Inner Surfer Girl

Without knowing what you are doing it is hard to know what you are doing "wrong", if anything. Are you required to lose a certain amount pre-op? Are you supposed to be following a particular plan? Are you tracking your food?

As to actual surgery risks I am going to have to disagree with the above poster. According to my surgeon, the biggest risks are pneumonia and blood clots: both of which occur post surgery. If you do everything you are asked to do, from your pre-op diet, to using your spirometer as directed, walking, you should be fine. A good surgeon's primary goal is getting you through surgery healthy and successfully. Listen to your surgical team.

I didn't have complications but know from these boards that it has happened. The best thing to do is choose a skilled surgeon and do everything you are asked to do to prepare for surgery. The good thing, according to my surgeon, is that if something like that were to happen while you are in surgery you have a surgeon right there who can fix it.

Ditto!

If money is an issue you might also want to consider no sugar added carnation Breakfast essentials.

One of the reason's I felt really comfortable with my surgeon was that he was old enough to have a lot of really great experience/track record and young enough to be current.

I just got a new drivers license and the difference in pictures was quite marked.

I find things to elevate beyond the scale almost every day. So far today it was being able to stop at two stores on the way to a appointment, run in quickly to get something I needed and still get to my appointment on time.

Congratulations on your weight loss. You look great! Some thoughts: You have taken the first step in recognizing that you aren't satisfied with where you are now. In addition, it sounds like you are being honest with yourself about what you are doing which is extremely valuable if you want to make changes. One thing occurred to me when you mentioned that you have a very physical job is that you probably need to figure out what your body fat percentage is. Your goal weight MIGHT be unrealistic if you have a lot of muscle. Why not see if you can get a thorough assessment. Do you lift weights at a gym? It would be worth it to see if they can do a fitness assessment for you. They can also help you fashion a program to help you reach your goals. Also, go back to basics and follow your post-op food program. Track your food, You know what you are doing "wrong" but it also sounds like you don't know what you are doing right. How much Protein are you getting in? How much Water? Etc. The best advice I can give you is to go back to basics and make an appointment with your NUT to talk about your goals and challenges. An appointment with a counselor or therapist to talk about the same thing would be really beneficial, too. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

That is a great question for your insurance. Look for a free seminar in your area about weight loss surgery, preferably with a surgeon who is at a Bariatric Center of Excellence. They can help you get answer to questions like this, too since they generally work with a variety of insurance companies.

That sounds perfectly normal. For me, Greek yogurt and cottage cheese were both allowed on my full liquid phase and they function like liquids. Being satisfied on 4 oz of Greek yogurt is great. That is what we want to happen. It's a great source of Protein, too.

Just another reason to eat enough protein and keep up with your vitamins and supplements.

In the first month after surgery your body is swollen and healing. You may even still be full of Fluid from the hospital. Just follow your program and focus on getting in all of your Protein and fluids. It's also a good idea to stay off the scale early out and weigh infrequently. I only weighed at my doctors appointments early out. Please remember that no one loses weight at a constant or steady rate. We all stall. Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

I didn't have any either. My incisions were glued. What were your post-op instructions?

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing a significant amount of weight. Everyone stalls and almost everyone stalls about three weeks after surgery. You are right on schedule. Just follow your program. Focus on getting in all of your Protein and fluids. Stay off the scale. And, embrace the stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Congratulations, this is so awesome!

I don't know. Why not call your surgeon's office or your NUT and ask?

It sounds to me like you eat more frequently. When you refer to your Protein do you mean "protein supplement"? Because almost everything you eat whether it is soft or solid food should have some protein so you can reach your protein target. Early out I was eating or drinking something pretty much all day in order to reach my targets. It does get easier as you heal.

Great! Let us know how it goes.

This is great to hear!

All I can suggest is that you keep doing what you are doing: walking, sipping, heating pad, etc. It will get better. If it's unbearable, call your surgeon's office to see if they have any ideas.

Everything about my post-op experience so far is opposite from conventional "dieting". I am convinced that the reason I got to almost 600 pounds is because of "dieting".

Keep us posted on how you are doing.

One person's facile suggestion is another person's life-saving resource. @@reallyrosy, since you seem to be really struggling have you considered ALL of your options? Have you tried support groups? Have you tried a 12-step recovery program like OA (OA.org)? Have you considered looking for another NUT since you don't find your current NUT helpful?

Just stay the course and stay off the scale.