peaceout

I'm in the same boat- I just had my last of the 6-month visits yesterday. The office submitted my paperwork to the insurance right after my appointment, so now I'm twiddling my thumbs until I hear from them. Or, more honestly, probably until Monday when I won't be able to take it anymore and I call the insurance company to ask how things are moving along. Good luck to you! I hope they don't snag you up with the 3-month visits that they initially said you didn't need. Did you happen to keep a log of who it was you talked to?

I'm wondering how you let her do that to you without sucker-punching her nosy little face. Then again, I'm sure you'd like to keep your job. But still. ETA: It submitted before I was done! Now I sound like a super-aggressive person with anger issues. All the above suggestions are way better and more mature than mine, and you should definitely take their advice. Good luck to you on your journey!

Congrats on your successes, and have a wonderful trip! And just think, with your clothes being so much smaller, there's going to be all that extra room in your suitcase for souvenirs! I see a trip to Harrods in your future...

I like mine! I bought it for $12 or $13 on Amazon. It works really well with softer veggies like squash/zucchini. It didn't work the best on a carrot. My husband, on the other hand, still won't eat his vegetables, even when they look like noodles.

I have the Fitbit Charge and I love it! I've also had the Fitbit One, which was nice but I eventually lost it because the clip got too loose after a while. I like the Charge because of the display, but it is a little bulky, especially if you've got smaller hands/wrists. I do love the Fitbit dashboard, the ability to do challenges with friends, and the easy sync to MyFitnessPal. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Having the reminder right there on my wrist is a big motivator to get up and move.

Your trip sounds amazing. I'm impressed that you were able to push forward up those steps and enjoy your views! And I'm not at a point in my journey yet where I can fathom a 3-week vacation where you lose 5 pounds! My husband and I have decided to take a trip when I get to goal, and one of the places we're thinking of is Great Britain. Reading about your trip has definitely put it back on the top of my list. Congrats on all your successes. Can't wait to join you on the loser's bench!

Congrats! I hope you're doing well!

I'm not having surgery tomorrow, but I just wanted to say "welcome" and good luck! I'll be about 6 weeks behind you in the whole process, if my insurance approves me on the first go.

@@abbyrn27 I never got the notice that you replied. Thanks for your input! ETA: How long did it take you to hear back? Were you approved?

Cutting out the Diet Coke was the most difficult thing for me. But, I've gone over 2 months without it, and I'm definitely glad I did the gradual detox vs. quitting cold turkey after surgery. Good luck @@Nursejlcox!

Everyone here has given you good advice so far. But I do understand where you're coming from. During my 6-month physician-directed "diet" required by insurance (I'm in month six), they definitely stressed implementing the healthy habits ahead of time so that your post-op transition isn't as difficult. But that being said, my NUT was pretty realistic about making gradual changes. We "weaned" me off of Diet Coke over the first 3 months, and the goal for starches was to eat less and less until they were a rare find in my food diary. So, if every single other day of your food diary was on point, I don't think anyone can be upset about you having a slice of cake or a serving of french fries, if they were indeed just one serving. I know I'm not post-op yet, but I feel like one or two days per month of a little treat, or something off plan, doesn't seem excessive.

You look fantastic! You're definitely an inspiration!

I know for my insurance company, it was laid out pretty clearly that they were looking for the 6-month program to show modest weight loss without any months with large gains. And, like someone else mentioned, my BMI could not go below 40.0 or else I would no longer be approved. I don't know how your bariatric coverage section of your insurance policy is worded, but definitely give them a call if it's unclear.

I have so many! I can't wait to: -Shop at the regular-size stores -Not have to wear pants and a sweater in the summer just to "cover" all my fat -Not be worried about whether a chair is going to hold me -go back to Cedar Point and ride all the coasters (The single most embarrassing moment of my life was when I couldn't get the seat belt to latch on the Millenium Force and had to get out of the ride and leave with hundreds of people watching me). Best of luck to everyone! I can't wait to get these items checked off my WLS goal list.

Good luck with everything! I'm going through Dr. Kemmeter with Grand Health Partners, which is where Drs. Baker and Foote also practice. Your experience may be different since you're through Mclaren, but so far everything has been going really smoothly. My insurance does require a 6-month supervised diet before approval, so I just have one more of those to do before we submit to insurance. But they scheduled all the other appointments (dietician, exercise physiologist, behaviorist, lab work, etc.) throughout that process, so if I get approved on the first attempt, my surgery will be just under 7 months from when I started the whole thing. You might be cutting it close of you need the 6 month diet, but still doable. Feel free to message me if you have any questions!

Hello there! I'm from northern Michigan but now live in Grand Rapids, which is where I'll be having my surgery this summer (hopefully!). Where are you in the whole process?

Congrats! I'm glad you had no major complications. Can you ride your bike with full intensity already after 8 days or just more of a leisurely pace?

Congrats! You look fantastic!

The Quest bars have also been on Groupon a time or two. I think they were $25 for a box of 12.

Just think, one week from now you'll be sleeved! Good luck with everything; I hope your surgery goes smoothly.

What an inspiring post! Congrats on all of your successes.

Too funny! Good thing you were at home! I recently saw a woman walk right out of her skirt on the way into the mall. She got VERY red but then just said "that's why I'm here!"

Awesome job! Such a huge change in a short amount of time! You look fantastic.

Good luck! I hope you have a speedy recovery!

This is what I do too, and it has been updating my ticker as well.