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What's so hard about this addiction is that we aren't physically able to abstain. Alcoholics can avoid bars/alcohol, drug addicts can completely avoid drugs, smokers can completely cut out cigarettes.. But food addicts can't cut out food unless we are tube fed the rest of our lives. We just have to realize WHAT the issue was before surgery, and try to resolve it. Perfect example is that while you (gamer girl) have a sugar addiction and must avoid all sweets, I've never had a sweet tooth and could take it or leave it. Me on the other had, am a carb addict. I love me some Pasta or bread or mashed potatoes. Plus, my portions were outrageous. As far as the portions go, I weigh my food so I could "empty my plate" without going over. I've slowly been learning that I don't have to empty my plate, and it's ok to leave food over. It comes from my mom and I being poor when I was little, and always being taught to eat everything on my plate. As far as the carbs go, I avoid them, just like you avoid sugar. They are a trigger, and once I have one, I want them all. I'm sorry for rambling! But I think a lot of people "enable" and act supportive is because the second someone uses "tough love", they are pounced on and called "heartless" or an "internet bully", so some refrain from being blunt all together.

Hang on u may not like me after this LOL... Pros: my clothes are cheaper bc I can shop in the kids aisle. I sit better in chairs My feet no longer have plantar fascitis Goodbye insulin shots My feet shrank from a 8.5 to 7 Guys notice me now which is honestly annoying Ppl who don't know think I've been like this my whole life lol Ppl who do know me from school that bullied me were preppy are now my use to be size lol I can booty dance to the floor Lmao The final last precious one..my kids can wrap their arms around me. Cons: (potential could apply to u) You develop complications which require several surgeries You need blood-from a total stranger You can't sleep bc ur bones hurt against the mattress Ur hair falls out U stay lethargic U vomit..sometimes a lot U catch more colds U constantly freeze Ur body hurts everywhere bc its use to carrying loads of weight. U may continue to keep a few co morbidities U stay scared bc at anytime a food can cause dumping U get sad bc now u don't know how to cope like u use too. Alone u wonder why did I do this Intimately you feel ugly and unwanted bc your stomach is full of scars U don't tell anyone bc u don't want to hear how cruel and harsh ppl can be even if u are a size 4. What I've learned in this is u can 300lbs or 100lbs either way somebody somewhere is out there ready to berate u. One thing I urge u to do. Come to honest grips as to why and how u became obese. Lots of luck and love on ur journey.

Your doing great and actually u have lost a lot for a short time. U don't want it much faster BC then comes loose skin. Make sure if doc approved to use weights.

I was released to all food at 8 weeks and have been eating all meats even had steak on that first day! The only thing that gives me issues is shredded beef from a Mexican restaurant no matter how long I chewed it wouldn't digest!! . I may try to kick the cheese :/ tho it's gonna be hard! I haven't started exercising at the gym yet bc I had/have an enlarged spleen so they won't release me yet. But I'm active with two small boys and walk when i can. I seem to be right in the middle or only slightly lower than most....

I've had trouble getting a practitioner to insert an IUD. I think it's because of my age (I won't need bBC for 10 more years). First I went to the NP and she didn't want to insert it because I wasn't menstruating also she would only insert the mirena and I was looking for a the non-hormonal paragard. So I made an appointment at PP and specifically asked if I needed to be menstruating. I'm told no,make an appointment, wait in their waiting room for 2 hors, pay a $30 copay, only to be told that she wants me to either take cytotec and come back or come back when I'm on my period. Argh. So I let myself be talked into the nuvaring but it didn't agree with me (see earlier post). And the copay for that was $25, so I paid $55 for no viable BC! Truly, I think I'm going to wing it. At my age there is less that a 1% chance of me getting pregnant and an even lower chance of me having a viable pregnancy. Maybe I should leave it in God's hands. Doubt I'll do that but I am frustrated Thanks for listening ladies.

Wow, that is interesting. I was wondering about this very thing myself the other day since DH and I aren't using any formal BC methods and I'm getting my requirements together for surgery. Either way, congratulations on the baby and the surgery. Sounds like you have a pretty stubborn little bean in there to make it through the surgery. Sounds like a blessing in disguise to me. Congrats!

I am new, just joined today, although I pop on and read some of your posts now and then. I have a great doctor who just moved from the east coast and he is waiting for his privileges to practice. Hence, my surgery is about 2 weeks out. I will find out the date this week. And Monday I am planning to start the two week preop diet. Originally wanted the lap band, found out I wasn't a good candidate then decided on the sleeve until I changed my mind and wanted the Duodenal Switch. Chickened out of that one, and feel like a flake now. Back to the Sleeve now, and I think I am settled on it for sure. My story is probably the same as hundreds of you all's...Was thin my entire life, (born a premie at 4#) and started gaining at 19 with the birth control pill, and subsequent pregnancies. Yo yo dieting, start/stop smoking, rich foods, lack of exercise...the usual stuff-- brought me to 350 today. I have recently lost 30 (since March) but am trying so hard to not gain any of it back before the surgery, although it fluctuates daily, mostly in the right direction. I have been researching wt loss surgery and discussing it with my dear sweet husband (#2) for a couple years. And now, while I am between jobs (got laid off in March) no insurance hoops to jump through since I lost my insurance with the job, the timing is perfect. financing out of pocket so I will take any money saving tips you all can give me. :001_tongue: I am wondering if anyone actually loses 200 on a sleeve? I am 5'10 large frame and large muscles under a whole lot of fat tissue. If I get down to 150 I am probably looking at being a size 14. Not the 2-8's I see here, but I won't be discouraged. I am afraid of plateauing out. Still, even when I get to 200, I will feel like I have a new lease on life. Co-morbidities...how much time do you have? Severe sleep apnea (diagnosed a year ago) Pre-diabetic with a long family hx of it Neuropathy in arms and legs B/P creeping upwards GERD & Hiatal Hernia I left some things off, but you get the idea. A ticking time bomb just the same. I used to love cooking, but now I just dread it. And my husband loves eating. He is 6'2 250# could stand to lose about 30 so he has recently been trying to eat better while I am on my better eating habits. I have two major goals 1.) to be and feel healthier 2.) I know I might be too sensitive, but I am so tired of the cruelty and want it to go away with the weight. I don't know what possesses people to think they can treat obese folks like we're not human, but I am fed up. And after tolerating abuse my entire adult life (even from my first husband) I am so not looking forward to being abused for my decision to do something about it and take radical action. I have heard horror stories of the cruelty for making this decision. Anyone care to share their thoughts on that with me? So I am reluctant to tell many people I am doing this. Ok, enough of my random thoughts...I'd love to hear from you all. Anxious to start melting (and scared to death), ~GeorgieGirl1957

I know that a food addiction is an addiction, just like drug addiction, alcohol addiction, cigarette addiction, etc . However, like you stated, with food we must find a way to co-exist, bc unlike drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, one does NEED food to survive. So in many ways, it is a much harder addiction to live with. Just my humble opinion........

I don't know how it feels to jump through all of those hoops bc I was self pay... But I'd do it all over again in a flash! I'm loving my life post sleeve .. I will be exactly 2 months out on wednesday!!!

Awesome job! Keep up the hard work! I'd discourage the biggest looser bc you can google how horridly they treat the contestants. Make them exercise with injuries & they dehydrate themselves before weigh in so they don't get cut. I think that a good personal trainer that is local to you can be of help. They may be persuaded to take you on probono. I also would look into some Of the freebie fitness routines on youtube/ on demand & have your dr say if they're appropriate for you? Good luck! allons-y

One of the things we hear people who don't understand obesity of weight loss surgery say (or we are afraid to hear them say) is that it's "the easy way out." Pre-op I could list a whole bunch of reasons why this isn't the easy way out. Why it's actually really, really hard - just as hard, if not harder, than losing weight the traditional way. But now, admittedly only two months out, I'm not so sure. And that's a good thing! Now, I should preface this by saying that I realize many people have had complications and for many people every day or some days post-op are a struggle - I don't want to try and negate their lived experiences. But I do want to talk for a minute about my experience, which I suspect is more common than we admit. I have been obese or morbidly obese pretty much my whole life. I dieted and exercised, yada, yada, yada, but the weight always came back. We all know the drill or we wouldn't be here. But I am nothing if not pragmatic, so when I started doing research about WLS and about weight loss in general, and read the statistics for long-term success in people who hadn't had surgery (Spoiler Alert! They're low!), getting sleeved just seemed like a no-brainer. Two years of hoop-jumping later, I went into surgery. I was very well read on the subject, knew all the worst case scenarios to expect, knew what the recovery would look like, etc. But my surgery and recovery were super easy. I was on to purees almost right away. Soft solids by week two. Anything but raw veggies at week 4. Anything and everything at week 6. I have yet to be made sick by any food. I get in all my Water, Vitamins and 90g of Protein (on a vegetarian (almost vegan) diet!) every day without trouble. I was lifting heavy in the gym at week 5. My recovery has been stupendous! ...And easy. Now, I know I came into this with some one major advantage: I love, and always have loved, healthy food. Even before surgery, if given the choice between pizza Hut or a black bean and quinoa salad with avocado dressing, I'd say bring on the quinoa (all six servings of it). And now I have become one of those people who doesn't cheat. Ever. Not a single piece of chocolate or a taste of potatoes. But this hasn't been hard for me, because I didn't have to give up every food I love. In fact, I got to keep about 80% of them. My problem pre-sleeve was really volume, which now is no problem at all. But even so, I gotta say, looking back at the last two and half months (if we include the pre-op diet), this has been easy-peasy. Way easier than starving myself and being so effing hungry all the time. Easier than hating myself for not being motivated to get to the gym. Easier than staying fat. But why should that be a bad thing? So what if it's been (relatively) easy? The only reason we think weight loss should be a struggle, is because we look at obesity as a moral failing, instead of a biological one, and thus as weight loss as the penance one must serve before one is rewarded with thinness. Well, I'm calling BS on that. Obesity is a medical problem; WLS is a medical solution. It should be easier than the alternative. That's the point. Maybe it hasn't been as easy for everyone else as it has been for me (like I said, I know I've been very, very lucky in some respects), but it's gotta be easier (barring major complications) than all the alternatives or we wouldn't have chosen it. So, let's stop apologizing and making excuses. Yes, this is the easy (or at least easier) way out. And that's a good thing.

I was just there, left today. The water goes through a purify system inside the hospital. The ice is made from the same water. However I'm not giving a 100% guarantee, this was what my husband told me that one of the nurses told him!! The ice was very good, and I'm not sick from it... I really wouldn't worry about that at all bc I'm sure the water is clean. On another note, everyone there is absolutely wonderful and you will have excellent care! Good luck!

I changed jobs shortly after my wife had her surgery so we now have a different insurance company...BC/BS of Alabama. My wife tells me there have been a lot of horror stories on here about BC/BS. Does anyone have any info advice on getting approved with them? My boss had gastric bypass with them and I plan to talk with him more tomorrow about this.

I'd guess that your entire dating landscape will change. By that I mean you are going to change, your confidence will change, your tolerance for BS with change, you will find a voice you didn't know you had. In other words, you may want to begin to ask yourself, not who will like me, but who will deserve me. Just my .02

I would pester whoever clears you for your diets about why you can't be on full fluids. I was on clear fluids for an hour or two before being cleared for full fluids. While no one here can know any medical reasons for your circumstance, if you were discharged I assume you have no issues with vomiting, and you've been checked for leaks.. I personally wouldn't understand why you can't have full fluids. My OR date was last Thursday (April 20) in the morning Leak tests/barium swallow done Friday morning, confirmed all fine Started clear fluids Friday afternoon, cleared for full fluid meal for dinner (soup, Jello, non-SF popsicles), ate that with no issues, was discharged a couple hours later Friday evening on full fluid diet until around May 11th when I can have soft solids. Current diet is mainly water (1.5-3L), 2% milk, high protein M&BS oatmeal, unsweetened applesauce, YOP yogurt drink, and was just cleared via phone call from my case manager to make fruit smoothies.

My spouses job Lowes. He called Friday and said the board wants me to do the diet over but he doesn't feel I should have to because thy dropped the ball in not tellingly in Sept when I submitted....that I was denied cuz my diet attempt wasn't within a year... He knows its not right so still fighting for me I guess and said he should know by tomorrow or Tuesday... I'm so irritated as I could of almost been done with the diet if I was told this in sept!!!!!!.. I spent a lot of one money driving around getting everything else! Not ok about this!. I have a feeling they will come back and maybe waive half of it and have me do 3 months or something but I don't know anymore... So fed up. ;(

I completely understand how you feel.. It took me months to make the decision to have the surgery, then I had to wait 3 months for my first appointment. And unlike your experience the personnel was not very kind. But yes I found out of all the "new" requirements that I needed before they could tell me if BC/BS would approve the surgery! I tried to get around it, especially the 6 month supervised weight loss, but there is no way out. All these requirements are going to take a long time... I can tell you it is very stressful and at times I just wanted to put all these behind and forget about the surgery... But beleive me you just need to learn how to be patient...I finally got approved after almost a year after my 1st appointment, and I found out because I called the insurance company, I still have not received the letter yet. NOw I am waiting to set the date and go for all the pre-op stuff. The waiting period is really hard... but during this long time of waiting I learned more about myself and my eating patterns, I have grown stronger emotioanlly, and I think that all these will help me after the surgery. I like to think that the surgery will happen when it has to happen, not before not after, just at the right time. Take it easy..

I can't speak for the OP, but if you have BC/BS and don't have the requirements yet, please call them right now and ask. Many people can have the SAME insurance company, and sort of the same policy and one's requirements may be different from the other because of riders their employer may or may not have purchased. That's why I always advise EVERYONE to call your own insurance company, and have them look up YOUR policy and then ask them to explain what the requirements for coverage for Adjustable Gastric Banding is, then have them send you a hard copy. And write down names.

I sooo agree I have three kids who are autistic and I have to travel a half hr every 30 days per child so I make 6 round trips a month for prescriptions for kids at that all bc of drug addicts and pill abusers I think they need to punish those offenders and not everyone. I could go on and on about this subject. It's bad enough the money you pay for prescriptions let alone the gas you pay going back and forth for them. I could maybe even somewhat understand if the meds were pain meds but they are nothing but pills to help the moods with autistic children. It's an absolute shame. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

1. It hurts if I drink with food in my pouch. The reasons they don't want you to is bc it washes down the foodm, so you won't stay feeling full as long. 2. And 3. You don't have enough restriction. I hate Protein shakes. Don't limit yourself. I, myself make homemade cream Soups. There's a whole wide world of liquids out there. Going a few days without protein protein protein won't hurt you. Sent from my VS985 4G using the BariatricPal App

steve - i am VERY new to this process as well. i actually just signed up for this website today. but what i did FIRST was consult my insurance company about the requirements/criteria from them. i then worked from there. my insurance company requires u to be a BMI of 40 or above OR a 35 BMI with a comorbid condition, under a doctor supervised weight loss management program for 6 months, and doctor's documentation proving i've been at a BMI of 40 for atleast 3 years. So, once I got that information, I researched weight loss doctors. I am going to my first appt tomorrow, and that is when i'll let him know I'm interested in the Lap Band surgery. I've also gathered all the information from BC/BS to take to my doctor as well. then, i called the doctor i want to do my lapband and scheduled a seminar with them. presently, that's all i have done- but that's what i did to start my process. keep us updated!

I am thankful I had a preop bc you usually get a good weight loss high going into the surgery, and I think it helps prep you for your post op diet. But, if you dont have to do one here is what I would do: If you are a soda/pop drinker try to stop now and drink your Water. I am a total sunkist addict, and gave pop up about 5 weeks before surgery. At first I added crystal light or SF koolaid to my water, but now I just drink water. This will help now though just in case you are a caffenine fiend and will get headaches for a few days from withdrawals. Also, if you are required to do Protein shakes after surgery, go get a few different ones now and figure out which ones you like. I had to stay overnight after my surgery. I dont remember how long my surgery took...I think 45 minutes. After the anasthesia (however you spell it) wore off, I felt pretty good. I was up and walking the halls within the first hour of being back in my room...helps with the gas. I had an IV drip and a drip for pain meds...so I just kept pushing that button bc...well who doesnt enjoy free pain meds :w00t: I went home the next morning, so I was in the hospital maybe 24 hours. My doc gave me some medicine to help me not get sick with the liquid loritab. I layed around, watched tv, blogged, walked up and down the street. My boyfriend had to work, so I was home alone all day no problem. My surgery was on Tuesday and I went back to work on Monday. The only pain I really had at all during the recovery time was from the gas. I just took my gas-x strips right on time, used a heating pad, and walked. Hope this helps. If anything else comes to mind, give me a shout. Amy

hi everyone. i am in the uk, and used all my savings to fund the op, i know its a different system to you guys in the usa.. but i agree with all you say.. its such a huge decision we make for ourselves and motivation is a huge part of that. its such a shame the hospitals don't grasp our motivation by the balls and put it into good use.. !! do i sound harse ? well maybe i do.. but i had to go through the usual assessments and i cant help but wonder whose purpose they where for, the psych just really wanted to check i wasn't depressed and offer my private funded counselling afterwards. I understand the medical checks... but the other long winded process makes no sense to me. I only had to lose 5lbs, and thank goodness i managed it ok. the dietician was nice , but lets face i am sure we have all been to countless weight watchers classes in the past and if there is anything we are experts on, its what we should eat to lose weight !! its not the knowledge i need it the support to do . My other issue is my hospital failed to tell me that post lap banding it can take several fills before i get any restriction.... i have only just found this out since i joined this site yesterday (i have been on the site for hours learning so so so much , its fab !!). I had my first band fill 2 days ago and have no restriction and i am gutted. i feel a bit fed up with my hospital, in my 'price package' i have two band fills and i have no idea how much they cost after that. ( i thought 2 would be enough -- but thanks to this site i know its so individual i may need many more). my aftercare package is pretty slim... i see the dietician and bariatric nurse monthy (at the same time) and my next surgeon appointment will be 6 weeks from the last. i cant tell everyone how this site has motivated me this weekend.. its great to not feel alone. my only problem now is that i have to get off the computer and do some housework :heh:,, but i am desperate to learn all i can from all you guys. anyhow i have gone on a bit .. its hard to keep motivated without that nagging thought at the back of your head ; 'i have to eat a lot now as i won't be able to for the rest of my life' ....... but you are on your forward path and i hope the path goes smoothly for you.

One dr told me it was almost the same surgery....however, my surgeon wants me to have bypass bc my bad acid reflux....he didn’t say anything about Nissen fundoplication (my husband had it...for AR not sleeve for weight loss) I wasn’t going to have bypass (I told myself) but I actually feel peace about it. My surgery is on the 31st...

Stinky :tongue_smilie: I have Anthem BC/BS and have been approved -- so they do have policies that cover the procedure. My husband's employer offers several plans from which employees can choose. Can your current policy be upgraded? It would be more expensive and you may have to wait until open enrollment (usually at the beginning of each year), but it would definitely be less expensive than self-pay. (Just make sure it's covered before you switch.) As someone else mentioned, buying a separate policy may also be a viable option. Again, expensive and they may require a six month (or more) supervised diet before considering it. All of those things aside, you seem to be asking, "Am I worth it?" I say we each are. But if you aren't at the point where you can tell yourself that, consider this: you have a family. They are counting on you to be around for a long long time. The healthier you are, the better able you will be to take care of them. Best of luck to you.