Maid-Rite does sell the meat without the bun. I think it is a cup of beef for something of that nature.  You should be able to eat this once you are 2 months out or so. Just take small bites and chew really good and you should be good to go. Stephanie

Hi!  I was able to have a Maid-Rite when I moved to soft - not pureed - foods. Of course, I  only ate less than 1/4 cup and no bread...but, heck, it was a Maid-Rite!    Hang in there...it won't be long!  I understand those regional cravings!  Good luck!  Jill G.

Thanks Melissa!  I've followed your progress since I saw you were a Dr. Glas**** patient and because your beginning stats are very close to mine.  I asked you a few questions in my first post that was lost when the site was having problems. I've been in awe of your discipline and your success.  I've had a couple of stalls since 3 weeks out, though I've heeded advice I've read here and stopped weighing myself and  measure myself instead.  I am losing inches, so I know it will happen.  I've lost around 55 lbs. since June 3rd (the day I started the two-week liquid diet), and 75 lbs. since a year ago when I weighed my highest. I've only had one post-surgery appointment and I wasn't given a goal weight.  My next appt. isn't until Sept. 24th.  Perhaps they will discuss that with me then, or did you have to ask them to set one for you? The only real problems I'm having so far is finding motivation to exercise in this heat and humidity, and getting enough water in. It's only been in the last week or two that I've found a couple of solid foods (proteins) to eat that didn't make me feel ill.  Prior to that I was mostly on protein drinks and sugar free Carnation Instant Breakfast.  In fact, one of your posts in which you report what you eat sounded great to me and is one of my staples now (ham, egg, cheese scramble).  I add fresh chopped/skinned tomatoes to it too since I am a huge tomato fan and it has made the dish moister for me to eat. Angie recommended Optisource vitamins, B1, and has me taking prevacid (2 x day) and ursodiol (2 x a day).  What do you do for your vitamins and supplements?  Is there anything I'm missing that you can think of? Thanks for the warm welcome :) Nancy

I have talked over the options of lap band/gastic bypass with my primary physician, and I have decided on the bypass procedure.  My doctor has had patients go through Mercy's program, and after reading information about their program and the history of it's doctors, that is where I would like to have it done.  I will be contacting my insurance company to see if the surgery is covered, but where do I go from here?  My doctor said she would write a letter to the insurance company advising the reasons why surgery is recommended, but how do I go about this?  If I obtain approval from the insurance co, do I contact Mercy for a consultation?  These are things I probably should have asked my doc, but there were too many questions for me to remember them all. =?  I have been obese since I was 6 or 7, and will be 36 in a few weeks.  I've tried weigh****chers, e-diets, atkins, south beach and who knows what else.  The worst thing was phentermine.  I had lost 85 pounds and felt so good.  I wasn't near my goal but it felt so good to walk and walk and not have my knees and back hurt.  Within a few months of going off, it all came back and then some.  Not to mention it wiped out my short term memory.  But my kitchen cupboards were always clean and arranged perfectly!! :)  I'm worried about insurance, though.  I have Coventry and I haven't heard good things about them covering the surgery.  I will have the option of changing providers for 2008, if I need to.  As soon as I post this, I'm sure I'll have another question or two, but I think this will do for now!

I have a friend who is in the Navy, he said they kicked a guy off of his ship because of his WLS the guy was'nt taking care of himself and burst his pouch or something, I could see them not wanting to let WLS patients enlist because no matter how far out you are there are still risks.