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I can totally relate. My husband is slightly over weight but 60lbs less then me, pretty average Ordered pizza in front of me during pre-op, went thru McDonalds drive thru with me in the car on my pre diet, drinks pop and alcohol non stop, buys all the food he likes which consists of chips, tacos, chocolate and rice. I find the hardest is when he questions why at 2 weeks out I can’t have just one French fry or BBQ pork chop or buys me creamery style ice cream with chunks in it for a treat. I asked for plain Greek yogurt and he bought vanilla light yogurt because he doesn’t realize the sugar difference. I gave up coffee which I had a super hard side effects bc I drank so much prior and now he wants to know when I can have it again, I have tried to discuss the surgery and life after but doesn’t want to know the details just wants me to be thin. I was 90lbs lighter when we got married 6 years ago, so I have changed allot. I went to Mexico alone, it was hard to be alone I was the only one that didn’t have a support person in the clinic but everyone was super friendly and would stop in my room to say hi or see if I wanted to join in on their walk. As well you are recovering and tired allot. The hardest part for me was the hotel time, it was very lonely and having to set timers to take your drugs, sip water and you had to do everything in the hotel for yourself. As well no one to just talk with. Like my first sip of water or my first jello lol your pretty excited. I was sad I couldn’t share that with him. I did ask him to make me jello when I was due home and he made 2 batches of it. So I think they just need to learn by our day to day living our eating choices are going to be much different. Something to note; I was a heavy drinker so this has also changed in our relationship for the better, as I haven’t drank since the pre op diet started. Which as you can imagine is a massive adjustment which so far he is handling quite well.

May 9 for me! Here's my stats: Food funerals: pizza, popcorn, and diet coke. HW: 268 (5'4") CW: 264 Hey, if I could lose weight on my own I wouldn't need surgery. GW: 160, mini goals on the way down 199 and the weight listed on my drivers license. I have lied about it so long I actually don't know what it says. Like like the Unjury protein, mixes well with no chalky aftertaste. Unflavored whey does NOT mix well in soup, but thier pea protein is great in soup. Also getting all of my vitamins though them bc they are complete and it is the easiest way to do it. Good luck All! We can do it!

Tomorrow will be one week since my gastric bypass and cholecystectomy. I was told pre-op that I could return to work in one week. I quickly realized after surgery, as did my family and surgeon that it was unrealistic. I am still unable to get from a standing position unassisted. After experiencing such pain that continues today, I will gladly take the 2 1/2 weeks that is now recommended. I will be happy to take more if that’s what I need. You would be surprised how many movements and positions will be difficult after surgery. Totally worth it, but recovery has been harder than I expected. I thought my expectations were realistic bc I’ve been an RN for 11 years, but I was wrong. You and your surgeon can decide what is best for you. I say go back a few days “late” rather than a few days early and suffer or screw up your healing.

Thanks ladies for your support and kind comments!! @clsumrallOh my yes. I drink about 120oz of liquids per day (with at least 80 of that from water). But you are right. The RD said yesterday because I'm so low in BMI that I will be losing slower. She also said I'm not eating enough. Surprise. Right? LOL. So I'm upping food today to 700 cals and working up to about 850-1000cal per day range. @birdynz Welcome back! Yeah love the flubberdubber! I shall use it forevs! It's def FD cuz I don't have any upper fat at all since the BC surgeries and recons. It's all super tight and flat and small foob mounds.Not even back fat on the upper torso. I wore boyfriend jeans to yesterday's support group and they said, "You need to buy new clothes that fit you." LOL. So I may go try stuff on at Old Navy and Kohl's this week. At least I'll know what size fits over mah bum!

I chose bypass bc I felt that it maximizes the weight loss . I also feel like the bypass limits your eating more- And There are so many people getting their sleeves converted to bypass and I didn’t want two surgeries ! If you have reflux the bypass eliminates (or at least reduces) it —- and folks say the sleeve can create reflux . HW 242, SW 236- (Bypass 12/20/17) GW#1- 199 [emoji736] (2/11/18) GW#2- 180 [emoji736] (4/2/18) GW#3- 160 CW 173 5’6”

I cancelled 4 times (won’t admit to more) always get surgery date and I chicken out but bc I’m scared to go under now I have date for May 14 and plan to stick to it!

I been wanting this for a long time each time I get a surgery day go through all the work and back out bc I’m terrified. I feel like idk if I’m making right choice! I’m scared I’m not going to wake up for surgery! I got the endoscopy please tell me it’s just like that the feeling going under. I got my appendix and gallbladder out 5 years ago is this the same as how they put me out? I feel like I’m counting down until my last day! Been talking to my drs about how I feel but said I would be fine and wouldn’t do it if they didn’t think I was a good candidate! I also think the date I’m getting it is killing me this is how I think!! My uncle who was practically my father passsd away 2 years ago and surgery date is his birthday and I just get crazy thoughts what if surgery goes wrong. And something happens on his birthday I’m crazy I know been talking to dr!!

So.... I know about the dreaded stall but I’m worried that I will not continue to lose weight. This has been my previous problem with calorie restricted diets- the weight drops at first and then stops. Here is a snap shot of what I’ve eaten today - I’m on regular food. Total -730 calories My Weight - over 350 pounds How can I not lose weight on so few calories? On My 600 pound life in the hospital some of the patients eat a restricted 1200 calorie diet and lose 100 pounds laying in the bed. I move around everyday and workout 3x’s a week. Now my mind is going in circles like it used to - should I stop exercising, do I need more calories? Or should I exercise more and eat only 500 calories? Ugh! I was really hoping not to have to deal with this BS after having surgery. I thought the “tool” would help with portion/calories and as long as I exercise and ate nutritious food the pounds would drop. I’m hopeful that one day I’ll just come back here to say I was being impatient, but I’ve been trying to lose weight since I was a child, I’m tired!

Coffee has been my only cheat on the program... I have a cup with protein drink in the morning. I gave up diet coke a few years ago and then had one before pre diet bc I knew I would not be able to have one again and it tasted gross- nothing like I remembered!

The cramping is caused by the medication in the suppository. Many laxatives will do the same thing. Your surgeon recommended the suppository bc it gets instant results. Miralax should be your first choice for bowel maintenance. It will not cause cramps or interact with other medications.

We eat out all the time and the appetizer menu is my friend! My husband and I plan what we order bc, though he is thin, he has had a tendency to eat all his food and then all my leftovers so now I order smaller. I love my leftovers, as do my kids, but I order so much smaller since he started eating basically two entrees. He has gained about 20 lbs since my surgery! Now we are better about ordering. When we go out with people who don’t know I’ve had surgery and don’t want them to know, I pick enough at my plate that only one person has said something. I replied with, “I had a stomach bug a few days ago so I’m being super careful.” I love the chicken lettuce wraps at PF Chang’s and Cheesecake Factory. I still order my favorite HUGE beef burrito at the Mexican place and enjoy it over 3 days vs one sitting. I can only eat about a one to two inch piece for a meal so my kids love my leftover burrito too! Sleeved 8/7/17 HW: 256 SW: 248 CW: 188 on 3/7/18 5'7" GW: 150

Yay you!!!!! That’s awesome!!! I haven’t worn shorts since 1998 when I backpacked through Europe post college graduation and I was thin! Ugh! I did, however, purchase a skirt last week! I’m not dreading our super hot summers here in Silicon Valley bc I can wear skirts now and not the ones from the big girl Store! I was able to get one from Anne Taylor in an 8! Omg! I still can’t believe it’s true!! The feeling of not dreading the hot summer is so freeing!! Sleeved 8/7/17 HW: 256 SW: 248 CW: 188 on 3/7/18 5'7" GW: 150

Great! Just didn’t want you developing a false sense of security based on the blood test. We tend to think what shows up in our blood is a measure of the adequacy of our diet but for things like calcium and protein it isn’t. Protein in the blood is actually a bad thing (poorly functioning kidneys)as is too much calcium (over production of parathyroid hormone). Those things can’t be assessed with a blood test. I don’t doubt you are getting enough calcium, I just think it’s important for future readers to have all the facts available. When I had my parathyroid surgery my surgeon wasn’t familiar with bariatrics and told me to use calcium carbonate to supplement. I wound up in the ER with tetany and I agree... OUCH! He upped my calcium carbonate and prescribed active vitamin D. Tetany subsides but when I had a bone density test they not only found osteoporosis but intestines full of undigested calcium. They asked me if I had recently done a barium swallow bc they couldn’t figure out what all the white stuff showing up in my intestines was!

I have had 4 or my 6 required office visits with my doctor. I've completed my psych eval, nutritional assessment, had test run/Blood work/EKG/Upper GI and 1 of 2 nutrition courses.. So I hope paperwork will be getting submitted for approval early June, bc my last office visit is Late May... Anxiously awaiting.

The way I look at it… It’s kind of like having a kid! After so long you start no longer counting the smaller increments of time bc it messes you up and just embrace the larger ones! So….I am going with months! HW 242, SW 236- (Bypass 12/20/17) GW#1- 199 [emoji736] (2/11/18) GW#2- 180 [emoji736] (4/2/18) GW#3- 160 CW 174 5’6”

i have care first blue shield which is a fed blue in maryland and the only out of pocket stuff i will pay is copays so for everything it will cost around 600 total that is it

My psych appt was in and out probably 10 min and I did this 3 times bc I was scared of surgery so had to redo paperwork multiple times

Now I don’t want to make anyone else jealous, but I just finished my psychiatric evaluation over the phone and it took all of 15 minutes. That’s it. No paperwork. No questionnaires. Done over the phone. No sweat. Granted, this did cost me $400 and it is not covered by my PPO. There was also the option of doing it via skype but since I'd have to do it during work hours and i can't use my company laptop for personal use, so I opted for phone. We arranged for a time for me to call her last week so I called her right on time as planned. She first asked why I was pursuing the surgery. I explained that while my eating has not gotten out of control, my various ailments including a bad back that may require surgery, arthritis in my shoulders and bone spurs in both big toes have made it difficult if not impossible to exercise without pain. I have not been increasing my portion sizes over the last few years as my weight climbed, but without the ability to burn off the excess calories I just kept getting bigger. Next, she asked some medical history questions (I never drink to excess because I’m allergic to alcohol and I’ve never smoked or taken illegal drugs) then asked if I was an emotional eater, a binge eater, a habitual eater or a miscellaneous eater, i.e. problems like portion control, which we’d already covered and I’d already identified myself as being. We went into a little detail about my current eating habits and previous weight loss attempts, which had mostly been successful when I could exercise freely. She asked about the kind of support I’ll have for the surgery and during my recovery at home. I explained that my daughter (who graduates from college this Friday with a BS in psych and a 3.7 GPA, thank you very much) will be taking me to and from the surgery. That’s because when I have it in late May/early June, my wife will still be recovering from knee replacement surgery. So, my kids (my freshman son was nominated by a professor for membership in an honors society that only admits 15 kids from each graduating class at his school, again, thank you very much) will be taking care of both of us. We consider it only a tiny portion of the payback they owe us for putting them through a private college. Finally, she went into a little detail about the required post-surgical changes in habits, such as measuring and logging food and sticking to the prescribed post-surgical plans, and asked if I thought I’d be able to handle. Having read through this board, some FB groups and all the literature I got from the surgeon’s office at my initial consult, I repeated everything back to her chapter and verse to confirm I know exactly what’s expected of me. I also told her that I’m far too cheap to spend all the money on the surgery only to throw it all away with bad habits. She asked if I knew about the types of complications that could arise, so again I referenced this board and the FB groups, explaining I’ve learned a lot about the types of problems that come up most frequently. She asked if I had any fear of the surgery and I said I’ve had many surgeries in my life, so I’m not afraid of it, plus I know that for each person who complains about a post-surgical ailment, there are probably fifty who do not have that problem so the odds are clearly in favor of not having complications. That was pretty much it. She said the approval will be on its way to my surgeon by the end of the day. I gave her my email address so she could send me some literature she likes to send all of her patients and her contact information in case I had any further questions. I am not kidding when I say it took me twice as long to write this as the phone call itself. With this and my endoscopy both out of the way, all I’ve got left before submitting for approval is my final visit with the nutritionist and the pre-op visit with my PCP who’ll also take care of my chest x-ray and EKG. The only real problem between now and the surgery is avoiding the temptation of pigging out at my daughter's graduation party...

Accountability Menu - 7weeks B1: 3 protein lattes (15g P) B2: 1/2c egg white scramble with ground turkey crumbles, spin, mush, green salsa (14g P) L: 1 hb large egg + 1.5oz BH blackened turkey + 1/2oz grape toms + 1/2oz baby carrots (15g P) AS: 1/2c chopped salad (4g P) 14g ea shredded cabbage, baby organic spinach, peeled cucumber, rbp 10g chopped purple onion 1 slice HSF BFHam 4g reduced fat fet WF Italian D: 1/2c Cheesy Turkey Italian Sausage & Veg with Marinara and Garlic Zoodles (16g P) 2oz Jennie-O Italian Seasoned Ground Turkey 1/2oz each red onion, rbp, mushrooms 2tbsp low carb marinara (Taste of Italy, Cent Market) 8g 6 cheese blend (Sargento) 1/2tbsp grated parmesan (Frigo) 1/3 tsp EVOO 1 garlic clove 1oz zucchini noodles BS: All Vitamins and meds Daily Totals: 556 cals; 64g protein; 23g fat; 29g carbs; 4g fiber; 25g net carbs; 9g nat. sugars

Ok, so it sounds like a fatty tumor or lipoma. The question I would ask him is if it's growing inside the wall of the intestine, or if it's growing outside the intestine or growing inside the intestine itself and if it will continue to grow? Why can't it be removed? Does it pose a threat to from the standpoint of bowel obstruction or pain? How big is it? What are they going to do to keep an eye on it and monitor it. Just FYI. (Sorry being 7 years out from a late BC and having too many to count scares with "new masses" that the docs are now all "following" it's just not everyone knows to ask these kinds of questions.)

I need to write a country song....I am so mad I could bake a whole chocolate ganache cake and eat it until I puke. I am not doing that, I am too lazy to go to all that effort....🍰🍷🍰🍷🍰🍷🍰🍷But this is now ridiculous to be sitting at this same weight for over 2 months. <rant over> WAIT. And the damn weather sucks too, snow. <now rant over>

When I called they told me someone will call me...I’m gonna call back tomorrow bc it’s been a week

My program says no to patches bc they do not work and no to gummies bc they are incomplete and full of sugar.

What plan is GEHA with? I don't know any federal employee that has something other than Fed BCBS. With Fed BCBS, all I've paid is co-pays Psyc Eval $40 Diet I did through my Primary Care Dr. 4 visits at $30 = $120 Surgeon Initial Eval $40 Cardiologist Clearance $40 Swallow Test $0 Total $240 Then for the surgery, Fed BCBS covers everything except a $100 Dr. Fee and then $175 per night hospital stay, and IF I'm in the hospital more than 5 days insurance pays 100% of the hospital stay.