MINI-Me

WOW! You look so tiny. I'm trying to maintain between 125 - 128 & I swear you look like you weigh 115 or so. Nice work!

I was 3 months out from surgery which put me smack dab at Easter ... The kids had tons of candy sitting around. I just couldn't take it anymore. I ate a handful of M&M's and another handful of Jelly Beans. A little later, I was sitting in my room crying. My husband came in & was immediately alarmed. I told him I had something to confess. He got VERY alarmed. I told him what I ate. To his credit, he did the best he could to control his face. He got it under control and asked me why I did it. I gave the honest reply of "I just wanted it so bad." He then lost all control and started to laugh. He made me look up the calories on myfitnesspal. Then, I was laughing too. I had a total meltdown over what equated to less than 200 calories. We're all human. We all make bad choices sometimes. It's the "sometimes" that is the key.

LOL ... That reminds me of my son ... He was so excited to see me when I got home & had a very disappointed look on his face when he saw me. He was positive I was going to come home skinny! You are doing fine! One day at a time, one victory at a time.

You look FABULOUS!!!!!

Really? How far out are you? Did you drink this much pre-surgery? If not, you might have traded alcohol for food and that can be very serious. Even if you did, do you really think it's worth all the empty calories? Please don't take this wrong - I don't know you or your circumstances. But, you might want to consider talking to someone ... Normally, any more than 7 drinks a week on a consistent basis is a warning sign for alcoholism.

Coops said it perfectly. Print it out & read it when you are feeling down. You are doing well. Many have said it & it is really hard to believe it (when you are in the middle of a stall or not reaching an arbitrary goal), but .... THIS IS A JOURNEY, NOT A RACE. You can and will do this! Follow your plan & enjoy the ride.

That is great!

I loaded on MyFitnessPal if anyone wants the breakdown - assumed 10 servings(???) Calories - 189 Protein - 8 grams Carbs - 12 grams Fiber - 2 grams Iron - 7 grams (I track this since I tend to be anemic; even before surgery)

I guess it is as elective as choosing whether or not to take your diabetes and heart medicine. They can prescribe it, but can't make you take it. For me (and many of us), this is the tool we need to get off the weight. If someone else wants to consider it elective, that's fine for them ... wasn't elective for me - it was preventative!

To quote Trace AtkIns ... You're One Hot Moma

If you have a written receipt from them that you have paid in full, why are you worried? Are they demanding that you pay the difference? If so, I would show them your written receipt and see what they say then.

Sarah - are you sure you aren't my twin??? We have almost the same exact goals and stats. My 1st goal was 155 (no longer in overweight category) ... 2nd goal was 145 (since it was 10 pounds lighter) ... 3rd goal was 135 (what I weighed for about 1 week in high school) ... I am happy to say that a new goal came after that ... I bounce between 125 and 128 now & I LOVE IT!!!! I can't allow myself to slip with a lot of "treats" or I creep to the high side (or even higher during TOM), but I feel like I can successfully maintain this for the rest of my life without "dieting" ever again. Good luck on your journey!

I'm game ... Pre-Op -> December 21, 2009; weight 210 Surgery -> January 27, 2010; weight 201 Today -> 18 months later; I bounce a little bit due to daily fluxuations, but I've lost 85 pounds.

No - I was looking for a good surgeon for a good price. At the time of my surgery, the price locally was $21,500. Worked through Medical Tourism and found Dr. Umbach for a little over $10K including hotel expenses.

I was sure I would be the one to fail and be the "stat" that messed up all the VSG stats. I always failed in the past - what was going to be different this time? Every stall I was sure I was done. I now weigh what I weighedin Middle School and I have maintained since Thanksgiving. I made it through Christmas, New Years, and 5 birthdays in my home. I love this tool!

You may want to try http://pugetsoundsurgicalcenter.com/sleeve-gastrectomy.html I went to Las Vegas with Dr. Umbach, but attend their sleeve support groups (not as much now, but went monthly the first year). I've heard nothing but positive feedback for the surgeons there. I think the sleeve price is ~16K there.

Congratulations!

Awesome!!!! Have your groom take you out to celebrate!

I was 32.8 BMI. You must be 30.0 to even qualify with most surgeons. Talk to a local surgeon and see what they say. With my personal history and my families struggles with obesity, 3 surgeons confirmed I was a definite candidate. Best of luck to you!

Sounds exactly like Last Supper. Many of us did it - mine lasted 2 weeks!!!!!!!

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/29/weight-loss-sleeve-a-good-option/comment-page-1/#comment-215886 My comment: Mini Me I had the sleeve surgery in January 2010. I am down to a "normal" BMI of 20.5 and finally enjoying my life again. The sleeve restricts intake because it is so much smaller and "only holds so much". Of course, I only resorted to surgery after years of losing weight and failing to maintain. The yo-yo dieting was worse on my health than being obese. Yes, I can eat all day or drink my calories, but if I follow my plan, I can eat nutritious foods, the occaisional "bad" food, and maintain a healthy weight the rest of my life. It's definitely not easy, but at least it's not impossible like it was before. Before judging others with "eat less donuts" or "just keep your big mouth shut", try to put yourself in the shoes of someone who has struggled with this for their entire life. This is definitely not something to be considered lightly, but for many can save their lives along with the quality of that life.

I can so relate to the stairs issue. I have a bad knee as well & with my pre-surgery weight would "plan" my trips up and down the stairs in our home. Now, my knee hardly hurts and all & I am up and down those stairs all the time. Congratulations to you!!!!

I agree with CowgirlJane ... I think this may be some type of paid advertising cloaked under a "Best of" type of look/feel.

Good job! You may not have taken the "traditional" approach, but you found what worked for you. AWESOME!

You should be fine.