you don't pay enough attention to things like time, or specifically eating slowly. Cue the foamies and vomitting. I think four times in the past week. Luckily, most of the time I caught it early enough to prevent anything too intense, but yeah. I'd thought I was smart enough / experienced enough at this point to learn from my mistakes, but that one I just kept making. Afterwards, the lingering nausea kept me from eating enough -- so the protein goals were not met for five days in a row. (Until I found Greek Yogurt Cheesecake Pudding which turned things around so I was exceeding my goals) I'm doing better-ish, now? I still feel mildly dissociated, but the past couple days it's been like... life & energy slowly returning and my mood improving. The universe waited for me to be in a better mental place, and all of a sudden knocked 4 lbs off the scale this morning. Sunday, I had a great NSV that I didn't feel hit me until today -- I'm wearing a 1X for the first time in over a decade. (Top and bottom, which is another NSV because ever since my late 20s, my bottom has always required me to go one size up from whatever shirt size I was wearing) But even this NSV, I'm able to acknowledge it and told a couple people about it because I knew they'd be happy for me, but it still just all feels pretty superficial. I only seem to be able to get excited and enthused about other peoples' good news, lol.

I will be 2yrs post op in Sept this year, I only lost 70 lbs and I have gained 15/20 of that back. I’m so uncomfortable and frustrated with my body. I’m hungry constantly, absolutely NO energy, tired all the time. Was dx with Narcolepsy on top of sleep apnea this year. I see myself falling back into my old habits and I’m absolutely terrified I’m going back to my weight gain. I need some hard truth given to me. I feel so lost and in a horrible slump that I can’t get out of.

I'm with you on ALL of that. I was in a 28/30 and 5x in clothing and size 10 in rings and 11w in shoes. When I could even find anything in my size, it was expensive, ugly, and not in style at all. I hated it so much. Now, I'm in a size 12 and Large in clothing, size 5 ring, and size 10M in shoes. So much easier to find clothes in my size that are cute, fit better, look better, and priced WAY better. I can shop sales and clearance, I can go thrifting and know I'll find stuff, I can shop in ANY store and not be embarrassed or disappointed. Activity is so key. I couldn't move around without a cane before, and even then it was so hard. I was out of breath after the smallest tasks. Now I go on 10 and 12 mile hikes, I work out and do core/strength/weight training, and I can go horseback riding (just did that last weekend and it was AWESOME to be within the weight limits) or anything else I want to do. Sleeping is so much better now. I can sleep in any position, I don't snore anymore, and I don't wake up with headaches like I use to. I was told I needed a cpap but I didn't want one, and I suffered because of it. Don't need one now!! And of course, my health has drastically improved. No more high cholesterol, high blood pressure, inflammation meds for my joint pain, or diabetes. Instead of constantly being anemic, it stays low normal, which is huge for me. All my labs consistently come back perfect and normal. It's a whole new life now, and even though I went through SO MUCH to get here, I would do it all again in a heartbeat

Hello! My name is Zach, and I am a 2nd year medical student conducting a research project, "Evaluating GERD symptom alleviation following robotic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery", which essentially seeks to evaluate the efficacy of robotic gastric bypass surgery in relieving GERD symptoms. I was interested in minimally invasive surgery long before starting medical school, and decided to spend my past summer working alongside a bariatric surgeon in my hometown. While working with him, I noticed how many of his patients stated that their GERD had resolved after undergoing robotic gastric bypass. My time there was limited, so I was not able to really share this survey with his patient population. Below is a link to a survey that follows the guidelines outlined in the official GERD health-related quality of life questionnaire. I would greatly appreciate your help with this! My goal for this survey is that your responses will allow me to publish a paper from an educational perspective, illustrating how efficacious robotic gastric bypass is at alleviating not only weight loss, but symptoms of GERD as well. While I hope that all of you have had nothing but success following your surgeries, I understand that this is not always the case. I would love to hear all of your various experiences and perspectives, whether they are positive or negative. This survey below is entirely anonymous. You should not be asked to sign-in to Microsoft in order to complete the survey, and I will not have access to your name or any other patient identifiers aside from your age. When you first open the link, you will see information regarding informed consent. After agreeing to participate, you will then see seven screening questions. After that, you will begin the actual survey, in which you will answer questions regarding various symptoms before and after your surgery. This survey should take about five minutes of your time. Survey link: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=5CBDHRt_fk2_8ubn-Q2YhAxSQabe5PdIrhihxZU9cCZUQ1hSQjE3WkozVEFHTUQ5N0RTNERSMUNPMy4u If this type of post is not allowed, I understand and apologize! I hope to have the opportunity to share your experiences with this survey and shed some light on the relationship between gastric bypass and GERD. Thank you all in advance!

Hi, sorry I have been absent. I was sleeved a week ago today. I stayed in hospital two nights and didn't have any real problems. Liquids went down pretty easily and I got 1litre in on the first day and the drip was taken off that afternoon. They left the cannula in and it started bleeding - it was in my elbow bend and I think I did something when I bent my arm too quickly - so they took that out too, which was great! I tidied up my room, put on clean clothes and took it easy. I even got let out for a couple of hours to visit my father-in-law in the public hospital next door. He is nearly 90 and the end is coming - they thought it was close on Tuesday although he has picked up a bit since then. Slept intermittently the first night and rang the bell for pain killers a few times. The second night I slept fine - but they woke me up for obs at 11:30pm and 5:30am! Ugh! Then I went back to sleep after the 5:30am ones and my surgeon woke me at 6:30am! I gave up after that My husband turned up 9ish so I got up and showered, dressed and packed and was sent on my way with Palexia (opioid painkiller) and a reflux medication. We went to visit FIL for an hour or so then got an Uber to our short stay apartment. I had to go to Sydney for surgery - I live in Canberra - and the doctor said I should stay in Sydney for four more days. So that was Thursday, day 2 post op. I didn't do anything else that day. Friday was ok, I'm not having any trouble consuming liquids although plain water is the hardest - it gives me a temporary lump in my chest and sometimes hiccups. One thing that really bothered me on Wednesday and Thursday was that when I lay down to sleep at night I felt like I had a tennis ball in my chest. I had to sit up for a while. The surgeon said it is common with the surgery and I also had a small hiatus hernia repaired and it can be part of that too. I found that not taking tablets and drinking water immediately before lying down was best but I haven't had it since. Saturday I hit a wall mentally. I think it was a lot to do with being away from home - I always feel a bit "wrong" away from home but usually I'm travelling which means (a) fun (b) eating and drinking what I like and of course post surgery none of that was happening. I went for a short walk with my husband in Hyde Park Saturday evening and it helped a tiny bit. I felt really depressed and like I'd done the wrong thing and that I'd never lose weight etc etc. Because I'm autistic I had a couple of autistic meltdowns at my poor husband who copes with them quite well. So unfair, he was doing his best to look after me. Sunday I said I didn't want to do anything but after a while I said to him we should go for a walk. Unfortunately it was hot and humid in Sydney (Canberra has an inland elevated dry climate so I don't do humidity well), but we went out for two hours. I had to sit down a lot - no energy plus the humidity ugh - so it was slow and I only did about 5,000 steps but it was a good thing to do. We walked through Hyde Park, down to the Art Gallery, through the domain, up to Macquarie Street, round to Circular Quay. It was Australia Day so there were heaps of people out, which made me nervous about someone walking into me and hurting my incisions. We had lunch at the Quay - fish and chips for him and a banana smoothie for me - I ate the tip of a chip with aioli but I chewed it to death first, and chewed some fish and spat it out (I know, gross). We caught the light rail back up to Town Hall and went "home". He went back to visit his Dad and I watched YouTube videos and even edited one of my own (I have YouTube channel on, don't laugh after what I said about being away from home, travel). Monday we packed up and came home. The relief of being home! I still felt a bit funny bit it wasn't too bad and last night I gave the kitchen and butler's pantry a really good clean so I was obviously feeling a lot better. Our cats (6) sit all over the bench and leave hair and dirt so after a week of being away it was pretty grubby. Plus my husband cooked me some soup and he is messy to say the least. Today I'm back at my desk getting on top of things and having that shower in my own bathroom was unbelievably good. I'm shaky and weak this morning so sipping on an Optifast shake. I've been tracking food in My Fitness Pal. I was craving hummus for lunch yesterday - I saw it in the Qantas Lounge on the way to the plane haha - so when we went shopping for food I bought a tub and ate half of it for lunch. Then I tracked it and the calories are unbelievable! I thought it was mainly chick peas but the half a small tub was about 850 calories so I won't be doing that again. Michael is going to make me some and put only a tiny bit of oil in it so it should be a lot lower in calories hopefully. I hope all this is of some use to others about to undergo this procedure! Or else I've just been rambling to no purpose I think I can start puree today but tbh I've been eating thicker stuff like hummus and yogurt already.

I had the sleeve 3.5 years ago and I remember testing the waters pretty early out too. Not saying that it was that which caused me to go off course and gain it back but it’s definitely a slippery slope for some of us. Just be careful ❤️ .

Technically not mid-week at this point, but I decided checking in here is a good place to start after a hiatus from the site for a while. I had my sleeve surgery last summer and the weight loss has slowed down significantly, but I am now within 5lbs of my first 100lb goal! Went from a size 24/26 to a 16/18. I was recently diagnosed with premature ovarian failure (peri / menopause before the age of 40, typically genetic) after YEARS of trying to get a diagnosis from clueless OBGYNs and I think the drop in hormones is contributing to the slow crawl. I’m battling through it while doing all I can naturally to stop the negative effects that come with perimenopause and menopause (I haven’t decided on HRT yet). Once summer break is over, I have an appointment with a terrific functional medicine doc who did extensive blood work to see where my problems are at the moment. I’ll also be joining a gym and shifting my focus from aerobics to strength training. Hopefully it’ll help me lose some more stubborn weight while also maintaining bone density and sculpting my new shape a bit.

Hi from UK, Ive been booked in for surgery in July and was told to go on 12 week diet. I thought that's excessive as I've seen heavier people only do 2-3 weeks max. I have to do 9 weeks on milk and jelly, then 3 weeks on weight watchers soup and Muller. For example I've started today and I'm at weight I should be on 20th if I have like healthy protein based meal once a day in the 9 weeks that should be fine isn't it? I had boneless chicken today and weight didn't fluctuate thankfully so one meal a week for 9 weeks should be fine? Sorry if I'm rambling

I cant lie, I teared up reading this (I think I am due for my lady time so extra emotional LOL) Thank you so so so much for saying all this. You are absolutely right with everything you said. moderation is key. Following my program is key. Staying active and tracking is key. Being able to find what is sustainable for the rest of my life is key. your right ice cream is good for the soul damn it! lol! I need to be okay with just allowing myself that treat then overthinking a couple of bites. Being strict and depriving myself is how I gained my 100lbs back after I lost in my 20's so your right, allowing myself to eat like that, not in huge portions and tracking it, then not eating like that the rest of the week and self sabotaging because I ate something bad. I walk into my work, and they have a picture on the TV screen in the lobby, that shuffles through pics of the company, and I am in a couple of them at 300lbs. Its a daily reminder that I never ever want to be that big again. I looked so uncomfortable and unhappy. Thank you again! ❤️

When I had my sleeve I tried to do the treadmill and absolutely could not stick with it. This time I am walking outside. Not sure if that’s an option for you but it’s so much more entertaining. Things to look at, people to say hello to, and you can go different ways and plus it’s fresh air. It’s also easier on your knees. I also walk a bit inside. For both, headphones help with music and a fitness watch so you can log your progress. After my nighttime shower I just put my exercise clothes on and sleep in them. That way when I wake up I am already dressed and I jump up and walk a bit around the house while my coffee is going and chilling over the ice so I can make my “proffee.” It’s just like 15 minutes (started with 5) or so but it’s a good start to my day. Then, I try to do a few minutes a couple more times during the day so I do it when I take my calcium (I have a recurring alarm to remind me). Depending on your job you may be able to do this on breaks. In the evenings, I prepare dinner but then head out to walk, depending on the weather. I am now up to 45 minutes but I started at 15. This one I get sweaty so I shower and put my exercise clothes on again (I have two sets and wash the other one daily) and then I sit down for my dinner and chill with my hubby for a while before it’s bedtime and i start it all again the next morning For me, it’s also easier to make a habit of things if I do them everyday, at least for a while. Eventually things will come up so I don’t do it every night, I’m sure but until it’s a habit I do it daily. My goal is 30 minutes a day no matter what but I try to do as much more as I can. The PA (physicians assistant) was at my support group meeting and did a talk one night on fitness and he shared that 90 minutes of exercise a week (15 minutes a day for 6 days of the week) causes a 15% Drop in “all cause mortality.” My surgeon was there and said that surgery actually only creates an 11% change so it’s pretty incredible. This takes 25 minutes per day because you want to do a 5 minute warm up and a 5 minute cool down. During the 15 minutes your goal is a zone 2 heart rate. You calculate the zone 2 range by first subtracting your age from 220 that is your MAXIMUM heart rate. Then you multiply that number by 60% that’s the lower number of your range and 70% which is the upper number of our range. The example is a 40 year old. 220 - 40 = 180 (MAX). 180 X 60% = 108 and 180 X 70% = 126. The zone 2 heart rate range for this person is between 108 - 126 beats per minute. (The fitness watch will tell you your heart rate so you can check You can do it at the gym if that works better for you and you can of course break it into three 30 minute sessions instead of daily if you choose as long as you get 90 minutes per week minimum. Once I can add strength training I may actually do it this way and do my weights on the other days. For now I’m just worrying about the cardio part. I can tell you though, it is so absolutely worth it. Since I have been doing the exercise I feel incredible. My energy has increased tremendously and my mood is so much better. It’s an all around good thing and not that hard, really, once you set your mind to it and get a few days under your belt it gets easier. I have been very sedentary for YEARS and I can’t believe I didn’t start this exercise thing sooner. It’s seriously pretty great!! Ooh and I was told the same thing for weights. At 6 weeks I can lift more than 10 pounds but not weights. Especially if I didn’t lift them before surgery and would be straining. Even at two months I’m supposed to slowly work my way up but I think that’s probably advisable for anyone whether they had surgery or not. Also, my friend found a fitness watch on Amazon for $20. Doesn’t have to be a fancy expensive one, just need heart rate and steps or distance really to get started. And if you know anyone else who wants to do some exercise, my friend and I talk on the phone most nights while we are both walking around our own houses. She said she wants to do her exercise bike last night but it goes so much faster when we talk. I said we can still talk while you ride your bike it doesn’t matter if we’re doing the same thing. The person you’re talking to doesn’t even really have to be exercising. They just have to be willing to talk to you and encourage you to keep doing it music works pretty well as an alternative busy a couple of nights and I’ve just used my headphones from instead of talking on the phone. Some people listen to podcasts as well

How very amazing! Honestly, 6 months after surgery it's very likely you will lose much more OP. Is there any reason that you wouldn't want to? I am a firm believer in our body selecting its own goal weight after WLS. Loads of us here want to get to a randomly selected end point that we'd be happy with, but find that either we can't make it, or alternatively that we overshoot it. I was one of the latter people. I have regained 8 lbs in the last 8 months (which is common in the third year) but I've levelled out now and I am so glad that I stuck to my programme and kept losing those few extra pounds rather than taking my foot off the gas when I got to my (arbitrary) goal. Welcome to your new life. In a couple of years you'll be glad you used your weight loss tool to the max while it's in its honeymoon phase!

I had my husband take photos of me - all four sides -- every month on my surgery date from the night before my surgery until the day I hit maintenance. It's great having that documentation of my journey. Plus when you get to the point where the weight loss slows down and you're not seeing differences from month to month, you can look back at photos taken three or four months earlier and DEFINITELY see the difference. It helped keep my motivation up!

I have to believe that, while losing the weight won't reverse the arthritis, it HAS to help it not be quite as bad given there won't be as much weight to carry around. Any weight loss should improve that, I would think. Yes, there will still be pain, but not the added pain from the weight on the arthritic knees. So I have to believe the weight loss will be at least a little bit of help in the pain department there. I'm glad you got the answers you were looking for and have a plan moving forward!!!

Your weight is up likely from all the fluids from the IV. The gas can take a good week to leave your body. But the more you walk, the faster it dissipates. The pain will go away and the bloating will, too. The only thing that really helps is the walking and a heating pad.

Purely my experience - when I lost a lot of weight previously, I had a lot of pains in my hands and feet. Had the usual blood tests and everything was fine. My GP wasn’t convinced and booked me in for a different blood test and an ultrasound scan on my hands. Both confirmed that I had seronegative rheumatoid arthritis. I’ve cut & paste the following from the RA website, just in case it may ring a couple of bells with you: Some of the most important symptoms in diagnosing seronegative rheumatoid arthritis include: Joint pain, stiffness specifically in the hands but also in knees, elbows, hips, feet and ankles Joint swelling and redness Joint tenderness Symmetrical symptoms and in multiple joints Ongoing inflammation Morning stiffness lasting longer than 30 minutes Fatigue Eye redness I may be way off but this was my experience. I was 43 when I was diagnosed and just entering perimenopause (which also has an effect on having the symptoms and being diagnosed RA too) I hope you find some answers and some relief.

So today during a work meeting, one of my colleagues who I have known for many years turned and said to me, "you are annoyingly beautiful". I was genuinely taken aback by this, and just laughed and jokingly told her to shut up 😂 but I wanted to just think about why this shocked me so much. I always thought compliments like that were reserved for those people who were confident and effortlessly beautiful. I really am not used to receiving compliments, or really even being perceived, and I think this is something that a lot of people who struggle with their weight feel at some point. 280lbs me just wanted to be small and unseen, and not looked at for the wrong reason (very superficial, I know). And now I am being seen, I think, in a different light. It does feel weird. In most ways, it is really nice getting compliments like that, I feel really happy and it was genuinely sweet of her. In other ways, I feel a little bit of grief for the girl who I was a few short months ago, and how she didn't get told things like that. Either way, I do feel really happy about being told that, and weirdly a little tearful if I am honest! Anyway...happy Monday all! 😂

Hi, @Justarwaxx! I'll be only 2 days ahead of you, so we'll be going through this together. I'm nervous and excited, too. Looking forward to being all recovered and starting my new, active lifestyle. Looking forward to not constantly thinking about what I can wear to try to disguise my weight and what people are thinking. I will miss food as a coping and comfort mechanism, but my husband and I are slowly learning how to cook healthy, unprocessed meals. I'm looking at it as an adventure of discovery - what new foods, spices, and ways to prepare them can I discover? I know the next couple weeks will be rough, and the next 3 months will be a marathon slog. I'm ready to tough it out - eyes on the prize!

Like @GreenTealael, I agree finding a way of eating that is sustainable is key. If you choose to follow an eating style that is too restrictive or makes you feel like you’re missing out or can’t participate, it is destined to fail like any diet we tried to follow in the past. And same with whatever exercise you choose to incorporate. If you don ‘t enjoy the exercise, find it restricts or limits your lifestyle, you aren’t’ going to continue with it. Of course, over time you will find you make adjustments or swap out certain foods or activities as your way of eating or exercise routines evolve. You may explore other options, discover you can have a little of this or that occasionally, try a different activity, or you have lifestyle changes. Do I eat exactly like I did when I first stabilised? No. I can actually eat more but the modifications I’ve made are pretty close to how it was and it still works for me & allows me to maintain at the same weight. You have to be vigilant and keep working at it though. Complacency is a slippery slope. Don’t be afraid to seek support & help with therapy if you find yourself sliding back to habits and behaviours. We can’t always do all of this on our own. All the best.

I am going to recommend something I personally subscribe to, which is the online support groups through the Pound of Cure Weight Loss's nutrition program. It's $49 per month and you get unlimited online groups and classes, including groups run by Dr. Weiner, the bariatric surgeon, and Zoe, the registered dietician. They are both so nice and really helpful in answering questions and offering thoughtful advice. While he's not in your area (the practice is in Arizona), I know he's one of the few doctors out there who is happy to take patients who had surgeries elsewhere. If you're not already familiar with Dr. Weiner's book Pound of Cure, I can't suggest it enough. I bought it from Amazon last summer and it helped me start turning around my nutrition while I was waiting for surgery. Their podcast and video series on YouTube are also invaluable.

Hmmmm this is great to think about! 1. Coach my daughters or sons basketball team or any sports teams (I signed up as my daughters basketball coach for the winter, I missed the window for my son since he's in Junior High and I was too scared to do that when I was 300lbs) 2. Finish my bachelors and get a job in my field (got the B.S now need the job lol) 3. Get into fitness and health (its amazing how much my body has transformed with taking up fitness) 4. Buy a pair of REALLY expensive jeans when I am done losing weight!!! (right now I wear Old Navy, A&e on clearance but I want a pair of really nice perfectly fitted jeans, just once in my life!) I know there is lots more but this is the tip of iceberg!