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I was a 42 DD before surgery. I bought 34 C bras a couple months ago but now they are too big. I'm definitely down to a B cup and maybe even less if it weren't for all the loose skin I have to stuff in the cups. I never thought I'd consider plastics, but geez....my previous voluptuous, full boobs are now sad little pancakes in my hands. Sorry for the visual

Besides subway, there are no fast food restaurants in the whole county where I live. But I was on a road trip two weeks ago and I stopped at Arby's. Like McButterpants, I just ate the inside of a roast beef with cheese. And I could only fit 1/2 of that in my sleeve. I eat the toppings off pizza quite a bit when I'm out with friends. I was stuck out of town with no protein shake and starving when I was about 6 weeks postop and I sucked out the insides of a Taco Bell bean burrito. I wouldn't hesitate to eat the insides of a mushroom and Swiss burger from Hardee's or Carl's Jr. if I could ever find one! Mmmmm.

I do Garden of a Life Vitamin Code for Women and Healthy Blood (a separate iron supplement) They are whole food based, not chemically synthesized vitamins and include probiotics and enzymes that my surgeon recommends. I also do B12 sublingual from Twin Labs since we can't absorbed B12 orally after VSG. I'm getting 6 month labs next week to make sure all is well.

I gained 3 pounds at 6 weeks out and then stalled for a month. No biggie. I didn't stress about it and neither should you. Just part of the process....

I had a BMI of 39, no "official" comorbidities besides my feet and ankles and knees hurting every single day. Went to Obesity Control Center in TJ, had my surgery with no BS insurance hoops to jump through and six months later I'm at a normal BMI and NOTHING hurts! Just sayin......

Like cutie cake, I own my own business so I would have loved to take two weeks off, but I could only do one week. I was tired but managed just fine. I would have been insanely bored with more than two weeks anyways.

Why do you care what other people think or say? (Especially complete strangers on an internet site). Your body. Your health. Your decision. End of story.

I was allowed 3 protein shakes and unlimited leafy green veggies. I was required to lose 12 pounds and ended up losing 22 pounds in 16 days.

I'm calling my PCP this week so he can order my six month labs. These are the tests my surgeon recommends.... • CBC, platelets • Electrolytes • Glucose • Iron studies/Ferritin • Vitamin B12 • Liver Function • Lipid Profile • 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Anyone have any particular recommendations on the best methodogy to use, especially for the vitamin evaluations? For example, when I had C. diff, the PCR test was much more accurate than the ELISA antigen test. I know some tests are outdated and others are more accurate for assessing specific nutritional issues. Just wondering what the best bariatric nutritional tests are so I I'm not wasting money on a meaningless test.

Ditto...I had surgery in December and had to deal with a bridal shower, a birthday party at a Thai restaurant, and 2 Christmas parties on my preop. I just drank my shake before going and drank ice Water at the parties.

Yep, I was hungry and irritable the whole preop. Had a wicked headache for three days. Day 14 was the worst for me mentally and physically...I was SO hungry. But it's just part of the process so I sucked it up and focused on the big picture. This whole thing is way more mental than physical and your preop stage will seem very insignificant in a few months.

I got mine from Amazon, but I think you can find them at Walmart or any larger store that sells coffee supplies.

I stopped cold turkey 3 months before my surgery. I also stopped drinking just before my preop (and I was a cocktail every night/dozens weekends kind of gal). I went to Mexico, so there were no restrictions/testing from my surgeon, but the fear of complications from poor healing was enough for me. I looked at my surgery as a package deal...I had to succeed both mentally and physically to have the best chance at getting through everything as safely as possible. To me the not smoking and not drinking and not cheating on the pre and post op diet were just as important as the surgery itself.

Snohogal, Good post. I never ate normal before surgery, either. I was a crazed eating machine. Anything, anywhere, anytime. I like your hobbit analogy! It took VSG to get me to eat normal. I don't obsess, I don't abstain, I don't pig out, and I don't feel guilty about what I eat.

Yay!

You can always get water. Bring a packet of protein powder with you. Throw a protein bar in your pocket and show em your scars if they wanna frisk you! I'm also thinking any of those places will offer hotdogs or burgers...just don't eat the bun.

I'm on the road all day and don't get a lunch break so I have to eat "on the go" everyday. I keep mixed nuts, protein bars, seasoned pumpkin seeds, whole wheat sesame sticks and beef jerky in the vehicle at all times. I used to bring the tuna salad packets that don't require refrigeration, but they were too awkward to eat while driving.

I was sleeved 6 months ago today and I couldn't be happier. Quick stats... HW = 238, CW = 154 Hit surgeon's goal weight 3 weeks ago and I'm 4 pounds from my personal goal. went from a size 22 jeans to size 10 (I would have been happy in size 12) Tops XL/XXL to M I'm going to go ahead and say it, I'm kind of starting to think this was the "easy way out" after all. Sure, the preop and postop diet stuff wasn't super fun but it was all so temporary. And then there was acid and nausea and diarrhea and constipation and stalls, but seriously, those things are minor compared to all the good stuff. I never thought I could look and feel this fabulous at 45. And the changes have been so simple....I'm not measuring or tracking anything so I don't feel like I'm on a diet. My excersise program is non existent. All I do is follow the basic rules....protein, fruits, veggies and Water. I eat when I'm hungry, I eat what I want and I eat until I'm satisfied. The only thing I really gave up is beer and I don't miss eating huge meals at all. My bloodwork is great and I'm actually having to add carbs to slow my weight loss now that I'm basically at goal. For the newbies out there, all I can say is keep your eye on big picture, follow your doctor's diet plan (no cheating!!) and stay positive. Whining and stressing over the recovery and reflux and diet restrictions and stalls and everything else that is a normal part of this process won't help. And good luck to everyone...I hope everyone feels like I do someday. P.S. gotta put in a great big thanks to everyone at Obesity Control Center for making this possible for me.

Ditto here! 6 months out yesterday, down 84 pounds and yes, I eat whatever I want. Yea us!

I buy Chobani or Fage plain Greek yogurt and flavor it with Protein powder....no added sugar AND extra protein...win-win. Tonight I used Torani SF syrup to flavor my plain yogurt for the first time. The pumpkin pie syrup was super yummy!

If you lived off the grid no one could find you to collect your debt....go for it! Teehee.

My insurance specifically excludes any treatment for obesity, including counseling, weight loss diet programs and surgery. I pay for my own individual plan and I looked at switching, but no company in my state offers an individual plan that covers WLS. So like Michele said, it's not a matter of being denied, it's something that's just not covered. It's like asking your car insurance company to repair your car after hitting a deer if you only have liability. It's just not an option with your current plan. It's a bummer.

Flat out You will not get full on liquids.... And you should try and get more protein at this stage. Ensure and OJ are both full of sugar and definitely won't satisfy any hunger and the acidity from the OJ can be quite irritating this early out. Stomach Acid can also feel like hunger and antacids/PPI's can help with that if you aren't already taking them.

That's a lot of carbs. The biggest part of being successful with this surgery is changing how we eat. You may want to figure out a way to modify the staples to fit your plan of Protein, veggies then carbs. ( all your examples are centered around carbs) For example, you could try and find baked Beans a little lower in sugars, eat the hamburger and cheese and leave out the macaroni in your portion, PB2 on apples instead on PB and bread, use zucchini noodles in place of Pasta with your spaghetti. Google bariatric recipes and there are tons of good websites out there with delicious high protein /low carb recipes. I like Bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com. Check out the nutrition sub forum on here for other good links.

I was the last of 5 patients because my plane was late and I showed up last