BellaItalia088

Yeah I completely understand 100%. My mom tries to buy only healthy foods, and never processed foods (we lived in Europe for a while and they have better eating habits so my mom kinda picked up those), but when we came back to the US, fresh foods were more expensive and she was working so many hours that she would come home too tired to cook so we would just get something fast. When I had the two week liver diet before surgery I thought I was going to die because I just wanted to chew something.. the liquids were killing me lol and I will admit that two days before surgery I had one small slice of pizza because I just couldn't handle the idea of possibly never being able to eat it again lol. Sweets are also my weakness. I am diabetic too which is why I had the surgery in the first place and now my medications work so well that I have to constantly have candy in my purse which for me is bad bad bad because if I remember it is there, then I will just eat it even when I don't need it.. Yeah, I understand the family trying to guilt us to haha.. my bf is Italian and his family is straight from Italy and his mom always cooks us 3-7 course meals (or at least it seems that way to me). The first few times I went I would try to eat a little of everything so I wasn't being rude, but now she understands and just tells me to eat what ever I want and how much I can. BUT, she will bring donuts home and just put one on a plate and stick it in front of me. So I have made it a habit to eat something before I go so that I am already full at least for the first night I am there (we live 2 hours apart so I stay with his family on the weekends). I have also found that my taste buds have changed a lot. Previously I hated sushi.. I hated the idea of sushi.. but now I can't get enough of the brown rice sushi they sell up here in the store.. My doctor said that as long as I eat only one serving (or as soon as I get full which is usually after 1/2 a serving) and I stick to the brown rice ones then it's ok.. which I was thankful for since now I crave it sometimes lol.

That sounds great .. I’ll send you an im with my information in a moment. My mom was 10000% supportive of my surgery.. but now I think she forgets I had it because she’s always saying “let’s go get something to eat” ... and then if I go, I always try to make sure I just get a salad because it’s the healthier option but my brain just keeps seeing that 235 lb girl that struggled constantly.

I had gastric bypass surgery. I have only done a little strength training, but I’ve been looking into doing more. Unfortunately I’ve had a stressful situation at home too which kind of messes with my weight .. I just started water aerobics again because that was how I lost a majority of my weight when I did it by myself. Also, I downloaded some apps by Lumowell that give me exercises for different areas of my body...and I’ve been trying to do them a few times during the week, sometimes everyday if I have the energy. I have been lucky (or maybe unlucky) that I’ve had no issues with any foods whatsoever.. But I keep looking in the mirror and seeing the skin and thinking to myself that I’m still fat. The other girl that had the surgery the same day as me has a flat stomach and she told me she doesn’t even exercise which made me a little more anxious lol.. I’ve decided I need to step up my exercises, I just wish I had more of a support group to help keep me focused..

I am 29, I will be 30 in October

I am between 5'1 and 5'2... but my doctor wrote 5'1 to make sure my BMI was high enough to qualify. My highest was 235, but I got down to 190 by myself through diet and exercise. I had my surgery in August 2017. My surgery weight was 185, and today I weigh 136. My original goal weight was 150. Now, my doctor and I have decided that I should get down to 120-125 but no less. I do have some lose skin.. my doctor said I am young enough that it should "bounce" back, but I am having difficulty seeing that happen and actually it has been causing me anxiety because it seems awful and I don't have the money to have it removed...

Hello, I had my surgery last August (8 months ago) and I did the surgery for my diabetes / sleep apnea as well. When I was in the hospital, my blood sugar dropped like a rock and was finally normal for the first time in two years.. sadly when I went home from the hospital, my body decided that it wanted to continue to be diabetic, and I have never been taken off my medications. I was switched to a different one that is more expensive and I believe is less effective, but the original medications were causing me to feel like I was gaining weight again. I can honestly say that I keep thinking the same thing. Why did I have the surgery if I am still diabetic?? My surgeon said that I am the only patient that he has ever had that didn't stop their medications after surgery. That statement alone made me feel depressed. However, I also know that my diabetes is also dependent on my stress levels (I am not sure if you are stressed or have anxiety but it could be a result of those). If I am extremely stressed, then my blood sugar increases rapidly to over 250. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that you aren't the only one... We will get through it, we just have to stick it out a little longer.. hope your support group goes well!

No, I drank it slowly so I was fine.. although I have tried to drink one sip of a Diet Coke once and the carbonation really hurt even with just one sip so that will definitely be something I never pick up again 😊

One month out I had a few sips of wine when I went on vacation.. but I didn’t go overboard. I definitely felt the alcohol faster than usual... then I had my first full glass of prosecco at 4 months and felt tipsy but was sober in an hour...😂

I had my surgery August 13, 2017.... I was 240 at my highest weight, 195 on my surgery date, and 130 today... everything has been good but I am still struggling with the eating too fast. It's hard to eat slow when you have so much to do during the week.

I was in the hospital for one day. I had only protein drinks,.. when I got home, I had only protein drinks and even ordered the medical grade fruit punch drink they served me in the hospital. With eating only protein, my blood sugar increases to over 250. I have been instructed to include carbs in my diet now ... and in fact, I went to Italy, ate practically everything and my blood sugar was never better. I would wake up in the morning with 70-90 bg ... and it was at 130 after a scoop of gelato. My primary doctor believes that my fluctuations are due to my stress levels. Unfortunately I have a very stressful home life and I usually see improvements in my numbers when I am away from home. My doctors also find it strange though that I do not get dumping syndrome, unless I eat something that is super salty. Other than that.. I eat very tiny amounts of everything.. always making sure to get the proteins in before vegetables etc.... and yet it is still high. I am now on Janumet XR and we are testing it to see if it works

Hi, I had my surgery on 8/13/17 after being type 2 diabetic since 2015. My numbers were always high (between 160 & 210, sometimes reaching 250). I was on the maximum metformin dose and also on glyburide. My blood sugar was starting to decrease in the hospital but then it got higher and higher after I got home. My surgeon said I am the only patient he has ever had that still has insulin resistance. However I will say that now with medications ( a new medication and lower dose), my numbers have been lower and showing improvements.. and I did fall to 70 while I was on vacation which was a first. I have a friend that had the surgery and she has problems trying to keep her blood sugar normal because it’s always too low. Which is an issue for her because unfortunately she also gets dumping syndrome. Personally I think it’s great that your numbers are in that range since you aren’t on your medications. Just keep an eye on it my surgeon said that my numbers should have stabled out within three months ❤️

I had my surgery on 8/14/17. I am a type 2 diabetic and was told that 97% of patients finish surgery and no longer need medications. In the hospital for the two days after surgery, my blood sugar was normal. Once I got home, it skyrocketed back to 250-300. Before surgery I was on 2,000 mg of metformin and 10 mg of glyburide daily. Has anyone lose experienced this? I am getting fed up because I had the surgery specifically to help with my diabetes. My doctor said he has no idea why my body is being so resistant ... and now I really just want to cry. I've put myself back on metformin which keeps my levels in the lower 200 and I am going to see my primary doctor this week to see what else I should do... Anyone else have the surgery and have little to no improvement in glucose levels ?

Because my body still produces insulin even if it's not enough at the moment, I won't make my pancreas think it's ok to stop all together .. I will fight it until the very end and I am already looking into getting pancreatic islet cell treatment.

I hope so ... I finally saw a tiny break tonight and my blood sugar was 199... first time it's been under 200 for about 3 weeks now [emoji23]

Two years. It was controlled with metformin and glyburide, and while I was in the hospital my blood sugar was never above 150. Now I can't get it below 240 and I'm not eating anything still (I had surgery 4 weeks ago) one of my doctors said that sometimes people go back on meds for a few months but then all of the sudden it will just fall.. I refuse insulin and will never take it no matter what .. but the only reason I had the surgery was for the diabetes.. [emoji17]

I walked a bit yesterday and today and now feel more or less normal .. just a little pain around my incisions [emoji4] now I've found that laughing hurts like crazy .. but I'll give it a few more days and hopefully it will all be better [emoji4]

My diet was 2 weeks, protein shake for breakfast and lunch .. at lunch I was allowed either cottage cheese, a sugar free pudding or a low sugar and cal yogurt ... then for a snack between lunch and dinner, one of those three things .. then for dinner 2 oz of lean meat and 1/2 cup of green vegetables but no sauces. Then I'd get to have another protein shake before bed because I am diabetic [emoji4] I had my surgery yesterday.. I feel relatively ok but the carbon dioxide pain in my stomach is driving me crazy [emoji17]

I had my surgery yesterday and the gas pain is awful ... I hope it eases up soon, the gas x strips aren't helping either [emoji17]

I will have my surgery in 11 days and I started the liver reduction diet a few days ago. I've noticed that I am becoming extremely emotional, crying randomly and starting to think about the what if situations... did anyone else experience this? I know this surgery is the best option for me and there is no way I'd ever consider backing out ... I just can't seem to control my feelings .. unfortunately boyfriend doesn't understand at all what I am going through and when I tried to talk to him about how I'm feeling, he just stayed silent (we live in two separate cities at the moment) ... has anyone else experienced these crazy emotions ?

My surgery is Monday so I've been on the diet for almost two weeks now and I can honestly say I'm still kinda hungry .. but every time I feel hungry I just take a sip of water [emoji4] it's hard but it will be worth it! [emoji173]️

5 days to go until I get my bypass here in Buffalo,NY [emoji33]

August 14th [emoji173]️

Update: I've finally been approved and my official surgery date is August 14!!! I can't wait !!! This is going to be one of the biggest and best decisions of my life .. I'm going to be taking current (starting) measurements this week and will post updates [emoji7]

Hi everyone, My name is Emi, and I'm a 28 year old living (but not from) in New York State (not city). I have been so big for so long that I can't remember being thin or even having a remotely flat tummy. When I was about 12, my family and I moved to England, where life was less stressful, the food was of a better quality and well, life was better even if I didn't realize it. At first, I didn't want to move but after my first trip to Italy, I forgot all my issues about being so far from home (I'm originally from Georgia). My weight bounced up and down for a while, it decreased every time I went to Italy no matter how long I was there because of the amount of walking you do and because of the higher quality foods they have. Eventually at the age of 19, I moved to Italy alone to learn the language and attend college. In 2010, my family was told they would be sent back to the USA and I decided to follow them so I wouldn't be alone and so far away. Unfortunately (and yes I truly mean unfortunately) we were sent to Oklahoma. And well, the available foods are lacking and almost always bad for you. I worked night shifts and didn't have enough energy to make my own meals so of course I resulted to the American habits of eating out several times a week. Not realizing that I wad getting even bigger than I already was.... In 2012, my family moved to Buffalo, New York. Thankfully up here New Yorkers actually eat somewhat healthier. We have a wide choice of vegetables and fruits and I LOVE Wegmans... I remember looking in the mirror one day and thinking, how did I ever let myself get so big (I was at 235 lbs at 5'1). Soon I began planning a trip back to Europe just for my birthday and thought to myself that I couldn't go back looking like I did, so through willpower and a high level of determination, I started vigorously exercising 6 days a week and eating only three 300 calorie meals a day. Needless to say I'm about a year and 1/2, I went from 235 to 165, and I was feeling better ... hadn't seen a doctor in years ... Then my leg started hurting, so I had to find a primary care doctor. The tiny ache in my leg turned out to be type 2 diabetes and I was put on several oral medications (in November 2015). Since then, I have gained a lot of weight and no matter how much I try I can't manage to lose it again. My glucose levels are always high and when I found out that I may qualify for the insurance to cover surgery, I started to research. I have an amazing surgery team, they make you jump through a thousand hoops but I'd never ever change them. My doctor is definitely there whenever I need answers and they have helped guide me through the hoops. The insurance company only requires that I've been overweight / struggled with weight for more than 5 years, that I've tried numerous attempts to lose the weight, and that I have a BMI of 35 or more with co-morbidities. The surgeon however required: a psych evaluation, a physical therapy evaluation, a dietician evaluation, a support group session, exercise classes, an endoscopy, and in my case a sleep study. In the month of May I have completed all 16 doctors appointments, putting myself in thousands of dollars of debt trying to reach my astronomically high deductible. Last Friday, they said that it is finally time to submit the paper work for approval and I should have surgery in late July / August ... so fingers crossed I get it approved and will be able to hopefully eliminate or reduce the amount of medications I am currently on! Sorry it's a bit long, at first I wasn't sure what to write and then I ended up spilling 1/2 my life haha!

My doctors sent my paperwork through to the insurance company today (Blue Benefit Administrators of Massachusetts)... I live in Western New York, but my employer is headquartered in Boston, MA. I had my first appointment April 26th. I was given a list of several appointments to make including: 1) sleep study, 2) occupational therapy evaluation, 3) endoscopy, 4) psychologist evaluation, 5) exercises classes, 6) a dietician evaluation and 7) blood work scripts. I managed to make every appointment needed in the month of May, and ended up having 2-3 appointments a week. I had my follow up appointment with the surgeon on June 2nd and they just submitted my paperwork today (June 19) because they had to run a second blood work test... fingers crossed it doesn't take too long, I'm anxious and want my surgery date. I am just worried they will deny me or they will send me more requirements [emoji17]