livvsmum

I think it is great that you are thinking about these things now. I'm 14 months post op, and I documented my journey in my blog which is linked in my signature from the first doctor's appointment until now. Feel free to check it out for more specfics. .... But.... to answer your questions. 1. Insurance required me to do 6 months of monitored weight loss visits with my surgeon (ended up being 9 months until it was all said and done), a nutrition class, a psych eval (which in my opinion is a joke and doesn't evaluate anything), and a bmi over 40. 2. Emotional eating- I will be honest, dealing with the emotional side of things was way harder for me than any of the physical part of it. The fact that you are starting now to think about these things I think speaks a lot to your capacity for success. I would HIGHLY recommend that you read the book When food is Love before having surgery so that you can really start to work through some of the issues behind your eating before hand. I SO wish I would have done that. I actually go to therapy weekly with an eating disorder therapist to try and work through all of the emotional eating stuff. Good luck to you on your journey and with your decision making!

I just had my insurance out-of-pocket co-insurance to pay and then my $20/co-pay for office visits. The co-insurance was 10% up to a max of $1000. In the end I ended up paying somewhere around $875 for the co-insurance.

I am about 14.5 months post op and have been maintaining my goal weight (though of course I would love to lose "just another 5 pounds....lol"). Breakfast: Typically I have a sugar-free latte along with something small....either a fat-free cheese stick or hard boiled egg. Lunch: When I am working I have the same exact lunch every day. I'm a creature of habit. I have a small scoop of chicken salad (1/3-1/2 c.), with a small salad on the side (a little bit of spinach leaves (maybe 1/2 c.) a little shredded cheddar cheese on top, a couple cucumber slices, and a couple piece of broccoli. Topped with about 1/2 t. fat free italian dressing). I have a snack in the late afternoon - usually dannon light and fit greek yogurt Dinner: about 3-4 oz of a Protein (either chicken, fish, or beef), along with a veggie.... maybe a small starch last if I still have room. Snack - I have a snack in the evening but usually limit it to a protein hot chocolate or cheese stick. Protein shakes: I will usually switch out dinner with a Protein shake a couple of times a week, or switch out a weekend lunch with a protein shake. So I would say I'm doing probably 3 Protein shakes a week, and probably 3-4 Protein drinks (ie hot chocolate). Water - I drink tons of water.... between 80-100 oz. daily Exercise - SO important to maintaining the loss. I run 4 times a week and cross train on off days with 1 rest day.

Good luck on your journey and congrats on getting your date! It's an amazing experience! Yes, the liquid diet was tough for me. I was basically going through sugar, carb, and caffeine withdraw all at once. But, it's SO worth it.

I don't do a lot of weight training, but I do a lot of running and cross training. So I will run 3-4 days/week, then on the other days I do some form of cross training. Anything from a group exercise class to the elliptical or stationary bike, etc. The cross training helps with endurance and flexibility which in turn helps my running. :-) With all that said, my biggest recommendation is just find something you LOVE. I don't think it matters as much what it is, as much as it matters that you find something that you enjoy that you can commit to.

Find a good consignment shop! That's how I got through flying down from size 20 to size 4. I found this really nice kind of "upscale" resell shop and would go there when I needed to size down. Once the sizes get smaller you don't go through them as quickly. Now I don't feel badly spending money at "real stores" because I know they will last me forever.

I would absolutely do it again in a heart beat. The think that surprised me the most is that the emotional work for me has been harder than the physical work. If you want more info on that I write about the entire journey from my first docs appointment on through today (17 months post op). Feel free to browse it. It's linked in my signature. And good luck to you!

Like some others, I'm a big fan of the Dannon Light & Fit greek yogurt. HIgh Protein, low carb, no sugar.

I've always been told that you should never go beyond 3/4-1 cup of food at a sitting.

Yep you will get "stuck" along the way. For me, my weight loss slowed a bit from the really rapid to the slow and steady right around 7 months and I had reached my goal and started pretty much maintaining by about 10 months. Make sure you get ALL of your Water. Up your Protein if you can. Make sure you're not letting too many carbs back in. Track everything if you're not already. Sometimes we don't realize how much it all adds up to. And add some exercise if you're not already. Good luck!

Nope. I am almost 17 months post op and usually have 1 Protein shake or drink per day. It's a quick and easy way to do low carb high protein. Try Premier Protein. I also like Atkins Advantage either the caramel or mocha latte. I also really like chike coffee flavored. Another go-to for me is bariwise protein hot chocolate. It tastes delicious. You can't even tell it's a protein product

Checking in for the week. Super irritated with myself. My weight for this week is 143. Grr...

I definitely recommend milk of magnesia. Take it before bed and you will will be good in the morning. With high, high protein diets and low, low carb you are bound to not be getting enough fiber. That can definitely make you feel bloated and hang on to weight. Also water. Keep that water going. As much as you possibly can.

Maybe I will have a different response than most. I had my surgery after having my 4 kids. As long as I was not having fertility issues, I didn't want to have it until I had my kids because I feared losing all of the weight and then having a pregnancy and gaining it back and having to struggle and fight again to get it off. I wanted it to be off for good. That was just my take on it.

It definitely takes some time to get back to "normal" as far as emotions and energy level for sure. Take the time you need and don't undervalue self-care! Good luck!

Oh yeah. Most definitely. My largest was 42D and now I am a 32B

I don't think that wls necessarily "gives" people anorexia or any other eating disorder. However, if you have struggled with eating disorders in the past (perhaps binge eating disorder) there is a point where this process can definitely swing it the other direction. I struggled with anorexia as a teenager, then binge eating/compulsive eating as an adult, and now with 140 pounds lost, I am finding myself in a constant battle with anorexia again. With that being said, I WILL beat this. I am in therapy with an eating disorder therapist every single week. I do not think that everyone who has weight loss surgery has an eating disorder, and some do fine without therapy. For me, I have always had disordered eating and surgery fixed the eating, but didn't fix my head. That is something I am actively working on. However, I also don't think that eating disorders should be an exclusion for surgery. If you are concerned about it, that is GREAT that you are aware of it and thinking about these things ahead of time. If any of this is ringing true for you, seek therapy early and be committed to being healthy above all else. Despite the fact that I struggle daily with anorexia, I would not change the fact that I had surgery and began living a healthier life for anything.

I agree with what the others said. You always have a choice. I struggle sometimes with the feeling of "inevitability"... Like I will inevitably make terrible choices and wake up back 140 pounds heavier. It just hit me this week that....wait a minute...I am in control of this. I get to choose my behaviors. I don't have to play victim to food. So choose to get back on track! Do a few days of liquids (shakes, etc) if that helps you. It usually helps me break the bad habits when I start to let the sneak back in. The big thing for me is not to wait for a "feeling" of being in control, but to TAKE control.

I went back to work at 2 weeks. I didn't have any complications during surgery or recovery. It was fine, but I was TOTALLY exhausted. I probably could have used 1 more week off. In reality it took probably 6 weeks until I felt 100% back to full strength.

I have Highmark blue cross blue shield and it took only a couple of days. Good luck to you!

Congrats on your progress! That is awesome! Not taking measurements was my only regret from surgery. I even asked my surgeon if they had them and they said no. Oh well. I think it's a great idea and a great way to remind yourself of progress!

Yes, definitely. The first couple of weeks I was extremely emotional. I think - in retrospect - it was really a grieving process for me. I was grieving the loss of food (my coping mechanism, my stress relief, my celebration go-to, my emotional release), etc.... plus your body is kind of freaking out because of what it has been through. It will get better, I promise!

Yes, eggs were hard for me at first. Now I don't have a problem with them.

I am around the same age (35) and had the sleeve 16 months ago. I have not regretted it for one single minute. You can read more about my journey in my blog (linked in my signature) if you want the details, which I'll spare you here. But I think it really added decades onto my life. It was the single best thing I have ever done for myself and my family. Good luck on your journey and in your decision making!

I agree that premier protein chocolate is better than chike chocolate. BUT the chike coffee flavor is my all-time favorite. I highly recommend it!