Oh, thank you so much for posting that!  I have one of those stores right down the road from me!

Hey, we have the same date! I am trying to stock up on items over the next week and just prepare as much as possible. Good luck with your journey!

 About how long can we expect to be hormonally challenged for??

 They did say the would mailing out paper work- hopefully I will get that shortly.  

 Hi Jill,

I think it may be fair to say that all of us have failed at weight management, otherwise we would not be pursuing the sleeve (or have it done already).  I have been lurking on the boards for a while, and it truly seems like people are genuinely motivated by the whole process and regain health.  If you are at a point in your life that you are not trying, then this may be a great path for you to take.  Much better than not trying, and I can relate totally because I gave up some time ago trying to manage the weight.  It has been this process that is putting me back on the right path again and I am feeling better already!

 Thanks for sharing and I wish you the best on your surgury tomorrow.  Doggonit, it was just at Walmart and those cubes sound right up my alley!  I make homemade chicken  broth, but in a pinch I would absolutely try this.  

I assume that after you cool the soup, combine with the protein liquid mix, that you reheat- ??  Are you storing your stash in the fridge, and if so how long will it last?  Did you premix several servings of the broth with the protein and store, or add the protein at the time of consumption?

Thank you for sharing!

 I think I am going to initiate counseling post surgery.  I was reluctanct pre- surgery due to a constant stream of doctor appointments, but that should settle down in January.  I have crawled back on the wagon, lol- great visual for me thank you!

 Wow, five meals from one dinner eating out- that will save some money!  The hubby and I just chatted about how we can order the exact same meal from 5 Guys, and be able to feed us both and our daughter with some left over still.  Of course, I am going to stay away from 5 Guys...

 You have a generous spirit- bless you!

 Hi Tee,

Here is what the process involved for me, and my surgery is a week from Monday.
1.  Went to orientation, signed up for dietician, exercise guru appointment, and an appointment that determined my fat to muscle ratio or something like that.
2.  I had many of the preeop tests done, as I am a cancer patient.  These included a stress test with o2, an ultrasound of the heart, ruled out apnea, a recent physical.  I needed to complete a psych evaluation.
3,  I needed to lose between 5% and 10% of my body weight, and I am just barely at the low end of that, but still have a week to work on it.  
4.  I had blood drawn on multiple occasions checking for lord knows what.  One of the appointments determined that I needed a vitamin D3 supplement- very common for overweight folks.
5.  Two weeks prior to surgery I have a diet of 4 shakes, 1 light meal, 4 servings of fruit and veggies. 
6.  I am out of sequence here, but once I completed all of the required tests I saw a preop doctor.  She reviewed everything then referred me to the surgeon.
7.  The surgeon saw me one time, explained what the sugery was and answered questions.  I go in for blood work 2 days before the surgery.  They confirmed that my insurance covers the surgery with a preapproval.  I am blessed with awesome insurance, not even a copay!

8.  In all, the process spanned from 9/12 (orientation date approximately****il surgery date of 12/19.  This is considered very fast, as at orientation they indicated it normally takes at least 6 months.  I was quicker due to not having an insurance requierement of supervised weight loss for 6 months and many tests were completed over the summer prior to starting the process.  

Long answer, hope it helped!

 I am closing in on my surgery date, and I am curious what others preop diet is-

I am 4 shakes per day, 1 light meal, 4 servings fruit and veggies.  I don't recall them having me stop this before the surgery, but I need to call and check Monday- it has been several months since i had that meeting with the dietican and I promplty lost all of the paper work I was given.  I am losing weight on this and have reached my minimum goal with a week to go.  

Anyone feel like sharing their version?

 Hang in there!

I ended up just telling my daughter- and wow, did that make me feel better.  The only people who know so far is my sister, hubby, and now my daughter.  I am replinished, for now...

 So I am on my 2 week preop diet and struggling.  All last week I was perfect, today fell off the wagon and right into 5 guys for a burger.  I honestly think I need to put myself into counseling- I can't seem to hold it together when I am around the hubby on the weekends.  He is supportive, but we both just adore eating out together.