ShoppGirl

Try not to be too discouraged. These are the hurdles that your insurance company hopes will make you give up so they don’t have to pay for your surgery. Keep getting treatment for your depression and do the best you can with your weight. I bet once you have a surgery date you will be able to lose a bit if you want to. Be kind to yourself though. Depression is real and weight gain or loss is not at all uncommon. I have actually had it present both ways in myself. When I was younger I would lose weight during bouts of depression but now that I am older and also on medication it makes me gain (not sure if it’s age or the meds that cause it but I can’t change either so I just accept it). I have my fingers crossed for you that your consult appointment goes on as planned and you are able to officially start this journey. Once you are on the other side of surgery looking back you will realize it goes faster than you think. But definitely keep getting treatment for that depression because you want that under control before surgery to give yourself the best chance at losing all your weight post surgery. Keep posting on here too. This is a pretty special community. It’s been very helpful for me. Congratulations on your decision to pursue WLS and best of luck on the next few hurdles. You’ve got this.

I also had the three week stall. As well as a couple others along the way so don’t be discouraged if this isn’t the only one. I am almost 8 months out now and while the loss has slowed I am still losing. Just stick to your plan and the weight will just start dropping again.

The three week stall others mentioned is very common. Just stick to your plan and the weight loss will pickup. I never had any problem drinking liquids either. I tried to slow down but if I drink without thinking about it I realize I can drink as much as i did pre surgery.

The pre op diet was the hardest part for me too. The liquid and purée phase aren’t fun but at least you are losing weight and most are not hungry so it’s not as bad. Just try to occupy your mind with other things and hang in there. It is definitely worth it.

You can always seek out a bariatric therapist and a nutritionist on your own and see them as needed. Of course you will have to pay but at least you know that is an option.

My surgery was in March but I may be able to help. I packed toiletries but I wasn’t allowed to shower till the third day. I only ended up staying one night so I didn’t need those. I wore the same comfy clothes home that I wore to the hospital (with fresh undergarments). I was glad I had an extra long charging cable for my iPad and phone. I used the iPad because I brought it but would’ve been fine with just my phone since I slept most of the time. I did also Use my Bluetooth earbuds to listen to NetFlix at night so it would block out some of the noise since I am a super light sleeper. I was also glad someone here told me to bring pajama pants to wear while walking The halls. That way I didn’t have to deal with a robe over all the tubes and wires but my bottom was covered. Other than that they really do provide you with everything you need. They have to take your bag in preop and keep track of during surgery and until they find a room for you so try not to overpack. I brought a really small duffel I had from when I actually went to the gym and they said thank you for packing light. Ooh and you may want to just leave your jewelry at home. They make you take it off and they ask that you not bring valuables.

Sounds yummy. You’ve got this!!

You say vegetable based. Are you adding beans? If not, They are a great source of protein if meat is not sitting well.

I had a few stalls. One lasted three weeks and I was worried it was the end of the loss but the loss picked back up and slowly but surely I continue to lose. Just stick to your plan. Oops. Looks like your loss did pick back up. Glad to hear it.

Congratulation. Keep up the good work.

Glad to hear she is doing a little better each day. She is lucky to have your supporting her. Head hunger is a VERY REAL thing and even though most of us lose the actual hunger immediately post surgery the head hunger remains. Usually one can tell the difference because real hunger you want to eat anything (even fruit and veggies sound delicious) while head hunger you crave something specific (usually things you shouldn’t have). If the head hunger remains and is a problematic many of us benefit from talking to a bariatric therapist. I eat when I am board and emotional eat and am trying to find a therapist to help with this. I am still losing weight and working the program but worry if I don’t get the head hunger under control I will gain it back at the first real stressful circumstance. I hope this helps.

Well hopefully you are on the other side of all this and doing well. Would love to hear an update on how you are doing when you feel up to it.

Best to get a variety to try post surgery as others have said. Some people’s tastes change especially for sweet stuff. Premiere protein has a variety pack on Amazon. Not sure which others do but you can also buy singles at convenience stores. Clear protein water was my go to post surgery in the beginning because shakes were too sweet. Now I the caffe latte from premiere protein (it has caffeine though and some aren’t allowed caffeine right away).

My favorite thing to have on that diet was steak and whole onion on the grill. I knew I wouldn’t be having steak for quite a while post surgery and the onion really added flavor to the dish. It’s off cause steak is not usually a favorite of mine but I think it was the onion. You just peel it and spray some cooking spray on alumimum Foil then wrap onion in it and bake on grill till done. It takes a while. Like an hour. I suppose it can be made in the oven too. I’ve just never tried it as I live in florida and we prefer to cook outside whenever possible.

Good luck. You will do fine. 🍀

I have had more sweet cravings than I ever did pre sleeve as well. Mine are satisfied with fruit though. If it’s really bad I will have strawberries with Splenda on it or apples with cinnamon and Splenda. I guess you can’t have those quite yet but maybe some sugar free applesauce with Splenda added??

If I had to take liquid Tylenol I would definitely take it with something flavored like crystal light maybe but if allowed I concur that the pill will go down better. I hope things are going better for you now.

So many salad lovers. I love them too but not without dressing. This makes me wonder if others have found better dressings. What are some favorite lower calorie salad dressings (with brands). I am a ranch lover and I have found a low calorie dip alternative (ranch dressing seasoning mixed with plain Greek yogurt) but I haven’t yet found a good low calorie dressing, ranch or otherwise that I like so far. Suggestions please.

I just had to fill out paperwork and watch a video.

I asked the nurse practitioner if I should stop taking it with the shake because of the calcium. She said so far everything looks great so keep doing what I’m doing. She explained that it isn’t that calcium or iron cancels the other out. They are just absorbed into the same place so they compete to get absorbed. I guess since there is so much iron even if the calcium wins a little bit I still absorb as much as i need. I am also 7 months out and can eat more than most at this stage so I am absorbing a lot from food as well.

I have been taking this for two months now and I just got my labs back and they were right in line with what They were three months before taking the bariatric advantage. Just FYI for those considering it. I like iT because it’s truly one a day and it’s cheaper.

Congratulations to all the November surgery dates. 🎉

Congratulations. You look amazing.

Good luck 🍀

Well at my last appointment they told me that some people never get out of the obese BMI so my being “overweight” now and nearing “normal weight” is really good. I have done nothing more or less than just following the plan, though. Many people I have heard from on here have far surpassed that 60% of your excess weight statistic.