Hi all. Something has been bothering me for a bit and I felt that I needed to share this with others. I went to a Support Group this past thrusday which has been my first in about year. I was sitting there listening to what everyone had to say, their stories and dos and donts. I began to feel that I was an outsider and that I had become so different from everyone else that I probably should not be there. Let me get you a small background........In the past year, I struggled with eating disorders and a complete obession with food and my weight. I was weighing myself like 3-4 times a day and would punish myself if I gain an ounce or didnt lose enough. I have since gone through therapy and things are well. However......I can't help but feel that I have gotten off track. I have gained 23 pounds over the last year and have been holding at my current weight for about 5-6 months. I dont exercise much due to lack of time but I am pretty active in my everyday life. My eating habits have been less than stellar. I am almost 2 years out and can eat about 1-2 cups of food depending on the consistency. I am sure that due to the bulimia that I may have stretched my pouch to a point that has aloud me to eat so much. I eat carbs. Yes, I said it!!!! I eat carbs and I love them. Pasta, bread, etc. My pouch does not limit me to anything that I want. In the support group, everyone is anti-carb, low fat, low sugar, get your protein, water, exercise and the this goes on. For the most part, I am happy where I am at. I certainly wouldn't mind losing another 20-30 pounds but with my history I feel that if I do I am only putting my health in jeopardy, as I have the fear that I will starve myself again. My husband, family and friends all support me in this and feel that there is nothing wrong with my habits as long as I am maining my current weight. Is this wrong?

Wow! That cheesecake looks wonderful. I'm going to try that for the next family potluck. They'll never know! Thanks for sharing. Happy Friday! Hugs, Stephanie

When Rick first made up his mind for surgery,I purged the pantry of contraband,began to read labels and went to low-fat everything.Certainly didn't hurt and made me more aware of the life-time commitment this was going to be...for BOTH of us. (Would I ever have pasta again?Chips?How could we possibly "go out" to eat?) Then I thought,now I have to make 2 meals each time. Selfish thoughts for the non-surgery person. But,we (I) adjusted.The more positive changes I saw in Rick, the easier adjustments became. Two years out, the pantry looks the same. I make one,healthy meal,for both of us and we still "go out" to eat...just not as much. Adjusting to his daily walking had me resentful at first, an hour out of our limited time together.But I read when I don't join him and he has quiet time away from the grandson's X-box. Our local Dr.gave one of her patients $100. on losing 100 lbs.It was a nice article in the paper until she made the statement that "she worked so hard and didn't do it the easy way through pills or surgery". I,WE,were incensed! Surgery is no "easy way" for the person having it or the support person that is also right there with them. Rick wrote a careful letter.But the Dr. should have known better. Family and friends, too, have made similar remarks. I'll tell you,if it was the "easy" way,more people would be doing it.The commitment/adjustments are life-long for both of us and it never was "easy" watching him suffer when some little bite didn't sit right. So wear your loud Hawaiian shirt (so much smaller) with pride,Rick. Ladies,hold those heads up and delight in the new you.It's been a wonderful "adjustment"for each of us. thanks for listening-Irene

Stay til Saturday atleast by then it will be a little warmer and the 4-8" of snow would have fallen by then!! snow.......

sure theres extra skin, but think of it this way... youre healthier even with sagging skin. you can climb stairs without being out of breath, long walks even running or biking or plenty of other exercise thats out there one wouldnt have thought about doing being over weight. In all honesty (and I dont like saying this) but vanity IS the reason I had surgery. I didn't have any co-morbidities when I had surgery, would I have years down the road since my father had diabetes and passed away at 54 with heart disease, possibly, but I didn't have sleep apnea, a medicine chest full of prescriptions to take for endless problems. I just had a lot of weight I'd try to lose on my own over and over agan, but it would come back. I had the surgery because I didn't want to be a size 26/28 anymore, I was overweight my entire life. I wanted to feel what it felt like to buy clothes in a regular store, not in the plus section. Wear heels and not have my feet hurt, slide on into a booth with friends without thinking twice if I'd fit, not being embarassed at the gym or even in public feeling that people were looking at me as the biggest person in the room instead of who I actually was. I needed a change and I'm happy I did it. I feel great, am so much healthier by going out for a walk or a bike ride, not worrying about having to take the elevator with people 1 floor up just because I didn't want to be breathing like a banchee when I got there... its so worth the rewards! Obviously this is my journey and everyones is different. Its funny, when I go to support group meetings I go to listen and learn. There are a few post-ops there who could work for the clinic as much as they try to lean someones decision for lap band or bypass. I'd never sway anyone as to what they should do with their body. This surgery is far from a simple proceedure as intestines are getting re-routed in your body. everyone should decide whats best for themselves instead of listening to someone telling them which one to have. its something you need a whole lot of dedication for and support! we have a great group here and we're always offering support to each other which I think is the reason our group has been so successful!