Hop_Scotch

Well done!

Sorry I can't help...my procedure didn't result in gas, hopefully someone will chime in with their experience and advise. Its been over seven hours since you've posted so hopefully you are feeling better.

It will be here before you know it!

aaahhh...just one point to make, don't get caught too much on the scale weight, body composition is pretty important too. You could lose 150lb of fat, but gain 20lb of lean body mass but look much visually smaller than with just 150lb weight loss. I was thinking 150kgs not 150lb, I suspect a motivated male could lose a significant amount of weight in a year, not sure it would be 150lb for you, but with sufficient protein and weight training your body composition could significantly change - plenty of body fat loss with some increase in lean body mass.

Why the urgency to lose the weight in 12 months? Yes the part of the stomach that is removed is where most of ghrelin is produced, however, after a period of time ghrelin production increases (not sure if to the prior levels however). I think there is approx 12 to 18 month window for the increased production, though the time frame may vary person to person, for some people the time frame may be quite low. I guess this is why its important to adhere as much as possible to dietary guidelines for those foods that help keep us satisfied for longer. It is only about 20 years since the ghrelin hormone was first discovered, I assume there is still a lot research to be undertaken in this area. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6158981/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196978115002454

Hello and welcome. Some people do not seem to realise that if we couldn't have lost weight and successfully maintained the weight loss we would have done by now. Surgery isn't a first choice weight lost tool, its a last resort for most of us after many years of trying. I assume you will need to give up smoking before the surgery, probably the sooner you do that the better. As you get closer to the the final tests and pre op diets...you won't want the stress of giving up smoking at the same time. Hope it all goes well for you

For 4ft 11, the health BMI range is about 94lb to 119lb. 119lb gives a BMI of about 24. 100lb may be too low for you if you have a lot of excess skin.

Well done so far. The big weight losses will slow down and there will be stalls along the way. Weight gain after surgery is usually due to iv fluids and inflammation and then the fluid retention usually goes within a few days, hence the big losses. Just checking you are getting plenty of fluids and the required amount of protein??? What food stage are you at?

What exercise are you doing at the gym and have you had the okay to exercise yet from your medical team? I wouldn't have thought you'd be eating enough calories at this stage to be doing exercise unless it was fairly light on and low impact. In the meantime do work on your past relationship with food, can't use it so much anymore to soothe emotional highs and lows. Find other things to do that occupy your hands and mind.

Are you counting calories/macos or going by portion sizes? Exercising?

I guess it may depends if your surgeon can make a case for it to be included, According to the website link below excess weight can cause the symptoms to worsen. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hidradenitis-suppurativa/symptoms-causes/syc-20352306 Would Molina tell you what the accepted comorbidities are and whether they consider others not on the list if the surgeon is able to make a case for it?

Sorry to hear you are going through this. Does your surgeon's clinic have a post op support program? If so, have you touched base with the dietician/nutritionist and/or the behavioural coach? There is a thread here for those who are six months plus out from surgery perhaps touch base there, see if anyone had, or is currently going through, the same issue There is also the VETS part of the forums where those less than two years out can ask questions of VETS there, same as above, there is likely someone who has faced what you are currently facing. In the meantime, perhaps set yourself a calorie goal per day - about 1000 to 1200cals per day depending on your exercise levels...focus on protein and low starch carbs , get some good fats. (You want to ask the more experienced what would be a good calorie allowance at this point in time, as they would have a better idea than myself, I would think some people are possible on 800cals to 1000cals at your post op time line). Some people do a pouch reset to help get them back on track...if you are up to it, there are variations of it, but basically its back to basicis...maybe a day of clear liquids, two days of full liquids, one day pureed, one day soft. Or you could go back to the pre-op diet....for a week.. three protein shakes per day plus one to two cups of low carb veges with one serve of solid protein. Whatever you do, make a commitment to start....one day at a time. Right now you may want to go clear out the pantry of anything that is going to derail you further, donate it to friends or a charity,

I enjoyed watching his videos (when I was first was researching WLS) but then as I watched more he got more bizarre, when I realised he was or had been marketing HGH products that was a big turn off. I see now he is trying to recruit for another MLM scheme/product and I think he using his tours to recruit as well, he has a lot of loyal followers.

This is in the front of a book I have just started reading: Never be a prisoner of your past. It was just a lesson not a life sentence. (unknown).

Hopefully your surgeon or medical care team will be able to advise you about the best products to use to help move the bowel if you get constipated (which likely you will). Some people use smooth move tea or products that contain both a softener and a laxative. Do your best to drink plenty of fluids too.

i would consider yoghurt and custard more puree or soft food unless 'watered' down to be more of a liquid consistency. Jelly wasn't on my liquid list that I can recall, but as a large number of people post op seem to be using on their liquid stage I assume it must be on a number of other post op guidelines.

Do you drink really strong tea? What about if it was a bit weaker and work back up to your normal strength? Or try different flavours - peppermint, herbals, earl greys, rooibos, twinnings infusions...etc

Hello and welcome. Thank goodness your husband is still alive and well for you and family, it obviously wasn't his time! April/May will be here before you know it!

Some people seem to have had success with saxenda (its a daily inection though and can be expensive if your insurance won't cover it). I am not sure about OTC weight loss pills...fine print usually says to use inconjuction with a calorie controlled diet and exercise....it would seem to me that its the calorie controlled diet and exercise that gives results and not the pills. There are the more extreme weight loss drugs but I thought they would need a prescription, though that may vary from country to country.

Welcome Cita - do you have a surgery date yet? Or still going through the approval process?

It's good that you checked, you don't want to compromise your healing or weight loss.

That's great. Have you experienced any nausea or vomiting? Are you at the highest dose yet?

Well said!

My current goal weight is in the overweight range (being healthier was the initial goal), however, as I progress there is some vanity creeping in. I don't have crankles but below my knees on the inside of my legs above my calves are a couple of fat pads that I would like to lose to give some shape to my legs. I suspect I would need to get below my goal weight to achieve that. Not even sure why, I don't even wear skirts or dresses, and very rarely would wear shorts, and I can't believe I chose a dress as one of my goal outfits. Ultimately if I get to my initial goal weight that's great, any more than that will be a bonus.

Thanks for sharing great read