RedOrangeSunrise

I see that folks do like premier, but do they make an unflavored version? Sent from my Nexus 5X using BariatricPal mobile app

Oh, and I must find unflavored whey protein powder to add to the aforementioned soups. Is there one brand that is preferable to another? Sent from my Nexus 5X using BariatricPal mobile app

I've also discovered that I can have pumpkin soup, tomato soup, Greek yogurt, and iced tea. I think I'm going to make it with my last nerve in tact (my kids have been jumping on it for years, and it's survived thus far). I'm going to make tzaziki (sp?), strain out the garlic and cucumber bits, then top homemade soups with it. I will make this diet tolerable! Sent from my Nexus 5X using BariatricPal mobile app

So, I've survived day 1. My diet allows for sugar-free homemade custard. I keep 6 laying hens, so this is excellent news! I made something like this for dinner and found it to be fairly satisfying: http://tesathome.com/2017/03/28/steamed-savory-egg-custard/ Sent from my Nexus 5X using BariatricPal mobile app

I have officially survived day 1 of the liquid diet. It was rough, but at least I'm one day down. Good news is, I'm not the least bit worried about actual surgery and physical recovery, that will be the easy part compared to two weeks of protein shakes. Sent from my Nexus 5X using BariatricPal mobile app

Also not getting the sleeve, but the bypass due to pre-existing acid reflux. Hope that's OK. Sent from my Nexus 5X using BariatricPal mobile app

Kids: 2 and 5. Husband: supportive but tired. Me: this is day 1 of the liquid diet. I'm stressed, really stressed - and hungry - I've had the same headache for three days. Sent from my Nexus 5X using BariatricPal mobile app

Same here. Just got my surgery date. On-and-off anxious feelings. I've been kicking butt in the garden, though! Anything to take my mind off it! Sent from my Nexus 5X using BariatricPal mobile app

My understanding is that we can't have pureed fruit and vegetables mixed in with our shakes at this stage, nor can we have other soft foods blended in. My surgeon said something about not wanting any particles in there. The nutritionist recommended protein shakes and certain liquids (diluted juice, strained soups, clear broths) mixed with unflavored protein powder.

My program requires 14-days of liquid diet pre-op and 14-days post-op. If that doesn't get some of the weight off, I don't know what would! I've also been advised that I can't blend in any fruit or veg because they don't want the particles present in any part of my system (at least that was my understanding of the surgeon's explanation). I don't yet have a date, but soon! In the mean time, I'm limiting carbs and fat and have managed to lose a little weight.

Oh yeah, and directions are not at all reliable. Many of our landmarks are based on where things used to be. As in: go up the plains road and make a left past where the old school house used to be. Sorry about that Massholes thing. It applies mostly to aggressive drivers and snooty tourists. If it's any consolation, there's an even worse name for people from Connecticut. Haha

So, I'm pre-op, but working on my diet and exercise. Trying, anyway. I had a great experience where I had a fast food burger and it made me feel like crap - I had no desire for another one! Yay! Anyway, my kids are little (2 and 5 years), they need Momma for just about everything. The hubs is good, but I still often feel frustrated and overwhelmed. I'm worried about the upcoming surgery, trying to set myself up for success, trying to manage stress and anxiety without my OLD coping strategies (eating a ton of carbs until I feel sleepy, or having a couple of drinks - literally, my tired old ass will usually fall sleep after 2 drinks) ... and still be a good Mom. A good mom who's not angry all the time. Any ideas?

Good call. I really do need to find another treat - and something I can enjoy in the midst of the craziness.

I can identify with this one! I didn't own a scale, ever, in my adult life, until I decided to have this surgery. It definitely was the enemy as I've only ever lost weight twice and the regain was just painful (a custodian where I worked once asked if I was pregnant, I'd regained so fast). These days, I walk by my scale and sort of eye it suspiciously. The psychologist said it might be a good motivator for me, but to only weigh once every couple of weeks. I'm going to give it a week, then see where I'm at. It is something I've always struggled with and my self-awareness has always been way off. I wear stretchy clothes, so anything short of 50 lbs just doesn't register with me!

Oh, it is glorious to get out of the house! I work full time, but I'm a teacher. So, same schedule as kids when it comes to vacations, which is what I wanted in theory! Haha - I, too, have little tolerance for shenanigans. I've been assured that these children will be surly teenagers before I know it. At present, 5yo is literally laying across my chest as I type. I just feel like this whole process is really emotional and I don't have any energy to spare. I'm afraid that when my tank is empty, I'll be all the more tempted to go back to my old ways of snacking-as-stress-management. It is comforting to see that other moms have done it successfully!

I don't have much experience with this area of the state (I'm farther north, closer to Bangor). We did have friends who lived in Madison, but did not care for it for various reasons (they couldn't seem to find their place there, weren't able to make good friends). For me, the motivation to live where I am boils down to family and community, we know a lot of people here and feel good about the schools for our kids. It's also a reasonable commute to work for me. That's another thing, most people have a significant commute as everything's very spread out. I drive about 36-minutes one way to get to work (with very little, if any, traffic) and that's not at all unusual. It might not be a bad idea to find some places you'd be interested in visiting regularly and find a home within a reasonable distance of those things. If you're religious, you might look into churches of your preferred denomination, sort of a built in community there.

Life-long Maine-iac here. I agree with all of the above. We don't know some of our neighbor's names, and we're good with that, but we'd dig them out of a snowbank if needed. I wouldn't live anywhere else, but I tend to enjoy having more trees than people around. Lots of beautiful nature to be enjoyed. We also have way more than four seasons. For example, there's mud season, then what most people would consider spring, followed by construction season and summer. Oh, and prior to mud season, there's a battle of epic proportions between winter weather and warmer temperatures. Most Mainers will wear a T-shirt when it gets above 30-degrees (this is how you can tell state kids from out of state kids on any UMaine campus). You'll want a vehicle with decent tires. I've always liked a Subaru, myself. Books: there's no shortage of used book stores. We have loooong winters. Take vitamin D! I do 5,000 units a day, year round (my doctor said if I didn't, she'd order an expensive blood test to prove I was vitamin D deficient, I believed her). Maine people are sort of like horses in that you don't want to come on too strong or change anything too quickly, we're generally suspicious of it and of anyone we don't know (people "from away"). Shared work is something Mainers are pretty good at, that and bon-fires. We do like to burn huge piles of brush as this and bean suppers are the basis for most social gatherings around here. Oh, and we can drive on three inches of glare ice, but often struggle with turn signals and multiple lanes of traffic, be patient and for goodness sake, don't tailgate (the vast majority of Mainers take this as a personal affront, really). Best of luck to you and your family on the big move!

This is a cool thread! I typically do some toning/ lifting type stuff on the total gym. I've had good luck finding videos online for that thing. I also do 20 - 40 minutes on the treadmill. Today, I added in some crunches while my 5yo stood over me shouting "go, mommy, go!" It was both cute and motivational. Some of my special considerations include: Hyper-extension if I'm not careful, this is why I like the total gym as opposed to free weights. Flat feet - I bought some great sneakers online (brand name "vionic") with built in arch supports. Motivation - I used to put on a show while on the treadmill to keep myself occupied, but lately have switched to music and have found that I can walk and shake my butt at the same time to some old school Dr Dre.

Mainly, I'm concerned with sticking to the diet and exercise plan in the midst of the circus that is my home. It's sometimes really hard to find time for myself, even to do 30-minutes uninterrupted on the treadmill. I have also used food as a coping strategy when I'm stressed out, I can eat while the kids do their human tornado routine and it seems to take the edge off. Now that I can't do that, what's left? Just thinking ahead, I know a lot of folks go through a mourning period/ depression after surgery. I often feel that I'm already at capacity, emotionally, so the prospect of one-more-thing is daunting. Also, cooking. I do all the cooking. Is food going to gross me out, like in the early stages of pregnancy when some things just make you want to hurl? I did have a good experience doing some crunches today with my 5yo shouting "go, mommy, go!" Haha

So, I've completed about 6 months of prep work including attending an in-person support group, 2 meetings with my primary care doc, 3 meetings with the nutritionist, 1 fitness class, 2 surgical consults, an upper endoscopy (I have acid reflux), an MRI (I get migraines), reading through a large informational binder, and watching a couple of hours worth of informational videos ... Now, finally, I've had my last consult, scheduled my final blood test (they're very thorough around here), and will soon schedule the surgery and I'm freaking out a little. I don't know anyone who has done this. I'm afraid of losing a lot of weight really fast and I'm afraid of NOT losing a lot of weight really fast. I'm afraid to tell people because I don't want their judgment, but I'm afraid to not tell people and have them assume I'm sick or something when I start dropping weight. So, how does this work for real people? Don't sugarcoat it, and not just because we're not supposed to have sugar anymore (ha-ha). Does life go on? Every time I google "weight loss surgery real stories" I get some pretty scary articles. If you respond to this, I can only assume you didn't die of starvation or lose interest in all aspects of life due to post-surgery crippling depression. Please help me understand what this is really like for real folks (not the smiling faces in the brochures). Please and thank you!

Thank you both for replying. It's helpful to get some information from people who are/ have gone through the same thing. I really relate to the piece about not "seeing" our obesity. Sometimes, someone takes a photo with me in it and I'm shocked at how much space I take up.

Can I get that refritos recipe? One of my very favorite things. I'm pre-op and trying to assemble some go-to foods for that soft-diet period of recovery. Thanks!

I'm pre-op also. I love this idea, visualizing where you want to be. I was also a skinny child (underweight, even) and never a thin adult. I had a breast reduction at 17, but of course a lot of that grew back with the weight gain. I feel like I have a pretty good sense of my shape ... but I'm nervous! I've had children, gained and lost 50+ pounds a couple of times, and feel like my body is constantly changing. But, this is it. I feel like this is the last shot I have at gaining some control over my weight, which has started putting pressure on my knees and back and making me feel old before my time. Based on what I vaguely remember about my healthy younger body, I'm thinking my shape will be a bit like this: