Baconville

My clinic recommends every three months for the first year, then at 18 months and two years. After that it is once a year. I just had mine done for my 18 months check at it showed I was deficient in vitamin B1 so I think it is important to have it checked.

WOW!!! Under 120 - that is Fantastic! I am so incredibly happy for you. I hope you have an excellent Thanksgiving, you certainly have a lot to be thankful for! Carol

Glad you are doing so well! I don't know if I would ever be brave enough to go through with it (let alone the money), but I am very glad insurance came through for you and you are happy with the results! You have a lot to be thankful for!

How are you doing? I have been thinking of you! Carol

My doc also said no. In the first couple of weeks everything is liquid so your job is to get your water and protein in. Good luck!

I fully agree with the above reply. Advocate for yourself, do not give up! Call every day until you either get an answer or a new therapist. WLS is life saving, it has been for me. I think sometimes it is a teat of our resolve that they put us through this. Don't let this road block stop your progress. You CAN get through this too. Please let us know how you get it resolved. Carol

DL Thank you for your post. I have written to you before about this. Your information is so very helpful. At 18 months I have now been at my goal weight for nearly six months and have been successfully maintaining doing exactly what you are doing. I still panic when I see the scale climb a pound or two, but I am always able to bring it back down in a couple days. MFP is the key to maintaining. I wish there was as much support for those of us in this phase of the journey as there is for those at the beginning. Thank you for providing that!

I am nearly 18 months post-op and I have not found a single thing that I can't eat. I have eaten small amounts of fried foods like Fench fries and high fat foods like real ice cream all with no problems. Now, that said, I have worked hard to lose 210 pounds and going back to eating the way I did before surgery would just bring the weight back on. Part of the journey is making the commitment to change your lifestyle to maintain your weight loss. I am scarred to death of gaining the weight back so am quite vigilant to keep the treats or unhealthy choices to a minimum. Best of luck to you!

I have lost 210 pounds and am approaching 18 months post surgery. I had horrible back pain prior to surgery. I do not have a herniated disc and I did not take narcotics, but I lived on Advil. Since losing the weight I now have absolutely no back pain. We can't take Advil, but I don't miss it at all because I have no pain. It is SO liberating to live pain free! I hope you have a simular experience!

Thank you so much. I am working hard every day to maintain where I am. The Fit Bit is key, MyFitnessPal.com is another. It's hard, but not as hard as living in a morbidly obese body.

I love my Fit Bit! I think it should be a required purchase for anybody having this surgery. It has been a big reason why I have the success that I have had.

Some favorites of mine are high protein pancakes, Special K High Protein oatmeal, Textured Vegetable Protein (I make it with some raisins, cinnamon, and Truvia), Turkey Chili, Taco salad (made with ground Turkey). For dinner we have a great Turkey meatloaf recipe that I love. My family also enjoys baked salmon, grilled chicken, steak, pork roast. I have been roasting vegetables and I eat a lot of salads. I search for high protein low carb recipes, and am trying a lot of new foods. Experiment, it's fun!

I take two a day now. For the first six months following surgery I used bariatric advantage chews, which were REALLY good, but expensive. Critical Petites have worked great for me.

I owe the success of my journey to My Fitness Pal. MFP helps me track my calories, protein, water and exercise. Now that I am working on maintenance I truly believe that it will be the key to long term success.

The trick for me was increase my Water and exercise. Whenever I hit one of these stalls, I added two additional glasses of water to my day. At the same time I upped my workouts to new level (45 minutes on the treadmill instead of 30, a faster pace, or a steeper incline - sometimes all of them). It sometimes took a few days, but the stall always broke. Good luck! Carol

Despite what you might hear it is NOT from too few calories. Your body simply must adjust to the loss. It is very rare that somebody would lose at the exact same rate every week. You are going to have weeks that you don't drop a pound and weeks that you drop 10 pounds. This is why it is often a good idea to only weigh yourself once a week. You have to do what is right for you, but know that it is perfectly normal that you will not lose every week. Best wishes! Carol

My husband had to have open heart surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota a couple of weeks ago. I was VERY worried about how this would effect my weight. My triggers for eating have always been boredom and stress. I was going to have a lot of both. I started buying sugar free gum and breath mints. I made sure I had a couple bottles of water to drink in the car. The nervous eating was taken care of by the gum and mints. To my amazement, I actually lost weight over the week we were in the hospital. I made a point of getting a walk in everyday, but other than that did not get any other exercise. This is a very stressful time for you and your family. Take some time to take care of yourself.

I found Premiere Protein Shakes offered the most protein for the fewest calories. They are pre-made and available at Sam's Club and Costco. I began using them prior to surgery. I stopped them after my one year checkup with my bariatric doctor, at their recommendation.

I tried several protein shakes prior to surgery. I settled on Premiere Protein Shakes because I go the most protein for the fewest calories , they are pre-made and easy to use and I liked the taste. I recommend you find the one that is right for you. I split the shake and drank half first thing in the morning and the rest at night before bed.

Love the pics! Glad you are doing so well!! Carol

So VERY happy for you! Hubby's surgery at Mayo was a huge success and we are back home. Our experience was incredible, it is clear why Mayo has the reputation it has. I will be thinking of you for your lower body lift. I really want to know the details of how it goes. Take care! Carol

I practice the Catholic faith and really only fast once a year during Lent. Last year was my first experience after my RNY. Other than giving up meat on Fridays - which I did - I did not use food as my fast. I choose a commitment to increased daily prayer (15 minutes of prayer twice a day) and strict adherence to my exercise routine (no missed days - no excuses). In reality you are eating so little that giving up food just did not seem like a sacrifice. In a way I gave up my free time instead of food. I believe the idea is to make us more aware of God in your life. I felt I had a meaningful Lenten experience. Hopefully you can find something creative to give you that same experience while still following your eating plan. God Bless, Carol

I started out at 332 pounds. I am a 5'2", 49 year old woman. I this morning I weighed 123 pounds. My surgery was on 7/25/2013, so I am approaching my 16 month anniversary. Currently my BMI is in the 'normal' range, so the doctors are not concerned. However, I am being very careful not to lose any more weight. I have A LOT of excess skin. I think my true weight if I had the skin removed would put me closer to the 100 - 110 pound range (I have excess skin on my belly, arms and legs). This would put me in an "underweight" BMI. I have had no complications at all, I have just followed my doctor's nutrition plan and exercise daily. I am very healthy and feel terrific. However, if I follow the plan too closely, my weight continues to drop and I think in order to stay healthy I need to keep my weight were it is - no matter what a doctor might tell me differently. Good luck! Carol

I completely agree with the other two posts. RNY has saved my life. That may sound dramatic, but its the truth. I was walking down a road that would have led to my early death. Now I am VERY healthy. No more co-morbidities - they are all gone. My joint pain is completely gone. I exercise every day. I have more energy than I know what to do with. Life could not be better. Would I do it again - absolutely! I only wish I had done it sooner. I am a 5'2", 49 year old woman who started the journey at 331 pounds and I currently weigh 125 pounds. My surgery was on 6/25/2013. I have not had one complication - not even dumping. Good luck with your choice. Carol

Hi Mel, Thinking of you and praying surgery goes well. Hope you are pain free soon! Take care of yourself and let us know how you are doing. Carol