catwoman7

I'm guessing they do because the nutrition classes and the evals are usually required by the surgeon rather than the insurance company.

in my case, my new insurance policy (which DID cover bariatric surgery) accepted the six-month supervised diet that I did under my former policy.

I'm six years out and I'm still supposed to drink at least 64 oz of non-caffeinated fluid a day.

not all policies cover it. I had to change insurance companies to get it (fortunately, my employer had several options), but I had to go with the most expensive policy they offered. I stayed on it for two years, I think (in case there were issues...), and then switched back to my original policy. Five years later, of course. all of their policies covered it...oh well... anyway, it's not an issue with BCBS. It's an issue with your employer. Most insurance companies actually DO have a bariatric surgery rider, but employers can pick and choose which things they want to include in the particular policies they offer to their employees. I was told by our HR dept that it was pretty expensive to include bariatric surgery coverage, so they only covered it in their most expensive (to the employee, that is...) policy.

true. I don't weigh and measure pretty much everything like I did the first few months, but I still do weigh/measure occasionally - depends on what it is.

I remember reading a post like that, but I use both - it depends on what I'm measuring.

LOL - thanks! I've been hanging out on bariatric boards for a few years - plus I used to work with the pre-op groups at my clinic (well until COVID hit, anyway - so for three or four years). You hear and learn a lot of stuff that way!

you are right. There are so many things that factor into your rate of weight loss that you have little to no control over, such as age, gender, starting BMI, genetics, metabolic rate, what percentage of your body is muscle, etc. The only two factors that you have a lot of control over is your how closely you stick to your program and your activity level. If you're good with those, then you'll lose the weight, whether fast or slow. I was a slow loser from the get-go, but I was very committed to my program, and I ended up losing all of my excess weight (over 200 lbs). In the end, it has more to do with your level of commitment than it does your rate of weight loss.

ah - OK. That makes sense!

I think I lost about 20 lbs on it, but that's going to vary a lot between people. and the two weeks is torture enough - no way would I want to do it longer. the purpose of it is to shrink your liver so it's easier for them to get in there and do the surgery. I don't think they really care how much weight you lose (although you'll lose some...)

post-op progression varies a lot between surgeons. They had me on purees as soon as I left the hospital, but most people are on liquids for the first two weeks (sometimes more), before moving on to purees.

it's just the three week stall - happens to almost everyone. If you do a search on the three week stall on this site, you will literally find something like 17,000 posts on it. All you can do is stick to your plan, stay off the scale, and ride it out. As long as you stick to your plan, the stall will break and your weight loss WILL start up again. many of us experience several stalls along our journey - if not most of us. As long as you stick to your guns, they'll break and you'll be on your way again. They typically last 1-3 weeks. And absolutely you can lose all your weight. I lost all of mine - over 200 lbs. And I had several stalls, like most of us do...

almost everyone has their first major stall during the first month after surgery. It typically lasts 1-3 weeks. If you stick to your program, the weight loss WILL start up again. It always does. My first stall lasted two weeks (weeks 2 & 3 post surgery). During week 4, I dropped like 6-8 lbs within a couple of days. you are not likely to feel much if any restriction during the first month because your nerves have been cut. It takes awhile for them to start to regenerate. Plus we're on purees or soft foods then, and you typically don't feel restriction with those since they move through your stomach so quickly. You'll feel some restriction once you move to solid foods. But I think you're WAY too early eating a whole sandwich. You need to stick to your program for the tool to work. And it WILL work if you follow the rules. also, don't try chasing the full feeling. In addition to the aforementioned nerve issue, many of us have a change in our fullness cues. I no longer feel "full" the same way I did pre-surgery. Now, I just feel some pressure or discomfort in my chest. When I feel that, I know I'm done - and if I keep pushing it, I'll get sick. Some people will get hiccups or a runny nose when they're full. It could take some time before you discover what your cues are - so in the mean time, just follow your clinic's plan.

you look great! weight loss rate does slow down a lot as we get closer to goal - there were several times once I got into year 2 that I thought "this is it", but then it'd start up again. I didn't stop losing until month 20. So you could definitely still keep losing!!!

there are statistically more complications with bypass, but complications with either surgery are really pretty low. The rule of thumb lately seems to be if you have GERD issues, go with bypass, otherwise, it comes down to personal preference. They're both good surgeries, and you'll find people on this site who've been very successful with both. you will have to take vitamins for life with both surgeries, but there are more consequences if you slack off on vitamin-taking with bypass because of the malabsorption. But if you're diligent about taking your vitamins, then vitamin deficiency is rare. about 30% of sleeve patients develop GERD (or if they have it prior to surgery, it can get worse), and about the same percentage of bypass patients (about 30%) experience dumping syndrome, and in both cases that's kind of a crap shoot. You can't really predict ahead of time if you'll get those or not (although if you already have GERD, it's very likely not to improve and there's a decent chance it'll get worse with the sleeve. On the other hand, bypass usually improves if not outright cures GERD). If you have bypass and are one of the 30% who dump, it can be controlled by not eating a lot of sugar (or fat - some people dump on fat) at one sitting. hair loss is very common with both surgeries. Actually, it's a potential side effect of any major surgery (and childbirth, too), due to stress on the body. I think we see it more after bariatric surgeries than other surgeries, though, because in addition to the trauma from the surgery, we're also taking in very few calories the first few weeks/months. The good news is, it's temporary - the hair will grow back - and in most cases, you're the only one who'll notice it. A few people don't lose any hair at all, a few lose noticeable clumps of it, but most of us are somewhere in the middle. It's more like "shedding", and it's not enough for others to notice. I didn't lose much at all. It lasted maybe three months and then started growing back. But anyway, don't make your decision based on hair loss, because that's very common regardless of surgery. I don't think you can really make a wrong decision either way. I'd take into account what your doctors say, and also consider your personal preference. Some people are more comfortable with one or the other. As I mentioned, they're both good surgeries and you can get good results with either one.

I hope it is, too - that WOULD be awful!

I actually only reduce my calories by about 100 at a time -- once I get kind of used to the new level, i'll drop another 100 calories - and so on. But if you can drop more than that at one time, that's totally fine. I always found I had to be more gradual.

the dietitian I worked with during the six-month supervised diet had me make changes gradually. I gradually had to give up caffeine - and gradually increased my protein intake and decreased my "bad" carb intake. I kept adding more fruits and vegetables as time went on. And I gradually brought my average calorie intake down to about 2000/day. So yes - I followed her suggestions - but she had me ease into everything gradually. I think it made the whole thing easier.

I heard a story (and maybe this is some fake story that's been circulating - I have no idea) that someone announced online or an email that her spouse (or some other loved one) had died, and some wrote "LOL". They thought it meant lots of love!

I think I was about six months out when I could eat them -- but raw vegetables still irritate my stomach sometimes even at six years out.

if you hang out on internet forums for awhile, you'll get to know them..

I probably ate that little only for the first two or three months. After that it was around 800 cal/day for a few months - and then I was up to around 1000 calories at around 10 months out. I didn't consistently go over 1000 until about the year mark, but WAS consistently over it the second year. Maybe 1000-1200 calories a day. I finally stopped losing weight at 20 months out and gradually increased my calories until I found my sweet spot. I gained 10 lbs in year 3 (which is very common - and frankly, I needed to - I'd gotten too thin), and then another 10 during the past year (thanks, COVID), which I would like to lose again. I can maintain if I stay in the 1500-1700 range (that's going to vary for everyone depending on a number of factors). I never reverted to eating junk. I almost always eat healthy foods - protein, fruit, vegetables, complex carbs (like whole grains). It's not that I NEVER it junk, but on a regular basis or every day, no. And I have to really monitor what I eat because if I go over my safe range too many times in a week, my weight will start heading north. Like Creekimp, if I have a blow out day one day, I'll cut back for a couple of days so that my week will average out. your sleeve should still work. to lose the weight again, you'll have to ditch the junk and start eating like we were supposed to be eating again - protein first, then veggies. Small servings of fruit or whole grains are also OK. Figure out how many calories you're eating now by tracking for a few days. Then gradually cut back until you get to a range where you're losing again (gradually cutting is easier for ME, anyway - drastic cuts like 500 calories cut at a pop are tough for me - maybe that's not true of everyone). Losing weight the second time around is much slower, but it CAN be done. and do find a therapist if you need help with your eating issues. Lots of us have used them and find they help.

I haven't experienced that, but have you had labs done lately? I wonder if you might be deficient in protein or some vitamin or mineral?

it's one of those internet abbreviations. It stands for "in my humble opinion"

boy - I have no idea. Maybe they would if it was due to medical issues (which it sounds like it is) - unless there's another way to repair a hiatal hernia which doesn't involve a WLS revision. If there is, maybe they'd cover plan B. I hate to even guess, though. You might have to just call the insurance company and ask them (you might have to speak to a supervisor - yours would be kind of an unusual case - the person answering the phone may or may not know)