Ginger Snaps

@@CowgirlJane -- My kind of girl, Jane! I'm turning off the lights in the house, locking the door and heading out to see my favorite band and burn off a few calories dancing all night. I'm wearing the Robin costume in my profile pic without the Under Armor shirt and over the knee socks (this was for an event outside and it was cold) but maybe some white tights and high heeled fierce booties.

Try Googling online... I found these samples using the phrase "travel insurance refund surgery":

http://www.examplesof.com/business_letters/letter_to_travel_agency_cancelling_trip.html

Also check with the traveller's insurance policy -- call them and ask what they require as proof for a covered event. Most of the things I found online said the letter needed to be on the doctor's letterhead. I don't think your doctor should have to say anything about the type of surgery or why you need it. Just something like "My patient, xxx, requires surgery on December 8th and will be unable to travel from this date to this date.

I wouldn't go into detail with the insurance company... I don't think they can legally ask for details regarding the surgery or medical necessity as long as your doctor says it's medically necessary. Don't offer any more information than the minimum unless they come back asking for more details.

Good luck! (and btw, your surgery date is my birthday!)

For me it was 18 pound bags of cat litter... I was walking across Target parking lot lugging one to the car shortly after surgery and thinking how heavy it was and then I realized I had lost about that much weight since surgery. How did I even walk around all day carrying that?

Today, by my calculator, I'm down 3.5 bags of 18 pound cat litter... I don't think I could even carry that many bags at once but just 4 months ago, I was walking around with that much weight all the time.

This surgery has been WONDERFUL!

@@butterfyeffect -- love it! I have a selfie of me in a dressing room in a size 6 that I immediately texted to my daughter!

You know you've had weight loss surgery when you drop 62 pounds in 4 months and look forward to dressing up in Halloween costumes now:

@@Mojo56 -- I work in pharma clinical trials and from your post, it sounds like not only are you interested this procedure working wonderfully for you, but that you are also inclined to contribute to scientific research. Millions of people participate in clinical trials to get the best benefit for themselves but they also feel like they are contributing to the general good for health improvements.

If that's how you feel and your doctor says he thinks it will be best for you, I'd go for it.

I have two good friends at work who keep candy bowls on their desk with the GOOD stuff (Reese's mini cups and Kisses -- my two absolute favorites pre-surgery). They were the only 2 people at work I told about the surgery before I had it. I wanted them to know because I was always their biggest "customer" (big in more than one way) and they would also drop candy off on my desk if they knew I was having a rough day. I wanted them to slap my hand if I unconciously reached for their candy bowls. And I certainly didn't want to come back to work after surgery and find a mound of candy on my desk.

My strategy is -- just walk on by. I try to pat myself on the back everytime for doing it because it is a temptation. However, I know for me personally, chocolate is a slippery slope and I need to stay away because I won't stop when I start.

@pink dahlia I'm right there with you... 48 years old and never touched a cup of coffee. I can't STAND the smell. Even when people come into my office with a cup I ask them to move it over to the other side of the desk. And don't EVEN think you're getting in my car with a cup because I can't get it away from me.

HOWEVER, I was a HUGE Diet Coke addict before surgery... 4-5 12 ounce bottles a day. I tried to stop a lot of times to get off caffiene and the artifical sweeteners but never could do it. Drank my last one 2 days before surgery.

Since surgery, haven't even considered drinking one. I just don't even seem to have a desire for it anymore. I swear when my doc operated on my stomach he operated on my brain, too. Not only do I not even want soda, I don't want carbs anymore either. And I have more energy than I ever did with all the caffeine coursing through me.

I drink Water, Water with squirts of Mio or Decaf iced tea throughout the day. The doc and NUT told me no caffeine, so I'm going that way.

@Forsythia I think you hit the nail on the head -- people are so focused on what they're doing they don't pay much attention to you. Just like in high school when you thought you were the sun in the center of the universe... others were their own little suns and really didn't think about you that much.

@poohbear1019 Maybe you could find a trainer affiliated with a medical group that could work with you.My gym is affiliated with a local hospital and it seems all the trainers there are very "HEALTH" focused instead of a no pain no gain mentality. My trainer listened carefully to what I told her I felt my limitations were and she watches every move I make and if she sees it's too difficult or hurting or that I can't maintain good form, she gives me an easier version of that exercise. However, in the 5-6 months I've been working with her (pre and post surgery), I've seen SO much improvement and I've gained SO much strength!

Don't let one bad experience with a trainer put you off. Next time, interview them and really look at what their philosophy is before paying out cash. They should all be willing to do a free consultation and maybe even a free workout to see if you're a good fit.

Lifting weights is FUN! And for me, as a woman who typically have less upper body strength, I've seen great improvements. Like lifting those heavy cases of Water or the 35 pound bag of dog food. I DO grunt when I lift though -- VERY unladylike!

Miss you most -- I don't exactly crave/miss them but seeing that bread basket at the table creates a little twitch in my eye.

Don't miss you at all -- feeling invisible to men... now I get looks and comments and have a new boyfriend!

My doctor let me start back weightlifting at 4 weeks. I had bypass. I had started about 12 weeks before surgery -- worked with a personal trainer -- and got right back into it. I KNOW my results would not have been as great as they've been if I wasn't working out with weights.

If you can possibly do it, buy at least a few sessions with a trainer, talk about your goals and have them help you set up a program and teach you proper form.

@@gowalking -- Funny about the petite thing... when I was heavier, I guess the roundness of it all drew up enough fabric that the sleeves were ok, the waist of a dress hit me at the waist, etc. Now, all my clothes (even the new stuff that fits) hang down... sleeves over the hands, waist down around the hips. Now I don't have to shop in the specialty big woman section, I have to shop in the petite section! lol

My nose didn't shrink but my head looks a lot bigger on such a smaller body!

@@Kindle -- Great topic!

I chose not to tell a lot of people before because I didn't want to hear stories about their neighbor's brother's best friend's sister who died during surgery or gained it all back. I did my own research and made the decision best for me and didn't want my decision to be by popular vote.

Since surgery, I tell most people that ask. I actually had 3 different people in the office yesterday come up and say "You look great... how much weight have you lost? What are you doing?" If they act sincerely interested, I tell them I had surgery, I'm eating low carb/high Protein and I'm exercising like crazy. I especially tell people if they are overweight because like some of the other posters here, I want them to know I didn't just do it by willpower -- I needed help.

I agree with all the comments about stigma. I also suffer from depression and a mood disorder and I am pretty forthright about that, too. I feel like people suffering with "shameful" diseases like obesity or mental illness feel like they are all alone and I want to offer them encouragement and hope that there are solutions and they are NOT alone.

My costume fun run (5k) is Sunday... I'm running with my 11 year old special olympics friend. I'm dressing as Robin and he's going to be Sponge Bob dressed as Batman! http://www.active.com/hamilton-nj/running/distance-running-races/spooky-tails-and-trails-5k-1-2-mile-kid-s-run-and-2-mile-walk-2014?fb_action_ids=10152737315828680&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_ref=confirmation

Our goal for this one is to have FUN!

Then the next Saturday is a run for Big Brothers / Big Sisters of Mercer County -- goal for that one is to run the entire thing. http://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1114341&lis=0&kntae1114341=8B69E3D8F5314AE793D3D6432D1DF092&supid=410807458

Pic crossing the finish line after running/walking Parkinson's 5K https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152771688438680&l=33dc77a121

Funny how we psych ourselves out... on the last 5k I ran and these coming up, I put in for a large t-shirt because I didn't want it being tight. I've contacted the organizers for both of these now and changed to a medium t-shirt. Why can't we see ourselves for what we are?

@missysue What a GREAT JOB!!! I signed up for a Muck Fest next June and then started thinking "what the heck have I done???" It has obstacles to climb over and shimmy under... not sure I'm ready for that but by next June, maybe. Just wish I had someone interested in doing it with me... It's really a team event.

@@layknee and @shellbell79 -- be careful what you wish for. I've always been smaller on top but I've gone from a 40C to a 36B -- beginning to wonder if they make training bras in a 36 band! lol

It's funny... I just started dating a new guy and we were talking about losing weight and getting healthier and how we're working on that. I told him I've lost 60 pounds this year (without saying it has been in 4 months). He told me his ex-wife had WLS a long time ago and has gained a lot of it back. He also said he had gone through the process to have surgery himself but he started following the diet and has lost over 60 pounds, putting his BMI below the surgery level. So, I decided to 'fess up and tell him I had surgery. He laughed at me and told me he knew I had because of my diet... he recognized the Protein obsession and not drinking during meals.

So sometimes, you may not have to tell people... they may know already!

I get it a lot --- I was a relative lightweight (BMI 36) with sleep apnea and reflux. I actually had a lady at church yesterday how great I was looking and she asked me what I did. I usually tell people about the surgery when they ask and I did this time. She said "Oh, there was no way you needed that surgery!" How funny complimenting how I look great and then telling me I didn't do it the right way. Oh, and by the way, the apnea and reflux are gone -- not that anybody seems to ask about the health benefits.

I always reply with my standard answer "Thank you, but my doctor and insurance company agreed it was the best way for me to get to a healthy weight."

I think as a culture it is just so common to be overweight that few people know what a healthy weight looks like anymore. Just the other day someone told me that I didn't need to lose any more. As of this morning, I'm 9 pounds off of a BMI of 25 which is considered the top range of "normal". I could still lose another 25-30 and be considered a healthy weight. I'm thrilled with where I am now and I'm still losing at a pretty fast clip, so I'm just gonna see where I end up.

Happy Birthday!

I'm 48 and I got a hot car and a hot man after my surgery -- it can happen!!!

@@Flaxseed It's different after surgery for a lot of people, me included. I don't have any feelings of bingeing like I did before. I don't have the same cravings (or any really). I couldn't give up a lot of the bad stuff pre-surgery and now I find I'm not even interested in it (except for those garlic knots they put on the table at the restaurant the other night).

That's why people are successful after the surgery -- this tool changes things. So don't beat yourself up or think that you won't be successful after surgery just because you can't successfully lose weight now. That's pretty much the situation for all of us!

It sounds like you're doing incredible. December 31st is 82 days away, so you'd have to average a 1/2 pound a day. That's pretty aggressive. I'd think more about why 40 pounds is so important to you. Sometimes we focus on that number on the scale so much we kind of forget why we're doing what we're doing -- not just losing weight but gaining health!

Looking at your workout schedule I don't see that you have to add anything necessarily... maybe focus on really staying on task with the food choices (maybe drop the "little" alcohol?).

Best wishes!

I can sympathize... I have bursitis flare up in my hip every now and then and I had a bad case 2 weeks ago. It KILLED me to lay off exercise for a week but I did it and was able to get back into it quickly. I don't think the steroid shots have the same weight gain effect as oral steroids (but I might be wrong on that).

Once the inflammation dies out, you will feel so much better. It's a cycle -- flare up, stay flared up. Kill the flare and try to avoid re-injuring and it eventually will die out completely.

Do what the doctor says and rest it up -- will heal much more quickly than if you push it too soon.

@@finediva -- I've been out of a 15 year bad marriage now for almost 7 years and this is the first time I've dated anybody. My mom thinks I should just stay single and "not get tied down" again. She hasn't met the guy or anything (I live in NJ, she lives in TX) it's just the concept of men and relationships and possible marriage that she wants me to avoid.

Makes me wonder how happy she is in the marriage to my dad -- almost 60 years now. sheessshhh....

It's completely your decision about telling people about the surgery. I understand.

In my case, I'm the boss (ha!) and so I don't get too much flak about the surgery! lol... I only told 2 coworkers before because they are close friends and they are the ones with the good candy bowls on their desks and when they knew I was stressed, they would leave candy on my desk for me. Kind of important to tell them to cut that out!

Isn't it amazing how the surgery not only helps you lose weight but gain confidence! I feel like a new person. I know they say the surgery is on your stomach not your brain, but I think my surgeon flipped some switch in my brain, too. I feel so much more confident, happier, energetic and yes, even sexier! As a divorced woman, it's kind of fun when the ex sees me after a while and drops his jaw before saying "you look great!" His loss!

I only had about 70 pounds of excess weight to lose and it took me hitting the 50 pound mark before people really started commenting. Went from a size 16 to a 6 jeans and THEN they start commenting??? I think some people are just afraid to say anything and, just like in high school, we worry about what they are thinking when in reality most people are so consumed with themselves they don't notice a lot about people around them.

I typically have a night snack after dinner, I just make sure it's a healthy snack. I'll eat a handful of almonds or maybe eat a Greek yogurt or sugar-free popsicle. If I'm low on Protein for the day I'll drink another shake. Maybe a banana or apple.

I don't think there's any reason to deprive yourself of a snack if you're hungry -- just make it a good choice.