Caribear

Are you tracking what you eat, writing it down and recording your calories and protein? That would be a good first step to figuring out what is going on.

I am pre-op, but also from Ohio. Nice to meet you!

I wouldn't be comfortable with that either. Honestly, if it were me, I would rather start the process over again with a surgeon that I could talk to, vs. taking a risk that I wouldn't like/feel confident with whatever surgeon they decided to give me.

I'm sorry to hear that your surgery was postponed, but it really is for the best. You want to be as healthy as you can be when you go in for surgery. Hopefully everything is cleared soon, and you can get right back on track.

My surgeon's insurance coordinator told me that my insurance will go with my very first weigh-in, but every plan is different. It would be worth calling your surgeon's office and asking, if you are concerned about it.

Great job! You are beautiful in both pictures.

I met my surgeon last week, and I am at the very beginning of my insurance process. Does this surgeon have an informational seminar that you could attend, so you could meet them and get a feel for whether you like them or not?

I can respect that. I guess I would just expect it to take a fair amount of time to raise that amount of money anyway, and if you can get surgery at a local hospital vs. traveling to Mexico for the same amount of money, I would be leaning toward that option. Just something to think about. I hope you reach your goal soon.

Have you looked into insurance coverage for the surgery? You may even be covered by your parents' plan.

You can do it, I know you can! Keep us updated.

You can do it. Just keep in mind that the liquid diet is temporary, and that it will be worth all the temporary discomforts you may experience. Have you had any counseling sessions to help with the emotional end of this?

I wouldn't count on that. But don't let a little bit of hair loss stop you from having life-bettering surgery.

Congratulations!

Hang in there, it will get better. Can you thin down your shakes a little bit so they are not so thick? That might help.

I am still pre-op, and have not started the diet yet, but I have heard that the first three days is the hardest. Hopefully you will feel better after that.

17 pounds in 12 days is pretty darn good, if you ask me! You are doing fine, don't worry. Does your surgeon require you to lose a certain amount before surgery?

Congratulations on getting a date! Being nervous is normal. Just focus on those precious grandbabies and how much more time you will be able to spend with them because you are choosing to be healthier! Prayers for an uneventful surgery and a speedy recovery!

Something else that you have to consider is that people are less likely to come on here and talk about how smoothly everything went. You don't think about getting support, answers, or commiseration from others if you don't have any problems. I believe that the majority of people don't have any problems getting approved, you just don't hear from them. So don't be discouraged, just keep on with your program, and deal with the problems if they come.

My team is also having me build healthy habits vs. losing weight. However, my program is 9 months instead of 6. I also look at this time as a chance to practice the behaviors that will help me succeed with my sleeve. The weight loss is more of a bonus.

It sounds like you are in the infamous 3 week stall. It is very, very common and it will pass.

Keep in mind, I am pre-surgery, not a medical professional, and all that fun disclaimer stuff. But if I were her, I would keep up with the Probiotics, and also would see if activated charcoal or chlorophyll might be something that would cooperate with her sleeve. Those two things are very good at deodorizing the latter portions of the digestive process. Edited to add: is your friend lactose intolerant? It might be worth cutting out dairy and seeing if that improves her symptoms.

Here is an entire page of Protein ice cream recipes from The World According To Eggface: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2008/08/protein-ice-cream.html

I really don't think @@Bufflehead was trying to be nasty with you, she was just being blunt. I know you have been through a lot since surgery, and sometimes we can get a little emotionally tender during this time, but I am sure she didn't mean it that way. And I would echo her advice - it's really not a good idea to try to rush things while you are still healing. I know it is tempting to skip ahead, but your surgical team has these guidelines in place for a reason. Just hang in there for the next two days, it will be here before you know it.

Can I ask why you chose the HCG diet? Is it through a clinic, or is it supervised by your primary care physician? Just curious.

I have to say that this is not always true for all managed care programs. I have Caresource in Ohio. Ohio Medicaid requires 6 months of doctor supervised diet, and comorbidities if your BMI is below 40. Caresource, however, requires 9 months of supervised diet, and will only approve you with no comorbidities if your BMI is over 50. BMI 45-50 requires one comorbidity, 35-45 requires two or more. The bottom line is that your Managed Care Plan dictates what you are required to do, and that it is always a good idea to get those requirements in writing if at all possible.