taurabird

Medium chain fatty acids (coconut and palm fruit oils) from the diet are required to "activate" ghrelin so it can interact with its receptor GHS-R1a I believe it is called. This receptor then turns on the release of growth hormone which is responsible for a lot of things such as bone mineral density, memory and learning as well as many other things. The thing is that I found so cool about the science behing Ghrelin is that we really don't know much about it. One thing we do know is that 90% of the ghrelin in circulation of a average adult is not "activated" and can never interact with the growth hormone recptor. So if you get enough medium chain fatty acids in your diet you can increase that 10% "activated" number easily because the normal western diet is dreadfully low in these MCFA. Medium chain fatty acids examples are coconut oil and palm fruit oil. It is fatty acids that have between 8 and 12 carbons in its chain, that is what makes them medium instead of short or long chained.

Great video. That answers that question.

Just be careful with cross addiction. It is easy to slip into that rut, I hear, once food can no longer be our "drug of choice".

Thanks jan8j for the info on what u have tried so far. That cements my decisiin to wait for the flex to come out.

I feel your pain about trying to control your schedule and it not working out...ughhh.

I am in the same place as you right now. I have my insurance approval for the sleeve but I am waiting on the doctor to decide from the manometry test if I am a candidate or not....ughhh. This is stressing me out more than the whole getting approved process did.

That is good news. I am due to go on vacation on may 17th for a week up to Rhode Island to visit our grown girls. So now I am thinking that I may do the surgery a week or so before that and just tack the vacation onto the end of my time off before returning to work. Thing is I don't think my boss will let me go out for the vacation if I have the surgery first and then return to work. and I don't think it is right to go on vacation only to then leave again for surgery so soon afterwards. Guess I am trying to figure out how to do both.

I am slightly aggravated at my MD office. They still havent read the manometry and they will not schedule the surgery until they get the results. Ughhh.

NurseAndi- what kind of work do you do? I am trying to gage how much time I will need to take before returning to the hospital.

I am researching the same thing. I am a huge samsung phone person, I have the galaxy note 2. This is why I am holding out for the fitbit flex. But the Bodymedia sounded like a really good product as well.

Vicky- that is so good to hear!

I would call the RN case manager at your insurance company that submits your case to the MD for review and ask her exactly what she is looking for and ask her to define the terms she uses. I say this because my insurance paperwork read that I needed documented evidence of medically completed weight loss program within the last 2 years". The nurse said that a letter from my primary stating how long I had been seen by him and all the different types of weight loss attempts I had done during that time was all the were looking for so I urge you to directly contact the case manager and have her spell out exactly what they want.

Vicky- That is exactly how I feel too! Congrats on being sleeved! How are you feeling? This is a great support for me.

Can't wait to hear how everyone is doing today. How did your surgery go Larry?

Thank you guys!

Katie- Thank you for your kind words. Linda- I really appreciate you saying that I helped you already. I have started becoming more active and trying to answer medical questions that I have experience with. Izuri- I am convinced that without that aha moment there is a lower overall chance at long-term success. Bounding is something I have not done in quite a while! I am looking forward to that victory when it happens. It is very good to hear that you feel you are a better nurse s/p sleeve.

You should go to a pharmacy and buy Steristrips to close the hole back up if it is gaping open that much. That will keep the edges together.

Yes, Jello and ice popsicles are great as well as clear broths but pudding, creamy broths or creamy popsicles are not considered "clear liquids".