zenandnow

Wow, congratulations to you! That is so inspirational, thank you so much for sharing. I'm really happy for you!

I use the nectar unflavored Protein powder. For RTD I like Premier from costco (Sam's in some places). I've read that the collagen-based protein is not good because we can't absorb the protein. There are a bunch of threads on here about it. Not sure if this is true, but I avoid it.

Not sure if the hospital options are different for self-pay (mine was covered thru insurance) but I had my surgery with Cirangle at John Muir in Concord. Interesting that the other poster said she had no overnight stay; maybe because it was self-pay? I stayed one night and Cirangle was willing to keep me another if I felt I needed it. He doesn't currently offer a 5 year aftercare plan (that I was told about, anyway) but he does do a 1 year. My insurance did NOT cover that, and it was $5750 out of pocket. I don't particularly enjoy my monthly appointments with him - its true, his bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired - but I'm glad I have the resource available if I need it or anything goes wrong. One thing I will say, I wish he had more than one nutritionist on staff. Gabriella is very nice, but I don't get the sense that she's EVER had a weight problem, let alone undergone WLS. Sometimes her answers to my questions or her advice are just ridiculous. I've found more help on this forum than I have from her. Overall, I'm very disappointed with the nutrition-assistance from Cirangle's office. I'd prefer a Nut that either had WLS or had at least experienced obesity in the past and can truly relate to his/her clients. The skinny girl telling me to "just ignore" my cravings gets old really fast. Cirangle's web site lists their seminar dates www.lapsf.com so you can see when the upcoming ones are. One note of caution - recovery can be hard for some people. You may want to wait until you're on a break from school before you have the surgery. It's already mid-July, if you start school in August that doesn't leave you much time to schedule, have the surgery, recover some, and then begin school. That's an awful lot of stress. I had a fairly easy recovery and was off work for two weeks, but I quickly discovered I should have taken three. Your energy levels, pain levels, emotions - all are variables that you can't predict until post-op. Give yourself plenty of time if you can.

There was a post on another thread that said when you begin working out your muscles retain water during the "repair" phase, then shed it afterwards. Could be another cause of temporary weight gain.

Question for all you fitness veterans: I was 208 on Monday morning (my usual weekly weigh-in day). I did 90 mins of cardio & strength training Monday evening and after exercising my net calories for the day were 135. Tuesday, cardio only, net cals 166. Wed, back to cardio & strength, net cals 91. I am 7 weeks post-op today, on solids but mainly sticking to my Protein drinks still. I was cleaning my bathroom this morning and on a whim stepped on the scale - it was 210.4! I'm not freaking out because I know lots of people go up/down, up/down, but I don't really understand how I can be almost 3 lbs UP if my net calorie intake since Monday has been 392 - no where close to the 3500 needed to put on one pound, let alone three. What am I missing here? Am I misinformed about the 3500 and calories deficits? Help a newbie out, guys!

You aren't the only one! I have/had all those fears too. But I'm slowly losing them. Reading what others say on this forum helps A LOT; also, tackling ONE fear at a time makes it easier. Pick one, and work on ways to get over it. Ask for advice here, read other posts, books, online. Then once you've conquered that, tackle the next one. Also, sometimes fears can be motivating, especially if you're already on your way to conquering them. For example, I was afraid of all the medical problems that come with obesity, even though I hadn't YET experienced most of them. I knew eventually I would, and that TERRIFIED me. One of my big ones is the gym - I feel SO self conscious! But I found a trainer who has a very calming personality, and she rents space at a small private gym to train her clients. So there's usually no one else there when I go! There are lots of options besides this, you just have to persevere and find the one that works for you. Don't be afraid to keep asking for help here - there are so many smart, caring people who have experienced what you have and who want to help. It's a great community!

Very cute, but it might be time to change your username - I don't think you can be called 'FatRosie' anymore! How about 'AdorableRosie'?

Great! Looking forward to meeting you both! Thanks again

Perfect, thanks Laura-ven! I'm going to try this one & see how it is. Wednesday works for me now since I'm working out on Tues/Thurs with my trainer, so good timing. Thanks for the info!!

What's the info on the Saratoga one? That's super close to me, I wouldn't mind checking it out. What did you think of the Good Sam one? I've been to it 3 times. My surgeon was Cirangle. Curious to hear what you thought.

Oops, I meant to say my family is NOT un-supportive!

Congrats to you! Awesome progress, very inspiring!

Cheri, so glad you 'revived' this thread so new people could read it. I am 8wks/2days post op and down 33 lbs. I feel pretty good about my loss, although its not as dramatic as some. My challenge is that every time I see my NUT or my surgeon, they tell me I'm losing too slowly. It's very discouraging. I know how hard I am working, and although I have made some mistakes - this is a drastic change in lifestyle for me, I'm still learning - I have consistently gotten right back on track. I don't get bothered by the stalls because I know from what I've read here they will break and I'll lose again. I really do want to look at this as a lifestyle change, a healthy direction; but its hard to feel successful when every few weeks someone is telling me I'm failing. The last appointment I told my surgeon "I know you expect me to lose faster, but I've always been a slow loser, and people lose at different rates". His response? "I've been doing WLS surgery for 15 years, and everyone loses at the same rate; those who don't almost never reach goal". How do I argue with that?!? I really can't; I just slink home, mope for a few days, and then try to get motivated to keep on movin'. This forum helps a lot, and posts like these are a godsend for me. Otherwise I'd probably give up based on what my surgeon says!

Don't give up - despite what some non-sleeved people may think, this surgery is NOT easy! You've lost weight already, so you know you can do it. Depression is tough, I've dealt with that too. But you are stronger than you think, and you can get past this. Look for a good therapist, and KEEP looking until you find one you like. Talk to your Dr about anti-depressants, they can really help. And lastly, MOVE. Exercise helps with your mood, it releases endorphins, burns calories, and makes you feel like you've accomplished something! Don't give up on yourself, you've done a great job so far, you just have to pick up where you left off!! And remember - we're here for you!

Ah, ok that makes sense! I got my fitbit at noon yesterday, so maybe that's why? I'll see how it goes today with a whole day recorded. Thank you!!

I just bought the FitBit Zip today and synced it with MFP, but I don't understand the calorie adjustment. I read the FAQs a couple of times, but I guess I'm having a ditzy moment because I just don't get it. Can anyone enlighten me? It's saying I have negative 212 but despite entering my exercise for today it shows zero for exercise. Here is a screenshot of MFP (hopefully I uploaded this correctly).