FocusOnMeNow

It's a slippery slope. You don't really want to get back on that hormonal/insulin roller coaster do you? What do you mean by moderation? If you mean the naturally occurring sugar in fruit and lactose in dairy which also comes with nutrients and at least for the fruit, some fiber then enjoy in moderation but what purpose would adding extra empty calories with no nutrients serve? Of course we should all have the occasional treat, but we must keep them truly occasional or else they can turn into a habit, which for me turned into an addiction. Personally I allow myself one single serving of Hagen Daz once per month and also the few grams of sugar in the Dannon strawberry cheesecake Greek yogurt on a nearly daily basis. It's yummy and just enough with protein so it doesn't spoke the insulin. I for one am not getting back on that roller coaster ever again.

@@OutsideMatchInside - really looks like amazing stuff now that I have looked a bit closer. I am def going to try some of these products and hope for the best.

Ok so when I went into this surgery, I just thought that I would get a tummy tuck or mom job at the end (18 months - 2 years out) and all would be well in my world. Having gone through the surgery though, which was fine, had no problems, BUT I would prefer to never have surgery again unless its absolutely neccessary. SO that brings me to my next question: does anyone have any suggestions for preventing loose skin? I have lotions with AHA, BHA, retinol serum for the body (Dr Denese), shea butter cream for stretch marks (Cerave), a dry skin brush, a clarisonic body brush, a cellulite massager, spanx (lots of spanx). Will any of this help? Or am I wasting my time or money? I am almost wanting to get the Tria laser for the face and start using it on my abdomen (but its like $600 and while it may lift a "fine line" on my face, I don't know if it will help the FUPA situation. What have you tried? I am only six weeks out but want to be proactive with this and not wait till gravity takes its course. I'm 45 and certain stuff was starting to sag even before the surgery. On the other hand, I also don't want to spend a ton of money on things that don't work. Thoughts? Suggestions? Experience? Please share.

Actually compared to some of the deals I find on beautypedia those prices are kind of steep. I can get a 16 oz bottle of 10% AHA lotion from acne.org for $33 and the MUAC lotion is $25 for only 8 oz. But it looks like it has a lot more ingredients than just AHA and a very low pH. So perhaps I will give it a try.

Yes I fully intend to do strength training a minimum of three days a week as soon as I'm permitted. I really want to build lean muscle mass and I have to if I'm going to win this race????

Honestly, my energy started to improve within days of starting the pre-op diet. About two weeks out from surgery I had another surge that has not stopped. I honestly think it is about 50% or less to do with the actual weight loss and the majority of my energy is simply me waking up from my carbohydrate induced coma and doing the Protein thing. Seriously within about 3 days most of my knee pain went away. My knees have not really bothered me at all since surgery.

I just ordered a box last week. Bummer.

Also check out beautypedia.com where they review hundreds of moisturizers both with and without sunscreen and for specific concerns: aging, acne etc. I also am a big fan of Cerave but they have several.Their basic pm moisturizer will not be thick enough for mature skin, but their Moisture Cream which comes in a tube that I have only ever seen on their website is AMAZING, especially in winter. They also have a "stretch mark cream" for body. It is highly unlikely that it will do anything for stretch marks but it is just a really great cream with shea butter. Enjoy.

I have noticed same in my feet. They are suddenly numb in spots cant figure out why. I am six weeks out. I take a ton of vitamins and my hair is growing in thicker than ever. If it is a vitamin deficiency (or whatever it is though) I would like to know. Will bring it up at my 8 week check up.

I am a big fan of telling. I have told friends, family and about 1/2 my co-workers. Not one single person has tried to talk me out of anything, and heaven help them if they did. Everyone has been super supportive. I know that everyone is not so lucky. Still I also believe that we are only as sick as the secrets we keep. Pre-op I was a bit more cautious especially with co-workers, but my boss was one of the first people I told (again lucky) but I wanted to ensure I had his support to be out of the office so much (even though I have tons of use or lose leave). Post-op, my philospophy is tell it, own it, love it, and if someone else doesn't love it, then good for them because they don't have to have the surgery;-)

My surgery was on August 17th. My highest recorded weight pre-op was 286, 274 on surgery day, and I am down to 247 now. Hoping to make it down to 246 for an even 40 lbs on my eight week (including 2 week pre-op diet) anniversary, 6 week surgiversery on Monday morning. I am still in soft foods stage (of course), but I can now eat ground beef in spaghetti sauce with zuchini noodles and high protein pasta (explore Asian high protein pasta). I can eat chicken, eggs, mashed pototoes etc. I highly recommend for your first chicken to purchase a free range organic chicken and cook it for 3 hours on 275 degrees for about 3-4 lb bird. It was falling off the bone then I fork shredded it and mixed with sauteed mushrooms and a sauce made of 4 oz boursin cheese (garlic herb cream cheese) and 4 oz of chicken stock. I eat this with a tablespoon or so of mashed potatoes (homemade) and yum yum for my tum tum. Also in addition to all the good vitamins in bariatric advantage and Premier protein, I also have been taking BodSmith liquid prenatal vitamins (available on amazon) and I have to say that my hair and nails are growing longer and thicker than ever. I just add one tablespoon of these vitamins to my vitamin water zero every day. I started on these vitamins about 6 weeks pre-op so I have been taking them for 3 months now. Knock wood that my hair doesn't fall out at the 3 month post op mark, but for the time being it is thicker than it has been for years and I have to cut my nails down once a week (or else they get too long to type). I could not be happier. I am now obsessed with doing all I can to prevent loose skin. Not sure what if anything will work.

Um, I just ordered the new "CIZE" from Beach Body, which is a dance routine that claims to be the "end" of exercise. I have not even received it much less tried it though. I like to dance though. Also planning to get a trainer as soon as I am out of walking only stage. 1 more week and 3 days to go!

I concur with the above posters that you cannot change anyone's mind, especially not with your words. But in time maybe with your deeds. Just remember that you are the only one who is responsible for your choices, not them. They don't have to live in your body, you do. I am very sorry to hear that you don't have their full support, but I don't really understand why that caused you to reschedule your surgery. Its YOUR decision. Stop asking them for their acceptance and approval, and instead love, accept, and approve of yourself. Lean on Aunt and Uncle for their support (or other supportive people) if needed, but even if you did not have their support this is still your decision, and there are "support groups" (like this one) if you need support. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself. You don't have to tell them to "F-em", just say "I appreciate your concern, but my decision has been made, the surgery has been scheduled, and I am doing what I have to do to take care of myself.' And if they try to talk you out of it just repeat "I appreciate your concern" up to about three times, and if they don't back off then you can politely change the subject or excuse yourself from the room, table, event, visit, etc. Your decision is honestly between you and your doctor and is no one else's beeswax. If you keep putting other's needs before your own, well, I can't speak for you of course but that is what got me to the point that I so desperately needed WLS. Part of my recovery is taking care of myself and taking responsibility for myself and my own decisions.

Hi! I am about 2 and 1/2 weeks out. I recently went through a break up of my own. I decided when it was over that I was going to start taking care of ME and focusing on me (hence the screen name). I did not do the surgery to meet someone else's narrow expectations, but rather for my health. Around the same time of the breakup I went to visit my 87 year old dad in the hospital which was further motivating for me not to wind up in the same place. I decided then and there I was going to take care of myself and my own health now that I didn't have to care for the other person's health issues. I started going to weekly therapy and after about 4 weeks of that I decided that weight loss surgery was the way to go, and THE BEST THING I COULD DO to take care of myself. While you may feel now that the marriage ended because of the weight gain, do not be surprised if what you find is that you gained the weight because of a marriage that did not meet your needs. My mom even made a snarky but true comment to me that if I was "really" happy that I would be losing not gaining weight (when I was in the relationship). One of the things I am working on this year is getting my needs met without being in a relationship and then at some point seeing if there is someone who fits into the life I choose, rather than twisting myself into a pretzel to fit into someone else's life. And in all honesty, I'm sick of being such a martyr. It was exhausting. Now that I'm off the sugar and caffeine rollercoaster, I have a lot more energy too. At the beginning of my journey I felt resentful that I had to go through this surgery "alone" when I had "been there" for him through many health issues of his own. My sister came to stay with me during the week of surgery, and my neighbors have been great looking after my pets when I was in the hospital, and helping me carry in "groceries" ie liquids that I could not lift post-op. Everyone I work with who knows has also been extremely supportive. Honestly, I have never felt so loved and cared for in my life, and want to know why? Because I am loving and caring for MYSELF. At the moment I could not be happier that I was liberated from that relationship (don't get me wrong, I licked my wounds for a while first). In addition to therapy, I also come here to bariatric pal to hear others stories, I spent a lot of time on you tube following sleevers Clusie and Kstar, and I attend support groups and OA. What else I have learned? I am not alone. You also are not alone. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Take care of yourself the way you wanted your husband to take care of you, and you will be amazed at the results INSIDE and OUT. I recently have been reminiscing about those Whitney Houston lyrics from all those years ago about the greatest love of all: I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadows If I fail, if I succeed At least I'll live as I believe No matter what they take from me They can't take away my dignity Because the greatest love of all Is happening to me I found the greatest love of all Inside of me The greatest love of all Is easy to achieve Learning to love yourself It is the greatest love of all I wish you peace, joy, happiness and love throughout your journey!

Thinking of making a trip to the spa before I return to work, but might just have to be foot massage and shoulder massage. How long till sleevers with hernia repair could lay on your side or stomach? Was hoping to get calf massage because they are always tight. Thoughts?

Congratulations Canyon Baby and your Dear Husband Dave! You will continually be in our thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery post surgery. Big hugs to you both.

@@OutsideMatchInside - I just wanted to chime in that I totally support you in determining the level of care that you need. It is obvious that it is the overall business practices within the office that are off putting rather than the MD vs PA thing. The sales analogy does not work though, you are not in the middle of a deal. You already bought the car and you are now taking it in for maintenance. Most surgeons will round on you day of, day after surgery, and sign your hospital discharge, and they're done. I agree that the way they are going about it is all wrong. It sounds as if they have done a poor job with following up with you. I met with both the NP and my surgeon at least twice prior to surgery. My surgeon left for vacation in Greece the day after my surgery, and I haven't seen him since.Of course, I did know about this in advance though, so it did not come as any surprise that left me feeling uncared for. My surgeon and one of his junior colleagues (also a surgeon) rounded on me day of and day after, and he left me in good hands. I also would like to thank him, and will likely send him a card to do so. I'm really sorry that you are having this bad experience and hope that you find a better place to get care that knows how to treat people like informed shared-decision makers. Good luck and all the best!

@@rmag - Congratulations! Walking will help with the gas pains. This too shall pass and especially once you drink the barium for your post op imaging study do NOT trust a fart. That stuff can wreck havoc with your system for a couple of days post op, then things should return to their new normal. @ - you are correct, not all the gas will be released via the colon, but some of it will (every little bit helps). That is why so many folks get gas pains in their shoulders (because when they sit up the gas rises to the top). Either way movement (walking) shoulder rubs (if pain in shoulders) helps work it out. However, if he is experiencing some pain in the side it is likely that it could be relieved via passing wind the old fashioned way.

Agree with other posters...definitely NOT friend material. Definitely a jealous hater with her own issues. I know her comment truly was like a punch to the gut, but living well truly is the best revenge. So please keep up the good work, and try to feel some compassion for such a sad sac, who clearly is not "winning" like you are:-)

Bariatric Advantage is also "medical grade" or "nutriceatical"/"pharmaceutical" grade. So the issue is definitely whey Protein isolate vs concentrate and isolate is much higher quality. Isopure protein (they have several kinds as mentioned above) is also isolate. I like BA and Isopure because they also come with a lot of Vitamins baked in. The other issue is that supplements are not as heavily regulated by the FDA as you might think. There are lots of supplements in the grocery store and drug store and GNC that list certain ingredients on the label, but in fact the supplement contains little to none of that ingredient when tested. Lots of ginseng supplements are actually just caffeine (ie very expensive considering that you can get same effect from cup of coffee). Many but not all of those brands sold by doctors like BA actually do get third party testing to verify the ingredients and nutritional content. I don't know if unjury does this or not, but if they do that may be why your doctor thinks it is superior. However, I am very leery of any "one size fits all" or "my way or the highway" thinking in general, especially when they are selling it. That being said my doctor does require all of his surgical patients to buy a starter pack of BA powders for the pre-op as well as a 2 week post op supply. I believe that is more just to make sure that you have some to at least get you started. But we are actually allowed to drink any brand we want, whenever we want as long as we are reaching our targets.

@ - so is your problem that you don't want to vomit or is your problem how to log the calories that you vomitted so you can eat some more? 1. Slow down: 2 oz of turkey and 1 oz of cheese may be quite too much if you have a 2 oz stomach perhaps need to slow it down to 1 oz of turkey and 1 oz of cheese - over a few minutes - try to split that up into as many bites as you can - I'm guessing you could get three bites of each - three minutes apart 2. Most other posters I see on here say once you throw up its best to go back to liquids for the rest of the day to let your tummy recover 3. If its actually nausea that's causing you to vomit then think about zofran or some other anti-emetic. Also, while you should follow what your NUT and Dr. recommend, guidelines vary and I am not allowed to start solids until 8 weeks out. So if you are on solids that does not mean you have to be on ALL solids. Maybe try solids for lunch and dinner (2 oz at a time) and go back to mushies for breakfast and liquid "snacks" if your plan allows for between meal snacking. As I have not experienced first hand yet, but seen on these boards...just because your NUT says you can advance to try eating chicken, does not mean your stomach is ready to handle chicken. So maybe start with 1 oz. and if that works try 2 oz the next time. If you barf after 3 oz then sounds like yes you are eating too much. My NUT also advised that I should not be using my stomach as a measuring cup, but rather measure my portions in advance according to the guidelines they set. I am the first one to admit that I do not stick to the serving size for pureed Soups. I can eat 8 or more oz of Soup, which scares me a little, but even with that I'm still within 800 calories. If you need to supplement your Protein there are other things besides "shakes" if you hate them. Fairlife milk, greek yogurt, etc. I hope this helps.

@@VSGAnn2014 - so psyched to hear that you can maintain 143 lbs at 1700 calories a day. That is AMAZING! I'm sure that those stats are not typical but CONGRATULATIONS!!! What is your exercise program like?

If you are getting cramps, please eat a banana, have a low sodium V-8 etc and get some potassium. Most Vitamins have NO potassium. Even my potassium supplements from whole foods have only 3% of the USRDA per caplet. If your joints (ankles, knees) are getting swollen and sore then please also soak yourself in epsom salt bath (which in addition to being soothing also absorbs magnesium via your skin). Finally, it sounds like you are doing a lot but did not specifically mention how you are stretching. Stretching and myofascial release (via massage or roller) really helps to ease some of the pain and swelling. I personally am too heavy to do foam roller (I cannot balance 250+ lbs on my tiny wrists), but you can get something that is like a "roller stick" from target for like $20 and roll your own muscles. Knee issues also possibly IT band syndrome issue. Custom orthotics while expensive make a tremendous difference. I also have "Vionic" slippers which have built in orthotics. They are expensive but I spend more time going up and down the stairs in my house than I ever could in any workout. And as other posters have said...GET SOME REST. Maybe try stretching every other day instead of doing your strength training and gradually add more strength training as you go. And some days you might want to just take an off day altogether. Last but not least, SALONPAS Patches are dirt cheap at Walmart or Target. Slap one patch on each knee before bed at night and wake up to a lot less swelling. BUT do NOT do this two weeks pre-op without checking with your doctor first. There is an aspirin derivative in SALON-PAS, which maybe something they want you to discontinue pre-op. Maybe also ask them about Biofreeze which is pure menthol and helps with joint aches pain and swelling. Again, I'm not a doctor so it could be that NEITHER of these is ok for pre-op but these are "topical" medications that might not have the same side effects as systemic NSAIDs (or they might so please check with your Dr. first). Good luck. Keep up the good work. Be kind to yourself. Rome wasn't built in a day;-)

@@Elode - I agree with you. People should get the care that they need. All I was trying to say is that bedside manner, time, focus, attention and overall knowledge of your condition frequently matter more than the degree. Your decision should be based on the level of care you are getting rather than their degree. For instance a general surgeon might not be able to answer all your aftercare questions as well as a PA or NP who has focused on bariatrics for years and years. And folks should NOT be surprised much less outraged that they have to pay the same co-pay for a visit with a PA or MD when they are both providing the SAME service. I could not be more thrilled with my care, my surgeon, my NP etc. Honestly, my NUT is not the best, and I may never know how qualified she is or isn't because she just has a bad attitude. It sounds like the OP is having overall issues but without seeing the PA she will never know if they would have been better or worse than the surgeon. It is, dare I say, prejudiced to just assume that they are going to get inferior care. That is much different than Babbs situation where she had a legitimate concern which the PA was not adequately addressing. And yes for some issues and/or complications and MD might have a better background. But you really don't know until you go. I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do about their own care: everyone should do what is best for them, rather I am just trying to encourage folks to keep an open mind and the actual level of care you may receive is less about the degree than one might think.

Ok I am not a PA or an NP but in health policy, and you had better get used to paying the same co-pay for a PA and be grateful that one is even willing to see you. My surgeon's office set this up right so I had a visit with the PA prior to surgery and love her. I also know what surgeon's consider their job - cut you up. The surgeon who is also a nutritionist sounds awesome and like someone who is truly holistic. It sounds like you are having other issues with your follow up care but IMHO the way you are complaining for a co-pay to see a PA just does not sit well with me. If you're not getting good care then it doesn't matter if its from an MD, PhD or a PA or NP. If you are getting good care it shouldn't matter either. Also, to refer to our entire health care system as "for-profit', is not neccessarily 100% accurate (understanding that most folks don't really know that). There is massive price-setting my Medicare and other players. Many physicians offices would actually lose money if the surgeon provided all of your follow up care. A lot of that can also be attributed to the higher malpractice insurance in certain markets. That insurance alone can be $100k a year and many docs get out of school with $200k in loans. That is why they have "physician extender" PAs and NPs who are very highly educated and skilled at what they do. In some markets this may increase profit margin, but in some markets the margins are so thin that they would have to literally close their doors. Medical care is also incredibly highly regulated. If I had to put up with all the scrutiny and over the shoulder looking in my job that doctors do in theirs I would quit in a heartbeat. I'm not trying to say that most surgeons are barely getting by when clearly they are doing very well. I can guarantee that unless you are the CFO of an integrated health system you have no idea what the actual costs of your surgery and/or follow up care are. In addition the amount they charged you and the amount that was reimbursed also will differ and neither may be the same as the actual cost of delivering that care. PAs and NPs provide valuable service, and I am delighted whenever I get to see a PA and/or NP who is so great at answering all my questions, and will usually be more thoughtful in their responses and take much more time with me than any surgeon ever could. I'm sorry that's not your experience.