warrior68

I smoked for over 20 years, told the surgeon I had quit, got busted on the pre op labs the week b4 my surgery. When I went in for the appointment 3 days prior the PA told me we found nicotine traces in your lab work. Fortunatly for me I had put on a nicotine patch that morning because I did not want the doctor or PA to smell the smoke on me. I told her that I had quit, and that some days I wear a patch if I am having a tough day. She asked me to take the patch off, and I did. I did not smoke again until 2 moths post surgery, I cant even tell you why I started again, I just did. I will say that for the time that I wasn't smoking it really didn't bother me, I wanted the surgery more than the cigarettes. Its not that hard to quit with the patch, my suggestion would be to by the walmart house brand patches at a fraction of the cost compared to nicorette patches.

Congratulations on getting it done! Its funny that you said you felt like you got hit by a truck when you woke up... When I woke up after the surgery the surgeon, the P.A and all the nurses were there, they asked how I was feeling, I didn't answer them for a few seconds I just kept looking around, the P.A finally said "what are you looking for?: Me " the truck" P.A, " what truck?" Me " the one that ran me over while I was asleep!" They all got a little chuckle out of it. Just know that each day you will feel better, and stronger! Best of luck!

Thank you everyone for the kind replies! I finally broke through and lost one whole pound! LOL. Now that my weight loss has slowed so much I'm wondering if hitting my goal of being under 200 at my next follow up with my surgeon in August is even possible? I work out, I walk, I run, I eat right, I work out more, I walk more, I run more, and I get one stinking pound! Oh well, I'm just happy to have had the fast loss that I had for the first 4 months or so.

4 moths and down 100lbs, but I work out like a mad man! Weight loss and the amount of time it takes will be different for everyone, but I think everyone will agree, if you are sleeved, you will lose weight if you follow the rules.

Congratulations!! I just hit the 100lb mark too, its such a great feeling!

Im not doctor, although I have played Doctor before, so my opinion not only counts, it is 100% non factual. That being said I was under the assumption that the only way to lose weight was to have a calorie deficit? I wear a body bug 24/7 and I know I eat between 600 to 1000 calories depending on the day. Each day When I plug in my body bug to down load the info I look at the calorie deficit, for some reason this is the number I find most important, I get very upset with myself if I am not at least at a 1500 calorie deficit, on days that I do my CrossFit workouts I am closer to a 2500 calorie deficit and sometimes higher. Now I will say that the body bug counts every calorie I burn, all of them, when I sleeping, working, sitting here typing, and working out. My daily goal is a calorie deficit of 2000, but I'm kinda ok with 1500 on some days. I'm not sure that I am right, but I like to think that the more of a calorie deficit you have each day, the faster the weight comes off. I have not had problems with feeling week, or getting dizzy while running these deficits, so I gotta think its ok, right?

]!00 pounds down since starting the pre op liquid diet on Febuary 23rd of 2011, sleeved on March 1st 2011, 10,5 inches off my waist.... Still have at least 50 more to lose, but so far so good! There have been ups and downs during the past 4 months, a couple small food accidents, but I have been 100% on the work outs! I started CrossFit a couple weeks ago, all I can say is Holy Frigging CrossFit Batman! Crossfit is expensive, but oh so worth it! I leave there shaking each and every time I go, its insane! Now for the bad part, I have finally hit that stall everyone talks about, and Its not making me very happy at all. My initial thought was to work out more, work out harder. I Cant really lower my calories, I'm only taking in between 600 and 1000 a day, so what else is there to do besides work out more, and harder. Well my CrossFit instructor told me tonight that I need to rest on my days off from cross fit, not go workout in the gym, He said sometimes more is less, and my body may be going through a shock of some kind. Long story short the Crossfit coach knows his stuff, he is always reading healthy eating books, and going to training seminars, I have no reason to not believe him, but it makes no sense to me. He did say If I Felt like I HAD to do something on off days to ride the Schwinn air-dyne exercise bike, but nothing else. Anyone who has been through this stall please chime in and let me know how you got past it?

Heatherr, I have always been lucky in the sense that my body reacts very quickly to changes, plus I work out like a mad man, on top of walking the dog a minimum of 3 miles a day. Yesterday was Corssfit, then Crossfit endurance, thats one solid hour of nothing but hard fast movements in 90 degree weather. Tonight after my weight watchers meeting I will go to the gym, walk and run on the tread mill ( I do 1/4 walk then 1/4 mile run 4 to 6 times), do 4 sets of 500 meters on the rowing machine, 3 to 5 one minute sets on that damn Jacobs ladder, then depending on how I feel I may do 1 to 3 nautilus circuits. Todays food- Protein shake (sci-fit whey Isolate- chocolate peanut butter)50 grams of protein with half a banana, and a hand full of Fiber one, mixed up in the magic bullet, then a cheese stick for lunch, chobani for mid afternoon, and a piece of sea bass for dinner. My morning shake has a bunch of calories (about 250 to 300), but its so worth it to me, the Banana and fiber one keep me right and tight for the day, as well as helping the Protein powder keep me full. Dont get me wrong, I have had my weak moments, and scarfed down a snickers bar, or whatever, but I think that keeps me kind of sane purring this process. As long As I dont get back to daily candy bars, ice cream and garbage plates I should be ok. As long as I see a calorie deficit when I hook my Body bug each day, I Know I had a good day! I hope that answers your question? I'm not sure how others do or dont do to lose, I just know what works for me. It doesn't matter if your a quick loser or a slow loser, as long as you are losing!

Tomorrow will be my 4 month anniversary as of about 10 days ago I hit the 100 lbs lost mark! I will say as far as eating I have made some Huge Mistakes along the way. By Huge mistakes I mean eating a candy bar here and there, or two chicken wings, or slice of pizza, I try very hard to limit these mistakes, but its not easy. I have stuck to my workouts religiously, I was working out every single day, walking, starting to ad in some running for 1/4 mile at a time, then I joined this thing called Corssfit. Crossfit is really crazy, I have never had a workout like this in my life! Crossfit is expensive, 120 bucks a month, but it is so worth it! The classes are small, so its like having a personal trainer pushing you the entire time, its all about core strength, and proper movement, and every time I leave there my legs shake so bad I'm afraid I'm going to fall down. Problem is I have hit a bit of a stall since starting crossfit, and I think this is because I dont have the energy on off days to go to the gym and do my normal workout. I will admit I have not been paying as much attention to what I have been eating as I should be in the past couple weeks either, In fact I actually gained 2 lbs over this holiday weekend. This week I'm going back at it hard, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Crossfit, Wednesday Friday, Saturday, Sunday the gym and lots of dog walking each day, no more little cheats, or as I call them "accidents" with food. I am at 226 lbs right now, I so badly want to get under 200, actually the goal is 175 lbs The real deal goal would be 155 then stack on 20 lbs of muscle to get back to 175. For right now I'm shooting for Under 200 by my next follow up with the surgeon in August. I can be very hard on myself at times, but when I look back and think, last December I was 326 lbs, I guess I realize I have come a long way.... Then I think, Gheez I still have over 50lbs to lose in the worst case scenario! Ughh My head is spinning trying to grasp all that has been done, and then all that still needs to be accomplished.

The Best Protein powder I have found is the chocolate Peanut Butter flavor by Sci-fit, it is a whey Isolate, it taste great! 50 Grams of Protein 200 calories, if I drink it for Breakfast at around 6am it easily holds me until 1 or 2pm before I even think about food again. Problem is you can only buy it online, or at least I haven't found it in any stores yet. Here is a link to the site that I use to buy it, they sell all kinds of protein, and health drinks. Body Building.com

I started back up yesterday, Whey Isolate protein shake with a Banana for breakfast, Chobani for lunch, Chicken breast for dinner. My stomach wasn't hungry at all, but my head sure was hungry!

I have chrons and was sleeved on 3/1/11 with no problem at all, but I was not on anti inflammatory meds. I take mercatopurine (6mp) and have been free of flare up for years now. I did have some Chrons like diarrhea symptoms for a couple weeks after the surgery, but now I am fine, actually feeling a bit better. I mean I feel better in the sense that I very rearly get that chrons, I need a bathroom NOW feeling anymore, could be because I'm taking in much less food.

Had the sleeve on March 1st, weighing in at just over 300, I lost 72 lbs by April 27th ( the loss actually occurred from the 23rd of February when I started my liquid diet). April 27th seems to be the day that everything fell apart, it was the 27th that I had a follow up with my surgeon, he was so excited about how much I lost, and so was I. I was feeling great, and I was watching the scale move every day. While at my follow up the surgeon told me "Go ahead and eat whatever you want" I said whatever I want? He said yes, anything you want! While let me tell you, I fell right off the damn wagon and into a pile of candy bars, chicken wings, burgers, Cookies cakes and candies. I need to regain some sort of order here or I'm afraid I'll go back to where I was! I have not gained any wieght since I started this feeding frenzy, but I have only lost .6 lbs since then. I started smoking again, which is why I think I picked up the bad food habits again too! I have figured out that there is nothing good that can come from the damn convenience stores! You go in to buy a pack of smokes, and the frigging candy bars are right there, snickers, baby Ruthe, the new milky way all caramel bar, butterfingers, and attached to the local convenience store, a pizza place with the best damn chicken wings in the world! What could one candy bar hurt? I better get two because one never satisfies, and who can chose just one with so many great tasting selections? I have not stopped with my working out, and I still walk my 5 to 8 miles daily, but my food intake has to stop! I feel like I'm possessed with some evil food spirit that is trying to sabotage me! Worse pat about all this is I am hiding it from friends and family, like if they dont see it, they wont know. Has anyone else been through this, how did you get back on tract? I literally go to bed praying I will be better with my selections, it hasn't been working.

I am a little more than a month out, still on mushies, and I was having a hard time with the protein too. I went in search of a good tasting protein powder that had the most protein I could find, I found Sci-fit whey Isolate 50 grams of protein, 3 carbs, no sugar, and high in Vitamins. Sci-fit comes in tons of flavors, I like the Chocolate Peanut butter flavor the best. Every morning I do one 50 gram shake, and it taste great.

I started out wanting the band, and switched over to the sleeve. Insurance would not cover the band for me because I have crohns disease. Luckily for me my surgeon performs all types of WLS, and it was just a matter of re submitting the paperwork, and a few appeals later I was sleeved. As far as the pre op weight loss, your surgeon should be able to accept a letter from your primary doctor stating what your highest weight was, then at least that part would be accomplished already.

Yes I do weigh in and go to a class every week, it only takes one hour out of my week, and some of the info shared in the classes is very useful. At first I felt like I was cheating with weight watchers, but like I said, from the 1st meeting I have always stated I did not want any recognition for my accomplishments, no stickers, or group recognition. Being that I do not accept recognition, and the fact that I am paying to get weighed in, and go to class, I have zero guilt about it.

Count your blessings having constipation! I have had terrible diarrhea since having the surgery, I mean like afraid to leave the house for to long kind of diarrhea! I would kill to have a solid poop!

Oh how I miss the Big mack, and fries! I love cheeseburgers, I mean I really love them, doesn't mater where they are from, how they are made, cheeseburgers are my weakness. It has been about a month and half since I had a burger, and unfortunately there are no burgers in sight in the near future.

I have always been able to lose weight when I dieted or worked out, or both at the same time, but the old habitats of binging die hard! I would lose 75 to 100 lbs by eating right and working out like a mad man, cardio, and weight training, with one cheat day a week. I would notice that the day after my cheat day of eating pizza, Friendly's five scoop ice creams, and a local favorite called the Garbage plate, I would not have gained weight, so I then stretch it to two cheat days a week, then three, then the hell with it I'm cured. I went through this process a number of times, and always gained the weight back! My thought process about getting the sleeve was that once I lose the weight this time, I wont be able to binge in large quantities, and from what I understand I wont get the craving to binge as often, so once the weight is off, as long as I follow the rules I will not gain it all back this time. I was sleeved on 3/1/11, and have lost 50 lbs since 2/23/11 when I went on the pre op liquid diet, and a total of 70 lbs since starting the whole WLS process. The week after being sleeved I went to weight watchers and joined, there is something about having someone else weigh you each week that I think will help me in the long run. I did not tell WW I had WLS, and I am insistent that they do not reward me with the stupid stickers, and group recognition. I am at WW because other than whole weigh in process, once I hit my goal its lifetime membership for free. I figure that it is once I reach my goal that is will need WW the most, ill just eat my points, work out 4 to 5 days a week, keep walking my dog 5 miles a day, and between WW and the sleeve I should be good to go. I know for me, with out the WLS surgery I would not keep the weight off! I have proven it time and time again. My only regret is that I did not do it sooner, and talked my self in to more yo, yo dieting while trying to avoid WLS. The sleeve may not be for everyone, but it is definitely for me!

I have been on pureed food for a couple weeks, and still have to wait until I get cleared for reg food on 4/27, the pureed food is driving me nuts! Today I went to the store, bought some fresh 98% FF ham, 98% FF turkey from the deli, and a package of reduced fat swiss cheese. I got home and rolled up two slices of turkey meat, two slices of ham, and one slice of cheese with a touch of mustard in the middle, then I chewed, and chewed it, and chewed it........ I couldn't finish the whole thing, but that was just fine with the dog since he gets all my left overs. I just finished eating it, and I do feel full, but I dont feel sick or anything. Has anyone else broke the pureed rules?

MY local grocery store carries there own PB made in right in the store, it consist of ground peanuts, thats it, nothing esle, no sugar, no salt, no nothing, and it taste great. I know its still high in calories, but I dont feel as bad when I do grab a teaspoon full every couple days. I also have found a PB/ Chocolate protein powder that really helps.

I went through numerous denials, and finally won, if they are denying you based on Experimental/ investigational you can definitely beat that with no problems. I Have BCBS in NY and appealed the investigational / experimental denial and won easily, call your surgeon, and primary, all three of you need to write strongly worded letters to BCBS and submit them. You should call BCBS and ask to talk to a customer service supervisor, and explain that you want the appeal handled as a expedited appeal, this way the only have one week to answer your appeal. There are people on here that have copies of their appeals letters, and links to websites with appeals letters that have worked well. Good luck and dont give up.

You have to tell, or not tell people based on what you think is right for you, you are the only concern here. That being said, I will say that just as with most things in life, each person you tell will most likely go to at least one more person and say, "dont say anything to anyone but" and then that person will go on to tell one more person. If ts only you and your husband that know, you know he wont say anything, because if it gets out, he is the only possible source, if a handful of people know, others will be told, and they all will deny saying anything. Long and short of it, people love to gossip, always have, always will.

I am mostly concerned because although I am drinking 75 ounces of Water per day, I am not urinating that often or that much, and its still bright yellow, yet I have extremely watery diarrhea. I'm wondering if I am dehydrated due to the diarrhea? I just called my doctors office and asked if I could take some Imodium AD, I am waiting for them to call back now. I have been trying to stay away from the sugar free stuff, as it has always bothered my stomach, even prior to surgery. I wonder if there are SF sweeteners in my Protein powder?

I am almost one month out and still have diarrhea several times a day, which really worries me because I will be going back to work next week. I do not work in a office, I am a claim adjuster and spend my days driving around in the company van. If I can not get the diarrhea under control before Friday I may have to ask the doctor to keep me out longer, and I am running out of personal sick leave time.