JerseyCityGal

Whenever I feel myself slipping, I give myself a pep talk too.

Naked.

In front of the fridge.

With my iphone 6 plus (HD camera) and my selfie stick.

Then I download it, print out a few copies and stick them on my food cabinets, fridge and freezer.

I save the original on my phone to look at when I grocery shop or when I feel my resolve slipping and I'm not at home.

You're 4 1/2 months out and almost at goal?

Yeah, I'd say that was VERY good.

I keep telling myself that if I really want it- I can have it! But I AM making the choice not to have it. No one is out there telling me I can't have it ( then I'm going to want it more) . I feel like when I'm choosing not to have something , I actually don't feel as sad about it because it was my choice .

She had surgery just a few weeks ago and you think she should just go ahead and "have it!"???

>Why don't you just drive her to McDonalds while you are at it. Unreal.

I don't think the post was meant to convey that someone just out of surgery should have McDonalds. I think the idea is to help prevent feelings of being deprived which then increases the desire for whatever "it" is.

My dad did this when he quit smoking. He had a pack in the basement and would say that he could have a cigarette anytime he wanted to. He just chose NOT to have it that day.

For some people this strategy is very effective.

EXCEPT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE WHO JUST HAD SURGERY.

This is not a poster who is 6 or 10 months out and wants to have one oreo cookie or a few french fries to satisfy a craving. A lot of us do that. Heck, last night I had two bites of key lime pie and threw the rest in the trash so I wouldn't be tempted any more because it was so good.

THIS WOMAN IS A FEW WEEKS OUT FROM SURGERY, STILL ON FAST food AND ON HER WAY TO MASSIVE QUANTITIES OF IT!

Removing most of your stomach will neither cure nor improve a brain disorder. That's magical thinking.

What will help your stomach and man boobs is going to a personal trainer and working with him or her on your diet and exercise routine to target the layer of fat on your abs.

Your man boobs can be corrected with simple plastic surgery IF you still have them after you hit your goal.

I think it's a real problem.

My excess skin impacts me mentally and emotionally, but I didn't have a brain tumor that caused me to gain all my weight. I did it to myself.

I'd love to have someone pick up the tab for the end result of my actions, but when the insurance companies start doing that, it's a slippery slope.

Why should everyone pay for what some of us chose to do to ourselves?

Should I lose some more?

I think that after plastics you might be motivated to exercise some more and get in better shape (I know for sure I will be, even though the gym is already my second home, lol), and that in turn will lead to more weight loss overall.

You don't look like you have a really small frame, so I wouldn't go crazy with weight loss at this point.

Is it true sometimes a clinic will use hair from a deceased person to put in someone's head for transplant? Does it really hurt more than ordinary surgeries?

Thank you.

The hair comes from the back or sides of your scalp.

As far as pain, you won't be going to the gym to work out that afternoon, but you won't be screaming and wishing for death either. A local anesthetic is used during the procedure.

Depending on how much hair you need replaced, you may have to go more than once.

Source: An ex had it done and was happy with the results.

I never tried them before surgery, but I bought every single sugar-free flavor post-surgery in one big order and I just love them.

I add the flavors like Gingerbread, Brown Sugar Cinnamon, S'Mores, pumpkin Pie, vanilla Bean, English Toffee, Belgian Cookie, etc to Chike vanilla Protein shakes with ice in the blender and it's just like having a Coolatta except for the calories. Delicious. I bought the dispensing pumps to get the servings right ... two big squirts.

The fruit flavors are great in ice Water. Maybe you aren't using enough.

On the website they have a lot of great recipes. sugar-free Coconut iced coffee was very good.

I can sort of see their point, because where does it end? Everyone who has a baby will want a Tummy Tuck, etc.

I have United HealthCare/Oxford and have to do self-pay for all my skin removal. I really wish it was covered by insurance. UHC does not cover it under any circumstances. They don't care if your belly is dragging on the ground.

I keep telling myself that if I really want it- I can have it! But I AM making the choice not to have it. No one is out there telling me I can't have it ( then I'm going to want it more) . I feel like when I'm choosing not to have something , I actually don't feel as sad about it because it was my choice .

She had surgery just a few weeks ago and you think she should just go ahead and "have it!"???

Why don't you just drive her to McDonalds while you are at it. Unreal.

I love the Tofurkey deli slices product line. 3 to 5 net carbs per serving and 13 grams of Protein. I skip the bread and make a roll-up with the slices in a piece of Applegate Naturals Meunster cheese for 0 carbs and 5 grams of Protein, topped with a bit of mustard. This far out I can eat two if I space them apart. Chike or Marley Garden of Life coffee Protein shake in the morning. Marley is vegan. Both are low carb and high in protein. I love Morningstar Farms soy sausage links - 9 grams of protein for 2. I buy vegan meatballs from Whole Foods and eat them with veggies for dinner quite a bit. Dannon Light & Fit 80 calorie Greek is great also.

An average day for me is under 1,000 calories (usually around 950), 80 grams of protein and 60 carbs. I'm 9 months out. I work with a personal trainer 3 times a week and get a lot of exercise on my own.

Less activity = less calories needed.

You look like a normal sized person.

I grew up mostly in NYC and now live in Jersey City NJ. I'd love to meet a sleeved single male who is also over 50 (like me).

I've been putting off going back to EHarmony until after plastics for skin removal on my arms and middle. A bariatric patient partner would already understand.

I am having trouble finding the high dose calcium citrate for under $10. Like most people, I'm on a budget and I already spend more than enough on Protein powder.< /p>

Solaray Cal-Mag Citrate with Vitamin D 2:1 Ratio - 180 vegetarian capsules (1,000 mg calcium citrate 400IU Vitamin D) is $10.49 at allstarhealth.com, $11.33 at VitaminShoppe.com, and really cheap at Whole foods - which is where I buy it. I don't remember the exact price, just that I thought "Hey, that's not bad at all for 180 capsules".

There are several women I work with who don't take Vitamins, and don't believe they need to, it's just a way to sell bariatric Vitamins, and milk more money out of the patient. I am a FIRM believer in vitamins and Water.

I don't use bariatric vitamins for the same reason ... but I take a stack of vitamins twice a day, every single day. I load up my AM and PM Vitamin cases once a week.

@@downsizingdiva Mine took a it two months. It started out sounding like I had demons living in there and now it's pretty normal.

Demons as in crazy gargling bubbling noises??

Well I sure hope it didn't announce MY NAME IS ABADDON!

I haven't felt any differently with my stomach. Up until I first felt restriction, I questioned if the surgeon even did anything. My stomach area feels the same, so I'm not sure what you mean. Maybe you are hyper aware of your new tummy because of knowing what the surgeon did? Which isn't at all unusual. I've had surgeries for athletic injuries and it takes awhile to get used to the fixed area again.

Same here.

I thought I would feel something magical but everything felt the same.

My full signal is a hiccup.

If the only thing you have or ever will love in life is "fast food", then yeah, you made the wrong choice. Is eating all you ever did? You can still eat all day long, all day, every day and get back up to your pre-surgery weight in no time at all. That way you won't have to keep telling people that your small portions won't be "forever", although I can't imagine why they would care. Eat those "normal" portions that got you up to 269 lbs! It will take you longer to consume, but you can do it!

Or you could start exercising, read a couple of good books on nutrition, take a healthy cooking class, make plans for the future, get rid of things in your life that aren't working, search the internet for recipes that fit in your surgeon's meal plan, find a new hobby to keep yourself busy, join a gym, take a walk....

Or think about life at a McDonald's with a kid's meal and pout.

Your choice.

Oh, and I have no trouble at all getting my Protein in.

Today so far I've had 735 calories; 43 carbs and 85 grams of Protein.

dinner is going to be really light, probably some Tofurkey slices for 100 more calories; 6 carbs and 13 more grams of protein.

Absolutely.

I've been a vegetarian for about 30 years. I've lost track of exactly how long.

Wasn't an issue pre-sleeve and hasn't been an issue post-sleeve.

But I can grab handfuls and handfuls of skin starting right under my breastbone all the way down to my waist.

Me too!

The first time I saw myself in a mirror on all fours with my skin hanging I just about died. I looked like I was ready to whelp a litter, lol.

i would deff do a consult or two or three....now. How long has it been since you have lost any lbs? if it's been a while, your body may be telling you.... Hey, this is where i belong..... Removing 15-20lbs of skin is a lot.... and if your already a 6 ... i would think that you would end up in 2-4 jeans....

I lose weight every week. Some weeks more than others. This week was only 1/2 lb.

I'm a gym rat and love exercise. I wasn't always obese and know I can make it to my goal. I hit my surgeons goal for me months ago.

It's hard for me to get a good idea of what were talking about with just the picture you posted. Lol. Hold on, let me take off my "fake" plastic surgeon's hat now and put on my "fellow Barriatric gal obsessed with her gut" hat. I would suggest going on the real self website and look at pictures of people who have body types similar to you. That is what helped me realize that I want to be as close to goal before I even consider getting a Tummy Tuck. There are people on there who are candidates for a tuck (and get it done) but I look at their after pictures and know I wouldn't be happy with the results. If I still have flab to grab, then I still know I have fat to lose in my gut. I'm 11 months out and I've been amazed how my skin transforms every month. I will lose weight and there's times my belly/thighs look horrific. Then awhile later the skin snaps back. I read somewhere every-time you have a loss, it takes your skin anywhere from 2-3 months to adjust. At 5'7" I'm currently 153. I'd like to get to 140- 145 (or whenever my belly fat is almost gone) and maintain for awhile and consider surgery summer 2016. I had two very large babies and for me, the tummy tuck would repair the torn abdominal muscles (goodbye mommy pouch) and removed the Freddy Krueger stretch marks I have on my lower abdomen below my belly button. I can't even blame this damage on being overweight as I was fit before I had kids! Don't get me wrong, there is excess skin to loose, but I actually get excited as the "fat" disappears and the skin is left because I know if I keep doing this, the surgeon will be able to remove MORE skin at surgery time and the better the results. This encourages me to keep truckin along.....

Oh, I look at sites every night, lol.

I'm 54, almost 55. Nothing is snapping back, lol. Trust me. I pull it out and it just lays there like a dead cat in the road for the next 6 months.

I was looking for people who actually had it done; some before they lost all the weight, some after, for their personal opinions. If they had it done before, did it still hold up after all the weight came off, etc? Do they wish they waited, etc? Or did they wait and wish they had done it earlier?

Been there, done that and glad you did OR wish you hadn't opinions are very valuable. Nothing is better than the words of someone who has been there before you.

I work out with a personal trainer 3 times a week and on my own the rest of the week. Because I was shaped like a top before, my middle is disproportionate skin-wise. That and my arms.

I was in the bathroom at work when I took that pic so I couldn't strip down bare ass and get a real good photo, lol.

@@bayougirlmrsc

The "skin donation" thing is a myth. Here the University of Michigan Trauma Burn Center explains exactly why this is unworkable.

http://www.traumaburn.org/who/skinbank/faq.shtml

@@AmyFromCincy

Hi Amy. One of my brothers lives in Cincy.

I started out at 268 and was 255 on operating day. I don't update my ticker very often. I've lost 91 lbs and my surgery was on June 16th.