puddin

Hmmm... some things to think about. Maybe a C would be best. I don't want to be huge, I just want to be proportionate - maybe a little bigger than that. Hehe. Boyfriend wants a little bigger than proportionate, too, but he's not the one who has to live with them. I still want to be able to jog comfortably and maybe a C is what will make that happen.

Congrats girl!!! You're gonna love it, LOVE IT! I'm a year and a couple months post-op. It took me about a year to learn how to STILL not stuff myself. So usually I'll have 8 oz Protein shake for breakfast, a lean cuisine or about a cup of another kind of food (I always try to pick the healthiest thing on the menu), and some sort of chicken dish for dinner. I count every calorie and I NEVER, EVER finish my food, even if I could and I'm still a little hungry. I'ts just part of my self-help psychology for eating. Good luck!

My 18-year-old self would be like "Damn, girl, how'd you get so lucky?" I've got a wonderful, gorgeous, doting man, and I fell out of frump girl stage. I was frump girl... until about a year ago. I'm smaller and better looking now than I was in high school. I really, really want to go to my 10-year reunion this year!

Telly, another question for you. The lipo's going to cost just about as much as the TT and I'm concerned about the excess skin. The healing time concerns me, too. How are you healing? Next question is X-rated. How long is it until you're able to have sex after the TT? I'm planning on getting married in May and having surgery in February. Enough time?

Thanks Carol! My life is not the same because of the weight loss. I love it! How filled are you now? I sort of like to eat difficult foods because then I eat less of it. I had 1/2 of a south beach individual pizza today. It was fantastic because it was hard going down and I couldn't eat very much.

I count every damn calorie in and every damn calorie out (with my bodybugg).

Hell no! My life is changed 100%. I'm not the same person I was before the band.

I'm in the same situation - 30 pounds left to go. I'm getting breast augmentation in Mexico in February. I won't do a TT in Mexico, but breast augmentation is less risky, so I'm going for it, along with some lipo. I got a recommendation from a trusted friend and esthetician who works with MANY plastic surgeons. She knew this one had a good reputation.

Thanks! I'll have to take a full-body pretty soon. But I really don't want to until the lipo and boob job. Mom's paying for the lipo, bf's paying for the boob job LOL. My mom wanted to give me a gift as a congrats for losing so much. I love my mom! My bf's just a horndog - LOL.

Telly, what size were you right before the tummy tuck? What was the size difference? Damn, I wish I had some current body shots. If you go to my flickr site at www.flickr.com/photos/puddinpie you can at least get a decent idea. I took a pic over Thanksgiving and that's my most recent, though it's not full-body. I do have some pics of about 20 pounds ago, though. I can't believe I was a tight size 18 20 pounds ago. I am now a straight size 14. I plan on losing another 30 in the next 3 months and then I'll get the lipo and boob job. My boyfriend's paying for the boob job - yeah!

Sexy Telly! What size are you now? What were you prior to the tummy tuck? I decided to just do the lipo on my abdomen, waist, and upper back instead of the tummy tuck. I haven't had kids yet, so I'm opting out of that. I know I'll have loose skin, but hopefully it will stretch back reasonably within about a year. I'll also be able to do the triathalon in June if I have the lipo in February.

Uh.. yep! 3:00 is typically when your blood sugar is the lowest of the day. I keep string cheese and a piece of fruit in my work fridge so when 3:00 rolls around I go get a snack. A South Beach breakfast bar also does the trick (it's got 10g's of protein). Very important to be prepared.

Thanks for the info, Jess. Maybe I could just go in and get some lipo and remove the stretched skin and forget the muscle bit. Right now I'd be a size 12 if it weren't for my damn stomach. It seriously needs to go. It gets in the way when I run and try on clothes. I don't know if I'd want to go through all the pain and trouble of a tummy tuck if I'm just going to have to have another one later. Maybe there's alternative surgeries out there. i'll check into them. Regardless, I'm still going for the boob job! They'll be DD, and they'll be fantastic!

I can't find any info about when I can exercise hard after a TT. I'm doing a full triathalon in June. If I had a TT in February would it be possible to do it in June? Also, how bad is the swelling? is it noticeable with your clothes on? Do you still swell up even after a year? It sounds funny to say this, but I have tentative plans to get married next year and I plan on waiting at least another year or two to have kids, which I know would basically undo the tummy tuck, but would it stretch out my skin horribly bad (because the skin is already thinner from the tuck)?

I eat about the same as Jess. People don't think I have a band because I eat food that a normal small person would eat.

Is anyone a fan of Funky Walker Dirty Talker on Mad TV? I'm dating this guy who likes to play this game where we take ordinary things and try to make them sound dirty, like "Baby, I want to walk into your church and start speaking in tongues." LOL. Anyhow, he's better than me at it, so I need suggestions on some funny ones I can use.

Steph, I'll have to instigate that new tradition. I'm running out of things for Funky Walker Dirty Talker!

I don't think saying "Eating less and exercising more" is any sort of lie. That's the reason we're losing weight! My band is NOT the reason I've lost over 100 pounds, I am the reason, the band was one of the tools I used. I usually talk their ear off about it anyway and they never ask again.

I don't think that's too soon. I get fills one week apart if nothing seems to be kicking in for me. It took several fills for me to have any restriction. I had to be at 2.0 cc's in order to eat less than what I was eating before.

What's the Vertical Gastric Sleeve?

Carlene! Thanks for the recipes, they look wonderful. I'm going to try the chili in my pressure cooker. I can't wait 4 hours!

Okay, I haven't had kids yet. I know the docs recommend waiting until after kids, but why can't I just get another tummy tuck later, too? Also, I want to get the tummy tuck in February, but I have this bike trip in Spain planned for September (about 7 months after surgery). Is this going to be a problem? NewSho, you mentioned continued swelling after surgery. Will all the biking be a problem? I bike at least 100 miles a week, does that cause problems with a TT? How soon after were you able to really start exercising?

I'm a size 14 or 16 (depending on the brand) but I want to eventually get down to a 10 or 12. I'd be okay with where I am now if I had a tummy tuck, I think. I started off at a size 28.

Whoa, Angela! That is an amazing weight loss success story. You just need to update your ticker, now.

Carlene, any chance you could upload your soup recipes as an attachment to a post in this thread so anyone can get them?