Frederic

The green zone refers to when you feel restriction and are able to lose and eventually maintain weight without undue discomfort. Proper nutrition and regular exercise make it more likely you will find your green zone. Referring back to your original question about keeping it a secret I will point out that if you aren't comfortable admitting that you're getting bariatric surgery you may not be emotionally prepared for all of the life changes you'll need to make to be successful in the long term. The way you eat (especially post op) and react to food in social situations is going to cue anyone who spends a relatively frequent time with you that something is up. It's simple human nature for that to turn into speculation. My opinion is that if you're getting bariatric surgery you shouldn't be ashamed of it. The more people who keep their surgery a secret the longer we make other people who could benefit from the surgery feel like they are just lazy or defective.

I think you may be misunderstanding what we veterans are saying when we don't follow a diet. Those of us with the larger gains consistently talk about the importance of nutrition over diet. I've had to boost my Protein intake alot since getting the band and if I don't eat the right foods for nutrition then I tend to eat more slider foods which I could do at first and still lose weight but as I'm nearing the 1 year mark I don't shed pounds just because I eat less than I used to I also need to pay attention to what I eat. But I wouldn't call it a "diet" because it isn't about restricting what I eat so much as making better choices about what I eat.

I would encourage you to try and follow the sleeve diet and exercise recommendations for at least 6 months before getting the surgery, you may not lose weight but it will help you identify if you are ready for those lifestyle changes. If you find you can't follow the nutrition guidelines or fit in the time for exercise that would be a good indicator you're not ready for the surgery yet. BTW I would give this same advice to anyone considering any type of WLS.

So far the holidays have not been going as planned. I got a fill right before Thanksgiving and I've felt good restriction I'm eating less and slower at meals again but I am getting horrible about grazing especially with Christmas treats. I gained 6 lbs over the last 2 days. I'll probably lose 4 of them today but it's the type of swing on the scale that really knocks the wind out of you. I need to really buckle down and get back to exercising more regularly and hopefully with the days getting longer again it'll be easier to make that happen. I'm hoping by publicly admitting my shortcomings and stating my goals I'll feel more commitment to make the changes I need to. Anyone else want to share?

It's never a good idea to compare data from two different instruments unless they've been calibrated together. Only compare your weight from your home scale to earlier weights from your home scale and only compare weights at the Dr's office to earlier Weights at the Dr's office. When your over 200lbs remember a fluctuation of 2lbs is less than 1% difference most general use machines are only maintained and designed with an assumption of a 3% margin of error. In other words don't sweat the small ups and downs just stay focused on your overall trend. If you weigh less than you did 30 days ago your doing fine if not then look into adjusting your nutrition or exercise or maybe schedule a fill.

It's possible to lose the weight but I would suggest you talk to your physician about what a healthy weight really is for you based on your frame and muscle tone. For instance recent research indicates that a waist line of less than 38inches may be a better indicator of reduced heart risk than the BMI calculation. Your weight is just a number; your health is what matters and the lbs on the scale only tell part of the story, they aren't a scorecard.

In addition to types if food try to practice some different eating habits as well for instance I practiced the following. *not drinking any liquids during or 30 minutes after eating *using a salad plate rather than a dinner plate *eat with chopsticks or cocktail/baby forks and spoons *put your fork down between every bite If you practice these habits beforehand I found that after the band it was much easier to adjust to smaller portions and recognize when I wasn't hungry anymore rather than eating until "full".

I drink less after the band and do notice the effects quicker but I can still drink 3-4 times as much as my friends (rather than 5-6 times as much). I do limit myself to a single carbonated beverage (whether that's beer or a mixer depends on my mood) and normally lean more towards wine or scotch now. As a diabetic I strongly endorse 1 drink of alcohol a night but discourage frequent heavy drinking.

Regardless of what surgery you choose I encourage you to practice your new health habits before the surgery. Try and start an exercise routine no matter how small and practice drinking less (or not at all) during meals, start choosing food based on what you'll be eating after your WLS. The earlier you start practicing those habits the easier they'll be after the surgery.

The ones I found at WalMart were specifically Whey Protein shots I cannot remember the manufacturer currently but they did say whey protien. I would still advocate getting protein from "real" food whenever possible but post surgery the whey protein shots can help. I would also suggest looking for whey protein if you look into getting protein bars.

Whey protein is basically the same protein you get from cheese (cottage cheese more specifically) so it's relatively "natural" (other than all the preservatives of course).

In my experience protein shots are high protein drinks designed primarily for weight lifters to down immediately after a hard work out so you find them in the Heath and nutrition section of most pharmacies. I used them right after my surgery and I think they definitely helped my recovery but they did taste vile no matter how quickly you drank them so I weened myself off them as I was able to get more protein from real food in my diet.

Do you do toe lifts (standing on the balls of your feet) or run? I used to have amazing calves from spending hours on the balls if my feet during fighter practice now that I'm older I've noticed my calves seem to be shaping up again when I can run consistently nothing major just a few minutes a day.

The sun rose yesterday and the sun rose today this is also a fact that has nothing to do with the ACA. Your insurance company chose to end your policy rather than revise it. Your insurance company based that decision on assessment of the risk pool covered by that policy the ACA was definitely an influencing factor but so where countless other economic concerns that result in plans being cancelled and premiums being increased every year. Insurance plans were cancelled before the ACA it just may not have ever happened to you before.

You are pointing out valid concerns about how we dictate health coverage in our country I'm not saying that the government is perfect or the ACA is flawless I'm just saying it isn't productive to try and blame everything on one source, our world is complex with complex problems we need to accept solutions will also be complex. There is a natural desire to identify a single "bad guy" but rarely is that the case. The ACA may need repealed but I'm not naive enough to think that just doing that will make things better than they were before and I don't believe things were acceptable before the ACA either.

You've cited valid facts I dispute the causes you cite but acknowledge it's a complex issue from my point of view and I'll admit it is just my point if view the ACA had still done more good than harm the change is jarring and uncomfortable but I think it is a necessary step forward if for no other reason than to point out the flaws in our healthcare system.

You can't blame the government for what insurance companies choose to offer. Yes an insurance policy is a contract that's why these policies were written with tons of back doors for the coverage to be dropped if the person insured got too expensive. WLS continues to show long term health benefits and I believe eventually the actuary tables will show that offering Bariatric surgery is less expensive in the long run and more companies will offer it as part of their plans.

You are engaging in a lot of hyperbole and frankly spouting emotional nonsense you have every right to be upset with your situation but your assignment of blame and understanding of core issues appears irrational. Feel free to vent nonsense but I will keep pointing out that it is nonsense.

There's no guarantee of that your policy could have been cancelled for any number of reasons the insurance company is just blaming the ACA. In fact before the ACA they could have cancelled your policy and then refused to offer you a new one noting the surgery as a pre-existing condition. Under the ACA they have to offer you something it just might be too expensive.

That isn't what she said she said her insurance was cancelled a decision made by her insurance company. Nothing in the ACA stops her from purchasing a plan with Bariatric coverage. The minimum standards don't vary just the individual states participation in setting up an exchange so it's easier to find and compare available coverage. Which would again be a state issue not an ACA issue as ruled by the Supreme Court.

Regarding hair loss not only is my hair thicker post surgery my beard is getting tougher as well I'm going through razors three times as quickly. It really does just boil down to how much Protein you take in and how your body uses it. About 33% or more of my calories come from protein each day.

Focus on habits. We didn't gain the weight over night we won't lose it that fast either. Try to incorporate exercise and nutrition into your everyday activities park farther away, use the stairs, use smaller utensils or chop sticks while eating to slow yourself down. None of these things individually will magically help but the more you do them the more natural they become and they'll lead to more small changes that eventually replace older less positive habits. We aren't perfect we'll mistakes but my motto for moderation is "less than you want but more than nothing"

I also have tons of clothes that were too small and now my closet is crammed tight as I can't bring myself to abandon clothes that I'm starting to swim in. I've committed myself to throwing away at least 1 article of clothing a month (the largest and oldest thing specifically). It's slowly getting easier but after years of struggling to find clothes that fit it's hard to just "throw clothes away" even when they're too worn out to even donate.

My point is in this case the barrier between the physician and the patient is the insurance company not the government. The company never should have offered such a poorly constructed policy in the first place or they could have simply changed the policy to meet the new standards. Their blaming the government is just a bait and switch maneuver to take attention off the poor construction if their own insurance policy. As I said it's like getting angry at a speed limit when you're caught driving too fast just because you didn't crash yet it doesn't mean you were safe.

I disagree. 5 million sounds like a lot but it's approximately 5% last time I checked; compared to over 50 million people with pre-existing conditions who can now purchase insurance rather than relying on Medicaid and Medicare exclusively that number doesn't include people who could not afford insurance at all before but could no buy subsidized insurance which still costs less in the long run due to preventative care being accessible. So I agree the ACA has flaws but I can't agree with hyperbole like "100% disaster" the data seems to indicate it's been an improvement in the nations healthcare system overall despite some harsh specific shortcomings that will need to be addressed.