DaleCruse

Food isn't your best friend. It wasn't mine either. I love your list. You know that last one? "Love myself"? That's one you can start on right now. I remember looking in the mirror & hating my reflection. And that energy did nothing but make me feel worse. Don't beat yourself up. Please understand that food isn't your best friend - you are.

Generally, I enjoy life much more than before surgery. I'm able to do things physically that I wasn't able to do for years. That feels like to me. Good luck!

You haven't had any fluids other than water for three weeks? Wow. Do you think that might be a big reason juice tastes different to you now?

Here's the link for the Google Play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.myfitnesspal.android&hl=en Here's the link for the Apple App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/calorie-counter-diet-tracker-by-myfitnesspal/id341232718?mt=8

There's a lot to unpack in this post. First, let's talk about your screen name, "hatemyreflection". That jumped out at me because I used to feel the same way. One of the ways I got past that was to stop telling myself that. Beating yourself up doesn't help you lose weight. It just makes you feel bad. Consider a new screen name more fitting of your new direction. Tell the haters that the real failure would be not addressing your weight & dying before you should. Is it possible to keep visible weight loss from people long term? No. Nor should it be. Don't hide it, celebrate it! Show it off! I'm nearly 3 years post surgery & in all this time, I only found one person who had a negative reaction to it. Ironically, she needed WLS surgery too. You plan to take a week to recover? That's nice. If you're a nurse practitioner, you know sometimes people recover quickly & sometimes they take longer. Be kind to yourself & take as much time as you need. Regaining weight is unique to every person. Some people do it easily, some keep it off for longer. If there was a magic formula that worked for everyone, we'd all use it. Careful of the term "eat normal". You're going to have a new normal. Then another new normal. Then another. I know this is your first post & you have lots of questions. Good! Keep asking. But be prepared to leave some preconceptions behind.

I think these questions are more for your surgical team & insurance company than us. The answer to so many of your questions is, "It depends." Good luck with your meeting!

Depends on you. I did my first one less than a week after surgery. The next day I did two. Three the next day. Soon I was doing 20, 50, more. Try one today. See how it goes. Let us know. Good luck!

Surgery was 2.5 years ago for me & I was scared as hell. I didn't have panic attacks but I was convinced I was going to die on the operating table. Both my parents died as a result of surgeries so I was beyond scared. I talked with my surgical team about it & we dug into the reasons I was so scared. My father died nearly 30 years ago & my mom 15 years ago. We've come a long way since then with medical treatment. They were both undergoing life-saving open-chest surgeries. I was undergoing a life-improving laproscopic surgery. I'm younger than they were. I'm in better health than they were. Talking this over really helped me. I was still scared but able to get through it. Please talk about your fears with your surgical team & your loved ones. Good luck!

"She said with the bypass you can keep it off longer." I have never heard this. Gastric bypass is more invasive & you will lose more weight. However, you'll be on supplements for the rest of your life. You're also more susceptible to "dumping" where if you eat too much, you need to run to the bathroom.

I told lots of people ahead of time & even more people afterward. Over the course of three-plus years, I only had one truly negative reaction. What was ironic was that she was also obese & would have benefitted from WLS. Shew viewed WLS as somehow "cheating" at losing weight. I hope she found the help she needed. I did. Good luck, all!

Welcome! What does AA mean in your case? I could think of a few different possibilities.

Please talk with your surgical team about your obsession. Know that you're not alone. Others have felt this & learned to manage it. Good luck!

I've never heard of doing this & would be very surprised if an insurance company approved it. Good luck!

What you're experiencing isn't unusual. Lots of us have been there. Your job today is to get through today. Tomorrow is a new day. Good luck!

You don't need us to tell you that you made a mistake. You knew before you started this thread. Don't beat yourself up anymore. That episode is over. It's done. It's in the past. What matters now is what you do next. You already know what to do. Good luck!

Skin is the stuff on the outside, fat is one of the things on the inside. I'd consider getting a second opinion. Good luck! - Dale

I'm 2.5 years past surgery & still have one Omeprazole in the morning & another just before bed. Then again, I probably consume a higher-acid diet than most. That's just me. Good luck!

There's so much info online that I didn't bother with a book. As an author (that sounds so pretentious) I can tell you the moment you publish a book, it's out of date. Anyway, good luck!

I don't know. None of us do. My suggestion: Take a sip. If it feels good, have another sip. If it doesn't feel good, you're not ready. Experiment until you are ready. Good luck!

I'm going to suggest an alternate answer: Document, document, document any/all problems you have with excess skin. Then talk with your surgical team. If you have enough documentation & their support, you *may* get your insurance to pay for excess-skin removal surgery. Good luck!

Congratulations & good luck!

I'm sorry you're experiencing this. Not everyone does. If walking is the way to get in your water, then walk away! Please consult your surgical team too. Good luck!

Good advice here. But one of the best skills to learn IMO is how to filter information that other people give you. You're probably already good at filtering information people who haven't had WLS. Now start learning how to filter what people on this board say. Some of what you read here is gold but some of what you read here is crap. What may be gold for one person may be crap for you. Trust yourself above all others. Good luck!

Great idea! Check out https://wordpress.com/ & make sure to add a link to your new blog in your posts so we can follow along. Good luck!

I was lightly jogging on a treadmill three or so days after surgery. My surgical team told me that when I was ready, I was ready. My suggestion is to start with something simple like jogging in place. If that hurts, you're not ready. If that feels good, try some treadmill work. Then build up to distance runs indoors or outdoors, whichever you prefer. Good luck!