notmyname

My grocery bill has gone way down. Plus, I basically never eat out anymore, and when I do it is in tiny portions.
Some examples of what I buy:
Protein Shakes are typically $2/2.5 each. Fairlife milk is about $4/52 oz - expensive for milk, but still only about $0.61 per 8 oz serving. And it has more Protein, so it is worth it. But you can also buy cheaper milk. So a meal is less than $3. And Premier Protein is $25/18 at costco (sometimes on sale for $5 off) - so $1.40 each.
I buy frozen fish/shrimp at costco - a bag costs about $14 and has roughly 9 fillets in it. Lasts me forever. Each fillet lasts 2 meals for me (3 in the earlier days) - so about $0.78/serving. Add in some canned or frozen veggies, which are a few cents per serving. So, dinner is less than a couple dollars. Edited to add - and a little veg will last a while. I LOVE veggies and easily would eat a single zucchini or head of broccoli in a sitting. Now a zucc or brocoli will last me a week. SO there is savings there, too.
My eggs are fairly expensive - about $4/dozen (they're free range, organic, etc), so about $0.33/serving. But you can get eggs much cheaper.
I make dried Beans - a lb of beans lasts me forever. And the bag is only about $1-2.
My most expensive things for me are veggie sausage (about $4.50/bag - about $0.75/each) and every now and again I treat myself with really good cheese.
My Vitamins cost about $26/30 day supply, so about $0.86/day.
I track my spending pretty closely. Between rarely eating out (especially bringing my lunch to work every day) and eating a lot less, my food bill (grocery, vitamins, dining out) is significantly less than it was before. Plus, I'm off a few of my meds, so that saves me money every month.
If you're worried about the initial outflow of cash to get supplies, start buying things a bit at a time before surgery. Watch for when frozen veg goes on sale and stock up. Same with meat/fish/whatever protein and freeze it in 2-3 oz portions.

I agree with Danny that you should find a support group that you feel comfortable with.
I was required to go to the support group at my hospital for 3 months before and after. I really wanted it to be useful, but (like Danny's therapist's group), people just yell over each other and there are several conversations going on at once. It stressed me out so much I actually threw up once.
Now i go to one offered by my therapist (who specializes in weight loss/bariatrics). It's new, but so far, great. We share our experiences, fears, emotional issues with foods. She prepares a topic to discuss if we don't have anything specific to talk about.
I'm also looking into seeing if one of the other hospitals has a convenient group. My therapist's group is pretty small, and I'd like to meet a larger community of WLS patients. Most hospitals will let you attend even if you had surgery elsewhere.

re: rings, I highly recommend these spiral ring sizers until you reach your ultimate size. That way you can wear the rings and not get them resized until the end.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0757JLTY7/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
my glasses are also too big (I've had to start wearing my spare pair, which are tighter), and my pants too long. My wrinkles are definitely starting to show now that my face skin isn't as tight. My cross-body purse hangs lower on my body. The seatbelt in my car no longer scratches the bottom of my neck - it sits lower where it is supposed to. And a ton of other things.

Even though I haven't always been overweight, I've always felt overweight. In HS/college, I was likely in the high end of healthy weight (didn't stop my mom from putting me in WW/Jenny Craig/Nutrisystem constantly since I was in middle school). Got overweight in college, obese in my early 30s, probably.

Because I always thought I was big, I didn't realize I was SO big until I was morbidly obese. In a lot of ways, up until then, I was just growing into my self-image.

I know enough about myself to know that if I set a goal and don't attain it, I'll feel like an utter failure. So, my first goal is to lose 60% EWL, so I'm gunning to be average. My second goal is still in the overweight range, but it was the point I really started to feel like I was really heavy (even though looking back I looked good). And I've also set a hopeful goal which I won't feel bad if I don't meet, which is a point where I felt comfortable with myself when I was in my late 20s/early 30s. It is above the "normal" weight range, but I tend to be really muscular and I looked good at that size. When I was in my teens I lost a LOT of weight and looked terrible. Even as a teenager I looked bad at those lower weights. I can't imagine what it would look like on a 40-something woman with extra skin (looking back, I realize how unhealthy it was for my mother to consistently put me on a diet so I'd be in the lower end of healthy BMI).

I know enough about myself to know that if I set a goal and don't attain it, I'll feel like an utter failure. So, my first goal is to lose 60% EWL, so I'm gunning to be average. My second goal is still in the overweight range, but it was the point I really started to feel like I was really heavy (even though looking back I looked good). And I've also set a hopeful goal which I won't feel bad if I don't meet, which is a point where I felt comfortable with myself when I was in my late 20s/early 30s. It is above the "normal" weight range, but I tend to be really muscular and I looked good at that size. When I was in my teens I lost a LOT of weight and looked terrible. Even as a teenager I looked bad at those lower weights. I can't imagine what it would look like on a 40-something woman with extra skin (looking back, I realize how unhealthy it was for my mother to consistently put me on a diet so I'd be in the lower end of healthy BMI).

I’m down 75#. Biggest NSV is that packing for a trip is so much easier. My jeans take up a fraction of the space! For someone who packs carry-on only, this is a HUGE (or maybe small) deal. :). I was even able to pack tennis shoes to work out - I’d never have had room for that before!!

Now I just have to resist the urge to fill my bag.

I’m down 75#. Biggest NSV is that packing for a trip is so much easier. My jeans take up a fraction of the space! For someone who packs carry-on only, this is a HUGE (or maybe small) deal. :). I was even able to pack tennis shoes to work out - I’d never have had room for that before!!

Now I just have to resist the urge to fill my bag.

I’m down 75#. Biggest NSV is that packing for a trip is so much easier. My jeans take up a fraction of the space! For someone who packs carry-on only, this is a HUGE (or maybe small) deal. :). I was even able to pack tennis shoes to work out - I’d never have had room for that before!!

Now I just have to resist the urge to fill my bag.

I take Bariatric Fusion orange. They have a sample pack so you can try all flavors before committing to a big bottle.

Bariatric Fusion chewable multi. 4 chewables per day and it has everything you need - so no need to remember different pills (multi, Calcium, Iron, etc). I like the orange, but they have a sample pack so you can try each of the flavors.

Hot chocolate: 1 cup milk (I use fairlife for more protein), heated. 1 TBL unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 packet sugar substitute of choice, a drop of vanilla and a teeny-tiny bit of salt (like VERY little salt). Yum and counts as Protein.

Hot chocolate: 1 cup milk (I use fairlife for more protein), heated. 1 TBL unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 packet sugar substitute of choice, a drop of vanilla and a teeny-tiny bit of salt (like VERY little salt). Yum and counts as Protein.

Edited to add: I'm a sleeve, not RNY, but for my doc the following would apply to any of his patients - RNY or sleeve.

Agree with fluffy that it may be the sliders. But you also mention drinking Water with your egg and crackers. My doc doesn't want us to drink water until at least 30 minutes after we eat because it can push food out of the stomach faster than it should. So, if you're drinking water with your food, maybe try that? Also, sometimes carbs (the crackers) can make you hungrier - at least they do for me. Maybe try egg with a bit of some sort of other Protein (breakfast meat/faux meat or something like that)?

I remembered another one - I have a shoulder bag that never really fit over my shoulder. Now it does

I remembered another one - I have a shoulder bag that never really fit over my shoulder. Now it does

I remembered another one - I have a shoulder bag that never really fit over my shoulder. Now it does

I took a bunch of stuff and ended up not needing most of it. I wore a very loose dress to the hospital and wore it home (I mean, I was in it for all of an hour the day of surgery). Because of the heart monitor, I couldn't have worn PJs if I had wanted to. I used my iPhone/iPad, chargers, lip balm, and hand lotion. I had my hair up in a pony tail and didn't brush it (to be fair, I have curly hair, so I never brush it). I also took a pillow to put between me and the seatbelt for the ride home, but my hospital gave me a pillow for that, too - not sure if all do.

I remembered another one - I have a shoulder bag that never really fit over my shoulder. Now it does

well, i joined a stepbet. You bet on yourself (games are $20-40) and they draw your steps from your fitness tracker and create a daily goal for you to meet 4 days, then a higher "stretch" goal for 2 days. Its based on where you are, so someone who runs every day currently will have a higher goal than someone who is currently sedentary. If you meet the goals for the duration of the game (2-4 weeks), then you split the pot at the end. If you don't make your goal any given week, you lose your money.
So, I guess it works - to get my stretch goal for today, I stayed on the treadmill an extra 15 minutes. So, I guess its doing its job. Just need to keep it up for another 4 weeks!

re: rings, I highly recommend these spiral ring sizers until you reach your ultimate size. That way you can wear the rings and not get them resized until the end.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0757JLTY7/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
my glasses are also too big (I've had to start wearing my spare pair, which are tighter), and my pants too long. My wrinkles are definitely starting to show now that my face skin isn't as tight. My cross-body purse hangs lower on my body. The seatbelt in my car no longer scratches the bottom of my neck - it sits lower where it is supposed to. And a ton of other things.

Remember, most people will post if they're having problems, they won't post if everything is going well. So, there are always going to be more posts about problems.
And don't compare your previous bills to what you might need to do self-pay. Those numbers are basically invented. Nobody pays those. Sure, self pay for any complications would be high, but not nearly as high as what they "bill" insurance - that's just a dance the hospitals do with insurance.

Remember, most people will post if they're having problems, they won't post if everything is going well. So, there are always going to be more posts about problems.
And don't compare your previous bills to what you might need to do self-pay. Those numbers are basically invented. Nobody pays those. Sure, self pay for any complications would be high, but not nearly as high as what they "bill" insurance - that's just a dance the hospitals do with insurance.

Remember, most people will post if they're having problems, they won't post if everything is going well. So, there are always going to be more posts about problems.
And don't compare your previous bills to what you might need to do self-pay. Those numbers are basically invented. Nobody pays those. Sure, self pay for any complications would be high, but not nearly as high as what they "bill" insurance - that's just a dance the hospitals do with insurance.

re: rings, I highly recommend these spiral ring sizers until you reach your ultimate size. That way you can wear the rings and not get them resized until the end.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0757JLTY7/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
my glasses are also too big (I've had to start wearing my spare pair, which are tighter), and my pants too long. My wrinkles are definitely starting to show now that my face skin isn't as tight. My cross-body purse hangs lower on my body. The seatbelt in my car no longer scratches the bottom of my neck - it sits lower where it is supposed to. And a ton of other things.