Come on down and share your story!

Please share about your journey in this sticky!  I cannot wait to get to know all of you :)

Hi, my name is Sara (not that you didn't already figure that out).  I live near LA and am from Chicago originally.

I'm 39 years old and have struggled with my weight my entire life.  I entered the world as a big girl, 10.4 lbs, but I am determined to leave it differently!  I have had some success with weight loss programs over the years (Jenny Craig, Nutri System, South Beach Diet, etc.), but have not been able to keep it off long term.  I have sleep apnea that is not being treated as I cannot get through a study without a panic attack.  I also have arthritis in my knee from an injury that I sustained in my teens.  I am a fairly active person, but do not like exercising.

My weight never really got in the way of me doing the things that I wanted until recently.  I was very active and involved in sports year round as a youth and even into college.  As I steadly approach 40, that is no longer the case and I fear the long term consequences of my weight.

I've been researching WLS for years and thought I was going to have the band.  Recently, I decided that the sleeve was a MUCH better option for me.  I am SO excited!  Although I do not have the final approval from my insurance company, my doctor is not concerned and we should hear back on Monday or Tuesday.

On a personal/family note, I have been married for almost 12 years and we have two children, ages 10 and 8.  My oldest has Autism and my youngest, although highly gifted, has his own issues with anxiety and impulsivity.  I have spent the last 10 years putting everyone else's needs before my own and I am looking forward to really taking care of myself as well as meeting their needs.

I have a wide variety of interests, particularly reading, traveling, going to the movies, and watching ice hockey.

So, that's me!  I'm really looking forward to getting to know you too!

Hi Sara,
I too have struggled with my weight. I am set for surgery!! Feb 28, so I am on my liquid diet--we had a bit of a scheduling glitch so I started my liquids yesterday afternoon. I am going to have a VSG (aka the sleeve). I am in Virginia and started researching surgery two years ago. I decided in October 2011 to go ahead so time has moved along!  Liquids are not that bad, I use bouillon (low sodium) and drink plenty of herbal teas...I guess it is alot of mind over matter..I am so ready that this is just another step! I started exercising a few months back--nothing too outrageous--as I am out of shape and have to work up. I find that 20 minutes four days a week was an easy goal to achieve so after feeling that success I have upped the ante to 25 minutes four times a week...now there are times I walk 6 or 7 times a week and times I walk 2 or 3 times a day...am beginning to feel good ...
I look forward to more posts from you..as soon as I can figure out how to upload my before surgery photo I am going to post it when I return from the hospital, this will be my way of saying goodbye to my old bad habits and hello new me in the New Year! Happy Healthy New Year!

 Hi Sara,

My name is Trina, I am 33 and a working mother of a one year old. I have struggled with weight all my life, tried all diets, and finally after being mortified when looking at pictures of myself with my daughter decided enough is enough. I am being sleeved on March 6th. Although this has been a lengthy process, I just told my family yesterday, and am pleasantly relieved at their reactions. I haven't started my pre-op diet yet, and this weekend am celebrating my daughter's 1st birthday. I figure last year was a celebration of her birth, and this year will be a celebration of my rebirth.

I am more excited than I am scared, and am so committed and resolved to succeed. I am a little nervous about the recovery. Having a little one, and not being able to lift her up is going to be hard. I'm hoping that the exahustion won't be too great.

What protien shakes have you guys tried?! I ordered one and it was SO GROSS. 

:-)Trina

Hi all.. well, here's me.  I guess I'm the senior (lol)  However I am 50 years young AND have a beautiful daughter who will be 9 in May.  She is adopted and the most wonderful thing that has ever happended to me.  I too have been up and down my entire life, likely spending thousands on diets.  My lowest adult wt was about 155 when I was in my late 20s..   The next years was a pattern of gains and losses....  When my daughter was adopted , I  got down to about 190... and felt good, vowing to continue on this track for her...   Yet over the past years ,   well,you know the story...  at 49 I did Nutra System... thinking I did not want to be heavy at 50 and life would change.... I lost about 30 lbs... and struggled through it for year...  No movement.
I had researched WLS for some years, being afraid and not having the option near my home.  However, our hospital (the one at which I work as a nurse) recently started a certified bariatric program and hired a new surgeon.  After watching, and researching... I decided to talk to the coordinator.  I left SOLD on the sleeve.  I knew what I wanted out of WLS and what I did NOT want..  This seemed the means. 
After   50 years of dieting... a strong family history of obesity and metabolism not on my side....  I knew there was something more.  So this is my chancel.  I want so much to be active again with my daughter,   To do the slides at the water park...to play in the park and no****ch...  I  want her to be proud of me.. and I want to be proud of me.  I want to live a long healthy life and teach her to do the same.  My surgery was Last Tuesday, the 6th.  I had a rough time post op with drinking and nausea.  Still having belly discomfort and energy loss..   BUT praying each day will get better.  that's my story, and I look forward to hearing about everyone else's triumpths! 

Hello all!!  Well, my story is similar to many in many ways I'm sure. I have struggled with my weight most of my life. My mother has told me ever since I had my tonsils, tubes & adenoids done I started wearing husky sizes. My grandmother always said TTI (tuck your tummy in) & both she & my mother are very small women. I was a victim of rape & the weight gain really began there. Then when I thought that was out of the way (healed), I landed myself with an abusive ex husband. mainly mental & verbal but it ended physical & I got divorced. Since then I have done Atkins, WW, OA, Bodybugg, Results By KIm, Optifast, Prescriptions appetite suppresants, OTC diet pills, low cal diet, low fat diet, etc etc etc. I have a wonderful Therapist that has helped me realize my dysfunctional relationship with food & the things I was still carrying around emotionally. We have worked very hard on these things last 2+ yrs & I have also worked on my eating & food. My biggest issue now seems to be portions, no matter how hard I try I always want more. I eat very healthy for last year. Allowing myself indulgences in very small portions at appriate times so I don't deprive myself & go nuts later...lol! Between her & my doctor, we have decided this is my best option & appropriate for me now. I say now because I have thought about & talked myself out of bariatric surgery for many years believing "I wasn't bad enough" or " I just needed better will power".   My mother had a heart attack at 47 & was diagnosed w/ coronary artery disease & high cholesterol. These are all genetic & this got me really thinking. (3 years ago) All this is gentic, my risks for cancer are so much higher, pregnancy prob not gonna happen, not w/o probs anyway.  Well I talked myself out of it again. But last April I decided it's time when it hit me that I can't keep up with my 6 yr old step son (new wonderful boyfriend of 4 yrs now) & that I don't wanna die before my parents & possibly my grandparents because I can't be honest w/ myself that I can't do this alone. So, I started this journey (for real this time..lol) & now I'm just 2 days from the beginning of new life & endless opportunities to try & do things my weight held me back on.

 Hi.
I'm Elaine and I've been over-weight most of my life (38 years old now).  We lived overseas until I was 5, then when we returned to the States I quckly gained weight with all the access to fast, unhealthy foods.  I hit puberty early and was uncomfortable with it, and I think being fat made me feel more invisible.  It was like a safety barrier around me.  
I didn't get picked on in school, just picked last for sports or anything active.  
Time passed and so did diets. . .the ones in childhood and teenage-dom (teenagers requiring a kingdom, not just a 'hood!) being thrust upon me, and since I never really WANTED to be thin, they were all pretty useless, just causing me to gain more weight after each one.
I never hated my body, but during and after high school, I was embarrassed by it. My adult dieting was fairly lackadaisicle also, I think the only one I got serious on was the South Beach diet, where I lost about 30 pounds and kept them off for about 8-9 months.  Then I talked myself into eating unhealthy again (so long as I had protein first, of course!)
Reaching over 300 lbs and having some hygiene and looming health issues made me get serious again, and this time I decided on surgery.  Plication was my 1st choice, but a small medical history issue and experince by surgeons made me change it to VSG. 

I get to start creamy soups tomorrow, and have only seen about 1/3 lb weight loss after surgery, but I'm still trying to get all of my water in, not even worrying too much yet about protein.

Oddly enough, after a lifetime of hating exercise, I can't wait to get back to using my stationary bike. . . 5 weeks to go.