Holly5.3

To me (but what do I know only 2 weeks post-op), it looks like your daily calories is around 1000. Am I right? Maybe it's the carbs fault! I love to blame carbs for everything! Are you logging your food on MyFitnessPlan or anything like that? Then you can check out your daily and weekly fat, carb. and calorie intake. You may be surprised to be taking in more than you think! I thought I was barely getting my min. protein req. in until I started entering everything into MFP-now I see that by dinner I've met my max. (80 grams) so i don't need to focus on high protein for that meal, my B, L and snacks got it covered!

The surgeons look at those of us who have excellent insurance as 'cash cows'! They can bill highest fee on scale (I'm sure what ins. pays surgeons is a lot more than self-pay!) Send us for a kazillion tests, etc. I'm glad I have great ins. and had all the tests. With self-pay I don't know that my apnea would have been discovered and treated! My oxygen level dropped to 85% when sleeping-a big reason for my recent rapid weight gain and constant fatigue. I do have to save up for the inevitable tummy-tuck I'm going to need after losing 100 lbs. I don't think my ins. covers this. Maybe by the time I'm ready it will be- who knows! (throw in breast augmentation and I'll be good as new! Ha ha!) Good luck!

Fabulous results! Good work, girl!

That's why one if the first things I dis was call my ins. company. Their policies change all all the time. A year ago my ins. Empire BC BS required 6 mo. diet Pre-approval-Now they don't! It took me a total of 2 months from 1st visit w/surgeon to day of surgery! At the time in August when i started process, October felt like a life time away! But trust me, between Pre-op appointments and diets, the time flies! Now I'm recovering (2 weeks post-op today) and looking forward to 2 months from now to feel more back to normal! Good luck, it's a wild ride but I'm so glad I did it!

That's great! I wonder about my weight loss stalling as the calories go up. I did great on Jenny Craig 2 years ago, but when I ate 1200 cals. I didn't lose, when my food selections totaled less, closer to 900 cals. a day, I lost 1-2 lbs. Of course I got to the point after losing 70 lbs. that I just couldn't 1) stand the food any more and 2) just couldn't lose any more (I was exercising 5/6X week too!) and paying close to $100/week for my food, motivational and exercise tools! I think I'm going to have to stay under 1000 if I want to see the scale move regularly! Good luck, have a blessed day!

Yaaaa! You're doing it! Gorgeous!!

Slap, slap "dead "!

Yaaaa! That's a lot of stones! Curious-what is a stone equivalent 12 lbs. more or less? I can't wait to be back to my normal life and routine! Post-op 2 weeks today for me snd I thought I'ld be feeling a hell of a lot better than I do! I returned to work Monday -too soon, I set my recovery back at least 5 days by doing so! Back at home resting-I'll try again this Monday! Glad you're feeling better. One day at a time!

The first thing I did after attending seminar was call my insurance company and ask them what was the procedure for approval for WLS. Then I made appt. w.Bariatric surgeon. While waiting for that appointment, I also made some appts. for specialists needed: cardiologist, Pulmonilogist, mammogram (within year snd I needed one anyway), blood-work, etc. Everything went smoothly-the only 'glitch' was my sleep apnea-I had to do a second sleep study since my apnea is severe! (This saved my life, actually!) I went to the seminar on July 24, 2012; met surgeon 1st visit on Aug. 10th, Surgery- Oct. 11th! The ins. approval took the longest- 2 weeks to get confirmation number, but I needed this time to mentally prepare. Good luck, if I can do thus, anyone can! 

Like I posted earlier, I tried going back 9 days after surgery and wasvery tired and sore by end of day so now my surgeon had me stay all home this week also ( surgery was 2 weeks ago this morning!) I'm feeling better now but that one day back set me back at least 5 days recovery-wise-not worth it! I also have been guilty if lifting too much-went grocery shopping day before I returned to work snd no one was home when I got back to help being bags in so I did it myself and really shouldn't have-doh!!!!!)

Get out?! Fighting nursing staff? That definitely needs to be reported to hospital admin. You are there to heal, very rude and stress enducing for them to do that in earshot of patients! You will feel better once your settled in back home. Every day I feel better, except for a minor setback returning to work too soon this past Monday. Resting again until returning next Monday. But I'm not hungry and pain is manageable -I also had hernia repair which is causing me the most discomfort. Good luck!

I'm a newbie, and my surgeon also recommends obstaining from alcohol for a year, mostly due to carb. intake=cravings and slows weight loss. (Same for complex carbs. like pasta, crackers Nut. said from MY HISTORY with weight gain and loss-carbs create overwhelming cravings for more. Although a lot of the stomach that produces the harmone is removed, the rest of the stomach could still, for SOME PEOPLE, create carb. cravings!) once I'm down in the 100's again, I may revisit this recommendation. (I could do a few sips if a good, ice cold vodka, if I HAD to-lol!)

I too fall prey to the numbers on the scale! If I think I've lost and the scale begs to differ, I get mad... at the scale, not me!! I was upset that I've only lost a pound when I weighed myself just now (every 3 days, but I think I'm going to weigh once a week-mind games!) compared to last week (after surgery) when every time I got on the scale it was a 3 or 4 lb. loss! Reality check--a pound of butter is forever gone from my stomach and butt-Whoo-hoooooo! Every stick 1/4 lb.) of butter lost makes us less doughy! I'll take even a 1/4 pound loss when you put it in prospective! 

OMG you poor thing! Constipation pain is very under-rated, it's quite debilitating! Maybe there's an herbal softener you can take that will keep you from getting packed-in? (Boy do I miss salads!)

I know you are just asking for opinions-I was supposed to stay in hospital 2 nights. 8 hours after surgery, my surgeon was like "You're doing great! You CAN go home tommorrow." if I wanted to stay the extra day, I could have, but I had so many things attached to me that going to the restroom was an ordeal and I barely slept! Went home the following late afternoon. Car ride was uncomfortable - movement makes gas loose, but then it comes out so you feel a relief, too. Getting enough protein on first 2-3 days was rough but by one week it wasnt a problem. Tried to go back to work dat 11 post-op--too soon. I'm back home resting for this week and I'll try again next Monday! Good luck,you'll be fine!

Crossfit? That sounds intense! Could you be building muscle and slimming down even tho scale isn't moving?

Yaaaa!!!! Great achievement! Congratulations! Oh I can't wait to go to onederland!! 2013 will be my turn! Exciting! Keep up the great work!

Has your Protein and/or Water intake dropped due to kidney stone? Maybe shake things up by going back on your Pre-op diet or whatever you were doing when you were losing. I'm supposed to be on stage 2 liq. but nothing tastes good, so I went back on shakes, crystal lite and protein chicken broth. When I eat yogurt or pudding, I feel too full and can't finish so I wasn't meeting protein req. minimum. Now I'm getting more than enough protein, I'm having about 600 cals./day, and feel the weight coming off each day so far. (at 600 cals. a day I better lose! Jeeeesh!)

Hi! My timeline in a nutshell: DOS 10/11/12. returned to secy. job on Mon. 10/22/12. Fine in am-by 4:00 on way home in tears! Burning pain you briefly get after a big sneeze came, and wouldn't leave! I thought I tore something! Saw my surgeon Tues.he said I was fine, my stomach muscles still need time to heal from laproscopic equipment and I had hiatal hernia repaired, sutures need to dissolve. He told me to stay home this week and go back on Monday 10/29/12. (That should be fun! "Holly, you're back...again?!?!) oh well. Health first! Reputation later! (just kidding-really don't care!)

I didn't have a drain either. I was wondering if that helps with the gas pain or only to release excess fluids. I tried to prepare myself for 'the gift of gas', but there is no way to know what it's like until you have it. Not fun! In fact I'm 13 days post-op and I'm still very burpy-when my tummy is empty, burp-burp. After I eat (or drink, I should say!) burp! Such the lady!

Wow! The Crying Game in 3-D! I'm past menopause (thank God!) but I have had mini pity parties and/or 'words' with my mom, who is here to help me, since surgery! I'm on edge with everyone. No one is safe from my emotions! I also get upset when I don't get responses to my posts "They don't like me!" -wow! So narcissistic! I never knew about fat cells releasing harmones-it makes sence because I really feel like I'm PMS-ing. Want to cry. Then I'm laughing! Crazy lady! But I'm getting smaller, too, so...I'll take the crazy (sorry family, this too shall pass!)!

That is so cool! Def. keep in touch if you need a friend to chat with back in the states! Keeping close check on your weight has got to be a priority when making it to goal. I know for me, a little 2 lb. gain quickly morphs into 5, then 10 , 20 ...  I'm excited to get to that point-fabulous! I visited Sweden about 10 years ago, my husbands sister was briefly married to a Swede. I loved that part of the world-Nordic countries rock! Good luck with your book. It reminded me to try to find some non-fiction WLS books for myself to read!