JerseyCityGal

So in other words .... if your surgery can't be by 12/31/2015, it's your own decision to not have it done. Your dream is not "shattered and over". You are making the choice to not have the surgery if it can't be done by the exact date you want it done by. You are willing to spend the rest of your life obese because you want to cut your nose off to spite your face. You are basically saying "If I have to wait x more months, I'd rather be obese forever". Has anyone ever spoken with you about your decision making skills? Lots of people have a long approval process. Lots of people have delays. I had one litigation matter in its 5th or 6th year (not related to my surgery) that managed to postpone my surgery for a full year. It was delay after delay. I couldn't schedule until it settled or went to trial. I had no choice but to wait, but there was nothing that was going to keep me from my goal. It was what it was. Rather than waste my energy on something I couldn't control, i focused on what I could control. Was it sometimes frustrating? Sure, but you just keep going and moving ahead.

Your "restriction" at this point (and maybe always) should be MEASURING your food and not eating more than that!!!!!!! Putting down the fork is a restriction too. I didn't, and still don't, feel full most of the time. My "full" is when I have had my portion. You don't have to feel full to have had enough food. Eat 2 oz (or how much for whatever stage you are at) and put the rest in the fridge. The food isn't going to run away. It will be there for your next meal.

I'll never forget when I was listening to a podcast by Jillian Michaels (I know some hate her, but I love her).. and she said, the muscle makes you gain myth is total bunk.. its something people to say to make someone feel better and that its really, really hard to gain that much muscle. People are explaining it wrong. Jillian is right. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weight exactly the same. A pound. A pound of muscle looks better than a pound of fat because fat takes up a lot more space. Muscle makes you look leaner and harder. Plus, the MORE lean muscle you have, the more calories your body burns. You can weigh the same if you are muscular and look significantly smaller than the person of the same height and weight standing next to you who has half the lean muscle you do. The part about gaining "muscle" weight while weight lifting being really hard to do is completely true. It takes significant effort to become jacked up or bulked up. Like eat 2 pounds of chicken, 2 pounds of potatoes, etc per day while following a crazy workout schedule. It's like having an extra job. A very thin person who starts weight training would experience a small weight gain without trying to become bulked up, but anyone else, not really. You would get an increase in blood volume and muscle gain but that would be offset by a much more significant fat loss.

Why are you still talking to these people or sharing your private information with them? They are your husband's family. He can go to their house to visit without you. They can call him on his cell and he can take the call out of the room. When the subject of you comes up, your husband can just say "Jangy sends her regards" and then drop it like a hot rock. Switch the subject. They bring you up again, he now "has to go". It's like dog training. It takes a few times, but people get the picture if you are consistent. There is no law that says you have to interact with them. The drama trolley runs both ways. Stop participating, don't feed into it. Don't even think about it. They don't exist as far as you are concerned. It actually has nothing to do with you. If you evaporated 10 minutes from now, they would find someone/something else to harp on. If you do the above, the focus will eventually get off you. Don't use other people as an excuse for you not living or having the life you want. You are married to your husband, not these other people. You don't need anyone else's support or permission to make lifestyle changes or to go ahead with surgery.

I was just thinking about this. I've lost over 100 lbs so far and am planning on having plastics before the end of the year. No layman guessing please, I'm looking for yes I did it and it was ok or I did it and got called on the carpet by the IRS or I'm a CPA and ..... I was only able to find one tax court case, and they ruled in the woman's favor for the deduction.

@allycatt98 As I said, I have a CPA who does my taxes and advises me. I repeatedly asked for personal experiences, not "What should I do?". Maybe you will see this better with the "you" taken out of it: Me: Has anyone here tried a Blue Hawaii Martini? How was it? How did you feel after? Answer: Blue Hawaii Martinis are made with 6 oz of vodka. Me: I know. I have Google too. I am asking people who have tried one how they taste. Was it as good as it looks? How did they feel afterward? Answer: Here's a ton of drunk driving statistics and other crap you didn't ask about. Me: I really am just asking for people who have actually tasted a Blue Hawaii Martini and their experience. I keep telling you this, but you keep being stubborn and egotistical about answering when it's crystal clear I really just want to discuss personal experiences, and not watch you try and school me in things like martini's vs white russians (standard vs itemized) when I was a specialty go-go dancing bartender (Analyst structuring merger transactions for one of the top investment banks in the world) while you were in grade school. Answer: I'm going to keep shoving things you didn't ask for down your throat and derail this thread and you should be grateful because I'm a Bartender (CPA)! Me: All women should have an Bartending Degree (education) and good on you for having one, but that doesn't change the fact that a) I am not asking you for your advice on my situation which you somehow cannot stop yourself from giving despite being repeatedly told that I am not asking for advice on what to do. I am asking for other people's personal experiences with Blue Hawaii Martini's. Answer: Ha. Ha, Ha. I just shake my head and laugh at all the people I assume are not educated and do not bow down to my sage words of advice even if it's not at all what they were asking. I'm going to keep being disrespectful to this other person and ruin any chance she has of getting people giving her answers and talk down to her, never once imaging that her level of education could possibly exceed mine and that I am just being a jerk.

@@allycatt98 I don't recall asking anyone for advice, but you insisted on giving it in heaps despite repeatedly being told that wasn't what I was looking for. What I DID ask for, and I was very specific, were other peoples experiences in taking the deduction; as in a) they had skin removal surgery, b ) took the deduction, and c) what, if anything, happened. But thanks for totally derailing my thread!

Just OMG ... Please ... what part of "No layman guessing please, I'm looking for yes I did it and it was ok or I did it and got called on the carpet by the IRS or I'm a CPA and ....." is not getting through? I am looking for PEOPLE WHO DID THIS AND ASKING THEM WHAT HAPPENED. I have Google. I can read. I have a phone and can dial the IRS. I have a CPA. What I am looking for are PEOPLE WHO HAD SKIN REMOVAL SURGERY, TOOK THE DEDUCTION AND CAN TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE IRS.

No offense, seriously, but you are not getting it.. If you have an official medical diagnosis of Obesity, yes, your VSG is deductible (% of AGI and all that). If you had it done for shits and giggles and were not obese, it won't work. "Medically necessary" does not appear in the Cosmetic section of the tax code. What does appear is " if it is necessary to improve a deformity arising from, or directly related to, a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or a disfiguring disease." It does not seem to me that Obesity falls under any of those categories, but I did find one US tax court case that allowed a woman with an over 100 lb weight loss whose abdominal skin got in the way of her movement for her job to take the deduction. I am SPECIFICALLY asking: 1) people who have had reconstructive types of plastic surgery after massive (over 100 lb) weight loss; i.e. skin removal/LBL, arm lifts, etc (not a tiny tummy tuck but major surgery) 2) Did you claim these surgeries as a deduction on your tax returns? 3) How did it work out for you? Was it questioned?

Want some straight up honesty, no drama? You two are used to each other and it's comfortable. You know what to expect. That's not love, it's a habit. He found you, he'll find someone else. You both need to get healthy, not just you.

@@allycatt98 Typically plastics are not considered deductible even though they are medical expenses. I know all about itemized vs standard deduction. That wasn't my question. I was asking people who had plastics after weight loss for skin removal/lbl etc (not just strictly cosmetic but extensive reconstructive types of surgery) if they were able to claim it as a deduction on their taxes or if it didn't fly. I read the IRS Code on Medical Expenses and it says: Operations You can include in medical expenses amounts you pay for legal operations that are not for unnecessary cosmetic surgery. See Cosmetic Surgery under What Expenses Are Not Includible, later. and Cosmetic Surgery Generally, you cannot include in medical expenses the amount you pay for unnecessary cosmetic surgery. This includes any procedure that is directed at improving the patient's appearance and does not meaningfully promote the proper function of the body or prevent or treat illness or disease. You generally cannot include in medical expenses the amount you pay for procedures such as face lifts, hair transplants, hair removal (electrolysis), and liposuction. You can include in medical expenses the amount you pay for cosmetic surgery if it is necessary to improve a deformity arising from, or directly related to, a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or a disfiguring disease. Example. An individual undergoes surgery that removes a breast as part of treatment for cancer. She pays a surgeon to reconstruct the breast. The surgery to reconstruct the breast corrects a deformity directly related to the disease. The cost of the surgery is includible in her medical expenses. Which led me to a US Tax Court case where a woman had excess skin on her abdomen removed because it interfered with her physical movement required for work. She won her case and it was allowed, but Tax Court, unlike regular court, does not set precedent, Therefore .... I was asking what the personal experience was of other people who had skin removal type surgery was in successfully (or not successfully) claiming it as a deduction.

I had my surgery on June 16, 2014. This time next year when you look back, you won't believe how much better your life is and how much happier you are. It's like night and day. Just remember that any time you hit a little bump in the road. Keep your eyes on your goal and remember what really matters and why you are doing this and all the other stuff will just fall away.

Tell that to my skin! I think it's in 1978! lol Seriously, mine would need a Gulfstream jet to catch up. I can grab piles of skin everywhere. I can haul up 8 to 10 inches of skin on my abdomen and roll the skin on my arms around like a crescent roll. When I run for the bus, my body keeps moving after i come to a halt. I keep myself clean and dry. That's the best I can do for now.

You can eat a burger without the bun ... use lettuce as the wrap and stuff tomato slices in between. You can slice up a parsnip and roast it to make fake french fries. It's a bit high in carbs (24 for 1 cup), but that's still 1/2 the carbs of what the same amount of fries has, and it's delicious. You are going to have to change your eating when you are sleeved. You may as well start now.

You're lucky you're not in the hospital.

And this is exactly why I measure and log every damn thing that goes into my mouth. I would eyeball myself back up to 268 in no time if I didn't.

If I am eating out, I take the rest home. If I am at the market, I buy (and cook) enough fresh food for at least two meals at once .

I do that too. I see something generic under "New Topics", click and respond and then later on I can't seem to find it only to discover that it's in the guys forum.

I wear Born wedges and platforms all the time. I can't wear regular heels because I have has a few foot surgeries and have rods and pins in my feet and toes. Most of my toes don't bend because of this and Born shoes have the wide toe area so I can wear them without any issues. I think their wedges with the flower painted heels are so pretty.

I don't know him but my knee surgeon (Dr. Foddai) is in the same building as he is. So was my old GP before he moved. My ENT is in that building too (Dr. Behin).

@@libbyyum Which surgeon in Jersey City? I had Dr. Sebastian Eid from Advanced Laparoscopic in Paramus but they did the surgery at Jersey City Medical Center (which was great by the way). Surgery itself & the hospital was $500 out of pocket, but pre-surgical co-pays and reports ran me quite a bit.

I had a small slice for hitting Onederland. I really really really wanted it. I swear some days I lived for the thought that when I hit Onederland, I was going to have a slice of pizza, lol. Once in a while I'll have a few bites but it really doesn't have the appeal it once did for me. I don't want to start eating it out of habit so I mostly stay away from it. I don't do carbonated ever so I can't help you with that.

That's why measuring your food and tracking on a App like MyFitnessPal is important ... so you know if you have hit your limit for the day. Your measuring cups will never get bigger. They stay the same size.

My doc and NUT are the same. They want me to focus on eating "real" food and not getting protein or nutrients from the shakes. After all, you wouldn't be able to eat everything in the shake you're drinking with your tiny stomach, right? It sounds crazy (and did to me too), especially with all you see on this site about counting protein. I would just say listen to your body and do what's right for you. Yes, exactly! My doc and NUT are in the same space and they believe the same thing. He doesn't want me to drink my calories and would rather I eat them. He's thinking more long term and people going over their calories because they're drinking the majority of the it calories and not feeling full for as long as they would if they actually ate food. A Chike shake is 130 to 180 calories and Marley / Garden of Life is 80 to 90 calories. What 17 gram protein food is 80 calories and keeps you full for 3 - 4 hours? Marley / Garden of Life does that for me and I'm just a couple weeks shy of a year out. A full Chike shake takes me over an hour to drink and keeps me full from Breakfast until lunch. 28 grams of protein and 130 to 180 calories. I love to eat, but shakes can really fill you up and help keep you under your calorie limits while meeting your nutritional goals.

I love coming home from the gym and tossing some fruit and ice in the blender with some Garden of Life vanilla raw Protein powder. 90 calories plus whatever fruit I added. 17 g of protein. Much better than sitting around eating cheese sticks.