NWgirl

I am going to make muffin tin breakfasts tonight for the next week. I am planning on using the Jimmy Dean turkey sausage, liquid egg (probably southwest flavor), fat free cheddar, and some veggies (maybe some onion and mixed pepper). Lunches would be nice, but I don't know what I would make. I see meatloafs and other foods that don't look too healthy. My goal this week is to 100% plan my food and keep calories at 1200 or less with at least 45 minutes of exercise most days.

Funny thing is, I still have not gotten a reply to my question...

Hi Nikki! My surgery actually went wonderfully! I showed up at Good Sam at 5:30am and was in surgery by 7am. I was definitely a little nervous, but my mom and fiance both came with me so they kept me busy and talking until I was given the beginning anesthesia meds, which made any worry go away Surgery took around 45 minutes and I seem to recall waking up in recovery at almost 9am. I was then taken to the short stay wing and was able to get out of bed and walk around, as well as sip Water. I brought a small pillow pet with me to hold against my stomach if I was sore- it helped a lot! I was discharged around 11:30am and went home to sleep. I slept a lot the first day because of anesthesia, but did get up and walk around whenever I woke up. I took my pain meds on schedule for the first three days and did not wait til I felt pain. The incisions ached and it was hard getting in/out of bed the first few days just because of the pulling. I had a really good recovery with minimal down time. I cannot stress the importance of a small firm pillow to hold against your stomach when walking, getting up/down, riding in a car, or rolling over. It really was helpful!

I have Anthem BCBS, I was covered 80/20. I know if I were to choose an out of network doctor, it was 50/50 and my out of pocket max was much higher.

Call your insurance company up and ask if they cover lapband and what the requirements are. They will be able to tell you if you have to do a supervised diet or not.

Ooh, that is a problem!!! So the one you want to go to is a center of excellence but their records don't reflect?

Firstly make sure you are actually taking tiny bites and chewing well. Wait for one minute between bites. If you are still having troubles, determine if it is the type of food you are trying to eat- you may be trying something that is not a good fit. If you still can't eat properly, drink protein shakes til you can get in.

I can also do flat bread, but I try to toast things when I can because I can chew it better. I cannot do the cheap breads that goop instantly either. I did find the Flatout Fold it flatbread which works great for a sandwich!

cardio helps belly fat, but there is no specific exercise you can do to target certain areas, it wil come off where it comes off.

Didn't mean to worry you I was literally clinging to five pounds to be above 40, so I always want to warn people. If you've got weight to lose and you'll still be in a safe zone , I'd say go for it!

I've heard of either way. I think stomach slipping UP through the band is more common, but some people have it the other way.

Some insurances require you to get surgery at a center of excellence. If this is what you mean by facility, I don't think they will approve a place that is not a center of excellence. Center of Excellence locations have extremely strict requirements which are set forth to ensure the best patient care and outcomes.

See the Dr, you don't want to mess around with something going drastically wrong because you didn't want to pay. If there's something wrong, the faster you catch it, the better.

Do you have insurance? If so, do you know the requirements to be eligible for surgery? Usually it's 35+ BMI with two co-morbidites or 40+ BMI without. If you are close to the 40 BMI mark, be careful about losing too much weight and falling below. Insurance usually counts the first weigh-in at the surgeon's office as the starting weight. If it's too low, you could be ineligible for insurance covered surgery.

I would vote for brachioplasty. The boobs can be put in a nice bra and they still look good, the stomach and thighs can be covered with spanx and clothing and look good, but the arms will be seen...

usually the 6 month diets/supervision are to show insurance you are serious about doing what is required to be successful.

Some people have to lose a certain percent, I luckily did not. I did go on a low fat/low calorie diet about a month prior and lost about 15 pounds.

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/06/my-favorite-protein-shake-recipes.html

The evaluation is pretty much a six month supervised diet under your Doctor. Some surgical practices have you do this in house and others allow you to use your PC. You must go to all appointments monthly and if you miss one, you start again.

Since you are eating so little is there enough nutrition going through your body to ensure you are relatively healthy? (are vitamins required, I have heard of hair loss?): Most people who lose hair are not getting enough protein in. I do take a multi vitamin, calcium chew, and a biotin daily (only calcium chew and multi are recommended by my surgeon). · If you drink water does that fill you up similar to food or does it pass through you? Water can help keep you feeling full, but it does go right through as it is not a solid. · Anyone have excess skin or have they found with continued exercise that this is not that big of a problem? Not at this time. · Can you feel the band does it interfere with another aspect of your lives? No. · Does the gas subside or is it a constant side effect? After about two weeks, the internal gas/pains subsided. I did burp a lot for the first month, but it did go away too.