AmyInOrlando

Hi MAChick,
I don't think that it is straight across the board. I have bipolor and had no problem finding a surgeon and hospital to perform the surgery. I did go through the psych eval and passed. Basically they just wanted to make sure that I was stable and well prepared for the surgery. Additionally the insurance company is covering my surgery no problems there either.
Was this just one hospital or several? I wish you luck.
Bonnie

9/20/13 Current weight 173
Goal for Halloween Challenge 158

My sleeve tells me when I've eaten too fast (or don't chew enough). I get this lump in my throat... it's very uncomfortable.

I sometimes use 2 oz of Cookies and Cream Muscle Milk in my coffee.< /p>

My dog Kaity is much cuter then I am, and she's only 3 (of course that's 21 in dog years), and no, she's not fat, just fluffy.

9/20/13 Current weight 173
Goal for Halloween Challenge 158

Comes in several gourmet coffee flavors.... French vanilla, Expresso, Mocha, Caramel, Latte. 110 calories, 20 Protein, 4 carbs, 2 fats. About $28 a bag, 22 servings. Tastes as good as Starbucks or McDonalds Frappes. Each has 80 mg. of caffeine.

My dog Kaity is much cuter then I am, and she's only 3 (of course that's 21 in dog years), and no, she's not fat, just fluffy.

My dog Kaity is much cuter then I am, and she's only 3 (of course that's 21 in dog years), and no, she's not fat, just fluffy.

My dog Kaity is much cuter then I am, and she's only 3 (of course that's 21 in dog years), and no, she's not fat, just fluffy.

My dog Kaity is much cuter then I am, and she's only 3 (of course that's 21 in dog years), and no, she's not fat, just fluffy.

My dog Kaity is much cuter then I am, and she's only 3 (of course that's 21 in dog years), and no, she's not fat, just fluffy.

My dog Kaity is much cuter then I am, and she's only 3 (of course that's 21 in dog years), and no, she's not fat, just fluffy.

My dog Kaity is much cuter then I am, and she's only 3 (of course that's 21 in dog years), and no, she's not fat, just fluffy.

My dog Kaity is much cuter then I am, and she's only 3 (of course that's 21 in dog years), and no, she's not fat, just fluffy.

Hi Amy. I recently purchased the Fit Frappe too & had same question once I tasted it - seemed too good to be true! I googled the question and found a webpage that compared Proteins. It showed the Calcium caseinate one step below whey Protein. The pros of calcium caseinate are slow absorption and highly digestible. The con was if you are lactose intolerant it may effect you. I have the comparison chart pinned on my "Protein Power" page on Pintrest if you want to check it out. My pintrest user name is TAWehle.

I went to Mexico myself. I chose Dr. Alvarez, in Piedras Negras. His Coordinator, Susan hooked me up with my "Sleeve Sisters", Nancy (from CA), and Linda (from KY) a few weeks before my surgery. It gave us enough time to get to know each other via email and phone calls. We each traveled alone and were scheduled for surgery the same day. We had gotten to know each other, so when we arrived at the Hotel, it was like meeting "new" old friends. We still stay in touch regularly, and have a weekly "3 way phone call meet-up" every Thursday evening.
Pack light. Arrange for the airline to have a wheelchair escort take you to the gate. They will help you board and put your carry-on luggage in the overhead bin. Ask for a pre-boarding pass and sit in the bulkhead if you can. (the first seat). That will give you room to stretch your legs and exercise them during your flight. (helps to avoid blood clots).
Don't take jewelry. I wore my watch and earrings only. I brought my I-phone, one credit card, and $50 cash. I only spent about $15, for a bowl of Soup, a few bottles of Water and tipped the driver. Wear something comfortable to fly home in. Sandals or flip flops so you're not messing with tying laces, etc. Something to sleep in at the hotel and a few toiletries. Don't worry about a hairdryer, Shampoo, etc (the hotels provide it). Bring a toothbrush, toothpaste and a hairbrush. Get some gas-ex strips and a chap stick. You probably won't feel like putting on make-up, so don't bother packing it. Bring a hoodie or light jacket in case you get cold on the plane. I had a private room and never worried about my belongings.
Hook up with your "sleeve sister (s)", and you'll never be alone. We walked together, had dinner (egg drop soup) the night before surgery together, and were always in each other's rooms once we were awake and walking around (the night of surgery). It was a great experience. I'm glad I didn't bring a friend or family member.... they wouldn't have been able to relate to the experience as my "sleeve sisters" did.

I believe being honest in what you eat and holding yourself accountable is a huge factor in success of this surgery. I didn't cut out 85% of my stomach to count and stress over calories for the rest of my life and continue to diet forever. I had to learn Portion Control and that it is OK to have a treat when I want one. Struggling in your mind is what gets most of us!! In addition to learning to eat properly you need to mentally make changes. Just my thoughts....

I think in the beginning it's easy for us to tell ourselves that we can still eat what we want and not exercise, because the honeymoon phase is REAL, trust me. Once that ends and you can eat more, watch out..... That is when you have to fall back on the good habits that you should of established in the beginning. I'm 8 months out, and I have to make a conscious effort each day to not do things that will make me gain weight.

Let me ask YOU a question. Did you have this surgery to get thin or to get healthy? Be honest! Some people want to lose weight for looks and there is nothing wrong with that. Other people lose weight to be healthy. For me, looking great is a huge motivating factor and one that I am enjoying immensely, but I had this surgery to get to a healthy weight/fitness level and to maintain the great health I already had with no co-morbidities and no aches and pains or various other issues.
I didn't get fat because I only ate junk, I got fat because I ate in volume. Yes, I did make bad choices and splurged, but I was almost always "on a diet", so the majority of the time the food I ate was reasonably healthy. I was a grazer, too. When I was logging food, I ate my three meals a day or four mini meals. When I wasn't logging, I made "healthy choices" allllllll dayyyyyyy looooooooooonnnnnnnngggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg.
I have this healing time to relearn new habits about logging, eating small portions, eating only at meal time and sticking to my new nutritional guidelines. I know I feel better when I eat my Protein and less carbs. I am fuller longer when I avoid junky stuff. I think about food less when I have a plan and I stick to it.
I didn't have this surgery to eat whatever whenever, that's what got me here in the first place. I put my family through a lot with this surgery and I don't regret it, nor do they. I want to be able to say the same in five years, not to have chalked up another (costly, messy, painful) diet fail with really nothing more that I could do to fix it.
So to answer your question. I am sure there are people out there that get to goal eating whatever they want, whenever they want without moving much, just kind of doing their daily thing. Maybe it's possible that I could be successful that way, maybe it's not. I don't want to find out that I am NOT the one that could. Totally not worth it.

I have to watch what I eat. I'm 9 months out, and I know I could eat enough now to gain weight. I was fat due to bad habits like over eating and grazing. I can consume a lot of calories without realizing it, so for me, its a lifestyle change that requires calorie counting and tracking. Its WAY easier now that I'm not starved all the time.

I'm five weeks out, but I'm taking an opposite approach from pammy. I'm still trying to be a fanatic about the program. I've lost a decent amount of weight since surgery (27 lbs), and I feel much better for it. My doctor said that you'll never get another chance like we have during the honeymoon phase, so make the most of it. That's what I'm trying to do. At the end of the day, you should do what works for you. My journey is different from pammy's and yours. I think the key is that we've all decided to take the first step on that journey, and in the end that's what really counts. Best of luck!

I am 6 months out and I haven't changed what I eat. I make sure that I get my Protein in first then I feel I am free to eat what I want. I do not have hunger so if I got all my protein in by my afternoon snack and still have 500-600 calories left (I shoot for 1200 but some days that is difficult to reach) I will have a handful of chips, a cookie or two or an ice cream. I still make the same dinners, only difference is i eat a half cup of food vs an entire heaping plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. For me, I didn't become over weight by the types of food I ate but by the quantity of food I ate. I now will have a handful of chips instead of the entire bag or a small slice of cake vs half of cake. I didn't have this surgery to be thin, I had it to get healthy. I have lost 85 lbs with 10-15 lbs left to loose, all in 6 months. I try to get in exercise but I am not consistent. I feel this surgery has worked for me because I am physically un-able to gorge.... my stomach let's me know when I am done and if I even try to sneak an extra bite in I am a lot of pain for about a half hour!!! Sooo not worth it to try one last bite!!!!

I just want to add.... Dr. Alvarez mentioned on his radio show last night that he doesn't like the phrase "customer service". He doesn't think of his Patient's as "customers". He thinks of us as "family". I really believe he is sincere about this. He shows a great deal of care and concern about us, not only during surgery, but long after. He has "reunions" to be able to stay in contact with us. I really believe he wants to see us all be successful. It's not a marketing ploy.

I had surgery in Piedras Negras, MX with Dr. Guillermo Alvarez. I flew into San Antonio, TX and the hospital is a 2 and a half hour ride from San Antonio. Just a mile across the border from Eagle Pass, TX. The hospital was great, the staff were attentive. Dr. Alvarez is a skilled and experienced Surgeon. I've been a Registered Nurse for 38 years and my experience with him and his staff is rated A+. I would recommend him to any of my family or friends. You can check him out on Endobariatrics.com. I did a lot of research before choosing him. I could not find even one negative review or post about him.