Thank you all for the nice remarks. I really need the encouragement. I love my surgeon but was discouraged when he said the chances of losing even just 50 lbs and keeping it off for 1-2 years is only 1-2 %! That really got me down.

But I lost 6 pounds doing the three day preop liquid diet. This is now my third day of no more than 1200 calories with mostly lean protein and not much carbs. I gain .5 pound in three days. lol Im like are you serious?!?! But I know I need to give it time for my body to adjust to it after the liquids. Im also trying to drink around 70 oz or so of fluids a day. I downloaded a calorie counter on my blackberry to help me as well. I need to get more serious about walking more as well.

Hi Lisa, My answer may not make you happy because I don't think 250 pounds is a healthy final weight goal. I do think that it's important to have lots of tiny goals along the way, both scale and non-scale. To me this would be one of those midway goals.

I was in the 300+ lbs when I started and it was overwhelming to look at all the weight I had to shed. It was just too painful to think that I needed to shed close to 200 pounds so my first goal was to shed 10 pounds. I kept moving my goal along. Maybe she can do the same?

WW is a business and I believe that reaching goal means you can attend sessions for free - but I could be wrong. If this is the case then they will retain control on setting that goal and I do think it's fair.

I feel sorry for your friend, it is a struggle even with the band. What does she gain AND lose by setting a goal that's not even close to a normal weight? Maybe she can join here for extra support?

Hi Non-Surgical Wt. Loss friends,

I've never posted here before but I have a question for you that has me a bit heated.

A friend of mine has been 300+ lbs for some time.  She goes up and down.  (Oh how well we know that story).  Her Dr. gave her a goal of 250 lbs.  She submitted the Dr. note to Weigh****chers and they wouldn't accept it because it is too far from their weight chart and they said there's no way any Dr. would think this was a healthy goal.

I feel for her.  She comes to the same WW meeting as me.  (She doesn't know I had WLS) she saw me struggle to get it off and thinks she can too with the right support.  I tried for 30 years to do it and I couldn't maintain it.  I really feel for her and I'm a bit heated with WW.

Is this fair?  What do you think?

Sherrie, I'm so happy for you and thanks for sharing your success. Fantastic. 

Hi and welcome. I was mid way through the process for RNY but hadn't been scheduled yet. I will say I'm glad I had that sleep study because they found sleep apnea and I loved the sleep I had with my machine but I no longer need it.

I found OH and discovered DS and VSG were options my surgeon didn't offer. Did some research and spent a lot of time on OH reading through older posts to discover a truth that isn't always mentioned. They operate on your digestive tract, not on your head. Problem is there is nothing wrong with your digestive tract and it still doesn't solve the head issues. If you work on the head issues then you don't need surgery. The hard part is the head issues and they don't go away even if you have surgery. I had some psychotherapy to deal with some and the rest was finding the right diet that worked for me. I'm addicted to unhealthy, slider foods that ruin any WLS. I would have done well initially but gained my weight back eating chocolate, chips, ice cream. I also had problems with KFC, steak etc. I've read many helpful books to help me understand that certain foods are a true addiction - self medication. I can't eat this stuff even in moderation because like a crack cocaine addict I'm out of control. I have found peace from completely avoiding this food which has little to no nutrition and replaced it with food that is high nutritious. I'm not unique, probably everyone who posts at OH is addicted so some foods, maybe not the same ones that I have problems with, but anything you have no control over when you eat is addicting. I found healthy replacements for some and others I just don't eat - it's not food for me, can be for someone else, but not for me. I found a whole foods diet that has allowed me to not only shed my weight quickly but also caused significant healthy changes in my body that are unrelated to diet. I will never change what I eat because of the way I feel now. I also started to walk - I went from having trouble getting up out of a chair and only being able to walk a short distance two years ago in August to now walking 5 miles regularly. I've completely changed my lifestyle - the foods I eat, how I prepare them etc. You can do it to - it's hard to get started but make it a new routine - change things around so you're not stuck in the same rut that you always fall back into.

If you can do it without surgery, you will be far healthier for having done so. Surgery truly should be the last resort and there are many things to do before opting for it. Please post any questions or problems you're having, especially when you fall off the wagon and we'll help kick you back on.

I was overwhelmed and embarrassed by how much weight I had to shed and you may feel the same way. Now I can't believe that I'm near the end of my weight loss phase, thinking about maintenance and even planning plastic surgery. I know you can do it too.