Originally Posted by sraebaer

I was self-pay too, $14,000 for everything. Totally worth it. I have a brand new wonderful regular-sized person life.

Rest and walk, but take it slow. Remember, "baby steps!" Work up as you can. Before you know it you'll be non-stop. Get in our required liquid and protein, keep a journal and write it down. (Self pay, you don't want to end up in the hospital with dehydration.) Take you're measurements and put those in your journal too.

Looking forward to reading your one year post. You will be amazed!

My secrets to success were my positive attitude and my activity. The support from my husband didn't hurt either!

Thank you for the great pointers. Yeah, I just started writing stuff down but I'm not constant enough yet. I used to use My Fitness Pal but I'm currently trying out the Fitbit site. Too bad there isn't a EatBit that would keep up with everything we eat automatically like the FitBit does for our walking. Steve Jobs of the fitness world, where are you?

Yeah, I need to take my measurements for those times I lose no weight to keep me motivated.

I'm so glad you shared about your "wonderful regular-sized person life." I would be so happy just to be normal.

I used to be normal size when I was young so I know what a difference it is to your life. I remember how I was treated by people and it was so different. I just want to move first of all without all of these aches and pains.

Woohoo! Here I came. One week post-op and I'm already losing. So different.

I was self-pay too, $14,000 for everything. Totally worth it. I have a brand new wonderful regular-sized person life.

Rest and walk, but take it slow. Remember, "baby steps!" Work up as you can. Before you know it you'll be non-stop. Get in our required liquid and protein, keep a journal and write it down. (Self pay, you don't want to end up in the hospital with dehydration.) Take you're measurements and put those in your journal too.

Looking forward to reading your one year post. You will be amazed!

My secrets to success were my positive attitude and my activity. The support from my husband didn't hurt either!

Originally Posted by goestogym

With your positive energy, I know you'll be successful. It is always important to give thanks for the blessings that come your way, and you do.

Oh I'm not always positive but who can't be with something like this. While I know it's just a tool and I still have to do my part, because of the cost and me being all on my own, it's still a miracle that I was able to come up with the money and get past all the other hurdles. I never thought I would lose weight on the pre-op diet and somehow I did. It's a wonderful day!

Originally Posted by Teriona

Regardless of where you had your surgery, congrats and welcome to the losers bench! It's an awesome feeling to wake up without the anxiety of how much weight I may have gained from eating too much last night. Sometimes I cry silently to myself and just give God thanks for leading me to do this surgery. I was off my blood pressure meds a week after surgery, no more cholesterol nor diabetes meds either. I am soooo very happy! Give it a month and you will be buying new clothes!

Thank you. I love joining the losers bench. I can't wait to weigh in. I'm so glad you are so happy and got off of all those meds. You look wonderful too. I've seen pictures of you before and admired you.

Yeah, it's funny how I feel like this is a gift from God when others outside of our community sometimes act like we cheated. I tell you what, I still am having to stop myself from eating too much even after the surgery.

I am actually using this really cool food scale that I got from Kroger's that allows you to enter tare, well it actually just has you put your bowl or whatever you are using on the scale before turning it on and it starts at zero. Then I add my food to the bowl until I know how many ounces I am getting.

I can't wait to get to where you are at. I will love not being so embarrassed by myself when I go places or when I run into an old friend. It will be nice not trying to hide and hoping no one recognizes me.

Again thanks for the encouragement.

Originally Posted by LovingPres

Congrats!!! I had my surgery with Dr. Stowers in Decatur at My Bariatric Solutions and I paid $8200.00 self pay. and $100 for the psych exam over the phone. I had a great experience with him. My surgery was July, 2013. Good luck to you both!!!

That's a great price. I went to your profile and you are doing fabulous! Thanks and thanks for being an inspiration.

Originally Posted by Betterhealth

Tina,

Congrats on this major decision and I am so glad that you have had great success. I am also a cash pay patient and I am not choosing to go to Mexico. I have a Surgeon in the Houston area who will perform my surgery for $11,700.

My surgery date is scheduled for March 28th, right now I am tying up some final appointments and meet with my surgeon again on March 21st.

I opted to stay in the states as I had cancer some years ago and had my spleen removed. I felt that with my cancer history I was worried about going to Mexico. However tons of people have had great success with going there.

I feel so blessed to be part of a group that helps answer so many questions and keep me feeling empowered that I have made the right decision.

Thank you! Congratulations back at you. I can understand your reasoning.

Yeah, I've read about the Mexico surgeries and might have considered it myself years ago if I had known how successful they were.

Wow, March 28th is no time. It will be here before you know it.

Yes, I'm so glad I found this place. It's big enough to have a lot of answers but small enough to feel more homey AND not freeze up from too many ads.

Let me know how your's goes. We can be fellow travelers on this path since we are doing it at such close proximity.

With your positive energy, I know you'll be successful. It is always important to give thanks for the blessings that come your way, and you do.

Regardless of where you had your surgery, congrats and welcome to the losers bench! It's an awesome feeling to wake up without the anxiety of how much weight I may have gained from eating too much last night. Sometimes I cry silently to myself and just give God thanks for leading me to do this surgery. I was off my blood pressure meds a week after surgery, no more cholesterol nor diabetes meds either. I am soooo very happy! Give it a month and you will be buying new clothes!

Congrats!!! I had my surgery with Dr. Stowers in Decatur at My Bariatric Solutions and I paid $8200.00 self pay. and $100 for the psych exam over the phone. I had a great experience with him. My surgery was July, 2013. Good luck to you both!!!

Tina,

Congrats on this major decision and I am so glad that you have had great success. I am also a cash pay patient and I am not choosing to go to Mexico. I have a Surgeon in the Houston area who will perform my surgery for $11,700.

My surgery date is scheduled for March 28th, right now I am tying up some final appointments and meet with my surgeon again on March 21st.

I opted to stay in the states as I had cancer some years ago and had my spleen removed. I felt that with my cancer history I was worried about going to Mexico. However tons of people have had great success with going there.

I feel so blessed to be part of a group that helps answer so many questions and keep me feeling empowered that I have made the right decision.

I had the chest pain from gas too. That's the 1st thing I said to the nurse when I woke up, she told me it was from the gas. I was very uncomfortable from the time I woke up from surgery (10a) until after 4 when I got out of recovery into my room.....the nurse in recovery was only giving me 0.5mg of the pain med, the order was for 3mg every 4 hours. I received the full dose in my room and felt more comfortable. The pain for me was bad, but I was vomiting the 1st 48hrs post op so I can't compare to others.

GREAT TO HEAR THAT YOU RE GETTING BETTER DAY BY DAY. AS FOR THE PAIN, IT GETS MENTIONED RE; GAS AND WALK IT OFF. AS TO INTENSITY OF PAIN THAT IS AN INDIVIDUAL ISSUE, DIFFERENT FOR ALL. I HAD VERY LITTLE DISCOMFORT POST SURG. SOME AROUND ME WERE MOANING FROM IT, WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PAIN TOLERANCE AS WELL. CHEERS

I did it! I lost the 20 pounds exactly! I can't believe it. I never thought I could do that.

My surgery is this Thursday. Now I'm dying for one last bag of popcorn. Ugh.

I'm also in the presurgery weight loss phase and initially struggled with the smaller portion sizes. I felt hungry all the time. I've been making sure I eat my protein and substitute protein shakes for a meal or a snack. They've really helped me kick the hunger and when I'm not hungry I have less cravings. I have to lose 19lbs. I'm also looking at this phase as a vital learning process that will allow me to be successful after surgery. I'm practicing my new lifestyle and getting my mind and body ready for surgery. This six month process is required by my insurance but I'm already grateful for it so I have time to get ready.

Wow, thanks everyone for your comments. I think I've been doing well but last night I had a bag of popcorn. I keep thinking of what one of you posted on here about this time we can't cheat and I want the surgery so bad, I don't want to blow it. I sure miss carbs.

I've switched to decaf coffee and am down to about 1 diet coke once a day on most days. I start my all liquid diet this Thursday, the 25th.

Since my surgery is scheduled for March 10th, I don't have a lot of time and I go see the doc on March 2nd so I'm not sure if I have to meet my goal by then or by surgery.

I weighed 357 at the doctor's visit on 02/15/16 and did not remember to weigh myself at home until 2 days later. I have a digital scale I got from Scale Down when I tried Contrave. I do not know how close it is to an actual doctor's scale, so the fact that it showed me down to 352, I took with a grain of salt. I really wished I had weighed on it the same day I went to the doctor so that I would know my exact starting point.

I just now weighed on it and am down to 350.8. So I've either lost 6.2 pounds or 1.2 pounds. Ugh. Mind you, I'm happy to be on the losing end period but I really need to get to where the doctor wants me so that I will have the surgery over with when (and hopefully if) I start my new job.

Thanks for keeping me honest. I do need people who tell me like it is but it's also nice to have people who understand. I've just got to do this without hesitation.

I lost @57 lbs before surgery. The bulk of it was june-august. My surgery was September 22 2015. (Thank you medicaid for making me lose 15% body weight pre-op or you wont cover me ...grrr)
All I did was replace breakfast n lunch with protein shakes. Had a third as a snack later. Dinner was simple chicken breast ,salad or ~>"non-starchy"<~ vegies
I would snack on all the apples and those veggies as I wanted.
...oh and drink drink drink H2O I used large mason jars (25oz) and used crystal-light for flavor.
Just my 2¢ good luck

I lost 20 lbs and 6 inches in 42 days with two bouts of 21 day fix, if you want more info email me at tf.sgroi@gmail.com

Yes that sounds right. I started out with a bmi of 58 and had to lose 5% of my weight before surgery. That was 17 pounds, but I lost 41. I walked and walked. If you don't lose close to the weight your surgeon wants, they'll probably reschedule your surgery later on down the road.

My surgeon ( UK ) didnt require the pre surgery diet, but I did it anyway Jan 1st - Jan 15th and lost 15 pounds. Glad I did- it made me feel fitter and ready to face surgery.

Thanks guys for your encouragement. I had often wondered how all of you did it before I got to this part and was concerned about it thanks to my lack of discipline. For some reason broth sounds delicious to me even though I do like the Juice Plus drinks so far.

I guess I do need to go ahead and join a support group. I was planning on it since I read that was one of the things people did who were successful.

It's great to know I can come here for help.

The size and density of your liver is a crucial part of the success of the surgery. The intense diet before surgery shrinks your liver so it can be managed (physically tied out of the way) for the surgery. If the liver is too big this can't happen. If you want to be successful with the surgery follow the rules. Do everything they tell you and don't cut corners. You will do great. It's a life changer and the results makes whatever you sacrifice worth it. Good luck!!

I was required to lose 5% of my body weight, which was 12 pounds, on my preop diet. My surgeon flat out said he would not perform surgery if I didn't lose the weight. I was so scared of not losing enough I actually started my preop diet a couple days early. I was allowed 3 protein shakes a day and leafy green veggies. I substituted 1 of the shakes with broth and unflavored protein powder for a break from all that sweetness. Ate lots of spinach, kale and Brussels sprouts. And guess what? I ended up losing 22 pounds instead! Surgery and recovery was pain free with no complications.

It's really a matter of motivation and priorities. Your motivation to have surgery. Your motivation to have the safest surgery possible. Your motivation to lose weight (hey, it's gotta come off sooner or later, might as well be sooner). All of these things kept me on the straight and narrow. Besides, those few months just before and after surgery are a drop in the ocean compared to what lies ahead. You are going to be a WLS patient/recovering obese person forever. The preop diet is the easy part compared to a lifetime of maintenance and making good choices.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Lean-Life-...ywords=lindora

I had to lose 30lbs for surgery. I think this diet is brilliant and healthy. it is not too far off from our diets post op - focusing on protein and low glycemic index vegetables. In addition to this, i worked out a lot. I did the 21 day fix videos first and then after that was finished, i got Max30 workouts.