MumtazG38

Eww lol. I can't handle vegetable broth. Not my cup of tea by far honestly. It has to be chicken lol.

Yeah, I shop in dearborn for most of my meat needs. Where in dearborn do they sell halal broth? I've looked all over for the Saffron Road variety....or any halal kind at that lol. Do you know the name of the store and the brand I should be looking for? Thanks so much!

Well, I certainly cannot speak from experience since I'm paying out of pocket for my procedure. However, I had asked my doctor out of sheer curiosity regarding coverage IF I had insurance that would cover bariatric surgery (which mine does not cover under any circumstances, it's pretty basic) and she told me that I would have a hard time being covered since I do not have any "significant" comorbidity's. Being that, I am borderline everything (hpb, high cholesterol and already pre-diabetic) but since I do not have any of those yet (which is only a matter of a few lbs for me now) they would not cover me since I have 80+lbs to lose which is less than the 100lbs they cover with comorbidity's, which I do not have....yet. She said, I could always factor in how much weight I've gained and lost and all of my back problems and knee problems, being a Gestational Diabetic and my PCOS and everything else and it would still be pretty iffy. So it really depends on how "sick" you are plus how much weight you've got to lose. I'm pretty sure if a person was 60-80lbs overweight like us but had diabetes, high blood pressure and other obesity related diseases the insurance company wouldn't make too much of a fuss. But in my case, the doctor was pretty straight forward about it even though she wants me to get the procedure herself. Despite being biased I mean to say. But honestly I think it depends mostly on the insurance you have. And take my advice with a grain of salt, since I haven't actually been through any sort of approval process. I'm just going by what my doctor told me. Hang around hun, I'm sure someone with more (accurate) info will be around soon enough....it's early .

OMG! Just noticed your date is coming up soon!!! You must be so excited! Good luck and can't wait to see you lose!

Oh goodness don't I agree!

I can't wait to NOT be asked if I'm pregnant when I'm NOT PREGNANT! And, I can't wait to NOT hear people tell me I don't look pregnant at all at 9 months when I AM PREGNANT! (I don't look any bigger since I am big enough already, the pregnancy just stays inside me I guess) GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

^ This! My husband and I are the same! Thank goodness I didn't settle! We did break up once for a while (stupid teenager stuff on my part) and years after, I almost did settle for an a*****e!!! I'm so glad I waited, and re-found the perfect man!!! I don't know you enough to say much, but if this relationship doesn't make you think "I'm so happy I found the man of my dreams!!!"....than you're settling. You shouldn't be sad, fat, skinny, tall, short whatever else. I wish you the best hun!

There's this place that does lipo/smart lipo/skin tightening and such for ridiculously cheap in the U.S. And they are very reputable! I was looking into it only a few months back before I reconsidered the vsg. Lookup MyShapeLipo on facebook or just google it to get their site. They even have monthly giveaways (free lipo) or you can also win more free lipo if you can make a facebook page about why you need/deserve the procedure and get the most fans on there. It's a competition thing. A little too much for me, but hey...it's free lipo lol! Anyways, they have great prices for a fraction of the cost of other places. AND they have quite a following on facebook, and I've talked to plenty of past patients of their's too. They love it there. Just thought I'd put that out there for you or anyone else who may need the information. I know lipo may not be what you're looking for, but they have amazing out of this world prices for smart lipo(skin tightening) too.

WOW! Way to go get em girl! That's absolutely wonderful!!!! You're an absolute inspiration!! Just what I needed to hear! OMG! In 4 months, you became a size 8! Holy cow! LOL. Then in a few months more......SIZE FLIPPIN' 4/6!!! LOL. Goodness that sounds like a dream. And I suppose you still have 3 months to hit the initial year mark, so who knows how much more you'll lose!! Good for you!

Wow! You're weight numbers are exactly the same as mine! All except the 195 pre-op......but my weight is creeping back up faster than I lost it (175 from 185 in 3 months) with the paleo diet change....ugh. But anyways, yeah I have to fight like hell to keep that scale from hitting 200 too! My body is in love with my 185 weight and will do anything and everything to throw that weight right back on within the first 2-3 months of any exercise+diet regimen I try. And this is ever since my first pregnancy. Before pregnancy I was at 140 exactly like you, albeit I wasn't EVER a size 8. I have been a size 11-12 since I was 13. But my height is also 5' 1" too. But our scales wouldn't know the difference lol! I too haven't been under 175 lbs after the babies. Just hit 170 less than a week ago...and I'm back at 175 and going up again. My body gets used to my diets too easily. Have to keep changing up everything every few months to maintain or lose. Yay you! A month and a week, and you've lost 27lbs way to go girl! Thats the kinda news we lightweights need to hear!

I noticed the same thing (on other boards). It's the reason I decided to create this topic as a separate little place for us all to come to and know we aren't alone in this! I became pretty sick of hearing that "lightweights don't deserve/need surgery" bull. Fat is fat is fat! So screw anyone who thinks that way. And onwards and upwards for us all!

reminds me why my doctors wanted me to get the surgery in the first place....

Ok, so are these or any of these considered a comorbidity? Pre-diabetes Gestational Diabetic Borderline HBP Borderline Cholesterol levels PCOS w/ annovulatory cycles, w/ heavy bleeding of more than one pad an hour, and debilitating cramping (the norm nowadays for cysters) Horrible knee/joint pain. Debilitating at times. Back pain, (back gets stuck often, very painful) Painful IBS Severe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome woah (it really puts this obesity thing in perspective seeing all of my issues laid out like this, one after another )

Thank you Butterflyhigh and SuNMoonNStarS816 for the input! It is such A HUGE relief to hear that!!! I'm going to go check out that study now. Phew, I feel elated right now, especially compared to how let down I felt last night after reading the "disadvantages" portion of the page at that site. I can't thank you enough!

Same here! But more than anything, We've got to MAKE IT WORK! We owe it to ourselves! (....and our wallets LOL)

agreed! I plan on making it EXTREMELY clear that I want to be left with EXACTLY 15% OR LESS of my stomach period! More on the less side, if at all possible. If he's ever taken more stomach out for larger patients, than he can just add me on to that list. I'm not paying to lose money here, I'm paying to lose the weight!

okay, so I just saw the new pinned topic for mysurgeryoptions.com and was interested and asked for a quote. So, I'm awaiting a reply to compare and see who I want to go with (Dr. Israel Cabrera or one of theirs). mysurgeryoptions.com seems to have a few added benefits going through them. Like the coordinator (Susan Lackey) who is on VST available to chat anytime before, during and after your procedure, the Personal Trainer and Nutrition Expert William Cotter who is there to help people post-op with their exercise routines and eating habits etc. Sounds cool. However, this post is about something I just read on the site under the Gastric Sleeve procedure advantages/disadvantages page. It lists that one of the disadvantages of the VSG is the fact that people w/ lower BMI's may not effectively lose weight from it? Huh? That's news to me. I mean, I know that the VSG is in no way a fix it all solution or some sort of magic bullet thing, but I've never seen it in writing till today that the procedure is less likely to result in effectiveness and/or successful weight loss and maintenance for people with lower BMI's. So it is a bit of a shock for me, reading it. I mean, I know maybe since we have less to lose we may lose a llb or two less a week or the weight loss may slow down a bit sooner.....but the way they've got it in writing on the site scares me. Here's what it says: Ugh...that word! "effective"! *shivers* So I get that it says "low" rather than "lower", which would indicate they mean proper low bmi people, maybe in the late 20's like 25-29 or something. But it does say "patients", and we all know that the lowest bmi even considered for this procedure is 30 right. So isn't it safe to assume they basically mean the lower bmi's near that number, as opposed to the bmi's more near, say 40-50 or so? Because usually, 25-29 isn't (often) even considered. What do you guys think about that? Did some of you guys "know" that this may be the case with the VSG? I mean, not just a feeling you got from reading on here or there. I mean had you ever read it in writing like that, as an official disadvantage of the procedure? I hate to say it, but I feel like a seed of discouragement has been planted within me having read that on that page. I really don't want to get the procedure, work hard at the diet change and still end up where I am today, short $5800-$5900!!! That is terrifying! If this is true....than what IS best for us lower bmi patients? Is there any procedure out there that actually works better for us? Or are we stuck w/ the short end of the stick either way we look? Is it seriously the luck of the draw for us lightweights. I refuse to believe that personally! I'm sure there is a WLS out there that is better suited in it's effectiveness for us! And if not, I'm more than willing to amp it up when it comes to the lifestyle/diet/exercise routines and changes with the VSG. I just wonder though...would the regular bypass suit us better (I'm terrified of the crazy side effects and the gain back rate w/ that though).

Please don't be afraid to share your story! It's just as valuable as any other! To quote Ms.AntiBand loosely "fat is fat is fat!!!". And you've worked really hard to get where you're at right now, no doubt! Thats GREAT!!!!

Just realized I'm the only one who hasn't properly posted their stats (and I started the thread HA) so here goes. Right, so "lightweight" at: Starting BMI: 35 at 185lbs for 5'1" Now: 32.1 at 170lbs (the weight's creeping up fast again, ugh nothing works long enough) Lost 15lbs doing paleo/primal (low carb/low cal/high protein/mod fat/no sugar/no grains) for 3 months. Still on the same lifestyle but the weight's creeping up faster than I lost it, by far. So, 72lbs to lose to get to normal weight. I'd be happy with even half of that right now. Praying I don't gain back to 185 again (my body likes this weight a little too much!) Surgery has been approved at the MI Doctor Hospital/Clinic in TJ, Mexico by Dr. Israel Cabrera/Valenzuela for either June/July/August. Have to get the finances together, and the hubster needs to get off work for 5 days which is becoming the biggest challenge as at least 4 of his employees want to vacation for 2 undecided weeks each one of these months this summer. Seriously? My luck! lol.

Wow! 42 to 38! That's 45lbs down in 5 months on your own, and KEEPING IT OFF! That's great! If you've got it in you to be doing so well on your own, you'll do WONDERS with the sleeve! How hard you've been working! I can't lose more than 15lbs before my body plateaus and I just quit. Exactly! Same here. I carry all of my weight up top, so thats my entire abdomen mainly, chest (UGH), arms, sides of hips, lower back, and rolls in between and all over my face. My thighs and legs are a bit healthy and nicely sized but they really aren't anything compared to my top. My husband still thinks I could easily "work it off". Riiiigghht. The thing is, he doesn't realize how long I've been battling my weight. That's 11 years of back and forth and back and forth....that never-ending cycle we've all got to battle with.

If you don't want to read the whole dang story just move onto the colored text at the very bottom of this post. I am so conflicted right now! My husband and I have always planned on having a large family. However I'm starting to feel like I'd be the dumbest person alive to actually INTENTIONALLY get pregnant after getting WLS and reaching goal. Especially considering how much it costs out of pocket for us to get pregnant without insurance for my infertility issues!!! We can certainly afford both......but I can't help but feel like maybe I'm being stupid not waiting to get the VSG. But then, when the thought of waiting occurs to me.....I feel like hell because I know that we will have to wait at least 2 years (as usual) to even begin TTC, and with my infertility/pcos it'll be more like at least 3 years to actually fall pregnant. That is so long to remain unhealthy and unable to enjoy my life with my children. I fear becoming diabetic and getting hbp and high cholesterol as I'm already bordeline...and it's only getting worse the longer I wait to lose all this weight! I also feel like if I waited for the WLS, I'd be stealing a further 3 years plus from my children to have a normal healthy mom who can do everything with and for them that a mom should! UGH! So confused. The thing is.....Both times I've been pregnant, I have had IUGR babies due to my severe loss of appetite coupled with the first two trimesters of nausea. I lose 20-30 lbs everytime I become pregnant, and that effects the growth of the babies not getting enough nutrients like they should. I always thought that even if I wasn't getting any food, the baby was supposed to be fine as he would just take from my body, and the ill effects would just be mine, and mine alone! That is what the doctors told me the BOTH times. But apparently they changed their minds after I had my second child the same way! This last pregnancy I had gestational diabetes, which wasn't even a concern the first time. Both babies weighed approximately 4lbs at birth, and had stopped growing at 37 weeks, and were always measuring 2+ weeks smaller during all of the ultrasounds. Proving that they were not getting what they needed to grow properly. Thank goodness they are both incredibly healthy now and are doing exceptionally well and are not only caught up, but hitting milestones far ahead of their age groups! But the problem still remains, because of my weight and the ever looming PCOS, and pregnancy hormones making me severely ill and causing my loss of appetite due to the PCOS....it's a never ending cycle you know? I know that if I lost the weight, I'd no longer have PCOS, my hormones would be healthy and normal for once. And any pregnancy from then on forward could only be healthier. My doctors say the same thing. However, we are simply not ready to get pregnant so soon yet as the little one is only 8 months today. However, if I do get the WLS and hit goal by 1 year and maintain for the 2 years after, and THEN decide to get pregnant, I fear that I might just actually GAIN all the weight back trying to EAT and KEEP THINGS DOWN this time around. I know that any time I become pregnant in the future I am dedicated to eating ALOT, whether I can keep it down or not, and eating very healthy despite weight gain or whatever else. I CANNOT have IUGR babies any longer, and my doctor agrees that I am one of those women who absolutely need to eat twice as much in order to keep the growing child healthy. Because of this, I feel like I may ruin all of my success after WLS. Basically.....I just wanted to know if any of you knows what the likelyhood of gaining all of my weight back and becoming unhealthy like I am today after the procedure is? I don't want to get the procedure now, and have a pregnancy throw me off and back on the train to imminent disease and early death! But, I don't want to not have any more children either. That is just not fair to my husband, and not to myself. Very selfish of me if that thought ever even occurred to me, which it wouldn't! I know some of you will say that I simply should not have any more children, especially since I have 2 already and my pregnancies barely go well. But my doctor's have pinpointed the actual problem and are willing, as am I, to do anything (even if it means to become hospitalized for the first 2 trimesters in order to keep an eye on my food/appetite and the babies growth) to keep the same from happening again. My doctors have both suggested that WLS would be the best option for me, for my health AND for the health of my future pregnancies and children in so many ways. But............why can't I shake the fear that if I end up pregnant after the procedure and eat like I'm supposed to, and successfully gain weight (albeit 11-20 lbs only, since that is the goal my docs have for me since I always lose weight during pregnancy) that I won't be able to get rid of it and then I'll eventually be back where I am because my stomach will have stretched due to the eating!!! Am I losing my mind here (my doctor sure thinks I am) or are my fears legitimate and rational? In a nutshell: I am afraid of gaining the weight back if I fall pregnant 2-3 years after the procedure. I have a habit of losing too much weight DURING a pregnancy, and gaining it back plus some immediately afterwards when I regain my appetite that was suppressed due to my reaction to the hormones during gestation. I can't decide if I should have the surgery now or after I'm through having children. My dilemma is: If I have all of the children I want than I will be waiting 5+ years to have the WLS, and will be in a much much worse place health-wise by then, than I am now. I feel like I'll have stolen those years from my children's lives as well, they deserve all of their mommy...not just what she can barely give. Not to mention the fact that who knows where we may be financially in 5+ years, yes we do have it well planned....but goodness, in this day and age of recession ya never really know do you? Insurance so far, isn't an option, who's to say it would be in the future. I just want to know if you guys think what I fear is likely? If so, how likely is it? Has this happened to anyone after the VSG and having fallen pregnant? If I exercise and keep my calories/carbs down will that help. I just fear that the extra eating I'll have to do to gain enough healthy weight during a pregnancy will stretch my stomach and it will be a never-ending cycle afterwords.

Thank you! Will do!

Thanks so much for the reply hun! I really value any input at this point, and you just made me feel a lot better! Honestly though, I think exactly like you do. And so do my doctors it seems. Making myself healthy and fit before any attempts at having anymore children is what my doctors are fully focused on right now. My family doctor says she won't be too happy if I don't get the procedure now that we've talked it over so many times and I can not only afford it, but have been approved for it. She thinks it would be foolish to try again for another child with my continuing issues being unresolved. I agree. I just don't want the surgery to be a waste......my doctor says the same as you. That by that time my lifestyle will have changed majorly, by 3 years my stomach will have become adjusted to its maintaining size and I will not stretch it because of the habits of the lifestyle I will be on. I totally get that......just these fears that keep creeping up.lol

Amen!! LOL. Hope you get that insurance approval asap!

@Ella Oh wow! That's GREAT NEWS! YAYY! That's possibly the biggest hurdle, getting the insurance to approve it! Way to go girl! Your well on your way to the new you! So exciting!!! Good luck!!