Izuri

Well, it sounds like he is a very understanding guy. So that makes it easier from the get go - and I think he would probably be happy you were willing to try. As far as where to go, anywhere that has Soup is pretty much fine as long as you leave the solids. Off the top of my head i'm thinking you'd be ok with some smoothie places - you could ask them to leave out syrups maybe picking a place that uses good fruits and some low fat milk. Hmm...there's not really a lot out that you can eat at puree. But! You could have him cook for you. He could make some kind of chili and you could puree it (I did that and it was sooo good), any kind of chicken/tuna salad, egg salad, maybe light heartedly challenge him to make you the best puree meal he can think of =) If you help him out in the kitchen with it you guys could end up having a great time and he will get to show off his cooking skills. Or make it into a running challenge - whoever can come up with the best puree meal by the time you move to soft foods gets to pick the first restaurant you go to or the next date place or next movie, etc. I think it could be a lot of fun. Plus, it will place more emphasis on the making of the food if you spend the time with him doing it, rather than just on the eating of it. Really though from the way you described him, I doubt he will be offended at your just a couple bites. Just be clear ahead of time (which it sounds like you have been) about the amount you can eat and hopefully that will be no issue. Have fun and congrats on finding a great guy! It's funny how life is always sending us curve balls when we least expect them =)

From your post it sounded like you are seeing that he doesn't trust you. I wonder if maybe it's that he is insecure and feels poorly about his self image more than it really has anything to do with not trusting you. I know it comes out that way, but I could see it stemming mostly from the fact that he doesn't feel as good looking and wonders if maybe he won't be up to par when you're skinny and feeling great. I'm not married, but I could imagine myself feeling this way if the situation was reversed for me. While it's obviously not true that you're going to leave him, and he should be more supportive, I can empathize with that feeling. Especially if he's at all overweight or has some specific thing he's insecure about. Do you think you'd be willing to show him this post? Maybe it will be a good way to start opening the lines of communication to figure out what the real issue is. Or when you're daydreaming, try and keep him included in what you tell him (You might be, so I'm sorry if I'm incorrect on that), like how you can't wait until you both can do xyz together and you can keep up. Or that you wanna try this new thing in bed and you think it's gonna be a ton of fun for the both of you when you lose weight. Or make a list of things that you both will be able to do together once you're healthier that you'd have a hard time doing now. I know that leaves a lot of the responsibility on you, but hopefully if you can get that communication going he will see that he has nothing to worry about except supporting his awesome wife and he will step up to the plate. If that doesn't help, maybe marriage counseling?

How frustrating! I'm sorry you had to go through this - I think I'd be a bundle of nerves. I hope they get their act together and get everything straightened out. Did she get the refaxed copy of the approval? It's strange that you have a copy of it and they think it's still not approved. I'd call your insurance company too - ask them to verify the approval and to call your doctor's office for you. I find that usually the insurance reps are willing to call the office to verify benefits/coverage/approvals so you aren't waiting on the coordinator at the office to figure it out.

This sounds awesome. Next time the craving hits me maybe I will try it! Thanks for the recipe =)

It sounds like you're kicking butt following the plan, but your body just doesn't wanna cooperate! Weight loss wise sounds like you're doing well - You're averaging about 3.8 pounds a week lost, which seems like more than if you just put it in a whole number lost (At least imo - I wanna pay attention to the biggest number to keep me going =p). That sounds like a really good pace to me. As far as stalling, I wish I could offer you concrete advice, but nothing seemed to make a difference for mine except sheer determination. My hormones went wack and I ranted a bit on my blog, which helped with the crazies. Now that I'm finally seeing a little movement, I feel much better about having survived the 3 weeks of stall. Anyway, because during this time I read hundreds of posts on stalls I will give you the advice I tried that worked for other people: - Increasing calories by a few hundred for a few days to a week and then coming back down on calories (I found this easier by adding some calorie rich foods rather than adding more volume because I couldn't eat a lot either) - Decreasing carbs - I try and keep mine below 40 because that's what my PCP said would help put me in ketosis - Increasing Water - Many blogs I read talk about how you should divide your weight in half and that's how many ounces you should get. That makes like 150 ounces for me which is not realistically happening so I aimed for an extra 16oz glass per day - Increasing exercise - it sounds like you're already doing this, but maybe doing a different type of exercise or at a different time of day - I know from other diets I've done that my body loves to get in a set routine and stop dropping weight, I gotta keep it guessing to keep losing - Decreasing processed foods - Increasing Protein - I got up to around 100g/day for a few days but nothing seemed to happen and I had a hard time getting that much in so I started just aiming for my target of 70 again - Adding interval training and strength training - I did this by adding 5 1 minute jogging intervals to my walks, not allowed to lift weights yet so did a few isometric things and some wall push-ups - Having a rich high fat/calorie sweet - I didn't end up really trying this. I wanted to, because it sounded tasty, but I was too worried about ending up binging on something, my self control has yet to be really tested and I'd like to keep it that way as long as possible! A lot of people seemed to swear by this though - Going back to basics - liquid diet for a few days and working back up (not fun!) None of these worked for me, but they worked for a lot of other people! I hope that helps any =) Feel free to rant if you're feeling stressed though, keeping stress in and being upset raises your cortisol and can help lead to weight gain/retention. Every time I vented I feel like I got it off my chest and could worry about other stuff for the day. Hang in there, it will break eventually.

I had a three week stall at week three that I just finally have come out of. I tried changing around everything, increasing Protein, walking, Water, decreasing carbs. Nothing helped. I have no clue what eventually knocked me off the stall, but I do know one thing - it sucked! I can't imagine how you're feeling six weeks into one. My clothes don't feel a whole lot different, but I was slowly losing an inch here and there, so if you're not measuring, maybe that'd help you keep going? I know you already acknowledged the low water, but that would be one thing to add. When you work out it can be really important to replace water. Hmmmm...Have you tried switching up the type of workout you do? I know other times I've reached plateaus in diets I was able to get over the plateau by exercising at a different time of day, for example, moving it to early morning to get my metabolism up. Or changing which workout I was doing so that I wasn't stuck in the same thing every day. On that same token, are you eating the same types of foods every day? That's another thing that will throw me into a plateau. My brother is a creature of habit and has the exact same lunch every day. If I do that, I will stay put at the exact same weight. My body likes it when things are consistent and will try its very best to keep them there. Are you getting in enough fiber? That might help keep your digestive system moving. I'm not sure if it will help the scale, but it would be a healthy thing to have in your diet. I'm not sure what else, but you will get through this! If you are doing the right things your body will eventually have to give up and let the scale move. For the mean time, maybe put the scale away (I know this is so ridiculously hard to do, maybe you'll be better at it than I was!), set some fitness goals instead of scale goals, and measure. You can still be successful even when the scale isn't moving.

I don't understand why you wouldn't suggest getting some help to some of the issues people deal with on here. I don't see why getting help with anything would ever be a bad idea. Especially when many of us have had trouble in the past with issues eating. Not everyone has considered counseling or had an experience like you before. I've talked to friends about my experience with counseling and have had more than one of them surprised that I had seen a counselor. Some people get this idea that counseling is only something crazy people go to, but every time I've suggested/talked about it is because I think a number of people could use it, even if it's just to get some things off their chest, get another view point, get help with coping strategies. Is it for everyone? No. Does it work for everyone? No. Is it worth a try if you're doing something like cutting out a large portion of your stomach just as an added measure to stay on track and help you through issues? I think so, but that's just me. Any time I've said anything about counseling it's only because I think that if I was in their shoes it might help me. It's never meant as condescending or insulting or you're a crackhead get some help please. Also, not everyone is as clear or as eloquent at getting the true meaning of what they're trying to say across. Sometimes it sounds different when other people read it online than it was originally typed, if that makes sense. I doubt the people who said you needed professional help were trying to be offensive in any way, but rather that they were trying to highlight the fact that the sleeve is a tool, and that you may still have issues that need to continue to be addressed post surgery. Could they have said it better? Sure. Did they mean for it to be offensive/frustrating to you? Probably not.

I was told to measure protein and the rest would fall into place as long as I was staying within healthy protein sources. I do watch all these measure though on Myfitnesspal. I still focus mostly on protein though.

I like gustavo's suggestion of asking your surgeon. Or I would look online for therapists, read reviews from patients, and make sure to get a therapist that specializes in eating disorders. Then I would call their office and ask if they have had any experience with bariatric patients and maybe binge eating if that's something that has affected you pre-op or if there's another part of your life that you think will need talking about too. For example, many of my eating issues are tied into clinical depression or mood issues, so I wanted a therapist that had some experience in mood disorders. Or if you think that issues will come up in your marriage, you may want one that also works in family counseling. Whatever you think will be important to you down the road. Ohh I almost forgot, a big one of mine is anxiety too. I eat through anxiety, and learning to work through that instead of turning to food is a big thing for me. Then just sort through the reviews and the phone calls you've made and pick one. Remember, even if you visit one and don't like them or it doesn't feel right, you can always choose another one. You are not obligated to stay with the same therapist. It's way more important to find one you feel like you can open up to. If you have any other questions feel free to pm me.

Diekoi, You are doing great! I was just gonna post and ask how you're doing, but I see that you're doing well. When I quit I always kept a pack of gum around and chewed a piece whenever I wanted to smoke. If nothing else it helped distract me.

You can get bed sores from laying on one spot too much. So when you do sit/lay put pillows to prop you to one side, changing sides are least every couple hours, and make sure you're shifting your weight. A loved one can help you get the pillows down under you better. I agree with Need-a-Sleeve though. I know you have a lot of trouble right now, but moving will help decrease your risk of more complications. Pre-medicating before movement can be helpful. Do you still have your incentive spirometer? Use that and cough/deep breathe too. I know that's not what your post was about though. Switching from one side to another at a certain interval of time might be helpful. Use pillows galore, everywhere that you feel like it could help with comfort. You could see if different kinds of pillows help - maybe memory foam? roll up a blanket and see if that's more comfortable for some of the areas. Use pillows to move yourself up into a sitting/reclining position in bed. When you get up maybe spend more time in a chair if possible. I hope some of that helps - I can imagine it's miserable to have to lay in bed for so long =\

I didn't like the Nectar brand - but I only tried a few flavors. They were wayyy too strong and a couple were sour to me.

It will be here before you know it and it's going to go great! I hope you have a speedy recovery. Let us know how it goes.

I am on soft foods until 3 months out. So I have tried a lot =p Tuna salad, chicken salad (w/canned chicken cause it's softer), stew (without potatoes), eggs, Protein shakes, shrimp, ground beef sloppy joes, turkey meatloaf, many different types of Soup, chicken and dumplings (with only a little dumpling - super filling), string cheese, all different types of cheeses, chicken cooked in the crock pot w/a salsa mix, then shredded and topped w/shredded cheese, a little guacamole, etc, canned chicken w/pizza sauce and shredded mozzarella, laughing cow cheese wedges, tilapia, steamed veggies, a bit of buffalo mozzarella made into a caprese salad (cut off skins of tomatoes), hamburger stroganoff minus the rice/noodles, baked salmon, cottage cheese, watermelon..... I started out with mostly eggs and cottage cheese and then realized I was going to be eating these for too long and gonna get bored of those. I thought I didn't like most fish, but have loved everything I've tried. Most of this stuff can be made with lean meats or lower calorie ingredients, plus many of them work as dinners for my whole family instead of just something that I can eat. They've been awesome about being open to more soft food dishes. Any kind of protein will fill you up pretty quick. So just make sure you're eating protein first. I can usually get about 2oz total in of most Proteins.

Yay! I'm glad that they came around. I bet you'll be getting your date soon!!

I was allowed to drive at the end of the second week. I think I could have driven a short distance as soon as I was off my pain meds, but it just seemed better to wait since I had nowhere pressing to go.

I would give it another week or two and then try asking her again. You don't want her to miss submitting those surgeries in September either, cause it would suck just as much for them if they got postponed - but I feel your pain. Waiting is anxiety inducing! I'm sure she feels your anxiety, but she probably has all those people scheduled before you and maybe some after too calling to get updates =p I don't envy her job.

This is true for me too. If I eat/drink too much or too fast it will feel stuck beneath my sternum.

Just wanted to say congrats on the awesome first date and great compliment! I bet it felt amazing to hear after all that hard work. And I think it's interesting to hear about different values/walks of life, we don't all fit into the same little box. =)

I went to my first consult on June 28th and was in surgery July 26th. I had insurance changes so I had to make sure that it would go under the insurance that would cover it. The only reason I wish I had more time was to have a couple counseling sessions maybe and get used to the idea a little more, but if I had to make the choice again I'd do it in a second. It's totally worth it, even if it is a whirlwind. You still have a couple months, so hopefully that'll give you plenty of time to process =)

I'm sorry to hear this =( How much of these were you drinking a day? Were you getting in plain water too?

You will know when you're moving a wrong way. I had to make sure I was moving myself with my arms instead of my abdomen a lot during the first week. I couldn't bend down very well. Turning in bed hurt. I could see something happening on accident, like if you fell and caught yourself, but aside from that your pain will keep you being very aware of your movements for a while. 5 weeks out now and my side only hurts when I push myself a little too much walking quickly the previous day. Follow your lifting guidelines and you'll be fine.

Thanks for posting this. Last night I was dreading going on a long walk with a little jogging and I thought of this post =p I got my butt up and did it!

To not get stuck in small chairs.....Went to the salon today and they only have 1 size chair with armrests that just barely let my big butt in there. Wasn't paying attention when I got up and the chair came with me - Embarrassing! The ladies around me laughed and I laughed it off, but I was silently thanking my sleeve that I'll not go through that again next time I'm there.

This surgery is a very personal experience and even though we often find similarities between our experience and others, no two surgeries are the same. When it comes to your surgery, it is really something you need to be able to own all the benefits and consequences of, which is a scary thing. I definitely struggled with the worries of the complications. The fear of the unknown. I think I am even kind of afraid of being thin - I never have been. Though we read so many posts a day that are good, the reality is that not everyone is going to have a perfect surgical experience. It helped me to write out a list of pros and cons. Then I went through and thought about which cons I could decrease the risk of. Blood clots is one you can have an active role in preventing. Walking post-op and making sure that you limit your time sitting helps ensure that you are getting good blood flow and decreasing clot risk. This is just one example. Pneumonia you can decrease the risk of by practicing coughing and deep breathing regularly and using your incentive spirometer. Could I get rid of every con or decrease the risk of any of them to 0%? Absolutely not. But I felt comfortable enough at that point to say that the benefits of decreased risk of illnesses was worth it, for me. It may not be worth it for the next person, but it is definitely worth it to me. I felt like I was not living my life due to limitations that my weight and I were putting on myself. I think the posters above me have some wonderful suggestions and I agree completely that counseling is a great idea both pre and post-op. We all come in with problems and issues with food. Then you throw in weight loss, possibility of failed expectations, and HORMONES GALORE, and you get people acting crazy and feeling bad (I will admit, I have all of the above!). Having therapy, a good support group, and helpful home support is really important for the success of many of us. Having time pre-op to get used to the diet and the eating changes would probably be really helpful. I didn't have this due to the scheduling of my surgery, but I think it would have been beneficial. I saw my grandfather get almost his entire leg amputated from a diabetic sore that would not heal. His condition continued to deteriorate and eventually he passed away, due in part to the complications he had from diabetes. That scares me so much, and I'd rather have this surgery done now, than wait for any conditions to develop/worsen. I hope that you figure out what's the right path for you, no matter what you decide.