lsereno

I'd wait till after you go to Orientation. I went through Kaiser Fremont too. Dr. Hahn. Yeah! At Orientation they will give you the binder that you can see online at: http://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/facilities/region/gsaa/area_master/departments/Bariatrics/binder.jsp Lynda

For me, it means low fat or fat free dairy, fruits and starchy veggies (in moderation), non-starchy vegetables, and whole grains. If I eat more processed grains, such as white bread or rice or egg Pasta, it just doesn't keep me full like the whole grain versions do. Lynda

Oh my word! My stomach was so noisy for months! It was really embarrassing at first.. It rumbled like a dump truck all the time and I did have a lot of gas too. Eventually it settled down and the only reminder I have now is I burp more frequently than I used to. Lynda

Go Laura!! I think you are going to be amazed with a great drop soon. Lynda

I would call your Dr. or Nutritionist if your program has one and discuss. Your capacity is slightly higher than mine, but if you felt full after the 6", it's probably in the ballpark. I'm two years out. At 6 months, I still didn't do bread to well, so I mostly avoided it. Everyone heals differently. Last week I ate a 6" Sweet Onion Teriaki on whole wheat with spinach, red onions, and cucumbers. I ate the whole thing except like two bites of bread. At one year out, I ate the same sandwich, but only 1/2 the bread. Like others, I ate a lot more pre-op. I was known to finish a 12', along with chips, a drink, and a big dessert within an hour or so. Lynda

I agree with Cejiogu. I had more pain than many. It was well controlled with the Loritab, which I took for about 8 days. But the first few days home were really rough. I spent all day getting fluids and drinking protein drinks. I had raging diarrhea (turns out I was lactose intolerant post-op). I slept propped up with enough pillows to make my bed like a hospital bed. Try and get your surgery on a Friday if you can and then have hubby take off the next week. That will give you more than a week with help at home. Also, I didn't drive the first two weeks. So have shopping done ahead of time. Lynda

I can't just deprive myself. I had to come up with something else. So find those lower calorie snacks that will satisfy the urge, or find another non-food treat that pleases you. Buy something online. Put on some great perfume and admire your smaller rear in mirror. Make an appt for a massage, pedicure, or something fun. Do something that requires the use of your hands. Maybe a video game? Burn a scented candle. Put on some great smelling lotion. Lynda

And now I see where it came from originally: http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html

Haha. Here's some old articles I dug up for you. After two and a half years here, I've seen almost everything before :-) Myth of Starvation Mode: http://fattyfightsba...ation-mode.html Here's one of the best stall explanations I've ever seen on here. The original post is in this thread: http://www.verticals...caloriesreally/ This is why you are in a stall. It's normal and expected. Your body will never go into a stall as long as you have body fat to burn: Weight Loss Stall or Plateau A weight loss stall or plateau is an extended period of time during reducing efforts where is there is no weight loss according to the scale and no loss of inches according to the tape measure. This is why it is so important to take your body measurements before surgery, so you'll have a reference as your weight loss progresses post-op. We suggest you take measurements of your chest, waist and hip, neck, upper arm, thigh and calf. Be aware it is very common for your weight loss to "stall" shortly after surgery. Diana explains the reason for this below. The Inevitable Stall By Diana C. A "stall" a few weeks out is inevitable, and here's why. Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet. As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a saber tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored. Breathe, and fuggedaboudit for a few days. What You Can Do About a Stall or Plateau If you are experiencing a post-op weight loss stall or plateau further out there are a few possible causes. First, check that are you really in a stall. If the scale has stopped moving you may be losing inches, so check your measurements. Too Many Carbs? Carbohydrates can start sneaking into your foods without you being aware of how quickly they are adding up. For more information on carbs, see our section onCarbohydrates. If you are struggling with your weight loss you may want to examine your daily carb count. You can try to keep your carbs under 50g a day and see if that makes a difference in your weight loss. Do not eat carbs before bedtime as it triggers insulin and initiates fat storage. There are some great web site resources you can use to keep track of what you are eating. Fit Day Spark People - If you join Spark People also join the DS group. The Daily Plate Calorie King For more tips on keeping a food journal see the Personal Nutrition Guide. Eating Enough? If you are under-eating or go more than 4-5 hours without eating, your body will shift into fasting mode, slow your metabolism and conserve your stored energy (fat). This can contribute to a weight loss stall or plateau. Make sure you are eating small meals or small snacks throughout the day and also ensure you meet your daily protein requirements. Try eating some protein with every meal or snack. For more information on protein requirements see our section on Protein. Drinking Enough? An adequate level of water in your body aids in the effective breakdown of fat. The daily minimum recommendation is 64 fluid oz of water a day. If you are in ketosis you will need to drink even more water to ensure the ketones are flushed out of your system. You may also need more than the minimum amount of water if you are exercising or live in a warmer or dry environment. Exercising? Exercise can increase your metabolism and burn fat. Strength training will build muscles and will boost fat burning. In a stall you can try increasing your volume of exercise or changing up your routine to overcome a weight loss stall or plateau. If you have been doing mainly aerobic activity, try doing a bit of strength training, and if you have been doing mainly strength training, try an aerobic work-out. The High Fat - High Calorie Stall Buster (I've only seen this work when people are super close to goal, and their body fat percentage is way lower, or temporarily and then they gain weight back, just my 2cents) Many DSers swear by the fat/calorie shock as an effective weight loss stall or plateau buster. Having a day of higher fat and calorie eating followed by a returning to consistent low carb eating can sometimes "shock" your body back into weight loss mode.

It will come off. Probably in a big whoosh once Auntie Flo leaves the house. Lynda

You are looking great! Congrats! Lynda

Yes, I had Dr. Hahn and he was great. I haven't met Dr. Dutra. Dr. Chui spoke at the orientation meeting I went to and she seemed nice too. Lynda

The Options program is only in SoCal. Lynda

Exercise, weigh, measure and track. It's how I got to goal and how I stay at goal. The last 25 are the hardest. The closer I got to goal, the slower it went. I stuck with lowfat foods and really limited treats and caloric drinks. Lynda

Yes, I had to lose %10 of my weight. Once I lost the 10% and it was verified (I had to go to my Dr.s and get weighed), I called and scheduled surgery. My BMI was lower than 40 at surgery and that is OK. Lynda

Here's my rant on that from August 2011: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/23101-you-weigh-less-than-me-and-you-better-not-weigh-less-than-me/page__hl__lsereno#entry195171 And I still weighed quite a bit back then! Lynda

Early out, I froze stuff in an ice cube tray, then popped out a cube or two and reheated in a microwave safe dish.

In defense of MelodyMouse, pizza is bready. I bet if someone keeps working it, they might eventually be able to eat 10 pieces, esp. over a couple of hours. And regrowth is more common than you might think. They call it a neofundus. See page 11: http://www.bariatric...application/pdf 43% failure rate at 6 years. And this article has pics of the neofundus: http://img2.timg.co.il/forums/1_151963966.pdf That being said, I'm a popcorn eater! Lynda

I got my surgery there two years ago. Dr. Hahn. When I had my surgery you had to have a BMI of 40 or higher to get referred to the program. They have their booklet online: http://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/facilities/region/gsaa/area_master/departments/Bariatrics/binder.jsp Lynda

Lots of us, including me. Where are you? You can use the search bar at the top right to search all forums for Kaiser. You'll find a lot of threads. Lynda

I just saw your question. Dr. Hahn was my surgeon. I'm two years out and have been at goal for 14 months. I love Dr. Hahn! Lynda

Here's what I would tell them: I'm sorry you feel that way. My surgeon and I decided this was the best option for me. And I would consider reporting them. This is unacceptable in the medical industry. Lynda

Glad to hear everything is OK. Yep, slow the heck down. It's no fun getting sick. Lynda

Eventually it should not be a problem. Check with Dr. for dates. Lynda

I think we all do. One important tip I got from a Cognitive Behavior Class was to ask myself, what would I tell a friend? Picture it's your friend in the mirror, not you. What would you tell them? Another thing we did was make 3x5 cards and looked at them several times a day. One of mine was "My mind is a garden. I am weeding out negative thoughts and planting positive ones." I know it sounds hokey, but it helped me. Best wishes on your journey, Lynda