anonbaribabe

Stop weighing everyday. It will drive you crazy. Take measurements and pictures and compare these instead of only using your weight. "Comparison is the thief of joy." Stop comparing yourself to others. Your body has gone through the stress of major surgery—be patient with it. If you're following your surgeon's and dietician's recommendations, the progress will come. ?

I'm 7 weeks post-op and my stomach is generally pretty quiet unless I eat too much and/or too quickly.

I was required to have at least one nail free of nail polish and/or acrylics.

I usually have a protein shake in the morning so I try to mix it up in the afternoon. I'm not a huge fan of protein shakes, so I try to limit it to one a day. Thanks for these ideas! I love almonds and kind of forgot about them since I haven't been able to eat them in so long. I'll definitely be adding some of these to my grocery list.

Hi all! What are your favorite snacks? I get hungry around 3pm and have been having string cheese, turkey pepperoni, and deli meat but am getting burnt out on having the same snack everyday. I'm almost 6 weeks out and am on regular foods. What are your go-to snacks? Thanks in advance!

I like it, but don't watch it very often because I find it to be kind of depressing. I like Family by the Ton more.

My first period after surgery was a few days post-op, which was a few days early. I started birth control shortly after surgery and my last period was super light as a side effect.

My dietician prefers that his patients not use protein shakes because solid food is more filling. Right now I don't really experience hunger, so this isn't a factor for me. I'm a month out and am down to one a day. I'll probably continue to use them, because like @GradyCat said, they're convenient. Once I can have coffee again (1 more week!) I'll probably also add it in there.

I used Mederma on a scar once and gave up because it took so long, but honestly, I'm not sure if any product is going to give quick results in reducing the appearance of scars. All of mine are fairly unnoticeable, but I've considered getting Bio-Oil to moisturize them because I've heard it's good for moisture and scars.

Fullness feels the same to me as it did before surgery, it just happens a lot faster. If I eat too fast and am getting full I burp a lot.

Liquids don't keep your stomach as full because they slide through the stomach. Once you start eating food you'll notice the restriction and start feeling fuller.

I was told to remove them if they became wet. I had one that got wet less than a week post-op. I removed it and it healed fine. You can get them wet in the shower, but they can't be submerged in water like in a bath.

The first week or so is tough, but hang in there! It gets better ?

Have you considered getting one of those bottles that has the time markings on the side? That's what I'm planning on doing once I can use straws again (they make them without, I just prefer using a straw). Right now I have a 20 ounce water bottle and make sure I drink 2 of them before noon and 2 after noon.

This depends on your doctor. My doctor only allows liquids that are caffeine-free, under 15 calories per serving, and non-carbonated to count toward fluid goals.

Sweatpants are definitely a good idea, I forgot that I brought and used those. Dry mouth spray, too.

I used slippers, a phone charger, and chapstick while I was in the hospital. That was pretty much it. My hospital provided some of the other things I used, like a toothbrush. I'm not sure how much a handheld massager would help with gas—the best thing. you can do for gas is walking.

I use the Bariatric Advantage Ultra Multi with Iron and I hate it! It smells awful. I've heard good things about Celebrate vitamins, so I think I'm switching to them. You can get them from the BP store or on Celebrate's website. Hope you start feeling better soon!

That's where your stomach is so it makes sense that that's the side that hurts the most. My pain decreased significantly after the first few days and now at 2.5 weeks out I have virtually no pain; just a little soreness every now and again. Hope you feel better soon.

I gained weight between my final weigh-in and last pre-op appointment before surgery and there weren't any reprecussions. I had already been approved by insurance and my surgeon didn't mention anything when I stepped on the scale. I lost the weight I had gained, plus more, on the pre-op diet.

I was required to do a 6 month supervised diet, psych eval, and PCP clearance. Once they received my paperwork (this took 3 days), I was approved in a day.

Even with the same insurance provider, policies can vary. Are you required to lose weight in order to be approved? This is typically information that your surgeon's office gets from your insurance provider, so I would check with them. You can also check with your insurance provider, but I've personally had issues with customer service reps giving out bad info. If your policy doesn't require any weight loss or exclude you from approval for weight gain, it shouldn't matter. You may also want to ask your surgeon if he or she will do surgery if you've gained weight, as some surgeons won't.

I'm officially 2 weeks out and can start on soft foods! I planned on having a slice of turkey and cheese, but I had 1/5 of the cheese and it made me a little nauseous. It wasn't too bad and only lasted for a few minutes. Hopefully the salmon I'm making for dinner agrees more with my stomach.

I'm glad you love it!

My BMI was 52 when I started the process and at my consult my surgeon initially recommended bypass. After the physical exam, however, he said that because I have so much muscle mass that the sleeve would be fine for me.