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So I had plastic surgery 3 weeks ago tomorrow. My surgery included belt lipectomy/360 tummy tuck, and breast lift with augmentation. Recovery has been tougher than I expected due to fatigue. I went back to work (RN in a large clinic) last Monday. The fatigue was unreal. On Tuesday, one of the doctors I work with decided I should be checked for anemia. I popped over to our lab and had a quick blood draw. I had finished lunch about 45 prior to getting the blood drawn. The next day when I received my lab results, I was surprised to see my blood glucose was 59. 😲 I do not dump, so I have been eating more simple carbs and sugars to try to keep from losing more weight. I had been eating some candy on Tuesday prior to lunch. Apparently, I have reactive hypoglycemia. No more simple carbs and sugars for me, except small amounts with meals. The bummer part of this, (aside from feeling extra crappy with low blood sugars), is that I am really anxious about not losing any more weight and don’t know how I am going to keep the weight on without the extra calories. I guess I need to increase healthy fats to make sure I keep my calories up. With that said, I have lost about 3 pounds since my plastic surgery. I never thought I would be stressed about losing weight. 🙄🤷‍♀️ I have an appointment with my surgeon’s office in a week and I am looking forward to discussing this with them. My labs also show some iron deficient anemia. I was not iron deficient nor anemic prior to plastics, so this is directly related to blood loss in surgery, and fairly simple to correct with diet and iron supplements (I don’t normally take any iron supplements). Over all, I am doing very well post-plastics. My pain has really been minimal since about day 3 post-plastics. I have had a bit of trouble with my incisions separating (dehiscence) in a few small spots. My husband is a wound nurse, so we have been managing the wound care with pretty good results. I am thrilled to have breasts again after going from a 40 DD to a 34 A. 😬😬😬 Anyhow, here are bikini pics to show off my post-plastics body…swelling included. 😂

Well everyone's plan seems to be different. My post up I had TWO weeks of FULL LIQUID which included: Protein drinks, flavored water, gatorade zero and that kind of stuff, strained low fat cream soups, sugar free pudding, sugar free popsicles, low fat milk, blended bean soups, greek yogurt, that sort of thing. I was NOT ALLOWED Juice of any kind or caffeine or carbonation. Did your office give you examples or an actual plan?

Excited to say I got my date. JULY 14TH! I had to have hianal hernia surgery first and heal and now off to phase 2. Gastric sleeve. Here we go [emoji898][emoji322] Sent from my SM-G981U using BariatricPal mobile app

Haha that’s exactly what I’m on! I didn’t realize that broccoli and corn are considered starchy. Bought some to eat raw, and there’s corn in my mixed veggies bag. So I’m just going to eat it and have it done before the official diet starts a week from today.

I don't see why you can't eat a pizza burger minus the bun. I had my surgery the same day as you and am on soft foods and have had a cheeseburger the other day with sliced tomatoes on top. It was a small burger but it was good and satisfying. I think you'd feel better if you start eating some different types of food you do take pleasure in. Why can't you have salmon, or some other soft fish? Refried beans with some sour cream, taco sauce, cheddar cheese and guacamole in it? Chili? Deli meat? Greek Yogurt? Tuna? Eggs? Applesauce? Butternut squash? Green beans? Steamed carrots? Soups? Mashed potatoes? Oatmeal? Anyway, just named some of the things I'm allowed on my plan on the soft food stage. Do any of those things appeal to you?

Yes, the whole bariatric team snd the staff on the bariatric surgical unit have been wonderful. Plus, I do work with some amazing coworkers! My family is very supportive though they are kinda clueless about WLS and all that is involved, but they are at least trying to learn. I’m truly blessed!

I think our bodies have "set points" or different weights our body wants to be. I think I had/have five "set points". I stayed on my first one for two weeks, my second set point (stall) lasted a week and I just broke thru and lost 3 pounds in two days. Set points are hard to break thru but with our wls tool, it is much easier than before. Good Luck! https://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/a20455278/how-to-shift-your-set-point-weight/

I asked a lot of stuff that was pretty much answered in the videos I had to watch (and take tests on) afterwards and in the binder that was sent to me. But these are some of the things I asked (some may seem silly but it was all new to me lol)............. Various types of surgery? Which is best for me? How long does it take? How many days in hospital? How many holes in stomach? Medication after surgery? How many have you performed? Mortality rate? What tests need to be done prior? What makes the surgery work when dieting and exercise never has? Will it fix my PCOS and Insulin Resistance? Does insurance cover all the pre-testing as well as the surgery? Time line of stuff to be done until we get to surgery? What does my Insurance require? Recovery questions: How worried do I need to be about the insides coming undone? Do the staples inside the stomach stay forever or does the stomach sort of mend itself together? OK to get future MRI w/staples (if they remain in the stomach)? How often do I need to worry about getting up and walking as to avoid blood clots? How long after surgery before you can exercise w/bike, swimming, weights, etc.? Hair loss? Will I continue taking my medication as usual? What pain meds, tylenol, etc can I take afterwards? How long after until you can have sex? Post Op What would be my goal weight? I am personally comfortable with ..... (I gave 180). How long will digestion take/how long does it take food to empty from stomach afterwards? What will my stomach capacity be short and long term? Supplements for life? Alcohol use after? Fears Fear of death. Fear of losing too much/looking older. Fear of problems down the road. Right now carbs and sugar stop me from losing weight and whenever I try lose I always know to avoid those foods. Once I have the surgery, will I be able to eat foods that I currently stay away from such as whole wheat, oatmeal, fruits, certain rice, beans, etc. Things that are normally a part of any other persons normal, healthy diet?

@Queen of Crop Have you looked into body dysmorphia at all? At 155, you really should feel miserable and worse than you did at 223. I am now 20 lbs overweight and MISERABLE. In fact, it's so interesting that I feel more uncomfortable now, heavier now, more self-conscious now, than I did at 223 lbs.

I use probably 90% free weights or my own body weight. But a lot of it depends on your goals. If you are into other athletic activities that require functional strength (crossfit, sprinting or track & field events, or other sports), I feel that the free weights are usually your best choice. The better compound lifts use free weights and make you use supporting muscles for balance. But for just pure bodybuilding/physique, yeah, you could build up and add mass to many of your muscles on machines, but probably not all of your muscles. "Vsginnj" makes a good point about the safety that many machines provide as well.