MINI-Me

Don't panic ... I'm in the business & this happens all the time. I'm sure your claim was submitted and was auto-denied by the system because not everything matched up. The surgeon's office should be able to contact your insurance company and square things up. For the assistant surgeon, was it a total denial or did they reduce payment? The surgeon's office may be able to help on that as well. the deductible part should be easier to fix. do you have an EOB showing what you should owe the hospital? If so, take it and your hospital payment receipt to the billing office. They should be able to cut you a refund check right there. If they refuse, then it does become an insurance issue because the hospital is not meeting their contractual obligations with the insurance company to only bill for amount due AFTER insurance pays. For a while, it's going to be a bit of a mess with all the moving parts, but it will be ok. Just keep good records, copy everything and make sure insurance EOB's match all doctor/hospital bills before paying anyone anything.

Welcome ... Glad you found us. Sounds like you are well on your way.

DITTO! And, I want to emphasize the importance of the fluids right now. That is much more important that anything else in those first few weeks. You Go Girl!

I tend to agree it's a combination of just having surgery with excess fluids and your body wanting to hold on right now. Your body has gone through a MAJOR change - it needs time to cope and re-assess. As for the Water, that is the MOST IMPORTANT step at this time. You have to keep yourself hydrated. Last month, I had an unexplained 6 pound gain. It must have been water, because within 2 weeks, I had a 7 pound loss. Just keep what you are doing, it will come off. I know it is discouraging in the meantime, but it will come off - PROMISE!

One of my quick and easy breakfasts is Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage (just heat in the microwave) and some string cheese. No eggs and no yogurt! Almost all Protein and very little carbs. A slice of pizza every now and then is NOT the end of the world. I hate a slice every Sunday night - it's a family tradition in my clan & wasn't something I'm willing to give up. It's usually thin crust and loaded with protein.

Dawn ... good for you! You made a sensible choice for "being bad". How did it taste? Did you at least enjoy it? I refuse to eat anything I don't like. There is simply not enough room in there to eat things that I don't enjoy. Sliming can be a little different for everyone. Some call is foamies. It's like your body trying to get rid of excess food. Your stomach/esphogus produce a hgh amount of "slime" and you either sorta puke up the excess or produce a lot of mucas (think of that plemn you get when you cough up stuff when you have a cold). It is disgusting and a bit scary. It can sometimes last for a while, but is soon ends on its own.

I didn't watch carb counts as close as others ... I say if you are losing, don't change anything. If you are stalling or have stopped losing, dropping carbs could we a way to get things moving again.

DivaCakes, Since about 7 months out, I have followed a diet of 1200 calories, 60+ grams of Protein, up to 75 g carbs, and got in all my liquids. Some people aren't able to take in that many carbs and be successful, but it sounds like you were up to a point. (And, I'm human too - I followed this 90% of the time, but 10% I allow myself to splurge a bit - usually on a weekend night.) Are you following the basics? Protein first Some veggies Some carbs 64+ ounces of liquid One thing that caught my attention was "Now, I can eat up to a cup and a half of food and feel really full, so I'm concerned I've stretched my sleeve." How quickly do you eat? Could measuring your protein (say no more than 3 oz of dense) and small scoop of veggie (and maybe carb) satisfy you without making you full? Try it and take at least 20+ minutes to finish your meal. If you find that you are still hungry after a 10 minute break, have some more. You might be surprised to find that you really don't need anymore - you are just visably used to eating more & you are finding yourself full instead of satisfied. Please come back and report how you are doing. I'm sure we can help you get back on track. This group is great for that!

So, I am experimenting with calories now that I have met goal and no longer want to lose. BUT, maintenance means no gaining either. I've been targeting 1500 calories to maintain between 125-129. (I was losing on 1200.) Well ... I haven't been feeling too great today & didn't do a good job of journaling my food. I just logged everything in and I ate 1689 calories today. Say again?????? I am so afraid of failure. I had no idea I had eaten that much today. What is wrong with me???????????? Will this always be a struggle even with my tool? Sorry, today has not been a great day. Feeling a little sorry for myself I guess.

Thanks Coops ... I appreciate the perspective. I think I'm at that major pivot point - I no longer need to focus on losing, but I've never figured out maintenance. It's a little scary - I keep worrying that I will wake up one day & all the fat will be back. I know it's crazy, but the fear is there. With the support of you guys, we will figure this out! (I don't think I've ever told you, but I love your screen name. As you can tell, I love Mini-Coopers - in fact, we own 3; 2 new and the classic one in my avatar. We even named our miniature dachshund Cooper and I call him Coops a lot. Yes, I'm a little over the top when it comes to MINI's. )

Sounds yummy. I added your reply to this thread: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/12406-fruits-and-veggies/page__gopid__106602#entry106602

Both sound very delicious. I'm going to try the panini idea this weekend!

LOL - I am a scale addict too ... your body is going to fluxuate and you will have ups and downs that you can't explain. (As for the downs, I just Celebrate & grin really big.) Just let it roll. In December, I didn't do a good job of letting it roll. For some reason I went up 6 pounds. I completely freaked, but within 2 weeks, I was down 7 & I didn't change a thing during that whole month. Go figure.

You guys are so awesome ... thanks for the reminders to be good to myself & the hard talks when I need it. Diva - A great way to get some fruit in & not feel too guilty about it is the Del Monte No Sugar Added Peaches. 25 calories for a serving and 7 carbs. I also add 1/2 cup of frozen strawberry to 1 container of Carbmaster Strawberry Yogurt for a Strawberry Overload smoothie. Very low carb, good Protein and very YUMMY!!!! (You can also add a splash of sugar free Raspberry Syrup for even more flavor) Veggies are harder for me - just seem like a lot of volume with very little payout on nutrition. I NEVER eat salads anymore, but try to have celery (with Peanut Butter for protein) or cucumber slices or green Beans. Adds a little variety. Do others have suggestions for veggies/fruit ideas? In fact, I think I'll make this into another thread to see if we can find more of an audience. Keep an eye out.

Woot Woot!!!!! Congratulations - you should be very proud of the work you've done to this point. Now, get some pictures out there!

I was very much like you as my date approached. I was excited to begin the journey, but so scared of complications and the actual surgery. I also traveled for my surgery so while I had completed phone consultations, I had never met my surgeon until the day prior to my surgery. He was AMAZING! He has such a great bedside manner & was patient and educated when answering all my last minute questions. His assurance and faith in his skills calmed me immediately. I went into surgery as cool as a cucumber (which is really surprising since I'm never "cool" when it comes to big stuff!) You are experiencing very natural emtions ... as you work through the process and learn more, your head will catch up. Your heart still might be a little nervous, but that is ok! Good luck on your journey.

Sounds like a good plan ... just remember, you had major surgery and your body is still recovering. Don't forget to keep liquids with you so you can stay hydrated.

Have you tried Kohl's? They have some really cute items & they always seem to have a promotion coupon going (try going to http://www.retailmenot.com/view/kohls.com if you need one) ... I found in Croft and Barrow and Sonoma brands that I normally need to go down 1 size on their items. I also wear a petite pant from there even though I'm 5'6". For their other brands, I find that they run true to size. As for bras, mine are so deflated, that I definitely need a push up to give the appearance of the girls. I found these at Kohls. While my husband accuses me of "false advertising", he definitely likes the effect! http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/intimates/bras/shopbybrand/lilyoffrance/PRD~612013/Lily+of+France+Striped+Convertible+Personalized+PushUp+Bra.jsp Best of luck ... enjoy this time!

Thanks guys ... I realize that it wasn't a BIG slip. I think I was just more surprised because the number snuck up on me. I had no idea how many calories I had taken in during the day. I'm not beating myself (too much ) just a reminder that I have to be diligent about tracking what I eat and realize this is life-long. Not just a lose it & go back to old behaviors. I love the Anne of Green Gables analogy. Especially since my real name is Anne and the "e" is very important to me too!

You got it. Prayers first and foremost. What else can we do to support?

Do you have a Macy's near you? If so, they do a great, professional job at measuring you. And believe me, no one is watching you & thinking you are in the wrong store. Of course, when they hear you screaming for joy at the little size you just got into, there may be a few stares or eye rolls. While I was losing, I tried stores like Target, Sears (they have amazing clearance rack prices), and such. I looked around for people I thought were my size (that's a hard one to figure out, so you may need some help - I never imagined I was as "little" as other people said I was) and looked at what they were wearing. If I liked it, I tried to find simliar items in the store to try on. In the losing phase, I looked for items that were slightly snug and then wore them until my husband declared they were "Goodwill Bound". I also did a lot of 2 bags to Goodwill and 1 bag out while I was losing. It was fun & I found many items with original tags still on them. Try not to stress ... enjoy this time. It really is fun once you let yourself enjoy it.

Very happy for you. Another road on your journey!

With your great attitude, you will be with us in no time!

Welcome to be a Poster! I was also a 10+ pounder. Weighed in at 10 pounds 10 ounces at birth. Yeehaw!

I think you have an excellent plan! I also HATE exercise. No, let me say that again ... I HATE TO EXERCISE!!!! I've been lucky to have made it this far without regular exercise, but I know that I need to incorporate it or risk gaining weight in the long haul. I did heavy housecleaning on Sunday & last night got on the treadmill for 20 minutes. (For those that know me, I'll wait a minute so you have time to pick yourself off the floor ....) I didn't go at a heavy pace ... just around 3 miles an hour. I have Kindle for PC so I took my netbook and read for a while. Boy! Did that make a difference. The 20 minutes went very quickly. A quick shower, put on my comfy jammies, and demanded that my husband praise me for working out without anyone nagging me. Not sure I'll be able to do this every night ... but I've committed to myself to do at least 3 20-minute sessions a week. Yes, I am accountable to no one but me ... but, if I can't keep a promise to myself, why do I think I would be accountable to anyone else. Back to you ... do it at your pace and a comfortable level for you. This is YOUR journey and only YOU can decide what you can do and what you want to do for the long haul. Congratulations on your first (literal) step!