300+ Chat Thread
 

WELCOME!!!


We are a group of individuals who weigh or have weighed 300+, or near there. This group was formed to provide a place for others like us to find support, inspiration, and hope. We are aware of the distinct problems that come with weighing over 300 lbs.

We want to invite everyone (roosters as well as chicks!) to join us in our journey. We share laughter and tears, heartaches and fears ... joys and celebrations. We also share what works for us and what doesn't.

We have found this thread to be more than just a support group... we have found it to become a home. We invite you to join us

Thanks, G-girl, for starting the new September chat thread. I hope September brings some cooler temps for all our US friends. It has cooled down up here where I live -- really nice today at 70 F, so we spent some time outdoors enjoying it.

August was a very good month for me for my eating & exercising overall with another 7 lbs lost; very pleased about that. I hope September will be at least as good or even better. Hope you are all enjoying a lovely long weekend, and that you all have a super OP September ... :flow2:

Just wanna well done on your August success....it can't be easy exercising when it's hot! Not something we really have to worry about as we have had something of a non-summer...that suits me as I should live somewhere cold!
With Jillian inspiring me I have devised a 45 mins or so exercise plan with small weights and elastic band with a bit of cardio as my evening walks will soon be coming to an end. It is getting too dark to walk in the country park after 7pm.....not sure either of my dogs would be much use if I was threatened!Nearly at the 5 stone mark ......5 stone 11 or 81lbs is my halfway point and that is looking achievable today.....ask me on another day and I may give a different answer!!!
Happy September folks.

Way to go, you two! We're getting there.

I have much faith in myself that I will be under 300 by January 1st.

mountain walker - That's another reason why I stopped walking in the park. I get home a little bit before 8...and it's starting to get dark around that time, so I don't feel comfortable walking in the park that late. I've resorted to my dvds, and I'm much happier doing those anyway.

I've been really lazy this weekend. Weekends are the hardest for me, because I have a problem with nibbling on things here and there. I'm trying to work on that.

car - we had a good deal of rain from Isaac too, though perhaps not as much as you. We are neighbors - I am in WV just across the Kentucky line in Huntington. I have trouble with nibbling too. I control it at home basically by not having anything bad to nibble on. BUT, when I dog-sit for my parents, I have trouble because they always have nibbles at their house. All the sort I try to avoid. Oh, and I get portion controlled packs of chips (pop chips and the Lays "healthy bunch" of baked chips) so I can have chips occasionally. I will even overdo it on the big bags of baked chips, so having the individual containers really helps me. Do you live by yourself? - or with family/roommates? If weekend nibbling is a problem, you might ask them to keep their nibble-worthy foods out of your line of sight. And I think you will be below 300 before the new year. You are doing so brilliantly!

I spent the weekend moving furniture and painting. I only managed to get my dining room painted, and all the furniture is still scattered around the house. I just have tons of stuff. Loads and loads of books, and bookshelves. And my computer desk (well, it is an armoire, the sort you can close) and my treadmill are in the dining room. As well as a dining room table. TOO MUCH STUFF. All the stuff on the walls! Gave away a bunch to Goodwill, and am working on organizing and pairing down the rest as I get it back into the room. I also really need new carpet and I think that I am making that a priority. Though perhaps an after-Christmas priority.

I do like the color combination: aqua walls. I painted the baseboards the same color as the walls since they are old but thick with paint, and it was easier that way, but did the trim around the windows and door in green.

I feel good about it, though. Losing weight has given me more stamina to do all this work, and it is making me happier to make my house more interesting.

I am trying to decide what sort of curtain to put up over the dining room window. I like looking out, but also: small house, built close against the neighbor's property, my dining room window looks out onto their side door, which they use ALL THE TIME. Instead of putting up a new curtain rod immediately, (having repaired the wood gouges from the old one!) I am going to get a spring-loaded cafe road and put a curtain inside the window while I figure it out.

One thing at a time, right? Just like the whole healthy eating thing: one day at a time!

mnem - My brother and I live together...and normally he has the items that are nibble worthy, lolol. What makes me so mad at myself is that sometimes it's not even the chips or the cookies. It'll be after dinner, putting things away, or even after they're put away and I just know it's in the fridge. I hate having this relatioinship with food that is...pretty much addiction. My brother has this big box of fudge rounds, and I was able to resist last night, but TOM is here and water retention on the scale is making me want to give in to everything I'm pretty sure I wouldn't give into on normal circumstances. Part of me wants to just eat one and get it over with, the other part of me wants ot resist because I know I can. I have before! Ughhh...TOM makes every food so much more appealing. And I really hope that I can get under 300 before the New Years! I'm not trying to lose weight too fast, but my body has been allowing me to lose weight in such a quick pace I'm used to it. And I have a lot to lose and I know I'm doing the right things, so I try not get worried about that.

I'd love to be able to paint walls any color that I'd like and redecorate! I live in an apartment and we're not allowed to paint the walls so there isn't much more to do with it. I am realizing with the weight I'm losing that I want my house to be cleaner, and I'm taking care of myself. It's not fun to admit that I'm lazy and cut corners whenever I can...but I'm starting to get back to that healthy mind frame. It's wonderful. Maybe you wouldn't mind taking pics when it's all said and done! I'd love to see it.

TOM takes so much energy from me, but I made a promise to myself that I would continue my excersing and that's what I'm going to do. If I can sit my butt on the computer after work I should be able to exercise before that and the computer be my reward. Instead of not doing it and hating myself afterwards.

Welll....the fudge round won, lolol. It was worth every single calorie.

CAR ~ :lol: been there; done that. Hope it was just one??? ;) Maybe you can make your place more splashy with new curtains, table cloths or mats, throw pillows, and linens, etc.

MEM ~ your dining room sounds great. I was gonna suggest lace sheers but then you said that your neighbours used that side a lot, so you may have to have something a bit more private, that you can open & close at will, I guess. I am always tossing stuff or sending something down to goodwill too. Our basement is full of stuff; and I have a bunch more I wanna send sometime. They don't have their pick-up truck going right now, so I don't know when that will be??? Owell...

MOUNTAINWALKER ~ thanks -- it is much safer here; we are very blessed. We can walk around our neighbourhood but I still won't go too far without DH. I usually go out during the day instead though.

I watered our bushes, trees, and gardens well today; then guess what? We had a huge :rain: storm tonight -- I find that always happens here. The weather angels heard me say that we need more water. Glad something good came out of that ISAAC storm (I prayed for you all) for the southern states; I know they needed the rain down there.

Eating going well so far this month; very happy about that. I've been eating a lot of chicken, corn, and salad lately; and we are keeping busy too. The weather is much nicer here; a bit hot yesterday and early today, then a nice breeze came up later on. Then the storm tonight so it's nice & cool in here right now. This was a good summer overall becuz we didn't have near as many buggies as usual. I'm sure the warmer temps had something to do with that; and it made it so much nicer to spend time outdoors on our lovely porches.

Have a great OP week everyone ... :flow2:

So I'm sneaking in here.

Made it through hospital lockdown during Hurricane Isaac (I'm a hospital pharmacist) just in time to attend Dragon*Con (aka Nerdy Gras) in Atlanta last weekend.

Packed up my own food for both events so managed to eat decently through both storm and cosplay.

I also have gotten my energy back up from going constantly from Tuesday morning to Monday night, and made it through an hour of racquetball this evening. Note to self: You are not as agile as you were at 20. The walls will jump out of nowhere and smack into you as you dive for the ball.

:welcome: back, JILU ~ :lol: OUCH -- I learned how to play racketball in college; I liked it, and it's good exercise for sure, but we were amateurs. ;) Gee, glad you explained your job title there ... phew! My sister was just saying that she's hurting a lot more these days (we're both in our early 50's). I said, "Ya I know, everything hurts now, and what doesn't hurt, doesn't work!" I'm sure you've heard that old one. Glad you found your way back here though; good luck with your plan ... :D

Hi, Jilu! Nice to meet you! Isn't racquetball like tennis? Or is it different? I'm not good at anything being thrown at me.

Just -- It was just one. At almost 300 a calorie -- instead of feeling joy for having the one and savoring it I'd feel miserable for letting myself consume 600 calories so easily and over virtually nothing.

I'll have to figure out something for the apartment, it's so bland. We don't have nice pictures or anything, just furniture, lolol.

Racquetball is way better than tennis because you play in a closed-in room. And it isn't possible to hit it what seems like 5 miles away from the court. The ball is smaller and faster, but I think it's super fun.

Just need to work on my not running into the walls trying to hit a ball. I've definitely gotten a good bruise across my shoulder/back due to my determination to get that little blue bugger. ;>

car a lot of my friends with apartments have taken to draped fabrics. Once you get into the hang of keeping things the way you want... Maybe try a wall with some fabrics you love... I'd recommend flowing, and light weight.

Maybe even start by prettying up the window treatments...

:welcome: Back, CUTER ~ glad that you dropped by; best wishes on your continued WL journey.

JILU ~ I agree; I found racquetball easier than tennis; and it is played indoors so can be played year-round. I think we spent half the time laughing at ourselves; we really enjoyed it.

CAR ~ that's great that you held it to only one; that's a NSV in itself! :carrot:

Eating is going well so far this month; very pleased about that. Some days I have even been a bit under. I am cycling between 1500 + 1800; on hungry days I go for the top end. My cal cap (maintenance cap) is 2000 and I use that for a flex day here and there; but even with that, I think I am still losing on that amount.

For lunch today, I had a tuna-tomato sandwich + a few celery/chz boats. EDIT2ADD: I didn't switch after all; we had the baked sole + 5 tators + coleslaw. I decided to stick with my original menu plan; and that it didn't really matter if I had fish twice in one day. Our Friday flex/fun dinner was homemade lean chzburgers (with no-fat chz + big slice field tomato, on 1 wg bun split); and still only ate 1500 calories yesterday -- yeah! :D

The temps have dropped a bit but the :sunny: finally came out today. I am still getting cherry tomatoes from my hanging plants (Tumbling Toms) and I think I could really stretch the season if I bring it indoors later on. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend ... :flow2:

Hi everyone

I wanted to drop in and wish everyone a great weekend and...

Car... I have faith in you too!! I'd say good luck but I don't think you need it..

Hi Jilu

:welcome3:

Hi Jilu welocme!
Well weigh day today and I have lost a pound this week. OK I was hoping for more but haven't been able to exercise at all for most of it so I guess I should be pleased! At least it is a loss and takes me officially to 5 stone/70lb lost.
Went for a slow short walk this morning with kids and dogs using one crutch and actually my knee feels better this afternoon than it has done for a week or so. I am hoping and praying that it is on the mend. Not only does the exercise help the weight loss it does wonders for the serotonin levels which really helps the old mental health.
Think I will give the badminton a miss for a while though!
Happy Sunday xxx:hug:

I'm really trying to find the strength to continue.

Recently I've had a lot of floaters in my eye so I went to get it checked because I read it could be serious. They told me my retinas are really thin, he didn't see a tear and there's not a detachment yet but there could be, and if left untreated if that happens it can cause vision loss. He told me it was rare, but now I have extremely high anxiety over it. I'm overly anxious as it is, so this has taken me over the top.

I haven't over eaten because of it...honestly, I don't think it would make me feel better. I'm just trying to focus and only worry if it gets bad...but that's easier said than done.

I don't know if this will be any comfort to you at all, but I just wanted to share my experience. I started getting floaters in my eyes in 1999. I remember the exact day it happened. That year, I developed maybe a total of 4-5. I talked with doctors galore and they said it just happens sometimes. It was the most annoying thing I'd ever experienced. I was constantly trying to blink them away and I wore shades all day everyday for a year just to try to make them go away (they seem to fade in darker light and come out in brighter light). After a year, I had to eventually stop being annoyed, suck it up, and learn to live with them because doctors told me that it's nothing you can remove. Now, 13 years later, they are still there, BUT I still have 20/20 vision. I never lost a bit of my eyesight because of the floaters. They come and go, but for the most part they stay away, and I've learned how to "blink them away" lol (or at least blink them out of my line of sight).I know everyone is different, but I just wanted to share a "brighter side" perspective. :hug:

I posted on 'Introductions", and i feel this is one of the places i should be. I am 5'3 and 315 lbs. I have been lurking for a bit and i hope to get to know all of you. this seems like a very friendly, supportive place to be.:hug:

It's definitely back to school time and all of my active friends in the area have all gone back to their respective grad schools pretty far away and intramural leagues are over.

It has definitely been a challenge to do things by myself like bike riding, etc. Should still get to enjoy some water sports over the next few weekends before it gets too chilly to ski or wakeboard without wetsuits (two live about an hour away and come home for the weekend). I'm gradually getting the husband out of his computer hidey hole to come racquetball with me now that my usual partner is gone. He has also expressed interest in getting a bike to ride with me.

I guess all and all, I'm just biding time until they lay down the ice for hockey in a couple weeks and I go relearn how to ice skate. ;>

If you can't tell, I'm pretty unmotivated about exercise unless it's a fun activity. And I definitely need some sort of activity after the switch from retail to hospital pharmacy at the beginning of the summer. I've gone from 12+ hour days on my feet to a ~70% desk job. And there is a vast difference. I didn't realize how much of an energy suck sitting at a desk can be. I try to make sure I go out on the floors a several times per day to see patients and talk with doctors/nurses and to stop feeling like I'm going to get a DVT from sitting so much.

hey y'all! Have been a bit MIA with work and the painting and whatnot. Thus far I have only finished the dining room, but have finally finished it. Furniture and books back in and rearranged. I am going to tackle the living room next and while there are more challenges with the stairs and the high ceiling, I think it will be easier. The furniture is lighter. Fewer bookcases!

car - man, it would be really tough for me to do this while rooming with someone who could eat that stuff. I have a hard time when I house sit for my parents, because they always have that food around. It just gets in my brain and I really admire your fortitude in losing weight when you have someone else's less-healthy foods in the house. Even if you lose the battle sometimes. I think that's okay, too - when it's a battle or two, you know?

Oh, and I will absolutely post some pictures when I am done! I am pleased with how it is turning out. Though now I want new furniture and carpet and so on. I need to prioritize those things and maybe make some goals for saving for them to go along with weightloss.

Oh, also! Posters in frames are fairly inexpensive, and if you go to Michael's or AC Moore, they will often have already-framed stuff for sale, often at a big discount. So you could find a few you like that liven up your living space like that. Even better, you can hang them with those Command Performance strips. They have a huge selection in the hardware section. Plus, check out their website before you go and print off coupons (or keep them on your phone?). Right now Michael's has a coupon for 50% off one regular priced item, which you can get from the Sunday paper or print from their website.

You could also buy some canvases and paint them yourself. Or cover them with interesting fabric. Or lace. Or photos or scrapbook paper, and then affix them to the wall with those strips. They are supposed to come off with no damage!

And finally - heh. Trust me, I know how stressful the stuff with your eyes can be. I have always had floaters, but years ago I developed a few fixed shadows in my vision. My ophthalmologist was asking me if I had Behcet's Disease and on and on. I had uveitis - inflammation, likely auto-immune - both anterior and posterior. It gradually cleared up; I had a whole work-up for lupus or sarcoidosis but that was all normal. But it was really, really scary at the time. And felt so immediate. I don't know how to pull back on that feeling of stress - we stress more about things that are out of your control, and this is out of your control.

But other aspects of your health are totally IN your control, and you've already taken control of them! I don't know if that will help you with the stress, but it might be a good way to subvert the negative stress into something more positive.

Jilu Nerdy Gras sounds terribly fun. I love fantasy and sci-fi, though I don't have much patience for it as fiction these days and George RR Martin is the only author I follow consistently. But I've never been to a *Con of any sort.

If you were engaging in cosplay - what did you go as?

Glad you survived the storm. That said, I personally have a great terror of racquet ball. Something about the sound they make against the walls or the immediate possibility of getting smacked back by the ball.

Rosebud - are your tomatoes still producing? We basically had a tomato dinner last night: Gazpacho, and a stir fry with shrimp, tomatoes and mushrooms, and Greek salad, which was basically 90% tomatoes. Plus a three-pepper salad that was: peppers and tomatoes. I had a bazillion peppers on my pepper plants, but my eggplants have not performed well at all. I think I need to replenish the soil, I am terrible at remembering to fertilize.

mountain walker - I am so sorry about your knee injury. That is so disappointing! but I'm glad that it is starting to feel well enough to take a bit of a walk. I imagine it is harder to deal with after your fracture - I would be afraid of any sort of repeat injury - and there is that emotional component to it too. And congrats on getting to 70 lbs lost!

TwilightWing - hello! I will go check out your introduction. :) Is the avatar a portrait of you? Or a portrait on which you are working? OR something else? It is pretty neat; I always wished I could paint or draw, but I have absolutely no ability there.

angieand2girls -- Thank you. Unfortunately, I can't remember the last time I've had 20/20 vision, lolol! I started wearing glasses in elementary school...hopefully it's nothing. But I'm glad to hear of someone who has experienced floaters and nothing bad has come of it.

mnem -- Honestly, sometimes it is ALL I think about...but I try to ignore it the best I can, and if I can't then I'll take ONE cookie or a couple bites and try to be satisfied with that. Doesn't always work, but sometimes it does.

Also, you're right it's totally out of my control. Either something will happen with it and I'll be fortunate enough to have it fixed or it won't...but it drives me crazy. It's been so hard for me to sleep because it's all I think about. For my sanity I scheduled an appointment Friday with a retina specialist. Hopefully, that will ease my mind if everything comes back okay. I went to an eye glass place, but I read up that sometimes it's better to go to someone that specializes in eyes and isn't just an eye glass doctor.

I dunno...but thanks for all y'alls kind words and support it means a lot. :)

PS - your adventurousness is inspiring. I'm terrible at so many physical things. Have always been a bit paralyzed when on skates (ice or roller, though was better at ice skating than roller skating), and I've never managed to wakeboard or waterski. Once upon a time I was decent at snow skiing, but I was always undermined by anxiety about falling, et cetera.

--

Re: the chatter about racquet ball and tennis: last night I watched the women's final at the US Open. Well, I just watched the third set, and wow was Serena amazing. It really looked like she was going to lose when Azarenka broke Serena's serve. And Serena double-faulted 3 or 4 times, but she just knuckled down and pulled through. It was such a great match and I was so happy Serena won.

Oh, yes. I think that that was really smart to do. The retinal specialist will be able to set it out for you, in a way the optician could not! Particularly since you are having so much anxiety about this right now, try to take some time to sit down and write out your questions and concerns before going to the appointment. That will help you remember them when you get there.

Also: most medical insurance does not cover eye appointments, but if the retinal specialist advises you to see an ophthalmologist (the MD rather than OD eye doctor) once per year for medical reasons, your medical insurance should cover those monitoring appointments!

mnem - I wanted to use my vision insurance when I went...but they said it was medically necessary. So, I don't know where that's going to put me when I go to the specialist, because I had to use my medical insurance. It was only 40 dollars, though. So hopefully if I do have to pay out of pocket for the specialist it won't be too much.

And thanks for the advice! There are questions I want to ask and I would forget by the time I get there. It's this Friday...so I'll start jotting some things down.

Hi Twilightwing welcome!

mnemosyne- i used to visit a site called photomania or something like that. you could do really neat things with your pics... that is a pic of me a couple years ago. i thought the drawn look looked neat as well.... its free so you should check it out sometime(if i remembered the name right lol).

Thank you for the welcome ev1. hope everyone is having a great day:carrot:

:welcome: TWILIGHT ~ glad to have you join us over here; it's nice to have a place where we can chat about our unique challenges. :)

MEM ~ that wall picture idea is a good one too. Glad you have your diningroom done; will enjoy seeing some pics for sure. YES, my tomatoes are still producing; picked 6 today, and I have about 20+ new clusters growing on it right now -- seems it has a second life now the temps are warmer again. These ones are called TUMBLING TOMS, and they just keep tumbling along ... :lol: I will likely bring it indoors at night and for good at some point to see if it continues producing into the winter; worth a try, I think. This has been my best producer so far, so I hope the nursery gets them again next year. You could make some chili sauce with some of those extra tomatoes and peppers; maybe freeze it even.

CAR ~ I hope you get the "eye" issue sorted out. I don't know what floaters are, but on occasion I have had a few moving stars (like moving lights) -- they are very small, and come & go. I wonder if it is age-related? Thank goodness, whatever it is, it is very rare and doesn't last long (don't have any now). Will ask my eye doctor the next time I have to get new glasses which won't be long now, I think.

JILU ~ sounds like you are planning for an active winter for sure. I'm with you on finding activities you enjoy to do.

ANGIE ~ thanks, I know it comforts me ... ;)

:wave: SUMMER ~ glad that you popped by!

MOUNTAIN ~ see you can still lose weight even though you are recuping; and that's great!

Eating is going well; had leftovers for lunch today and for dinner, we had some Homemade Texas Chili that I made before and froze (have enuff for lunch tomorrow too). It will be fish or poultry for dinner tomorrow to change things up a bit (which is according to my weekly menu plan).

Have a great OP week everyone ... :flow2:

car - I am thinking about you! I imagine you are having a tough week, worried about your eyes. Glad you don't have to wait much longer to get to a specialist for the answers that you need. I hope it doesn't cost too much. I don't have vision insurance, so getting things covered by my regular medical insurance is always positive for me as I need to pay for my eye appointments, but if your vision insurance is a better deal for you, maybe they can work out a way to bill it there.

Twilight - thanks for the tip, I will check that site out! I keep meaning to upload a picture or something here, but I never remember when I am at home. Though I did buy a new full-length mirror and hung it on one of my doors (of the spare bedroom), so I can take some more progress pictures. Heh, heretofore, the only full-length mirror I had in the house was hidden behind the door. Right now, I look the way I always thought I looked even at my heaviest.

Rosebud - wow, that is such an impressive harvest. I hope they keep producing indoors, though I have my doubts. The only plant I bring inside is my Rosemary. It is the only plant my cats leave alone. Everything else they shred. I have had very good luck this year with an heirloom cherry tomato. It is purple. I don't remember the name, but it has been VERY productive and has NOT succumbed to the yellow-spot disease that my other tomatoes get. I think I will make either chili or spaghetti sauce (or both?) with the tomatoes and peppers, and freeze them. I have a good technique for a roasted cherry tomato and garlic spaghetti sauce that is super easy (which is ideal for me. I like to cook but I don't love to FIDDLE with things, if that makes sense. Precision is my enemy).

Got a (small) part of the living room ceiling painted last night. Am going to work on it again tonight. Maybe if I get it done this week I will be able to finish the living room this weekend! I still have a ton of yard work to do, too. But the weather is finally lovely, warm during the day and cool at night. I think I can take down the a/c unit for the duration.

Here is an NSV for y'all: I am wearing today a jacket and tank that my mom bought me two years ago. I took one look then and knew they would not fit, so I just threw them in the back of the closet. The receipt was still stapled to the plastic cover. Anyway, tried them on a few weeks ago, and they were a bit tight but so, so close that I tucked them away, but closer to the front. Well, today they fit! They were part of a three-piece suit set she bought me. I gave the pants away to goodwill, though, because they were a bit too big when I dug it out of the closet (more too long than too BIG, but not so much in a way amenable to hemming) and I did not like the texture.

mnem -- Yeah, this week has been tough. I literally have to force myself to calm down enough to get any sleep. And it's not like they've told me I'm going blind! I just have really bad anxiety that I've never taken anything for so I think that's what makes it worse.

Friday can't come soon enough. If they say everything is fine I will have to make myself take their word for it. And stop stressing about it.

I literally feel that urge building up inside of me to binge. I keep thinking of all the stuff I could buy and stuff my face with. It drives me crazy. I'm trying really hard. I've been eating correctly, but I stopped exercising this week. I have no motivation for it...I can't even really think of anything else.

And it sounds so stupid to me. All they ever told me was to look out for signs of a more serious problem and it's made me so depressed...

My brother and I are going to see the new Resident Evil movie friday evening and hopefully that will take my mind off of it. Plus my niece's birthday Saturday which I hope I don't go overboard.

I don't know if I told y'all, but my friend's kid's birthday party was last Saturday. And I did well. I ate one piece of pizza and a small piece of cake and ice cream.

I'm really just rambling now, lolol.

Justwant2 -- I'd get it checked out. I know not everything means anything, but if any changes happen it's just best to be safe than sorry.

Rosebud thank you for the welcome back and the best wishes...

~~~~~~~~

So I've debated "Posting VS. Not posting" about something.

I've come to the point where I am frustrated, and realizing that while I eat pretty healthy for the most part, etc. it's not enough for me... I eat pretty well, but my exercise is way down and I am struggling to get it back to where I want it, and beyond. Truthfully my body is just not coping with my current bustline... I lost some in the waist, some in the hips but nothing in the bust in the last month (no idea about the scales).

Even my swimming is awkward now... Which is very hard on me because it is something I love. Don't get me wrong... i can still play in the water but doing the actual strokes seems to be significantly hindered now.

So for many reasons... I decided to go for a reduction consult... Which netted me a WLS referral. It wasn't an option I had previously considered for myself. Mainly because for me... a RNY would be tantamount to a life long sentence of no pain medications. It turns out Ontario will cover a VSG as well.

I'm certainly not looking at a VSG as a total solution but I've decided to go through the process, and use it as the tool it is. Never hurts that they provide a dietitian, nutritionist, and 5 years follow-up as well so a fair amount of hand holding, prodding and motivation.

I certainly don't think it is the option for everyone... But I think at this point it is the option for me. If for no other reason then just so I can get the darn reduction I need to be able to function. I'm not going to assume 1 surgery will negate the other surgery because the reduction was proposed to me when I was slim with more than my fair share.

I debated discussing it in this section, popped over to the wLS section a couple times, etc. but in truth this is my HOME on this board and hopefully it still will be even though I am choosing this path.

Shell

curves of course this will stay your home on 3fc...if you go down the surgery route it just means a different way of losing weight....nothing more!
I know that WLS gets a bad press at the moment....don't those newspapers love an"I put all the weight back on" headline.
I should imagine that all of us on here who have dieted all our lives understand that one should never discount ANY way of improving one's health and wellbeing for the long term. As with all things, it's weighing up the pros and cons ....write them down if you want and get ALL the info good and bad and then you can make an informed decision based on your needs not the opinion of friends and family.
We are here to support you!!:hug:

Thank you Mountain Walker!

To be honest... I never see those headlines. Though I know some it has worked for and some it hasn't worked for. For me I am just looking at it as a tool... I know where I want to end up, I know there will be a "bounce" or "regain" once I hit my low point (most have a 10-20 lb regain), and am focusing on body fat levels vs BMI. Size of clothing vs weight. Different approach then some but I have never been one that the scales worked well for anyway. It is more how healthy I am and how my clothing fits.

At this point though... I will take all the tools I can get.

SHELL ~ don't worry about posting here about the different options you are considering; many people try different eating plans and exercise styles. WLS is another tool that some are using to get them going.

As you go along, you will learn that the WLS tool is just that -- a tool to help you in this back to good health journey. I know you know that you will still have to watch what you eat for the rest of your life, surgery or no surgery.

One of my cousin's had some kind of WLS done last December, and as far as I know, she is doing well with it. She has lost weight with it and is off her meds, which was an important victory for her.

Everyone is different and have their own opinions about it. It's not for me as I have a severe vitamin & mineral deficiency (among other health issues), but I will support and pray for anyone who goes that route.

I know the process is much longer here in Canada than in the US -- some say anywhere from 6 months to a year even. Plus, there are a lot of tests and counselling that have to take place first. Some good changes have been made I see, as when my doctor first looked into it, the VSG wasn't covered (and from my investigation, I thought it had many advantages over the RNY). And, I am super glad that you will receive a lot of support during the process as well. Keep us posted and let us help you along the way ... :hug:

EDIT2ADD: I also prefer to use sizes as my main goals as the scales annoy me. I do weigh myself every 2-3 months to see how I am doing becuz I know by then, I will have lost something. It's a strategy that works for me. ;)

MEM ~ making spagetti sauce with your extra tomatoes and peppers is a great idea; I used to do that too. Yesterday, I picked the last of our green beans and stewed them with some fresh tomatoes, a little onion, 1 cup shredded cabbage, plus some spices/herbs.

Okay--I don't know what VSG or RNY mean...Please let me know so I can help. =)

VICKI ~ they are two kinds of Weight-Loss surgeries. The RNY is the staple kind that creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach; and I think they may do a by-pass too (called a Gastric By-Pass). It is more complicated than that, of course; and kind of technical to describe. The RNY (and that's what they call it) can have some absorbtion issues and other unpleasant side effects which people don't like to talk about. You may have difficulty eating some kinds of foods in the future too.

The point is to make the stomach much, much smaller, so you can't eat as much food; therefore, this helps you to lose weight. I've read that you really have about a 9-12 month window to lose the optimum amount of weight, but this may vary with each person. It is true that many people who get the RNY re-gain the weight back. The truth is -- that you have to diet before the surgery, and afterwards to lose the weight; and you must continue to moderate what you eat long-term if you want to keep the weight off for life.

The VSG is the Vertical Sleeve Gastric (by-pass?) kind. Some people prefer the VSG becuz it doesn't have the same side effects. I also think it is done differently, if I am recalling it correctly; meaning it is sewn rather than stapled and has no pouch, but the stomach is just made slimmer, so less food can go in there. Later on, you can eat a bigger variety of foods, just not as much.

People with Diabetes have found this kind of WLS very helpful for them, in controlling their blood sugar levels. This procedure is newer so there may not be as much follow-up stats available for it yet. EDIT2ADD: it may be the DS (Duodenal Switch) that is helping the BSL's and sometimes this is combined with the VS surgery in some cases (another option).

If someone knows more than me, by all means, please correct me. It has been some time since I read up on it; and I don't want to sound biased or pass on the wrong information. :)

Rosebud you made me tear up! LOVE YOU FOR THAT!

The Ontario time lines appear to be 6-24 months... that's not to say I am not going to work on things in that time though. ;)

And you have it pretty darn close on those...

dolfingirl2000 I am going to give you the readers digest version of it all. There are many types of Bariatric Surgery. In Ontario our health care will cover 2 (sometimes a 3rd) types.

I've actually typed this out to explain it to someone else so I pulled what I typed. It is a bit long but it makes things really clear:

I'm not going to tell any one that 1 surgery is better than another. I know that the one I have chosen is the right one for me. We all have to make our own choices... In Ontario there are truly 4 prevalent options.

1. RNY which is considered the gold standard. Proponents of the RNY will advocate for it for a number of reasons. One which I don't often read here, but is possibly the only one I have ever thought made sense when someone told me it... Is that they leave the additional stomach material, and should there be a problem with your pouch... They have material to use in a repair. Be it related to the surgery, or another medical condition completely.

RNY is RESTRICTIVE and MALABSORBTIVE. 70-80% of excess weight loss expected at 1 year.

2. VSG (Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy) which is a newer procedure, and came about as a stand alone option... Though it was originally related to the DS. It is part of the DS, and it was originally split onto it's own to see if it was possible to do it first, and then convert to a DS for patients where a RNY or DS was too risky.

VSG is purely RESTRICTIVE, and may take 2 years to achieve the same weight loss goal as someone who has had an RYN. Less food intolerance issues, and is considered relatively safe for those who are more ill because it has a lower overall surgical risk level do to the simplistic nature of the surgery. 55% of excess weight loss expected at 2 years.

There are lower risks for vitamin deficiencies because of the lack of malabsorbtion component.

3. LAP BAND - NOT covered by OHIP. When I looked here... The prices were up to and around 17K if you looked at what you were paying for financing.

The band has a high rate of re-surgery, slippage, or failure due to "eating around the band". 55% of excess weight loss expected at 2 years.

4. DS. Duodenal Switch is a uniquely intriguing option. It is not TYPICALLY covered by OHIP but it CAN be if you are willing to fight for it. This surgery is more regularly performed in Europe and they have found that it will actually instantaneously reverse a handful of co-morbidities. It can also be a 2 stage process with the VSG.

DS will evntually allow for the most "normal" food consumption of the 4 main options because of a lack of limitations. There is a reason it is loved by those who go this route... It is also known for a high percentage of loss, and sustaining the loss. 80% of excess weight loss expected at 1 year.

I'll share the link that made it the easiest for me to understand:

http://www.surgicalweightlosssolutio...comparison.pdf

All 4 are compared. The good, the bad, and everything in between. The link is to a US Bariatric Surgery Clinic which performs all 4 options. They have NO reason to push one over the other because at the end of the day... They want peoples money and do them all.

Hope this helps clear a few things up.

Shell

SHELL ~ thanks for that; it may actually be the DS (Duodenal Switch) that is helping the Diabetics so much; it stops the absorption down lower too, which in turn, helps the blood sugar levels. You can have a combination of VS & DS but not sure if that is covered by OHIP; some insurance plans may cover it though.

You really have to do your homework when considering this kind of option, but I think you will learn a lot through the whole process too ... :)

Yep.. DS is the one that has a 95%+ rate of clearing type 2.

VS can be converted to DS since it is 1/2 of the surgery... For me... I am going with the VS. A lot of time and energy went into figuring out which way to go.

I have a few friends who have had different forms of bipass surgery. My brother had it and almost died. He has lost weight but is left with many health issues stemming from it. I have a friend who also had it and looks amazing and has had no problems what so ever.She follows her diet faithfully and has added years to her life.
Dolphin great to see you!!