Well, I am at the opposite end of FL (Naples) but will chime in - I had RNY coming up on 4 years ago. I lost 105 lbs. at my lowest point, but am working on about 15 lbs. of regain right now. Exercise is key - I have slacked off and desperately need to put workouts back into my routine!

The message boards can be a great support group. I came to FL from PA, where my surgery was done, and still touch base with others from the message board there via FB and OH. All it takes is for folks to join a thread here and we are off and running!

I was sore and maybe a 7 for pain but the second day i was fine. I expected it to be alot worse for pain and it wasn't.

My official weigh in for insurance was 280 but im short I am only 5'2 so i look like humpty dumpty lol,well i did. I look more woman now.You do have to make alot of changes with your food and the best advice is start today,which it sounds like you have. I could eat everything also trust me. But having thr RNY done I can't eat a fraction of what I want. I didn't go to support group meetings because honestly I didnt think it would help just listen to people talk but it has. I have missed the last few due to my schooling and daughters softball but as soon as sports is done back I go.Yes being bi-polar is interesting at times and also makes it harder for me because I couldn't take my meds until I found it in liquid form so my moods made me want to eat and i couldnt.Its a cycle but Im on tract and Im not ashame of who I am. Most ppl dont even know i have it until i tell them.

I dont drink water,just green tea. I have tried but for some reason I cant drink water,even flavored water.The dr said just keep trying to drink water but as long as i can drink then drink the green tea. So I drink about the 64 ozs a day.

It does help no matter what step ur in this process to talk to others. Wel I find it does.

Well congrats for making that first step and getting the ball going. Sometimes waiting is the worse and feels like forever. To be honest I have just been able to actually eat the last month or so. I had an extremly hard time eating anything at all the first 4 months. Most days I eat breakfast: cheese stick w/3 ritz cracker, lunch 1oz shredded jennie o turkey sandwich meat,1/40z of lettuce n tomato with 1/4 teaspoon sal dressing and dinner is usually 1oz fish n 1oz sal. and thats alot for me. Somedays I just can't eat but crackers. My stomach has a mind of its own and somedays I will eat a little more but thats usually the routine. I am suppose to drink protein shakes and I use to love them but I cant stomach it at all.I don't know what its. So I waste more than anything else but i do know for me if it smells sugary its not going in. Its a game of finding what I can eat and its so fustrating in the begining because your mind is telling you you want to eat that pizza or ice cream but you can't. I couldn't physically do it. I think its a mental set. You have to have you mind in this journy as much as your want for it. Due to the first few months only being able to drink green tea I had no energy to exercise but now I walk 3miles in the morning and another 3 in the afternoon. I also do 30minutes on my eliptical and starting monday I will be turning one of the 3 miles into a run. My goal is to do one 5k a month. I also started to do some free weights because I have the arms when you wave they keep waving after you have stopped lol Everyone is diffrent when it comes to food so please take that into consideration and I hope I didn't scare you. I know I had made a friend through facebook and I had answered some questions for him and he can't understand how he won't be able to eat like he wants. This was the best thing ever and as long as you have friend,family and fellow people who have gone through this it will make it so much easier for you.I hope this helped you and good luck.

Oh I know 70lbs is good,just seems sometimes I should have lost more but my goal is 150. So I have59lbs to go as of today.