BlackBerryJuice

Look harder, there were major problems with Almanza a while ago. I haven't noticed everything recently (but having already had surgery, I don't necessarily seek out these threads), but people almost died, then people got death threats for attempting to sue, etc etc and in terms of less dangerous things, just in the recent few months I recall someone posting about how they were like the 6th person being operated on that day and it was super-late at night - I know I wouldn't want a fatigued surgeon late at night for an ELECTIVE procedure, I don't want to feel like I'm on an assembly line at the meat processing plant. Your choice, but I just wanted to say that yes, there ARE negative things about Almanza out there. I haven't seen anything recently, so they must've improved their practices, but I personally opted to pay an extra 4 grand to lessen the risk of having problems. P.S. I paid $8700 for my sleeve with Aceves, they had a promo that went on for a few months. I booked my surgery in June, so maybe if you wait, you could get a bit of a discount.

Bfast: I made phyllo triangles stuffed with chicken/artichokes/feta/etc - had 1 for bfast + coffee with cream Lunch: fresh salad rolls from the supermarket Snack: Zone bar, another coffee with cream (+ Diet Dr. Pepper - gonna be bouncing off the walls all evening now) Snack: another phyllo triangle Snack: fresh pineapple Dinner: veal canelloni with marinara at a restaurant. Will have a Protein shake if I'm still hungry later... Exercise: was gonna go to ballet tonight, but I'm SUPER sore from yesterday's workout, so that's up in the air. Regardless, I've already walked 4 miles today, so I'm set either way.

I am currently trying to change my body composition a bit by lowering my bodyfat percentage, so while this may result in some weightloss, I'm not necessarily aiming to drop poundage. So I guess I'm somewhere between maintaining and slowly losing, as I'm basically trying to eat more rather than less but really bust my ass at the gym to maintain or gain muscle mass. I don't let myself drop below 1500 calories right now, and on days when I work out, it's usually closer to 1900-2000 (aiming for at least 100 g Protein on these days and 80 on others). I've definitely gone up as high as 2300 every once in a while, and while my weight has fluctuated the same 1 lb up and down in the last few weeks, my favorite pants are now so loose that even with a belt, they don't look presentable anymore, so obviously I've cut some fat. For a mostly sedentary woman my size, the approximate amount of calories to maintain weight is about 2000, so given that I exercise, I think I'm pretty close to that estimate as far as my metabolism goes. So yes, you CAN maintain and even lose fat on a "normal" amount of calories. However, this might involve regular exercise. I don't know if I would avoid weight gain if I suddenly stopped all my exercise and didn't lower my food intake. Also, I'm young and I have a pretty good muscle base from years of weightlifting. If I were 50+ and in poor shape, I would probably have to eat less than I do now. Everybody's different! You may be able to eat like a "normal" person, but be prepared to eat less if you are not as lucky with your metabolism.

There's nothing wrong with having ONE SLICE of pizza! You did the right thing by filling up with vegetables first to avoid overeating. That's basically how I eat now, 8 months out - I don't care for pepperoni/sausage, though, so my choice of pizza would be a slice with chicken/veggies instead. As long as you don't have half a pizza or more, there's nothing wrong with having a slice once in a while. I know it's hard to lose this all-or-nothing mentality, it was a huge problem for me for many years, but just try to acknowledge it as a problem you tend to have and move on. If 80% of your food is healthy, you are doing great!

Brutal workout this morning, so I suspect I'm gonna be ravenous today.... Bfast: 1) preworkout - small homemade banana chocolate chip muffin; post-workout Myoplex Lite protein shake Snack: 2 mandarin oranges, small homemade scone, chai with milk Lunch: homemade caesar salad with chicken Snack: Zone protein bar, canned mango, coffee with half-and-half Dinner: homemade chicken-artichoke-feta pie, some sort of dessert (I've got chocolate or gulab jamun - Indian milk balls)

I think it's a nice guideline, but as we all know, weight loss and weight gain are so much more complex than that! Your BMR fluctuates every day, which is why people are able to maintain the same weight consistently even though every day we eat a little more or a little less than the day before. Then your BMR also fluctuates based on your weight; your lean body mass (fat-free weight); your recent weight changes - your body naturally tries to resist weight changes by revving up or slowing down your metabolism accordingly; whatever supplements you're taking and what you are eating/drinking - caffeinated beverages, green tea extract pills, etc; temperature of your surroundings - which is why you get so hungry after swimming in the chilly pool; etc, etc, etc. And the same for the calorie burn you get with exercise - unless you've got a heart rate monitor and have logged your weight into the machine, the calorie reading could be totally off. Bottom line: don't worry about this too much. If you are losing, all is good; if you are not, something needs to change, that's all that matters!

OK, let's do Thursday? I have an exam in the afternoon, but I could be downtown as early as 3 and I'm free for the rest of the afternoon/evening. I put it on my calendar, I guess let's PM each other on Wed night or Thu morning to figure out exactly when and where we're meeting. Should be fun!

Wow, well played! Our starting stats were pretty similar and you were about a month behind me, so I've been watching your progress. Good work!

Wow! Well done! You are rocking that bikini!

Sure! Did you wanna meet before or after your surgery? I could just meet you when you're done work and we could have a coffee or a light dinner. Also, anyone else?

I've thought about plastics, but my situation is not so bad that I'd risk getting operated on - and the scars aren't gonna be much more esthetically appealing than the loose skin. Plus just like in your case, I just don't have the $! I know which Dr. you're talking about - I got a quote from him for a friend who was considering a tummy tuck after losing about 80 lbs the diet/exercise way. It ended up costing almost the same as doing it locally in Toronto, and when you factor in the cost of the flight, it's definitely the same - if not more. Plus I don't know about other procedures, but for the TT he said he likes to keep people at the hospital for 6-7 days before discharging them - this is probably the reason why it isn't much cheaper than here in Canada. 7 days in a hospital away from friends/family would be rough - I was bored outta my skull by day 3!

Oh, interesting! I also wonder if we'll have the same results. I honestly don't know how much of my inner thigh flab is fat and how much is skin - but I know that at least SOME of it is fat for sure. So far, after my first session I had a small 1st degree burn and a small 2nd degree burn! I've never had a 2nd degree burn in my life, not counting an unfortunate episode of stroking the electric stove burners at the age of 2 (but who hasn't done that!). The burns are the size of my fingernail, so not very big, but getting a 2nd degree was definitely an off-putting experience. Interestingly, it didn't hurt very much during the procedure, just some light stinging, so I was shocked to discover a blister half an hour later. This better work!

Wow, what a terrible experience! I'm sorry you had to go through that. I don't think they realize that if they weren't providing overpriced shit "care," people wouldn't be going to Mexico. I'm glad you stood up for yourself, and your husband helped you out in that. I had a spat with a family doctor at this walk-in student clinic I see over my surgery (she didn't refuse to treat me, but passed ALL kinds of uncalled-for judgments), and I immediately filed a written complaint. They need to know that you are not to be messed around with! I know for sure that if I ever have a problem with my sleeve and have to go to the ER, I'm 1) bringing another person with me (potential witness) 2) turning on the recorder on my iPhone the second that a nurse or doctor walk into my room, because if there's any more BS along those lines, I'm AT LEAST taking it to the College of Physicians & Surgeons or the College of RNs, if not to court. These people don't learn anything until they get a talking-to from a superior or a licensing body!

Might be swelling from them poking around in there while intubating you. Give it a few days, if it doesn't get better, then check in with your doctor!

I wouldn't do it if you are on clinicals at the time. I scheduled my surgery 3 weeks before school started, so I was mostly healed up by the time I had to go to class. I could've probably started class a week after the surgery, but I definitely wouldn't be attending 100% and I wouldn't be in a condition to cram for an exam. I'd say, if you can take a full week off, you can probably do it, but if you can't relax for more than a weekend, it might be too much. But you can always request a short medical leave and turn in assignments a bit later.

LOL, awesome!

What's a good day/time/location for everyone? I live downtown and go to school at the U, so I'm fairly central and can go wherever. Are there certain days of the week or times of day that definitely don't work for people (e.g. maybe someone works night shifts)? I'm fairly flexible myself, so it's just a matter of what works for the rest of you guys.

Don't forget the folks who get full from half an egg are probably a few weeks out! Your pouch will definitely stretch out to some extent. I'm 8 months out and I can eat about 1/2 or 2/3 of a Subway sandwich (6"), or an entire bfast sandwich from the likes of McDs or Tim Hortons, to give you an idea. I'll feel comfortably full on half that sandwich, but yes, I can eat a whole one, so I just have to take care to throw out the other half or save it for later. I couldn't eat 2 large pizza slices, but I can eat 1 - I'm 2.5" shorter than you, so height may explain some of the difference. I just don't want you to think that everyone out there is living on an egg a day! Do you work out at all? I find that as long as I work out, I can definitely eat whatever I want. It will help change your body composition, too - in the end, it's less about weight and more about lean body mass, which is why you see people who are pure flab at 130 lbs, yet there are some hard-bodied women who are 150. And having more muscle will rev up your metabolism. One of the reasons people regain weight so easily after losing a lot is because they lose so much muscle mass, and their metabolism slows down to match. Eventually, it requires an inordinate amount of self-control just to maintain the new weight, forget about losing more! I don't really track my calories, but I definitely have days when I eat 2000 calories - which is what someone my current size should be eating to maintain, anyway! So yes, you can lose/maintain weight if you eat more than a tablespoon of yogurt per meal, but it may involve working out regularly. For all I know, maybe I could maintain my weight without working out - I enjoy exercise and do it for health benefits, so I wouldn't quit it regardless, but it'd be interesting to know. Last but not least, I think you should get some counselling for binge eating....and if that's not affordable now, there's a great book called "Overcoming Binge Eating." It's written for patients, but all the suggestions in there are the exact same that a psychologist or psychiatrist would be giving you, you just won't have the accountability to others. You may also benefit from some medication to help you with the binging, as I'm sure there's an element of depression, anxiety, or some other mood disorder that's contributing to your binging. It's worth looking into these options!

Tell me about it, my dance teacher loves to get us doing full sit-ups on the hardwood floor (no mats or anything), and I can't get through the whole set because of the excruciating pain in my tailbone! Yet somehow my butt is still fairly big, but the fat I have left seems to have collected at the bottom.