DLCoggin

Wow. I usually buy Pure Protein Chocolate Deluxe bars at Target (in-store). They have the best price by far of anywhere I've seen. I can't believe that I never looked there (online or in-store) for the powders. Just checked it and they have the vanilla (online) for $17.27 and the frosty chocolate (in-store) for the same price. Both are two pound tubs and that is again BY FAR the best price I've seen anywhere. Think I'll pick up both and try your suggestion of the pb2 with the vanilla. Thanks so much!!

Congratulations John! 35 lbs in six weeks - that's six pounds a week - good for you!!

Interesting question Jen and I don't know the answer. Did your doctor indicate that was the case? I wouldn't be surprised if folks with a higher BMI typically lose more weight over 12 - 18 months than someone with a little lower BMI. But I would be surprised if a higher BMI would also result in a faster weight loss - say on a weekly basis. Hmmmm...

You're certainly welcome Butterfly. Welcome to the forum of big losers!

Thanks John. How you doing my friend? You must be about a month out now?

You're certainly welcome. We all need a little encouragement every now and then.There's lots of help and a lot of very knowledgeable folks here. Keep going!

Sounds like this might be a great time to talk to your doctor and possibly a nutritionist. Every doctor is different but the pre-op weight loss goals are usually not carved in stone. It is important to lose weight pre-op because it reduces the size of the liver and makes the surgery easier and safer. But you may be panicking unnecessarily. Every single patient does not lose the same amount of weight. And in some cases, they may simply push the surgery back to allow you more time to lose the weight. Do not give up! Talk to your doctor! You most certainly are not the first person to struggle with pre-op weight loss and you most certainly will not be the last. Do not give up! Seek out their help - that's what they are there for. You can do this and you're gonna love the new you!!

RNY and sleeve both have their advantages and disadvantages. Some factors to consider: Sleeve is still relatively new - about 15 years. RNY has been done in various forms since the 1950's. RNY is by far the most common bariatric surgery. Approximately 80% of all bariatric surgeries worldwide are RNY. Becuse of the two factors above, there is a great deal more experience and long term statistical information on the outcomes of RNY surgeries compared to sleeve. This may be part of the reason that some insurance companies are still hesitant to cover the sleeve. RNY is more invasive than sleeve but average weight loss for RNY patients is substantially higher than it is for sleeve patients. That may change as more experience is gained with sleeve and better procedures and techniques are developed. RNY is widely acknowledged as the single most effective "treatment" for type 2 diabetes currently available to medical science. RNY has a greater risk of malnutrition than sleeve because RNY involves both restriction and malabsorption while sleeve is restrictive only. Both surgeries appear to be equally safe as far as mortality goes. However, non life-threatening post-op complications such as infections are more common for the more invasive RNY than they are for sleeve.

Wow. Congratulations to you all and thank you for sharing your thoughts in such an eloquent way. Many of us talk about what an amazing journey this is but few have the ability to really put those thoughts and feelings into words that all of us can relate to. Thank you for sharing and well done!!

Most folks seem to find that they are not hungry for a period of time following the surgery. I was not hungry at all for the first four to five weeks. But it does pass and that's a good thing. Hunger is just your body's way of telling you it's time to eat something. The key is to never allow yourself to get overly hungry which greatly increases the chances that you will overeat. I have a rule that I follow without exception - never eat less than two hours apart or more than four hours apart. Less than two hours and what you're feeling is likely "head hunger" as opposed to physical hunger. Over four hours and you run the risk of getting overly hungry - if it's been four hours, I eat something, whether I'm hungry or not. "You will know when your pouch is full" really does just about say it all. The underlying message is that you want to become dialed in to what your pouch is telling you. Stop eating at the first feeling of "fullness". Expect that feeling to come much more quickly and after eating much less than you have experienced in the past. Eating too quickly or too much often results in anything from pain to an uncomfortable feeling of just being overly full. Remember too that it takes 15-20 minutes for "full" to reach your brain so it's important to eat slowly. You can find more tips in my post "Managing Hunger" here on the forum.

Congrats on the surgery date!! I think the Pure Protein chocolate Mint is new but I'm not sure how new. I haven't been able to find it on Amazon. I buy it locally at Lindberg Nutrition. Great store and great folks but they definitely ain't cheap. Just bought a twelve can case of the Choc Mint yesterday and it was $35 (compared to $22-$25 on Amazon for other flavors). I just recently bought the Pure Protein Frosty Chocolate powder for the first time. It's quite good and I plan on trying to move from the shakes to the powder. Both the Frosty Chocolate and the Cookies and Cream are easy to find including Amazon. The powder cuts the cost almost in half. I received the Capellas on Friday and tried the Double Dark Chocolate with some Coconut this weekend. I mixed it with a Pure Protein shake. It was good but I think I like the protein shake better without that combination. I also bought the Toasted Almond (based on your recommendation) and Cinnamon coffee Cake because it sounds delicious. Haven't used either one yet - still have lots of experimenting to do with different recipes!!

26 lbs in four weeks - I don't know what you consider "fast" but I consider averaging more than 6 lbs a week fabulous!! Congratulations!!

Interesting question. My surgeon's office told me that after I had been approved, the insurance company could not, by law, cancel the approval because of any amount of weight I might lose pre-op. But they also told me that I did not want to lose too much weight prior to getting the insurance approval because they might deny based on not meeting the BMI requirement. So...you might want to just call your insurance company and ask them. Much better than worrying about it! Please let us know what you find out!

As I understand it, the general rule of thumb is a BMI of 40 or greater OR a BMI of 35 with two or more comorbidities. Based on that, many people are approved without comorbidities.

Perhaps you're under estimating the energy required for the healing process? RNY is not minor surgery and you're not even two months out yet. Internal healing takes some time and your body is going through a lot of changes at the same time. You may be off balance because your center of gravity is changing (quickly) and your "muscle memory" is having a little trouble keeping up. "Body image" is primarily in your mind and that takes time to change as well. You're doing great! Celebrate the 56 lbs you've lost already and do your best to be a little more patient. The changes will come in time. You might find some hunger tips that you can apply in my post "Managing Hunger" here on the forum. You also want to be sure to get all of your Protein and take all of your Vitamin and supplements every single day. You're gonna love the new you!!

So sorry to hear about the separation Vamp. I truly believe that life unfolds exactly the way it is supposed to. There is nothing you cannot be, do or have.

I agree with everyone - you'll be surprised at how fast the time flies. Most surgeons will require that you lose 20-25 lbs pre-op to reduce the size of the liver which makes the surgery easier and safer. My surgeon told me from day one, no weight loss no surgery. So you have a great opportunity to get a head start on losing the weight and starting to incorporate the all important lifestyle changes. Hang in there - you're gonna love the new you!!

My back and knees definitely improved dramatically following the surgery so I think you can count on some improvement and it may pretty much disappear. Walking is critically important. The sooner you start walking the better. Start slow and work your way up.

I like the 35g Pure Protein shakes (they have smaller ones with I believe are 20g as well). The Frosty chocolate, Cookies and Cream, and Chocolate Mint are all excellent. Myoplex shakes have 42g are probably even a little better tasting than Pure Protein but Myoplex have 300 calories vs 160 for Pure Protein so I've opted for the lower calories. Pure Protein powders are 25g of protein per scoop (35g scoop) and are also quite good mixed with 4oz of unsweetened almond milk (or any milk you prefer) and 4oz of Water. I add a little Splenda to sweeten it up a bit. Easy enough to mix a scoop and a half and you'd be getting 37g of protein. By mixing your own shakes with the powder you can cut your cost by close to half. You can get Pure Protein at Amazon, drugstore.com and a lot of other places - just Google it. Be careful because prices vary widely by supplier.

What a great shot!! Congratulations!!

I haven't tried the Syntrax but Pure Protein has a Chocolate Mint shake that I think is terrific. I usually have a shake every day for breakfast and I rotate between three - Chocolate Mint, Cookies and Cream, and Frosty Chocolate - all Pure Protein. I definitely need to check out The World According to Eggface - always looking for new ideas!!

Just tested the link and it seems to work fine!

Not sure whether I can "link" you to it or not but let's give it a shot: http://www.rnytalk.c...__fromsearch__1 If that doesn't work, here's the "path" in the forum: Roux en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums →Basics for Gastric Bypass Surgery Beginners →POST-Operation Gastric Bypass Surgery Questions & Answers If that doesn't work do a search (upper right hand side of the page) for "Managing Hunger". Be sure that the little gray box next to the search box is set to "Forums". Just click on it to change the search parameter. Let me know if you still can't hit it!

Very, very common and absolutely nothing to worry about. It's all part of the process. It seems to be different for everyone and occurs at different points in time, but just about everyone has stalls, lulls, plateaus - whatever you want to call it. Stay focused on the protocol, stay active and stay away from the scales for a couple of weeks. You'll be back on track in no time!!

You might find some useful ideas in my post "Managing Hunger" here on the forum. You're only a little over two weeks out so some you won't be able to apply all of it just yet. Good chance that what you're experiencing is "head hunger" as opposed to physical hunger. Every bit as "real" as physical hunger but different cause. One of the reasons that folks struggle with new diets is because they're not only eating fewer calories but they're also battling with their own brain. We get used to eating in response to psychological triggers. While watching TV is a common one for lots of folks. Stress is another one. The good news is that as you practice new eating habits, and usually within a few weeks, it gets easier. Drinking fluids, coffee in my case but there are lots of other options, was (and is) a HUGE help for me. And it's a sustainable, long term addition to your all important "life style changes". Hang in there! It will get easier and you're gonna love the new you!!