BBdoodle

I'm 5+ months post op, at times I get a bit hungry but nothing like before surgery. Don't worry after surgery the you will not even think of food !!!

I would think that would not be a problem, as long as you can make the protein shakes tasty - why not !!

Hi Tammy... it was very easy to get approved. I have a PPO from Horizon BC/BS, it all depends on what plan you have as well. My suregons office know exactly what to do to get approved. It all depends on your surgeon and what they require. I first had to go to a class, after the class, if you were interested in having surgery you booked a consult appointment with the surgeon, at the consult I discussed the 3 different opitons, RNY, lapband and sleeve. Once you decide on which one you want then he makes a list of things you need to have done before surgery and things you need for insurance submission. There is testing involved depending on how much you have to loose and your overall health. I needed a colonoscopy, endoscopy, sleep apena test along with the standard neutritional classes and pysc. evaluation. Once you have the items completed for insurance submission at that point the insurance coordinator at my surgeons office submits everything to your insurance compnay. It took 4 days for a response from mine. Other insurance companyies require a 6 month supervised diet etc. I was lucky that I didn not have to have that. My BMI was 37 with high B/P and high cholestrol.

I love the SG Margarita - The reason I like it is that it is not loaded with sugar and 100 calories per serving. I want to try the other SG products Cheers !!!

I had the same problem but with Diet Pepsi Lime !!!! I was totally addicted, I drank 6 -8 cans of it a day !!! I do not drink coffee or tea just diet pepsi lime. I went cold turkey after surgery, I tasted it about a month ago and it tasted discusting to me, I totally lost my taste for it. My doctor also says NO SODA due to the carbonation, they did not say it stretches the pouch just that its has too much carbonation. And that is what I like in drinks the fizz !!!! I can only have a few sips of soda every now and then and it is usually diet ginger ale. I am soooooo glad I lost the taste for the diet pepsi lime because it made me kick my soda addiction !!!! Good luck, I know where you are coming from -- it is difficult !!!!

Congrats

Good luck

Wishes for a speedy recovery

It all depends on your doctor and insurance company and what each requires. I went for a class at the end of January, had a consult. visit schedule a couple days after that and that is where my doctor put a plan together of tests, nutrition classes and evaluations, and requirements needed for insurance submission. My surgery was April 9th so it was like 2 months for me. There are a lot of people that have to be on a 6 month supervised diet. I was lucky where my insurance did not require that. All doctors and insurance are different.

Fortunately I did not have to do the 6 month diet thing, but my surgeon did require a letter from my primary PRIOR to submitting everything to the insurance company. My surgeon even has a form letter that hits all the subjects that the insurance likes to hear and see. So I just gave that form letter to my primary and he just added a few things and copied it to his letterhead and every thing was approved like in 4 days.

Its real important to measure so you get a good visual on what that portion looks like. I bought a cheapo scale in Bed Bath and Beyond for like $20, and I measure everything, after a couple of months you can just eye the portions but at first its good to do EXACTLY what your doctor says, it take a long time to heal.

I was lucky that my insurance covered everything and I did not need to be on any diet before hand. MY surgeon's office had a insurance coordinator that I worked with when getting all my pre-op testing done etc. they also do the insurance submission as well. I had high b/p and cholestrol and my BMI was 37 so I was worried that I would be denied because of my low BMI. My surgeon had a form letter that I was to give to my regular physican that states that it is medical necessary, and that I have been on supervised diets in the past that have not worked etc. etc. Basically it said all the things that the insurance wants and needs to hear but it just needed to be signed my my regular physican. I had to go for a sleep apena test as well but everything was ok and I did not have sleep apena. Once I got all my ducks in a row then the coordinator submitted to the insurance and I was approved in like 4 days. From what I understand the letter from my regular doctors is/was key in approval. If you want a draft of the letter friend me and I will send you a copy...its pretty convincing

My best advise is find a exercise you like and that you enjoy... then it will not feel like exercise. You will look forward to working out. I love to jog, I put my music on... I pick good up beat music and just jog.... I solve all the world's problems when I jog - LOL. It is very mind clearing and a total stress reliever, but this is what works for me. The pounds melt off when you workout for a minimum of 45 minutes and get your heart rate up to the fat burning range. Of course I started out walking, I have a treadmill and eliptical and each week I increase a bit more to keep my body challenged.

AMEN !!!! I'm 5 months post op..and agree with you 10000%

I hear ya!!! I'm the same way, if I miss a day I don't feel right. I jog for my mental stability as well as physical fitness - LOL Exercise is such a stress reliver. I always tell people starting out to find a exercise you like and enjoy, once you do that it will not feel like exercise but just doing something you like to do and you wont quit either !!!

I may not be giving the best advise here but if it was me I would be doing anything to loose those pounds to have surgery, if it means taking a appetite suppresant then so be it. I was suppose to quit smoking 2 wks before my surgery, I knew there was no way I could do that being very nervous about surgery so I smoked up until the night before, my last smoke was at 10 pm then I was done with smoking. Why torture yourself !!! But my promise to my self was you can smoke up until surgery day after that you are done - and I have stuck to my deal. I was lucky that I did not have to diet before surgery at all. Can you go on those crazy crash diets like a week before you weigh in ???

I am 5 months post op... I had my first wine 2 months post op, there has been no difference in the effect of the wine on me what so ever its the same as before surgery. I have not tried vodka yet but when I do it will be at home first...just to see how I react to it. My sister had 2 vodka drinks while having some appetizers w/friends a year after surgery and got trashed - LOL. I think it was because she did not drink for a year. Everyone handles alcohol different, I would do my testing at home first.

Yeahhhhhhhhhh congrats !

Can you have something that is warm and comforting like soup, its not heavy and if you eat something you will feel better too !!!

I would not eat or drink anything before you weigh in. I weigh myself every morning AFTER I use the bathroom. If I would to weigh myself at the end of the day of course it would be highger because of the eating and drinking during the day. What works for me is that I peep and poop every single morning on schedule - LOL so I get a pretty good weight AFTER the waste is down the toilet

OMG.... I am 5 months post op and I am the same as you !!! I posted a few days back that I was gassy in my car right before I pulled in my driveway. When I went to work the next morning my car still smelled inside !!! is that horrible or what !!!! I hope this stops soon. I attribute it to the protein - arrghhh.....

No harm in starting now !!! Supplements are a good thing

When I crave something sweet, I have a very, very, tiny piece of what I am craving. It is all about portion control and moeration. If I have something "bad" I workout extra... its kind of a give and take game I play with myself it works for me!

I think the H pylori is a standard test done on all endoscopy tests. Mine came back negative.

I am 5 months post op and just got out of my slump. I was 176 for like three weeks, I increased my intensity of my workouts from speed walking to jogging now. Got my heartrate pumping and I got myself out of the slump, I workout 6 days a week. My starting weight was 214 and I am 173, so a total of 41 lbs. I am a bit dissapointed in the numbers too. I thought by 5 months post op I would be at least at 150.