BigSue

What kinds of things are you eating? When I started the pureed food stage, I was eating 2 ounces at a time, consisting of triple zero yogurt + Protein Powder, sugar-free pudding + Protein powder, pureed refried Beans + protein powder, unsweetened applesauce + protein powder, or cottage cheese. I have been eating three "meals" per day plus liquids (protein drinks, sugar-free popsicles, sugar-free Jello, protein Soups, etc.) in between. Are you tracking what you eat? I track everything in MyFitnessPal and I average around 400 calories per day.
I don't really feel full when I eat, but I don't feel hungry, either (haven't felt hungry since the surgery). I just measure out 2 ounces and eat it, and don't feel much different before and after the meal. I'm 5 weeks out and on the "soft food" stage, but I'm still mostly eating pureed foods and ricotta bake (definitely the best thing I've eaten since surgery and now my go-to dinner; I split the recipe into 8 portions and that's dinner for over a week). I just recently started adding half an ounce of canned chicken to my refried beans and ricotta bake meals.

I have a feeling that a lot of fat people have relationships in which we give and give while others take advantage. I know I have experienced that a lot in my life, and I think it is because I have been made to feel defective, less worthy than others, because of my weight, and that I somehow need to make up for that in other ways. I foolishly think that people will like me in spite of my weight if I constantly bend over backward for them, only to eventually realize that they only like taking from me and they don't actually like me as a person.
In defense of the friends you lost because they didn't want to hear about your weight loss, eating, or going to the gym, I kind of understand, especially as a larger person, because that kind of discussion often leads to body shaming, so it makes me uncomfortable when those conversations happen around me. I feel that these topics are very personal and not things I want to discuss in certain settings (especially work). Since I don't like to discuss these things, I would start to feel like I don't have much in common with someone who talks about these subjects all the time. That doesn't mean it's about you, personally, and I hope you can forgive those who want to avoid those subjects that can be emotionally fraught or just not things that are important in their lives.

I had a lot of trouble getting enough Water the first few days. Even drinking 3 ounces per hour made me feel like I just ate Thanksgiving dinner. The good news is that they pump you full of IV fluids at the hospital, so that will help prevent dehydration at the beginning.
I'm two weeks out now and I can drink water at a reasonable pace without feeling stuffed. You are doing it right by sipping throughout the day. You don't need to worry about set meal times until you start eating actual food (pureed stage), and at that point, you'll have to wait 30 minutes after the meal to drink anything (some programs also say no liquids 30 minutes before the meal).
As for the pain when the water hits the pouch, I was told it is fairly common to have cramps or spasms in your stomach, especially when drinking cold liquids. I was given a prescription for hyoscyamine to help with that (which I took for the first few days, but I haven't had any more issues after that).

Good luck! I hope your surgery goes well! Keep us posted.

So sorry your coworkers are being jerks. It was completely out of line for them to go to your director about their "concerns" about your surgery, and even worse if your director didn't tell them in no uncertain terms that your health and medical treatments are none of their business. If anyone has the nerve to say anything like that again, you are completely within your rights to say, "My medical decisions are not up for debate. Thanks for understanding!" I don't blame you for being disappointed. It sounds like you are surrounded by people who are happy to take advantage of your kindness but unwilling to give even a little to you. Crap like this is one of the many reasons I have not told anyone, not even my family, and certainly not my coworkers, about my surgery. I just said I was going on vacation.

I starting working out 2-3 weeks after surgery, just doing light cardio. I didn't work out much before surgery, so I started slow. Someone here recommended Leslie Sansone Walk at Home videos on YouTube. I started with 15-minute videos and now I'm doing 20-minute videos. I'll probably try some 30-minute videos next week.

I was really tested today... My boss bought lunch for the whole department to Celebrate a successful project for my team. I don't want anyone at work to know I had WLS, so I couldn't tell him that I didn't want any of what is usually my favorite meal. He got individually packed meals since that's the company's policy during the pandemic. I figured I'd just be "busy" during lunch and not take a meal and no one would notice since he got extras anyway, but my boss personally brought my meal -- which did not include anything I can eat at this point -- to my desk.
So not only did I not get to partake in the celebratory meal, and had to watch my coworkers enjoy food I love but can't eat, but I had to sit next to the delicious-smelling food and stress out about what to do with it (all while contemplating what exactly would happen if I just gave in and ate it anyway). I couldn't bring myself to throw it in the trash, so I brought it to another team's office and told them we had an extra one (hope that didn't arouse too much suspicion; their boss was there and is friends with my boss). My boss wanted to do something nice for my team, but it was just sad and stressful for me. It's such a stupid little first-world problem but it ruined my day.🙁

I had gastric bypass, but my surgeon said this cramping feeling is very common early on, especially for VSG patients. I was prescribed hyoscyamine for it but only took it for a few days.
I think the Protein and fluid goals are unrealistic for the first week or two. I didn't get anywhere close until about a week out. I'm 5 weeks out now and it's still a struggle. My first several days post-op, I constantly felt like I had just eaten Thanksgiving dinner, just from drinking a few ounces of Water or Protein Drink. I don't feel so stuffed or bloated anymore, but I haven't felt any hunger since surgery (which is pretty awesome).

I had gastric bypass, but my surgeon said this cramping feeling is very common early on, especially for VSG patients. I was prescribed hyoscyamine for it but only took it for a few days.
I think the Protein and fluid goals are unrealistic for the first week or two. I didn't get anywhere close until about a week out. I'm 5 weeks out now and it's still a struggle. My first several days post-op, I constantly felt like I had just eaten Thanksgiving dinner, just from drinking a few ounces of Water or Protein Drink. I don't feel so stuffed or bloated anymore, but I haven't felt any hunger since surgery (which is pretty awesome).

I have a high-stress desk job where I work 10-hour days. My surgeon recommended taking at least two weeks off,, but I went back after one (11 days, to be precise; I had surgery on a Thursday and took that weekend off, plus the next full week, and then went back the Monday after that). I had a follow-up visit with my surgeon six days after surgery, and he cleared me to return to work. I am working from home most days, but I was in the office my first day back.
I felt well enough to go back to work a week earlier, but I wouldn't recommend it because it's practically a full-time job just to track your fluids and Protein at first. I felt great the day I went back, and by then, I was able to drink more fluids and didn't need to track by the hour, so I just sipped Water at my desk all day and had a Protein Shake for lunch.
I will say that I was not as productive as usual the first couple of weeks back just because I was a bit preoccupied with thinking about the surgery, getting protein and fluids, what to tell people if they noticed I wasn't eating any solid food or that I've lost weight (nobody has noticed either so far), etc. But I'm guessing that no matter how much time I had taken off, I still would have been distracted the first couple of weeks back.

I had gastric bypass on July 16. I've only lost 15 pounds since the surgery, which kind of sucks since I'm getting less than 500 calories per day and I feel like the weight should be flying off, but I'm trying to be patient because I know the weight loss will happen eventually. I am enjoying the fact that I have not felt hungry for a single moment since I woke up from surgery, and I hope that lasts. I had a very quick recovery with very little pain other than gas the first day, and I only took a week off from work. It's too soon to make a judgment on my decision... Ask me again in a year!

I was really tested today... My boss bought lunch for the whole department to Celebrate a successful project for my team. I don't want anyone at work to know I had WLS, so I couldn't tell him that I didn't want any of what is usually my favorite meal. He got individually packed meals since that's the company's policy during the pandemic. I figured I'd just be "busy" during lunch and not take a meal and no one would notice since he got extras anyway, but my boss personally brought my meal -- which did not include anything I can eat at this point -- to my desk.
So not only did I not get to partake in the celebratory meal, and had to watch my coworkers enjoy food I love but can't eat, but I had to sit next to the delicious-smelling food and stress out about what to do with it (all while contemplating what exactly would happen if I just gave in and ate it anyway). I couldn't bring myself to throw it in the trash, so I brought it to another team's office and told them we had an extra one (hope that didn't arouse too much suspicion; their boss was there and is friends with my boss). My boss wanted to do something nice for my team, but it was just sad and stressful for me. It's such a stupid little first-world problem but it ruined my day.🙁

I had a few reasons for not telling anyone about my surgery. I didn't tell my family because I first looked into this surgery about 15 years ago, and my mom played a big role in talking me out of it because she thought it was dangerous and that I was going to die or have horrible complications. This time around, I did my own research and made my own decision and didn't want to give my mom or anyone else a chance to talk me out of it. I have three siblings who have always been thin, so I have a feeling they would be judgmental about it. People who have never struggled with their weight don't understand why it's not that easy for everyone to just eat less and exercise more.
I didn't tell anyone at work because I have heard negative comments about weight loss surgery from coworkers. Something that has stuck with me for years is a former coworker who complained about his wife's health insurance costs going up because she worked at a small company and two employees had weight loss surgery in one year. This guy was on his wife's health insurance instead of our company's because it used to cost less, and he complained that it was now more expensive than ours because these two ladies were "too lazy to just go on a diet." I have several current coworkers who are really into diet and fitness to the point that they make me uncomfortable, and although I've never heard any comments from them specifically about weight loss surgery, I have a feeling they would be judgmental.
Finally, I am a very private person in general and I am careful about what information I share about my life. I wouldn't tell my coworkers if I were having, say, gallbladder surgery or a hysterectomy, either. People might figure it out on their own if I lose enough weight, but I'm not going out of my way to tell anyone about it.

What kinds of things are you eating? When I started the pureed food stage, I was eating 2 ounces at a time, consisting of triple zero yogurt + Protein Powder, sugar-free pudding + Protein powder, pureed refried Beans + protein powder, unsweetened applesauce + protein powder, or cottage cheese. I have been eating three "meals" per day plus liquids (protein drinks, sugar-free popsicles, sugar-free Jello, protein Soups, etc.) in between. Are you tracking what you eat? I track everything in MyFitnessPal and I average around 400 calories per day.
I don't really feel full when I eat, but I don't feel hungry, either (haven't felt hungry since the surgery). I just measure out 2 ounces and eat it, and don't feel much different before and after the meal. I'm 5 weeks out and on the "soft food" stage, but I'm still mostly eating pureed foods and ricotta bake (definitely the best thing I've eaten since surgery and now my go-to dinner; I split the recipe into 8 portions and that's dinner for over a week). I just recently started adding half an ounce of canned chicken to my refried beans and ricotta bake meals.

Congratulations! My surgeon said that people who lose a lot of weight before their surgery tend to be very successful after surgery, so it looks like you are on track. The time between now and your surgery will fly by and it will be surgery day before you know it.

I have a feeling that a lot of fat people have relationships in which we give and give while others take advantage. I know I have experienced that a lot in my life, and I think it is because I have been made to feel defective, less worthy than others, because of my weight, and that I somehow need to make up for that in other ways. I foolishly think that people will like me in spite of my weight if I constantly bend over backward for them, only to eventually realize that they only like taking from me and they don't actually like me as a person.
In defense of the friends you lost because they didn't want to hear about your weight loss, eating, or going to the gym, I kind of understand, especially as a larger person, because that kind of discussion often leads to body shaming, so it makes me uncomfortable when those conversations happen around me. I feel that these topics are very personal and not things I want to discuss in certain settings (especially work). Since I don't like to discuss these things, I would start to feel like I don't have much in common with someone who talks about these subjects all the time. That doesn't mean it's about you, personally, and I hope you can forgive those who want to avoid those subjects that can be emotionally fraught or just not things that are important in their lives.

I was really tested today... My boss bought lunch for the whole department to Celebrate a successful project for my team. I don't want anyone at work to know I had WLS, so I couldn't tell him that I didn't want any of what is usually my favorite meal. He got individually packed meals since that's the company's policy during the pandemic. I figured I'd just be "busy" during lunch and not take a meal and no one would notice since he got extras anyway, but my boss personally brought my meal -- which did not include anything I can eat at this point -- to my desk.
So not only did I not get to partake in the celebratory meal, and had to watch my coworkers enjoy food I love but can't eat, but I had to sit next to the delicious-smelling food and stress out about what to do with it (all while contemplating what exactly would happen if I just gave in and ate it anyway). I couldn't bring myself to throw it in the trash, so I brought it to another team's office and told them we had an extra one (hope that didn't arouse too much suspicion; their boss was there and is friends with my boss). My boss wanted to do something nice for my team, but it was just sad and stressful for me. It's such a stupid little first-world problem but it ruined my day.🙁

I had very little pain after surgery, other than gas pain, which isn't really alleviated by pain meds. I was sent home with a prescription for Vicodin, but I didn't need it. I didn't even need to take Tylenol. They did say that they recommend minimizing the amount of pain medication you take because it can cause Constipation, but they also said if you are in a lot of pain, you should take it and not let your pain get out of control.

So sorry your coworkers are being jerks. It was completely out of line for them to go to your director about their "concerns" about your surgery, and even worse if your director didn't tell them in no uncertain terms that your health and medical treatments are none of their business. If anyone has the nerve to say anything like that again, you are completely within your rights to say, "My medical decisions are not up for debate. Thanks for understanding!" I don't blame you for being disappointed. It sounds like you are surrounded by people who are happy to take advantage of your kindness but unwilling to give even a little to you. Crap like this is one of the many reasons I have not told anyone, not even my family, and certainly not my coworkers, about my surgery. I just said I was going on vacation.

I have a feeling that a lot of fat people have relationships in which we give and give while others take advantage. I know I have experienced that a lot in my life, and I think it is because I have been made to feel defective, less worthy than others, because of my weight, and that I somehow need to make up for that in other ways. I foolishly think that people will like me in spite of my weight if I constantly bend over backward for them, only to eventually realize that they only like taking from me and they don't actually like me as a person.
In defense of the friends you lost because they didn't want to hear about your weight loss, eating, or going to the gym, I kind of understand, especially as a larger person, because that kind of discussion often leads to body shaming, so it makes me uncomfortable when those conversations happen around me. I feel that these topics are very personal and not things I want to discuss in certain settings (especially work). Since I don't like to discuss these things, I would start to feel like I don't have much in common with someone who talks about these subjects all the time. That doesn't mean it's about you, personally, and I hope you can forgive those who want to avoid those subjects that can be emotionally fraught or just not things that are important in their lives.

I had gastric bypass on July 16. I've only lost 15 pounds since the surgery, which kind of sucks since I'm getting less than 500 calories per day and I feel like the weight should be flying off, but I'm trying to be patient because I know the weight loss will happen eventually. I am enjoying the fact that I have not felt hungry for a single moment since I woke up from surgery, and I hope that lasts. I had a very quick recovery with very little pain other than gas the first day, and I only took a week off from work. It's too soon to make a judgment on my decision... Ask me again in a year!

This is very common because of all the IV fluids you get in the hospital. I came home from surgery 5 pounds heavier than when I left, but those 5 pounds came off within two days.

So sorry your coworkers are being jerks. It was completely out of line for them to go to your director about their "concerns" about your surgery, and even worse if your director didn't tell them in no uncertain terms that your health and medical treatments are none of their business. If anyone has the nerve to say anything like that again, you are completely within your rights to say, "My medical decisions are not up for debate. Thanks for understanding!" I don't blame you for being disappointed. It sounds like you are surrounded by people who are happy to take advantage of your kindness but unwilling to give even a little to you. Crap like this is one of the many reasons I have not told anyone, not even my family, and certainly not my coworkers, about my surgery. I just said I was going on vacation.

Wow, I didn't get yogurt until a week out! Looks like you're doing great. I'm sure they're pumping you full of IV fluids, which will help make up for lower Fluid intake the first few days. Welcome to the other side!

Welcome! Looks like you're doing great. I agree about this crazy time actually turning out to be a good time to get WLS. I feel guilty for saying it because I know this pandemic has caused a lot of pain and suffering for many people, but has made things easier for WLS. I haven't told anyone at work and I don't plan to, and it sure helps in terms of privacy that my team is working from home most of the time and even when we're in the office, we're not allowed to eat together.