Diana_in_Philly

I'm almost 10 months out and about 2-3 times a week, I have a glass of red wine. I make sure I have room in my calories for the day for it and only after I have met my protein and water goals for the day!

I like some of the Quest specialty flavors that come in one time packets - salted caramel and chocolate brownie. For everyday use, we use Optimum Gold Standard which we get a Costco (comes in a bag at Costco and not a tub). We get the vanilla. https://www.optimumnutrition.com/en_US/products/gold-standard-whey#kHZcK8w2eiIlTfXE.97

My group required attendance at a group information session - did that at the end of April 2016. First appointment with the surgeon was 5/11/16. Surgery was 8/23/16

But the only way to know is to call and ask.

That depends on your insurance. Call your carrier and ask for a case manager or a nurse manager who deals with bariatric surgery to discuss what the requirements are. You may not have a supervised diet requirement. My plan did not. but the only way to find out is to ask your plan.

@FloridaGal1976 - My knees are almost as bad as yours. I'm bone on bone in both knees - similar height - weighed more and am older. Here's why I opted for going with insurance. (First - find out what your insurance requirements are - it may not be the six to 8 months you think - call and ask to speak with a nurse manager or case manager to get the answers.) My team required attendance at a group session (I did that end of April 2016) and had my first appointment with my surgeon on May 11, 2016. My surgery was on August 23, 2016. That was just enough time to get all the pre-op crap done - endoscopy, barium swallow, cardiology clearance, orthopedic clearance, pulmonary clearance and psych eval. All of that was required by my hospital group and not my insurance, although my insurance covered everything (except co-pays) except the psych. HW 271.5 SW 246.9 CW170-177 fluctuating right now. So I'm somewhere between 95 and 100 pounds down in 10 months. Pre-op - I was good for at least 1 Vicodin a day to control my knee pain along with regular cortisone shots and Synvisc for my knees. I've taken maybe 3 Vicodin since August - one was a result of running 2.5 miles without warming up well enough. As I'm sure you've read - a sleeve is a tool. So getting your head in the right place and understanding what's going on is important. It's not a long wait and while I was impatient at the start, I'm glad I had the three or four months. I spent time learning to eat better and making peace with a number of things. What can I do now that I couldn't before - I fence (as in en garde) about 5 hours a week. I strength train another 2 hours a week. I do pilates. While I had the surgery to try to speed up having bilateral knee replacement, based on my last conversations with my knee surgeon, I'll be able to put them off at least another 5-7 years. Wait it out. You'll be fine. I understand the impatience, but this is a learning process. Good luck.

Sleep Apnea has huge effects with anesthesia. You could wind up dead on the table if they don't know what level of ventilation support you need. Does that qualify as enough of a reason to have the testing done? (It could also kill you in your sleep, then you wouldn't need surgery to fix the apnea, either. Sorry to be testy about it, but if you aren't comfortable with your docs, then change groups. I don't know what the various designations (Starter v. Gold) mean. I'm sure there is an explanation somewhere on the web site.

Apnea is a risk and will likely clear after surgery and weight loss. Odds are, you didn't know you had it. Your insurance carrier may require that apnea be dealt with before surgery is approved. It also can affect anesthesia risk, so while the whole hour away thing is a pain in the ***, Would it be worthwhile to consider using a surgical group closer to home, or do you like the team at your current facility enough to put up with the inconvenience of everything being an hour away? I'm not sure where in NJ you are, but there are quite a few Centers of Bariatric Excellence in the state. Here's a link to the list for the whole state. https://www.facs.org/search/bariatric-surgery-centers?page=1&n=25&state=NJ For me, it was important for me to feel like my team wasn't giving me the run around and were available for what I needed. Best of luck in resolving the situation.

Bai has 10 calories for a bottle and 2g sugar (they use real fruit) and is very nice. Ditto on Vitamin Water Zero and the sugar free singles packs - I like 4C. I also drink a ton of iced tea and iced coffee.

Liquid phase isn't about calories. It's about protein and fluid. Get our 60-90 grams of protein in and drink your water. Then eat soups. Trader Joe's as a ton of great soups in boxes - mushroom, tomato most of which are also available in low sodium. What you are feeling as "hunger" may actually be acid in your new tender stomach. Are you on a PPI like Protonix or something else for reflux? If not, contact your group - that may help with the "hunger" pains . Good luck!

My group had me on under 1,000 calories a day with 60 grams of protein, almost no carbs and very low fat to shrink the liver. Plus 64 ounces of water. To get to that I would have a shake in the morning (30g), a salad with protein (grilled chicken) and balsamic vinegar as dressing at lunch (I could put in about 4 cups of lettuce for about 40-50 calories) and then dinner would be whatever protein I made for the family with another salad. If I needed more protein, I would have an Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt for 15 grams and 120 calories. Sugarfree popsicles, jello and broth were all available as well.

Call your team. It sounds like reflux, but because you are having trouble with the medicine they have given you, nothing is countering it. Call the office and see if someone can see you or talk to you about the issues. Prescribing a different reflux med could be the difference. I know you say you've tried warm, but try room temperature and cold as well. I found that I was very temp sensitive in the first few weeks and it changed from day to day. Best of luck

@K_aane When I saw the junior prom picture the first time, I cried, too! - And then made a call to see a surgeon. Yes, for women our age results take a bit more time, but they happen. Remember to measure before surgery and write those down. Sometimes the tape moves when the scale doesn't. I was barely squeezing into size 22 pants one year ago. Now, I wear 10s and they are getting loose - I'm thinner now than when I got married 20 years ago. You can do this. Deep breaths.

I can go up or down by 4 pounds from one day to the next. If you can't sometimes ignore the crazy fluctuations, don't weigh daily - it was the best advice I was given. Then I realized that I can't let the scale determine my success. Sometimes, inches go away when pounds don't seem to. Don't sweat it unless that two pounds stays around for more than a week.

@K_aane - I know you are frustrated right now, but this is the time to make the changes and get your head in the right spot. On April 20, 2016, I weighed 271.5. Saw my surgeon for the first time on May 11, 2016. Surgery was on August 23, 2016 (246.9). I'm now 9 months out - I weigh 177. I've lost 77% of my excess weight. I want to get to 150 because I know at under 150 I look a bit odd (I'm very busty). I'm 5'3" and 55 years old. I have bad knees. Guess what, it was all worth it - every bit. You can do this. If I did it, you sure can to. The photos are 11 months apart - the one with the girl in the red dress (my daughter) was at her junior prom on 4/20/2016. The other is at her senior prom, about 10 days ago. You got this.

Check with his office - it may be his requirement. My insurance did not have any waiting or supervised diet period, but my surgeon requires a minimum of three months supervised by his dietitian and attendance at group support meetings run by the hospital. It was well worth it. It gave me time to get my head in the right place, to have all the pre-op testing done (pulmonary, cardio, psych, endoscopy, barium swallow, bloodwork, etc.) and learn more about what my new life would be like. About 2 weeks prior to surgery I had a day long pre-op/post-op diet class going over everything I needed to know for my pre-op and post op diet. I know that right now six months seems like a really long time, but it's really not. Hang in there. It's worth it.

The first soft/mushy food I had was a scrambled egg. I had about three bites and I was full. Even now, 9 months out - two eggs is my limit. At first, I could only eat a few bites of anything that had to be chewed. Believe me, you will feel it.

April 2016 I weighed 271.5 - I'm 5'3". I was 5x5. I was squeezing into size 22 pants. Had surgery 8/23/16. I'm 9 months post-op and 94.9 pounds down from my high weight and about 25 pounds from my goal. The size 10 jeans I just bought are getting big and I've given all my 12s to my daughter who is a senior in High School. The first week or two was tough. But your body is healing from major surgery. Be patient and kind to yourself. When I look at photos of last year versus now, I can't believe its the same person. It will come off one pound at a time. You got this.

It may have been mention of Premier Protein products. I have found they are really good. But don't order in bulk from Amazon - I found that my tastes changed after surgery. Things I loved before tasted terrible for the first few weeks after surgery. Test a variety of protein both pre-mixed and powder to see what you like.

About a week before surgery, I had the jitters. I had lost a good bit of weight. Maybe I could do this on my own. Why risk surgery. I'm pretty sure that it is common. But now, looking at myself 9 months later, I know there is no way I could have ever achieved this. I'm 94 pounds down from April 2016. I went from squeezing into a size 22 to having a size 10 start to be big. People don't recognize me who haven't seen me in the last year. This is a major change. You're scared. That's OK. You have got this. You are fierce. You are stronger than you realize.

Talk with a therapist. It is my guess that you are sabotaging yourself. There is a reason deep down you are doing this and your need to meet this issue head on before you have surgery. Surgery isn't a cure, but a tool, as I'm sure you know. Getting your head right about food is the other big part. Also, talk with your RD. Are you tracking your food intake? Write every bite down. Every bite - including tasting for seasoning while you are cooking. That might provide you with some insight as to where things are going wrong. Best of luck

I'm a desk jockey like you. Surgery was on Tuesday, released from hospital Wednesday. Back to office Monday, but worked a reduced schedule in the office. ( I can work from home). So those first two weeks, I split three days in office, two days at home.

Pork? Turkey? Eggs? Tonight, we're grilling some Halibut.

I went back to the office about a week after surgery. (I"m a desk jockey and only work in the office 2 days a week.) I packed a cold bag with Premier protein shakes and crystal light type powders for my water. And an Oikos Triple Zero yogurt. I can eat at my desk. I don't have access to a fridge or microwave. I do have cases of water at my disposal. I had a shake on the way into work and brought my coffee with me. Then, sipped shakes through the day. Now (at 9 months out), I bring a shake in the morning with my coffee. (I usually work from 8:30 - 4 eating at my desk). For a late morning snack, I'll have a Oikos Triple Zero. Then around 2, I'll have my lunch. For a later afternoon snack, I might have some cheese or almonds. Best of luck

I have a glass of red wine about 3 times a week. I budget that 120 calories into my 1000 per day and make sure I get all my protein and water in before I pick up that glass of wine. I look at it like a dessert or treat. If I'm out with my husband or on business, I'll have a vodka and club soda and nurse it. A single shot of vodka is about 70 calories. Again, I make sure its in my daily budget. Every once and a while, I'll have a Manhattan, Old Fashioned or a bourbon on ice. No carbonation there!