Djmohr

A rule of thumb for protein is 1 gram for every inch you are tall. I am 15 months post op. I track everything everyday for everything I put in my mouth. I am still in the losing weight phase but within 10lbs of goal. I usually land between 1000 and 1200 calories a day, between 70 to 80 grams of protein. If I stay below 80 grams of carbs or lower, I lose. If I go above 80, I stall. Because I am so close to goal I can stall out for a long time.

I had the RNY instead of the sleeve for this exact reason, severe Gerd. Mine has been cured completely. Even if you don't lose another pound having that cure is so darn worth it. You have similar problems with the sleeve than you do with RNY. You have to make sure you get your Protein and that you take your Vitamins. Get regular check ups and have your nutritional levels checked. If you do these things, you don't need to worry about malnourishment. I too had a Vitamin b1 deficiency. It was discovered at my 1 year annual check up. I am taking b1 and was rechecked a month later, it is now perfect. We get into trouble, both sleeve and RNY when we don't follow the plan and definitely when we don't get our blood work done.

Everyone for the most part have been completely normal. I will say we have a friend couple that we were always very close with. Bill is my husbands best friend from high school and since he got married 20 years ago we became good friends. We actually hang out with them a lot less now mostly because they really act different around me. At first I really thought it was all in my head but I now think it has everything to do with my weight loss. When I first shared with Joy that I was having surgery she was supportive but quick to tell me stories about how there are several women that work with her at the hospital that had it done and gained all their weight back. I remember being very careful about how to respond because I had not yet gone thru surgery and was afraid I would fail. I remember saying that I certainly hope I would not be like the people she knows. Then I had my surgery. Both Bill and Joy are obese themselves and they also love their cocktails. Neither my husband or I drink. My husband never, me very rarely. I noticed the first time we went out for brunch after my surgery it was very weird. Same thing with the next time. Then I started noticing that they stopped inviting us out at all. It usually has to come from us and even then plans are seldom. I don't know if I make them uncomfortable or what. They never ever have commented about how I look. Which honestly after 15 months and 135lbs everyone notices and they all comment. Not Bill and Joy, I swear I make them uncomfortable. I try very hard not to make a big deal out of my eating when we are together because I don't want to make it weirder. Anyway, now I am to a point where this is really their problem not mine. I try to encourage my husband to go to the ball game or auto show with Bill but I try to let the activities happen as they may. I will say, we used to get together more when we lived a whole state away than we do now.

Ok, I guess I didn't know Oprah bought WW but I get it now. I was watching that commercial today thinking when are you going to realize that the best solution for her is WLS. She has to have screwed her metabolism so badly with years and years of yo yo dieting. I know, I think I followed her through most of them. When I finally did decide to do WLS I seriously could not lose any weight anymore. I was also terrified to try because pounds on me multiplied like bunnies. Well, I am glad I really smartened up about it.

For me the best snack is a small apple and I dip it in a tablespoon of Peanut Butter. I get my crunch, a little Protein at the same time. The trick is making sure you measure your peanut butter because that can get away from you fast.

This has honestly been one of the most motivating shows for me. I started watching it long before I even considered WLS for myself. I can remember cringing while watching it prior to my surgery, mostly because I felt guilty about my own situation at that time and the fact that I was doing nothing about it. I learned both great examples to follow off this show and also what not to do (Penny). I can remember feeling like why would you put yourself through all this if you are going to stick your head in the sand. Nikki is a gorgeous young lady with a gorgeous heart. I really look forward to them doing a follow up, and I am hoping she continues to be successful. I honestly have no doubt that she will given her drive to get her eating disorder under control. I really do wish they would spend more time on the prep to get ready for surgery instead of the shower and bathroom scenes. I think it is good that they show the daily struggles and I actually liked that they showed the jerk in the grocery store who made the rude comment and Nikki's reaction. The reason I was glad they showed that was in the hopes that maybe 1 non fat person will understand how horrible words hurt. To Nikki's point, you can have those thoughts but saying them out loud is so hurtful. My Mother n law was like that. She would buy a gift of clothing for me or my husband who is also obese. She would ask, "will it fit or ask you to try it on" of course she would always always always buy clothing 4 or 5 sizes too small. If you responded with this won't fit, she would say well then lose weight! We collect wee forest folk mice. One year she gave my husband a little mouse that was standing on a scale wrapped in a towel. She then said, get the hint?! Keep in mind this woman was obese herself. If one person changes their rude behavior because of this show it would be worth it. Words hurt! Obese people turn to food for comfort.....

First I was told 3 months supervised diet, then my insurance at the time required the following: 6 months supervised diet with physician or qualified nutritionist Had to use a Bariatric Center of Excellence Phyche eval sleep study or in my case latest history from bi-pap EDG study Cardiac Clearance The whole process actually took 9 months and at the time I was told 6 months I was very ill with kidney disease. It did not matter and I can remember being both pissed and scared to death all at the same time. I wanted to do it right away. I am so very glad that I had that time to prepare myself. The classes and research I did was instrumental in my success so far. I likely would have chosen the wrong surgery and would not have had the time to build excellent habits. It allowed me to focus on small changes and follow them through. I still believe that the most important habit I built was tracking absolutely every thing I put in my mouth. I know exactly where my Protein, calories and carbs are from the moment I take that first meal in the am. I use myfitnesspal and I track it good or bad. It allows me the opportunity to know what is in my food and to make better decisions throughout the day. I definitely make better choices because of this and I also have such an excellent understanding of nutrition because of it. People think it takes so much time, it literally takes just a moment or two and your food is logged. In the beginning I used to measure everything, over time you learn how much a couple of ounces of meat or a real 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. Also, learning to pay attention to my body while eating was an important tool as well. I used to mindlessly eat and of course when you pay attention you actually savor the food you do eat and can recognize when you are full. Many good habits to learn and you need the time to truly make them habits which will set you up for success. Best of luck to you!

I love her!

I am 15 months RNY post op. I have now had 3 complete nutritional work ups. I take my Vitamins everyday and I make sure that I get my Protein and Water. I had 1 abnormality on my tests results and it was caught and resolved immediately. I was taking too much B12 and was low on Thiamin. They had me hold B12 for 6 months and had me add B1. Just did a recheck of my B1, it's now perfect. If you are someone who plans to not follow up or follow the plan, RNY is not the way to go. If you are like me and get regular checkups then bypass is absolutely the way to go! People that struggle with malnourishment are the people that choose not to follow the eating plan nor do they follow up with their doctors regularly. Then they wonder why they are sick and blame it on bypass. You should absolutely do your research and do not let someone talk you out of what you know is right. Bypass is definitely the gold standard in WLS. It has a proven track record. It cured my type 2 diabetes and severe Gerd. It put my stage 3 kidney disease into remission.

@@MIMISAN Oh my, I think I really just spit a hot chai tea, through my nose! Thanks for the belly laugh! By the way, hot tea through your nose burns a little!

@@Nurse_Lenora Yes, yes, yes! I had not even thought about wearing a dress in at least 15 years or more. I was thin as a teen and actually still very shapely in my early 20's. Then at 25 I quit smoking and wham! I put on 60lbs in 1 year. The pounds just kept piling on and I went from skinny to morbidly obese by the time I was 30 years old. Years of yo yo diets just kept adding to my totals and I spent my 30s and all of my 40s covering up everything. Black was my favorite color. I hated clothes shopping and avoided it as much as I could. Same is true of shoes. I spent my money on designer hand bags because clothes and shoes just did not matter. Now, I can wear boots and dresses. I love that look and although I have a couple of pieces I am holding off til I reach my goal. I can shop pretty much anywhere now and my favorite thing to do is to just go try on clothing. Mostly because I can. I am tracking trends so that I know what styles suit me best. Now I just need to win the lottery so I can have a giant closet filled with clothing!

It really is ridiculous what is happening with healthcare. I had two procedures done recently. 1. At the end of October, I had 3 nerve blocks done. It took less than an hour and it was done in a less than stellar setting. I will never again have this procedure done at this facility. So far I have only received the doctors portion of the bill which was 4,683.00! The doctor was great but really? The bill for the facility and drugs still coming. Because I moved to wi, mid year and had to Change insurance, my portion of this bill was 2,000 because I had not yet hit my max out of pocket. 2. On November 16th, I had surgery to remove a neurostimulator from my spine so that I can have an MRI to figure out what is going on. Surgery took just short of 2 hours and I was sent home 3 hours later. On the way out the door, they gave me 1 5/325 Vicodin. The bill for that 1 pill was 18.75! My copay for this medication now is 10.00 for the 10/325 and I get 120! Really? The bill for the hospital and supplies was 18,758. Still waiting for the neurosurgeon's bill. The only good news about this is my max out of pocket was paid. Now, I blew my rotator cuff and I have severe bone on bone arthritis in my left shoulder requiring surgery on 2/12. Here we go again. My max out of pocket, another 2k. And we are moving in the spring to another state which means I get to start all over again this year. By the way, they found a benign tumor (Schwarnoma) on my T11 nerve root in my spine. With the pain I am in and more importantly my inability to breathe deep, they are going to want to do surgery to remove the tumor and honestly I need to have it done so I can get back to work soon. All these damn doctor bills are killing us. I am not sure where supposedly the cost of insurance has gone down. This year it went up from $1100 per month to $1400 per month? Since I am unemployed I pay $1400.00 a month out of pocket. Because These medical issues have been going on for the last 1 1/2 years, I have had to use up my entire 401k that I worked my whole life for to cover the costs of living and mostly medical bills. I hope at 52 I am able to start completely over again, but first I need to get well. I applied for disability just until I can get back on my feet but it's been nearly 6 months and have heard nothing. How the hell long does it take them to figure this out? Everyone asks me all the time if I ever regret having WLS. I wish I would have had WLS 10 years earlier, maybe this arthritis would not have taken such a toll on my spine and gobbled up my life savings. The cost of medical is absolutely outrageous!

Hi there! While working for the company I recently got laid off from I had the opportunity to work from home. I thought at first I would not like it and was really worried about losing the connections you make with others while working in an office. Well, I was wrong. I absolutely loved working from home. I was much more productive at my job. My performance reviews were very high because of the productivity and quality of my work. Also my ability to socialize came from lunch meetings and other social events. It also gave me the ability to go to things like the doctor or other appointments on my timeline. I found my ability to follow my diet was better as well. When I worked out of the corp office, I would skip Breakfast and lunch and would come home after 10 hours starving with a major headache. I survived on espresso coffees. I actually hope that when I am able to go back to work that can find a job in which I can work from home. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

@@Backer16 You rock! And because of your support your wife will definitely be more successful! I too have an incredible supportive husband who has been there every step of the way. There are some things that were great and some things where he meant well but made me cringe. Helped: Keeping all bad stuff away from me during the pre op diet which is very very hard. In fact, he would not eat anywhere near me for those 10 days Encouraged me before during and after the surgery, truly being excited for me. Celebrated my milestones by telling me how great I looked and even buying gifts of clothing or encouraging me to buy that cute workout gear because I had earned it. Went clothes and shoes shopping with me and seeing how excited I was because I could pretty much fit into regular clothes and shoes in regular stores. Unfortunately he doesn't say no though, and in fact would encourage me to buy things that wouldn't fit 2 months later. LOL! What didn't work: My husband at first was afraid to eat in front of me. Didn't bother me but he felt guilty mostly because he still eats crap. It left me feeling like I was always eating alone and very different. When he finally did get comfortable he started bring serious crap into the house. chips, Cookies, crackers and because he feels guilty, he sometimes brings me something I shouldn't have. In the first 6 months it was easy for me to say no, now there are days when I don't say no and I should. For example, he had McDonald's About 2 weeks ago and he brought me an apple pie! I told him never ever do this again. But I ate it! These things, although he means well is not helpful. In the beginning when we would go out to eat. I would order something eat 3 or 4 bites and the server would always think I didn't like it. My husband would then tell them I had surgery and couldn't eat anymore. It took him along time to realize that this really bothered me and was completely unnecessary. Now, we simply ask for a to go box right away. Many times we share a meal. I did tell him this bothered me but he was afraid it was rude to not eat everything. He was raised to clean his plate. Now, he totally gets that the portion control in this country is horrible. Apparently in the beginning he was more concerned about insulting them than realizing sharing my personal business bothered me. In his defense, if someone asks I will always be honest so he thought it didn't bother me. We are 15 months post op and have learned a lot of lessons. I say we because my decision to have weight loss surgery definitely impacted both of us. I cook different, shop different and that impacts what we eat and even when we eat because I do all the cooking. I also do not eat fast food ever so if we go out to eat or get to go food, I look for dense Protein and veggies. You can't get that at McDonald's. This impacts his decisions as well and probably does make him a little healthier in the process. He is now watching his weight, thank goodness so he has stopped bringing crap into the house which is definitely helping me. I wish you both the very best of luck! She is very lucky to have someone so supportive. I don't know what I would have done without my hubby through this process,

I am with Daisy on this one. These drug companies as well as medical facilities themselves seem to be jacking up the prices but there are other options. Also, talk to your doctor, they may have an option for you that can help. I am on the drug Stelara for psoriatic arthritis. I get a shot at my doctors office every 8 weeks. I have been on 90ml for about 5 years now. This drug costs about 12k for each one. Yes, I said 12k. Thankfully Stelara helps with my portion of the drug which is 80 percent. When I dropped from 310 to 220lbs they moved me to a lower dose. I tried that for nearly 6 months and my disease started kicking up badly. My doctor determined that we needed to keep me on the high dose even those I am well below the 220lb threshold. When he put the order through of course my insurance company said no frighten way. She is 175lbs and all we are paying for is the smaller dose. My doctor went to Stelara and they are now providing a second dose for me. They give him extra samples so instead of getting 1 shot of 90ml, I get two every 8 weeks. Doctors can really do more than they like to help us with these issues. I am sure he can give you the name of a pharmacy that won't rip you off. I can completely relate to your pain! I have severe osteoarthritis of my spine. 6 back surgeries, multiple fusions. 1 more surgery coming up on my left shoulder and likely they are going to have to go into my thoracic spine as they found a benign tumor that is putting pressure on the T11 nerve root.

Thank goodness! I hope all works well for you and you are able to have your surgery very soon! God bless you!

For me it completely depends on the food. I am 15 months out. If I eat yogurt or soft foods like that, I can eat about a cup max. If I eat a salad with some dense Protein I can eat about 2oz of the protein and a cup of the salad. If I am eating dense protein and veggies I find I am lucky to eat 2oz of protein and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of veggies. I do however stay fuller longer on the dense protein and veggies vs. all the other stuff. For me things like soup and yogurt are slider foods which slip through my pouch pretty darn fast. Unless of course that soup is more like a cross between a stew and a soup and is very meaty. Yesterday I made beef vegetable barley soup homemade and I let it become more like a stoup as Rachel Ray would call it. About 3/4 cup kept me full for hours and I could barely finish it. It had about 18 grams of protein in it so an excellent option.

@@waterbaby I had the same problem after surgery. I had spent a small portion on powders only to find out I would gag and ultimately vomit. There is no possible way that you can eat enough at this point to give you the Protein you need to stay healthy. You can become malnourished very easily by not getting the right amount of protein in your system and worse your body must have it to heal and to lose the weight you intended to. Sorry for the tough love here but it is time to pull up your big girl panties and find yourself a supplement that works for you. When this happened to me, my surgeon recommended trying Premier Protein ready made shakes. The texture and grit is gone as is all the prep from the powders. The smell of whey protein is gone they are not overly sweet and they have a whopping 30 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar and 160 calories in 1 (11) oz. shake. For me that meant I could drink 1 a day and get the rest in food or at most 1 1/2. They have little covers on them so you can refrigerate the rest. Honestly for me the chocolate is the best because it is not cloyingly sweet but the strawberry is not bad for a change. They also have vanilla but for me that was too sweet. You can get small packs at Walmart and some Walgreens or you can get them at costco or Sam's in bigger bulk cases. Costco has them on sale this month for 5.00 off an 18 pack this month.

Congratulations! I hope you get your approval and surgery date very soon!

I swear I am in shock after reading this! Never ever ever have I had a surgeon decide to do a different surgery without me knowing in advance and proving written authorization to do so. Are you here in the U.S?? The closest I came was I recently had to have a spine operation that included them removing an old neurostimulator. When I woke up, I found out they had to change their approach causing much larger open incisions and 3 of them vs. 2. In this case it was a necessity but I was disappointed mostly because the pain to recover was much more significant. I really hope after all you have been through that this surgery works for you. I wish you the very best of luck!

Zync products like coldeez work best. Not trying to make fun but I do like the idea of standing naked in a bucket of frogs! LOL! It is cold now here in Wisconsin. Was 28 for the high yesterday and I hate getting up and out of my nice warm bed. In about 4 months my husband and I are moving to the Nevada desert and I cannot wait.vwe always wanted to retire out that way. No more frigid cold winters and I could care less if I ever see snow again! I will watch it on tv! LOL! Good luck with your surgery next week. I hope all goes well and you are on the road to recovery soon. Get ready for a whole new life!

I agree! It might work for a short time but clearly my body is proof that over the long haul it simply is not true.