Bluesea71

There are people on this forum who have medi-Cal and have been approved for surgery. I've seen previous posts. Try doing a topic search and see what comes up.

Continue what you're doing and try not to let what the scale is reporting discourage you. Lesson learned here from someone almost 13 months out at goal weight BUT if I was to do it all over again, I would have changed my strategy. I noticed early on post WLS that my weight loss would slow down every time I exercised, so I didn't exercise the majority of the time post surgery. I reached my goal in no time but I was left with a skinny fat body. I am now working out harder than ever and building muscle. This process is actually making me GAIN some weight which is kinda freaking me out, but my muscles are becoming lean ad strong. I'm losing inches despite the slight weight gain as I build muscle. In the long run having that muscle will help us both look better and let's face it, exercise will be vital in maintenance. Keep it up. You are on your way to an awesome, toned, healthy body!

Hold up! I have good news for you! My starting stats were exactly like yours. I'm 5'6" and was 236 when I inquired about wls back in January 2014. My bmi was under 40. Typically a BMI under 40 requires two comorbidities but having a diagnosis of PCOS alone qualified me as I didn't have anything else. There has been so much research the last decade showing the high correlation between insulin resistance in PCOS leading to diabetes that wls is considered prevention surgery. Good luck with the process. I had surgery 10 months ago and weighed 154 pounds this morning. Best decision I ever made.
Wanted to add - I had a long documented history of PCOS on my medical charts spanning decades. I'm assuming you have a paper trail documenting this diagnosis? It will make the process of getting approved easier.

I'm putting my defense shield up and getting ready to get lectured by the community ????
Do I dare admit that I have had 1-2 full size Butterfinger candy bars post surgery every week since the time I've been allowed to have solids? Yep. Ive enjoyed my favorite candy bar every week for at least 7 months now. Before you lecture me, let me tell you a little bit about my thinking process. I've always hated the word "diet" because it implies that one day you will go off of your current way of eating and back to another way of eating. When people "diet", they deprive themselves of the things that they really want and at some point cave and give in. I eat a pretty clean diet 99% of the time. I was able to reach and surpass my surgeon's goal by 10 pounds before a years time. I weigh myself daily, continue to follow my surgeon's guidelines and exercise. I also know myself well enough to know my limitations. There is no way I can have an endless supply of chips, Cookies, candy and other "binge foods" in my house. They are way to easy to grab without thinking. However, I do enjoy an occasional indulgence. I record every single thing I eat in my loseit app on my phone. I account for those calories. Now can everyone handle this kind of discipline? Probably not. This is where you have to be honest with your own situation. I've never considered myself an emotional eater. I don't turn to food for comfort. I've never feared my need for butterfingers would increase as the weeks went on. I'm also willing to reevaluate and check myself if this starts to happen. I guess I have issues with any black and white thinking. It worries me when former food addicts become food nazis. I get that many of us need that kind of discipline to be successful. If I deprive myself of things I love, I start to rebel. Butterfingers make me happy. There. I said it. I don't have to have a case of them. I never did. I have created a new lifestyle for myself that includes healthy eating, exercise AND and an occasional treat. I'm glad I can still indulge once in awhile.
???? Confession time over.

You know you've lost weight when...
You ask to borrow your teenage daughter's size 6 lululemon workout pants and consider NOT covering your a** for the first time ever because it actually looks kinda hot for a middle aged woman! Lol. I crack myself up... ????

I have been a lifetime Kaiser member and I can tell you that member rates will increase to all of its members if procedures like these become common practice. I'm self employed and pay for my health insurance and already pay a small fortune for it. As much as I would like Kaiser to cover my Tummy Tuck, I know it would strictly be for cosmetic purposes and therefore don't think other kaiser members should front the bill for it. They told us in our Bariatric class that Kaiser will cover skin removal if it is significant and hangs over your private area or you have ongoing infections. I'm curious how bad this woman's skin is. I have had several surgeries during my lifetime and have never had an issue fighting Kaiser for any procedure I really needed.

Jamie - I've been reflecting on your post a lot today and thinking about what you said. I really do love 99% of my body. I love how tall I am. I love how long my legs are. I love that I have an athletic build that looks toned with little effort. I love the color of my hair and eyes. It really is my stomach that I'm obsessing over. The reality is, I have never liked my stomach. Even BEFORE I had children. It's never been toned. It's always been flabby. The love/hate relationship with my tummy has been going on for years.In my original post I was concerned that I would get obsessive and never be satisfied with the body I had. The more I thought about it, I don't think that would be the case. I live in a community where getting Botox and fillers injected into your face is the norm. I've never done that. I'm still debating if breast implants are something I would want if the husband magically changed his mind and was 100% behind me to get them. There are endless elective procedures I could of had up to this point if wanted to but never had. Why? I guess I just wasn't one to obsess over my looks that way. This is why this whole sudden obsession of mine around body image threw me for a loop. It suddenly wasn't good enough that I looked awesome in clothing. I wanted to look good NAKED. I really do think a tummy tuck may be all that is needed to put my mind at ease.... But I recognize there is some work I need to do on myself first. I have already decided that I would wait a year (summer 2016) to see how much my skin adjusts on its own and how much I can modify with exercise. That is the easy part. The harder part is tackling the body image stuff I wasn't prepared for post surgery.
Peeling back another layer of that onion (oops, apple!)

I have a confession. I'm sure I'm not unique. I'm really tough on myself. I judge my body and its imperfections in a way that's often WAY worse than when I was overweight. I surpassed my surgeon's goal months ago. Why didn't I Celebrate? Because the body I saw NAKED in the mirror didn't reflect back to me the image I wanted to see. So I keep loosing weight. I hit 150 on the scale yesterday. At one point this would have been my goal weight. I still see a small percentage of fat underneath the skin around my belly so I have adjusted my goal. I worry I will keep doing this and I will never be satisfied. This behavior is new to me. I'm typically one to find pleasure even in the littlest of things. I can easily express gratitude for the things I have. I find lately I have become quite obsessive about the way I look. I spend hours looking at myself naked in the mirror. I love the new body being reflected back at me. I have gone from a size 20 to a size 8. My husband tells me I'm sexy. Some days I feel that way. Other days I obsess over the stretched out, puckered skin on my belly resulting from two huge pregnancies. I HATE the surgery scars on my belly that just cry out I've had WLS (although faded, you will always be able to see them.) My breasts are no longer full. My Husband is very anti-plastic surgery. He wants me to accept myself the way he does. Would plastic surgery even be the answer? Or would it start a vicious cycle of other surgeries to reach a level of perfectionism I will never reach? (Note: I'm not judging others choices here, I'm worried that my need for perfectionism is much deeper and wouldn't easily be "cured" by simply having surgery.). I also want to say that if I want plastic surgery bad enough I can easily convince him. He's probably the only man on the planet who doesn't care for breast implants!
I came across an article online today (link posted below.) It's funny how things appear in our lives just when we are ready for them. It's about this mom who posted a picture of herself on the internet in a bikini with her belly full of stretch marks. My babies trashed my body when I was pregnant. I have to admit that I am one of the lucky ones. After an almost 90 pound weight loss, I have almost zero loose skin except what is on my belly. Yet that is all I focus on when I look in the mirror. The one area I can't stand. I get angry that I've lost all of this weight "and still can't wear a bikini." It's led to some plenty heated discussions between the spouse and I. I tell him he just doesn't get it. I tell him the only people who will understand are my Bariatric friends who have lost a significant amount of weight and are dealing with the same body image issues as me post weight-loss.
Ugh. So the weight loss journey continues. It's like peeling an onion one layer at a time. This journey is so complex and never ending!
http://m.today.com/parents/mom-flaunts-flab-stretch-marks-viral-bikini-photo-2D80567590?cid=sm_fbn

You know you've lost weight when...
You ask to borrow your teenage daughter's size 6 lululemon workout pants and consider NOT covering your a** for the first time ever because it actually looks kinda hot for a middle aged woman! Lol. I crack myself up... ????

Regarding the other Quest products, I would stay clear of them. Sounds like a bunch of crap full of carbs. I remember being warned about such food items in our nutrition classes. They are too similar to chips, Cookies and other "red flag" food items I have never been able to have in my house because I will eat them until they are gone. For me, it's just better not to have snack food like that around. It doesn't have a place in my new lifestyle. If I'm hungry I will eat a piece of beef jerkey or other high Protein snack which will actually fill me up. I would end up eating 8 bags of those quest chips in one sitting! 5 carbs doesn't seem bad, but 5 grams x 8 bags equals 40 grams of carbs!

I had a BMI under 40 but a diagnosis of PCOS alone qualified me for surgery.

Hi all - I haven't been on this site forever. I thought I'd give an update. Here it is almost a year later. I'm proud to report that one PAINFUL laser treatment is all it took to get rid of the unwanted hair! It left red marks for almost 6 weeks, but didn't leave any lasting scars.

The more abdominal fat you can lose first, the better your results will be. I would suggest you wait until you are closer to your goal weight.

It seems to vary. My surgeon at Kaiser SSF isn't requiring me to lose weight or do any pre-op diet outside of the usual no food/drink after midnight the night before. I think the main concern is they want to make sure the surgery tools can reach the area safely that they are operating on. The more belly fat you have, the harder it is for them to do their job. I carry weight in my midsection but I'm on the smaller side with a BMi of 35. Haha. Okay, at 5' 7", 223 pounds, that is probably the only time in my life I have described myself as small! I also eat a pretty healthy diet already but have made even more changes myself to ensure I am successful post-surgery.

I am a few months shy of 2 years post sleeve surgery and I haven't been on the boards for awhile. It's interesting to read posts pre-surgery and remember how much anxiety and fear I had about the process. Would I succeed? Was I losing the weight fast enough? Would I gain it back?
I was a Slooow loser throughout the whole process, but had no problem reaching my surgeon's goal of 160 by 14 months and have recently dropped down to 140. The process for me has been pretty effortless. I came into this journey will pretty good eating habits, but my portions needed adjusting. At two years out, I'm never hungry. I mean never. It's actually becoming an issue as I can go the whole day without hunger pangs. It makes me think that many people who gain weight back are emotional eaters who continued to binge post surgery. I'm still not sure how it's possible as I still am full after eating a few bites! Honestly, this process was a lot easier than I expected. But then again, I didn't have any complications. I eat whatever I want, but limit my portions. Don't let the statistics scare you. Make a choice to be one of successful ones.

I am a few months shy of 2 years post sleeve surgery and I haven't been on the boards for awhile. It's interesting to read posts pre-surgery and remember how much anxiety and fear I had about the process. Would I succeed? Was I losing the weight fast enough? Would I gain it back?
I was a Slooow loser throughout the whole process, but had no problem reaching my surgeon's goal of 160 by 14 months and have recently dropped down to 140. The process for me has been pretty effortless. I came into this journey will pretty good eating habits, but my portions needed adjusting. At two years out, I'm never hungry. I mean never. It's actually becoming an issue as I can go the whole day without hunger pangs. It makes me think that many people who gain weight back are emotional eaters who continued to binge post surgery. I'm still not sure how it's possible as I still am full after eating a few bites! Honestly, this process was a lot easier than I expected. But then again, I didn't have any complications. I eat whatever I want, but limit my portions. Don't let the statistics scare you. Make a choice to be one of successful ones.

I am a few months shy of 2 years post sleeve surgery and I haven't been on the boards for awhile. It's interesting to read posts pre-surgery and remember how much anxiety and fear I had about the process. Would I succeed? Was I losing the weight fast enough? Would I gain it back?
I was a Slooow loser throughout the whole process, but had no problem reaching my surgeon's goal of 160 by 14 months and have recently dropped down to 140. The process for me has been pretty effortless. I came into this journey will pretty good eating habits, but my portions needed adjusting. At two years out, I'm never hungry. I mean never. It's actually becoming an issue as I can go the whole day without hunger pangs. It makes me think that many people who gain weight back are emotional eaters who continued to binge post surgery. I'm still not sure how it's possible as I still am full after eating a few bites! Honestly, this process was a lot easier than I expected. But then again, I didn't have any complications. I eat whatever I want, but limit my portions. Don't let the statistics scare you. Make a choice to be one of successful ones.

I have tried and come up with nothing. The only information out there is what the company provides. That alone makes me a tad suspect but I will continue to use a scoop in my coffee every morning as it is flavorless and its paid for. I really do think its too good to be true though. Why wouldn't GMC and other suppliers be selling this product if it was so amazing?

I typically avoid the posts on this website where people are ranting at each other. I feel like handing out a virtual cupcake to everyone and saying, "can't we all just get along?"
Seriously people, the awesome thing about an online forum is you get to pick and choose what you read and engage in. This is the main reason why I prefer this over attending the support groups at my local barriatric center. I can't control who attends those meetings and then I'm stuck with them for an entire hour.
I sign on to Barriatric Pal daily. Why? Because I know staying connected is one of the best things I can do to insure I am successful in this journey. Time and time again I read posts from people who have strayed from the site, gone off track, gained weight and come back for support. I come on this website and read these posts daily. IT'S MY CHOICE. I will be a year out from surgery on April 16, 2014. Yes, sometimes it is annoying to read the same posts over and over again about stalls, Hair loss, loose skin, food intake and Vitamins. Guess what? One short year ago I was the newbie starting on this journey anxious whether I would succeed or not. I was full of questions and eager to reach out to others as nobody in my "real" world had weight loss surgery.
I work with a lot of people in 12 step recovery programs in my profession. Bill Wilson, one of the founders of AA, early on grew frustrated when he reached out to fellow alcoholics to help them, but often those men he tried to help went on to drink. He felt like giving up and one night his wife Lois, reminded him that HE was no longer going out and getting drunk. The act of giving back to others helped maintain his own sobriety. I remind myself of this. I choose to give back and help newbies on this site to help myself. I read your posts and it reminds me of information I learned long ago and "forgot". It helps me stay on track. If a post annoys me, I can choose to ignore it.
I help you to help me.
I'm going to eat a real cupcake now.

Hey everyone!!! Just wanted to say hey and tell you all that my husband is having sleeve done tomorrow!! I feel like I'm having surgery again because I'm so nervous and excited for him all together!!! I hope you all are doing well. I can't wait for him to feel like a new person like I do. I wore size 8 pants to work today and a new blouse and got so many compliments. It was so wonderful to feel pretty! I can't remember ever really feeling proud of myself. I think it's so special to me because I worked so hard to get to this point. Well, I could go on forever with how happy it has made me..but I won't. I want my husband to feel that joy in his life as well. Please pray all goes well for him tomorrow.

You know you've lost weight when...
You ask to borrow your teenage daughter's size 6 lululemon workout pants and consider NOT covering your a** for the first time ever because it actually looks kinda hot for a middle aged woman! Lol. I crack myself up... ????

The realself.com website is a great resource to see people's before/after plastic surgery photos. You can even post your own photos and have plastic surgeons comment on what they would recommend!

148.1 - same

15 months post surgery and I still never really experience hunger and frequently have to remind myself to eat or I will go the entire day just eating one Protein Bar. I'm now below my goal weight at 148 (surgeons's goal weight for me was 160 and my goal was 150.) Am I alone here? Do others struggle with not having an appetite?I was never an emotional eater and gained my weight due to PCOS so I don't turn to food for comfort. If I'm not hungry, I don't eat. It's just ironic to be on the other end having to remind myself to take in food. Funny how the universe works....

Inquiring minds want to know... What's going on with the girl parts?!?I'm hoping mine get a "lift" with my TT, but if yours ended up under your chin, I may reconsider! ????