I'm so sorry to hear of your troubles and suffering.

I can totally understand how easily an alcohol transfer addiction could happen.  In times of high stress or anger, I have found myself thinking, "Well, I can't eat, so I should go home and have a drink... that would make me feel better."  I am very careful about NOT acting on this thought, but it is hard. 

I don't think that any of us realized how often we used food as an all-occasional coping mechanism.  It is so hard when the only coping skill that we have is ripped away from us with nothing to replace it.

I hope you find a way to solve your problem and find a healthy, happy way to cope with life's difficulties, and even successes at times. 

Thanks for the tip!  I have not-quite-curly, not-quite-straight, non-uniformly wavy hair.  It's a wreck and right now its so short that it's hard to flat iron.  I've been looking for something that will cut the frizz -- I'll definitely try this. 

Costco Rotisserie Chicken (in the case where they keep the pre-made foods, I found a tray of 8 leg/thigh quarters for the same price as a single rotisserie chicken, which is awesome because post-sleeve I like dark meat better than chicken breasts, and they're easy to pop in a baggie and take to work in my lunch)

Sliced cucumbers and cherry tomatoes with a little white wine vinegar

Costco's Red Pepper Hummus with baby carrots

Costco's Guy Fieri Marinated Tri-tip -- protein for a week and then some!

Kroger Carb Master Yogurt

Jello SF Pudding Cups -- Creme Brule and Rice Pudding are amazing

Apples and Jif peanut butter singles

Any fruit or veggie with Babybel cheese

Ranch dip/dressing made with greek yogurt and a little milk -- you can add salsa and taco seasoning to make it Southwest Ranch

Broccoli Salad kits

I feel the same way -- I never used to even look at the clothes because none of them would fit me.  I buy my daughter cute outfits there all the time.

I was so excited when I bought a pair of Calvin Klein capris for $15 with a matching t-shirt in a junior's size XL and they both fit. 

I'm right there with you.  You couldn't pay me enough to sleep one night without my CPAP.  I love it and I would probably take my CPAP over VSG surgery, if I had to choose one thing to improve my health and quality of life.

I'm 6 pounds from goal and still need the same pressure that I used before surgery.  One thing that did change is I now have to wear a chin strap to hold my mouth shut since I lost weight.  I think my triple chin used to keep it propped shut.  LOL

I actually believe that my sleep apnea contributed to my obesity (lack of energy, lack of activity, decreased leptin) more than my obesity contributed to my sleep apnea.

I agree with you -- I cannot understand why people would choose to not wear their CPAP.  I wear a nasal pillow mask, and often have to hold my hand in front of the outflow to make sure the air is blowing, otherwise I can't even tell that it's on.  I sleep better than I ever have in my life and for the first time, I can get by on 7 or 8 hours of sleep instead of 10 and still feeling tired. 

And, as an added bonus, I no longer risk my life and the lives of others by struggling to stay awake and keep my eyes open on my morning commute. 

Not everyone will be cured of the their sleep apnea by dramatic weight loss, so make sure you are wearing your CPAP until your pulmonologist says otherwise. 

I enjoy the positive attention and revel in compliments!  My favorite compliment is when people say, "You look so happy!"  My second favorite is anything to do with my muscles, because I work hard for them at the gym.  LOL

I have realized that I don't need to be invisible -- I am a beautiful, healthy, kind, smart, compassionate person who doesn't deserve to be ignored.  I am much more comfortable being in the spotlight now, more than ever before in my life.  I can thank my counselor for helping me to overcome the need for invisibility. 

I am totally open about my surgery and love sharing information about it, especially if it will help someone who has ruled out bypass and lapband and doesn't know anything about the sleeve.  So far, 3 people have had sleeve surgery, or have a date set, because of me.  I work at a hospital, so I also like to educate other health care professionals about the sleeve, so compliments and questions provide an opening to do so.

That being said, I really don't care if people don't say anything.  I certainly don't need to be the center of attention and don't feel slighted if someone doesn't compliment me or ask me about my weight loss.  People don't need to compliment me, and some people may not be comfortable discussing another person's weight.  Once in a while, if I'm having an off day, I may not feel like mustering the energy it takes to respond to all the questions and compliments, but that's pretty rare anymore, because I'm usually happy and energetic as a rule, now.

I love yoga!  I try to go at least once a week on the weekends.  It's great for mental and physical health!

You look fabulous!  What an amazing transformation!

I used to have it all the time, but not so much any more.  Try to shift your weight to the front of your foot for a while, and then to your heels for a while. 

As I've lost weight and become more fit, I only notice it in a very minor way.

Thanks for being brave!  You look great! 

My stomach is similar -- most of my loose skin is below my belly button and on my inner thighs (hard for others to see), but I'm really happy with my body, and I don't know that I look THAT much worse than any other 43 year old who has had a 9 pound baby and did the breast feeding thing.

When I get to my goal, I promise that I will post loose skin pictures as well, because it is a kick-ass brave thing to do!

I could eat endless amounts of lettuce, as well as watermelon, popcorn, or anything else that chews down to nothing.  Dense protein is the only thing that is going to give you good restriction in the long run.  

You know, after years of yo-yo dieting, I'm done with eating fake diet food.  I've never found a fake diet food that was as good as the real thing.  No, substituting applesauce for the oil and eggs in a brownie mix isn't the same.  Fat free cheese does not melt or taste good.  SF cheesecake pudding is not at all like cheesecake.  High protein pasta does not have the same texture or taste as regular pasta. 

I spent years buying into all that crap and pretending to like whatever "healthy" recipe or product matched the ridiculous plan I was trying to stick with at the time.

I'm over it.

I eat healthy at least 90% of the time.  When I choose to eat a treat or unhealthy option, I choose the real thing and savor the hell out of it. 

If I really want pasta (which I rarely do), I'll make or order some pasta, eat it and enjoy it in a small sleeve-reasonable amount, and then move on. 

Normal thin people don't eat a bunch of fake diet crap.  Normal thin people eat unhealthy foods and treats in small amounts on occasion but stick to a healthy diet 80-90% of the time and work out on a regular basis.

I believe that these "fake diet foods" are just one more way that corporate America is taking advantage of fat people's insecurities and desire to be thin without making significant lifestyle changes.  Fake pasta isn't the key to being thin.  Eating real pasta once in a rare while is a better option for me.