BayougirlMrsS

I can see both sides. When I was pregnant with my daughter I was on Medicaid, and had no out of pocket expense for that pregnancy (besides some prescription and supplement things). And even though I only had Medicaid just to cover my pregnancy, I took full advantage of my benefits and got myself some new glasses too (still had to pay out of pocket for the frames). My husband worked a fulltime job, and we made about $25k a year. He had insurance for himself through his work - but I wasn't covered, and to cover me would have been very expensive.
Now my husband is in the Army and we get amazing coverage through Tricare. After moving to where we are now, I've gone around and checked up on the body parts I've been neglecting for 3 years after my Medicaid ended (OBGYN, wellness checks, dental exams, eye glasses etc).
I did have to go to the hospital once and an urgent care center twice while I had no insurance (before my husband enlisted), and my husband also had a health scare before he enlisted - so I've slowly but surely paid of my bills and his, and now we are just left with a couple (dentist bill, and his ambulance ride).
I say all that to say that I think Medicaid is great for the people who are just down on their luck, and trying to get back on their feet - maybe they lost their job in the economy or their business went under. But I also have come across people (my family is full of them) that devote their time and energy in learning how to exploit the system and find ways around claiming certain income and receiving extra benefits etc. Those people aggravate me. People who abuse the system don't deserve a free ride.
The system definitely needs some revision.

Im gonna say this. All medicare is not earned by people. Some on disability are not disabled they abuse the system, pretend they are crazy and live off of disability and medicare for free and havent worked a damn day in their life. So no not all medicare is earned. How many women that I have known who got kicked off welfare after two years decided their kid is crazy and gets ssi disability so her dumb ass wont have to go to work but continue to get a check so she can keep her lazy ass home. I also think that medicaid should not pay for lapband surgery at our expense. My insurance does not pay for anything bariatric not even fills. I had other insurance when I got my surgery that paid for the surgery except for 1,000 dollars I put out of pocket so no I get nothing now to help with fills excetera. If you are disabled and get medicare and are truly disabled that is one thing but so many people suck the system. I see everyday women in the grocery store buying junk and paying with a food stamp card. I think all of their food should be monitored and cookies and junk food should not be able to be paid for with food stamps. Hell yes it pisses me off. If you are disabled because you are obese, have surgery and you can now work then get off the system and go to work and put in your fair share. Desk jobs do not require any physical things. I work 12 hour long shifts at the hospital have arthritis in both knees and in both hips and even with drastic weight loss I go to work in pain every single day. So yes it pisses me off that the government pays for surgery. Off my soap box now.

If that would make you happy, go for it!

Yeah! You look great!

Nope, but a nice tattoo would be appropriate.

I say if you want it...go for it.... !!!

Oh yeah! If I had a nice tummy like that I certainly would!

If that was my cute belly button I totally would!
(and I didn't have this thing about needles/pain lol)

not only hell yeah but F*** yeah

Hell yes girl. I want one too lol

If my tummy looked like that I would consider it to!! If you want one go for it, if you decide you don't like it or you don't want it anymore when you get older just take it out and let the hole close.
I say if you want it - go for it!!

omg..... i saw her... she had the flannel shirt on top..... she look terrible. I dvr it everyday so i can watch when i get home....
Picture this..... female at least 350#..... purple top that stopped at the belly button.... black hooker shoes.... and the icing on the cake..... Purple and black zebra striped spandex leggings....
Oh yes... it was brain scaring...

omg..... i saw her... she had the flannel shirt on top..... she look terrible. I dvr it everyday so i can watch when i get home....
Picture this..... female at least 350#..... purple top that stopped at the belly button.... black hooker shoes.... and the icing on the cake..... Purple and black zebra striped spandex leggings....
Oh yes... it was brain scaring...

yes yes yes........ i do when you are happy... it makes others happy too. when i answer people always till me... wow you are happy arnt you... i say yes... God has giving me another day. I feel great and i look fabulous..... i have a great husband, two wonderful boys and two beautiful grand kids.... I still have both parents and all my siblings..... i have a job and i am happy.
and i'm a $1000 richer..... thanks to the Black out i won at bingo..... which i go to on Saturdays to enjoy the company of my 88 year old grandma.... whom i love more than anyone on earth...

What a wonderful read.... I also agree with the above that you will do great. Going in with a great frame of mind and good expectation will be of great benefit. Sounds like you did your research and are ready for your life change. It is a LIFE change you will from now own have to watch how you eat everything... that is the most important thing. Everyone's LB experience is different, so don't compare your self to any other. If you have a low BMI you probably will be a slow loser like i was. But, slow or fast... it's the journey. If you don't already, you may want to start looking for a good all-a-round gym. I stayed away from the weight at first. It was just too intimidating for me. So i joined the YMCA and started with Zumba classes and walking.
I would continue the support group... and I would get rid of all the summer clothes as you won't fit them by next summer anyway. I would keep one outfit that you can take progress pictures in and keep one pair of each size jeans so you can really see your changes. I know for me the mirror didn't change. I still saw and continue to see the fat person in the mirror.
My BMI was 40.8 when i started and weight was 223lb at 5'2". I had my LB 11/09 and it took me two years to get to where i am now which is a healthy size 7. This past Feb i had a Tummy tuck and i have to say i am so pleased.... but i will also admit i have gotten lazy and gained 5lbs.... but i have made my mind up that i'm not going to let it get me down. I embrace all my good changes and except me for who i am.
Good luck with everything and i wish you all the very best. happy Losing...!!

Rahrah.... you just described over half the situation on this LB site. My husband was one of the ones that sabotaged my diet efforts in the past and still does to this day. He is 6'4" and has no weight problem. Will eat and i'm not kidding a half gallon in one sitting and not gain anything. Yesterday he polished off half bag of oatmeal cookies and 1/4 bag of Oreos.... then was still hungry and ate a plate of Pad-ti noodles.
They want you to be thin, but are afraid of you finding some one else. He makes commits all the time about me wanting to find other men. I tell him, if i wanted another man i could have one and could have had one at 223lbs. A lot of relationships don't survive WLS. The "other" person usually can't handle the attention that they are getting now that the weight has come off.
my average was 2lb a month..... but i don't care. i now weight 145 and i'm happy and i feel great.... And so will you....

Rahrah.... you just described over half the situation on this LB site. My husband was one of the ones that sabotaged my diet efforts in the past and still does to this day. He is 6'4" and has no weight problem. Will eat and i'm not kidding a half gallon in one sitting and not gain anything. Yesterday he polished off half bag of oatmeal cookies and 1/4 bag of Oreos.... then was still hungry and ate a plate of Pad-ti noodles.
They want you to be thin, but are afraid of you finding some one else. He makes commits all the time about me wanting to find other men. I tell him, if i wanted another man i could have one and could have had one at 223lbs. A lot of relationships don't survive WLS. The "other" person usually can't handle the attention that they are getting now that the weight has come off.
my average was 2lb a month..... but i don't care. i now weight 145 and i'm happy and i feel great.... And so will you....

Patience.... you are so right.
I was not always a fat girl.... up until my early twenties... i was a size 0..... 100lb is the most i ever weighted not being pregnant..... I use to not see the "fat" girl..... now i can't see the "thin" girl.... what the hell is up with that.....
Thanks you guys for being there

Shelley.... we have ALL been in that dressing room... crying, and looking at ourselves in the mirror thinking.... How did i get here? How did i let myself go like this....
But, there is a silver lining.... you have made the choice to change your life... Forever!! You journey has just begin, and if you take everything serous and follow all the rules, you will be in a size 10 or smaller by this time next year or sooner.
I cried out with joy the day i was able to fit in a size 10.... New York and Co. jeans. Then it was a size 8... now a size 6.. from a 20 to a 6. It took 2 1/2 years, but i did it and so can you.
You can do it....

Embrace the new you.... this is what you worked for.... Size 11 from a 20....
You are not alone.... most of us have body issues. I'm now down to a size 4-6ish and i still see that fat girl looking back at me sometime. Every once and a while i look and i like what i see. It's in pictures that see what i really look like.
It's weird because i was not always fat.... i use to be very thin.... like 22" waist thin. And when i started gaining weight i knew that i was but when i looked in the mirror i still saw the thinner person.... Then my husband took up the hobby of photography and i was looking at pictures and didn't recognize myself in a photo and that was all it took. It's crazy how our brains work. i remember emailing my friends and saying..... MY FAT ASS FIT IN A SIZE 12 TODAY.... I was sooooo happy.
Ok i know i'm rambling, but i have to tell you this story. My husband and i was trying to buy me a new shirt to go out in and i was in the dressing room. I was not looking for jeans. i had shorts on... picked out a shirt and he said you need to put on jeans so i can see how it looks. So i sent him to get me a size 12 jeans... he handed me the jeans i put them on and we decided that the jeans looked good too... they were buy one get one at new york and co. so he said, look for another pair... i said ok, but i want a size smaller as a goal pair... so i told him to look for a size 10....he like why do you want a size 10...i thought you wanted a size smaller... i said i know, you gave me a 12..... he looked at the paints in his hand that i had had on and said, but these are a size 10.... in the middle of the store... i said..."shut the fu#k up", "you are fu#king kidding me"... i had put on a size 10 and didn't even know it... so i got them and a size 8. In the middle of New York and co... i did the happy dance....... happy happy joy joy.

no.. i've never felt like that. But i do miss certain foods...
Mags... next time you feel like that .... take a look around. Especially at buffets. Look at the people eating there, look at their plates.... Than think... that's what i'm doing all this for... so i don't end up like that... or so i stop being like that.
Ok.... tell me how mean i am and how can i say that because i use to be that.... but it's true....

no.. i've never felt like that. But i do miss certain foods...
Mags... next time you feel like that .... take a look around. Especially at buffets. Look at the people eating there, look at their plates.... Than think... that's what i'm doing all this for... so i don't end up like that... or so i stop being like that.
Ok.... tell me how mean i am and how can i say that because i use to be that.... but it's true....

Joyce, we are the same except i choose soup a lot. and I too can't eat Lettuce.... but i can eat the mixed greens... crazy. Japanese... i eat the snow crab salad...omg.
Another thing i do is i pack away 3/4 of my meal before i take the first bite. This way i won't be tempted to eat too much. I then give the leftovers to my son or my husband.... I don't do well with left overs.

Congrats..... now don't get discouraged when that weight loss evens out in the next few weeks. The next couple months are the hardest. You may get on the scale and have none to very weight loss. This is because you have little to no restriction in your band. This is when your will power will be challenged the most. I could eat most anything and a pretty good bit of it. When i realized this .... these are some of the things i did. Not saying this will happen but if it does......
I stayed away from buffets and all fast foods. Lets face it, they are two of the reasons most of us gained weight in the first place.
When I went out, i tried to order soup or if nothing appealed to me i ordered and i told the server to bring a go box when my meal was brought. I immediately packed away 75% of my food and only left what my portion should be on the table. Do not reopen the box...... Refuse the drink.... the server will look at you as if you have an alien on your face... would you like water.... you say... no thanks. You will have to get use to this. Better start from the get go. Practice taking a bite and putting your fork down... remove it from your hand. This will help you get use to eating slowly and to chew your food till it is mush in your mouth.
Put the scale (aka the Devil) in the trunk of your car..... i know this sounds crazy. But if its there you will stand on it.
Exercise..... i can't stress this enough.... i started walking and then Zumba... When i first started i couldn't do 30 min on a threadmill, and about 5 min on the elliptical. Take it slow, but move as much as you can.
Oh and muscle milk lite.... Latte..... yummy
wishing you all the success in the world....

Congrats..... now don't get discouraged when that weight loss evens out in the next few weeks. The next couple months are the hardest. You may get on the scale and have none to very weight loss. This is because you have little to no restriction in your band. This is when your will power will be challenged the most. I could eat most anything and a pretty good bit of it. When i realized this .... these are some of the things i did. Not saying this will happen but if it does......
I stayed away from buffets and all fast foods. Lets face it, they are two of the reasons most of us gained weight in the first place.
When I went out, i tried to order soup or if nothing appealed to me i ordered and i told the server to bring a go box when my meal was brought. I immediately packed away 75% of my food and only left what my portion should be on the table. Do not reopen the box...... Refuse the drink.... the server will look at you as if you have an alien on your face... would you like water.... you say... no thanks. You will have to get use to this. Better start from the get go. Practice taking a bite and putting your fork down... remove it from your hand. This will help you get use to eating slowly and to chew your food till it is mush in your mouth.
Put the scale (aka the Devil) in the trunk of your car..... i know this sounds crazy. But if its there you will stand on it.
Exercise..... i can't stress this enough.... i started walking and then Zumba... When i first started i couldn't do 30 min on a threadmill, and about 5 min on the elliptical. Take it slow, but move as much as you can.
Oh and muscle milk lite.... Latte..... yummy
wishing you all the success in the world....