Mania

I'm on day 5 of my 2 week liquid diet. Has it been tough? Yes. Would I kill for a heaping plate of real food? Yes. Do I want to continue living with this unhealthy obese body? HELL NO!!! So I power through it. I drink water, decaf coffee or tea when my mind tells me that I need to eat. I have my meals only at scheduled times so I know I'm not eating out of head hunger. And I always have my eyes on the end result. Good luck to you. You CAN do this.

I have had 3 back surgeries and my heaviest recorded weight was 412. My bed is a sleep number and we have had it for many years. However, sleeping on my back is not an option for me. I sleep on my side and use a body pillow (to get a little separation between my knees). This is how I have slept for over 15 years now and it works great for me. No back pain from sleeping.

3 protein shakes a day Choice of SF Jello, SF Pudding, SF Popsicle, 4 oz FF cottage cheese, 4oz FF yogurt - 2 per day 1 broth based soup a day All the water I can drink.

Male Model/Personal Trainer/Exotic Dancer. OK. Really an IT consultant specializing in backup solutions.

So sorry to hear that you are still having headaches but congratulations on the weight loss. I am waiting until it's been a week before I step on my scale. Definitely getting about 1000 calories everyday. Gotta find something to do today to keep my mind and hands busy. I have a feeling that I will be making a lot of paracord bracelets today's report become immersed in a video game.

Day 3 for me. Better than I expected, no major headaches, but I have been working long hours at work to get my project off the ground before I take leave for surgery, so no time to really think about it. My stomach is giving me a bit of a fit right now and my head says that I would kill for a hamburger but I am determined to power through this.

Good luck. Keep us updated.

Well there is always the cure that Uncle Fester used on the Addams Family. Get a large wood clamp, place on head and tighten appropriately.

You might check with your surgeons office and see if you could use a headache powder such as Goodys. Don't know if it would make a difference or not but I bet you're willing to try anything right about now (I know I would be).

So a couple of different things First, your friend needs to re-educate herself on the whole WLS process and the fact that it is not a cure but a tool as others have said. Second, since you are cooking and weighing your food why not invite her over to your home and show her how easy it is to follow the rules that WLS patients must live by to be successful. A nice tasty simple meal, portioned correctly, may be the help your friends needs to help her make the changes that are needed. Just my $0.02

Tomorrow I enter the gates of hell. Starting my 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Tylenol (for hunger headaches) - $7.89 Protein drinks/powder - >$50.00 Water - $10.00 Healthier, non-fluffy me - Priceless

Best wishes. Let us know how you are doing.

Hello. I am scheduled for surgery on the 19th. I totally understand the freaking out part. I am fighting a cold and hope it doesn't delay my surgery. I mostly started the liquid diet today (a few extra SF jellos and Popsicles) in hopes of fending it off, so I am really freaking out that I won't be able to gave the surgery on my scheduled date.

Good luck. I can't even imagine having to cook for my family and not eating it up while doing the liquid diet. I had to do 1 day before my EGD and thought I was going to die of starvation. I bought Paracord to make survival bracelets and keep my mind and hands busy during the pre-op diet and Tylenol to help the inevitable headaches.

My date is the 19th also. Currently fighting off a cold that attacked me over the weekend. So essentially I am starting my liquid diet earlier.

Happy November everyone. This is the month that we have all been waiting for. Good luck everyone.

So my experience is very different but I will answer best I can. 1- I found them easy to work with. I was required to use Center Of Excellence (COE) through a Bariatric Resource Center (BRS). This provides me with a nurse who I talked to initially, but believe she will be more involved in following up after surgery. I also verified with my insurance beforehand what my palm covered and what was required on my end. All that being said, I was approved in under 2 weeks. 2,3,4 - I work for a large company so I don't know if that makes a difference in plans offered through the same insurer but I did not have a supervised diet requirement. I knew this before my initial visit with my surgeon. I have several co-morbidities (sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, HBP, 3 previous back surgeries) that are well documented with my PCP. That being said I would highly recommend 2 things: 1) Speak with the insurance specialist and/or the PA (or whoever Drs right hand person is) and ask them. They deal with this stuff all day every day and should be able to help you. 2) if you don't get a lot of responses, try opening up 2,3 & 4 to a larger audience, not just those that have UHC. Can't say it will be apples to apples, but might give you insight on what others had to go through Hope this helps and good luck with everything.

OK. Go

I also like the Premier brand. I use the RTD flavors and the vanilla powder to make my own smoothies. I have also ordered Unjury chicken soup flavored and unflavored protein powder for the clear liquid phase after surgery. Love the chicken soup flavored. I mix the powder with a bit of warm tap water to create a slurry and then add that to hot water to prevent clumping.

So each plan is different but I also have UHC. I was authorized by UHC within a week.

I am 5 weeks pre-op and trying to incorporate post-op eating mechanisms into my eating now. The hardest part has been chewing to an applesauce/paste consistency and no drinking 15 minutes before and 30 minutes after. What has worked for you?

Being able to walk longer distances with my back hurting or being out of breath. Not being ashamed to look at myself in photos. Not have to shop at big and tall department. Just tall. Fitting in an airplane coach seat comfortably and without seatbelt extender. Not having to worry if a piece of furniture will 'hold' me. Being active. Going to gym. Being healthy.

Thanks for the info about the bouillon. Guess I will stick with low sodium broths and soups.

It's unjury chicken Soup flavored Protein powder. It's really good but beware that when you add any protein to hot liquid (over 140F) that it tends to clump. One solution is to mix the powder with a small amount of warm tap Water (should be a thick liquid consistency) and then add that to the hot water. I am buying SF jellos, bouillon cubes, the Vitamins the NUT says I will need, and I already have a Yeti rambler cup. Pretty pricey but keeps drinks cold or hot for hours which will be huge for me when I have to sip 64oz, or as close as I can get to 64 oz, of whatever liquid I am drinking. I also purchased a food scale for weighing portions further down the road.

I was informed yesterday that my insurance was approved for 11/19. I was a little bit scared after I got the call from my doctors office to schedule surgery and my final pre-op and all post-op appointments along with pre-surgery labs and X-rays but I am keeping my eye on the prize and looking forward to living a healthier life.