BT816

I count them as a meal, so I try not to drink any water 15 minutes before a shake and at least 30-45 minutes after finishing one.

That could get better! Pre-op, with my diabetes not in check, I probably should have been using a pill. Now 90 lbs. later, happy to say everything is fully-functioning and in better shape than it's been in a long time! Great name, BTW.

I've had a couple of the individual sized bags of Skinny Pop, no issues at all. My only mental problem was briefly wishing I had a nice Diet Dr. Pepper to wash it down, but that passed quickly.

Hi there, fellow June sleevers! Glad to see everyone kicking butt! I'm in a bit of a stall right now, but overall things have been going well. I went on vacation for a few weeks at the end of July and probably snuck in some carbs that I should not be eating right now (or ever), and am trying to stay on track with protein, water and logging my food. Fortunately, I was able to be very active on vacation and do many things I would not have been able to just a few months ago. Need to gather up some "good" before pictures now that I have plenty of after/during pics.

I lost 22.6 lbs. on my two-week pre-op diet. My plan was two shakes during the day, and then one high protein meal (usually grilled chicken/beef and veggies) for dinner.

That is so awesome, keep up the great work! I hope to join you soon; I'm down -78.2 and have 85.8 to go. Almost halfway!

Hi there - My experience with Cigna was positive throughout the process, and I did not have any issues getting approved. My time frame began when I first met with the surgeon (Jan 21 in my case), and then I needed to have 3 additional visits with exercise physiologist/dietitian over the next 89 days (as well as complete psych evaluation and get my PCP and cardiologist to sign off). The only weight stipulation I had was that I needed to weigh less than the weight recorded on my 1st visit with the surgeon; I ended down -0.5 pounds. After the 89 days was up and my paperwork (with all completed tests/appointments) sent in to Cigna, I was approved within a week. My surgery date ended up being June 16, so it was all-in a five-month process from first visit with surgeon to surgery. Good luck with everything!

That is awesome, keep crushing it man! Hope to be right there with you someday soon!

Ha, reading the other responses I now remember that I definitely had something on my legs. It wasn't a sock, more like a really big blood pressure cuff that must've been the squeezing device to prevent clotting. Man, I must've been really out of it that first day...completely forgot about that until now. Like others said, once I was up and walking they took them off.

I did not; just had those sweet grippy socks for walking around.

I'm a month out now, and my daily routine is typically this: - Protein shake in morning (30g protein) - 32 oz. water between 8-11am - Cheese stick & protein shake for lunch (37g protein); sometimes 8-10 almonds if I want to chew on something - 32 oz. water between 12-4pm - Small "meal" for dinner, usually 2 to 4 oz. meat or eggs - 16-20oz. water or Crystal Light in the evening, sometimes some sugar-free Jello or pudding too I aim to total out around 80g protein and 500-600 calories.

I had surgery on a Friday, took the next week off and was back to work the following Monday. I was ready to head back by Thursday of my week off, was quite boring and I was feeling good and off pain meds by then.

I told my boss about the surgery when I started the pre-op program, given I would be in and out of for appointments over the next few months. Then I used regular PTO to take a week off post-op. I probably would have taken two, but my surgery was June 16 and I am already going to be out of the office from July 21-Aug 4 for vacation.

I'm 24 days post-op, and made myself a taco the other night. It was fantastic. I used 2 oz. of 93/7 lean ground beef, some low sodium seasoning, 1/2 serving of 2% shredded cheddar and a small tortilla (debated that, but the 15 carbs brought my daily total to a whopping 19 so I decided to splurge and see how I handled it). I ate about 3 bites and was full for the night. I guess after weeks of protein shakes and eggs anything real will taste good, though.

Yes! My Nalgene bottle is my best friend, it never leaves my side. Love being able to sip 2 oz. at a time throughout the day.

I can't wait to fit into the seats on roller coasters again!

I was Type 2 as well, sleeved on June 16 and my AM fasting blood sugars have gone from 250+ to around 110. My endocrinologist took me off glipizide pre-op and my surgeon took me off Metformin post-op so I haven't taken any meds for a week or so now. I'm still in the liquid stage, so total carbs around 15-20 per day but I plan on staying as low-carb as possible when I move onto real food. Good luck with your surgery! It's scheduled on my birthday so that's always a good day! 😀

My initial consultation with the surgeon was on Jan. 20, and my surgery is the Friday, June 16th. I had an 89-day pre-op requirement from insurance when I had to attend a monthly check-in with the dietitian and exercise physiologist (and I took care of my PCP, cardiologist and psych requirements during that time as well to make sure my paperwork was ready to go as soon as I had my last check-in visit).

I think there were three levels of pre-op diet that my surgeon presented: one for those with BMIs between 35-40 which was just clear liquids 24 hours pre-surgery (so as to not risk slipping below a BMI of 35 as the pre-op diet will cause weight loss). Then for those between 40-50 BMI it was 2 protein shakes & 2 meals a day; the 50+ BMI is full liquid diet for two weeks pre-surgery. I'm on day 8 of the 2nd option, so I'm lucky I get to chew some food at least once a day.

Great stuff! My ultimate physical goal is to be able to make this 14-mile round-trip hike and climb the cables to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/halfdome.htm That's the #1 item on my "Skinny Bucket List." Boarding an airplane and not having anxiety about the seat belt fitting or sitting next to a stranger is on there, too! Oh, and actually being able to buy some cool clothes (though I may still be forced to shop online for tall sizes).