momohime

I think I must be the only person that didn't like them. After all the good reviews, I went to GNC and bought two of all the bars that looked appealing to me.. but I just did not care for them at all. The flavor was ok for what it was, but I was not happy with the texture at all and I'm usually into dense foods. I've had Clif bars, Luna bars, etc. and didn't have a problem with them.. I was actually pretty disappointed that I didn't like them as much as everyone else. I ended up throwing half of them away.

I'm 5'4 and weighed 260 at my highest. Day of surgery, I was 233. Right now, I'm sitting at 148.. which is actually still considered overweight by BMI charts. I would like to get down to about 120, which is close to the middle of my normal BMI. People keep telling me that I can stop losing weight now, that I'm going to blow away.. but I just have to smile and nod at them. It does no good to argue with them, believe me! I really do think jealousy has something to do with it. People are always comparing themselves to others. Hell, even I do that now. I'm secretly walking around work like, YES! I'M NOT ONE OF THE FATTEST ONES ANYMORE. Feels real good for me, but for them.. probably not so much. I've always been heavier than my SO, although.. only by about 20 pounds or so when we first got together. He's since gained about 30 pounds and for the first time ever, I weigh less than him. I almost didn't want to tell him, because I was afraid of how he'd react. It definitely shifts people's perspectives in a way they don't normally like, at least not at first.. but they'll get used to it eventually.

Pretty much embarrassment and shame. I'm also afraid of failing. I don't want to be the girl that couldn't even lose weight after having surgery. That's why I don't tell people. I would have my VSG done a million times over.. but if I had the choice to go back and do it all again, I would choose to not have gotten this fat to begin with. I hate it. I don't want other people to know AND it's none of their business. I also had an abortion, which I still think is the right decision for me at the time.. but do I like that or tell people? Hell no. I wish that hadn't been a thing either. Is it inappropriate for some people to talk about these things with others? Not at all. Does that mean I have to? No. That's my choice.

People are weird.. I started out at 260 and now weigh 150. For my height, 150 is still overweight. I'd like to lose 30ish more pounds, which is still a fairly decent amount to go.. but people I work with/know casually are always making comments like, "You need to stop losing weight now" or " You're going to blow away" ..I don't understand it myself, but it's a common theme. To me, it's so clear - I'm still overweight! I don't want to be.. but everybody else is seemingly freaked out when it's really none of their business. I've even mentioned to some that press me that I want to be in a healthy BMI range and all I hear in return is that the BMI chart is wrong and I shouldn't follow it. It's nice to hear that you look good, but some of the things people come up with... Like I said, I don't get it. Find your own happy place and don't listen to what anyone else says, cause well.. frankly, they don't know what the hell they're talking about.

I started with Unjury, which I thought was good with light vanilla soy milk.. It didn't take long before I got really tired of having to mix it so I switched to Premier. It tastes ok.. when I first started drinking it, I would try my best not to smell it cause it's a little off-putting.. but it's not bad. After 5 months of drinking protein shakes, I've stuck with it.. not because it's the best tasting, but because it's the most convenient. Although, I must admit.. I do appreciate that it has more protein and vitamins/minerals as well.

I stayed on prescription Prilosec for a while and that definitely affected the way things tasted. Even Water tasted weird and metallic to me. Now that I've been able to stop taking Prilosec daily, things are tasting much more normal. So.. I think medication is part of the equation too.

My insurance is BCBS of AL so I would think that our requirements would at least be similar if not the same. BCBS is one of the pickier insurance companies.. but the good news is that they covered almost all my medical expenses and I only ended up paying about $800 out of pocket (including all co-pays and whatnot). I felt like that was a positive, all things considered. Still won't hurt to ask if you can count your previous visits.. but even if they aren't accepted, six months flies by quicker than you think! It'll be surgery day before you know it. Good luck!

It really depends on your insurance. Mine required seven consecutive visits, one every month for six months, with the first and last visit being at least 180 days apart. For example: If your insurance is similar, it will only count June as the start of your supervised diet if you've gone once in July, August, September, and again this month. Then you'd also need to go back in November and have a final appointment 180 days after your first visit in June. My visits also had to be coded a specific way with my chief complaint being obesity. So.. the best thing you can do is either speak with your surgeon's office or your insurance company directly to find out how picky they are about your supervised diet requirements. You might not have as many hoops to jump through, so it's definitely worth looking into at least!

Nothing much to add other than plastic surgeons are notorious for trying to upsell procedures. I wouldn't take what he said about what you "need" to heart.

Usually, it's your surgeon that requires you to lose a certain amount of weight and not your insurance. I would double check to be sure.. My insurance didn't give a crap if I'd lost weight or not, as long as I'd done the MD supervised diet for 6 months. It was my surgeon that wanted me to lose at least 10 pounds to decrease the size of my liver, which in turn can lower the risk of some complications. Since your surgeon believes your weight gain to be because of depo, if it's their requirement they might be ok with going ahead with the procedure. Depo only stays in your system 3 months though. Depending on when your last injection was and when your surgery is planned, you might still be able to lose some weight beforehand.

I don't have a problem with carbs. In fact, I love them and wish I could eat them more. The thing is, I eat Protein first like I'm supposed to. After that, I don't have much room left for anything else.

I wouldn't worry! It takes a little longer with pictures, but BCBS definitely accepts them. Of course, I remember when I was in your position and was checking my email constantly for news from my surgeon's office! Seriously though, before you know it your surgery will be done and you'll be 4 months out and wondering where all that time went.. Trust me, it happens.

I submitted pictures. I was initially denied, but that was to be expected because the approval process is apparently automated. Once my claim went to an actual BCBS agent, I was approved for surgery. It took about 3 weeks or so after I turned all my paperwork in to my surgeon's office to get the OK.

Have you eaten those foods before without issue? I had something similar happen to me when I ate beef Jerky.. I don't think my stomach was quite ready for it. I was basically out of commission for the whole day after that. I've stuck with softer meats/proteins ever since just because I don't want that happening again.

You have to keep in mind, your weight fluctuates naturally. If you're drinking 64 oz of Water a day, that's 4 pounds of water you're drinking. You do lose most of that daily, but your body can retain some as well. If you eat four small 4 oz meals a day, that's a pound of food in your body. It's not fat though. The scale just can't tell the difference. So, don't get discouraged if it doesn't reflect a loss when you know that it should. The number might not be different, but your body can still be changing. Exercising and adding muscle can make a slight difference too. One pound of muscle takes up much less space than one pound of fat does. That's why a lot of people suggest taking body measurements as well.

Do these people know that your plan is to lose more weight? Are they actually criticizing you for not reaching goal yet or just implying that when you lose a little more/get closer to your goal you'll look really good? Not that I'm trying to excuse rudeness or anything.. it's just that when I come home and tell my SO that someone told me I looked so skinny that day, he agrees but also might say that I'm not there yet and need to keep going. I could take that to mean he still thinks I'm fat or whatever, but because I know he knows what my goal is I realize that it's his way of trying to keep me motivated to reach it. He's proud of me for coming as far as I have and doesn't want me to give up yet or get complacent. True, he could probably phrase it better sometimes.. but sometimes he's a little clueless. Lots of people are about certain things. Maybe your friends are trying to do something similar.. or maybe that's just me hoping that's what someone considered a friend would be doing instead of being a straight up bitch. Anyway.. be proud of yourself!

I'm kinda with you on not understanding why people are so clueless about some things.. I didn't go through with surgery to just go back to what was I was doing before. That's what got me in this mess to begin with! But.. that's me. And honestly, sometimes it's one of those things that's easier said than done. Also, I do realize that not every surgeon is as concerned about educating their patients as they should be and not every person is a proactive learner though. There are so many factors at play, everyone's experience can be incredibly different.. So while I don't totally get it, I also try not to judge too much either. I figure that's what this place is for.. a mix of people sharing their opinions and at least trying to learn something from it. I'm also of the mindset that sometimes people need a helping hand to guide them, and sometimes they need a swift kick in the ass to straighten them out. No need to apologize! Anyway.. as far as excess skin goes, don't let anyone make you feel like you have to justify your reasons for worrying about it. It's a normal thing to be concerned about. I started out at 260 and am currently 172. I do have some loose skin. I don't necessarily like it, but it doesn't hang as much as it used to when it was filled with fat. I look and feel SO much better than I did before.. especially in clothes, no one can tell. So.. yeah. I don't have a perfect body naked, but it's still an improvement over what it used to be--loose skin and all.

I was accepted into a master's program immediately after I finished my bachelor's, but didn't take it because I was starting a new job and thought the experience would be better. Now I totally regret my decision. I wish I'd just kept going and got my MSN too. It's ultimately your choice, but since you asked for opinions.. I'd say stick with it. See if you can come up with a course plan that will work for you. E-mail your supervisor if you need to. For example- maybe you could just do 1 class a semester, 3 classes a year. You'd finish in a little over 4 years, which may or may not be acceptable to you. Anyway, come up with a plan that you think is doable/works with whatever else is going on in your life and keep at it! I too dream of the cush life of a "retired" college professor one day.

My NUT told me it was better to use something else because regular muscle milk had too many carbs and the light didn't have enough Protein (12g).

As long as you continue to take your pills as directed, their efficacy won't be changed.

I was on my period the day I had my surgery too. Nobody really cared except me.. stupid period, always managing to come at inappropriate times...

I had the same prescription and had to do that too. It was horrid.. Basically, it's what I imagine eating a silica packet would be like. My surgeon gave me the ok to take pills whole 2 weeks post-op. I had to suffer with that awful bitter taste until then.. As with anything else, different surgeons have differing opinions on when it's ok to take whole pills after surgery. Some make you wait longer than others.. The only way to know what your surgeon thinks is to call their office and ask. The good news is, no matter what, you won't have to do it forever!

I ate the kind you're talking about, Barilla Plus, before surgery and liked it a lot. It didn't seem as starchy and always cooked more al dente, which I preferred. Even my SO liked it better and he's super picky! I haven't had Pasta post-op because I'm trying to stay away from carbs, but it's definitely my favorite and when I start maintenance it will be the only pasta I use.

I'm 3 months post-op and my life is pretty normal, except for food. I still don't tolerate eating out well or even really want to eat most of the time. I usually just stick with shakes. Overall, it's not a huge issue.. but meals can be stressful at times. My SO still hasn't adjusted to the fact that I can't eat with him like I used to. He feels awkward, like I'm just sitting there watching him eat. It doesn't bother me too much, I can still enjoy the time spent together.. but I understand how it would feel weird if it were the other way around. Everybody's experience after surgery is different.. so you might be able to tolerate eating out, but you might not. You'll be able to enjoy everything else, but there's no way to say for sure about the food. Personally, if it were me scheduling things knowing what I know now.. I would do surgery as early as possible and the cruise as late as possible.

I totally feel you! Surgery is a big deal. I want to do everything I can to make it work. I use a food scale and love it! I've actually used it consistently enough that I can pretty much eyeball the correct amount or pretty close to it anyway. I still continue to use it just because I worry about the same things you do. I'm not yet to the point where I trust myself to not eat too much if I'm not paying attention. Measuring it out beforehand takes care of that little issue for me. It might take a little longer to do, but it definitely makes it a little easier. I'm all for that.