Beta98

I would love to have my own organic garden one day. I have enough yard for one but haven't been able to figure out the time to do. The previous owners of my home had a garden and I still have their raised bed though it needs a good work over.

I don't know how old you are but have your ob/gyn check for uterine fibroids. What you are describing is how I was when I had a big fat (size of a large grapefruit) uterine fibroid and that bad boy gave me all the symptoms of pregnancy, hated the smell of certain things, morning sickness, crazy periods etc. so it wouldn't hurt to talk to you obgyn

thank you!

So my benefit stuff have to go in by the end of October. I participate in a FSA. I found out that I can use my FSA for vitamins and protein supplements as long as the surgeon write a script saying they are required after surgery. problem is I won't have any idea of how much these things run until I actually start using them and I have to submit my estimate in October. So on average, how much do you feel you spend monthly on calcium citrate, multivitamins, B-12, etc. plus your protein shakes each month? My surgery is at the end of Dec. so I will but using a lot of protein shakes in the early part of the year I'm sure as I will be in the liquid phase still in January when this FSA kicks in. thanks in advance!

Can you get their advertisement removed from the BP forums, the URL is listed as unsafe by my virus program

Congrats! Did you lose 50 since the surgery or is some pre surgery loss?

Finally! I'm approved. So now I start the last round of my program in Sept. They sent me all the paperwork on all the stuff I will get and need to do over the next 3 years to remain in the program after surgery and get my copay reimbursed over the 3 year period. For that don't remember I'm in a clinical trial program that requires 3K payment upfront and each year I get 1K back as long as I'm losing or keeping off the weight I have loss off. This way I earn the 3K back. They are checking to see if money is a motivator for people to keep the weight off for 3 years. I'm so grateful I made it through the first phase it was a long 16 weeks and since I didn't lose that much I really thought they might not choose me, but they did! Now the only thing that can stop me is if they find some medical reason I can't have the surgery which I don't think they will, or I don't make all of my scheduled appointment or meet the goals they set for me pre-surgery which I plan to do all! I have wanted this for too many years to blow it now! Also, this program is awesome, for 36 months I will get twice a month of personal training, once every other month nutritional counseling and once a month psychological counseling. With all of that in my toolbelt after surgery, I just have to succeed! Pre-surgery I will get two nutritional counseling, 12 personal training sessions, and 6 psychological sessions. Also a list of tests so long I would be here forever trying to type them all. But the exciting part about all the tests is they will do them pre-surgery and every 6 months for the next 3 years so I can really see how I'm progressing, they include things that I could never afford on my own like Tanita scans, underwater body fat analysis, range of motion and spinal alignment tests, etc. I just can't even wrap my brain around all of this and that it is actually happening!!! Oh my gosh! Keep me in your thoughts and prayers that nothing comes up to prevent me from completing this program or getting the surgery. I get to choose my surgery month and I'm choosing the week before Christmas so holiday eating/festivities don't throw me off track. I thank you all for being SO very supportive and encouraging over the past 16 weeks! I'm glad I found this forum.

Here are some good informative videos from a bariatric center I ran across on You Tube, if you haven't seen them already. Sometimes when you go to the sessions at your own facility you may miss things, these are helpful reminder or may help you develop questions for your own team. https://www.youtube.com/user/BariatricKC/videos

Talk to your nutritionist / dietician. Mine gave me a low carb plan to follow. when I'm 3 - 4 weeks from surgery they will change it to another more restrictive plan, and then when I'm 1 week before surgery the liquid plan. They have a reason behind each phase.

I found a really good video about hair loss after surgery here, its long but interesting... I ended up taking notes. Towards the end they talk about shampoos etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W72bShBT4pY

I went back to natural hair 8 years ago to stop hair shedding from the use of high blood pressure meds. At one poing I could fill up a ziplock sandwich bag with hair every morning. Just the thought of having to go through that again makes me sick to my stomach. It was so hard emotionally when it happened before. I know its just hair but I'm at that age now where it might not come back. In my culture our hair is our crown of glory and we put a lot of time and expenses into maintaining it. Sigh...

I'm so sorry you are struggling, losing a job takes a huge emotional toll. When you go for your check up let them know the emotional strain you are under maybe you can get some counseling support.

Thanks for sharing, walking 2 days a week and bike riding 2 days a week is about all I can do with some strength training on my total gym so its good to know that someone can lose over 100 pounds with that type of regimen. I have never been one to live in a gym. I prefer to enjoy outdoors walking or bike riding.

@saygrace, EXACTLY! And yes it does feel better knowing you are going through this "overthinking" everything part as well. Good luck to you.

I do, she just told me to write the feelings down

Did any you find your emotions and thoughts all over the place before you got your surgery? I have a long ways to go. If my lucky my surgery will be dec 2018 or Jan 2019... yeah so I need to simmer myself down LOL. How did you deal with the crazy thoughts and fears coming up to your surgery? I keep thinking how I've lost 100 pounds twice in my life and couldn't keep it off, why will this be any different. Or I will still be hungry and just won't be able to do anything about it so I'm setting myself up for pain, etc..... What are some good suggestions to keep myself positive because I have a LONG way to go!

I did a similar program in 2009, HMR (google it). I lost 100 pounds by 2010 but when I stopped drinking their shakes and eating their food and tried to integrate back into healthy foods I started to gain. Eventually I dropped out of the program and gained all of the weight back plus 20 pounds My biggest regret is that when I lost the 100 I should have did a self pay and got the sleeve right then... oh well...

How do I get my stats to show up under my name like you guys? i've looked everywhere and don't see where you can turn it on

Thanks for the welcome! I see we all have the same or similar goals, this is awesome it will keep me encourage! I want to be at 250 for surgery day as well but I don't know if it is possible. I will take what I can get though, LOL. Right now they just told me to lose what I can over 4 months and then they would get back to me. so far I have lost 14 pounds.

Glad you're doing better!

I know right? who would have thought fruit could be a problem but it was. I have lost 7.7 pounds this week as of today! They moved me to berries and green apples only and that did the trick.

Exactly what my Dr. and NUT said.

Me too! hate it with a passion because of a bad hip. So I will go learn how to swim or something but Zumba, treadmill etc is just not for me. Nice not to be alone LOL....

If you are gaining muscle it will weight more than fat