AZhiker

Sweet: 1) a dozen almonds with about a dozen raisins (big plump, homemade ones - really yummy). 2) frozen grapes 3) 1/2 milk with a couple TB Greek yogurt and a scoop of chocolate protein powder. Salty: 1) rice cake with peanut butter or cheese 2) a few gluten free, whole grain chips with hummus 3) once in a great while (once a month) - some popcorn 4) cooked veggies (esp. squash or broccoli) with nutritional yeast sprinkled on (salty and cheesy tasting) 5) cottage cheese + salsa + beans + a little shredded cheese with a few GF chips or veggie sticks.

Thanks so much.

Before my surgery, I studied the insurance coverage for bariatric procedures, and downloaded all the forms so I could study them so more. I have BCBS TN and revision is absolutely covered, Just be sure to look at everything real carefully so both you and your surgeon know what the requirements are.

My tum looks the same way. But you still have a chest!!!! Personally, I think you look fantastic! Great job!

Well, I am maintaining right at 144-145, which is great. However, I have been eating like a pig - packing in as many calories as my little pouch can handle, to the point of being uncomfortable. They are all healthy calories - no junk. My triathlon is in 2 1/2 weeks and I found that I was getting weak feeling and light headed with all the extra exercise unless I started eating more, I am adding some healthy carbs into the menu - sweet potato, whole cooked grains like teff, amaranth, quinoa, oats. The hardest part has been giving up Intermittent Fasting for the time being. I have started eating breakfast again simply to get more calories in, but I don't like it. I am trying to figure out how to eat/drink to get the best performance out of this old body to just be able to finish this event (I am fully prepared to come in dead last), which represents an incredible milestone for me. A year ago, I could not have imagined doing such a thing. On a sad note, I had to have my beloved mule, Tess, put down this morning in an emergency situation. Just horrible and very emotional - beyond description. After it was all done, I felt the urge to dull my pain with some emotional eating. I ate one of my little energy balls (50 cal), a rice cake with peanut butter, and half a banana. Then I caught myself and realized it wasn't helping the pain at all. So I went on a 5K power walk and actually took 4 minutes off my time and I feel better - at least better than if I had eaten a whole pizza and a half gallon of ice cream like I would have done in the past. I am getting ready to swim now, and maybe go for a bike ride later in the day. It is very good to know that I can use exercise for coping instead of eating and that at least for today, I feel able to make that decision. I am so proud of how all our Feb buds are doing! It has been quite a ride for all of us. We should tally up what our total weight loss is - I bet it would be amazing. ((Hugs to all.))

You will eat again. But your relationship with food will change, as it should. Eating will become slower, less volume, and more mindful. It can actually become a bit of a chore at times. Eating out is not as fun and getting sick from eating too much is not fun. BUT......... this is all good. You did not have surgery just to continue on with old eating patterns. Food MUST lose it's pleasure and you MUST find other ways to find emotional release. This is what learning to become "normal" is all about. For me, food is becoming a pain, and exercise is becoming much more enjoyable. Everyone needs to find their new normal, and this will happen for you, too. It is OK to grieve the food, but pretty soon you will be celebrating the new life and activities that you did not have before. Hang in there. You have to focus on what good things are coming to you down the road. As hard as it seems now, the love of food is not one of them.

I had no restrictions on stairs (I live on 2nd story). Restriction with driving only secondary to pain meds and my comfort level (about a week). 10 pound Lift restriction for 8 weeks, I think.

Depends on your deductible for the year.

This whole forum is dedicated to people handling their fears and struggles. Take some time to browse a bit and you will find a ton of information and insight. There are several threads about pre-op fears. So glad you are deciding to go ahead now with this amazing tool that will change your life - yes changes in your daily life forever. Read some threads and see what everyone is saying about the very questions you are asking.

Read the above posts and you will see that it absolutely gets better!

And you never will be!!! Having a determined attitude ("I'm NEVER going back!") is one of the most important indicators of long term success!!!!! I'm with you sister! On my way out the door now to walk 5K - on a very windy day. But come H--- or HIgh Water, I'm never going back either!

Standing along side you all the way!

Veggies! Cooked squash and broccoli are great!

So strange, but I went to 3 different stores and couldn't even find B cup bras!!!! (Went from 42DD to 36 B.) I have always liked Playtex 18 hour bras. Wide shoulder straps, no underwire, but I had to order online.

Hang in there! I am also 7 months out and able to eat a lot more now - but I have really upped my exercise and that has helped. The other thing that you can try now that you can get in enough nutrition is Intermittant Fasting. It is a very powerful too. It helps control your caloric intake, but also lowers your insulin secretion which promotes fat burning. Several ways to do it. 1) Limit the hours you eat in a day to a specific number, Many do a 16:8, which means fasting 16 hour and doing all your eating (normal healthy foods and amounts) in an 8 hour window. Other so 18:6 or even 20:4. Basically you skip a morning breakfast and eat say, from noon to 6 or 8 pm. That's it. You can tweak the times any way you like. After a couple of days, it becomes very easy. Changing the TIMING of the food can be just as effective as the TYPE of food you eat. 2) 5:2. This is where you eat normally for 5 days a week, and choose 2 days to eat only 500 calories. Some also do ADIF (alternate day intermittant fasting) which is where you eat normally every other day, alternating with maybe 500 cal on the other days. This really helped my break a stall and plunge down to my goal weight. 3) Longer fasts. Some do a 24 hour fast each week. Basically you eat dinner and then skip breakfast and lunch the next day. Not hard, actually. You can also advance to a 48 - 72 hour fast once a month or so. A little harder, but very do able and really helps you understand what true hunger feels like and that the sensation is quite transient and passes quickly. Really helps with impulsive eating. These are all tools you can use and pull out at any time to take yourself to a new level or break a stall. They are very effective and studies are showing some pretty amazing health benefits, especially with longevity/prevention of fraility, mental acuity/prevention of senility, inflammation, cancer treatments, and immune system health. Fasting helps the body rid itself of senescent cells (the "zombie" cells) - cells that get old, but won't die and take over other cells, reset metabolism, and burn off fat by depleting the muscles and liver of glycogen which causes the body to then turn to fat stores.

How does cottage cheese work for you? That was my go-to for quite a while. Soups are good, too. Lentil soup is especially high in protein and if you get some unflavored PEA protein powder, you can mix it into the soup and it is actually quite savory. Yogurt is also a go-to. I put a scoop of natural flavored vanilla protein powder into it. Smoothies with milk, some yogurt and vanilla protein powder are also good. Refried beans, thinned with bone broth. (I think the turkey/chicken/beef broth is the best, or just the turkey/chicken, or make your own). Bone broth is high in protein, and the beans are smooth and also have protein. These are all "slider" foods that go down easily and for me, very well tolerated, and helped get the protein in.

The best: Getting my life back!!! I feel 20 years younger and am doing things now that I haven't been able to do for decades. Rode 15 miles on my bike today and felt great! Hiking hills, riding my mule, climbing stairs, swimming (in a size 10 suit!!!), getting down and up off the floor, no more sleep apnea, no problems with asthma or reflux, no fungal infections in my skin folds this summer, no joint pain, normal BP and blood sugars (ie: no more metabolic syndrome!), wearing cute clothes, feeling "normal" in a crowd, more confidence, not having to size up the furniture in a room to decide which I will fit into, the list just goes on and on. I took a "Biological Age" test, and I am 16 years younger than my stated age! Hurray!!! The worst: Can't think of any. This is one of the best decisions I have ever made for myself. I LOVE my new active lifestyle and lifelong way of eating. Yes, there can be temptations, but they get easier and easier to deal with as you see the benefits of healthy choices. Sugar and desserts have no appeal at all any more. Neither do processed foods, coffee, soda, or alcohol. I do not even see those as sacrifices - not when I get to eat so many other healthy things. I guess one thing might be that when I go out to eat, I can only finish about 1/4 of the meal. I take the rest home, but the left overs are really not that great past a day, so I end up giving the rest to the chickens. So that's a waste of money. I am learning to order off the appetizer menu and to not let my eyes get bigger than my stomach. It's a process. Another thing might be that I feel a bit self conscious about my face, which I think looks old and wrinkly now. Others tell me differently and that I look younger, but I just don't see it that way. I am trying to be more out going and cheerful so that the wrinkles look more like smile lines than grumpy lines. That's just a matter of building confidence and learning to accept a great new body, but one that looks a little funny in places.

So what is your weight loss pattern looking like? What does your nutritionist say? I was only eating 500 cal/day at week 6, but I am a 63 yr old female - not a 28 yr old male. Tell us what your weekly weight loss has been. That will help a lot.

Or from an infection or from ketosis. When breaking down fat, pee reportedly smells like popcorn.

Alcohol and NSAIDS are big no-no's. The acid in coffee can cause problems, as well.

Refried beans thinned with broth.

I am very happy with my bypass. My GERD is gone, which has relieved my asthma as well. I started exercising right away, gradually adding elements of cardio, weights, stretching. I have more muscle mass now than before surgery. I have also entered a triathon in Oct and a bicycle event in November. I have so much energy now and feel 20 years younger! My only issue with malabsorption is with fat. If I eat too much it will come out in my stools. All of my 6 month vitamin levels were great, but I do take my vitamins faithfully, which I think is a small price to pay in exchange for the life I have now. My only other issue is getting enough calories in now, to keep up with my training schedule. My pouch limits intake, so I am having to eat more frequently and starting to add more healthy carbs back into the menu. All in all, I couldn't ask for a better outcome. I respect anyone's decision about which surgery to have, but it seems quite a few folks with the sleeve end up getting revised to bypass. I was also fixed on the sleeve until I understood the advantages of bypass with helping GERD and since that was an issue for me, it became a no brainer. I also like the fact that dumping can occur with sugar intake, when bypass is chosen. That is a great detriment for me to avoid sugar. Sugar is poison. I want no part of it, and my tummy agrees! No brainer there. I am also commited to taking care of my pouch and all the connections as well as possible. I work in the GI department of our hospital and I have seen firsthand the damage that can be done to WLS sites - ulcers and erosions beyond horror. So no alcohol, coffee, or NSAIDs for me. Those are my personal choices - again, a small price to pay for the life I have now. Best wishes in your journey!

Get tested for sleep apnea. I did not even know I had extreme sleep apnea until I was tested. Since I was not diabetic, either, this gave me the diagnosed co-morbidity to nail in my borderline BMI.

Weigh with your shoes on, heavy jeans, rocks in your pockets if needed!

Yes!!!! NP Deborah Hanks for PCP. Oro valley. Very supportive and encouraging. Excellent documentation that was not even blinked at by insurance. Patrick Chiasson for surgeon.(Office in Northwest Medical Center complex.) He did an excellent job for me. Lots of follow up from the office. Doc recommended "The Obesity Code" by Jason Fung and "Younger Next Year for Women" by Crowley and Lodge. Both excellent.