Hey, everybody, I loved reading your plans! Let me tell you, I am 13 months post-op, have lost 170 pounds and life is WONDERFUL! You will be able to do all those things and more. I don't know what the very best thing is, but the simple things are what give me daily glee: never having to worry if I will fit some place or if the chair will hold me; getting up from a chair without thinking about it and without being in pain; being able to walk very fast; having energy, energy, ENERGY! And it is so delicious to have people tell me how wonderful I look! I still cannot believe it all. 16 pounds to my dr.'s goal for me; 34 to my goal -- I just want to not be overweight for the first time since I was 8 years old! Oh, and I would like to get rid of the "sharpe' puppy" look under my clothes. This is the best thing I've ever done for myself...you will be so happy! Ruth 379/209/175

At "Curves" I was taught to actually increase my caloric intake for two days, three at the most, then go back to basics: protein, lots of water, low carbs and exercise. Even though I've never been on a real plateau (no weight loss or inches lost for four weeks) this works for me every time it seems things have come to a hault. Ruth

Johnna, Everybody loses at her own pace! I was losing quickly until the last month or so. When I complained to the nurse practitioner at my surgeon's office she told me that I was way ahead of the normal rate. The key is if you are still losing. Are you eating as directed and are you exercising at all? I find that when I walk more, I lose faster. Just be grateful that you are healthy and losing weight. I almost died from a pulmonary embolism so I am thrilled to be alive. I feel so much better and have so much more energy than I did before surgery, even though I still have over 100 pounds to lose! Good Luck! Ruth

Karen, I was a total sugar junkie for years before my surgery. Besides all the chocolate, cookies and other stuff I ate during the day, I would eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream every night before I went to bed! I had my surgery September 9 of this year and have not had a problem yet. In this holiday season I have had the occassional piece or maybe two of chocolate, but that's it. I haven't dumped on that small amount but feel confident that I would if I ate a whole lot of it. I have not craved sugar or gone looking for it. I also won't have it in my house. I live alone so that works for me. I don't know much of anything about the lapband but I've read quite a bit and the RNY has much higher success rates than the lapband. I'll bet I could eat a lot of ice cream with the lapband!!! Since my RNY, food has become pretty much a non-event for me. In fact, because I had some complications and have ot eat a minimum of 100 grams of protein a day, food seems more like medicine that I have to get in me some days. The malabsorption aspect of the RNY is a very effective part of the weight loss. Now, I will say that I worked very hard in therapy for several years dealing with the issues that I ate over. I thought that when I finished that process, I would magically lose weight. Ha! I tried it on my own again for two years before I finally had the surgery. If you really want this, you will succeed. And even though I spent 33 out of 61 days in the hospital, I am thrilled that I did it. Ruth

Deb, You've gotten great advice from everybody so I will just tell you a little of my experience. They put the IV in me in pre-op and I don't remember anything until I was back in my room and my family and friends were there to greet me! I could have been in pre-op for hours for all I knew and I have no memory of post-op. Oh, I do remember them saying to me "OK, it's over. Everything went great" as they were taking me out of the operating room. Everybody's experience is different. Don't take your husband's experience as yours. Have a great Thanksgiving and an uneventful surgery. Ruth