DerbySunflower

I qualified for surgery at 35% BMI, and threw myself into 6 months of nutrition therapy and got my BMI down to 28%. I still had the surgery because "I earned it." I heard a lot of comments from nurses and other medical professionals question why I was still having the surgery but in the end, it was my decision. Right up to the point they put the IV in my arm, I was convinced that insurance was going to withdraw my approval. Anyway, I've lost and gained enough in my life that I didn't want to fall off the wagon and gain weight all over again to qualify for the surgery again. It was a long, drawn out process afterall.
Personally, I chose carefully prior to surgery who to share my plans with and who to not share with. There is a big chunk of my family that has no need to know about my personal choice. I'm not a person who really needs anyone else's encouragement, but I don't have the patience to listen to naysayers either. Anyway, I feel your pain, sister.

I qualified for surgery at 35% BMI, and threw myself into 6 months of nutrition therapy and got my BMI down to 28%. I still had the surgery because "I earned it." I heard a lot of comments from nurses and other medical professionals question why I was still having the surgery but in the end, it was my decision. Right up to the point they put the IV in my arm, I was convinced that insurance was going to withdraw my approval. Anyway, I've lost and gained enough in my life that I didn't want to fall off the wagon and gain weight all over again to qualify for the surgery again. It was a long, drawn out process afterall.
Personally, I chose carefully prior to surgery who to share my plans with and who to not share with. There is a big chunk of my family that has no need to know about my personal choice. I'm not a person who really needs anyone else's encouragement, but I don't have the patience to listen to naysayers either. Anyway, I feel your pain, sister.

This is a recipe for tuna Dressing off of food Network that might appeal to some of you. You can blend it to a thin consistency or leave it a little chunky as you prefer. Outrageously good...
Ingredients
1 (7-ounce) pouch albacore tuna
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon capers, with their juice
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Place all of the ingredients into the bowl of a small food processor and process until creamy, 1 1/2 minutes. Serve as a salad dressing or a dip. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

This is a recipe for tuna Dressing off of food Network that might appeal to some of you. You can blend it to a thin consistency or leave it a little chunky as you prefer. Outrageously good...
Ingredients
1 (7-ounce) pouch albacore tuna
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon capers, with their juice
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Place all of the ingredients into the bowl of a small food processor and process until creamy, 1 1/2 minutes. Serve as a salad dressing or a dip. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

I have a 3 year old son and the horrible habit of multi-tasking. I take care of him while I'm eating dinner at the same time. If the phone rings, I forget to finish chewing before swallowing and I'm stuck. For me, it's not the size of the bite that goes into the mouth, it's how well I chew it before letting any go down. I have to admit that I do better eating by myself than in groups because there is the temptation to swallow before I'm ready in order to respond tom someone else in conversation.
As far as drinking goes, I drink large quantities at a time with no problem though not with meals. Word of advice, if you're stuck, don't try to drink anything... it will probably only make matters worse.

I have a very open floor plan on my house. The "great room" includes the kitchen, living, dining... so the refrigerator is always in sight. I graze all day... before surgery and still now. My only saving grace is counting calories so that I keep track of what I'm eating. I try harder now to eat 3 meals, getting all of my Protein but still budget 200-300 calories a day for dark chocolate. That's pretty significant since I'm keeping to a 1200 calorie diet!
For any of you thinking of buying a new house, I don't recommend such an open floor plan. Keep the refrigerator / kitchen in a separate room from where you'll spend most of your time... on a different floor would be even better.

I have a very open floor plan on my house. The "great room" includes the kitchen, living, dining... so the refrigerator is always in sight. I graze all day... before surgery and still now. My only saving grace is counting calories so that I keep track of what I'm eating. I try harder now to eat 3 meals, getting all of my Protein but still budget 200-300 calories a day for dark chocolate. That's pretty significant since I'm keeping to a 1200 calorie diet!
For any of you thinking of buying a new house, I don't recommend such an open floor plan. Keep the refrigerator / kitchen in a separate room from where you'll spend most of your time... on a different floor would be even better.

Hello Steve. I'm was banded in late June. To qualify for insurance, I had to go through a six month medically supervised nutrition theray as well as 8 weeks of lifestyle / band classes and a slew of medical tests. I was really frustrated early on to be required to do all of this but by the end, I was grateful for all that I'd learned and new habits that I'd adopted prior to surgery.
As part of the insurance qualification process, I had three visits with a psychiatrist and took the MMPI and another psychiatric test specific to gastric surgery. During the first appointment, the psychiatrist warned me that it's not unusual for spouses to be reluctant about the positive changes that we experience as our weight drops. Although I thought I had my husband's support, I have also heard comments that I must be going to leave him when I've lost all of my weight. My husband also notices that other men are paying attention to me now that I'm slimming down.
I can relate to your comment about people in your office thinking it's great when you're losing weight and then feeling ashamed when you gain it all back. I've roller-coastered so many times! As part of my six months of medical nutrition therapy, I got my BMI down to 29 before surgery. The surgeon and many medical professionals questioned me about still having the surgery but I chose to go ahead, seeing the band as a tool that I could fall back on if I fell off the wagon. I said that I was grateful for the six months of MNT because I was able to lose my weight before surgery. Now, I own my weight loss. I didn't have to have a band to do it, so I can proudly take credit for my accomplishment. I don't think I was really on board with losing the weight on my own until I started counting calories on My Fitness Pal and using a Fitbit to track my daily activity. Now I eat 1200 calories a day and walk 12-15,000 steps per day. These have been tremendous tools.
Which is better a band or a bypass? Actually, I asked my surgeon which one he would choose and he said the sleeve. The band is adjustable and reversible. The monthly visits to the surgeon post-op for adjustments would be expensive if you didn't have insurance. I don't know that I feel more full with a band than I would have with a bypass, but I can tell you having food stuck is a new kind of hell. There are many foods that I no longer eat: Even the most tender steak can be a problem. My tastes though are changing and the things that are causing me to get stuck really just don't appeal to me so much anymore. I eat a lot of Greek Yogurt, Protein shakes, Protein Bars, Veggie burgers. It takes planning to get 65 grams of Protein into a 1200 calorie diet, especially since I'm eating 200 calories a day in dark chocolate!
The thing that you have to realize is that these surgeries aren't magic bullets. The changes that you'll need to make in the long run can start now, before surgery. There's no substitute for hard work. Track your foods and get that body moving at least 1/2 hour above and beyond your current activity level.
On a nutritional level, you may need to separate yourself from the diet of your spouse. Personally, in my house, my husband, who loves fast food and junk food, has to fend for himself. We may eat at the same table, but we often eat different things. I had to sit him down and discuss this early in the process so it wouldn't come as a shock to him. Beyond that I really didn't discuss much of the post surgery lifestyle changes with him in advance because I didn't want to hear his concerns on a decision that I'd already made.
I wish you luck on your journey.
Michelle

I qualified for surgery at 35% BMI, and threw myself into 6 months of nutrition therapy and got my BMI down to 28%. I still had the surgery because "I earned it." I heard a lot of comments from nurses and other medical professionals question why I was still having the surgery but in the end, it was my decision. Right up to the point they put the IV in my arm, I was convinced that insurance was going to withdraw my approval. Anyway, I've lost and gained enough in my life that I didn't want to fall off the wagon and gain weight all over again to qualify for the surgery again. It was a long, drawn out process afterall.
Personally, I chose carefully prior to surgery who to share my plans with and who to not share with. There is a big chunk of my family that has no need to know about my personal choice. I'm not a person who really needs anyone else's encouragement, but I don't have the patience to listen to naysayers either. Anyway, I feel your pain, sister.

I qualified for surgery at 35% BMI, and threw myself into 6 months of nutrition therapy and got my BMI down to 28%. I still had the surgery because "I earned it." I heard a lot of comments from nurses and other medical professionals question why I was still having the surgery but in the end, it was my decision. Right up to the point they put the IV in my arm, I was convinced that insurance was going to withdraw my approval. Anyway, I've lost and gained enough in my life that I didn't want to fall off the wagon and gain weight all over again to qualify for the surgery again. It was a long, drawn out process afterall.
Personally, I chose carefully prior to surgery who to share my plans with and who to not share with. There is a big chunk of my family that has no need to know about my personal choice. I'm not a person who really needs anyone else's encouragement, but I don't have the patience to listen to naysayers either. Anyway, I feel your pain, sister.

Just had my first fill today. My surgeon did it, so he knew exactly where he'd put the port. He numbed me up, no questions asked and hit that port with the first injection... nothing to it. Wham, Bam, Thank you Mam!

Get your Liquid Protein from EAS soy shakes - 17 grams / 110 calories.
If you're on mushies, perhaps Chobani fat free yogurts. Also packed with Proteins.< /p>

My Doctor recommends 3 days of liquids followed by 2 days of mushies. I failed to follow his instructions, got stuck and have figured out that I have to bend over with my head below my hips, face over the toilet to let it all backflow a bit. It's scary when it happens.

You'll find plenty of sympathy and encouragement on here, but it all comes down to personal accountability. The heat may account for why you've not been outside much, it doesn't account for your eating habits. And you can find ways to exercise in doors if you want to... buy a treadmill, join a gym, play active video games (Wii Fitness, etc), get off the couch and clean the house.
Personally, I've walked outside in 100+ degree heat every day this summer. Every day... no excuses, no exceptions.

You'll find plenty of sympathy and encouragement on here, but it all comes down to personal accountability. The heat may account for why you've not been outside much, it doesn't account for your eating habits. And you can find ways to exercise in doors if you want to... buy a treadmill, join a gym, play active video games (Wii Fitness, etc), get off the couch and clean the house.
Personally, I've walked outside in 100+ degree heat every day this summer. Every day... no excuses, no exceptions.

You'll find plenty of sympathy and encouragement on here, but it all comes down to personal accountability. The heat may account for why you've not been outside much, it doesn't account for your eating habits. And you can find ways to exercise in doors if you want to... buy a treadmill, join a gym, play active video games (Wii Fitness, etc), get off the couch and clean the house.
Personally, I've walked outside in 100+ degree heat every day this summer. Every day... no excuses, no exceptions.

Just banded last Tuesday. Happy to be now enjoying EAS AdvantEdge Carb Control shakes with 17 grams of Protein and only 110 calories. Low fat, Low Carb, Low Calorie soy protein.