Sunnyway

I've been taking up the side seams of my underpants and bras so that I can continue to wear them for a while longer. New underwear is a big investment!

Not a stroke, but I have had uterine cancer. It's not an issue with regard to the surgery.

There are many bariatric cookbooks available on Amazon and elsewhere. These are some of the ones I've gotten:

How do you turn a protein drink into a frozen dessert? I tried pouring one into a plastic container and freezing it but it just froze hard and not what I would call a dessert.

Of course you are weak all the time, you are starving. Please talk to your surgeon and dietitian. You need much more sustenance than you are getting.

Well said, Arabesque. If we continue eating the foods and snacks we used to eat or look for Keto snacks (which are heavily processed foods), we are very likely to regain all that has been lost. Even though "bariatric/keto snacks" and "protein bars" are sold on some bariatric sites does not mean that they are appropriate or good for us. Instead, look to whole foods, healthy foods, while avoiding those that lure us into eating more--sugar, flour, rice, pasta, processed foods. Read nutrition and ingredients labels like a boss! Lest you think I'm preaching, I can only tell you that I speak from experience. I've done all these wrong things in the past and paid the price--and I'm still tempted by them.

Yes, absolutely. Set the small plate on the regular dinner plate as if it were a charger. Definitely coordinate with the host and bring your own food if soft food will not be available. Remember that you will be able to eat only a few small spoonsful of things like mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, pumpkin puree or pie filling. The turkey will need to go through a blender and moistened with gravy or it will get stuck. Stay away from alcohol and don't drink anything during the meals.

I encourage you to learn how to cook using bariatric recipes and eat according to their food plans. Fries and Sandwiches are not on the plan, although someday you may be able to eat them IN MODERATION. Not now. There are many bariatric cookbooks available on Amazon and else where, including air fryer and instant pot recipes. Here are a few of those I have obtained. There are many more available.

I haven't had that happen to me in over 20 years. It happened a couple of times back then but since then it's always been delivered to me discretely, rolled up and covered by the attendendant's hand as she/he passes it to me. It's important to tell the attendant at the door upon entering. Sometimes they can hand you one just then. Otherwise it will be delivered to your seat before they come around to make sure all belts are fastened. I've flown Delta, American, United, Southwest, and international flights with no issues over getting an extender discretely. Once on Royal Air Moroc I was bumped into Business Class (from my fully occupied three-across row} because they couldn't find one for me. (Score!)

Good choice. GERD is usually resolved by gastric bypass, as is Type 2 Diabetes.

I'm thrilled for you that you now fit the seatbelts. However, no one should ever be ashamed or embarrassed to request a seat-belt extender. Just tell the attendant as you get on the plane. It will be very discretely delivered to you. Flying without a seatbelt is very dangerous.

Here are two food plans that you may find helpful: A Pound of Cure, by Matthew Weiner, MD (a bariatric surgeon) and Bright Lines Eating, by Susan Peirce Thompson, PhD. I've lost 50 lbs pre-surgery following A Pound of Cure. I intend to follow it for life, post surgery.

BariatricPal's One-a-Day either with or without iron is a quick dissolving capsule and costs only $99 for a whole year. I add D3. B12, calcium citrate, and biotin supplements.

You should consult with your sleep doctor. You may still have apnea and not know it. Your doctor or DME tech can adjust the pressure, even making it variable depending upon the need at every moment.

Apnea kills. It causes progressive damage. If you have been prescribed a CPAP, you need to use it nightly. If the CPAP machine is defective, the provider should replace it. If your mask is uncomfortable or leaks, experiment until you find a mask that work well for you. This is serious business. I was prescribed a CPAP many years ago and tried and tried to adjust to it. After about six months I just quit. Ten years later I had another sleep study and my apnea was much worse because I had neglected it. For help adjusting to a CPAP, the nice contributors at CPAPtalk.com are very knowledgeable and helpful. These users often know more than the techs at Durable Medical Provider companies.

I use my highest weight. I lost 24 during COVID on my own, then regained 10 before I started with the bariatric clinic. That high figure represents the beginning of my journey, not the weight when I started at the clinic.

Bravo for setting a boundary and demanding she back off!

Oh, this book is terrific, too: The Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients, by Colleen Cook.

Check out this book and its companions. Its plan is what I intend to follow when I'm back to normal food post-surgery. I've been following this pre-surgery and have lost 50 lbs, This seems to be the most logical and nutritionally sound food plan that I've found. It's not "keto" but there are similarities. Particularly look at the Metabolic Reset (on page 20) if you are stalled. The Author's premise is to eat far more vegetables, unlimited fruit, snack only on these and nuts & seeds, and use animal protein as flavor not as the star of every meal. Matthew Weiner, MD, A Pound of Cure. He's also written The Bariatric Guide and Cookbook, and How Weight Loss Surgery Really Works. I recommend all three books, available in paperback and Kindle. The author is a bariatric surgeon.

My RNY revision will probably be in December, too. I doin't have a date yet, but my surgeon told me that it was likely to happen before the end of the year. I still have to complete a stress test and echocardiogram which are not scheduled for another 2 weeks. Only then will the documentation be sent to Medicare. After they approve, I'll get a surgery date.

Lucky you. I hope it's because you no longer have apnea and not that you just quit using your CPAP.

Weighing is usually proper unless the food is liquid or semi-liquid, in which case you should measure with a measuring cup, not by eye-balling. Be sure to get a good digital food scale so that you can measure grams & ounces.

You would benefit from seeing a psychiatrist, too. You may need medication for chronic anxiety issues. It can make a world of difference. Don't just ask your primary care physician. Psychiatrists know far more about psychotropic medication.

You can carry ready-made or powdered protein drinks on ship and in Italy. Individual envelopes of mix are available from several companies; Bariatric Advantage and ProtiDiet come to mind. Or you could fill single portion baggies to keep in your luggage. The water onboard is safe to drink, but in Italy you may want bottled water if you are unsure. You may no lonhrt be drinking protein drinks by the time your trip rolls around. On the ship there are plenty of things you can eat both in the dining room and buffet. You can order just soup and/or starters and not the main course. They usually have sugar-free desserts. Be careful! It's so easy to eat, eat, eat on a cruise. It's so good. Avoid the bread: It's SO good! Avoid alcohol. Save some room for lobster tail, escargot, and prawns--seafood usually goes down well at 6-7 months out. I couldn't eat steak for a year or more post-RNY, pasta got stuck, and pizza crust is too much carbohydrate. Italian pizzas are not loaded with sauce, meat, or cheese like US pizza. They get a swipe of tomato sauce, and you may find things like artichokes or a fried egg on the pizza. Pizzas are personal-sized. I would say to taste your husband's pizza, but don't order one for yourself. Seafood is a good choice in Italy as well as on the ship.

Stalls are normal. Keep sticking with the program. Do get some bariatric cookbooks so that you can learn to cook and eat differently than pre-surgery.