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My surgery is in 6 weeks, looking for recommendations on what to eat leading up, what to have on hand after for food and comfort. Also is there anyone else going under on the 19th who wants to chit chat and support each other? I know I can do this, I just don't want to do it alone.

Hi everyone! I have been a little MIA lately; things got busy. I am in a slump lately and haven't really lost any weight in a couple weeks. I know this is normal, but because we have had a lot of events and fun things lately, I also haven't been eating as healthy as I would like to... so really either could be the reason for my slump. I'm trying to stay optimistic and get back on track. I'm so close to FINALLY being under 200 lbs and I refuse to stop losing weight before I reach it! I hope all of you are doing well and I look forward to updating you guys when I have hit Onederland!

Congratulations on your success so far! I completely empathise with the surreal feeling - it is almost like a weird out-of-body experience! I can answer a couple of your questions, obviously not the one about maintenance as I am only like 7-odd months post bypass now I think! I believe I have lost almost 100lbs now (45kg, 7 stone), and in the initial first 5 months I was really struggling to go to the gym so I wasn't very active. I have started going to the gym now and I am really enjoying it, not seeing as fast-paced weight loss currently, but that could be because of muscle gaining at the gym and normal stalling! I think my biggest challenge/lesson has been listening to my new stomach now. Understanding when it is full, and also looking at food differently - I just see it as fuel now, rather than thinking about it 24/7 which has been hard. It has also been a challenge to actually accept that I am smaller now - I still instinctively reach for my old clothing size in shops (UK 22-24), and am genuinely shocked when it is too big, or when something I see as "tiny" fits me. The changing the mind is a long haul lesson I believe! All the best for you on this journey x

@Kimberly740 My surgery isn’t for another week 10/21 on 2nd week of pre op diet. Not doing the perfect following of it though. Did you have problems with having a BM during the 2nd week of pre op diet? Swallowing is hard because of my hernia. Just started a couple of days ago with this difficulty. How are doing now other than wanting something more substantial?

Peanut butter chicken sounds good. Remember them spring rolls had a sauce that was equal parts of peanut butter and soy sauce. I’m glad you just reminded me of it because I really liked it and it was good on chicken too. Sorry to hear about your hip. Really sucks that we get tested with hurdles so soon after surgery but maybe it is just that a test. Test to see if we are truly committed even when it doesn’t come as easy as it did right off the bat. If so, I think we are crushing this test!! 10K steps is awesome. I bet you will not stop at 30 days. When I was doing my normal walking it felt so good I didn’t ever want to stop. As soon as I figure out this thyroid thing I’m gonna start again. Or if the cardiologist says it’s safe. Just scares me that my resting heart beat has gone up and I get notifications from my watch about weird heart stuff so oncology ordered test and did referral for an oncology cardiologist. I need to call that office too another reminder. Anyways, as soon as I get the all clear I will be working back up to join you. I’m telling you it helped me with everything. After doing it consistently my mental health was far better and it made me think twice about my food choices. I was feeling so good I didn’t ever want to do anything to ruin it so healthy nourishing choices were so much easier. I hope your hip is better soon and you meet or even exceed your walking challenge! I am bummed that my clinic has cancelled yoga for next week because the instructor is out but they are adding gentle yoga the following week and I think I am going to check out meditation this week since she will be gone and it’s at the same time so I couldn’t before. I wish these things were offered more than once a week. Kinda unfair for the people who do treatment that day or the day before if their treatment makes them feel icky. They also have a physical trainer that they offer who will do some free sessions but I’m saving them for after surgery since I will be needing more direction then. Right now I just need clearance and then motivation to get back at it After surgery I will have limitations. My range of motion will be an issue and I will need help pushing through them but not pushing too fast. I talked to the guy and he said we can’t go any quicker than my dr clears me but I am going to tell the dr I see him weekly and ask to see the dr more often to get clearance quicker if I’m ready. i am so ready to get back to my pre chemo activity. I can already tell my lack of activity is affecting my mood. I want my happy positive rainbows and unicorns outlook on life back. Drove my hubby crazy but I liked it and I’m pretty sure after dealing with my being cranky and irritable for over a month he is probably missing it too. 😂

Baked some brown butter chocolate chip cookies and they turned out insane. The whole house smells of caramel/brown butter. I had 3/4 of one. Used much less sugar than the recipe called for and I still feel I could reduce it a tad more.

Is cottage cheese the wrong texture for two weeks post op?

I did super well with not paying attention to the head hunger, but in the last 3 months it's come roaring back. It's super hard to ignore sometimes. When that happens, I try to have smaller meals more often and add an extra snack. It's been a while since my surgery, and while I can't eat like I used to, I can eat larger meals now. And when the head hunger hits, I try to "fool" my brain into thinking I'm eating more when I'm actually eating the same amount but broken up into smaller portions so my brain sees me eating again and again and thinks I'm eating more. It sounds weird, but for me it actually works. And I prioritize protein (some days I hit 100g of protein) because it fills me up and keeps me full longer.

That's a great suggestion! I'm actually starting to feel hungry again (5 weeks post op now) so I need to nip this behaviour in the bud now.

Today is 3 years since my surgery. I wept a little this morning, I am still the skinny woman I always wanted to be. Every morning when I wake, I feel my tummy and Greyhound ribs to make sure it wasnt a dream. I will always be grateful to my team who took on a disabled, fat old woman and gave me this chance. I may have paid for it and put the work in but they gave me this tool.

@ShoppGirl I don't, actually. They've changed their offerings a few times, so I'm actually still paying for the group access under a membership level that doesn't exist anymore. I do know they offer a platinum program for $999 that includes 3 personal visits with Dr. Weiner, 3 personal visits with Zoe, plus 3 months of membership for the group meetings (and a bunch of other things like help accessing prescription meds, etc.) but not sure what the cost is to book a single appointment. Although, if you need/want all 6 appointments and planned to do 3 months of groups anyway, it works out to about $140 each with the platinum package, which isn't bad.

Very frustrating but they reckon it’s normal between week 2-4

I am sorry to say this but you will either loose hair or you won't. There is nothing you can do about it. Its a fact. Muscle is a different matter, protein does help there. I had a super fierce restriction due to swelling. I had to eat tiny meals about 8 times a day. I split my 3 meals into little pots and as a grazer this may be a way forward for you. I struggled to make my 60 gram protein quota. I survived, and eventually so did my hair. Look for protein yogurts in the supermarket. A 200 gram yogurt will have 24 grams of protein in it. They were a game changer for me.

Hi, and ty for sharing your experience with me, no worries. I am always interested in making a new friend for chatting so feel free to message me<3 Yes the surgery isn't gonna be so bad I think, it's the pain after I'm more concerned with.

@Candace4283 I have on hand Ondansetron subliminal that helps so much for nausea? I’m not dealing with that now but so much pain but it’s only 3 days out. I’m trying cream of shrimp soup/milk to thin…blended…little protein powder and bay seasoning and protein drinks mostly.

Here's my one-week update after making some adjustments! I've been focusing on protein-rich meals and keeping my intake under 1,000 calories, leaving a bit of room for those extra nibbles. My protein has been between 70-100 grams, and guess what, ladies? I lost 2.2 kg this week, bringing my total loss to 16 kg! I'm so thrilled—I feel leaner, lighter, and fresher, with no hunger cues at all (which feels strange, honestly). If all goes well, I’ll be out of the 90s in just two weeks, which feels like a dream come true!

Hey guys, How is everyone coping with life after being sleeved? I am doing a lot better than I was a few weeks ago but I still have a long way to go! My surgical wound that would not heal had to be packed by the nurses for a month. I'm 10 weeks post op and it has finally closed but it seemed to take forever! The head hunger is very up and down for me and torturous at times.... but I am starting to learn new things about myself when it happens. I am still very much navigating my way through dealing with it, I have good days and bad days depending on what's going on in my life. Depression is definitely a thing for me, I am very up and down. I have suffered with it on and off my whole life and at times I feel so lost. I am snappy with my poor hubbie and I am forever apologising to him. I have times where I feel as though I am crawling around on my hands and knees in the dark searching for the light switch that never seems to appear. I am distant at times even from my family but I don't want to be alone, probably because I don't wanna sit with my thoughts because I can't deal with them. I notice that when I am feeling low the obsessive food thoughts creep in to torture me. I am starting to look into getting some therapy for this, it may help. Anyway enough about me tell me about how you are doing! How much weight have you lost, how are you coping with your new lifestyle and please show us some progress pics! xx

In the last couple of weeks I realise that I grieve being able to have a cup of coffee at the same time as eating a snack. Like at the moment I want one of my Christmas mince pies to take a bite out of in between sips of coffee. 😢 Instead I will have my coffee now and then wait about 30 minutes to eat the pie, not exactly the same satisfied feeling.

I’m going to eat a little of everything. I am just going I pay for it for like a week because when I do carbs my body craves carbs. Just have to pay the price I guess.

Hello! I’m just reaching out to ask if anyone had worsening of their AHI after gastric sleeve. Mine has gone up at least 3 points since surgery and I’m 10 weeks out. My throat is a little soar all the time now too. Has anyone found a good thing to help this? Thank you!

Your body is still swollen from the surgery, it is in recovery, be patient. Your weight will come off, you need to let your body heal, it has only been about 1 week, once it heals, it will be easier for your body to adjust if you did not obsess and keep weighing yourself. This surgery is a tool, not an easy way out. Walking is good, keep it up. If you keep going and pushing yourself, you'll go farther. Think about joining a support group like Barination or Unjury, to learn about the new you and what to expect. Don't be so frustrated yet, you will lose eventually. You want to lose weight for good, and healthy lifestyle habits are important to learn if you haven't learned them yet.

To be honest not well. I’m not a breakfast person, never have been, and it just feels like a “diet” LOL I do better on a low carb diet so the fruit is throwing me. Honestly I’d rather be on a shake for breakfast and lunch and just have dinner. Oh, I also have to exercise 5 days a week and log everything. Exercise is the roughest part due to pretty painful arthritis in my ankle.

My questions were: How long are we looking at for the actual surgery time and time in recovery before getting to the actual room? How long is the recovery and what can I expect during it? How long will I be in the hospital and how soon after the surgery will I be up and walking? Should I use a stomach binder the first 2 weeks to help with the pain after the surgery? What is the recommended time for each stage of eating post surgery, how many calories and carbs should I be getting in, and what are my fluid and protein goals at each stage? When will I be getting follow up blood work (I personally had it at 2 months, 6 months, and 1 year post op)? Is there a list of acceptable exercises to do at each stage of healing until I get my final complete clearance, and at what stage will I get that? What pain meds will I be given and how long will I be able/expected to take them? What, specifically, is dumping and what has been known to trigger it and how do we get through it if it happens? What hormonal changes are to be expected as the weight drops off, especially during the first 3 months? Please tell me EVERYTHING you can about stalls, in as much detail as possible. What medications are affected by the malabsorption that comes with bypass (typically it's extended release, but there could be others). That's all I can remember that I asked, but I hope this at least gives you a good start!!!

Happy New Year 2025! Perhaps, this is an ideal time to share, encourage and exchange our Non-Weight Scale Victories? Our past, current and long term success is not simply a mere number on the weight scale. Or the antiquated medical BMI charts. Do you agree? Just a few of my NWSV's... 1. Long fitness walks without achy knees or feet 2. No longer the need for an airplane seat belt extender 3. I can now see my feet 4. Lost ½ of myself 5. Wear belts and boots that never fit my obese body before 6. Dropped one entire shoe size 7. Winter layers without feeling extra huge & bulky anymore 8. I control food now, it does not control me! AND, so much more.

Hey guys! Thanks for taking your time to read and answer I appreciate it. I had Gastric Sleeve last Friday the 14th. I have had a few moments where it felt like I was having low blood sugar, because I was/am prediabetic. It will go away even eating a sugar free popsicle will make it better. My bf told me it's not my blood sugar cus sugar free wont fix that. I have just had a handful of moments that felt like i would pass out if i didn't get something in me. Is that normal? I get in all my fluids and then some, ate my 2ox 3 x a day liquid diet as well. I was getting about 40 grams of protein a day which was all I could really fit in in three meals of 2oz lol. Today I am starting puree so I am expecting it to get better but just curious. I've had 0 complications and 0 dumping as well.