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Some plans encourage you to eat more than 1000 calories a day especially at your 11 weeks out. So don’t beat yourself up if you’ve had some days that you have. I bet even when you did you still didn’t eat the volume of food or at the same frequency as you did before surgery. I was only advised portion sizes never calories. I started at 1/4 cup & worked up to almost a cup by goal. One of the most helpful strategies I still employ is to ask myself if I need the next bite or do I just want it. Coupled with trying to stop eating before I feel full. Eat slowly and never be afraid to put your cutlery down, push your plate away from you &/or sit back from the table. Real hunger feels different to head hunger. Head hunger will go if I distract myself or delay eating for 30minutes or so or if I focus on drinking (warm is best). Real hunger persists. With head hunger I want a specific food or flavour (sweet, salty, etc.) but it often doesn’t satisfy the desire. With real hunger I just want food & nutritionally dense food satisfies it. I feel restless with real hunger like something is wrong. Head hunger usually affects my emotions - hangry or frustrated. Are you bored, stressed, frustrated or another emotion & is this what is driving you to eat? Are you eating out of habit or a time on the clock? A rumbling tummy often doesn’t mean you are hungry but it’s just your body digesting food. I rumble & grumble all day long but I’m not hungry. Stomach acid can make you think you’re hungry. PPIs can help with that. Nutritionally dense food like proteins are usually more filling than empty calorie, high sugar, high fat or highly processed foods. Have a chat with your dietician.

Had my surgery April 14th!

Hello everyone. I apologize for the late follow up. Surgery was successfull.. I weighted in a 397 before surgery. I was 450lbs at the beginning of this journey, on March of 2021. The first week was a bit difficult, buy I found ways to make my transition manageable. I cook many meals for my family, no fast food for the kids. I have been watching international cooking shows (food porn), which helped out a lot. Today I weighed in at 383, just 8days after surgery. I feel good. The pain I my abdomen, from the incisions, are less painful. I am looking forward to working out and playing basketball with my son, niece and nephews. Thank you all for the support, encouragement and advice.

Hi, Laura. I had really severe nausea and couldn't eat or drink. I was full of buyers remorse, I paid to suffer like this. I was miserable. I had problems over the Christmas period getting through to any doctor, due to Covid. The helpline 111 was swamped and it was a full 6 weeks before I got help. I was very wobbly, dizzy and weak I finally got help via my own doctor and got prescribed Lansoprazole capsules twice a day to begin with. I would have one in bed about 6am. It coats my stomach and really works. The second one I took about 5pm so it had time to work before my evening meal. I only take the morning one now. When I got to about 9 weeks, things really improved for me and I am getting on great now. I have occasional nausea but it passes. I have always loved Heinz chicken soup, so I strained it and tolerated it really well early on. I had Bovril, milk, fruit ice lollies and milky coffee when ever I could tolerate anything. TBH I have only recently reached my liquid and protein goals. I am walking every day and getting better at it. I am 62 so a late starter at this. My husband was really worried about me early on but I think it was so worth it. No matter that I was so ill, I would do this again in a heartbeat. Ask me anything. I am here for you

June 20 here 🙋🏼‍♀️

Well, while I haven't ever been diagnosed with PCOS, I am experiencing infertility. I was pregnant once, for 25 weeks and then my babe experienced fetal demise and passed. We got pregnant naturally but not since 2020. I just had RNY on March 8th and I'm hoping we see a positive test in our future, again. Infertility is frustrating and painful. just hang in there. I had the surgery for fertility reasons, too. Hoping this provides my body room for my eggs to release freely and to safely bear another child. Congrats on taking control of your life and your circumstances. I'll be following you and your story ... maybe we both will get our rainbows! edit: Not sure if you have it or have heard of it, but I use an app called Glow to track my cycles. There is a community section on there (similar to this) where you can search for weight loss surgery, vsg, gastric bypass, etc. and read the stories and experiences of people on there. You can, of course, post as well. It's a little more focused on the PCOS and fertility angle than just general weight loss. Food for thought.

I worked in surgery and the surgeons used to say “Fair, fat, female, forty and fertile” to describe a lot of gallbladder patients. It’s very common even without weight loss surgery.

Yes, I have those an air fryer and non stick pans. I don't add fat to anything unless I am making a huge recipe of something and it calls for a little, even then I try to cut it back, remove it or substitute. I got in touch with my nutritionist yesterday, he said it is there just to make you aware and paying attention. I shared a bunch of my meals and he assured me I am doing perfect and not to stress about it.

doing something brave, and for accountability...saving these photos as my “Day 1”...super ashamed and embarrassed of how far I’ve let myself go, but it’s only going to get better from here... Starting weight (and heaviest) 278.49 pounds, 5 ft tall, age 31, BMI 54.3 (pics taken on 4/17/22).

I had to do 14 days of Lovenox, 2x a day. Absolutely hated it but took every one because they are so important for preventing clots. It always felt like they burned when going in. I just dreaded them. I did get bruising but nothing else, really. I'm not even sure I mentioned it to the doctor because it's a blood thinner so I wasn't surprised by the bruising occurring.