JenniferPenelope

Today my old blender decided it won't be going on this weight loss journey with me.... I'm thinking of getting a Ninja to replace it, but that got me wondering - what small appliances and kitchen gadgets do you find to be particularly helpful with your post-surgery food prep?

Cheating at this stage is totally normal. When I was a few weeks out and PMSing hard I had half a cup of Ben & Jerry's - I dumped and felt awful! But you know what? I'm glad I had that experience because I discovered my desire to feel good hugely outweighs my craving for ice cream and now when I'm faced with the temptation I pass. Our surgery is a tool and what matters is how we use it. If you've learned from your mistake - you're using your tool well. Keep being awesome!

I was on it for three weeks before my surgery - four Optifast 900 shakes/day and sugar-free Jello & Popsicles, etc. I lost about 20 pounds. I found the best way to get it down was to mix it with ice, instant decaf coffee and sugar-free syrups. I also chugged it as quickly as possible because it is gross, (more gross?), when it gets warm.

Today is my one week surgiversary. I have lost over 9 pounds in the last week and more than 27 pounds since the beginning of my pre-op diet!

@@Anilyn I'm sorry to hear that. How were you able to pinpoint the lactose intolerance? I had a rough night last night and I can't tell if I'm dealing with lactose intolerance or extra bile.... Will be calling my clinic the second it opens tomorrow.

Hi all, Can people who have gone through the surgery let me know how bad your hair loss was? I have my rny coming up on June 6th and I'm getting married at the end of November. Other than religiously getting all your Protein and Vitamins in, do you have any suggestions? Have any of you used Biotin? Thanks!

Thanks for the suggestion. To start a new thread, go into the forum you want to post in, IE post-op questions. Click the ellipses (...) and there should be an option to write a new note. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Hi all, I had my rny this past Monday and as my incisions heal, I'm wondering what skin care products folks use? I am 31 so while I know there will be excess skin, I am hopeful that some diligent moisturizing, etc. can help with that.

Ugh... Me too. Having the body pillow has helped but at this point I'm getting sleep when it comes - day or night. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

How are post-op folks sleeping? I can nap when I take my pain meds and I fall asleep right away at night, but then I wake up around 1:30am and I'm up about once an hour all night long... Other than the sleep issue I'm doing really well but I miss sleeping through the night.

I'm home from my surgery after one night in the hospital. Some nausea and vomiting from swallowing crushed pills but I'm doing better than expected.

I'm on Monday too - arrival at 8:40am/surgery at 10:40 am. I'm so excited to never drink Optifast again and getting on with a healthier life. Good luck on Monday! Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I'm so sorry to hear that you aren't having a good time online dating. Like everyone says, you have to weed through a lot of bozos but you can also find someone wonderful! I met my fiancé on OKC and I still can't believe I found such a wonderful, loving and thoughtful partner to spend my life with. Here are some tips from my ups and downs with online dating: Get a girlfriend to do online dating with you. Have a fun, girly night where you create your profiles, get dolled up and take some awesome photos. You can help edit each other's profiles to keep them fun and light and you can start this adventure in a positive way rather than feeling like you are caving in to a last resort. Take breaks. If you aren't enjoying online dating it shows and you are less likely to be successful. Everyone takes breaks from online dating - it's best to come back to it when you aren't so drained from the experience. Try casual dating online before you look for a long term relationship. I found my fiancé while we were both looking for something casual and love struck us. But before I met him, I had a great summer going on casual dates and getting to know different people. Not being so invested in trying to find a relationship let me focus on MY needs and I was in a great head space when the right one came along. This was just my experience but as this is a weight loss forum... I found I had much more success when I embraced body positivity. Before this, any guy who complimented me on my curves or said they were looking for a curvy woman I wrote off as a fat fetishist. Lord knows there are creepy fat fetishists on dating websites but some men just love a curvy body and not only is that ok, but it's awesome. Check out the Bye Felipe Instagram account and podcast. They were started by women coming together to laugh at the misogynists and creepers who we have all encountered online and it is better to laugh at these ridiculous messages than to cry. Bye Felipe is also sponsored by the Burner App, which allows you to use temporary phone numbers instead of giving out your real one - which I really wish had been around when I was online dating. So, those are my tips. Sorry for the novel - but good luck with your journey and hopefully this helps!

Just got my Ninja and I'm loving it! Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I'm in Ottawa and having my surgery on June 6th. So close to being done Optifast! Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Thanks for your recommendations! I've got a crock pot, scale and measuring instruments and I added a three tiered food steamer to my wedding registry. My surgery is in five days and I can't wait to be able to cook again! Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I'm having rny surgery on June 6th and I'm from Ottawa. At this point I'm just tired of waiting and I hope the week flies by.

My pre-op appointment is this afternoon. I just weighed myself and I've lost 13.5 pounds since starting my Optifast diet on the 16th! My surgery date of June 6th can't come soon enough. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Please let me know if you've ended up on a smaller dose of your anticonvulsants. I'm epileptic as well and one of my reasons for having the surgery is to be on a smaller dose of my meds and have better seizure control.

@@Anilyn where in Ontario are you? I'm in Ottawa. I started my Optifast this past Monday and I've lost almost ten pounds. I can't recommend decaf instant coffee highly enough to flavour your shakes! It really helps mask the flavour and smell.