Pilot my best self

Me, too! Grocery shopping that is after two + weeks away... Made two varieties of tender poached chicken salads for the road. Left was traditional with celery, scallions, pecans and parsley. Right with slivered almonds, curry and golden raisins. Both mixed with a dab of Hellmans. The mini YETI kept everything really cold for travel. Happy Spring everyone! Made arrangement for our airbnb stay...

Recipe please, with info on which sweetener you used. I need these in my life! 😍😍😍

ProCare with Iron. Once a day! Love it.

Same here with the fruit chews, but I take Bariatric Advantage...and I LOVE them...they are like a treat...well, will be when they let me take them again! But pre-op, they were great!!

I have to admit I look forward to taking my Gas-X chewables. I don’t care what you think - it is the most pleasant thing I put in my mouth all day, so much so I took an extra one even though I didn’t think I needed it (more on that later). the taste was the perfect amount of sweetness and chewiness, I didn’t have to measure it and I didn’t get any restriction feeling.

I think we are all looking for honesty. I will speak for myself when I say this is a hella scary ride, with lots of risks and unknowns. i am most afraid that life post surgery will feel like a sacrifice at every turn - social gatherings, work outings, holidays, girls night out. But I decided that my health was worth the trade-off. So it is reassuring to hear from others here that not everything has to change. I knew this really but don’t know what parts might still be somewhat normal. I also know that if I go down that road of having Micky Ds and pringles or licking the fudge jar, I might just fall into those patterns that got me to this place. But it is comforting to know that maybe I could sit down and enjoy thanksgiving meals again or popcorn smothered in butter (really ms.sss, you had me at pop...).

tonight, 4 days post surgery, my daughter had a sundae and left the hot fudge on the counter. The chocolate fudge never smelled so good. So I knew in that moment that one day I will give in. I hope support and honesty from this site andfrom others will help get me back on track before I do much damage. It’s not about trying to be perfect but making sure I am never this unhealthy, uncomfortable and miserable again. For me that may mean I can’t go down that slippery slope too often. For now I am still driven by fear so I put it in the fridge with shaking hands and reached for some Gas-X.

I was thinking before PS! I certainly understand how they could make you feel secure. I look forward to adding Spanx to my new wardrobe - it was never worth using g them before. Thanks!!

Ok. Dream wardrobe. I think I’d buy every one of your outfits. My main goal is to just feel better in 6-12 months. But wearing such stylish clothes again is very appealing too!

Yep! I'll ride the not hungry train for as long as I can. I've discovered that I can do two sips okay, but the third makes everything feel tight. I have my Apple watch set to go off every 3 minutes and I take 1 sip. That's easy for me to do and doesn't make me uncomfortable. I'm trying to push it to two sips, but one is super easy.

Hi everyone
I am just 3 days post-op and have been reading a lot about loose skin, mostly about how much people have once reaching their goal and whether to have PS. I realize surgery is the only proven way to address loose skin but I’ve heard some anecdotal reports of other methods too that may help minimize it.
I haven’t seen many posts talking about what non surgical treatments people have tried that may have helped at all (collagen, compression clothes, exercise etc) and to what extent you felt any improvement. Also what problems or annoyances you have had with loose skin (is it bulky through the clothes, is it uncomfortable to exercise) and what you did to help this before or instead of surgery.
Hearing everyone’s successes has me looking forward to nice fitting stylish clothes and moving my body in a way that has not felt comfortable for at least 10 years. But I also want to learn whatever might work to reduce the loose skin or tools to help deal with it. Thanks in advance for everyone’s input.

@GradyCat no problem. Look for them in like where you would find tofu, i promise these aren't tofu lol but they already come cooked so the bag is squishy just have to heat them up with broth or whatever you want.

Does he want you to cook broth or a Protein Shake (haha)

Hey I am also struggling with pre-op. Today was my first day. I’m allowed liquids, Protein Shakes, 2 lean solid Proteins like eggs, chicken, Greek yogurt, and vegetables. No fat/carbs. I feel like I’m starving, my head hurts, and I have a short fuse with my twins.
Considering that all these docs have different pre-op diets, it feels somewhat arbitrary and I hate doing things that don’t feel meaningful. So I just re-frame it in my mind “this is a challenge I can overcome and I’ll feel good knowing I did if.” Other diets felt pointless after awhile bc I knew I couldn’t sustain it forever. I’m like - 10 days - I can do this! I’m just hoping it gets easier!!

I’m glad it went good, congratulations!!

I had the SADI on March 23. I feel great! I have issues with gas, but infant gas drops do the trick. I’m getting better and have more energy every day. I’ve been experimenting with the different Vitamin samples. I spend a lot of time cooking for my 4 kids and love it! I started a small herb garden on my porch today. It’s amazing how much time we have now that we aren’t preoccupied with eating. Anyone surgery twins with me???

I completely understand. It’s hard to be patient. I keep asking my husband why I’m not invisible yet (haha).

Glad to hear pain is not as great. Hope the gas resolved quickly and you are starting to feel better!

Thank you so much to everyone who has responded to this. But because of all of the helpful and incredibly kind comments I felt the need to update. I haven’t logged in in a while, I actually deleted myself off of all social media. I have an app that I take pictures every 3 days and I measure/weigh myself, and that is the only documentation that I need. At the advice of my Therapist (whom I’ve moved to seeing twice a week in these last 3 weeks) I did this to focus on me and my journey and not to let unsupportive people even enter my thought process. I can honestly say I’ve lost all of my people but my mom, dad and brother. One of the “friends” came around when she came to my house last week to pick up some tickets because I’ve been extremely ill the last 2 weeks (I’ve kept about 750 total calories down in 11 days and have had to get IV fluids twice, have to go back to the surgeon Monday 😕 I’ve gained 6 lbs back and have been so upset because NUT said my body is actually going into like “caveman mode”) When I walked out of the house she said “Holy sh!t, G you look absolutely amazing, I’m so proud of you.” And I’m not gonna lie, I busted into tears on my front porch. She then told me that I had inspired her to get back in the gym and she bought a digital food scale with the app like mine and same for the digital body scale. She actually looks really good as well. I’m really glad she came around. We’ve been supporting eachother now, in different ways (I’m not cleared to do anything but walk still— 47 days out) but keeping eachother accountable. The other 3, I don’t speak to anymore and the negativity that has left my life has been amazing. I don’t allow my family to post photos of me or anything anywhere so only the people that I have chosen (my family essentially) have been who have known so far. And that’ll be it.
As you all know, this is hard. It’s SO hard. I was run over by a 1 ton vehicle and had 8 operations and had to learn to walk again 3 different times and that was a county fair cake walk compared to this.
I just wanted to say thank you to all of you. I know you’re strangers on a message board, but you guys have been better “friends” and support system than I could ever imagine and I’m so so grateful for each and every one of you.

Jealousy is one word to describe your friends’ reactions. But they are likely also uneducated.
i was not going to tell anyone pre-op except my parents and only cuz they are going to be helping care for my daughter ( and me) post op. But I ended up telling a friend because we got into the topic of how discouraging weight loss has been for so long- she is probably in the low 200’s vs me who went from 245 to 300 in 5 years. Her initial reaction was as I had feared. Too drastic, not always successful, dangerous, and it’s just “calories in, calories out “...exactly my feelings too just 6 months ago. But explaining the reset you get with wls and biochemical change that happens, she appreciated both that I had done my research and that maybe she didn’t fully understand wls- and I am doing what is best for me even if she still doesn’t agree.
For sure your friends feel they are losing a comrade- I know I have felt that divide when a friend has lost weight and I felt left behind cuz I couldn’t hike, ride bikes, go to the beach like she was doing. And don’t get me started about her dating life.
Maybe having a heart to heart to air out your feelings and the medical basis for why this is not a decision for vanity’s sake, they will reassess their behavior and try to be supportive.
if not, they will probably be too toxic to be with while you are doing probably the best thing for yourself...I find therapists invaluable when I feel I can’t talk to friends.
good luck and hope you find support from them or others. But find that support wherever you can.

Omg I finally found my sister 🥳 what time do you go tomorrow

Glad to hear pain is not as great. Hope the gas resolved quickly and you are starting to feel better!

Here I am. I am very hungry. Had to throw out my daughters cupcakes to avoid any risk of slipping on this 2 week pre-op diet. (Just so you don’t think I’m cruel, unlike me, she barely looks at sweets- she made them just so she could practice cake decorating).
This time tomorrow it’ll all be over!😬
Good luck to you!

Thanks! Thinking of you too! You’ve got this!!!!

Awesome. Was wondering today how it went. So glad recovery is going well! Keep it up. 1 more day for me. 😬

You’ll do great! I’m a week post op and feel great just a lil sore from also having my hernia repaired! You guys got this! Best of luck to all the rest of the Marchers! We did it.

March 25th surgeries we are on deck! I AM SO HYPED FOR THIS TO JUST HAPPEN ALREADY. But still just bit anxious I pray for an easy recovery for all🙏. Lets keep positive and get ready for the next phase in this journey 💞