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I've been stewing over this since June and I need some advice. In June, I had my yearly physical with my PCP. He was going over my numbers and decided to finally be honest to me about my weight and where I will be in 10 years if something isn't done. Okay. That's cool. He then proceeds to tell me, "I should have had this conversation with you years ago, but I didn't because I just don't ca-" he pauses and tries to restructure is sentence but goes off on an entirely different tangent instead. Honestly, I didn't hear a word of what he said after the pause because all I was thinking is that my doctor doesn't care about my health - the very thing I pay him to care about! Now, I feel as if I'm in a sticky situation because he approved me for WLS and I am waiting for clearance from my cardiologist (I have to take a stress test first). I've been hearing from many forums that you shouldn't change doctors when you are going through surgery. Considering my situation, my instinct is to ditch him and find a new PCP shortly after my surgery. What is your opinion on my situation? Sent from my SPH-D710VMUB using the BariatricPal App

My WLS team said that if you're tired all the time it may be because you're not getting enough carbs. Carbs are what fuel your brain, organs, and muscles, and if they do not get enough, you will feel tired/fatigued. They recommended that I get anywhere from 30-50 carbs per day. Maybe on the days you exercise try eating your max limit on carbs. It doesn't have to be a lot. Check with your nutritionist and see what he/she has to say.

I would love to see a forum that is prominent in the thread feed that allows newbies to find the answers to their questions with out having to post the same questions that we see every few weeks or so. As a newbie, it did not occur to me to use the search engine to find answers to my questions mainly because my question involved more than a few words and there are often several ways to phrase the same question. I simply did not want to spend more time than I had to, or pulling my hair out trying to find answers. Currently, is often easier to post your question and come back later for an answer. I noticed a lot of veterans and newbies too (the ones who have been members for a few months or more) are complaining about seeing the same questions being posted over and over again. I understand their frustrations, but when complaints like these are made known publicly, some people will feel less inclined to become involved in a platform that they may see as hostility towards new people. The other side of the coin is that people become so bored with the same information being recycled that they leave the forums altogether. I think that having a forum for commonly asked questions will relieve the frustrations and tensions felt on both the veterans and the new people. Do you think there may be a better solution for commonly asked questions?

I have a question: Could your liver enzymes rise after being on the 800 calorie diet for over 3 weeks? My liver enzymes have never been high before, according to my doctor. I've followed my diet to the T and suddenly my blood work shows that my liver enzymes are elevated. I've also been on a 1200 calorie diet from the middle of July to the middle of October. My 800 calorie diet started in the middle of October. My PCP ordered more blood work and an ultrasound of my liver. I'm negative on the hepatitis panels and my ultrasound shows a fatty liver. How could I get a fatty liver after months of strict dieting? Why are my enzymes so high? I'm confused. Why now? Has anyone else experienced this?

My wls team has me on an 800 calorie diet consisting of 6 Protein supplements a day. It's the easiest diet I've ever followed and I'm so surprised that I'm never hungry! The only downside is that I crave real food. I just want grilled chicken on a bed of greens like you wouldn't believe! Lol, I was joking with my hubby the other day that the dog's food smelled better than what I was eating. This is only temporary, I keep telling myself. After my surgery I'll be eating real food in a few months. Yay! Sent from my SPH-D710VMUB using the BariatricPal App

I've never been able to lose more than 40 pounds. Here I am still pre-op and I've lost 43+ pounds! Breaking that mental barrier felt amazing. You will break yours and it will feel amazing too. Good luck! :-) Sent from my SPH-D710VMUB using the BariatricPal App

DIY bath bombs! I love them things! I don't know what I'm gonna do after surgery since I'm not allowed to take baths for a month. It's shower only during that time. :-( Soaking in the tub is how I like to deal with my evening cravings.

Dare I ask the question? We all know what we will gain while losing weight; health, mobility, range of motion, a more rich and full life (and it's totally worth it!). But, what do you miss or think you will miss about being obese? For me: I remember not being obese (my childhood and some of my teenage years). I remember being cold all the time. Right now I just don't really know what being cold is anymore and I'm not looking forward to freezing all the time. I'm also afraid that my butt will hurt when I sit down. My mom lost a lot of weight and now she complains that it hurts to sit in hard or stiffly cushioned chairs. Also, I am very "blessed" in the boobular region. My girls are huge, heavy and floppy. When I don't have any pockets, it's just easy to carry just about anything under them (without a bra - which is at home only) or tuck away anything in my size H cup bra. I can hide a small dog in there! I just know they're gonna shrivel up!

If it means anything to you, we as members of BariatricPal, have your back. Too bad we can't be there in person for you. It would be awesome if there was a nation wide advocacy program for those who do not have support from their friends and family - even system to offer a PCP referral to qualified patients. My heart goes out to you and I hope you get the help and support you need.

@@summerset Exactly! You hit the nail on the head! It's definitely a price you have to pay. It's a really cheap one too. I was just curious as to what "prices" other people are paying for their freedom from obesity.

I have my computer savy hubby record streaming videos of my favorite shows (like The Walking Dead). They always cut out the commercials! I have to wait a day later and avoid social media until I watch my show!

To sit cross legged in a chair. To be able to hug my knees and place my forehead on them. (Yeah, it's weird, but I remember doing that as a child) To be able to shop for my bras in a brick and mortar store and not special ordered online (44H here). To go hiking again. I love nature!! I miss you nature!! Save your beauty for me! Kayaking! I LOVE IT! Too bad my fat butt can only fit in the SOT's and a few of the really wide mouthed kayaks. To go horseback riding again. Do you believe my husband has never been? I need to get him on a horse! I love rollercoasters! I miss rollercoasters! Dollywood, here I come next season! No more obesity related health problems, of course. Shopping for clothes kinda scares me. Maybe I'll try some of the smaller boutiques when I hit my goal. It's Ross and Goodwill for me right now! The airplane seats are for pygmie people! I can't wait to be pygmie size so I can visit my sister in Germany.

I'm not sure if I'm ready. I bought my sister a shirt a few years ago. I had a sales person approach me because I had the deer in the headlights look on my face. There were so many choices it was mindboggling!

Jaws! How refined! At least it wasn't Cujo! LOL

My surgeon has me on an 800 calorie diet for a month. I can only eat the foods offered at his office. No real food, just frankenfoods (shakes, protein bars, soups, etc). I was hoping I could have a bowl of fresh greens with chicken and balsamic vinegar and the like, but no. Just the frankenfoods. Some of them taste weird too. I just started today and I'm not hungry. That's the big thing for me. Eh, it's only 4 weeks and then I'll have my surgery. Of course I'll have to rely on some of the frankenfoods until I can eat solids but that is just temporary.

Well, it seems that people mistook what I said earlier. This is what I said: "Yes, complaining about things you missed while being obese is like complaining that the sun is in your eyes after being held prisoner in a cold, dark and moldy basement for years." What I was trying to say creatively was that what we are missing is small change compared to the benefits of weight loss. In no way was it meant to trivialize and demean other people's thoughts and feelings about what they missed when they were obese. It actually was in defense against those people who thought that my thread (yes, I am the one who started this thread) was meant to downplay the importance of weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. For me, being obese IS prison. I feel trapped and limited. So there is a personal truth in that statement. For a while, all I heard was the benefits of weight loss. Since I was obese for my entire adult life, I just knew I was overlooking some of the downsides of being a normal weight - like being cold all the time. I was curious if there was more "downsides" so, hence, this thread.

I would take what your mom says with a grain of salt and have the surgery. She's a mom, after all, and doesn't want to see her "baby" suffer.

I take BC pills and and the husband wears condoms. I take the heavy duty pills because I would hemmorage constantly - even after my cycle should be done. I'm sure that will resolve itself once the weight comes off but I'll be turning 42 before the year is out and starting a family in my 40's sounds like climbing Mount Everest 10 times in a row with no rest.

I finally had my clearance from my cardiologist a few weeks ago. I then fell through the cracks at my surgeon's office because his normal scheduling coordinator is out on medical leave (she broke her leg). I called today and finally got my surgery date! November 15th! As for the job front I will be lanching my art career very soon (working on new stuff). I gave it a lot of thought and I realize that just I don't do well with the typical 8-5 job with the managers and the supervisors and, well, people. Simply put, I'm not a people person. I shut down when there is conflict thanks to my social anxiety disorder. I will not be doing commissions. I've tried that before and hated it! I'll be selling giclees of my work on etsy.com and fineartamerica.com. My mom and my sister are just over the moon about the direction I am taking and wondered why I haven't started sooner!

So, I lost my job today. I'm already self pay, so insurance isn't the issue but the problem is that my surgery date isn't even set yet. I'm still waiting for the cardiologist to quit farting around (I mean approve the surgery). How am I supposed to look for a job and have a major surgery looming ahead of me? I don't know what to do! I'm super morbidly obese. I'm sick half the time and I need the surgery, like yesterday! What am I supposed to tell my potential employers? "Yes! I am willing to work, but you'll have to excuse me from anywhere between 2-8 weeks to recover from MAJOR SURGERY!!!" Yeah, I can see that going over well. I suffer from depression and social anxiety disorder, so it's near impossible to pull off the "I am confident and I have a great skill set" bs when I'm feeling the exact opposite. I'd rather crawl in a small, dark hole and stay there.

Yes, complaining about things you missed while being obese is like complaining that the sun is in your eyes after being held prisoner in a cold, dark and moldy basement for years.

This thread is supposed to be light, funny and tongue-in-cheek. In no way is it meant to be a way to talk people out of saving their own lives with WLS. The benefits to WLS is obvious. I'm glad a lot of you get it! Sent from my SPH-D710VMUB using the BariatricPal App

Some of you talk about being invisible while being normal sized, but I feel invisible being fat. No one looks at me. I have moderate to severe psoriasis and when I wear shorts, I get the same reaction as if I wore pants. Sent from my SPH-D710VMUB using the BariatricPal App

OMG! I know what you mean about the commercials. It's always my favorite fast food too - pizza! I'm like "Why, TV gods, why?!" Good tip about no TV while on the 800, btw.

I'm not on it yet, but when I am, I will be on it for 4 weeks. Right now I "practice" to reduce the negative effects and it's working. My doctor has me on a 1200 calorie diet in the meantime but some days I switch to an 800 calorie diet. Thankfully when I do make the switch it won't be a liquid diet. That will come a few days before surgery when he has me do a colon cleanse (like the one you do before a colonoscopy).