Nurse_Lenora

I also thinking watching My 600lb life teaches me the type of mindset I need to have to be successful at this endeavor. And people like Penny teach me the type of mindset , and stubborn ignorance I need to avoid at all costs! ( that's not my personality but it's still a valuable lesson) I also feel that some people on the show would not be able to afford the surgery, gym memberships, hospitalization etc without the help of the show and to go on is a personal choice. If going on a tv show was my only means to having surgery you better bet I would seriously consider it!

I actually really enjoy My 600lb life. For the most part the outcome is positive and watching others conquer the beast makes me hopeful that I too will be successful! I have also started watching a UK version on YouTube called Fat Doctor.

I'm one of those people who loves coupons ( not for food only cosmetics, toiletries and household items). I am signed up for daily emails and this emailed to me today! Go print your coupons and hit Wal-Mart! You can print a coupon 2x per computer...

Sorry, the site to print the coupon is redplum.com

Grocery shopping today I found protein drinks at Trader Joes...35g of Protein??!??! Thoughts?? Anyone tried them??

They also have bottles but they are smaller oz wise so I didn't buy any of those.... We shall see how it tastes

Lol ok gotcha! It didn't even occur to me to consider milk based vs not...hmmmm You gave me something to think about! I haven't tasted one yet but I will update when I do

Am so ashamed to admit I've never been to the windy city. Must must get there one day. You should visit Chicago some day! We have fabulous museums, theaters, opera, symphony, the lake front is its own thing entirely. If festivals are your thing we have countless festivals it seems year round. One thing I love is how clean it is for a big city.

I love that!!!

Oh, and I'm not in NYC... So no ideas on thrift shops. I'm in Chicago and we have many resale shops ...maybe Google resale shops??

I also frequent eBay for good deals. It's amazing what you can find sometimes with tags still on!

Pre op here and ... According to my nutritionist I am allowed my coffee. Coffee with stevia and unsweetened almond milk if I *need* to lighten it a bit. I get terrible migraines and know that caffeine is needed to help alleviate my symptoms. I have gotten migraines since childhood so way before I started drinking coffee so I don't think quitting it would change anything unfortunately.

I have started a pre-op diary to remind me how being overweight makes me feel. In life in general, in clothing, shopping for clothes, eating etc... I noticed recently that a selfie taken with my partner before heading out for a quick dinner I hid behind her for the most part. How sad... I also asked her to take pre-op photos of me in a bra and underwear and I was so shocked....it's a slightly different picture than the one I see in the mirror when I am dressed and with my trusty spanx on. Come on January!!

Ok! I'm going to check it out today!

I'm not afraid of the surgery, as a Nurse I'm ok with it but crazy as it is my big fear is people guessing I had surgery! I'm a private person and have only and will only tell my partner so I really don't want others knowing. As for constipation ask your Dr if Miralax is an option, it works well and is over the counter. Or I always give my hospital patients who are post op and constipated from not only surgery but meds like morphine my concoction! It's equal parts prune juice and OJ mixed and warmed. It never fails to do the trick!

Did you blog today??

I don't know where you can find actual statistics but I personally think no matter which surgery I choose to have my chances of success, failure etc lie with me and my choices. At first I was so upset that my insurance requires a 6 month supervised diet etc. But the more I Think about it the more I realize it's a good thing because to be successful after surgery you need to change completely the way you view food and make a complete lifestyle change. So, if you really commit and change your lifestyle and how you look at and approach eating any of the WLS surgeries can be successful. Good luck in whatever you choose ! Disclaimer- of course different surgeries are right for different people

The first step you have conquered! You have identified the behavior! That's the most difficult part. Now you need to be very aware of your eating and why and ask yourself am I eating because I'm hungry? Happy? Sad? Frustrated? If the answer is anything other than hungry and it's an appropriate time and appropriate food to be eating WALK AWAY! Initially I would walk away and write down what I was feeling and why and then choose some other activity like going for a walk to help give me time to think through and process what I was dealing with that led me to eat. Good luck, it's never easy but you can conquer this!

I'm not surprised some insurance companies call WLS elective. We live in a country (US) that considers hearing loss COSMETIC! It boggles the mind.... (Steps off the Nurse soapbox )....

Congratulations on your decision! I'm also looking to have my surgery in January/ February. I am trying to be very conscious of my food choices and really start to mentally change how I approach food. One of the things I have been doing is lots of veggies....my dinner tonight was lots of lettuce with tomato and cucumber and a bit of balsamic vinegar. My protein was 2 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins marinated in a bit of balsamic. The tenderloins are about the size of half a chicken breast. But I love the boneless skinless tenderloins because they cook much faster than a breast. My dinner plate is half salad and then my two proteins. I steer clear of creamy dressings and bottled vinaigrette because they have too much sugar. For me, low to no carb is best and truly I try to get any and all carbs from my fruits and vegetables and not grains.

Glad to see there are a few of us in the same boat!

VDB~ I think everyone at one time or another has had to come to terms with what they are comfortable sharing of themselves on the internet. I deleted Facebook a few years ago and can honestly say I don't miss it or the lack of anonymity! There was a time in my life that I was completely fine with the "world" knowing my life but not any longer. So I carefully choose what to share but never lie because there is nothing to be gained from lies.

I'm sorry, sometimes doing what we know is right for us is the hardest thing to do. Don't think of it as things being taken away, think of it as you are giving up things that are not good for you and your body. I'm trying to look at eating for the most part as a necessity, something I need todo to fuel my body and keep my stomach from growling and not everything I eat needs to taste good it just needs to fuel my body and be good for me.

I hate to be mean but I would stop talking to this friend if she can not be positive.

First off, welcome to the journey! this is a decision you must make for yourself regardless of who is or is not suportive. As for insurance, follow their requirements to the letter and you should have no problems getting approved! Your surgeons office will be a huge help in that arena so dont forget to ask for their help. Good luck! Im in the process of doing my 6 months of supervised now and altthough it seems like forever its going quickly! Also, after you see the surgeon try to schedule any other appointments or tests required ASAP so you are not scrambling right before surgery to make an appointment for say Cardiology that may take a month for you to get an appointment and it delays surgery.