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I survived.. It was ok.. 130 people, I knew none.   We got there for cocktails. I got a milk and pookey got the second half of my milk when I was full. Pookey had a beer after that and I sipped iced water. 

  Pookey was good and introduced me to lots of people and didnt leave me without permission. I will have to reward him today, was too tired last night :P   They were all very nice and a happy bunch. I still felt very very very out of place and only almost vomitted from stress a couple of times. 

  I admit I did look good. I would say I was in the 90th percentile of hotties there. There were a few gals that were stunning (bitches) and many who were just not trying :P I noticed the heavy gals ALL dressed better than the average. Is it a compensation we do? Bad enough being fat cant be plain too?   Since none of them have ever seen me before NO I didnt get any compliments :P People keep asking but to strangers I could look like this everyday. 

I stood with pookey mingling in the crowd for about an hour and then we picked a table and sat down while it was empty. I guess we must be popular cause several couples wanted to sit with us and practically rushed over to claim seats with us before finishing their mingling :P   

Dinner was buffet, had to walk a mile over and back (in the freaking heals what the heck was I thinking???) I had a full plate when I was done and ate 1/2 took a little break and ate the other 1/2. I had 5 grape tomatoes, lettuce and italian dressing, 5 olives, 8 baby carrots, 2 pieces of deli sliced ham with mustard and a dressing stuffed chicken breast with gravy. It was all yummy and I enjoyed it emensly.   

There was a whole table of desserts. I didnt even go look :P Pookey had a huge plate of desserts and I had mentally okayed myself a bite and then decided I didnt want one. So he managed to eat several types of cheesecakes and squares :P (He got food drunk too :P)   

We played a few games, one was a Christmas trivia we can play here later ;) and the others were for charity. 50/50 draw and where did santa and the reindeer land when they had their accident? $2 a square to play. We won nothing (YAY) so we didnt have to walk up to the podium to recieve our prize. OMG I was so scared of winning :P 

They also had a slideshow playing the whole time of people in strange situations from the last year, from last years Christmas party, field work, halloween and other occaisions. That was cute. Pookey was in the "over achievers" picture for winning an award. He wins the team player award and hardest worker award every year since the staff vote on who the winner will be :P   

So as soon as the awards, announcements were over we left. We got pounced twice on our way out the door but still managed to scram in just a little over 3 hours of being there, that was PLENTY for us :P  

Thank you guys for all your support. No I didnt have "fun" that implies I would have had less fun sitting at home in my jammies and that aint so. I survived it and that was good :)  

 

7 Weight Loss Mistakes

Provided by Men's Health

 

You diet. You exercise. So why is your gut still hanging over your belt? Because of these common pitfalls:

 

You Inhale Food

 

If you were a rat, you'd chow down for about 15 minutes, feel full, and stop eating. But you aren't. You probably eat so fast that your stomach hardly has time to alert your brain to tell your mouth to quit chewing before your stomach explodes.

 

Solution: Try this drill during your next meal. On every bite, chew, swallow, put down your fork, and take a sip of water. See how long it takes you to eat. Now, during subsequent meals, take just as long to eat, only without the drill. Another meal-prolonging trick for men with regular dinner partners: Turn off the TV, put down the Daily Racing Form, and actually have a conversation.

 

You're Starving Yourself

 

Slashing too many calories, particularly protein calories, pushes the body to conserve calories rather than burn them. It also forces your body to break down muscle tissue to fuel its vital operations. But that muscle is the key to your metabolism, or the speed at which you burn calories. More muscle means a faster metabolism and less body fat.

 

Solution:  You do need to cut calories to lose weight. (Cut 500 today by eliminating one can of beer, 30 chips, and one Oreo from your diet.) But you need to make sure you're eating at least 1,600 to 1,800 calories each day to keep your metabolism from shutting down. And never cut protein during a diet. If you're a sedentary 200-pounder, you need about 75 grams of protein (about two chicken breasts) a day for muscle preservation. If you're lifting weights, aim for twice that much. Doing aerobics? Pick a number in between.

 

You Don't Get Enough Sleep

 

Sleep deprivation decreases the odds of shedding blubber and keeping it off. Researchers found that healthy men who snoozed only 4 or 7 hours a night for 6 nights in a row had higher glucose and insulin levels in their blood. This is a terrible state of metabolism for a man who's trying to lose weight, because surplus insulin boosts body-fat storage.

 

Solution: Hit the sack for 8 hours each and every night. And try to hit it for the same 8 hours. That is, establish a regular bedtime and waking hour. Pick the time you have to wake up on most days, and make sure you're in bed at least 8 hours before. Company is optional.

 

You're Too Refined

 

Most processed breads and cereals contain little fiber, the calorie-free component of plant foods that fills you up, not out. Plus, foods rich in fiber help control blood glucose and insulin levels.

 

Solution: I never thought I'd say this, but it may be a good idea to cut back on potatoes in any form (especially the fries, fellas). Experts say potatoes raise blood-glucose concentration quickly, as do snack chips, white bread, low-fiber breakfast cereals, and breakfast bars. Whole-grain cereals, nuts, and beans are blame-free, if not calorie-free.

 

You're Dry

 

Have another one, bud. Another tall, ice-cold ... glass of water. When you're trying to lose weight, water is your workout partner. You need it to flush the waste products your body makes when it breaks down fat for energy, or when it processes protein. You need it to transport nutrients to your muscles. You need it to help digest food and keep your metabolism clicking along. And water keeps you from overheating during intense exercise on hot days.

 

Solution: Start the day by filling up a half-gallon jug with water (or any combination of smaller bottles that equals 64 ounces). Your goal is to drain the lot by the end of the day. Clear or light yellow pee is the universally recognized sign of good hydration.

 

You Can't Cook

 

So you took wood shop instead of home ec. I understand -- a man needs to master power tools to feel complete. But unless you find a way to make your bird feeder edible, you need to master weight-loss tools, too. A man whose only kitchen skill involves the speed dial to Domino's is condemned to a diet of grease, salt, white bread, and sugar.

 

Solution: Step into the kitchen. (That's the room with the oven, sink, and refrigerator. ) Open your freezer. You should see frozen berries and vegetables, which are as good as fresh but last many times longer. Look in your cupboards. You should see some canned vegetables, hearty low-fat soups, dried fruit, and slow-cooking oats. These foods help you lose weight because they're filling but low in calories. Best of all, you don't need much more than a can opener and a microwave to make them edible. (Dishes are optional.) This leaves you more time for your power tools.

 

You Think Fitness Trumps Fatness

 

Exercise alone won't make you thin. A recent study of military personnel who increased their exercise during a 3-year period found that they gained weight despite their extra efforts. Why? Food, most likely. They simply ate more than they burned off.

 

Solution: The last thing you want to hear, especially from a female, is that size matters. But trust me on this: Controlling portion size is absolutely essential to weight loss. And the best way to control portion size is to limit how often you eat out.

Last year my feet were as intimate to me as someone else's foot would be. I couldnt touch them, clean them, take care of them, see them...

Last year when I got my new scale, its digital, I couldnt see beneath my belly, even bending forward (not that I could much due to back issues). I would step on the scale, count to 10 and step off to see how much I weighed. Now I look down, no bending, no huffing, no tipping (I literally tipped the scales with my weight and almost fell down a couple of times) and no tummy. My feet frame the most beautiful thing in my world, {154}.

Last year when I showered I only washed my upper bits. 2 or 3 times a week Pookey would bring all of the cleaning/lotioning things and wash my feet. He cared for them better than I ever did even when I could reach them. Now I wash my feet, I lift my leg 18" to the shower shelf or bend all the way over and simply just wash them. Its as effortless as washing my back now.

Last year I wore size 9.5 - 10 shoes. I though that feet must keep growing over your life because I had uber skinny feet. Well they were only skinny in comparison to my body, they were not skinny in comparison to me skinny. Now I wear an 8 - 8.5 shoe. How dainty Ive become.

Last year I didnt think much about my feet at all. Now I sit cross legged and stare at my feet like they are a new item, sometimes I expect to see the price tag still on them.

It really is the little things, dont let anyone tell you different :)

Eating for the rest of your life:

Your greatest weight loss will occur in the first 6 to 8 months after the gastric bypass procedure. Most patients will plateau after 12-18 months, and after this, additional weight loss will be difficult. There are 8 cardinal rules that you must follow in order to attain a weight that is close to your ideal body weight:

1. Meals larger than 1 cup may result in weight gain.
2. Consumption of an adequate amount of liquid, preferably water, is crucial. Patients should consume a minimum of 1 1/2-2 liters of liquid per day. This should be done slowly and throughout the day. Never drink more than 2 oz. of liquid in a 10-15 minute period. To prevent dehydration, this amount should be increased by 10-20% when the weather is very hot and humid.
3. You should have 3 regular meals and 3 small snacks per day (see Seven-day menu). "Grazing" on small amounts of food throughout the day will sabotage your weight loss and result in the inability to lose an adequate amount of weight.
4. The primary source of your nutrition should be protein. 65 - 85  % of all calories consumed should be protein-based (eggs, fish, meat, etc.). Carbohydrates (bread, potatoes, etc.) should make up only about 10%-20%, and fats (butter, cheese, etc.) only 5%-15% of the calories that you eat. A diet consisting of 1200 calories and about 70 grams of protein should be your goal. Hair loss, cracked nails, and defective healing and immunity are just some of the side effects of inadequate protein consumption (not to mention difficulty losing weight).
5. Never drink liquids when eating solid foods. Liquids should be avoided for a period of 30 minutes before and 60 minutes after eating solid food or meals.
6. Avoid foods that contain sugar. Not only will they slow your weight loss, but they will make you sick! Sugar causes "dumping" in patients who have had the gastric bypass procedure. Dumping Syndrome occurs when sugars go directly from you stomach to your small intestine, causing heart palpitations, nausea, sweating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Dumping Syndrome occurs also when food is "dumped" to rapidly in the small intestine.
7. Stop eating or drinking when you begin to feel full. "Stuffing yourself" may cause your stomach pouch to stretch - or worse, burst - causing long-term problems and complications.
8. Avoid alcohol and carbonated beverages.

All successful patients who have had the gastric bypass have 2 things in common: They follow their dietary recommendations closely, and they initiate rapidly a regular exercise program. Initially this may simply be walking around the neighborhood four times per week for 40-60 minutes. Get a podometer to assess your progress (see orange card included in this package). It is essential that, 4 weeks after your surgery, you begin a regular exercise program. Then, you can start swimming, weight-lifting, rowing, etc. This will guarantee not only a good weight loss, but will also improve your stamina, energy level, and overall health.

10 Golden Rules for Weight Loss Surgery Patients

After surgery, you need to make changes in your eating habits in order to reach your desired weight loss goals. These changes will also help prevent pain and vomiting. It is very important for you to develop appropriate eating habits to prevent ENLARGEMENT of your NEW STOMACH.

The following 10 rules will help you to reach your goals and achieve the best possible results with your Weight Loss Surgery. Your commitment to following these 10 guidelines is critical.

1. Eat only three small meals a day

   Weight loss surgery creates a small stomach pouch that can hold only half a cup of food. If you try to eat more than this at one time you may become nauseous and/or vomit. If you routinely eat too much, the small pouch that has been created by your weight loss surgery procedure may stretch and cancel the beneficial effects of the operation. Frequent vomiting can also cause complications such as stomach slippage (band cases) or burst stomach (bypass cases). You need to learn how much your stomach pouch can hold and not exceed this amount.
   
   

2. Eat slowly and chew food thoroughly

   Once you are beyond the initial four weeks and started on some solid food, be certain to CHEW YOUR FOOD until it reaches a mushy consistency (AT LEAST 40 CHEWS PER MOUTHFUL). Take your time eating each meal (30-45 minutes) and swallow small bites of food. Swallowing chunks of food may block the opening of your pouch and prevent the passage of food.
   
   

3. Stop eating as soon as you feel full

   Sometimes it takes time for you to become aware of the signal that your stomach is full. If you hurry your meal, you may eat more than you need. Try to recognize the feeling of fullness and stop eating as soon as you feel full.
   
   

4. Do not drink while you are eating

   After 2-3 months and for the rest of your life, your operation can work only if you eat solid food. If you drink at mealtimes, what you have eaten becomes liquid. This would defeat the purpose of the weight loss surgery. You should not drink anything one hour before and one hour after your meal.
   
   

5. Drink a lot during the day

   You need to drink large amounts of liquids every day (at least 6 big cups of liquid) in order prevent dehydration, provide fluid for urination, and in order to excrete the waste fat that you are loosing. Remember to drink only water, tea or coffee (without cream) and keep your food and drinks completely separate.
   
   

6. Drink only low-calorie liquids

   Drinks, including those containing calories, simply run through the narrow outlet, called the stoma, created by the weight loss surgery. Drinking high calorie liquids will decrease your ability to lose weight, even if you follow the solid food diet.
   
   

7. Six months after your surgery DO NOT EAT BETWEEN MEALS

   After each meal, do not eat anything else until the next meal. Eating snacks between meals is one of the major reasons for failure to lose weight.
   
   

8. Eat a balanced diet consisting of fresh food

   With your weight loss surgery you can eat only small amount of food. Consequently, your diet needs to be as healthy and as balanced as possible. Eating food from each of the four food groups will provide adequate amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Each meal should be high in protein and vitamins and include fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, and cereals. Foods high in fat and sugar are not acceptable. You may eat apples and oranges but try to avoid orange juice and apple juice. Avoid foods that are high in fiber, such as asparagus. High fiber foods can block the stomach. Make sure to consult with your doctor and nutritionist in order to establish a well balanced diet.
   
   

9. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day

   Physical exercise is critical to the success of your weight loss goals. Exercise consumes energy and burns calories. That is the key to losing weight. Moreover, exercise can help improve your general health. You can start with simple exercises such as walking or swimming. With weight loss, it will become easier to exercise. Consult your physician to confirm the right specific experience plan for you.
   
   

10. Self-control and high motivation

    You have taken a major step toward reaching you weight loss goal by choosing to have weight loss surgery. You should feel confident in continuing your weight loss journey by exercising self-control and following these basic guidelines to success.

Im fat cause of genes, the way my parents raised me, mcdonalds, school cafeterias, pregnancy, emotional eating, addictions etc etc etc WRONG!!!

People are fat for one reason only. They eat more than they burn. Now its true some people burn much fewer calories than others and this seems unfair to them. Well I wanted to be 5'10 and leveled off at 5'6 I havent spent my life bitter about this. It was a minor disapointment that I got over. Apparently to stay thin I have to eat less than SOME people too. Instead of eating less and just getting over it, I ate more and more and more.

RNY has changed a few major component of HOW I was able to get so obese. It 1. has given me a tiny stomach so I cant eat as much at one time. 2. it has changed my ability to handle certain foods so I get ill if I over eat sugar and/or fat 3. it has given me self confidence that I never had in my life with my weight and abilities. 4. it has given me a reason to treat my body right (sad that I needed one I know)

Now Ive lost the weight. Will I keep it off? Will I gain it back? Will I struggle with maintenance and bounce for years? Will I be morbidly obese again in 10 years? Will I become THE statistic none of us wants to be???

I have something most people here should have if they dont have it already. Personal accountability. Its not my surgeon's, doctor's, husband's, mother's, TV's, friend's, pcos's, diabete's fault IF I gain weight. Its MINE. RNY wasnt a magic wand weight loss. It was a treatment. The surgery only took one day but the treatment lasts for life. Everyday we wake up and decide to accept our treatment or not. For now Im not having any trouble being compliant. The day may/will come when it is harder. I am ready. I am ready every single day. I make the right decisions on my good days and my bad days.

I dont believe for one second I will actually become one of the bad wls statistics. I am willing to do what it takes to make this work. I almost lost my life to obesity. I wont be going back to THAT hell. Anyone who doesnt believe that doesnt know me ;)

BIG HUGS
PK 

I wish it were possible to brand that into certain people's heads. I personally think people who dont do well post op wls have much in common. Most had the wrong surgery for their eating/lifestyle choices. I know its not you, but the RNY sucks because SOME people dont do well argument has just reached the point of idiocy on so many levels. DC is having people pity me now because of my terrible odds at long term success.... If she knew how wrong she was she would be ashamed, sadly she actually thinks she is right.

I had many eating disorders. Some were much worse than others though. Im a junk food addict. Like an alcoholic who chooses wine over water, I too choose junk food over real food. Its not my dislike of real food that makes this choice, its the addiction. I actually LOVE all food, even the dieters paste that some people are so repulsed by. Eating junk food never made my life "better" in any way. 

I no longer consider junk food real food or a viable option when I am hungry, just like a reformed alcoholic no longer considers alcohol as a drink when thirsty. Life is wonderful when freed from any addiction.

On top of this problem Im a volume eater. I eat until full. In my life there has never been exception to this. If given the option to have one slice of bread or nothing at all, I will take nothing at all until I can have the whole loaf. I dont "graze" 1 of anything is not interesting to me and never has been. That of course applies to any type of food, junk or healthy.

So now I have that sated full feeling after 1/2 - 1 cup of food. I eat slowly to ensure my brain gets the message Im eating for a while (chewing sends signals that I probably never got enough before because I barely chewed, I know, gross) I get that *sigh* mmmmm *nice* full feeling at every meal and still lose weight. To ME life couldnt be better. I no longer spend hours eating to get to fullness, or hours starving avoiding small meals.

If everyone LOVED their weight loss attempt, surgery or not, as much as I there would be no obesity left. Overweight yes, genes do account for skinny vs not skinny. But SMO vs non obese, thats all choice.

Cheers to tiny bodies and jealous friends!!

1. Build Muscle Mass Strength training builds lean muscle tissue, which burns more calories at work or at rest, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The more lean muscle you have, the faster your metabolism will be. How do you start strength training? Try some push-ups, or a few squats or lunges. Use 5 lb. free weights to perform simple biceps curls or triceps pulls. Do these exercises three to four times per week, and you'll soon see a boost in your metabolism as well as an improvement in your physique.
    
2. Do Not Skip Meals or Drastically Reduce Your Caloric Intake If your body senses that food is in short supply, it will slow your metabolism to conserve energy. Over time, the result is that when you do eat (even if you consume the same foods as always) your body will be slower to use the calories as fuel, thus creating a backlog of unwanted pounds. A good strategy is to cut your caloric intake by no more than 500 calories per day and never less than 1200 calories total each day. Once you determine your goal for calorie consumption, divide those calories into 6 different small meals/snacks through out the day.
    
3. Increase the Amount of Protein in your Diet Most researchers agree that protein helps to stabilize the secretion of insulin into your blood stream, a process that can affect metabolism. The average person would benefit from protein intake at a minimum of 70 grams or higher each day.
    
4. Aerobic Workout 3 Days a Week Even though exercise doesn't affect your RMR, the extra calories you burn could add up to an additional 1-2 pounds of weight loss per month.
    
5. Increase Movement in Daily Lifestyle The more you move, the more you burn! You can actually make a significant addition to the number of calories you burn each day by relatively minor changes in lifestyle. This can be as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator; park a distance from the mall or office; window-shop with your best friend rather than sit over coffee; walk the dog instead of just let him out; do a little gardening or clean house while you talk on the phone. Making these types of changes for just 20 minutes of your day will cause you to burn an additional 100 calories per day or an additional pound per month. Making more of these changes can help you burn as much as an additional 1,000 calories per day!
    
6. Go For an Evening Walk Although exercising any time is good for you, evening activity may be particularly beneficial. Many people's metabolism slows down toward the end of the day. Thirty minutes of aerobic activity before dinner increases your metabolic rate and may keep it elevated for another two or three hours. What that means for you: those dinner calories have less of a chance to take up permanent residence on your hips!
    
7. Get Adequate Sleep As funny as it sounds, sleep deprivation may make you fat and not just because you're susceptible to cases of the late-night munchies. According to researchers at the University of Chicago, women who got less than four hours of sleep per night had a slower metabolism than those who slept for a full eight hours.

What about supplements? Diet supplements that claim to increase your metabolism have flooded the marketplace. Our advice is to beware. Stimulants (such as caffeine, ephedrine, nicotine, and others) have not been clinically proven to increase metabolic rates. It may be that they stimulate a person to simply be more active, which then burns more calories. Some of these products can be harmful and we do not recommend their use. Hot peppers (specifically jalapeno and cayenne) may increase your body's release of stress hormones such as adrenaline, and may stimulate you to burn more calories. Green tea drinkers were shown to burn an extra 70 calories per day in a recent study. Researchers believe the increase is caused by antioxidants known as catechins.

This comes from the site that makes a machine that tests your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). http://www.korr.com/solutions/metabolic_boost7.htm
http://www.korr.com/solutions/metabolic_boost7.htm

Good evening :)

The WLS waters get muddied a lot around here. There is a lot of worry about getting *THE* WLS that will give the best weight loss results. Im not fond of this type of focus. Generally speaking anyone who is heavy enough to look into WLS is likely heavy enough to benefit from any of them. Weight loss is not the only factor in weight loss surgery. The ultimate goal is long term weight loss, how we get there may be a bigger factor though. The right surgeon, hospital, insurance, time, distance, after care, health and more are factors along with weight lost.

People look at weight loss statistics and read way too much into them. You need confidence in yourself and your ability to live the post op life. If a patient isnt willing to become ultra informed on WLS in general the probability of long term success drops drastically. Its NOT all about the surgery you choose, its about YOU.

 If you read that only 70% of Americans are literate, you dont say reading isnt worth it because you KNOW that you arent one of the 30%. Your circumstances allowed for a good education and/or an interest in reading (they must if youre reading this right now) So why would you read that RNY patients average 70% of fat weight lost and 50% of fat weight lost long term as YOU are going to be in the lower end of this percentage?

Optimism and confidence in your strength, knowledge and support will get you closer to 100% of weight lost easier than just picking a surgery with higher stats for no other reason. I was SMO and physically disabled pre op. Exercise was out of the question. The obvious choice for me by stats only was not the RNY surgery I chose. I chose RNY for a dozen reasons that apply to me as an individual and not me as a statistic and so far all I can say is WOW it paid off!

I am currently "normal" (dont worry its only in weight) statistically I weigh less than 55% of people my age and height. Basically Im below average weight now. I have about 10 - 15 pounds in excess skin :( I will be getting plastics next year. If I had plastics right now my BMI would be 22ish . Mentally its hard looking at your body dripping with skin and feeling "fat" when obviously you arent. Im down to skin and bones most everywhere, but with a lot more skin than bones :P Most people would expect someone like me to be jogging and dieting off the last 40 pounds by now, instead Im starting to get to the lost too much weight category. 

Im not happy about losing too much weight but its a lot nicer feeling than not losing enough :P 

I didnt "diet" my way here though. To "diet" like we all know how, is to change from eating things we love (that make us fat) to things that are "ok" enough to stick to temporarily. I have removed some ingredients and some restaurants from my edibles list. Other wise I eat exactly as I always have, yummy food :)

This weeks menu:
Meals
baked beans n weiners
chicken and brocoli alfredo
sweet baked ham
loaded pizza
chili
pumpkin pie
Snacks
chocolate protein bars
all bran cereal bars
nature valley fiber granola bars
greek salad
mozza and cheddar cheese
royal gala apples

This is pretty much a typical week pre op too. What's missing? French fries, pasta, bread, potatoes. I have discoverd along the way that Im not a carb junkie, Im a toppings junkie. Eat a slice of bread by itself and see just how yum it is not. Its all that tastey stuff I used to put on top of my carbs that I loved. So I have learned to eat the toppings and feel as satisfied as I ever did before :) Obviously this isnt true for everyone. There are people whos life would end without breads. My own mother would rather have bread/potatoes with margerine than anything else in the world. For me this is what works and WOW does it ever work. I have never ate so well without any guilt!! AND Im still losing weight!!


So anyone can say this is how its done, or try to sell you on what should work for you (even when it hasnt actually worked for them) Im here to sell doing what works and then WORKING it with all of your heart!!

So this long winded forward is to start a loser rolecall...

Who has lost 100+ pounds??? (the current successometer of wls)

I have lost 173 pounds with weight loss surgery in less than 15 months!!!!

Woohooo!! 

Bring on the losers :)

Recently a lot of posts I have read (not just on this site) have really come down hard on surgeon's lack of forthright information on what post op life is really like. I didn't have that here. I felt that my doctors info was almost designed to scare people from having surgery. Bariatrics is his specialty but medicare pays his salary and there are never enough docs in Canada so doctors here don't really advertise to the masses. They actually want to help the sick. 

I have seen some very bad comercials on TV for the lap band, saying things like lose your hunger forever and permanent weight loss. Which simply cant be said for any weight loss surgery since most of our hunger is based on "cues" from the world around us. Smell a loaf of bread baking and try to say you're not hungry! Look at decadent desserts in a magazine and lick your lips dreaming. If just looking at food did NOT make people hungry, advertising wouldnt be a billion dollar business. Permanent weight loss??? There is no gaurantee of permanent weight loss in this world that is actually valid.

So these are the big WLS truths that I was certainly aware of pre op thanks to my surgeon's web site:
***weight loss is not 100% gauranteed, there is a TINY number of people who lose nothing after wls
***weight loss is not permanent because of the surgery, any permanence is based on patient compliance, genetics, and other miscilanious possible factors
***Gastric bypass surgeries like RNY, DS, fobi etc are making a healthy digestive tract unhealthy
*** there are significant probabilities of post op complications from the time they put you under until death
*** WLS is a life time commitment to suppliments and medical follow up
*** WLS is a lot of work and those who fail have much in common, as do those who succeed which mean the end result will be up to the patient and not the surgery itself
***different WLS proceedures work better for different eating habits, interests
***death is not the worst case scenario post op

There were a LOT more than this, but these are the ones I think some people dont hear often enough.

What negative aspects to surgery were you told or not told?

Did you get sold the surgery or talked into it in any way?

Do you feel you were prepared for post op life?

We all use different strategies to get through each day.

Today you may feel great and on top of the world eating/weight loss wise but tomorow? Tomorow could be severe depression with potato chips calling your name. When you are in the zone on the high its hard to imagine it will ever be hard. Conversly when you are in the depths of despair feeling like a failure its hard to imagine ever recovering.

The ONE thing that has helped ME get here is WLS friends. I have had WLS yahoo messenger and email "friends" since around month 4. Some I still talk to everyday others I have no idea where they are (waving hello if theyre reading) but I hope they are doing excellently.

In some ways my internet wls friends are my "transfer addiction". I have grown to love all of my daily friends as much and more than I have ever loved any face to face friend Ive had in my entire life. Most days we barely discuss surgery stuff. The topics range from gossiping about OH happenings to whats for dinner to actual deep topics only friends can share.

No matter how down, happy or just plain old ordinary I am, having wls friends is what seriously keeps me in my place. 

I was the poster child of someone who "should" fail RNY pre op. I could go into detail but you know the basics. Obviously there is still plenty of time for me to work on failing, pretty much until death. That's why WLS friends are so important. They know us inside. They know when we're messing up and they know how to pull us out of the mire rather than say the things that we end up jumping in over. RNY maintenance is for life. It is VERY easy to forget the basics and wonder how did I get here?

So I strongly urge you to take the time out of your life and make some real connections, here, at other support sites, or in your local support groups. 

I know my journey would have been MUCH harder without people like Melissa F, Terri R, Amanda W, Jenny, KarenMN, Lithia, Amy Watkins, and more more more... The real connections we have made do make living with RNY easier and sometimes just plain easy.

When I see people post that they have fallen off track, feeling alone, want to be normal or are in need of some tough love the first thing I think is they NEED a WLS buddy. 

Im kind of babbling here (as usual) but just had a moment of such deep gratitude for the support I have from my internet friends.