What do you like about OH?

I read or heard somewhere (before my first surgery 7 years ago) that having a regular support group was a huge part of ensuring success long term. I loved the lapband board here back in the day. Those regular posters were my mentors and friends and it helped me so much to know I had never ending support even at 2am. Complications drove me to revision and I have had other great supports here on different boards since then.

I like that even though the site is vast and has 600,00 visitors, there are nestled little communities that are tight and real. Some of you guys I have met in real life (hi T!) and it helps me stay even accountable and supported to think of you all as friends, not just people from the internet.

Last, I love OH because there is solidly wonderful advice here. If it starts with "please don't take this the wrong way" then you know you are getting REAL advice from someone who isn't afraid to tell you something you don't want to hear. There are sites where you can get a pat on the back for eating Chinese food while you are on a liquid phase. Here you get a kick in the butt. But it's never mean--just direct and real.

Thank you to OH and the people who make it great!

Hey girl! Loved meeting you too! Yes, totally agree with the post response when it starts with the please don't take this the wrong way., that you know you're gonna hear some real advice, not the pat you on your back one.

Echoing what others have posted. For me the most important thing is that I have a community of people who have already been down this road a ways and know the pitfalls. There is no support group in my area - nearest one is two-three hours away. And I know from my Weigh****chers days that I need to be held accountable or I will go off the rails. Here I post my daily menu, and while I don't always stick to it exactly, it becomes a great reminder of what I said I would eat, and also a path that I follow more often than not. And, seeing other's posts about their menu gives me great ideas. I have fallen into kind of a "rut" with eating, and I used to think that was a bad thing. Realizing lately that it is so helpful to me. When it is time to eat, the things that pop into my head are jerky, Babybel cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, protein powder. NOT cookies, chips, sandwiches. It is becoming automatic to reach for a protein source these days. And while I have to admit to having the occasional bite of something, when I do now it is not at all satisfying. And then I reach for the protein.

One more thing - the constant encouragement from vets to go for dense protein, even though it made me kind of sick, was so right on. Six months out, suddenly they do not make me sick, and I have already been working towards that rather than substituting with carbs.

I have said it many times... but I would not have been 20 pounds from goal at six months without this forum. Absolutely.

I found OH through a post on Cruise Critic of all places! This was four years ago when I was going through the hoop jumping for my own surgery and I read just about every single post here, especially on the RNY boards. There's always the "what if surgery won't work for me?" thoughts and reading the stories of so many successful people was very encouraging. Even the cautionary tales were good to read.

I like how supportive and grounded the vets are here. The information shared here really helps me to stay grounded and pull back from the "surgery is magical" thinking that's so easy to fall into. Ultimately, the information shared here reinforces that surgery is a tool and it's up to me to either use it right or not.

Thanks, guys! :D

Jen

I've spent some hours on cruise critic!

Right now, being 7 weeks out my life is so centered around my WLS that I think some people in my "real life" get sick of me. So OH gives me the ability to talk about my surgery with people who get it and specifically have signed up to talk about losing (or not losing) weight.

I also find it motivation, seeing people who are a couple years out and dropping more weight than I have to lose. It makes me excited for what's to come.

This is a great point, Erin. Yes, the first year I was so centered on learning new habits, trying to figure the whole thing out. It was a full time job figuring out how to do this! I tried to be mindful that people in my life did NOT care about every little thing I logged or tried, etc.

IIt's getting better, but even with this group, and my friends in real life on this path with me, I think I STILL driver my family and close friends crazy at times!

They'd already be over the edge without all of you!

Yes yes yes!!! I didn't tell anybody about my surgery so it's nice to have people I can talk to about it.

I did/do tell people if the topic comes up, but obviously I'm not getting into protein counts and Miralax doses with them

My poor husband, who is very supportive, I can see his eyes glaze over as I'm talking about how something is technically "protein forward" but only 12g for 100 calories isn't a great bang for your buck. I can see him thinking "Just eat the food!" I've tried to spare him a little these days!