New Here...

Hi Everyone! I've been reading the posts here for about 4 hours...  I have been contemplating having weight loss surgery, and even have a surgery date scheduled for 1/17.  I had my stomach stapled in 2002, and the surgery was not very successful.  I was going in for a revision from the staple to the RNY in a couple of weeks, but after reading about the many complications that can occur with revisions, I've changed my mind.  I am now convinced that I'm going with my weight loss surgeons' non-surgical weight loss option instead.  After reading about all of weight loss success stories of you all, I know I can finally beat this!  Does anyone have any advice that will be helpful, such as easy recipes and things of that nature? I will probably be updating this thing daily...  The first day of the rest of my life started today!  Wish me luck...

Hi Tracy.  Welcome Aboard! First thing you need to do is pick a program to follow.  Weigh****chers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Atkin's, Zone diet, whatever. You need to do some research in all these diets (and others) and find out which one suits you; which one you feel you can follow.  Next, you need to figure out what kind of exercise regime you can follow. Do you belong to a gym?  Do you have fitness tapes at home?  Do you have a place where you can walk (like a track at a high school, or something)? Best tool you can use is something like thedailyplate.com or fitday.com to track your food intake.  You'll never realize how many calories you stick in your face until you track it. And support for your whole plan, you've got with us.  So you're good to go in that area. :)

Best of luck to you!!

Thanks for the advice, it's really helpful!  I will most definitely check out the websites you gave me! I'll be posting soon...

Glad to have you!  Stick around and we can all help each other. Brenda

just wanted to say hi! and welcome!

welcome tracey! Congrats on your new start. There is no secret to weight loss surgery or otherwise. It takes time and dedication. You have to find what works for you and what you can see yourself doing for the rest of your life if you want to make it a lifestyle change. I personally, don't believe that you should be able to have a slice of cake every now and then. When you deny yourself, you may binge when you indulge. You can also modify some of your favorite foods. For me, I love pasta. I now only eat the whole wheat pasta. i use smaller plates, eat every 3 hrs and TRY to workout daily ( thta's been a struggle since having my son 2months ago). Anyway we are all here to support you!

Tracy: I agree with Janina.. educate yourself on diets out there.. See what works for you! You can even develop your own plan from these diets. Ultimately you want a balance of everything. Diet is only a one part of the equation. Don't forget to exercise. Also there is the behavioral element that we all struggle with constantly. You need to pay attention to your choices, actions, and feelings regarding food. Recognize->Change->Commit. Welcome aboard. -Bud