karenb4729

I'm in Lynnwood, WA - not too far away. I would be happy to get together.

I know everyone says you need 64oz of Water a day but my Doctor said at first your goal should be 32oz and you work your way up to 64oz. Are you able to at least get in 32oz? If you can get that then at least you won't dehydrate.

I'm 33 lbs away from goal too. We are going to make it this year!!

How much exercise are you getting? Are you logging all your food? You say you don't think you are eating much but do you really know? Its important to keep a food diary so you know exactly what and how much you are putting in your mouth. If you are keeping a diary take a look over the past few months to see what has changed. Its hard work getting the weight off and watching what we eat is going to be a life time learning experience for most of us.

I agree with the above poster. You feel so much better with exercise everyday. One of the biggest lessons learned in my weight loss was how much I needed the exercise. Once I got out and started walking I noticed all these older people out walking and realized that in order to lead a long healthy life you need to be active. My weight gain had more to do with being less active than it did with what I put in my mouth. Yes, you can lose weight without exercise but the key will be can you keep it off without exercise. I personally don't think it's possible unless you eat next to nothing.

I think it's individual. I am almost 7 months out and have hunger, sometimes its downright ravenous hunger. I think it was only the 1st month after surgery that I didn't have any hunger at all.

I have it and love it! I have had mine since last March and it was my best purchase ever. It keeps me motivated to walk more because I want to see the number increase. Plus, it sinks up with myfitnesspal too.

I was at two weeks out before I could do pureed food, then it was 6 weeks after than before I could do soft foods and another 6 weeks before I could start regular food. Just follow your Doctor's plan, after all there was a reason why you chose him.

You are still on liquids and they will go through you quite quickly. Believe me, you will feel the restriction once you start something more solid. As for hunger, yes, I get hungry still - can actually get quite ravenous and I am on an acid reducer. However, it takes very little to satisfy that hunger. It will work for you as long as you make sure you make healthy choices in what you put in your mouth.

I was driving one week after surgery. Of course you do have to make sure you are off your narcotics.

Count me as another person who endorses walking as a way to start. One of my motivations has been my Fitbit, it's almost like a pedometer and it sinks up with your computer. It records the number of steps in a day along with the number of flights of stairs you climb. For me, it was motivation to try to get to 5000 steps a day and then to 10,000 which I don't always make. Walking was a great way for me to start and recently I joined a gym and made it a priority to spend money on a personal trainer once a week. After all, I spent money to have this surgery to get healthy so why not continue to spend money on myself to get fit.

When did your doctor say you could drink caffeinated beverages and when did you?

..... exercise?

....drink alcohol?

.... smoke cigarettes? ( I am sure the doctor would tell you not to start again.)

.... smoke marijuana?

... anything else?

Exercise - he wanted me to start walking from the moment I came home, which I did. Anything more strenuous has to wait until week 6 which I also did.

Alcohol - Dr said 1 year, I had my first drink on my cruise in October which was almost 5 months out. I didn't get any kind of buzz which tells me that the cruise ship drinks are really watered down.

Caffiene - Dr said 1 year, I started up again in month 3 but only drink 1 cup of coffee a day otherwise my acid reflux acts up.

Smoking - Dr said NEVER and since I quit in 2004 I have no plans to ever begin again.

That's interesting! I called 3xs an never once was a nurse case manager mentioned or offered to me by insurance....

My UHC policy had Bariatric Resources through Optum:

The most effective treatment to date for significant, sustained weight loss for morbidly obese patients is bariatric surgery.² Because clinical outcomes of bariatric surgery vary widely, receiving services at an OptumHealth Bariatric Resource Services (BRS) Center of Excellence (COE) facility can help ensure that bariatric surgery and care are delivered in a manner that meets strict standards and increases the likelihood of superior outcomes and ultimately reduces costs.

Our BRS clinical team works to help individuals understand and manage the conditions associated with morbid obesity before and after surgery and have reduced inappropriate surgeries by 5 percent.³ Successful weight loss is achieved through:

• Guidance to Centers of Excellence network facilities, helping to better control the disparity of care and variability of surgical outcomes.
  
• Multi-disciplinary bariatric clinical team approach.
  
• Case management 6-months post-surgery to assess for complications and to reinforce lifestyle changes.
  
• Behavioral support to reinforce lifestyle changes, nutrition, exercise, and encouragement to participate in bariatric support groups. Behavioral health support is coordinated with the client?s behavioral health vendor.
  

I have UHC to but I think it depends on the policy. I was approved before I even met with the surgeon - I had contacted UHC and was assigned a nurse who provided me with the paperwork to prove my 5 year BMI 40+ history. Once I got it signed off from my primary and sent it in I received the approval letter in 5 days. Then I was given the choice of surgeons, if I wanted maximum benefit it had to be at a Center of Excellence. I actually had to jump through more hoops for the surgeon than I did for the insurance co.

I think its important to have an honest discussion with your surgeon and they will guide you to what may work best for you. At the last support meeting for my surgeon's office I met a women who was being revised from the sleeve to RNY because she had gained back the weight from her sleeve surgery in 2007. She has PCOS and sometimes RNY works better for those with hormonal issues.

I think there is a chance of regain no matter what surgery you choose, you have to be diligent and follow the plan - it really is only a tool and its up to you to choose to work with it.

I'm glad you are calling your Dr because the swollen ankles and weight gain doesn't seem right. Are you getting in enough Water? Your body might be holding on to it if you aren't. Your weight loss is actually good, my 2nd month was my stall month and I only lost 3 lbs but since then my weight continues to go down. Unlike others, low carb does nothing for me, I have to up my carbs and put my calories to around 1000 in order to lose. We are all different and you have to find what works for you. Listening to your Nut is a good thing.

Hmm, I am 4 1/2 months out and have had zero hairloss. The only Vitamins I take are a multi Vitamin, no extra anything. However, I have very slow growing hair and that is what allowed me to keep my hair during chemo and may be why I haven't experienced the hairloss that others have experienced.

Oh I eat string cheese daily as it's an excellent source of Protein. I buy the "light" version. If you are following a low carb diet this make a great snack. 2 is usually my daily intake. The only downside is the sodium content which is higher in string cheese than the babybel cheese. Can you tell, I know my cheeses! LOL

when were most of you allowed to incorporate salad back into your diets? My NUT is out of network, so working on finding another one (not paying $225 for a NUT visit when I've met all deductibles and out of pocket max for the year). just curious as I've been having some serious salad cravings....

It was 3 months for me but I only do spinach salad with either chicken or shrimp. I can eat regular lettuce but prefer the nutritional value of spinach. This is what I take to work everyday for lunch.

What is so different? I would read posts as a pre op, seeing sleevers complaining of not being able to swallow Water, getting fluids stuck, pain and dehydration. I was surprised that right after my leak test I was drinking 3-4 oz of Water, then finishing my broth, eating my sorbet and drinking water...and not over an hour either. Is it bougie size. I know I have read "size really doesn't matter" but I wonder. i was sleeved with a 40 fr , stapled right close to the bougie, because the surgeon felt this gave him the least complications and food intolerances.

Done Did It!

I'm like you as far as bougie size and I was able to heal quickly and tolerate liquids pretty well. For the first two months when eating I could really wnly get in 2oz of refriend Beans etc but now at a little over 4 months I can pretty much get eat 6 to 8oz during a meal. I do get hungry, I mean really really hungry but I get full on much less food then before surgery. You do learn that you can't compare your journey to anyone elses!!

My Dr just does a low carb diet (under 30g total per day) for 1 month prior to surgery to shrink the liver. I only needed to liquid the day before surgery.

I'm going to throw in my 2 cents. I would wait until January and part of the reason for this is to work on a diet now so that you are use to eating less by the time of the surgery. My insurance covered my surgery and didn't require any type of 6 month diet beforhand so the only restriction on my date was getting in all my pre-op testing. March 27th was my initial consult and my surgery was June 4th. My surgeon required a pre-op diet 30 days before surgery which basically was 30g of carb or less. I started the diet the day after my consult and went from 258 to 229 the day of surgery AND learned about eating on a low carb diet. I'm so glad to have had that time because I think it might have been more of a struggle to go from eating like I was to eating like I do now without the chance to ease into it. Anyway, that's just my 2 cents - you have to do what feels right for you.

Dr Joseph Chebli - Check him out in Seattle Magazine, he has been one of the top local Bariatric Surgeons 5+ years running. http://www.northwestobesitysurgery.com/

Oh I'm always hungry too! I know it's not acid because I'm on an omeprazole and have dealt with acid reflux for many years. This is regular hunger and it's more frequent now than before surgery. I follow all the rules and don't drink anything 30 minutes before eating and 30 after, take in 80+ grams of Protein, and drink all my water..... but am hungry all the time. I'm envious of those who lose their hunger pangs but... I'm losing weight well and am close to goal so I guess I will learn to live with the hunger.