What WLS will NOT do for your life

Amen. It definitely does not make you instantly "happy" or make problems disappear but it does make things easier to deal with than when I was obese.

Laura

 It's so hard to imagine you as obese! You look amazing! Great inspiration!

 I hope I can see the thin me when I reach goal and be able to see the changes as they come. I'm also worried about the excess skin. I know there's Spanx and whatever else, but I don't want to "deal with it" very long. I know ps is pricey, so just hoping I can save up and manage it in a reasonable time. I have 6 kids, so that's really a lot of money to allocate for myself. Guess I'll just do the best I can. I love having OH! I learn so much of what reality will be. At this point I feel pretty useless to others here since I'm sti pre-op, but eventually hope to be more than just a cheerleader! Thanks all for your help and posts! 

You are so very true. I was very lucky that my psych eval was not just one session.  I had multiple sessions and also attended SEVERAL support group sessions also before surgery.  I realized that this was only a tool and I had to address the reasons I came to be so obese and unhealthy.  I met all of the issues HEAD on and worked through some things for 6 months before my surgery.  I knew my life had to change in many ways.  I actually quit my job of 13 years where I was treated so badly and truly beat down and felt such low self esteem due to my employer.  I went to a new place of employment that has a positive and upbeat environment.  I also met issues with my spouse directly and other areas and dealt with them in some form BEFORE my surgery.  I am still a work in progress.  I knew I did not want to go back to where I was ever before.  I am truly making healthy choices in all areas of my life.  I know God has given me a wonderful gift of a new and healthy life and I plan on using it to the fullest.  I hope others understand this is not a magic wand but a gift and a tool, use it wisely! 

Everyone here on OH is so supportive it makes the journey easier with all who understand. 

I just wanted to add that sometimes coming to terms with body issues -- whether it is excess skin when you do not want or cannot afford plastic surgery, not being able to see the smaller "you", coming to terms witrh a new body that is not the size or shape that you expected, or accepting permanent physical limitations (e.g., RH or knee pain that does not subside because of too much damage/arthrtitis done pre-op) -- takes a VERY long time. 

I think I had a certain advantage going into surgery because of my professional background (I knew not to expect the surgery to address the psychological aspects of my weight or eating issues, not to magically solve problems, etc.), and I had a really good therapist (*****cently retired), but I will be 5 years out in August and I am still working on accepting my final body size and shape (even though I knew BEFORE surgery that I did not have a "skinny", and probably NOT single-digit clothing size, body).  I am only 26% body fat (optimal for a 50-year old woman, according to the chart), so I know I am at a healthy size, but it was not what I wanted deep down.  Deep down I wanted, for once in my life, to be truly THIN/SKINNY.

Lora