JerseyCityGal

Natrol makes a strawberry chewable/dissolving Biotin. I'm like a 5 year old when it comes to Vitamins and pills. I want fruit flavors and dinosaur shapes if at all possible, lol.
I go out to eat all the time. It's not a problem. I have a stomach the size of toddler. Does that stop toddlers from going out to eat? Nooooooo. They are everywhere you look. Are they all worked up because they can't eat a mountain of food? Nooooooo. None of them are feeling deprived. They're happy. You will be too.
I get 3 full meals from an entree, a little less if I share with my pets when I get home. No one gives a damn if you clean your plate or not. It's all about the fun, going to a nice place and having good food. You can make good food choices from any menu. I very rarely drank before surgery and I found my alcohol tolerance has lessened, but every once in a while I will order a drink before dinner and have a few sips because I want to. Four or five sips of wine or a Cosmo while waiting for the food doesn't affect the food volume for me.
I don't make an issue over what or how much or what I am eating and no one really notices. Of course my weight loss is really noticeable, but I have been talking about things like "the gym" and "watching what I eat" in general so the comments I do get are encouraging and playful in nature.

Natrol makes a strawberry chewable/dissolving Biotin. I'm like a 5 year old when it comes to Vitamins and pills. I want fruit flavors and dinosaur shapes if at all possible, lol.
I go out to eat all the time. It's not a problem. I have a stomach the size of toddler. Does that stop toddlers from going out to eat? Nooooooo. They are everywhere you look. Are they all worked up because they can't eat a mountain of food? Nooooooo. None of them are feeling deprived. They're happy. You will be too.
I get 3 full meals from an entree, a little less if I share with my pets when I get home. No one gives a damn if you clean your plate or not. It's all about the fun, going to a nice place and having good food. You can make good food choices from any menu. I very rarely drank before surgery and I found my alcohol tolerance has lessened, but every once in a while I will order a drink before dinner and have a few sips because I want to. Four or five sips of wine or a Cosmo while waiting for the food doesn't affect the food volume for me.
I don't make an issue over what or how much or what I am eating and no one really notices. Of course my weight loss is really noticeable, but I have been talking about things like "the gym" and "watching what I eat" in general so the comments I do get are encouraging and playful in nature.

I didn't regret surgery, not for a second.
The only regrets I have had were letting my life and eating get out of control in the first place and not having the surgery sooner.
I would have the surgery over and over again because of the way it has allowed me to regain control and get healthy again.
You're having some short-term pain for some long-term gain. I have sympathy for you, but believe me, this is all going to be so worth it.

I didn't regret surgery, not for a second.
The only regrets I have had were letting my life and eating get out of control in the first place and not having the surgery sooner.
I would have the surgery over and over again because of the way it has allowed me to regain control and get healthy again.
You're having some short-term pain for some long-term gain. I have sympathy for you, but believe me, this is all going to be so worth it.

I'm in between abstaining forever and moderation. Some things I have given up forever (like bagels), other things (like pizza) I will allow myself 1/2 a small slice every 4 to 6 weeks as a treat.
During the holidays, I adjusted my food to allow two small gingerbread men a day, total 140 calories. The bag lasted me two weeks. I was living for those two little Cookies with a cup of tea as an evening snack, lol. I've never had a sweet tooth but I have looked forward to those Cookies every Christmas since I was a kid and this Christmas was no different. What was different was that I didn't stuff my face with the entire bag while watching a movie, but instead rationed them out and sat down and really savored them every day.

I didn't regret surgery, not for a second.
The only regrets I have had were letting my life and eating get out of control in the first place and not having the surgery sooner.
I would have the surgery over and over again because of the way it has allowed me to regain control and get healthy again.
You're having some short-term pain for some long-term gain. I have sympathy for you, but believe me, this is all going to be so worth it.

Laugh. It won't wreck your mascara.
You can't change what has already happened. You're losing weight now, and that is what counts going forward. The more you lose, the better off you will be in the future.
Sometimes we are the only ones who know we were telling the truth. It's a pretty universal thing, not just with overweight people and how much food they do or do not consume. I'm sure everyone could relate with a time when they were telling the truth and no one was buying it. It's frustrating. The important thing is that your condition is improving and will continue to do so.

I'm in between abstaining forever and moderation. Some things I have given up forever (like bagels), other things (like pizza) I will allow myself 1/2 a small slice every 4 to 6 weeks as a treat.
During the holidays, I adjusted my food to allow two small gingerbread men a day, total 140 calories. The bag lasted me two weeks. I was living for those two little Cookies with a cup of tea as an evening snack, lol. I've never had a sweet tooth but I have looked forward to those Cookies every Christmas since I was a kid and this Christmas was no different. What was different was that I didn't stuff my face with the entire bag while watching a movie, but instead rationed them out and sat down and really savored them every day.

Amen.

I'm in between abstaining forever and moderation. Some things I have given up forever (like bagels), other things (like pizza) I will allow myself 1/2 a small slice every 4 to 6 weeks as a treat.
During the holidays, I adjusted my food to allow two small gingerbread men a day, total 140 calories. The bag lasted me two weeks. I was living for those two little Cookies with a cup of tea as an evening snack, lol. I've never had a sweet tooth but I have looked forward to those Cookies every Christmas since I was a kid and this Christmas was no different. What was different was that I didn't stuff my face with the entire bag while watching a movie, but instead rationed them out and sat down and really savored them every day.

Acid also mimics hunger, so make sure you're taking enough Prilosec/zantac/omeprazole!

@@My Bariatric Life
Thanks. I'm paying cash for everything to get the best possible deal. She did a great job on your face.
I cringe every time I look in the mirror. I love the weight loss, but it looks like my face has melted, lol.

@@JerseyCityGal I miss NJ. Say hello to home for me. I've only been in Indy since May 2013. There are some cheap flights via Allegiant Air and Frontier Airlines between NJ and Indy.
I paid about $15k for my work with Dr. Winslow inclusive of surgeon, OR, anesthesia. The procedures I had done included deep plane face lift, neck lift, upper eye lid lift, lip lift, chin implant, SMAS to tear troughs, and filler. She also cut the muscle between my eyebrows that create the 11s but she said it would grow back. She did not charge me to cut it. She has zero interest Care Credit financing.
I recently had a 35% TCA chemical peel and I recommend that -- but I would suggest that you do it in the Winter when there is less sun.
I could not imagine going to anyone else. I think Dr. Winslow is extremely talented. I've seen a few of her patients who had the works done and all of them were stunning -- two women older than me and one man also older -- and they looked like the very best version of themselves.
Good luck with your surgeries. It is an amazing thing to do for oneself.

@@HumanMerelyBeing yes, Dr. Joseph F. Capella in Ramsey NJ did all of my body contouring. I lived in NJ when I had the TT but have since gone back to him from Indianapolis for additional procedures. The travel is not easy but I could not imagine going to anyone else. I do believe that he is the best at what he does, reconstructing post massive weight loss bodies to normalcy. Plus his prices are good by comparison to other plastic surgeons. I paid $25k for total body contouring. That's nothing to sneeze at but when you see that a lot of surgeons are charging 40% or more than that...
Be sure that you go to a plastic surgeon with deep experience in post massive weight loss plastic surgery. Plastic surgery is a highly competitive field and lots of surgeons are trying to capitalize on the bariatric patient base. There is a lot of heavy marketing that goes on -- I have seen it for myself and other surgeons have told me about it. Worse, I have seen some mediocre results, even some horror stories. Our bodies are far far different from women seeking mommy makeovers. Here is an interview article that I did with Dr. Capella that may help you in identifying the criteria you want to look for when interviewing plastic surgeons: http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/276918/162591/interview-capella-plastic-1/
And here is my before and after video:
Good luck!

On another thread a few of us are discussing the anxiety we felt going into plastic surgery. Some mentioned about the nudity, the markups, etc that not only were they anxiety-provoking for someone so uncomfortable with their naked body, but also at times highly embarrassing. So I thought I'd start this thread for us to laugh at ourselves and each other with the silly thoughts that ran through our minds during these times.
I'll share a few of my embarrassing moments but I want to preface them by stating how very freeing these moments were in the long run. I am now VERY comfortable with my naked body. I've even gone topless a few times on a nude beach. So, onto those very worthwhile embarrassing moments that got me to where I am today...
First off, I never realized how nude I would be and how often going into this. So if you have not gone through plastics, be prepared for that. So, first of course was the examination for my Tummy Tuck, and although Dr Capella was very gentle and professional, I was so ashamed to open my robe. Worse was having my fat touched, ick. And then him taking my nude photos, it must have been so traumatic that I have blocked it from memory because I don't remember it whatsoever. I know it happened because I have the hideous photos as mementos.
But the absolute most embarrassing experience was when I walked into the OR and was greeted by Scott, Dr. Capella's PA. I had not at that point even known that Dr. Capella had a PA. So I was surprised to walk into the OR and be greeted by a male who quickly walked up to me and said something along the lines that he was going to have me take off my robe and stand on this little towel and paint my body with Betadine. My first thought was OMG he is gong to see my erect nipples (because I was cold). My second thought was OH MY GOD HE IS GOING TO SEE MONSTER CROTCH. As Scott was painting the front of my body, Dr. Capella came around and painted the back of my body. It seemed to take a long time, I was so nervous. Dr. Capella swabbed the crack of my butt. I asked Scott if he needed to get in "here" and what I meant by that was between my ft thighs that were blobbed together. But he thought I meant somewhere else and he giggled and said "no. we leave you some dignity." And I recall thinking OMG you are going to swab me "in there" when I am unconscious?!?! They were professional, of course, but I was tense nonetheless. I tried to break my tension by making a joke. They are both very good looking and so as they are painting my nude body I say, "Some women would pay good money for this." Good grief, did I ever put my foot in my mouth. That just made me feel even more embarrassed.
After that I became much more comfortable with them, and it certainly was helped by having that big gross panni removed and monster crotch tightened. Hilarious when I think back to how I used to feel so ashamed of my body and how I feel today. I haven't thought about this in a long long time but the other post brought my memory to light.

If it's just for 2 months before surgery, you shouldn't have a problem.

Restaurants can honor the card for a half portion or let you order off the kids menu as a COURTESY, but they aren't obligated to do so. There isn't any law that says bariatric patients get special consideration from eating establishments. They are free to set their own policies.
It's not "age discrimination", lol. You aren't 12 or under, right? People go out to eat more when it's not going to cost a fortune to bring their kids along, hence the kids menu.
Eating establishments are free to set up any specials they want in order to draw in more business or please their customer base. Ladies Night, senior specials, kids menu, two-for-one, etc. What they can't do is charge fat people double, etc because that's discrimination.

Restaurants can honor the card for a half portion or let you order off the kids menu as a COURTESY, but they aren't obligated to do so. There isn't any law that says bariatric patients get special consideration from eating establishments. They are free to set their own policies.
It's not "age discrimination", lol. You aren't 12 or under, right? People go out to eat more when it's not going to cost a fortune to bring their kids along, hence the kids menu.
Eating establishments are free to set up any specials they want in order to draw in more business or please their customer base. Ladies Night, senior specials, kids menu, two-for-one, etc. What they can't do is charge fat people double, etc because that's discrimination.

Restaurants can honor the card for a half portion or let you order off the kids menu as a COURTESY, but they aren't obligated to do so. There isn't any law that says bariatric patients get special consideration from eating establishments. They are free to set their own policies.
It's not "age discrimination", lol. You aren't 12 or under, right? People go out to eat more when it's not going to cost a fortune to bring their kids along, hence the kids menu.
Eating establishments are free to set up any specials they want in order to draw in more business or please their customer base. Ladies Night, senior specials, kids menu, two-for-one, etc. What they can't do is charge fat people double, etc because that's discrimination.

Restaurants can honor the card for a half portion or let you order off the kids menu as a COURTESY, but they aren't obligated to do so. There isn't any law that says bariatric patients get special consideration from eating establishments. They are free to set their own policies.
It's not "age discrimination", lol. You aren't 12 or under, right? People go out to eat more when it's not going to cost a fortune to bring their kids along, hence the kids menu.
Eating establishments are free to set up any specials they want in order to draw in more business or please their customer base. Ladies Night, senior specials, kids menu, two-for-one, etc. What they can't do is charge fat people double, etc because that's discrimination.

As an RN, I can tell you the suggestion above won't put the fear of God into the nurses that care for you, it'll cause them to minimize their interactions with you. Also, unless you have the power to change the information that is already on record, your employment and insurance information are printed on a demographic sheet that is located in the back of your chart or is easily viewed on a computer. Hopefully your procedure is being done in a fantastic and reputable hospital that is staffed with professionals.
My advice: Be kinder than is necessary to people you encounter; be your own advocate, and when something bothers you, speak up for yourself; be honest about your level of pain so that you can be medicated appropriately; follow your post-op instructions to the letter; make sure you are discharged with appropriate medications for pain, nausea, and a PPI (for acid / reflux).
I'm sure you'll do great. Congratulations and good luck on your journey. I hope all goes well for you!

In Michigan, I paid around 24K for all of it. My insurance paid an additional 3-4K, as it covered the panni. I went to a reputable surgeon about an hour from my home. I had another consult about 30 minutes in the other direction from my home and in another state, and the costs were about the same, but without the legs.I chose my particular surgeon because she didn't think doing the legs would be a problem at all, and the other guy said there was no way he could do them. Since they are now done and look much better, I think she was right!
I seriously considered going to Mexico, but decided against it because the travel is just so far, I couldn't fathom it. I felt like I would need to stay 2-3 weeks and didn't want to be away from home that long. I've seen some great results, though.
The costs really depend on the part of the country you go to, and they vary greatly from physician to physician.

It's extremely hard, if not impossible, to have ANY elective surgery approved for a smoker on ANY insurance plan whatsoever because of the risks involved.
Good luck with quitting. You will be so much healthier.

I was on it years ago. You will lose weight, but when you stop taking it .... your appetite comes back with a vengeance.

The first few weeks when you melt like a snowman in July are so thrilling, lol. It's a great feeling.
Your sleeve is still swollen, so you won't be eating a lot. I had mashed squash, mushroom gravy, avocado, hummus, Tomato Soup, strained Soups, etc. Any fruits and veggies that go in the nutribullet are fine. Don't worry about weight gain, unless you plan on living on hot fudge sauce for the next month, lol. You won't be eating a lot, and everything is going to taste soooo good. I felt like the Queen of NJ after 4 oz of Tomato Soup.
When you go on solids, you will start to know what "full" feels like. My friend bought me some 4 oz ramekins on Amazon.com to put my food in so I would always know what enough was. I still use them.