tamg26k

I was self pay and the total charge for my surgery was $24,000 of which about $13000 went to the hospital and the rest to the surgeon, anesthesiologist, etc. I also needed a hiatal hernia repair during surgery that I had to pay an additional bill just for that ( to the surgeon). I had to pay everything upfront -no billing, no payments!

Congrats!!! You rock!!

I know I definitely did. I wasn't sure if it was from the chewable Calcium or what. Certain things still taste like I'm eating tin. It did eventually get better.

I am just over 4 months post op. Some of my favorite meals are Protein pudding - made with sugar free pudding, Protein powder, and soy mill crockpot shredded chicken with a little chicken broth and mushrooms (I add Greek yogurt at the end to make it creamy) deli turkey or chicken I get shredded and add a sauce made of Greek yogurt and buffalo sauce edamame cottage cheese egg beaters w/ parmesan cheese raspberries Jimmy Deans turkey sausage w/ Walden Farms sugar free maple syrup cottage cheese Pulled pork tenderloin made in crockpot green Beans I stick to a really low carb diet and have done pretty good so far. Gradually, I am eating a bit more each day and have added 2 Protein shakes to my diet because I started working out a lot. My surgery day was 7/14/14 and have lost over 100 lbs. since then. I can honestly say things do get better...A LOT! My best advice is to make sure you get your Water, Vitamins, and protein in each day.

Just a quick question about "excess weight" - did everyone determine their excess weight on the BMI chart? Just curious. @Lauriep I believe the sky is the limit with weight loss. For me, this is a 100% lifestyle change. The surgery was just apart of this process. surgery healthy diet exercise I started at a very heavy weight (351 lbs.) and have lost about 100 so far. I feel great now! The difference in how I look and feel is amazing. I can't imagine how I will feel when I'm at 60%, 70%, 80% or even 90% (my goal!) I don't feel like I'm sacrificing anything. I've gained never having headaches anymore, no more body aches in the morning, no more snoring, and a perfect BP. Something happens when you start losing weight, for me, I just want to eat healthier and healthier. @@bella86 awesome! Truly inspiring!! Thank you for sharing.

I know I already posted today but today is a 2 NSV day! I ordered a sweater in XL (in July it was either 2xl or 3xl). The victory is that the XL was too big! I had to exchange it for a large! This is the first time I purchased clothing from not from the plus size department! It felt really good to make the purchase!!

I did very little exercising the first 4 months - just walking a bit. I lost about 94 lbs. the first 4 months by really watching my carbs and getting my Protein and Water in daily. I did notice a slight stall from 3 1/2 to 4 month so about 1 week from my exact 4 month date I joined a gym and started working out 4-5 days a week. Since then I think I lost over around 12 lbs. (little over 2 weeks!) I feel so much better now. With the exercise I also increased my calories and protein with actually is helping in my losing. Best of luck!

I think the 30 minutes prior to eating is up for debate. I've heard we can drink up until we take the first bite but drink nothing with the meal, Then others say 30 minutes prior. I usually stop drinking 5-10 minutes prior to my meal and wait about 30 after to drink again. This as worked really well for me. I feel that my pouch tends to stay full for several hours doing this, right around the time for the next meal. The one time I drank liquids ( a Protein shake) with my meal I was hungry again within the hour so I won't be doing that again. Also it usually only takes me 15-20 minutes for me to eat my meal. It's one of the things that still needs work.

@@carolk36 Thanks for the feedback! I was getting all of my Protein from food before I started with the trainer now I add 2 shakes to really increase my protein to over 100 grams a day. 2 weeks into this routine and I feel really good! Can't wait to get my measurements in a few weeks!

Over the last several weeks I started working out about 5 days a week, about 1-1 1/2 hours per session, and two days with a personal trainer. Prior to this my only exercise has been walking. I would average between 6000-10000 steps a day on my fitbit. During this time I would average between 500-700 calories a day and never really have any hunger between meals. Since starting my new workout routine, I notice that I never seem to be full. I increased my caloric intake and Protein by adding 1 to 2 extra Protein shakes a day extra bring my calorie count to around 800-1000. Is this enough? Did you increase your protein after you started a regular exercise routine?

send me a request: tamg26k Theresa

This morning I filled about 3 large trash bags with clothing (about 60 pieces) and donated them to Goodwill. Nothing fit anymore! It felt really good to make the donation!

Great story! My holiday NSV was today I was able to donate 3 full bags of clothing to Goodwill (about 60 pieces) because nothing fit! It feels really good to donate!

I'm 4 months post-op RNY and never really felt hunger pains until this week. I don't know if it is because I started working out a bit more. But this is the first time I can hear my stomach rumbling. I know wants you get a bit further along your hunger should hopefully go away. Best of luck!

Great article! I'm ready to tackle the holidays on my terms!!

Same as @@Jersrose43, no catheter for me. I had to be up and moving less than an hour after surgery. Best of luck!

I'm sure everyone has looked there, but I find a lot of stull on Pinterest and tweak a bit to my tastes.

One month out and down over 20 lbs. is really good! Take it one day at a time. You hear it all the time, the weight didn't get there in one day and won't go away overnight. Keep up the good work!!

I would get the coat now from wherever you want. It's a huge boost when you can try it back on later and swim in it. Last month I had to go to a big event and had to buy a new dress because I didn't have any that fit. I bought a new one knowing that I would never wear it again. I didn't care because it was 3 sizes smaller than I would of worn just a couple of months ago. I try not to buy anything that I really don't need right now so I'm not wasting my money. It's hard though. We all worked really hard! Who wants to walk around in baggy clothing!!!

I have these moments when I'm laying down and put my had on my hip and thigh and can really feel the bone instead of a layers of fat!

I was given the go-ahead to transition from chewables (actually about 2 months ago) and tried a multi and calcium citrate but it was hard to swallow the large pills and it felt like they were getting stuck so I quit with those pills. For about 1 month now I have been taking capsules for my Iron and calcium citrate and the go down perfectly. My surgery center had no problem with this as long as I was taking the proper dosage. So now I still take a chewable multi (Centrium) , iron in capsule from, calcium citrate in capsule form, b12 in sublingual form, and Vitamin D in pill form. I had my labs run in October and they were good, except I needed to increase my iron a bit because I never was taking the right dosage. Everything I take I get from Vitamin Shoppe, except I get the B12 from costco.

You can really learn a great deal from this website regarding the different types of surgeries. As far as what is right for you, I don't think anyone on this forum will be able to tell you 100% what is right for you. Your doctor should be able to give you his or her recommendation, although mine did not, he said the choice was mine. My reasoning to go with RNY had to do with the cravings that hopefully would be curbed from the actually bypassing that part of the stomach/intestines where cravings are created. I was a big sweets person before surgery and loved my bread, now I don't really miss either. That's why I chose this surgery. I can honestly say I had little or no pain after surgery and the post-op was really routine. Just as the post above, I see my weight loss surgery as one step in a life style change I started 4 months ago. The next being brand new healthy eating habits, and finally regular exercise. WLS will not be a "magic cure" on its own. but you can be really successful if you add the other steps. Best of luck in whatever one you decide!

I agree with @jess9395. I use a spoon for chicken salad, egg salad, etc. I've excluded all wheat and flour from my diet entirely and really don't miss it at all. Even at 4 months out, I still have a hard time eating anything beyond Protein because I get filled quickly. I do add a few veggies and berries to my meals but usually the protein does it for me. Bes of luck!

Congrats to everyone having RNY in July! Remember to WALK, WALK, WALK! as soon as you can after surgery. Keep us posted on your progress!

For the first 4 months after surgery I just walked, nothing too extreme. I usually did this after lunch so I had a bit more energy. I never felt light-headed or anything like that. Are you getting in all of the Water and Vitamins? This is my 4 month mark so I joined a gym and started working out 4-5 times a week, so far so good. I would just do what your body allows you to do and not push too hard. It does get easier. Best of luck!