BitterSweet*

To be cleared for surgery, track all of the time. After surgery you may also find tracking helpful to make sure you are meeting daily Protein and caloric requirements. When you hit a stall, it'll help to determine what nutritional adjustments can be made to your intake to resume weight loss. Some people are religious about tracking, and some don't do it all once they've had the surgery.

When cleared by your surgeon, weights will help resculpt your body. I've been a yo-yo dieter for as long as I care to remember, and one of the reasons I was never satisfied with my appearance was because no matter what my scale said, I still looked very flabby....and jiggly.....and dimply. I have every piece of gym equipment you can imagine; from a thigh master (lol!) to a treadmill and everything in between. I used to have a personal trainer and learned to run. I ran mile after mile, after mile, and did every workout DVD available. (I have all of those too). All of the exercises were great and effective for losing weight, but they never changed my jiggles. One of my fb acquaintances is a trainer and he gave me the best advice ever. Ever. He told me in order to resculpt my body and shed the layers of fat, I had to weight train. And he was right. Instead of running, I started walking long distances with a weighted vest (courtesy of WalMart), and when I returned from my walks, I did squats while holding heavy weights. Bible. It transformed my legs. That tree bark (that's what I call the bulging fat and dimples on the backs of my thighs), disappeared. Gone. And the changes were noticeable very quickly. Cardio is necessary exercise but the key to change lies in weights. Lighter weights and lots of reps helps to tone for people who are closer to normal weight and don't have batwings. Morbidly obese people benefit from using heavier weights and doing less reps for the upper body, and heavy weights with lots of reps for the lower half.

What planet have I been living on that I was unaware of this fantastic word? I've witnessed flouncing on many occasions but never knew the word for it. The urban dictionary definition had me in tears! ????????

That is a great suggestion! Thank you! Good luck on your weight loss journey and please stay in touch!

If it is only job related, it doesn't matter and your employer doesn't need to know. If the information is related to health insurance, that is a different scenario.

Yes to the ankle weights trick. A few high sodium meals before a weigh in would also cause fluid retention and a higher weight on the scale.

What you want and what you need are two very different things. Even if you indulge in both things, tomorrow you'll still be in the exact same position regarding your job. Then what will you do? This sucks momentarily but there is likely a better opportunity on the horizon for you, and it's certainly not at the bottom of a B&Js ice cream container. Breathe, cry if you have to but leave that stuff alone. Worst case: I'd pick the ice cream over the cigarettes. The ice cream will probably give you a nice case of the bubble guts anyway (great aversion therapy), but the cigarrettes won't be so kind; they'll keep calling your name. Just don't do it. Things will be ok.

If moderate to severe anxiety is a normal problem you have, you should let your PCP know and perhaps get a prescription for an anxiolitic like Xanax. If your nerves are just on edge pending surgery, use the nervous energy to benefit you. "Nest" and prepare your home (cleaning, getting supplies you'll need), start working out if you haven't, and my personal favorite; sex - that's always a great stress reliever. Everything will be ok!

@@proudgrammy, not at all! I love your posts and smiley faces!! ❤️ You're a great addition to this forum. ????

That sucks. I'm so sorry.

Feel better. ????

Go to urgent care and get checked out. You could have the flu and be given Tamiflu to decrease the severity and length of your symptoms, or it could be something else entirely. I think you're too fresh post-operatively to take a chance. I hope you feel better soon.

Wow, just wow......

Nope, not yet! I've had plastic surgery (tt and breast lift) and had a JP drain in each breast and two abdominal ones after surgery.

Anytime. You'll be just fine, those drains really aren't a big deal - at least that was my experience. I've also discontinued plenty of JP drains before and never had one patient put up much of a fuss. I am a nice nurse though and always pre-medicate patients for pain. Stay in touch and good luck!

JP drains are used because cut things bleed. Whether a surgeon uses a drain or not varies, but I can assure you the bloody drainage happens whether a drain is there to collect it or not. I'd much rather have a drain to collect that Fluid instead of it just leaking into my peritoneal cavity. The people who've had JP drains post VSG will tell you that A LOT of fluid collects in them. Risking developing an abscess from that drainage is scarier than having the drain. I've had 4 JP drains before and they didn't bother me at all; not even when they were pulled out.

I'd also suggest going to another nutritionist, but that is not always an option. You would definitely fare better with one that is a member of a bariatric team. If you can't go to a different one, please keep in mind that it's not her job to determine if you can have surgery. It's her job to educate you and determine if you can be compliant with food journaling, exercising, and that you fully understand how to be successful with nutrition after surgery. That's it.

@@nikki9, you should've said, "Yeah I had partial, just like that partial denture in your mouth".

I'm thinking that I may have my husband prepare the pureéd foods, measure them out, and I'll just eat with my eyes closed.

DEAD @ "hem"!!! Holy cow that's hilarious!! ????????

=)

Yay! Congratulations!

Lol! I have a couple on standby. If I don't need them I'll save the wigs for Halloween or donate them with my fat girl clothes.

Protein, hydration, and Vitamins is all you can do. Biotin does not and will not stop or slow hair loss; it will help with regrowth once the hair loss cycle stops. My advice: expect hair loss, buy a cute wig and or decide on a cute haircut for if / when it occurs. Do your best to meet protein and Water goals early on after surgery. The cause of the hair loss happens months before you actually see your hair falling out.

I would love to chat with you but I can hardly read your posts! The script writing and color just do a number on my eyes! Maybe it's just because I only access this site on my cell, but it is blinding me! I've been putting off a visit to the optometrist for quite some time. I think I need to go ASAP!