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Hi Annie! I am 3 and a half years post RNY. When I first went to my surgeon, I was SURE that I wanted to get the sleeve over bypass, but he convinced me to do the RNY. Fortunately for me, almost as soon as my insurance approved me for surgery, my surgeon had a cancellation and there was less than 30 days between that first appointment and my surgery so I had little time to be anxious. This far out, I've maintained my weight loss (over 140 pounds) and feel fantastic! My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner! It was not easy...neither surgery is, but I trusted my surgeon and couldn't be happier.

At 4.5 months post op, I don't have any problems with salads or eggs. I absolutely can't do white potatoes in any version (sweet potatoes made savory are ok though). Meatballs have been rough for me too.

When I couldn't take it any more, I had myself a dill pickle. Mind you, I chewed it for an eternity because I was nervous about my first "solid" food, but it satisfied the need to chew and a flavor I just wasn't getting on protein drinks and pureed food. I was cleared to chew at week 5.

Tazo brand Wild Sweet Orange tea is AMAZING!!! I love it more than I can say and it reminds me a little of the "russian tea" my mom used to make when I was a kid with tang and nestea.

I'm just over 3 months out and suffered from similar issues at first. Part of my problem was stomach acid that I thought was hunger/thirst (this got significantly better after I had been on the acid blocker for a couple of weeks) and my secondary problem was thinking that I couldn't take a "normal" drink of water. Liquids go through you pretty comfortably, so you can actually drink a bigger swallow than you think (I found this out by accident when I took a huge "gulp" of water after a long walk only about a week after surgery and nothing bad happened). At this point, I have absolutely zero problem getting at least 30 ounces of fluids (not counting any protein shakes or coffee) in before lunch and another 40-50 ounces after lunch. Hang in there!

How much are you drinking per day? Are you avoiding caffeine?

I am a college professor. I had surgery on Monday, September 21 and was in class on Thursday, September 24th. I only had to teach for a couple of hours though and then had a 3 day weekend and didn't go back to my full/normal schedule until Monday the 28th.

Congratulations! You've done an awesome job!

So it sounds a little crazy and the infomercial is embarrassing, but I've been training my bum with a squatty potty! My struggle with constipation was very real. I started adding more natural fiber (apples are my favorite), a good pro biotic, and a squat on the throne every morning and things have been steadily improving with very little...errrr...effort on my part.

Wow! That sounds awful. Thanks for sharing your experience with us @bellabloom.

I've had both bypass (12-4-14) and sleeve (03-16-15). Cause I'm that lucky. I have a sleeve now. I'm confused. You had bypass first, and then the sleeve? Did the reverse the bypass? I didn’t know you could do a bypass to sleeve revision.

Professor (best job in the whole world!!!)

My NUT approved ALL light/low fat soups (just pureed) during the full liquid phase. In fact, she recommended an organic chicken noodle soup and it was the only thing that didn't make my stomach turn at that point. It's fine to offer advice here and to share what worked for us or what our fears are, but it's not fair to judge or preach or shame each other. As we see time and again in these forums, there is not a consistent or single post-op schedule. A lot of surgeons and NUTs do things a little differently.

I've had the Quaker "weight control" flavored oatmeals which are low sugar, low carb, with higher protein.

Congratulations! It's a wonderful (and sometimes weird) journey! I have a very noisy little pouch too...don't know if that sticks around forever, but I'm just about 6 weeks out now.

Yes! Locally I was able to buy something called MetroMint water and it was AMAZING...but expensive. I now use fresh mint in my infuser water bottle and not only is it refreshing, but the mint also helps settle my tummy when it gets a little gurgly or upset!

I am a huge fan of fat free spicy refried beans with a little fat free cheddar and fat free sour cream. Definitely was a go to for me in the soft foods stage! I was also lucky and enjoyed a scrambled egg almost every day.

The dannon oikos triple zero was a bit too tangy for me. I really like their light & fit greek yogurt in vanilla and toasted coconut vanilla...ohhh and they have a seasonal flavor out now called caramel apple that's pretty fantastic too!

My favorite of the sugar-free, calorie-free, and caffeine-free drinks are vitamin water zero. For me, the orange flavor, triple xxx, and the lemonade flavors are the best. The generic Costco (Kirkland brand) ones are good too when I get tired of plain water and want something different.

I tried a couple of apps that we designed for this and found them more annoying than helpful. I have a fitbit Flex so I set alarms on that for my medications/vitamins (it vibrates on my wrist to remind me) and the MyFitnessPal app on my phone will remind me if I haven't logged meals (though I haven't struggled with forgetting to eat or drink). If needed though, it would be pretty easy to set up alarms on your phone's calendar too that you can use until you get your routine and then turn off once you've got it down. Good luck!

How long ago did you have surgery?

Hahahaha! Yes, the first time I ate my "soft" foods, it felt a bit like a brick in my chest. I learned that I needed smaller bites and even more chewing than I thought. I've tried mustard, a bit of mayo, plain greek yogurt, and other sauces, but I tend to prefer my ham and cheese plain. FYI I'm 5 weeks post bypass.

It depends on the fat content. My NUT's rule was that it had to be 3g of fat or less per 1oz serving.

And one of my favorites is thinly sliced ham and a babybel light mini cheese. Pretty fantastic!

Also, don't forget that you're human. One mistake is just that...a mistake. You haven't failed, you've just proven your humanity. Forgive yourself. I also agree, a counselor can help you explore the "why" and help you figure out how to make a better choice next time. You should be proud of how far you've come!!! Don't let this define or defeat you.