does not matter

Thank you!!

OMG YES! going through it right now

Yes please! mcdolisa@hotmail.com

400 sounds so little since I'm still pre-op! my friends cant wrap their brains around how much i'll be eating post op

I'm sooo hoping I will be by the book betty post op! I used to weigh my food at the beginning of my diet, now I dont even do that or log it :| I will go back to logging post op tho!

Thanks guys, you are definitely right, thanks for reminding me! after hours and hours and hours of research this doubt has just come over me tonight and I've somehow forgotten all of the basics... I will feel satisfied with small amounts of food post op. I'm just hoping I will stick the right foods in my mouth...

It was march but I moved it up to jan 21.. I fly in jan 19th

I'll be there right after you! How are you doing with your diet right now? I am horrible... eating everything and doing all the lasts

Oh ok, that's exciting!!! Are you seeing Dr Joya as well?

Well I'm from Canada so I'm not sure if it's going to be completely different for you or not. I spoke to the CRA a few weeks ago. I paid for the deposit in Nov. The balance of 5500 (since I'm doing the insurance) is due at the time of surgery. I wanted to pay for it all in 2012, so I could claim it all on my 2012 income tax when I go to do it in March'ish. However, i was told I could pay in advance and then I was told I could not. Since I moved my surgery date up to Jan, I will do my taxes from Feb 2012-Jan 2013 (any 12 consecutive months). Here your medical has to be more than 3% of your income or more than $2200'ish, any amount over the roughly 2200, can be used as a deductible and we get around $0.25 for every dollar we spend after that. (I'm look at getting $1000'ish) It doesn't have to be all at once... but I didn't want to wait until 2014 to be able to claim it, and didn't want to do taxes from april - march 2013 since it would just screw everything up and make it complicated. The CRA looked up the info, they MAY request my receipts and when I has plastic surgery about 7 years ago (I claimed breast implants) they asked for the receipts and I got $2000 back... lol go figure! They have sine changed it and do not allow plastic surgery unless there is a reason for it. So grab all your receipts from your surgery and claim it.. then again... i really have no idea how anything works in the states. Maybe make a post asking others from the states if and what they did? Sorry I can't be of more help, or call whoever you deal with for taxes there and ask directly like I did, or you can look up all of that online too, but i preferred to speak to someone. It's worth a shot tho

Treadmills are super easy to use, most of them you just press start and you're good to go! Most have arrows to increase or decrease the speeds and inclines (if there is any) and that's about it. If you're leery about stepping on and pressing start... then stand beside it, press start and play with the buttons before to get accustomed to it first. Once you've figured that out... you might feel more confident about actually getting on. I actually despised treadmills until I tried this 5k runner. I always thought of myself as more of an elliptical person since I couldn't run. The second day I tried 5k runner, I was addicted to it, and by the next week I bought a treadmill on sale... best investment ever! If you're not sure how to use it, you can look up the user manual online if you don't have it and read that before using it as well

I'm with what everyone else has said. If you don't have a treadmill, try the mall, or a basic gym.. in my city they have memberships for $10 a month at some places. I also downloaded an app my old nutritionist recommended when I said I wanted to eventually run a half marathon... that goal is a little high but hey, nothing wrong with a long term goal.... The app is called 5k runner on my iphone (I think you can get it on blackberry too) It starts off slow, and you progress to the next step when you are ready. I look back and remember posts I made that said "that work out kicked my a**" and I was literally running 2 minutes straight, then walking for 3 etc etc. Now I am up to running 25 minutes straight... would I have thought this 2 months ago? Not a chance in hell. You just have to start, do the best you can one day, and take a few extra steps the next day, and then the next day.... you'll get there

Is that just what you did, or did someone tell you no running until 2-3 months out?

I too was worried about this... or during or after a workout?

I bought a treadmill for 449 from Canadian Tire (tempo 632T) I'm sure it will be on sale at Christmas. Needless to say I don't run.... I ended up talking with a trainer and agreeing to do 3 work outs a week, at whatever I was comfortable with (treadmill or class I like at the gym etc)... I increased it to 4 times a week shortly after that. My nutritionist mentioned an app called 5k runner to me, I started that, and I've been addicted ever since... I have never ran in my life and I am running 20 minutes straight as of right now. I love not having ot waste time driving back and forth to the gym. I have a fan right in front of my treadmill and it's in the rec room downstairs where it's a bit cooler. I LOVE it. It's very convenient, I can wear what I want and not feel self conscious, and I can sweat like a pig without caring if anyone is watching me. I will be honest, until I set that contract I found it difficult to get my butt on there some days, but I kept a log of what I did and emailed them to my "trainer" who I only met once since I didnt really need his help. But once I started using 5k runner! I'm in love... after 8 weeks or so, you'll be running 5k!

So needless to say, I am very happy with my decision to move my surgery date up. One reason why? I am tired of being called names at work... Today I was called a "f**king fat b***h" and a "cow" I'm a teacher so clearly can't say anything back in return, and it just starts to get to you when you're called these things on a regular basis, and sometimes daily. (I work in a maximum security facility for youth girls, aged 12-18.. sometimes 21 depending on pending youth charges) Hopefully post op she'll called me a skinny b***h, I think I could handle that better! How many more hours until my surgery!?!?

Thanks for all the advice and tid bits from your personal experiences. It's makes it difficult sometimes especially when dealing with kids... they sometimes have no filters. Up north I was teaching grade 5 and they asked me if I was pregnant since I looked like it. So after years and years, you just have enough. I can't wait until after this surgery to be healthier, happier, thinner etc, but also to get rid of the weight comments. They can call me whatever they want, but it's the weight comments that tend to affect me. Soon, that will no longer be an issue Thanks for all the support, this student will not be in class until Monday

Thank you I only wish our facility was run like "corrections" unfortunately they coddle the kids at mine... it's a joke. I do not let them run the show, so if I challenge them on anything, that is the outcome with some of the kids.

I was originally scheduled for March 4th but couldn't wrap my brain around waiting that long and continuing to be off my wagon that long... so I paid a bit of extra money to switch my flight... well more like $300... but once I hit March 4th and see how much success I've already had (hopefully in the past 6 weeks) I'm hoping the extra $300 would be worth it... Wondering if there is anyone else scheduled with Dr Joya that week!? Hoping for a sleeve buddy!

The people at the facility I work at will know, since they knew about me trying to get it covered in Canada and had so many appointments to go to... however, I don't want them knowing I'm actually doing it in Mexico and that it's booked. I mentioned it to them and they've been on my ass every since... so after I've had it done, there's not a damn thing they can do about it

I am more relieved that I have less time to deviate/pig out :| I think moving the date will get me back on track over the next month before starting the liquid diet. I have more confidence and I am excited to get this journey underway a little sooner, a little concerned about the extra money but hey, i don't think I'll be thinking about it 6 weeks post op when I see my progress I am still keeping it a secret at work though

Thanks! I am definitely happy with the decision even if it cost a bit more in the end. That's too bad that you can't schedule it any earlier, but it will happen!! You will get there!! I wish you all the luck with yours and I will keep you posted You are absolutely correct! I didn't even think of my ticker yet!!! thats soo exciting!!!

I am in Canada, and going for Surgery in Puerto Vallarta Mexico. I have tried a few insurance companies myself, called my credit card company for insurance, my bank etc, nothing. They provided me with some phone number today that deals with any kind of insurance you can possibly buy and with all carriers (apparently the be all end of - If I could get it, these people would know where) So I called them this morning, and he said the is absolutely no insurance I could buy to cover me for surgery in Mexico, he said I could get insurance post op, provided everything was healed etc from surgery, but that there is no company coverage that I could get to cover the surgery and out of country medical out there. I realize that you are not in the exact same location etc as I am. But just letting you know that I have ended my search for insurance after talking to the be all end all people this morning. I am going to do the 500US complication fund with my surgeon and get my butt back to Canada ASAP! and hope for the best Good luck!

Hey everyone... Long story short, I was denied in Ontario. Since I was denied, I have been off my healthy eating wagon and it's been a disaster... I scheduled my surgery and I have been worse since then. I really wasn't planning on doing the food funeral but it has kind of happened even though I didn't want it to. Problem is my surgery is scheduled for March 4th in Puerto Vallarta, and I'm in the process of TRYING to move it to Jan 21st so that I'm not filling my face until March.... which at this point I can't even imagine waiting that long. Has anyone else has a large gap between finding out their date to when their surgery is? I believe I have gained 3-5 pounds and thats still with running 3-4km 4 times a week. I can feel it in my stomach area... I feel like crap but I continue to shove crap in my face. I was on such a good track since July and had lost 26.6 pounds... I'm thinking it's more like 22 right now... Any suggestions? Anyone else feel like this? Most people I've read about have a one month waiting period... with their 2 week diet, sure people do their food funeral but it's only 2 weeks, not 3+ months!!! I guess the first thing I SHOULD really be doing it tracking my food again, I gave that up once I was kicked out of the bariatric program here (didnt think i needed surgery since they adopted a new model from edmonton, but was a "perfect" candidate before this new model came out and was one test away) it didn't help that the bariatric clinic was blatantly lying to me for 6-8 weeks. So step 1. Tomorrow start logging everything I eat again, and continue my workouts (this hasn't been a problem) it's the food funeral and not caring/logging my food anymore? any suggestions from people who have been in my spot are greatly appreciated! Thanks!!! Lisa

I just ordered the book, it will take 1-3 weeks to ship to canada but it's on it's way Thanks for the suggestion