Cookeeeeez

Lol! I think I have that too I'll go check...

I don't mean to be critical but I wish this thread were a little more positive so many of you are eating fabulously well compared to how I imagine you might have presleeve, and one day out of a week or seven a year doesn't make much difference at all... It's only if it's a fairly typical day that you might want to make adjustments... In Australia we have a government run site called www.8700.com.au It calculates via age, gender, weight, activity level how many kjs or cals are good to maintain or lose weight. I know for years I felt I had to stay under 1200 cals a day as I had been misinformed that that is the amount given to bed-ridden patients to maintain life. I thought if I eat less than 1200 and exercise surely I should lose weight... I did- I became anorexic and nearly lost my life after trimming that 1200 down to 1000 then 500 then 100 (on a "bad" day, 0 on a "good" day) I have since found out that I need around 2900 cals to maintain my 300 pounds because my weight drains so much out of my system. And you know this is true- its just whether or not I suffer during the day, do I eat all 3000 for brekky, drink it in soda every day, or spread it out in Snacks and large healthy dinners struggling to meet the 2900 limit? The thing is, calories carbs Proteins fats are onky numbers and only make a difference according to your individual needs. My mum is on 10gs of carbs A DAY because she is diabetic. My sister is on 350g per day (about 7g per each kilo of her weight) because she is an athlete. She struggles to get in her higher levels of carbs in endurance training. So I know we've made decision to have sleeve, we have portion trouble and make some bad choices every now and then, but I bet most of us know more about nutrition than the average joe bloe on the street. Listen to your body, give it fuel to burn, work your sleeve (I'm jealous btw, can't wait for mine) but remember that you want to lose weight so you don't die of obesity related disease- but don't let yourself become malnourished and die of that (been there, almost done that) You are all strong and inspiring individuals

I had a great day too ran into a friend on train so only just got home lol, am so tired I could fall over!!!

I agree with lollyfiddy- I just had extreme binge eating (presleeve) that was absolutely uncontrollable. At one point my mental tug o' war over whether or not to eat more made me pass out cold!!!!!!!! If you are truly distressed then seek help urgently as there is always the possibility you have an eating disorder... ( I believe the dsm-V is bringing out a binge eating disorder category, more info @ http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=372# )

Aww Lila, so glad your feeling better parties will always be a struggle I think but I found the funniest thing yesterday- add psyllium husk to your Protein shake!!! It tasts only a tiny bit nuttyish and thickens it right up! It turned 35g of protein and 6g of carbs into a meal replacement!!!! You won't be able to think of food afterwards!lol Luv ya beth

My dermatologist gives my scalp injections fortnightly to make hair grow back :/ (had a huge round bald patch on back of head after pneuminia hospitalisation). After 6 weeks i am finally seeing regrowth, although derm said 6 weeks is about normal... Because its growing back he said Biotin supplements were probably a waste of money and there is some biotin in my swisse multi anyway... I've also upped Protein shake to regrow.... But I do think 80% or so of hair def. grows back on its own

I actually think fruit is a great snack, and I never put on weight the weeks I eat lots of fruit- it keeps me full and I always just feel healthier If this is a lifetime thing then eating fruit and veg all day everyday really makes a difference for me I even feel better than yesterday because I had an orange for dinner and today I have had fresh pineapple in natural yoghurt for afternoon tea and still full Carbs aren't the enemy if they're full of fibre too

P.s I truly believe his reaction would be the same if you used your settlement money instead of the insurance....

Your parents pay health insurance for your health, use it to become healthy!!!!!!!!!! I wish I had done this at 19 instead of weighting lol so long!!! I'm 25 now and 60 pounds heavier and have an even more f*d up relationship with food from the extra years binge eating. I get where your dads coming from but as a recovering alcoholic I bet deep down he wishes he had some sort of surgery to make his struggle easier! But in all honesty his journey is not yours and he sounds way too controlling and frankly a little unstable. Just a tip: think through exactly how he will react when he finds out and have some professional help to deal with the turbulence that will most likely arise... Go it girl, do it, get it done and start living your life!!!!!!!!

Lol, no worries! As I've yo-yoed I've had to resize my jeweller over and over! I'm thinking of getting some of my bigger/older pieces remade when I reach my goal into something special Maybe a butterfly for the transformation?!

Yey, go Non-scale Victories! It's true, muscle is the difference- being overweight you have developed a HUGE amount of muscle in legs especially and will be continuing to put it on in arms and core as you exercise! Consider this an amazing blessing coz muscle helps you keep the weight off in the long run! Congratulations again!

I'm planning on putting mine on a nice chain- that way it's super safe and when u get it resized I still have a bonus nice neck chain- Go on- spoil yourself!!!

Congratulations KB on your quitting! That is probably 1000x better for your surgery than any amount of weight loss! I know it's hard, I'm smoking again after quitting 1.5 YEARS!!! But so proud of you for taking your health back in hand! I hope your rewarding yourself like crazy! I've lost 12 kilos and plan to lose another 10 or so at least before my surgery next year and also to quit smoking too! Baby steps

Stunning! Is that a blue topaz I see? Yey scorpios!!! That's one thing I'd like when I'm thinner- jewellery to fit!!! I have such chubby fingers and wrists! Looking forward to Saturday too! Track work from Petrie to Caboolture tho so a little longer trip to get there... Anyway see you guys soon and fingers/toes/appendages all crossed for you weightnolonger!!!!

@nenalinda, maybe your not having enough healthy snacks during the day? That doesnt seem like you ate very much during the day... I'm going to make an effort to buy more variety of snacks (fruit, nuts, soups, yoghurts) to ease night time cravings....

Ok: it's awful but to remind you what life was like pre sleeve - Breakfast: can of regular Pepsi with 6 (SIX!!!!!!) pieces fried chicken, coleslaw and potato/gravy (leftover from last night!) No lunch Orange and apple for afternoon snack No dinner so far from guilt of Breakfast... thinking of 2or3 sausages with veggies or a Protein shake and an early night... Remember these "good ol" days when you think your having a bad day post sleeve Oh, this is after I lost 12 kilos in two months but thus week my brain has just gone crazy for no reason- wish I were sleeved NOW!!! Lol

Lila- glad things went better today, maybe when your busier it's easier? The pineapple thing seems like a great idea! I'm a big fan of pineapple and am thinking maybe yesterday and today's binge eating is a sign of fruit withdrawal as strawberries and fruit salads have been awful at shops lately no matter how much I love them, there's only so many times a week you can eat apple after orange after apple... Lol So envious of you sleevers, I keep thinking if I was already sleeved then my messups wouldnt be as huge, that is- I would eat less by proxy, lol But then again what if I can't control my eating sometimes and I hurt the sleeve?! I think I'm glad I have to wait, it really gives me time to work thru this stuff... Hope everyone else is doing well and looking forward to meet up Saturday hopefully I'll be back on track by then p.s. sooo frustrating since I've been fine for weeeeeeks, then wham! Oh well! Peace

Mad! Hope I get pics

I wouldn't mind puppyphat! I love that sort of thing

Amen Sister!

* oh and half a box of absurdly expensive organic choc coated macadamias!!! How's that for a waste of $$$$

Hi puppyphat, Lilly, & others - sorry it seems a few of us are having a rough go of it this week- maybe something in the stars? Tonight I ate 2.5 serves of lasagne, three mini redskins, three mini time outs and three mini crunchies!!! Oh and dread of all evil- a can of regular Pepsi!!! I feel so sick in stomach and just awful all round it was that binge behaviour just popping up out if the blue!! I just couldn't feel sated- I'm a smoker and chain smoked all night too... I feel so bad like even if I get the sleeve I'll probably f* it up somehow!!!! First time in weeks I've felt like this and I even was do good I went for a freezing long swim yesterday.... Jeez I see the psych Thursday so maybe she'll ask me "did you learn from it?" right now I haven't learned jack but maybe I'll feel better tomorrow... Anyone who says no need for sleeve just diet and exercise has obviously never experienced this insatiable garbage mouth and the guilt that comes with it.... Thanks for letting me vent too, at least it keeps my fingers out if my mouth!!! Lol Beth

Aww sorry shellz I'm sure he was a good surgeon and it seems reduced confusion by just accepting gap payment himself and charging lower fee up front... I knew a dentist who did that once... Anyway, glad your happy with surgery overall and recovering well

From my surgeons website: For patients with Private Health Insurance who undergo weight loss surgery, the hospital costs associated with weight loss surgery are usually covered by most private health funds. Some of the more basic levels of cover such as extras-only may not cover weight loss surgery. A 12 month waiting period usually applies if you have recently joined a health fund. You should contact your health fund to see if you are covered. Health Fund Contact Details Health Fund email Phone AHSA -Alliance Funds (Teachers, Defence, Police, etc) http://www.ahsa.com.au (02) 9411 9100 HCF http://www.hcf.com.au 131334 MBF http://www.mbf.com.au 131137 Medibank Private http://medibank.com.au 132331 NIB http://nib.com.au 131463 When you contact your health fund, quote the following Medicare item numbers to see if you are covered. Gastric Banding: 30511 Sleeve Gastrectomy: 30518 Gastric Bypass: 30512 For patients with Private Health Insurance who undergo weight loss surgery, there are usually 4 different fees they will incur. 1. There are the Hospital Access fees which most Private Health Funds will charge when you are admitted to a private hospital for a procedure. This will vary depending on your level of cover and your Health Insurance Provider. It may range from 0-$500. 2. There are the Surgeon's fees. When you have a weight loss procedure performed by Dr. Michael Hatzifotis you will be charged one single fee. For privately insured patients this fee will cover; -Surgeon’s fee for performing the procedure -All follow up appointments (every month for gastric bands, every 3 months for sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass) until you reach your goal weight, then annually for life -All band adjustments (including needles and consumables) for life -Additional consultations with Dr. Hatzifotis at any time if problems arise, Provided you are covered by private health insurance, the cost of the Gastric Band procedure is $3300, the Sleeve Gastrectomy procedure is $3500 and the Gastric Bypass procedure is $5000. This fee is expected to be paid prior to the surgery. If any further surgery is ever required in the future following your weight loss procedure, you will not be charged for this by Dr Michael Hatzifotis. 3. There are the Anaesthetist's fees. Which may vary depending on the Anaesthetist and the procedure, between $695 - $1050. Your anaesthetist will contact you prior to your procedure to confirm these fees. The fee for uninsured patients varies depending on the type of procedure performed, the duration of the procedure, and the co-morbidities of the patient. 4. The Assistant's fee. Which may vary from zero to $350 depending on whether the private hospital can provide an assistant for the procedure. Once you have paid for your procedure you will be given a receipt. Once the procedure has been performed you will be mailed an invoice for this amount together with the Medicare item number and a description of the procedure performed by Dr. Hatzifotis. You will need to take your receipt and invoice to Medicare so that you can be paid a rebate for the procedure You will receive a Medicare rebate of 75% of the Scheduled fee for your particular procedure. The Medicare rebate for Gastric Banding is $613.05 The Medicare rebate for Sleeve Gastrectomy is $712.50 The Medicare rebate for Gastric Bypass is $754.35 You can then claim a further 25% of the Medicare Schedule fee from your private health fund. You may be eligible to claim a further rebate of $600 when you lodge your tax return as the procedure qualifies for the medical expenses safety net. See below under Tax Rebate Scheme. Costs not covered Your initial consultation with Dr Hatzifotis is $150 (you will be able to get a Medicare rebate of $67 provided you have a GP referral). Prior to your weight loss procedure you will be required to commence a low calorie Meal Replacement diet (Optifast). You will need to pay for these Meal Replacements. Depending on your health fund, you may be required to pay an excess for your hospital admission. You should check with your health fund regarding this. Pharmacy expenses (medications, vitamins), blood tests, and other investigations (such as X-rays), may incur an additional cost depending on your health fund. If you need to see any other specialists prior to your surgery, such as cardiologists, respiratory physicians, or endocrinologists, you may be charged for these visits. Not Privately Insured? Patients who are not privately insured may still have a weight loss procedure performed at a private hospital. The out of pocket expense will depend on the individual private hospital, the type of procedure performed, the equipment used, the cost of the device if having a gastric band, the theatre fees, Surgeon’s fee, Assistant surgeon’s fee, Anaesthetist’s fee, Intensive care fees if this is required, and the number of days spent in hospital. For a Gastric Banding procedure this will be approximately $13500. Although uncommon, prolonged hospital stay may be required, and this will inflate the costs associated with the procedure. It is strongly recommended that you have private health insurance before proceeding with weight loss surgery. Other Payment Options Early Release of Super You may apply to APRA (Australian Prudential Regulation Authority) for early release of their superannuation funds to help pay for part of or all of the cost of their weight loss surgery. Details of this may be found on the APRA website. You should check with your financial advisor to see if this applies to you. Please follow the link below. Early Release of Superannuation Benefits Super Annuation Money If you decide to use your superannuation to pay for your weight loss surgery, three documents need to be lodged; Completed application form A letter of support from your General Practitioner A letter of support from Dr Hatzifotis It usually takes approximately 6 weeks for APRA to process your application. Tax Rebate Scheme You may also claim a rebate form the ATO (Australian Taxation Office) when you submit your end of year tax return. When your medical expenses for the financial year exceed $2000, you can claim a tax offset of 20% of your net medical expenses over $2000. This is not means or assets tested and there is no limit on the amount you can claim. For example: $4500 out of pocket expense: tax rebate = ($4500-$2000) x20% = $500 Check with your accountant or financial advisor if this may apply to you. For further details see the Australian Taxation Office website by clicking here.

Zipp-fizz etc sound a lot like what Michael Pollan would call "edible food-like substances" Stick to real food and beverages!