This all just got real!! Insurance is officially approved! Pre op is this Friday and surgery is scheduled for 03/26/14....EEEK!!!!!!! I am so READY for this LIFE change!!! I have been reading through this site for about 3 weeks now and am so glad I found it!!! All you women are so inspirational! I am open to any and all advice!

Congratulations! This journey is amazing.

Thank you Honeyg

Hooray jojo! I'm getting sleeved the day after you. Would love to buddy up! I'm sure we both have so many questions that we can't answer, but I'll be your "walking through the trenches/compare war wounds and recovery stories " buddy!!

Congrats AngieM!! I would love to be your buddy!! What are your stats? I am 36 HW 285 CW 255

I am 41 and Hw is 258 and CW is 255. I'm 5'7

Awesome, looks like we pretty similar! My hight is 5'6"!!!

Good luck to you both. 3/26 will be my one year surgiversary so I consider it a lucky day!!

Wow, skinnygirl how awesome to be 1yr out! How much did you lose? Do you have any words of wisdom for us as we embark on our Journey?

If I could give any one piece of Advice is to trust the system. There are going to be times that you are going to stall and think it's not working like so many other diets but it works!! I am now able to eat small portions of anything and it's more than a few bites. Initially eating became very "uneventful" but it gave me time to make changes in my choices and now I make better decisions overall. eat as much protein as you can!! You'll be so sick of it but it will be worth it. My hw was 232 before insurance approval. My sw was 218. I am now 147 so I'm down 85 from my highest weight. I wear a size small scrubs to work and I work for a plastic surgeon. I am having a tummy tuck and breast lift April 9th.

Did I forget to say it is the absolute best decision I Ever made?

That is Awesome Congrats! You are so lucky to work for a Plastic Surgeon! My biggest fear/ concern right now is I am not telling everyone about the surgery only about about a handful just the people I know who will be supportive. With the strict diet in the weeks to follow I am not sure how I will hide it. I have Easter coming up. Birthday celebrations... I could say I am on a diet but they have all seen me on diets and this is more than that!!! I might add I am a very bad liar!!

Yes I know the feeling. I just move around. I don't eat appetizers because I say I'm saving up for dinner. Then I wait for everyone else to start eating before I fix my small plate and then I push it all around my plate to look like I ate more. Then I jump up and start cleaning before anyone notices I didn't eat much.

Oh my- we are exactly alike! I've told a few people, but I haven't told my mom. She lives 1000 miles away and we only see her once a year so I'm looking forward to surprising her when I do see her. I didn't want to tell my mother in law (she lives 5 minutes away and I love her!) but we may need her help with my kids.

Having help and a little extra encouragement is good. I am an open book and I tell everyone. Some people don't understand it but I don't pay it any attention. I'm so happy with the outcome nothing they can say could ever discourage me. My mother lives in SC so it's nice to see her every few months and surprise her with an even smaller daughter. Everyone else, especially people I work with at the hospital and the attic surgeons office are very proud of me and several have said they were going to see my surgeon who I think is fantastic.

it's good to have support and a little extra encouragement. I am like an open book so I tell everyone. Some people don't understand it but most are very proud of me for doing it. People have even approached me about having surgery and are seeing my surgeon so I feel good if I can help somebody else. My mother lives in SC so it's nice to surprise her with my changing size every few months.