goblue9280

As I was reading your post, I'm thinking "she should totally make a quilt out of the bigger size ones when they become too big." Great minds... Congrats on the NSV, lets me know I can also reach my list of personal NSV's I have in my head.

@@winklie Here are a couple simple recipes I made this week that I have really enjoyed... and trust me, if I can make them, anyone can. Shelly's Baked Ricotta 8 oz of Ricotta Cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 1 large Egg, beaten 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning salt & pepper to taste 1/2 cup Marinara Sauce 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese Mix ricotta cheese, parmesan, beaten egg, seasonings together and place in a oven proof dish. Pour marinara on top and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake it in the oven @ 450 for about 20-25 minutes (best) or nuke it till hot and bubbly. I usually made it first in the oven and heated the leftovers in the microwave Hungry Girl Buffalo chicken Dip: http://www.food.com/recipe/hungry-girl-buffalo-chicken-dip-413265

No reason not to call your surgeon in the am. If insurance told you they don't have everything, find out why. I know you are eagerly waiting on the approval, but in the grand scheme of things, 2 days may not make a difference. Your surgery date may very well be the same in two days time depending on your surgeons availability.

I would avoid the wonton wrappers... my NUT said no Pasta for at least 6 months. I bet the wonton meat filling would be ok and of course the broth.

Too funny, just had a doctors appt today with my PCP and went through the exact same thing. However, I did have one major scale victory today. It's been a long time since I've been able to step on the scale in my doctors office because it only goes up to 400 lbs. In the past, I would always embarrassingly have to tell the nurse, "...that scale won't work, I'm over 400lbs."

Absolutely follow your NUT/surgeon recommendations regarding coffee/caffeine post-surgery. However, I've also noticed how varied recommendations are. Some say it is fine right after surgery, some say X number of months, some say never. After scouring the internet, one thing I've noticed is those surgeons that allow it at some point rarely state how much coffee is acceptable. Just my opinion, but I think there's a big difference between a post-op patient that drinks 1 morning cup versus someone who has 3-4 cups (or more) through out the day. I would bet there is minimal stimulant/diuretic effect for a person like myself that likes to drinks 12 oz of coffee in the morning. Of course due to all of the variation in opinions, I've abstained from coffee since before my pre-op diet.

@@Bcarter818 111 pounds in less than 4 months? That's incredible! Major respect.

@@winklie If all else fails, take a post-it note, write down in big numbers how much you think you should weigh this week, put it over the readout of the scale... then step on the scale.

Have not had ham salad, but a couple meat salad type things I have done: Tuna salad - pouch of tuna, tbsp of light mayo, tbsp of yellow or brown mustard, lemon pepper seasoning to taste. Buffalo chicken dip - followed this recipe, except the store did not have any small plain greek yogurt, so used light sour cream. http://www.food.com/recipe/hungry-girl-buffalo-chicken-dip-413265 Hummus deviled eggs - I keep it simple, one hard boiled egg, remove the yoke and break it up in a bowl. Add a tbsp of your favorite hummus plus a dash of salt and pepper. Mix well and then spoon into the egg white halves.

@@winklie I was an Oct 1st surgery and the 3-week stall hit me last Monday. From Monday through Friday I did not lose a single pound. Like you my diet was on point... around 700 calories, hitting my Protein requirement and getting enough Water... although I'm not walking nearly as much as you. I did not weight myself this weekend, but as of this morning the scale finally moved. Down 5 lbs compared to last Monday. I bet the stall breaks for you soon.

Regardless of whether you've had WLS, you are still "losing the weight yourself." WLS is simply a tool to help you get there, not something that does all of the work for you.

Check with your surgeon/NUT and make sure you are limiting yourself to the portion size they recommend. I've noticed everyone seems to be on slightly different plans around here. I trust my surgeon, did my research fully and he seems to be a well respected bariatric surgeon in Houston which has one of the best medical centers in the world. Just to show you how different surgeons can be, a summary of his plan that I've followed is: 2-week all liquid pre-op diet with 3-5 Protein shakes per day. Only Clear Liquids the day before surgery. Stage 1: Overnight stay at hospital with clear liquids while in the hospital. Stage 2: Full liquid diet upon discharge up until 1-week post-op appt Stage 3: pureed diet for 1-2 weeks following 1-week post-op appt Stage 4: Soft foods for 1-2 weeks following pureed For the pureed/soft foods stage I was instructed that learning portion control is the most important thing, and I should be getting in 600-700 calories and 60-70g of protein. I need to avoid grazing and eat 3 small meals plus a 1-2 Snacks. I should stop eating when full up until at most a 1/2 cup of food for the first 6 months after surgery. As I get closer to a year out I can work up to 3/4 to 1 cup total per meal.

Congrats on the pre-op diet success, that's not an easy week. You're going to do great tomorrow! You're in my thoughts for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.

Congrats on the great accomplishment! 59 lbs loss before surgery says a lot about your mental strength. Do you have any comorbidities associated with the weight? If so, how are they doing after the weight loss? For me, that was the final straw. I've been able to lose weight before, 3 years ago I lost around 75 pounds over 6 months... but I've always lost focus and gained it back. Diabetes, HBP, cholesterol, it seemed like every time I went to my PCP I got a new pill to take. Enough was enough, I knew I wouldn't see 40 if I continued the yo-yo dieting. WLS is a drastic measure, but I know it's what I needed. Maybe you could push your surgery out 3-6 months and see how you are doing after some more time? Good luck on your journey whichever way it takes you!

Probably need to do a cost-benefit analysis first. Mid priced hookers might offer a better return on investment though I would avoid low priced hookers as there is too much long-term risk.

We usually buy the JIF natural and looking at the nutritional info, you're looking at 190 calories. 16g fat, 8g carbs and 7g Protein for 2 tablespoons. Maybe when I'm up to 1,000 calories or so a day I might have an apple with a couple tbsp of PB, but right now I'm only eating around 700 calories and I don't think I can justify it.

My BCBS TX plan specifically covers bariatric surgery in the plan with a $5000 co-payment. All I had to do was meet with the surgeon and complete my psych evaluation. Once the surgeon sent in the paperwork, it was quickly approved within a week or two. The surgeon I picked required a couple of things not required by the insurance (thus not covered by the $5000 co-pay) which were a one time NUT class, and an endoscopy. The endoscopy was covered by my insurance minus my yearly deductible.

Here's a post from beachgal I bookmarked that had scans her postop diet info: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/352815-one-week-pur%C3%A9e-or-not/#entry3972802

I had all of these grand plans for an epic last meal before the pre-op diet... a steak dinner, or some Texas bbq, or maybe some buffalo wings. Sadly, in the end my last meal was Taco Bell. It was fitting though as my former self was a fast food junkie, and probably ate Taco Bell 5+ times a week (including breakfast.) No more cheesy gordita crunches for my new (month old) self.

How soon post-op did you guys start trying jerky? I've always been a jerky fan, but I'm sure I have weeks until I can eat it safely.

I'm on soft foods and although I can't have it yet, I'd love a Mediterranean plate... A piece of chicken kabob, some hummus and a 1/4 cup of tabouli would be awesome right now. I'm so boring right now... turkey chili, refried beans and tuna are my staples. Being able to make healthy (flavorful) choices is really the key to keeping this lifelong commitment... so I can't wait until I can introduce more foods.

Depending on your budget, you can't go wrong with a blendtec or vitamix blender. I have a blendtec and it excels at making smoothies, purees and powers through ice.

Very normal. I had bad upper back/shoulder blades pain for the first 3 days post surgery... Like dannie said, it's likely gas pain.

@@winklie Great advice! Congrats on the walking accomplishment, that is very impressive. Having a desk job and then spending most evenings driving kids to various activities, it has been tough to do much walking. I'm only getting in 4k-5k steps per day. One thing I found out too is that my iphone (6s plus) overcounts my steps by 1.5-2 times when I keep it in my pocket. I think it has to do with the bouncing around. Anyhow I fix that by carrying it in my hand when I walk in the afternoon at work. Push-ups and sit-ups are a great place to start for me, but I don't know if I'll be able to do push-ups starting out at my weight. Last time I was able to do more than a pushup or two was when I was south of 300lbs.

Something doesn't add up. I was worried that something was wrong early on because it felt like I could eat more than others. I had no problem with 1/3 to a 1/2 a cup of food at a time, while many others struggled to keep down a tablespoon or two. Searching around, I found it is pretty common to be able to eat with no issues after surgery. However, I don't recall one person claiming to be able to eat close to 2k calories. I don't get an overwhelming full feeling on 1/2 cup of food, but I'm around 700 calories a day and don't feel hungry for most of it. Also, it sounds like they did not give you very good directions with regards to the post-op diet. My plan is very similar to yours... full liquids up until my first post-op appt, then pureed for 1-2 weeks followed by soft foods for 2 weeks. However, I was told no Pasta, rice, bread for I believe 6 months. If it were me, I'd be getting in to see the doctor asap to see if he made the pouch too big and also to get more info from the nutritionist on the recommended diet.