Swanton_Bomb

I am pre-op but I have struggled with this on diets. When you are trying to be mindful about food you realize how everything seems to revolve around it.

I am still pre-op, but my nutritionist has it listed as a suggestion as an alternative to rice, which she says is usually not well tolerated. I hope I don't have too many problems with fiber, the most success I have had with losing weight in the past has been by having lots of high fiber foods, I am thinking they may help post op too.

Oh, wow. Stuff is getting real. Thanks for your reply!

My final weigh-in and pre-surgery consult is October 2nd. I'm wondering how long it will take for insurance approval and how far surgery dates usually are. I'm getting nervous (and excited too) and I kinda want to get it over with, plus I want to have an idea of how to plan ahead. Any experiences that you can share as far as the timeline goes?

Do you know where I can read more about this? How did you discover this? I can't find anything anywhere.

I am so sorry that you are going through this. I think this is going to happen more and more because of all the media attention to the opioid crisis. I'd rather see a thousand drug seekers get their fix than one person suffer in pain. I worry about this being a problem after surgery because we can't take NSAIDS. I hope you get a decent doctor to see you soon.

I'm thinking a sock bun (there are foam tubes for this if you don't want to use a sock) would be a good way to conceal if you don't want to cut, especially if you use a colored spray or Toppix or something to fill in the hairline.

What type of issues has your surgeon seen with the biotin?

So I have a fudging hiatal hernia. I didn't know, PCP couldn't feel it, it was discovered in pre-op GI series. Now I know from my seminar that my surgeon does hernia repair at the same time as WLS so hopefully this won't set back my date or anything. Anyone have experience with this? I know obese people are at higher risk for it, but my PCP says my weight was unlikely to have caused it on it's own.

What kind of broth are you drinking? Bone broth has a lot more protein than regular canned broth, maybe that will help getting a few extra grams in.

Does she work part time? Maybe she can finance the 20% and pay it back.

Neither of you have insurance that can cover the procedure? Perhaps she can get insurance. Maybe you can self pay for both of you in Mexico (or even another state, it varies a lot from state to state) or use a financing plan to borrow the money. Good luck.

I am pre-op, but I imagine that what has been helpful for me in losing in the past will still be important. Meal prepping is #1, and for me personally, I need to plan for a snack for the afternoon. A lot of times I wouldn't because I didn't want the extra calories and because a lot of plans discourage snacking, but I realized that because of my schedule, which usually has a crazy early lunch, if I didn't have a snack in the afternoon I would go positively crazy overeating when I went home. It is better for me to add and plan for the 200 calories or less in a snack than eat an extra 500 calories at dinner because I am ravenous. I find that some protein, like a string cheese stick, combined with a mandarin orange worked really well. It was satisfying and I love mandarins (icy cold!) so it was a treat and a pick-me-up that kept me going through the after-school meetings and my commute home. I would look forward to that little orange! I know those will be off limits for a while after surgery but I will still plan for a snack at that time.

I notice you are also in New York. It is a very difficult place to work with the teacher evaluation system in place. One year my rating was based partially on the scores of another teacher because I wasn't teaching a course that ended in an exam. That teacher was retiring and couldn't care less, and took at least 30 accrued sick days. Needless to say the scores were bad, so I had to make sure that anything that was in my power had to be literally perfect. The general public doesn't really know how the ratings work or the pressure, they just see the summers off. When I started years ago it was challenging and a lot of work, but it is now political and extremely anxiety producing. I am trying very hard to put myself first but it is hard. Have you had your surgery yet? I am hoping it will help me push through better than just doing it unassisted.

Diet preachers are so irritating. I have someone in my life right now that won't stop pushing high-fat keto (85% or more) on me. I've tried it, and it is not for me. Many people find themselves not hungry on that plan....I am ravenous, and I honestly find it kind of gross. Others are pushing plant based all the time. A great option if it works for you, but I not only enjoy dairy and meat but I lose better and feel better when I eat it. There is no one right way for anyone. The only diet that works is one you can stick with, something that is realistic for you and helps you mentally and physically feel good. I've always done best on moderate carb, moderate fat, high protein, lots of veggies...and portion control. That's why I am choosing this surgery, because it will help me restrict my portions and push me toward protein and veggies while not completely eliminating carbs. That doesn't work for everyone, and I wouldn't push it on anyone. I wouldn't suggest any eating plan unless someone brought it up and asked. You can politely decline a food without getting into a whole speech about how gluten blows you up or how cows milk should only be ingested by baby cows. Just say "No, thank you." You can add a simple, "I refrain from X" if you must. If someone asks, and you are comfortable, by all means, give advice. You might help them. If they haven't asked though, no need to get into the details. Anyone dealing with any diet preachers?

This comment, especially from someone with several years experience and AMAZING stats, makes me hopeful. I am pre-op and have chosen the sleeve because I am hoping it will prevent overeating binges. I am not under the impression that I will never have carbs again...in fact, I have always had more success on diets that incorporate carbs. and restrict portion sizes My problem is that I will do well for a while, and then have a binge, and that binge will set off more. I am hoping that the sleeve will be a tool to prevent those overeating episodes. I am not a grazer, so I am hoping this will work. I am hearing so much about the reduction in gherlin being BS and the sleeve only working for a few months. Seeing your success with it makes me hopeful, thank you.

I'm fine with my clothing costing a little more, but for some brands it is excessive and far beyond the cost of the extra fabric. What bothers me much more is brands that refuse to manufacture plus size clothing because they don't want fat people walking around in their designs, and companies that make plus size clothing but will only carry them online and not in stores. Old Navy does that. Their clothes run big so I can fit into their XXL, but their plus size is only online and that bothers me. The extra cost can be justified.

I'm worried about the upcoming school year from a weight loss standpoint. I work in an extremely high stress school environment. I was heavy before I started teaching (50lbs. overweight) but gained another 50 and became morbidly obese. I have lost and regained those 50lbs. multiple times. I eat to soothe the stress and I tend to plan poorly, not eat and then binge from starving all day. On the other hand, if I plan well I tend to lose more when I'm working because I am busy, and when I'm home I have more time to think about food. I am committing myself to putting my needs above the needs of my school. I have a lot of trouble saying no, and my supervisors know that and take advantage of that. I often wonder that once I have the surgery and lose the weight if I will become more confident and able to say no. When you are obese and self conscious, you try harder to be liked. You have to be smarter, more organized, funnier, sweeter, more dependable, better at everything to make up for the weight. Sorry to be so negative, but it is what I am feeling right now.

I am going through this too. I did a seminar in April, had to wait a month from then to get an appointment for a consult, and then 6 months of weigh-ins after that. I have to show weight loss, but not too much because if I go below a 40 BMI I might not be approved. I have mild sleep apnea and high cholesterol, but that isn't always enough to get approval with a BMI below 40, so it is a frustrating balancing act. my NUT is pleased with my small, steady loss and changes I've made. I'm basically dieting 5 days a week and taking weekends off (but not binging). I've quit all sodas and liquids with calories (with the exception of milk in coffee) and have started exercising. This has helped me stay sane. I am careful all week and if I really want that pizza or whatever, I know I can have it on Saturday. As I get closer I'm going to move to 6 days on and 5 days off. If you gain or don't lose enough, they will not approve you, and if you don't start making small changes that two week pre-op is going to be unbearable. Going from a 1200-1500 calorie diet to less than 1000 liquid only is hard, but going cold turkey after a high calorie diet is going to be harder. Good luck.

Best wishes for a smooth recovery!

Ok, well a month is not long, but depending on how overweight you are, you should be able to do it unless you are very metabolically resistant. Log every single bite. Measure everything. The pre op meal plan they gave me was 1500-1700 calories, which is far too high for me to lose any significant weight at my height, so you might have to play with the calories. Some people swear by keto for quick weight loss and getting that initial water off. Good luck!

How long do you have to lose the 10lbs? That may determine your strategy.

I haven't had my surgery yet but my surgeon said the sleeve is not as painful and they can give you a great pain block during surgery that actually lasts two days, lessening your need for a lot of opioid meds during those first and worst days, and the side effects that come with those meds.

I don't think it is self sabotage for most people. I think it is fear. It is a scary thing. I am pre-op. During the seminar the surgeon gave us the info and stats for the various surgeries. He seemed to not think much of the band and suggested the switch for those with a BMI of 50+. During my consult he asked which surgery I was interested in, and I said I was leaning toward the sleeve but still undecided. He talked about the upside of dumping as a tool, but also told me about malabsorption and post op pain. I told him that I liked the idea of the sleeve being shorter surgery time, and he said that really isn't a big factor because a bypass doesn't take that much longer. He said based on my history I would be a good candidate for the sleeve but that a bypass would be ok for me too. He left it up to me and didn't really push me in either direction.

Are you doing 6 months of weigh-ins? If this isn't a pattern they might be more understanding. It might be water. If you are female it could be cycle related. Exercise can also make you retain water. Eat lightly over the next two days, avoid carbs and salt. You might be able to take off at least 3 of those pounds, and they are likely to be more understanding about 4lbs. than 7. Your home scale might be off as well.