Would love to hear "what I wish I had known" facts/comments from you all!

This is very prudent advice, and gives me hope! Thank you!

I actually really enjoyed working out when I had lost my weight before, and have pictures of me competing in multiple 5k's and mud runs.

Thank you for this.

I also have kids, as well as I work overnights, sleep while my girls are in school, get up, make everyone supper (breakfast for me), then try and fit in photography, horse time for myself and horse time for my daughter, time with friends, and then get ready for work again. I have the schedule of a 25 year old in the body of a 40 year old lol.

I became very good at eyeballing as well when I lost weight before, but that was a long time ago. So between a new stomach, and my brain distorting how much a tbsp is, I will certainly need to measure for a while. I am totally ok with that.

I have seen it said a couple of times that people who don't weigh/measure food are very religious about getting on the scale, and that makes a lot of sense. If you see a problem there, you can step in and intervene early. Did you measure yourself also? Or just go by the scale?

May I ask where you are located?  Are you planning on following your sister's path and self paying for surgery in Mexico/the U.S.?  

I am in Saskatchewan Canada, and it's crossed my mind to have surgery in Mexico, but I will be discussing it with my family doctor before making a decision. I am not entirely sure what his perspective will be. My sister called and talked with me for about 2 hours last night, and I asked her how her doctor felt about her having the surgery in Mexico, and he was completely for it, but I have no clue how mine will feel about it.

Apparently, the average wait time for (domestic) surgery in Canada is 5 years. The survey was done in 2009, but I suspect it's still the case.

Last year in Saskatchewan they did 100 surgeries and still have 600-700 people waiting.  It will definitely be a long haul.

Well from 1 newbie to another there are a few things that I have learned here. For 1 this is a forum where what is said can be interpreted 1 way or another based on your perspective. What is seemed as negative by one will not be seen as negative by someone else.

I've learned to take it all in. What I can use, I use, & what I don't, I don't. Very simple. Therapy was suggested, if you choose the human kind or the horse kind that's up to you. You asked, people responded. You can either take their advice or not. There is no need for you to "defend" your position. You can either use the suggestions, or keep it movin. The tit for tat thing to me seems unproductive. No one is calling you an idiot or suggesting that you don't know what you're doing, they only know by what you post. Keep in mind people are trying to help you because at 1 point we were where you are now & we want you to be successful.

Part of being successful is tracking & measuring your food, at least for now & it won't seem like food is the center of your universe, but it'll feel like that. After you get the hang of things it won't seem so bad. It'll become a habit. Eyeballing food can become really tricky & you end up eating more than you think. Now if you pre measure your food ahead of time that might save you some time later on & if it works for you, all the better. While following the successes of your friends might be ok for now, eventually you'll have to find what works for you. That takes a bit of experimenting.

In the beginning I did weigh & measure everything, eventually I found out how much I could have of this or that to know I was within my limits. I weigh myself every week, I track & log my food everyday. I've also started to write down how I feel emotionally. I know I'm an emotional eater & I have to stay on top of it. You'll have to find out what your triggers are & find ways to deal with it. Whenever I stall out, I look back to what I was eating, did I get my protein, water & vitamins in, how was I feeling, was I stressed, bored? Did I have too many carbs?, etc. If I was on point with everything, then I'll sit back & wait for the stall to pass, that this is the time for my body to adjust to my new lifestyle & it just needs time to adjust.

I've learned not to compare myself to others. It's hard sometimes, but I've learned that I'm unique & my body will lose at its own pace, not the pace I want it to. I realized that I can't exercise my way to thin. It's good & healthy for my body & I've learned to luv it & look forward to it because at that time its me time, its time to take care of me. 

I hope some of this helps you. Good Luck on your weight loss journey.

Hi I'm new here and Canadian as well,

i just wanted to tell tell you to call the bariatric clinic in Saskatchewan and ask them what the wait really is.

Because here in Quebec, the government is pouring a ton of money into bariatrics (they realize that this is money well invested in the long term) and the wait time is down to under a year. But most people still think that the wait is years. Even my GP had told me that it would be about 1 1/2 to 2 year wait. I actually started looking into private clinics here in Montreal, but called the bariatric clinic and they told me not to worry that I would be hearing from them shortly. I got a call in January for my first information meeting in February. I personally went from seeing my GP, him putting in the referral, to information meetings, meetings with doctor, Nutritionist, nurse, pre-op, opti fast to surgery in under 6 MONTHS. My request was put in on November 10, 2014 and I had surgery May 1, 2015. I was not a special case. At the bariatric clinic I was informed that the wait is well under a year now. My surgery was at the Montreal General Hospital. They preform 5-7 bariatric surgies every day. The General has 4 fantastic Bariatric Surgeons, And the after care is great and I will be followed for life. Things have really improved here. 

Basically I'm just asking you to call or go see them and find out for yourself. You might be pleasantly surprised.

good luck, 

Grace