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So glad you found something that will work for you. Funny as I also was looking for unflavored today. Couldn't find it so I got Six Star vanilla Protein isolate. I haven't tried it yet but it met the surgeons requirements.

WOW!!! You two did it already and in 21 degree weather! YOU ROCK! What an amazing feeling that must have been. CONGRATULATIONS!

It took a lot of phone calls, complaining and even threatening to sit in the lobby of my PCP's office till I got it - but I finally got the medical clearance and got a real not a dummy date from my surgeon for my surgery. Jan 26th, it is 2 days after my 60th birthday and I am so ready. On Jan 19th I have the Pre-admission 4 hour workshop which includes: 1. a weigh in haven't seen or been weighed in since Nov 23rd the last 6 month supervised diet visit. Trying to maintain this weigh during the Holidays was not easy at all. I wasn't told I couldn't gain but felt it was important for me not to do so. However I proved unsuccessful with all the various activities around here. Yes I did gain 10 pounds and have been trying to get off every pounds gained plus more these last few weeks.We shall see tomorrow how I did. I hope I am at least back to the weight I was on Nov 23rd. 2. An hour long workshop with the nurse to remind me of what the surgery will entail, what I have to do this last week to get ready for it and the pre-op 1 day diet I must follow, what I must eat and the vitamins I have to take, breathing exercises I have to do after surgery. 3. Meet with the nurses and the Dr that will put me to sleep. 4. Plus ant tests that are now out of date because I had to wait over 2 months for the Doctors to give me clearance. They were so slow I was hitting the punching bag with their faces on it every day. People who started after me already have their surgery and have lost 35 to 50 pounds already. But at least this time around I have a surgery date unlike 2008 when I was told the insurance would pay for the lapband but not the fills. This time around I decided on the sleeve which was not allowed in 8 years ago. I have been thinking about my life after surgery and what I want to do with the new found freedom I hope to get. I hope and pray that this weight loss will allow me to walk again despite all the medical difficulties I have with my back, hips and legs. I hope that I will not need surgery on those parts but if I do there better not be a single Doctor who refuses to do what is needed for me to walk again. I can't have gone through all this to still be using a electric mobility device to get around. GOALS I WANT TO ACHIEVE 1. Whether I can walk again or not I will still be doing my exercise of riding my tricycle, using my arm peddler and pulley and doing the sit down circuit at either Youfit or Curves. I like the equipment at Curves but the lady that owns and runs it is a gossiper. She has told me about others who had surgery and things about their personal life that she had no business telling me. Makes me wonder if she told any one about my personal struggles. I like that Curves as it is close to my house and easier for me to get into with the scooter and walker. I will not tell her about my surgery but if she asks how I lost the weight from the time I left her place (as it has been over 5 years) till I get back, I'll just say high protein-low carb and leave it at that. 2. If possible in Feb after I have recovered from this gallbladder, sleeve and possible hernia surgery I want to go to the monthly support group the Doctor offered. I didn't feel right going before and thought it might make me too anxious. However, once I have the surgeries I know I will need the support as I have told no one as I only have one family member left (my brother who is 8 years older and doesn't ever call me or keep in touch) and when I called him I told him it was gallbladder and exploratory surgery for the nodules I have in various parts of my body.. I didn't lie as I do have numerous nodules, which I hope will not prevent the surgery from happening. The doctor is aware of them and I had 2 catscans done so he knows where they are. 3. I also want to engage in life again and do the things that other do, which haven't been possible to me. a. I want to join a bowling league. I use to bowl in college and was on several leagues. I didn't bowl well but I had fun and it was exercise. b. I want to go to the movies. It has been years since I have been able to go to see a movie. At one time I was able to fit into the stadium seating but the painful walk up the steps and the side stepping to get to a seat was beyond belief. I can't even remember the last movie I attended but I know I stayed on my scooter in the handicap section. c. I want to go on the Fair rides and all the attraction rides in Orlando. For many years the Wednesday before my Birthday a groups of us supersized people would go to the Fair. Of course none of us could go on any of the rides so we did all the shows and other things available. Next January I want to go on the rides. WOW this makes me think of all the weekend trips I could make to Orlando for all the different attractions that are there and really enjoy myself by being able to go on all the rides. What a wonderful world would open up to me. To be able to take a cruise, ride a jetski, skydive in one of the domes, do a zipline. These are all things on my bucket list and some how I plan to do every one of them. 4. If I am able to walk again, I want to leave the current job I have working 2 days per week with the Blind teaching them keyboarding and braille to become a Zumba and Bowka instructor for the elderly. I love to teach and what better way to combine my love of teaching and exercise as the same time. Of course I will have to take some classes in these two exercises and get certified but I do believe it can be done here in Florida as I have researched where the various training programs are located and a few of them are in Florida. I also have a goal of riding my tricycle (if I can't ride a bike) around Lake Okeechobee in Feb 2017 for the Loop around the Lake for Literacy. No not the whole Lake as that is 115 miles but I want to do the 14 mile ride up on the dike. I already checked into and am allowed to ride the tricycle if I can't ride a bike. I told the lady (in charge this year) that it would be a milestone goal of mine. I am hoping to be below 200 when I take this ride. The only bad thing about it is it will cost be $85.00 to do so. However if I can use it to raise money and I raise $200.00 I will get back my $85.00. So once I have the surgery, see where I am weight wise in 6 months then I will start thinking about how to turn this into a Pay it Forward kind of thing and raise that $200.00 so I can ride for free. I know this was long a long winded entry but only those who have been close to 500 pounds and have just existed not being able to really live their life the way they wanted to will understand what this surgery will do for me. Granted I lost 180 pounds on my own over the past 10 years but I am now 60 and do not want to wait another 10 years to get off the remaining 160 pounds. I know this is not the magic cure and only a tool. But it is a tool that will help me lose the remaining weight and allow me to LIVE, LAUGH AND LOVE. By the grace of GOD I am going to do this by my 61st birthday. Since my surgery is in about 1 week my next posting will be after I get home and have had some time to recover. No doubt it will be about the surgery, recovery and how well I am doing. I hope that my posting these entries in some small way helps others who are just beginning their journey and will provide encouragement to all following this new way of life. For all those who did read this posting please let me know how you are doing and feel free to become friends with me as I am sure we need each other's support to accomplish all our goals. Stay Happy and Healthy!!

50 pounds down in 2 months and 14 in month 2 is great! I only hope and pray I do as well. Picking up the exercise this 2nd month is wonderful as well Keep going strong and you will be doing that hike before you know it.

I do-I do. Please tell us how you did. I bet the second month was just as good if not better than the first month.

Thanks for making the video, it really helped to see how thick the batter should be. I haven't tried one yet as I don't have the matrix Protein. I think we do have some kind of chocolate protein my room mate got at Walmart. Will have to try that. I do have the powder Peanut Butter. I found that yesterday and haven't had that yet either. Am hoping those 2 would be a good combo.

Your very welcome. I know what you mean about being unprepared about the possibility of answering these questions. I had very long delays in answering when she asked me. However she was not upset as she saw that by the delays these were questions I hadn't thought about either. She would give good suggestions to me also. I am following your thread and have added you as a friend so we can follow each others progress.

Each Psych eval is different depending on who you have. I had a lady that does WLS evaluations and counsels anyone who has had any of the WLS. She had me come for 7 visits. She really knew about each of the surgeries and what has to be done and what to expect. We discussed everything imaginable from: 1. why I wanted to lose weight with WLS now that I am 60 and why didn't I do it before Am I doing this for fashion or for my health etc. . 2. possible complications from the surgery. 3. how I felt about following a high Protein low carb program for the rest of my life. 4. what kind of emotional support would I have as I have no family. 5. how was I going to handle stress now that I couldn't eat like I use to I told her exercise which lead to what kind as I can't stand. 6. possible other addictions that might crop up 7. how am I going to feel about all the excess skin I will have that I can't afford to have removed. After the 7th visit she finally wrote my evaluation. She also offered additional counseling to me after surgery should I need it. My surgery isn't until Jan 26th. Once I recover I will probably see her on a regular basis, if I am not finding enough support in the support groups and online here at BP. You are right about all the delays in getting appointments. I had to wait as long as 6 weeks for some of mine. But then I had a 6 months supervised diet I had to follow. I started my process June 15 2015 and finally 7 months later I am having surgery. I hope your process is much easier and doesn't take as long as mine did. There were days I was so stressed out that I am very thankful my Psych lady suggested the punching bag I have on the front of my bedroom door. It really helped to see the heads of some of these Doctors on that bag and beat the crap out of them. LOL Good Luck.

Happy Belated Birthday!!! I just saw this posting today. Thanks for writing it. It is really great to see someone in their 60's posting about how wonderful their life has been seen surgery. I will be turning 60 on Jan 24th, my surgery is on Jan 26th. I am so looking forward to celebrating my next birthday as a thin person who is able to do all the things I haven't been able to do since I was 34. Wish me luck!

I haven't had my surgery yet, but came upon this posting and these Protein cakes sound wonderful. Thanks so much for posting them. However I have a question How many months out from your surgeries were you when you started eating these? Also my Dr tells me no snacking is allowed yet I am reading (maybe not in this post but others) that most folks can't get enough protein without snacking. Are you all doing a lot of snacking or is this a meal for you?

So sorry to hear your surgery has been postphoned. I also had some trouble with my PCP not giving me the medical clearance because the PCP didn't have a surgery date. The surgeon didn't want to give me a date until we had PCP clearance. I finally told the surgeon you have to give the PCP a date otherwise this surgery is not going to happen. He finally did give the PCP a date. However he still hadn't given me clearance. I just kept after him and got the office manager involved and on Dec 31st I finally got my date. Keep doing what your doing and come March 1st you have lost even more weight and will have a better recovery. I wonder why I no longer saw your posting in the Jan threads.

I think walking girl is four! You,me, Mimisan and Walking Girl. However I am on so many threads I may be confused as I haven't seen Mimisan posting in quite a while. I don't even remember if she is a part of this thread or not. But I thought her surgery date was also Jan 26th.

A lot of folks say after the 3rd day it gets easier. Your almost to day three hang in there you will make it.

Congratulations on Day 1 Keep going strong. Remember the reason why your doing this when you encounter difficult times.

If I may ask, What insurance do you two have? I also have a hernia and the WLSurgeon didn't want to take it out during my Jan 26th gallbladder and sleeve surgery. He said it was because it could come back and would make my surgery take even longer. However I am wondering if he didn't want to take it out now as he see all ready I will need skin surgery too. I can't afford plastic surgery and told the Surgeon that so he told me to document all skin rashes etc. I was thinking after this sleeve surgery when there is open enrollment I might change and know which insurance would allow skin removal surgery would be very helpful. Thanks

Hi Everyone It is getting too darn hot in this house again. It is over 86 inside. We need some air. I got very dizzy today and almost passed out when I stood up. I do not sweat like most folks due and that makes for a very uncomfortable feeling. My roommate shirt is soaked but my face is bright red and I have a headache. So we are heading back over to my friend's house who is in the Nursing home She has no internet. Hopefully the AC part came in and the AC people can get out here Monday to fix this AC. I enjoyed sleeping in my bed but the heat is winning out. Have a good weekend and hope to be able to be home Monday night.

When I was 11 I was sent to a fat camp for 2 months came back home and gained what I had lost plus more. I was back to a different fat camp the following year. It was a WW camp and they taught us new ways of cooking as they held some cooking lessons. While I was in the lessons I am thinking to myself but I don't cook it is my Mom that cooks she should be here. I went home with the recipes we were given and that first month she made some of the recipes and then went right back to cooking the way she was use to. I always felt that my parents should have been offer the same classes during the parents weekend visit, but they weren't. By Christmas that year I had gained back my weight. So I agree the parents also need counseling and lessons on how to cook and eat healthier and not be enablers to their loved ones. If this had happened in 1968 I might not have gone through all my life as an obese person as I was not old enough at that age to really understand what WW camp was trying t teach us. .

Thanks I appreciate the thoughts! The day of my Birthday I will be starting the 2 day clear liquids. But Saturday I will have that Birthday fling and not over do it.

Yep I know. The heat down here is coming back as it was 85 inside this afternoon. We will be out of the house soon as we have a birthday party to go to at Red Lobster. I hope by the time we come back the temp will be down a bit. You have a 2 week liquid pre-op diet? Wow that is strict. My Dr said I have only 1 day of Clear Liquids starting Monday Jan 25th. However I am going to do 2 days, so it will start on Sunday my Birthday. Saturday the 23rd my roommate is throwing me a Wine and Fondue Birthday party and I want to be sure all wine and food is out of my system for Tuesday.

I watched the show too. I haven't had my surgery yet. Scheduled for Jan 26th. I would love to know how watching it post-surgery you have a different perspective of the show?

Yep those 2 ladies mentioned will be the first 2 to leave. Well the Cookie, Oil lady did leave during the second showing. As for the Clean Momma the exercise in the house would be good but outside no way would I do them in a grocery store or any other store. One thing I thought was interesting was that the color blue makes you eat less and slower and the color purple helps you sleep better. I wonder if indeed those are true statements. I will watch again next week. As for WW I went to the first WW camp they had in 1968 when I was 12 years old and I got to meet Jean Nidetch the owner and founded at that time. Years later when I was 21 I was a counselor at one of their camps in Shebogan Wi at Lake Land college. The last time I attended was back about 4 years ago when they had the winning points. I hardly lost anything in the 16 weeks I was attending. When I dropped my points down on my own I started to lose big time for 3 weeks until they kicked me out. They said I wasn't following their program as I downed my points without their authorization to do so and was losing too quickly. That was the last time I went there and haven't been back since.

Wow what wonderful progress you have made and many changes include what you know do during the day. How are you liking being a stay at home Dad? Nice new goals for the new year too. I am still waiting for my surgery Jan 26th so it will be here soon.

Hi Everyone Sorry I haven't been posting for the past 10 days. We (my room mate and I) had to leave our house on the 30th. We live in sunny hot Florida and when we got back from shopping on the 30th the house was 84 degrees inside. We immediately called the AC people and they came out but the AC was a frozen block of ice and they told us to turn it off and leave the house as it would be even hotter. We started packing and before we left it reached 89 inside. Fortunately we have a friend who is in a nursing home at this time and has been since June (that is another long story) and we were able to stay at her house, but she has no internet. We have come back to our home from time to time to do the laundry, wait for the repair man to come back or because the outside temps were down, but I was busy so I didn't get online much. The AC will not be fixed until possibly Monday the 11th or Tuesday. So I don't know if I will be back on line much till then. I see some of you have had your surgeries and are healing nicely. Others finally got their surgery date.I am so happy those who have been waiting a long time finally have a date. HURRAY!!! I had to wait a long time and still have 18 days to go before my surgery. I am so ready for this and have been for over 2 months. Keeping me waiting 2 month beyond my last 6 month supervised diet appt was and is very difficult especially over the 3 holidays. I will be so glad when this is over and I am on the losing side. Hope you all have a great weekend.

I have Coventry also which is now Aetna. I had a 6 month supervised diet I had to do as well as psych evaluation and various other testing. My insurance seems to take forever to approve of referrals and to approve of the surgery. I am thankful they did approve it. I tried in 2008 to get the lap band and the insurance I had at that time would not approve it. After hearing about all the revisions of lap band to sleeve I am kind of glad the previous insurance didn't approve of the surgery. My surgery date is Jan 26th and I have been approved for 1 night in the hospital.

I also am in Palm Beach County and we might have the same Doctor if yours is in Jupiter. You didn't list your Doctor but I did list mine. If we have the same I believe you misunderstood. My Dr wouldn't give me a 3 month only a 6 month prediction. He stated about 90 pounds which would be about 55% of what I have to lose. He stated usually in the first 3 months you lose faster than the last 3 months of the 6 month honeymoon phrase. I have my surgery on Jan 26th so I have no data to give to you. If you have a different Doctor I think you better clarify with him what his expectations are as they sound very unhealthy and unobtainable to me. The 75 pounds lost in 3 months is a fantastic amount of weight to lose. Way beyond the amount I would expect to lose. I wouldn't worry about his expected amount. If you follow the program you were given your body will lose as it desires not what you and your Doctor desire. This is not a race but a new lifestyle.