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For me, I have to eat every few hours in order to get in all of my Protein. If I only ate three meals and no Snacks I would 1) be short in protein and 2) be pretty hangry most of the time. I have to track my food or I would have no idea whether or not I was meeting my protein target. My memory is so bad I can't remember what I ate 10 minutes ago.

I have a strange question .... For about the last 3 months ... I've been having this feeling like my stomach is eating itself ... Is that the new "hey I'm hungry" feeling? It's quite the feeling ... And I'm probably not explaining it right ... But I have a Protein shake for Breakfast between 7am - 8am ... Then about 10:00 - 10:30 that feeling starts ... so I'll have a handful or 2 of peanuts ... Seems to quiet the monster ... I eat a P3 around noon .... Usually around 3:00 it starts again ... sometimes I'll have a handful of peanuts or a yogurt ... ( not always ) Between 4:00 - 5:00 ... I have another Protein Shake ... Then dinner when I get home around 6:30 ... usually a hot dog ( seems I have an obsession right now ) I mean seriously ... I think about it all the way home ... Night snack is usually 3 bites of a Protein Bar OR a SF fudgesicle ... So I'm thinking the feeling IS the new "hey stupid, feed me" feeling ... Does anyone else have an opinion / advice ?

OK?.Here we go, first I would like to thank every one of you! You may ask why? The reason is, I was a silent forum reader. Every time I had a problem or question I would run to the site for Q&A, from per diet to post op questions- 9-times out of 10 I could find the answers. I?m 29 days post op down 38lbs. I feel a lot better and now people are starting to wonder?lol J. **NOTE** If you are a silent reader I encourage you to join. Thanks to all?.. Oh btw ISOPURE cookies and cream is undrinkable.

Ok. I am sitting:sick propped up in my bed at home several hours post op. Things went well, though he had to switch out all of the needles for the port site because my adominal wall was thick and the needles he had out to stitch it in place were to thin. *I* would like to think that this is because I am so MUSCULAR...:cry R I G H T.:nervous I"ll have to ask him in three weeks when I go in for my fill. ANYwho... this is how my day went. As you may already now, Auntie Flow decided to visit yesterday:mad: VEHEEERRRRy convineant:tired . I slept pretty well last night suprisingly (thanks to the two tylenol p.m.) :notagree and woke up about 6. I got up and showered with the monkey blood soap stuff they gave me that kind of dried my skin out, got out of the shower and laid down with my heating pad until my sweetie :kiss2: got up and got ready. I put on my best/favorite pair of tie dyed socks and undies and threw my favorite denim dress over my head, grapped my little stuffed moose and away to Baptist we went. Got there about 8:20 checked in and hung out in w. room. The called me back about 8:40 and got me changed. The anesethia guy came in and did my IV then two or three more anesthia people came in asking me the same quesitons over and over.. who are you,, what are you having done.. WHAT... is your favorite color... etc. I'm like.. hmmmm The do know what they are doing and where they are right?? :paranoid They let my hubby back about 9:30. OH>>> and those of you who might be wondering, they let me wear a tampon.. :clap2: it probably depends on the surgeon. Anywho.. 10:39 comes around and they wheel me back to the surgery room, scoot me on to a different table and put on this DREAMY warm blanket:p ... Next think I know, I'm awake and my 'port site' was hurting like a mo-fo:cry .:faint: they give me something for pain in my IV...30 minutes later some more of that then 30 minutes later the finally gave up and gave me some morphine. After that they wheeled me back to xray, had me drink some barium... which folks.. I'll tell you here and now... WAS DELICIOUS:hungry: . I was "lips sticking to my teeth" parched. And you know.. after not eating real food for awhile.. it's amazing what taste great. The table they had me scootch up on this time was a beeeeatch :omg: for me to scoot on because of the discomfort of the port site. Anywho... it was like a frigging 6 flags ride:phanvan . My feet were against a metal thing at the foot of the bed and it was the only thing between me and me sliding off in the floor:juggle:... ALL 331 lbs of me.:eek: Wasn't a real comfortable experience and lasted a little long for my taste.. but.. the things we do for beauty:rolleyes: . All that took what seemed to be about 40 minutes or so then they wheeled me into my room where I got to hang out and watch Oprah, the news, then Hank Hill. Had to wait :bored around until someone looked at my rays to make sure things could go down. I had lots of ice in the meantime. The 1st thing I remember when I woke up was... YES IT"s over Finanly it's over. To ,me it's the worst part.. all the waiting:bored . waiting for all of the paper work to get filled in... :pout:waiting for Dr.'s appointments, :bored waiting to hear all of your paper work was faxed in. getting denied and :pout:waiting for paper work to be faxed again. finding out your approved, then:bored waiting to schedule, :pout:waiting for your preop testing, :bored waiting for you surgery date, the THE WORST waiting of all for me, is:pout: waiting in your pre op room for the procedure.. then all of the sudden.. the waiting is over... well... unless you count waiting to go home. I 1st tried to do this 4 yrs ago with diff. insurance and was crushed when I got denied, now, Im sitting here, typing up my experience.. and it's DONE!:clap2: Now all the work begins, but that is ok... because now I have a Tool,,, finally a tool that will work for me and help me to become the healthy me that I was meant to be. I'll be healthier at 40 that I have ever been in my life. I just had my 37th bday and I can't wait to be 40! :humble: I didn't really have trouble with nausea :speechles until the ride home and it wasn't overwhealming. Todd turned up the air and drove real slow. When I got home he got me set up in my bed with tons of pillows and stuff so i'm not laying down flat. I'm keeping my liquied antibiotic and liquid Loritab in a cooler filled with ice right here along with some sugar free popcicles. My throat is fairly sore from the breathing tube stuff and my chest is kind of tight and breathing deep isn't the best experience. I kind of dread Thursday slighly 'cause for me, the 2nd or third day after something is usually pain wise the worst.. but maybe not this time. I'm on liquids until Friday then I start stuff like soft scrambled eggs and soups and oatmeal. Don't know that I'll be ready for that yet but we'll see. I would be nice if I could work a 1/2 day on FRiday even though I have it off. So far.. knock on wood, no gas pains however I did buy some rolaids gas chewables just in case. When I do get up and walk around some I burp a couple of times and i feel a little better. I have had to cough a few times and I've been holding a pillow on my tummy for that and it's not so bad. It keeps going through my head over and over.. now I have a chance..... now I have a chance. I am so excited about this new opportunity I've been given and can't wait to become more active and do the outdoor things I love. Oh.. also.. if you haven't had it done yet.. I got a reach/grabber thing from bed bath and beyound called the gopher and IT"S GREAT. I can grap stuff with out bending over. I can't wait to take a hot bath. He did say that I chould shower tomorrow. YOu should see my insicion bandages.. they cut the gauze into heart shapes.... Well it's about time for pain med dose 2 so more later.:biggrin1: :grouphug: :hug: __________________ Started Process 1/3/07 Insurance of BCBS if TN Have exclusion policy for WLS Date of approval 2/13 Date of surgery 2/27 BMI 54 Weight 336 Height 5'6 1/2" age 37 Surgeon Dr Charles Morton Baptist Hospital Nashville, TN Goal: Not sure yet. Somewhere under 200 "Always leave get well cards on your mantel, that way when guests come over, they'll think you've been sick:sick and unable to clean." :hippie:Blessings & Fae Kisses :kiss2:

For a little background info, I was diagnosed with Crohns in 2011, have been asymptomatic since 2012 and stopped my crohns medication in 2013 due to loss of insurance. I started my WLS journey 9 months ago in July. At my first appointment my surgeon thought I may have been misdiagnosed and recommended I have a colonoscopy as WLS is contraindicated for people with Crohns. He seemed pretty sure I did not have Crohn’s since I had very mild symptoms before being diagnosed. I wasn’t able to get a colonoscopy until the end of October, and it came back still indicating I do indeed have Crohn’s. My GI doctor wasn’t sure why I wasn’t having symptoms, but did see inflammation which was contained to my colon. She put me on mesalamine and wanted to do calprotectin labs to check inflammation in February. I returned to my surgeon and was informed that he did not feel comfortable performing WLS with this condition. I was pretty devastated but wasn’t going to let it get me down. I had lost 20 pounds (10 pounds more than the goal he had set for me) and accepted the fact that I will have to do this on my own. A month later I was called back into the bariatric clinic and my surgeon had went to a bariatric surgery conference in DC and proposed my case and spoke with other surgeons and all of a sudden he was able to offer me the sleeve. He advised against RNY due to if I ever became symptomatic I might require addition surgery as it could spread. I was looking to do full RNY due to the possibility of having dumping but I would take the sleeve over nothing. The catch was we have to wait until the inflammation in my colon goes down. 3 months was basically wasted on the mesalamine. Nothing changed. My GI doctor started me on a 2 month prednisone taper. Prednisone is the freaking devil. I gained 23 pounds but had the labs re-done and my inflammation went down from 374 to 81 and normal was Now my VSG is scheduled for 5/31! Does anyone else have Crohn’s? Have you had problems?

I thought I was in the clear and one of the lucky ones until 5 day after surgery. For me the pain was pretty bad. I thought my appendix must be bursting b/c I have had gas in my life and nothing ever felt like this before. My father had hernia surgery before and he said gas pain was an problem with him too since your stomach may have weak spots from surgery. My gas was on and off over 3 days. Walking does help I also tried some crazy positions to help motivate it. For me I find the pinching/pulling of my internal stitches more painful. But with all that said it really isn’t that bad, take some of the pain killers if you get gas pain and walk around. As far as the bathroom I didn’t go to the bathroom for the first time until about 10 days after surgery.

I have been stuck on the same weight for 3 weeks. I would really like to get below the teens 209 would be good! Not seeing the 10 ten in 210 would be great! Mental thing! All I have to do is lose 3 lbs....easier said than done! Could use a little cheer leading everybody...." i think i can, i think i can!"

Quick drastic weight loss is a strange experience. Don't get me wrong, I was fully prepared, after all it took over 10 years to finally break down and undergo surgery. After all the research, doctor's visits, and support groups/forums, I was prepared buuuuttt. I'm having trouble moving into the "skinny mindset". I eat like a skinny person, I don't have a choice since 95% of my stomach is gone. I'm becoming active like a skinny person with Fibromyalgia [there's only so much you can do with Fibro]. The problem is clothing. I still see myself as fat and think I should wear larger clothing. That's where having lots of children [young adults] in one's life helps. After being teased for wearing clothing that is too big [even though it is smaller than what I use to wear], I broke down and purchased items for stores I would have never dreamed I could patronize, Express, Old Navy, J C Penny, Victoria's Secret. Everyone thinks I look great but I feel they are too small. Oh well, I guess my self-perception will catch up with the physical as time goes by.

I had my husband with me so he knows, I told one friend and one of my four children. No one has noticed any changes. I have had problems losing, only 10 pounds but I am only out 5 weeks. I am glad no one at work knows because they would be watching me eat.

Yep - me with my bypass. Almost 20lbs down in first 9-10 days, then nothing. Nearly a week - it just started moving again. Lots Of posts here on the 3 week stall. Seems like Our is a little under 2 weeks. Have faith - it will come right if you are following the plan!

I've done wraps several times (5-10) times a few years ago when I lost weight through dieting. I think it does help thigten the skin. I plan doing it again at least once a month this time around. I will do anything I can to avoid anymore surgery. I firmly believe it helps to shape the body the way it should be. If you don't go crazy eating junk food afterwards the effects do last. Someone else posted some other tips and tricks on here which includes dry brushing the skin. I've done that before too and I will start that again.

I was banded June 29, 2009 and I have over lost 110 pounds. I am so amazed at how well this band has worked with me. I fit in better now with the people I hang out with and work with. I always hated even dreaded having to buy clothes for a body that weighed in at over 250 pounds nothing looks or feels good on. I now have to be good as I spend all my money on clothes now. I am a size 10/12 and like to wear my clothes roomy. I think it is because my clothes were always so tight on me before. I have maintained my loss now for many months and I still need to look at myself twice when I walk by a mirror. I really do like what I see. I also feel great. No more pills, no pains in legs or knees, no more sleep apnea, no headaches. I am living the LB high life. Best wishes to all. imaluckydog

alright so i go for my preop testing on monday 12-21-09 and then my egd on 12-22-09. them my insurance will change over on 1-1-10! hurray! so i really wanted to set some goals and write them down but.....it is kinda hard to do seeing as i dont have a surgery date. but my first major goal is to get next week done and then...on 12-28-09 i plan to start my exercise wii game. your shape! i am so anxious!

What am I not suppose to have to eat? 10 weeks post op. They tell us what we can have at 8 weeks. But what is it we can't have? What do you eat at 10 weeks? Sent from my SM-G920P using the BariatricPal App

I got 21 more days til i get sleeved by Dr. Illan in Florence hospital in Tijuana. Im Sooooooooo excited....nerves have not hit just yet! But it wont bother me ive had my gallbladder taken out n i know what im looking forward to!! I will be leaving apr.10 fron florida to san diego and will be sleeved on the 11th!!!!!! Again im SOOOOOO EXCITED!!!

Your best bet is to call the customer service (or member services) number on your insurance card. Ask them what their requirements are for approval for weight loss surgery. Write down the date, the time, the number you called, and the name of the person you spoke to. Write down your questions and their answers. Some of your questions should be: 1. Does my policy cover weight loss surgery of any kind? 2. Are there certain types of weight loss surgery that are covered and if so what are they? 3. Are there any types of WLS that are specifically excluded? 4. Do I need a psych clearance? 5. Do I need a period of time of medically supervised weight loss appointments, and if so, how long? 6. Do I need any other clearances? 7. What are the BMI requirements? 8. Do I need to have any comorbidities for it to be covered? 9. What is my deductible? (amount you pay before insurance pays a cent) 10. What is my copay? 11. What is my maximum out of pocket? (the total amount you will spend in a year on medical care and then insurance will cover ALL of the rest) 12. Is the psych clearance (if you need one) covered by my insurance? 13. Is my surgeon in my network? And if not, what does that mean to me financially? 14. Is my hospital in my network? And if not, what does that mean to me financially? 15. Is my anesthesiology group in my network? And if not, what does that mean to me financially? Good luck.

Not sure how much people normally lose but I was totally pumped about these 10lb! Wondering how the upcoming weeks (prior to stall of course) usually compare to week one. Anyone care to share their experiences prior to the 3 or 4 week stall?

I am 4 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. I had severe acid reflux [GERD] prior to surgery. That is why I went with gastric bypass vs. sleeve; because the sleeve will only make this condition worse. I have not had a problem with GERD since surgery. I used a PPI [proton-pump inhibitor] called Prilosec [Omeprazole] to periodically treat this condition prior to surgery. I also was prescribed this drug for the first year after surgery, in order to allow my stomach to heal. But after the year was up, I could tell the this condition was in remission. You indicated that ppi medication reducing life expectancy 25 percent. GERD is a dangerous disease. It can lead to Barrets' esophagus, and many other problems. According to the internet: GERD is most often not a life limiting disease. Approximately 23 million Americans have GERD. The chances of Barret's is pretty small and even then less then 10 percent with Barrets will develop esophageal cancer. An estimated 13,000 people in the US are diagnosed with EC each year, so it is pretty rare. Everyone starts off with a normal lower esophageal sphincter and no reflux. The severity of GERD probably correlates best with the degree of damage to the sphincter, but this is not easy to determine in practice. These are the four stages of GERD: Stage 1 – Mild GERD The majority of adults today have minor damage to their LES [lower esophageal sphincter] and experience mild GERD occasionally. In most cases they either tolerate occasional heartburn or use over-the-counter acid suppressive medications with the onset of symptoms. Because their symptoms are controlled quickly, easily, and inexpensively with these drugs, their quality of life is unaffected. Stage 2 –Moderate GERD Stage 2 GERD is more difficult to control with acid suppressive drugs and reflux is more frequently accompanied by higher intensity symptoms. Damage to the LES is more extensive compared to Stage 1. Many symptoms can be satisfactorily managed long-term with acid suppressive medications. Over-the-counter medications often provide inadequate relief, so prescription strength medications are necessary to manage symptoms. Stage 3 – Severe GERD Stage 3 GERD results in a substantially lower quality of life and is considered to be a very serious problem. Prescription level acid suppressive drugs do not control symptoms to the individual’s satisfaction and regurgitation is frequent. It is also likely that one or more of the complications associated with erosive GERD may be present. Stage 4 – Pre-cancerous condition or reflux induced esophageal cancer Stage 4 is the result of many years of severe reflux. 10-15% of long-term sufferers progress to this very advanced condition. Due to long-term reflux, the lining of the esophagus has been damaged, resulting in cellular changes. Interestingly, these changes may occur in some with only minimal symptoms. Stage 4 involves the development of a pre-cancerous condition called Barrett’s esophagus, or a more severe condition called dysplasia. These conditions are not cancers, but raise the risk of developing actual reflux-induced esophageal cancer. At this stage, typical GERD symptoms may also be accompanied by burning in the throat, chronic cough and hoarseness. Strictures, or a narrowing of the esophagus, can also occur which is characterized by the sensation that food is sticking in the esophagus. This same symptom can also be caused by esophageal cancer. So perhaps it is not the use of PPI that causes the lowered life expectancy but the damage from the disease itself. Anyways from my perspective there is treatment for this condition and that is RNY gastric bypass surgery.

I have lost 10 lbs in seven days. I am so happy. I'm starting a new business to. Mobile airbrush sunless tanning, like Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Simpson and Paris all do. Beginning stages, this looks like fun!

Friday, June 19, 2009 Sugery's Done, New Life's Begun Surgery went well. The Dr. fixed a hiatal hernia (common with overweight people) which should fix my GERD (gastroesophogeal reflux). That'll be one less pill right there. However, with laparoscopic surgery air gets put into the abdominal cavity. Every time I take a sip of liquid and I swallow some air goes into my stomach which pushes on the air outside the stomach which presses some nerve in the diaphram that sends referred pain to the shoulders. I should absorb that air in a few days. My stomach's a little sore, but so far, there are very few repercussions to me physically. I'm only allowed to drink clear liquids for the first 5-7 days, and believe me, that's all I can handle. I can't garden for a few weeks or take a bath or go swimming. There's a port under the skin that the Dr. will use to adjust my lap band (think inflatable doughnut.) He'll put a needle through that port to blow up the ring as my stomach shrinks and the band loosens. If I have complications, the band can be removed. I am quite mobile, I can walk as much as I want, I just can't do anything strenuous that might move the band out of place. I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. I was very at peace before the surgery that I was doing the right thing and that God was with me. I'm excited and scared about this new life but I know God is walking with me through it all.

I have had this happen one time exactly two days ago... I am not sure if it is because I ate one two many bites, I had about 8-10 bites or Im not sure if It was the frozen yogurt ice pop I however had my heart wanting to explode out of my chest I became hot and dizzy worst feeling I have had since pre-op I walked for nearly two hours around my yard until finally it stopped. I do hope it happens to get better for you as I never want it to happen again mannnnnn Sending good vibes your way

Thank you everyone...I appreciate your responses. Only 10 days to go!! I am praying constantly and know that God paved the path ahead of me. I love that there are so many people that are in so many different places and we can all come together and share w/each other.... may we all be on the loosers bench <3

I have had LOTS of surgeries myself. Never lost hair, never got cold in the summer afterward. Not after losing a lot of weight.. And I had a 10 inch incision after gall bladder surgery. I thought I said I don't eat simple carbs. My husband does, I DON'T. Other people have complained that food servers comment on the amount of food they eat. I offered what I thought was a humorous solution. Yes, exercise reduces your blood sugar but not to a predictable degree. You have to know what your sugars are going to do before exercising so you don't have to worry about lows and correcting them. But that is what my doctor says, so maybe you know more. Your kind of response is why I rarely post on this board anymore.

In 4 months I've learned a lot of things. About myself and my body. I'm now down -51.4 lbs, and past my first goal. I've had a lot of things go wrong over the past 4 months, and my sleeve has saved me from my emotional cycles of binge eating. I've worked hard, made mistakes, but I've recovered. I find confidence in places that I didn't even realize I had lost it. I've been cleaning out my closets and along with the large sizes I've also been shedding a lot of emotional baggage. I'm proud of myself. My impulsive, self destructive behavior was the most obvious with food- and since my sleeve I've become calmer, more clear headed, and grounded. I no longer lose control, and it's trickling into other parts of my life. I'm dating again and instead of accepting mediocre offers, I've set high standards, and remembered that I'm a valued person. Mr. Right will come when it's time. On God's time. I went out Friday night with a good friend, and we took pics together for the first time. Full body shots. And I was flipping out about how I looked in them. She was more shocked than I was at my reaction. When we went to our favorite place downtown, we danced and had fun- and I was scanning the room to see if I was the fattest chick in there. More than a couple of guys took notice of me. I wasn't interested in anything more than a good glance. It just felt good to go out, and not feel all I eyes were on me for the wrong reasons. I look back to so many evenings out with friends where I hid, and felt miserable, and disgusting in my clothes. When I first got this surgery, I was almost paniked at the financing-the amount of money I had to pay as a single mother was jaw dropping. I look back, only 4 months later, and ask myself "Why didn't I think I was worth this gift to myself?" I loved myself enough to get this surgery, and I'm truly a better person, mother, and friend for it. My outlook is bright. And I'm so thankful. Attached are two pictures from Friday night with my friends. I'm now a size 8/9, 164 lbs (and I'm the brunette in the pic!). I started at 216 and a size 16. Height: 5'9 Highest (Surgery) Weight: 216 1st Primary Goal Weight: 169 (Achieved 11/27) 2nd Optimal Goal Weight: 145 Sleeve Journey: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 8/17/12- PreOp/Surgery Day w/Pics Posted in Blog Week 1 (8/24): 204.8 (-11.2) Week 2 (8/31): 200.6 (-4.2) Week 3 (9/7): 196.8 (-3.8) Week 4 (9/14): 193.5 (-3.3) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 9/17/12- 1 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-22.5 lbs) Week 5 (9/21): 191.6 (-1.9) Week 6 (9/28): 190.1 (-1.5) Week 7 (10/5): 187.0 (-3.1) Week 8 (10/12): 181.9 (-5.1) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 10/17/12- 2 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-11.6 lbs) Week 9 (10/19): 181.4 (-.5) Week 10 (10/26): 177.9 (-3.5) Week 11 (11/02): 176.8 (-1.1) Week 12 (11/09): 174.7 (-2.1) Week 13 (11/16): 173.3 (-1.4) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 11/17/12- 3 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-8.6 lbs) Week 14 (11/23): 173.1 (-.2) Week 15 (11/30): 167.3 (-5.8) Week 16 (12/7): 168.1 (+.8) Week 17 (12/14): 164.6 (-3.5) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 12/17/12- 4 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-8.7 lbs)