Rocinante

You might want to pack a Biotin spray as your mouth gets really dry and it's a terrible sensation. I used a Lipsil on my lips so much, as my lips were so dry. Sorry I can't think what you call them in the USA. Like a clear lipstick ??

What i’ve eaten so far today:
cheese and oven baked (leftover) pita with hummus: 269 calories.
Homemade creamy potato and mushroom Soup, and a couple of the aforementioned pita chips (omg so good, lactose pills def a requirement beforehand!): 245 calories. Ate it all.
Also, i had some beef Jerky and pistachios in between (270 calories)

None here at all, including spicy heat.
My wife and I really love flavorful dishes, so we cook a lot of Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Mexican, Peruvian, etc. dishes and I've had no issues with anything so far.

Wow, I get different teams having different plans and advice but I can't understand why your entire team wouldn't be on the same page. That's crazy, and I can definitely see how it could be confusing or overwhelming.
Unfortunately asking here isn't going to help or resolve the issue for you because everyone's plan is different so everyone is going to tell you different things.
I would probably follow the paperwork they gave me, and likely specifically ask why you keep getting different information than what is on the paperwork you were given. It never hurts to ask questions.

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less than 3 weeks to my surgery date, Nov 3, 2022!
I feel like I am over preparing!! save me from myself lol
I have ordered my last batch of Protein Shakes (tho most of them will be incorporated into pre op diet but will have some after) and a variety of products for my liquid phase and beyond for home and to keep at my desk at work (protein shots, bariatric Protein Soup mix, special drink mixes etc… about $100 worth total of a variety of products to try) … also already have a list of stuff to get from the grocery store before surgery for the first two weeks or so… want to be stocked up and not have to think much
also starting some nervous cleaning (which is unlike me lol) to try to make this nicer for when i get home…

please tell me I am not alone with over preparing in the final stretch before surgery!!!!

I get joy out of planning things, so I'm in a similar boat. Surgery is 11/22 and I already know what is going in my hospital bag, ordered samples of Vitamins to try, scheduled clearances, ordered the things I need for my preop diet and everyday try to think of what else I can do to be more prepared. Just can't decide if I should get 2oz containers or go to 6oz to get more use out of them, I never realized the smallest I have is 16oz, no wonder one overeats without realizing it.

I was 58 when I had my VSG; it's been ~nine years and it was the BEST decision I ever made for myself. Yes, you're older now than I was then; but if you've been medically cleared for the surgery, and desire a better, healthier life, more energy, more style, less shame, more confidence, go for it. The few months of "sacrifice" (i.e, adjustment and acceptance of smaller food volumes), is well worth the years of physical improvement and better health, more energy, etc.

I am in my 60s. I just recently had a revision WLS. I will speak mainly about my first WLS since revision was made for other reasons. For the first few months, the post-op diet does feel like a sacrifice. Especially the liquid phase. Not actually physically since I had decreased hunger but more mentally, emotionally since eating was never really about physical hunger to me. After the first few months, things normalized. I was able to eat whatever I wanted, just a much smaller amount and social eating was pleasant again. Because of the rapid weightloss, and the positive feelings of losing weight, it was much easier for me to transition to a healthier diet naturally.

Was the the weight loss worth it and did it offset the sacrifice? Absolutely. I feel so much younger now being able to move as my body intended. Most health issues resolved too. I would do it again and again in a heartbeat.

I'm not quite your age, but still in the "boomer" set. I can't tell you if you should or shouldn't have bariatric surgery, only you can decide that.
I did want to point out that if you approach bariatric surgery as something that will "feel like a sacrifice", this may not be for you. Instead, I would suggest you think about the things you are currently sacrificing at your current weight. Are you sacrificing your health? Are you sacrificing activities with family and friends?
The only people I've met that regret bariatric surgery are the ones that didn't think of it as a life changing opportunity to fix their relationship with food. If you have the surgery and go right back to eating junk, you may regret having it done because you won't attain your goals.
in the event you are wondering if it's safe and effective "at your age", I'll leave you with some studies:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11695-019-03718-6
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550728922001605
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ggi.12527
https://europepmc.org/article/med/30175564

I’ve lost 60 lbs in just under 4 months. 🤗
liquids: all I drink is Water (64 Oz) and I have 1 cup of coffee a day. I have lost my taste for coffee. I go through phases craving other things. I haven’t done Crystal Lite except for my first 2 weeks post op. I felt like the longer I drank it, my weight loss slowed. I have always noticed that about me and artificial sweeteners in steady, large amounts.
on the liquid phase of post op, I had Bone Broth, sugar free Jello, sugar free ice pops, AND water. 🤦🏻‍♀️
there is some recipe floating around on this site I think for mashed potatoes with cream of chicken Soup and the lumps are strained out. It’s delicious and I was happy to have that for dinner every day. It’s all really a blur now. I had no appetite and I still dont, so I made sure I met hydration levels. When I was able to do that, I added in Protein. I think I used Atkins because I detested Fairlife and Core and the others. The surgeon told me to be hydrated first and then concentrate on protein. Atkins has a 30 g of Protein Shake that I try to have once a day now. I know that I don’t eat anywhere near the calories I am suppose to, but I am simply not hungry and I take my Vitamin with Iron so I’m not going to worry about it.
my biggest most constant craving is salad. 🤣🤣🤣 With a small amount of sugar free Salad Dressing and crisp lettuce, and white meat chicken (Panera), I’m good. I try to meet the protein numbers with Atkins Protein Wafer Crisp bars (1 a day). I read every single label before I buy anything, and I’m enjoying cooking for the first time in forever. Making things yourself is a great way to be sure you are getting what you need. Shrimp, salmon, egg white/egg salad are all things I enjoy.
mom wracking my brain trying to remember 2 days post op. I know I was supposed to drink clear s/f Gatorade or something, but I was so nauseous (even with Patches, etc) that I did ice pops, jello, and the next day I was able to graduate to broth, and Protein Shakes. I stayed on liquids for a long time-maybe 5-6 weeks because I wasn’t hungry, it was the dead of summer, and I didn’t feel like going on to the soft foods phase. Mashed potatoes were great, and I literally could not eat more than a tablespoon before I was full.

you look fantastic

I am around 10 months out but need to loose 20/30 more and can’t!

Ok, so here is a different kind of Before and After.
Been having Body Fat Percentage on the brain after a short discussion of it on the food B&A thread.
I’m 5’2”, 118.8 lbs this morning, down from 235 lbs 4 years ago.
Picture on the left is me 2 years ago (Summer, 2020), when i was working out regularly and eating pretty low-carb. I was probably 115 (or less) at the time, body fat percentage 13-18%.
Picture in the right is me today (118.8 lbs), wearing the same shirt and bra, but not the weight belt that i was wearing in the 2020 pic (which is why my waist looks tiny in that pic). Body fat estimated at 29%.
I def do like better how my bod looked a couple years ago, but not soooo much that im willing to put in the effort to get back there, ha!
So lesson(s) for the day are:
1. number on the scale is NOT the only factor that determines “health” or fitness level.
2. Sometimes u need to weigh a particular goal with the effort required to achieve/maintain it and decide if its for you.
3. Getting to and staying at a particular fitness level takes effort. Regular, and consistent, effort. I am in awe and admiration of those who can get and STAY fit. It’s hard, man!

Just about a month post-op sleeve here. I went with the sleeve because of lack of complications/intensiveness of the surgery compared to the bypass. My own opinion is that the bypass is for those who are incredibly morbidly obese, such as 400, 500, 600+ lbs. I think the sleeve is better geared towards those who are overweight and obese, but not to the extent of the bypass. Ultimately, it's between you and your surgeon/doctor. I wish you the best of luck!

The only one that can really answer that is your bariatric team. Don't hide the truth from them. Let them know what's going on and they will let you know what you need to do.

The primary goal of the pre-op diet is to shrink your liver so that the surgeon has a nice open operating field. If you are militantly compliant for the rest of your diet you should be fine. But you do risk having additional incisions if a liver retractor is required because the liver is still too large, or, if severe enough, the surgeon may have to reschedule if he determines he can't operate safely once he gets in there.
A better question would be are you sure you're mentally & emotionally ready for surgery if you're not able to be compliant on the pre-op diet? It may be helpful to have additional time to work on some better coping strategies and do some internal work to make sure you're fully prepared. Compliance is important not just for success but also for safety.