catwoman7

baby food is fine. I never did it, though, because for some reason the thought of eating baby food turned my stomach (not sure why since it's just pureed food...)

a lot of surgeons don't do the band anymore. I just looked up plication. It sounds interesting - sort of like a sleeve only reversible - but it sounds like it's pretty new. There may not be many people on here who've had it or know much about it.

less for sure - but the cost of supplements (including protein) offsets at least some of it

you're bound to get 100 different answers here because it's so subjective, but my personal favorites are unjury and Syntrax products

I think it just took a week or so for mine

eating out - Soups, chili, non-fried appetizer (shrimp cocktail is always a good choice), or order an entree that fits into your program's parameters (nothing fried, basically Protein and vegetables) and just eat a cup of it (or however much you're supposed to be eating now). Then have them box up the rest (that is, if your hotel room has a fridge!) congrats on the plane thing - that was a huge NSV for me as well!

programs really vary on this. Some are ultra low-carb and others are more moderately low-carb - and some don't have you counting carbs at all. The ultra low carb programs want you to keep carbs below a certain number (like 40 or 50). Some people choose to go ultra low carb even if their program doesn't require it because they're very carb sensitive and/or they find they lose weight quicker that way. My program doesn't have us counting carbs - they just say to avoid simple carbs and limit complex carbs (other than non-starchy vegetables - those are fine). Because of the Protein requirements and portion control, it's rare that I go over 100 carbs a day - and i'm usually under 80 (I don't count them - but my logging software calculates them, so I know)

I was your weight when I started my pre-op diet, and now I'm 178 lbs. I had surgery two months before you did. I know you're not supposed to compare yourself to other people, although my surgeon's office told me at my one-year follow-up that I was pretty much in the middle of the pack as far as weight loss goes. So yes - it seems like you're a bit behind the crowd - but then I don't know your situation or what factors might have influenced that. HOWEVER, you still have the tool so you should be able to lose the weight. It just might be harder now because you're further out. But it can be done. Just start following your program again - Protein first, separating eating and drinking, etc. You can do this!!

yes - I had a really hard time sleeping, too. Was up at least half the night, esp when I was on my back. The person finally came in and said I could roll back over onto my side. When they called me several days later with the results, they said that during such-and-such a time, I had a whole bunch of apneas. I said that was because I never fell asleep then - but I don't think she believed me. I wish the tech had documented that I couldn't fall asleep while I was on my back - but obviously, she didn't. at any rate, my surgery wasn't postponed or cancelled because of it.

I would do WLS for sure in your situation. It could save your life.

yes. Normal. You were pumped full of gas and IV fluids in the hospital. It'll be gone (and then some) in just a few days

almost everyone has constipation problems post-op. You just have to experiment with various treatments or combos of treatments to see what works for you - Colace, Miralax, prunes, Smooth Move tea, magnesium supplements, Benefiber, etc. p.s. don't take fiber supplements like Benefiber when you're already backed up. Deal with that first, *then* start taking Benefiber regularly. Otherwise, you could make it worse. I take Milk of Magnesia when I'm really backed up, but this can only be used occasionally - not regularly

I did have a fat % check at my 6 month post op. They said I was pretty much allowed to get to 130 but they would rather me not get lower than 135. I'm 5'6 so I'm not super tall. I'm trying to find the sheet they gave me with my fat %. It was on the higher end of normal which is why I want to lose 10 more. I think it will give me a bit of a cushion and with as much as I run I think 10 pounds might make it a little easier. They said I technically don't have to lose more because I'm athletic and have a normal BMI but I just think I will feel better if I shed a little more. At least under 150, I'm not too worried about the number tho. I've been going off what feels good. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Im at 26% body fat… As an athlete I want to be around 21% Fabulous! I think I read 15-30% is normal for women, so you're completely normal!! I knew it!!

you look fine as is - I don't think you need to lose any more weight (unless you want a cushion in case you have some bounce back later). Don't forget that your bones might be dense from having to hold up 257 lbs in the past. In that case, you're probably going to look like you weigh a bit less than you do. You could always have your fat percentage checked - that's a more reliable indicator than a regular scale or a BMI chart. I'm betting it's completely normal. You look great!

yes. After the additional info was submitted, it took about a week for the approval to come

horror stories are few and far between. The vast majority of people have no complications at all or maybe only a minor one (like a stricture). It's just that the horror stories get a lot of press. And you're right - staying obese is way more dangerous than weight loss surgery. I'd honestly do it every year if I had to. Best decision I ever made.

30 lbs the first month is possible, but it's definitely at the high end of the range. It seems like a lot of people here lose 15-25 lbs (some more, some less). So her expectations sound high to me. I only lost 16 lbs my first month, and I've lost almost 200 lbs altogether. regarding your second issue - a stall during the first month is super common. Almost everyone experiences that. It's called the "three week stall", but it can happen any time in the first month. Mine lasted two weeks (weeks 2 and 3 post-op). I just stuck to my plan and dropped something like 6 or 8 lbs during week 4, when the stall finally broke.

This is sort of related, but last time I bought clothes, I ordered them from Woman Within - only I got them in regular sizes rather than plus sizes. The thought of shopping in a regular store still seems really bizarre to me. I suppose I'll get over it eventually...

I took it for the first six months. I didn't have any side effects.

I also had them done at 1, 3, and 6 months - then again at 12 months. From now on I'll have them done annually unless they're monitoring something (like Iron - I have to have that checked again in another couple of months)

my physical hunger returned when I was about six months post-op. I think it feels about the same - just not as intense

my program isn't an ultra-low carb program - it's more of a balanced program. I was told to avoid simple carbs and limit complex carbs. I usually eat under 80 carbs a day, though and only very rarely go over 100.

not phases, but I have days like that. The last couple of days all I've wanted to eat are Protein shakes and yogurt.

55, 373. 192 lbs gone!

I don't think they covered the psych part of mine, either. They covered everything else, though. It seems like some insurance companies have pretty limited coverage of mental health-related things in general, sadly.