Stephen2

IT GETS BETTER!!! Hang in there. My biggest challenge for the first month or two was getting enough water and enough protein in. I was struggling with that, big time. But you know what? It was Ok. I was Ok. You'll be Ok. You'll figure out what works and you'll modify your procedures as you go. A sip every five minutes may be all you can manage. So do that. It adds up and it's just fine to go slowly. It's better, in fact. I got so bored / frustrated by that, but it's Ok. You'll be Ok. This is the hardest part. Aside from the therapy... If you're feeling weak or worn out, some Gatorade for electrolytes works wonders. Chicken broth or bone broth were important for me during the liquid stage, too. I just craved something savory, gosh darn it! Take it little by little. Keep your eyes on the prize (improved health and life). Before you know it, your bigger challenge will be buying clothes that fit and then they don't fit a month later. Let me tell you, a few trips to Goodwill or other second-hand shops worked out great for me. I even kept a few of those things around longer-term. Good luck on your path. IT DOES GET BETTER!!!

Congratulations! If you haven't made plans for it yet, consider finding a therapist with experience in behavior modification (addiction, etc.), too. Starting that ahead of time is a lot easier than post-op. Most of us don't get to our pre-surgery state of being through enlightened, balanced living. Dealing with the underlying habits and emotional layers is an important part of the journey for most of us.

My surgery was in 2017. I have settled into a few core go-to nutritional solutions. I always have Premier Protein shakes on hand in chocolate (30g Protein, 1g sugar) or Apple + Oat (20g Protein, 1g sugar). Reasonable pricing by the case at Costco. Having a dependable, easy to count and carry protein source allows me to relax on what else I'm eating during the day. You're not back to veg and fruit yet (especially salads!), but that'll come. In the soft food category, two favorites for me are Siggi's yogurt (12g Protein, 5g sugar), or cottage cheese with (home made) no-sugar applesauce or (home made) low-sugar jam. I've moved away from the yogurt and more toward the cottage cheese, since I can take more control of the flavorings and because cottage cheese is more protein-dense than yogurt. The biggest challenge for me in the liquid and soft food stages was getting something savory into the mix. Bone broth and organic chicken stock worked well for me, sometimes with an egg mixed in. Other soft foods I rotate are egg salad and a mix of tuna and chicken. I use two cans of tuna with one can of chicken (both packed in water, both purchased at a reasonable price at Costco). I add a bunch of horseradish mustard and some mayo. You can reduce the amount of mayo by adding back some of the water that the cans are packed with. Also, an immersion blender makes the tuna/chicken salad more like a restaurant and less like a parent with a fork. Good luck on the path, MGigi and everyone else!

Three and a half years later, I got a notification that there's new traffic on this thread so I'll check back in. I find Hopscotch's response very reasonable. "Karen" references aside (perhaps we can all agree to focus on our health and well being and leave our politics at the door), I think that success is found somewhere in between obsession and moderation. My own path has led me through struggles with returning to food as something other than a source for nutrition. When I use food or drink as entertainment or as a social or emotional tool, that's when I fall into trouble. When I approach food as the way to provide my body with the energy and nutrients it needs to be healthy, that's when I'm more successful on this path. 2020-and-a-half has not been my best year (no surprise!). All things considered, it wasn't a disaster for me and in many ways it has been a reasonable road. I am trying to lose my "Pandemic 10" right now. Some changes I'm making include cutting back on alcohol (entertainment & relaxation) and nuts (entertainment & emotional). I was alcohol-free for the first year after surgery, and I've never been much of a drinker. Now I'm trying to get back to that. If you can honestly look at what's going into your body and why it's going in, your path will be more successful. If that mindfulness eludes you, it will continue to be a struggle. Those changes force me to face what I'm avoiding when I indulge in them. Usually, it's uncomfortable feelings - lack of productivity, self-worth, accomplishment, etc., or tasks or situations I'm avoiding in my life. As with anyone here, I'm not an expert. I'm just a guy trying to do my best. If any of this helps you, great. If it doesn't, then I hope you find more value elsewhere. Good luck, everyone!

10 months post-op here. I'd suggest toning down the rhetoric just a tad. I was advised / directed to observe 12 months off of all intoxicants. I've been good with that. I've had a few sips from my wife's glass, but nothing more than that, really. Funny thing is that I did some rather successful cultivation and infusions this year since it became legal to do so in my state. Great results, but I've avoided trying ANY of it. Really looking forward to January when I can allow myself the space to do that. On the technical / education side of things, I was informed that the recommendation to avoid intoxicants for the first year post-op is for a few reasons. First is that most of us didn't get to a pre-op condition by living a balanced life. And if we're going to successfully avoid using food as "medication" or for anything other than nutrition, it's very easy to transfer that pre-op behavior to something else. Intoxicants are an easy substitute to fall into, and a year of avoidance can help us find other more healthful habits, instead. As for me, I've been written a lot more music this year, among other things. Second is that alcohol is very caloric (or calorific for our overseas friends). So taking in those empty calories isn't going to help us down the path of reduction, especially if one is already finding it challenging to take in sufficient protein and water to keep up with targets. I don't know about you all, but that's still something I have to be very mindful about. Protein and Water. That's a mantra I've had to internalize. Third is that alcohol and other intoxicants can lead us to "let go" of our self-control and discipline around what else we're putting into our bodies. And some of those behaviors contributed to our getting to our pre-op states, to begin with. No point in going back to them post-op, at least without some mindful examination, first. For those three reasons (and others any of us could come up with), I have found the 12 month abstinence target is an easy to remember / explain rule of thumb ("I had some surgery in January and I'm off of alcohol for a year." - You'd be surprised how often the conversation / questions stop right there). It's a bit of a drag sometimes, but "eyes on the prize" seems to win out when I'm doing my in-the-moment evaluations. Best of luck and healthy outcomes to you all! Top: 320 Pre-op: 296 10 months post-op: 225 Goal: A long and healthy life. It's not so much about the numbers for me.

My doc & my dietitian recommended no intoxicants for 12 months post-op. That is probably edge-case recommendation, but I'm not much of a drinker anyway, so I'm going with it (six months post-op, so far). They explained a counter-intuitive reason for avoiding it, which has stuck with me. I didn't get to where I was by being completely free of obsessive tendencies. It is quite common for folks to transfer their food habits to other self-medication options and obsessions. Obviously, alcohol is one easy ride to climb onto, so for that reason I'm pretty much staying away until I'm a little more secure with my new life. I've had a couple of tastes - literally a sip from my wife's glass. But that's it. I'm a fan of whiskey, but so far, I've completely set that aside since my surgery. My very nice collection sits in the case untouched, for now.