Repost of previous post. WLS forums, FB "support" groups, blogs...how do...

and I am also happy you are here... and Kim.. 

yes. yes and yes.. Many times I don't bother posting when I see you did, 

but the thing is that if you don't die on the operating table, then you have risked and not lost. so the threat of the risk is gone. after recovery, old habits remain. especially in those that have an eating disorder. its easy to be in disbelief and stand in judgment of those who are not following the rules or eating off plan, until you're there. then you learn, and hopefully compassion comes with that knowledge. 

I am so scared of dumping that I don't dare try something sweet.  I'm not a huge sweet lover, but sometimes, a chocolate cake with yummy frosting or a cherry pie with ice cream looks good.  If I even THINK about taking more than a lick of a knife, it terrifies me!  That, in itself, is enough to keep me from trying a real bite of anything sweet. 
 

This was my reply to your post :)

Oh Janet, I agree with you on many points. You have the advantage of maturity. I don't mean in how many birthdays you have had, but in your ability to be realistic about life and the power of patients.Sometimes it is difficult to re-read the same questions and sometimes I do need to "step away from the keyboard" because I may not be kind in my responses. I think that I had the advantage of finding this web site about 9 months before I had surgery and had many of what would be concerns answered by just reading, reading and more reading. When I couldn't find an answer, I would ask, but not ask any medical question nor any that I just wanted someone to validate something that I knew to be wrong.

I feel like I was well educated in my pre-op at my surgeons office, but think that it would take months of full time study to cover everything that I learned here by reading and using the SEARCH option. Like in so many things, people have come to expect instant gratification without the work part involved. I mean not only the quick weight loss, but also just asking the question without trying to research the answer first. There are then those that want the attention of replies but don't want to hear the truth.

They are several who post here often that they aren't eating, drinking or taking their vitamins or something for some reason (excuse) or another but want to be coddled with a "That's OK honey, just try to do better." I try to be kind, but won't say that to anyone! It probably would have taken less time to take their vitamins then it did to type the post. 

As for picking and choosing what you read, do it! I don't knowingly read posts about poop or periods, my choice. If the "I'm not losing fast enough" posts bother you, skip them. There are a few here that reply in a nasty (or sanctimonious) way who themselves made a post or 2 of their own on just that subject when they were a newbie. I encourage them to skip the posts on that subject. I have to admit that I have a cut and paste page on my computer for a few topics because they come up entirely too often.

Finally, I still have no idea if I would dump. I never tested the waters and still shake my head at those that want to find out. 

I think that you have so much to offer this forum as a newbie or a vet. Stick around :)

Martha 

" It probably would have taken less time to take their vitamins then it did to type the post."

I am SO glad I am not the only one who thinks that!  

Lora

  Jane

I pick and choose what I respond to for my sanity. Sometimes I don't reply because the topic has been thoroughly covered, and sometimes because I would say exactly what I think, and sometimes because I have no actual experience of the topic.

I am probably one of the few people in the US not on FB. I just can't go there. From what I've seen, it's just a dumping ground of utter stupidity (or maybe my husband just has a bunch of dumbasses on his page). The internet in general is much more immediate than face-to-face interaction and people seem more willing to let it all hang out than they would in public (good thing? bad thing? some of both, I think).

This kind of reminds me of the commercial where the woman says that they can't put anything on the internet that isn't true. You have to sift through vast piles of information, some of which is highly suspect to a thinking person. The difficulty is that some people cannot be bothered to think.

Disclaimer: I am in no way a vet nor do I represent myself as such. I just sometimes throw my two cents' worth in.

Excellent, excellent post.    You are not hormonal, stir crazy or anything else. You are seeing what many of us see.  It's not that easy to sit day and after day and read I have stalled, my pouch is broken, I am going to explode if I use a straw or die if I don't drink protein drinks. Sin Kim didn't per instructions from her surgeon drink protein drinks and she is still here after 8 years. Yes, she had to get her protein in.  Just like Kelly, who doesn"t eat meat and fills in her protein with other good sources.   Sigh..........I sigh alot.  But I will tell you in spite of everything you and many of us read all we can do is continue to come here and dedicate ourselves to help each other and others as they come aboard.  As Lora said, 90% of the people here disappear after they have lost their weight and you never hear from them again.  I know some people feel the need to move on to to the next phase, but support systems are needed forever in so many ways in our lives, so I don't understand leaving a form of support especially for WLS as this is a journey in itself is a lifetime.   Jane

There were "vets" there when I was a newbie and I won't forget that. Not only do I like to help others that follow behind me, but I honestly feel that my success to date are partly because I have stayed here. Talking about WLS keeps the need to do everything 'right' in the front of my mind. You are so right when you say that this is a lifetime journey, it doesn't end when you have lost the weight. That is when the real work begins!!

Martha