BigSue

I’ve lost 175 pounds and my face definitely looks different, but I think much better. I was a little concerned about looking older because I have seen some info saying that massive weight loss makes you look older, but honestly, that was among the least of my concerns. I think I lucked out in the chin department — I had big-time double-chin at my highest weight, and I can see some slight sagging now, but not nearly as bad as I feared. And I am almost 40, so it was probably going to happen soon, anyway. It is weird to me to see my face in the mirror because I feel like I don’t look like myself. My face used to be so big and round, and now it is so angular because my jawline is so prominent. And when I smile, I have dimples that I didn’t used to have. It’s hard to say if that makes me look older, or just different. I’ve always had dark circles under my eyes (even as a kid), and they’ve gotten worse since surgery, but that might be temporary. I don’t have a ton of sagging skin or wrinkles on my face, though (my body is a different story...).

I've seen a lot of articles and YouTube videos about eating at restaurants after weight loss surgery. I would suggest googling something like "restaurants after weight loss surgery" for tips. Something to keep in mind, though, is that most of these articles are about going out to eat on rare occasions, not eating all of your meals from restaurants. It's hard to lose weight if you're always eating at restaurants because (1) you don't really know what's in the food, so you can't track your intake accurately, and (2) the food is loaded with extra fat and sugar. In terms of tracking your intake, chain restaurants are probably easier because you can find the nutrition information online, and the food is usually pre-packaged and just heated up at the restaurant, so they're probably not adding a bunch of extra butter or anything. You can also find a lot of articles about the healthiest foods at various chain restaurants. Salads with grilled meat are usually a safe bet, but you have to watch the dressing. Always get dressing on the side, and maybe use your own light dressing instead. Trader Joe's has some amazing super-low-calorie dressings (green goddess and spicy cashew). A sandwich without the bun is another option (some places will even make you a lettuce wrap instead of a sandwich). A lot of restaurants have dishes that are basically meat plus sides, and you can order veggies as the sides. Just watch out for the sauces (ask for sauces on the side to be safe). Regarding portion size, why can't you take a measuring cup with you to a restaurant? It doesn't necessarily have to be a measuring cup, but you can carry a 4-ounce plastic container with a lid in your purse and use it to measure half a cup. Of course, once you get some practice, you will probably be able to eyeball the correct portion size pretty well. A lot of people recommend asking for a box when you get your meal and putting some of the food in the box to bring home so you don't over-eat (I've seen this recommended just for general dieting purposes, not just for WLS patients). You could measure out a potion to leave on your plate and put the rest in the box. Yeah, it might look weird, but I guarantee you won't be the first person who does that. Finally, when you say you don't cook, are you open to heating up prepared foods? Like frozen meals? Unfortunately, most frozen meals aren't very bariatric-friendly because they usually have rice and pasta, but there are some decent ones with cauliflower rice or just meat and veggies, or they have the rice in a separate compartment so you can leave it out. How about semi-homemade? It's not difficult to heat up some frozen veggies and pre-packaged meat. One of my go-to meals consists of frozen cauliflower rice + canned black beans + salsa from a jar + chicken + shredded cheese (I usually make my own taco meat chicken in the Instant Pot, but frozen grilled chicken works, too). It only takes a couple of minutes to throw all that stuff in a bowl and stick it in the microwave. Another easy option is bagged salad mix + meat + light dressing from a bottle. I'm 7 months post-op and I can count on one hand the number of times I've eaten restaurant food since my surgery. I've found that I don't really enjoy it anymore because I can't eat the foods that I used to order at restaurants, I can only eat tiny portions, and it seems like a waste to spend so much money on a restaurant meal when it's pretty much the same as what I would make for myself at home.

Yeah, that's why I don't buy it. It's overpriced and I already have the individual spices, anyway.

I actually don't buy pre-made pumpkin pie spice -- I use a combo of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg (freshly-grated if you can find whole nutmeg). I don't measure any of it, just sprinkle on some of each.

I haven't tried that flavor (peach oatmeal doesn't appeal to me in any case), but I like the apple cinnamon and maple brown sugar. I ate it during the pureed and soft food stages but rarely eat it anymore because I'd rather have solid food like eggs. But coincidentally, I actually did have it for breakfast today. It doesn't have much flavor on its own, but I like it with mix-ins. My favorite is to add shredded carrots, pumpkin pie spice, nuts, and birthday cake protein powder to make carrot cake oatmeal (also topped with brown Swerve): I think the value of this oatmeal is that it's a lot lower in carbs and higher in protein than regular oatmeal, so I think it's worth having on hand to use as a starting point. Maybe you could try mixing in some real peaches and it might taste better?

Carrot Cake Protein Oatmeal (ate it all):

I LOVE the BariatricPal hot cocoa! Have you tried the flavored ones? The raspberry is delicious. In my early post-op days, I was so sick of protein shakes, and I found the hot cocoa much easier to drink. I am constantly recommending it to post-ops here who are struggling with protein shakes.

I was told that up to half of my fluid goal could be from non-clear liquids. In other words, I was supposed to get at least 30 ounces of clear liquids and I could count up to 30 ounces of protein drinks toward my total 60 ounces.

Just discovered this Starburst sugar-free drink mix, and it is delicious! I haven't tried the other flavors, but I love the strawberry. Box of 6 single-serving packets is $1 at most stores.

Shortly after my surgery, I developed an orange coating on my tongue. Based on my research, I believe it was a fungal infection in my mouth due to overuse of breath freshening products (Listerine strips). Apparently, if you kill off the good bacteria in your mouth with things like breath strips and mouthwash, it can result in the fungal population getting out of control. On the advice of Dr. Google, I started using a warm salt water rinse (1/2 tsp salt to 1 cup warm water) a few times per day. In the meantime, I had an appointment with my doctor and she prescribed Nystatin (an antifungal mouthwash), but by the time I was able to get the prescription filled, the salt water rinse actually did the trick and I ended up not using the prescription.

The few times I've eaten restaurant food since surgery, I found that I don't really enjoy it anymore. I can't eat the things that I used to love from restaurants, and what I can eat, I can only eat tiny amounts. And it's pretty much the same food I would eat at home, anyway, so it seems like a waste to pay so much for it. But I do understand sometimes needing something to eat when you're on the go and can't cook for yourself.

I actually planned ahead and brought my own G. Hughes sugar-free BBQ sauce, but in the absence of that, your best option is the buffalo sauce.

There are several videos on YouTube about this topic, if you search for "fast food for WLS." Here's one that I've seen: And yes, Wendy's chili is a popular choice. You can find options at most fast food places like salad or a grilled chicken sandwich without the bun. Some places will make you a lettuce wrap sandwich. Jimmy John's even has this on their regular menu. At Taco Bell, you can order a serving of plain meat (or add meat to a side of beans). Honestly, I don't think it's worth it, but then, I wasn't much of a fast food eater even before surgery. I paid $6.39 for the Chick-Fil-A kids meal, and I could have cooked a chicken breast and cut up some fruit at home for much less. I have a refrigerator and freezer full of easy, healthy food, so I would only eat fast food if I'm on the go. I can count on one hand the number of times I've eaten food from restaurants since my surgery.

Just a cup with some cut-up fruit (apples, mandarin oranges, strawberries, blueberries).

Yes, I took a road trip a few weeks ago and had to stop for food, and I got a Chick-Fil-A grilled nuggets kids meal (grilled nuggets & fruit cup). One of the best bariatric-friendly options in fast food.

Yes, that is extremely common. They pump you full of IV fluids in the hospital, so it's normal and expected to temporarily gain weight from that. Right now, it is too early to worry about your weight at all. The scale is meaningless at this point. You just need to focus on getting your fluids and protein for now.

That's why I said "healthy-ish" 😉. It's obviously not the healthiest food you could be eating, but at least the macros are better than the real thing. Sometimes it's nice to have a treat that doesn't derail your plan (or it would be if it tasted good).

It's definitely normal to have cold feet before surgery! I certainly did. On the day of my surgery, I was lying there with an IV in my arm, thinking, "Holy crap, am I actually going through with this?!" Having surgery is a very personal decision that only you can make, but I'm sure you had very good reasons for going down this path. For most of us, it's a pretty lengthy process to get approval, pre-op testing, etc., so you've had a lot of time to think about it from a calm and rational standpoint, considering all of the pros and cons. Remember your reasons and don't let fear and worry cloud your judgment. It took me 15 years from the time I first looked into WLS until I actually went through with it, and like so many people, I regret not doing it sooner. I've missed out on so many things in life because of my weight. I had generally good health for a long time, but what pushed me to finally get the surgery was that my health started to decline and I realized there was no way I could lose enough weight on my own.

I tried those and didn't care for them, but it's a matter of personal taste. I've seen some people on this forum say they are good. I personally preferred using Better than Bouillon to make broth.

Thanks for sharing your story, and good for you for getting help. I've seen other WLS patients struggle with this as well, so you are not alone. I've never been a big drinker, and I haven't had any alcohol since my surgery. I don't plan on it anytime soon, but it's good to have a reminder to be careful.

I've never been much of a cereal eater, even before surgery. If I want breakfast food, I'll usually have something like eggs (or egg bites) and chicken sausage, or Greek yogurt, or a protein bar. Occasionally protein oatmeal. There are some low-carb/keto cereals on the market with mixed reviews, so you could try those. They can be pretty expensive, though. Somebody in a keto forum recommended a brand called Wonderworks that's available at Target and Walmart.

Thanks for reviewing it! All of those healthy-ish treats are really tempting, but sooo expensive. I'd be mad, too, if I spent $3 on something like that and it didn't even taste good. Have you tried making your own? I've seen lots of recipes on Pinterest for healthy protein donuts, brownies, cookies, mug cakes, etc. Haven't gotten around to trying any of them yet, but they look promising.

That's pretty extreme. Different surgeons have different pre-op diets (some don't require any pre-op diet at all until the day before surgery), but this might be the most extreme one I've seen. If this type of diet were sustainable without surgery, you already would have lost the weight! Honestly, I would look at this as a red flag for this surgeon and get a consultation with another surgeon. At 5'1" and 220 pounds, your BMI is 41.6, which is relatively low for WLS patients. You shouldn't need to lose a lot of weight just to get the surgery. My BMI was over 60 when I went to my initial consultation and my surgeon only asked me to lose 20 pounds. There is a legitimate reason for the pre-op diet, which is to shrink your liver and give the surgeon more room to work for a safer surgery, but it's usually no more than 2 weeks. This diet, for 2 months, is pretty unrealistic and it's setting you up to fail, just like all the diets you've probably tried in the past. It makes me wonder what his post-op diet is going to look like. Just out of curiosity, are you allowed to use any protein shakes and bars you want, or is he requiring a specific brand? Like one that you're supposed to buy from his office?

This can be a bit of a controversial topic, and there are lots of people who say, "Don't do food funerals! You need to start your healthy lifestyle now!" And yeah, sure, it would be best for you not to go and binge on unhealthy foods now or ever again, but my personal feeling is that there can be room for food funerals. I lost about 70 pounds in the 5 months before my surgery by intermittent fasting and tracking everything in MyFitnessPal. I had a calorie limit in MyFitnessPal and I stayed under it every day, and I challenged myself to keep decreasing my calories (mostly by changing my food choices to lower-calorie foods). When I was approaching my pre-op diet, I had that desire to eat my favorite things one last time. I did, and I'm not sorry -- but I think the important thing is that I did it within limits. I made a list of all the things I wanted to eat "one last time" before surgery and planned it out day by day, but I stayed within my calorie limit every single day. Some days, that meant fasting all day so I could have one big dinner. I got a piece of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory and I had to split it between two days. I feel like my approach was a good compromise, where I got some closure on all those foods I can no longer eat, but I didn't go completely off the rails and gain back the weight I had worked so hard to lose. It still kind of bothers me that I never had a chance to eat one last doughnut! And yes, it's true that you will eventually be able to eat unhealthy foods again, but first of all, there are things you may not be able to eat again at all without getting sick, and secondly, I didn't want to go into this counting down the days until I could have pizza again. And after surgery, there's really not much room for unhealthy foods -- if you fill up on two bites of cheesecake, you're not going to have room for the protein you need. My last two meals before surgery were pizza from my favorite pizza place (these were both "fast all day and eat half a pizza and cheesy bread for dinner" days) and I ate it with the thought that it could be the last time. I am 7 months post-op now, and based on what I've read here, I could probably eat a few bites of pizza and be ok, but you know what? I don't need to. If I'm really craving pizza, I put a little marinara sauce, cheese, and turkey pepperoni on a 1-net-carb tortilla and I'm satisfied with that.

As everyone else is telling you, you're not doing anything wrong, and there are a lot of factors that will affect your rate of weight loss. I know it's hard to be patient, but you have to be. One of the biggest factors in your rate of weight loss is your starting weight, and you haven't filled out your profile, so I can't tell what that was. If you started at 200 pounds, you're not going to lose weight as quickly as someone who started at 350 pounds.