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I got on the scale this morning, and my weight began with a "1". My weight was 319 on the morning of October 1, 2015, and I've been so looking forward to this day! I know that what the scale shows is only a part of the big picture, but the rest of the picture is positive also, and I'm so excited about the changes is my health and self-esteem. I just wanted to share this news, for me and also for those who are newly post-op, or having surgery soon. It feels amazing to say this to people who understand the little triumphs and the feeling that comes with them.

I'm four months out, and I started out as a 26-28 or 3x in most things. Now, I'm an XL in tops, and a 14 or 16 in bottoms.

I was on my pre-op diet for three weeks prior to surgery, and the first week about killed me. My diet was 4 oz meat, 4 oz fruit, 4 oz veggies daily. I thought my doctor was insane, and trying to starve me to death. It was an absolute emotional roller coaster. I feel sorry for my family during that period of time - I was probably a bit of a lunatic. By the end of three weeks, I was shocked at how much food other people could eat. I wasn't hungry anymore, and I'd learned to split my food up to make it last through the day. Drinking tons of Water is, of course, very helpful, and good preparation for the rest of your life. Good luck. You'll be fine.

I'm with the others on PooPouri - I was pleasantly surprised to find that it's actually a really good product. Also, the foul smell seems to be an unfortunate side effect no matter what I do or do not eat, so I just work on damage control, since I haven't found an adequate prevention method. My doctor told me that this would likely happen before I had surgery. I haven't had much gas, but when I do, Gas-X chewables help a lot.

Oh no! I'm so bummed that I missed this! I just opened my closet up this morning and removed over half of my clothes.

I'm also a DS patient, and my experience has been seemingly similar to yours, in that side effects have been extremely minimal. I've found that I can eat a little more or less depending on the day, but I always stop after I've eaten a few ounces, no matter how full I do or do not feel. For example, I felt stuffed last night after eating 4 small/medium shrimp. Another day I can eat 3 ounces of steak and a couple ounces of steamed broccoli. I'm a little over three months out now, and I follow my plan pretty well, but once in a while I'll slip and take a bite of mashed potatoes, which I'm not supposed to eat until I'm six months out. Please, please be careful with what you put into your body. Keep in mind that this entire experience is largely mental, and the commitment you've made to your health involves discipline and a mindset that will put you on the path to a lifetime of good, healthy eating habits. It's hard at first to recognize whether you're head hungry or actually hungry. I think that a lot of this is because actual hunger is very rare, and it doesn't seem normal to us to eat so little and still feel ok. It is, though - it's just our new normal. I wish you the best in getting back on target.

Which multivitamins are you taking? I take the Bariatric Advantage, and they taste pretty good actually - but they smell terrible! Good luck. I have the same thing going on.

How are you feeling over a week post-op? Are you at the pureed stage now? I know that I, for one, never want to see sugar-free Jello again as long as I live!

Jibberjabber, I saw my nutritionist yesterday, and he sent me to this website - www.bariatriceating.com. I have been looking for a website like this, and was surprised I hadn't found it on my own. I'm not supposed to have bread/pasta/potatoes for 4.5 more months, but there is quite a bit on that site that I'll be eating very soon. Are you on a pureed or soft diet?

I've noticed that, since my surgery, my tastes have changed. Things that used to be delicious just taste ok to me now. Did any of you experience this? Is this a common temporary thing, or is this pretty much how it's going to be?

Thanks Postop, that's good to know. I wasn't ever told they would increase.

Yep, same for me. I take two chewables Multivitamins a day, though, and the calcium. I had a DS. I'm always a bit confused when I read about the tons of Vitamins people are taking - I really don't take tons of vitamins at all. I was originally going to have the sleeve as well. I opted for the DS in the last month of my 6 month supervised diet, because I was concerned about keeping weight off. I had surgery on October first, and I honestly feel great. Good luck to you, no matter what you choose to do, and congratulations on your decision to take charge of your health.

I gained six pounds during the eight months I saw my doctor before my surgery. My insurance has basically the same rules as Djmohr - I wasn't required to lose weight, but I couldn't have any net gain, either. I was panicking at the end. I'll be honest - I took diuretics every day for a week and stuck religiously to my LS diet. I lost some weight, and I ended up with a net loss of three pounds. For me, that one weigh-in could have delayed my surgery, even though I'd already received the approval from my insurance company. From what I've seen on this forum and others, a lot of people seem to gain a little before surgery, and I think that we who do probably all tend to freak out about it. Give yourself a break, take a deep breath, and do your LS diet. Out of curiosity, what surgery are you having?

Did you have a problem keeping the weight off after your sleeve? I've noticed that revisions to ds are becoming more common.

Sooo happy for you. Congratulations Your hard work and harder wishing is paying off.

I have a hard time getting my protein in, too. I'm 16 days post-op. I had a ds, so my pouch is a little bigger, but I understand what you mean. It kind of feels like the food is in my chest.

Oh, yes... and not that long ago. The way that you describe it, like a breakup, was pretty accurate for me as well. I had a very abusive relationship with food (on my part). I love good food. I love cooking, I love eating, I love it all. I have a particularly strong preference for potatoes, bread, Pasta, and cream based sauces. In the two weeks before my surgery, I was annoyed, angry, weepy, any everything in between. I literally cried for the loss of my (to toot my own horn) incredible homemade chicken fettuccine alfredo. Finally, I accepted that I was letting go of a part of my life that's been huge for a long time. Going through a breakup, if you will... and I went through the stages of loss. The way I'm looking at it now is that food and I can be friends, but we can never be in the kind of abusive relationship we were in before. In six months or so, I'll see my old friend potato, and I'll take a bite or two - after I've eaten my Protein, veggies, and fruit, and IF I have room. You're not giving up your life, but you're changing your relationship with food forever - and you'll need a break from each other for a while before you can be friends again. I'm 16 days postop now, and I can't remember how long it's been since I've felt as good as I do. I'm not even joking. I'm so thrilled for you, and hope that you have the level of experience I'm having. Severing that tie to food is hard, but I can't even begin to describe how liberating it is once you accept it. I wish you the best!

I understand, and I'm going through the same worries. I had surgery October 1st. I didn't have the same surgery, but mine's close - I had the duodenal switch. I try to keep in mind that I've done this first for my health, and second to smile when I look in the mirror. There are things you can do to minimize the saggy skin, and whether it happens or not depends on a mixture of other influences and genetics. Everyone's elasticity is different. I've seen people who have to have surgery after weight loss, and people who don't look like they've ever had a weight problem. It's a roll of the dice, but in the end, you'll feel better and healthier. I already feel a tremendous difference, and it's only been 16 days. Good luck to you, I wish you the best!

That's wonderful news! I'm so happy for you. Remember - this is yours. It is about you and your health, and no one can take it from you. Crossing my fingers for a quick surgery date!

Hi everyone, I'm new, and this is my first post. My surgery is in three weeks, and I'm concerned about a few things. I'm having a DS, and I've been told that if I don't lose enough fat from my liver before surgery, I may end up with a sleeve instead. Is this familiar to any of you? Any idea how much weight I should try to lose in the next three weeks? I know that a week from now I go on a special pre-op diet, but is this going to be enough? The one person I've talked to that's had bariatric surgery (RNY) said she throws up a lot; a few times a week regularly. Is this normal, or is that more an issue of everyone having a different experience? I'm starting to get really nervous, and I feel like I'm panicking a little about things I'll never be able to eat again. The nurse said no coffee for a year. I know that I'm making a huge lifestyle change, but I can't help getting a little overwhelmed when I think about everything I'll have to remember. Did any of you feel this way? Am I being ridiculous? Not many people know I'm having this surgery outside my immediate family, and I don't really have anyone I can talk to about this that understands at all. Are these stupid questions?

I just wanted to write a quick update on my experience so far for those who will be having surgery soon. My surgery was October 1st. I had a hard time shaking off the anesthesia, and it made me a little nauseated for the first 24 hours. I haven't thrown up since October 2nd (knock on wood), so I'm pretty happy about that. I left the hospital on October 3rd for home, and everything has gone surprisingly smoothly. My (eight!) teeny incisions are in good shape, and my follow-up appointment is tomorrow. I get to start eating pureed foods then, too - but my surgeon is very, very strict, so it's not a vast menu. I don't even care - pureed scrambled eggs sound like cuisine after a week of clear fluids. I've been taking it pretty easy. I went to costco today and walked around for about 45 minutes. My butt was kicked at the end, but I didn't feel sick or like I'd overdone it. Just ready to sit down for a while. I know everyone's experience is different, but I've been so pleasantly surprised by mine thus far that I wanted to share. I hope that those of you that are having surgery soon will have an equally painless experience!

Ok, so I had surgery on Thursday, and I'm feeling pretty good. I can't wait to have a bite of real food, even if it's just applesauce! Any advice on how to make the best of the liquid and pureed diets?

I agree with so many other people on this topic. This surgery isn't for your husband, or his family, or his daughter. It's for you, so that you can get control of your health, and on an even larger scale, your life. Your self-esteem has got to be shot at this point. You've sacrificed a great deal for someone who can't seem to be bothered even enough to stand up against the verbal abuse of his own family. It sounds like they're miserable people who won't have your back no matter what, and they certainly can't be counted on to support anything that will contribute to your overall health and happiness. As others have already mentioned, as you lose weight, you'll gain self-esteem. Feeling better about yourself overall may lead to an increased ability to stand up for yourself, and less tolerance for abuse from people who don't deserve to be in your personal space anyway. Weight loss brings on general wellness, which leads to more opportunities in a career, which may lead to an entirely new life. You are a human being. You deserve to be treated with courtesy. You deserve to be loved and respected. Be sure you make it clear to the scheduler that your ability to pay for surgery is completely dependent upon not having to meet a deductible again. Maybe they can work with you. I wish you the best of luck.

Thank you all so much for your wonderful responses. I'm glad to know that there are others who've been where I am, that are not just willing, but excited to share their experiences and offer advice. I am really happy I chose to join this forum. I'll probably ask endless questions in the next few weeks. I am so excited for the near future, when I'll be able to help answer questions for the people who feel like I do right now.