webhopper

Make your oatmeal more watery than usual; the protein needs a little moisture to be able to turn into a pasty consistency. Let the oatmeal cool a bit before you add the protein.

Cottage cheese is a great way to sneak protein in to your diet

I love the fat free small curd as a base for protein shake. Add ice cubes and two tablespoons of cottage cheese; some fruit; protein powder; and some milk and you've got yourself a nice protein shake

My surgeon stated in the seminar that he doesn't believe in a clear liquid diet pre op; so the diet will be a full liquid diet pre op for 7 days.

Hey; quick question.... My BMI is at 40.3 now; but I haven't even started the diet yet; I go to a seminar on Thursday My insurance is cigna; and the surgery is covered. If I lose below a 40.3 during the diet phase will my new BMI be used or will the old BMI be used? Also; is a compression fracture in my spine a comorbidity? Its a 20% compression of the t12 from a fall I had. What about asthma?

For those who are following this; I went to the seminar... found out that I do not need co morbidities to qualify and that the doctors office will go by the weight recorded at the very beginning of the process; so I have been worried for nothing. My surgeon will be Dr. Ladd Atkins. He did mention that acid reflux can be worse with the sleeve than the band and that people who have acid reflux may find that it gets worse after getting sleeved. I will probably make a thread to get more insight as to the reflux issue. I also found that the seminar was very helpful and that Dr. Atkins is very professional and I felt comfortable around him. Also; even though I will be out of network for my insurance (CIGNA) they will treat me like in network regarding the percentage that I will owe which is a big deal... my husband and I agreed ahead of time that we felt more comfortable going to a specialy surgeon who specializes in this type of surgery rather than going to the in network hospital. The facility is clean and top of the line; I was very impressed by the facility and the quietness on the floor. The hospital is ONLY for Dr Atkins patients and they have only 4 rooms. Super happy with my experience at the seminar.

That's a great idea; I did call them to ask and make sure there was coverage and they said yes; so maybe I can ask them to send me some information

I plan on discussing it with my family but not with my work peeps. I'm a supervisor and I don't really want people to know; I will have to work with HR to get the short term disability paperwork filled out; our company will pay for our medical leave for up to 3 months on 100% of our salary. There is just paperwork that has to be filled out prior to doing the surgery. My boss was just out for 2 months with knee replacement.

Sorry for seeming very dumb but I'm trying to figure out if I have a shot or not even with a BMI less than 40 since my BMI might drop. I haven't been this heavy for a long time and ive always been in fairly decent shape healthwise other than chronic respiratory issues... now that I'm heavier its hard to excercise and I stay so hungry that I really feel that the surgery will help me stay on track for the future like I need to in order to keep the weight off.

My LDL was over 160 and my HDL was 38. It was kind of opposite of what its supposed to be.

I don't have high BP; diabetes; I may have sleep apnea but not sure. What constitutes high cholesterol? I'm not on medication for cholesterol but my good cholesterol was way low and my bad cholesterol was way high and the combined number was over 200 last time it was checked... Also; cant co morbid conditions include structural things like joints and bones as well as asthma? I have asthma which is controlled with an inhaled as needed.

Bless your heart you look awesome! Don't let anyone get you down!

I know I'm still really early in the process; and id be willing to even gain weight if needed... I will be asking a lot of questions when I go to the seminar and find out what I need to do. Also; the compression fracture occurred on December 9 and it actually may have shrunk me by an inch which helps. The bone and joint doctor recorded my height as 1 inch shorter than I used in the BMI calculator.

Yes I think our family dynamic is the same. Moms side of the family is 80% morbidly obese. They are all 300 lbs or more. Her brother is probably at 450.... My maternal grandmother probably weighed close to 300 lbs; as did my maternal grandfather. My dads side of the family is very thin and slender. We are all very into track... my baby sis was a state track 1st place winner in the 2 mile. My other sis ran steeplechase at the NCAA level and got her degree in health and human performance. Despite our athleticism; all of us have struggled; with me being the worst off; weight wise. My brother and I both take after moms side of the family; but his job is very physically demanding; which helps keep his weight in check. I always kept mine in check with excercise and dieting; but it has gotten out of control and the problem is that I am hungry all the time.... I think that is because my stomach is unnaturally large and its putting off the hunger signal when I shouldn't even be hungry. I don't snack on junk food; I just eat too much at meal times and I think the sleeve will help me not feel hungry and overeat. I have cigna which will pay the surgery because its covered under my plan and I'm going to a seminar with lap band center of Oklahoma. Dr. Atkins does lap band and gastric sleeve; I am interested in the sleeve only; not the.band. so far I have not seen any bad reviews and my husband and I agree that we would rather go this route and pay more out of pocket due to him being out of network than to go through the normal st. Johns hospital route and risk something getting screwed up. Dr. Atkins also does cosmetic surgery which I'm open to doing later on if needed to remove skin.

For me... I am new. I have this young and carefree heart which does not match what my body is capable of. I had a sledding accident 4 weeks ago which resulted in a fracture of my spine. I realized after this accident that my bones were not meant to support such a heavy body and that I needed a change now or I would hurt myself and be disabled later on. I'm 32; I'm 5'7'' and weigh 258 lbs. My mother is 5'3'' and weighs probably 400 lbs and has been morbidly obese for as long as I remember. I always said I would have surgery before I got to be as bad as her; and now is the time. I have tried so many diets... I was at 210 lbs for a year and was maintaining it but had to stop that diet due to Vitamin deficiencies that I developed while on it. Right now I'm at the point where I just need help When I was young and growing up; I remember mom filling our plate with food and not allowing us to leave til it was finished. We were formula babies; and from the time we were 6 weeks old she would mix Cereal in our formula to make us feel full all the time. She didn't know what she was doing was wrong... in the rural south; keeping your kids fed well was a sign of success as a mother and in life. I have my own daughter who I have raised much differently. She was breast fed and has not ever been forced to finish a plate if she was full. She is a beautiful girl; thin but healthy from good food and excercise. She signed a modeling contract last month to become a commercial print model and to hopefully become a fashion model later on and I am really pleased and proud of my daughter. I ran cross country in high school and I ran all during my pregnancy and while my daughter was little; during those days i remember weighing around 165 and i.was 5'9" when i was younger. I am shrinking over time and i think part of the reason is my weight. I became a smoker; which caused my health and ability to run to decline. I quit smoking in June 2013 because I was sick and tired of being unhealthy and sick all the time. I bought a boat using all the money I have saved by not smoking and we love going out to the lake. Now; I just need a body that will keep up with my new lease on life... and I feel that the sleeve is going to be the answer to my prayers. I asked God to show me the right things to do in life after i got hurt and to take care of my body and my soul while i recovered from the injury and He put it in my heart that this is the right thing to do for my body. God willing; everything will work out and I'm feeling blessed to have the conviction that comes through His grace and love for me.