Amanda 3.0

I think you are to be commended for reading the replies and realizing that they are offered with compassion and caring. As another poster suggested, find a counselor or therapist who treats WLS patients. I have tried several who claimed to have a clue during phone conversations prior to establishing a relationship, but upon investing my time with them, they had no clue how to deal with compulsive overeaters/food addicts. ONLY after starting my six month pre-op process and being deferred for counseling by the psychiatrist did I find a counselor who knew anything about compulsive overeating. What a waste of time and money until I was referred to this woman, and this waste of my time is how I also developed a suspicion of counseling! That is why I think you should discuss it with your surgeon. You won't be the first patient she has dealt with regarding this, and you won't be the last. You'll get the help you need. Good luck to you!

I always use Allrecipes.com to find good things to make. Before my surgery I made and froze black bean soup, split pea soup, and lentil soup. I just look on Allrecipes and pick a recipe with a high rating and a lot of reviews. Then I read the reviews to see if other cooks have tweaked the recipe.

Everyone else has already said it all, but I think you should call your surgeon's office first thing in the morning and ask for some resources for help. You need to get this under control before you hurt yourself. Please also ask your friends and family to support you on this. Can someone come and stay with you who will make sure you stick to your post-surgical diet? Maybe they can even speak to the surgeon's office with you or review your literature if you were given any so that they understand exactly what you need to be doing? You don't want to hurt yourself, and you want this to be a success. Please get help ASAP!

I was sent to counseling before being approved, because I admitted that I had thrown up voluntarily a few times a number of years ago. I went, they gave me a few more tests for eating disorders, and I was approved. In my experience, just do what they say and they will approve. Argue or resist, and they will think you have a problem. Nuts, I know.

I think you are a brave woman, that is really all I have! lol

You will probably stall many times, please don't worry about it. Just stick with the plan and you will be okay.

I was fine by the third day. The first two days were uncomfortable but the third day was great. I have never had any substantial pain even at my incisions. Well, except last weekend when I thought it was a good idea to try to do planks to get rid of the hiccups. lol. You will probably be just fine on your own by day four. Do you have a friend who you can call on if you need them? Or, can your husband come home if you have a true emergency?

I already have hypothyroidism, so my thyroid is always being checked - I'm good! I've had this before when I lost a lot of weight (temporarily) through calorie restriction and exercise, but I didn't manage to stay thin too long so I don't know how long this will last.

I had to do the supervised diet, and also had to lose 5% of my starting weight. If you don't have to do it, that's great. But if you do, just go with the flow because the doctors you will work with know exactly what to do! The six months is great for getting your head in order as well. While we have surgery on our stomach, our heads need a lot of work and prep too! Good luck!

I have some, but to be honest, I would be afraid to take them now. Maybe do a basics bootcamp? I've read about that here on this forum.

Congratulations! I was approved in two days too - of course insurance messed up all the claims when they received them, but they were quick to approve. Take good care of yourself between now and surgery! You must be so excited!

Summer should be great this year - we are in Dallas, and it gets kind of warm here. I've never let the weather stop me from enjoying the outdoors, but this year should be a lot more comfortable. This is definitely a nice perk of the surgery. Rootman - I thought there was another thread on this, and then I couldn't find it (looked a few days ago). My searcher must have been broken - or maybe frozen!

What a sweet thing to do!

Having good care in a nice facility makes a world of difference. I am also in Dallas, but had my surgery at Presbyterian Plano. I had a nice private room, and private shower and bath. The newer hospitals have hotel-style rooms and provide in-room sleeping arrangements and meals for the family as well as the patient. A couple of years ago, my husband had major back surgery at another area hospital and it was just terrible. We will never, ever go back to that hospital, at least if we are conscious.

Yes, my shoes fit looser now. I even bought some size seven boots. Of course, shoe manufacturers vary so it is hard to have a clue what size I would have bought before. But, most of my shoes fit better now, except for one pair which is just too big and probably needs to go away. Hang on to your old favorites, they will probably fit great again!

I am at eight weeks and three days, so pretty close to two months. I had lost 29 pounds as of Tuesday and 30 pounds as of today. I have a lot of stalls for several days, to a week, and then it seems I lose a pound a day for a few days. I usually notice a loss right after I change things up, like go out to dinner, or take a break from exercise for a day. I weight myself every day but I also don't care if the scale doesn't move for a week. I know it is happening, and I'm going to get to goal. I weigh daily because I don't want to find out too late that I am doing something wrong causing a gain. Don't worry or obsess, and if you don't feel like weighing, then you don't have to.

Why does that person think she's your mom? lol

I do agree that doctors should be able to address our weight with us. BUT they should not be doing this instead of looking at other possible causes for our issues. To blame our issues on our weight before asking questions is ridiculous. And, in my case, I have a PCP who I see on a regular basis and who is well aware of my weight. We talk about it all the time. Why a "new-to-me" gynecologist should wait for me to get my pants off to go off on a tangent about my weight is beyond me. We have no relationship of trust or caring. It comes across as completely judgmental, like good grief, medical care requires shaming me for stuff I am already trying to handle with my PCP. And the key point here is that apparently some of these doctors don't ask questions or listen to fat people.

I am a big fan of Benefiber here. I don't think it is as big of a deal not to go when you are on liquids, but when you progress to regular food, you will likely need to manage some Fiber in Beans or supplements. I was allowed coffee immediately as a clear liquid, but only without cream or sugar. Now I add a scoop of Protein powder and have one cup a day. I am fairly regular. Thank you, coffee. Phillips Milk of Magnesia comes in a "double strength" so you can get a full dose with taking less.

I'm 47 years old and I have been fighting this fight for the past, what, 20 years? I have lost with diet and exercise, but to do so I have had to obsess on calories and exercise. This has been unsustainable as a wife and stepmom. Probably seven years ago, I was all set to go with the lapband, but chickened out. Our insurance changed and bariatric surgery was no longer covered. Last year, I realized that the hell of waking up fat every day was not going to go away without outside help. I am tired of being ashamed of myself and hiding from the world. I was going to research self-pay and get it done, whatever it took. For the heck of it, I checked our medical insurance documents for 2011 and lo and behold, bariatric surgery was added back to the plan, but with a bunch of prerequisites. I met them all, so met with my PCP to discuss the lapband. She told me about the sleeve and recommended my surgeon. Fast forward eight months and I am sleeved and a happy camper. There just gets to be a point where it is painfully clear that some of us can't do this on our own. We've tried everything. We're miserable. We bring our loved ones down with us. We stop truly living. Even after I was sure I was going through with the surgery, I had nagging doubts. That's the mind working against us. It's a big step, and yes, there is a small possibility of complications. The day of surgery, I had a huge fit in pre-op. I wanted to tear my IV out and leave. WTH was I doing? Could I handle the pain? Had I exorcized my food demons? My ever-supportive husband was startled by this level of upset, which he had never seen from me in our eleven year relationship! Thank the good Lord for nurses and valium, because both appeared and I made it through. You mention "going though the motions" of the pre-op procedures. I do encourage you to fully participate in the pre-operative process. It's a surgery on your stomach, but the big change is in your head. That takes some work. Good luck to you, and keep us posted on your progress!

I have this scale, which I ordered from Amazon: http://amzn.com/B001KXZ808 I was really suspicious because it has way too many glowing reviews (lol - seriously, thousands, for a bathroom scale), but it has been very good, and matches my PCP's scale as well as the scale at the surgeon's office. It is inexpensive, very basic, but I really like mine and have had it for more than a year.

I don't care for the Protein in Clear liquids - except for the strawberry sorbet unjury in crystal light. I drink one of those almost every day. Try the unflavored protein in Jello (just don't mix it with anything over 130 degrees, I believe). Also, you can mix the unflavored in milk, or chocolate almond milk. I like chocolate protein powder in my coffee (just plain coffee, no sugar or cream) - if you are allowed coffee. I would guess that some of your protein products are going to be not so pleasant. I have some I love and some I hate. Good for you for trying them ahead of time and getting your plan in place!

eggs were tough at the beginning, which was a shame because I was really looking forward to them. Did you try scrambled eggs? I haven't bothered with scrambled since my first try, but at eight weeks I can eat a hard cooked egg with no discomfort (although it does fill me up). Are you taking tiny bites?

I really hope so. Thanks for the optimism. I am already enjoying the spices and hot stuff, and I feel so crazy fortunate that I can tolerate everything (except avocados and my multivitamin). But all that cooking and cleanup for two or four bites. Let's not mention all the leftovers. I need to remember to just make half a recipe. I know, I am being selfish, but it is so hard to be inspired when I can't really look forward to eating any of it!

I do feel this way, I think. I find myself getting something to drink instead of eating though. I am afraid if I give into the eating that I will pick up the habit again, so I usually just have some Crystal Light or occasionally a little prune juice or a V-8. Cooking is kind of sad for me now, where it used to be a joy. Now it seems like a lot of work for nothing. I feel sad for my husband because I have lost my cooking joy and I just scrounge together stuff for him.