DropWt4Life

Congratulations! Less than two weeks to a new you! It will be over before you know it!. Good Luck!

You will do fine. Don't worry. Good thoughts!!!! I wish you the best of luck.

Congratulations! You will do well. Yes, one week will probably be fine. I took two weeks off, but could have gone to work three or four days after. Some people do have a harder time after surgery, and require more time though. I have read about some people needing three weeks, but those were special circumstances. Make sure that you plan ahead. Have your liquids, snacks, meals ready so that you aren't scrambling last minute to get that stuff done. Good luck!

I haven't had any drinks yet, but have a company Christmas party on December 9th. I will probably have one or two that night. I had a very high tolerance before surgery, so I am expecting to handle it just fine. I normally drink single malt scotch on the rocks, but will just try a few Michelob ultras out instead. Hopefully, I can get a little buzz with that.

If you are following your plan, you are still losing bodyfat...stall or not. You lost 21 pounds in two weeks. That is a lot of weight, and your body just needs to catch up. Drastic weight loss can stress your body out, causing it to produce more cortisol. This will cause your body to hold onto fluid. You are still burning fat, but this fluid displacement might make it appear as though you aren't losing anything. Eventually, your body will release the fluid, and you will lose again. It is completely normal. Keep following your plan, and you will be fine.

Gemini, I feel your pain. On my surgery day, I was told to not have anything by mouth until surgery from midnight the night before. I finally had surgery at about 6pm my time (live in Texas, & had surgery in Mexico). I was starving, and thirsty. I didn't have any withdrawals from coffee since I had switched to caffeine free three weeks prior. I also only went from about 48 ounces of the stuff per day to 16 ounces daily. Yeah, I'm back up to 32 ounces of the stuff daily now, but I do drink half caff, so that's gotta count for something right? All kidding aside. Do what you need to do now in preparation of your testing and surgery. The last thing you want to do is to skew test results and hide (or show) something that is incorrect. If you can't go a couple of hours in the morning without coffee, then you know there is a problem you need to remedy as soon as possible. Maybe you could try the half caff now. Get used to that, and then switch to caffeine free after a few weeks. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Fluff, I made and processed soups and veggies before my surgery. I then placed them in the freezer. You could do that. I actually had some roasted butternut squash in the freezer, but forgot to process it for my pureed phase. I ended up eating it in the soft food phase. By my pureed stage, I was already back to work, and hitting the treadmill. I never felt too tired to blend things, but I sure didn't feel like cleaning up that food processor afterwards. On second thought, maybe I should have tried the baby food as well. LOL

I did peas in the steamable bags, and pureed them. I also ate cottage cheese, refried beans, grits, Quaker weight control oatmeal, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. I was also drinking green protein smoothies with a bit of fruit pureed in there. If you are feeling like something sweet, you could do that. Add half of a frozen banana, some frozen spinach, a scoop of protein powder or a Premier protein shake, ice, and water. You could even add in some frozen berries if you want, This will take care of your fruit fix if you are craving it. This stage doesn't last for very long, and some are allowed eggs during this phase. If you are allowed to have eggs, make them runny. I waited until the end of the pureed stage to have them.

It is hard to say, and only you can make that decision. I will tell you that your fingers will definitely shrink after surgery. My ring finger went from a 12 to a 9 1/2 in just 3 months. I can wear my wedding band on my thumb. I also just read that a lady that I follow in IG went from a 9 1/2 to a 6 in 8 months. There is a good reason to do it now though. Maybe your fiance' will purchase a larger diamond since a smaller one will look tiny on your finger now. Then once you lose, it will look HUGE! LOL! Man, I swear you didn't hear that from me. Don't let wls stop you from doing what you want to do. If you want to do it now, then do that. After all, it might take you a year or more before those digits stop shrinking. Do you really want to wait that long? Anyway, congratulations on your engagement.

Yeah, stalls suck. Don't worry about it though. If you are sticking to your plan, you will break it pretty soon. Normally, I have accelerated weight loss for a least a week afterward. I lost nothing on week three, then five or six pounds on week four. Same thing happened at week seven after a stall at week six, and is happening this week after a stall on week eleven. I haven't stalled for more than a week so far. At the end of a stall week, I try to increase my protein and calories a bit. I still exercise, but take it down a notch. I think that this combination helps me to break them. I will tell you what a bodybuilder that i know told me not too long ago. If you want to lean up and keep your metabolism revved up, you must consume more calories one day per week if you are restricting your calories. He thinks that this keeps your body from going into starvation mode. I agree, although more calories for me might be only 1-200 more calories. At around 1,000 calories, it is hard to think that you are breaking out of that. It seems to work though. As a side note, it also sucks to have your doctor placing a weight loss goal on you like that. It seems that he/she might be setting you up to fail. I had surgery in Mexico, and never had to worry about someone telling me how much I should have lost at any period of time. I guess that is how it might be done here in the states though. I say this, because I read every day how people here feel as though they aren't losing fast enough. They are discouraged. I tell them that everyone is different, and they will lose at their own pace. Everyone tells them that. Now, I see why people might worry. Anyway, I wish you the best of luck. Hopefully, you will be on the other side of this stall really soon.

I started out using Mylanta Maximum Strength suspension. Was looking for Maalox Max, but couldn't find it. It worked for me. I only took it for a few weeks though. I eventually got myself off of that and the omeprazole. OP, make sure that you stay hydrated. That is the most important thing. Being dehydrated, and/or a UTI can land you in the ER very easily. A UTI dehydrates you even more. My MIL has been to the ER at least four times within the last year for dehydration, and each time she had a UTI. Sometimes, what you think is hunger can also be thirst as well. Good luck, and keep following your plan. Those regrets that you are feeling will dissipate shortly once you put all of this behind you.

When I started the pureed diet, I pretty much started out eating what amounted to home made baby food. Pureed pees, mashed potatoes, pureed carrots. I was happy with that after 4 weeks of liquids (2 weeks pre-op/2 weeks post-op). The next week, I tried runny eggs, and never looked back. It was nice to actually chew something. i had eggs every day of my 3rd week post op. I moved up to tuna, oatmeal and grits the same week. I wasn't that happy again until a week and a half later when I had my first bite of salmon. Graduating is awesome! Take things slow though. You should be almost ready to introduce new things every week now, so enjoy it.

That is weird, because my PCP just ordered a total blood workup for me including testing for Vitamin levels and kidney and pancreas function. My guess is that your insurance may not cover it unless the tests are ordered from a specialist. Either way, your insurance should cover the testing if they are going to foot the bill for annual iron injections as they aren't needed if your levels are fine. Then again, the iron injections might be more cost effective than the testing. Who knows? Many bariatric surgeons won't want to deal with the maintenance of other surgeons' patients, but you should probably ask your PCP to refer you to someone that can get the necessary testing approved. Good luck. I know it sucks. it appears that insurance isn't what it used to be. You are asked to make monthly payments equal to a luxury car payment, but have to fight to get covered with what you need to improve or maintain your health. Sad really.

Everything will probably be fine, but I would use this as a learning lesson to always pre-plan. Look at the online menus of the foods that are served, and see if there is anything that you can eat. If not, take something. I have been known to throw a Premier Protein shake in the freezer, and take it along when the family wants to go out to eat at places like Wingstop or a Barbecue place. I have even take a chopped salad to a burger place, and ordered a grilled chicken sandwich without the bread, and ate it up with my salad. Again, the past is the past. Don't beat yourself up about it. All you can change is your present and future.

i love BioOil. I have been using is since surgery to help with getting rid of my surgery scars. In the process, the stretch marks on my stomach have gotten noticeably smaller to the point where I can barely see them. My scars are smooth to the touch with the exception of the largest scar by my belly button. Anyway, the stuff is cheap, and I kind've even like how it smells.

My wife uses Young Living as well. She also uses doTerra. I hate the smell of most of them, but must admit they do work. Digize is great for an upset stomach. She gives me peppermint oil around the back of my ears when I am tired. Oil of Oregano got rid of a throat infection that I had at the beginning of the year. It burned going down even though I diluted it in water. It also got rid of some pediatric warts that my daughter developed. The funny thing about it is that we went to our pediatrician, who referred us to a dermatologist, who basically just had us purchase Lubriderm Cream. She said it would get rid of them after a few months of doing this a few times daily. My daughter has eczema, and that is what caused them to spread. We purchased several bottles of the expensive stuff, and it did nothing. The eczema got a bit better though. After about three or four months of this, my wife looked up home remedies. Long story short, we tried oil of oregano on them. They were completely gone within a week. I swear by that stuff. DoTerra's Deep Blue cream is great for sore muscles and achy joints as well. I use it on my shoulder and knees before a workout.

Relationships change after weight loss surgery. Some for the better, and some for the worst. If you are in a strong relationship where you both support each other, you should be fine. If your relationship is slightly or very dysfunctional, well, you might not be. There are many significant others that don't want to change their lifestyles. They will resist eating healthier or exercising more. They might even try to sabotage you, because they liked things the way that they were before. Maybe they like you bigger, or they don't want to realize that they, too need to eat better and move more regardless of their size. This can build resentment on your part. That doesn't mean that your relationship will fail though. You just need to work through it with your partner, and even attend couples therapy if that is needed. The takeaway is that you need to do what you can for your health, and your partner must change some things as well so that you can be successful. That doesn't mean that this journey has to be all about you. Include your significant other and kids in this journey. If you cook, then great...Cook meals that they enjoy as well, but make them healthier. Do fun activities if they don't like to exercise. Bowling is great exercise. So is biking as a family. Plan trips to hiking trails or get them to do 5Ks (walking) for Breast Cancer or Heart disease. Do picnics in the park, and after eating, walk around and see how many different leaves you can find. Sounds corny, but these are just examples. The more you include your family, the more they will buy into this new lifestyle. Good luck to you, and focus on the positive. You never know how things are going to turn out, and your significant other just might surprise you.

Congratulations! I hope that everything goes well for you!

The reality of weight loss is that your body is going to shrink wherever it wants. I lost weight first in the face, and now I am wrestling with that spare tire around my lower stomach. It is okay though. I would rather get rid of a lifetime of weight issues, and improve my health than worry about where I am and am not losing weight. That should be the last thing on your mind right now. You just have to know that you are going to be healthier and better off by losing the weight. If you already have a thin face, chances are, you won't lose much there. That is the good news.

I agree with jenn1, and will add that you no doubt lost pounds on your pre-op liquid diet. Your body just needs to catch up. You will start losing soon. I lost 25 pounds on my 2 week pre-op diet, and lost nothing my first week. I was told not to get on the scale for the 1st week or so anyway, because your body has to release the IV fluid and water weight resulting from it.

I don’t mind stalls at all. I am ending my 3rd stall. Had one at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 11 weeks. Every time I have stalled, my weight loss has sped up immediately after the stall was over. I normally lose 1-2 pounds per week, but have lost 3 pounds in the last 3 days. Trust the process, and you will be successful.

Are you chewing it on an empty stomach? I know that multi-bites irritate my stomach if I haven’t eaten anything.

I guess I will go ahead and approach this from a male perspective. If a guy is truly ready to be in a relationship, he won't mind waiting for it. If he is trying to get it on the first date, he is only looking for a hook-up. What really attracts many men to women thin or large is confidence. Confidence is important. Many women that have lost a lot of weight, as you said, may still feel fat, and just don't think they are as beautiful as they truly are. This may be a turn-off to some guys. Love yourself and don't settle for a jerk. You deserve much more. Don't, however bring up other dates or guys on a first date. Don't discuss sex either for that matter. These topics tend to lead to disappointment or even resentment. Meet up on the first few dates and get to know the guy. That way, you both go your separate ways once it is over. When you are ready, stop meeting up, and start going on more traditional dates. I wouldn't try to meet guys through dating sites either. Not that you can't find a good guy on one...You would probably do better by going out to happy hour at a restaurant or a festival with friends. Again, be confident and happy on the inside. You must love yourself before you are ready to love someone else. Good luck to you ladies out there that are trying to meet your soul mates.

I don't think that drinking too fast will stretch out your stomach, but I would slow down nonetheless. If you are thirsty, you are still going to drink the water whether you drink it all in 5 seconds or 5 minutes. It isn't worth causing harm to yourself, so you should take your time. When I workout, I drink every few minutes. That way, I stay hydrated and don't feel the need to gulp down water. You haven't updated your profile information or given any information in your post about how far out you are. I would suggest doing either, as it would help others at giving you the best possible information/advice. If you were only a few weeks out, you would probably get a much different response than if you were nine months out so having that information is very important.

We all lose at different speeds, because we are all different. Even if our heights and weights are the same, our body compositions might be drastically different. Without knowing your weight, height, or what you are eating, I can't offer any suggestions to you. Just stick to your plan, and eventually, you will get to where you want to be. Good luck to you.