Share but be aware I am not you.

I have not blocked anyone. Anyone can respond.
And just to be clear, I am not pointing fingers at anyone in particular. Vet or no.
Its a compilation of all.

I agree with your post 100%. For me I have always taken the stand of "I will take what I need and leave the rest" from who ever is posting. You are right this is my journey and I love all the ideas from everyone even the strong opinioned people because hey what they are saying might be right for me. One must always look their medical team though for advice. Thanks again for posting.

Thank you for posting. I have always read the forums with the attitude of "I will take what I need and leave the rest". Some of the more strongly opinionated people have given me wonderful direct which has helped and others that speek quiter have given me equally valuable direction. I think it is about being secure that we can make up our own minds and take what we need for us be successful. I for one am glad for all postings. What I use is up to me. I agree that your medical teams are your very best resource and should always be kept in the loop as to what you are doing and how you are fine tuning your sucess. Thank you for posting.

This is an online forum, and the information you are getting here is just our experiences mixed with our research.   We are not professionals in this field.  However, after a few years, many of us do come up with very strong opinions about many subjects.  You do not have to agree with anyone or anything here.  Take what motivates and works for you and leave the rest.  If anyone in particular upsets your sensibilities, block them (me) and move on.  I have no hard feelings about being blocked and strongly encourage those that are offended by me to use the block button to have a better online experience.  In the end, this forum is what you make of it through your posts, your filter and your expectations.  I hope you have a smooth journey and that all your personal goals relating to VSG come true.  I have no desire to change the way I post and I will almost certainly continue to have strong opinions about carbs,  calories, stomach sizes, and other issues.  I am telling this to you right now and honestly as I can so that you can make the best decision for you about continuing to read my posts.  I take no offense if my opinion does not add productively to your journey.  Good luck to you.

This post really isn't about you Elina.

It's about all of us recognizing different paths to the same goal. If I take a different street but still get to the store, I am not less. I am not wrong or lost. Just different. Maybe the speed limit suits my driving. Or maybe I just enjoy the different sights and sounds.
Its the lack of respect from some towards other peoples process, doctors, programs that I find disappointing.
I don't block someone because they don't agree with me. I don't block someone if I don't agree with them. I wouldn't learn and grow as a person then. Rigidity in thought and the inability to consider the alternatives leaves us stagnant as a human being.

The path is always yours.  Only you have the right to choose it, to change it or to question it.  On the other hand, you and I and all of us have a right to strongly held viewpoints and opinions.  Disrespect is never helpful, but people who have walked the walk and choose to hold the lantern for others should have the freedom and the place to speak as they please.  Only the individual can choose to follow, or not, or choose a different path.  I celebrate each success, no matter how the individual chose to get there.  In addition, it is their version of success that is important, not mine.  My path is hard enough for me, I don't need to micro manage anyone else.  However, I am seriously considering going as the Carb police or as the VSG Queen to the OH masquerade party.  :)

Now what would that outfit look like?

It would involve a regular police woman outfit but instead of a badge insignia, there would be a donut with line through it.  The Queen outfit would have me dressed as a Royal with a scepter of the VSG stomach on it. That's just off the top of my head.  :)   I am just kidding, I am really going as Minnie Mouse.

I couldn't agree more.  Find what works for you!

I am pretty sure that without OH, the good, the bad and the ugly, I would most certainly not be within 14 lbs of my goal weight now. The filters really have to come in on the reader's end. Those who post really shouldn't have to worry about how many thousands of on line open forum readers they will offend or what have you. You as the reader should be able to apply your own filters based on all the elements that only you know fully - your program, your medical history, those who live with you, all the things that you listed which are perfectly valid. For you. I think that we are or at least in my not so humble opinion, should be, sufficiently grown up to be able to filter the incoming and not expect hundreds of anonymous people to foresee what they should or shouldn't say. I think that is kind of impossible. And the bottom line here is that it is ALL personal and based on our limited experience with our own journeys. For some of the vets it is dead easy to see trends. Up to us to receive, filter, apply, discard etc.

On the issue of medical or borderline medical advice. I come from a family of doctors. Practically every woman starting with my great aunt and passing through my mother, her two sisters in law, nieces and nephews and now grand nephew and niece are all doctors. Many friends are doctors. They worked damn hard and spent much time in school and residency and specialization and practice (!!!!) but honestly, if you don't become your own best health advocate and do your research, doctors can lead you to a wrong path just as well as a plumber can.

So my best unsolicited advice would be to take it all in and process all the info coming from all sorts of sources to come up with a plan that you can live with. This VSG thing really isn't all that different to anything else in life. Marriage, having and raising kids...wow you should read on some of the parenting forums!! Talk about strong opinions!!! If we don't put them to bed at 8 pm we are all raising delinquents!!!! And so on! Filter the incoming. Don't take anything personally and people will always be judgemental. We are wired like that. Again, filter it. 

Ultimately what I found here on OH is that everyone who posts does so because they want everyone on here to succeed. Best of luck to us all!