macman

HW. 362 SW. 320 CW. 260 2 pounds this week, 102 pounds total, 60 since surgery on 12/23.

Hello cabstewart First, congratulations on what you have achieved. It is no small step to get where you are. Since you asked, let me share what works for me. Our current daily goals are similar. 1000 calories, 80-100 grams protein and less than 60 carbs a day. I do cardio exercise 30-60 minutes a day, 5 days a week. I eat three meals a day with two snacks, never going more than 3-4 hours without eating. My only comment after reading your post is that one of the keys for me is to maintain a feeling of satiety for as long as possible. That way I am not tempted with typical snack foods. I try to do this by focusing on dense proteins, vegetables then fruit at meals. Then protein as part of a snack during the day. This way I have a constant feeling of fullness. I will be honest, I have not eaten popcorn, pasta, potatoes, rice, and bread by choice. For me it is part of the low carb approach that works for me. Except for the fruit I add to a breakfast protein shake, I do not have room to eat them at meals. 3-4 ounces of protein and a few vegetables completely fills me up. My snacks are usually Greek yogurt, beef jerky, quest bars, an occasional PB with apple slices, nuts or string cheese. I do not feel deprived of any foods because I eat what I want, albeit on a schedule I have established for myself. Continued good luck to you on this journey.

At four weeks I had lost 29 pounds

iphone, my fitness [al, Fitbit and a food scale. Measuring, weighing and tracking have been critical to my success! Being able to do this on a phone in my pocket makes it easy!

I am three months since surgery but would do it again every time asked! Even though I developed a pulmonary embolism as a result of the surgery. It made life difficult for week 2-6 after surgery, but thankfully everything is ok. There is too much benefit to the surgery to ignore. For me losing 100 lbs, stopping BP medication, sleep apnea and staving off Diabetes has made life so much better. And I am not done!

I had a six month wait required by insurance. Although long, the good news is it gave me a chance to get ready physically and mentally. Losing 40 pounds in the process was a bonus head start!

Congratulations on a great achievement! You look terrific as well.

My first four weeks were on a liquid diet. I had to drink 4 ounces protein shake each hour followed by 4 ounces of water the next hour (all day). I didn't really think about breakfast until solid foods stage. It does get easier. The first couple months are difficult as you move through the food stages. But soon enough you will settle into a daily routine

Back on Track! HW. 362 SW. 320 CW. 262 5 pounds this week, 100 pounds total, 58 since surgery on 12/23.

Hello everyone. Did not post last week as I was on vacation. Did not gain or lose weight but suffered through a bit of a stall while doing so. Worked hard this week to get back on track HW. 362 SW. 320 CW. 267 2 pounds this week, 95 pounds total, 53 since surgery on 12/23.

I am 9 weeks out B- six of seven days is a homemade Protein shake (25-35g Protein) the other day is Sunday, usually a 2 egg omelet with Turkey Bacon or sausage S- almonds or sometimes a greek yogurt, Whole Foods Peanut Butter with apple slices L-deli ham and cheese rollup with mustard, or canned chicken, ham or tuna with light mayo in lettuce cups S- Jack Links Teriyaki Beef or Quest Bar (White chocolate Raspberry, Double Chocolate, Coconut cashew) D- 3-4 ounces protein (fish, scallops, chicken, hamburger) Usually get 80-90 grams of protein a day.

I am 9 weeks out and have not had anything on your list except Pork. The pork was a BBQ Pork Shoulder that I shredded into pulled pork. No Problem eating that, and a little hamburger done taco style. I have been intentionally avoiding Pasta, rice, potatoes and bread for awhile. At least until I get closer to goal weight. I am still trying to eat 50-60 carbs per day. It is working well for me.

Congratulations on a successful surgery! The best advice is to follow the plan of your Surgeon and NUT, Drink plenty of Water, Eat protein first. start exercising when you are able. Good Luck!

The first three weeks I was told 4 ounces of Water on the even hours, 4 ounces of Protein shake on the odd hours, 7am-10 pm At about 4 weeks I started to use an app called Daily Water. You can set alarms and track total water consumed on your phone

I am 9 weeks out:

My first time out was a Tapas restaurant. It was perfect with the small plates. I ordered pork meatballs which were great! Last night we went out and I ate a mussel appetizer for dinner

Absolutely!

HW. 362 SW. 320 CW. 269 3 pounds this week, 93 pounds total, 51 since surgery on 12/23.

There were no problems with insurance. They are a long term provider for me. I belong to a group plan that has used them for years. They met mass health care requirements before ObamaCare and now are fully compliant with ObamaCare. They required that I have surgery at a Bariatric Center of Excellence and required a six month managed plan. They paid for all pre testing. They did not pay for the $300 program fee. I had surgery in December and had met my deductible, so my out of pocket was the 10% insurance did not cover ($2500) I returned to the hospital with complications, so had to pay my deductible and 10% of costs ($6000).

There was no problem at all with insurance. BCBSIL has been my insurance provider for a long time because of the group plan I belong to. It was accepted in Mass before ObamaCare and is fully compliant now. The blue cross Network is also accepted by most Massachusetts institutions. My plan pays 90% of costs after deductible is met. The deductible was $500 They had requirements like everyone else. I had a six month plan which the hospital worked with nicely. I also had to have surgery at a Bariatric Center of Excellence. That is why I went to UMass Medical Center. (This was also a personal requirement for me because I wanted to be in a major hospital, if something went wrong). They paid for all pre testing, done in the hospital. My surgery happened in December so I met my deductible before the surgery. I just had to pay the 10% the insurance did not cover, which for me was about $2500. I did return in. January with a complication and had to pay a $500 deductible, plus the 10% the insurance did not cover for another $6K.

It is a good way to add additional protein. I mostly use it in shakes

Congratulations! Well Done!

I lost 29 pounds the first 30 days from surgery. I asked the surgeon if that was normal and he indicated taht he usually sees 25-35 pounds the first month.

My surgery took about 60 minutes. I spent one night in the hospital because I use CPAP. The first two weeks went great, no issues. I was cleared to begin cardio at that time. At two weeks out I develop blood clots which slowed me down for the next 3-4 weeks. Over the last 4 weeks I have begun exercise again focusing on cardio. I started at 5 minutes a day and now I am at 30-45 minutes of cardio, 5-6 days a week. In a couple weeks I will take advantage of a gym membership my son and daughter in law gave to me and will start sone work on strength exercises.

I had a six month managed plan before surgery. I lost 42 pounds and felt very ready for surgery on December 23, 2013. The surgery went perfect and I did everything I was supposed to. I felt so good that I wondered if my stomach had actually been removed. Then I developed a blood clot that turned into a pulmonary embolism. I spent 2 weeks in the hospital and a week in intensive care. Thankfully, I have made a miraculous recovery. Although I knew about the potential for blood clots I didn't expect the complication to happen to me. As far as we can tell, the surgeon, the hospital and me did everything right. It just happened. And some of the other effects that people talk about just happen. Not to everyone but to some of us. I think you have to decide if it is a risk that you want to take. For me it was worth it. 9 weeks after surgery I have lost 51 pounds and I am 93 pounds lower than my start weight. No more blood pressure pills and my back has not felt this good in a long time. Plus I have changed habits that should add years to my life. For me changing the status quo was worth the adventure!