The difference between newbies and vetarans

 Right back atcha!

Panny, I think you may be taking this opposite of the spirit it was intended. The vets work hard to educate those who are coming behind them about what they (the new folks) might face in the future. The new folks remind the vets of some of the terror and delight (depending on the day) of being a newly-minted post op.The journey-level folk ask questions of the vets and sometimes are able to reassure new folk about things that the vets may not remember with detail since they are much farther out.

So everyone has a place here. No one is better than anyone else. We can (and mostly do) all get along. So keep posting and reading. This is a great place. Take from it what you need and let the rest fall by the wayside.

I didn't mean THIS post specifically. more so the whole newbies and vet division in general and some negative connotations that come with it. I figured since this post would ultimately attract many vets, it might be a good opportunity to express that newbies do need the vets, but don't deserve the sometimes unkind comments. again, not saying it was this post or poster....and again, written word is never the best way to give an accurate portrayal of emotions and intent.

Oh, okay. As long as you know that you, and everyone else, is welcome here, regardless of where you are in your surgical life.

Panny, when I first came on to OH back in September of 2011 I posted one time is this all anyone talks about on here is weight issues?  Doesn't anyone want to talk about other things.  Well, now that I am almost 6 months out from surgery I look back and think what an idiot I was.  I hadn't had surgery yet and had no concept of anything, even though I had started classes back in May of 2011 and had the surgery a year later. 
Until you have surgery you really don't have concept of what Nik and the Vets are talking about.  What is great about OH is this is not a forum that is going to be all about rainbows and unicorns.  There will be many who will hand you the cold hard facts and you may not like it, but that doesn't mean they are being hateful,rude or ugly.  Many people want to be told all the positive and none of the truth that goes along with WLS.  I learned many, many years ago to never make a blanket statement about never saying never.  It's so unrealistic.  So when I see people post and they say 50lbs gone forever, I always see that as a red flag and a set for failure down the road.
So Panny, if you don't like OH the wonderful thing about America is our right to have freedom of speech and choices which means there are other websites for WLS that might suit you better.  You can find them at www.lalaland.com.  Jane

WHOA! I never said I didn't like OH! I said I love it here and its awesome. please do not twist that.

some newbies, like myself, have done a lot of research. if you look at some of my responses to people, you would see that I am not ignorant or naive. I don't have the experience yet, but I have armed myself with knowledge.

I wasn't trying to pick a fight and I think suggesting I find a different online community was unfair for this situation, especially after having expressed my gratitude for OH.

 Yeah I didn't take from what you posted that you didn't like OH either.

I think Judy's point (and I could be wrong) is that your views change as you walk this path. But you seem like a wickedly intelligent person so I suspect you know that already.

My advice if you'll indulge me a bit of it, is to keep an open mind. Embrace this process. I don't think any newbie is particularly naive BECAUSE they are a newbie (I was but that is a WHOLE different post!) but there are some things in this process that you don't fully grasp until it happens to you.

And it will happen to you. And you'll post about it here. And we'll all talk about it. I'm looking forward to seeing your journey progress!

Thank you, Nik! I look forward to you ******g on a few of my rainbows.

 I am a newbie and I wouldn't want separate forums.  I depend on the vets for their information and warnings.  They do take us newbies to task if we do something wrong, but I need that and want that, if I didn't I wouldn't post.
i am not losing quickly, one pound a week, which due to my age, history, etc. my doctor expected.  When I read newbies saying that they lost 30-40 lbs in two months makes me crazy.  I have two choices, read the post or ignore it.  But it is always my choice.

lyn

Well said, as usual.

I am thankful that I knew someone IRL who had a RNY a couple of years before I did and had already gained back a significant amount of weight, so I knew that the "x pounds lost forever" was a delusion and that if I went back to eating crap after the weight loss stopped (as that person did) that the result would be regain.

The "moderation" thing... I know that the majority of vets do eat occasional treats or less-than-healthy items (and I am most definitely one of them) and that there are some who cannot "do" moderation.  I have to say that I am in awe of those who have been able to completely eliminate all sweets or crunchy snack foods from their diets.  I knew going into this that I would never be able to do that, and I applaud the self-control that those folks have. On the other hand, I have had people express surprise that I can have my daily treat and still maintain my weight. That process of trying to figure out what will work and what will not work for an individual person can be difficult because it involves gaining a certain amount of self-insight, and I think that level of insight (which encompasses not just food choices and physical activity, but dealing with the various psychological issues) also often separates newbies (and the "transitional" folks) from vets.

Lora