BLERDgirl

@@JerseyJules Give yourself credit for realizing your fears and not completely giving up. I would still recommend counseling because I think dealing with the mental issues you have with food would also be helpful for you in maintaining a successful weight loss no matter how you achieve it. Keep the faith!

Start walking. You have to build up your stamina. Check with your doctor but it he doesn't see anything wrong with you you just need to start working out. Unused muscles hurt when we try to use them.

This one?

Pre-op I was told just to avoid fatty foods. I'm actually not sure what reduces a fatty liver.

It's the phone app that seems to cause the most trouble. If I look at the timeline on the app it doesn't say men's room. If I'm looking at the site on desktop, I see it's the men's room. I may read but often I refrain from posting.

When is the last time you lost 12 pounds in one month? Are you meeting your Protein and Fluid requirements? Are you exercising? What's your plan to help increase your weight loss? Sitting around the house not doing much will not help you lose. Get up and get moving. WLS is a tool, not a magic wand.

Personally I think that's what this new lifestyle is about, finding ways to eat better and still enjoy it. Yogurt plus protein powder is a great, protein rich way to start your day.

1. If you've had the Gastric Sleeve, would you do it again? Yes absolutely! I only wish I had done this 100lbs ago. It has changed my life. 2. What was/were the thing(s) that surprised you the most after you had the surgery? That is did indeed put my chronic uterica into remission and how little it hurt. My post-op experience has been so insanely easy and relatively pain free. I've tolerated all foods, and other than a few aches and soreness not at all uncomfortable. I am one of those who has experienced no pain, no gas, no dizziness, no depression, no nausea, no vomiting. My medical team is wonderful and supportive.

The only concern is the iron and calcium. They need to be taken at least 2 hours apart from each other.

Do a search on 3 week stall. Lots of threads about this.

Yes it's typical protocol.

Try doing a search. There are several active threads with many helpful tips. It is not uncommon to experience constipation post-op.

sorry, double post

Talk to your nutritionist. Each program has their own protocol on how to transition back to normal eating.

Try doing a search for things needed for post-op or things to take to the hospital. There are several very active threads with lots of information.

Most programs can tell you from experience what your OOP will be however, you can call your insurance company and check so there are no surprises. Also most hospitals call a few days prior to admission and alert you to any copays related to surgery. If your insurance company has a website they usually have their fee schedule included. Unless you have lots of disposable income it's best to know beforehand. A few hundred may be easy to come by, a few grand may not.

I think drinking water to feel full is better than eating and if that's the worse vice you get from this process it's fairly harmless.

It depends on your food program. I was allowed fruit. from stage one one. In stage 1 & 2 it had to be baby food consistency with no sugar added. However I also like it plain and add it to my protein drinks to increase my protein intake.

I'm a big believer in the freezer stash and food prep. It was one of the first things I learned when I began my journey to better health even before WLS. Two things lead me to this.1) I am on a fixed income. I needed to save money. 2) I am a vegetarian with multiple food allergies. I needed an inexpensive way to eat healthy without feeling as if I was eating the same thing over and over every day. On Sunday my food prep consist of: I boil 3 -6 eggs for grab to go meals and Snacks. Making a pot of a hearty grain. Usually quinoa or farro. Sometimes brown/red/black rice My meat eating friends bake or broil chicken breast and another Protein. Meals can be varied from adding seasonings and rubs to making salads to adding in a stir fry. I prep any tofu, tempeh or seitan I may use that week as well. Some people simple buy a rotisserie chicken and cut up. If you do this I advised saving the carcass to make homemade chicken stock. I make a few overnight oat meals. This is done by layering rolled oats with either greek yogurt or milk of choice with fresh fruit, nuts and seasonings including Protein Powder . The oats absorb the moisture overnight and can either be eaten cold or warmed in the microwave in the morning. Chopping up any fruit and veg that is in season: Some are put into freezer bags for the freezer stash, some are put in tupperware for snacking, salads and cooking. I never buy frozen fruit for smoothies Protein Shakes. I buy fruit from the farmer's market when in season. It's cheaper then. For example blueberries can be as cheap as $.99 a pint. I buy double, freeze half and have fresh fruit all winter long. Veg like onions can be bought sliced and diced then put into freezer bags for quick adds when cooking. In the summer when I tend to eat a lot of salads it helps to have all the fixings prepped and ready to go. You are more likely to eat salad that way. In the winter I make Soups and chili by the pot. I then freeze most of it in single serving portions. It means investing in a good set of freezer safe tupperware or lock and lock containers, but you not only save money, you avoid the the sodium and other additives you get with canned soups. Doing this means no meal takes more than 15 minutes to prepare and I don't end up spending money on take out that I don't have. My weekly prep now takes approximately 1 - 1½ hours every Sunday.

Typically the doctor's office call for this. Most have a person in charge of pre-certs. However tell the insurance rep that you are entittled to answers regarding your coverage, If they continue to refuse request a supervisor.

Yes it liquid and may not present a problem. I don't have to sip like I did at first, however I think it's a good habit to keep because you may end up also eating like that. However food won't slip through like water and can cause problems because food eaten too fast can be uncomfortable and cause slimeing or throwing up. Also the purpose of this surgery is to get us to slow down when we eat/drink, gulping goes against that.

Invest in a good thermos. One that can be easily fit into a small lunch pack. Amazon has loads of them. I use Myfitnesspal. I use MFP not only to track calories and Proteins but also macro-nutrients. I also find that wearing an activity tracker is very helpful.

@@JerseyJules - I didn't have any co-morbs either, just a very high BMI. Perhaps counseling might help at this point more than the surgery. Your attitude towards surgery is very important. You need to go into it with a positive attitude. If you aren't mentally prepared it's best to wait.

Glad they are squeezing you in. Waiting rooms can be a pain in the rear. It's one of the reasons why I actually prefer those super early OR times. Thing are less likely to get bumped or delayed. Hang in there for one more day, you're almost there!

Everyone has them. Stalls can last from a few weeks to months. Make sure you're getting in all your protein, drink your water and exercise. All you can do is follow your program until your body decides it's not starving. In the meantime look for NSV and take your measurements to compare the differences.