JerseyGirl68

I never had the exact same issues with Water, but certainly could not drink as much water as I could other things. I've read about a lot of people with similar experiences. At 15 months out I still drink mostly herbal tea or Vitamin water zero. Try mixing up the temperature, room temp instead of cold or the opposite. If you tolerate other fluids better, let them be your staple.

Awesome!! Enjoy every minute!

It is so strange, but I still have a hard time seeing a difference in the mirror. In pictures I can. I regret not taking progression photos so I can really see. At about 40 pounds lost I started noticing. Good luck!!

Sorry... Proton-pump inhibitors , medications to reduce gastric acids. Like Nexium or Prilosec. Nexium is perscription, but there are other that are over the counter acid reducers.

Congratulations on your surgery. Are you taking a PPI? My doctor had me on one for a month after surgery, she said that the stomach gasses can mimic hunger pains initially. Some folks had to increase their doses or try a different one. Head hunger can be trickier, and might take some time to distinguish. I was fortunate not to have traditional hunger return, but I have read from many that it never really left. As you progress in your diet, you should feel full easier. Best of luck.

Congratulations on your decision to move forward, and welcome to the forum! I can't speak to everyone's psych exam, but mine was very easy and not nearly as scary as I was worried it would be. I answered a few pages of questions and then spoke to the doctor for a little bit. He was looking for what my expectations were, and see if i was prepared to make the long term changes for success. He also focused on if I had a tendency toward addiction. Some people who have food addictions, turn to to other things .. alcohol or drugs, when food can't be consumed in the quantities as before. I went in thinking that if a medical professional felt I wasn't ready, then maybe I wasn't. Thankfully that was not the case, I'm sure you'll be fine. Good luck!!!

unjury makes a Protein laden chicken broth. 22 grams or so per 8oz. serving. I enjoyed having something savory to mix it up with the shakes. There are a bunch of non milky alternatives. Bariatric Advantage, Health wise and Syntrx all make alternatives to the milk based Protein Shakes. Which ever surgery you decide on, good luck!!

Valid question, and no one can ever be faulted for looking out for others.

Your surgeon should have a list of requirements, it varies. I needed an endoscopy, EKG and blood work. I didn't have any other medical issues. I have seen others that needed a sleep study and other tests based on their specific medical needs.

I follow pretty closely to it. My understanding is that if we drink right before we eat, we'll have less room for the food we need. If we drink right after or during, we can speed up emptying our stomachs and may get hungry faster. Someone made a you tube video essentially showing the effects of drinking while we eat, and it made sense to me.

I'll bite... Tons of people look around for months and months before they feel comfortable enough to post or respond. I almost never create posts, but do frequent the boards to gain information and insight, often times I do not add my two cents. If I rely on my cell phone for access, I don't' see a good portion of what is current. In my 18 months or so on the site, I have never really witnessed "cliques" in a negative way. I do see some people forming closer bonds based on like-minded thoughts and comments, and I don't really see anything wrong with that. To be fair, there are a lot of people who post a strongly covered topic without searching the boards (ex: I'm three weeks out and hit a stall".) That topic is covered weekly and is not "new" to people who have been around longer, depending on my time I'll go through those posts as I do feel it's important to contribute when I can. Often, if someone posts just to get something off their chest or rant, I'll "Like" it or not. Sometimes people just want to put things out there and depending on what I'm reading, I either feel compelled to comment or not. Sometimes I'll just acknowledge that I read it by "liking" it. There are a ton of folks on the boards that take an enormous amount of their time to thoughtfully post, I don't' think for a second that they are required to do this, I appreciate any time they give and I'll take this opportunity to thank them. Personally, I don't get a ton of time to read through all the topics, I default to those showing trending currently, so I miss things done the night before or in the hours leading up to my logging on. When I have more time, I dig deeper. I joined about 6 months before my surgery, and trolled around a lot, just reading. I grew to respect some members based on their well-thought posts, and similar mindsets to how I was approaching my surgery. A few weeks after surgery , I had some very specific questions, and I direct messaged a few "Vets" for their feedback. They replied graciously and I got the answers I needed. For their time, I could not be more thankful. My point is, that there are many ways to share. Not all posts get the same feedback, or the same attention and there is not one singular reason why. If you or anyone feels posts you have written have been widely ignored, ask yourself a few questions... When did i post this? Late night posts I often miss unless I do some real looking. Did I post to the correct board? Did I take time to search for an answer before posting? Every person's experience and what they need is different. Like I said earlier, I almost never start a thread, I will always do a search to see if the topic has been covered. I don't' think anyone here owes me their time, I like to put my share of the work into finding my answers too. A community forum is a give and take. Based on your own stats, you have been a member since 2012 with only 3 posts. I don't want to make assumptions, you have your reasons and I respect that. We all share this common experience, in very different ways. I would venture to guess that just about every topic has been touched on. If anyone feels they are not getting answers or replies they have more options than to sit and wait for responses. Reach out specifically to members. Reach out to the Hosts. Hell, reach out to me. I would always be happy to offer any insight I had to anyone who cared to ask. Throughout my experience here, I have found that when people genuinely reach out, they are supported. When people post and start off by saying things like "I know I'm doing this, or that wrong, but I want to vent so don't lecture me" they don't get as many replies. I know for my part I will continue on. If I get the feeling that a person only wants justification and not open to other's opinions, I won't offer mine. And, lets be fair here, there are a great deal of those types of posts. So I really think it is not a black and white issues. I think you get out of things what you put into them. I put in my part and search topics before starting a new post. And I put in my time to answer posts when I feel I have something to offer based on my experience. This forum is just one part of the support system I have in place. There are smaller Facebook groups, sub-groups within this site and there are folks I directly correspond with. To say that only the founder of this site has made an effort is not fair and grossly inaccurate. Anyone that frequents the site sees a good group of core members that daily share their insights, and offer their support and help. Any minute of their time is more than I anyone is "owed" . People work, have children and every day life. We can't expect anyone to be online and active exactly when we want them to be. If your post was general, then I hope you find your answers/insight in the replies you get. If it was specific to you feeling unsupported, I hope you reach out in a direct way, there are many people ready, willing and able to help out. Be well.

Vitamin Water zero has always been a go to for me. A few carbs, but the variety and added Vitamins always satisfy me more than just water. You got this!! Best of luck to you!!

I also have BCBS NJ, they used to require the 6 month supervised diet, but around August 2012 (when I was starting my process) they did away with that requirement. The coordinators at the surgical office typically are very on top of what is required. You have a good shot, best of luck!

I think your mindset might be making you more nervous about this then you need to be. Don't worry about keeping your stomach full or it not being full. I think the more you think about it the worse it will be. Find ways to occupy your time, don't be idle. Start changing the importance of food now, and take control. You CAN do this. It's only two days, you are strong and want this surgery. Do everything in your power to ensure a good outcome. If your doctor wants you on two days of liquids, do it. It doesn't matter that someone else's doctor had different instructions. Stock up on low sodium broths and sugar free ice pops, but dont' keep thinking about what your not eating. Every hour that passes brings you one closer to surgery. We all need to focus on the big picture and not just the tough parts we endure to get us there.

My NUT told me initially that coffee might be too rough on our sleeves. The second reason was that caffienated drinks are diuretics, and should not be counted in with our Water intake. Trust your doctor and follow what they tell you. Good luck!!

Try upping your Water intake, you're on the low end. And give yourself some time. All we can do is follow our instructions. It is way too early in this process to be so hard on yourself . If you ask yourself "am I doing all I am supposed to?" and the answer is yes, then let time take care of the rest. You sound like you are having no problem with getting in your Protein, water is crucial. You're doing it right, give it time. Good luck!

I was just talking to someone else about this, they are about 12 weeks out. Her bloodpressure was actually too low, causing the lightheadedness. We really cut out a lot of salt after being sleeved, it might be your body reacting to that, especially if you have already low blood pressure. Ask your doctor if this is a possiblility. Easy enough to fix if it's that simple. Good luck! Keep us posted, I think sharing these different types of side effects are very helpful.

I had a conversation about this just yesterday. Even if you are not on BP meds, your blood pressure could have dropped due to lower sodium intake. Have you had it checked? I know our grocery store has a machine that you can check it in a pinch. Look at what you are eating, if it is crazy low in sodium, you may need to incorporate more into your diet. Best to always listen to your body and bring it up with your doctor. Good Luck!

Sure sounds like it. But lesson learned. I had one similar experience. It only took one to know I didn't want it to happen ever again.

As a former professional dieter, I can understand where you are coming from. Pre-sleeve, I would diet, lose and eventually tire of the diet and lapse. I grew tired of traditional dieting, tired of frozen diet foods and tired of being hungry. With the sleeve, a big motivator initially is fear of doing something that could cause serious injury to me. So I stuck to the program to the letter. This time, I felt and still feel that I finally have the restriction that keeps me from over indulging. The choices are mine, and I have to manage what I put into my body. It's just easier this time. The surgery is one aspect. We need to be prepared to make the life long changes for success. The sleeve won't fail me, only I can do that. I am ultimately responsible. The biggest difference this time is I don't have the feeling that I am depriving myself constantly. I chose the sleeve because I wanted to be able to have some of my favorites and be satisfied after a few bites. Overall I want a healthier lifestyle, I was ready to embrace the changes I needed to make, and armed myself with a tool that would give me just a little help.

Be honest, and stay calm. lol Mine was very easy, not stressful at all. I hope the same for you. Good luck!

No magic trick to this one. I found If I sit back in my chair, more leisurly, I eat a little slower. I make myself put my fork down. It is a habit, pure and simple, we need to re-train ourselves. Good luck, don't give up!

I have gotten that from a few folks too. I know I carry a lot of my weight in my lower body, but evidently it hides pretty well in clothes. LOL Though I'm thrilled with a size 12, I know I still have at least 30# to go. Seems like a lot to someone who thinks needing to lose 5# is a chore. I think clothing size isn't a true indicator of success. I will never get below a 10 (and that is pushing it) I'm just not proportioned for it. I usually avoid specific "pounds to go" answers for most people. Its no one's business, but people get nosey. I take it that they care about me, and their "careful" comments are meant to assure me I'm good where I'm at. I assure anyone that is overly concerned that my doctor and I are in sync. But thanks for the unsolicited input. :-)

Ugh, Weight Watchers should have some sort of record, even if they have your membership on file or see if they would be willing to write a letter stating you were active. Also, look for any date stamped pictures of yourself. They really want to see a history of obesity, so I think any supporting materials is better than nothing. If you have anything from before 2010, gynocologist, anything really send that too. Just to give a historical overview. And write out what your insurance situation was. If nothing else it will give you a solid argument if you have to appeal. Good luck!!

My NUT also wants me to have something every 4 hours or so. I typically do 3 meals and 2 Snacks a day. cheese stick or yogurt are go-tos I get little bags of nuts at Trader Joe's or I'll have a Protein bar.