BigSue

I am obsessed with Built Bars. They're delicious -- they taste like candy bars. Hands down, the best Protein bars I've ever tried.

Are you allowed to eat purées yet? It is much easier to get Protein when you can eat purées. Puréed foods can hide the flavor of Protein Powder much better than Protein Drinks. Here are some great options:
Greek yogurt mixed with protein powder (I like vanilla yogurt with chocolate flavored protein powder and powdered peanut butter). sugar-free pudding mixed with protein powder pureed retried Beans mixed with unflavored protein powder (I like to top the beans with enchilada sauce, Laughing Cow cheese, and Flavor God nacho cheese powder) Applesauce mixed with unflavored protein powder and a tiny splash of sugar-free caramel Syrup Protein oatmeal mixed with cinnamon roll protein powder Pureed black bean Soup mixed with unflavored protein powder You might also want to browse the BariatricPal Store because they have a lot of protein-fortified foods like Soups, oatmeal, pudding, etc. that you can try, one of my personal favorites is protein hot cocoa. It tastes like normal hot cocoa (no yucky protein taste) and if you mix it with Fairlife milk instead of Water, it’s a lot of protein. You can also try Syntrax Nectar protein powder. It’s a little different from Protein Shakes and there are a lot of flavors, so you might find something you like.

Are you allowed to eat purées yet? It is much easier to get Protein when you can eat purées. Puréed foods can hide the flavor of Protein Powder much better than Protein Drinks. Here are some great options:
Greek yogurt mixed with protein powder (I like vanilla yogurt with chocolate flavored protein powder and powdered peanut butter). sugar-free pudding mixed with protein powder pureed retried Beans mixed with unflavored protein powder (I like to top the beans with enchilada sauce, Laughing Cow cheese, and Flavor God nacho cheese powder) Applesauce mixed with unflavored protein powder and a tiny splash of sugar-free caramel Syrup Protein oatmeal mixed with cinnamon roll protein powder Pureed black bean Soup mixed with unflavored protein powder You might also want to browse the BariatricPal Store because they have a lot of protein-fortified foods like Soups, oatmeal, pudding, etc. that you can try, one of my personal favorites is protein hot cocoa. It tastes like normal hot cocoa (no yucky protein taste) and if you mix it with Fairlife milk instead of Water, it’s a lot of protein. You can also try Syntrax Nectar protein powder. It’s a little different from Protein Shakes and there are a lot of flavors, so you might find something you like.

Are you allowed to eat purées yet? It is much easier to get Protein when you can eat purées. Puréed foods can hide the flavor of Protein Powder much better than Protein Drinks. Here are some great options:
Greek yogurt mixed with protein powder (I like vanilla yogurt with chocolate flavored protein powder and powdered peanut butter). sugar-free pudding mixed with protein powder pureed retried Beans mixed with unflavored protein powder (I like to top the beans with enchilada sauce, Laughing Cow cheese, and Flavor God nacho cheese powder) Applesauce mixed with unflavored protein powder and a tiny splash of sugar-free caramel Syrup Protein oatmeal mixed with cinnamon roll protein powder Pureed black bean Soup mixed with unflavored protein powder You might also want to browse the BariatricPal Store because they have a lot of protein-fortified foods like Soups, oatmeal, pudding, etc. that you can try, one of my personal favorites is protein hot cocoa. It tastes like normal hot cocoa (no yucky protein taste) and if you mix it with Fairlife milk instead of Water, it’s a lot of protein. You can also try Syntrax Nectar protein powder. It’s a little different from Protein Shakes and there are a lot of flavors, so you might find something you like.

Thanks for this... I'm only 2.5 months out, but I live in fear of regain. We all think at the beginning that we're totally committed and never going to regain, but a lot of people do -- even people who were tremendously successful in losing weight initially. I've spent a lot of time wondering what makes the difference between keeping the weight off permanently and gaining most or all of it back and how I can do the former. It's easy to say that I will now, but who knows how my life will look 5 years from now?

Thanks for this... I'm only 2.5 months out, but I live in fear of regain. We all think at the beginning that we're totally committed and never going to regain, but a lot of people do -- even people who were tremendously successful in losing weight initially. I've spent a lot of time wondering what makes the difference between keeping the weight off permanently and gaining most or all of it back and how I can do the former. It's easy to say that I will now, but who knows how my life will look 5 years from now?

Thanks for this... I'm only 2.5 months out, but I live in fear of regain. We all think at the beginning that we're totally committed and never going to regain, but a lot of people do -- even people who were tremendously successful in losing weight initially. I've spent a lot of time wondering what makes the difference between keeping the weight off permanently and gaining most or all of it back and how I can do the former. It's easy to say that I will now, but who knows how my life will look 5 years from now?

Thanks for this... I'm only 2.5 months out, but I live in fear of regain. We all think at the beginning that we're totally committed and never going to regain, but a lot of people do -- even people who were tremendously successful in losing weight initially. I've spent a lot of time wondering what makes the difference between keeping the weight off permanently and gaining most or all of it back and how I can do the former. It's easy to say that I will now, but who knows how my life will look 5 years from now?

I had posted this on the WLS Veterans forum, but thought it would be a good idea to post this on this forum as well.
I had gastric bypass surgery 5 years ago. I was incredibly determined and managed to lose 180 lbs. in a year's time. I'm 5' 9.5" and I went from a size 28 to a size 10. Now, I've regained a lot of weight and I'm starting over. I thought it might be helpful to list the steps that caused my weight gain. My goal is to tackle these 6 and starting moving in the right direction. Does anyone else have additional things that contributed to regaining weight?
Stop weighing yourself Stop tracking your food intake Stop exercising Drink liquids with meals and ignore the 15 minutes before/30 minutes after rule Start eating your old favorite foods Stop visiting Bariatric Pal forums

I first looked into weight loss surgery about 15 years ago. Things were different back then; the sleeve was not a common procedure (and not covered by some insurance companies), and the place where I attended an information session was mainly doing gastric bypass as an open procedure. They would only do laparoscopic surgery on patients with lower BMIs, and I wouldn't have qualified. I didn't go through with it because my family talked me out of it. The risks of complications were higher then.
I have been lucky enough to have good health for most of my life. I'm in my late 30s and until the past year, I never went to the doctor or took any prescriptions during my adult lifetime. For all those years, I thought it would be crazy to take the risk of having weight loss surgery when I was perfectly healthy. I was afraid I would lose my good health to complications of weight loss surgery. I looked into it every so often, and when I remembered all the restrictions, I couldn't stand the thought of giving up my diet sodas and pizza and ice cream, letting my pouch rule my life, getting sick if I eat the wrong things, and having to take pills every day for the rest of my life.
But aging takes a toll and my good health was starting to slip away. I found out from my work physical that I had high blood pressure, and they urged me to see a doctor. When I went to a doctor, I was diagnosed with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. It's gotten increasingly difficult for me to get around, which became a vicious cycle as I became more sedentary and gained even more weight, and the weight gain continued to decrease my mobility. I had a BMI over 60 at my highest weight.
I came to the realization that I had a choice: I could keep going the way I was, keep gaining weight and losing mobility, see my health continue to decline, and probably die of a heart attack or stroke before I turned 50. Or I could have weight loss surgery, because I sure as hell wasn't going to be able to lose that kind of weight on my own. All that stuff I couldn't bear to give up for a chance at losing weight started to look a lot smaller compared to the life I was already giving up more and more every day at that weight, not just health-wise, but in my social life and my career as well.
I went into it thinking that I wanted the gastric sleeve. It seemed less extreme, less risky than gastric bypass, My surgeon recommended gastric bypass because my BMI was so high. He said that for lower BMI patients, there's not a big difference in outcomes between sleeve and bypass, but for high BMI patients, the difference can be significant. Both are very safe procedures with low complication rates nowadays. So I ended up getting gastric bypass. I've since read a lot more information that has confirmed in my mind that gastric bypass was the right choice for me. I've seen a lot of people get their sleeves revised to bypass because of GERD and/or unsuccessful weight loss, and I don't want to have to get a revision.
I had my surgery on July 16, and it went well. I was discharged from the hospital the next afternoon, and I had surprisingly little pain. I didn't need any pain medication, even Tylenol. The first few days were miserable (mainly due to gas pain from the gas pumped into my abdomen during the surgery), but I healed quickly and went back to work in a week and a half. I've stuck to the post-op progression plan very closely, and not gonna lie, the liquid phase is hell, but it went by quickly and it was much easier once I got to purees and soft foods. I haven't had any issues with anything I've eaten so far other than a feeling of food getting stuck sometimes (which isn't pleasant, but it works its way through after a few minutes).
I lost 70 pounds before surgery and 40 pounds so far after surgery, for a total of 110 pounds. And now my BMI is about the same as yours, which is kind of depressing. But I have had great improvements in my health, like my blood pressure in the normal range and my latest A1C was 5.2 (down from 8.1 in February). My mobility is improving. I started out wearing size 26-28 and now I'm wearing 20-22. I still have a long way to go, but I'm getting there.
I'm not far enough out yet to know how this is going to work out for me in the long run. Obviously, I'm pleased with my results so far, but from what I've read here, the first year is easy. Here are some of the cons that are not so obvious:
I haven't told anybody other than medical professionals about my surgery because people can be very judgmental about it. How many people you tell is a very personal choice that can be difficult. It is really stressful to keep this secret and try to hide this surgery that affects my life so very much! (But also stressful to endure judgment from people who are clueless about WLS.) The fear of regain keeps me up at night. I'm doing well now, but I've seen soooo many people lose a ton of weight and gain most or all of it back. I've yo-yo dieted all my life and I would be absolutely devastated if I went through all of this only to gain the weight back. Food is everywhere. I feel like I'm constantly being bombarded with ads for food and restaurants, seeing decadent recipes on social media, and watching other people eat foods I love but can no longer eat. It's rough going to the grocery store and seeing a great sale on something I love only to remember I can't have it. Maybe you get used to it after a while, but right now, I have these sad moments every day where I miss the food I used to eat. Even if you reach your goal weight, you're still not going to have a great body... unless you go through the pain and expense of plastic surgery. It will still be a heck of a lot better than where you started, but not the same as someone the same height and weight who was never obese. I think it's important to go into this with your eyes wide open, understand what the tradeoffs are, and accept the things you will have to give up or deal with for this shot at changing your life. Most people say it's worth it.

My doctor says 2 hours between Calcium and iron is fine, and there are only 24 hours in a day, so I go with 2 hours apart. My doctor also says the body can't absorb more than 600 mg of calcium at a time and to split it up in 3 doses. My Vitamin D is 5000 iu, and I haven't seen any calcium + D supplements with enough Vitamin D, plus I love my French vanilla caramel calcium soft chews. Just a personal preference on the B-12 -- I'd rather take a pill than get a shot (and I don't mind the B12; it's a tiny sublingual cherry-flavored pill).

I first looked into weight loss surgery about 15 years ago. Things were different back then; the sleeve was not a common procedure (and not covered by some insurance companies), and the place where I attended an information session was mainly doing gastric bypass as an open procedure. They would only do laparoscopic surgery on patients with lower BMIs, and I wouldn't have qualified. I didn't go through with it because my family talked me out of it. The risks of complications were higher then.
I have been lucky enough to have good health for most of my life. I'm in my late 30s and until the past year, I never went to the doctor or took any prescriptions during my adult lifetime. For all those years, I thought it would be crazy to take the risk of having weight loss surgery when I was perfectly healthy. I was afraid I would lose my good health to complications of weight loss surgery. I looked into it every so often, and when I remembered all the restrictions, I couldn't stand the thought of giving up my diet sodas and pizza and ice cream, letting my pouch rule my life, getting sick if I eat the wrong things, and having to take pills every day for the rest of my life.
But aging takes a toll and my good health was starting to slip away. I found out from my work physical that I had high blood pressure, and they urged me to see a doctor. When I went to a doctor, I was diagnosed with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. It's gotten increasingly difficult for me to get around, which became a vicious cycle as I became more sedentary and gained even more weight, and the weight gain continued to decrease my mobility. I had a BMI over 60 at my highest weight.
I came to the realization that I had a choice: I could keep going the way I was, keep gaining weight and losing mobility, see my health continue to decline, and probably die of a heart attack or stroke before I turned 50. Or I could have weight loss surgery, because I sure as hell wasn't going to be able to lose that kind of weight on my own. All that stuff I couldn't bear to give up for a chance at losing weight started to look a lot smaller compared to the life I was already giving up more and more every day at that weight, not just health-wise, but in my social life and my career as well.
I went into it thinking that I wanted the gastric sleeve. It seemed less extreme, less risky than gastric bypass, My surgeon recommended gastric bypass because my BMI was so high. He said that for lower BMI patients, there's not a big difference in outcomes between sleeve and bypass, but for high BMI patients, the difference can be significant. Both are very safe procedures with low complication rates nowadays. So I ended up getting gastric bypass. I've since read a lot more information that has confirmed in my mind that gastric bypass was the right choice for me. I've seen a lot of people get their sleeves revised to bypass because of GERD and/or unsuccessful weight loss, and I don't want to have to get a revision.
I had my surgery on July 16, and it went well. I was discharged from the hospital the next afternoon, and I had surprisingly little pain. I didn't need any pain medication, even Tylenol. The first few days were miserable (mainly due to gas pain from the gas pumped into my abdomen during the surgery), but I healed quickly and went back to work in a week and a half. I've stuck to the post-op progression plan very closely, and not gonna lie, the liquid phase is hell, but it went by quickly and it was much easier once I got to purees and soft foods. I haven't had any issues with anything I've eaten so far other than a feeling of food getting stuck sometimes (which isn't pleasant, but it works its way through after a few minutes).
I lost 70 pounds before surgery and 40 pounds so far after surgery, for a total of 110 pounds. And now my BMI is about the same as yours, which is kind of depressing. But I have had great improvements in my health, like my blood pressure in the normal range and my latest A1C was 5.2 (down from 8.1 in February). My mobility is improving. I started out wearing size 26-28 and now I'm wearing 20-22. I still have a long way to go, but I'm getting there.
I'm not far enough out yet to know how this is going to work out for me in the long run. Obviously, I'm pleased with my results so far, but from what I've read here, the first year is easy. Here are some of the cons that are not so obvious:
I haven't told anybody other than medical professionals about my surgery because people can be very judgmental about it. How many people you tell is a very personal choice that can be difficult. It is really stressful to keep this secret and try to hide this surgery that affects my life so very much! (But also stressful to endure judgment from people who are clueless about WLS.) The fear of regain keeps me up at night. I'm doing well now, but I've seen soooo many people lose a ton of weight and gain most or all of it back. I've yo-yo dieted all my life and I would be absolutely devastated if I went through all of this only to gain the weight back. Food is everywhere. I feel like I'm constantly being bombarded with ads for food and restaurants, seeing decadent recipes on social media, and watching other people eat foods I love but can no longer eat. It's rough going to the grocery store and seeing a great sale on something I love only to remember I can't have it. Maybe you get used to it after a while, but right now, I have these sad moments every day where I miss the food I used to eat. Even if you reach your goal weight, you're still not going to have a great body... unless you go through the pain and expense of plastic surgery. It will still be a heck of a lot better than where you started, but not the same as someone the same height and weight who was never obese. I think it's important to go into this with your eyes wide open, understand what the tradeoffs are, and accept the things you will have to give up or deal with for this shot at changing your life. Most people say it's worth it.

I first looked into weight loss surgery about 15 years ago. Things were different back then; the sleeve was not a common procedure (and not covered by some insurance companies), and the place where I attended an information session was mainly doing gastric bypass as an open procedure. They would only do laparoscopic surgery on patients with lower BMIs, and I wouldn't have qualified. I didn't go through with it because my family talked me out of it. The risks of complications were higher then.
I have been lucky enough to have good health for most of my life. I'm in my late 30s and until the past year, I never went to the doctor or took any prescriptions during my adult lifetime. For all those years, I thought it would be crazy to take the risk of having weight loss surgery when I was perfectly healthy. I was afraid I would lose my good health to complications of weight loss surgery. I looked into it every so often, and when I remembered all the restrictions, I couldn't stand the thought of giving up my diet sodas and pizza and ice cream, letting my pouch rule my life, getting sick if I eat the wrong things, and having to take pills every day for the rest of my life.
But aging takes a toll and my good health was starting to slip away. I found out from my work physical that I had high blood pressure, and they urged me to see a doctor. When I went to a doctor, I was diagnosed with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. It's gotten increasingly difficult for me to get around, which became a vicious cycle as I became more sedentary and gained even more weight, and the weight gain continued to decrease my mobility. I had a BMI over 60 at my highest weight.
I came to the realization that I had a choice: I could keep going the way I was, keep gaining weight and losing mobility, see my health continue to decline, and probably die of a heart attack or stroke before I turned 50. Or I could have weight loss surgery, because I sure as hell wasn't going to be able to lose that kind of weight on my own. All that stuff I couldn't bear to give up for a chance at losing weight started to look a lot smaller compared to the life I was already giving up more and more every day at that weight, not just health-wise, but in my social life and my career as well.
I went into it thinking that I wanted the gastric sleeve. It seemed less extreme, less risky than gastric bypass, My surgeon recommended gastric bypass because my BMI was so high. He said that for lower BMI patients, there's not a big difference in outcomes between sleeve and bypass, but for high BMI patients, the difference can be significant. Both are very safe procedures with low complication rates nowadays. So I ended up getting gastric bypass. I've since read a lot more information that has confirmed in my mind that gastric bypass was the right choice for me. I've seen a lot of people get their sleeves revised to bypass because of GERD and/or unsuccessful weight loss, and I don't want to have to get a revision.
I had my surgery on July 16, and it went well. I was discharged from the hospital the next afternoon, and I had surprisingly little pain. I didn't need any pain medication, even Tylenol. The first few days were miserable (mainly due to gas pain from the gas pumped into my abdomen during the surgery), but I healed quickly and went back to work in a week and a half. I've stuck to the post-op progression plan very closely, and not gonna lie, the liquid phase is hell, but it went by quickly and it was much easier once I got to purees and soft foods. I haven't had any issues with anything I've eaten so far other than a feeling of food getting stuck sometimes (which isn't pleasant, but it works its way through after a few minutes).
I lost 70 pounds before surgery and 40 pounds so far after surgery, for a total of 110 pounds. And now my BMI is about the same as yours, which is kind of depressing. But I have had great improvements in my health, like my blood pressure in the normal range and my latest A1C was 5.2 (down from 8.1 in February). My mobility is improving. I started out wearing size 26-28 and now I'm wearing 20-22. I still have a long way to go, but I'm getting there.
I'm not far enough out yet to know how this is going to work out for me in the long run. Obviously, I'm pleased with my results so far, but from what I've read here, the first year is easy. Here are some of the cons that are not so obvious:
I haven't told anybody other than medical professionals about my surgery because people can be very judgmental about it. How many people you tell is a very personal choice that can be difficult. It is really stressful to keep this secret and try to hide this surgery that affects my life so very much! (But also stressful to endure judgment from people who are clueless about WLS.) The fear of regain keeps me up at night. I'm doing well now, but I've seen soooo many people lose a ton of weight and gain most or all of it back. I've yo-yo dieted all my life and I would be absolutely devastated if I went through all of this only to gain the weight back. Food is everywhere. I feel like I'm constantly being bombarded with ads for food and restaurants, seeing decadent recipes on social media, and watching other people eat foods I love but can no longer eat. It's rough going to the grocery store and seeing a great sale on something I love only to remember I can't have it. Maybe you get used to it after a while, but right now, I have these sad moments every day where I miss the food I used to eat. Even if you reach your goal weight, you're still not going to have a great body... unless you go through the pain and expense of plastic surgery. It will still be a heck of a lot better than where you started, but not the same as someone the same height and weight who was never obese. I think it's important to go into this with your eyes wide open, understand what the tradeoffs are, and accept the things you will have to give up or deal with for this shot at changing your life. Most people say it's worth it.

I first looked into weight loss surgery about 15 years ago. Things were different back then; the sleeve was not a common procedure (and not covered by some insurance companies), and the place where I attended an information session was mainly doing gastric bypass as an open procedure. They would only do laparoscopic surgery on patients with lower BMIs, and I wouldn't have qualified. I didn't go through with it because my family talked me out of it. The risks of complications were higher then.
I have been lucky enough to have good health for most of my life. I'm in my late 30s and until the past year, I never went to the doctor or took any prescriptions during my adult lifetime. For all those years, I thought it would be crazy to take the risk of having weight loss surgery when I was perfectly healthy. I was afraid I would lose my good health to complications of weight loss surgery. I looked into it every so often, and when I remembered all the restrictions, I couldn't stand the thought of giving up my diet sodas and pizza and ice cream, letting my pouch rule my life, getting sick if I eat the wrong things, and having to take pills every day for the rest of my life.
But aging takes a toll and my good health was starting to slip away. I found out from my work physical that I had high blood pressure, and they urged me to see a doctor. When I went to a doctor, I was diagnosed with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. It's gotten increasingly difficult for me to get around, which became a vicious cycle as I became more sedentary and gained even more weight, and the weight gain continued to decrease my mobility. I had a BMI over 60 at my highest weight.
I came to the realization that I had a choice: I could keep going the way I was, keep gaining weight and losing mobility, see my health continue to decline, and probably die of a heart attack or stroke before I turned 50. Or I could have weight loss surgery, because I sure as hell wasn't going to be able to lose that kind of weight on my own. All that stuff I couldn't bear to give up for a chance at losing weight started to look a lot smaller compared to the life I was already giving up more and more every day at that weight, not just health-wise, but in my social life and my career as well.
I went into it thinking that I wanted the gastric sleeve. It seemed less extreme, less risky than gastric bypass, My surgeon recommended gastric bypass because my BMI was so high. He said that for lower BMI patients, there's not a big difference in outcomes between sleeve and bypass, but for high BMI patients, the difference can be significant. Both are very safe procedures with low complication rates nowadays. So I ended up getting gastric bypass. I've since read a lot more information that has confirmed in my mind that gastric bypass was the right choice for me. I've seen a lot of people get their sleeves revised to bypass because of GERD and/or unsuccessful weight loss, and I don't want to have to get a revision.
I had my surgery on July 16, and it went well. I was discharged from the hospital the next afternoon, and I had surprisingly little pain. I didn't need any pain medication, even Tylenol. The first few days were miserable (mainly due to gas pain from the gas pumped into my abdomen during the surgery), but I healed quickly and went back to work in a week and a half. I've stuck to the post-op progression plan very closely, and not gonna lie, the liquid phase is hell, but it went by quickly and it was much easier once I got to purees and soft foods. I haven't had any issues with anything I've eaten so far other than a feeling of food getting stuck sometimes (which isn't pleasant, but it works its way through after a few minutes).
I lost 70 pounds before surgery and 40 pounds so far after surgery, for a total of 110 pounds. And now my BMI is about the same as yours, which is kind of depressing. But I have had great improvements in my health, like my blood pressure in the normal range and my latest A1C was 5.2 (down from 8.1 in February). My mobility is improving. I started out wearing size 26-28 and now I'm wearing 20-22. I still have a long way to go, but I'm getting there.
I'm not far enough out yet to know how this is going to work out for me in the long run. Obviously, I'm pleased with my results so far, but from what I've read here, the first year is easy. Here are some of the cons that are not so obvious:
I haven't told anybody other than medical professionals about my surgery because people can be very judgmental about it. How many people you tell is a very personal choice that can be difficult. It is really stressful to keep this secret and try to hide this surgery that affects my life so very much! (But also stressful to endure judgment from people who are clueless about WLS.) The fear of regain keeps me up at night. I'm doing well now, but I've seen soooo many people lose a ton of weight and gain most or all of it back. I've yo-yo dieted all my life and I would be absolutely devastated if I went through all of this only to gain the weight back. Food is everywhere. I feel like I'm constantly being bombarded with ads for food and restaurants, seeing decadent recipes on social media, and watching other people eat foods I love but can no longer eat. It's rough going to the grocery store and seeing a great sale on something I love only to remember I can't have it. Maybe you get used to it after a while, but right now, I have these sad moments every day where I miss the food I used to eat. Even if you reach your goal weight, you're still not going to have a great body... unless you go through the pain and expense of plastic surgery. It will still be a heck of a lot better than where you started, but not the same as someone the same height and weight who was never obese. I think it's important to go into this with your eyes wide open, understand what the tradeoffs are, and accept the things you will have to give up or deal with for this shot at changing your life. Most people say it's worth it.

Keep in mind that every hospital is a little different, but I can tell you what they did where I had surgery. When I arrived, they took my temperature before they let me in the building (COVID precaution). Then I checked in and had to sign some paperwork, and then they took me to a room and told me to take off all my clothes (including underwear) and change into a hospital gown, grippy socks, and mask (I wore a cloth mask in, but they wanted me to change into a disposable mask). A nurse came in, weighed me, and took my blood pressure, then gave me a cup for a urine sample (pregnancy test). Based on your picture, you look like a woman of childbearing age, so they will almost certainly require a pregnancy test. This was an issue for me because I was not allowed to have anything to drink after midnight the night before, and I peed before I left the house, so I was not able to produce a urine sample at the hospital. The nurse pleaded with me to squeeze out three drops, and I tried, but I couldn't, so they had to do a blood test for pregnancy. The nurse told me the blood test would take longer and could result in delays, but that was not true at all because I can see the time on my results and the pregnancy test came back at the same time as the rest of the bloodwork (45 minutes after they drew the blood).
These are the blood tests I had the morning of surgery:
Pregnancy Comprehensive metabolic panel Complete blood count (CBC) After they drew blood, they did an EKG, which consisted of a nurse sticking leads all over my body and then hooking it up to a machine, and a doctor came in to look at the results. That part was very quick and easy. My surgeon said they normally do the bloodwork and EKG a few days before surgery, but they started doing it the day of surgery because of COVID precautions. I was worried that something would come back abnormal and they would cancel the surgery, but the surgeon assured me that was very, very rare. He said that the EKG and bloodwork are mainly so they have a basis for comparison after the surgery.
After the testing, they moved my bed into a staging area with a bunch of other patients. Several nurses came over one by one and introduced themselves, then asked me my name, date of birth, and what surgery I was having (they ask this over and over again and compare to the wristband to make sure they have the right patient for the right surgery). My surgeon stopped by and talked to me briefly. A nurse started an IV in my hand. The anesthesiologist came over and asked me a bunch of questions about my medical history. Another nurse said she was going to give me a heparin shot in my stomach, but then said she would wait until the Versed kicked in. I was lying there waiting for the nurse to come back, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up after surgery.
My surgeon did not test me for Vitamins before surgery, but my PCP and endocrinologist did. My Vitamin D was very low, so I was taking a prescription Vitamin D, but it was still low even after I had been taking the prescription for months (I am now on a higher dosage).

Keep in mind that every hospital is a little different, but I can tell you what they did where I had surgery. When I arrived, they took my temperature before they let me in the building (COVID precaution). Then I checked in and had to sign some paperwork, and then they took me to a room and told me to take off all my clothes (including underwear) and change into a hospital gown, grippy socks, and mask (I wore a cloth mask in, but they wanted me to change into a disposable mask). A nurse came in, weighed me, and took my blood pressure, then gave me a cup for a urine sample (pregnancy test). Based on your picture, you look like a woman of childbearing age, so they will almost certainly require a pregnancy test. This was an issue for me because I was not allowed to have anything to drink after midnight the night before, and I peed before I left the house, so I was not able to produce a urine sample at the hospital. The nurse pleaded with me to squeeze out three drops, and I tried, but I couldn't, so they had to do a blood test for pregnancy. The nurse told me the blood test would take longer and could result in delays, but that was not true at all because I can see the time on my results and the pregnancy test came back at the same time as the rest of the bloodwork (45 minutes after they drew the blood).
These are the blood tests I had the morning of surgery:
Pregnancy Comprehensive metabolic panel Complete blood count (CBC) After they drew blood, they did an EKG, which consisted of a nurse sticking leads all over my body and then hooking it up to a machine, and a doctor came in to look at the results. That part was very quick and easy. My surgeon said they normally do the bloodwork and EKG a few days before surgery, but they started doing it the day of surgery because of COVID precautions. I was worried that something would come back abnormal and they would cancel the surgery, but the surgeon assured me that was very, very rare. He said that the EKG and bloodwork are mainly so they have a basis for comparison after the surgery.
After the testing, they moved my bed into a staging area with a bunch of other patients. Several nurses came over one by one and introduced themselves, then asked me my name, date of birth, and what surgery I was having (they ask this over and over again and compare to the wristband to make sure they have the right patient for the right surgery). My surgeon stopped by and talked to me briefly. A nurse started an IV in my hand. The anesthesiologist came over and asked me a bunch of questions about my medical history. Another nurse said she was going to give me a heparin shot in my stomach, but then said she would wait until the Versed kicked in. I was lying there waiting for the nurse to come back, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up after surgery.
My surgeon did not test me for Vitamins before surgery, but my PCP and endocrinologist did. My Vitamin D was very low, so I was taking a prescription Vitamin D, but it was still low even after I had been taking the prescription for months (I am now on a higher dosage).

Keep in mind that every hospital is a little different, but I can tell you what they did where I had surgery. When I arrived, they took my temperature before they let me in the building (COVID precaution). Then I checked in and had to sign some paperwork, and then they took me to a room and told me to take off all my clothes (including underwear) and change into a hospital gown, grippy socks, and mask (I wore a cloth mask in, but they wanted me to change into a disposable mask). A nurse came in, weighed me, and took my blood pressure, then gave me a cup for a urine sample (pregnancy test). Based on your picture, you look like a woman of childbearing age, so they will almost certainly require a pregnancy test. This was an issue for me because I was not allowed to have anything to drink after midnight the night before, and I peed before I left the house, so I was not able to produce a urine sample at the hospital. The nurse pleaded with me to squeeze out three drops, and I tried, but I couldn't, so they had to do a blood test for pregnancy. The nurse told me the blood test would take longer and could result in delays, but that was not true at all because I can see the time on my results and the pregnancy test came back at the same time as the rest of the bloodwork (45 minutes after they drew the blood).
These are the blood tests I had the morning of surgery:
Pregnancy Comprehensive metabolic panel Complete blood count (CBC) After they drew blood, they did an EKG, which consisted of a nurse sticking leads all over my body and then hooking it up to a machine, and a doctor came in to look at the results. That part was very quick and easy. My surgeon said they normally do the bloodwork and EKG a few days before surgery, but they started doing it the day of surgery because of COVID precautions. I was worried that something would come back abnormal and they would cancel the surgery, but the surgeon assured me that was very, very rare. He said that the EKG and bloodwork are mainly so they have a basis for comparison after the surgery.
After the testing, they moved my bed into a staging area with a bunch of other patients. Several nurses came over one by one and introduced themselves, then asked me my name, date of birth, and what surgery I was having (they ask this over and over again and compare to the wristband to make sure they have the right patient for the right surgery). My surgeon stopped by and talked to me briefly. A nurse started an IV in my hand. The anesthesiologist came over and asked me a bunch of questions about my medical history. Another nurse said she was going to give me a heparin shot in my stomach, but then said she would wait until the Versed kicked in. I was lying there waiting for the nurse to come back, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up after surgery.
My surgeon did not test me for Vitamins before surgery, but my PCP and endocrinologist did. My Vitamin D was very low, so I was taking a prescription Vitamin D, but it was still low even after I had been taking the prescription for months (I am now on a higher dosage).

Keep in mind that every hospital is a little different, but I can tell you what they did where I had surgery. When I arrived, they took my temperature before they let me in the building (COVID precaution). Then I checked in and had to sign some paperwork, and then they took me to a room and told me to take off all my clothes (including underwear) and change into a hospital gown, grippy socks, and mask (I wore a cloth mask in, but they wanted me to change into a disposable mask). A nurse came in, weighed me, and took my blood pressure, then gave me a cup for a urine sample (pregnancy test). Based on your picture, you look like a woman of childbearing age, so they will almost certainly require a pregnancy test. This was an issue for me because I was not allowed to have anything to drink after midnight the night before, and I peed before I left the house, so I was not able to produce a urine sample at the hospital. The nurse pleaded with me to squeeze out three drops, and I tried, but I couldn't, so they had to do a blood test for pregnancy. The nurse told me the blood test would take longer and could result in delays, but that was not true at all because I can see the time on my results and the pregnancy test came back at the same time as the rest of the bloodwork (45 minutes after they drew the blood).
These are the blood tests I had the morning of surgery:
Pregnancy Comprehensive metabolic panel Complete blood count (CBC) After they drew blood, they did an EKG, which consisted of a nurse sticking leads all over my body and then hooking it up to a machine, and a doctor came in to look at the results. That part was very quick and easy. My surgeon said they normally do the bloodwork and EKG a few days before surgery, but they started doing it the day of surgery because of COVID precautions. I was worried that something would come back abnormal and they would cancel the surgery, but the surgeon assured me that was very, very rare. He said that the EKG and bloodwork are mainly so they have a basis for comparison after the surgery.
After the testing, they moved my bed into a staging area with a bunch of other patients. Several nurses came over one by one and introduced themselves, then asked me my name, date of birth, and what surgery I was having (they ask this over and over again and compare to the wristband to make sure they have the right patient for the right surgery). My surgeon stopped by and talked to me briefly. A nurse started an IV in my hand. The anesthesiologist came over and asked me a bunch of questions about my medical history. Another nurse said she was going to give me a heparin shot in my stomach, but then said she would wait until the Versed kicked in. I was lying there waiting for the nurse to come back, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up after surgery.
My surgeon did not test me for Vitamins before surgery, but my PCP and endocrinologist did. My Vitamin D was very low, so I was taking a prescription Vitamin D, but it was still low even after I had been taking the prescription for months (I am now on a higher dosage).

Keep in mind that every hospital is a little different, but I can tell you what they did where I had surgery. When I arrived, they took my temperature before they let me in the building (COVID precaution). Then I checked in and had to sign some paperwork, and then they took me to a room and told me to take off all my clothes (including underwear) and change into a hospital gown, grippy socks, and mask (I wore a cloth mask in, but they wanted me to change into a disposable mask). A nurse came in, weighed me, and took my blood pressure, then gave me a cup for a urine sample (pregnancy test). Based on your picture, you look like a woman of childbearing age, so they will almost certainly require a pregnancy test. This was an issue for me because I was not allowed to have anything to drink after midnight the night before, and I peed before I left the house, so I was not able to produce a urine sample at the hospital. The nurse pleaded with me to squeeze out three drops, and I tried, but I couldn't, so they had to do a blood test for pregnancy. The nurse told me the blood test would take longer and could result in delays, but that was not true at all because I can see the time on my results and the pregnancy test came back at the same time as the rest of the bloodwork (45 minutes after they drew the blood).
These are the blood tests I had the morning of surgery:
Pregnancy Comprehensive metabolic panel Complete blood count (CBC) After they drew blood, they did an EKG, which consisted of a nurse sticking leads all over my body and then hooking it up to a machine, and a doctor came in to look at the results. That part was very quick and easy. My surgeon said they normally do the bloodwork and EKG a few days before surgery, but they started doing it the day of surgery because of COVID precautions. I was worried that something would come back abnormal and they would cancel the surgery, but the surgeon assured me that was very, very rare. He said that the EKG and bloodwork are mainly so they have a basis for comparison after the surgery.
After the testing, they moved my bed into a staging area with a bunch of other patients. Several nurses came over one by one and introduced themselves, then asked me my name, date of birth, and what surgery I was having (they ask this over and over again and compare to the wristband to make sure they have the right patient for the right surgery). My surgeon stopped by and talked to me briefly. A nurse started an IV in my hand. The anesthesiologist came over and asked me a bunch of questions about my medical history. Another nurse said she was going to give me a heparin shot in my stomach, but then said she would wait until the Versed kicked in. I was lying there waiting for the nurse to come back, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up after surgery.
My surgeon did not test me for Vitamins before surgery, but my PCP and endocrinologist did. My Vitamin D was very low, so I was taking a prescription Vitamin D, but it was still low even after I had been taking the prescription for months (I am now on a higher dosage).

My recommendation would be to look for counseling centers or groups in your area. Rather than having to search for an individual therapist, a center will usually be a group of many mental health professionals and they will work to pair you up with a therapist that they feel will be the best fit and have the most experience with the issues that you want to address.
And always remember that you control the relationship. If after a few sessions you feel it is not a good fit, you are under no obligation to continue with that therapist. Keep shopping until you find what fits best for you.

I do like those 2-ounce cups with lids -- very useful for dividing up food into small portions. In addition to what everybody else said:
Unflavored Protein Powder - this will be very useful for mixing into purees to help you get enough Protein. Vitamins and a pill organizer - you will be taking so many pills after surgery, it will be hard to keep track of them. This one is pretty full with all of the pills I take, so you might want to consider one with 4 or 5 compartments for each day. If you don't already have your recommended vitamins, make sure to buy them before surgery. Small dishes and storage containers - it's just a mental thing, but I just think it's more pleasant to eat out of glass bowls than plastic, and when you're eating tiny portions, it's easier to use small dishes than full-sized ones. A set of small spoons and forks - they help you take small bites. I like these because they are metal rather than plastic. A milk frother/mixer - I actually got this as a free gift with my BariatricPal order, and I wouldn't have purchased it otherwise, but it is so useful! I use it just about every day. Protein powders can be challenging to mix into liquids by hand, but this thing makes quick work of it and makes sure there are no lumps. It is really inexpensive even if you don't get it as a free gift. (You can find the same thing on Amazon.)

I had gastric bypass on July 16 (6 weeks yesterday). I've lost 20 pounds since surgery (the rest was before surgery), and I'm disappointed because I'm not losing weight any faster than I was before surgery when I was eating 3-4 times as much. It is easier now because I haven't been hungry since surgery. I am now under 250 pounds, which is my lowest weight since college, and the weight that I have been lying to say I am for years. Now I will have to pick a new lie!
I used to have high blood pressure, and now I'm solidly in the normal range (not even pre-hypertension) with no medications. My A1c went from 8.1 in February to 5.2 last week, also with no medications.
I am discouraged, though, because I have lost more than 90 pounds from my highest weight, but I'm still wearing the same clothes. They're a bit too loose, but not quite to the point of my pants falling down. I can wear a few things now that were too small at my highest weight, but I've only gone down one size, MAYBE two. I didn't get around to taking "before" pictures until I had already lost 40 pounds, but I recently took 1-month post-surgery pictures and I honestly cannot tell a difference between my pictures at 250 pounds and at 300. Even though my butt doesn't look any smaller, I have lost enough padding that sitting is a pain in the @$$ (which I was expecting eventually, but I thought I'd have to lose a lot more weight before I experienced that).
What gives? How could I have lost more than 25% of my body weight without getting much smaller? Am I losing muscle but not fat? I will say I can tell a difference in my face (my phone doesn't even recognize my face half the time now), but that's not much consolation. I don't think any full-body pictures exist from my highest weight since I intentionally avoided cameras, but I got my passport picture taken at my highest weight and then procrastinated so much on sending in the application that I decided to get the picture retaken.

There is a lot going on right now, and many, many people have gained weight during the pandemic, so for you to lose even a little weight and not gain any is a victory!
If you're looking for someone who has been there, I have! Check out this post I made 7 months ago at the beginning of my journey:
My surgeon wanted me to lose 20 pounds before surgery and I had NO IDEA where to begin! My PCP was no help at all. Guess what? I've lost over 100 pounds since then, 70 before surgery. When I went in for my last pre-op appointment 2 weeks before surgery, the nurse questioned whether my initial weight was recorded correctly.
I did two things to lose weight before surgery. The first thing is what you are already doing: logging everything I ate. So you have already made a good start. The second thing I did was intermittent fasting. This can be a little controversial, and some doctors don't like it, but it worked for me. I did a 16-hour fast every day with an 8-hour eating period. That meant I ate lunch and dinner (and I allowed myself to eat Snacks in between), and then fasted until lunch the next day. It was hard at first but got easier. This helped me because in addition to cutting out Breakfast, I cut out all the snacks I would have had during that time period, and when I got used to going 16 hours without eating, I ended up cutting down on snacks between lunch and dinner, even during the time I was allowed to eat.
I also think it made me feel less deprived. Let's say I wanted pancakes at breakfast time. I would just tell myself I can have pancakes, but I would just have to wait until my fast was over. And splitting my calories between two meals instead of three meant I could eat bigger, more satisfying meals. If I really wanted to eat 4 slices of pizza, I could, as long as I didn't have a big lunch. Speaking of calories, MyFitnessPal gave me a calorie goal of 2190 calories per day. The first week, it was a challenge just to stay under that, but I gradually reduced it down to an average of 1500 calories per day. I would suggest you challenge yourself to reduce your calories a little bit, let's say just by 100 calories per day for a week. Try some lower-calories substitutions, like light Salad Dressing. Measure out slightly smaller portions.
By recording everything I ate and staying within a calorie limit, I had to be strategic about what I ate. I wasn't ready to give up all the foods I loved, so I looked at what I was eating and found the healthiest things that I already liked. I used those to fill me up so I could also afford to indulge sometimes. A big thing for me was eating salad for lunch every day. I discovered I could make a generous salad with lots of grilled chicken for about 300 calories. Then I found a light salad dressing I like and that put it under 250 calories. popcorn was one of my favorite snacks because, while not the healthiest choice, it really filled me up for not a huge number of calories (BTW, I still ate the blast-o-butter kind, but a whole mini bag is just 210 calories). A big side of green Beans sauteed with 1/2 tsp of butter is less than 100 calories. I discovered Built Bars, which are these amazing Protein Bars that taste like candy bars -- honestly, I think some are even better than candy bars -- and they became my daily treat.
Maybe I didn't HAVE to lose 70 pounds before surgery, but I think it was good to start changing my habits for a while before surgery so that surgery wouldn't be such a shock to the system. Only time will tell whether or not this will all lead to long-term success, but I am glad to be down over 100 pounds from my highest weight, just two months after surgery. You can do this!

Yes, I think it's a good idea to ease into it! I didn't set out to lose 70 pounds before surgery. I was just trying to lose the 20 pounds my surgeon wanted me to lose. The first week I used MyFitnessPal, I averaged 2018 calories per day, which was under my goal, but the next week, I aimed lower. As I made small changes, like having a salad with light dressing for lunch, or a big serving of green Beans instead of a side of rice or potatoes, or a Built Bar instead of a Snickers, it got easier.
BTW, I had some food funerals in the days leading up to my pre-op diet, and I don't regret it. But even when I was indulging in my favorite foods that I may never get to eat again, I still stayed under my calorie goal. So don't feel like you have to totally deprive yourself in order to do this.

There is a lot going on right now, and many, many people have gained weight during the pandemic, so for you to lose even a little weight and not gain any is a victory!
If you're looking for someone who has been there, I have! Check out this post I made 7 months ago at the beginning of my journey:
My surgeon wanted me to lose 20 pounds before surgery and I had NO IDEA where to begin! My PCP was no help at all. Guess what? I've lost over 100 pounds since then, 70 before surgery. When I went in for my last pre-op appointment 2 weeks before surgery, the nurse questioned whether my initial weight was recorded correctly.
I did two things to lose weight before surgery. The first thing is what you are already doing: logging everything I ate. So you have already made a good start. The second thing I did was intermittent fasting. This can be a little controversial, and some doctors don't like it, but it worked for me. I did a 16-hour fast every day with an 8-hour eating period. That meant I ate lunch and dinner (and I allowed myself to eat Snacks in between), and then fasted until lunch the next day. It was hard at first but got easier. This helped me because in addition to cutting out Breakfast, I cut out all the snacks I would have had during that time period, and when I got used to going 16 hours without eating, I ended up cutting down on snacks between lunch and dinner, even during the time I was allowed to eat.
I also think it made me feel less deprived. Let's say I wanted pancakes at breakfast time. I would just tell myself I can have pancakes, but I would just have to wait until my fast was over. And splitting my calories between two meals instead of three meant I could eat bigger, more satisfying meals. If I really wanted to eat 4 slices of pizza, I could, as long as I didn't have a big lunch. Speaking of calories, MyFitnessPal gave me a calorie goal of 2190 calories per day. The first week, it was a challenge just to stay under that, but I gradually reduced it down to an average of 1500 calories per day. I would suggest you challenge yourself to reduce your calories a little bit, let's say just by 100 calories per day for a week. Try some lower-calories substitutions, like light Salad Dressing. Measure out slightly smaller portions.
By recording everything I ate and staying within a calorie limit, I had to be strategic about what I ate. I wasn't ready to give up all the foods I loved, so I looked at what I was eating and found the healthiest things that I already liked. I used those to fill me up so I could also afford to indulge sometimes. A big thing for me was eating salad for lunch every day. I discovered I could make a generous salad with lots of grilled chicken for about 300 calories. Then I found a light salad dressing I like and that put it under 250 calories. popcorn was one of my favorite snacks because, while not the healthiest choice, it really filled me up for not a huge number of calories (BTW, I still ate the blast-o-butter kind, but a whole mini bag is just 210 calories). A big side of green Beans sauteed with 1/2 tsp of butter is less than 100 calories. I discovered Built Bars, which are these amazing Protein Bars that taste like candy bars -- honestly, I think some are even better than candy bars -- and they became my daily treat.
Maybe I didn't HAVE to lose 70 pounds before surgery, but I think it was good to start changing my habits for a while before surgery so that surgery wouldn't be such a shock to the system. Only time will tell whether or not this will all lead to long-term success, but I am glad to be down over 100 pounds from my highest weight, just two months after surgery. You can do this!