Jobber

How often are you weighing yourself? Your weight will fluctuate throughout the day, I've heard. I make sure when I weigh myself, it's spread out so I know if there's a real reason to be concerned or not. Daily might be too often for those who will obsess over it.

It sounds like either you need to try and find some things you can have while you're out or your family needs to be a bit more understanding of what your nutrition requirements are, not judging. I imagine if you can't go out with them it's because they are going to places that have absolutely no options for you. I'm curious what the normal meal planning used to be or what the rest of your family is used to eating that is now "messed up" For home meals, focus on the basics, protein, veggies, limited starches. If the meals are full of processed, quick-heat foods, you're going to have a bad time if everyone doesn't change. You Tube and Pinterest are a wealth of information preparing both nutritious and great tasting food. You will get tired eating the same things at the same time, the options are virtually limitless. If they absolutely must have these things and don't want to change, you can still go with them, just be prepared ahead of time. Visit the restaurant's website and find things you can have like soups, salads, meals (without the bun), etc. Good luck with your planning

I thought it was going to be more difficult than it actually was. I quickly found that drinking decaf took care of my "addiction" and trust me, I drank 2 of the monster energy drinks every day in addition to my morning coffee(s). Keep your eyes on the long term goal. It's amazing what getting the proper amount of sleep will do for your caffeine addictions. I had to change that as well. Fortunately for me, the same time I had to give up caffeine I also got my APAP machine, so that helped with my sleepiness as well. Good luck to you.

Depends on what you're consuming, I think. Even though a food is pureed, doesn't mean you can tolerate it. Highly acidic foods and spicy foods were a big issue for me. I did best with pureed veggies that were starchy like butternut squash and sweet potatoes. I bought a nutri ninja and did all my own purees, I didn't trust the pre-made ones you can buy. Also, it seems like you're doing capsules too soon. They will not absorb as well this early in your recovery based on what my surgeon told me. The chewables are necessary for proper absorption for the first few months. They're big, but take them one at a time and chew them up well. Hope it gets better for you.

The ONLY thing that helped me with gas pain was walking. Even if it's laps around the hospital floor and when you're home around your house. Its just one of those things that's hard to shake, but before it does clear you will definitely appreciate all the times you didn't have this pain. Sort of like appreciating having clear sinuses when you don't.

I almost count, I have 3 more pounds to hit the century mark. Your surgery date is really close to mine. I'm curious to what you're doing now and how much progress you've made. I started by making sure all my calories were nutritious ones, so far, and I haven't had anything close to a complex carb since pre-surgery, to the point that I'm picking croutons off of pre-fab salads. I also have not had much in the way of processed foods. I'm fortunate enough to know how to cook pretty well, so I can avoid them pretty much all the time. For your question about exercise, I really kicked it up about 3 weeks ago when I noticed that my weight loss due to restriction started slowing down. I have been on the elliptical every night for at least 30 or 40 minutes and every 2nd or 3rd day I use a home gym (Boxflex) for 30 minutes to start making sure my muscle mass stays in place while I drop fat. It seems to be working for me as long as I don't miss a day. Good luck to you.

Could be. If it's strong enough to be concerning, you might want to phone the surgeon's office to ask. I had gas pains for what felt like forever, but it was probably more like 2 weeks. Felt kind of like hunger but painful.

I truly believe that my weight and sedentary nature had contributed to my depression. I went un-diagnosed as such for the longest time because I couldn't admit it to myself nor did I reach out to my physician. However, now that I've lost nearly 100 lbs and I'm fully active again, I find that my depressive episodes have reduced greatly. I have my moments, but for the longest time I thought it was unchangeable. There are studies that link your emotional well-being to regular exercise, so I have no doubt that is what helped me the most in addition to feeling better due to the weight loss. I am exercising every single day and I have not felt this good in many years. Not to mention all the things you can do without worrying any more once you lose the weight like restaurant booths, amusement park rides, airplane seats (that was big for me) and much more. Good luck in your journey

Count your calories and nutrients. There are several free websites/apps that you can use to do this. You better get used to them anyways since your medical team will most likely require you to keep track of your meals during the preop time anyways. The best is probably Myfitnesspal by Under Armour. Very easy to use and a lot of tools for no extra charge. You will see very quickly with this tool why you may be struggling. Don't lie when you journal in the tool either, it won't help anyone.

Do NOT have a "last binge" on bad food. As tempting as it may sound, if you mark the end of your indulging ways with something you associate as positive instead of disgusting, it will mess up your mind. Drop all bad habits now if you already haven't. I'm almost 5 months post op and I still struggle with the "head hunger" and old habits. Also, do not eat in front of TV or anything else distracting. Focus on your meals and eat very slowly as possible. I still struggle with this too. Drink water like its going out of style and don't stop, ever. When the cravings come, drink more water and then eat fruit or veggies until they go away. Don't put off starting exercising if you're medically cleared to do so. It can start with simple walking and then get in a gym or buy a cardio exerciser. At some point, walking won't be enough to get you through stalls. Do not miss your vitamins and start them before surgery. Find something that won't make you nauseous, that can be hard for some. Find a protein drink you won't get sick of or try other ways of getting it into you. I hate the premixed drinks, I am good with almond milk mixed with powder proteins. There are some good ones out there that don't taste like metal. Follow your healthcare providers plan to the letter, do not stray. Don't get obsessed with weighing yourself, it can get frustrating. Don't invest in a lot of new clothing soon after surgery. Hit up the consignment shops and goodwill if you have to. Sometimes measuring your progress isn't only on the scale, it can also be in your belts, watchband and measurements. Keep that in mind during times you think you're "stalling" Come to this board every day. You don't need to comment but you can just read and read forever and gain something from it. You'll find the same themes with everyone no matter what surgery you're having. Good luck, you got this!

Yeah, I'd be nervous about the raging hunger that comes back after the 3 or 4 good months you get out of it as well. You'd need some serious discipline I would think to make that work. Maybe not worth that risk. Nothing beats good old fashioned calorie counting and exercise, unfortunately.

What everyone else said....YES... do it now. The pre-op process is long and designed for you to learn new eating habits. That way, once you do make it to surgery, you're ready and armed with what you need to succeed post-op. It's hard, but totally worth it once you come out the other side of that operating room. Good luck on your new journey!

THIS? I've been testing the waters with red wine and it started giving me that familiar feeling of pleasure from consuming something, not to mention the great buzz after only one glass. If you have it, maybe don't keep it in your house so it's easier to limit to just going out on special occasions and what not. Also, I know everyone's Dr has slightly different rules, but I'm not allowed to have carbonation the rest of my life, I was told. Some Dr's say it's a myth, but your body will tell you if that's the case, most likely.

Congratulations, it's a great feeling, isn't it? I had a similar experience recently and it was sheer joy to be able to get in the harness without having to leave the ride. Great Job on your success so far!

At 4 months out, I was standing over the toilet at a restaurant for the very first time since surgery. Nothing came out, but I thought I was going to, it was as close as I have ever been since. I believe I had just eaten too much. I had a steak and didn't want to reveal to my coworkers that I had a small stomach so I probably over did it a bit. I'm sure they're on to me now. At 2-1/2 months you're only 10ish weeks removed from surgery. My schedule for altered diet went to 9 weeks post-op for softer foods. Could have been just a fluke, but really, you're not that far out from healing still.

Dive into your work and normal daily activities. If you become too preoccupied with the wait, it will seem longer, trust me. Once you're past the surgery, it will seem much shorter in hind-sight. This is so very much a journey that you need to take. If you rush it, you will not be able to build in the good habits you're going to need for post-op. I'm thankful that I spent my time wisely during pre-op making sure I stayed away from most forms of carbs, fatty proteins and pre-processed foods. Now I can do it in my sleep, its still hard, but it doesn't take as much willpower when your stomach isn't grumbling all the time.

If you're used to a premixed shake, change to a powder and mix with skim or almond milk. Body Fortress is my current favorite for the powder and you can get it on Amazon or at Walmart. The premixed shakes have a high aspartame taste that some of the powders like BF do not have. Also, you can add powdered peanut butter as well for a low calorie flavor boost. It's going to be a long period of experimentation so try a lot of different things. Something is out there for your tastes, I'm sure of it.

Ditch the juices, they are too sugary, switch to water with 0 calorie flavourings. Not sure if you have Gatorade Propel powder where you are, but they're the best.

I had some "hot" wings in the Buffalo airport about 3 months out and thought I was going to die... To @FluffyChix point, don't be in a hurry to get back to normal or you might mess yourself up. It's a marathon not a sprint.

Just found a link to this story on my google news feed. Thought it was a great read and very much agree with what it's saying. The best line is "Surgery is, by far, the most effective tool in managing or reversing Type 2 diabetes. Just as doctors wouldn't wait until a patient has advanced-stage cancer to treat their disease, patients shouldn't have to wait until they are severely obese to undergo surgery," Brethauer said. https://www.wfmz.com/features/life-lessons/scientists-want-to-change-criteria-for-bariatric-surgery-eligibility/1100520796 Thought I'd share with the group

Are there certain foods that are making this happen? Do you journal so you can try and correlate the type of food with the issues? I am 4 months post op and I finished my Pantoprazole a month ago and haven't had any issues, but then again, I'm eating so much better now than I had presurgery. Just curious if you have notices if there's specific things that set you off.

THIS x a million!!!!

I had to do once a month and the dietician schedule all 6 of them up front so they could control the frequency.

Here's a screenshot from someone who doesn't check their weight very often, to put it in perspective. you can't sweat the daily ups and downs or you'll go nuts.

let me know how that works out, that's very interesting. Good luck with the diet!!