Bufflehead

My PCP told me that BMI charts don't really work for people who have been obese for a significant amount of time and then lost a bunch of weight. First, unless they have had plastic surgery, they will be carrying 5+ lbs of extra skin. Second, that whole "I'm not fat, I'm big boned" thing does actually have some merit for us! The stress of carrying extra weight on our skeletons for several years causes our bodies to react in a protective way and deposit much more calcium in our bones. The same thing happens with impact-bearing exercise -- it stresses the bones and causes the body to build them up with calcium. It's why exercise is more important than calcium supplementation in preventing osteoporosis and fractures! Anyway, we tend to have much thicker and denser bones than people who have never been obese. This article touches on it: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/osteoporosis.htm And, of course, those thicker, denser bones weigh more, and BMI doesn't account for that at all.

Are you sure you are supposed to wait 30 minutes to drink water after drinking a shake? My team didn't require it, and it seems to be a very rare requirement. From my (admittedly non professional) understanding of human anatomy and the digestive tract, I can't see why anyone would require it.

I weighed and measured everything I ate and kept it high protein and low carb. I tracked everything I ate on MyFitnessPal and stuck to the rules and macros issued by my bariatric team. Three small meals, no snacks other than protein shakes. For the first six months I ate NO grains, NO refined sugar, and NO starchy vegetables. I only exercised in moderation -- I believe strongly that exercise is excellent for your health but has basically no bearing on weight loss.

I have mine set for 20% carbs and 40% each protein and fat.

After reviewing the stats on success with the band, I knew I wasn't interested in it. Plus, having a port under my skin that could be felt by me, a lover, etc.? No thanks. But when I went to talk to my surgeon he discussed all possible surgeries, and this is basically what he told me about the band -- "I won't do this surgery on you because your chances of success would be quite small. I only do lap band on people who are starting out with a relatively low BMI, and even then I only do it on patients who absolutely refuse to consider any other surgery. This is the least successful of all weight loss surgeries." So that confirmed what I had already concluded. For me it was between sleeve and bypass. I would have considered the DS but my insurance only pays for it if you have a BMI of 60+, which I did not. Definitely talk about it with your bariatric surgeon -- he or she will help you make the right decision for you.

The latest scientific evidence seems to show that if you are used to drinking caffeine, it won't dehydrate you -- not any more than water will. Technically it is a diuretic -- just like water is, with very similar effects and results -- and no one would say stop drinking water because it's a diuretic. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/nutrition/04real.html?_r=1& http://www.webmd.com/balance/caffeine-myths-and-facts?page=2 http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140402-are-coffee-and-tea-dehydrating http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/01/13/262175623/coffee-myth-busting-cup-of-joe-may-help-hydration-and-memory

Stalling at three weeks out is completely normal. It happens to everyone. Use the search function here and look for "3 week stall" or "third week stall" or "dreaded three week stall" and you'll see what I mean. Keep following the program your doctor gave you and stay off the scale for a while - that will help you stress less about it, because there really isn't anything you can do other than wait it out. Good luck!

EBay is a great place to get cheap coats and jackets.

He should be freaked out and crying over the health issues looming due to your current weight, not about a surgery with a lower risk rate than gallbladder removal - especially since it is going to help improve your health immensely! I know it is human nature to fear an immediate risk rather than a long term risk, even when the long term risk is much more dangerous -- and it's hard to talk people out of it. I guess just keep telling him how low the rate of risk is and how much healthier you are going to be and how you are improving the odds for a long life by a lot by having this surgery. Good luck!

A bit of practical advice - unless you were given contrary instructions by your medical team, take that magnesium citrate NOW. Its effects can last up to 24 hours and you don't want to be having "issues" on the operating table! Go ahead and get it over with! And yes, I can totally relate to the belief that somehow the surgery wasn't really happening and if it was, it wasn't going to work for me anyway. But I followed my surgeon's instructions and yes it DOES work! Even for me, who has (HAD) been obese 100% of the time since early childhood. Good luck!

I take Wellesse liquid calcium.

I would suggest buying a couple of samples of different flavors of their protein powder to see if you like it. Then try it after your surgery and if you like it you can order a bigger quantity. Nashua Nutrition sells samples of lots of different protein powders, including Celebrate. http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/protein-powders/protein-powder-samples-1-serving.html

I usually have sliced sirloin steak wrapped in a romaine lettuce leaf. Add mustard and sugar free pickle relish. Delicious, low calorie, and high protein.

It depends on what your surgeon allows. Did they give you an eating plan with approved and disallowed foods? I know some surgeons permit it -- mine doesn't as we aren't allowed grains or any low-protein food, particularly in the puree stage. But your surgeon may have entirely different rules.

How many calories and carbs are you eating per day? Are you getting all your protein and water?

My surgeon's team has us use Milk of Magnesia for constipation - the smallest allowable adult-size dose.

I used cotton balls soaked in nail polish remover - worked perfectly.

My surgeon's plan calls for four weeks of full liquids (true liquids, not yogurt or runny cream of wheat or other stuff that gets defined as "liquid"), four weeks of purees, then four months of food soft enough that you can easily cut it with a fork. In terms of weight loss, I think what matters is your metabolism and how many calories and carbs you put in your mouth, not the texture of the food. If your "soft foods" consists of lots of peanut butter and cheese, you'll find it difficult to lose weight. If you are eating pureed salmon and low calorie protein shakes, you'll do great. You just have to find what works for you. Good luck!

I make mine with a hand (aka immersion or stick) blender - no foam, bubbles, or trapped air in the shake. Works like a charm.

In my surgeon's practice it is a forever rule. You really do get used to it after a while. It seems perfectly normal to me now. No offense, because I could (and do) say this about myself just as easily -- the old you was not so great at establishing healthy eating habits. If she was terrific at it, you wouldn't have needed bariatric surgery. Tell the old you to shut up and that you are going to listen to your surgeon instead of to her

virtually everyone stalls at the third week out. Do a search on these forums for "three week stall" or "third week stall." Keep following your program and you'll start losing again -- but be patient. And get ready because there will be more stalls in your future. The only way you can avoid them is to stop weighing yourself so frequently -- that way you won't know when they happen! If you plot out your weight loss as a graph, it will not look like a smooth slope downwards. It is going to look like a bunch of randomly sized stair steps.

I've been collecting protein shake recipes and making some of my own -- here's where I uploaded them if anyone wants them. https://www.scribd.com/doc/236442268/Protein-Shake-Recipes

Your surgeon's office might be able to recommend a PCP for you -- or someone at your support group if you attend one. Good luck!

Trader Joe's High Potency Chewable Multi's. I used to do 2 per day, but have switched to 1 since I can eat more nutritious food now. I have my labs drawn regularly and they are always great. They taste fine to me and they are cheaper, lower calorie, and lower carb than most other chewable or gummy vitamins I have seen.

Are you feeling gas pain or incision/surgical pain? For gas pain, walk and move as much as possible and use a heating pad, and for most people it is gone within a couple of days. For the pain of surgery itself -- take more pain meds. You shouldn't be having pain that sucks -- don't be a hero and try to avoid your pain meds, either. Take as much as you need!