KarenLoh

You are lucky you don't HAVE to have your PCP on board, but you are right that it's good to do so. I had the best PCP ever - I mentioned the desire for surgery (58 years old and 417 pounds) and she jumped right on it. Wrote a letter to my insurance to get precert for the weight loss program at our affiliated hospital. I did that for a year and was finally ready for surgery. I am so sad that that PCP (who was there just when I needed her) is moving away with her husband to a new city. It's a huge disappointment. And my insurance didn't cover bariatric surgery until THIS YEAR. I got the surgery in August and now my employer is changing insurance companies and I don't know if it will be covered next year. I feel so blessed. Love your name by the way. :-)

Way to go YOU! I'm another person who goes from highest weight. It really tells me how far I've come.

Pea523, No idea on the bougie. I was 384 on the day of surgery.

Premier Protein. Love the chocolate. Also Syntrax Fuzzy Navel. It's like tang for Breakfast. Good stuff.

" the point is to 1) prove you are committed to a life style change 2) get you used to smaller portions and 3) lose fat around your abdomen and liver." The pre-op diet was the best thing I could have done to prepare for post-op life for the reasons above in 1) and 2). After the surgery, I wasn't suffering horrible withdrawal from food because I had done that already for two weeks pre-op. I was happy with my liquid nutrition in small amounts and content is the best word I can think of. I'm lucky in that I never got tired of the Premier Protein shakes from Sam's club. I mixed in some other Proteins from time to time, but those have remained my staples. I still drink them for breakfast at four months.

I am also disappointment in the lack of restriction I feel. I'm also disappointed in how hungry I am even after taking 40mg of omeprazole. I am doing great, feeling great, losing weight (slowly) but I can eat way more than I should be able to eat and from time to time I do. I'm always disappointed in myself but that part of me wasn't changed by surgery. At least I can't eat 3,500 calories a day like I used to - or more on a really bad day. A bad day now is 1,800 so that's an improvement. The surgery was still a big help but I wish I was like others I see on here who can't eat very much.

I take 40 mg of omeprazole in the morning and I get a little bit hungry before lunch (about 11am) and VERY hungry in the afternoons (like right now at 2:18pm - grrrrr). I don't want to increase the dose or take it more often as it costs a lot of money. I'm learning to accept the feelings in my stomach and know that I don't need more food, just to get busy at work and forget about it. It's not an emergency. It's just my stomach.

I'm only in my fourth month post-op and my calories range from 800 to 1400 a day. The key is the Protein, as others have said, and taking the supplements. I have never felt more energetic or healthy than I have since the surgery. I wouldn't have believed I could survive on this few calories, but I have all the energy I need and a better attitude about food. Good luck in your research.

My loss feels slow also in the last month. I did well pre-op and the first month, but now in month four it feels super slow. I'm doubling down on the eating habits, dropping one snack during the day and resuming tracking on my phone for protein totals and total calories. I have NOT been exercising and that is also a problem. I just hate hate hate it and so I don't do it. Need to start at least three times a week. Need to... Keep up the great work. 35 pounds is nothing to sneeze at. Also, the 74 pounds on my tracker below is from my highest weight. I'm only down 40 since my surgery 8/11/15.

We are having Chinese food for Thanksgiving this year since there is just two of us. Movies and Chinese food. A fantastic way to spend the day. :-) I'm stoked. Congrats on doing so well. I got 8/11 surgery and doing great.

I admire you for what you are doing. So SMART! I was bouncing around and not doing well and stayed off the scale for a week and today was down four pounds. It is so motivating to eat right and do what is needed. The main thing is that I am feeling so much better already even though I still have 122 pounds to go. Life is good.

I had to do half days the first few days. Four hours day one and two, six hours day three. Just being up and at work helped me to get stronger. Planning ahead to have plenty of Water (that's what sent me home early on day two, I forgot to drink) and my food all lined up for meals and breaks. Good luck to you. I hope you feel better soon.

Bufflehead: "I remind myself that hunger is not an emergency" That is where I'm getting to also. I take Omeprazole to help control the hunger but then when it comes right down to it, I find that if I can distract myself with work or reading or something, it fades and I can get past it. I HATE feeling hungry, but it isn't an emergency.

I would encourage you to realize that once you start... it will be harder to stop. It is better to not start drinking these un-helpful beverages. Cravings pass quickly if you don't give in to them. Good luck!

The Omeprazole was a must for me both pre-op and post-op. I couldn't get by without them (I take 2 a day). Without it I have too much hunger. It's an expense that I don't enjoy, but it is a must for me.

Frozen blueberries in bowl, covered with nonfat vanilla yogurt (that then freezes on to the blueberries). Within a few minutes it is a frozen yummy delight. I pass three ice cream or frozen custard stores on my way home and the thought of this treat waiting for me gets me driving right by them. That and the frozen custard made me throw up the first time I tried it post-sleeve. Too much fat I think. Frozen blueberries and yogurt rule!

I've had a lot of hunger since my sleeve in August. I attribute it to gas and acid. I take Omeprazole every morning and that helps tremendously but I still get hungry. If your MD hasn't recommended something for acid or gas, ask them about it. The Omeprazole (Prilosec generic) is a must for me.

I am NOT a cooker either. I just posted this elsewhere but here goes anyway... Low fat refried Beans. I had 4 ounce containers I would put them in and just microwave them for 40 seconds and maybe put a little bit of low fat shredded cheese (sometimes, I really couldn't taste it so often left it off). This was warm and savory instead of sweet and made me very happy in the evenings. Good Protein. lunch would be low fat Greek yogurt. Also high in protein. I can't do cottage cheese and eggs didn't sit really well either so these were my mainstays.

My EGD was done at a hospital close to home since my surgeon is an hour away. It was not really so bad but since I was at a hospital that doesn't do bariatric stuff, the machine was almost too small for me to fit. They had to lay me down and have me move around and turn to get the barium to coat my stomach. It was weird. Let us know how yours goes.

Refried Beans were my favorite thing. I looked forward to them all day and that was my supper. I still like them and eat them once in a while when I don't have anything else prepared. Greek yogurt was a fav too and I still eat that daily.

I'm only 3 months out but I went to a movie for the first time post-surgery and the sides of my hips did not SQUEEZE into the seat. There was a little bit of air between me and the arm rests. Yay!

Thank for the info about popcorn (and chips). That makes a lot of sense. I usually NEVER get popcorn at the movies but I was there alone and planning a double feature (Bridge of Spies and The Martian) and indulged. Water under the bridge and now following the program. Protein makes me happy.

Libby43, I am 3 months out. I have had some times when I ate a LOT more than the 6 ounces and I don't understand how that is possible, but most of the time I'm full after that much and need to listen to my stomach and stop.

I went to a movie and got the smallest popcorn they sell but it was still four times what my 3-month post-op stomach should have been able to hold. I sat there in the movie and was able to eat the entire bag of popcorn! How is that possible? It scared me but I felt fine and that was two weeks ago and no problems since. What's the deal? It bothered me so much I won't do it again but I sure don't understand this new stomach of mine. Since then I've been by-the-book and doing well. I can eat more than I think I should be able to though.

I'm with Cowgirljane, we were told to throw away our scales and do everything by volume now. I (unfortunately) can eat six oz by volume of almost anything except straight meat (still 4-5 for that). I also track everything in MyPlate and love it. It's been fun seeing the numbers be so much lower than they were pre-op.