MINI-Me

I was very much like you as my date approached. I was excited to begin the journey, but so scared of complications and the actual surgery. I also traveled for my surgery so while I had completed phone consultations, I had never met my surgeon until the day prior to my surgery. He was AMAZING! He has such a great bedside manner & was patient and educated when answering all my last minute questions. His assurance and faith in his skills calmed me immediately. I went into surgery as cool as a cucumber (which is really surprising since I'm never "cool" when it comes to big stuff!) You are experiencing very natural emtions ... as you work through the process and learn more, your head will catch up. Your heart still might be a little nervous, but that is ok! Good luck on your journey.

Sounds like a good plan ... just remember, you had major surgery and your body is still recovering. Don't forget to keep liquids with you so you can stay hydrated.

Have you tried Kohl's? They have some really cute items & they always seem to have a promotion coupon going (try going to http://www.retailmenot.com/view/kohls.com if you need one) ... I found in Croft and Barrow and Sonoma brands that I normally need to go down 1 size on their items. I also wear a petite pant from there even though I'm 5'6". For their other brands, I find that they run true to size. As for bras, mine are so deflated, that I definitely need a push up to give the appearance of the girls. I found these at Kohls. While my husband accuses me of "false advertising", he definitely likes the effect! http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/intimates/bras/shopbybrand/lilyoffrance/PRD~612013/Lily+of+France+Striped+Convertible+Personalized+PushUp+Bra.jsp Best of luck ... enjoy this time!

Thanks guys ... I realize that it wasn't a BIG slip. I think I was just more surprised because the number snuck up on me. I had no idea how many calories I had taken in during the day. I'm not beating myself (too much ) just a reminder that I have to be diligent about tracking what I eat and realize this is life-long. Not just a lose it & go back to old behaviors. I love the Anne of Green Gables analogy. Especially since my real name is Anne and the "e" is very important to me too!

So, I am experimenting with calories now that I have met goal and no longer want to lose. BUT, maintenance means no gaining either. I've been targeting 1500 calories to maintain between 125-129. (I was losing on 1200.) Well ... I haven't been feeling too great today & didn't do a good job of journaling my food. I just logged everything in and I ate 1689 calories today. Say again?????? I am so afraid of failure. I had no idea I had eaten that much today. What is wrong with me???????????? Will this always be a struggle even with my tool? Sorry, today has not been a great day. Feeling a little sorry for myself I guess.

You got it. Prayers first and foremost. What else can we do to support?

Do you have a Macy's near you? If so, they do a great, professional job at measuring you. And believe me, no one is watching you & thinking you are in the wrong store. Of course, when they hear you screaming for joy at the little size you just got into, there may be a few stares or eye rolls. While I was losing, I tried stores like Target, Sears (they have amazing clearance rack prices), and such. I looked around for people I thought were my size (that's a hard one to figure out, so you may need some help - I never imagined I was as "little" as other people said I was) and looked at what they were wearing. If I liked it, I tried to find simliar items in the store to try on. In the losing phase, I looked for items that were slightly snug and then wore them until my husband declared they were "Goodwill Bound". I also did a lot of 2 bags to Goodwill and 1 bag out while I was losing. It was fun & I found many items with original tags still on them. Try not to stress ... enjoy this time. It really is fun once you let yourself enjoy it.

Very happy for you. Another road on your journey!

With your great attitude, you will be with us in no time!

Welcome to be a Poster! I was also a 10+ pounder. Weighed in at 10 pounds 10 ounces at birth. Yeehaw!

I think you have an excellent plan! I also HATE exercise. No, let me say that again ... I HATE TO EXERCISE!!!! I've been lucky to have made it this far without regular exercise, but I know that I need to incorporate it or risk gaining weight in the long haul. I did heavy housecleaning on Sunday & last night got on the treadmill for 20 minutes. (For those that know me, I'll wait a minute so you have time to pick yourself off the floor ....) I didn't go at a heavy pace ... just around 3 miles an hour. I have Kindle for PC so I took my netbook and read for a while. Boy! Did that make a difference. The 20 minutes went very quickly. A quick shower, put on my comfy jammies, and demanded that my husband praise me for working out without anyone nagging me. Not sure I'll be able to do this every night ... but I've committed to myself to do at least 3 20-minute sessions a week. Yes, I am accountable to no one but me ... but, if I can't keep a promise to myself, why do I think I would be accountable to anyone else. Back to you ... do it at your pace and a comfortable level for you. This is YOUR journey and only YOU can decide what you can do and what you want to do for the long haul. Congratulations on your first (literal) step!

Yes it does! Yahoo! I think this is a new phase on our journey. This is the part that we've all failed before - maintenance. This time we have a tool to allow us to succeed. I look forward to hearing more about your journey & I will post mine as well. We are in this together!

Congratulations!!!!! What a great accomplishment. (You need to update that ticker ... still shows 142 & 8 pounds to goal. Be proud of your accomplishment of making goal!) I think we all have that fear of food once we decide on maintenance. There is a maintenance thread out here that you may want to check out. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/11768-official-maintenance-thread/page__pid__106032#entry106032 I'm still battling the maintenance "demon" myself. I have an appointment with a NUT next week ... I promise to report back any advice she has about maintenance for life.

Congratulations. Sounds like you are doing well on your journey!

Awesome news! Congratulations on your journey to health.

I did not have Bliss Insurance, but it sounds like you purchased it. I would talk directly with the nurse who gave you your Bliss Insurance number. I'm sure she's dealt with all this before & will be able to help you submit the claim or provide information to the hospital so they can submitt the claims. But first of all ... breathe. Sounds like you covered yourself well ... it's just a matter of proper paperwork at this point.

Welcome and congratulations on your upcoming surgery! You will find this to be a very friendly and helpful group. For now, you may want to go back and read some of the old posts and such. If you have any questions, just ask.

That truely is a WOW moment. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Congratulations to you. Hopefully the financing works out & you can start your new life asap. From my personal experience, this was the best thing I ever did for myself. I like feeling comfortable in my own skin ... and I am very appreciatitve of my new found health. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask!

For the most part, it's been good. My side of the family is obese (good genes huh?) ... they are complimentary of my weightloss, but seem to be waiting for me to "gain it all back". My husband's family are very supportive and go out of their way to encourage me & help me out. I have found that strangers (especially men) are much friendlier to me. I get offered help a lot quicker in stores and people look me directly in the eye. I even got hit on New Year's Eve! After being a married woman for so long, that was a bit of a shock and a confidence builder! The most interesting thing is how much husband holds me close when we are out in public. Not sure if he's so proud of me & wants to show me off or just wanting to make sure no one tries to steal me. Either way, I like it!

Sometimes you gotta do whatcha gotta do. I couldn't stand Protein powders either! (And luckily, carbs didn't seem to be an impact on my weightloss.) You might want to try unjury chicken Soup. It's a little salty, but it didn't taste like Protein Powder to me & really helped out those first few months. You can order samples from their website.

Chilo1 - isn't that only 6 pounds to goal?

Congratulations! Just remember, sip, walk, sleep, sip, walk, sleep. That will be it for the next few days! Glad you have a "Sleeve Sister" along with you. Keep as posted when you can.

That is totally awesome. I bet it's a day that you (and your girls) won't soon forget. A "Memory Day" as I call them. You go girl!!!!!

Love it!!!!!!!