2goldengirl

There isn't enough to go on, really. However, if you are burning that much at the gym, you may indeed be eating too few calories. if you have gone to heavier weights or upped your strength training, be aware that muscle holds Water as a response to increased exercise. I think you really need to focus on fat vs. weight. There is a big difference between the two. Try easing off on the exercise a bit and upping the calories a bit. if you don't have an electrical impedance scale (that monitors fat weight vs. lean weight), I really recommend getting one. They're widely available for < $100. When you say you're gaining, how much, and over what period of time?

As I remember, you are Blue Shield H M O, correct? I had to fight to recognize that Blue Shield had changed their requirements. Once I did, I sailed through. Zero months of weigh ins. Starting BMI of 39. sleep apnea, only diagnosed during the preop process. Approved. Done. When you say you're on the borderline with BMI, do you mean you're somewhere between 35 and 40, or 40 or above? It doesn't matter if you're 40.1 or 50 - if you're over 40 BMI, you don't need comorbidities to be approved. I believe I've said before, call Blue Shield and ask to speak with a Supervisor. They have people in member Services who don't take the time to review the policy when members (or providers) call and go by cheat sheets they keep on their desk. You know what the policy is, you've reviewed it online. Demand that your medical group, your surgeons office, whomever, abide by the current policy. Period. Now, find something else to worry about

Stop. Stop. Stop. At two weeks out, your body has ONE goal: heal from surgery. It grabs on to every bit of nourishment it can so rebuild tissues. Don't expect to see much more than fluid shift and initial losses from a drastic reduction in calories until you're a month out. The real healing point is between 4 and 6 weeks, no matter what you feel like. that's when you are healed enough to really get serious with the weight loss.

Yes, I am in the field - and what I find of particular note is that Dr. Lustig has a slew of top fellow physicians there at UCSF, not one of whom has come out in favor of his POV. I just find it...odd. UCSF is one of the top medical research facilities anywhere. That said, there is certainly nothing to be lost in eating whole, rather than processed foods. I've done so for years, which has not, unfortunately, led to controlling my weight, nor avoiding the creeping signs of pre-diabetes.

It can be awfully confusing! I'm glad things are sorted now. OH - one more thing to be aware of. If Dr. Eslami's office tries to charge you an "administrative fee", decline to do so. All you have to pay is your usual doctor's visit copay. Also don't let his office try to tell you that you have to purchase supplements or shakes from his office. I don't think they're doing this any more for their H M O patients, cause we caught them at it Good luck!

What I'd really like to see is something like the Framingham Nurses Study - a group of people get followed long term over a variety of data. The reason I'd like to see reliable, long-term data that includes more than just the folks who stay in touch with their surgeons is that for the surgery, and those of us to choose it, to be taken seriously as a medical treatment for obesity, it's the kind of data we need. That benefits everyone.

Good Luck! I'm not far behind you, Thursday for me. I am soooo ready!

Good Luck! I'm not far behind you, Thursday for me. I am soooo ready!

Most folks don't require catheters, and if you did, they'd put it in after you were under anesthesia.

I can't wait to get to a 30# loss. Why? Because I've never lost 30# in my life. The best I've ever done is 20-something. Usually I don't focus overmuch on numbers of lbs, but that one is a mental milestone for me. And I've lost 14 so far, so I'm almost halfway there even before surgery.

It would actually make a big difference if people could self-report their results over time; an online database you could register for when you have your surgery, maybe you'd have to get a code from your surgeon or something to activate it (to avoid bogus entries).

First, someone who is gifted as a surgeon may not be similarly gifted in nutrition. If you are having pain when you eat, you need to tell your doctor. Now. Please. First, someone who is gifted as a surgeon may not be similarly gifted in nutrition. If you are having pain when you eat, you need to tell your doctor. Now. Please.

First, someone who is gifted as a surgeon may not be similarly gifted in nutrition. If you are having pain when you eat, you need to tell your doctor. Now. Please.

IV "cocktail bars"? I've never heard of this.

The other thing to remember here is that the study includes the results of individuals who are lost to follow up post-op for a variety of reasons. Surgeons can only report long-term results for patients who return to them long-term so their results can be recorded. Individuals who, for example, have to travel long distances to get to their surgeon may get their more long-term needs met by more local providers, and those results can't be included.

Your calories are way low, and your sodium intake is quite high. Anything that comes out of a can or a package (soup, lunch meat, even cheese) is high in sodium. More than likely, you are retaining fluid from the sodium, and not losing because your calories are so low.

Talk to your CPAP company. They can be really helpful.

I started reading about fashion and style about a month ago, having realized that my former love for clothing and accessories had really given way to some laziness and not taking the best care of my appearance, including my hair and skin. I've discovered that I am a huge fan of neutral pieces with season/bright accessories. Coincidentally, this is a less expensive way to go. That leaves me free from "I want it all now!" (especially as my surgery isn't until the 10th). I can instead focus on simple pieces that fit. I've become obsessed with fit!

No, the requirement is a longstanding one. Many surgeons or programs do require that patients see a psychologist who specializes in these kinds of evaluations. I know when I had mine, she went into things to be watchful of post-op as well as assessing my pre-op preparedness. Many evaluators use a screening tool predictive of future success, based on likelihood of following surgical instructions, for example. The physician who reviews all of our bariatric requests places a lot of emphasis on the psychological evaluation, and he looks for, and at, those screening tools. His rationale is that it isn't enough for someone to qualify physically for the surgery, they have to be emotionally prepared for a life-changing surgery. He actually delayed approving a recent client's surgery based on both his predictors showing a low likelihood of success, and the client's own statements that he wasn't sure whether he could follow the guidelines. That initial evaluation was done early in this client's pre-op process. He had a re-visit to the same psychologist, and had showed success at following preop guidelines for several months. He was then approved for his surgery. The delay was less than 30 days.

It's a real sprint to get everything done, isn't it? I four weeks between surgeon appts. to get labs, visits to two specialists, an UGI, and EGD, a sleep study, a preop visit to my PCP, and get a CPAP. I was so relieved to get it all done on time. It was during the holidays, so that squeezed things even tighter. You'll feel a real sense of accomplishment when you're done and all ready. And that's a great way to start your postop journey, no?

I had a friend take measurements and photos at the end of January. She came over again last night and did the next month's set, even though I'm preop (surgery is Thursday). I wasn't expecting much, but I was surprised to learn that I've lost 1.25" each off my waist and hips, and .75" on each thigh. Today I have on a pair of jeans that I haven't been able to wear in quite a while. I've been jeans-less, because the next larger ones I have have been huge on me for a couple months now. Yay! Jeans!

What?! My surgeon told me I was a special snowflake! Was he LYING to me?? Darling Babbs, OF COURSE you're a special snowflake. And like all good snowflakes, you followed your surgeons postop orders, didn't you?

Welcome and congratulations on your successes to date!

I've met Dr. Lustig, and attended a presentation he does for healthcare professionals. He is completely passionate about his point of view, but in the medical/scientific community, it's a challenge to find studies, colleagues, or statements that support that point of view. This gives me pause, because he is part of one of the best-researched, scientifically curious university medical systems in the worls (UCSF).

I've seen a very few posts about that here. Was this the facility staff who told you this? I would trust what your surgeon says - it's the doctor who determines the length of stay.