KeepCalm

I don't know about having bariatric surgery there - but I know West Penn is a very good hospital and well respected. Course I might be a little bias because my oldest nephew was born there AND my aunt worked there as a nurse for 40 years I can't wait til after my surgery - next year is my 20 year reunion and a friend is getting married in July up there. So, I'll be able to go back and look so different from what everyone remembers.

I hope someone else has a better answer for you.

I really like my Planet Fitness - I was OOOOH so glad when the built one in my town. I had a membership for a while back at LA Fitness, which I really loved because they had a pool and Water aerobics class, but then I moved and changed jobs and the closest one was about 30 - 40 min drive.

After a year or so, I signed up with 24 hour fitness because I wanted to be able to use the pool - but their Water aerobics was only offered at another site during early Saturday mornings and the site was almost 20 mins away. Then other life things happened like I didn't have a car and driving a scooter to the gym in the winter was not the best motivator for going. LOL so I paid for it for 5 months... and only went I think 2 times.

Then my brother in law talked me into trying Lifetime fitness - OMG was that a mistake... while I love all the amenities that they offer... it was to far - another 30 min drive if I was lucky - and SUPER expensive was almost 100 a month. So, I put that one on hold until later. I signed up for PF and haven't regretted it - I miss the pool though - so I'll probably make arrangements somewhere to have use of one later on.

I'm seriously thinking about rejoining the match.com world especially if my friend isn't using my account. I'll talk to her about it tomorrow and see what she says about if she is or not. I don't want to waste the free 6 month period though...

I took up sewing. I found I could make myself new clothes at a fraction of the cost and it keeps me busy. So far I've made three dresses, two skirts and an outfit for a little niece. It's been fun.

The one thing to be careful of is the costs involved here too. I shop for fabric at little discount stores, and have a budget for each project (I made two wraparound skirts for less than $5.00 each but invested more in some party dresses).

I might do that too - actually... I think I am going to do that.

@@FocusOnMeNow

@@zoeyb

I'd really like to try that cauliflower crust too - I usually make mine with cornmeal instead of using oil or flour in on the pan.

I'm sorry... I've gotta feed into this -

@@PayItForward

Did you become a moderator and we didn't know it? that you have this need to bash someone for sharing their favorite foods, which was what this post was about. Now, I know you're going to want to be technical about it and say it was favorite first solid foods - and it was topic as such - however, if anything the derailment happened when YOU started bashing him for posting those yummy looking pictures. Which gave some of us something to look forward to trying out when we are on the otherside of the bench - even if it is in vastly smaller quantities. At least his pictures were about the food topic, and not someone trying to pick a fight over the internet because they didn't like all the pictures they had to scroll through to get to other posts. Childish and immature - don't like it - scroll past and read something else.

and of course I helped with the derailment by again feeding the troll.

Dub - Why are posting pictures of food from the internet? If I wanted to make myself hunrgy, I could google them myself.

The internet ? I assure you that those pics came from my backyard grill or my kitchen. I enjoy grilling, cooking and such. The only problem is that I usually had loud music playing and beer close at hand when doing this. No mysteries where the weight came from on me. I only posted the healthiest stuff I cooked. Typically, I'd do unhealthy stuff.......

Have you never heard of reverse image search? It will tell you every site that you visited to "borrow" these images.

Before you state something so absolutely immature and false... you should do your own research. Which I did - all of those pictures were uploaded to another site that is an UPLOAD site just like dropbox or photowhatever it was called, and they are able to be googled/used/and abused by anyone - However, Dub, is more than likely the original uploader of the files since he has given no reason to believe otherwise, and has already made a statement saying so. I'm a full believer in believing what people say until proven otherwise, and your trolling tactics don't prove a thing, except to get me riled up because you think your all that just because your on the 'internet'. This is coming from a gamer of 15+ years, and having been on the internet since probably before you were out of diapers.

And yes, I'm done feeding the troll - go back to your cave

I was a match.com member, but when I got the free six month sub - I transferred it over to a friend of mine who was ready to start dating... I'll probably get it back after surgery and start up again, we'll see how things go.

@@Dub

!!!! Unless you're comin' to cook for me - stop it!! lol the grilled artichokes looked awesome - I'll have to try that sometime...

I can't wait til I join y'all on the other side of surgery - I'm just waiting now to get approved and then my surgery will hopefully be in January

as much as I fly - about once or twice a year - i have gotten used to having to ask for the seat belt extension. Hopefully by the time I fly next (probably next year) I won't have too! That... will be truly amazing. I can not wait for my surgery - I'm just having problems with coming up with my deductible...

Or I could just have read the rest of the posts before commenting

I hope you get it figured out, if someone doesn't have an answer on here. I'd really like to know, so I'm prepared. I don't have any normal co-morbidity obese diseases, but I do worry because there is high BP and heart disease that runs in my family... These are the major factors in why I choose to get help with my weight.

Its funny - the two major people I thought would support me are totally against it... and one actually tried to stop me from going to my Nutritionist appointment. I told him that after all the things I've done for him to help him out - when I needed him he wasn't there - so see ya, there's the door - I don't want to talk to you anymore. Granted there is A LOT more history behind that story, but the gist was he tried to use my surgery as a reason not to pay me back - because I don't 'need' the surgery and its a stupid idea.

the other is my roommate - so long as we don't talk about it... its fine - we'll see what happens when I have the actual surgery. But he said too - that he doesn't believe I need the surgery - that I just need to work harder at exercising and watching what I ate. However, while I don't eat really bad stuff for me - I've noticed since I'm not filled anymore I'm eating A LOT, and I need the restriction in my mind because I don't feel strong enough to make myself say stop. Once I get used to having the restriction again... well hopefully soon!

Good thing is once I've made up my mind to do something - I do it no amount of negativity will stop me because I know I'm doing what's right for me.

My biggest supporter is my co-worker she's been really awesome with helping me do everything and research stuff.

I am now tenentive for November

That is the one thing that the band did help me with - I forgot after 8 years that I would eat like that. It wasn't until I had my fill out that I noticed more how I was eating and eating as if I was never full and the hormone was broke or something Now I try to measure out everything like my NUT told me too - so when THAT is gone, I'm done - even if I'm still hungry... thats about where my will power ends - being able to stop when I finish what I measured out, but give me a bag of popcorn or unlimited supply

Check with your doctor to see if he'll accept them but my doctor recommended bariatricevaluations.com - they are really friendly and accept various insurances or self pay if needed.

I was told today by my BCBS that I might have to do it all again because it has been more then two years - which means instead no diet months - doc is having me do 3 until I find out if it's more for sure - I'll have to do 6... which means surgery in January instead of October/November

I don't have any time off left really - using what I do have left for drs appointments - probably gonna end up taking short term disability for a week...

What is Kaiser? If its an insurance company - maybe you could call them to see if they would allow you to go to a different hospital - it can't hurt to look up doctors in your area to see if they take your insurance too. Good Luck! - I'm really glad I'm not having issues atm getting approved - my doctor is completely onboard with me getting this done and done in ONE surgery instead of two.

Maybe check into a different doctor...

I'm at 252 - the nutritionist/my insurance wants me to lose a few lbs a month so about a total of about 6lbs but that's just to prove I tried. Maybe it just depends on the doctor.

I'm not sure if this was already suggested or not - I apologize if it was. I did Water aerobics for a year after I first got my band because it was way easier on my bad knee before I lost weight. And if you think you don't get a work out doing that - HA! I was sweating just as much being in the pool as I do on the treadmill. LOL Now that I lost some weight (not enough, but a good portion) Its easier for me to walk at a fast pace/run for sprints on the treadmill, so long as I have good shoes that keep me supported.

I was walking about 1 - 2 1/2 miles a day until recently(last few days) when my knee started acting up because I need new shoes. I would love to go back to Water aerobics, but the gym membership is a little out of my budget right now. So, I stick with the gym I go to that doesn't have a pool.

I don't have any health problems (thank goodness) except that my one knee is bad. I work out and even when I didn't have a membership to the gym (prior to my lap band surgery) I was still very active - taking care of my younger sisters, we lived in a two and three story houses that were on hills in Pittsburgh - I walked everyday to go to the bus stops and all over downtown, but somehow I STILL managed to gain up to 313lbs before my surgery...

It was probably my food choices, but for the last almost 15 years I haven't been able to eat anything 'fast food' really because of my gallbladder - which I had out a few years ago... just haven't gotten back into eating anything 'really' bad for me... (except kfc, omg that stuff is gross to look at and I know its horrible for us, but I love the skin - and that is only after not having had it for a year and I start craving it for some weird reason.)

I work out now at the gym constantly(except last few days because of my knee and need for new shoes) and I just don't feel its enough, even with watching what I eat because of the band (I'm going for consultation for the sleeve) because I keep getting sick and they found out that my pouch is enlarged above my band. I have been at the same weight for almost 4 years - then recently (last two months) I've been really pushing myself at the gym, and I haven't really seen any difference.

BUT I have noticed - specially after they took Fluid out of my band this week - I have no stopping power unless I make myself - I do not feel full, ever and that is (now that I'm writing this out and thinking about it) probably what caused me to gain weight even being active.

an example of this -

I was eating a snack yesterday that normally with the band I wouldn't have been able to eat more then half before feeling full and stopping - I did not feel full and just kept eating and eating until I realized what I was doing and stopped myself halfway through the second piece.

man, I hope I can get this surgery soon, I really DO not want to regain all that weight back.

deleted and added to post below.

@@FocusOnMeNow But if you really want to get back at her....go buy some raw shrimp and cram them in the tiny spaces of the rims of her tires. It is actually harmless, but the smell will be HORRENDOUS (especially this time of year). The smell will last for several days and she will have NO IDEA what is causing it and it will drive her bat **** crazy. Do not even think about doing this if you have ANY chance of being found out or if your parking lot has video surveillance LOL.

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Oh my goodness!!! I really wanna do this to someone - I know who, I just wouldn't want to accidentally do it to his mom's car (if that's what he's driving since he trashed his) - oiya... I'm feeling vindictive just thinkin' about it!

@@laguerr13 I am the same way - I know my 'issues' and I know I shouldn't let various things that are said about me bother me - for example it was recently and quite often stated by a close family member that they can not for the life of them understand why guys are attracted to me at all - it is very hard for them to understand why a good looking - - would give me the time of day let alone be in any kind of relationship with me since they could easily find a hotter, and more beautiful woman.

I think it hurts more and puts me on the defense because I know my friends look beyond what they see to me - and that this family member says that I'm unworthy because of my weight.

that all being said - MY #1 reason for doing this and trying to live healthier is not so I look better (though I know I will ) but because my dad died at 53 yo from a massive heart attack brought on because of all his complications due to being 400+ - and I did not want to die and leave my ruggies (nieces and nephews) not knowing who I was or what I could have taught them.

Its hard to just brush off the idiots.

LOL though a lot of these posts made me giggle at work - thank you so much for that