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Gadzooks! You're right! Boy oh boy, I'm still learning how to eat and drink in this new life!

Can I relate to that! Where I work 10 of my colleges and I all have offices around a central area (we call it a courtyard). There is a huge table in the middle where we have our impromptu meetings and such. Most of my co-workers are in their late 20s, a few in their early 30s, and me almost 50. They put loads of Cookies, candy (like jelly bellies or those little snickers), birthday cake, bagels and cream cheese, etc. etc. on the table, and everyone eats the stuff. They are all skinny. For team lunches they order Italian (Pasta and lasagna mostly).or BBQ w/ mashed potatoes, etc. OMG, I absolutely hate it. It is like a torture chamber.

Of course, I am just at the start of my journey, 3 weeks post-op, but I had a long discussion about this very topic with my doctor and NUT. I was trying to decide what my "goal" weight should be. I am 5'7", and at that height the BMI charts say my maximum weight should be 160lbs. But both my doctor and NUT agree that with my build, that would simply not be a reasonable size. I remember in early college years (30 years ago), when I was very fit, I weighed in at 175lbs. So, my doctor and NUT believe I should set my goal weight at 190 (BMI of 29.8), and once I get there we can reevaluate. But given my situation, I doubt I will ever be under 175-180lbs. That would give me a BMI of around 27. Another thing to consider is using body fat % as a target measure instead of BMI, which is what I plan to do. For women, a "normal" body fat % would be 25%-31%. For men, it would be 18%-24%. This can be a more difficult thing to do, since you have to have a device to measure body fat %, but there are a variety of scales and other devices out there that do this. Congratulations on all your weight loss!

Honestly, I haven't been doing much with herbal teas lately, and I should. It would give me some variety. Thanks for suggesting it!

@@Ashlegal Thanks, that's good to know. I have always loved sun tea and I would like to try it with decaf tea. My biggest concern is when going out to restaurants. When I was pre-op I stopped drinking carbonated beverages, so I started to have iced tea. My wife likes going to a hamburger place called "The Habit". They have a chicken salad there that I think would be great (assuming I can tolerate salad, we'll see). However, I usually get their "Mango Ice Tea" (unsweetened), but I am sure that it is not decaf. I'll probably end up having to stick with Water. When going out to restaurants, I can't think of what I can have to drink other than water. They generally don't have many non-sugar, non-carbonated, decaf drinks other than water. Maybe bring my own small packet of crystal light?

Absolutely listen to @@Keke74, she's totally right. Remember why you decided to do this. Most people have a few cases of this happening, and it is all part of a learning experience. Most people don't have this happen frequently, so long as you follow your NUT's or doctor's instructions. You can do it!

@@gbveteran4d If you decide to drink things that are obviously and completely out of the range of things we should be drinking, and you drink them on a regular basis, then they are a problem. Period. In fact, since this thread is asking about what other people drink, I am assuming they want to know because they want to drink things that are healthy and good for them. The list you provided is mostly composed of the things you SHOULDN'T drink. I won't apologize for pointing that out. And no, I'm not a skinny person. I have a BMI of 42 right now, and am struggling like everyone else post-surgery to lose weight. But I would like to think that I make good choices, and based on many of the other great posts here, I think I am at least on the right track.

I am in week 3 post-op, and I am finally able to go the whole day without a nap. For the last few weeks, I would be fine and then suddenly fatigue would descend on me like a blanket, and I could hardly do anything but go to bed. Finally that seems to have stopped, but my stamina is still not quite what is was pre-op. I'm certain all of that will come back soon. Just gotta let ourselves heal. I spoke with my doctor about it, and he said it is completely normal, it is the result of major surgery and your body healing.

@@dancingqueene Those are some great ideas. Way to go!

My disclaimer is that I have not been told specifically by my doctor or NUT why it is bad. But I have some ideas. Caffeine is a diuretic (although a mild one), and after surgery one of the things we are trying to do is get our Water in, not out. Seriously, we are constantly working to avoid dehydration and to get in our 64oz of fluids a day. Caffeine is a stimulant, and increases hunger. Not something you want to have if you are trying to lose weight. Maybe there are other reasons, but those are two that come to mind. Remember the surgery is a tool, not a magic bullet for weight loss. After surgery, you will have to stick with a new way of eating to lose weight, and for the rest of your life. It will not be magic; you will still probably have cravings that you will have to deal with. Anything that increases or stimulates your hunger will simply make things harder on you. I would seriously try to find caffeine-free alternatives, such as caffeine-free tea. You should not be drinking any soda (or other carbonated beverage) after surgery, caffeine-free or not, since the gas expands in your pouch and could stretch it or at the very least cause you extreme pain.

@@lizcan Crystal Light is a powder that you mix with Water to flavor the water. It has 5 calories (kcal) per serving, and 0g sugar, 0g fat, 0g just about everything. It comes in a variety of flavors. My favorite flavors are Lemonade and Fruit Punch. It comes in a large package for 2 liter pitchers, and a small package for 500ml water bottles. For info, see http://www.crystallight.com/

Did you previously confirm with your insurance company that they cover bariatric surgery? Did you find out from them what the requirements were to get the bariatric surgery? Different insurance companies have different requirements for the surgery. That may be one of the things causing the hangup. Then again, insurance companies don't like shelling out the dough, so it might just be typical bureaucratic nonsense or a stall tactic on their part.

Yeah, I am 3 weeks out and I can still only handle 2-3 tbsp of food or a little more drink at a time. At my first week, I was 1-2 tbsp.

@@Spiceyfrog 6g of what in a cup? What drink are you talking about?

The problem is that you don't just need to think about the flight, but the destination too. I presume you will be eating in restaurants a lot, if not the whole time. Getting enough Protein from restaurant food at the soft foods stage is going to be iffy at best. That's the reason why you need to rely on protein drinks from powder, which you can put in your luggage and make anywhere. Sure you can bring instant oatmeal and such, but those won't have sufficient protein, and you would have to add protein powder to them anyway. I travel for work too, and although I haven't had to travel since my surgery, I have done a lot of thinking about how I will survive on my trips.

@gbveteran4d @shelleylester Just because you CAN drink those things, doesn't mean you should. The two main ways people regain weight (or stop losing weight) is by drinking high-calorie drinks (such as full-sugar Gatorade, fruit juices, cafe mocha or similar sweet coffees, and alcohol) and grazing (eating small amounts of food constantly through the day). Having a glass of wine every once in a while is one thing (I would consider that fine), but making a habit of having it multiple times a week would be sabotaging your weight loss. For example, on average wine has 123 calories for a 5oz glass (although it varies widely based on type). Rum and Coke (2oz rum and 12oz coke) are 268 calories. Assuming you are in maintenance level, that one glass of wine is probably around 10% of your daily calorie intake, and the Rum and Coke is around 20%. 8oz of orange juice is 111 calories. If you are still in weight loss mode, these drinks will definitely slow down or stop your weight loss if you drink them regularly.

The surgery you got is not a therapist. It will not stop your food addiction. You can definitely sabotage it. It was meant as a tool to help you lose weight, but it still requires hard work on our part. We have to change our pattern of eating. I was taught that 1/2 of the meal should be Protein, 1/4 fruits/vegetables, and if you can still eat, the final 1/4 should be whole-grain or complex carbs. Although having 1 (one) slice of pizza every once in a while won't kill you, making a habit of having that or other such foods (such as hamburgers) will stop or reverse your weight loss. Grazing (eating small amounts throughout the day) will also sabotage your weight loss. Drinking high-calorie beverages will also sabotage your weight loss. Both of these habits get around your surgical restrictions. For your food addiction, you should definitely see a therapist. Group therapy might work as well. Your weight loss is up to you, not the surgery. It was not a magic bullet to lose weight.

Because of liquid restrictions on carry-on bags, the pre-mixed Protein drinks probably won't work. Try Protein Powder with Water as @@ivy4u suggested. I would keep it simple, and stick with fruit and protein drink during the flight, until you get somewhere where you have a good restaurant that lets you have a wider variety of foods (the airport restaurants are generally not so good in that way). Most of the drinks on the plane are no-nos, since you can't have juice or carbonated beverages. Probably just stick with water. When you get to your destination, getting sufficient protein will almost certainly be a problem. You will need Protein Drinks (made yourself from powder) to allow you to get your necessary protein in. BTW, you may find the following blender bottles to be useful, if you have time to get them: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FZOX2FG

Like @@OKCPirate, I think that it is possible to have female friends, so long as there are no romantic entanglements. But as soon as one or the other party starts having those feelings, strict friendship is very very difficult. The person with the romatic feelings ends up feeling upset that the other person doesn't feel the same way, which is magnified by the facts that they are constantly in contact and they have a close relationship already (friendship). Unfortunately, I think in your case I would at least suspend your friendship for a while, at least until he has another love interest, if not permanently. I realize he is an inexpensive handyman for you, but probably one of the reasons he is so inexpensive is his interest in you. To keep him on in this situation would be essentially taking advantage of his feelings for you, and if he gets upset in the situation he may decide to walk or do substandard work in the middle of stuff. Like any relationship, friendships can go sour really fast, and very good friends can suddenly become very bitter. The closer the friendship, the more hurt and resentful the friends can become. This can become a powder keg, and you need to end it very quickly and carefully, being sensitive to his feelings but not giving in to them.

At least when I went in, they gave me a snap-shut bag to put all of my belongings in (clothing, shoes, and anything else I had on me. In my case, my wife kept the bag, but I am sure if you are alone they will take care of getting it to your room for you. Just don't put any valuables in it. Your phone should be ok.

@@rnwrny The problem with that is what do you do the next time you get a horrible headache? Or cavities filled for that matter. Take ibuprofen again? Taking ibuprofen, or any NSAID, is a slippery slope for us. Gotta find out from your Dr. what to do when that happens rather than self-medicate with NSAIDs.

Sounds like you are doing great. There is absolutely no way I could eat solid food right now. I am three weeks out, and just recently got on the pureed stage. I can eat about 2 tablespoons of food at a time, and I know that if I tried solid food at this point it would come all up. I am hoping to be able to move to soft foods in about two weeks, but we will see.

@@Djmohr I have been drinking Premier Protein for over a year now, long before my surgery, because I like the taste and it filled me up as a Meal Replacement before surgery. However, I find now that almost immediately after drinking them I become nauseous and have to lay down for about an hour to get over it. I have been trying to get past it because I really like the 30g of protein, but it is continuing to be a problem. Are you certain it is lactose free? What would be causing such stomach upset if it is lactose free? BTW, I still really like the taste, it is just that it upsets my stomach.

Sorry, I'm not sure what to say. We were told no NSAIDs. If you are asking our opinion, unless someone here is a doctor the opinions will be just that, opinions. If you don't think it is a problem just this once, then do what you think best. All I can say is what you already know, no NSAIDs at all, ever. If your doctor tells you otherwise, then absolutely listen to them, not us. Sorry that's not more helpful.

In addition to all of the above comments, which I agree with completely, you want to review your eating plan. Are you eating a low-carb, low-fat diet? Are you eating three discrete meals a day, or are you grazing throughout the day? Grazing is the most common reason for weight gain after surgery. Take a look at the following blog: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/ She has some wonderful ideas, including great recipes.