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I don't really think anyone is "blaming" it all on our Mom's.. Most of our Moms or Grandmothers probably grew up or lived during the depression.. which had an effect on our parents or us. In my case, my Grandmother did. So, while my Grandmother was thin, cause she barely ate, she fed my Mom and my Grandpa fattening depression foods. My Mom grew up on that (and then she was a teen Mom, so I did too). Everyone else was thin in the 60s/70s while my Mom was heavier than everyone else, though, not a lot.. she was just chubby.. Coming along with the 50s/60s/70s were all the boxed, canned foods. Also before the 50s/60s people farmed their land. Before WW2, people had gardens in their front and back yards.. but something happened where we decided that was unacceptable and needed to have grass and manicured lawns.. Ive heard people tell me a diet plate back in the 50s was a broiled hamburger patty, green Beans and pickles. All low carb foods.. somewhere, we decided that we needed more grains and less meats. Less fats and more carbs..

Any tips or advice bc wow!!!

Well I am older than you (34) and I have two kids that I breast fed for a year a piece but I can tell you that my boobs have pretty much disappeared. I still wear a double d but my boobs are mostly skin and without a bra on they look like a tube sock with a moderate number of rocks in them. I talked to my Dr. and he told me that I would absolutely need to have a lift and I could either be an a-b cup or I could get implants with my lift and be whatever size I want.

I was in the same boat with being apprehensive. I think that's natural. I debated for years about the surgery before I was just too fed up with being overweight. My insurance required 6 months of classes, specialist appointments, nutritionist appts, weight loss, support group meetings, and crazy amounts of blood work before I could even submit to insurance. Luckily I got cleared but the whole process ended up taking 8 months from start to surgery day. So far, the worst part of the entire process was the classes because the instructor seemed to talk about the worst case scenarios as if they will most definitely happen to ever person in the room. Most of it was to scare away the people who weren't serious about the life change. So I didn't really pay much attention to it other than the important stuff. I'm 9 days out of sleeve surgery and since the starting day of the process I'm down nearly 20lbs If you've made it as far as you have- stick with it. It'll be worth it. The statistics of complications are super low if you're going to a credible surgeon. Most people won't have any complications.

I felt awful the first 4 days after surgery... A lot of nausea and dizziness. I wasn't prepared for it bc I never had that type of reaction to surgery and thought I'd spring right up. On the 5th day I woke up feeling 100% better. Just rest and once you're feeling better you can become more active. Good luck!

I was just thinking about some of the things I used to eat that I didn’t realize were so high-calorie, and maybe even seemed healthy. I’m not talking about the obvious ones, like eating a pizza or ordering a Grand Slam at Denny’s. I mean the ones my parents fed me with the best of intentions, or the ones I just assumed were healthy. Here are a few that come to mind… Juice! There was a time when we were going through 2 46-ounce cans of pineapple juice a day in our house…that’s over 300 grams of sugar! And speaking of healthy-seeming foods: canned veggies with sugar. Canned corn and peas, pickled beets. There was a period where my mom was baking a lot of bread, and we’d go through a 2-lb loaf every day. In college, I ate a lot of Cereal, especially granola. I didn’t realize how many calories it had. And I didn’t realize how much fat the veggies in college had. I guess that’s why they tasted so good. Those mushrooms cooked in butter were so good! Looking back, I can see why I gained weight. What about you? What “healthy” foods snuck into your diet – either because your parents gave them to you or you thought they were healthy?

I won't do the smooth move tea bc I've tried it pre operatively and got sick. Mineral oil finally did the trick for me!

I hope to be a Sept sleever too. I have BC/BS FEP and was told that I might not qualify. Is anyone else a Federal Employee with BC/BS basic plan? My BMI is 38, I've had two knee replacements (and still have issues with them) and also sleep apnea. But, I have low blood pressure and no diabetes so my surgeon said I might not get approved. My last appointment is on the 23rd, and then the paperwork goes in. It takes my insurance carrier about 2 weeks to reply. My surgeon also will not schedule a surgery date until the insurance company responds. Plus - if I get the OK - I still need 2 weeks to do the pre-diet. So, that means 4 weeks after the insurance company gets all the paperwork before I get the surgery.

Sure so I’m going to lump a couple of answers in one post: 1. I followed the program to the T in the early phases but when I never saw any of the weight loss in the 6 months glory period, I was shell shocked. Every time, I would go to my check up, my surgeon seemed disappointed and would ask me to eat less and stick to 500 calories. I start to become more and more discouraged and depressed I thought what’s the point of sticking to the plan, feeling starved and not seeing any benefits? As time progressed and weight loss trickled to a standing still, I stopped being vigilant. The only thing I kept up was exercising as loose skin is my big fear. 2. I have the so called sleeve of steel. I’ve only thrown up twice and this was earlier on when I was learning to chew slowly. Right now, I feel I can eat anything and I have (pizza, burger, fries, chocolate etc). The hunger has returned and taking a diet supplement to help but I don’t always feel the restriction. I just started tracking again and I’m eating around 1200-1400 calories a day (E.g Yesterdays macros Fat 57g, Carbs 103g, Protein 104g, Saturdays – Fat 46g, Carbs 69g, Protein 102g, Friday – Fat 38g, Carbs 90g, Protein 66g). And snacking is a problem particularly emotional eating. I’ve always loved carbs (but have switched to wheat and eat smaller portions but I still eat it) and the cravings haven’t gone away – chips, crackers, nuts popcorn. I can stick to the plan during the day but when I’m home alone with the TV on it’s hard 3. Also getting in Water has always being a problem, in the beginning it just hurt and made me nauseous. Now it’s still something I struggle with. I easily gave up soda and haven’t had any in 2 years but I still want some flavor so will drink diluted lemonade or juices occasionally. I’ve recently started using Crystal Light again to up intake 4. I have an office job and drive to and from work but yes I exercise. I do 1 hour of a high intensity workout program (similar to Crossfit) so cardio to warmup, weights, lunges, burpees, ab exercises etc. 3-4 times a week. Have sprinkled in sporadic personal training sessions over the course of the year as those are expensive. I will say I’m not a fan of cardio and prefer strength training. 5. I’m on my 2nd Fitbit and I’ve been using them for over a year now to track steps and motivate me to walk more. Exercise is something I tackled easily and earlier on (around 3 months out) and that’s why I’ve been so upset as I’ve seen people lose without even trying. I will say though working out this hard tends to increase my appetite 6. I used to go the bariatric support group that the hospital holds but haven’t been since last fall as I just got sick of the self-congratulatory BS. At first, it was great to hear success stories, get tips and inspiration but I never felt heard. Any time I tried to bring up my issues, everyone was quick to throw suggestions at me (drink more water, eat more protein) or tell me to be patient, I’ll see results soon. Same with when I went to a therapist. Hearing this just made me antsy months after months of barely seeing results. As you can see I am not perfect. Could I do better, yes. But ultimately I feel like I’m not being heard. It’s almost like people are fanatical about VSG (hell I would be too if I had such amazing successes some of you have had) and don’t want to read about negative experiences. All I want folks to admit is that maybe the surgery doesn’t work for everyone. Maybe you can do all you were supposed to and still fail. Maybe some people never reach goal. Am I supposed to believe that over 1.5 years is when I’m going to start experience rapid weight loss? Here’s the thing if I had at least had a streak when pounds easily fell off I could live with it and say the surgery was worth it. to not have easily even lost 10-20 pounds post op when I was eating pureed food? No major numbers during the 6 months post-op period of rapid weight loss? I always mention this but after I was dismissed from the hospital I gained 8 pounds from the IV fluids. Of course, I weighed myself with excitement every day when I got home and would you believe it took me over 3 weeks to lose that weight. Can you at least admit that is a difficult thing? That is what causes me to break down and fear maybe being thin is not in the cards for me.

Thanks everyone! The carbs don't make me feel guilty either bc of the amount we eat daily. I'm sure missing potato chips tho!!! Kept craving those yesterday.

I am now 7 weeks post op but I did have a leak and was fed through IV for most of the 7 weeks. I am tolerating food in very small quantities but my question is : Is it normal for your stomach to feel strange for a while. I can't call it pain Just an odd bubbly feeling. I don't have reflux so I don't think it's that. After the hell u went through right after surgery I just want to make sure this is normal.

@ Thank you so much. I just pulled some old medical records and one doctor has me as being an inch shorter than another so with that info I am techinically over the 35 BMI for the two years. Might try to get them to pay. Rather do the surgery now than wait for 3 months to do a medically supervised diet but if they request it I guess I will need to try. Did you call BCBS Fed first or did you just submit your paperwork. Just curious if I should call them or just send my surgeon my paperwork to be submitted.

They make powerade zero drops... They are yummy!! And decaf iced tea has been my BEST friend... Especially considering the first few days I refused anything but water bc I was SO nauseated. Just 6 days out I stocked up on plain Greek yogurt, soups to strain, pb2, decaf tea, hint water(amazing) propel water, sf jello, and lots of flavor packets for my water. It's so important to drink your fluids!!!! Good luck!!! Oh, and I stocked up on stevia too!

I would tell them I can pay what I can, but can't afford 2200 a month. They will give u a hard time but give in the end. Bc some money for them is better than none.

BC!

People aren't afraid to help and answer questions. Seems to be that all of us are humbled due to our struggles to this point and beyond so there is a lot of help. I also love this place mainly due to the sense of humors and just plain funny things. If you have been obese like I have most of my life, we learn to laugh and be funny. To the point that it's funny and not really gouging at someone real hard. Really makes me smile reading some stuff. I love the light heartedness of a lot of the contributors! I also love the fact that if you ask...most likely. You are going to get told like it is. No candy coating, cotton candy wrapped or bacon infused BS. Greatness!!! I am new here and hope to be here during and AFTER my initial journey. My sleeve was done June 29, 2015...gotta a long road ahead of me but with these forums, it will probably be like cruising down to the coast with good conversation from great people. Ok...that's all the raving I will do right now, I usually won't type stuff like this and I've been a moderator for several business and automotive forums....just nice to see a definite change in personalities! (for the better!) So anyways...Hello!

Since starting this new eating lifestyle, I've noticed that I waste a lot less food. BS (before sleeve) the little dribs and drabs of leftover food after a meal went directly into the disposal. Now they go into snack size baggies because it's usually enough for a WLS meal! Even though my healthy weight husband eats the same as always, my grocery bill has been cut in half! I love it!

Sorry, no. When I stopped using Depo I had a period that lasted 18 months, was passing clots the size of my fist, flooding a pad every 15 minutes. A D&C didn't stop it. Multiple doses of BC pills all taken at once didn't stop it. They even tried Premarin high doses and that didn't stop it. I finally had to have an ablation and that solved the problem. Depo is nasty stuff. I'd talk with your doctor about all the options available and what's best for you.

Next time your nut, doctor, or nurse tells you that you signed a contract and that too bad, so sad, you better drink your Protein or else, you need to have a conversation with them about malpractice. That is complete and total BS. Their job is to make sure that you are able to get nutrition and if you can't it is THEIR problem to help you fix it, not to tell you that you better choke down some shakes or you're out of luck. Explain to them that there is an issue with the shakes, you cannot keep them down, and if they are unable to work with you to find an appropriate solution, then you will be happy to contact both your insurance agency and your attorney regarding their complete and total failure to do their job. I worked in healthcare and doctors and nurses like to bully people when they think they can get away with it. Bully them right back. That is garbage and you deserve their help in finding a solution. That being said...I never drank protein shakes because they made me sick. Nothing is going to happen to you if you don't get all of that protein in every day. I was self pay so I was entirely on my own with nutrition. I went through the phases of clear and regular fluids and then moved on to soft food and regular food and I literally had maybe 5 protein shakes the entire time. They are disgusting. I drink them now because I like the kind I make in the blender. I use almond milk, because my stomach doesn't like real milk, I blend in a frozen greek yogurt, a little PB2, and protein powder and it tastes like a milkshake. The pre-made shakes are not yummy, but if you're creative with a blender you may like them more. As a note, I am almost 2 years out and about 6 weeks ago I had all my blood work done. Like I said I had no formal nutritional guidance, never got in all my protein, and largely eat what I want to (which doesn't include sweets or fats or much junk). I have maintained below goal since April and all of my blood values are almost exactly right in the middle of the normal ranges. Protein shakes are not the end all and be all and you will be fine without drinking all of them. I hope you feel better...and please go let your doctor, nurse, and nut have a piece of your mind. If they can't do their job, someone else will be more than happy to remove them from it or do it for them.

I hear u Lexie. Hell I can't even find a psych who will do It bc no one will take my insurance. And everyone is quoting me 350+ cash for a psych evaluation ????

I'm glad because I thought I was crazy. Like you said, I had more pain in week 3 than any other time. I think it is just us restrengthening those stomach muscles. Congratulations on your awesome weight loss. I have hit a stall. I've got to stop weighing every day bc I know it's hurting my self esteem.

I am just over 3 weeks out and I met with my NUT last week. I had gone back to work last Monday and had bad stomach ache all day Monday and Tuesday. My NUT pointed out that maybe I was having too much dairy and that was the answer. I was drinking yogurt shakes and eating yogurt for snack and lunch bc it was convenient for lunch at work and it had lots of protein. I had been drinking lots of protein shakes but with almond milk that doesn't have any lactose so that didn't bother me. Now I feel great. My NUT also told me to start eating regular foods. Yeah. I can actually chew food. I made chili and put it into small containers. I had a tiny bit of London broil yesterday. I cut into really small pieces and chewed it to death and it was fine. Today I had some chicken and the same thing. Real food with real taste! Yeah me!

I feel so dumb.... This whole time I have been calculating my BMI based on how tall I thought I was. I was worried how I would get surgery approved for my BMI of 39 bc I have no comorbidity.... Well I had someone measure me at the hospital I work at, I was calculating my height at 5'5, I'm actually 5'31/2 which puts my BMI at 40.9. That means I should automatically qualify for surgery. I have never been so happy to be wrong lol

I'm scheduled for a bypass on July 22. This has been a 7 month journey since making the decision to have wls. I'm a 39 year old single mom of 3 and school counselor. I've only told a couple of friends, my parents, and my boss. My ex and others will just have to wonder, I guess! I'm making the decision bc I want to be the best mom I can - active, fun, and healthy. After a heart issue, rheumatoid arthritis, an orbital tumor, stomach ulcers, a huge hernia, and sleep apnea I'm ready to shed this fat suit and take control of my life and health. I'd also like to feel confident enough with my body to travel more, date, and be strong and healthy. I'm nervous about the pre-surgery diet that starts in 3 days and about the length of recovery. I don't want to spoil the last few weeks of my kid's summer vacation with feeling crappy and being stuck at home. I'm praying for a week of yuck, a week of better, then feeling ready for anything (within reason). I have really enjoyed this group/app and have been seeking information and reassurance here for months. I didn't actually 'join' until yesterday, though! Any advise about gastric bypass recovery, things to expect, and success stories will be appreciated!

I'm scheduled for a bypass on July 22. This has been a 7 month journey since making the decision to have wls. I'm a 39 year old single mom of 3 and school counselor. I've only told a couple of friends, my parents, and my boss. My ex and others will just have to wonder, I guess! I'm making the decision bc I want to be the best mom I can - active, fun, and healthy. After a heart issue, rheumatoid arthritis, an orbital tumor, stomach ulcers, a huge hernia, and sleep apnea I'm ready to shed this fat suit and take control of my life and health. I'd also like to feel confident enough with my body to travel more, date, and be strong and healthy. I'm nervous about the pre-surgery diet that starts in 3 days and about the length of recovery. I don't want to spoil the last few weeks of my kid's summer vacation with feeling crappy and being stuck at home. I'm praying for a week of yuck, a week of better, then feeling ready for anything (within reason). I have really enjoyed this group/app and have been seeking information and reassurance here for months. I didn't actually 'join' until yesterday, though! Any advise about gastric bypass recovery, things to expect, and success stories will be appreciated!