momof3_angels

I should add.. if Goldfinger orders your x-ray... I don't see why you would need a pulmonologist unless they see a problem... but he can give you a referral if needed. Doesn't you doc order all the tests for you? Mine did! I will look to see who did my psych eval... I really can't remember!

OK.... I can definitely give you a cardiologist! I love Dr. Goldfinger. He is associated with the Northwest team... so probably takes your insurance. He can do the EKG and would probably be willing to order the Chest X-Ray. I saw him before I had made up my mind about surgery, so didn't experience him being supportive before... but after surgery when I saw him he was VERY supportive and proud of me for taking that major step. Mine was with Banner/Dr Ghaderi. I had a nutritionist in his office and he just ordered the tests I needed. Sleep study... I was seeing Dr. Okcay who was associated with Northwest... but she up and left this month so waiting on a replacement. My new referral is through Banner... don't have a doc yet. But my boss just had a sleep study... I will ask him who he saw and let you know! Primary Care... Mine is down in Sahuarita... so unless you want to do the drive... this recommendation is useless, but I see Hanna Vogan-d"Arezzo. She is a FNP and is awesome. And VERY supportive of me wanting to do the surgery.

I will answer on your other thread... I am in Sahuarita... so my surgery was in Tucson.

Which docs and which hospital? I think I can help you!

Where are you in AZ? Near Tucson? And if you ARE near Tucson, who is your Bariatric doc and which hospital are they associated with? I might be able to help!

This is where discipline and measuring food is needed. Next time get the burrito... split it in half or thirds (depending on how big the burrito is) and remove the portions you do not intend to eat from your plate before you start eating. If at a restaurant... this may mean asking for a togo box WITH your meal. I always thought it was strange when A friend always did that when we went out to eat. Now I totally get it!

Sorry it was misleading! But I will say, the specialty crusts are EXPENSIVE! I don't buy them often for that reason. For a cheap alternative... if your nutritionist is OK with it... you can use a low carb tortilla to make a homemade pizza. Just have to watch how much sauce you add. Not the same as a regular style pizza crust... but it helps with my pizza cravings. I usually just make it in the frying pan like you would a quesadilla... except you don't fold over the tortilla If the cheese isn't melting enough I put the lid on.

Thank you to all the people who are keeping their judgmental comments to themselves. Again, I have already discussed this with my NUTRITIONIST before... she is the one who brought it up a while back during one of our many appointments. Following a plan as she previously outlined for me. Not some random internet prescription. My goal is to retrain myself to recognize my early "getting full" signals again... and to retrain myself to eat the way my nutritionist taught me. Still posting for my own accountability and since I can't just delete my own thread which is a stupid. You should be able to delete posts and comments you make on any forum, but it is what it is. Finished day 1 of full liquids. Still feeling good. Weight was down to 128 today. Surprised I am going down this fast with a lower BMI. Don't mind if I go down a couple more pounds but certainly can't go down more than that. Then I need to focus on maintaining again. Therefore I need to up my calorie intake today. But a good side effect of this is because I am eating way less, I have been drinking way more fluids than I can normally get in a day. I had been feeling like I was behind on my fluids for a while now and even though most days I was getting 64 ounces in, I never felt like I was catching up from days where I wasn't getting enough fluids in. And my urine was darker so I know I was somewhat dehydrated. My urine is MUCH lighter now! So again... feeling good and monitoring my health closely. Feels good to be able to drink protein shakes again (they were making me sick when I gave them up). I wouldn't have even tried if I wasn't doing full liquids. Also enjoyed eating greek yogurt again.... I had gotten away from that when I was rushing around like crazy at work. Combining these two items are ensuring I get my daily prescribed Protein requirements in while I am progressing through the stages. So again, today I will be upping my calorie intake. Tomorrow I will advance my diet again. Will add a few puree style foods to my protein shakes and yogurt and snacks that are permitted by my nutritionist during these stages. .Going forward, I will reassess my plan one day at a time. If I find I am still losing weight too fast, I will continue advancing my calories and diet stages a little quicker. I predict my 10-14 day reset diet will be shortened by several days, probably to 8-10 days max. Again, I know how to monitor my health and will respond and adapt appropriately, as needed. This isn't just a "crash diet" for me... it isn't about losing the weight quickly (although that does seem to be happening). it is going all the way back to the basics to retrain myself to do what I need to do... while following nutritionist guidance. And if I find I am struggling, I will definitely schedule an appointment with her as needed. I am doing it this way, because I know I can be successful at getting back to the way I am supposed to be eating if I go through the stages to get there.

Whatever. Doing a nutritionist supported reset diet. You don't have to approve.

I hear you and concur. With my husband though... it wasn't necessarily about weight loss surgery... it was about surgery in general. He has had things go wrong every time he gets surgery and even though I have NEVER had a problem with surgery, he really has a fear of me dying. And my kids.... well... they didn't really even see me as fat so they didn't understand why I needed it. I will say though, my daughter at least believes I cheated to get skinny and took the "easy way out". Not realizing how hard surgery really is on your body. But with her.... I chalk it up to immaturity. And she does think I am "lying" when I talk to my extended family about weight loss and leave the surgery part out. And again... she didn't realize I was fat until I got skinny and she looks back at pre-surgery pictures. Now the rest of my family? They would have been much more judgmental. And you are so right... we should not have to worry how others will react, and people really need to be supportive of others getting healthy... by whatever means to do it.

The real question is, are you sticking to the diet as it was layed out for you? Are you eating only what you are allowed to eat? Are you eating the right portion sizes? Are you following the recommendations of Protein and water first? Veggies only when you get your protein in? And you probably shouldn't be having extra carbs yet. Do you have a nutritionist to guide you? I am surprised that the doc has a specific 20 pound goal for you... but it seems like you could be at least losing more than you are if you are following the diet. Are you measuring and recording your intake? If no, you should be, especially in these early months. And then take that to the nutritionist to see what you are doing right, and what you can do better! Exercise... just keep working at it. In my first couple months, I literally had my husband take me to the grocery store, grab me a shopping cart, and we did 1 lap around the store, then two, and built up. and I initially needed that shopping cart because I wasn't strong enough without it for a couple weeks. Now mind you... that was pre-COVID... so you might want to find a different location. If it is too cold outside, maybe ask around to see what businesses are open that are large enough to do laps... but still don't have crowds. Here, our malls are crowded in the evenings/weekends... but totally empty during the weekdays. Making weekdays an ideal time to walk the mall. It's OK to start slow and build up your tolerance... in terms of both surgery recovery and back pain. And there are now many ways to access workout videos for different levels and types of activity... find one that works for you.

It took me a few months to get my energy level up. Totally normal! Might even be worse before it starts getting better. I seem to recall week 3-4 being bad for many.

You can reintroduce when allowed by your surgeon... but start out slow and stick to moderation! Alcohol and weight loss don't really usually go together. Alcohol and maintenance only go together if you are monitoring calorie intake. And how fast you feel tipsy might be accelerated from before.. but that isn't the case for everyone. Me? I have had a couple sips... maybe twice... of wine in the last 18 months since surgery. Doing fine without it so not seeking it out. But not overtly avoiding it either.

I had the sleeve and definitely had some food intolerances, especially in the beginning. Stay away from things that are making you sick... but don't be afraid to try again after a few months. Just because it is making you sick now, doesn't mean it always will. Lactose intolerance is a big one that folks may experience... but may not be permanent. I have gone through different stages with different foods making me sick. Of the ones I still don't tolerate, most I shouldn't be eating anyway!

I didn't tell my husband until after my initial appointments. I didn't want to give him more time than necessary to "talk me out of it". I didn't tell my daughter until a couple days before... only because she lives at home and I knew she would want to know why mom is in pain after spending a night away lol. My sons I didn't tell until several weeks later... and only then because one was coming home and would wonder why I wasn't going to work or eating normally... and of course I didn't want the other to be the last to find out. My parents/siblings and other extended family? Nope. Did not and will not tell them. At work, I talked to just a couple people before surgery. Then after I returned I slowly let others know since they were wondering why I was losing weight so fast. Now it is common knowledge at work. If i had to do it all over again? I would do it the same way! Husband thought I would die so he tried to talk me out of it... but also knew I was going to go through with it without his approval. Many months later he admitted I made a good choice for me when he saw me getting really healthy. Kids thought I was crazy but they are glad I am doing better and healthier. Don't need the judgmental comments from the extended family though... none of their business. And at work... I only had 1 negative reaction and it wasn't that bad. It was someone who is much more overweight who asked how I did it and I felt I should be honest... and her response "Well, I am not doing THAT!" LMAO. She and I never spoke about it again lol. The rest of my co-workers were either supportive, or just didn't talk about it with me. And several came to me for advice/guidance about their struggle or that of a loved one. Would I have preferred no one find out? Sure. But I lost weight so rapidly that it was just easier to fess up at work. At least my extended family didn't see me for a year after surgery lol.

It might also not be just your caloric intake... but what nutrients are you eating? Are you getting enough protein? Are you drinking enough water? Are you eating healthier fats? Are you eating too many carbs and/or the wrong carbs? Track your food for a few weeks and schedule an appointment with your nutritionist. Showing the nutritionist what and how much you are eating would probably be a better plan to follow than asking general "what works for others" . What works for me might not work for you. But get back to the basics and make sure you are following the prescribed diet. If you don't know what that is, then talk to your nutritionist and come up with a better game plan.

Shouldn't be your primary source of protein... but my nutritionist likes me to supplement with them or another protein supplement and I am 18 months out. Check with your surgeon or nutritionist though... they may prefer you follow a different plan

No pouch reset for you.... only do that when you gaining too much weight... and even then, talk to your nutritionist first! Sounds like you need to visit a nutritionist ASAP. They are wonderful and they can guide you in what you should be doing. What is best for one isn't always best for all. What should you be eating??? Protein and water, first and foremost. Meeting your protein goals? Then add in healthy veggies. And when OK with your nutritionist, you can add fruit too... but be mindful as to how that is affecting you. You may need to start with lower sugar fruits first. Carbs? You don't need very many of those. They come last. And talk to your nutritionist about what your nutrient goals for protein, fats and carbs are... so you can make mindful choices. And talk to the nutritionist about what carbs YOU should be eating. My main carbs are whole grain crackers and low carb tortillas. These were recommended by my nutritionist for me. What shouldn't I be eating? RICE! And breads. And Pasta. Rice is the biggest no no because it expands in your stomach. Bread does too. If I do eat a tiny bit of either.. my stomach hurts afterwards. And of course avoid empty calorie food. I have an occasional sweet, but I tend to pick ones that won't send me down a slippery slope. And measure and track your food! Your nutritionist can help much more if you know exactly what you are eating. Learn portion sizes for bariatric patients. And be sure to eat in the frequencies that the nutritionist recommends. For me that is 3 small meals and 3 small snacks a day... every 2-3 hours. I don't always get all 3 snacks in, but I do my best! I will add... I did awesome for the first year and a few months beyond.. but my work life has been more hectic than I could have ever imagined... so I ended up sliding a bit. Even ended up gaining a little weight... but once I saw the scale was moving in the wrong direction... I am getting back to the basics too... which for me is what I described to you. I am determined to never see the scale move more than a few pounds in the wrong direction... so I am nipping it in the bud now!

Wow, they are advancing you slowly! I hit 4 weeks and they said I can start eating whatever I wanted as long as I could tolerate it lol. But... they advanced me a little faster than others. I think normal diet for my team is usually around 6 weeks. Hang in there!

Some people can return to guzzling down water. Water passes through your stomach quickly. I wouldn't be too worried about that. But are you still eating the proper portions for your stage? That is the more important question. How much FOOD are you taking in will affect your success, whereas getting lots of water or other non-sugar fluids is just find. I wish I had that problem though lol... 18 months out and I can still only take 6 sips max! LOL I literally have to carry a water bottle everywhere I go to be sure to get enough fluids in. What I am experiencing is normal... but so is what you are experiencing! As for the food intake... it takes a while to get up to bariatric normal portions. Just eat what you can and keep communicating with our nutritionist/surgeon. They will let you know when to worry. Get your water and protein in as best as you can... don't worry about anything else until your water and protein are where they are supposed to be.

Some docs do and some don't. But if you smoke it... (or intake in other ways), best to be honest with the doc in the beginning. They will let you know if it will disqualify you from surgery. They will also probably give you a chance to quit it. I do know that most have a requirement to quit smoking.

First, remind yourself why you did this in the first place. Then get back to basics! Do you have a nutritionist? Schedule an appointment ASAP. Do you have print outs of what your diet is currently supposed to be? Start following it! Are you measuring your food? Do it! Are you tracking your food? Do it! Take care of yourself. Get yourself back on track NOW! Have you considered therapy? Might be a good idea. You are only 9 months out... you should NOT be gaining weight. I am 18 months out, lost ALL my weight. Work and COVID brought me into bad habits. I haven't gained much... but enough for me to have a wake up call. I too am about to follow most of the advice I just gave you. I don't need therapy myself and I have already identified my problems and my solution.., but the rest of the suggestions I gave you I am following to a tee. I restarted 2 days ago. Back to the basics. One more suggestion... when I was craving sweets, my NP at the surgeons office suggested that I might be deficient in sodium and that my body was confusing that for craving sweets. I went home and did a couple days of electrolyte drinks with extra sodium... and it worked! Unless you have a contraindication where you shouldn't have extra salt... maybe give that a try and see if it helps? I also noticed I do better if I eat a protein bar that has a little sweet. I have a stash of mini protein bars suggested by my nutritionist. Again... get back to the basics as quickly as you can. Not a moment to lose. The longer you wait, the harder it will be. Good luck!

They did mine fully clothed shoes off... but then they subtracted a bit for clothing lol. I was on the cusp of qualifying... so honestly I hate a lot of food the week prior so I would be a little more bloated. I also knew I had to be able to prove that I lost some weight pre-op so I wanted to be up just enough to qualify and lose a couple pounds to stay qualified. The thing is.. if I tried, I could lose weight... but no matter what I did it wouldn't STAY OFF... so I knew I needed to do surgery at that point since nothing else worked even under physician guidance and prescribed weight loss treatments.

Well, I am only 1.5 years out... but I concur with just about everything you said! Sleeve was definitely quick... but I think I was in the OR just a little bit longer... but not by much. And I concur... they should offer this as an option to lower BMI people more often. Benefits far outweigh the risks in my opinions. About telling people... yes yes yes! Before surgery especially! Before surgery I waited until mid-way through my pre-op appointments before even telling hubby, knowing he wouldn't like it. Good choice because it meant he had less time to talk me out of it. And by the time he knew my mind was made up. Told daughter a few days before because she lived with me and would know I didn't come home for a night and didn't go to work for several weeks lol. Beyond that... I had a COUPLE people at work who knew. After? I told my boys several weeks afterwards... just before one was coming home for a visit from college. I never did tell anyone else in my family. But when I returned to work I slowly started telling other people until my entire office knew. I like the way I did it. Still have no intention of EVER telling the rest of my family lol. Honeymoon phase... I believe this is true - though I am not as far out as you since I just had my 18 month appointment 2 weeks ago. I just recently started gaining weight in the last couple of months and am currently trying to nip it in the bud. I like my weight the way it had been for nearly a year, so I plan to try harder to maintain. Unsure about counting calories. Right now I am going back to it to make sure I get back on track... but I think once I remind myself what portion sizes look like at the right calories... then I will probably go back to measuring a bit better. I do avoid drinks with sugars at all costs. Alcohol... that is the only that I don't have much experience with. I haven't had more than a couple sips on rare occasions. Just don't feel I want or need it... but not going out of my way to avoid it on purpose.

I know it is tough... but it is for the safety of all patients. Really, do you want someone else's significant other exposing others to COVID and then you getting it while recovering from surgery? I can tell you... post-op is unpleasant enough without adding a COVID infection on top of it. But really... when I worked in hospitals we rarely allowed adult patients to have overnight guests. Only under a few special circumstances (like having a baby or someone actually on their death bed). Visiting hours were during the daytime only. I know I was trained this way, but I don't see it as a big deal to not be allowed an overnight guest. And with COVID going around, I would consider yourself lucky to know he is allowed during visiting hours. If this is a really big concern of yours, you might want to consider postponing your surgery. Otherwise, it is what it is. Have your cell phone with you when he leaves so you can talk and/or facetime when you need him in the evening/night. And while I say all that... I was actually blessed that my husband WAS allowed to spend the night. We didn't plan for it. I had just assumed he would go home to our daughter all along. But night came and he didn't leave. Daughter got to be home alone with our dogs for the night (teenager). And he ended up staying with me and taking care of me. Honestly... I could have done it without him, I mostly slept. He mostly slept. But when I had to get up and pee he was there to help me so I didn't have to wait for the nurse. So it was nice, but wouldn't have been a big deal if he had gone home. My surgery was of course PRE-COVID.