JamieLogical

I was? I only went in there for about 10 seconds last night and it was empty... wonder if maybe my window didn't close out until later or something.

Are you allowed broth or strained soups. Those are pretty salty and might help curb your craving.

When was your surgery? I was out two full weeks and wished I would have taken more time.

I think staying off the scale is a smart move on your part. It sounds like you already know and understand all of the factors associated with a new workout routine that can lead to a stall or even a gain. But you are right that, even when we rationally understand the logic, the numbers on the scale can deal an emotional blow. It sounds like you are doing everything right and I definitely agree that being in the best shape of your life is the way to go into plastics and have your best shot at a smooth recovery.

How are you feeling? Any better or still miserable? I hope you can get to the bottom of this mystery sooner than later. It sounds like it's already been dragged out for far too long.

Dannon Light & Fit is the only Greek yogurt I can tolerate. It doesn't taste as "Greek" to me as some of the others. I like the Raspberry and the Key Lime Pie flavors best.

Huge congrats!

I didn't track my food while I was losing, but I started tracking off and on since I've been in maintenance just to make sure I really am balancing my calories in and calories out. I highly recommend weighing every day as well. I had a bit there where I wasn't weighing daily and when I got back on the scale, I was three pounds less than I thought I was. So weigh daily to stay on top of it. If you see the weight start to drop or creep back up, you can make adjustments much more quickly. Just be conscious of normal fluctuations in your weight due to water retention. If you eat a lot of sodium or sugar one day, it will show up as water weight the next day, so don't let that send you into a panic.

I traveled to Mexico for my sleeve, since I was self-pay. It was about $6500 USD, but I went with one of the most expensive surgeons in Mexico.

I definitely think success of WLS does depend a lot on how you were consuming calories pre-op. I was a binge eater. I would eat a MASSIVE amount of food in one sitting, like an entire pizza and a pint of Ben & Jerry's. Obviously, I can't more than a single slice of pizza now. So binging is completely off the table. I was never a grazer, so I haven't struggled with that post-op other than having to eat more times per day now. As it is, I find it hard to eat the 5-6 times a day now that I need to get my Protein and calories in. Eating between those scheduled meals/snacks just doesn't appeal to me. And as for drinking my calories, I had given up soda years before I was sleeved. So for me, the sleeve keeps me from the one really destructive eating habit I had pre-sleeve, which makes it really easy to stick to. I did, however, make a very focused effort to stick to all the guidelines I was given for pre-op and post-op food stages. I also stick to most of the life-long rules: protein first, 100 grams of protein a day, no eating and drinking at the same time, and no carbonation. I do a WHOLE BUNCH of things in maintenance that I am sure my nutritionist wouldn't love, like eat pizza and fries and cake and ice cream and chips. But I also always get my 100 grams of protein in and I'm training for a half marathon! So you really have to figure out what works for you and how best to use the tool you've been given to live your life happily and healthily.

Glad to hear you are doing so well! Wow, 10,000 steps at three weeks out is impressive!

It sounds like even though you didn't go into it with any plans of changing, you have changed. You say you are exercising now and sticking to a Mediterranean diet. Bet you wouldn't have been able to do those things pre-op! While I definitely think it's best to go in with the commitment to stick to the plan right off the bat, it's good to know that the surgery itself can be a jump start for some people. Obviously not everyone. Since some people go into the surgery with all the best intentions and DO stick to the plan in the early months/years, but eventually fall off the bandwagon and regain weight.

I didn't use any of the three you are considering, but BariatricPal has some special arrangements with various surgeons to provide discounted packages and I think at leas two of the surgeons on your list are included. Hopefully one of the BP reps will post and give you more info.

The pre-op diet is no fun at all. I'd love to tell you it gets easier post-op, but the first few weeks post-op are pretty miserable in their own right. So you have some rough weeks ahead, but there is light at then end of the tunnel.... distant light....

No carbonation for life.

First, to address your general concerns about surgery, I am not sure of the numbers for RNY, but for sleeve, the mortality rate is lower than knee replacement. I don't think many people would hesitate to get knee replacement if they needed it. As for the choice between RNY and sleeve, this is something you really should go over with your surgeon, because it can be very specific to your own personal and medical needs. Here are the reasons I personally chose sleeve, but again, these are MY reasons. - I was starting a BMI of 40, which is sort of the low end for any WLS, so RNY was probably more than I needed. - I was terrified of the idea of rerouting my intestines, and the higher risk of leaks associated with having more joins. - I didn't like the idea of the unused portion of my stomach remaining inside my body where it could potentially develop ulcers or cancer and not be accessible with a normal endoscopy. - I liked that sleeve kept my pyloric valve in tact and in use. I was kind of weirded out by the idea of my pyloric valve over there attached to my unused stomach maybe opening and closing still based on signals from my pouch. - I didn't like the idea of dumping syndrome. While some people use it as a deterent from eating sweets, I wanted to be able to eat sweets again eventually. Plus, not every RNY patient experiences dumping, so I didn't want to rely on that. - I was worried about the malabsorption and what that might mean for my Vitamin and mineral intake long term. While you do still have to be on extra Vitamins for life with sleeve, at least you can be confident you are actually absorbing all the vitamins you take. - I was self-pay and sleeve is cheaper!

Signing up for yor first race is always exciting and nerve wracking. It's for real now! My first half marathon is the same day as your 5k and I'm in full on panic mode now. Just have to keep reminding myself that I can just walk it if I need to. Congrats on your progress so far and it sounds like you'll be in great shape by the time your race rolls around!

It's important to be in great shape prior to plastics. Definitely incorporate strength training and work on strengthening your core. Everything you do now to be in the best shape of your life will help with your healing and recovery. Also, since you will be restricted from physical activity post-op, the better shape you are in now, the less you will back slide while you're out of commission. High protein and eating as clean as possible will also help. Hopefully you aren't a smoker, but if you are, it is absolutely critical that you stop. Also, your surgeon should be aware of all medications and supplements you are taking and should let you know which you might have to temporarily stop around the time of your surgery and how far in advance. Certain medications and supplements can increase the risks of bleeding g or clotting or cause you to heal more slowly.

There are many fantastic surgeons in Mexico. So just do your research. Fortunately, arm lift doesn't require as much local recovery time, so you should only have to stay a few days.

Can't hurt. Probably won't actually help either, though.

Doctors are not refusing to see me if I remain in the US. I am having problems finding someone to see me if I go to Mexico (like originally planned). Well that just seems extremely silly. Why would they be any more confident that some random US doctor won't butcher you than a Mexican surgeon? Maybe you could do some research about which Mexican surgeon you might use and then bring the info on that surgeon's credentials to your PCP?

I didn't know it still existed. It used to show up in the bottom right corner of my computer screen and I could just pop in there whenever. It's not there anymore. How do you even get into it now?

I'm sorry, no, I'm not in the Dallas area. Do you currently have a PCP. Has he/she already stated that they won't provide you with any follow up blood work? That seems like a rather harsh approach for a PCP to take with their patients! It really is a minimal amount of work on their part. I had follow-up blood work with my PCP at 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12 months and now I have my 18 month appointment on Feb. 29. I definitely have zero regrets about my surgeries in Mexico, but I do think having a supportive PCP has helped with that. Not sure how I would have felt about it without my PCP's support.

@@Inner Surfer Girl I was just going to say the same thing. 850 calories is way too low.

We're still discussing it. I really want the groin incision only. She has, of course, told me that the vertical incision with have better results. I have to decide if the better results are worth the scar. Ultimately it will be up to me. I really like that right now, all of my scars are in places that you can only see them if I'm naked. Any bra covers my breast scars and even the skimpiest underwear covers my tummy tuck scars. I am apprehensive of a scar that would show in shorts.