MINI-Me

Never heard of it ... Looked on-line. Here is their site http://www.strivectin.com/. Sounds like a lot of money & I doubt it does much good.

Glad to hear from you again. Sounds like you are doing AMAZING. Fingers are crossed for your hubby.

I doubt you will find a hospital to finance it. There are agencies out there that loan money for surgery, but I've found the rates to be very high. Do you have a low-interest credit card or could you take out a Home Equity Loan?

Thanks for your support. I really appreciate your willingness to cheer us all on. Good luck with your surgery in December - what a great gift to yourself.

Thanks for your input everyone! I met with another plastic surgeon today. I immediately liked him and felt very comfortable. He spent an hour with me discussing options and making sure I understood the procedures. He definitely made me realize that I would not be happy with liposuction alone. It would just give me more sagging skin & he said there really wasn't a lot of fat to remove anyway. He suggested a full tummy tuck and thought that my results would be very good. I know prices differ per region, but he quoted $6,500 for surgery and follow-up care. Does that sound like a good price to you? (Now, just to find that $ laying around somewhere! )

<br /><br /><br /> Perfect. Thanks!

I don't think you are finding excuses at all. We all had to come to a goal based on our feelings, our bodies, and plain luck. You look so happy and healthy in your pictures. That's what it is all about. Stress isn't healthy ... making your own decisions and focusing on yourself is. I say ... remove the stress ... enjoy your success ... and keep running around the park with your adorable little one. Have an awesome day!!!!!!!

I have a Windows Phone. I don't see a Mobile Skin option at the bottom. When I click, all I see is "Vertical Sleeve Talk" which gives me the same page I see on my computer. Any advice?

You may be surprised by your family's response. Have they seen you struggle? Have they seen you lose only to gain again? I was afraid to tell my mother-in-law who is a surgical nurse. Surprisingly, she was the most supportive. Heck! She even went with me for surgery. Totally supported me. I say just tell them why you are considering it. Show them that you've done your research and that you need this tool to get you back to the healthier you. It's up to them to support you or not. p.s. - my husband was concerned about the money too. But now, he says it was the best money we ever spent. It gave me back my life and gave him a wife that enjoys physical activity and doesn't get tired all the time. Wearing cute little dresses doesn't hurt either!

Congratulations! Well done.

Going one below sounds like a good plan for now. Though - that is pretty expensive. You probably won't be in it but a month or two.

Kohls doesn't have the one you show, but looks like they have lots of other options. Wish the mock-layer tank was cheaper - that would be great for spring/summer. http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/intimates/brandswomen/flexees.jsp?bmForm=guided_nav_search&SubcatFolderID=2534374752657294

If you are crazy, I must have been psychotic!!!!! My BMI was 32.8 ... but my entire family is obese or morbidly obese, I couldn't keep off weight and I was gaining more and more each year. 30.0 is considered obese. Just how "obese" do you need to be to make this decision? That's for everyone to decide for themselves. But, I am not looking back. I love being "normal", feeling comfortable in my own skin, and enjoying movement again.

I so remember those last few days before surgery. I went through every emotion possible, but KNEW I was doing the right thing for me. At that time, I hoped to be a size 10 when I got to goal. I never thought size 4 would be my reality!!!! Best of luck ... keep us posted on your progress.

I couldn't stand greek yogurt either. If you have a Kroger or Fred Meyer near you, you might want to try Kroger Carbmaster yogurt - 80 calories, 4g carb, 12g protein. I liked it much better.

Thanks for all the responses. You guys are the best. I guess the thing is that tummy tuck/body lift is just not affordable right now. Plus, I really wonder if all the pain and another major surgery is worth it. I am interested in the body sculpting with liposuction. I know it won't get rid of excess skin, but it may be able to smooth out some areas that are resistant to losing fat. I don't have a lot to remove, but they said they could remove some from the lower abdomen and the little "bra rolls" I have. I guess I'm just concerned about how I will feel about even more skin on my tummy once the remaining bit of fat is gone. I know my clothes will look better, but I wonder about the naked me that only my hubby and I see. Will it make me feel more self-conscious about being naked or more positive about how I look in my clothes??? I would love to say I lost 5 pounds in one afternoon! LOL I told the plastic surgeon's office that I would call back on Monday with my decision. Maybe I can just be honest and say, I can pay "x" which is $800 lower than you quote. Maybe they will be willing to bargain with me. I guess it can't hurt to try. If they say no ... I can always save up - that will give me time to have all the cash & time to consider further. Thanks again for all your support. I knew you guys would understand what I'm feeling. I love all my sleeve friends.

Hmmmm ... 86 views and no comments.

I met with a plastic surgeon today about my remaining problem areas. I know I have a lot of loose skin on my upper abdomen with some fat and that my lower abdomen has some as well (what woman doesn't). I had seen some before and after photos of women who had liposuction and it really smoothed out the looks of the tummy. So, I made an appointment. I went in with high expectations. Well, today I learned that it's mostly skin & little can be done with liposuction. Yes, they can reduce the volume, but I may look even bumpier on my upper abdomen. And, my lower which is nice and smooth (while a little plump) could look like my upper once the remaining fat is removed. The good news? They can totally smooth out the fat on my bra line - something I wasn't even considering doing. I think I've looked at it in the bathroom 20 times since they pointed it out. (Great – something else to pick apart when I look in the mirror!) To be fair, the doctor wasn't that concerned & said it was minimal; the nurse is the one that pointed it out. So, what to do? A tummy tuck/body lift seems very extreme since you can't see the bumpiness with my clothes on. I figured since I was already going to be on the table, I might as well remove the pooch on the bottom abdomen. I'm trying to reconcile how far I'm come with my "perfect" image of what I want to be. Maybe that sounds vain or like I've gone to the "dark side". And to be honest, I'm not sure. I need to think on it some more. The one thing I do know is that the quote was $800 over what I had set as my "top end" on price for now. I'm not silly enough to let $800 stop me from something I really want to do ... but for now, it's enough to make me step back and consider what I really want. Anyone have any advice or suggestions on what they have done or plan to do? Thanks! MINI

Day 4 was a turning point day for me. Just keep plugging along, it really does get easier. Do you have access to a heating pad? It may help with tummy, shoulder, and neck pain.

Thanks for the smile. Speaking of real, you are doing REALLY AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations! Those first couple of days make you go "What did I do?" But, it is all so worth it. Around day 4 I found myself thinking ... "this isn't so bad". Just focus on walking and sipping as much Water as you can. Welcome to your new life!

I've used several of the hand-held calculators that somehow test it. I've been around 24-26. I like that much better than 32+. YIKES!!!!

I've been tracking this ever since my "breakdown" in December. It seems that I go up 3-6 pounds the week AFTER my period, but by the end of the month I am back down again. I'm not doing anything differently as far as eating, exercising, etc. So, I'm just coming to terms with it & know the scale is going to be up. It's frustrating and hard to watch THAT number, but at least I know it will go back down. I still weigh every day & track my weight religiously. If I ever see it not going back down, I will jump on it quickly.

I have a hard time with these type of measures as well. I'm 5'6", weigh between 123-128 & was given a Body Fat of 32.48%. That puts me back in obese & wearing a 4 (vanity sized or not), there is no way that I am still obese. I take these as guidelines ... guidelines that require some common sense.

Welcome back to the USA! Enjoy getting aclimated again ... things will settle down & you will get to your goal. Just keep plugging away!