blizair09

Good luck!

Welcome. Good luck as you continue your journey.

Good news!

My plan doesn't restrict caffeine, but at Day 69 post-op, I haven't had any in 72 days. I'm kind of hesitant to bring it back at this point because I was so ridiculously addicted to it all of my life, and if I can go 72 days without it, I am over that at this point. But I do miss Diet Coke -- a lot! But I also know that I just can't have the carbonation, so if I can't have that, I'll just live without caffeine. I was never a coffee drinker anyway.

Congratulations!

Awesome job! Good luck on Friday!

I followed a low carb/high protein/high healthy fat diet plan during my pre-op diet and I have continued that post-op (even through the food stages). I have eaten less than 20 carbs per day every day since the beginning. I wanted to lose as much weight as I possibly could pre-op. The doctor had zero expectation of weight loss, and until about month 4, I was just another person that they pushed in and out as fast as they could during those "diet visits." By the fourth visit when I had lost well over 50 pounds, they finally said something about it and spent more than 5 minutes with me. Part of it was that I wanted to lose half of the weight on my own before the surgery. Part of it was that I wanted to make the most of the six months I had to do diet visits. Part of it was that I was just ready to do something about my weight problem, and I didn't want to wait on the surgery to do it. To me, the surgery is a supporting player in the second part of my weight loss journey, not the star and certainly not the destination. Good luck!

I lost 99 pounds during my six-month insurance-required diet program (from 397 pounds at my PCP appointment to 298 pounds on the day of surgery). It was the best thing I ever did, and I am so thankful that my insurance had that requirement! Good luck!

Great progress! Keep up your awesome work!

Not thinking about it, I drank Water from a straw the other day (finishing the entire glass of water) when we were out and about. I had no ill effect whatsoever.

I eat 8 times per day spaced about 90 minutes apart. Across the entire day, I have 4 oz of salmon, 2 oz of ground beef, 1 scrambled egg, 2 pieces of bacon, 1 piece of American cheese, 8 oz of cottage cheese, 2 T of sugar-free strawberry preserves, 2 string cheeses, and 3 oz of green Beans. That comes out to 900-950 calories, 19 grams of carbs, and 90ish grams of Protein each day, along with 120 oz of Water. I stay on it all day, and it takes me 12-14 hours to get it all in (accounting for drinking in between and allowing the appropriate times before and after drinking as instructed). It is worth all of the monitoring and effort to not have to ingest any Protein shakes of any kind anymore!!! Good luck!

I am very sorry. I know this is a tough time.

I'm the same way.

I take total carbs minus fiber. I keep my carbs below 20 per day, and those come from 3 oz of green Beans, 8 oz of cottage cheese, and 2 T of sugar-free strawberry preserves over the course of the day.

This journey is more a mental exercise than anything else...

Just wanted to give you props. Was craving sweets today. Ate cottage cheese and strawberry preseves... it did the job and it was delicious! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using the BariatricPal App I'm so glad that you liked it. It is one of my favorite things to eat during the day!!

I have BCBS Anthem. The approval came through 2 weeks after the paperwork was submitted to the insurance company. As you can see, it really varies from person to person. Your practice's insurance coordinator will be able to best advise you on approximate times. Good luck!

The mental game in this journey is definitely the hardest part. Congratulations on your success so far. Your hard work is paying off!!

I would call the on-call doctor at your practice today. A few weeks ago, I developed an infection in the incision inside of my belly button. A week of antibiotics cleared it right up, but if I had not called, it would have just gotten worse. Good luck and feel better.

I make a consumption record in a word doc each day that keeps up with when I eat or drink and what I eat or drink. I typically front load Water in the morning (48 oz after the first time I eat and 32 oz after the second time I eat). In the beginning, I would set an alarm on my phone that would remind when to eat and drink. Now, I am used to it, so I am able to keep up without an alarm. (But I still write everything down and it still helps me.) It takes me 12-14 hours to get everything in (allowing the 30 minutes before and after eating with no water), but I haven't had to rely on Protein shakes at all in weeks. I took 6 weeks off of work, so I was able to devote myself 100% to my recovery and learning how to eat and drink in this new way. Now that I am back to work, and even working from home, I have to be careful to stay on top of everything. It is very easy to get wrapped up in something and an hour go by and you don't drink. Good luck.

I spent one night. Since I was my surgeon's last surgery of that day, it was less than 24 hours total from arrival to departure.

This is a YMMV situation. I can tell you I have never had diarrhea -- explosive or otherwise. (Although there were times I wish I had diarrhea as opposed to the constipation that comes and goes...)

I've lost 40 pounds total during the first 2 months post-op and 139 pounds total since the beginning of my six-month pre-op diet program. It isn't linear like my almost-clockwork-3-pounds-per-week loss pre-op, but it has always trended downward. I just make sure to hit my Protein and Water goals every day, stay away from carbs, and trust my plan. Good luck!

Day 3 post-op was when I made myself get up and get out of my building. The first few days, I did the obligatory walking up and down the hallway like my doctor asked me to do, but it wasn't until I forced myself to get up walk around outside that I started feeling better. And it was a super swift recovery after that. Good luck!

At my heaviest, I weighed 397 pounds at 6'0". During my six-month insurance-required diet program, I lost 99 pounds, weighing 298 on the day of my surgery (same as you now). Even having lost all of that weight pre-op, I knew that I needed the surgery. I needed it to anchor the second half of my weight loss. I needed it to help me not gain all of the weight back later. I needed it to help me finish taking control of my life. I needed it to help me carve out a healthy pathway to lead the second half of my life. The food stages immediately after the surgery sucked. Of course they did. I lived on liquids for over 3 weeks. (And I was lucky; I didn't have to do the 2 week pre-op liquid diet of death that most people have to do because I lost all of the weight I did pre-op.) The day of surgery and the first 2 days after sucked. Of course they did. I had major surgery, and put my body through a trauma. But, you know what? By Day 3, I started rebounding, and it was quick. By Week 7, I had been through the food stages. Now, I am at Week 9 post-op, and I feel great. I've lost another 40 pounds since the surgery and I am well on the way to meeting all of my goals. Yes, you have to have discipline along with perseverance, grit and mental toughness to be successful in this journey. The surgery doesn't do it for you. But if you can find it within yourself to muster those necessary qualities, you will be successful. I'll admit, I've been lucky. My partner has lost 110 pounds as I have lost almost 140. He weighed 316 when he started, so he didn't have quite as much to lose as me. He didn't go the route of the sleeve, and has been successful, but he hasn't battled his weight all of his life like I have. He has been my rock and nothing but supportive of everything, as I have been to him. I'd have a serious sit-down with your husband and try to get at the real underlying reasons for his feelings. Does he battle his weight? Is he insecure about your relationship in any way? My partner and I both know that outside attention from other guys when we go out is going to become something we have to deal with. In fact, we already are having to deal with it. That is just how the gay male world works. Anyway, good luck as you continue your journey. I have no regrets at all, and I wish the same for you.