BeanitoDiego

That's a great story @SacB! I think that about my pants when I hold them up... Those couldn't possibly fit me, but, they do! And @SarahByNumbers, your kitty has great taste in music!

I relied on a bottle of ProT Gold to help me meet my Protein goals right after surgery. It was given to me when I was in the hospital, so I reckoned it would be fine to keep using it.

I can really only share what the experience has been like for me, and the positives that have come into my life. I was in a very similar spot as you, both mentally and physically. The doubts and fear doubled, trebled, quadrupled to an infinity even as I was being rolled into the OR for surgery.

I am now six months and two weeks post-op. I can pop off for a 2 mile run if I feel like it. A 10 mile hike. A long yoga session. I am signed up for getting an open-water SCUBA certification. My cholesterol is normal for the first time in my adult life. My mental health has improved. I've also enjoying seeing my physical transformation.

Attaining a high level of fitness remains a strong motivation for me. But eating small portions, managing supplements, timing my Water intake, and tracking food? It has gotten easier and easier. I truly wish you well on your journey, no matter which path you decide to take.

Seems like you've hit the 3-week stall. Totally normal! Lots and lots of posts here about it in the forums. Keep in mind that with the shakes, you were also getting the benefit of the liquid. In my program, I was still eating Soups at this stage, which also helped with my liquid intake.

I'm 6 months post-op and drinking Water is still a full time job. 80 ounces or more every day 😎

I am six months out and I still use the Baritastic app to track everything. I find it helpful as a guide to reinforce what I have learned about nutrition and portion sizes, but it requires an internet connection. The times that I have been offline and unable to track, I've practised my "eating right," skills, and haven't worried myself.

I had to reach out to BCBS myself, on two separate occasions, to figure out a claim issue and was able to get it resolved to get surgery covered. I was very strict with everything that I had to do to qualify for surgery in the first place, plus I have the persistence of a hungry mosquito.

I was honest with my team, perhaps to a fault! Minutes before surgery, with IVs in both of my arms getting wheeled down the hallway, and even when that mask was going over my mouth and nose, they all knew how scared I was and how much I felt like I wanted to back out.

I'm SO glad that I did not chicken out. My life has changed for the better in every dimension of my existence. Sending you lots of hugs @Jessica Marie and hope you can see that you are not alone 😎

I'm like @Shanna NYC, I stick to waiting 30 minutes after a snack, and always 30 minutes or more after a meal. And like @catwoman7, I drink Water first thing in the morning, usually getting in at least 16 ounces before having Breakfast or coffee.

I'm almost 6 months post-op, and the timing of my water intake has become a habit and I'm able to get in at least 80 ounces a day. One difference that I can see between us is that my program told me that I can have a drink/water at any point before I eat.

I am sending you hugs. Your weight is still down from 134kg, so you are not a failure. I am sure that people more educated than me will be able to offer you more and better advice. But I will say that I think you should start tracking your food intake so that you know how many calories, carbohydrates, and Protein that you are getting. Vi auguro buona fortuna e spero che ci terrete aggiornati!

I saw it as an opportunity to refocus away from food, and I took my pup for an extra long walk that day 🐾

You will get through this! Your mind gets challenged a lot in these days. I went through the "buyer's remorse," stage and wondered what in the world have I done to myself. Five months post-op, and I am on top of the world.

It is a critical psychological shift to not be labeled as "obese," anymore! Sending lots of congrats on those NSVs, too 😎

I've thrown out all of my pre-op bras, and for now have switched to a bra that is sized S-3XL because I have no idea what my bust or cup size I'm rockin'. I'll get fitted once my weight has stabilised later this year or early next year. Anyway, I found these on sale at Amazon in December, and they are comfortable, unfussy, easy to launder.

https://www.amazon.com/Warners-Womens-Bulge-Wire-Free-Butterscotch/dp/B01MT7SIOU?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1

I was cleared for any and all exercise at 4 weeks post-op, and I haven't stopped. I am currently 5 months out from surgery, and I've definitely had a couple of stalls. But all of my fitness levels are rising and I feel great pushing myself to do more and more. At this point, I've noticed that my body composition is changing a lot more than the scale, and that is fine with me. I don't think I would be in the place where I'm at right now if I had to wait until February to begin exercising.

My words cannot fully convey the range of thoughts that ran through my mind when I read about the complications that you have had. That's a helluva gauntlet to run through on your WL journey, and I'm glad that you are home and healing. Truly hope that the heart issues can get figured out so that your next surgery is completely uneventful.

Thanks for posting those articles @GreenTealael! Very interesting information and good news for this community.

It's so hard on the liquid phase! Six more days? You've totally got this.

I'm like Vicky, I began using Premier Protein drinks before surgery and have stuck with them after surgery. I like Isopure and G-Zero Protein powders for a change up in my Water.

Oh gosh, I sure hope that both of these upcoming surgeries will bring you sweet relief!

Followed y’all. I haven’t posted on IG about my journey, but I may get brave one day. My account (DT) is mostly outdoor photos and attempts to be artistic 😁

I had a week of intense abdominal pain, difficulty getting up and down from chairs and the bed, pain while walking, and pain while sitting up. I'd also had a hernia repair performed. I was mostly able to fetch for myself and had prepped like @Arabesque mentioned. Friends came by to move the trash and recycle bins for me. By week 5, I had no more pain and most of my lifting restrictions were gone.

I am doing great! Today actually marks the day 1 year ago that I decided to make that phone call and set an appointment to learn about weight loss surgery. I felt so sad and hopeless and out of control. Today I am joyful and hopeful and totally in control.

If you have the green light for surgery, your team must believe that you are ready! Sending lots of healing energy your way, and please check in here on the forums after your surgery to let us know how everything went 😊

Well said, @NickelChip. I agree that we need radical change from our policy makers at the highest levels, and some real nutritional education. Part of my journey is that I have finally gotten very angry about the marketing/indoctrination and policy lobbying that the for-profit "food" industries have been allowed to get away with, at the expense of our health in the USA.

I'm old enough to recall that the first food pyramid from the USDA said to eat 6-11 servings of bread, rice, Cereal, or Pasta every day. As a young person, I thought I was practicing healthy eating when I would have two servings of cereal for Breakfast, then two sandwiches for lunch, and three servings of rice for supper. 9 servings was totally within the guidelines, so why was I gaining weight???

Thank you for sharing the article, @GreenTealael. I felt like I was reading about myself! Body size, obesity, health and their places in society and the science of medicine seem to get more complicated every day. I found the short history lesson on BMI quite fascinating.

I have a different flavor of BCBS that required 6 months of physician-monitored diet. But from the time that my program submitted all of the required paperwork to approval was 9 days. My surgery was scheduled for two weeks later. Out of pocket, I paid around $1000. The anesthesiologist was not in-network and was about $270 of the total cost.