Beta98

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.

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

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.

Thank you. I have trouble imagining it myself! That will be like a 29-year trip back in a time machine!

I'm 5 months out and still use Protein Water or shakes nearly every day. I can't hit my protein target with food yet.

That was my weight at the start of my 2w pre-op diet. I lost 12 during those 2 weeks, and now 38 more in my two months post!

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.

thank you!

Yeah I’m making the changes they recommended. The scale is moving in the right direction, just slowly. I lose a little bit, hit a stall, lose a little bit, hit a stall. I had two months in the middle of this process where I gained weight (from poor choices) and I am so frustrated at myself because I had to lose the weight I gained (I did) and am now chipping away at the surgeons goal.

I spent the last few months prior to my first orientation hovering around 300. Somehow I was down to 299 at my first weigh in on March 13. The doc told me to lose 25 lbs during the 3 month supervised diet. So far I have lost 33 and hope to get a surgery date when I go back for my last doctor's visit on Tuesday. I would like to be down to 250 by surgery time.
Will definitely be checking this thread often....

@beta98 welcome to the group!

I live in Slidell

I'm from New Orleans! Currently living in California. Was supposed to go home in September but I'm postponing it as I decided to finally go for surgery.

Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

I’m from New Orleans but i live in Denver now

In the words of the late Justin Wilson You Gar-en-tee this?

My husband and family are from southern Louisiana and I’m a graduate of THE Southern University Law Center lol so I feel like it’s home

Not Louisiana, but I go to college in Alabama, so I’m kinda close!

Congratulations, that's awesome news! And you'll be providing answers for everyone else going down this path in the future! Sounds like a wonderful program. The more post-op support, the better, imho! Prayers that all goes smoothly!

So who is here from da boot? Are you in southern or northern Louisiana?

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.

That is a wonderful Instagram! I feel so encouraged, I saw a lot of foods I thought I would have to get up. So can you have normal meals like that everyday except they are small like you show? That is pretty much what they have me eating now in phase 1 except my portion size is triple what you show LOL.
To the original poster, please go look at his Instagram, I think you will see eventually you can have lots of great food just in a smaller portion size. I know for me I always wanted to eat smaller portions, i even got rid of all of my large plates several years ago and went to 8 inch plates, but it did no good I would just walk to the table with two plates in hand. The thought of fitting my meal on one small plate and not being hungry afterwards would be a huge win for me. Maybe you can start looking for what would be a huge win for you and not focus as much on the "loss" of control. I don't know, I'm not a therapist but I agree with those that said therapy would really help you a lot right now.

I find it hard to find 100 pound success stories among Gastric Sleeve's that were at 300 or less on surgery day. I have found people that loss 100 but they loss 25 or more pre surgery for the 100 total. I'm looking for 300 pounds or less people those that lost at least 100 pounds after surgery. My doctor say I can expect to lose about 100 - 120 pounds after surgery if I stick to the plan.. but I don't believe it because I can't find any GS people that have done it. So if you did it please post so I can be encouraged and believe it is possible, thanks!

That is a wonderful Instagram! I feel so encouraged, I saw a lot of foods I thought I would have to get up. So can you have normal meals like that everyday except they are small like you show? That is pretty much what they have me eating now in phase 1 except my portion size is triple what you show LOL.
To the original poster, please go look at his Instagram, I think you will see eventually you can have lots of great food just in a smaller portion size. I know for me I always wanted to eat smaller portions, i even got rid of all of my large plates several years ago and went to 8 inch plates, but it did no good I would just walk to the table with two plates in hand. The thought of fitting my meal on one small plate and not being hungry afterwards would be a huge win for me. Maybe you can start looking for what would be a huge win for you and not focus as much on the "loss" of control. I don't know, I'm not a therapist but I agree with those that said therapy would really help you a lot right now.

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