Creekimp13

My strategy with these things is to try to get it in writing from my insurance company up front. Ask specifically about all the out of pocket costs I can expect, and see if they can give me an estimate. It's a pain to wait to talk to someone....but they're used to this, and if you're polite and patient, they'll help you figure it out and give you much better answers than we can.

Try drinking your fluids a little warm, this can sooth a cranky esophagus. Avoid anything cold or iced...as this will sometimes cause spasms.

Count your grams. If you're getting 60+ grams per day....you're doing great.

There might be products i'm not aware of....but all of the protein vitamins I've looked at don't really have much protein in them. A few grams...in half a dozen pills. Just doesn't make sense to me. If you can eat yogurt and chicken and cheese and protein water....these are much better choices. More bang for your buck, too.

Some good vegetarian early foods: Refried beans with lowfat cheese Cottage cheese Split pea soup Hummus Soft tofu Greek yogurt Sugar free oatmeal with protein powder stirred in

Good early foods for protein and extra nutrition: Greek yogurt Sugar free oatmeal with protein powder stirred in Refried beans with lowfat cheese Cottage cheese Split pea soup...high in protein and fiber...good fiber for building good gut bugs. Soft tuna

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a19947517/too-few-calories/

So many people try starving themselves.....and shoot themselves firmly in the foot. Your body doesn't want to starve to death, and it has a ton of amazing defense mechanisms built in to prevent this from happening....evolutionary coping strategies created by famines and poor hunting season...give our bodies all sorts of hormonal strategies for adjusting metabolism to deal with starvation and NOT LOSE weight. But here's the thing...if your body adjusts your metabolism down to deal with starvation...when you eventually do eat a semi-normal diet someday...it's gonna be a problem. You have a chance to rebuild your metabolism here. You don't want a sluggish metabolism that has learned to cope and survive on 500 calories a day. You want a hot burning furnace that runs all systems at optimal levels and gives you a ton of energy for exercise, burning fat and building muscle....at normal calorie levels as soon as possible. (that is the focus of my group's research...we are encouraged to eat 1000-1200 calories as soon as possible....initial studies support that more calories sooner leads to more sustained weight loss at 5 years post surgery, I'm part of a larger study meant to confirm these results in a larger test group) Bariatrics is an emerging field and there are a lot of ideas about how patients should lose weight post surgically. Old school models are extremely calorie restrictive. There are a lot of folks out there who have lost well on very restrictive plans. Some who have regained, some who have not. Ultimately...there are a lot of ways up this mountain. But, to me...the research makes sense. I want a hot burning metabolism that runs on quality fuel and gives terrific performance. I started eating 1000 calories per day at three weeks. I eat 1200 per day now and am never hungry and have a ton of energy. My weight loss has been steady. (a couple stalls, but par for the course) Another tip....Look up "three week stall"....it's extremely common to hit a stall at three weeks.

Eating too little can cause your weight loss to stop. The body has built in defense mechanisms to prevent starvation and will start to fight weight loss if you restrict calories too much or exercise too hard. Your body is healing. You need those calories to repair your stomach. Follow your surgeon's guidelines. They exist for a reason. Your team has seen people do and try everything...and they will advise you on the safest most effective way to proceed. Listen to them and follow their instructions. Drink your water. All of it. Get your protein in. All of it. Once you have those two things covered...then you can think about exercise.

That sounds right. But to be safe, you could call an insurance rep and get the answer straight from the horse's mouth.

Most bisques are made with tons of butter and heavy cream. A bowl of lobster bisque at Red Lobster has 610 calories and 40 grams of fat, 46 carbs and 15g of protein. Bisques are sort of a terrible food choice because you're really not getting much nutrition for the calories involved. Most of the calories are fat. Also, I'd be very concerned that a meal that fatty would give you some digestive issues. You should talk to your surgeon's office and ask about some better choices that are open to you. Best wishes!

I don't believe in God or Gods. Or fairies. Or UFOs. That DOES NOT MEAN I DON'T HAVE A BELIEF SYSTEM that is precious and important to me. To suggest my belief system doesn't matter because I don't share your obsession with the supernatural is frankly... incredibly short sighted, self important and insulting. My belief in science, reason, the quantifiable, in what can be proven with empirical evidence.... is something I take enormous comfort in. Having the courage to tell the truth about what can and cannot be known is hugely important to how I live my life, how I metabolize difficult times, how I survive hardship and live a happy fulfilling life. Supernatural antiquated beliefs do not comfort me. You're asserting that a guy saying..."Happy Holidays" in passing is the same as going to someone in crisis and inflicting your beliefs on them. It's not remotely the same. If prayers are not wanted by the person in crisis, don't announce them! If you don't know...asking is a great way to help. "would you like me to pray for you?" is a pretty easy thing to ask. Failing to do so would be like me showing up to your mother's funeral and saying...let me comfort you with my beliefs by saying that even though we know this heaven nonsense is a load of rubbish, and she's gone for good now.....she lead an impacting life that is a terrific legacy! I might feel strongly convicted and I might BELIEVE this in my bones....but to say so in a time of crisis when I know it goes against YOUR beliefs is rude as hell. it's different. Pay attention. When people are in crisis we help them. We put their comfort first.

120 lbs of protein a day is astounding. (I know ya meant grams....but I had to poke a little fun)

Some stretches to try: https://www.healthline.com/health/back-pain/sciatic-stretches

Sciatic pain sucks. Hot baths, gentle stretching, lots of walking (with good posture, good shoes, on a level surface) You don't want to do a steroid shot this soon because cortisone impedes healing and you don't want to impede healing of your stomach. (or end up with ulcerated incision margins). Tylenol arthritis might or might not help...it's worth a try. Lidocaine might help, too...try it. Alternate cold and heat. Capsaicin cream might help. Best advice....see a massage therapist. It really helps.

It's an extremely blind and foolish assumption to think that my deeply held beliefs are not as important and precious to me as they are to religious folks. My belief system matters, too. Your rights end where mine begin...my rights end where yours begin. When you are announcing your unwanted prayers directed at me and use my difficult time as a platform for your beliefs....you are crossing a line. If I used your misfortune as an opportunity to showcase my Atheism... to "comfort you" by prattling on about how MY beliefs affect YOUR life......you probably wouldn't like it. You'd probably think it was clueless, tone deaf, insensitive and really crappy behavior. The bottom line...is that when someone is hurting is NOT the time to be selfish and push an agenda...no matter how much you believe you're in the right. When someone is hurting...you respond to them in a way that comforts THEM. Not you. There's absolutely nothing wrong with asking...... would you like me to pray for you? Your friend might say...prayers are not my thing, but I appreciate your concern...thanks. Or they might have some other request. Or maybe they WILL want your prayers and appreciate them. Make inquiries, not assumptions. It's nice to show you care what they prefer...it's a way to get to know them better and show support they can actually feel. That matters.

https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Thickening-Fibers-Women-Auburn/dp/B0765VVBJL/ref=sr_1_49_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1529528547&sr=1-49&keywords=hair%2Bfibers&th=1

Well...the good news...is that it'll probably grow back really nice. Mine fell out like crazy between 3-5 months...and seems much more stable now..but yeesh, it's thinner! So, I feel your pain. Can feel little stubbles growing on my scalp though...so that's kinda hopeful:) Good luck with the shed. Someone else on here was talking about the hair fibers being really good for concealing a thin hairline. I've never tried them, but it might be worth looking into?

Water. But you can prioritize both and drink a protein shake cause it gets you both.

A month out...I ate all sorts of stuff...not just pureed. One thing I remember giving me some relief from the tedium of mush....was the toddler meat sticks that look like little vienna sausages. They're 100 calories a jar, lots of protein and are made to go through a delicate digestive systems. They have a little texture, but are unlikely to get you in trouble cause they're made of turkey or chicken mixed with whey. Kinda gross to me currently.......but at the time, I remember thinking they were pretty tasty and very gentle.

Nom. Nom. Nom!

You didn't. Even if you did, Ash, I wouldn't hold it against ya. Hell, i don't hold it against Jess, I just thought it was funny and felt a bit Puckish.

I keep hoping everyone stops posting...and then I post again...cause, lets face it....I need all Bariatric Store Rewards Points I can get for my next order of Protien Mighty Muffins. LOLOLOLOLOL....

Syndie....I'm not offended that you're a Christian. My best friend is a Christian, and we have no issues because she's respectful of my belief system and doesn't force her prayers on me. I return the favor by not belittling her Christianity when she's in crisis. We have a healthy relationship because we respect each other's belief systems. It's not hard. If a Christian friend loses a parent...and they are comforted by some religious weirdness that I find totally bizarre...like the idea of heaven and an afterlife....I'm not going to suddenly assert my Atheism in their time of crisis and say....Believing in heaven is a fantastic waste of time, but, here, let me help you feel better with logic and reasoning about how well your mom lived and how worthwhile her life was!!! Because if I pushed MY belief system in THEIR time of crisis...that would make me an arsehole. The same way it makes YOU an arsehole when you push YOUR belief system in MY time of crisis. Can you follow?

If you're gonna roll in the crap with everyone else...at least own it and don't pretend you're above it:) If you'd really RATHER be doing those things....you'd be doing them...not participating in tabloid discussion, no? I get what you're saying, and even appreciate what you're saying......but acting superior while doing the same thing everyone else is...is slightly hypocritical, don't you think?