PinkPolkadot619

I live in San Diego :-) I should be 6 months out after my surgery :-) I'll be there.

I am pre-op... so you may take this for what it's worth. My nutritionist basically threatened to not recommend me for surgery because I kept saying I didn't want to give up foods like pizza, that I would just eat less of them. She insisted that is not how it works. Also, my surgeons office requires a "Steps Class" in which they gave us a list of behaviors that will ensure our failure, i.e. "things to avoid". Such as eating foods with more than 20% or more of Daily Value of Fat, more than 10 grams of sugar per serving, eating candy, drinking soda or alcohol, etc. If we want to succeed... we need to accept that these foods are no longer in our best interest. I can't say I have learned this yet. But I refuse to go through the surgery and weight loss only to gain it back by returning to old habits.
Just a suggestion, this is something I am finding out about myself... healthy food can taste good too. Fajita veggies are yummy, even without the tortilla. I never knew this. lol. And last little bit I learned in class... rank all the foods you eat on a scale of 1 to 10. then eliminate all the 1's and 2's and all the 9's and 10's. If you don't like it, don't eat it. Same goes if you like it too much.
Anyway... way more info than you wanted, I guess. Good luck!

It is, but part of me is very grateful. I know I need to make lifestyle changes and figure out the emotional part of my food problems. The surgery only operates on your stomach not your brain, and I know I need the extra time to process and learn why I do what do and then change it.

My NUT told me to pour some soda in a Ziploc bag and seal it up. Then carry the bag around while you do your housework or go up and down the stairs a few times. The bag will start to expand and bloat because of the carbonation. This is the same reaction it will have on your sleeve.
That image sticks with me when I think about having a Coke after I'm sleeved. I just won't take that chance.

I am in San Diego, I have Kaiser and start the 6 months of classes April 3, 2014

I am in San Diego, I have Kaiser and start the 6 months of classes April 3, 2014

At this point I almost wish less people knew. I don't feel like telling people 12 times a day how much weight I've lost. I feel like half the conversations I have go like this "hey how are you" me: "I'm good" other person "how much weight have you lost?"
I haven't even got back to work yet, I'm dreading that. One of my coworkers had RNY about 6 years ago and he is already the type that knows everything about everything. The thing is, he's gained most if his weight back and I really don't want or need his advice. I think I'm going to tell him to mind his own damn business if he tries to talk to me about it. Luckily my coworkers who do know were explicitly told not to let him know why I've been out, so maybe he'll leave me alone.

Try giving her the benefit of the doubt as she is likely all wrapped up in her wedding planning. And I agree...looking for bridesmaids dresses is not the time to call her out on anything.
Having said that however....I would suggest when you come out of the dressing room and see that you look spectacular...you should say loudly and forcefully....I looook faabulous in this dress!
I know...it's not how we roll. Most of us are so overwhelmed by how we look, that we sit in the dressing room or stand in front of the mirror and cry...and the poor saleslady has no idea what's going on.
But if you acknowledge your success loud and clear, there's no way she can avoid it.
Let us know how it goes, OK? I for one am mighty curious.

I pay full out of pocket. So I figured get the best I can. Go big or go home..... Lol

The latest research is estimating that 75% of over eating comes from emotional eating. Identifying the trap of emotional eating and having the specific steps to escape are essential in learning how to maintain your weight loss.


The Emotional Eating Trap:
Many of us focus our weight loss plans on diet and exercise only; we have no awareness, plan, or tools to work through our emotions which may be contributing to Snacks, binges, or over-sized portions. We get excited. We have our new bariatric plan and exercise routine in place and we are feeling great about it. Then BAM, out of nowhere we get an intense urge or impulse to eat a variety of foods that are not on our new meal plan. At the drop of a dime your feelings have instantly changed. In this very moment you are being seduced by a “thought-feeling” state. At this very moment your automatic reaction is to escape the “perceived bad feeling” which many of us are unaware of at the moment it is happening.
Escaping the Trap:
1. Identify the impulse to emotionally eat by asking the question: “Am I physically Hungry?” You will realize you are not physically hungry most of the time.
2. Change your emotional state by doing a quick meditation
Meditation:
1. Close your eyes and begin to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
2. Think of something you appreciate or you are grateful for. As you think of this person or thing focus your breathing through your heart; breathing in and out. Focus all of your thoughts to this feeling of being grateful for three to five breaths.
3. Now think of something you love about yourself. It can be a physical body part or it can be a personality trait. Continue to focus all your thoughts on something you love about yourself for three to five breaths, focusing on breathing that feeling in and out through your heart.
4. Now think of one kind act someone has done for you. Again as you focus on this thought for three to five breaths, breathe the feelings in and out through your heart.
This meditation only takes a few minutes but will instantly change your feelings or at least neutralize them. This is a plan of self-empowerment that will allow you to escape the “bad feelings” by redirecting your feelings instead of avoiding them by over eating.
If you are interested in not getting caught in the overeating trap again, set up a schedule to do this meditation a few times throughout the day. The more you do this meditation the more you will strengthen your ability to self-regulate. The most important factor in learning how to maintain your weight loss after surgery is being consistent with identifying the impulse to over eat and following through with the meditation.

I am Sothern Ca Kaiser but they told me to expect 9 months Orentation to surgery date
Feb 27- Orientation
March 5- Blood work and EKG ordered
March 5th&6th- I got ALL the labs done.
March 11- Got the call to schedule the appt with Options Dr.
March 12- appt with Options Dr for approval or denial (approved)
March 13- Called with start date options for the 24 weeks of classes
April 3 - Sept 11 Classes
I was told aprox 6 weeks after last class for surgery date. But so far the time lines have not been the full time I was told, but I don't want to bank on that. I am hopeful it will end up more like 8 months Orientation to Surgery day, 7 and a half would make me super happy! but I will take whatever I get

Talking to other kaiser people on here it sounds like up there the program is MUCH faster!! I think classes are only 12 weeks, mine is 24. Good luck to you :-)

It's pretty in depth. They give you a packet each week and you have homework.

I don't have a doctor yet as I am still going through the Kaiser program. Once we jump through all their hoops, we get sent over to Pacific Bariatric

I am writing this post to simply capture others opinions so if it comes across negative please forgive me.
When I chose to make this tremendously huge change in my life, I went at it alone. I did not ask who approved??? I said this is what is best for me and my future and so be it for several reasons. People will tend to have a lot of opinions and most of the time they are not requested nor welcomed. It is easier for most to rattle off a thoughtless opinion than be a support mechanism which requires work.
After several required counseling sessions with the doctors, interactions with the nurses and etc, the one thing that I would like to discuss with those who have went through this journey is about the misconception of everyone who is overweight having low self esteem, can not achieve their dreams until they are in the population of the skinny or sits in dark corners eating everything in site.
Question: Do I have a solid 100 % healthy diet?
Answer: No
However I do not eat to cure the upsides and downsides of life. In every meeting that I sit in, I here some type of reference to it and it drives me insane. I chalk my weight to genetics, disorderly body functions and diet. I have always been overweight –PERIOD. From childhood until now in my thirties. I have dieted, exercised, did supervised diets, created my own and for the most part I have always been able to lose some type of weight however it never stayed away for long. Being a “PlUS” size girl I always have thought I was beautiful, I am active, I take care of myself, I do not think my weight is stopping me from achieving any goals, I do not thing my weight lost will make me pretty to those who think I am overweight, etc…etc…etc.
What is amazing is when I tried to correct – EXCUSE ME – when I tried to say or state FOR ME that I do not feel bad about myself and that is not what or how I feel, she the nurse what so programmed to why people become obese she talked right over me insisting I needed a list of 100 things to do beside snack. I do appreciate the information because anyone who has been through this knows that old eating habits are not apart of the success of this tool. I do not suffer from the breakup of how often I can eat not even really what I use to eat because that was never a problem. At times it does stink that convince of grabbing a burger when I do not want to cook or eating out without scanning over the menu like a hawk f is no longer an option because I have to basically plan, plan, plan – yea that is work at times but I would like people – the ones who do the surgery, write articles about overweight people, nurses, outsiders all to know that obesity is not always defined as lazy, low self esteem, over eating, lonely, and whatever else I have heard. I know that this is the case for some – I am not ignorant to that however it is not always the case. To hear the assumption because I am overweight I must feel a certain way about myself - sorry wrong. I choose this option because I have children that I want to live for and heart disease, cancer and other health issues run in my family that I want to attempt to avoid.
Anyone else ?

Your old food friend has made your life miserable. So why would you not want it to be in jail? Your whole life revolves around food instead of living. Don't you think its time to get your life back and think how bad your food friend has treated you all these years.