FLHappyGirl

They already have that...it's called French Nouvelle Cuisine. Or also "tasting menus". Hehehe. See also, shrimp cocktail...

I am a chef and looked into this = Problem is food costs, Packaging and shipping would eat you up. It would be more cost effective to Keep portion size the same and a WLS patient gets two or three meals from it. The cost per meal would be almost the same but the portion would be Small or half the size,
However to make 4 small meals in one package One tray divided into 4 meals actually would work. One labor, One package, One shipping

Yep @Danny Paul I too noticed this from about the 18month mark. It's tiny changes, right? I can now eat 4-5oz of Protein at dinner rather than 3oz. I can have larger portions of raw and leafy veggies. I tolerate more fat in my diet. And the bedtime snack is alive and well and living in my house. Grrrr! It sucks to have to be so diligent, doesn't it?
I do weigh and measure especially things like nuts and nutbutters and cheese because they add up so quickly and my "estimated" serving size is NEVER what I "think" it is. LOL. Just like the awesome visual from @GreenTealael!!!
I think you will figure out a plan that works for you because you are diligent and aware and take ownership of your food relationships. And we can hardly ask for more than that! Right? So I have faith you will figure it out.
I do wonder though, because I've observed so many people 2+ years out struggle with night time hunger, do you think this "is a thing"--a phenomenon experienced by most post op-ers at 2 years or so? Cuz I do think it is a huge culprit for scale creep.
But like Tea said, IF is a wonderful tool. If I didn't IF 3-4 days per week with caloric restriction, I believe I would be up at least 10-15 lbs already. Instead, with IF, I'm able to maintain and defend 130-135lbs, but not without considered attention to detail. Luckily. I like attending to detail, and eating as I do. I don't feel deprived, even with IF or with calorie restriction on ADF. But I do wish it was more steady-state and I suspect bedtime Snacks do impact this teeter-totter.

Aloha
There's a huge thread dedicated to this (Intermittent Fasting) on the board.
But I'm just going to be honest with you, its probably the nuts/nut butters. I eat them to maintain my weight so I know first hand that they can easily cause gains because when I stop for a while I lose a few lbs. They need to be measured or there's a huge portion distortion.

You are 10 days post op. I am 7 weeks and I still can only eat 600 calories a day. You need to focus on your protein and Water as much as possible. I know it's scary, but also try to weigh yourself only once a week so you don't obsess about the scale. Just try to feel better, and keep getting that water and protein in.
If you are still super worried about it, contact your surgeon or your dietitian. They should be able to give you some peace of mind, as well, but mine had told me to focus on water and protein and not the calories for about six months. I only count mine so I can keep track of my protein intake.
Try to take a deep breath and realize that you're on your way to being healthier and feeling better, and you just gotta hang in there. The people here are lovely and supportive- thank you for expressing your concerns so we can help. ❤️

I'm glad that you've made the effort to get your alcohol controlled and very interested in Vitamins helping with that. When you searched for alcoholism, did you also search for "transfer addiction"? That's what I've seen on these boards a few times. They were discussing how common the problem was to transfer a food addiction to other addictive behaviors. Good luck!

Where do I start???? I got my knee replacement when I was only in my 50's because I couldn't walk bone-on-bone anymore. My other knee was in the same shape shortly after and another replacement was in the making. There was virtually no joint space left. My mobility was severely limited. I couldn't stand for prolonged periods and just walking 1/4 mile was nearly impossible.
100+ pounds gone - TA DA! NO MORE PAIN!!!!!!! My un-operated knee has NO PAIN!!!! Xrays show that the joint space has greatly expanded with all the weight off. I am now training for my 2nd triathlon, and completed a 52 mile bicycle race in November. I am also training now toward a rim-to-rim (in one day - 24 miles) Grand Canyon hike - the bucket list item of all bucket lists! As part of that, I am hiking segments of the 830 mile Arizona Trail. I hope to complete all the segments in the next year.
So did taking off 113 pounds make a difference in my pain? WHAT PAIN????? My knees don't hurt, my back doesn't hurt, my feet don't hurt. I am getting a little flair up of some bursitis in one hip, but that is because of training, not extra weight.
I have my life back! I only wish I had done it sooner!

I'd be more afraid of NOT having the surgery. I don't know your weight, but if you are like the rest of us here, we were all ticking time bombs waiting to go off with a host of obesity related issues.
I can't add anything better than what everyone has already said so well! We are all rooting for you.

Just an update. I was 236 lbs in 7th grade. Went as high as 340 in early 20's. March of 2019 I was weighing 280. Started 2 week preop diet at 274. Surgery was 7-23-19 and now 6.5 months later I am 173lbs. Initial goal was 175 (5'7") but still have some more to lose so setting goal around 165 before I start trying to add some muscle back.
Stayed around 600 cal and 60g Protein for about 4.5 months then tried to up it around 800 and 100g protein, that seemed to work ok. Occasionally I'll hit 1000 but other days struggle to get 600. Very little hunger, just know when I NEED to eat. food just not that important to me anymore. Still foamies and throw up when I eat to fast. Very little I can't eat, haven't really tried breads or pastas though. Heartburn got bad had to start omeprazole again.
Helluva year, ruptured aortic aneurysm last January with aortic valve replacement, sleeve in july, vasectomy in December and new baby boy 12-31! Just wanted to offer a little encouragement to those considering this or new in the process. No regrets, sure sometimes I miss sitting down and gorging but I just try to remember what it felt like afterwards.
Lots of positives, clothes that fit right, chairs that seem to big, etc...sucked to get rid of perfectly good clothes that were never wore and by the time you try to wear something else, it's to big. Nice trade off I guess. Anyway, just my story. I'm almost 44 and wish I'd done this sooner. Just like everyone else I had my doubts before surgery but it was definitely a good choice.

This is gonna sound like bragging, and I guess it is....but for the first time in my life my waist size and inseam size in pants is the same number: 32
At my biggest I was a 60" waist, so this is REALLY a huge milestone for me. My surgery was November 2016.
Started at 485. Current weight 200.

Heck no you're not a horrible person. Feeling better about the way you look is a nice side effect to the health benefits of losing the weight. Remember, "healthy" includes your mental status too! Good luck on your journey!

Yes, I lost a decent amount of hair, and considering I have very fine hair it bothered me a bit. My hairdresser noticed it too and we just cut it a tad shorter and colored it darker which helped. No one else noticed it though! All that said, it has grown back. I was never so happy to see little frizzy fly away hair on my head because I knew it was regrowth.

Hello,
I hope you are well. I have been a registered nurse for over 12 years and my Bariatric surgery will be in March. When I was in shape (all of my life except for 5 years ago), I used to think the same thing as your wife. 5 years ago I fell into a depression and gained over 100 pounds. I’ve been trying to get it off ever since. Now, I have high blood pressure, sleep apnea, acid reflux and pre-diabetes. People in my family say I should not do the surgery. They say I can do it on my own. But as I said, I have been trying to lose the weight for 5 years and my health is actively declining. Should I wait until I am fully diabetic so I can meet the approval of my family? No. Obesity is one of the most unhealthy modifiable conditions you can have. Despite how widely accepted it is, it’s worse than smoking, drinking, and quite a few illegal drugs (arguably combined). It damages every organ. Fat puts pressure on your organs, making them secrete hormones that alter your ability think and function properly. I know your wife is concerned about the risks of surgery. But what about living long enough to go to your child’s wedding? What about being able to play with your child in the park? What about setting a healthful example for your child so the cycle does not continue (I come from an obese family so I know how hard it is to break free from bad Family eating habits)? I hope my comment helps.

Best advice - cancel your life insurance now! She won’t stab you then, she might need you.
You are just going to have to prove her wrong, show her that WLS does work.
She is probably feeling insecure and worried that you may decide to find someone else once you are looking super hot. Reassure her and remember pregnancy hormones are a b***h!

Three weeks is still very early in the game. I took things super slow because I was afraid of things I heard.
I remember eating a hard boiled egg for the first time (probably around 4 weeks) thinking there was no way it would bother me. Oh, how wrong I was! It doesn't get much softer than a hard boiled egg but that didn't matter.
Dense meats like chicken can be tough and hard to keep down at first. My crock pot was my best friend. And for whatever reason ground beef wasn't too difficult.
Just take it slow, it does get better. Much better

Three weeks is still very early in the game. I took things super slow because I was afraid of things I heard.
I remember eating a hard boiled egg for the first time (probably around 4 weeks) thinking there was no way it would bother me. Oh, how wrong I was! It doesn't get much softer than a hard boiled egg but that didn't matter.
Dense meats like chicken can be tough and hard to keep down at first. My crock pot was my best friend. And for whatever reason ground beef wasn't too difficult.
Just take it slow, it does get better. Much better

Little ones? Try getting a little dehydrated and eat too much cheese and steak. You’ll wrap a blanket around it and name it!

Google telogen effluvium. There isn't much you can do about it however it is temporary and will grow back. You can also search existing threads on this site, there are tons of opinions on things to do but honestly I believe it has to run its course.....there is no magic pill to make it stop.

As @GreenTealael said, the only way through it is through it. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Right now THE most important thing is liquid. Get your Water in. Get up early if you need to in order to accomplish this. It's vital to your health and can quickly land you in the ER if you don't. Plus the bonus is, the more hydrated you keep your new tool, the easier time you will have in your Protein Drinks.
Tips for getting your Protein and water in:
Vary the temperature and find the one your pouch prefers the most. That's the temp of both protein and water (both count towards Fluid totals for the day) where things go down easiest with the least pain. Vary the thickness of your protein and water to find the thickness that is the easiest to go through your tool. The thinnest would be water, the thickest would be like a Premier Protein RTD drink or cream Soup. I had the best results by cutting PP RTD drinks with things like Decaf coffee, decaff tea, water, unsweetened cashew or almond milk, fat free Fairlife or other Protein Milk, etc. Vary the strength of your protein to find a sweetness level that you tolerate. I did best with a 50/50 mix of PP RTD and Isopure Drinks also Premier Protein Clear mixed with fluids that cut the sweetness such as fat free Fairlife Milk or Mootopia (adds protein from the milk), decaff coffee, decaff tea, water. Add unflavored whey protein to Soups, both broths and strained creamed soups. This gives a savory protein option. Also BP Store here has lots of lovely individually packaged protein soups. Use fat free Fairlife or Protein Milk to thin soups too, for even more protein. Make yogurt soup using Premier Protein RTD drinks mixed with Greek yogurt or Kefir (both fat free). For the first week or so don't worry too much about your protein. Focus on getting a minimum of 64oz of liquid made up from water, decaff coffee, decaff tea, protein drinks, warm cocoa (sf protein style), popsicles (sf), ice chips, whatever you need to function.
The last tip I have for you is that we all have an individual level of emotional maturity. Temper tantrums and rants are sometimes necessary to vent emotions but left unchecked can be detrimental. Not only to you but to your immediate peers in a support group. I found that when I took my power back and seized action by reframing the situation, my mood and outlook improved. The energy drain was stopped. And the future looked brighter and more hopeful. I would really encourage you to take your control back and plan your actions for success. It truly helps.
Hope you feel better soon.
Oh and don't forget to walk! Walk it off. Walk walk walk. It helps with the hunger, helps with mood, helps with strength.

I'm approaching three years out. I have light skin, you cannot see any of my scars (5). None! I don't recall how long it took for them to completely fade away but it wasn't that long, maybe 9-12 months. I have a friend who had surgery over 10 years ago, she is more of an olive complexion; you cannot see any of her scars either.

Maybe the breadstick Killed her? The scooby doo mystery is on!

Tell, don't tell. Everyone is different and I don't think there is a wrong answer.
If I had to do it all again I would limit the people I told even more so than I did. You might be surprised that some people you thought would be supportive are the biggest critics! and vice versa!
Just remember, YOU are the only person you can control. If you tell someone, they can and may tell others. It happened to me and it was one of the last people I expected it to come from....
I guess what I'm trying to say is if you are questioning whether to tell someone, don't. Wait. You can always confide in them later. Just my $.02 !

That's wonderful news! I hope your surgery goes well and you make a speedy recovery!

My hospital discharge instructions said I could shower right away. I was advised not to "scrub" the incisions, just let the Water wash over them although I did sort of scrub around them because I had residual betadine on my abdomen. I was strictly advised against a soaking-type bath or swimming until the steri-strips fell off.
My incisions all had little pieces of fabric tape over them called "steri-strips". I tend to be sensitive to adhesives, but I didn't have any reaction to them aside from the fact that it took at least 2 weeks for them to start peeling. As a nurse, I already knew not to pull them off, so I just trimmed the frayed edges until they finally fell off.
*1 caution against showering right away: make sure you're strong enough to stand for as long as the shower will take (unless of course you have a shower seat). All the post-surgical changes in your body, possible dehydration, and side-effects of medications could cause you to be off-balance or weak. I wouldn't want anyone passing out or falling in the shower 😉

Insurance approved my lower body lift!

I can't tell you how happy I am. I literally cried tears of joy! Sometimes insurance will only approve a portion of the lift, usually panniculectomy (sp?) but they approved everything for me. I had a history of rashes, boils, repeated yeast infections in my belly button. My belly skin sagged to the pubic region, which is probably why they approved me. Not only will this improve my look but my quality of life! I won't have to move my skin around to do things, like pee, or putting on clothes or shower!

So now... What do I need? I need a shopping list of things for this surgery. I might only have a month or two to prepare! Top items on my list:

Power Lift Recliner
Lots of pillows
Walker
Pre-op Skin Wash
Medical side table on wheels
Compression garments come with the surgery but probably need more post-op