elfnow

Oh I also would add a scoop of whey Protein to decaf chai tea (now vanilla chai!) and get a few good calories too. Warm liquids felt better than cold ones, for sure.

I also drank a lot of warm (body-temp) chicken broth. I added a little garlic, usually. I'd just sip a big mug of it like tea! Also, sugar-free Jello. Guess what, it's protein! If you're making it yourself make it firmer - use about 2/3 of the Water instead of all the water it calls for, and it'll set up firm. It IS actually kind of filling. I also felt hungry pretty soon out of surgery, and by 10 days I was ready to take a huge bite out of ANYTHING, and thinking about making and taking a bite of a turkey sandwich was practically pornographic. (Imagine spreading mayo on the bread, while a deep male voice is saying, "ohh YEAAAHHH." That was my brain.) Hang in there, you aren't doing anything wrong!!

I figure we didn't get to the point of needing surgery by having a delicate tummy... I started soft foods at 12 days instead of waiting for my 2-week appt and being "okayed" - I was HUNGRY, damn it. And I ate really wet soupy stewed chicken, which was definitely a "soft food". Tolerated it well. And my surgeon was like "cool then go for it." I still have a lot of head-hunger, I suspect it'll never really go away.

Oh honey I felt HUNGRY hungry too. Your body is starving! It's ok. Sip Protein shakes if you can, and try some sugar free Jello. I'd be all RAWR IMMA EAT EVERYTHING and I couldn't finish ONE jello cup. It helped me feel better that I really wasn't gonna overeat beyond my sleeve. When you start foods you'll feel better!!

But I can actually move faster than "mosey". But the fact that I broke my leg last June makes it painful. I DID JOG 1/16th mile, so THERE. I just don't wanna do more bc I can't take NSAIDs.

I did tell him, he was delighted and said "don't overdo it!" And f* Jillian. She's good for people who want punishment, not praise. F her and her iron booty.

Did you do pre-workout measurements? See if they'll do another round of measurements!!

The 18th isn't soon enough. Call your doc Ofc tomorrow. Try taking smaller bites, etc... But you need to see someone now, not in 3 weeks.

Liv: look for a personal injury lawyer. Tell them right off this is a possible malpractice case. Be up-front about your expectations: you want a free consultation. You want to pay on "CONTINGENCY" basis - the lawyer collects a hefty percent if you win, no $$ if you lose. Expect the lawyer to want 1/3 to 2/5 of the final settlement. Just pick up the phone and call three offices. Today. Leave messages with their answering services. You're interviewing them for a job, be the boss!! They will call you back, I promise. Hang in there. You may or may not have a case, I don't know. I do know that each patient needs to be evaluated on their own merits, especially for pain control ... NOT based on how many people in your local area are addicts. If you have a doctor managing your pain meds specifically, that's good. There is a difference between being "physically dependent" (all opiates create physical dependence) and "addicted". Being an "addict" includes certain behaviors that your pain management doctor can speak to, not people on the internet. Some doctors are complete a$$h0les. And the whole "not taking responsibility" sounds about right, some docs think they're infallible!! Remember, "PERSONAL INJURY" lawyer. Just open the phone book.

My partner and I were meeting a friend at Starbucks. Busy busy Saturday... We parked, and there's a swarm of Girl Scouts with their Cookies, and we're both like, "oh crap. But cookies are SO GOOD...." "Okay, here's what we do," I decided. "One box of thin mints. We each have two cookies, and we give the rest to people at Starbucks." It was a good plan. Plus, spread the love, right? We got in there, get in the long line, crack that box open, split a tube open, and I'm enjoying my FIRST COOKIE. And I'm offering the open tube to people, "save me from eating these! Yes have some! I sure don't need them... Here have another!" AND IN WALKS MY SURGEON. Yes, there I am, three weeks post-sleeve, with a half-tube of thin mints in my hand, licking the crumbs out of my teeth....(I only ate one but now it looked like I'd eaten 10).... He's like "oh Emily! Hi!" I just LOL'd and hugged him and said, "oh my god and HERE'S MY BARIATRIC SURGEON, catching me with Girl Scout cookies!!" All I could do was laugh harder. I told him "I swear I only had one and see? Those two on the table? One for me one for him... We made a deal to give them away, I'm giving them to other people!! Oh god I'm mortified!! Hahaha!!" He said, "I'll forgive you just this once..." And I'm all *shame*!! Our friend was like, "of all the things that could have happened, I would NOT have bet on that one..." So!! If you're tempted, just imagine your surgeon walking in and catching you red-handed.... Because it could happen!!! LOL

It was Surgeons at Starbucks day!!! Why didn't anyone tell us?!? LOL!!

The "weight gainer" stuff is for people who are body building and trying to increase muscle mass .... Ignore the NAME of it and look at the ingredients!! You want the highest amount of Protein per serving with relatively low carbs/fat. If you are allergic to milk, stay away from "casein" ingredients (Calcium caseinate etc.) Generally you'll want to stay away from soy protein because soy contains phytoestrogens and your fat-burning will release plenty of your own stores estrogens.... And you don't need both. I find that "Designer Whey" is not bad tasting and comes in smallish containers so you aren't stuck with a two-gallon tub of something gross. If in doubt, talk to your dietician!

I also didn't want a reversible option, and my surgeon and I agreed that because of my weight (I was 392 at the time) and the amount of weight I needed to lose (about 200 lbs) bypass or Sleeve was the way to go. Also, permanent tubing just hanging around in my body kind of skeeves me out. Between Sleeve and Bypass, the Bypass just sounds too invasive to me! Here, let's take a system that Nature designed that works for animals across the kingdom and *futz* with it! Just rearrange these tubes a little.... No thanks! The idea of a smaller stomach and the removal of ghrelin-producing tissue makes SENSE in my head. And yes, it has a little lower percent of average "excess weight lost in 1 year" but I'll take it! Sleeve is also much more pregnancy-friendly than RnY. I've had one child and I'm 35, but I might want another baby when I'm at a lower risk for gestational diabetes....

Are you counting the liver reduction diet? Including that part (for me 1000 cals/day for 2 weeks, mostly liquid) I lost ~45 lbs in the first month. (I started liver redux on 1/27, surgery 2/10). Now, I started out 375 lbs (100 higher than you) and a BMI of about 60. Percent-wise it was about 12% of my total body weight or about 25% of my excess weight. I lost 21 lbs with the liver redux over 14 days and 24 lbs from surgery over the next 16.

My *walking* HR - as in, doing low-impact but consistent exercise, i.e. walking - was 120-125. My HR at rest is about 80. And yes I feel weird and different. My heart pounds like I was just startled... All the time. Now it might be a cortisol thing, but either way it's gotta go. Surgeon's office told me to see my PCP so I'll do that.

Before surgery, walking HR was a nice calm 120-125, very consistent. Now it's 135-140. My BP was 125/75. Now it's like 140/85. WTF. (3 weeks post-surg, 50 lbs down since liver reduction)

I didn't get a bear!! LOL how cute!!

Surgeon's Ofc called back and said go see my PCP. I'll go later today.

I am calling them next...

Definitely I'm very obese and maybe my heart's working as hard as it used to but now it doesn't have to work so hard? But I'm not loving it.

There's this perception that surgery is "easy". And it's not!!!! Not one bit!! And it's not guaranteed either!! You still have to work your butt off, it's like everyone says, a "tool" to "HELP" not a fix. It sucks that your wife isn't on board but maybe she's scared and even jealous! What if you weigh less than her? She might be defining a lot of her own body image by "I'm not as big as-----". I did the same thing with my partner, and when I was pregnant with our baby, one day around 8 months I realized I was physically bigger than him. And it didn't matter that I was pregnant, I was just kinda horrified. And miserable about it. Or maybe she wishes she could do surgery too but she's scared / put off by stigma / etc. Perhaps couples counseling would help you and your wife communicate better? As for your parents, heck with their opinion. They'll realize it's good when you're losing weight!!

Oh I love(d) my coffee... And now I'm on half-caff and I don't even finish it every morning. I thought my protein shakes were pretty tasty... Now I have realized they're not very tasty...

Do the surgery. Your newfound confidence and presence will change how you are perceived in the office and allow you to feel good enough to interview elsewhere.

I have always had a problem with pictures!! And I think it's because a still moment of a person looks different from that person in motion. In the mirror you see a dozen tiny changes in your expression - your eyes, cheeks, lips are all dynamic and in motion in the mirror. A picture captures one solid frame, and the movement isn't there! I have a hard time recognizing some people from photos because of this. I have gritted my teeth and allowed some pictures because I know someday my daughter will want to know who I was before her memories defined me. My weight loss is for her health as much as mine... And I want to lose the weight before she really REMEMBERS me at my old size.

I was told it's normal to get hungry and have an appetite - now you have to eat filling proteins and you shouldn't get hungry after less than 3-4 hours... I'm having many of the same fears; sometimes I feel like I'm just STARVING and then I eat two slices of turkey and I'm totally full and sated for 4+ hrs. So the question is, are you getting all your protein and are you eating when hungry... And how often are you hungry?