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@@Hannah83 I am so sorry! It is always so hard to lose a part of your family. When I first married my husband he bought me a Pekingese puppy for our anniversary which was on Halloween. So her name became Lady pumpkin Pie ala Mohr. That dog was my 3rd child, literally and when she passed I was devastated. She developed a spinal issue that left her paralyzed. She could no longer control her bowels or bladder and we had to put her down. I don't think I was as upset when I lost other family members. I cried a lot that first week but as time passes it does get better. I am so sorry and I hope all your good memories brings you peace. I will be thinking about you! Hugs!

@@CaliGirl77 Usually they use your original weight in the paperwork and if your insurance requires a specific loss, that will be included on the submission paperwork. Once paperwork is submitted it usually doesn't matter. On the morning of surgery they also put me on the scale I assume to ensure I had done my part with the 2 week liquid diet. That is most insurances but I don't think anyone can guarantee what your insurance company will do. Now, your doctors office may not be happy with a gain either but if you have a pre op liquid diet you will definately lose anything you likely gain. Just wait until after surgery when you go on a vacation and expect to gain, the opposite happens. I lost 14lbs over 10 days on my first vacation. LOL. I could only eat a tiny bit and we were so active it was crazy. I felt like a million bucks! Oh and I had Gordon Ramsey's Salmon for dinner one night. I had thought I went to heaven and died there. I literally was only able to eat an ounce or so but it was the best darn fish I ever had. Have a good time!

@@healthierme317 Why yes, I have been asked that question. It is usually asked by people that really don't understand that obesity is a disease. Yes, that includes doctors and nurses. When you are younger it is a lot easier to yo yo diet. You lose a bunch of weight and then gain it back along with a few extra pounds. Then you figure well, it wasn't that hard to lose it I can do it again anytime. You do that basically your whole younger life. Then as you hit your late 30's, 40' and 50's you notice that it gets easier to gain the weight and much harder to lose it, in fact for me it became nearly impossible. That's when I started researching and talking with Bariatric specialists who confirmed it was not my imagination, that is exactly how a metabolic disease works. Why will Bariatric surgery work this time? Well first it is a tool that will make it possible for you to lose the weight. ALL OF IT if you so choose. More importantly it will help you to keep it of long term. If executed correctly you actually learn new habits and learn to eat healthy. I actually love the way I eat now. I crave quality Proteins, healthy veggies and love love love fresh fruit. Before I had surgery, I craved sweets, Pasta, rice, bread....fast food, junk food. Occasionally I have a craving (tonight it is donuts, ugh) but I have learned how to substitute my sweet addition through fruit. So tonight I will have half a grilled peach with a ricotta, cinnamon mixture and a tiny drizzle of honey if I so choose. I really do not crave the other stuff...none of it. Anyway, that is how I always answer that question. It is about keeping the weight off long term and it is a proven fact that some WLS actually help you to do that.

Wow, you do have a lot to think about ahead of time. I am glad you have time now to plan it all out. Just another heads up, not sure if you wear wide shoes now but I swear the first places I noticed weight loss was in my feet and fingers. So within about a month of my surgery my shoes got big and sloppy. I now wear a size smaller shoe and in some styles I am a narrow vs a EE width. It really is crazy where we lose the weight. Well, best of luck to you!

Hi there! I don't have the same insurance but I wanted to welcome you! I think there are quite a few people on here that can help with your question regarding insurance. It does sound like you have a lot of your stuff together though so hopefully it won't be too long of a process for you.

I find that I have days like that too and before I know it, it's 8 or 9pm and I haven't had dinner. EEEK!

Yes, this process can frustrate the heck out of you but I promise if you follow the plan the weight will come off. Your body just needs a bit of a break once in a while. I remember when I was 11 months post op and had stalled for the umpteenth time. I posted almost the same thing you just did. Someone responded with you are probably done at this point. WAIT, I am not ready to be done. That's not possible, did I really go through all of this just to end up short of goal? Many others reminded me that the further away you get, the slower it goes but stay the course and the weight will come off. I will say that as time went on I found that I did have to make changes to what I was doing and what I was eating. I learned that I wasn't eating enough and my body went into starvation or, I was eating and exercising the exact same way for a couple of months and my body did not like the repetitive behaviors. Just a small change got things going again. You will get there given your record for following the plan. You just have to believe it yourself and move forward. Congratulations on a great start!

@@James Marusek Exactly how it was for me.....I swear I could look at food and gain weight. I also lost my mother to complications of obesity at 66. I swore I would not do that to my kids, I was lost without her and still am. As you said, this really is the best thing I have ever done. I have not looked back for a second.

Hi there and congratulations on getting your surgery scheduled! It is such a fun and exciting time when you get that date and your mind goes crazy with everything you have to do. I know I did a lot of prep that I wish I wouldn't have. In terms of food, you have know idea what you will tolerate post op. My nut had me make purees of chicken and turkey and freeze them in tiny 2 oz. containers. Well, when I got to the puréed stage I pulled a couple out and found that I couldn't tolerate it at all. If I had to do things over the only thing I would prep ahead of time is good quality bone broth. I lived on this stuff and without it I might not have been able to tolerate my 2 week liquid pre op diet nor my 1 week clear liquid diet. This broth was hearty delicious and very very soothing to my new tummy. I also would not select my Protein ahead of time. I did that as well and found that after surgery I became lactose intolerant and had to give all of that away or throw it away. I must have spent $200 on protein powders that I could not tolerate the taste of or how it sat in my pouch. I ended up taking the advice of my Bariatric nurse who suggested trying Premier Protein and I still drink one a day. The clothing thing is another big crazy deal. I bought clothes in varying sizes ahead of time only to find out I skipped sizes and never wore them. I learned quickly to buy one pair of jeans and one pair of dress slacks and a few tops. I went from a size 26 to a size 8 rapidly. I think I spent $500 on clothes that I never wore and had to sell or donate. Just food for thought if buying clothes think about how long you could really stay in what you are wearing before changing sizes because it really does get expensive. Also shopping in thrift stores or online at places like eBay helps with the cost. Staying at Venice beach sounds absolutely lovely post op. I wish I could have walked in the warm weather. Weather like California's just makes you feel better and healthier. Also San Diego is a way better shopping experience so I think you are on the right path. Make sure on your flight back that you get up and walk around a lot! You certainly don't need a blood clot. Also, make sure you have plenty of bottled Water or even non caffeinated tea. Warm water is soothing to a sore tummy. Lastly I would really worry about how much you can lift right after surgery. I hope someone can meet you at the airport in Japan to pull your bag off. In LA, make sure and ask someone to help you load your bag onto the conveyor as well. Please take care and reach out if you need anything or have questions.

@@goplay94123 Love black cod when I can find it! This sounds delicious and I may have to try it. Thanks for sharing.!

@@okiegirl1980 Please don't get discouraged. You are pre op and honestly I did the same thing and after 9 months list only 3lbs prior to my pre op liquid diet. By the time some of us get to surgery our metabolism is so screwed up that it takes a huge change like drinking nothing but Protein shakes and Clear liquids to get things moving. If your surgeon requires a loss prior to surgery you may have to go liquid sooner. My surgeon is the one who was not at all surprised that I wasn't losing any weight pre op. As my hubby told him, she barely eats how the heck can she not lose weight? It really does happen. For me, my age played a huge part along with my lack of a productive thyroid. Keep your chin up, don't give up! You can do this and if you need help private message me. Or if you just want to talk.

@@deanieluv6 If you did not have back pain before surgery it could be kidney stones which is very common after WLS. I suggest calling your surgeons office ASAP I hope you feel better soon.

@@Terri70 I know delays can be frustrating especially when one is ready to move on down the road. At least you figured it out now and not 6 more months from now. I had to do the same thing but mine was 6 months long and they really stunk at followup. I leveraged my assigned NUT through the Bariatric center of excellence and they helped me through the process. Funny thing was, the nurse through the insurance company only followed up with me twice in that 9 months and called me 2 months after I had the surgery to ask me if I was still on track to have my surgery. I laughed and said that goodness I didn't wait for you. I had my surgery two months ago. Boy was she embarrassed. With my program that was not a requirement, the requirement was the supervised diet of 6 months as well as 5 other requirements. You have to just keep calling them. If you cannot get them to call you back you might quickly file a complaint which will get them moving. Seriously my surgeon said" you could have one foot on a banana peel and the other in the grave and these insurance companies don't care enough to move things along" Just stay on that phone, the squeaky wheel gets the grease

@@tinkrbll Honestly this group has been my primary support system outside of my husband. There are plenty of people who would be willing to help including myself. Also I have made friends on this site that I know I will have forever. If you think you need more, the best thing for you to do is ask your surgical team if they are aware of any local support groups. Also, a therapist at least in the beginning is a huge support. I found a nurse on my Bariatric team, her name is Dorothy and she herself had RNY 12 years ago now. She is slim, feeling great and has tons of advice. You might also find resources like that with your team but if not, I am here an would be happy to help. Just click on my pic and send me a message. Good luck with your upcoming appointment! Congratulations on making the decision to get healthy.

@@stacyrg2 No bitchin here, just an amen sister! LOL!

@@ACJordan I think I might be the second or third person to ask you this question. What are the rules set by your surgeon? Is Coke Zero on that list? I am guessing not. If you want to drink you go right ahead, just make sure that you tell people you didn't follow the rules when you end up in surgery or with a stretched out stomach. You are right, not everyone is perfect but most are pretty darn perfect those first few months. Why did you have this surgery in the first place if you were not going to listen to your doctors instructions? Oh, and I might be a bit rude right now so I will just call myself out. If you want to pile on, go for it. The reality is the posters on here are trying to help you. You asked a question, they responded with experiences. If Coke Zero doesn't bother you, I say go for it at this point.

I was 51, 310lbs and have lost 151lbs.

@@jenn1 I am with you on this. You are either committed or not and if not, you will likely get feedback you don't want to hear. That is support in my book. I got off this site for about 8 weeks for that very reason and I finally decided that I missed the people who helped me through the first 18 months so here I am. Bariatric Pal has been there for me since the beginning of my journey and I certainly believe it has helped me as well as many others. It is a part of me now and I look forward to reading posts and supporting people who want to be supported. People who don't want to hear the truth are the ones that clearly are looking for permission. Permission is not support. Just my two cents.

I take b12 once per week, calcium citrate chews 3 times per day, a multi Vitamin with added D, Vitamin D3 and lastly B1. The only deficiency I have had was B1 - Thiamin and so we added that about 8 months ago. My B12 was actually really high so we stopped it for 6 months and I just started it back up. The most expensive vitamin I take is the calcium citrate chews - I buy the Bariatric Advantage brand because I like them and they are Chews. I had. Throat surgery that makes it difficult to swallow the calcium citrate petite or I would take those. I buy my multi vitamin and Vitamin D at Walgreens in a buy one get one free. Each bottle lasts me a year and they were cheap and worked like a charm. Same thing with my B12, I bought one got one free and it is the liquid you put under your tongue. So far I have had a full blown labs pulled 5 times now in the last 22 months. My doc wanted them pulled earlier after I had the B1 deficiency but everything is good to go. The thing that keeps throwing me is my thyroid. My TSH simply has not settled yet so my hypothyroid is actually acting like hyperthyroid so they just changed me again.....

I think this depends on age and how much weight you lose. For me, I am now 53 and my skin is not bouncing back anywhere. I jokingly say I look a bit like a sharpei puppy. LOL. So, it's off to the plastic surgeon I go next Monday to put together a plan to deal with some of it. I am focused on my upper body initially because it bothers me the most. I have some loose skin on my legs but that is in much better shape than my arms stomach and boobs. I do think it bother me more than anyone else because I have had people tell me that I look fantastic and they initially thought I already had plastic surgery. As far as sex goes.....because of my poor back, my poor hubby is afraid to touch me. I have a plan for that.....as soon as I get done with plastics I am going to be very naughty so he cannot resist. LOL... He is always reaching out and touching me so I know he is interested and I am definately interested.....we joke about it all the time but here I sit still frustrated. LOL.

Hooray! Praying for a safe surgery and speedy recovery! Good luck!

It would help to know what surgery you had. Having had RNY I was literally able to eat 2 to 3 tablespoons max of broth that first week. I sipped and sipped but if I was able to consume 200 calories I was lucky. I was not allowe soup, broth only for the first week. Full liquids for the next week, puréed weeks 3 and 4 and then finally soft foods at week 5. I progressed to 1/4 cup at one sitting until I was about 4 months post op and then quickly progressed to 1/2 cup followed by a whole cup. It also depends on what I am eating It is different depending on the surgery you had. Even now 22 months post op, if I eat a full cup of food at one sitting I am in good shape. If you had RNY that seems like an awful lot so you should go back to the instructions provided by your surgeon and measure and track everything.

@@SAD HATTER I go through that in phases. I eat because I will get sick when I feel like that. Has it been going on all along? If so, you may need to talk to your doctor about that. If it just started, it could just be a phase and will hopefully get better. If you eat the same things all the time, it might help to change them up. I actually have to page through Pinterest sometimes just to get in the mood to eat. It helps me. I hope you feel better. P.s. I am 22 months post op

Have you called your surgeon? My migraines actually improved significantly right after surgery and I went from an average of 17 migraines per month to 2. Did you cold turkey stop sugar or caffeine right before surgery or quit smoking? Something like that could cause it. Also if you are taking pain medications they may cause them as well believe it or not. I have several pain medications like Percocet and methadone that cause me severe migraines. I simply cannot take them. Call your surgeons office and see what they think. They may have to change your pain medication. I hope you feel better soon. Migraines suck.

@@melbell2222 First, Happy Birthday! Isn't July a great month for birthdays? There are two things that I wanted badly once I got to a acceptable size. I always wanted a pair of Lucky Brand Jeans. When I went from a size 26 to a size 16 I got a pair. Now I wear a size 8 Lucky brand jeans and have been selling all the larger sizes on eBay. LOL! Secondly I really really wanted a north face winter ski jacket. Right before winter started hubby took me to REI and bought me the beautiful white North Face ski jacket with a beautiful fur hood. Every time I wear it i feel like one of those models. White always used to make me look heavier but not this jacket it is gorgeous. I treat myself to clothing all the time and it is one of the things that I never thought would matter to me. When I had the surgery it was all about getting healthy. I was pretty ill. Now that most of me is healthy I am having a blast with clothing. I am extra excited about seeing a plastic surgeon next week to get my arms lifted. And maybe some other things as well! Then I get to go shopping again! Hubby is not going to like that part but I figure as long as I get the girls lifted and back to their normal full size, he will be happy to buy me new clothes yet again. LOL Good luck with your surgery. I am so excited for you!!!! It's a whole new world!