Noor1969

Mmmmm...cheese sticks! One of my favorite comfort foods! I will have to try this one!

You're lucky--at least you get to eat solid food once a day! My preop diet is shakes only....I am SO not looking forward to it!

eggs, cottage cheese, and more cheese! Sounds like a Protein powerhouse! I will have to try this post-surgery.

I am really struggling with food funerals and last meals right now. I know that it's only going to make things worse for me in the long run as that will put even more weight on me before my surgery. I'm trying to get things under control but I've been messing up big time.

I'm a huge fan of Costco's salmon burgers...just bought some last weekend.

I've been following you since you started your preop diet and I know it hasn't been easy for you. You are doing great! It doesn't give me a lot of hope for my own preop diet that's coming up soon, as I know it's going to be tough, but hopefully I'll get through it, LOL. Maybe you can try drinking more Protein shakes and they will keep you more satisfied? I'm not on my preop diet yet but I've been trying to drink a Protein shake every day at lunch and I've been surprised at how satisfying they are. Of course, it's not taking the head hunger or the desire to eat carbs away but that's a different story. I'm not doing too great with getting my fluids in either. My NUT wants me to drink at least 64 oz. of Fluid a day and I'm lucky if I've gotten in half that. We have to keep trying, right?

I just bought some of this in the vanilla flavor...plan to use a lot of it. I haven't really experimented with it yet, but I have a Blendtec blender (same kind as Vitamix) and plan to try the "ice cream" idea as well. I'm not allowed to use milk when I make shakes for the preop diet, so I'm a little concerned about how this powder will taste just mixed with Water. Hopefully, it won't taste bad.

I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to post. You obviously have a lot of stuff going on and I'm touched that in spite of everything you're still checking in and updating with us. Congrats on your weight loss!

I love my Blendtec (similar to Vitamix) and use it every day. I like my Protein shakes really cold and it does an excellent job of pulverizing the ice cubes. I also plan to use it a lot in the weeks after my surgery for pureed foods and Soups. I also make a fantastic "ice cream" from frozen fruit, Protein powder, and Splenda. The only drawback is that it costs $300+ but the motor is much stronger than an average blender. You also get a 7 year warranty. If you're a costco member, they have demos of the Blendtec (as well as the Vitamix) there all the time. Good luck!

LOVE LOVE LOVE crab cakes!!! Except I buy the fake crabmeat because I'm cheap . I know a lot of people hate it, but I like it. I also bake my crab cakes to cut back a bit on the fat content, although they don't come out quite as nice as the fried ones.

I'm an open book too. I'm really proud of myself for making this difficult decision and have no problem sharing it with anyone who wants to know. I just started working with a personal trainer at the Y and I told her what I was planning to do. Today I saw her and she introduced me to someone who was also having the surgery, so I made a friend there. I also feel that if I share my story with others it hopefully will educate people and even better, I hope that I can help someone else by sharing my experience. But I totally understand the desire to keep it private, especially where gossip is involved.

OMG, I just bought a huge jar of Fuzzy Navel and was wondering what to do with it all! I will have to try this!

MQ, if this is any consolation to you, I'm struggling with some "cheating" issues too. I saw my NUT today and she told me that I can't have caffeine 3 months post-surgery and it's also not allowed when I do my 2 week pre-op diet. OK, it's all about hydration...I can see why you shouldn't have caffeine post-surgery but WTF is wrong with it during the pre-op diet?!? Why is hydration such an issue then? It's not like I won't be able to drink extra Fluid to compensate--my stomach hasn't been sleeved yet. Anyhoo, I think it's a stupid rule, but I will comply with the program because, frankly, I'm scared not to. I will bring it up with my surgeon when I see her in a couple of weeks but I know what her answer will be. I really should just suck it up and deal with it, right?

I'm not due to be sleeved until at least February. Believe me, the date can't come soon enough! I'm 260 and would like to lose 100 pounds. Glad to hear you're doing OK!

I understand, I'm scared too. It's still a little too early in my process for my surgeon to submit an authorization request, so the wait is killing me. I'm consoling myself with what their office told me: that my insurance company is one of the easier ones to obtain approval. I don't see why they would NOT authorize the surgery but of course my thoughts are running away with me. I hope your wait will be over soon.

Haven't tried the Protein Water, but the Cabot Sharp is DELICIOUS! It doesn't even taste like low fat cheese. The only issue I have is that you don't get much for the price. So, you're a few days out from your surgery, right? How are things going?

Hey, I'm from NJ too, Hamilton Township (just outside Trenton.) I'm also due to be sleeved in February and can't wait! Wishing you all the best.

Thank you so much for this very inspirational post. I weigh 260 pounds and I'm in pain every moment of the day. The surgery is my last hope. I'm so thrilled that you had a positive outcome, it inspires me so much. Congratulations!

Hi there, do any of you wear a MedicAlert bracelet after getting sleeved? I've heard that it's necessary to wear one so in the event of a medical emergency the EMT's won't intubate you and destroy your stomach. Your opinions?

"Lose interest in eating?" Wow, I can't wait until I can feel that way ! Thanks for keeping us posted!

Tomorrow you're taking the first step to a happier, healthier life! Isn't it exciting? I'm due to get sleeved hopefully in February and I'm looking forward to it like a little kid looks forward to Xmas. Please keep us posted!

I haven't had the surgery yet but I see your BMI is the same as mine. I just spent thousands of dollars to see a diet doctor (I got the HCG injections) and have already gained back half of the 60 pounds I lost. I have tried more diets than I can possibly remember. I have heard on this board and other boards that 95% of people who try to lose weight through dieting alone eventually gain the weight back. The odds are stacked against us. I have come to the painful realization that no matter how hard I try or how much discipline or willpower I muster up, my appetite issues are going to set me up to fail. Right now, I see getting sleeved as my only hope. I don't think I can lose the weight on my own and that's something that you're going to have to really think about. I would encourage you to keep coming to this forum as I have--you will find 99.9 of your questions answered here. A HUGE advantage you have is that your insurance covers the procedure at 100%. Heck, mine covers at 90% and I consider myself lucky! If your insurance will cover it, why not take advantage of it? I will bow out here so that the folks who have already been sleeved can share their experiences with you. I this helps in some way, and I wish you the very best with whatever decision you make.

Would you guys mind taking a moment to listen? I need this surgery badly. I'm 260 pounds and my quality of life is just awful. My back and knees hurt all the time, I get out of breath when I walk, I can barely move around enough to keep my house clean. It's so depressing and demoralizing. I saw a diet doctor earlier this year, went on a very strict diet (HCG injections--spent thousands of dollars) and lost 60 pounds, but I've already gained half of the weight back. This is why I'm having the surgery. Diets don't work for me--I just get so damn hungry all the time. No matter how I try, I just can't control it. I won't be able to have my surgery until February at the earliest. I'm still in the middle of doing pre-op testing and I haven't gotten insurance approval yet. I'm stressing out about that too. I know I shouldn't as my benefits plan clearly states that they pay 90% of bariatric surgery and my surgeon's office has told me that my plan is one of the easier ones to get approved by. But I worry anyway. I can't wait until I get through all of this waiting and start my new, healthy life. I have bipolar disorder and see a psychiatrist but I don't think this depression is going to lift until I've had my surgery. I am on medication (have tried many) but my medication isn't touching the pain I'm going through right now. I don't care about looking good or fitting into new clothes, although that would be nice. I just want to be healthy and start participating in life. Right now I'm just sitting on the sidelines, depressed and in pain. I keep blaming myself and telling myself that this is all my fault. That if I were only stronger, had more discipline, had more willpower, that I wouldn't have ended up this way. I feel absolutely terrible. I'm just wondering if I'll be able to hang on until my surgery date. Have any of you ever felt this way? What are some ways that I can take good care of myself until I get the procedure? Thanks so much for listening. Noor

Cute shower cap! Thanks for the encouraging post. I start my pre-op diet in a few weeks and need the motivation. Glad to see that you're doing well!

You look very nice. Thank you for this courageous post.