lizonaplane

I made bread throughout the first half of the pandemic and I added to my lumps to make them an equal weight. You don't have to "knead" them. Just sort of "roll" them together gently. Like, you do one rise where it's all in a bowl then weigh your whole big dough ball, divide by twelve or however many rolls you are making. Then pinch a piece of dough. Say you're 10 g off... go ahead and pinch a bit more off the big dough ball and roll it gently in your hands or on your counter. It won't deflate completely and it won't affect your 2nd rise at all. You can probably find a youtube video on this if my description doesn't make sense. On the other hand, if you enter 30 grams of roll into your calorie app but one day it's 27 and the next it's actually 33, it all comes out even in the end anyway! But it makes for a better bake by getting it even.

I haven't even had my surgery yet, but due to medications I have taken for decades, I have a lot of problems with constipation, especially when I eat "healthy" (i.e., not too much fat). Here is what I have learned: 1) I can't speak highly enough about Miralax. Amazon and Costco both have great generic versions. I find it mixes well in room temp beverages like tea, coffee, Crystal Light, etc. (I used to drink it in soda, but no longer drink fizzy drinks). Miralax usually doesn't work right away, so start taking it as soon as there's a problem, and it only works if you're taking it with FLUIDS. 2) exercise helps a LOT. it might just be a brisk walk 3) Don't expect to have to "go" every single day. While that might be "normal" it's okay not to go every day. 4) Fat helps, but depending on the cause of your constipation, fiber might not. I can literally eat 40 grams of fiber every day and not poop for 5 days. Increasing my fiber just makes me more uncomfortable. Just because they advertise fiber for "regularity" on TV doesn't mean it works for all causes of constipation 5) Laxative suppositories are a great last resort... don't plan anything fun for that evening.

That sucks... I have bipolar disorder and I gained 100 lbs in two years when I first started on meds when I was 14. Most of the bipolar meds cause weight gain. It's going to be hard for your doc to find one that doesn't! And insurance is always looking for a way to deny coverage anyway (seriously - I studied this in graduate school). I would wait until your meds are stable before trying again. Once you've been on a particular medication for a while your weight gain usually stops as long as you focus really hard. Plus, you want your mental health to be really stable before undergoing this process. I was told I had to get my psychiatrist to approve me since I have bipolar. I hope it works for you!

I never knew that being nauseous in the morning before eating was due to gastritis! That's always been the case for me. I wanted gastric bypass but because I have bipolar disorder, the surgeon and my psychopharmacologist both strongly suggested the sleeve instead, because of not being able to manage the bipolar meds as easily with the bypass. The surgeon knows I have gastritis/GERD but he still feels that way. They don't do band at this location and I wouldn't consider it anyway. I'm already on omeprazole. I guess we'll see what happens...

I liked the one I saw, but she just asked me a bunch of questions and focused on how I "sometimes skip breakfast". Well, I do that about 4 times a year when I visit my ex because we sleep till lunchtime! She never asked me how often or under what circumstances! It's just in my permanent file now lol. But I would rather have a great surgeon cut my stomach out and a mediocre dietician than a fabulous dietician tell me things I can look up online and a mediocre surgeon operating on me!! If they're part of a package, take the better surgeon, If the surgeons are both good, go with convenience, because you don't want to have excuses to miss follow up appointments.

Yes, my pre-op diet will be I think 1 shake and two meals a day that are low carb and high protein.

I'm not good at keeping quiet about my life so I've posted it on facebook and told most people, including my line manager. I didn't tell everyone at work, although I will most likely have to take a month off from work because I won't be able to lift my suitcase to travel for work, so I said I will be likely have to take a month off "for surgery" this summer. Many of my co-workers have never met me because we all work in different parts of the country remotely (even before COVID) so they likely don't even know I'm overweight. Everyone has been supportive, except for one person on facebook who had a bad experience with her own WLS and insists that weight has nothing to do with health and that we're all tools of the media, etc, etc. She gained her weight back and now doesn't even try to eat healthy, based on her food pix. She got into it on my page with people who were trying to be supportive, but everyone knew that was her bs and I don't care. My family is supportive and I have friends who have told me about their own surgeries and offered to talk to me any time. I've been very lucky.

What about regular plain yogurt with a bit of splenda/stevia/vanilla/honey? Goat cheese? (Not sure what is allowed as I'm several month prior to surgery, but I like food). Refried beans with cheese? I hit a wall with protein drinks this morning and I'm not a fan of eggs so I'm trying to find ideas for protein heavy breakfasts now, and I get it that trying to get yourself to eat something YOU JUST DON'T LIKE is not going to work!

I haven't had surgery yet, but I know mine is going to be almost 6 months at least. I called at the end of January and I won't be able to be scheduled till July at the earliest because I had to meet with the NP, the surgeon, the dietitian, the psychologist, and THEN have once a month nutrition classes for 4 months! After those are over in June I can have anything else they need done (not sure what) and schedule the surgery.

I had to wait about 2 weeks for the NP appointment, which was just a group class, and then about a month for the surgeon, but I think he had more time because they are not doing surgeries right now due to COVID. I had a much longer wait (like almost 3 months) for the psychologist initially, but I went on the cancellation list and was called almost immediately that she had a cancellation. Good luck!

I have really bad dry mouth from meds I take and I have found that sour sugar free sucking candies (the equivalent of breathmints) really do well for me. I only need one for several hours worth of relief. You could ask your program if that is okay, since it only has like 3 calories per piece and it's not swallowed or chewed. Other people like gum, but I can't chew gum due to the dental problems from the dry mouth. I never found any biotene stuff to work for me, but I know other people swear by it. Another thing that works is iced mint tea. just make hot mint tea and pour it over ice or make a pitcher and keep it in the fridge - it's herbal so no caffeine unless you buy "green tea with mint" which is something different. Good luck!

I am probably not having surgery till July at least, since I have four months of required nutrition classes. I started at the end of January and here is what I've done: 1) Cut out diet soda COMPLETELY (this is huge since I used to drink about 5 cans a day 2) Focus on protein and then veggies, and reduce fruit (hard because I love fruit) and carbs (not a carb lover except sweets!) 3) cut down to 1200-1400 calories a day 4) exercise 30+ minutes almost every day 5) wait 30 minutes after eating to drink and not chug my water (this is hard because I take meds that cause dry mouth) 6) Cut out iced coffee (this wasn't necessary but my iced coffees were huge and I don't really miss them) I'm still working on taking smaller bites and chewing better. I haven't got this down yet. I never drank or smoked so those aren't issues. I've lost 18 lbs so far but now I'm totally stalled.

I have had some doubts that have kept me from the surgery for many years. I'm at a 46 BMI, down from 49.6 before starting (again) to try to lose weight in preparation for surgery. I lost 100 lbs 5 years ago just counting calories and exercising when my job was boring, but I gained almost all of it back when I got a job traveling and then the pandemic happened. 98% of people who lose weight through diet and exercise gain it back. The odds are better with WLS. Not great, but better. I also thought since I had lost 100 lbs before why should I have surgery, but I know if I lose it on my own it will just come back again, and with surgery, I'll have a better shot at keeping it off. I'm scared of the surgery, but I'm uncomfortable all the time and it's no longer fun to do what I love, which is flying and traveling. I also was having a hard time just moving around. I'm not saying you should have the surgery, but consider that your odds of being successful with keeping weight off are better with WLS than with diet and exercise alone.

I have heard that once you start the pre-op diet they don't count any weight loss against you. Did you talk to the program to see if their advice is to gain weight? I am in the process of jumping through hoops too. My BMI was 49.6 but it's now down to 46. I don't think it will get too much lower. I've lost 18 lbs but I seem to have stalled. I don't have any back pain and I didn't start having any joint pain until I started exercising in the last two months after being really sedentary for the entire pandemic. Good luck!

I feel you... I travel for work (at least until COVID) so once COVID is over I will have no choice but to eat out 5 days a week. I will not be able to cook at home. I haven't had surgery yet, but here are the strategies I'm planning: ordering plain grilled meat and fish with a side of steamed or roasted veggies (most nicer restaurants will let you order this way and I will bring a mini food scale that is about the size of a deck of cards with me - I already have it, or a measuring cup. I don't care who thinks I'm weird). For fast food, I will order a grilled chicken sandwich or egg, ham, and cheese breakfast sandwich and not eat the bread. I have heard a lot of people talking about P3 packs and I've eaten them before. I can just eat the cheese and nuts and skip the raisins or craisins. I can buy cheese sticks and packs of deli meat at grocery stores in most cities where I have access to a grocery store and a fridge in my hotel room. I am not saying I will be perfect, but I know what the options are. You can eat healthy at restaurants. No, you don't know exactly what is in your food, but you can ask them not to add the butter/oil to your grilled meat or fish, you can say no to the bread, potatoes, rice, etc. And unless you're staying at a hotel with no fridge or microwave, you can take the food home for your next meal. You got this! You may or may not be able to turn yourself into a gourmet cook, but either way, it is possible. My nutritionist felt like I could go back on the road after surgery and be successful, so I think you can too!

I fly every week for work (at least prior to COVID) and I love to fly for fun and it was super uncomfortable at my size and I am just generally achy and had developed asthma from being so sedentary during the pandemic. I haven't had surgery yet, just going through all the pre-op insurance hoops still, but I've already lost 18 lbs and my asthma is gone, but I'm now more achy from doing more exercise.