BLERDgirl

@@efierke - It's not a requirement. I didn't have to do 6 mths and my hospital also has the Bariatric Centers of Excellence designation. In fact I didn't have to do pre-op diet of any sort.

i think I could eat about a ¼ cup of food . I ate a lot of eggs, occasionally grits, hummus, cottage cheese and whatever I thought to put in the nutrabullet. I also did the baked ricotta, but I just made it like the filling for stuffed shells, topped with tomato sauce and cheese and baked. I sometimes added a bit a pureed spinach.

It's less about how much you are burning and more about consistency. You want to get your heart rate up and you want to work out for at least 30 mins a minimum of 2 times a week. Personally I know my body and I lose when I work out at least 3 times a week. However for me I don't lose unless I am also eating well and drinking Water.

@@SAD HATTER - call them back and make them be specific. Explain that the program does monthly weight checks and ask if that would be sufficient or will they be requiring more detailed documentation. Make sure you get the full name of the person you speak to.

Instead of guessing call or at least look up the policy online.

What do you consider long term? I'm 5 mths out and have zero regrets. I had an easy surgical experience, rebounded quickly post-op and have had no issues eating or drinking.

I'm still confused. Were you given verbal instructions, a written note, actual handouts? If you do a search you'll see that every program and protocol is different. I received an actual handbook with specific instructions and sample menus. During those first few weeks this handbook was literally my bible of sorts. I saved myself many a call to the nutritionist by consulting my handbook. Never once did I think, "well so and so on Bariatric Pal is eating this or that." If the nutritionist is on vacation, ask for the nurse. You should not be unsure about what you can/cannot eat drink.

I didn't use the morphine pump in the hospital because I didn't have any pain. I also didn't get the prescription for pain filled upon discharge. I just didn't hurt. I was once given percocet for pain and ended up flushing it down the toilet because it made me hallucinate. However I have never developed a dependency for any pain meds given post op. If you don't need it, don't get it, but don't be a martyr and suffer if you do.

It varies depending on your insurance. Your best bet is to call the insurance company and ask them. Then you can let the doctor's office know.

Call your doctor and make them aware of the situation. This way you make sure he doesn't schedule you after the change goes into effect He wants to get paid, he will make sure that happens. *FYI - Email Alex about the duplicate post.

You can call the insurance co and have them give you a list of names to check out.

@@elladvyne - I always recommend to anyone with knee problems to try and locate a water aerobics class. It made a world of difference for me even before WLS.

Yes I use the unflavored. I can also mix this in with soup. I emailed the company and was assured that it can be added to hot or cold liquids. I take one scoop of the Isopure and a tsp of whatever liquid I have whether it's soup, coffee or tea. I whisk that together until it's smooth then add it to the already heated liquid. Some days I don't have a big appetite but I want to get in mu protein. A cup of soup or tea with Isopure mixed in is the perfect solution.

I don't do fake sugars or stevia. This morning my Protein shake was greek yogurt. Isopure Protein powder, almond butter, cacao (unsweetened chocolate) powder. A little bit of Water to blend and ice to make it cold. I mostly just play with favors I like. Fage 0% Greek yogurt plus Isopure naked whey protein provides a good 30 - 38 gms of protein. It's not too thick because I use water instead of milk. I ma vegetarian and have a lot of food allergies. Artificial food dyes & fake sugars are 2 of them. I use the Isopure because it's just plain whey protein. No added sugar or colorings. If I want to add sweetness I typically use raw honey.

Crossing fingers and toes this works for you.

NPO - Nothing by mouth. It's not exactly your neck. See this picture. I just wasn't going to continue to get stuck and nothing was working. it would have made me anxious and likely have blown anyway. If you've ever been bruised from a blown vein trust me, that PICC line would start to look good. They even got the little xray vein finder machine out and tried to find a vein. A PICC line was the safer alternative. If they needed a vein for an emergency situation they needed one that was stable. Considering the PICC line was the worse thing to happen to me, I'll take it .

@@laurenella82 - I had the same issue with an IV only they couldn't even get one started on me. I'm normally a challenging stick and being NPO since noon the day before didn't help. Thankfully I'm medically savvy enough that I told them "3 strikes your out." So the deal was if we couldn't get a vein they would do a PICC line. I hate them, but I didn't want to be a human pin cushion either. Sure enough I ended up with a PICC line. It was awkward having that thing on the side of my neck but it lasted the entire time I was in the hospital.

My doctor wants his patients eating regular diets as soon as possible. 2 weeks of full liquids was more than enough for me. I still do a Protein shake 5 days a week but for the most part I get my protein from food.

WOW! That is worse than unsupportive. Sorry you have to deal with that.

I agree with @ProjectMe. Pre-op I bought more than one type of protein drink so I could add as much variety in my diet as possible during the all liquid phase. Once I moved to purees and soft foods I just got creative. I think we are only as limited as out imaginations. If you are a recipe type of person then google for bariatric recipes.

Use vanilla as a base and add fresh fruit, nut butter of choice(I use almond butter). I'll use water and juice to mix instead of milk. Mix everything in a nutra bullet or similar.

No worries. I get it. I don't think one needs to follow the rules 100% perfectly. 90% of the time makes more sense. I do however believe people should be aware of what they are putting in their bodies when they are making these choices. About once a year I go on a day trip where it is much more convenient to simply pack a sandwich. Just because I avoid breads and pastas most of the time doesn't mean I'm not going to do that. For me what it means is I will try to make a better choice and go for a whole grain bread of some sort whether that's a tortilla, a flat bread or just regular bread.

The variables are too many to name. There's a reason why the best most surgeons will give you is that most sleever will lose between 50 - 60% of their body weight. Some people are slow but steady, some have a big weight loss at the start, some are fast losers, some are stop and start losers with steady loss coupled with stalls. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to it. Comparing yourself to others or setting up expectations will drive you nuts. Men lose faster than women, but things like genetic, pre-surgery health status and age all factor in.If you have a challenging hospital course or surgical complications that can effect your loss as well. The best you can do is follow your doctor's instructions, and hope for the best.

Breads are not complex carbs. Generally speaking they are simple carbs.

@@Peace Love & Sleeve - Man I'm sorry that you are having such a rough time. I am glad to hear they are admitting you. Hopefully they can get this resolved.