JerseyCityGal

@@JamieLogical Who was your surgeon in Mexico?

53 when I was sleeved last June. Go for it.

I should mention the skin (and attached fat) is on my stomach and side(s) from under my chest all the way down to my groin - if that makes a difference.

First of all, I'm female. I look like a dude in the photo, lol. I took it in the bathroom at work and I can't take a selfie to save my life, lol. I have to wear really loose shapeless tops to hide all the loose skin on my arms and middle so I dress like a lumberjack or truck driver on most days. I'm not at MY goal yet ... I have about 40 more lbs to lose. I'm not a large person (5' 3") and my frame is pretty small (my thighs don't touch at this point), so even though I am wearing a size 6 jeans, I am still wearing a size XL top because of all the loose skin (and fat) attached to the skin. My gastric surgeon guesstimated I have 15 to 20 lbs of skin. You are seeing just the bottom of it in the photo. Only one handful, lol. From personal experience, do you all feel I should go ahead in a month or two or wait until I am all done losing weight? I can't afford to do it twice. The skin is driving me nuts. It weighs me down. I was built like a top before surgery, so it's mostly concentrated around my middle. What say you all? Be honest.

Exactly. I scan or measure and log EVERYTHING on My Fitness Pal.

@@Stephanie Salsera Perrott Life after the sleeve isn't a life of denial. I love food and go out to eat all the time. You just change the way you eat, what you eat and how much. I've followed this surgeon's eating advice. I got the book on Kindle a few days after surgery. It made a huge difference in my outlook on post-surgery life and I pimp it every chance I get. He really knows how to lay it out for people and teach you how to eat after surgery. Everyone thinks they know how, but they don't. He made things a lot easier for me and I still refer to the book constantly. http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Gastric-Sleeve-Success-Practical/dp/0615830447/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1424296331&sr=8-2&keywords=duc+vuong

Well, you can't lose weight by tonight ... so it is what it is. I'm not trying to shame you or anything because I have been where you are, but after surgery there are no more excuses. It doesn't matter if you are sick or whatever. You have to stick to the plan.

I'm 54, so if you are younger you will probably lose faster. No, as long as I was doing my best and didn't weigh more than when I started, I was ok. I initially went from 268 to 235 and then bounced back up to 255 from the stress of trial delays and everything. I held it together for as long as I could and then I just couldn't do it any more. Something had to break, and it was my diet that went. It was either that or my sanity at that point. I wish it could have been different, but it was a set of extreme circumstances. My PCP was really supportive. My paperwork was submitted before it was finished to get the process going too. Start changing your habits now. One at a time, even if it's taking the stairs instead of the escalator. It all adds up. I still can't believe I'm not heading out for fresh bagels every weekend. I used to live for that. Now I'm heading to the gym. A few days before surgery I went through my kitchen and literally threw out everything that wasn't going to be suitable for my new life after surgery. I gave away bags of food to my next door neighbor. I stocked up on all new spices (I have every spice on earth now, lol). Out of sight, out of mind. I bought measuring cups, measuring spoons, a blender and 4 oz ramekins.

It normally takes about 6 to 8 months with Oxford/UHC. I had delays because the trial from my incident kept getting postponed by the defendant. Yeah, I'm doing great. 91 lbs down @ 8 months out.

Crackers aren't an everyday item, but I buy 34 Degree Whole Grain Crisps. They are wafer thin, like communion wafers - but with a much larger diameter and come in several flavors: rosemary, poppy seed, sesame, toasted onion, cracked pepper and natural. 9 crackers is a serving; 50 calories, no fat, 2 g Protein and 10 carbs. They are a good size too, so you can fit a lot of topping on them. It's impossible to eat a full serving with toppings, so it comes out to 1 carb per cracker. http://www.34-degrees.com/

Amy, Did you eat any refined sugar and/or carbs between 1 and 3 hours before this happened?

Warm liquids will go down easier. Suck on ice chips and sugar free popsicles if you have to. The goal is to stay hydrated. I'm 8 months out, but my first few days were spent heaving. And retching. Your doctor can give you something for the nausea. You don't have to worry about "healthy" or "protein" or much of anything besides staying hydrated and as comfortable as you can right now. Some people can get Protein down, some can't. Whatever Clear Liquids you can get down is fine. Now is the time to catch up on Netflix and keep a sugar-free popsicle in your mouth. Shoot for the stars and if gravel on the ground is as high as you get right now, that's ok. Every day will be better.

Their exact policy is "complimentary dietitian support" not lifetime nutritional visits are free. They should make it clearer that the support is over the phone. That is mentioned in a different paragraph of their literature. Their monthly support group meetings are free.

I went through the approval process with Oxford/United Healthcare last year. It took a little over a year from my very first visit until I had the surgery, but this is what I had to do: 6 monthly visits with a PCP that documented diet & exercise, weigh-in's, weight loss progress, etc. - $30 co-pay each, plus the first visit didn't count towards the total so it was actually 7 1 Bariatric seminar @ Hackensack Medical Center (Oxford told me none were in NYC, which I found hard to believe but that is what they told me) - this was $50 cash. You will get a "certificate" from this seminar that you will have to provide to your bariatric surgeon, who in turn has to provide it to Oxford/UHC. 1 Bariatric seminar held by my surgeon's practice - I think this was free but by reservation only 4 visits with a Nutritionist - $40 each plus $150 narrative report/letter asserting my fitness for the surgery, adhering to the program, etc. There was literally a 3 month wait to get an appointment with a nutritionist. I ended up going out of network. Psychiatric clearance - I already knew a psychiatrist from being treated for PTSD after a high-profile incident so I got a clearance letter without visits. It basically has to say you don't have any mental health issues that would interfere with compliance, you fully understand what you are doing (stomach won't grow back, etc) and you are ready willing and able to comply with post-operative instructions and lifestyle requirements. If you don't already know someone or aren't in therapy, you will have to pay for a couple of visits and a letter. When you are done with ALL the monthly PCP visits, get a copy of your medical records and bring them to your bariatric surgeon. I've had sleep apnea since I was a kid so I obviously didn't need clearance for that, but less than 30 days before surgery you will be getting a chest x-ray, full blood work-up and EKG. Your bariatric surgeon will order all the tests.

Soda of any kind is one of the things I gave up for life right before surgery. I was pretty astonished when I didn't have a single craving for it after surgery.

You should see a doctor, Dark neck skin is a sign of a hormonal imbalance or increased insulin levels.

I dated a personal trainer for years and he always advised his clients to stagger their calories and keep their metabolism guessing. I'll use 1,000 calories daily average for an example. M 975 T 850 W 1200 T 975 F 850 S 950 S 1200

If eating would conjure up a job, I would say go for it ... but it won't. It will just make things worse. Funnel your energy into practical efforts. You're going to have to white knuckle through the eating urge, but you CAN do it. File for unemployment right away. Be ruthless in cutting expenses starting right now. Just because you are used to having something doesn't mean you need it, and that includes your kids. I mean things your kids are used to having, not get rid of your kids to cut costs, lol. Call your lender to find out what, if any, assistance would be available for you. They may have a program. The options mentioned in the above post were HAMP, and for various reasons that does not apply to you. You just closed, you are not underwater, etc. Some states also offer assistance for unemployed homeowners. When you file for unemployment, usually there is some sort of orientation that will cover other programs available to you.

Water down other soups and strain them. It's what I did. My surgeon knew and was ok with it.

lol, my strategic placement spot would have to be somewhere around my collar bone!

Donald, Life after surgery is not a life of deprivation, food or otherwise. I pimp this book every chance I get because it made all the difference in the world in my attitude towards eating post-surgery. You don't need a Kindle to read it, you can install the Kindle App on your phone or PC for free. The book is $9.99. Dr. Vuong is a bariatric surgeon who literally teaches his patients how to eat. It's nothing like you would expect. I got the book a couple of days after surgery and it made all the difference in the world to me. Just read it and you will see what I mean. If you're not happy, Amazon refunds your money within the first 7 (?) days I think. It won't take more than a day or two to read. I still refer to it every day. http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Gastric-Sleeve-Success-Practical/dp/0615830447/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1423762635&sr=8-2&keywords=duc+vuong

Good job! I am so jealous of your skin. I look like a Shar-Pei with my clothes off.

I think what some people mean is that you are falling off the wagon a lot for someone who literally just got on the wagon. You are setting up a pattern of behavior. Seeing a therapist might be the best thing at this point. You want to get this under control before it gets out of hand. Sometimes people can't do that on their own. It's not a failing on your part. It's to help you succeed and gain the control you will need to make this work.

Right after surgery I lived on Amy's Soups (strained) with Water added. No-chicken Noodle and Tomato Bisque. The Imagine Organic boxed soups (squash type) watered down are really good too. Pacific and Swanson vegetable broths are both good if you add a dash of A-1 sauce to them.

By "eat" do you mean one or two bites? Or are you literally eating a meal every half hour?