feeling alone

today i am feeling totally alone. i live in a small town and my apartment complex where i live has mostly older folks that are morbidly obese. i mean i am doing very well with the weight loss but there are times that i want to tell someone about my new recipes or the fact that i had baked chicken and veggies for lunch or that my goal is to get one of those funny weight loss tee shirts or the fact that i have to read labels on everything i eat or why am i losing so much weight in my shoulders and my clothes bag on me or does anyone understand i am having skin issues and have to go to the dr for this? there is a support group i can go to but it only meets 4 times a year. i do probably sound whinny like i am feeling sorry for myself. i'm sorry if this is how i am coming across. i mean when you have the surgery it totally changes every part of you. i know, i had the surgery for me and no one else. i have to concentrate on that. thanks everyone for just letting me vent.

Post more here!

No matter where you are in this process, I suspect someone on here has been there!

I find that there's great advice when I need it; encouragement or a kick in the pants when those are warranted and great Support and celebration with people that understand that some days the big win just white knuckling through the day...and other time it's happy dancing because your knees now let you!

Engage in the virtual community and it engages with you:-)

Oh, forgot to say, I love seeing new recipes. I know the recipe thread doesn't get much action but I check it out when I notice something new -- and the menu threads are good places for that too!

I want to figure out how to get in the habit of posting recipes, but I never seem to manage!

Come here!

Seriously, it's very common for those of us who do talk to people in our lives about all the things you mentioned -- and it drives them crazy. They start to hide from us, because all we want to talk about for a while is weight loss, food, and everything else.

So come here, let it all out, the good the bad, and the ugly. It helps.

I absolutely agree with the others that you can (and should!) post here! Both the RNY and the VSG board have a daily menu thread that's a great way to get to know other people on OH, talk about your progress, and see how other people are doing.

Remember, WLS is a HUGE life change and it's absolutely normal to have a whole bunch of big feelings about it. So coming here, where people "get it," is really helpful :)

my bariatric clinic has a monthly support group meeting, but I pretty much never go anymore. Even if I did, it's too infrequent to be of much help. So OH is my support group. As others have said, join one of the menu threads - if you become a "regular" on there, you'll get to know a ton of people! And a lot of us can relate to what you're going through.

I had been going to the local bariatric program support group, but I finally had to stop. In theory, it's an awesome resource, but in actuality it was a bunch of people talking about frankenfood replacements and bragging about their lack of exercise. To me, it seemed like it just really reinforced the idea that the surgery was a magic solution that would let you keep on doing all the things you did before and still lose weight.

For a while I tried to go to counteract this, since I was longer out post-op than any of the other regulars, but I just don't have the energy to do that labor anymore :/

By and large the people here are fabulous. I haven't been around much due to anxiety, but even reading the forums is so helpful. I've met some of the best people in my life here.

Also, regarding shoulders, I feel you. Apparently I have to lose weight everywhere but my butt. Thanks a lot, butt, for being, well, a butt.