BKLYNgal87

Sounds like the handiwork of a lazy employee. On the whole, surgeon's offices thrive on processing more patients more quickly because it's more $$$. That's what it's all about at the end of the day. So unless the coordinator has legitimate reasons for holding up your paperwork (ie: test results or insurance approval pending), by all means be that "annoying guy" and call until you get some answers. You are a patient, yes, but health care is still a business at heart.

The only time I ate something that sent me running to the bathroom so far is oily, greasy food. Unfortunately I've had tastes of baked goods and frozen yogurt since being sleeved and I tolerate them just fine. I am willing to bet chewable vitamins will be fine. Think of it this way - most brands have less sugar in them than a piece of fruit.

Wow!!! You look so amazing. Thanks for the inspiration congrats on your upcoming nuptials!

I don't know if this will make you feel better but awareness (consciousness) during general anesthesia is so rare these days in modern OR's it's practically impossible. The anesthetic cocktail they give you has drugs that put you to sleep and drugs that keep you asleep and wipe out short term memory. The anesthesiologist monitors your vitals and brain activity throughout the operation and adjust the IV's accordingly. The odds are astronomical that you'd wake up while in surgery, but even if you did, you wouldn't form a memory of it anyway. Given all of this, I have my doubts about people who claim they remember being conscious during surgery. Especially those who seek fame on TV shows. As for friends and family shutting down as your date approaches, maybe it's worry - maybe it's compassion fatigue, hard to say. But once they see how well you will do they will sing it's praises. One of my close work friends who lost weight on her own and mostly kept it off was very unsupportive of my decision pre-op, but now I am down 52 lbs in less than 3 months and every time she sees me she's in awe. At the end of the day, you are doing this for yourself and undoubtedly once you start to really recover you will feel it's the best choice you could have made. You'll be confident and others will take notice.

How far out post-op are you? In an ideal world, none. But in the real world, in my mind, it's okay to have a treat every once in a while. I've had a fair share. But as a matter of daily practice breaded meat isn't a wise option for a high protein/low carb diet.

I assume you are pre-op. As Arts said you can wean yourself off of it slowly. Tea, coffee, crystal light, diet snapple and water enhancers are all good options. I used to be a diet coke-a-holic and quit cold turkey. I am nearly 3 months post-op and don't miss it at all.

My thoughts and prayers with you and your husband. Hugs!

Look at you giving Beyonce a run for her money in that dress! You look awesome! Enjoy it!

Wow congratulations on your immense success! You look amazing!

If you have a smart phone and you can download my fitness pal, right before you eat a meal type it out on the screen. It takes 30 seconds. It may seem like a hassle in the beginning but you get used to it and you'll see that tracking especially food will be so beneficial to your long term success. The sleeve, as far as I can tell, only prevents binge eating or eating too much at one time. It does nothing to stop you from snacking here and there all day, which won't help you lose any weight! Only you can prevent that!

Congratulations! Keep up the great work!

Life is full of choices. Sounds like you made the right one for yourself! It does feel nice when people notice though

Yesterday an old colleague of mine (who retired a few months ago) came by the office to visit (she's an odd bird ) and noticed my weight loss immediately. She then proceeded to start prying as to what I was doing. Since she was more a frenemy than a friend I was adamant that "I eat a lot less and I exercise". Which, honestly, nothing could be further from the truth! She said "Yeah but everyone does that. What are you doing differently?" All I could think to say was "I dunno... succeeding?" Lol.

FYI - that statement does not make scientific sense. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. The only studies I can think of that come anywhere similar to what you have said suggested that amongst elderly people high caffeine consumption (more than 16oz of coffee every day) can increase urine calcium loss. This can be counteracted by taking daily calcium supplements which are already recommended for older people, particularly women. You may not be aware that old age by itself increases risk of osteoperosis regardless of any other environmental factors. So if it's something you are that concerned about then moderation and taking a calcium supplement are all you really need. Disclaimer: I work in the basic science and clinical science research field for a living.

Oh yeah lol they do have that delicious caramel topping. Definitely sugar-loaded. I don't go to starbucks often anymore thankfully. Too much temptation!

Starbucks has sugar free syrups. Usually vanilla and caramel but sometimes hazelnut. I agree with gmanbat though. Caffeine doesn't harm you if you drink it in moderation. There are legitimate and important surgeons orders to follow and then there are superfluous "orders". It takes people a while to learn how to distinguish. But keep this in mind: surgeons do not practice medicine. They cut and sew for a living. Don't let the MD degree fool you into thinking they all know what is proper for your overall health and wellbeing. Many of them can be completely clueless.

Made me want to stop eating my mid-morning yogurt. Blech. But very useful!

Truly awesome and inspiring work!

NSAIDS are a no-no right after surgery because they can increase stomach bleeding risk and ulcers. As for further down the road, taking them in moderation is probably fine unless you have a peptic ulcer history. I have taken ibuprophen in lower doses than I used to with food and have tolerated it just fine.

That girl in your profile pic is still you. If you attained her before, you can get her back and then some. But remember at the end of the day, she's still inside you. You are capable of feeling as good now as you did then. And maybe a more positive attitude is the thing you haven't tried? Whenever you want to downplay your incredible accomplishments you should remember how far you've come. Look at old pictures of yourself. Where would you be now if you never had sleeve surgery? I am sure I will come to know how hard maintenance is, though I'm still a long way away. I know many people who struggle, including my mother who lost 50 lbs when she got into competitive ballroom dancing. She now loses and gains the same 10 lbs every year. It frustrates her sometimes but she still feels much better about herself now than she did because losing the excess weight and dancing her heart out gave her a confidence she never knew. When I get to the point where I don't jiggle an embarassing amount I promised myself I'd start taking hip hop dance lessons again because it's both great exercise and because mastering dance routines makes me proud of my body and what it is capable of. Another thing to try perhaps when your strains heal?

The number of people who have complications post surgery is small yes, but an even smaller number of those folks are those who have had complications and regret having the surgery. If you dig around through the complications forum you'll see even though people there have endured some serious difficulties, most of them at the end of the day would have done WLS again if given the chance at a do-over. You definitely have to weigh the risks you face going under the knife versus staying the way you are. For me this surgery was a no-brainer because I had tried and failed to lose the weight every other way and my future as fat looked bleak. Best wishes.

Unless you have a cholesterol problem, no reason to not eat the yolk unless you're tightly regimenting your calories. The yolk has the highest concentration of calories in the egg, after all. Enjoy!

Awesome, awesome work! You're truly inspiring!

If your bloodwork comes back a-ok then I fail to see the problem. Most people find that the closer you get to goal the slower the weight will come off. Your doctor should know better than to say you'll be at goal by x date because that's a dubious assumption. If it happens that would be great though! Keep up the great work!

That does seem low. Do you have physical limitations that prevent you from exercise? The only rationale for that I would think is if you aren't able to do the other half of the weight loss program, which is exercise. It would be hard to have the energy to work out on 400-600 calories. Talk to your nutritionist about these concerns.