SBowen135

Thank God! I was beginning to wonder if this was going to be my new norm lol.

I will be 6 days out tomorrow from my surgery and my biggest problem is gas. EVERYTHING I eat puts tons of gas on my stomach causing my stomach to constantly rumble and hurt and even makes me feel hungry too. I know crazy huh? I've been living off of gas medicine since my surgery and hoping that once my stomach heals and adjust that this will go away.

Congratulations on your surgery! I just had my surgery on 3/15/2017 and I'm doing great as well. I am also excited to get over the recovery phases and back in the gym to see those results. Before my pre-op diet I weighed 249, on the date of my surgery I weighed 238, and currently I weigh 230. I'm so excited since February 21st I have lost 19lbs!

Nope they told me that nail polish is ok for my surgery on Wednesday

My Nut taught us about mindful eating, which is about paying attention to your body, only eating when you're hungry, and stopping when your full, but I will continue to watch my calories and carbs to ensure not go overboard. My surgery isn't until this Wednesday, but my goal is to try to stay around 500-800 calories increasing to no more than a thousand and to take in no more than 45 carbs daily. From what I've read on other posts that is the average caloric and carb intake for everyone that sees the best results, so I'm praying that it's right for me as well.

I too have been praying for my surgery, which is this Wednesday the 15th, that there be minimal pain, no nauseous or vomiting, speedy recovery, no loose skin, and to be successful all the days of my life in this journey. I'm so grateful that He is providing me with this opportunity and has made away that it's already paid for as well He has also made the 2 week pre-op diet very tolerable for me, so I know that He will be with me providing me with the healing and strength I need to make it through. I pray that God continue to bless you in your journey as well!

Thank you so much, I appreciate that! I want this so bad and I'm very excited to see he new me, so giving up is gaining in my eyes.

They served brownies along with key lime and chocolate petifores tonight at my church ladies meeting and I set watching the other ladies enjoying while I ate my salad, but that's ok it will be worth it all one day when I'm thin and healthy.

Good for you! I also had a "breakup" with certain foods myself over a week ago when I began my pre-op diet. My surgery is next Wednesday on the 15th and honestly the pr-op diet has not been as hard as I thought I would be, thank you Jesus. Trust me I have been praying for God's help in this because I loved sweets lol, but since beginning this pre-op diet I have not been craving the sweets as I did before. Sometimes I do like last night, but I made me some protein ice-cream with 1 c of unsweetened almond milk, which is only 1 carb, and 1 scoops of Isopure, chocolate protein, which is 0 carbs, and 2c of ice, and blend it all up in your blender. It gave me my protein and cured my craving for chocolate. So yes, this is very doable, we've just got to look for foods/recipes that are a healthy alternative to our cravings and fit into our lives. We can't look at as losing weight means losing our favorite foods, we have to look at losing weight as gaining a healthy lifestyle that will result in a fuller life. We can do this!

Whooo Hoooo!!!! March 15th is my surgery date!!!!!!!

Congratulations! Praying for you

Prayers for you! My surgery is a week from today

I, like you, had many concerns about the surgery prior to making my decision to have it, but what made my mind up was being put on an insulin pump as well as the 3 pills that I take for diabetes. I'm sure that we will experience some bad days (my surgery is on 3/15/17), but I look at it as those bad days can't be no worse than the bad days we have spent being unhealthy and struggling with our weight. As far as missing out on some of the foods, I am learning new recipes that allow me to enjoy some of my favorite foods, but in a much healthier way. For example I love ice cream, so I found a recipe consisting of 1/4 c almond milk, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (I use Isopure protein that is carb and sugar free), and 1/4th of a frozen banana (or any other fruit that you like just freeze it) and simply add all ingredients together in blender and blend. The calories and carbs will depend on the fruit used, but it's a very good ice cream that allows you your protein as well. Don't give up you can do this! This isn't a diet it's a lifestyle change, welcome the challenge of making it enjoyable with great new recipes, fun exercise, and hitting your goal weight. There are some things that I never dreamed would be good such as cauliflower rice or cauliflower mashed potatoes, but they are really good and low carb as well. So I've decided to give it all that I've got and get thin and healthy. One thing that has motivated me over the past few months of preparing for the surgery has been looking at before and after pics and reading their stories, it's truly inspirational so give it a try. I pray that you're blessed in your journey!

I received my approval last week and my surgery date is March 15th. Only 1 and 1/2 weeks away and I am super excited to begin this journey. I can't wait so what I look like a year from now, I've never been thin so it's going to be like opening a gift!

I have BCBS and I also had to go through a six month process in which I attended classes, had visits with my surgeon, as well as had to have visits with my PCP. I'm not sure about yours but the way mine worked was that the dates of my classes and visits so long as I followed the guidelines of being seen every month, but as I understand it you were not seen in November due to holiday scheduling so maybe if anything they will count your December visit as the next month and then you will just have to go an extra month to make up for the November visit missed. If your insurance is anything like mine you will probably need to talk with someone in authorizations just because that's the area of the company that approves the surgery and would have a better idea of the situation. My surgeon's office sent my information in on Friday February 24th and I received my approval on the 28th, which shocked me because I expected it to take longer, but I called and spoke with someone in authorizations and they told me that it only takes 2 business days. So I would definitely call them. I wish you the best!

The thing about our bodies is that is does not recognize a bad calorie from a good calorie, a calorie is a calorie, but it does recognize the nutrients in foods. We do need a small amount of carbs daily for energy and for our brains to function normally, but the carbs should come from whole wheats, oats, and grains. Now that's not to say that on OCCASION that we can't treat ourselves to a sugary desert, but over all we need to be eating healthy carbs. I learned a long time ago that it's actually good to have a cheat day every so often allowing yourself a few extra calories and carbs because by eating the same things over a period of time your body will get used to those things and you will not lose weight, but if you change your diet by adding those few extra calories and carbs you throw your body into shock so to speak and it boost your metabolism and you see weight loss, which could be the case with Proud2BMe. I believe the key to our journey is learning moderation. Yes we most definitely need to stick to a healthier way of eating, but at the same time if you have a small sugary snack every so often (not every day) it doesn't make you a failure nor is it going to put 200 lbs back on you. That day just increase your exercise to make up for the calories and carbs. We have to learn the balance necessary to be successful in this journey. Remember that it is for the rest of our lives and that every day is not going to be perfect, so just do the best that you can and strive to make the next day better than the last.

Could being cold after surgery/weight loss be anemia related?

I also use Isopure and I ordered it from bodybuilder.com, which is cheaper than GNC, and love it.

I'm so excited I found out today that I was approved!!! I'm with High Mark BCBS and it only took them 2 days to approve me, so maybe it will come fast for everyone else. Now to get my surgery date and get through my 2 week pre-op diet then I will FINALLY be on the losers bench.

My surgery is supposed to be in March, I'm just waiting on approval from my Insurance and then a call from my surgeon with a date. I'm so excited and ready to get this on the ball!!!

I LOVE Isopure! I just recently bought 5 different flavors (Chocolate, Cookies and cream, Orange/Strawberry/Banana, Banana Cream, and Strawberry) and love all of them. I like the fact that it's carb free and lower in calories than other shakes. I found that bodybuilder.com was the cheapest to order from and has tons of flavors.

I go tomorrow for my pre-op class and my final appointment with my surgeon, then all I need is a surgery date and approval from my insurance company and I'm all set.

I love the sugar free popsicles also and was just thinking last night that I will start making my own from Crystal Light and water, which would be less calories and carbs and a "cool" way to get my water in this summer lol

Thank you so much brooklyn42. I've told my husband that my nutritionist's info sounds really wacky compared to all of the research I've done about the surgery as well as what I have read from those who have had the surgery. I'm not really sure if my surgeon is aware that we are being told not to drink the protein shakes or not, so I'm going to talk to him next week. Personally I'm going to do the protein drinks regardless of what she says lol.

Although I haven't began my pre-op diet because I don't have a surgery date yet, I'm really confused about the pre-op diet that I was given by my nutritionist. The diet I was given states that 2 weeks prior to surgery I go carb free, which allows meat and vegetables but no fruit or dairy , then 24 hours prior to surgery we are to do a liquid diet NPO after midnight. My nutritionist is also telling us in our classes that we don't have to do the shakes because we will get our protein from our foods. I understand that every surgeon is different, but from what I've been reading it sounds like the nutritionist that works with my surgeon is misleading the patients. I go for my final appointment to see my surgeon next week before getting my surgery date and plan on talking with him about both the pre-op and post-op diet because I so badly want to be successful in my weight loss and do no want to experience any complications from not getting te correct amount of protein and other nutrients.