Does Anyone else?

Look at the before and after pictures on here and really wonder if you will ever look like that? I mean I heard that the higher you start out at the less chance of keeping the weight off but what about the chances of getting to goal? I hate not sounding all positive, lately I have been thinking how this is work again. like staying out of the cookies or not munching on crackers at night. right now I want to eat seafood salad on crackers and i'm typing this so I dont lol anyway I want to be a big loser! I want to ski next winter and I want to go boating this summer all my friends go hiking in the adirondacks and I want to go with them.  I want to where sleevless shirts but I dont think that will ever happen unless I decide to get surgery on that skin. I want to say no thank you to snacks an truely not want them! 

You could always try seafood salad on lettuce leaves or cucumber slices or something like that.  Then you'd get the protein without the crackers... And yes, absolutely I wonder if I will ever look like that, or even normal/chubby.  I don't know if I'll get to my goal (175) but even if I do, I am supposed to weight between 110 and 120 so I'll still be 50lbs overweight on their scale.  I'd be very happy to be in the overweight category, but I may end up never getting out of obese.  You may always be fighting those food demons, and you may always want those snacks but focusing on all the things you want to be able to do will really help you in those moments of weakness I think.  I also notice its getting harder for me to resist those things - at first they weren't tempting but now sometimes they are... especially chocolate and tortilla chips... my two biggest weakness pre-op were anything chocolate and chips and salsa.  I'm afraid to see if just a small bite would satisfy the demons but I did try a small bit of both.  Dark chocolate satisfied me very well - just one small piece of the darkest I could find.  A handful of tortilla chips only made me want more so none of that.  As for the chances of getting to goal - I guess it depends on what your goal is and how realistic it is.  If I set my goal at 120 it wouldn't happen.  I set my goal initially to just be anything under 200 lbs - but I lowered it to 175 later.  I don't know if that's realistic or not - I am rather small framed so it might be.  I will be happy to just be functional and quasi-normal looking.  Doubts are natural - especially when the first few months fade and it becomes work.  I don't know about you, but 4-5 months is usually how long I could stick to a diet so I am waiting for this to fail too.  It won't though.  We can do this! Best Wishes to you, Jenn

Thanks Jen, I woke up this morning not eating those crackers! and I ate hot cereal for breakfast. I'm going to take down my christmas stuff (late I know) and work around my house today. Want to go sledding later? lol what ? no snow in Texas? lol    the lettuce idea is something I always forget so thanks for reminding me maybe i'll have that for lunch today.         as far as my goal I would like to be at like 159 which is the highest at my weight to not be Over weight but I dont really for see that so i'm thinking anything under 200 as well. When I get there maybe i'll ask more out of myself. My cardiologist said I should make under 200 easy 85 lbs to go for that.   Thanks again!  E

I think we all wonder if we will make it to our goal. So far I stll am able to avoid any carbs that aren't in a supplement or protein. They say for the DS that avoiding c3bs gives you the best chance of success. I worry that I can eat too much. I think we have that failed dieter mentality a,d until we lose the majority of our excess weight we will continue to feel it won't happen. BUT THIS TIME IT WILL!!!!!!!!

I worry that my pouch is to big and I am eating to much too. Its so hard to know but I think your right its the never having succeeded at this losing before.    But I guess sometimes you really gotta fail to realize how good it feels to succeed.....Thanks!!!!! E

My surgeon told me that the more you have to lose, the less likely you are to get to a normal weight (of course, that is not to say it is impossible, and many people will get there).  My surgeon says losing 50% of your excess weight is a success.  I think I am done with the weight loss.  I am nowhere near normal, still huge, but  240 is a lot better than 390, so I still consider myself successful. All my best to you!  

I was positive I wouldn't reach my goal, which was 180. But, I hit it, then passed it and now plan on making 160 my new goal. The key thing for me was being realistic - I never figured I would be a size 8, I just wanted to get out of the 14-24 range. But as time went on, I have tried to listen to what my body is saying and it has taken me on a crazy journey! I do snack on occasion but have to watch out for triggers, as was illustrated this Christmas. Man, was I out of control!! The big thing for me is that there is (most of the time) balance in my life, something that has always been hard for me to do. I also keep reminding myself of all the things I want to do and that gets me motivated to keep going. Maybe you could post something on your frig, a pic or a goal, as a reminder of how you want to hike and ski, etc. I have a bulletin board that I post pics or info on an inspirational people as a reminder of my goals - it works! The first few months were really the toughest for me mentally - all those doubts and fears that I wouldn't be successful, the one failure of the surgery! It's pretty normal.  Eventually you will be able to have crackers and that's ok - they aren't evil or bad. It's just about balance. And by they way, I wear sleeveless all the time and my arms are horrible! At some point you just have to say "who cares" and get out there. When I mention it to friends they usually think I'm being too self conscious and to not worry about it. You've done so well and the fact that you have taken a big step in improving your health is a big thing! Just take it a day at a time and you'll be fine.

I like the idea about the bullitin board , and my daughter could use it as well she just started weigh****chers ( she is 16) we'll put it up in our new kitchen and make it a permenant one i jut talked to my hubby about it.  I want to stay positive and when I get all down I just get more and more mad at myself which makes me more mad and It just snow balls.  My depression is anger or my anger is depression I have never been able to tell the difference.  Thanks    E

Hi Estelle, I really think you heard the doctor wrong. The bigger you are does NOT mean the more likely you are to regain. The medical profession gives you a percentage of excess weight to expect to lose based on their statistics.. They have to do it that way. You have to be realistic, so go with that goal. You can always make it lower later, but why overwhelm yourself? If your doctor actually believes heavier people are more likely to regain than their lighter cohorts, than he needs to retake his psych courses. He needs to learn that eating disorder severity is not measured by weight (see definition of anorexia, bulimia). Grrrrr....sorry, a nerve got hit, not by you, but by the community at large (no pun intended). That said, re-gaining weight is highly likely if one does not address the reasons they overeat in the first place, and why they got to be the size they were. We also need to figure out what "normal" is. Our thinner friends also struggle with snacking, being true to their healthy desires, motivation, etc. To expect that we will not have these same struggles just because we had surgery is unrealistic. WLS is not a magic cure-all. You are doing great. Breathe, take one day at a time. A difficult day is simply that. Move on to the next one. -Julie

I look at my own "Before and During" pictures (no after for me yet, as I'm not done!) and am shocked!

I never thought I was as big as I was until I saw my awful before picture and never in a million years would have thought I could loose 175 pounds the first year, let alone loose almost 200 pounds! If I can do this anyone can! Stay positvie and you WILL be a big looser!