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1 level teaspoon of granulated sugar has 16 calories and 4.2 grams of sugar. The same amount of honey has 21 calories and 5.7 grams of sugar and causes the same response in your body. I know it's considered more 'natural', but my opinion (far from professional) would not consider honey to be a valid substitute for bariatric purposes. Have you tried the more recent substitutes (stevia, monk fruit)? Perhaps your dietician may have some suggestions.

It may vary from surgeon to surgeon, but mine does count pre-op in the total expected excess weight loss.

I hear you. Mine was submitted to on Dec 21st, and my surgeon's office said that my insurance takes 10-14 days to come back with a response. I added 2 more days to account for the two holidays that fell within that time frame. Today was day 16, and I am jumping every time I hear the phone ring!

Its definitely from the weight loss. I haven't even had surgery yet, but my pre-op weight loss had definitely brought a newfound chill with it. For the past 5 years or so I've been that gross woman that's always sweating - still wearing tank tops and fanning my face in the middle of a North Dakota winter. True story. After I lost the first 30 lbs, I started wearing socks for the first time since childhood and using a throw blanket when sitting. By 40 lbs I actually had to buy sweaters. THICK ones!

I don't know if its just the area I'm in, but I've never had trouble ordering off of kid's menus. I've been doing it since starting my medically supervised weight loss plan in September. I just ask the waiter/waitress if I can order off of the kid's menu, and its virtually never a problem, The only resistance was once when the waitress said she'd have to ask, but I just politely told her "Its never been a problem before, but please let me know if I need to select something else". The problem with full-sized meals for me is that I never eat the leftovers. Whatever I don't finish in the restaurant is wasted money. Nothing is ever as good reheated as it is fresh, and I'll always choose a freshly prepared meal over leftovers.

You're almost there, and you're doing a great job. Best of luck on your surgery.

Yeah I would call your surgeon's office first thing Monday morning to verify if there's anything more you should be doing before surgery. My office needed to diet for 3 months before submitting insurance, and while my binder included recipes and meal plans, they made it clear that those were in no way required - they were just ideas more for those who are used to takeout and packaged meals and don't know where to start (I'm a total foodie and a great cook - not an issue for me). There were no specific guidelines other than 1200 cals/day and 70-90g of Protein, though it should be noted that I'm not quite in pre-op yet. However the guidelines for what was okay AFTER surgery were very clear, and I figured it best to ease my way into those restrictions and avoid the caffeine withdrawals and sugar headaches that would have happened if I'd waited until the last minute.

I plan to use Opurity Vitamins, partly because their website shares a cart with

How far along in the process are you? Do you have a surgery date yet? If not then I wouldn't worry about it too much - your surgeon's office will surely instruct you appropriately when the time comes. Its true that surgeons vary wildly on their pre-op diet requirements. Based on what I've read around these forums, my surgeon seems very lax in this department. I'll just continue to consume 1200 cals/day until the day before surgery, when they want me to switch to Clear liquids, then nothing after midnight. Be sure to read all literature you may have received from them. I received a thick binder that was very detailed in describing their practices and outlining what to expect, including both pre and post-op diet plans. If you do have a surgery date and still haven't received further instruction, I would give the office a call and ask what their requirements are.

You are doing such a great job.Here's to an even better 2016!

Your willingness to show a more authentic series of before and after pics helps to prepare those of us starting out for what lies ahead, and it is very much appreciated. I also hope to lose 200 lbs overall, and I find your post very inspiring. YOu've done a great job!

I'm a big online shopper, so I got my 2 smaller ones that I use for my daily protein shakes on Amazon. I also just found a large one at Walmart yesterday that I used to mix up some 'protein pudding' today. Blenderbottle.com has a couple styles on sale for 20% off right now (though I'm not sure what shipping costs). I'm sure there are many other places to find them, those are just the 3 I've encountered in my middle-of-nowhere world. =)

I'm glad I was so helpful. You just made my day!

I'm not sure about other brands, but Unjury's website does offer a starter kit containing 2 packets of each flavor, a food thermometer (to be sure your liquid is no higher than 140 degrees if drinking warm, where you risk curdling the protein), and a shaker bottle. It's found here: http://www.unjury.com/unjury-starter-kit If you're not interested in the extras, you can also buy individual packets of unjury flavors for $1.99 ea. This is what I did, as I already own several thermometers and 2 BlenderBottles, which I far prefer over the Rubbermaid one they include - that whisk ball makes all the difference for a super smooth Protein shake. And a smooth Protein Shake is an easy to drink one!

Hmm, I haven't heard of this, but thank you for asking and bringing the need for a medical ID to my attention. A quick google search brought up this: https://www.laurenshope.com/what-to-engrave-on-your-medical-alert-jewelry To quote the relevant part: GASTRIC BYPASS If you have had gastric bypass surgery or lap band surgery it is important to wear a medical ID bracelet to alert emergency technicians that you cannot have a blind NG tube inserted. Here is what we recommend for gastric bypass patients. Jane Doe Gastric ByPass 1/12 (month and year of your surgery) No Blind NG Tube No NSAIDS/ No Sugars Dr. 555-555-1212

Hi Pedro, I think that many of us on this journey need to work on filtering out the noise of others. As previous comments have pointed out, people are just used to us looking as we always have. Our weight loss garners attention, which either draws focus away from those who are used to having it, or shines a light on those who also have unaddressed weight issues. Either scenario is uncomfortable for them, and thus likely to incite comments that may not always in our best interest. I've already heard a comment with my pre-op weight loss about how my cheeks are starting to look hollow and I'm still over 280 lbs for crying out loud! They're not hollow - I just have cheekbones like everyone else and we're actually starting to be able to see them! You are doing this for you. Listen to your medical team, not your peers. Consider how you feel in your own skin, not how the comments make you feel. Soon enough, people will become accustomed to your new appearance. If the comments start up for me after surgery, I plan to put "My doctor is happy with my weight loss, and I'm going to trust her" on loop.

Unjury offers a chicken soup flavor that's quite yummy, as well as a very versatile unflavored variety that you can add to soups, pasta sauce, baked goods, etc. I have a protein shake for breakfast everyday, and for some reason I find it more palatable to warm up the milk. Occasionally I'll drop in a spoonful of sugar-free caffeine-free cappuccino mix to dress up plain chocolate or vanilla and give it a different flavor profile.

Welcome Maria, you're doing a great job! Best of luck with your surgery on Thursday. Happy holidays!

Thank you very much for the encouragement, guys. Its only been 4 days since submitting to insurance and it already feels like I've been waiting to hear back for a month. Lol @@TinyTink - Thank you. I get compliments on my name all the time. I was supposed to be named Monique, but when I was born my mother decided I didn't suit the name and chose Chantal instead, which I'm grateful for. I like Chantal so much more.

I'm glad today went so smoothly for you. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve Eve, everyone! My name is Chantal, and I am currently on the path towards gastric bypass. I've made a couple of posts, but I wanted to wait until my 2nd appt with my surgeon's office before making a formal introduction. This will be long, and I apologize - I am a thorough storyteller. I am 35 years old, extraordinarily happily married for 9 years with no kids (infertility being one of my comorbidities). Unless fur babies count - we do have 3 small dogs that we love to pieces - Herberto, Cole, and Alice. Weight has always been an issue for me, as for many here, I'm sure. I was an overweight child, raised by overweight but chronically dieting parents. I struggled with anorexia and bulimia as a teen but still never really looked thin, and by the time I'd won that battle at 19 I'd messed up my system so much that I rocketed into obesity within months, hitting morbid obesity by my mid-20s. During all this time I was up and down and back and forth on some version of a diet - Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, body cleanses, juice fasts, low carb, low fat, low calorie, good ol' fashioned diet and exercise...you name it! I thought I wasn't keeping the weight off because I was too weak or not dedicated enough, and obviously it wasn't 'important enough' to me. Then about 2 years ago, I stumbled upon the line that I've heard over and over since starting on this path - once you're more than 100 lbs overweight, you only have about a 2% chance of achieving and sustaining meaningful weight loss. This sent me into a depression, causing me to pack on another 25 lbs and hit my highest weight of 355 lbs. Finally it occured to me that I might need help losing weight. Took a while to arrive at the obvious, but I got there! I searched online to see if there were any local medical services that would assist with weight loss. I wasn't thinking surgery yet, I was just hoping for access to dieticians and doctors who could tell me something more helpful than "eat less and exercise more". Well, I did find a weight loss clinic, but they focused on surgical solutions. My brain wasn't there yet. But it did put it in the back of my mind, and every couple of months I went back to the site and read the information again. FInally in September of last year I told my husband that I wanted to attend one of their information sessions on weight loss surgery. He was very encouraging and supportive, and it was then that I learned how concerned he had become for my health, but he was afraid to say anything (we're both very non-confrontational). He said he wouldn't mind the weight, but with high blood pressure, fatty liver, and complex endometrial hyperplasia he was happy I was ready to look into options. After the session, I still wasn't sure I could do this. I dedicated a lot of time to research, and the more I did the more I knew this was my best chance at the healthy life I'd craved for so long. This past August at my monthly appt with my PCP - still at 355 lbs - I finally asked for a referral to the weight loss clinic. While waiting for my appointment, I started making a few changes to help the transition, namely working on the food journaling habit (without focusing so much on WHAT I was eating just yet), and trying to get a little more activity when I could (taking the stairs if it was only 1 flight, parking a little further, little stuff like that). My first appointment was on Sept 22. I was weighed, measured, photographed, and introduced to my surgeon, her PA, and my nutritionist. Gastric bypass was recommended. I was informed that my insurance required 3 months on a medically supervised weight loss plan before consideration. I was told to lose 25 lbs, eat 1200 cals/day, start incorporating exercise as tolerated, and get in 70-90g of Protein. The first few days were hell - trying to cut my calorie intake in half left me cranky and ravenous. I got 1800 cals the first 2 days, 1600 the next 2, then 1400 the 5th day. By the 6th day, my hunger settled down and 1200 cals wasn't so unreasonable any more. I started walking my dogs again, rather than just letting them out in the yard. First to the end of the driveway, then to the corner, then the next corner, and so on. I had my psych eval in the first week of November, which I aced. Monday (Dec 21st) was my 3 month follow up. I am consistently consuming 1200 cals/day (equally plus or minus 100 cals), getting in 70-80g protein daily, and walking the dogs around 2 blocks 2-3x/day, and down a total of 70 lbs. My surgeon's office was over the moon with my efforts so far, and assured me they would be floored if I had any trouble obtaining insurance approval. They said they would be submitting that day, and that my insurance company takes 10-14 days to come back with a decision, then we can start pre-op. Apparently surgery can be scheduled as little as 2 weeks after approval, but mine may take a little longer. At my last appt with my PCP in the first week of December, she wanted to check my liver panel again to make sure they were coming down with the weight loss, but instead my AST and ALT had shot up significantly. Their best guess is a gallbladder issue on account of the rapid weight loss, but an abdominal ultrasound on Dec 29th should tell us more. If it is my gallbladder, it will be up to my surgeon as to whether she wants to just remove it at the same time as surgery, or if she wants it done first. If she wants it done first, I will have to wait another 2 weeks after that surgery before my WLS surgery date. But either way, I'm in the home stretch and I'm finally FINALLY excited about it all!

The only person outside of my medical team who knows is my husband. I do kind of want to tell our mothers, but I don't trust my mother to react positively, and I don't trust his mother to keep it to herself. I've been on the receiving end of "I'm not supposed to say anything, but..." enough times to know not to say anything until I'm ready for EVERYONE to know. The thing is, I know I'm on the impressionable side and rather sensitive to negativity. I've considered surgery casually for years before spending the last year considering it very seriously and researching as much as I could before I asked for a referral. I'm certain this is what is best for me, and I don't want to give anyone the opportunity to get in my head. At first I'd said I would share the news once I had a surgery date and it was 'real', but now that its getting close I'm still not ready. My insurance required 3 months on a weight loss plan, so everyone already knows I've been dieting, they just don't know the full reason behind it. Maybe I'll ride that wave as long as I can. Or maybe I'll share the day before surgery. I don't intend to blatantly lie at any point - if someone outright asks me I'll tell them - but for now it still feels very private and personal and I'm just not ready.

Thanks to all of you for the feedback. My mind has definitely been set at ease. I know my insurance requires a BMI of 40, or 35 with a comorbid condition. I do have a couple of comorbid conditions but they're under control, so I think I'd want to stay above 40 to be safe. Depending on how long it takes for approval and scheduling, I may have to slow my weight loss if it continues at this rate, but for now it sounds like I have nothing to worry about. Thanks again!

Hi everyone! I'm a 35 year old female new to this site, and I was wondering if it's possible to lose too much weight before insurance approval. My first appointment was on Sept 22, and at the time I was 355. I was told my insurance required 3 mos on a medically supervised weight loss plan before consideration. They instructed me to lose 20 lbs, eat 1200 cals/day, take in 70-90g of Protein, and start working in some exercise. It took about a week to work down to 1200 cals, but I got there and have worked up to walking my dogs 3x/day. Now my 3 month follow-up is on Monday (Dec 21- this is when they'll be submitting to insurance) and I'm down 66 lbs (289). I'm getting worried I'm going to be told that I'm perfectly capable of losing weight on my own and turned away. The GP who referred me outright told me last week to forget the surgery and keep doing what I'm doing. The thing is, I've always been able to lose weight when I get in the right mindset. That's not the problem. The problem is that there are usually YEARS between 'right mindsets', and the mindset is easily broken when I get sick (which of course always happens eventually). Like I told my husband, I'm only doing so well because I'm not TRYING to swim to shore this time - I'm just trying to get to the life raft over there that's going to help me the rest of the way. What do you guys think? Is there cause for concern ?