blizair09

Good job! The mental battle is a lot tougher than the physical one. And learning to enjoy outings for the experience, company, and fellowship is one of the significant tests!

I am still mourning Diet Coke, and I imagine that I always will. While I predominantly drink Water, I also have Powerade Zero (fruit punch specifically) and iced tea from time to time.

I don't expect to go to the bathroom every day any more, but if I get to a third day without going, I take Milk of Magnesia, and it always clears up within a few hours.

What are you eating each day? How many calories and carbs and how much Protein are you intaking each day? Are you meeting your Water goals each day? I ask these questions to try to get to the bottom of your two month stall.

Try to channel your disappointment into making positive change with your weight now. Start eating low carb (or whatever works for you) and challenge yourself to lose as much weight as you can in these next three months. No matter how everything works out, you will feel better and be in a better place than you are right now. The six months of "waiting" that I had to do pre-op was the best thing that ever happened to me. I lost 99 pounds by the day of the surgery and put myself in the best position to have a successful surgery and post-op experience. You can do the same thing!! Good luck!

I was off for six weeks. The average time off seems to be about 2-4 weeks.

Way to go!! Good for you for maximizing your pre-op weight loss opportunity. You'll SO thank yourself for that hard work later on!

Absolutely. The mental game is the biggest part of the entire thing!

I had lettuce for the first time at 2 months post-op. It wasn't a problem. I haven't had it a lot because it takes up valuable real estate that I need to use for Protein. But I have had a tiny, tiny amount maybe 3 or 4 times.

I've just gotten used to it. It's part of the package.

I would suggest the broth from the French Onion Soup. Do you soups still need to be strained at your point in your food stages? If so, they might be able to do that if you ask when you order.

Very true!

Cute!

I lost 99 pounds during my six month, insurance-required diet program. I started at 397 on March 21, and I weighed 298 the day of surgery on September 28. I weighed 238 this morning.

My family is FAR from perfect. But they would never behave in the ways that have been mentioned in this thread. I can't even imagine treating someone I love with such disdain. I am very sorry for everyone that is having to work through this incredibly difficult journey without the familial support you need and deserve.

Changing your relationship with food is a required ingredient for success in this journey. And doing it before the surgery makes everything a lot easier. I hope it works out for you. Good luck!

I have embraced a low carb/moderate-to-high protein/moderate-to-high healthy fat way of eating since beginning my six month insurance-required pre-op diet back in March. I have continued that through the food stages (leading to me having to be on liquids for 3 weeks post-op because I wouldn't eat the foods in the 3rd week because they were all carb-laden) and I still eat that way today. Healthy fat helps to burn fat when you are eating low carb. My nutritionist didn't like that at first, but I have lost 160 pounds so far, so they really can't say too much to me about it. In my case, yes, sugar is the enemy. I have cut it out almost completely. (I have less than 20 carbs per day.) And healthy fat has helped me to combat everything. Good luck!

I echo everything that @@Travelher just said. The mental game is the biggest part of this journey, and beginning to change your relationship with food and being able to deal with the mental challenges pre-op is vital to success post-op. Good luck!

If you are spitting up something random, I would call your surgeon's on-call weekend doctor just to be safe. That's what they are there for...

I lost 99 pounds (from 397 to 298) during my six-month, insurance-required pre-op diet program. It was the best thing I ever did. I did low carb/moderate-to-high protein/moderate-to-high healthy fat. I worked my way from 2000 calories to 1800 to 1500 to 1200 for the last 3 months of it, less than 20 carbs per day, and about 100 grams of Protein per day. Exercise-wise, I walked 45 minutes per day, 5 days a week, and usually something a little more strenuous on Saturdays. I'd suggest trying low carb. It has always worked wonders for me. I continued low carb through my post-op food stages, and am still following it now at 3.5 months post-op. Good luck!

Regardless of where you have your surgery and the presence or absence of certain pre-op requirements, the key to success, in my opinion and experience, is successfully changing your relationship with food. In my case, I took my six month pre-op diet program requirement as an opportunity to lose as much weight as I could (99 pounds to be exact) and to change my relationship with food BEFORE the surgery. This was a good thing for me because post-op, I was able to deal with the discomfort, physical limitations, mental game, and the food stages (especially the never-ending 3 weeks of liquids post-op) more effectively because I wasn't trying to work on that relationship at the same time. Also, when the 3 week stall hit, I had lost about 120 pounds and not just 20 pounds, so that was much easier to accept and power through than it would have been otherwise. You might find a nutritionist and psychologist locally to work alongside whatever resources (human and otherwise) are offered through your surgeon in Mexico. Good luck!

Stalls are a way of life in this journey. Sometimes, your body needs a chance to pause and catch up to itself in times of rapid weight loss. Almost everyone stalls around the 3 week mark. It will pass. If you just stick to your plan, the scale will eventually start to move again. I realize that this advice sounds very cliched, but it is true. I am 3.5 months post-op, and I have at least one stall every month, and I've lost 60 pounds since the surgery and almost 160 pounds total. Good luck!

I have BC/BS Anthem. I had to complete the six months of doctor supervised weight loss, but once I finished the six months (in August), they filed and it was approved in 2 weeks. I didn't have to submit any pictures or any other documentation beyond my narrative about my various weight loss attempts over the years. I started out at a 54 BMI, but I lost 99 pounds during my six month diet program, so I was right at a 40 BMI on the day of surgery; therefore, I can't speak to going below the 40 BMI level. I don't have any co-morbidities, so I can't speak to that, either. Good luck!

Congratulations! I know how much work and dedication it takes to be successful. Enjoy your success and keep going!!