Globetrotter

This psychologist sounds like a thin person who has never known the struggle.

Daaaang! I would love to see loss like that once I come over to the sleeved side! Are numbers like that more typical of people coming from higher weights? Do women lose like that? I'm coming from approx 280 lbs. and am female.

How did she even know about your panic attacks? Is she the official therapist from your insurance or can you pick another? I was told during my psych eval that it was not a pass/fail situation and would not affect my ability to get the surgery. Rather, that it was so the surgeon's team would have a more complete picture of me so they could better tailor their efforts during my recovery.

lol - exactly Jachut, that is why I had said on a thread once that the silver lining for us is that now those teensy portions at fancy french restaurants will seem just right to us now and a single sushi looks like a meal! :mad0:

I have this really cool book full of stories and recipes that were collected by the WPA across the country during the Depression. It's fascinating to see how people ate and what they considered a treat! No wonder we have a national weight problem, prior to the 1960's a roasted chicken or steaks at the dinner table were real treats. Soda pop had to be got at specific venues, you couldn't just have gallons of it at home. Even the fast food wasn't as bad; I saw a report on the food network about the fat content of the original mcdonalds hamburger and fries and it was like a tenth of what it is today.

I don't know that I would be able to bring myself to eat this, but if anybody is tired of sweet jello you could always make aspic, which is basically a meat jello. It was popular in America until WWII. I guess it would be a great way to get protein in but .... meat jello ....

Exactly Xandria1, I like the idea of small utensils and plate, but I don't want to feel like a child. I wonder if we should take something from the fact that all these antique plates are so small, no wonder they weren't obese, portion control! Plus, this is an aside, but have you ever noticed the old Coke-Cola signs? the glasses were always so tiny, not the gallon guzzlers typical today.

Until I can afford laser, I like the nair gel that you spread on and then scrape off using a razor-shaped scraper thing. Works well and I only need to do it once every 3 weeks. As for the upper lip, Nair aloe vera for the face once a month, the chin - a magnifying glass and fine tweezers, and the brows, only tweezers provide the right amount of control. I prefer a smooth lady-bits area but my BF likes things a little more wild so ... c'est la vie. =)

I've read a lot here at VST about the VSG docs in Mexico and the great reviews they've been getting. If I had a different situation I might have seriously considered them. I'm attempting to get sleeved during RnR though, and thus want one as close as possible to my home, plus like I said, this Doc is world class and I feel comfortable with him.

I sacrificed for a year and a half. I don't have children to pay for so I was able to save everything I made. No spending of any kind except for a magasine every month and the occasional candy bar. My wardrobe consists of one week's worth of clothing and four pairs of shoes. Every nickel got saved, I spent the very bare minimum. Now I can have the surgery I want, with the surgeon I want, in the city I want. Worth it!!

Really large chests run in my family and even when I was trim and fit in high school I was never smaller than a C cup. Even though I've talked about how I wouldn't mind having a small chest I must admit that it would be disconcerting to find myself on the "other side" of the breast size divide, lol.

Heehee, I'm totally looking forward to spending next to nothing on groceries, leaving the store with one little bag! I can hardly imagine a single tin of tuna lasting me two or three meals. I'm single so I only have to buy for myself and I'm trying to imagine the groceries for a week during liquid stage consisting of a quart of chicken broth and various packets of Protein powders. Maybe I'll start storing other things in my vacant cupboards, like shoes in their boxes and hand weights.

I was more excited by the concept of artistic visually interesting food, seperate from the notion of using small plates (which I will). Coming from the Bay Area I am predisposed to Asian-inspired foods, once I saw the pictures online of the boiled eggs made to look like tiger faces, and the little omelettes made to look like stars and flowers, I thought it was a great way to get over the anxiety some people seem to have over their newly tiny portions.

I'm with Mini-Me, once I'm post-op I think I will reward myself with a piece of dainty little high tea china from an antique store, with little teeny silver forks and spoons and a demitasse cup. Might as well make it fun!

Who says we are missing out? It's not like once we get the surgery we are banished from participating in family meals, going to restaurants, etc. We can still converse with our dinner partners, still enjoy perusing the menu and talking about what looks good and ordering, we can still enjoy the taste and visual pleasure of the food, and we can still eat! What are we missing out on exactly? The ability to hork it down like starving rottweilers? The inevitable looks of revulsion and contempt from other diners as we clean our plates AND have the nerve to order dessert? I won't be missing those things, or the anxiety over chairs and booths or the drugged up full-to-bursting feeling. Missing out? No way!:thumbup:

Haha Jane, yes to the alcohol - knock back a scotch, chin up, talley ho! There will definitely be some reconstructive surgery after all this, total body lift if possible but most definitely the tummy and girls, up up up! =)

Jane - There's life in that purple leather mini yet! Keep it - just because DD refuses to be seen with you wearing it in public doesn't mean DH won't delight in you wearing it in private! :thumbup:

Has anyone heard of bento boxes? They are the traditional Japanese boxed lunch. They are teeny tiny and arranging them can be an art form. I haven't been sleeved yet but am trying to think of ways to make my mental transition afterwards as smooth as possible. That's when I thought of bentos - they are Protein focused (we can take out the rice), tiny, and visually stimulating. Plus, for us, they wouldn't be tiny, they would be just right! We could eat an entire lunch, lol! So here's a link to a site. I think I'm going to look forward to spending time and care on my food, I've spent too long just throwing everything down my gullet. =) Just Bento | a healthy meal in a box: great bento recipes, tips, and more

I can't wait to try the salmon chowder!

So true Jane! Like old marrieds who seem frozen in the sartorial era of their weddings or coma patients, those of us who became fat are in stasis to the timeframe of our fatitude, I feel cheated that I didn't get to wear the pencil skirts and knee boots of 1998 or the super low rider jeans all the other 22 yr olds were wearing in '01. I see a darkened club, drag-queen worthy eyelashes, and skinny jeans in my future when I hit goal ... at least for one evening of make-up debauchery.

Jane, I see that you had your VSG in Brno, before your surgery did you have a StaroBrno tumno (dark)? I once crossed country borders just for that beer. The museum there also has some lovely works including a Reubens, did you go?

Jane you bring up an interesting point. I have wondered, as I lay in bed fantasizing about life after surgery and life at goal weight. Because I got fat at the end of my teens I would probably go through a period of juvenile behavior, trying to make up for lost time. But I don't think I could ever forget what it's like to be treated like Less Than. Once or twice tho, I'm sure my inner Fem-zilla will probably enjoy a moment of spoiled bratness. =P

I have Tricare Standard too and don't have the option of using an Army hospital and my civilian surgeon doesn't take Standard, only Prime and I can't change up my plan till November, grrrr!!

I look at it this way; what has eating the entire meal ever done for me besides lead to my misery? I'm actually looking forward to having just a few bites do it for me; I will dust off conversational skills with my dining companions, spend less on food, enjoy a wide variety of foods because I literally won't be able to digest old bad stand-bys. Cleaning my plate has not led to my happiness and if it upsets others to see uneaten food in front of me, they are welcome to it!

compression stockings, what a great idea! I bought some for long haul flights, coupla bucks at any Wal-Mart or K-Mart or whatev.