lizonaplane

You look great, but I am sure you definitely want to take off that regain! I have heard those "reset" liquid diets are a bunch of bs - really the reason for the liquid diet right after surgery is to protect the staples/sutures and the new stomach, not to lose weight faster. Instead, I would focus on the basics: protein and veggies, and water and I know for me, I only have ever lost weight when I kept track of calories/macros. (I haven't had surgery yet, but I plan to track after surgery too). We're here for you! You can do it!

That's great! There are a lot of artificial sweeteners. Malitol or xytlitol are the most likely (I believe) to cause GI upset, but it's different for different people. I would try a few when you are safely at home and near a bathroom and see how you react. Become an ingredient obsessive detective. I know that I don't get sick from stevia, but it doesn't taste sweet to me when it's the only sweetener used; it sort of tastes metallic and flat. I love me some splenda tho!

Thanks for sharing your story with us! I hope your healing goes smoothly

A lot of people are anti-artificial sweeteners because they are "chemicals" and therefore must be "bad". Well, a banana is made up of chemicals. Everything on earth is made up of chemical elements. Also, arsenic is "natural". Doesn't make it good for you. There were a few small studies at one point that looked like they suggested what Dr. Weiner states in his video (that artificial sweeteners lead to weight gain, by one mechanism or another). However, that does not seem to be the case based on better, newer, larger studies. I think for some people, eating artificial sugar can make them "crave" real sugar, but I find I have the opposite reaction. I add some artificially sweetened flavor packets to my water (I actually dilute them more than instructed) and that satisfies my sweet tooth. I do find that if I have real sugar (other than fruit) or even bread, I crave sugar. Personally, I don't like stevia. It doesn't have the sharp, clean sugar taste that other sweeteners have. It just tastes metallic and flat to me, so all those fake ice creams are icky. But any other fake sugar is a-okay in my book. I know some people have tummy troubles from certain ones, so they should definitely not use that one, but I don't seem to have issues.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. Keep pestering your doctors and being your own advocate. It can be very hard but don't stop! I agree with @Prestonandme who said to keep your electrolytes up and to make sure you are not getting dehydrated. Also, I agree with your doctors who said to drink protein drinks. I hope you find a solution very soon! Keep us posted. ?

Many people like Genepro protein. I have used it to add protein to soups and oatmeal even though I haven't had surgery yet. One thing to make sure is that you're adding the protein per the directions (don't heat the protein: mix the powder with a small amount of lukewarm water before adding it to your food). Good luck!

This is so helpful! I'm trying to slow my eating down as I prepare for surgery but I think I am way off the mark. I am waiting like 20 seconds between bites so I see I have a long way to go. I just ordered some child-size silverware

I would just like to get to a stable weight for the first time in my life. I have lost 50, 80, 100 lbs and gained it all back. I'm always either losing or gaining weight.

How often do you see your dietitian? What sorts of things are still concerns now that you're 6 years out from surgery? Sorry to hijack the thread!

This is very helpful. I'm going crazy trying to figure out a "goal weight" but I just don't know what will feel good to me. I've almost always been overweight, at least since I was 14 and most of my childhood as well. I got down to about 180/size 12/14 in my 30s for about 6 months, which was amazing but I still had a lot to go. My face looked very good at that weight. I'm so worried I'll never be happy with my weight. I'm always either gaining or losing weight, my whole life.

What is involved in a leak test?

@kristieshannon Are you still enjoying kickboxing? How far out from surgery were you when you first started? Anyone else do this? I think I'd like to try different things after surgery... assuming I ever get to schedule and HAVE my surgery...

Oh, I didn't think about taking them out of the souper cubes to put in ziploc bags. But I have no place to put in the whole ice cube sized tray to freeze in the first place. My freezer is much smaller than a normal size freezer because my fridge is apartment size. It's barely big enough for one person who cooks. The containers I bought aren't disposable; they are dishwasher and microwave safe and freezer safe. But they are not silicone, so no oven.

@SummerTimeGirl Yeah, I am afraid I might start some food funerals. I was planning to do Indian buffet when I visited my friend this weekend, but the buffets still aren't open due to COVID, so we ordered off the menu. I overate a little, but not nearly like before. Next weekend I'm going to my parents' house and we're going to my favorite restaurant and I know my brother is going to want to order every course, so that might be a lot too. The truth is that now that I'm eating more protein and fewer carbs, I'm just not as hungry and I'm not as interested in a lot of junk food and sweets. My weight loss is definitely slowing down though.

I don't usually bake my meals, usually I make stew type dishes, so I didn't think of that as an advantage of the souper cubes over the small fake tupperware containers from the grocery store (I follow My Level Ten Life too!). I bought some of those small 4 oz and 2 oz containers from the grocery store, about $2 - $2.50 for a set of 4 and I like that they are separate, since I can take just one from the freezer to microwave it. Also my freezer is TINY. Yes, they're a little bigger, but I don't need to fill them up all the way. I think they have a measurement line half way up but I can also measure it and put a line with a permanent marker. I also can buy 1 oz containers for right after surgery to measure liquids.

That is how I meal prep. I have been doing it for like a decade and I haven't even had surgery yet! I make a big pot of curry or chili or whatever and put them in individual portions. Some go in the fridge for this week and some in the freezer for a while later when I'm no longer sick of it lol. It worked out great for this week because I was away this weekend and didn't go grocery shopping.

yeah, I hate how loud the gym is with the piped in music. I was visiting a friend this weekend and the first two days were crappy weather so we walked in the mall but the last two days were beautiful so we hiked in the woods and I loved it! I'm a slow and not very good hiker, but I really enjoy it when the weather is right (not too hot!).

I agree. I feel sorry for people who don't wear bathing suits at the pool or beach because they worry people are staring at them. No one cares enough to stare at them. I've worn a swimsuit at my highest and lowest weights and never noticed anyone staring at me. I just noticed the bottom of the pool cause I was swimming!

LOL. I don't care how others perceive my appearance and I am decidedly an old spinster, but I care what I look like in the mirror. You said that at 178 you would be "emaciated" so I wondered if you liked what you see in the mirror or not. Yes, I agree it's more important how you feel, so maybe I should rephrase this as, do you FEEL good at the weight you're at now?

Do you feel that you will "look" how you want to look at 225? And congrats on your excellent weight loss!

If your BMI is JUST under the requirement of 35 and you are gaining 5-10lbs every few months, it seems like you could just wait a few months and you might be able to get insurance to cover it given your co-morbidities, depending on your insurance. Having said that, it's likely that some/most surgeons would still do the surgery since you are willing to do self-pay. I have heard that many industries/jobs are pretty fatphobic, and I'm so sorry you are facing that. I also know what you mean about being uncomfortable in my own skin, and tired going up the stairs, etc. I've always been fat, at least my whole adult life, so I don't have much to compare it to, but it's still horrible to feel it every day. Whether you keep gaining weight or do the surgery, you'll be facing food prep, and it's easier to deal with food prep (I hope!) with a smaller appetite. I understand from the people on this board that the first few months after surgery are pretty tough, but then it's really a much better life (for most people - some people have a hard time for a long time and regret the surgery, but most people say their only regret is not doing it sooner).

I won't have to do a liquid pre-op diet, but it will be low carb and low calorie and I believe high protein and low fat.

Bada beans are something I ordered from Amazons. I had had something similar I got from a grocery store or trader joe's one time, but I've also had toasted chickpeas from the grocery store that were flavored and pretty good. The Bada Bean Bada Boom (I looked up the full name) I got are in 100 calorie packs, which works well for me. I know the nutritionist is from your surgeon's office, but there are other bariatric-focused nutritionists out there. Try a google search or go to a dietitian or nutrition society page and see if you can do a "find a nutritionist in my area" and see if they have a way to select a specialty, or just call a few to see if they have this specialty. ALso, SX is surgeon.

I'm torn between sleeve and bypass too. My surgeon and my psychopharmacologist want me to get sleeve to ensure I can absorb my psych meds, but I'm worried about GERD and weight regain, and not losing enough weight. I am hoping to get a second opinion, but I'll have to do that soon.

I also gained a ton of weight from my bipolar meds (100 lbs in two years, more in the years after that). However, both the surgeon and the psychopharmacologist said that I should do sleeve to ensure I can still absorb the psych meds fully, rather than bypass. I do occasionally have reflux, so I'm a bit worried and I'm trying to get a second opinion, but think about that, especially since you don't have that much to lose. The meds made me crave sugar like crazy, but I find that when I don't have sugar, I stop craving it. See if you can do that before surgery, because the surgery won't fix that and you can just gain the weight back if you're head's not in it, since you'll still be on the psych meds.