heidikat72

Fantastic! I think having goals along the way and celebrating them is important. It helps with staying motivated and breaks the process down into more manageable (less daunting/overwhelming) segments.

@@Babbs - I think I have a girl crush on you. Thank you for the scientific explanation. Seriously. I love having the actual science behind it.

As a scientist who works in the pharma industry, I'm going to ask you to be more specific about what you consider "additives and extra chemicals". A liquid multivitamin would have to at least have a liquid base that the Vitamins are soluble in (and for some of the vitamins, a solubilizer so that they will go into solution). And in the case of a chewable tablet, you couldn't just blend the individual Vitamin powders and easily compress into a tablet that will maintain its shape without having some sort of compression aid and likely a suitable lubricant to keep it from sticking to the tableting equipment. As for sweeteners, the pure vitamin compounds will be extremely bitter in taste so I doubt you'll any that don't have some sort of sweetener/flavoring agent although you can probable find some "natural" agents in some brands rather than synthetic.

check out the blog "the world according to eggface" - tons of easy great food ideas! other suggestions: yogurt, tuna or salmon packets (both come in a variety of flavors, high in protein, low calorie and don't need refrigeration so easy to take on the go). maybe try to plan out a few days in advance at a time so you don't feel overwhelmed in the moment of trying to figure out what to eat right then.

Do what you gotta do and don't back down until you have a date!

They didn't give me forms. But my surgeon's office coordinator gave me a "script" and phone numbers for the specialists so I could set up the appointments. The specialists are all part of the same bigger health care group so my surgeon's office has all their records too and in addition to the testing results, I know at least the cardiologist wrote something up and put it in the file. The only thing I did outside the main practice was the sleep study because there was too long a lead time for getting the study done at the clinic within the health care group. So I'm taking the results of the study I had done recently at another clinic to my follow up appointment with the pulmonologist. Try asking your surgeon's office if they can recommend specialists they have worked with in the past or even ask other patients of your surgeon if you have an opportunity.

you can try adding sugar free syrups (like torani) or sugar free instant pudding powder (just a little) to help change up the flavor. if you can have caffeine (some plans are ok with it as long as you are drinking to plenty of Water, some plans have it as a no-no), you could try adding a little instant coffee powder if you like that flavor. To get away from the idea of "shakes", you could mix some into some plain nonfat greek yogurt. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper or parchment and freeze for frozen Protein yogurt drops. Or even try pouring a shake into popsicle molds and freezing and voila, protein popsicle! Although I have seen where some people say they separate/settle as they freeze but other people don't seem to have this issue.

that is awesome!! the thought of putting on a bathing suit frightens me! I am 43 years old and have NEVER owned a bathing suit - how crazy is that?

ask your doctor about the patch multivitamin.

My nutritionist has provided a guideline of around 800 calories and 60-80grams of Protein. My group doesn't require it be an all liquid diet, but they said the easiest way to get enough protein and stay under the calorie limit is using Protein shakes for at least a couple meals a day. However, lean chicken and fish with nonstarchy veggies are fine (think broccoli and other greens). From what you listed, you most likely are not getting enough protein - tomato soup has very little protein in it but a LOT of carbs. And carbs are going to make you want more carbs. It is a lot to keep track of so I wouldn't try to do it in your head as the day goes on. Instead plan it out the day before - write it down (consider using a tracker like myfitnesspal) and then stick to it.

My NUT's recommendation is at least 64oz of liquid a day. Of which, she wants half to be water. The rest can come from skim milk, soy milk, light low fat yogurt, broth, sugar free popsicles and sugar free jello.Since there have been so many different responses, you should probably check with your nutritionist/surgeon's office for your plan's recommendations.

the recipe originated on the blog "the world according to eggface" she has lots of recipes that are suitable for every stage of post-bariatric surgery. plus her journey and other posts are very inspiring as well!

Most likely as part of your pre-op testing you'll have a complete blood work up which will include liver enzymes testing. An elevated level of one of the enzymes would be a good indication of fatty liver disease. You most likely will also be required to get an abdominal ultrasound which can also show if you have fatty liver and will give the surgeon an indication of the size of your liver. The problem with an enlarged liver during surgery is two-fold. First is just the sheer size of it since it blocks access to the stomach and the surgeon has to lift it out of the way. The second is because with enlarged liver, the consistency of the liver tissue is also different - it is more "spongey" and therefore weaker making the chance of a serious complication - tearing, breaking etc - higher when they lift it. So the idea of the liver shrink diet is to reduce these risks. A patient at the lower end of BMI range for surgery and no other signs of liver disease might not need the liver shrink diet.

mainly for changing up the flavor of your protein shakes. but I've also seen some people mix a little into plain greek yogurt to give it some flavor (haven't tried it yet, but plan to). amazon has tons of flavors but I found them cheapest (and good price on shipping too) on a restaurant supply site called webstaurant.com . While the site is intended for restaurant supply they will ship to a residential address.

Phenomenal! that is an amazing accomplishment!

with the exception of the bloodwork - start scheduling everything NOW! There can be a long lead time for some of the appointments. I'm struggling to get a sleep study scheduled in time - have had to call around to at least a half dozen clinics. The blood work doesn't take long to receive the report and most blood labs, you can walk in without an appointment - just know that you'll need to fast for a certain number of hours before hand, so best to get it done first thing in the morning after fasting all night. Plus, they typically want the numbers for your blood work to be readings as close to surgery as possible.

Exactly what KristenLe said. Use this time to start adopting healthy living habits. Adjusting what you eat - start to journal your food and see where you can make better choices. Start exercising more - slowly and gradually increasing your activity. Also with all the pre-op testing required, you'll be surprised how quickly the 6 months will go! I too was disappointed when I found out I had a 6 month pre-op requirement instead of 3 months. But now that I'm having my 5th appointment next week, I'm glad for the extra time. It's letting me get my head in the game and really make some important changes in my life.

I recently did some roasted chick peas - satisfied my urge for a crispy snack. You can use whatever spices you like and I only used half the amount of olive oil http://www.chowhound.com/recipes/spicy-oven-roasted-chickpeas-30368

I would definitely suggest the pouches of tuna and salmon. They have some great flavors, no refrigeration required and no can opener needed! Most of the ones I've tried have about 13-15 grams of Protein per 2.6 oz pouch. Keep some bottled Water with you and maybe the Syntrax nectar Protein powder - fruity flavors that go well dissolved in water? And the cooler sounds like a great idea for keeping some cottage cheese and greek yogurt, maybe some laughing cow cheese wedges etc.

are you kidding? you have earned way more than an "atta girl"! You have worked so hard and your journey/posts/insight are truly inspirational to those of us just starting out. time for a happy dance!

I am truly very sorry for what your family is dealing with now. In 2013, my boyfriend committed suicide and 4 months later my dad died from prostate cancer. I was devasted and spiraled out of control and into a deep depression that only started to lift late last year. I did not seek grief counseling at the time but should have. What did help me was talking things through with a friend who had lost her son to cancer 10 years earlier. So I highly recommend you find a counselor or support group or both. Being able to talk through it will help. Also, acknowledge your feelings right now, it is ok to feel them and accept them. It is also ok to still experience joy so don't feel bad or like you shouldn't when you find yourself laughing at a joke or enjoying a moment. I wish I could tell you that one day you will wake up and feel great. For a while you will just be going through the motions of life, and it is important to go through those motions and not complete retreat into the depression. You will never "get over" the loss of your son. However, you will be able to go on and live a good life still. Gradually as time passes, the overwhelming grief will dissipate and you'll be able to remember your son fondly of all the good times while still being sad that he is no longer here. Most importantly take care of yourself right now. That means get the counseling and support you need, nourish your body instead of trying to comfort yourself in junk food, take time for yourself, etc. Honor your son by continuing to live and your granddaughter is going to need you, but most of all do it for yourself because you deserve to live a good life.

All insurance plans are different and there are even different plans within the same major provider network. Some require 6 months, some don't require any and most require 3 months. If you want to be positively sure of your insurance requirements, call them.

My insurance requirement is the same - I don't have to lose weight in the 6 month period but I absolutely cannot gain during this time. So my strategy for not gaining was to go ahead and adopt healthier eating habits now and gradually reduce my calorie intake over the 6 months. That and gradually increase exercise. The insurance company wants to see that you are commited to making a life-style change. I would suggest talking to the nutritionist you are seeing for the monthly visits and discuss your PCOS condition and ask for suggestions about how to insure you don't gain weight during this time. Journal your food and exercise for a couple days and have the nutritionist look over that too and make suggestions.

I wholeheartedly agree with the stirring recommendation - makes it smoother in my opinion. The non-fat greek yogurt can be a little "grainy" in texture in my opinion but I found that stirring it a LOT helped tremendously with that. Also, if you aren't opposed to artificial sweetener, try flavoring it with sugar-free torani syrups.

check out the blog "the world according to eggface" http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html She's about 10 years post op - RNY, and has lots of great suggestions for every stage of the post eating.