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Stay away from carbs! They make you hungry. Like Ann said, if you are eating foods rich in protein, you should fill up and not be hungry until your next meal. Every time I go over my allotted amount of carbs, I find myself wanting to snack and eat all day. It never fails! That's good incentive for me to stay away from bread, rice, etc....and get my carbs from veggies and even a little fruit ONLY.

I am hungry and eat every 3 hours or so, too. But I've never had a grilled cheese while I Was still losing. Way too many carbs. Are you getting 60-80g everyday? If not, that may help with your hunger. Bread is a slider with almost no nutrition and will not keep you hungry. Stick with protein and veggies at this point. That's pretty much all I ate until I was close to goal and then I added in more full fat dairy and carbs in the form of fruit and whole grains. It's great that you have no food intolerances, just be careful what you CHOOSE to eat.

I have worked in insurance pre-authorizations before and I agree that if your employer has chosen to exclude weight loss procedures; you won't get anywhere with an appeal. The reason is your employer does not want any exceptions or they have look at them for everyone. Not encouraging news I know. . My insurance also wouldn't cover so my procedure was done with self pay. It is worth ever penny to me! Ask your surgeon's office if they have any financing options. Good luck!

Thanks for responding. I need to get ideas or recipes so I can start eating right. I am on TPN but they want me to start trying to eat to see if I don't vomit as often to remove the TPN treatment. My problem was I was hardly having any protein a day. I mean hardly and wasn't eating right.

Well I'm in Sacramento, and this is the area that Kaiser refers their patients to the area mentioned in another thread. Also, my Mom works for Kaiser (which is why they were my provider growing up) so I'm asking her to get some insider info or brocures on their bariatric department. That will probably help alot. I will contact my Personnel Dept to find out all my health care options to help with my decision. It doesn't sound like my health providers cover this surgery though. I know Blue Shield that I have doesn't (which really stinks!!)

Hi I am new here and love all the support I see on this site. However I am very nervous. I have been reading the forums and online articles preparing for my surgery. Ordered shakes, Protein and Vitamins. My friend who had her surgery 8 months ago said I am too prepared. LOL I am not thinking so. I am so nervous today and my gastric bypass is tuesday morning. I am doing this for medical reasons and for the weight. I have severe reflux, hiatel hernia, gallstones sleep apnea and IBS. I am looking forward to feeling better after the recovery from these issues. Any support or suggestions are very much appreciated. Thanks Cynthia

I talked to my nutritionist about that same thing. She said "ideally" you should get your protein in over the period of the day, however is get 58 grams of protein in a shake and I have had no problems. I have lost 140 pounds and no issues whatsoever. No hair loss, no stalls, no problems with drinking or eating.

Thanks for responding. The surgeon I would use works with a few banks of funding through an equity loan. This is a great option. However, my husband and I just did an equity loan one year ago. I hate to do it again and risk going above our means, but...what else do I have to lose? I'm trying to find a better way so as to not further burden my family financially. <sigh>

Ok, so here we are- the week of surgery- three days from now- I'll be in recovery. I had a moment of panic this morning. My son crawled into my bed and I had this sudden flash of "what if you die!?!?" come through my mind. I literally panicked...my heart rate went up- my mouth got dry- my palms got sweaty. I posted on a thread that I'm sort of active in on the site- and thanfully almost immediately two women talked me down realizing that it could happen to anyone, anywhere- obviously surgery has its risks- but I needed to but my rational thinking brain in action...make sure I spoke with hubby about the plans should anything go wrong, but keep in mind- I'm doing this to have a healthier LIFE going forward. SO- protein shake, water, positive outlook...moving foward with today- and ready to start my new life later this week I'll keep you all posted!! :wub:

Ive been sick since this past friday, nausea, diarrhea and heart burn that hurts like hell. I ended up at the er yesterday because i just couldnt get anything down, i wasn't vomiting just dry heving. but everytime i put something in my mouth the nausea got worse. It's been fustrating and i don't know how long it's gonna last. i keep thinking is it something i did when i went back to school 13 days after surgery i keep thinking maybe i pushed myself. On my days at school (3x a week) it was extremely difficult to get enough fluids and Protein in. I tried hard but it was tough. I made the difficult choice of withdrawing from my classes. I really need to get better and take care of myself. That's one of the big reasons why i wanted this surgery. Even the way I'm feeling right now i don't regret my choice. My primary doctors going to call me back in a couple of days to see how i'm doing right now i'm just drinking pedialyte. i just hope this nausea subsides soon..

Since I was sleeved on June 29th, I am still a "newborn" I guess. Here is my rant ( take this as aggravated humor please): After reading a load of threads on here. Post OP diets on here are about as consistent as Congress. It seems some start "soft pureed" foods sooner than others and some don't. It obviously differs from doctor to doctor, the phase the moon is in and maybe where the NUT and Surgeon feel they want to really stretch someone out. It's crazy! WE ALL HAVE HAD THE SAME SURGERY. We have our stomachs "trimmed up" with staples in them . I started my official diet journey 32 days before my surgery date. I was 409. I did the phase 1 pre op diet for a week and a half and the rest did the liquid diet (jumped on it half a week early to be safe) up until surgery. I lost 45 pounds doing that and some short walk around the block. I did it out of fear that if I didn't, I would be sliced open and then stamped " REJECTED" and/or complications might arise. Did it for fear of my life basically! Could I have introduced foods back in and not done the surgery and hit my goal weight? Probably not due to the fact that I emotionally ate at times due to stress, issues and just addiction to the "CARB" load. Anyways, my point is....I have probably paid for some executives car payment that is over the Protein drink companies I buy from. My local grocery store is about to ban me from Crystal Light and broth. My body wants REAL nutrition and not a freaking synthetic load of ________. I do realize I will still have to supplement one a day, but I want some real protein and food with real Vitamins. I don't even crave junk, sugar or lard. I crave fruits, veggies, lean Proteins, etc. Which is not weird for me because I actually use to eat somewhat clean until I felt I had to have a "fix", then go eat a dozen tacos and wash it down with a Mountain Dew ( and that was a light fix). I chose surgery due to my health (blood pressure pills and hiatal hernia) and a TOOL to remind me if I want a fix...it's going to hurt..bad..which will make me say "Nope"! Ughh...the variances in these "stages". It's like a bunch of chimpanzees ( nutritionist teamed with docs) having a go at operating traffic lights in rush hour traffic. Sporadic and not making much sense. I said my peace to the world (forum of WLS people..lol).. Have a great day!

Prior to committing to surgery I did my own research and searched for pre-op and post-op diets from various hospitals online and found that they did in fact differ quite a bit. In all the appointments that I have with my NUT it appears as if they want to custom tailor something to my blood work (supposedly though all my levels are fine, even vitamin D). Perhaps due to your hernia or other factors you might be considered high risk (for instance if you ate too much too soon and vomited it up, could that affect your hernia healing?). I don't know, and I'm not a doctor, but that being said is exactly why I plan to stick to exactly what my doctor tells me. I also understand that it is easier being said than done. If you have been on full liquids for longer than 2 weeks that does seem overkill. Perhaps just call them and ASK them if you could possibly blend 1/2 a ripe banana into your protein shake? But I would be very weary to go against their advice. I know that this is incredibly hard just try to hold onto a few more days until you go into the next phase. Good Luck. I will be where you are in a few weeks.

Great post!! I actually stepped away from here for a few weeks because of the wildly differing phases and allowable foods. That and the fact that I didn't lose 30 pounds in two weeks like everyone else (it took me 5.) But I came back this morning to get some recipes, and am sort of reconnecting. Although I'm not going to make myself crazy with the comparisons. That's what got me in all kinds of trouble in the past. Thinking I'm not as thin, pretty or successful as everyone else sent me right to the refrigerator! That being said, I decided to just follow my own bariatric team's recommendations. I follow their Facebook page, and use the nutrition booklet I got from my NUT. But even my team don't always agree, and then I have to do what works or makes sense to me. Like my surgeon says protein shakes can count as a liquid but my NUT says no. I agree with her so I only count waters. It's empowering to think for myself sometimes!! But being bombarded with SO much conflicting information can make you crazy!!

****LUCKY DAY 13**** Hi friends...it's day 13 for me since surgery. I feel and look great. I'm down to 165 which translates to this progression: Jan 23 188lbs Feb 10 181lbs Feb 15 174lbs Feb 27 165lbs My clothes already feel loose and people are starting to notice, big time....I have been consuming soups and liquids at least once every 2-3hrs. I can't take much down, no more than 2-3oz except smoothies. I make a killer smoothie with Frozen Berries, Lakeland Coconut juice, Half of a banana blended and its delish! I can take about 4oz of that but in sips and over time. Love keeping that at my desk, totally curves my appetite. Last week I was very good about my walking. The last day I walked 2miles was last Thursday. 3days since a good long walk kinda bums me out, because tonight i have an event and i am not sure i can get the walk in without being exhausted when i get home. I will do whatever it takes to get these walks in everyday. Wednesday makes two weeks since my surgery. I am finally getting use to this new appetite and mentality. Although this situation with the liquids is getting old already. At first it was kinda of fun to find different things to drink, fun soups, great yogurts etc but now its just getting to me. I want something to CHEW on for the love of Christ. I don't miss food, i don't care for it, i just need to find more variety. I still have another week before dr.'s orders will allow for soft foods, tuna, cottage cheese, apple sauce, pudding, puree vegetables, mashed potatoes. I am terrified of eating at restaurants and events. This weekend was my first experience being out of my 'comfort zone' with food and one of the worst for someone in this post surgery condition. In Miami it was the South Beach Wine and Food Festival an event that i not only work but also love to attend. This year was different, i could have cared less partially b/c my fear of being around all that food but also i am just over food. I think its the same stuff over and over and over again. I gave up some pretty expensive tickets all in the name of my sanity. On Friday, i worked the event and never walked in the doors, i did everything i could from the outside and left early. My grandmother made me black bean Soup and i ran home to eat that...so good. On Saturday i had an event late at night and thank goodness it was passed canapés, because they crossed my path but i never even blinked. I got extremely hungry during the event while it was in full swing and i took a break. I took a 10min break and sat down and had my soup. The key to bad circumstances is to fill up. Even though it takes 2-4oz of anything it is just like when you are full and eating large amounts of food, once you are full that sensation of disgust after is still there. When i got home almost 4hrs after my last meal, i tore up a small bowl of black bean soup...yes at 2am. Don't judge.. lol The next day i passed on the Paula Deen Brunch and the grand tasting village. Even though i could have gone and i am not tempted to EAT desirable things, i was just fearful that friends would want me to try something or drink wine or that i would be without something to eat for a while and I might panic. Especially since i don't want to tell anyone and i do need to eat my soups etc by 2hrs. I know this is a problem but i will ease into it little by little. I am going to try with friends that know my situation just so that i can start to ease back into normal life with my new stomach and not have to feel like i am explaining to the world. This to me is forever... Also my nutrition is worrying me...i am not eating but a mere 500 calories a day and not getting enough Protein that is for sure. going to my doctor on Wed for some b-12 shots and going to up the consumption of my Protein shakes. Lessons learned so far: Plans your meals or have plenty of back up just in case Throw a single packet or two of Protein Powder in your purse. Worst case scenario. You can mix it in a bottle of Water a voila! a meal MILK products are not your friend. When on the liquid portion of your diet do not expect to evacuate every day, its more like every 4-5 and if you feel constipation take Milk of Magnesia before going to bed, you'll thank me in the morning. This is all for now. I start back up with my trainer next week so i am excited about that and major GOAL is 150 right now. Hoping to get there soon. Until then....feel free to ask questions. I am happy to help with what little experience i have with this and as with all things, I am not a medical professional nor does this post imply any medical advise or suggestions, these are personal accounts. Good night SPT friends. xo 134 and Happy!

I am pre-op and researching my options - OK here is the boring part: I have a genetic blood disease commonly known as "Iron Overload", medically known as Hemochromatosis. Essentially my body absorbs iron until it becomes unhealthy, damages your organs and can lead to organ failure if untreated. Long story short - I have to have phlebotomies (1 pint blood draws) regularly (every 2 months) for the rest of my life to keep my blood iron levels low (unfortunately they will not use the blood for the community blood supply - not because it is "bad blood" but because it is expensive to manage :-( ). When I mentioned to my current Doctors (yes that is plural) that I am considering Bariatric Surgery they all mentioned that a malabsorptive (sp?) procedure might actually decrease the amount of iron my body absorbs. My Doctors both indicated that RNY (they didn't mention DS) would do the same but I think the sleeve with DS is the better option as it removes a portion of the stomach rather than just detaching some of it...I have been scanning the DS forum because I am interested in DS above and beyond the vertical sleeve, and noticed that a member shared that they need iron injections following DS. So I am curious - is that a regular result of DS? Maybe it is more normal to have to take iron supplements? In either case it would probably just make my iron levels normal and that would be a good thing for me :-D Please note that I am self pay - so I am betting I can't afford DS - I am thinking it is around $20-25K...

https://www.buzzfeed.com/carolynkylstra/mason-jar-salads?utm_term=.iu9MzP7pQO#.fjMqE6XOap Bariatric patients look at these and think....would be nice, but WAY too much bulk there to eat.. And it's true...it's a lot of food for a bariatric patient. But if you're eating six small meals a day, it can be nice to have leftovers handy for the next little meal:) Also...you can make these geared a little more to the bariatric diet. Consider the following layers: Hummus Turkey bacon Tuna salad Tofu Shrimp Chicken breast Black beans Chick peas Lowfat hard cheeses Cottage cheese Fetta cheese Olives Banana peppers Avacado chunks Sweet potato chunks Hard boiled eggs Yogurt Pickles Reduced fat reduced sodium salami (great in greek salad!) Protein Pasta (made of chick peas, lentils, and whole wheat) Think of all of your favorites. Include some fruits. A few raspberries, peach slices, fresh apple chunks, pineapple, blueberries Some nice finely diced veggies like peppers, cukes, tomatoes, mushrooms, brocolli bits, onion, fresh herbs Make homemade dressings with low sugar and fat Oh! and if the idea of carrying glass jars around scares you....consider stopping at Gordon's food service and picking up tall plastic deli containers. You can get 50 containers and lids for under ten bucks. The more variety you're including in your diet....the more diverse your gut microbiota will be. Diverse gut bugs are correlated with better weight loss during diet attempts. Switch it up. Get lots of fiber in addition to meeting your protein goals. Get you some wonderful phytonutrients:) And enjoy flavor!

Your doctor or the nutritionist should have given you a list of foods you can eat for the first few hours, days, and weeks until on solid foods. I had surgery Jan 20. I stocked up on broth, decaf tea bags, sugar free products like pudding, jello, popsicles, fudgesicles, Italian ice, spiced apple cider mix, yogurt. Definitely keep the protein shakes in the house as you'll need them to get the nutrients you need. The rest is just guilt free icing on the cake. I also stocked up on mushies like refried beans, tuna fish, canned chicken breast, potted meats like deviled ham and vienna sausages. I just bought a couple of each to have some variety. Right now I start my morning with Carnation Instant Breakfast no sugar added variety and mix with 12 oz skim milk and 1 scoop of protein powder. This adds up to 42 g of protein! Also, keep what items you can have the first few weeks in a box. I did, and when I got hungry I would just look in my box for items I could have. Same for the frig and freezer, carve out a space just for your foods. That way not tempted to have something you shouldn't. Lastly, keep a variety of the foods you can have so you don't become bored. You'll do great! :frown:

I am 6 days out and the pain is mostly gone. Yesterday I ate some cream of mushroom soup and It tasted so good. I ate more than I should have. About 10 teaspoons and the pain was almost unbearable. I have been eating 5 or 6 teaspoons tops. I couldnt help myself. It felt good and warm going in! lol I was miserable for at least an hour. But I did not throw up! I am having a bit of a problem with my bowel movements and the gas. Only a tablespoon full comes out and soft and chocolate, from my protein shakes. Will they ever be kind of normal again? I am afraid to go out because of the gas and What if its not gas. I have not got the two sorted out yet. Has anyone else had this? My jeans have elastic waist and they go up to where my surgery was and it is uncomfortable. I have been roling them down. I went to my family dr for my first checkup. My sugar was 89 with no medication and my blood pressure was low 80/60. So, we may have to cut out my Lotrel blood pressure medication. I go back in 1 week to see how that is doing. I did not get a b12 shot, but took blood and will call with results to see if they r needed yet. I think I am doing good. I am so blessed with no diabetes medication! So HAPPY! Take care all!

Hello readers! I want to start off by saying I am writing you all my story in hopes that it will get rid of some of the emotions I am holding inside, and some of the things in my head that I've been wanting to say but didn't know who to tell. I was told by my doctor journaling is a good way to say the things that sometimes you are afraid to say, or dont know who to say them too. I figure by blogging maybe I can help someone else out with their weight loss journey along the way. So here goes nothing.. I guess I should introduce myself so you can better understand my journey. My name is Zoey and I am currently 24 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall and when I started my journey I was at my heaviest(weighing in at 310 lbs on March 1st 2011.) I have been heavy all my life. Myself as well as the majority of my family have always struggled with our weight. My doctor for most my adult life had said I should look into having surgery, as I've had countless failed weight loss attempts. Prior to having surgery I had tried just about every diet on the market and taken many different kinds of weight loss pills. Yet I couldn't seem to lose much weight. Everytime it was the same thing, lose a few pounds, gain even more back. I had done all the research, weighed all the risks and talked to numerous family, friends and online support groups before making my decision to have surgery. I knew just about everything there was to know on all the different kinds of weight loss surgeries. I knew that if I didnt make a drastic change I would end up living a shorter more painful life. I dont remember the last time I loved or even liked my body. I couldn't remember the last time I could say I weighed less that 200+ pounds. March 1st was the day that changed everything, the day I attended the required informational meeting at Park Nicollet that would forever change my life. I should probably let you know I along with all my research had also looked at many options of where and who I wanted to perform my surgery. I chose Park Nicollet after finding out that all my doctors would be under one roof and there wouldnt be a ton of running around. All the doctors, nurses, and staff knew each other, worked with one another on a dialy basis, and a good majority themselves had made the decision to have weight loss surgery. My journery started March 1st with attending the meeting. Just a short time later, May 24th 2011, I under went surgery. I know many people have told me that is a short amount of time from beginning to end but let me tell you it was one of the worse, most stressful 2 1/2 months of my life. I decided in the beginning that I was only going to tell the people most important to me about my surgery. I knew that for some people deciding who you are going to tell about your decision is even more difficult than the surgery and recovery its self. Its very emotionally and mentally draining to decide who you are going to tell or if you'll just tell everyone. After telling my parents, brother and sister in law, I told a couple friends 3 to be exact. I thought that would be good enough, that was all the support and stress I needed. I soon realized for me however, there were a few more people I was going to want to tell. I had some mixed reactions in telling my family, in particular my brother. I got the same reaction from him as I knew I would get from the majority of people. He wanted me to try another diet, try working out more, try eating differently. Being that he is not over weight and never has been, I knew this would be a likely response. I initially decided I was not going to tell anyone I worked with about it and was just going to say I was having surgery and leave it at that. Yet curioscity kills that cat every time and people would ask me "what kind of surgery are you having?" I soon turned to the excuse of a car accident I had been in June 2010. Most everyone at work knew I had been in a pretty bad car accident. Most people would ask if it was because of that. My response was always "yes its surgery to help with my back pain." Although this was a cover up, it was also some what the truth. My being over weight and having injured my back the year before did not work too well together. At first this was fine and it was an easy way to avoid tellig people the truth. After time it started to bother me emotionally because I wasnt being 100% truthful with people. To date I have extended my initial list of people to include the people I talk to the most at work, the people I eat lunch with at work, and my manager. I dont regret my decision to tell the people I did the truth. I know for me over time I will most likely tell more people. For me not telling people the truth is hard. I dont lie well and under pressure I generally crack. Thought I've told more people about surgery there are a number of people, my extended family, that I have chosen not to tell and dont plan on ever telling. My extended family, aunts, uncles, cousins, are not always the most understanding people in the world. Prior to surgery I lost right around 30 pounds. I am not quite at the one month mark yet from surgery but as of June 16th I weigh 255.5. Which means since March 1st I have lost 54.5 pounds. I don't know how this compares to everyone else's progress but I think it's pretty good. The biggest thing since surgery that has been a struggle is seeing how little I am eating and feeling mentally as though I am wasting away. It's hard to see yourself after so many years eat so little food. I have had a lot of nausea since surgery which hasn't helped one bit either. I am currently still on medication to get rid of the nausea but am finding each day that goes by it seems to get better and better. I have my one month mark check up this coming Thursday the 23rd. I am interested to see what the doctors have to say about my progress and am interested to see what I will weigh in at. I will try and update this when I can. I apologize if I rambled I just needed to put it all in writing and get it out of my head.

Hi Bandaide: I'm right there with you. I finished the first round of doctor's appointments, waiting for my letter from my PCP and my supervised diet and I'm a wreck as I wait for the insurance approvals. My nerves are more focused around, what if I can't..... get insurance to cover this, stick to the pre-op diet, lose weight after I have the procedure, maintain the weight loss..... I find that the more I get into this, the better I do feel about it. I have talked to a few of the women in my surgeon's waiting room and felt even better after talking to them. Tomorrow I'm going to my first support group. I read the book, "The Idiot's guide to weight loss surgery" which was written by my surgeon. And I read the blogs on here that I am particularly concerned about. I feel like the more I learn about it, the more confident I become. I was also afraid of telling people. Embarrassed by my "failures" and what they may think of me. To my surprise, while I have only told a handful of people, every one I told knew someone who had this done and said they were much happier with their decision. It's not like we have many options out there. You are doing this for a healthier life. I look at it as if I do nothing, then either nothing will change, or more likely, I'll only weigh more. At my age, it gets MUCH harder to loose weight. Hang in there and talk to people on here who have gone through it. Good Luck!

I was banded this year under my partner's insurance plan as a dependent. That insurance coverage option will no longer be available to me as of Jan. 2011 so I'll be opting back into my employer's medical coverage. I have two options under that plan - United Health Care PPO or UHC EPO. From what I understand both specifically exclude WLS. I've read conflicting information here though concerning what UHC covers. I've confirmed that my lap band surgeon is not included in either network. Am wondering whether post-surgical fills or follow-up visits will be included? There is no preexisting condition clause so that's not an issue. What I'm especially unclear on is whether the WLS exclusion would also exclude related post-op care. It looks like I should choose the PPO option if I want any portion of visits with my lap band surgeon to be covered at all. Also have an ongoing issue with my port. I'm two months post-op tomorrow and my port is still a constant irritant to me and painful doing almost anything that works my abdomen including bending over, sitting up, etc. It also looks and feels like a large tumor. My surgeon keeps tells me to wait it out and thinks it will get better and be less problematic once I lost more weight (currently 41 pounds down) but I'm not really hopeful. He's said that the only thing we can do to truly resolve it is another surgery. Am now concerned that I need to do that sooner than later if it would be considered WLS to be sure it's covered. Am also wondering though if that surgery should be covered by the surgeon since it's a problem arising from the original banding. I'm unclear on just where to turn to get answers to these questions so am starting here. Thanks.

Thanks! I'm trying to pick a surgeon and get the ball rolling. I just don't want to feel like I'm getting my hopes up if there isn't a chance. I've been out of work for almost a year, and self pay is not an option. The more I read, the more I know I definitely want this surgery.

my paperwork was submitted yesterday, so i hope i hear back soon! i had all my paperwork and my 6 month program is all done! wish me luck.

I'm interested in protein.....

Okay, this morning I did the protein shake, with milk, yogurt and my Injury powder. Got 1/4 of the way done and my IBS hit me out of the blue. I haven't had an issue like that since having surgery. I can do each of these things separately with no issues, but am assuming it's the combination of everything together that my body rejects.