missheidi47

Sending continued prayers for strength and peace. So happy the news is good, and it sounds like you have the best medical team surrounding you.

I was a big water-drinker before surgery, and I also find it tough now. My struggle is at work. I am an occupational therapist and I work in inpatient rehab. I see patients all day, and we are not allowed to have our Water bottles in the therapy gym (Health dept. rule.) I have to make sure that I make time to go back to my desk and drink between patients. And if the day is really crazy it doesn't always happen until it's probably too late.

That is disturbing. If you are uncomfortable, you have to do what you know is best. If they don't straighten out the billing issue to your satisfaction, consider reporting them to the insurance commissioner in your state.

My experience has been similar, also at a Center of Excellence. I see the surgeon and the PA or NP. The surgeon is great, but I've had better answers from the PA in relation to follow up issues. My initial fee covered 3 months of follow up visits, but I don't have to pay the copays for the rest of 2015 because I met the out of pocket max. I appreciate the team approach, because I know it is unlikely that the entire team will leave the practice from visit to visit. I know that some of the players may change as time goes on, but I've still got a great team around me.

I just got back from a 7 day cruise. I focused on protein and vegetables, but I definitely included some foods that are not part of my regular diet. I had a bite of bread a couple of times. It was yummy, but I won't miss it now that I'm back to my routine. I'm 5 months out. I found that some things I used to love aren't very appealing now. The broiled fish, seafood, and lean meat I ate was delicious. I don't feel the need to celebrate what I ate, but I will celebrate that I lost a pound on vacation (that's never happened before!) And I will celebrate that I've been back for 3 days, and I'm back in my old (new) eating routine. I feel great, and I had a fantastic time on vacation. Thank you, Sleeve, for keeping me on track!

I just got back from a cruise, and my experience was similar. I am almost 5 months out, and my goal was not to gain any weight over the week. I brought some nuts and Protein Bars with me, and focused on Protein and drinking my Water. I walked on deck, went to the ship's gym, and did a lot of walking during our excursions. I love that the portions in the dining room were generally small, and I ate fish and seafood a lot. Had a few bites of dessert on occasion, and I was down 1 pound on my return. I was really pleased because the wifi on board was spotty, and I didn't get to log all my foods the way I do at home. Most importantly, I had a fabulous time. Glad to hear you did well too!

Keep in mind that you are losing the weight, but she will still be ugly.

So it is restaurant week here in Charlotte, which means that you can get a 3 course meal for $30 - 35 at some upscale restaurants. I am going to Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse tonight with some friends. There is no nutrition info for this restaurant online. I have a plan. I will have salad (probably Caesar with no croutons and dressing on the side), skip the Chateau potatoes, skip the dessert. My dilemma: do I go ahead and have the filet mignon (6 oz so I wouldn't eat more than half) or do I have the salmon without the butter sauce? I'm not a big beef eater, but I enjoy a really good piece of steak once or twice a year. I know that the salmon is a healthier choice, but I was looking forward to the filet (and having the left over on a salad tomorrow for dinner.) Salmon is my favorite fish, but I could also have it anytime. Filet is a treat for sure. What would you do? P.S: I haven't lost any weight this week (well, 0.2 pounds.) Not freaked out. Following my plan. It's probably just my body catching up or hormonal or something. It's just that it would be a little easier to justify the splurge if I had lost.

I had about 1/2 of the salad and 1/2 of the steak (3 oz). No wine, bread or croutons. I took home the leftovers and enjoyed it the next night. My "salad" these days is about a 1/2 cup of lettuce.

Thanks! Just got back from the gym, and I'm having steak tonight. I am going to enjoy every bite, and I'm looking forward to a salad with cold sliced filet on it tomorrow night for supper.

I took 2 weeks off and was on light duty for another 4 weeks because I do patient care and had the 10 pound lifting restriction. I could have gone back sooner, but it was nice to have the time to work out my eating/drinking schedule and make sure I was getting in my walking before I went back to work.

I am lucky that the NUT is part of the surgeon's practice and they are a "Bariatric Center of Excellence." I saw 2 different NUTs in my required appointments, and both were really helpful.

A lot of people have told me that I seem to be so much happier now. I'm sure it is because I feel physically better, but I also feel better about myself. Along with that, I'm also more likely to be social. In the past I've let my weight hold me back, and made excuses not to do certain activities because I didn't think I could or was uncomfortable with it. As I lose my excess weight, I'm trying to step out of comfort zone too. I'm making a "bucket list" of activities I've wanted to try but haven't in the past because I was afraid. I may hate some of them (like zip lining) but at least I'll know from experience. And who know, maybe I'll find something fun that I love. I'm sure that dating will be easier for me now and in the future, because I'm sure that I would rather date me now than the me that weighed 50 pounds more. Not necessarily because of how I looked, but because I was pretty boring and didn't smile as much.

So sorry for the loss of your furry friends. Still praying for peace and healing.

The surgery did help me do the right thing. It's a choice, but the consequences of not making the healthy choice could be nausea, hair loss, vitamin deficiencies, etc. That helped a lot.

Once you are there, you will probably be able to get Greek yogurt, maybe hummus in the cafeteria. Maybe cottage cheese on the salad bar. You could try tuna in the pouch. Have a safe trip, and I hope your dad is doing well. I'm sure that your family will be so glad to have you there.

I don't have kids and I live alone, so I didn't have the issue of other people in the house eating around me. I don't like to cook, and I also ate out a good bit. I am 3-1/2 months post op, I have learned some new habits. First of all, you won't have that much of an appetite, or be able to eat much anyway. I ended up going out to eat not long after I was on solids because a coworker was moving out of state and I didn't want to miss the social aspect. I planned ahead and had leftovers for a few days, ended up throwing some out because I was tired of it after the 3rd day. I plan ahead and pack Water and snacks/lunch even for shopping trips so I'm not tempted to eat something less healthy. I cook and freeze so that I have options for the days I work. I still eat out, but I make different choices. The big thing is I make sure that I get all my water and all my Protein every day. I have been blessed with an easy surgery and recovery, almost zero nausea, and I feel great. I know that there are those who do everything right and still have complications, but following the plan increases the likelihood that you will have a smooth post op course. I know that I could still have some hair loss, but so far I haven't and getting my protein helps with that. Ultimately I think that after surgery you have a lot of reasons to follow the plan. Find what helps you stay on track.

I've been up front about my surgery in part because I am an occupational therapist working in an inpatient rehab hospital. My colleagues are other therapists, nurses, doctors, etc, and I knew that with my being out on leave and returning on light duty, along with weight loss people would be concerned about far more serious health problems. Everyone has been supportive, but yesterday I got one of those back-handed compliments. Someone told me, "You're really starting to look good. You've lost a lot of weight." Wait, what? I didn't look good before? I know I look better now, but I "started looking good" about 20 pounds ago! I know he meant well, and I'm not sure he even knows it was surgery because he's not someone I'm close to, or who asked how I'm losing the weight.

I'm in. I'm going to step out on a limb with my goal for the challenge, because I will be on a cruise the third week of August. I have a plan to work out in the ship's gym on the days we are at sea, and hopefully will be walking enough on the days in port. SW: 216 GW: 199 - yes, Onederland!

217.8

I would definitely call the surgeon on Monday, then.

It sounds like it could be muscular if you spent all day cleaning. Have you tried heat or ice on the area? What about taking some Tylenol? If it helps the pain it could mean it is muscular.

I was never athletic, but I have always been pretty active. I lost weight on WW years ago, and got to be pretty regular at the gym. Unfortunately I got out of the habit, and then lost my mom and generally wasn't taking very good care of myself. It was harder to get started because of my weight gain. I walked after surgery and then joined the Y about a month ago (8 weeks post op.) Now I've added strength training and I'm starting to see results. I don't have the same aches and pains with working out that I used to. I look forward to my trips to the gym. It seems to me that if you have a history of exercise, it will make it easier for you to return to it after surgery. I think it is harder for people who haven't been in the habit of being active. Good luck!

219.6 this week, 220 was my goal

I've had luck at Kohl's and Old Navy, and their prices are pretty good. Lane Bryant has great choices, but they are a little pricey. I also got some cute tops at Target and they were cheap too.