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I will second the endorsement of Smooth Move herbal tea. I was concerned that nothing was moving after surgery, as I am also an everyday kind of girl. The tea did just what I needed and it hasn't been a problem since the initial post-surgical bowel hiatus.

I tried a Misfit Shine, a Jawbone Up24, and a Fitbit Flex before settling on the Flex for good. @@drmeow, in my experience the Jawbone UP24 provided the best and most accurate detail on sleep, breaking down into light/deep and feeling pretty accurate. In comparison, my Flex just records asleep/awake based on gross movement and seems to be pretty inaccurate much of the time.

This happened to me, and rebooting the fitbit fixed it. I have a flex and the method for rebooting was not intuitive, so I'd google to see how to reboot a fitbit one. Good luck!

In the most general terms... this is what I've learned from working with my trainer for the past 6 months: Weights: 1) Alternate upper body / lower body from one day to the next. 2) Pick 4-5 machines to do in a given day, and rotate through them 2-3 times in that workout 3) Organize your workout in terms of reps, sets, and weight. Increase number of reps first, then drop reps back down to your original number and add a set and/or more weight. For example, if you're doing 5 upper body machines, and starting the first machine at 20 pounds, do 8 pulls, take a rest, and do 8 more. Then do the same thing at the next machine and the next and the next, until you're back at the beginning and run through the whole cycle again. After you've done this routine a few times, you will eventually with a machine and not feel like it took everything out of you. This means it's time to add more reps - bump your reps to 12 of each set, then 15. After that, start doing 3 sets of 8 (maybe bumping up to 25 pounds) and go through the same cycle. The key for choosing weight is to pick something challenging but not excruciating. If you're making funny faces on the first pull, you've got too much weight. if you're flying through it, you've got too little. I personally often feel like I can't possibly do another pull when I'm done with the set, and am always surprised when I can come back at the end of the next round and do it again. Cardio: Follow the same basic routine as above for weights. Pick a few machines to do in each workout and vary them up. For example, I almost always warm up and cool down on the recumbent bike, spend some time on the treadmill, some on the elliptical, and some on the rowing machine. Other machines will come and go depending on my mood. But the key is variety. Right now I'm just 9 days post surgery so my lifting restrictions prevent me from using the rowing machine and some other favorites. But as an example, my workout yesterday was: 15 minutes on bike - bumping up resistance every 5 minutes 15 minutes on treadmill - increasing speed every 5 minutes 10 minutes on elliptical 10 minutes on treadmill - at top speed from first pass 10 minutes on bike - reducing resistance at 5 minutes This was my first full workout since surgery, so I also rested for 3-5 minutes between each one. Right now I'm doing either weights OR cardio on a given session. And since I can't lift anything right now, it's all cardio all the time. I will ask my trainer next month for guidance on how often to do each one, and whether it's an either/or or both for each workout. Like I said, I'm still new at this so I don't know what's most productive. I am NOT in any way a fitness expert! I am just learning this myself, and the instructions I've been given may just be applicable for me. And I may be working out more aggressively with weights because I have a trainer on hand - honestly, she sets the weights and counts the reps and I just do as I'm told, so I don't know if she's pushing me harder than I would myself. One thing to consider is that nearly every gym will comp you an hour or two with a trainer to set up your personal levels of weight, reps, and sets on their machines. I've been a member of a lot of gyms in my life, and have never seen one that doesn't offer this service. I urge you to take advantage of this option if it's available and write everything down for future reference. Hope this helps. Sorry it got so long!

I had RNY I was in surgery for 3+ hours plus 2 hours in recovery. My surgeon described my surgery to my husband as having been completely textbook/routine/no surprises. I know he's a conservative doc, so it doesn't surprise me he took so long. I had told my husband to expect 1.5-2 hours.

@@Begin Again, I hear you on the bathing suit intimidation factor. But I'll tell you, there was nothing so freeing as being freaked out but just going ahead anyway. There will be people at the Y in the Water class who are bigger than you. There will be people at the Y in the water class who are smaller than you. And none of them care what you look like. And all of them will encourage you the same way you encourage them. I've been to many different Ys in several states, all while morbidly obese, and this has been my experience every time. My advice is to buy a swimsuit online (landsend.com has reasonable prices and good selection in plus sizes), and take the plunge both literally and figuratively. Of course, you won't be able to get in the water for several weeks after surgery. But, you know... after that. If you have trouble finding the DVDs online, let me know and I'll send you some links to Amazon. It's nice to make the acquaintance of someone so similar to myself. I realize I sound like some sort of self-nominated expert with this advice, but I assure you that I'm just learning this stuff too. I know we can both do this.

You should be doing as much as you can tolerate, unless your surgeon has given you additional cautions. Walking the dog is a great activity for it, though only if you've got a pooch that walks well and doesn't pull the leash. You shouldn't be using your core muscles at all - just keeping your body moving. You should have been given some sort of weight restriction (10 pounds?) by your doc, and that goes for pushing and pulling as well as lifting. My surgeon & team harp on 64/60/60: 64 ounces of Water, 60g of Protein, and 60 minutes of exercise every day, no exceptions, starting on day 1. For the first few days, I set my phone alarm for 5 minutes and walked the hallway in my house. That was about all I could tolerate, and I could only do it a few times a day. Yesterday (day 8), I was able to do a full hour of walking/biking/elliptical at the gym. The day before (day 7) I could barely manage 30 minutes and that made me sick. It comes and goes, and you should do what feels achievable each day. Hope this helps.

Congratulations, @@ThreeCrows! The future starts NOW! I can't wait to hear from you on the other side. Please check in as soon as you can to tell us how you're doing.

In addition to what @@MisforMimi packed, I also brought a heating pad. It was great comfort. I also brought my hairbrush and a headband to pull it back, my ipad for reading after surgery, and some knitting for the wait before surgery. I didn't buy gas-x until a few days after surgery, but they were completely necessary by about day 3. I bought chewable (cherry flavored) because we couldn't find the cinnamon-flavor strips anywhere and I hate peppermint. You should be able to find them at any drug store.

I am not using any protein shakes or liquid protein at the moment, though I do recommend checking out Isopure drinks (available at vitamin shops / GNC) if you're looking for an alternative to shakes. My surgeon does not support liquid protein drinks/shakes in general, though the nutritionist says to use them in a pinch if I'm not able to get protein in "the old fashioned way". So far, the old fashioned way hasn't been a problem for me. My surgeon starts us on pureed foods right after surgery. For me, that means the Vitamix is getting a serious workout. My current favorite protein sources are: homemade spicy chicken taco/burrito meat with salsa homemade chicken salad cheesy scrambled eggs refried beans greek yogurts of all flavors fortified chocolate milk (1C skim milk + 3T of powdered milk + 3T sugar-free Hershey's syrup = delicious!) PB2 (powdered peanut butter or powdered chocolate peanut butter) I will also run soups through the blender as well, though I am happier with more flavorful options above. Hope this helps!

... not a creature was sleeping because OMG IT'S FINALLY HERE! I didn't sleep a wink last night because there were just too many thoughts to be had. I hope I can sleep tonight. I feel tired enough and I'll go lie down in a bit to see what happens. There aren't very many times in your life that divide so neatly into a "before" and an "after". Before tomorrow, my life was one way. After tomorrow, it will be another way. That doesn't happen often, and many times it's only tragedy that bifurcates your life in that way. There was before. And now there is after. That's not the case here. I'm happy that it will. Ecstatic, even. And I'm ready. It's been a year-long process and I've read what that needed to be read, researched what needed to be researched, learned what needs to be known. But I am still acutely aware that my life will change tomorrow. And that feels really big.

We are the same height and our starting weights are within 10 pounds. Don't know about your age, but I'm 43. Either way, I identify with the feeling of not knowing where to begin with exercise. I have a ton of home exercise DVDs, often aimed at larger figures: "Heavyweight Yoga", "Plus-Size Pilates", and so forth. I'll be honest, I never made much use of them. I also have all sorts of home equipment, including various free weights, bands, blocks, mats, etc., but have never made much use of them either. Another idea is to join your local YMCA, which is usually less intimidating and more affordable than an independent gym. You can get a good orientation from the fitness staff, and they hooked me up with basic settings on the exercise bike, treadmill, etc. In my opinion the best part of the Y membership is their Water exercise classes, which for a long time was all I used them for. I now have a hoity-toity gym membership with a full-time professional staff teaching all their classes, and their water exercise classes don't hold a candle to the Y. I found the biggest thing that actually works for me is hiring a personal trainer. It's crazy-expensive, but over the course of 6 months my fitness has increased dramatically and I was happy to cut out other discretionary spending to make room in the budget for it. I was completely honest and laid it all on the line with my trainer about my health and where I was at, which was a huge relief because I didn't feel like I had to pretend to be stronger or fitter than I am. When I started with her, I could barely do two flights of stairs without wanting to die. As an extra bonus, she actually introduced me to another of her clients who had used the same surgeon as me six months earlier, which laid a ton of fears to rest on many fronts. I have learned a ton from my trainer and am glad that I made the investment. But aside from exercise videos and gym memberships and personal training, one way to make progress is just to incorporate more walking in your daily life. Park as far from the door as you can. Set a reminder every hour to get up and walk around the office. Take the stairs when you don't have to. Hope this helps.

No advice, but lots of sympathy - I had the same thing happen to me. Nine days before surgery, I developed an antibiotic-resistant bladder infection that I was sure would derail the whole thing. But the second round of antibiotics did the trick and I was cleared of the infection with three days to spare. I was losing my mind with worry, but it turned out just fine. My advice on fighting the cold is granny advice - sleep, fluids, OTC meds, rest.

The first two days are absolutely the worst. It gets easier soon!

I had my surgery 7 days ago. It's my one-week surgiversary!

Mine was basically an interview to determine if I had a solid understanding of what I was getting into. He wanted to know about my experiences with weight loss in the past, what I understood about possible complications from surgery, what I expected the surgery to do for me, etc. I didn't get a sense that it was a pass/fail exam, just an assessment to see where they'd need to work with me the most, so I was entirely honest about what I did/didn't know and expect.

Welome, @! I've only been on here a couple of months - started hanging out when I was waiting for my insurance approval - and I've found it to be incredibly helpful throughout the past couple of months. Good to have you here. Ask anything - there is basically nothing off limits. Cheers!

Oh, so does that mean this is your first big midwest winter? How are you faring? I'm just a couple of hours north of you, outside Milwaukee. I'm on my 7th day post-surgery, and despite the pain and trauma and everything I am so unspeakably grateful for this chance to write a new second chapter. Welcome.

I didn't have one. Didn't know they were common.

I am 7 days post-op myself. Hi, neighbor! I had a BM on day 5, but only after my second try at the Smooth Move herbal tea that @@wildGoose recommends. I also weighed more after surgery than before, also until day 5 (coincidence?). At this point, in the first week I'm only down 2 pounds from pre-surgery, which does not concern me. My understanding is that it is completely normal to come out of surgery weighing several pounds more than when you went in, due to the IV fluids they pump into you in the hospital. I wish I'd weighed myself those days so I'd have a better idea of how much I swung up, but I suppose in the long run it doesn't really matter.

I am two days ahead of you, so we're quite close. I'd like to have a long-term buddy on this. At your website now.

Congratulations! This is the first big milestone on your journey. Surgery is an important milestone, but so are deciding to go after it, attending the seminar, going to pre-op appts., etc. Just like everyone loses weight at their own pace, everyone goes through pre-op at their own pace too. Of course the timing is influenced by insurance, your surgeon's requirements, and so forth, but these speed bumps are there for a reason. It takes time to get your head and heart into the right place, no matter how ready you feel today. Take your time and really commit yourself to the pre-op process. Nothing that happens after this is time wasted; it's all helping you prepare one way or another for the big milestones ahead. Cheers!

My first day home, I managed to get in a whopping 140 calories, 16 oz Water, and 18g protein. It's extra hard with all that napping going on. The hardest for me has been the exercise, just because it's the dead of winter in Wisconsin and I live in the woods and there's only so many times I can walk laps in my upstairs hallway. I'm hoping to hit the gym tomorrow, but I haven't actually been out of the house since surgery so I may be knocked for a loop.

@@sammyc59, congratulations! Please check in as soon as you can and tell us how you're doing. I did manage to sleep (quite well, actually) the night before surgery. I guess I got all my nerves out the previous nights, and was too exhausted to stay up worrying and more. We're all rooting for you!

@@thin-for-kidney, the countdown goes really fast at the end. 1/28 will be here before you know it! I don't know what hemo dialysis entails, but I do know it brings you one step closer to surgery and turning that amazing corner into a new life. Cheers!