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I am not one that does well with being patient and therefore I am in a terrible place mentally. I never thought about having surgery as I didn't know the options that are available today. Meeting with my Dr, we talked about Wegovy and the lifetime issues I has had with weight loss and the continued failure to do so. He suggested sleeve surgery. At first I was not going to consider it thinking it wasnt for me. After weeks of research I decided it was the exact thing I needed in my life. This is where the impatience comes in. I met with a surgeon for consultation and I started getting excited about all prospects of life changing results this would bring. - Lowering bp and getting off all meds - recovering some kidney function - getting rid of sleep apnea or at least losing enough BMI that I could get an implant because I cant keep my mask on - Being able to become an athlete again - Not needing an extension on the airplane - Other benefits that are personal. I waited a week for them to run my insurance and it was denied. Now I am stuck saving enough money to try and get it in the distant future. I am not mentally doing well with that fact. I got it in my head that I was going to get on the right path for me sooner rather than later. I looked into financing but I am a teacher and can not afford an extra "car payment". So I need to save and wait...impatiently.

For smoothies I started with milk, added Greek yogurt or 0% flavoured yogurt. Some yogurts have lots more protein in than others. Fruit and some low sugar peanut butter. I never had any protein shakes.

Do you know why you were denied? Sometimes your doctor can make an appeal on your behalf and the decision will be reversed, although the circumstances are very much case by case. Generally, if you have 40+ BMI, or 35+ and you mentioned having sleep apnea and high blood pressure, you would be considered a good candidate. In the meantime, I'd like to recommend you check out Dr. Weiner's Pound of Cure videos and podcast, plus there's a book by the same name. I found these resources back in the summer and I started implementing the suggestions slowly and have seen some promising results. Not WLS level results, but I'm down about 15 pounds and my labs were so much better in just 6 months for things like cholesterol and to a lesser extent blood sugar. I really can't say enough good things about Dr. Weiner, honestly. And they're all the type of lifestyle changes you'll need to consider anyway for your best shot at longterm success. Think of it as training for when (not if!) you have the surgery. But keep at it with the insurance. Some of them have a lot of hoops to jump through and it feels impossible but if you don't give up, you might make it happen.

DON’T GIVE UP!!!

cheese sticks, beef jerky, protein bars should all work..

Congrats on your surgery day!! I am hoping to join you by the end of the month. Today is really the first day of the rest of your life. Best wishes on your journey and remember it’s okay if it’s all about you this time!

I did stick to very soft protein and veggies at 5 weeks. I needed a lot of liquid (soup or gravy) to get it down. I loved fish, it felt a lot lighter than meat for a main meal to help with my protein goal. Tiny portions though. Also I was still relying on protein drinks to make my goal. Scrambled egg (less than one) were a godsend. I was probably consuming 400 calories per day between 4 and 6 weeks. I soon progressed to 600, maybe 2 months out? Hope this helps OP.

Week 5 was soft food for me. While it’s been 4.75yrs for me I remember making a lot of minced beef dishes: savoury mince, meat balls, bolognese with zucchini noodles. Also made a couple of slow cooked stews/casseroles & chunky soups.. So all had well cooked soft vegetables & its own sauce/gravy to keep everything moist. Omelettes & yoghurt/yoghurt drink were also on rotation & I had rolled oats & scrambled eggs for breakfast. I wasn’t eating much either (was told 1/4-1/3 cup from purée). I’d eat one golf ball sized meat ball. Two egg scrambled eggs took 3 days to eat. Doubt I was consuming 400 calories & barely reaching my protein goal - was much like @ms.sss in that way except I almost made 900 calories by 6 months. Check your plan as there can be a number of differences between what we’re advised to eat. And check with your team if you want to try something ‘off plan’ first. Listen to your body. There maybe foods your tummy can’t tolerate. Don’t give up on them though. Just avoid them for a week or so & then try again. Good luck.

Congratulations! It’s a really noticeable difference especially in the fit of jeans.

Well after 6 years, nothing has changed much since the end of the first year. So I think I am stuck with the result I have. It's just a heads up to those potential patients considering gastric sleeve surgery to go in with your eyes wide open as to the both positive and negative outcomes.