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Hello @MelP1970 and welcome into the forum. You are in a very strange and bewildering time in your recovery. You might be regretting your surgery, lots of us do. The fat cells that you are shedding so quickly at this point, contain your hormones. Fast weight loss means so many are coursing through your body now. Its like puberty all over again. I was so emotional and could not understand why. A kind soul on here put me right. It is a massive learning curve right now for you. Just relearning to drink is a full time job . You are lucky, like me, no hunger pangs. I also love to cook. Once I was physically able to cook again, I restarted feeding my family. I make my portion separately from theirs. For instance, If I make Lasagne for the fam, mine has no pasta and I use sliced baked aubergine instead. Having a wide knowledge of recipes has really helped me vary my food choices. I am 2+ years out and do not feel any loss issues because I can eat almost all the foods I could before surgery. I still have a few issues with certain foods that I adored pre surgery. For instance, I detest cooked salmon but make my own Gravadlax and it tastes divine to me. I hated eggs and now I find them delicious ! If I have carbs, its only a few spoons. I make own wholemeal, seeded bread. This means I can eat a sandwich. Its not the same as regular shop bought stodge which sits heavily in my stomach for hours and then gives me the foamies. I still enjoy eating but now a tiny amount suffices. Being thin feels better than eating huge meals. Long ago, I read that Parisienne women ate this way, a few forkfuls and they leave the rest. My immediate family are used to me eating what I can and putting the remainder in the fridge for a later snack. I have a friend that I eat out with once a week. It was hard in the beginning to find things I could eat on a menu but now I usually have a salad which to me is a joy. I love the variety and crunch. This forum has members all over the world. People post pictures in the ' Food before and after' page. I find things I have never heard of before. This leads to new recipes to cook and taste. TBH my menu has expanded now, my food is more nutrient dense and much better quality. Give yourself time to accept the changes and challenges. You will feel your normal self quite soon.

hmmm...you could always try it, and, if it doesn't work for you say, after 3-4 weeks, then just go back to what DOES work? or, if it's causing you too much angst, and your current M.O. is not causing you any issues (which sounds like it isn't), why fix what ain't broke? there is no one-size fits all prescription...find out what works for you and go with that. good luck! ❤️

Honestly I found it so confusing, even though on the surface it seems like a really simple task! I managed to get hold of my dietician and she has confirmed I can just have another meal replacement shake on top of everything else, so it is technically 4 meals and then 1 snack! I had to send screenshots of everything I'd bought too 🤣 She has the patience of a saint bless her haha. But yeah I was definitely wrongly assuming that the meal replacements had 200 cal - oops. Thank you for the safe space to talk, I really appreciate it

yep - I think a lot of us how are a few years out can relate to this. I, too, thought I'd conquered all this. It's a lifelong battle.

Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla. For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs. For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel. Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs. Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps. It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!

Thank you too! Recovery has been really smooth so far. The hardest part was my overnight in the hospital—my nurse refused to let us sleep and wanted us to drink two ounces of water per hour, which felt impossible at the time. Once I got home, I was able to do it no problem. Everything seems to be healing well and I haven’t had any digestive issues or needed pain meds, which has been a blessing.

Shakshuka (eggs poached/baked in tomato paste) with onion, bell pepper and spices. Side with avocado and roasted chickpeas. Tuna salad with roasted veggies (carrot, eggplant, cauliflower) topped with nuts and olives. Tofu scramble with mushrooms, onion, side with avocado and cherry tomatoes.

Scratch made or premade sauce?

I'm hoping to get a revision to a bypass for gerd and sleep apnea if that is a possible. I called tricare and the lady said that they only cover 1 weight loss surgery in the lifetime or the person. Any experience with getting approved with tricare select?