Jellyfish

Good to find someone out there with my same date! What kind of diet exactly did they put you on?

I'm not self pay, but I asked on one of my visits how much my fills would be if I ever found myself without insurance, they told me fills would only be 40 bucks. I'm somewhat skeptical since it seems to be a LOT lower than anyone else charges, but that's what she told me.

Congrats, Tomosia!! I'm scheduled on August 2nd, the pre-op diet is finally starting to get rough... anyone else scheduled for the 2nd?

So I started the pre-op diet three days ago and so far it hasn't been as horrid as I thought it would be (let's see if I say that next week). I want to get up and exercise as soon as possible after surgery, so I decided to start now along with the diet. I've been doing 30-60 minutes of exercise every single day, mostly walking and swimming, and I'm only taking in around 500-600 calories a day. I'm logging everything on Myfitnesspal, and here's where I get confused. If I eat 500 calories but do half an hour of walking and burn 100 calories, MFP tells me that my 'net' calories are only 400 and that I should consume another 100 calories for the day, bringing my total in to 600. So I assume if I burned 600 calories that day through exercise, it would tell me to eat another 600 then my total calorie intake would be 1200. I don't understand this. If I need to go eat more calories to replace what I lost exercising, then what was the point of working out in the first place? Don't get me wrong, I know that exercise has a ton of benefits on top of weight loss and I want to be in better shape so I'm going to do it. But as far as losing weight goes, does this mean that I could lose just as fast by just dieting and exercising as I could by just eating smaller meals and not doing any exercise at all? I'm hoping that's not the case, but I've heard so many different things I don't know what to believe any more. Is this a quick/setting with the app itself? Or does it only apply to people who are already at their healthy weight? What gives?

I'm a little afraid to post this because I know some people may not agree, but maybe it will help you out so here goes... I don't think I've tried as hard as I could have with dieting. I've done Slimfast a few times, with great results but I fall off of the bandwagon after less than a month every time. I did the South Beach diet once for a week but it had me feeling so horrible I could barely even walk, so that was a no go. That's pretty much the extent of my dieting attempts. 95% of the time, I'm not even attempting a diet. For some reason, in my head I'm not that big. I have no health problems to speak of so maybe that's why I let myself think that way but it's really not true. I'm 5'00 and weighed 240 at my highest. I can't buy clothes anywhere, (clothing industries haven't figured out that short fat girls exist yet), can't walk half a flight of stairs without wanting to stop for a break, my poor dog wasn't getting walked nearly enough, I had to stop wearing heals because my knees/ankles started hurting me so bad, and recently I've been having trouble getting in and out of my truck. I used to love going to Six Flags, but since I gained all this weight, I can't even ride a roller coaster without feeling dizzy and miserable, not to mention I can't take all the walking. Last summer, I turned down a trip to one of my favorite Water parks because I just couldn't stand the thought of seeing me in anything remotely resembling swimwear. And I STILL think I'm not 'all that fat'. So one day I was driving along and heard an ad on the radio for a weight loss clinic, called that night and set up an appointment. I didn't know what a lap band WAS before I went, but I started going and making the monthly supervised dieting appointments anyway. Please don't get me wrong, I don't advocate having surgery without fully understanding what you're getting yourself into, and that was never something I intended on doing. I had to do six months of dieting, so I knew I had time to fully research what I was getting in to. Every time I went in for an appointment, I had a list of questions, and that list got smaller and smaller every month as I got those questions answered and did my own independent research. I knew by about month two that this is what I wanted, and I felt totally confident in my understanding of the procedure. Sure I still have questions pop up, but who can really call themself an expert unless they're actually banded? Anyway, for me it wasn't it wasn't really any certain event(s) that prodded me into this. It was the revaluation that lapbands exist in the first place. A couple times I've wondered if I could diet without the band, but then I remember that my willpower isn't as great as I try to tell myself it is. The only reason I'm doing okay on my diet now is because it's in preparation for the surgery (I'm going under on the 2nd). More than anything, I'm 27 years old now. I didn't want to give up on the band, decide to diet, fail miserably and then come back looking to be banded again. How old would I be then when I did get banded? 30? 40? So I've pushed those thoughts aside and I am committed to being banded. I want to be at my goal weight by my 30th birthday, but as long as I'm losing steadily at any pace I'll be happy. Jeez I love to ramble. Anyway, good luck on your journey!!

You're right, I haven't seen a lot of weight loss videos for men. Granted I haven't been looking too hard since I'm not a man, but anyway... I think you're awesome and very brave for putting these out there! ('m too chicken to post a picture let alone a video) Very informative clip, I'll look forward to watching your progress every month.

Hi Ashley, welcome to the forums! My advice is to research doctors and get started as soon as you find one you're comfortable with. If you're going through an insurance company to get your band paid for, a lot of them require 3-6 months of supervised weight loss, sometimes even more. There could also be a lot of other. In addition to three months of supervised weight loss, I had to do a psych evaluation, a sleep study, an EGD (only because I had bad heartburn) and I had to get a letter from my PCP clearing me for surgery, so all of that took a while. When it was all said and done, my time between my very first consultation and my surgery date is going to be about six months. (I'm scheduled for August 2nd, woo!) Knowing that is may take that long is frustrating at first, but you are MUCH better off having time to research everything about the band than going into it clueless. On the other hand if you're self pay or have awesomer insurance , you may be able to get a date in less than a month. But you should still make sure you know everything that you can about being banded before you have that surgery. Not after. It looks to me like people who get banded quickly tend to have more problems than those who had to wait (not all, but some). Make sure you're familiar with all of the common problems that other bandsters are going through, so that you can hopefully either avoid them or know how to deal with them. Good luck! Keep us updated as you progress on your journey!

Days 1-2 I was doing great. Days 3-4 were rougher, I wouldn't say I'm light headed but I've been feeling gross and just wanting to sleep or lie on the couch all day. I did still drag myself up to exercise but I had to do it right after I ate (managed to get in an hour a day), I didn't have the energy before. I've also had a constant migraine and I've had to take Excedrin like crazy which I know is bad... I'm practically giving up coffee at the same time so the headaches are probably more from the lack of caffeine, I expect them to go away in a few days. I hate feeling so tired though and it's going to be rough if it's not any better by Monday when I have to go back to work. I have an hour long commute there and back, I'm a little concerned. Gonna call the doctor Monday to see exactly how many calories I can take in, but until then any suggestions?

Good that's a relief... I just wanted to make sure my calorie intake wouldn't be TOO low after the exercise. Thanks!

If the doctor said okay then go for it! Sounds yummy, I might try it. I love wonton broth. Another thing you can try to keep you full longer is to take your food/shakes REALLY slowly if you aren't already. I swear it helps keep me full a lot longer, plus it will help get us ready for when we are banded and CAN'T eat too quickly.

I would be careful about substituting anything for a Protein shake. Different surgeons have different diet recommendations, I'd say call him up and ask if that's okay. Sounds perfectly healthy to me, but I'm not a doctor and there may be a very good reason that he wants you to stick to only the shakes. Did he give you certain brands of Protein Shakes to use? If you have options, I'd suggest trying a few different ones. My doctor told me that out of the cheaper brands, I could use Myoplex, Pure Protein, or Muscle Milk. I tried Muscle Milk first for about four days and felt like total garbage, I had a constant migraine, was light headed, and I couldn't think straight. I switched to Pure Protein a few days ago and I feel MUCH better using it. I haven't been light headed much at all, and I've felt fuller even though I'm using a smaller serving. (was using 2 scoops of Muscle Milk, but the doc told me to only use 1, so I cut it in half when I switched) So try switching up those shakes, you might find something that makes you feel better, or at least something that tastes better. Good luck!

I am going to True Results Houston and I also have Cigna. I'm absolutely clueless as far as insurance goes so I'm not sure if this will help you or not. My surgery was covered by in full Cigna, and I got the notice that I was approved last week. It may be different for you since your insurance is only covering a hernia repair, but Cigna did make me wait nearly the full 30 days that they're legally allowed before approving the surgery. The reps at True Results told me that Cigna always does this, so it may be something that you want to plan for just in case. It went by pretty quick, but of course I was hoping for it to take less time. Sorry I couldn't be more help, but good luck on your journey! I hope you get everything worked out soon.

Hello! Well I'm getting banded on August 2nd and starting my pre-op diet officially this coming Thursday. I'd love to meet someone who's getting banded around the same time, but any buddy who is going through what I'm going through would be super. I have never been good at exercising but I am determined to make it happen every single day starting Thursday, and I would love to find an active buddy who's willing to encourage (or outright nag at me) when I try to slack off. I would love to return the favor! I am SO motivated now, but I know it will be a lot harder post-op when I'm in pain... I am on Myfitnesspal and my game plan is to input -everything- into it. Every scrap of food, every minute of exercise. Let me know if you're interested, thanks!!

I feel like this is the silliest question ever, but for some reason I'm not clear on just how to drink my Water after I get banded. I've heard that we're not supposed to drink during meals. Does that mean no drinking at all, or can we still take sips between bites? When you are in the 'green zone', can you just chug away at water or do you still have to drink slowly? Also, I've heard that you aren't supposed to drink out of straws because they make you suck up extra air. Is that true for everyone? I am clumsy like a bull in a china shop (probably worse actually), I like cups with straws so that I can't knock my water over... I didn't want to clutter up the forums with too many posts, but I had another question too. I'm starting my pre-op diet tomorrow and I'm totally dedicated. My super best friend who lives two states over is coming to visit next week (haven't seen him in two years). He wants to go out and eat some nice greasy, fried Texas food when he comes over, just for one meal. Other than this, we would be eating at home. I told him no at first, but then I decided there was no harm in just calling my doctor's office to see if they'd be okay with me cheating for just ONE meal. To my surprise, they actually told me that was okay as long as I still lost the required ten pounds. The thought makes me feel a little guilty though, I really don't want to start this thing off on the wrong foot, so I'm after some second opinions. Should I cheat once since the doc said it was okay, or behave? Thanks!

I told my husband and my mom. Nobody else in my family knows, but I did tell the ladies at work... well, I told one of them fully expecting that the whole office would know a week later. It didn't even take that long, they all know! I have a pretty dull sit down job and all of the women who work there are overweight. They've been SO supportive, more so even than my own family so I'm actually really glad I told them. A lot of them have been struggling with their weight for years so they're all cheering me on and a couple of them are even watching my progress and considering the band themselves. If you decide you don't want everyone to know, make sure that the people you DO tell know that. My husband was the first person who found out, I thought he would have known that this was a private matter... but no, he told like four of our mutual (male) friends before I had even decided for sure that I was having the surgery!

I'm a little bit west of the Galleria area. And thanks Kitty! I will email you.

So less experienced people asking honest questions is hilarious to you? Hmm, to each their own I guess. You're absolutely right, I did think that cheating would be a bad idea. And believe me, I wouldn't even consider it for half a second if the doctor hadn't told me it was okay. Even with the doctor's blessing, I'd probably still end up feeling a little guilty for cheating even a little, like I said in my first post. So I hope nobody's concerned with my willpower. I'm not trying to find a way to justify doing something that would be bad. I told my friend that I'd ask the doc (fully expecting to be told no and get scolded for asking), but to my surprise they said that was fine! That's why I came here just for a second opinion. I have decided to skip it, I know my friend will totally understand. I have been SO proud of my willpower so far. Today was only day 1 of my official diet but I did try it out for four days a week ago and I had no trouble sticking to it. So I like to think that I could honestly cheat just that once without sliding down that slippery slope, buuut... I think Sojourner is probably right. If my willpower was THAT good I probably wouldn't be needing a band in the first place would I? Thanks everyone for the opinions though I really appreciate you guys!

Ack! Shame on them! That waiting is the worst... just hang in there. Grats on the 22 pounds, that is awesome!

So, my insurance FINALLY approved me (woo!) for surgery and I have a date set on August 2nd. I am super excited, it's finally starting to feel real! But I'm also nervous. You read so much about people who have all kinds of trouble getting approved, and I've has such good luck so far with this whole process. Maybe I'm just expecting that something HAS to go wrong somewhere... Anyway, the reason I'm concerned is that I haven't been to the doctor since early June, and the last time I saw my surgeon was probably sometime in May when he did the EGD (EGD? EKG? I get them confused. They knocked me out and put a tube down my throat!). When the nurse called to tell me that I was approved, she first tried to schedule a pre surgery appointment and asked if I had met my surgeon yet. I told her that I had but it was back in May. She asked me if they gave me any sort of folder, which they did, so then she tells me that WAS the pre-op appointment and that we could go ahead and schedule surgery. I have no more appointments at all until then. Is it normal to go so long without seeing the surgeon before the surgery date? I have health issues at all other than all of the weight. Another reason I'm a little concerned is that when I went for my last visit before being submitted to insurance, I brought a long list of questions. The nurse answered most of them, but there were a few that she suggested I ask the surgery team about instead, at my pre surgery appointment. It's possible she just didn't know I'd already been there, I guess. I'm with True Results in Houston and they've been absolutely perfect so far, I really have no reason to doubt them.... buuuut I'm sitll nervous, I can't help it. So, is this normal? How long did you go between visits right before surgery?

Lucky you, Hummingbird! I wish that had been the case for me, but then like everyone on here says, that six months really did go by fast. Overjoyed, I went and picked up the Hibicleanse and all of the other fun meds I'll need post-surgery today... Dulcolax and Gas X and that sort of thing... really, HEB, do you have to put THOSE items on the FIRST shelf in the pharmacy section, right by the check out!?!? Felt like the whole store was watching me, I thought I was gonna die... but I survived the horror and now I'm even more excited, woo!

I'm with True Results and although I have been 100% happy with them so far, they do not do preliminary surgery dates (I suspect they just have too many people to do that). You don't get to schedule until after you get insurance approval. This makes me think that the only way to get Cigna to look at your paperwork faster than they legally have to is to have a preliminary date sent in by your surgeon, just like the one rep told me. Might be good information for anyone who's trying to get approved through Cigna in the future. Now I'm curious as to whether anyone's had a different experience. I'll have to poke around some more, hmm...

I LOVE coffee! Even on a good day when my willpower is at it's highest, I don't want to give it up. I'm trying to work my way up to drinking it black because I just can't tolerate artificial sweeteners (still experimenting with finding on that I like too), but it hasn't been easy. Still, not giving up! I'm a 2-3 cups a day person.

Wooohooo! Congrats!! I'm getting banded on the 2nd, it does make you pretty nervous knowing that you have a date and it's really happening... I've been just reading these forums like crazy, going over a lot of the old posts and finding more questions that I'd like answered. It's nice to feel really prepared, and it has helped me to calm down a little.

HI Bibi, welcome to the forums! Congrats on your surgery, try not to be too nervous I'm sure everything will work out fine. Fifteen pounds in four days!? Wow!! Great job, you must be doing really well on your diet. My doctor only requires that I lose ten pounds in two weeks, so if yours told you to lose 15 I wouldn't worry about it. You've already done what they asked! Losing 10-15 pounds in such a short time is hard in the first place, you should be proud of your progress. Just make sure you don't use it as an excuse to cheat even a little. The pre-op diet is required to make sure that the surgery goes as smoothly as possible. Best wishes to you.

How exciting! Only a few more days for you! How is the pre-op diet treating you? I'm also on the west side, about ten minutes west of the Galleria. (when I don't have to account for the always lovely Galeria traffic)