cowgrrl

The scars don't have to show. I have many tops & a few dresses that don't show my stomach. I also have a mesh tummy covering that should lessen the look of the scars. Bottom line is that you don't have to bare your stomach to be a bellydancer.

Probably about 150-160. I know I weighed about 140 in HS so I figure 10-20lbs over that is a good goal. That's also what my dr suggested as a goal weight. However, since I have taken the position that I am doing this to be healthy, my final weight is not something I've given much thought to.

The 'its not a quick fix' argument really gets me. Hello!!! We're talking surgery here. I am having a device placed into my body to help control my eating. This does not appear, to me, to be a 'copout' solution. Also, if it was easy, it would not have taken me over 2 years to make the decision to have the surgery.

I've been bellydancing for about 3-4 years (honestly can't remember). For those who are saying 'I will once I lose some weight', go now!! My experience has been that bellydance studios are very female-friendly & love women of all shapes & sizes. There are women who are thinner than me & women who are larger than me & everything in-between. So, go for it!!

I am, by nature, a very private person. I'm also a teacher who tries really hard to maintain the parent/teacher boundaries of professionalism & privacy. So, while my immediate family & co-workers know, my students & their parents do not. I also had to ask my DH to please ask his parents to not 'spread the word'. Total strangers do not need to know about my surgery & I'd prefer even the most basic details be kept 'in family'. I don't know how they felt about that but its my surgery so my decision.

I work at a preschool so lifting kids is part of my day (diaper changes). I took the summer off so I would have plenty of time to recover but my Dr talked like it would not be a problem once I went back in the fall.

I have UHC PPO & was approved ridiculously quickly. I had started the process in January thinking that it would take a long time but I was approved without even a drs appointment & if I hadn't had a few conflicts they would have been able to do the surgery in mid-March. I have a BMI of under 40 but I have other issues.

DH & I split the cost on a WiiFit (I recommend WiiAlerts.com to help you get one). Even the kids love it. I have found that DD & I have very good balance, which I think comes from the fact that we both dance (ballet for her/bellydance for me). One thing I wish it could do was let you set up a circuit that would go back to back. So, for example, you could do this: -yoga breathing -turbo twists -step exercise -lunges -hula hoop -warrior pose -yoga breathing back to back without having to go back to the menu & select each different exercise/movement. In general I think it will be a good part of my exercise routine. I hope it doesn't yell at me too much when I do a day or two of 'Shimmy' or something else.

We went to On the Border today for my last 'pre-band' restaurant meal. While I was there I checked out both the adult menu & the kids menu. I was thinking more solid stage but I saw the following I could have (from my understanding of what is OK) -fajita salad (warm fajita meat, peppers & onions on a green salad) -chicken tortilla soup -grilled chicken with 2 sides (kids meal) -kids mexican dinner (soft or hard taco or cheese enchilada with 2 sides) The sides include side salad, steamed or grilled veggies (can't remember which) fries & mexican rice. FYI that I asked our waiter about ordering off the kids menu post-surgery & he said absolutely no problem. I hope that's true other places as well.

I am planning on being banded by Dr Carter this summer. I have to say that this post is one of the reasons I like him. I want a slow process as opposed to possibly getting too much of a fill & being unable to eat. If it takes me over a year to get to my 'sweet spot' than so be it. I didn't get this fat even over the course of a year & I don't expect it to take just a year to lose all the weight I need to.

I currently bellydance 1 day/week. I'm curious if anyone dances for fitness & if so, has the band affected your ability to belly dance? I'm a bit concerned about the abdominal movements (belly rolls, tucks & pushes, etc). Thanks!

AKA: 'How much new stuff am I going to have to buy?' I was approved for surgery last week although I probably won't be having it until summer. I'm already starting to do a few things I know I will need to do once banded (giving up sodas, etc) but the clothing issue has stuck in my brain. Its now confession time: I'm a clothes person. I love having a closet full of shirts, dresses, skirts & all that jazz. I enjoy shopping & buying new stuff (although I am a bargain shopper so $15-$25 can go really far with me!). However, I really don't have a ton of money so the thought of having to replace just about everything I own & buying stuff for the in-between times makes me a little nervous. So, I'm curious how everyone has handled the clothes thing. Did you alter stuff for awhile in-between buying new? Did you shop thrift stores & such for stuff to help you get buy between weight losses? Was there a point where you just couldn't alter stuff anymore & had to chuck it? (Like you wore a size 22 & after you got down to a size 16 you couldn't alter it anymore.) All feedback is welcome!

I've decided to give up soda for Lent in anticipation of having surgery a few months later. My goal is to not go back to soda after Lent is over.

When I say 'alter' I mean putting darts in the waist or something simple like that. I can't imagine doing big alterations on any piece I own except a leather jacket that's fairly new & a true favorite. I do have some smaller sizes in bags under my bed so I have some to get me through a few months or more if I stick some darts in the back.

Don't let your weight/size stop you!! I am by no means the largest dancer in my class & I get such positive reinforcement, not only from my teacher but from my fellow students. Even the drummers, who are mostly male, are wonderful guys & very supportive (many of them have wives or SOs who are dancers). When I first started classes I could barely wear a tank top & workout pants. Now I wear harem pants & within 10 minutes of class starting my tank top is tucked under my bra with my belly jiggling for all to see! This summer I did my first performance with a bare stomach (I do wear a flesh-tone bodysuit). My DH didn't see me before the show but was waiting off to the side to help me down the stairs (veil + long skirt + lots of sparkly bits + stairs = accident waiting to happen!). The look on his face when he saw me all done up with cleavage for miles & wonderful makeup done by a friend was worth the issues I had to get over in order to dance with a bare stomach.

New member. Finally decided in the last month this was something I needed to do. Should be talking with my Dr 1st of the year. Now, the questions: I'm a day care worker & my job involves changing diapers which means lifting them onto the changing table. My job also has no paid vacation time. I have 2 options before May (when school gets out & summer break starts). 1 is a 4 day weekend in February & the other is Spring Break. So, how long possibly before I could go back to work (I know every situation is different) & is there a time frame on when you can begin lifting again (if there is a lifting restriction)? Thanks!