catwoman7

it depends on the insurance company. Most use whatever you weighed when you started up with the program with the new surgeon, but some use a weight closer to the surgery. I guess the best thing to do is just call them and ask. Or the surgeon's office might know if they've dealt with that company before.

I could swallow any pill the size of a pencil eraser or smaller as soon as I left the hospital. There were two pills that were larger than that, but I could swallow them by week 3. You can also get chewable or liquid versions of some meds and vitamins, if that's easier to tolerate - but I was fine. yes drinking does seem like a full-time job the first few weeks. But you get used to walking around with your water bottle all the time. I could drink faster than I thought i'd be able to, though. But it was a few weeks before I could chug again.

most normal WLS patients lose 15-25 lbs the first month, so yes, 10 lbs in the first three weeks is fine. Of course, there are outliers on either side of that range, but just from my own observation from hanging around these another boards for the last 5-7 years, that seems to be a pretty normal range. I think people sometimes have a skewed perception because of shows like "My 600 lb Life", but you have to keep in mind that those folks start out WAY heavier than most of us do. as long as your weight is gradually trending down, you're good. I lost 16 lbs during the first month (and I started out more than 100 lbs more than you, and I lost all of my excess weight - so you're fine!

it's just the three-week stall. Almost all of us go through it. It's not ALWAYS the third week, but sometime within the first 4-6 weeks after surgery.

it's that first staff for sure. Almost all of us have our first major stall within the first month or so of surgery (usually the third week, but not always). Mine was weeks 2 & 3. Just stick to your plan and stay off the scale if you have to. Your weight loss WILL start up again.

don't know if this will help or not, but I was able to walk immediately. At the four week mark, I was cleared to do everything except for weights. At eight weeks out, I was cleared for weights. So I'm guessing four weeks for biking (I'm a biker as well - but I wasn't back when I had surgery). But I'd ask just in case.

it's normal to be nervous before a surgery. I've had several at this point and I still feel nervous before them. I didn't have a drain tube, either. I know some people do with WLS, but most don't. I DID have them with plastics.

I think it's probably an individual thing. I didn't feel "full" at first, but I did once I started eating solid foods. I would always recommend measuring what you're supposed to eat and only eating that regardless, because sometimes full signals are different post-surgery and it takes awhile to recognize them, and also by the time some of us feel "full", we've overdone it.

A lot of people like Premier, but I'm one of those who doesn't. I can taste the protein in it. I prefer Syntrax and Unjury products. You have to experiment to see which ones you like because people's tastes vary tremendously.

I get over 100 grams in every day. It's not that hard if you focus on protein first and have protein at every meal. I'll usually have Greek yogurt in some form for breakfast, often a protein shake as a mid-morning snack, something like cottage cheese or a couple of chicken skewers for lunch, some other kind of protein as a mid-afternoon snack (a couple of baby bell cheese things, or light & fit yogurt), then usually meat and vegetables for dinner (I really don't need the mid-morning protein shake to get over 100 - but it guarantees that I do, and then I don't have to think about getting in all my protein for the rest of the day - by adding a shake, I know I'll be over 100 by the end of the day. Plus, I'm one of those who happens to like protein shakes...)

not everyone loses weight the first week. You were pumped full of IV fluids in the hospital, and it can take a few days for it to work its way out. I've heard of people gaining up to 10 lbs while in the hospital. also, once your weight loss starts up, be aware that the rate can vary tremendously between people. It doesn't fall off rapidly for everyone. So many things can affect it - gender, age, metabolic rate, activity level, starting BMI, how closely you follow your plan. The only two of those you really have any control over is your activity level and your level of commitment. You aren't starting out at a particularly high BMI in comparison to some other patients, and that is one of the factors. People who start out at 300+ lbs often lose faster than someone who starts out at 200 or 250. if you're committed to your program and rarely stray, you WILL lose the weight, whether fast or slow. I was a slow loser throughout the whole journey, and I managed to lose all of my excess weight. Just be patient and stay committed. As others say, it's a marathon rather than a sprint.

there's typically a big drop the first month (15-25 lbs for most of us - although there are outliers on either side of that), and then you'll settle in to a slower, steady weight loss. I lost 16 lbs the first month, then about 10 lbs a month until month 6 or 7, and then about 5-8 lbs a month until the year mark. After that it was about 2-3 lbs a month until I quit losing somewhere around month 18-20. of course, your rate of weight loss will depend on a lot of factors - starting BMI, age, gender, metabolic rate, activity level, how closely you stick to your program (the last two being the only factors you really have any control over). it seems to be slower than most of us would like - at least for a majority of us - so you may OK with that.

I was told I could start walking right away. I was cleared for everything except for weights after four weeks. At eight weeks out, I was cleared for weights.

1-2 nights is pretty standard (I stayed 2 - RNY five years ago)

I pretty much hated eating the first four or five months after surgery. Unfortunately, it didn't last.....my hunger and interest came roaring back at about five months post-op...things become more of a challenge then.

I didn't look for surgeons on the west coast since I live in the Midwest (I know of a few on the East Coast, though) - I do know Timothy Katzen in Beverly Hills is one of the big names in the field (i.e., plastic surgery for massive weight loss patients) - but I'm sure there have to be people in the Bay Area that specialize in that, too. Hopefully someone on here will know!

I wasn't on an ultra-low-carb diet during weight loss mode - our program was more balanced. Although that said, I really didn't eat bread until I was over a year out. I do eat it several times a week now, though (I've been in maintenance for 3.5 years). So yes - I do it pita. And I think I may have had a little once or twice when I was about where you are (with hummus)

except for the first few weeks, I ate about that for the first maybe eight or ten months out. It's about all I could manage then, really - much more than that and I would feel really bloated and uncomfortable. Qt the time I could have never imagined eating as much as I do now, in maintenance (1500-1700 calories a day). I think it's a combo of smaller stomach, lower level of hunger hormones - and I'm not sure what else...

oddly, for some people, that's their new "full" signal! (my full signal is just that I start feeling uncomfortable, for lack of a better word - but for others, it's things like a runny nose or sneeze. I know it's weird, but....)

a lot of us don't have a bowel movement for until about a week out - and just as a forewarning - that first one is often a doozy! I'm guessing the reason you don't "go" for a few days afterward is that there's really not much in your system... the distention (sp?) could be air - or I/V fluid - or both. It can take a few days for all that to work itself out

not me - but if it does for you, switching to an unflavored version sounds like a good plan!

you can gain weight with either procedure if you don't consistently follow the "rules". the biggest thing to consider is whether or not you have acid reflux/GERD. If so, most surgeons will recommend the bypass since it often improves if not outright cures it. Not everyone who gets the sleeve develops GERD (or worsening GERD), but there's a significant enough minority who do that they'll usually steer you toward the bypass. if you don't have issues with that, then it comes down to personal preference. There are plenty of examples of people on here who have had great success with both surgeries.

yes. Probably 99% of us. I just searched this site for you on "the three week stall". There are literally 15,701 posts on this right now. This question is asked probably twice a week. Just stick to your program and the weight loss WILL start up again. I stalled during weeks 2 and 3 and once I hit week 4, I dropped like 6-8 lbs within two days . you'll experience occasional stalls throughout your whole journey - when you do, just stick to your plan and stay off the scale if you have to... https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=three week stall

16 lbs is normal. I think people have a skewed perception because of shows like "My 600 Lb Life", but you have to remember those people start out at a MUCH higher BMI than the typical WLS patient. Although there are outliers on either side, most of us lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range that first month. I lost 16 lbs, like you, even though I started out heavier than you. And I ended up losing all of my excess weight. So don't fret - it's your level of commitment that determines your ultimate success, not your rate of weight loss. You are doing just fine!

agreed. I'm one of the presenters in the pre-op classes at my clinic (or was for the three years before COVID hit, that is...). I'm scheduled on the same day as the health psychologist. She always goes over the stats on alcohol consumption and effects. Although I don't remember the exact figures, for sleeve patients, the effect is somewhat faster - and stronger - than for "normal" (non-WLS) people. For bypass patients, it's quite a bit faster and stronger. It's probably due to having no pylorus - the alcohol goes immediately into your small intestine and then immediately into your bloodstream.