GMaJen

You look amazing! Who is your surgeon? I'm having surgery in Tijuana, Mexico on 1/12. My surgeon will be Dr. Rodolfo Castillo. I'm getting a 360 Belt Lipectomy with lipo and a breast lift with gummy implants and it's costing $12,699. It doesn't include transportation because I have family in Southern California, but it does include everything surgery related: meds, compression garments, pre and post op appointments with the surgeon, lab tests, night at the hospital and 6 nights at a recovery house. I'll spend another week recovering with the family in S. CA. If all goes well, I intend to go back and get my inner thighs and arms done and probably a face lift.

Mostly people will tell me how good I look, then basically say to enjoy it while I can because of the people they know who had the surgery and are fat again.

I started the eating out once a week after my honeymoon. I kept it reasonable, but it gave me something to look forward to and variety (and taste). When I started getting hungry again I took out the high calorie low protein nuts (which I added because they told me to go from 800 to 1200 calories when I wasn't even able to consume 800 yet and upped me to 100g of protein from 80) and a scoop of protein powder (high protein, low cal) and added in peanut butter toast, raison toast and another serving of ham. I don't mind eating the same thing every day when I'm at home because it's easier. If you put all your food in a spreadsheet and figure out the calories and protein per ounce, then you can switch it around easier if you need a change. Once I met my goal they told me to add 100-200 calories a day to stop my weight loss. I added in the daily cheat. I still have my spreadsheet, meal plan and measure everything, but when I eat out I can't figure the calories and protein, so I just count it as a meal and a cheat and watch my weight. My weight stayed within 1 pound of my goal weight for over a month when I was going to Halloween parties, Thanksgiving and going out with friends. I've lost another 2 pounds in the last month since I was not going out much. I'm OK with losing a little more weight for now even though I like the way I look at my goal weight because I know most people gain a little back, but I will have to maintain my weight after I get the skin removal surgery next month, so I will probably watch my weight and add in more fruits and vegetables. I'll still count the calories so I can figure out how many I need and make sure I get my protein, but at least I won't have to cram in high protein for EVERYTHING. I saw a different nutritionist when I went in earlier this month and she was surprised my regular nutritionist had told me to avoid fruit and only eat 2 servings of veggies a day. I told her I thought it was because she wanted me to get extra protein due to not being able to exercise much because of my back issues and fruit isn't a protein source. Note, if you get too much protein, your farts smell really bad.

I'm looking forward to following your progress. My surgery is scheduled for 1/12/24 in Tijuana. Dr. Rodolfo Castillo. I found him on RealSelf.com and researched him. I'm spending 6 nights in a recovery home (Casa Linda), then a week at my Dad's in southern California. $12,699 for 360 belt lipectomy, lipo, breast lift with gummy implants. He's going to do a bbl for no additional charge if he can, but he isn't sure from my pictures if I have enough fat in the areas he is working to do a bbl. I'm planning on going back to do my inner thighs and arms. My package includes all pre-surgery tests including cardio evaluation and lab tests, all surgery expenses and 1 night at the hospital, 6 nights at the recovery house with meals and nursing 24/7, all pain meds and medical supplies, compression garments and post surgery consultations. It doesn't include transportation to/from the airport because I have family and friends in Mexico and Southern California who I will be visiting before and after who will provide that.

I hate to cook too and still struggle to get as much water in as they want. I do get the minimum 48oz/day but don't always make the 64oz they want. I was so glad to stop eating cottage cheese and yogurt! I scoured the grocery isles for food that looked good and was easy to make (Or better, didn't require making). I have to admit I got a little bit of attitude about my diet when I was ALMOST, but not quite, meeting their calorie and water goals, telling them that I was struggling, and they scolded me and raised my goals. I have a spreadsheet that calculates calories and protein from every food I get with a nutrition label and buy low fat, low sugar foods so the calorie and protein count meets my goal. I got a frown from my nutritionist when I told her I eat ham every day, but I gave her a "look" and told her my calorie and protein goals were being met and she refrained from scolding me. I buy Kentucky Legend Bonless Quarter Sliced Ham because it doesn't have lunchmeat texture and I can just weigh out my portion and eat it cold. I got another frown when I told them I eat beef jerky, but reminded them that 100g of protein is hard to do, jerkey is low calorie and high protein, and I chew it VERY well and spit out gristle. If they have to cut a ball of gristle out of my stomach, then I'll stop eating beef. I switched nuts for peanut butter toast when I started getting hungrier. I eat a lowfat sharp cheddar with crackers. Quaker makes a protein Banana Nut Instant Oatmeal. I also eat 1/2 Atkins Chicken Margherita or Healthy Choice Simply Steamers Grilled Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo (1/2 is less than my 6 oz, but it's easier to just take half and eat the other half the next day and the math is easier too). Those 2 were the best my WalMart carries for frozen food Calorie/Protein ratio that I also liked. For an added vegetable I eat 2oz canned french style green beans with 1/2 oz Velveta low fat cheese heated in the microwave. Tyson makes a fajita chicken that microwaves well if you put a dollop of water on the plate. Turkey bacon doesn't really satisfy my bacon cravings, but turkey sausage is really good. If I'm craving sweets I'll eat a Quaker Caramel Rice Cake or a few dark chocolate chips. Luckily I crave salt, not sweets, and the salt cravings have almost gone away. If I'm going to be away from home for a few hours I pack an insulated lunch bag with a serving of ham, cheese and crackers, and jerkey to take with me. If I'm going to be gone for a day or longer I pack my food in bags and a cooler. I got married a little more than 3 months after my surgery and ate what I wanted at my wedding and during the honeymoon, I just kept the servings really small and took protein with me to make sure I still got enough protein and because I needed to eat more than 3 times a day. After that, I allowed myself one meal out each week, eating my 6oz and taking the rest home. Hubby ate most of the leftovers. After I reworked my diet to include tastier, real food, I switched my protein powder to a Collagen with the added missing amino acid. It mixes best with warm or hot liquids and was approved by my nutritionist. I still use 2 scoops a day, 1 with my protein oatmeal and 1 with my sugar free hot apple cider. I met my goal weight at 7 months, just in time for a Halloween party, and I allow myself a small cheat almost every day (my nutritionist told me to add 100-200 cal per day to stop losing weight and i decided to add a tasty snack rather than rework my diet). I watch my weight to make sure I'm not overdoing it. If I eat out, that's my cheat and it replaces a meal. I order what I want and ask for a container BEFORE the food is served so I can pack away all but 6oz before I start to eat. Some cheats aren't really cheats. I've added in apples, pineapple, strawberries and mango. Breyers Carb Smart Fudge Bars have 50 calories, 3g fat, 2g sugar (0 added), and 1g protein. It's only a cheat because of the low protein/cal ratio. Pure Protein bars could be a meal substitute instead of a cheat and have 180-200 cal, 3-4.5g fat, 2-3g sugar, and 19g protein. I like the Chocolate Salted Caramel that's a little chewy and the Chocolate Mint cookie, which has more of a grainy (cookie) texture but tastes really good. At a party, I may eat a bag of chips (~150cal), or I may give in and eat a single Reese's cup (105 cal). OK, maybe a bag of chips AND a single Reese's cup, I'm weak. Dot's Seasoned Pretzels have 130cal per oz. An entire bag of buttered flavored popcorn has 150cal (DO NOT LICK THE BAG). It's nice to eat something tasty and not worry about if it has enough protein. I just had my 9 month bloodwork done, it's all fine.

I drink the "Equate High Performance" premade shakes in Caramel or Chocolate, but I've only been taking 2 ounces since 6 months post-op. I have to take my multivitamin with dairy (or whey protein) or it comes back up. Only 2oz because the multivitamin has iron so I have to limit the calcium I take for 4 hours to 200-300mg. They are probably the cheapest around and have 30g per 11oz. For flavored protein powders I used "Inspire" from BariatricEating.com. They have a couple with added calcium that I used as my calcium supplement for months and I would freeze the buttermint and peppermint to use as a sweet treat. Whey protein mixes best with cold liquids and cooks in chunks at about 140 degrees. Unflavored I also liked "Inspire" if I was mixing in cold food. For HOT FOOD AND LIQUID I use "Giant Sports Collagen Peptide Complete All Essential Amino Acids with L-Tryptophan". It mixes better with warm and hot liquids. I add it to hot tap water before I microwave my Quaker Protein Oatmeal and use with my Keurig drinks. I still use 2 scoops a day since they want me to consume 100g of protein every day due to back issues and not being able to do high intensity exercise. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078HJXVNN/ref=sns_myd_detail_page. Note that Collagen is not a complete protein. The one I use adds the missing amino acid L-Tryptophan and my nutritionist approved me to use it as a protein supplement.

I use the bariatricpal chewable with iron too. Same deal, $99 for a year supply. I suggest you order 1 bottle to make sure you like it. I took it before surgery and it didn't taste particularly good to me, but was OK so I ordered the year supply. After surgery, it makes me sick unless I take it with dairy. Problem is, calcium interferes with iron absorption. I researched and talked to my pharmacist, and she says if I keep the calcium under 200mg then it's OK, it's levels over 200mg that are a problem. So, I take it with 4oz of fat free milk or 3oz of my protein drink to keep it under 200mg calcium. I had the sleeve, so all I take is the 1 chewable in the am, and calcium twice a day later in the day. My bloodwork is OK.

1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT: Female, 58, 5'3" 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any): 40lbs (Had to stop losing after 4 months because I was afraid to go under 35 BMI) 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY: 195 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery: 183.4 5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery: 167.8

I had a hard time with the soft food phase too. I was REALLY looking forward to a deviled egg, but now eggs make me nauseous, and I was sick of yogurt. Mashed potatoes were allowed, but not encouraged because of the carbs, so I would have mashed potatoes with cheese or with unflavored protein powder and garlic every couple days and Tyson has a flavorful frozen chicken fajita that I heat with bone broth to make it moist and soft and chew the heck out of it. I got bored with refried beans really quick but adding taco sauce and cheese helped. If you like to cook (I don't) you can find a lot of things you can do with foods to make them more appealing. My phase 3 allowed meats other than beef, which was restricted to once a month. I was supposed to work up to it, but I added it pretty quick because I tolerated it well. Maybe you are allowed a turkey burger as long as you chew it really well? I'm the type of person who craves when I can't have something, so I have to allow myself little cheats. I find that as long as I CAN, I can resist better and don't get carried away with the cheating. For example, I craved salt and would occasionally suck on a salt and vinegar chip or 3 until dissolved. Those salt cravings are almost non existent now. Talk with your dietitian about your cravings and alternatives. I confessed to her about the chips and that I found a carb conscious tortilla that I'd use 1/2 of for my refried beans. She was OK with it as long as I showed restraint and tolerated it. Keep those food logs up and don't lie to your dietitian. Being accountable will help you stick to your diet. They are there to help you, not judge you. At the tail end of my phase 3 when they upped my calorie and protein goals she allowed me to add nuts as long as I chew it into peanut butter consistency.

I couldn't find this topic when I searched back pain. I lost 40 lobs before surgery, and a week after surgery when I tried to go walking I got a stitch in my back. I've tried not drinking while I walk, not drinking before I walk, not eating or drinking before or while I walk, and 2 months out I still can't walk from the parking garage into the clinic to see my doctor without my back hurting. The longer I walk the more it hurts and the longer I have to sit before it stops. I know my spine and the muscles have to adjust to the new weight dynamic, but this didn't happen with the 40 lbs pre-surgery and when it started I hadn't lost additional weight yet. I've lost an additional 20 now. I'm getting married a month from today and I'm afraid I'm going to spend my honeymoon in the room instead of exploring Toronto.

More like a twist on a protein drink. I bought an Inspire Mint Chip protein drink mix and freeze it to eat like ice cream. The consistency is more icy than creamy, but I take longer to eat it and I can pretend it's ice cream. I second the cheese, love cheese.

I didn't need help after my surgery. If your dog needs a lift, maybe you can give find something so he has "steps" to get up to you. Before my cat passed away from old age two weeks ago, she had arthritis and I had ottomans placed here and there so she could get to her favorite spots. I'm so glad I was able to spend so much quality time with her before she passed.

Yeah, I was on clear liquids only in the hospital, then full liquids for 2 weeks, and now on soft foods thill the 3 month mark. They never made me blend food if I could chew it to applesause consistency.

On Thursday, the chiropractor took X-Rays and I'm all out of whack, thorisic spine curve, soldiers neck, and my pubic synthisis is off center by about an inch so my pelvis is tilted. I couldn't get a massage before the appointment so the adjustment wasn't as easy and hurt and the trauma from it made my pain so much worse that night, I was non functional. I always suggest a massage prior to getting adjusted, it loosens the muscles for an easier and better adjustment and it sticks longer before muscle memory pulls it back to where it was. I think it helped because I had 3 appointmens yesterday and I didn't start hurting until the 3rd. It was good timing because the 3rd appointment was a shot in my back for the pain. They say it will take 3 days to take affect and 3 weeks to be at the best effect. Great news because I get married in 21 days. I'm authorized for 8 chiro visits and I'll only be able to get 1 more in before the wedding because the wedding is out of state, but when I come back I'm hoping the other 6 adjustments and, if the injection works, excersizing and strength training will mean I don't need more shots.

I looked into it on and off for years but didn't have insurance and didn't want to go into debt. Over the years I found that if you self-paid they usually didn't require months of dieting, but if you had insurance, the INSURANCE required it. I ran into a youtube video from the VA saying they do the surgery and don't require you to lose weight before because it didn't really make a difference other than the 2 week liver shrinking part, that they do require. They did encourage people to diet, but it was to let healthy eating become a habit BEFORE you HAD to eat healthy. My VA did require that I diet 3-6 months, but their focus was on healthy eating and exercise habits more than calories. 3.5 months in they made the appointment for my surgery because I was loosing weight and kept really good food and exercise diaries.

whey protein instantly cooks when you mix it with something hot. You have to wait until it cools down a bit to mix it in. You can try mixing before you cook and stir as you cook it.

I've considered the Syntrax Nectar, but they never have the single pack assortments in stock and the shipping for a single pack of a flavor I'm interest in that they DO HAVE is too much. I don't want to order a big cannister of it if I haven't tasted it. They advertise it as tasteless and instant mixing. The Inspire brand isn't bad. It's available at BariatricEating.com. They have a lot of flavors plus unflavored. I like them because I need a low calcium option to drink with my BariatricPal Chewable w/iron multi-vitamin that makes me sick unless I drink a little milk with it. Most have between 143-357mg Calcium. Whey protein cooks if you mix it with something hot or microwave it, so I add it after it's cooled a little and I use a milk frother to mix it good with cold liquid. They are not chalky, but taste better with milk than water. You need to stay under 200mg of calcium when taking your iron supplement. (1/2c skim milk 150mg Calcium, 1/2 sc Unflavored has 10.5mg, 1/2 sc Mexican Chocolate has 12.5mg, 1/2 sc Dutch Chocolate 50mg, 1/2 sc Strawberry White Chocolate has 55mg). I didn't like the Mexican Chocolate because it's gritty and the cinnamon taste. I use 3oz skim milk + 1oz water with 1/2 scoop Strawberry White Chocolate for a total of 167.5 mg calcium. They also have a few calcium fortified flavors that have 1150mg calcium per scoop. I've been drinking 4oz milk with 1/2 scoop twice a day (725mg per 1/2 cup/sc) in lieu of a calcium supplement. The flavors are Tropical Coconut and Chai Tea. Other options better with water are Melon Cooler, and Pomegranate Razz Punch.

@Arabesque I went to a PT. I've had a back pain issue stemming from arthritis in the facets of my cervical spine since 2016. It took the VA 5 years to diagnose why I hurt and that STANDING is my trigger, but for that 5 years it seemed everything triggered intense stabbing pain, so I spent that time on my couch. The PT thinks my back pain is cumulative from the bad posture from always sitting on the couch + the weight loss, and it's probably the same issue with my neck, only because of the weight loss and changes in the dynamic of my spine, that walking is now a trigger too. He gave me some stretching and strengthening exercises, ordered a posture brace for me, and I have a chiropractor appointment on Thursday. I'm hoping it will help.

Thank you. I talked to my doctor but she just said my back was adjusting to the change in my weight and keep trying. The VA is really understaffed and they tend to brush you off so they can move on to the next. I'll go get a massage then go to the chiropractor and see if that helps.

I'm supposed to take 30 minutes to eat a tiny bit of food. That little bit of food is barely still warm by the time I sit down with it, and after a few minutes it's downright cold. Who wants to eat cold food for almost 30 minutes? I solved the cold food problem by pulling out one of those mini hot plates to put your coffee cup on to keep your coffee warm. Just add some water to keep the food on the saucer from drying out. I just wish it being cold was the only reason I didn't want to eat, but that's another subject.

I bought a calcium citrate powder because it was the least expensive calcium citrate I could find. It's unflavored, but it doesn't dissolve well in cold liquids and ended up at the bottom of the cup. Mixed it in with pudding and refried beans and it was gritty, but OK because I don't have a texture issue. Seemed to dissolve well with the turkey chili. It's called UpCalD and I got it from MedicalMonks. Other sites had it, but they were the least expensive. I use the BariatricPal chewable multivitamin with Iron. It makes me nautious unless I take it with dairy. I drink 2oz of milk, chew up the MV, then another 2oz of milk. The pharmacist said the amount of calcium in 4oz of milk isn't enough to worry about taking with an iron fortified MV. But note, some protein powders have a little calcium and some have A LOT. BariatricEating.com has a couple calcium fortified protein powders that have 1150g per scoop. Most of the others vary from a few grams to 350g per scoop.

So glad I'm past the surgical gas and suture pain part. I will say that I underappreciated the full liquid phase of the diet, at least the choices were simple. This forum has been great. If you need to vent or need encouragement or advice, they are great. If you want a quick answer, you can search and will probably find a post about it.

In my experience, a lot of doctors tend to be pompous and opinionated because they know better than their patients and they make up their minds on superficial evidence and are reluctant to change it. My XDIL (young and overweight) had a gallbladder attack, the paramedics thought it was gall bladder, the ER doc said no and sent her home and she ended up having emergency surgery. It took me 5 years and a new doc to get my back issue diagnosed (arthritis in my neck). I hope your surgery goes well, and maybe vent some anger by sending a note to the other doc thanking him for almost letting you die. Probably won't make him think twice next time, but you never know.

Need another hug? 🤗 Unfortunately, no endorphins with virtual hugs. I know when you feel like that, being told that "this too will end" is not helpful and sounds trite, but I hope you can look forward to a tomorrow when you will say it was worth it.