makemyownluck

Hi Celine! I'd check the nutritional info on your shakes and make sure they aren't high in calories or carbs. A lot of Protein supplements are made with body-builders in mind and are used as a gainer. If you're using a high carb/calorie protein supplement AND working out a lot, that would explain the gain. Muscle weighs more than fat. Since you're seeing a loss in inches, you're most likely losing fat as well as gaining muscle. If you switch to a leaner protein supplement, you won't bulk up as much with muscles and you'll see more of a loss on the scale. Good luck!

I'm on my liquid diet now. Started yesterday (officially, but I worked myself into it starting last Sunday), it will last 2 weeks, I'm getting sleeved 5/2. I'm pretty much allowed anything liquid. I've been having about 3-4 Protein Shakes a day, lots of Water, sometimes with crystal light, and 1 cup of coffee in the morning. I can also have broth or Jello, but I haven't wanted anything like that yet. I haven't been told to go low carb or low fat, but it's working out that way since the shakes I use are pretty low in fat and carbs anyway. My surgeon told me it's more important not to have anything solid - that I could have 10 shakes a day if I really wanted to (which I don't!). I've lost 13lbs since Sunday! Every surgeons plan is different. Some people have to do it longer, some shorter, some not at all. Some people are allowed 1 meal a day on their diet. I think it varies by patient, depending on how heavy you are, etc, and also your surgeons preference. Plus, it's good practice for post op life!

I'm actually not sleeved yet! I'm scheduled for 5/2, on my preop liquid diet now. I have thin hair already, I've been using biotin for about a year. I got the highest dose I could find in the store, took it twice a day and didn't really notice a difference. But I've been doing the liquid for about 2 months and its about 4x more potent and I'm noticing faster growth and thicker hair. I'm hoping the biotin helps me hold on to more after surgery! I also started using Wen products around Christmas time and my hair feels better than it has in years, and I color my hair and blow dry/flat Iron it daily. It used to feel like straw, now it's smooth and silky and shiny!

Syntrax is the brand, nectar is the line of Protein powders. Many flavors, no aspartame, low cal, low to no carbs and 23g protein. Go to bjbariatrics.com and customize your own sample pack, amazon.com has good deals on tubs when you figure out what you like. I'm still going through my samples, but the chocolate truffle and strawberry/kiwi are good!

try puritan.com, they have great prices on Vitamins. I decided to try the opurity brand chewable Multivitamin made specifically for sleeved patients, but I might look for an alternative when that supply is low. It's about $43 with shipping for a 90 day supply, which isn't THAT bad, but I think I might find something better. Everyone is different, but here's what you'll likely need: sublingual b-12 Biotin (I got a liquid version off puritan.com, this is good for maintaining your hair) Calcium supplement maybe Iron, depends on your blood work. because tastes can change, you're best to just get some sample packs of powders to decide what you'll want for your pre-op liquid diet. bjbariatrics.com sells a sample pack of Syntrax powder which is really good, and uses natural sweeteners. Syntrax also makes an unflavored powder, which is what I've stocked up on because it can be added to anything. I suggest the sample pack that I mentioned, then when you figure out what you like, get the tubs off amazon.com. You can get them as part of their super saver shipping option (it will be listed as "eligible for super saver shipping on orders over $25") at a decent price. I know it seems overwhelming and expensive, but consider that your grocery bill will be lowered considerably, as will your budget for going out for dinner. If you shop around online you can find lots of good stuff at good prices. It might be a good idea to pick up a few things here and there that you'll probably want on hand post op: gas-x strips peppermint tea (helps with gas and bloating, besides being delicious and refreshing) liquid imodium-d milk of magnesia or miralax tums or prilosec (check with your surgeon to see if he's gonna give you an rx, some do) bandages, gauze, tape hydrogen peroxide slip on shoes and/or slippers, if you don't already have them. bending over will hurt for a while I've got all this and more ready to go, but I'm SURE I've still forgotten that one thing I'll reallllly need. Hope this helps for starters!

Puritan.com has a great selection of sublingual b12 in different doses (and really great prices). As far as I've read, there's no danger in taking "too much" b12 but you can verify that with your NUT or MD. I got a formula with 2500mcg of B12, plus B6, folic acid and Biotin in it as well.

I have the single serve "on the go" variety pack that I picked up at costco. I use one of those, a scoop of strawberry 2 cups of Water and drink it on ice. I'm preop so my serving size will change after surgery, obviously. I definitely recommend using ice, it's not as tasty if it gets to room temp.

If you have group coverage, typically the exclusion is at the request of the plan administrator (your employer) to lower their premium costs. While the exclusion is active on your plan, it's not possible to get this covered. However, you can talk to your HR manager and see if they would consider a plan that has this coverage. Or see if they offer another plan that doesn't have the exclusion. Good luck!

Good luck! I did all of that prep work too. I'm glad I did, but I officially start my pre-op diet tomorrow and I'm SO SICK of these dang shakes already!! But it's still good practice for post-op livin. I can't believe I'm 2 weeks away... eeek!

I start my diet tomorrow and I'm pretty jealous that you get to eat so much!! I'm on liquid only, but I don't have a limit on how many shakes. I can also do Jello, broth, crystal light. No coffee restriction tho. I only drink I cup a day anyway. Surgery day is May 2nd! can't wait to hear how you do!

Good for you for saying something!! I was stuck in a group convo at work a few weeks ago and this woman was going on and on about how her 4 and 6 year old children eat and how she wants to make sure "they don't get fat". She said it several times as she was talking about how she keeps them physically active and how she feeds them good foods and stuff. On one hand, I get it. If I have kids, I hope they don't suffer obesity like I did. But, IDK, coming from her (perky, tiny woman) and the way she was saying it (and/or the way I was hearing it), it seemed like it would just be THE WORST THING EVER if her kids were fat. They would be ugly, they would be bad in some way. I've told 4 people at work. Two managers, who I've asked specifically not to share the news, and two work buddies (who I'm also friends with outside of work) who were also asked not to share the news. So far, as far as I know, word has not gotten out. But I haven't really figured out how to explain my 2 week absence, because in the 5 years I've worked at this company, I've never taken a 2 week vacation. I've never taken a 1 week vacation. I like to take long weekends here and there, never a big chunk of time. I think I've decided I'm not saying a darn thing. If/when they ask when I come back, maybe I'll be ready to tell them when it's all said and done. But as far as pre-op, I don't really want to hear everyone else's opinion on this right now. I applaud your courage to wear it proudly right now. I'm still not 100% sure I'll broadcast my surgery, but if it gets out, I'm curious to see who comes out of the woodwork to share their story. There are a few people I suspect have had it... and I just LOVE it when I'm right!

Haven't experienced this (still pre-op) but I do know that hypothyroidism is fairly easy to correct with medication. You just have to figure out how much you need and get tested a few times in the beginning, but once your dosage is figured out, you should be good. I'm sorry you went through this - and super annoyed at your doctor making you feel like YOU are doing something wrong. Find a new doctor! And/or Tell him you don't think his attitude is very professional, that if you weren't committed to your health you wouldn't be showing up for an office visit. The nerve! Hang in there and keep working - it will pay off. You're setting up great habits so once your thyroid is corrected, you'll be smooth sailing. Good luck!!!

ereneeh makes a good point. If you don't have an out-of-pocket cap, your insurance carrier will likely reduce the allowable amount by half, or maybe more. I just got my statement for my upper GI. Hospital billed $1400, the "allowable" amount was $475. Same with the lab work. Hospital billed $1300, insurance knocked it down to $425.

amen to that!

I would think it would vary by practice. It would depend on if the surgery was being performed in a surgicenter or a hospital. A surgicenter might group some of the fees, where as a hospital would bill separately. Good luck!

Most insurance has a cap to your out of pocket expense (your 30% portion). Have you checked that out with your carrier?

are you taking b12? try increasing your dose if you are taking it, and if you're not, start! get sublingual.

You don't sound screwed (at least not about this, lol). I worry about having this feeling post-op. I'm so curious about how it's actually gonna be, how I'm really gonna feel. I can understand the wanting more thing, and I haven't even been sleeved yet! Like I think about how I've been fighting off this craving to get a gyro lately. With fried mushrooms on the side. Now that I'm on the liquid diet, that meal has the equivalent of a weeks worth of fat. Or more! And I'm fending off the desire to have that for dinner. It's hard for me to imagine not craving that again, or not being able to indulge myself in food that way. I would take considerable pleasure to have that meal right now. I GET IT - Going on a binge is AWESOME! lol (Ok, so we're both totally screwed up!) That said, I do also see the flip side of how disgusting it is to eat that way. I'm really hoping that surgery will do what it does for so many and take away all my hunger and cravings. But Laura, I'm sure everyone on here can relate to this feeling, if they are being honest with themselves.

Here's my opinion on what I've tried. Syntrax is good, try bjsbariatrics.com as they sell a sample pack that you can customize so you only try what you think you'd like. Syntrax also has unflavored powder that might be more versatile for you - add it into soups/broths, Jello, etc and it's not detectable flavor-wise, just makes things look cloudy. They sell tubs of it on amazon.com for a good price, and available for the free super saver shipping on orders over $25. They are 10g of Protein per scoop. Low on calories and carbs, and they use only natural sweeteners in their products. I got the sample pack from unjury.com because everyone on this site raves about the chicken flavor, but I thought it was disgusting. I'm pre-op and since tastes can change post-op, I'll save the 2nd packet of that to try again after surgery. I was really psyched to hear about the chicken flavor, but I thought it had a bad after taste, and the more of it I drank, the nastier it tasted to me, to the point that I dumped the rest out about half way through (and I've never dumped anything else I've tried, protein shake/powder wise!). The other flavors were good, but I found they didn't mix up as smoothly in the shaker cup as other powders I've tried. I had to shake it to death and even then there were still small clumps at the top. For the price, I expected better. The Premier shakes are terrific! These are my go-to, so convenient, great price and high protein content. I get them at costco, they have chocolate or vanilla and they are both good. The vanilla is mild flavor and mixes will with anything. I like to make Chai shakes, I get sugar free chai powder mix from World Market and mix it with a vanilla shake and some almond milk - YUMMYYYY. Body Fortress powder is available at Walmart. The strawberry is good with Crystal light lemonade. Others have said the chocolate-Peanut Butter from this line was good, but I'm not sure I like it. I've had it a few times and it's okay, but I don't get the hype. I've also used their strawberry flavor, which is okay. I mix it with Crystal light lemonade and it's nice. I think I'll enjoy that a lot over the summer. Blended with ice would be great too. Or frozen into popsicles! Muscle Milk is awesome, taste wise. Probably the best tasting of this whole bunch. Let's face it, if all we're having are shakes, then they better be delicious and Muscle Milk is all that. The regular version of this has quite a bit more calories and carbs in it than any of the others mentioned. Depends on the flavor, but we're talking double and triple the calories and fat you get in any of the other shakes mentioned. And they taste great because of it!! They also have a great 32g of protein in there too. Muscle Milk also has a Light line. It's okay. Has a bit of an after taste. Not as delicious as the original. But okay. But it also only has 15g of protein per serving. Overall, I recommend Premier Protein and Syntrax nectar. I think Unjury is a bit pricey for what it is and Muscle Milk/MM Light doesn't offer the best balance of nutrition to meet what I'm looking for. Body Fortress is okay, nice to have around for some variety, also this brand is a great value.

You look fantastic!!

Are you scheduled for surgery? Congrats on getting everything done!! The preop testing and insurance game felt like torture to me! I'm scheduled for May 2nd. I start my liquid diet tomorrow, tho I sort of started on Sunday already. It's been going well. I've lost 7lbs since Sunday! I was also menstruating on Sunday and that might be part of the loss, but I don't care HOW it happened, I'll take a 7lbs loss in 4 days!! I'm anxious about the not being able to chug water. Also the chewing to a pulp will be a big change, too. Sometimes I catch myself eating like a teenage boy - taking huge bites and barely chewing. It's amazing I haven't had digestive issues in my life because of this!! I've definitely calmed that down, but it's still hard for me to "practice" these behaviors. I think that once we're post op and our stomachs literally can't handle all of that, we'll catch on. Good luck to you!! I'm rooting for you to get back on track and lose, lose, lose!

Heyyyy, my surgery is May 2nd. I'm sooooo excited and nervous, this board has helped me so much and taught me more than I expected! I *officially* start my pre op liquid diet tomorrow, but I sort of started on Sunday. Having the Protein shakes, but also going through the last of the yogurt in my fridge as well... I'm already totally sick of these damn shakes and can't waitttt to be able to eat real food again post-op. Congrats on your surgery being scheduled! Can't wait to see updates from ya!