I am 1 day pre-op (surgery tomorrow morning, YAY!), and I'm also looking for a local support group.  I heard there was one starting up here in Anchorage, but I haven't been able to find out any specifics or if it had even got going.

I just found out today that my Surgeon moved to Alaska to do WLS.  I just wondered if anyone has heard of him joining their practice. 

I was really disappointed when I heard that he left.  I was looking forward to him sharing this journey with me.  He had such an important part in changing my life and I wanted to thank him.

Yaaaay! Now there are two of us! LOL

I have been trying to lose the last 30 pounds since having my weight loss surgery 2 years ago.  I finally decided to give the Optifast program a try as I have been having unrelated dental issues that have made chewing very challenging to say the very least.  I hadn't been getting in my needed protein on the soft foods that I had been eating.  There are so few ready to drink protein shakes that I actually like that I thought this was the perfect time to try to lose that last 30 pounds by giving this program a try.  I promised to be honest about what my experience has been like while doing the program and I have been tracking my  intake via livestrong so all of my intake gets tweeted.  If you are following me on twitter then you already know how I have been doing.  For the rest of you, you can read more on my blog;
http://luvsexytrstno1.blogspot.com/2009/08/gateway-olives.html

Those of you that are regular readers of my blog know that I have been going through dentistry hell the last couple of months. I have been eating soft foods (aka refried beans, cottage cheese, and other oh so appetizing mushy foods) for over a month now. I have been getting more and more anemic too. I know I should be eating more protein shakes but if I have to mix it, it isn't going to happen. Sad but true. I have been having Isopure ready to drink shakes almost everyday but that is about it. I cannot stand many ready to drink shakes. I like the Muscle Milk Lights, Isopure and a handful of others but that is about it. The other thing that I hate is that these ready to drink shakes can be really expensive. Even when they are on sale at GNC and purchased by the case, the Ispure ready to drinks are still around $3 each. I started to notice that there were many nurses in the NICU drinking Optifast ready to drink shakes. I had been on Metifast once before and lost quite a bit of weight (this was prior to weight loss surgery). I did regain it all after 2 years because I basically was hungry all of the time. I was not really exercising so my daily caloric consumption had to be ridiculously low in order to maintain my weight.
I am not saying that I don't expect some regain after my teeth are finally fixed and I go off the shakes but not anything like before because I can't and don't eat anything like I did before surgery. I am unable to get my protein in with my work hours being what they are lately (I had 13 hours of overtime last check for example) and with the soft foods that I am able and willing to eat. I decided that I would go to Alaska Premier Health and give the program a try.
I have to admit that even though I am 2 years post op and have maintained (easily and with the occasional indiscretion) over a 150 pound weight loss. I am still not at my goal. I am 30 pounds away. I am 30 pounds away no matter what I do. I work out 3 times a week for over an hour, still 30 pounds away. I food journal every scrap that passes my lips and still 30 pounds away. I decided I needed to shock my system into letting go of that 30 pounds and at the same time follow a plan that will get in my protein, have a set cost, be easy to follow (I can always get in a ready to drink shake), and will not hurt my already poor abused dental situation.
The initial consultation is free. The doctor is very nice and answers all of your questions and explains the different plans to you in detail. You also have to watch a 10 minute video that is basic common sense. Come to the appointments, follow the plan, exercise, don't be afraid to ask for help, get in all of your fluids, etc.
read more at;
http://luvsexytrstno1.blogspot.com/2009/08/optifast-through- alaska-premier-health.html