BetsyB

It is, indeed, very, very wrong. But it was just a sprinkling here (Chicago burbs)---enough to make the yard wet for the dog to track in 400 times before company arrived, but not enough to stick to sidewalks (or walking paths!) and roads. Typical Chicago March :laugh: Off to read back a few pages....hope everyone's having a lovely weekend so far. (did I hear massage? I have a GC for an hour-long massage; today would be a great day to put it to use...)

I'm so sorry for your loss. Your long-term depression has been well-controlled---but adding grief can really impact you. That may be what's going on. I'm not brushing this off as being "all in your head." You've had a really tumultuous time--it would throw anyone for a loop. But, too--it could be something else. And if you genuinely feel as though it is, push your doctor for answers. Listening to your gut is so important. You say that you've had blood tests--what have they checked, other than your thyroid levels?

I'm tighter just before my period, too--and when I'm ovulating. I guess my stomach's estrogen-sensitive

There's a difference between mushy and pureed. I would think that cooking either rice or Pasta less al dente than usual would have the desired effect. I had a puree stage, and did blend Proteins. But pureed pasta just wouldn't be pasta, IMO.

Hi, Guys! Leigha, we have snow today, too---of course, it is Chicago, but still....it has been so warm and nice, I kind of convinced myself it was going to stay that way. I have to post and run---will catch up tomorrow. We're having 20 people for dinner tonight, so I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. (Mark is, I might point out, asleep. In his defense, (a) he's got congestive heart failure, and ( he did get up at the crack of dawn to throw two briskets in the smoker, and has been tending them lovingly since. But still...asleep!) The house is clean (I had help), the food is almost all made, and I think I might be so sick of seeing it I won't even want to eat it. (Well, maybe....) On the menu are several things that fit in my plan---and several that do not. We're having smoked brisket (Texas style--Mark is a pro), Galveston chicken, beans, chile lime cole slaw (my specialty, and something I could eat until it came out of my ears), and a bunch of evil desserts I won't touch. (I didn't even lick a spoon or finger yesterday when making them....and it dawned on me, as I was putting a pan of brownies in the oven, that I didn't even have a child home to lick the spoon *sniff*). And of course the usual Texas barbecue libations... It seems odd to be doing a barbecue in March, but it's part of our church's annual fundraiser. We do an auction annually, and the highlight are parties. People offer, at auction, parties---this year, we put up the Texas barbecue and a San Francisco dinner, and others put up many other really interesting dinners. Then, people bid on the seats at the table....it's fun, and it raises a bajillion dollars for the church. Okay, time's up---I hope you're all having a marvelous weekend. Time for me to go pick up an extra table and chairs...We can comfortably seat 16-17, but the number got bumped up, so we're rearranging! I'm hoping to squeeze a walk wit Truman in before everyone arrives...snow flurries or not, the poor beast (ha! and Truman, too) needs a walk! Have a great day!

It really is a great group---I feel very lucky to have them behind me, too.

Sashimi! My favorite is tuna tartare, because it's already cut into tiny cubes. It's great, because it takes forever to eat with chopsticks!

Early on, I had no trouble swallowing pills. Now that I'm nearing restriction, I can't tolerate big tablets, but my little blood pressure pill is just fine. I'd ask the doctor if s/he thinks it's safe--you may be pleasantly surprised. As for the gummies--eek! Those scare me because they're hard to thoroughly chew----I'd be afraid of having them stick. But again, without restriction, it's probably not a concern. I was told to resume Vitamins immediately postop--but again,this is one for your doctor to field; they all have different "rules."

Just a different manufacturer and slightly different design--the info here is still applicable (I have a Realize band and love it.)

Spartan, are you a physician?

IMO, he's wrong. At least until you achieve restriction, you really do need to watch closely. Once you've got restriction, the band will help with portion control---but making good choices is still up to you. It's important to give your body what it needs, and that does not always coincide with our preop conceptions of "eating normal." (If it were normal, we would not have required bariatric surgery.) I second the advice to seek out the counsel of a dietitian/nutritionist VERY experienced with bariatric patients.

My husband was initially not in favor of it, but because he wanted to be supportive, attended the initial surgeon seminar and first appointment with me. After the seminar, he VERY strongly felt that the band was the right choice for me; the others involved too much change for his comfort zone. Fortunately, I agreed. I wanted the band from the outset. He's been very supportive. He has educated himself well about why I do what I do, foodwise, etc. I do suspect that as my loss becomes more apparent to others (the attention is beginning), he will have some difficulty and need some reassurance. That kind of change is sometimes difficult.

It's part of the process. As you recover, you take on more of your everyday responsibilities--and they really do tucker you out. It gets better---fast. Truly. It won't be long before you feel like "yourself" again.

I've been using fitday off and on for years. It's user friendly and I like that it's easily customizable.

It sounds like you have just the right mind set for this to work for you, Caffeine. I'm not a professional bubble-burster, but it's realistic for you to expect that, once your postop swelling recedes, you will experience hunger for a period of time until you achieve good restriction. That doesn't mean you won't continue to enjoy great weight loss success; it sounds to me as though you have the mindset to lose no matter what. Just don't be discouraged, okay? Right now you've got a sort of postop euphoria going for you----and while I don't think you're headed for buyer's remorse (I've never felt even a split-second of that), you might be headed for times when it seems less effortless. (Even then, your body will be busy changing, even if the scale does not cooperate always.) Good luck!

Congratulations, KartMan! Bob, you say, Please don't wait--start now.

Awesome loss! I've already talked with a couple of plastic surgeons, and I'm nowhere near goal! (I just plan ahead :frown:) I've been told that they like for weight to be stabilized for a few months prior to surgery. It used to be recommended that you wait 12-18 months (after reaching goal, when you're maintaining weight) to see how things "redistribute." The thinking was that this might change the need for surgery or change the surgical approach. Now that WLS is more common, they are finding that the long wait is not necessary. If you need skin removal, you need it--and all the waiting in the world won't change that! I'd start narrowing down your surgeon choices now, and go in for interviews/initial consultations to see who you like. Once you've made that decision--have a surgeon you really trust--then you can get the answers specific to your needs.

Bariatric Eating does sell a protein sampler--it's a great way to try a handful of different proteins to see what you like.

It usually boils down to what is written in your specific insurance contract. Most seem to require comorbidities only for BMI less than 40, but your employer may have had the contract written differently (to save money---which is stupid, because obesity costs SO much more!). You can try to find a doctor who will identify comorbidities that don't really exist---but really, I'd approach it differently. (No matter how much you want something, fraud is fraud.) You may even find that you DO have comorbidities that "count" ---did you have sleep studies or see a pulmonologist? I'd approach HR to tackle it from their end. When renewing policies, they have the power to effect changes. In the meantime, it would be a really good idea to start the weight loss journey you had planned anyway. Your BMI is high enough that you will NOT get ruled out for approval if you lose. I know it's very hard without restriction (just ask any of us who haven't yet achieved it!)....but it can be done. You can start NOW to adopt the habits you will require once banded. It's just healthier--emotionally and physically--than adopting the fatalistic attitude that gain (and further development of comorbidities) is inevitable. Good luck!

You can do it. Really, you can. It's just a week--and really, you're heading into a lifetime of changed eating habits, so you might as well get used to it now. It's true that weight-lifting can cause you to retain Fluid in your muscles. But that's no cause for concern. What the doctor's office is primarily concerned with is (a) reducing the size of your liver as much as possible before surgery, and (:frown: reducing the bulk in your bowels. Both of these make it far easier for the surgeons to maneuver around your innards when placing the band. Really, the liquid diet then translates into an easier surgery--and easier recovery--for you. It's just a week. It'll be hard, but you can do it.

Ditto. It's very slightly to the left, just below the last rib. And though it's not front-and-center, it still is easily annoyed by laundry baskets and hugging children. It's just one of those things...whereever it is, there will be minor annoyances.

I get hungrier during my period, but am not able to eat more. My band seems tighter then. (It's pretty normal to be hungrier during menstruation--the body uses more calories then. )

Bypass can be great--for some people. Loss is rapid during a honeymoon phase (when patients lose, pretty much no matter what they do). Your surgeon sees those results day in and day out. But what he doesn't see---because unlike band patients, bypass patients get discharged from their surgeons' care---is that after that honeymoon period, bypass patients struggle every bit as much with making the right food choices (and eating around their procedure), etc. The 3-5 year success rates, comparing band to bypass, are very similar. So, you've got a doctor who likes immediate gratification---and is more than a bit of a douchebag about it. Good thing it's not about him and his body, huh? You have every reason to be proud. You also have every reason to switch doctors. I know you're trying to find a reason why he's being so obnoxious. It might just be because he is obnoxious!

What an a-hole. Seriously. What matters is that YOU are happy with your progress. Is he not aware that the band is designed for losses of 1-2 pounds per week? That it's not geared for fast loss, but for lasting loss? (Many of us have more trouble with maintenance.) It sounds as though he's become a Bypass Man. Many surgeons do have preferences. They don't tend to wish to make their patients feel like crap for making the decision that's right for THEM, even if not what they'd choose. I'd switch doctors. (I am so thankful for my doctor---so, so, so thankful that he is supportive of individual choice. (And also thankful that he agreed with my decision from the outset.) YOU deserve a doctor every bit as good as mine. (Oh--and statistics can be skewed however the person with an agenda wants to skew them. You're doing great, and don't let him tell you otherwise.)

I very much like (really--I like them!) the Inspire Proteins from Bariatric Eating. The Dutch chocolate flavor is really good if mixed with almond milk. Their PURE unflavored Protein is also very good.