I am about 33 pounds from goal and am going to start next month with consults at plastic surgeons. I wanted to get an idea of the cost as well as find one I am comfortable with and do all the research. I am hoping to have surgery around June-August time. There is a bunch I would like done... after talking to the surgeon about limitations and costs Im sure it will change but... I want my arms done, breast lift (possible implants if they need filled but for now they just need to be put back where they belong!), tummy tuck, and some thigh work... not sure if I will need an LBL or a thigh lift or if working out over the next few months will help. I also have stretch marks around the arm pit area from my boobs sagging and would love to get some work on those as well.... cant wear tank tops because they are just yuck looking!

Nancy, I sent you my mail through OH. Thanks, Shannon

Hi Everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! I know we are always looking for new idea's and recipes I have been getting some really great low carb/high protein recipes together. I have some great breakfast,lunch,dinner and dessert recipes,some great soups too!!If anyone would like me to email them to you please send me your email address and I will email them to you as soon as I am done typing them up and you can just print them out. Should be done with them by the weekend. If you don't have a printer and would like a copy of them send me your mailing address and I will mail them to you. ((hugs)) Nancy

My surgery was June 12, 2006 and I am down 103 pounds. I feel like I should be down further than that. I, too, have been having trouble with eating the right foods and staying full during the day. The first 6 months I didn't even have to try not to graze during the day, I just didn't want to. But now, it's a different story. I get hungry about an hour and a half after eating. I've been cravings carbs too. I still stay away from bread, rice and pasta completely - haven't had them since before surgery. But I do occasionally eat fries, potato chips, pita bread, tortillas, cereal, and popcorn. All things that are not good for me. I don't eat much of this stuff, but I do eat it. It's been tougher and tougher to stay on protein, protein, protein. I also need to exercise more. I know I can do better. I have another 40-45 pounds I want to loose. I better get my a$$ into gear to get the rest of this weight off. They say after the first 12 months after surgery, your body pretty much won't loose weight easily. The first 12 months is when you need to loose and get to goal, and from 12 months post-op and on it's about maintaining. Well, I have four months left to loose the rest of my weight to get to goal. Do you think I can loose another 40 pounds in 4 months??? I'm doubting it, but I need to try!

After reading everyone else's responses, I feel like such a slug. I've lost 74 pounds since my surgery on 6/26/06. I have about 35 to 40 to go. I'm not exercising like I should be. I am having a lot of problems with food in the past couple months. I'm getting nauseous from almost everything and have diarhhea almost daily. You'd think I'd be past my goal under these cir****tances. I have been craving sugar so much and I know it's making me sick but even things like breaded chicken is doing it (that was safe before). I saw the doctor right after this started and he thought it was stress because I was heading into finals for my last semester before graduating (A.S. in Photography). I stopped taking the Nexium he prescribed after that but I wonder if I should still be taking it. I'm just so sick of being sick. To complicate matters, I don't have a thyroid so I've been on synthetic hormones since 1992. After the surgery, for some reason, I began to really mess up taking my meds. In December I realized that I had filled my scripts since early September. Oops! So I really made an effort to take them faithfully every day. Now I know I'm hyperactive. I'm having a blood test done tomorrow. Anyone have any suggestions?? Thanks, Kim