Sunnyway

Congratulations to you!! That's awesome!! Can't wait to be in your position one day!! Hopefully the issues with your gall bladder will resolve so that you can avoid surgery.
I've already been having the loose skin under my arms, stomach and between my legs (the upper inner thighs) and I'm not very fond of it. Already dreading Summer and thinking about wearing swimsuit again. Before I used to wear the skirted kind of suit that comes in two separate pieces. Now who knows what I'll wear cause there's really nothing to help hide the flabby arms. I could always try those shorts to hide the upper, inner thighs and maybe even the skirts will still work but those arms, ugh! My legs, even at bigger size, used to look good. Now, eh.
I haven't been fully naked in front of my husband, at least not standing up and walking around, in decades. Yes, I will get naked in bed and strategically drape the blanket over my stomach and stuff like that but yeah, I was hoping to one day be able to walk around naked or in some lingerie and not sure that will happen cause I have the same fear of his reaction that your partner had. Even though he's very supportive, loving, loves my body (big or small), etc. it's like, once you see that you can't unsee it and you don't really know how you'll react to it unless and until you do and I say that to him and he gets upset with me and tells me that would never happen. LOL Who knows, maybe I need to give him more credit.
But yeah, I hope one day I can eventually get this extra skin removed (and I still have a ways to go with losing more weight too). Not sure I will be totally happy with my body unless that happens. But I am happy with so many more positive things that has happened with/to me since! So, I am grateful!

I think in this day and age most doctors are comfortable with weight loss surgery. Some aren't - but most are willing to do the referral. In fact, mine was the one who brought it up first because she was familiar with my history. Once your BMI is over 40, it's very difficult to lose weight through diet and exercise alone - most doctors should know that. I wouldn't worry until you see the person. If they aren't on board with it, can you switch doctors?

So after a year and a half now today is the day I go for gastric bypass surgery at 7am today scared and my anxiety is a bit high but I'm ready its been a long road im ready for a new me
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Try using Protein Water. It’s not the greatest, but will help you get your Fluid and protein at the same time. Bone Broth with Protein Powder is a good option too. When my protein is low for the day, I sometimes have a BariWise protein Soup. I add some Sriracha to spice it up.

mine isn't chronic, but I was experiencing occasional reactive hypoglycemia (RH) when I got to be about two years out (it'd hit me about two hours or so after eating - not all the time, but enough that i knew something was going on and had a complete work-up). My PCP recommended eating something about every three hours - preferably a Protein - and if I DID eat a carb, to be sure to pair it with a protein. Seems to have helped - I rarely have that issue anymore.
btw - if yours is due to RH, that's not unheard of with bypass (not sure about the mini version of bypass, though...)

like the above poster, I was also encouraged to slowly transition off caffeine before surgery - took about a month - so fortunately, i didn't have to deal with caffeine withdrawal along with everything else.
and like Sunnyway said, some surgeons are OK with caffeine from the get-go. They're really all across the board on this issue. Some say you can never have it again, some say you can drink it from the start, some are OK with it once you're a ways out. So...just ask your clinic.

My program allows coffee, up to 2 cups per day. Even though I'm a coffee addict I didn't want it the first 2 weeks post op.

My clinic allows coffee and tea from the first day after surgery. They haven't said it must be Decaf, but I can't have milk in it until I'm on full liquids so I may just pass.

Wow. Been awhile since I posted.
I hit one-derland on my birthday a few weeks ago, which felt awesome.
I've been having gall bladder issues for a few months but trying some alternative healing methods before taking drastic action.
Ive gone from a size 20 to a size 12. Its amazing being able to wear regular sizes - and white! Picking out clothes I like vs. clothes that fit.
Body dysmorphia is real - I can tell I'm losing weight but I still feel like I look the same.
Just today, I noticed my skin on my stomach and thighs is getting very thin and loose in certain spots. It was sort of a strange sight but I didn't love it or hate it. Mostly curious about it.
My partner has been super supportive of the surgery and lifestyle changes but while we were hanging out, I surprised him and showed him my loose granny skin. The look on his face hit me hard. It was like surprise and disgust. That was tough.
No regrets. One day at a time.

I didn't have oatmeal the first few months, but I do now. I Just use the regular old-fashioned oats. I just add the Protein powder before I heat it up. Unflavored would work, yes, but I usually use vanilla or cinnamon flavored. depends on if you want a slight flavor or not...

I also found a two-week Liquid Protein doable. The hard part was the withdrawal from sugar and carbs. Once the withdrawal faded away, the second week was fine.

Oat bran is better for you than steel cut, which is better for you than rolled oats (which are "processed". Don't use "instant" or "quick" oats. All of these can be cooked in the microwave in 2-3 minutes. Bob's Red Mill produces all of these. I had never tried oat bran before, but its great. I eat my oatmeal with 1/4 to 1/2 c of unsweetened almond milk or fat-free lactose-free milk.
1/3 c oat bran to 1 c Water, dash of salt = 120 cal
1/4 c steel cut to 1 c water, dash of salt = 150 cal
1/2 c rolled oats to 1 c water, dash of salt = 150 cal
If you can't eat the whole amount you can store it in the refrigerator for reheating. You can also make uncooked oatmeal in the refrigerator overnight. Look for various recipes online, but pared down you can use just the oats and a cup of milk.

I’m at 6 weeks now and would definitely do a cruise. You’ll be able to eat yogurt, oatmeal, ham and eggs for Breakfast. The lunch and dinner buffet and menus will have lots of options for Protein and vegetables…especially fish. You’ll be full after a small portion. I haven’t been eating salads because I don’t feel ready for raw vegetables and hard fruits like apples. I would skip dessert, bread, and alcohol. You could bring some Protein Powder in case you’re low on protein with the small portions. With the pre diet and surgery, you would probably be down 25 pounds by your cruise.

I guess people have wildly different experiences.
I’m officially 2 weeks post op and would absolutely go on a cruise right now.
the first 3-4 days for me were rough, mostly due to gas pains. As soon as my digestive system started working well again I’ve been feeling much better and now I would say I’m about 90%. Still a bit weak from the low calories intake I think.
A nice relaxing cruise seems like exactly what the doctor ordered.
This past weekend I had to drive back from NY to Florida after surgery and back to work.

Maybe. I can’t remember if I do or not😹

thank you I won't be eating those

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Continue seeing the therapist after surgery, too.

I have dealt with depression and anxiety my whole life. Prior to surgery, I put a tremendous amount of work into getting into a really good med routine, therapy, learning coping mechanisms and grounding techniques, dealing with the thoughts that were driving my disordered eating behaviors, etc. I think the very best thing you can do is get yourself in the best mental & emotional shape you possibly can. The reality is bariatric surgery is major surgery, it puts tremendous strain on your body and your mind, there are risks and benefits that have to be considered. If you are not quite ready to face the emotions and struggles that come after, then talk to your therapist and decide if now is the right time for surgery. But if you've done the work, have a solid support system, and realize that the only way to make this work for you is to do the hard work, then you're ready and will be just fine. My anxiety has not increased since surgery, but I attribute that to the work I did beforehand and the realization that I've done something that was quite literally life saving for me. It has given me incredible hope. Best of luck to you!

For me, it was important to keep tracking everything even through the frustrating stalls: weighing myself regularly, tracking all my food and Water, etc. It is easy to get discouraged when you don't see the scale move for a while (or, move slower than you want) but the key is continuing what you are doing, with potentially some tweaks depending on what your practice advises. In my case, tracking helped me ensure I was pushing toward the calorie level my practice wanted to see (at least 1000 cals/day, which was hard for me for a while) and helped ensure the choices I was making to add calories continued to be smart (prioritizing protein).
It was also helpful to take measurements and pictures to see progress. In fact, I was just in a really slow period of weight loss for 6-8 weeks (after awesome weight loss the initial few months), and seeing new pics compared against the old ones from right around surgery was so, so helpful at giving me positive reinforcement. I also have been looking for other non-scale victories to carry me through, so realizing that clothes are fitting looser, or that I just have more energy than I did before.
On the happy side, my slow weight loss has ramped up again after slogging through that slower period. I am exercising a bit more but also have been diligent about hitting that 1000 cals/day threshold - I'm convinced that has been the key for me, at least until my body decided to go slow again! So, talk to your nutritionist, see what they say, and also just stay hopeful (I'm not a naturally positive person so this part is really a challenge for me!) Slow is better than zero and zero loss is better than gains.
Good luck and hang in there!

Most of us have stalls. It’s not at all uncommon. Just keep sticking to your plan and the stall will break.

Folks - I just want to send a small positive vibe out into the universe - I am on day 5 of my liquid pre op diet and I have to say, I feel decent and honestly this is not *that* bad. I swear!
I was massively dreading this. I was worried I would be nonstop hungry for two weeks and angry at the world. However, I got into a routine of shake - broth - jello/popsicle that seems to be working to manage the hunger. Am I hungry? Yes. Is it constant? No. (Could I eat any solid form of food right now? Yes. Will I? No.)
I "eat" 4 times a day: Breakfast, lunch, "happy hour" (oh the irony), and dinner. I have a shake at each meal and broth and/or Jello. I have tried many broths and I honestly prefer the old fashioned boullion cubes or ramen noodle broth packet over anything fancy like Bone Broth. I am having 800-900 calories a day and I am not face down in the bed like I thought I would be. I even adulted at work today. 😂
Just want to send this note because the two week liquid preop was looming so large in my mind before I actually started doing it. Like many things, the dread was worse than just doing the dreaded thing.

I went through insurance but I know someone who paid privately and she didn’t have to go through all the hurdles either. I am not sure if she had to do labs or not but she didn’t have to see the nutritionist or the psychiatrist. Which was all I had to do with insurance. The other medical stuff is as needed to determine you are fit for surgery or to prove comirbidites to insurance companies so it varies person to person. If you think you may have disordered eating (like boredom or emotional eating or binge eating) I would definitely see a bariatric therapist whether they require it or not. I learned after surgery about boredom and emotional eating and I struggle with both. I wish the psychiatrist I had to see had picked up on this so I could have dealt with it before surgery. I wanted the surgery asap but I feel the process has been harder for me dealing with my disordered eating while also doing weight loss phase.

You could try going back to the therapist and saying “Since our last session I have thought a lot about what you said and…” tell them what you would do in the event of any inconvenience to “the Plan”. I think they are looking for signs of adaptability and growth.
However, If you have an eating disorder, it’s possible they are probing to see if you need more care before moving the process along.

Sorry, I cant imagine getting any type of surgery done without knowing what I would need to do afterwards. I used to read these boards a lot when preparing, but post surgery and at goal now, its disheartening to read some posts on here so I'm here a lot less. People not doing what they were advised to do but rant and rave anger here. Seems so silly. Surgery is a tool. That's it. I knew that going in and I knew it during. And, if the surgery team is not giving you enough info, sorry, but there are tons of places online to get it. I never research just using one source. Nor, did I just meet with one surgeon. I get it that some folks have challenges after surgery. No problem. Our bodies are different and react different. But, if someone is not willing to make lifestyle changes, this is not the surgery for them. I'm off to take a break from this site again. Stuff like this is annoying. I dont take it personal, but it just feeds into the negativity out there about having WLS. All the best everyone!

Unless you have an eating disorder or a drinking problem, he will pass you. Instead of feeling like you are on the hot seat, use him--ask him questions and ask for guidance for things like the vacation challenge.