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I am SO glad I met you here! We're literally in the same kind of boat We definitely need to keep in touch. It's awesome to hear that diet consults are no longer required for your BC plan! Do you remember where on their website you found that or did you have to call? Only thing I wish they had was online chat. UnitedHealthcare had great support chat, but that was about it LOL My new insurance plan is through Anthem Blue Cross. I'm in Texas, but my company is based out of California so we get the same coverage that they do. Even though I can't log in to the Anthem BC site yet, I have my entire plan's documents and not one thing about dietary evaluations is being mentioned as a requirement for approval. Not even in the EOC which is the most detailed document of all. Only requirements mentioned in the EOC are these (see screenshot below)...this is the full section on anything Bariatric Surgery under "Covered Services" in the entire 191 page document. There's some stuff scattered elsewhere regarding the required type of bariatric surgery facilities and travel coverage for bariatric services, but nothing else for the surgery requirements itself. Next section is Transgender Services, which awesomely, are covered. This policy is beyond generous. Thoughts?

Hi! I am 15 years out from DS. I will tell you what I was told not only by my surgeon but more or less everyone in my support group. I say from my support group because when I had surgery there was no DS Surgeon in our state and everyone left the state to have surgery, hence I don't think any of us had the same surgeon other than a married couple. EMBRACE THE FAT!!!! Number one rule! If you don't see fat in your toilet your not eating enough. My skin gets extremely dry any time I cut the fat. I am shocked that you were told or assumed that low fat was great for you. Protein should be about 100 grams a day split up in 20-25 gram servings, so any fatty meat is good!!! Avoid sugar. Sugar isn't as bad for DS'ers as it is for RNY, we don't dump. However, we absorb 100% of the sugar we take in. I am also surprised you can eat bread at all. Most DS'er will have bloating and serious gas issues from bread. For me (and from most I have heard from) the gas hits at the night so you may not be aware of it. For me it has been so bad the stink wakes me up at nigh, thank goodness I can blame the dog Try going flour free for a month then reintroduce it to your body, if you have a reaction please stop. To make your diet easy for you, the order you should be eating your food, fatty meats,non starchy veggies with butter or olive oil, if your still hungry go back to fatty meat you didn't eat enough!!! Go easy on the starchy veggies. IF you need bread and desserts, no more than a bite or two. But as my surgeon says, if you still hungry by the time you get to bread and dessert your out eating your surgery! As for malabsorption, you absorb about 20-25% of fat, 50ish% of protein and 100% of sugar (carbs are sugar, stay way from carbs that are not veggies) You need to go back to experimenting with your body, bread...flour based food give me gas, bloat and in the end a lot of time in the bathroom. I also feel like I have the flu. My husband will look at the cookie in my hand and will ask me if I have plans for tomorrow and is it worth being sick on the couch for. Most of the time it isn't! I also have issues with rice, it will clog me up. I have heard of other DS'ers with that issue with rice too, but many more with flour. Sugar will cause the scale to go up. I still eat sugar, but it is a rare treat, not a daily ,weekly or even monthly treat. Mostly a yearly treat at this time of year. But I still very easy on it because to much will cause bloating and gas too. That is normal for humans who don't eat sugar, not just DS'ers. On the sugar note, if your craving sugar your going thru withdrawal or some protein drinks will cause cravings or you need to up your vitamin Bs special B12. Ok, what to eat on the go. I drive for a living so I have this down. My favorite is meat and cheese roll ups. What ever meat and cheese is on sale at the deli. In the roll up I will put a slice of red pepper or a some cream cheese or a smear of spinach dip (fat is your friend!!!) Jerky and beef sticks are great! Nuts. Costco has parmesan cheese chips, LOVE THEM! Tuna salad eaten with a fork with a cheese chip on top. I get the fatty tuna and a bit of crunch from the cheese chip. Love it! Salad with LOTS of meat. I can do chicken strips, bunless burgers, salad at any fast food place. Be careful of yogurt, most are low fat and high sugar. Actually in general avoid any food that is low fat, the sugar is crazy high. If you want yogurt, plain and add your own fruit or sugar free jam to it. You can eat fruit, pick higher fiber ones just be aware of the amount of sugar your eating. I do apples slices and berries mostly, easy to pack for the road. These are treats, not staples. Depression, I never had depression issues before surgery and was not prepared for it after. It hit me about a year out. I take lexapro now, it does not cause weight gain. I have noticed that when I eat more fatty fish, salmon or can tuna in fat (hard to find anymore) I feel better. I upped my omegas when I caught that, so now I am taking those with my vitamins. I would suggest talking to your primary about depression and then getting a therapist or councilor to talk to. Not only for everything going on in your life, you have a lot! but also for food addiction. Surgery will not fix food addiction and if you don't get a handle on it, you will eventually out eat your surgery.

Ok, so sorry you are going through this and have to live with it. The worst thing in my opinion is always being on a level of pain where you can't sleep, move, etc. But here's where I probably won't be popular, and I can only give you my story. And everyone is SO different and lives a different pain history. In short, I have osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, cervical stenosis and sacral stenosis, bone spurs on my spine, hips, joints. etc, etc, chronic bursitis in both hips, a 50% ACL tear, and neuralgia 360 around my chest extending 8 inches + neuralgia in my hands/feet from hand/foot syndrome during chemo. And in addition I'm a stage 3c BC survivor on Femara (a drug that causes even more bone and joint pain). I've been on opiod pills, neurontin, tramadol, flexeril, nsaids, tylenol, pain patches, pain gels, cortisone shots to the joints. Oh and now I have a Parkinsonian trimmer in my head and hands from the radiation/chemo--so it causes constant muscle tension cuz I trie to keep my head/hands/shoulders from shaking deep inside my body. I used to not be able to sleep longer than 1-2 hours at a time before waking from pain and unintentional movement. I still sleep in a recliner. And every day I woke, I'd wake in at least a 6-7 pain level. I would not medicate until it was an 8+ to 10 cuz I hated the side effects of the drugs. And now that I had surgery, most of that or a lot of that is off the table. Here is what finally helped me. 1. Adjusting my diet to be as clean as possible. (Every time I eat beef or pork, I wake the next morning 20 years older... Every time I have carby carbs like grains--pain so bad I feel 80 years old. Every time I drink any kind of alcohol other than a little red wine--pain like cray. Cheese and dairy is the same way unless it's very very small amounts of reduced fat or fat free dairy.) 2. Started doing severe calorie restriction, then IF and that reduced the pain ENORMOUSLY! Like...magically. 3. Lose weight. I think my doc gave me some number like: for every 15% of body weight you lose, you reduce your pain level by 20-30%? 4. Get PT and then do the frickin core strengthening exercises religiously. (I'm slacking on this! But I can tell when I do them and when I don't. The difference in pain level is a magnitude of 10 with v. without.) 5. Walk daily. Daily. Even when I don't feel like it. Even when it hurts. By the time I'm done, it always hurts less. The best thing I've done is lose the weight. I can do things now without pain meds that I never thought I could or would be able to do. My goal is to get to 125-130lbs to take off as much extra stress as possible and improve my pain level as much as I can. I think the pain meds caused a continual cycle of spring-back pain (forget the name of it). So it was like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because I medicated, I would have more pain at the end of the cycle and need to take more meds. And because I medicated, I'd built up a tolerance and needed more and more meds to help. Now if I absolutely must have one, it takes maybe 1/4 of the amount it used to take. I now wake only in a 2-3 and end of day is usually only a 4 which is entirely manageable for me. Some meds that play well together and amplify their effects: 1. Gabapentin + Tramadol together 2. Tramadol + Tylenol together (this one is especially good) 3. Norco 10/325 + Flexoril (last resort med) Lastly, this is the killer part. (Sorry in advance...and you can only do what you can do--and only you know how clean your diet is and if you are eating low cals.) If you are 5'5" and 178lbs and female, you still have some fluffy slush to get rid of that absolutely would help reduce the pain level. I wouldn't say that if I didn't feel the difference in myself. It was night and day relief. I'm no longer on any pain drugs. And the only scripts I take are my Femara, thyroid, and omeprazole. I walk daily. I try to do strength training 2-3 days per week as much as I'm able. And I can actually "fast walk"/jog which I never thought possible. It's now been 1+ year since one of my cortisone shots and about 6+months since the other and I'm holding up really well. I hope my story helps you. I'm sorry for going on about myself. But I just think, if it was possible for me, how many others would/could benefit from it. The freedom from drugs is really just a great gift of this surgery and lifestyle.

I'm going to my last dietitian and therapy session today. It's been a 6 month process for me. My weight has fluctuated the 6 month bc it's just been a trial and error of finding out what I need to do to be proactive in my weight loss journey. Congratulations on getting this far! You're almost there!

I think it’s bc you’re only 2 weeks out. Still swollen etc. things will be weird for about 2-3 months the. You’ll start to figure out your signs. My nose runs when I reach restriction. Weird!

@TomCruzMomShoes, Yes, great minds think alike. Amazon is currently working on sending me the Fusion bariatric unflavored protein powder. If I remember correctly theirs was 27g per scoop so in 2-3 business days, I will be on that gravy train with you. Is it truly unflavored or do you get a little after taste? I wanted to add it to some of the food too like refried beans or hummus. They were recommended to me but have very little protein in them so I was going to give them a boost. I start the puree stage on Monday and I am ready but also nervous bc I REALLY don't want to fall back into any bad habits. But I am trying to stay positive and keep working at it. I am 25 days post op but my Doctor had me on 2 weeks of liquid then 2 weeks of full liquid (protein shakes/powder) so I am beyond ready for texture back into my life! Thanks for the tip! I really appreciate the advise.

Body dysmorphia is about as common as rain in my beautiful city of Vancouver, BC. LOL It can often take the brain a long time to accept and interpret what the eyes see in a more honest way. The best way to approach it is to battle it head on. Try on clothes that actually fit and flatter you, and don't dismiss it when people compliment you. Look in the mirror - REALLY look in the mirror. Don't look away. Make friends with yourself. Rephrase the automatic negative thoughts that enter your head. Our inner voice has a major influence on our perception. If we repeat the negative, bullying, things we've heard from others we'll believe them even more. Don't allow yourself to bully yourself, shut that garbage down as soon as you catch yourself doing it. In time, and with mindful self-care your brain will re-program itself. Trust me, we've all been there. There IS a way out.

just take it slow. bc I rushed and it HURTS and get "stuck" so to say . It give me anxiety bc I don't wanna throw up haha. But I'm not a quitter lol I go back and try again a day or two later. For Thanksgiving I was able to eat like 4 good bites and then boop done. Its crazy. Bc I was an eater !!! LOL like 2 plates and some more type a girl lol. Reach out of you have any other questions !!!!

Ummmm....I am doing ok. I would say good but I don't feel like I've been doing good bc I've only lost 35llbs. I can eat solid foods already like 2-3 bites and I'm done. I pretty much hit fluid goals some days ...I don't. I have super good days and my stomach is calm and easy going lol and then I have some ugly days and I'm like WHY did eat thisssssss??? LOL Its all an experience and you'll get to know your body in ways you thought you already knew it but no...you didn't. hahaha.

Hi fellow 6ther! I’m doing very well! My incisions are all healing perfectly, I’m pain-free (with the exception of occasional sharp pains when bending over), and I’ve had no complications thus far. No nausea, thank goodness! I’m tolerating puréed foods well, can never eat more than 3-4oz at a time, usually not that much. I am still drinking one protein shake a day to help get my protein in. I can drink liquids normally now so have no issue staying hydrated. Like you, I rarely feel hungry and usually eat something just bc I know I am supposed to. Overall, I’m very pleased!

Carbs really cause stalls. Outside of the whole 3 week stall being normal. You **REALLY** need to push the fluids, your body needs water. And it uses water to process fat. So, if you don't give it enough to do what it needs to normally, fat removal isn't going to happen. Current medical research is showing that humans need between 90-110 oz of water a day... for a normal person. This is why I push the 128 oz a day number. Because if you want to process fat, you need to give your body MORE water than it needs to meet it's daily requirements, this way, it'll use the extra for fat processing. Do your best to stick to your actual diet. Straying is only going to sabotage your process. You are the ONLY person that can do this... so, do it. Yes, it's hard. Yes, it's emotional. Yes, it F'n sucks... for a while. But then, those new habits are habits and the old ones are gone. It takes 2 weeks on average to make something a habit. It can take a month or more. Just get back to doing EXACTLY what you are supposed to, suck it up and deal with the BS for a while... and then, before you know it... it won't be BS any longer. This surgery is a tool. Only you can use the tool you've been given. You can chose to leave it in the drawer, useless and collecting dust... or you can use that tool to build the new you. Carving things isn't easy, if it were, then everyone would be carving up whatever they wanted... carving things is hard and takes time and skill and effort. You are carving the new you. Take the time and effort to make sure the you that you are carving... is the you that you want to see.

@ copiers mum listed herself on profile as Columbus. @ crazed Connie who hasn't posted for a while was from Ashtabula, had hers at Cleveland Clinic. Big Viffer lives in DAYTON. so does Lynn, I think it's maybe Lynnv1964, I think she's the one who had an ESG. Haven't heard from @DRoseman in Northwest Ohio for a month of Sundays, her path to surgery was as bumpy as mine. And my Columbus peeps, @Nnoi and @MercMerc, they had their surgeries in July, when I thought mine might be, by now they are probably slendering down and living the GOOD life. Nnoi had hers at Riverside Methodist and MercMerc at Nationwide Children's, quite a backstory there! When you don't hear from people, you got to assume they are okay until You Know Different. Woke up pessimistic, can't afford to go Black Friday shopping, lower tummy pain, took MoM side I wasn't planning to leave the house. Going to start the 2oz of fluid every 15 minutes plan, went to BR this AM, hardly went. They say dehydration does EVIL things to YOU, don't want that! Don't even feel good enough to ride squad out for IV therapy. Its either going to be a PLOM day, short for Poor Little Old Me, or a Hard Candy Christmas. See I do have an insurance settlement coming up, should disperse Christmas or just before, but like the kid who was just told there is no Santa Claus, I have lost my belief system. Tomkitten still believes and trusts my lawyer and his staff, me ---IDK. Well another 2 oz down, threw up again last night before bed, depleted me. Used to bounce up, do my BR duties, start on a protein shake, and things were good. Now everything left is vanilla, most are soy or pea protein, and after 11+ weeks REPULSIVE. And Precious Pouch repeals solids, most purees, there are not a lot of diversity in broths, strained & cream soups. Especially low under 20 calories yet high protein. Dr Noria wanted me to up protein daily to 90 grams, see if that would heal my 5 evil,ulcers. I am Genpro'ing everything I can seduce PP into keeping down. Is it enough? We shall next Wednesday when my 4th Endoscopy , my somewhat beloved EGJ occurs. Time before last ( October 26th) they accidently left me fully conscious, oh my GI track was deadened with the novacaine like gargle but I watched EVERYTHING on the monitor just like Dr Noria did. Last time ( November 9th) I did ask for enough sedation I fell asleep, it had been a bad quick housing move and I needed the zoning out. Only worry-free moments I was assured. But I am safe, warm, not well-fed, but have love of Tomkitten. Maybe I'll make it through until Social Security on December 3rd, wish Late Lamented had left me a pension, but he didn't work that kind of job. Mama didn't raise me to be poor but guess I am. It would just kill her if she weren't already Dead!

I had a TERRIBLE TIME. I ended up on Zofran and Reglan and nexium. Then they warned me off the reglan and increased my nexium. It took a while. Make sure you eat bc if you don’t the acid is worse and makes nausea worse I think. Good ick to you it’s really hard for some people in the first couple months after. It DOES improve! It’s just so individualized.

Thanks a bunch! I do actually have loose skin 😬 arms, thighs, stomach. But it’s not THAT bad. I always planned on getting a tummy tuck anyway. Thighs I can live with bc I don’t wear shorts anyway and will try to tone them by working out. Arms...I’m contemplating getting them done when I get my tummy tuck but idk yet.

Thanks! I do have loose skin my arms and thighs and stomach are the worst. Stomach is no problem bc I’ve always planned on getting a tummy tuck anyway. Thighs, eh no so worried. Arms, I’m contemplating getting skin removed when I get my tummy tuck but I’m not sure it’s bad enough. They look fine in a pic but if I wiggle my arms yikes! Also, I have not started working out 😬 I should do that 😂

Hello everyone! So a lot less craziness in my life right now. I expect work to be significantly quieter until after the New Year. So that means more time for bs-ing here! I'm not doing much IF, other than what comes naturally not being much of a morning eater. I'm still experimenting with eating as I please, and seeing what happens to the scale. So far so good, so I'm hopeful for my future in the maintenance phase. But still cautious about still being in the honeymoon phase, and having a lot of restriction, which may not always be the case. But ... I've lost 101 lbs!

Wowwww, weird coincidence! My daughter takes Vyvanse. Ya know, I bet there is something to that. I took the immediate release Adderall tablets. It was like a firey pit of hell in my guts about 30min after taking it so I'd usually take a Zantac along with it to avoid the burn. I long for a day without this BS. Sure hope you get rid of that ulcer! Thanks for being so sweet

So after calling the Dr office and them telling me they did everything on their end and it was all submitted, I called Blue Shield and of course they said they didn't see anything submitted but weren't sure so they left a message at my Dr's office. Heard nothing back from either of them and called BS again.... couldn't even understand the women. Called a couple hours later, and third time was the charm! The guy was able to tell me that my Dr's office just submitted in the early afternoon today (glad I called to remind them) and he looked over all the papers they sent in to make sure everything on the check list was completed. Super nice guy. Said I should hear back in about 72 Hours! Im hoping Ill hear something Wednesday before Thanksgiving but Ill be on their butt Wednesday regardless haha. My insurance coordinator did tell me that my 'tentative' surgery date is December 20th. Which is great but if approved I would be open to something sooner.

Six months since surgery and I am down 155 lbs. Pretty amazing journey. I have been very fortunate as well to have zero loose skin. I am currently eating 1800-2000 calories a day and 190+ protein. I walk 15-20k steps a day which usually translates to 7-10 miles a day. I workout with weights five days a week. I feel better than I have since I was probably 25. My only suggestions are to get active as soon as you can after surgery and build on it. I started at 3-4K steps a day before building up to the level I am now and I started with relatively light weights (for my size and history of weight lifting as a college football athlete) and high reps before building back up to heavier weights. My point is, you gotta start somewhere. And once you start keep going even when you don’t feel like it because it gets easier and the health benefits are amazing. The other suggestion is when you hit a stall, up your calories and protein. I hit stalls along the way and instead of decreasing food intake I increased it. I would add 200 calories and 10 grams of protein each time installed and instantly I’d start losing again. It seems counter intuitive, I know. Especially given how all of us, myself included, previously had to cut caloric intake to lose. But before the problem was we were eating too much and needed to cut back. Now the problem is we are eating too little and our body goes into starvation mode and starts fighting the weight loss. I found if I fed it more, it would keep burning away he fat. Good luck to all and anyone considering this surgery do it!

I got a lot of warnings that I would be more fertile AND had to go off the pill for 2 months. I've read you aren't supposed to get pregnant for a year. I would call your doctor immediately. https://www.babycenter.com/0_seven-facts-about-pregnancy-after-weight-loss-surgery_1504874.bc Good luck, whatever you do.

Luna, at least they have a lemon one, so fed up with protein bar companies cramming chocolate down a weight loss person's throat, Geez Louise, I am not the only,one intolerant or down right allergic to the stuff! And while we are are on the subject, all I can find are vanilla or chocolate protein shakes, I am 23 miles from the nearest Sams Club and 40,miles from Costco so neither is an option. And one gets so sick on. vanilla, nearly 4 weeks pre and 10+ post, and the Bariatric Pal ones the best is Orange Creamsicle and I'm getting,low,on it.

Hi everyone! I technically hit 6 months 2 days ago, but whatever Wednesdays suck so boo. Anyways, I am 6 months into my new life, and good lord is it a new life. I am a new person for sure. One year ago to the day I had been sobbing in my room because my size 24s would barely button. I know without a doubt that I was over 300lbs, but the sight of a scale had anxiety clogging my throat. I decided that day something would change. I went out and dropped 2k on an elliptical and resolved to "fix this ridiculousness immediately." Fast forward to February of 2018, and I was frustrated as all hell. Killing myself on the elliptical every freaking day and I was sitting at 292 and not moving. It wasn't enough. It was never enough, because this wasn't the first time I had gotten fed up and resolved to change. I went online and booked myself an appointment for March 15 for a WLS consultation. I think the stress and anxiety over that appointment helped me drop a few lbs, but I weighed in at just under 288 for my very first weigh in, and the first day of my new life. I reworked everything about my diet, cut out the crap and worked studiously with the nutritionist. I was scheduled for surgery on May 14th, weighing in at 260lbs. Fast forward six months later, and I am sitting here at 184 (Darn you sweet potato wedges and the 2lb gain this morning because of you! But you were so worth it). I am OVER 100lbs down from where I began 2018. I am 76lbs down from my surgery weight. But numbers are really not my major accomplishments. Or at least, not those numbers. What are my important numbers? 2.5: The number of miles I can run without stopping to walk. I will be running my second 5k Thanksgiving Morning. 12: The size freaking pants I am wearing! I am NOT plus size anymore. This is huge for me. I've been in plus size clothes for the majority of my children's (8 and 5) lives and now I am not. I am below average size for the american woman. 7: The number of sizes I have dropped. I don't know why, but I feel like that's a big deal. I dropped SEVEN sizes in less than a YEAR. Total Mind F**k. 3: The number of days per week I take my kids on a hike/walk in the neighborhood. Given this is weather permitting, but I am always out with my kids now, doing the things I couldn't before. Whether it's riding on the bike trail, doing laps around the pond, or mini-hikes through the state forest, or even exploring the small woods behind our house- We are doing it. Every weekend and many times during the week if we can. 1 Million: The percentage displaying how much better I feel about myself, and about my health. and lastly, 0: The number of regrets I have for deciding to have this surgery. So that aside, whats my day to day like? Well here it is! (Work week, weekends are less regimented but usually are where I focus my heavier workouts) 4:30am: I wake up and drink a cup of coffee (8oz) mixed with half a bottle of caramel or chocolate Premier Protein RTD drink. This is the start to my day, every day. I then go for my run or do my weight lifting/exercise regimen. During the week it's usually only a two mile run. I also go to OTF once a week, but that's usually on weekends. Wednesday is my OFF day because F**K Wednesdays. 6am: I make a shake and drink it during my 1.5 - 2 hour commute. Yes 6 months out I still drink a shake. I do this because I make my own shakes and they are super good and I ALWAYS feel way more energetic when I have them. I have a huge selection of shakes I make, but they typically will consist of greek yogurt or cottage cheese, almond milk, protein powder, and either sweet or more savory items. I pack as much nutritional punch as I can into that shake. I even have holiday ones (My peppermint mocha shake is delicious!) 10am: I will usually have a small snack. Honestly it really varies. Sometimes it will be a fruit, but it's usually something more cheese based. I love cheese. So a babybell cheese, string cheese, or even my newest obsession Sargento breaks. 12pm: Lunch always varies, but I am usually good for about 2.5oz of food. I know it sounds super small, and at times I can eat more but I usually try not to since I don't need it. I tend to eat smaller frequent meals. Again this varies, but one thing I eat a lot is turkey salad. Roast turkey with greek yogurt and a FEW dried cranberries, salt, pepper and paprika and I am good to go. 2pm: Coffee #2! Actually I drink so much coffee, but luckily it's almost all decaf. This coffee is a staple because well I have routine issues and just need it. It makes me happy. If I am having a rough day energy wise I'll add some PP in like my first coffee, but I seldom need the added protein. In fact I take in too much protein honestly. I'm working on it with my nutritionist. 3pm: This is usually my sweet snack. I make my own seven layer bars that I will sometimes eat, but if not it will be some sort of sweet. I will often eat some sort of fruit, yogurt, or whatever floats my boat. If I eat chocolate, I eat dark. It's my preference anyways. 6pm: Dinner time! This is my last meal of the day. I almost never eat anything after this since I go to bed around 9am because I am secretly an old person LOL. Dinners as you can imagine vary a ton as well, but I eat predominately white meat. Not that red meat is bad, but my husband had a heart attack back in April so we limit the amount of red meat in the house. Despite changing taste buds I hate fish just as much post surgery as I did before it. I was bummed by this but whatever. We eat lots of turkey and chicken. Because my diet is pretty healthy, I do tend to be a bit more lax about dinner but that is just me. I will still opt for a healthier option a majority, but I still make a mean homemade chicken pot pie so I splurge every now and then Overall my calories range from 1100-1400 depending on how heavy my workouts are, and the time of the month because YES that makes a difference. I get in about 85-100g of protein (too much I know, I'm sort of working on it sort of. I made routines post surgery when you had to focus focus focus on building protein and I sort of overdid it. I mean I STILL drink protein waters because I'm weird. I drink about 100oz of water/fluid (This includes the DECAF coffees, I don't count caffeinated coffee in my fluid intake and will drink a bit more water if I have caffeine). Honestly any less than that and I really really feel awful. Keeping hydrated literally means the difference between going for that run, or lying in the fetal position on my bed with a migraine. I don't respond well to my migraine meds post surgery. If I only got in say 70oz of water a day for 3 days straight, I'd be bedraggled with dark circles, and fighting a headache. My body likes water. A lot. I take my vitamins mostly daily. The BIG vitamins I do... it's the calcium ones I don't always take. I don't know why, but they always make me feel super super thirsty after taking them. My one a day does too, but not nearly as bad and they are more important. I LOVE my b12 I feel like it makes a huge difference so I always take that one. I'd say I take the calcium one 5 out of 7 days. I would say I'm working on that too... but I'm really not. NOT because I don't think it's important, but because I am a stubborn idiot and my teeth are probably paying for it :(. Maybe that will be my resolution for 2019... So that's me in a nutshell I think? Hair loss sucks but I have alopecia so that's not new. Saggy skin is definitely a thing. Mine isn't TOO bad, but it's definitely there. I mean I've had two kids and been fat so I wasn't expecting any less. My ass ran away though. That's kind of sad. I've tweaked my workouts a bit in hopes of coaxing it back but who knows if that will work LOL. Oh and lastly I wanted to talk stalls. Holy lord do I stall. My body is kind of ridiculous. Each month I kid you not I will not move at all, then bam I'll lose a ton of weight. My body likes to stall...gain... then wooooosh drop 5lbs overnight. So don't let stalls discourage you. It's a thing. They happen. And if your eating right and exercising the weight will continue to drop until you reach your happy place. Don't get discouraged. I personally treat each stall like a good friend. Because that stall always means my clothes are going to get a bit looser So I welcome good old Mr. Stall ❤️ P.S. Running makes your legs look fabulous. My thunder thighs no longer go BOOM. In fact they look kind of... sexy... in my running pants P.S.S. My feet AND head shrunk too! Went down a full size in shoes (may go down to a 9.5 too since my 10s feel a bit slippery) and all my pre-surgery wigs are sooooooo big. Who knew I had so much fat on my head... Okay Piccy time (I know 90% of newbies will skip straight to that because that's totally what I did LOL) June-September 2017: I was probably about 295-305 in these pictures (Kind of hurts to look at them now to be honest.) October 2018: I was at a conference and getting ready to run down to the gym. (The bulge in the sweater is a water bottle, I know it looks super weird haha! I was about 190lbs. And lastly, this is me TODAY at 184! So the summary of this post... Life is effing amazing, and you can achieve WONDERFUL results if you are committed. I attribute my success to the dedication to BE a better, healthier version of myself and also a STRONGER version of myself. I can lift weights at the gym with the fit folks and NOT look out of place Such a good feeling. I even get a little smug when I notice my lifting form is better than the pretty boy who likes to offer me "advice"

Happy Birthday @Matt Z, woohoo you are doing so great - try to remember that! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 @FluffyChix be really careful of that low blood sugar, glad you were on top of it, carry some frosting gel in little tubes in your purse and individual peanut butters. Sugar first and then a little protein to make it stay in normal range. Scary damn ****, I know as I have two type 1 kiddos (now adults), low bs - ohhh say 36 or 24 causes convulsions, peeing your pants....and a brain that just can't work.... Glad you are okay💖 The scale hates me, it has been stuck for a month wobbling up and down by 1 or .5 I might try eating fish for a week, plus egg for bf, etc. We'll see. Later. Wait LOL this....https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/low-carb-diets-may-be-best-for-weight-loss-maintenance-study-finds/

Oh wow that is quick! How did that go? I would have been scared to try food at that point due to barely being able to get water/shakes down. I’m pretty sure baraitric pal deleted part of my post bc I recommended a vitamin other than what they sell.. so strange!