2Big2Skate

/agree Thanks for your service and for this good advice!

Congratulations! And you've got a date! Do you have a pre-op diet to look forward to?

In my experience, your pre surgery weight loss is rare and amazing! Great work! I think the success you've achieved pre-surgery is a great sign that you'll succeed after. You've definitely put the work in! Youve made a lot of hard choices and sacrifices to get to this point, and theyve PAID OFF in 76 different ways. Analyze your recent struggles like a general surveying the battlefield. Whatever is causing you to be tempted, eliminate it or flee from it! Throw out all the sweets and junk carbs in the house! If you snack between dinner and bed, go to the gym after dinner and drink a ton of Water on the bike! Find someone local who can relate and ask them to go shopping with you and keep you honest. Adapt, Improvise, Overcome! You can do it! (I'm a lousy cheerleader, but we're right here with you.)

Sounds to me like the doc was just trying to motivate you to lose faster. There are benefits to walking even if it doesn't win fat burner of the year. Sweat is a great indicator of the intensity of a workout. And sweat-inducing things can be worked in with your walking, as others here have suggested. How do you feel about group sports like tennis? Just being scheduled to play and knowing people are counting on being there is a great motivator to "work out"! And you could do it while still getting your walks in.

Congrats! I bet it feels GREAT!

"guts" is a good generic term. What you had done to your guts is up to you. I like "rearranged"

Awesome! That's a great goal. Keep up the great progress!

For those of us that aren't familiar with that plan, how's it work?

I don't know how similar it is, but last year I had an infection in my face resulting from some dental work that got messed up. I had to have a drain up into my cheek for that. Having the drain was terrible but getting it out was magical. You feel a little sliding but its a super smooth tube. And then there's this strange empty feeling that I was very relieved to have.

Thanks for the words of caution. I'm very sorry for the pain it's caused you but glad you're approaching your big change with appropriate care. My father was an alcoholic and he went the opposite route. When he sobered up, he replaced alcohol with food. He blew up quickly before he even realized the replacement that was going on. We definitely need to identify our own cumpulsive patterns. We are like this because we couldnt exert control over certain things. My doc recommends cutting out alcohol altogether and I'm leaning towards following his advice.

I'm on United and started the process in April as well. I'm hoping for September or October. =C But good for you! Congratulations and let us know how it goes!

You crave lemon juice?? That's a little weird in and of itself. I've craved a nice tall Tom Collins before, but could it be a vitamin C deficiency leading you to citrus?

Congrats! I'm sorry the process was heart-wrenching but glad it has a happy ending!

Awesome! Congrats! I'm so happy they approved you quickly. I hope they're in a good mood when mine comes by in September...

Happy anniversary! Thanks for sharing your story. Even with the problems, you met your goal weight within a year! That's wonderful!

So happy for you! Let us know how it goes! Wishing you the best...

Terrific inspiration and widsom. Thank you!

Is there any impact to the surgery options? I hear that fatty livers are pretty common, but also the liver has to be moved or pushed over so the surgery can take place. I haven't had mine measured yet but I'm guessing it looks about like I do (sigh). Could it limit the laproscopic options, or maybe make the doc unable to use the big robot?

Turn off the TV! Throw out the old magazines. You're becoming a new person with new habits. Those ads are for the other people! My family got rid of tv and went full netflix (for completely unrelated reasons) and I can say I noticed a change in our attitudes due to the missing advertisements. It's mind control - it would make me impulsively take the family to restaurants. (Of course Im weak to food suggestion, that's why Im here lol)

I think that's too short a time for any real changes to happen from nutrition. Water weight can change weight and soften definition though, in a short time. Did you dehydrate? In response your body could be stocking up like a sponge. I know with creatine they tell you to drink even more water. I think it moves some water into the muscle cells but im not a physiologist or anything. Just an idea.

Awesome! Ive been asking this exact question and you've helped me decide. Thanks!

Wow that's fantastic! Congratulations!

Let it all out! We can take it! lol Better to rant than to reach over and steal a fry...

I think Adkins is pretty good stuff, albeit expensive. Ive always liked EAS carb control. I've used it on other diets. To me its the best tasting/least chalky etc. But everyones tastes differ. Buy one to try (they make cookies and cream bars!!!)

I'm covered by United Healthcare and they've told me they require 6 months of medically supervised diet. I'm doing that with the nutritionist at my Surgeons office (Dr Williams at UPenn in Philly). I've had all the tests done and no flags there, so I'm starting to get a little more positive this might happen! My question is this. I'm a little hazy on the timing. If my nutrition program started in April then my MWL window would end in the sept/oct timeframe. Given that window, when would I get a surgery date, and would that happen before or after the request is submitted to UHC? Thanks!