macman

I know the Unjury chicken soup should not be heated above 140 degrees

Congratulations on the surgery! I hope everything is progressing well

8 miles total this weekend. That make my total 19 miles for the month towards my goal of 50

There is an awful lot of McDonald's bashing in this thread.......Not so sure all the issues that people have are the fault of the restaurant industry. Most of us are involved with VST because of our history of poor decisions regarding food. Not sure that the choice of restaurants would have made a difference. I know that I have eaten a lot of Big Mac's in my day, and enjoyed them! If you look at McDonald's website, www.mcdonalds.com, they actually have a lot of information about what is in their food. 100% beef is pretty good, considering what you can get elsewhere. The pink slime, seen on the internet, surely applies to some nugget products of food manufacturers, but McDonald's has all white meat chicken nuggets since 2003. Sometimes a little of the wrong information can be dangerous. I feel that I know more today than yesterday about the food I eat and the choices I make. I wouldn't eat every meal at a fast food restarant until I vomit, like Morgan Spurlock. In full disclosure I have a family association with McDonald's that has helped me understand the "real story". This has allowed me to know more about how they operate than the average person. If in a situation where McDonald's was the option, I would not be afraid to choose a burger without the bun, scrambled eggs at Breakfast or a yogurt parfait. I am of the opinion that healthy options are available just about anywhere. We just have to find them. .

Congratulations on the great start!

I am 5 months into a 6 month managed program (insurance requirement). I have not been given a goal. But I have been told I need to show that I can stick to a program and lose weight. So far I have lost 24lbs and probably have 6 weeks to go. There is no pre op liquid diet other than the day before surgery.

I take one Viactiv Chew Multivitamin in the morning (does not contain Iron). I also take one 600mg Caltrate +D, twice a day, with lunch and dinner. The NUT told me this helps with absorption of Vitamins and minerals from the food I eat. Since I am pre op, I have not yet taken the Vitron C Iron supplement or the Vitamin B 12. I was told to make sure that I do not take the iron supplement with the Calcium as the absorption of both will be affected

I like the unjury Protein powders. They come in chocolate, strawberry Sorbet, Vanilla and unflavored. Mix with milk, or add PB2 powder and ice and it is a terrific shake. I have been drinking a Protein Shake after exercising in the morning and usually feel great for a couple hours. For pre bottled, I have used Atkins (15 grams of protein) or the Premier Protein shakes (30grams) in Chocolate and Vanilla. The Atkins shakes are actually recommended as part of the 3 week post surgery liquid diet by the hospital program I am in

Another 5.5 miles today for a total of 11 miles

I am still pre-op , working through my six month insurance plan but I do know that I want the sleeve. I have tried to learn about the options. Listening to people on the forum has helped a lot. Although the Bypass is the gold standard, with the most data collected, in my mind the sleeve is the way to go. To me it is more natural, with no rerouting and potentially less complications. My niece is a bariatric surgeon, who has performed about 200 gastric operations and believes strongly that the gastric sleeve is the best option for someone like myself. Your needs may differ, so I would encourage you to do some research, listen to the forum, your surgeon may have a discussion group or a program that helps you get the answers you need

I think you can get a decent recumbent bike for about $250. I like that mine has pre programmed workouts so I can vary the time and routines

Hello everyone, i just picked up on this thread and would like to join the fun! I am pre op but working on getting in better shape before surgery. Since the month is half over, I will target 50 miles by the end of month. Did 5.5 miles after work today on the recumbent bike.

I will be going to UMass Worcester. I am still pr op but starting Pre Surgery classes next week, hopeful for early December. Good Luck!

PB2, peanut butter powder, added to Unjury Chocolate Splendor Protein Powder with skim milk is terrific. It is also very filling.

I have used the Unjury Chocolate Splendor and the the Strawberry Sorbet, mixed with skim milk. It is a good start in the morning with 28g of protein. Adding a little ice to my Ninja makes it more like a shake or smoothie

I agree with the other comments. Quest Bars have been the best by far. I recently purchased a sample pack of twelve to see which ones I liked best. So far all of them have been good!

I agree with the other comments. Quest Bars have been the best by far. I recently purchased a sample pack of twelve to see which ones I liked best. So far all of them have been good!

i would think your insurance company could provide some help

congratulations!

Richard That is an impressive weight loss in 9 months! How important has exercise been in helping you get to this point?

I have been told that I will not be required to have a pre op diet but I am considering it anyway. It seems like there may be some benefit in helping the surgery go well.

Hello All I am new to this forum. I have been in the program at UMass Medical Center since June. I have enjoyed listening to the conversation (hope you don"t mind). My insurance (BCBS) requires a six month pre surgery program. So far I have had my intake meeting, a psych meeting and met with the nutritionist. Each a month apart. I still have to meet with the exercise physiologist, revisit nutrition and then there are required 4 weekly sessions and surgical consults. I am probably looking at a mid-November or December date for surgery. Hope you don"t mind if I ask questions. Would enjoy hearing how everyone is doing. Thanks!