???????

Hah! (dangit, there's no drooling emoji here lol) In what ways were you able to use those results?

I'll have to look that up! Never heard of Beck Diet Solution. Thanks for the info!

If I did that, then all the info would get mixed up and off on a tangent. I keep track of all the threads I start. Plus you get Bariatric Pal Store points for each thread you created and reply to. I've gotten a ton of stuff free or close to it

That's awesome to hear It's so weird trying to explore a world you've never seen or experienced yourself. Sometimes it sounds too good to be true and I get in this funko mindset like "who am I kidding, you know you're meant to be fat...you'll be in the record books as the one bypass patient that never lost an ounce..." I know it's not true though...

Interesting!!! I've used BMR calculators before but that's all just a guesstimate. Did you get your results immediately or have to wait?

@mousecat88 Have you pooped yet?!?!

I'm pre-op...and my main fear isn't the surgery or anything else except wondering how I'm going to stop hoovering my food. I'm assuming the surgery will force me to control this, but I don't want to learn from mistakes in this situation. I have always been a fast eater no matter if I'm under a time crunch or not. Did any of ya'll do anything in particular to help keep your food hoovering habits in check when eating, pre or post-op?

Hah! Say it 3 times fast! TBH, you're super lucky with the 3 visits. That time flies AND you just have one more to go. You'll be in the ER in no time

I'm still in the pre-op process, but my insurance is Anthem Blue Cross (California - even though I live in Texas). My only requirement is to complete 6 monthly dietician visits and a psych eval although we'll be doing an EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) to check for any existing stomach issues and H. Pylori. My first surgeon meeting on 12/03/18 counts as my first dietician visit so I should be ready to submit by early May. Not sure how long the wait will be from approval to the O.R., so I'm curious about that as well.

It's not required for surgery, just something I wanna do and my surgeon's office offers them. They apparently strap you down to an EKG and some sort of breathing machine that determines how many calories you burn at rest. It has to be done fasting. Anyone ever had this sort of test before?

Awesome! According to the Finger & Associates link, ThermiSmooth sounds like a better deal (haven't hit those other links yet): Pain or discomfort: The ThermiSmooth–none. CoolSculpting (CS)–mild to moderate. Pain or discomfort after treatment: ThermiSmooth–none. CoolSculpting–mild to moderate. Numbness after treatment: ThermiSmooth–none. CS–yes, for a few days to weeks. Swelling: ThermiSmooth–none. CoolSculpting–for a few days to weeks. What to expect: ThermiSmooth–reduces fat, tightens skin, reduces wrinkles, reduces cellulite. CoolSculpting reduces fat. The ThermiSmooth can be used virtually anywhere on the body plus around the eyes, forehead, mouth, lower face, areas not commonly used with CoolSculpting. Both can be used for the body, arms, legs and neck.

Anyone ever heard of this? I searched the forums and had 0 results. My surgeon's office offers this procedure called ThermiSmooth Body. Here's their description of it and a link https://www.newyoubariatriccenter.com/your-weight-loss-journey/life-as-the-new-you/post-weight-loss-skin-tightening/ I've never ever heard of this before. Has anyone tried this post-op for skin tightening? There are before/after pics at the link. "Do you have loose skin in your arms, legs or stomach? Are you interested in a non-surgical option for your New You? ThermiSmooth Body uses radiofrequency technology to gently and safely remodel collagen. By targeting the areas under the skin, we are able to tighten and firm loose skin and reduce the appearance of cellulite. This non-invasive procedure feels much like a hot stone massage. Treatments last 10 minutes per area and are performed over six sessions for best results."

Welp...here's the verdict from my surgeon's office regarding this information: "I think a lot of this is not something Dr. Brewer would agree with. I would never recommend water loading to my patients. What it comes down to is understanding that surgery is a tool and you must learn to use it correctly. We are trying to physically change what is, in fact, a behavioral issue. The person who finds the cure for weight loss (which would be brain surgery) will be a gazillionaire!! I've attached our book for post op patients. You will see that ours is far less detailed. You can probably combine the two of these. But I think you would likely tire of doing what is in that research paper and would end up depressed. It is good to be very strict with yourself the first 6 months to 1 year following surgery. But if you can use the tool to change your behaviors, there is no need to be this strict forever. I know my patients enjoy food and I don't want the surgery to take that away. Its all about balance (isn't everything)! People are always surprised by my eating habits...they assume I live on fruits and vegetables. But that isn't what I enjoy and it isn't what keeps me healthy..."

Will do! Yeah it could probably be shorter, but I have no idea where or who it came from or why it was written. Sounds like it was written by a doctor summarizing all the things he/she can think of when it comes to being successful with bypass and what they notice are the causes behind failures. It reads very much like it was an outline for a presentation, maybe for something like a bariatric conference *shrug*. I'm a reading nut, so I dig the 10 pages it turned into when I pasted it into Word

Greatness

I reformatted it and sent it over to my surgeon office lady to read. They haven't given me any patient education info...none. I asked her to please read it and verify if it's valid otherwise I'm going to follow it since they haven't given me jack crap to go by. (not those exact words, but you know )

Are you guys talking about either of these? I'm not finding chewable tablets for adults...

LMAO! That sounds awful! My sense of smell is pretty sensitive so this is good to know! I can't stand the smell of my B-100 vitamin and honestly couldn't begin to tell you what it equates with. Forget taking it with plain water too, ick. Thanks for the info!

Have you thought of posting this in Bypass group? Get more eyes on this information!

I've pasted all this into Word on my Mac, formatted the font and start highlighting the heck out of all the important stuff

Mind you, I'm just as green at reading this as you, BUT it does say: Seems like the water loading procedure is only for someone to start once they begin feeling the hunger pangs return to help create a sense of fullness. Under "Necessity for Longterm Followup" it says "trying to practice the rules of the pouch 6-12 months out is a waste" because the process is meant to help delay hunger. And you have to be slowly "watering" your pouch at least 3 hours before a full water load otherwise it won't work....this is SO weird! LOL

Yes! I was just about to post about never hearing about "water loading". This is truly interesting information. You really get the idea about how to use the surgery as a "tool" vs. just living with it and following "the rules". Knowing the "why" behind the rules is the most valuable thing I think I have read to date.

The more I read, the bigger my eyes get! LOL I'm pre-op, as most of ya'll already know, but ALL of this info is new news to me. I haven't read 90% of this stuff anywhere and boy does it feel valuable! I'm curious to hear feedback from the veterans.

This is amazingly comprehensive! Thank you for digging this up and sharing it. I've saved every bit to my Notes app.