SleeveGirl-TX

Well, damn. Someone should have told me that because I lost 5 pounds in month 19. *laughing* I get what he's saying, but really... no amount of anything is going to stop the skin or hair issues from what I've seen hanging around the various sleeve places online and in real life. I think do what you feel is right for you and your body. My plan is to get where I'm comfortable and then 100-200 calories per week until I'm maintaining. But first I want to get to goal, whatever that ends up being. Obviously, he's your doctor and you should listen to him... that's my official answer. Unofficially, I'd do what I want. LOL. But I've kind of done that all along anyway.

Hang in there... those first few months are tough sometimes. I'm a big proponet of counseling if you need it (I really did, I didn't get to 375 because I was hungry). Take it one day at a time. It's a great ride once you let go of those old behaviors. I still struggle sometimes with the "woe is me" when I'm out with friends. But I remind myself... it's not about the food. It's about the social interaction. HUGS... every day will be better if you let it... you can do this!

Austin, TX - Dr. Ganta. I paid around $14,500. It included a year of follow up, the hospital, anethesia, etc etc. Awesome doctor and awesome after care. That was a year and a half ago, but I think the prices are pretty much the same.

It doesn't matter what insurance company you have, really. It's about your policy. BCBS has a lot of policies and some employers choose to not include bariatrics. I have BCBS PPO TX and our policy (through the school district that my husband works for) has a very hard exclusion. I ended up paying for it myself as we knew going in they wouldn't approve it - and sure enough... not coverd. No way, no how. Honestly, I wouldn't change a thing and would do it again even if I had to pay for it again Plus I didn't have to deal with the insurance headaches and stuff you guys did LOL

They give you a pad and a pair of mesh panties. It's not a big deal. I woke up with a chux pad under me too. They've seen it all and... frankly, I didn't care once I was on drugs. LOL

Yes, always the 2nd Wednesday

It depend on the day here. Today, I feel beautiful and thin and perfect and light. Yesterday, I felt like a big fat blog and still 375 pounds. I look in the mirror and I still see myself sometimes at 375 (I know, those that have seen my before/after find that hard to believe LOL). It's a mental game. I will tell you that as time has gone by, it's gotten less and less. I now am not so shocked when I catch my reflection in a door, thinking someone is walking beside me or something with my same clothes on. LOL. It realy is a head game. Therapy is helping me through it, but I still sometimes feel like I still have 210 more pounds on me. As far as when you're "done" - I am of the belief that we'll just know. Having said that, make sure you watch your weight/BMI that you aren't going too low so use a reality check with yourself. I've put my goal currently at 150, which is the upper end of my BMI. When I get there, I'll reevaluate.

Gosh, when I first started looking into WLS, RNY and the band were the only things out there. That was 12 years ago or more, I think. I never was comfortable with the idea of either. I didn't like the intestinal rerouting and I'd seen family members struggle hard with dumping (and regain). Research is also starting to show that the malabsorption stops sometimes after the first couple of years - your body learns to adapt. I saw the sleeve a few years before I had surgery and I was like "Now THAT is it". I just knew it was the one I wanted. My doctor agreed. Obviously, I've done very well with it. But it's still hard work. There's no magic. It's all about you - no matter WHAT procedure you choose. Just be sure you choose the one you're willing to work.

Oh, freaking awesome! Panera has always been a little hard for me to figure out what to order. That will make it MUCH easier. I wonder about the carb counts too. Hmmm... will have to dig around.

I'm down another 9 pounds since, but this was my 200 pound loss photo along with some headshot differences. The headshot was cool because it was the first time she didn't do any photoshop tricks to get rid of chins or shrink my face or anything

I started the morning I went in and it was heavy. I've had period issues for a LONG time. I'm done with kids so I ended up having an ablation several months ago. BEST THING EVER. I had a little spotting for a few months after (panty liner stuff) and haven't had anything in a few months now. Woot! Hubby is fixed too so we knew we were done with the kid thing.

LOL. That thing is EVIL. I giggle every time I click the "finished for the day" button and it tells me. I've been using that thing for forever and it has yet to be right

Thanks... I'll be done eventually. It's interesting with kids... they've seen me through this whole thing so it's been a gradual change over the past 19 months, but when I'm looking at photos they really do "get it". Mine are 12 and almost-10. They say they don't remember me that big. That's a good thing, I suppose. Definitely keeps me going!

Awesome... make sure you say hello to me! It's always well attended and we have a good time too

I saw a few Austin area folks - we have a monthly support meeting on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 6:30 at North Austin Medical Center (St David's) on Mopac near Braker. Classroom 2A. You don't have to have had surgery there and there's no cost or anything. Great group, usually around 30 people there. It keeps me sane and accountable.

Honestly, I didn't even realize how much I had to deal with until I started therapy. I think that's why I'm still losing and becoming more accepting of who I am and who I was. I have a long way to go - both in therapy and weight loss. These last pounds are the hardest and I'm fighting. BUT I'm still fighting and haven't given up. I think that's key in this whole thing. And yes... plastics fairy... I'll be needing her eventually. I'm just NOT looking forward to more surgery. Ugh.

That's a great weightloss. You're in the 230s and that's perfectly wonderful, probably above the curve even. Keep in mind that the futher out you get, the less weight you have to lose, the slower it will be... your body needs fewer calories so it's burning at a slightly less rate. Also, a lot of people will stall for a week or two at a time. That's normal too. Just keep going and plugging away. Put away the scale if you need to and only weigh every other week or whatever. Hang in there!

Go for a walk around the block. Just do something and make it a habit. Also, look at your eating and clean it up if you need to - log everything you eat (I use MyFitnessPal.com). You can keep going. It's all you and you can do it!

Your "3 week stall" has started early. Congrats Just hang in there. That was my LONGEST stall ever and lasted 20 days. I thought I was going to go nuts. It's totally normal. I stall now a lot too and stair step lose. Hang in there and don't do anything crazy. Stick to your plan, the weight WILL come off. Promise. My normal now is to lose a few pounds, stall, gain a pound or two, stall, lose that gain and lose some more, stall... It's just normal now.

Not sure how far out you are, but be careful. I would check your documentation, most doctors include a list of what you can have. If they don't, call them this morning and ask. I hope you feel better!

Eh. I think it's harder after month 12, but really... it's all about you and doing what you're supposed to be doing and sticking with your tool. If you eat 2500 calories per day, you're not going to lose. Period. LOL. Everyone I talk to that has "stopped losing" has stopped losing for a reason, whether they want to admit it or not. If I talk to them long enough, there's ALWAYS something. Just stick to your program and you'll do fine.

I prefer Fage 0%. I add Walden Farms Carmel Dip to it (thicker than the syrup so it makes a nice texture). I've also added torani syrups, but had to put so much it thinned it out too much. I've also dumped in a splenda when in a pinch and made it work. I use it in place of sour cream (we don't buy sour cream anymore in my house actually)

I use MyFitnessPal on my phone so I can look up stuff before I got into a restaurant when I'm out and about. It's pretty eye opening. Dressing - I keep some of the single serve Walden Farms Italian and Ranch dressings in my purse. They are great in a pinch and zero-everything. I've also just orderd a side of salsa and used that as dressing.

I would puree up tuna or chicken or egg and add in a little greek yogurt, a little lemon and/or pickle juice and that would do. Take it easy. You have plenty of time to introduce foods. Experiment a little and just do your thing. You can do this. I avoided grits and really anything too carby, it didn't feel good in my stomach and was just empty calories. I still do, actually.

Ugh. Pants and I hvae a constant fight. I have an absurbly large pannus so I can wear a size 10 or 12 in the waist, but it's SO tight around my lower hanging stomach that I have to go up a size to a 14. I also have REALLY thin legs, I always have had "chicken legs" compared to the rest of me. So yeah, I try to buy "skinny jeans" so that they fit my legs a little better. The waistline still gaps, although the sweetheart ones at Old Navy seem to fit best because they cinch in a little more. Ah, the problems I have! But yes, those jeans went away a few weeks after that photo because they were 16s The shirt was already too big. LOL. Constantly swapping clothes. It should be fun, but really, it's annoying LOL