argon

I agree with telling them to back off and not say $#*& like that to a 5 yr old. ANY KID for that matter!! One thing I remember to this day, is my mom always telling me to 'suck in my gut', and that WAS when I wasn't even fat yet. You SHOULD be mad! Give 'em hell!

I'm putting this here in the Canadian 'area', because it seems too frivolous to subject the 'general public' to, so you guys, my Canadian buds, get to witness me in all my frivolous glory. I've also broken it up into colours, cause now that I've finished typing all that's running through my head, I realize it's all over the place, and not quite relating to each other! Does it not feel AWESOME to put on jeans, fresh out of the dryer, and have them be COMFY!? I used to put mine on, and do some squats, just to loosen 'em up a little. I have to say, not having to do that is the thing that just about makes me the happiest right now. My boyfriend has this thing he does with all his shirts before he puts them on, that I have taken to doing myself as well. He sticks his arms inside the body of the shirt, and beats the crap out of the inside of the shirt, widthwise and ... umm.. depth wise... to stretch it out. I did this too, up until recently when I realized my 2X's (mens shirts :phanvan ) are good enough as-is, without doing that. WOoo! I''m finally beginning to feel quite dumb in my clothes. I don't dress my age.... I dress like a (forgive me if it seems rude, but I am and WAS this girl) fat 15 year old. Not the kind that wear super low rise jeans, and too short tshirts, with white leather studded belts, and their bellies hanging out (c'mon... you know what I'm talkin' about), but the one's who are very aware of their weight, hide in their clothes and wear the loosest jeans, tshirts and hoodies they can find. That's me. Now, don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with jeans and tshirts. I'd like to always wear them, and I'm sure I will. But I think I've dragged that look out as long as I possibly can, and should. You should have seen me last winter/fall/spring. I have about 7 different coloured hoodies that I rotate throughout the week. If someone said "you know, that girl who always wears hoodies!?", everyone would know who they were talking about. It's embarassing, but I do it because they're big, and loose, and I can hide in them. I want to wear a variety of clothes. And when I do wear jeans/tshirts, what I want is to wear GIRL (size) tshirts, and nice looking jeans, that show my butt. I found a place that sells 2X girls tshirts, but when I realized they were a good 6 inches shorter than the guys, I said Nooooo Way! I'm very lucky that I have lost some weight, and my tshirts are more loose on me now than usual, cause it is insanely hot here, and if I was still at where I was last summer, I would still be that freak walking around in a zip-up hoody over a tshirt and jeans, in +30 degree weather. At least now I'm the freak in a tshirt and jeans, not shorts like everyone else. When we were in PEI for Canada Day, we went to a beach, just to see it, and hang out for a while. I was THE only one there in jeans.... on the entire beach. The most anyone else had on was tank tops and shorts. But mostly bikinis and speedos! When the guys I were with all ripped their shirts off and ran in the Water, they yelled at me to roll up my jeans and come in. I just couldn't do it. I SO admire the "big" girls/women who don't let their weight decide what types of clothes they wear. I see them, and I think "You GO!", cause I wish I had the guts and self confidence to just do what I want, and not give a *@$# about what anyone else thinks. So yeah, how about them 'outta the dryer' jeans!? :paranoid

haha... it doesn't say it in my ticker, but MY perfect goal would be to get to 142, so I could say I lost exactly half my weight. :)

Oh... that's my plan. I'll be hitting the garage sales soon. I can't afford to buy all new stuff, so I think I'm a prime candidate for hitting those places up! I'm not going to get couches and big things, but we could really use a couple desks... and maybe some other stuff. Anything we get, we'll likely just re-sell or give away when we're all done here anyways. Maybe when I'm all settled in, I'll take pictures so you all can have a good laugh! LOL

Hey Buffie, Who would you be seeing in Edmonton?

Can I butt in again? I'm guessing her goal is 147, because her 'start' is 347... and that would make an even 200lb loss!

Thing is, I HAVE furniture, I just couldn't bring anything with me. And for that reason, I don't want to buy new stuff, cause I already have good stuff, and I'd likely have to leave whatever I buy behind again. GRRRR!

Just let me know when!

GO AWAY 300's !!!!!!!!!!

I'd like to update y'all, cause I have some good news. We have an apartment! It's not exactly the one we wanted/were waiting for, but it's in the same 'complex', and we can still be on the waiting list for the 'good one' until it opens up. At least we'll be able to get away from living with a bunch of other people, and have some 'alone time'. Too bad we have no furniture! (or a bed!) This is a pic of the building we WANT to be living in. They're a walk-out type of thing. This is the building we will be living in... your typical kind, that you have to get buzzed into, then walk down the hall to whatever apartment you're going to. Luckily it's the very lowest level, so now going up and down the stairs! Whew! AND... I have a tentative start date for work. It's supposed to be Aug. 21. Much later than I'd hope, but at least it's something! I knew I had the job, but just when it would start was getting a little iffy. (was originally supposed to be beginning of Aug.) That's it. Exciting!!!

(I'll guess, cause Toronto's too far away... and.... it's too busy in Calgary with the Stampede, to go there? haha) (she's in Saskatchewan!)

Hey Neenagh, Congrats on your date! That's awwwwwesome!!

I don't think that we're not allowed on that cruise! I WISH I could commit myself to something that's a year away, but I just can't. Plus, I just don't have the money RIGHT now to pay for things so far in advance. Hey... ya know, if you guys would join the yahoo groups, you'd know about things, such as the "Niagara Splash Party" that's coming up soon... and I believe another thing next spring. Especially nice for all of you would already live in ON. But.... nooo... :eek: :confused:

aeropink: didn't realize you posted this question twice! I answered your other post!

Wow... it's up to $16,000? What a rip! LOL, just kidding. aeorpink: I really don't think there are any other options in that area.... I know there IS a Dr. Christou in Montreal. His website makes it sounds kinda like he might do the lapband, but I really don't know. www.weightlosssurgery.ca I don't think I've ever heard of people getting the band with him. I said this to someone else before... that being 5 hours from either clinic is nothing. I came from Saskatchewan for it, and I know others from BC. I'd kill to be 5 hours away! :eek: EDIT: Just found this on that website: The current public wait list for bariatric surgery at the McGill University Health Center (MUHC) is over 1,200 patients. It can take up to 5-7 years from the time a patient contacts our office to their surgery date. Due to this backlog we have been asked by the authorities to give priority to Quebec patients and not accept out of province patients for surgery at the MUHC within the Quebec public health care system. In order to help our non Quebec patients we have equipped an affiliated private hospital here in Montreal where we can offer the laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and the laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding Device to out of province patients who qualify (weight less then 350 lbs with minimal co-morbidity).. There is no wait for the surgery at this facility. The costs range from C$15,000 to C$18,000 depending on the options. Still though... not sure why I've never heard from Christou patients.

Ok, ... I can see doing it at 5kg above goal (which is approx 11lbs)... BUT... the amount you actually lose when you have skin removed is so 'iffy'. Especially if you didn't start out needing to lose more than, say.. 100lbs.. right? I just think I would want to be at the weight I WANT to be at, so I know that when I get my PS done, that's how it's going to look, and any further weight loss isn't going to create any loose® skin, and make anything sag. I hope this isn't a super bitch question, and that's why no one else is replying. I really am not trying to condemn anyone who chooses to do it before, I just want to know more about it. :|

I apologize if it's been addressed somewhere else, but I haven't been able to find it. I read this alot... people getting not quite to their goal, and getting their plastic surgery. Now... I had just always thought (waiting a year or so and seeing if things tighten up on their own, aside) that you would want to get even maybe a little less than your goal, get your PS, then once you gained a little back, things would fill in and be nice and tight. I'm sure they're all good once you get all this work done, but wouldn't at least getting to goal, and then getting PS be better? If you get a TT and then lose 10-30 more pounds, wouldn't it just not look as good? or even, say, a boob job/lift/whatever. ? What's the 'standard'? Do most surgeons say "Yeah, go ahead... get it done even if you're not quite done losing!" or is "Wait until you hit your goal wait, and then come see me." more typical? Please enlighten me !! Mandi

I just might have to see it again.... for that very reason.

She thought of that already. I would think that once you're a month out, you'd be almost eating normally, and probably not be in ketosis anymore, if you even were before.

p.s. you should changed your signature to show that you *are* now banded!

Well, since no one has answered... I will, and say nope, not me. Stinky as ever. LOL, not really. At least I don't *think* I stink! ! Perhaps it's the sweet smell of thin-dom. :clap2: I think that may have just been the Sea World smell. :pound: just jokin'. I really don't know. Mandi

I'm so jealous! What are the chances that a few months before the cruise, there'd still be open rooms? How much do the prices increase? There's just no way that I can plan something so far ahead. Mandi

Yoda: so, do you take your calcium at the same time as your other medications?

Leila: Ok... so I'll try to be good and take my calcium at night before bed. BUT... then, would you say also, that I should be taking the multivitamin at a separate time from my other medications too? Especially since I'm sure my multivit. also has some calcium in it (its that VitaVim chewable berry stuff). Ugg... I hate having to think about taking things at 3 separate times during the day. Maybe I'll take my reg. pills in the morning, put my Multivitamins in my pocket, and take them sometime during the day when I reach in there, and remember I have to take them! Sunshine: Not regular like as in it's going to happen forever! I just had the PF's for maybe 4 days. I think once the lovely constipation is gone, and the diahrea starts, accompanied by gas-expulsion..... PF's! Just be careful. If you think it's a fart, think again! (and get to the bathroom, just in case!) LOL I added Benefiber to my Water and stuff, in hopes of 'bulking'... but ya know, since Benefiber doesn't 'bulk', I don't know if it actually would help with that. It was a good excuse to take it, and I told myself it worked anyways. Mandi

You know about PB's.... now, I imagine you know about PF's? LOL (I'm not makin' fun, I got it too!) btw, I saw sublingual b12's at ExtraFoods (Superstore) as well. Bet Walmart would have 'em too. Yoda, since you seem like a Vitamin guru... I'm sure I remember being told that I shouldn't take my Vitamins and birthcontrol and thyroid pill all at once... but is taking my Calcium and Multivitamin at the same time ok?? You guys have got me thinking I need to get back on taking my vitamins, and the fact that I think I have to take them all at separate times is what makes me not take them. I'm lucky that I remember to take 'the pill' every morning. :straight