peaceout

That's too funny! Congrats on a hilarious NSV.

You look great! Congrats!

Those are fantastic NSV's! Congrats! I can't wait until I'm able to go places without a jacket or big sweater. Nothing like being somewhere in the middle of summer and trying to stay as covered as possible while sweating buckets.

Those 6 months will go pretty quickly. It seems like forever but I think you'll be surprised! Use that time to change as many bad habits as possible. It really does get you prepared for the surgery. I'm especially glad I used that time to be able to slowly give up pop vs. quitting cold turkey right after surgery. I wish you the best of luck with everything. All the waiting and hoops will be well worth it in the end!

Hi there! Everyone heals differently, but I'll give you my two cents. if you're 3+ weeks post-op, I'd think you'd be ok for your trip. You may not have a ton of energy (it took me 3-4 weeks before I could make it through the day without needing a nap!), but you should be in the clear pain-wise unless you have major complications. Good luck to you! I hope that you are able to recover quickly and enjoy your vacation! ETA: I guess it also depends on the nature of your vacation. Relaxing on a beach somewhere would be much different than trying to explore a whole new big city on foot.

Hi! I'm using a computer so I don't know anything about making one on the app, but it's easy if you're on a laptop. Just click on your username in the upper right corner of the page, and the third option down in the left column says "My tickers." Click on that, and on the right side it will have the option to create a new one.

Congrats! You're doing an awesome job!

Fun topic! I'm an optometrist.

Once I was given the ok to try salads (for me it was 6 weeks out), I found out quickly that regular lettuce (iceberg/romaine) didn't sit very well with me. Since I have a spinach allergy, I have been relying on kale for my salad fixes. I don't love the flavor of raw kale, but like you, I was craving salads! I know this journey is different for everyone, but if the "normal" salads you're used to don't go/stay down well at first, some other options just might work!

I think it's absolutely normal to be having second thoughts. Mine didn't hit until the morning of surgery, already in my gown, waiting for the anesthesiologist to come make me loopy; but then, I've always been a procrastinator! Since then, though, I've had no regrets. Being healthier and more fit should give you more energy, not make you grumpy or unlikable. And even if you have a bad day here and there, think of how much longer you'll be around for your daughter if you can become a healthier mom. Plus, you'll be setting a great example for her. Keep your head up! We're all here to support you. Best of luck to you!

Congrats! You're doing great! I will admit I had to do a Google search to remember how much a stone was

Congrats! You look great. Seeing other people's pictures is so motivating. Keep up the awesomeness!

Congrats! That's a huge accomplishment! I can't wait until I get there myself. I'm thinking I'll treat myself to a massage when it happens.

I gained quite a bit from my hospital stay. I didn't weigh every day, but I know that when I weighed in 7 days post-op, the excess was gone and I had a nice 0.5lb loss Best of luck to you in your recovery. Don't worry about that scale. Focus on healing. The weight loss will happen!

I'm wishing you a very speedy week! You'll be on the other side before you know it.

This is the info my NUT gave me for my weeks 6-26 plan, at which point I'll see her again to modify. Of course, I'm sure others' guidelines will vary, but maybe this will help you a little: -1Tbsp of olive oil per day is ok. So if I use it to make an oil/vinegar dressing on a salad for lunch, I'm not supposed to sautee my meats or roast my veggies with any for dinner. The only exception to this is if I'm over my 70g of Protein for the but very low on calories (<550), I can add an extra Tbsp in. I haven't had that happen yet. -Any meat that's >90% lean (ground beef, chicken, turkey) is ok. And dark meat poultry is ok on my plan too.

Congrats. That is a pretty large list of NSV's (and technically one SV, I guess!) for one day! I hope to be in your shoes next summer, not dreading our annual trip to the amusement/water park.

How far out are you? I know some people feel hungry until they can start eating soft foods. I'm not sure where you're at on your journey. I do get hungry sometimes, but only when I'm out of my daily routine and haven't eaten in a while. If I stick to my normal plan and eat something small every 2-3 hours, I don't feel hunger in between.

I would call your doctor. Even if it's not a big deal, you'll feel better if you hear it coming from your surgeon's office.

You said you worked in a hospital/healthcare setting. So, did you just tell her about the surgery in passing, or was she involved in your care and that's how she knew? If the first, then she is just rude. If the second, it is absolutely a HIPAA violation and it should be reported/documented. She wouldn't get away with blurting out other patient's medical information, and nobody would consider another patient a "baby" for reporting such a violation. Either way, it sounds like you're handling it well. Best of luck to you!

As others have said, this is something you need to find out from your insurance company. My policy was very clearly worded that I had to have a BMI at or above 40.0 on the day of surgery, and also had to do a 6-month diet beforehand. So yes, during that 6-month program, once my BMI got to 41, I had to stop losing weight and just maintain for the last 2 months. This was so any weight lost during the 2-week pre-op diet (many do liquids, I just had a calorie/carb limit) didn't put my BMI below 40. It does seem like a strange game to play, but I had to do what was necessary to have my surgery. And making sure that you qualify is a huge deal, and no more "selfish" than deciding to get control of your life and your health and putting yourself first for once.

My NUT gets mixed reviews. After my first appointment with her, I really disliked her. She explained to me in detail how to set up a MyFitnessPal account (I tried showing her several times that I had the app on my phone and had been logging for 2+ years), then we played with the plastic food, then her advice was to just eat Lean Cuisines as much as possible to learn what proper portions are. My pre-op class with her went much better, and the one appointment I've had with her post-op was ok too. Still very cookie-cutter advice, but she did answer my questions. And when I email her, I always get a prompt response. I see her again on Wednesday, so we'll see how it goes. Very interesting thread and responses!

Congrats! You look great!

I gained 13 pounds (!) from the fluids in the hospital and it took me 9 days to lose it. All's well now though

My NUT has told me not to worry much about carbs, so I'm sure someone who is really watching their intake will give their thoughts. But if I recall for the Quest bars, total carbs are a little high but Fiber is also high so net carbs aren't too bad. I like these Protein bars more than others I have tried. My reviews: The Cookies and cream is my favorite, mint chocolate is good, and cookie dough is ok (I found it harder to chew than the others. Not sure if I just got a bad box or what). Those are the only 3 I've tried.