Jensharley

You might check the label on your broth and make sure it isn't loaded with sodium. I am on day 4 of liquids and made my own broth without salt and I am losing weight okay. But it could just be like you said your body is in freak out mode and doesn't know what to do. Hang in there!

Great job! i am on my 4th day as well and have lost 6lbs which made me very happy but you my friend win the prize! Keep up the good work.

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I am scheduled for surgery on July 18th. Today I got a letter from the hospital that said they confirmed my benefits and expect I will have approximately $500 owed out of pocket. They want me to pay this now or at the time of registration. I have had many surgeries and have never had a hospital ask for money up front. Has anyone else been required to pay?

I am on day 3 of the pre-op diet too. My doctors instructions were shake for Breakfast and lunch with broth, Water, sugar-free crystal light, coffee or tea and limited amounts of diet gatorade and skim milk plus a lean cuisine or grilled meat with veggie dinner. I am diabetic so have to be careful on what liquids I drink. Even the sugar-free drinks make me feel a little shaky. I have been combating this with homemade chicken broth. When I feel a bit weak and shaky I just heat up a mug of broth and drink it. It makes me feel a lot better. I can't stomach bouillon or canned broth so made my own by boiling chicken parts, removing chicken, added some seasoning like pepper, garlic and onion powder and a can of chicken broth. Let cool in the fridge and skimmed off the fat to make it as low fat as possible. I am thinking about making some beef stock too and freezing in ice cube trays so I can grab a few cubes and microwave it whenever I need a boost. So far I have lost 5 and 1/2 lbs since starting pre-op and feel a lot better about myself already. Good luck!

I am not yet sleeved but have been trying to work through some eating and self-destructive issues I have had for many years prior to the surgery so that I keep these behaviors from sabotaging my weight loss. I am not saying that it won't creep in at times just as you experienced. The truth is many of us got fat due to other factors and may have used food to self-medicate that pain. You take food away and there the pain still is and it is absolutely normal to try and find some way to self-medicate to ease that pain again through whatever means, shopping, gambling, drinking or drugs. We aren't used to dealing with the pain and feelings and not having something to insulate us from that means we have to feel it, experience the pain and try and work through where it is coming from to heal that part of ourselves. I am specifically worried about how my marriage will weather through this. My husband is also overweight and tends to use alcohol as a crutch. When we don't have eating out or grabbing a beer or two together in common I am not sure what we will do. I talked to him about this last weekend and he is saying all the right supportive things but I am still concerned it may open up underlying issues that will have to be addressed. I am hoping I find stress relief through exercise. I have never been a consistent exerciser but expecting a life filled with self-confidence issues, abusive relationships and passive/aggressive behavior to magically be all better because I am thin is not realistic. YearningToBeThin, I hope you seek out someone to talk to that can help you put things in perspective. You are not alone. So many people struggle but keep it in. We just wear our struggles on the outside.;o)

I think it is a valid concern. I have a friend who had gastric bypass after being overweight her entire life. She ended up going a little crazy with clothes shopping when she lost weight because she had never had a normal shopping experience where clothes fit well. She got a part time job in a retail store and that just fueled the fire with her employee discount. She charged everything and hid it from her husband until she couldn't pay the mortgage and she had to tell him. They ended up filing bankruptcy and are back on their feet now but what a lesson. I think this is similar to someone who has been restricting their eating through diet, loses weight, then like a kid in a candy store goes craxy overeating once they can eat real food again. I think you can't deprive yourself or you end up going over board. Maybe set a schedule for shopping once a quarter and give yourself an allowance. I think that is what I am going to do. Also I am going to shop consignment stores while I am losing since I won't be in a size too long until I get to goal weight. Of course I am cheap when it comes to spending money on me anyway.

Sorry to hear your facebook "not a" friend was so rude to you. People really amaze me. If you had a boob job would he have felt the need to go off on you? I suspect not. That probably would have passed his holier than thou judgementalness (yeah made up a new word. lol).

Wishes, You are probably right that each insurance is different. Here is what I meant though about the diet and five months. Dec - 1st doc visit. Started diet after visit. Jan - Start of month 2 Feb - Start of month 3 Mar - Start of month 4 Apr - Start of month 5 May - final visit. Submitted records to insurance. They got records from 6 months of visits but I actually didn't start dieting until after the first visit. To get documentation showing 6 months of dieting I would have had to go another month and submit paperwork in June. Anyway it might be worth checking into with your insurance to see if they need 7 records showing 6 months of dieting or only 6 records showing doctor visits.

I have seen posts where people talk about chewable vitamins after surgery. My doctor hasn't given me any instructions on medications or vitamins. Will I not be able to take pills post-op? Any advice on the best vitamins to take?

Thanks for the clarification! That makes sense.

Hey Gang I finished my 6 months in May and am schedule for surgery July 18th. I had my first visit on December 4th and assumed I had to go for a final visit on June 4th to actually show 6 calendar months of visits but in actuality they want records of 6 visits which means you only have to do the diet for 5 months. )

I love this idea of listing 12 things!! 1. I want to be able to buy and wear cute shoes. So tired of buying "comfort shoes" in wide width. 2. I want to be able to wear sleeveless and short sleeved shirts. I have been hiding behind 3/4 length shirts when it is 95 degrees and that is miserable. 3. I want to quit having horribly embarrassing episodes of sweating that leaves my hair and clothes totally soaking wet while everyone around me isn't even warm. 4. I want to get rid of diabetes for ever and live an overall healthy life. 5. I want to go, see and do all those things I don't do now for fear of seeing someone who hasn't seen me since I got fat. 6. I want to look the person in the face when I renew my license and tell them my weight. Yes, my REAL weight. 7. I want to talk to people who actually look me in the eye instead of avoiding eye contact with me like I don't exist. 8. I want to sleep better at night and quit feeling tired all the time. 9. I want to sneak up on my son down the hall who always hears me coming because I creak and pop so loudly. 10. I want to buy clothes at any store instead of knowing I can only shop online or from plus sized stores. 11. I want to go to a concert, baseball game or fly on a plane without feeling I have to curl up into a ball so my body doesn't touch the person next to me. 12. Last but not least... If Stella can get her groove back then so can Jen!

I start my pre-op diet tomorrow and have been instructed to drink two protein shakes and eat a lean cuisine or grilled meat with steamed veggies for dinner. I think the pre-op diet instructions seems to vary widely from doctor to doctor but the intent of the "diet" is the same and that is to shrink our livers to make surgery easier. It really isn't designed to focus on weight oss even though that is a common reaction on the diet. Hang in there guys! We will soon be in the post-op diet phase where weight loss will be easier with our new VSG tools!

July 18 - Jensharley Thx!

I am scheduled for surgery July 18th and I am really struggling with the decision to tell people publically that I am having the surgery. Part of me wants to keep this secret and so far no one outside of my immediate family knows about it. I think I have some deep-seated feelings of diet/exercise failure urking there that makes me feel ashamed to tell anyone about the surgery for fear of feeling like a total failure. I don't want to face the judgement that may come from people who have no clue what it is like to struggle with weight for years. On the other hand I am a what you see is what you get kind of girl by nature and lying to people about why I will be off work and why I will be losing weight rapidly (hopefully) makes me feel guilty. Not telling anyone is something that goes against my moral makeup. But fear of undue judgement with outing myself is exactly the kind of response to my weight I am trying to get away from. Don't we all want to be treated like weight doesn't matter? Too bad we live in such a superficial society that puts looks above anything else. I guess I want to hear if anyone else struggled with this like I am and what you decided in the end. Also, are you happy with that decision. Thanks!

Thanks and congratulations on your success so far!

I am getting sleeved July 18th and have a trip to Aruba scheduled for December 10th. I want to accelerate my weight loss to the greatest extent possible before my trip. There are so many of you who have had awesome quick results. Would you mind answering a few questions? Diet - were you strict low carb? count carbs? ate what sounded good but small portions? other? Exercise - did you exercise? if so what kind i.e. cardio, walking, jogging, weights? how often? Other - do you have any other things you contribute to your success? Thanks!

Wow you are doing great! Thanks for the tips

Thanks for all the replies. I feel much better hearing this is pretty standard practice.

YOU ARE MY HERO!! How awesome that must feel. Great job!

Thanks to everyone who shared their stories. I think I am going to keep this tucked away for now and allow myself to change my mind down the road.

I did the Cigna 6months (6 visits actually) and it took 3 weeks to get approval. I started the process December 4th and my surgery is July 18th so 7 and 1/2 months total time. Hang in there it will be over before you know it.

:dance::dance: I got the call today I have been approved. Surgery is scheduled for July 18th. I am very excited and relieved. The waiting game has finally come to an end (well have to wait for the surgery. Duh!). I am required to do the standard 2 week pre-op diet. I was wondering if anyone did anything else to prepare for surgery prior to the pre-op?:Banane35:

Thanks everyone for the kind words of encouragement. I can't wait until the day I can offer kind words to someone just starting their journey.