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Welcome Cass! Thanks so much for sharing your story, you are an inspiration! It is absolutely amazing how having this tool changes your whole mental model of your relationship with food. I no longer live for food, I eat to live a much healthier lifestyle. I still enjoy food very much and I love to cook. I just do it differently these days and my whole family benefits from it as well. Now I just get to savor every bite I put in my mouth. I don't deprive myself of anything, I have just learned that the things I used to love don't get me excited any longer. I crave great Proteins, good carbs like fruits and vegetables and the occasional bite of something sweet. It is all about moderation and movement and it really works! Good luck on your continued journey! I wish you all the best! My name is Deb, by the way! Feel free to reach out anytime!

It really isn't so much about the pain as it is about getting used to the new food plan which sounds easy buy it initially makes you feel very tired and lethargic. I had an excellent recovery with absolutely no complications at all. I was off all pain medications the day after I got home from the hospital. I was very tired and lethargic everyday for the first 4 weeks. I could have gone back to work at two weeks but would have wanted to sleep under my desk every afternoon! LOL! I was also on a very strict diet compared to some others I have read about. Week 1 Clear liquids only - focus was to stay hydrated Week 2 full liquids - this is where we added Protein shakes back in but I could barely get a whole shake down in one day Week 3 and 4 - puréed foods (my least favorite part of the plan) I lived on cottage cheese, yogurt, protein shakes) After week 4 I was allowed soft foods - this is when my energy level started to really pick up and could make it through a whole day without napping Week 6 I went to Las Vegas for 10 whole days and was actually back to my normal self. My nutritionist, surgeon and Bariatric nurse felt that I had sailed through my recovery. Not sure about others but just trying to give you a real picture. By the way, I have an extremely high tolerance for pain. 5 spine surgeries made this surgery look like having a tooth filled. I wish you all the best, please don't rush yourself! Allow your body and mind time to get used to this whole new world! You deserve it and the outcomes are so incredible. I am down 110lbs in just 8.5 months and feel fantastic. All comorbitities are in remission! Good luck!

If you are dehydrated and it sounds like you are, it will make you dizzy, tired, nauseous and give you a headache. I was on a clear liquid diet for the first 7 days post op. They did not move me to Protein until day 8. This is because hydration is actually more important in the first couple of weeks. I do remember feeling weak near the 7th day but I was near my Fluid goal and then they added a full liquid diet which included protein shakes, milk, creamed Soups and of course any of the Clear liquids from the previous week. This allowed my body to get used to drinking all those fluids and I did not even have to use the of ran after day 3. Just my two cents.... I did not move to puréed foods until week 4

Wow! Way to go and I bet you feel better too!

I absolutely crave fresh fruit in particular. I have been eating a piece of fruit every day since week 4 post op. One of my favorites is a fresh crisp apple (no skins) dipped in Peanut Butter. Apples make a good vehicle instead of crackers or bread for peanut butter and even cheese. It is one of the best treats ever, you get Fiber from the fruit, good carbs and Protein and good fats from the peanut butter! Yummy!

I recently cut my hair very very short and had it layered because I am one of the unlucky who has had massive hair loss. It started for me at month two and around month 6 when everyone told me it would stop or slow down it started falling out even faster. My Protein, thyroid and Iron is great, have had labs checked multiple times now. Mine hair loss is coming from a combination of massive weight loss, two major surgeries within 8 months and of course I am in the middle of menopause. It looks so much cuter short and frames my face plus I am not as anxious about the hair loss because all the new growth is popping in all over. Yes I have loose skin where my double chins used to be. Hoping it will tighten up some. The good news is I have to wear a hard cervical collar for the next twelve weeks and right now it hides my turkey neck! LOL

The butt hurting thing is very common. There have been many threads on here about it. It is extraordinary painful and so far I have not gotten used to it. I am 8 months post op.

I am 8 months post op and still cannot tolerate apple peels, the membranes of oranges, spaghetti. I barely tolerate bread unless it is toasted but I don't enjoy it anymore Anway. I have been able to eat celery if it is chopped very small in a salad or if is cooked in a Soup or stew. Now I can eat an egg noodle if is is cooked completely but I rarely do. The things that are important especially in the beginning is good Proteins, good carbs like vegetables and fruits. You really don't have room for much more.

Your weight loss for such a short time is excellent. I think they may be trying to help you take more advantage of the 1 year sweet spot. The more you move along with eating right, the more you will lose in that first year. I feel your pain on the arthritis front. I have psoriatic arthritis an s just went through my fifth back surgery 2 weeks ago. I have 3 cervical levels fused and one of my vertebrae actually removed. I have to be out walking every single day 5 times a day increasing my time every week. I just try to see the future and how much better my joints already feel given my weight loss. You are doing great, keep the faith and do the best you absolutely can.

I am a true believer in eating a balanced meal and yes it includes carbs as well. I focus my carb eating for the most part on healthy fruits and vegetables. However on occasion I will have a bite or two of rice or potatoes. When your scale fluctuates like that it is mostly Water retention and will drop off as quickly as it popped on. Your body will stall along the way for many reasons. I was even told that if there was a weight that you were stable at for some time you might hit that weight and get stuck for a week or two. The important thing is to stick to your plan, and the scale will absolutely move in the right direction. If you want to help it along simply change your routine a little bit. Sometimes that will help. You are doing just fine, don't lose faith that it will work for because it will!

For me, I just did not understand how fast my wardrobe would become obsolete. I used to live in baggy dark clothes so I could hide my body. Now, I hate wearing clothes that are too big for me. I want to show off how great I look. Currently I own 1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of black capris and about 5 tops that actually fit me well. Oh, and by the way for me I lost the weight in my butt first and 1. Your underwear get too big really fast 2. Your darn tail bone sticks out and your butt hurts all the time! On a good note, I absolutely love that I can walk into Victoria's Secret and buy underwear, bras and pajamas! I secretly coveted that ability for years and now I live to buy and wear pretty underthings. And Lane Brants Cacique just does not compare to the feeling of putting on a pretty VS bra! My two cents.....

Sorry to hear your knees are hurting you. I totally know the feeling. For me I was down about 40lbs before my knees and ankles stopped hurting and swelling. I suffer from psoriatic arthritis and I get cortisone shots on a frequent basis. I also have had spine surgery recently and they gave me tons of steroids in my IV as well as oral to help with swelling in my throat from the surgery. All of this was fine. Just no oral NSAIDs, that is where you can develop ulcers that can be devastating to a WLS patient. I would double check with your surgeon on these questions but this has been my experience. Good luck to you and congratulations on your fantastic progress so far!

Definately as close to the same date every month so your insurance company has nothing to push back on.

I have heard of that before for sleeve patients although like you it would make me very nervous. I bet you hear from others that have found themselves in that situation and will get more info. I was bypass and was on Clear liquids for 7 days post op. Of course we started with ice but by late evening they had me try broth 2 tablespoons at a time. The reality is you certainly don't feel like trying any of it for a day or so. Good luck and I hope you get some responses that are helpful.

@@KQ46, 3 weeks seems to really early to be trying some of the things that you are but every doctor is different. Don't give up on those items that have not worked for you, wait a couple of weeks and try again. I found that there were so many foods in the beginning that could not tolerate and my nut kept me waiting a week or two and trying again. There are two things that I don't tolerate 8 months post op. 1. eggs in any form make me sick 2. BBQ sauce puts me on the verge of dumping every time I try it whether or not it has sugar in it I used to love eggs and can eat then in a French toast or as part of a recipe but I cannot seem to eat them by themselves. We think it was because I puréed them during that stage and the smell and taste pit me over the edge. We are calling it an aversion to eggs.

I am 8 months post op from RNY. I have had both cake and ice cream! It is 100 percent about portion control and making sure you eat the right things in the right order. You may find you can eat anything you want, it's whether or not you should. A bite of cake and a little ice cream on your birthday won't kill you. Don't let those things get in your head. Congratulations on the fabulous progress you already made!

I actually lived through this exact situation, I was 4 months into the 6 month process and was laid off from work. The only way to get it covered was to take the cobra. I did and everything was covered as if my insurance was exactly the same. Don't kept the Kay off worry you. Get on the phone today with your insurance company because they are who controls the process. Tell them to send you a list of their requirements. Most even control who they will authorize for your surgery. For example one of the requirements for Medica was that I used one of their approved centers of excellence. There were several other requirements and you need to know exactly what those are. Also you have to be on top of every little thing to ensure you get through the process as quickly as possible. That means follow up with your doctors office and get copies of all your nutritionist visits along the way. Good luck, your situation can definately be ok if you stay on top of it.

I am not sure what it is but it is so very frustrating. My 6 month wait went 9 months because of several people's inability to follow through. It took my nutritionist t help straighten it out but it took me over a month to figure out something was wrong. First issue I had was I saw the psychologist who told me everything looked great and I would not to to do a recheck with him. His exact words were I would love to check in with you once your surgery is complete. He gave me no follow up instructions to set up an appointment. I went through all 6 of my scheduled nut check ins and all other required appointments. I then asked her if we had everything we needed to submit to insurance. She asked if I had my follow up with the physcologist and I told her exactly what he told me. She even stated in his notes it wasn't clear but she didn't want me to get held up so she would follow up with him. The next day I get a call and of course he would like to see me one more time. I was so angry because I could have had that appt done several months before. They told me he might be willing to just have a phone call with me. Of course they call me and he wants to see me and had no openings for 3 weeks. Was I pissed! I finally get in to see him which was a complete waste of time and I actually called him on it. I had passed all my tests, what were his concerns. He simply wanted to provide some guidance on how to deal with eating out of boredom which I mentioned during my first visit. Ugh! Really you wasted another month for that! So then I checked to maker sure they had everything and was told yes, they would be submitting my paperwork immediately. I was told it would probably be a few weeks before I heard anything and then once we got approval I would get an appointment with the surgeon and we would schedule surgery. Stupid me, I waited 3 weeks and heard nothing. I called the doctors office and was told that my paperwork still had not been submitted and the person who does this was on vacation. I made them get me the Bariatric nurse on the phone so I could go off on someone for this nonsense. She gets on the phone and mentions they are still missing one appointment with the nut. I happened to have a copy of all 6 visits and the progress I had made. I was again pissed and asked if they needed my copy, I could fax it, email or drive the 20 miles to get it to them. They had me fax it. I did, and they said they were going to fax it into insurance that day. Every time something like this happened I would spend the day crying because I was so sick at this point from kidney disease. I got a call back about 4 hours after faxing my info over. The insurance company approved my surgery that same day and I finally got scheduled with the surgeon and got a surgery date. I started the process on Dec. 26th and had my surgery on Sep. 29th. Talk about ridiculous incompetence f just a couple of people. I love most of the people on my team but those few can sure make for a crappy experience.

The scale is a love hate relationship. I am a daily weigher and have been since before my surgery. Sometimes I will have a week go by and not lose anything or I will hop on and show that I have gained a pound. But on days like today when I lose two pounds in a day, it motivates the heck out of me. I use my scale as one metric only to see how I am doing. The other most important thing I use is my clothing. I can tell if I am gaining or losing by how my clothes are fitting. In terms of measurement I use just my Bariatric team for that and I keep the little note cards they give me at check in to compare. If the scale actually made me crazy, I definately would not get on it everyday.

Loose skin is my new middle name. I do believe age has a lot to do with it but also how quickly you lose that weight. I will definately have to have plastics to put things back into place but I am more than willing given how much weight I have lost in such a short amount of time.

I was allowed 5 Protein shakes per day, as much clear liquid as I wanted including chicken broth, crystal light, Water. Sf Popsicles and sf Jello. I am actually allergic to artificial sweeteners is jello and Popsicles were out for me. I stuck to Protein Shakes and as much good chicken broth as I could. Make a good homemade well seasoned broth. It will save you during this time. I focused on one day at a time and by day 4 I was barely drinking 3 total protein shakes. Thei would fill me up and I was truly sick of them. I lived on lots of broth. When I would get frustrated, I would tell myself to keep my eye on the prize! You can do this and yes, it is the hardest part but after 3 days it gets easier. I promise!

I was absolutely terrified of dumping. I stayed away from everything I knew could cause it in the beginning. Anything fatty or sugary was my goal. At about 4 months I started to try things like a bite of potato or something sweet. everytime I eat BBQ sauce I immediately get sick to my stomach but have never thrown up nor got the diahrea from it. Also when I have tried bread, it makes me very uncomfortable do I steer clear of it as well. Now, I will tell you that I have learned what happens when you overeat by even 1 single bite. It is not fun fat all. You need to take your time, chew extremely well and listen to your new stomach. If you are full do not take that next bite. I will also tell you that I do get sick from artificial sweeteners so I stay away. If i do use sugar, I use the real think in very tiny amounts.