HELLO FROM THE OTHER SIIIIDDDEEE!

HI ALL! New here from BP. Little about me.....I am 37 (38 next month ugh!) I had my sleeve done Aug 25, 2016 and am now approx 20 lbs from my goal given by my doc. 35lbs from personal goal. When i tell my family I want to lose that much still they reply with "FROM WHERE!?". Well I still see myself as fat when I look in the mirror. Its funny, when I WAS fat ( and i mean FAT), I didnt think I was near as large as I was. It wasnt until I seen a photo taken of me from my daughters bday party that I realized I had to do something about my "situation". I was utterly disgusted with what I seen. I cried and asked my very handsome husband why and how he stayed with me. I was always a skinny person until my dad passed 5 years ago. I fell into a food fueled depression and that is all she wrote. I think I am a slow loser but when I look for reassurance on discussion boards I find that I am similiar in stats to people with my starting stats. That makes me feel better. I am easily discouraged! If i hit a stall (right now) I convince myself that the sleeve stopped working and I am done losing weight. I look desperately for reassurance and validation at the same time. I have managed to stay true to my diet and have only had one planned cheat day this whole 4.5 months. I think that is pretty darned good. When i say i planned a cheat day, it was New years eve. I didnt drink at all but did eat some appetizers that werent on my plan. I had very little guilt about it but suffered greatly the next several days with cravings so i will not be doing that again. On to my name....I am a nurse....I am not ratchet....lol i just thought it was funny. :) With that said, on other forums people find out Im a nurse and want to inbox me all kinds of questions regarding their diet and surgery and side effects and exercise. I want to be clear that before this I have never even laid eyes on a bariatric patient. I know nothing more that what we were all taught during preop education. I knew what field I was going into so the one chapter we had on WLS in college was slept through. Im not trying to sound unapproachable. Please inbox anyitme, I am here to talk to others and learn and teach others. However, I dont know anything special that a normal wls patient would know. Sorry.......I value everyones opinion and honest feedback if they can deliver it in a polite way. Im all about tough love and real honest advice but do not badger me or others. Its uncecessary and I find myself getting overly defensive. With that said, Ive never had an issue with this.never cared what waht anyone said until a very good friend of mine lost her 19 year old daughter to suicide because of kids badgering her about stuff she did that she already knew was wrong. Do I think that everyone is going to make that decision if tormented? No,,,,,,however you dont know everyone and dont know the demons they suffer with  

This was a problem for me on BP. I go to overly sensitive and defensive. Sometimes I was in the wrong and sometimes I wasn't. The info given in the background of all of it was very helpful and true. I am learning to take what I need from the post and if there is something that rubs me wrong, leave it alone. It's a process so I still have "moments".  With that said, I hope for a fresh start on here and to make friends with everyone to maximize what I can learn. I have a lot to learn from the surg vets and I can teach the newbies. I realized on BP that I was missing that vet advice and views after a handful of them were banned.  Did I think some of the remarks were unecessary? Sure. I've voiced that for sure. But to ban them, took away from the site and was over the top. 

anyway, I can't  wait to hear your stories, successes and all about your journey! 

Welcome!  It sounds like you are doing great! This VSG tool is wonderful when used properly.  I am actually further under goal weight than I want to be due to some recent surgery. But I am healing quickly from the surgery due to the high protein diet which we use with our tool.  I knew I was fat before I did this, but it really hit home when my son was looking at a picture of me the other day where I was 20 pounds less than my HW, and he commented that he hadn't realized just how much weight I had gained and it was a good thing I had WLS.

Great job!! 116 is probably ideal for your height is it not? 

I can only hope to get close to that.  But I'll be happy at 140.  Lol

I'm actually closer to 114 right now and look kind of skinny to my family (and me).  You are right though that it is still in the healthy BMI range.  I just think I looked better between 120-125.

Yeah I can imagine that. Good luck with your surgery recovery and congrats on your weight loss success. What a great accomplishment. 

Welcome. I am under my doctors goal of 170 but still 10 away from my goal of 140 however my doctor says I probably have 10-15 pounds of loose skin but I can't afford plastics at this time.  My family says I should stop losing but I want to hit that goal of mine.  At any rate I was sleeved in September of 2015 and it's absolutely the best thing I have ever done for myself.  You have done very well, keep up the good work! 

Welcome to OH!   You've done an amazing job so far, congratulations.   I think you will find this site very valuable and the people are great.  Some people are very direct, but honestly, that is what is needed.  I am 16 years post op.  Been with OH since 2000 and I have seen people come and go, but it is the ones who offer the sound and brutal advice that stick around here and have a long term maintenance.  This just shows you how important support and talking through issues, no matter how difficult they may be, is.   I am working on getting my regain off.  I had maintained for 12.5 years an.     It a PITA, but I know I can do it.   

I completely understand your sensitivity on badgering, but sometimes what may seem like it by some here, is not.   People offer their honest opinions based on what the question is and they truly want to help.    Being a nurse, I am sure you understand that, completely.  

I look forward to reading more of your posts here.   Again, welcome Nurse Rachet!  

WELCOME!!  I TOTALLY love your name cos everyone I used to work with called me Nurse Ratchet!!!  I used to be a psych nurse in prison, so I EARNED that one!!!  SO happy to be a part of your continuing journey!!!

Ok, I give. I am not getting the Ratchet reference. Anyone care to school me on it by chance?

In the 1975 film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," Nurse Ratched (not Ratchet [sic]) was the head psychiatric nurse in the insane asylum.  She was a controlling narcissist / sadist / creep -- take your pick.  

Her character was played by Louise Fletcher, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress that year.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurse_Ratched