NurseGrace

If your doctor requires it then fine, but you gotta wonder - Is he selling it to you? If he requires something like that which is quite expensive and he is selling it I question the ethics of that, espcially if he will not give you any alternatives to pick from. Optifast is fine, but so are any of their competitors.

I would take a closer look on why you become fixated on certain foods. You used the word obsession if I remember correctly - its probably important to realize that isn't a normal/healthy feeling to have towards food. I like it too - my husband doesn't like sweets very much so at valentines day I bought him a valentines tin of holiday popcorn and I had maybe a few bites of it - like 3 ounces or so - and left it alone after that - if you could do that then I think it probably will not kill you, but only you know if you will really be able to leave it alone or not.

Unfortunately there is no such thing as spot reduction. Where and how we lose weight is almost entirely up to our genetics. That being said, if there are muscle groups are are more interested in strengthening more than others, go for it, but it will probably not have a huge effect on fat lose in that specific area.

probably the best way for you to collect this information is to find the myfitnesspal username thread and add all of us on there, and then check out our food logs. That is the best way to get a realistic picture. Most days I try to have at least one egg, and a 4 ounce salad - and something else in between those things.

I'm a psych nurse - so maybe a little more of a casual environment but in nursing school the rules were strict. I usually take whoever I report to off to the side at the end of a day and inform them of my situation - not so they could bend the rules about when and where food is acceptable but to let them know that from time to time I may need to step away to get some Water. Food really shouldn't be an issue because we are really not supposed to be grazing through the day anyway but you do need to drink.

I had a slip up here and there on my preop diet too but you do need to take it seriously. ESPECIALLY the last 3 - 5 days are really critical, so please, take care of yourself. That being said, it doesnt really sound like you have gone off the deep end with fried food and pastry either, so resolve to do better. You'll be OK. Some people COMPLETELY ignore the preop diet and continue to stuff themselves and I come down a lot harder on them but that doesn't really sound like what is going on here.

I have PTSD from throwing up constantly when I had a lapband. I WILL NOT eat fast under any circumstances, it makes me ill to watch other people do that because I associate it with pain and vomiting - its not a judgy thing, its really and truly an involuntary response. It's turned me into quite the weeny when eating out. I wont risk anything I am uncertain of in public. I would rather just have 3 ounces of soft fish than something fantastic that might make me look bad. I'm so sorry for your night, I hope it never happens to you again.

Oh man, I got mine 4 days early, the MORNING OF SURGERY. Lucky me, I think the stress brought it on. It was no big deal and I have a pretty heavy flow too. I put in a new tampon right before surgery, although some places will just want a pad underneath. I told the surgical nurse (the one starting your IVs and things) and it was no big deal. It took me all the way through surgery and a few hours after until I was feeling like getting up and using the bathroom. Cleaning up and changing was no big deal, it took me about 5 times as long because I was moving slow but it was fine. It's a minor thing, and they deal with this all the time. If you are worried about the flow being too heavy ask the nurse for a chucks pad to be placed on your bed post up. No big deal. Those get tossed in the garbage and thats the end of it.

IUDs are not what they used to be. There are lots of horror stories from back in the day, but you have to remember they are a completely different beast now. When I had the placement I will not lie to you, it took my breath away for about.... 15 seconds. After the doctor was done the rest of the afternoon I had pretty heavy bleeding for the evening and I was moderately crampy. After that, I finished out the period like normal and have been fine ever since. Some people do have that first period sort of prolonged but nothing serious or major.

Yes, especially for we heavier ladies hormonal birth control is risky, especially the NuvaRing. At the pharmacy I used to work at before nursing school we had all but stopped selling the NuvaRing because doctors are not writing for it any more, for some reason it carries the highest risk of embolism. I am a firm believer that doctors need to do more to educate on the risks. But thats just me, the heavier you are in addition to taking the hormonal birth control the higher the risk. Look into the ParaGuard copper IUD. It's one of THE MOST effective methods of birth control with no hormonal interference. There are so many women who have all kinds of hormonal issues and have been taking BC for years so they don't even know how they really feel without those hormones getting pumped in daily.

sorry, I read things pretty literally

No, Pasta is not the devil. As far as your weight loss goes you need to monitor your carbs to an extent, especially if you are not working out hard but I think we would all do ourselves a giant favor to stop demonizing food. What we should be looking down on is letting food, inanimate objects have that much power over us that we think of them in terms of good and evil. the whole 'its not a diet its a lifestyle' phrase is so tired and cliche but for me, it rings true. You are not going to go your whole life never eating certain things. You should measure out an appropriate serving according to what you can handle and what your doctor advises, enjoy your meal and carry on with your life. Chances are you know everything you need to know about protein/carbs/fat but not every meal will fit some type of ideal picture - just please, be reasonable. Don't graze on it all night and you probably shouldn't eat it 3 days in a row.

asking about effective birth control implies that OP is having sex

I recommend the paraguard IUD to patients - it's non-hormonal and extremely effective.

if anything it might help stop any further loss.

I'm not sure how I feel about this - if getting pregnant was the main goal of having this procedure then I suppose you have achieved it - but there are some serious and substantial reasons why most everyone is asked to NOT get pregnant for a year. I saw that you called the women who commented here insensitive assholes but I think the concerns are valid. That being said - I know people who want nothing more than to become pregnant and if that is you, then congratulations, I just hope that your personal wishes are not putting your health and the health of the fetus as risk.

we buy two different ones - EAS carb control from target and I think walmart sells it too, and Premier Protein from costco.

I think that the more time you spend on here, you will see that the people who are extremely successful meaning, the people who got to goal, the people who have lost 150 + pounds Do measure and weigh, and you should as well because thats the only way to KNOW you are eating the correct amount. 3 or 4oz is standard for most meals and thats what you should probably shoot for. I'm not really that "into it" either, but its something that only takes a second and it goes a loooong way in keeping you on track.

Dude, I hear you and I feel your pain. I've lost 27ish pounds now and I am about a month post op, which is fine but the real kicker there is that about 24 of those pounds were pre-op. It's really hard for me to fathom that in 30ish days of eating 300-800 calories I've only lost three pounds. I came home weighing 5 more pounds than I did when I went into the hospital and it took an entire week or so for that to come off my body, so if we want to be technical I RELOST those 5, bring a total to 8 pounds which is only slightly more respectable, all things considered. It's doesn't really make me feel much better when people say things like "when was the last time you lost that much weight all at once" etc because for me, I've gained and lost weight like that my whole life. But here is what I am doing - embracing normalcy. There is NO WAY IN THE WORLD, at 275 pounds, that I am eating enough to maintain this weight. It's probably safe to say that the same goes for you. Sometimes we just have to trust the process. Continue to pay attention to your calories, Proteins, and carbs. Some people say counting calories isn't so important but I think it is, even with weight loss surgery because we can graze, and we can drink calories. My calorie goal is 800, and I try to keep carbs below 50 or 60. and I try to get 70 grams of Protein. That is an acceptable range for me and my doctor, for you it might be some kind of variation. Are you on MyFitnessPal? If you are and want to add me I am username HolyPeas

If you want to try some rogaine it may make some difference but it wont be overnight. This is an unfortunate side effect. If you can eat a little more you may consider trying that. I noticed my husbands hair seemed to become thicker a few months after he started drinking the Protein shakes I brought home for me. this is pretty typical of any major surgery, and more than anything the passage of time will correct this.

The reason why bariatric Vitamins are not popular here is frankly, because we do not need them. Be cautious of whatever your NUT is trying to sell you, IF she is selling to you, I wasn't clear on that. All we need are basic multivites, Calcium, and some are told to take B12. I get mine from costco - 250 vitamins for about 10 or 12 dollars. That is the most economical way to buy them. We do not malabsorb so unless you are already deficient in something there is just no reason to spend that kind of money.

Honestly, I wouldn't do any sort of tattooing or body modification till your weight settles down into whatever you are going to be stable at. You are right about the wrist thing in that there isn't a lot of fat there but the symmetry of your wrist could change, and the shape of it might change too.

well, I hate to be the bringer of bad news but what you probably need more than a mentor is behavioral modification and contrary to popular belief, only you can find the motivation within yourself tomake the changed you ALREADY know you need to make. That being said, there is something to be said for keeping successful people around you. When I notice someone on the VST forums who has done exceptionally well and has reached their goals I send them a message to find out about their strategies and I add them as friends. I do not keep people on my friends list who are always first to jump into negativity. What I find is that most people who have lost all or most of their weight have a few things in common, they don't have pity parties for themselves, they do not make excuses, and they take their guidelines seriously. I know its no fun to pull out a binder full of rules and boring food recommendations but people who do well stick very closely to their surgical guidelines.

oh yes, buy a tongue scraper

I would just take it easy then - I would make sure to get at least about 400 cal in even if its Soup and juice and then not worry so much, you could be coming down with something and you just don't feel sick yet. I know right before I am about to come down with an ear infection or a UTI in the days before I really feel that my appetite vanishes. You are probably not sick, but either way, don't fast, get SOMETHING down, even if its one of those Naked shakes or something and let it be.