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first meal of the day: i was soooooo excited to eat this while i was preparing it...and yes, it was crazy delicious!!! smoked salmon, avocado, yuzu cream sauce, capers & toasted sesame seeds. with a side of some homemade feta focaccia i made yesterday. soooooooooooooooo yummer omg. a whopping 776 calories for the plate, ate roughly 2/3 of it (?)...Mr. ate the rest.

Good idea. I think it’s pretty standard to require all the labs at three months but my surgeon did require me to go to my PCP a couple weeks after my surgery also. I think it was more of a cookie cutter thing for people that were on medication’s and things that may need them adjusted, but it was in the paperwork so I just did it. it couldn’t hurt. I bet they could answer most questions. Perhaps email your teams office and ask them exactly what labs they suggest.

Today’s win for me is finally starting to feel like I have found a bit of a balance with my life. For the past two months everything has been on hold and life has been 100% about my recovery, nutrition and fitness but I finally able to juggle my crocheting and make time for my hubby to hang out and do things. I was really not making time for crochet very often so I joined a second group so at least I am working on it twice a week but I have been working on it more than that this week. I did decide no handmade Christmas gifts this year though. I make chemo caps for the local cancer center and they are more important than my family getting new towel toppers if I have to pick one.

I have the same concerns going into the holiday season; all 3 holidays in a row always feel hard and gluttonous. I'm going to avoid candy on Halloween and for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'm going to ask for a salad plate instead of a big on and just take small scoops of what I really like; planning on starting with my protein first.

I just watched a video on the procare website that you might enjoy. I get my Bariatric vitamins from procare and they always have very informative doctors etc come on. A few key points made 1. everybody loses weight after bariatric surgery. 2. not everybody maintains weight loss. 3. after gastric sleeve 7 to 50% will gain weight after the seventh year Mark . he goes on to state that success is not about fault, but about physiology he goes onto state that surgery does not change your genetics. he goes on to state that those of us who gain weight have a calorie balance issue our body is not balancing it like it should. versus a person who does not gain weight. he goes on to state that movement at least five times a week is very important and that determining physical hunger versus emotional hunger is very important. Etc give it a look

Recent NSVs: Being able to walk faster than my boyfriend, to the point that he was out of breath and asked me why I was charging about 😂 I have always been the slowest person when out walking, so that felt good After the above, then just running/jogging a bit in a playful way away from him just because, and then not being out of breath, and actually wanting to jog again 🤣 wtf - old me would have been having a heart attack So I can already fit back into the bath now, but now when I got into the bath last night I was like...has this bath gotten longer?? I genuinely feel small in it now, like who knew it was so roomy?? I BOUGHT A PAIR OF JEANS - I haven't worn jeans for maybe 3-4 years now I think, and when I did wear anything remotely jean-like, it was jeggings, so they had a lot of give. Bought some actual jeans yesterday and I love them

I was finally able to get in over 10k steps yesterday. I'm still two weeks post op so no strenuous activity or lifting so I have to walk to work instead of cycling. At first I was annoyed because I love cycling, but I think having to walk will kick-start the weight loss. I've lost 8.5kg (18.7lbs) in the two weeks since surgery and walking helps.

I'm only two weeks post op and it doesn't hurt to eat unless you eat too much. I've learned pretty quickly what "too much" is so it's not painful to eat. Just eat slowly and your restriction will stop you from.being in pain. My mother had bypass in 2008 back whe it was standard to do an open procedure. She was able to eat almost anything and she wasn't in pain when she ate 15 years later. If they are 3+ years post op and still in pain when eating, they are probably either not eating correctly or they should speak to their surgical team.

@Karla83 I’m one day after surgery and that’s definitely true for me and it’s only sips of water. I can feel it. As soon as the water hits my banana stomach…I feel the pain. Mine is like intense muscle spasms. Liquid pain meds about every 3-4 hours. For me it doesn’t take it away. Still very uncomfortable. Walking already and my pain started back up really intense once got back in bed! This is a short period of time compared to a lifestyle change! Where the majority of pain is though is where my hernia was repaired.

Surgery tomorrow morning and just now people are telling me that after surgery it hurts to eat, forever. They are 3+years post op and say it still hurts. It's this true? I'm really re thinking this.

I don't have insurance but our company pays for all our medical the basic stuff and here everything done in the government hospitals is free! Even my surgery was. I paid 3 USD just to register my name. So that's why I am waiting to c if I can also get some counselling sessions included with my post op ...

I had sleeve revision to SADI (just the bypass portion) and I am really happy with my decision. My surgery was August 7th so I am about 2.5 months out and including my preop loss I have lost 55 pounds. I am over halfway to my goal. I have been eating 100% on plan though and exercising a pretty great amount (2.5-3 hours a day). The revision surgery gave me the metabolic Hca Hes tk actually do Al of that though. I never exercised or prepared fresh homemade food with my sleeve. Didn’t have the motivation. It made a pretty huge difference for me. Did your Dr do a endoscopy, barium swallow and gastric emptying study? Mine did those tree before deciding I was a candidate for SADI or Bypass. If the sleeve didn’t work for you long term then I would probably lean away from a ReSleeve. Just thinking why repeat history. Try something different but that’s just me. The research does say that the loss is more durable witb the SADI revision than the Bypass. Not certain about the ReSleeve but my guess is that too since the Virgin Sleeve doesn’t have the best statistics for durability. Also, resleeve is kinda risky. My Dr said he wouldn’t touch the sleeve with the SADI not because of my BMI but just because he doesn’t think it gives that much more benefit to justify the risks so that’s something to look into as well. Ooh and if you do have coverage for the GLP-1 and you can tolerate them, they do work. They don’t have to be long term for everyone either. If you take the time on then ti make real lifestyle changes you may be able to go off of them and maintain. Ibvuously If you just eat a few French fries for your meal you will lose, but will obviously eat more when you don’t have the meds but if you genuinely change your habits then people do maintain the loss. I have a friend that is almost to goal and she has been asking me for advice of what foods to choose to be sure to get her protein in. Kinda odd because she is smaller than me but I have heard a couple success stories with them. My friend has to force herself to eat. It’s a chore. If you do go that route, talk to your doctor about staying on the lowest dose that works for you. That’s the thing that many bariatric doctors usually recommend and it makes sense to try to avoid the side effects. . And some people go onto a maintenance dose after they reach their goal if they need it. Also, see about a three month supply when you do get to the dose that works because for my friend it’s cheaper that way. I strongly considered them but I didn’t have adequate coverage. I even considered postponing to see if things would change but my family Dr advised against waiting since these things can take a long time. There are pros and cons of each option but do your research. This is a good start but make anothet appointment with you surgeon if you have more questions. I did several before I decided. You probably only have this one more shot at this. Not a lot of surgeons will do a second revision ooh and that is one thing to consider if you do go with SADI, it’s newer so ask your surgeon if you had a complication god forbid what you would do. Mine actually brought it up that he would send me to another hospital to someone with more experience with the surgery. I mean obviously he would stabilize me but if I needed a revision because of malnourishment or something he would send me elsewhere. I kinda respected the fact that he would admit what his limits were and appreciated it but maybe you feel differently about that. Or maybe your surgeon is fine with revising if necessary but I would for sure ask.

I appreciate your taking your time to reply ❤️ I feel like I'm not communicating my feelings as efficiently as I can. My thoughts about dieting are similar to that of surgery. I feel as though its a punishment because "normal" people don't need to do this. My downfall is comparison- The line of thought is if I were just an average person, I wouldn't be so big in the first place, I could eat what I want and actually not go overboard. I could do so many things differently, in my head. Realistically I know obesity is on the rise so everyone eating what they want is no longer realistic for many. It's more or less wishful thinking at this point. I've been dieting since I was 5, and believe me that does feel like a punishment lol. I see my counselor once a week, because I, like so many, have a lot of trauma in my past. Late last year I checked myself into an outpatient eating disorder program for binge eating, because I was sure that is my problem. After 4 weeks of doing multiple hours long sessions, I was told my issue is not eating enough when I start my day, and then that trigger major hunger later. Truth be told I don't know about all that, I do know I need to heal my relationship with food and I am working on that. All in all, I know I will make it through, I've been working towards surgery since January of this year. It's given me a lot of time for thinking and reflecting. Too much time sometimes, lol. Thanks for hearing me out and all the great insight. I truly do appreciate it ❤️

My pre-surgery Vitamin A was 43. It had dropped to 27 at 4.5 months and was up to 34 at 7 months, but "normal" is 38 or above, so the doctor is having me take 10,000 IU of Vitamin A daily for two weeks (which is the same as 3,000 mcg) just to bolster my levels. I will retest before my 1 year surgery follow up. You can get Vitamin A supplements over the counter, no prescription needed.

To be fair, that's soup sounds amazing! Very different to what I've been having. If I have another cream of chicken soup in this life, I may throw a hissy fit. Seriously, I know it's all temporary and I'm going slowly because I don't want anything I do to mess this up. The puree stage makes me feel more full than I have in months. After a few bites, (maybe 3 tablespoons total) I was full. But my eyes, are still bigger than my stomach and my eyes were telling me that's not enough. I went for a walk after I was done to make sure I wasn't tempted to have more.

i had low levels of vitamin a the first 3-4 months. and yeah, ur right, for some reason most multivitamins dont seem to include much of it...so my doc had me take extra vitamins a (via supplements) during those months, until he was satisfied with my levels (i had my labs done 6 times the first 6 months) low vitamin a (all vitamins, really) is common among wls patients cuz we really just dont eat enough (i basically ate almost nothing the first 3 months)! Also, when u eat alot of protein (like we are all told to do), our vitamin A needs increase. further, prolonged protein UNDER-eating hampers vitamin a storage and transport within our bodies and blood systems (science, baby!) once i started eating more my levels became satisfactory. (fish, eggs, dairy! yum! green leafy stuff, practically all fruits and veggies! also yum! but liver too...not so very yum, ha) do you/have you ever track/tracked your macro consumption?

I had VSG so wasn’t aware it was common It’s my second panel - i had one 3-4 months out and it was fine I’ll définately call my doctor later today thanks for the insight

Welcome. Yes, there will be many changes ahead but there will also be so many benefits and wins. And yes, it’s not uncommon to have concerns and fears and mourn what you used to do. (Yes, you may find the thread @summerseeker recommended helpful. At least in knowing you’re not alone in how you’re feeling.) I can only speak from my experience. Did I feel worried or grieve before my surgery or after? Honestly no. I truely had, had enough. And it all happened very quickly like not quite 6 weeks between seeing my GP for a referral & my surgery. Though I am someone who once makes a decision I stick to it. It’s interesting you should say you feel having the surgery is a punishment. I saw the constant dieting a punishment for gaining weight. I’d got to the point that nothing I did changed my weight. (Menopause did the final number on me.) I’m five years out. Do I think I’m on a diet now? No, this is just how I eat. Do I feel like I’m not eating enough? No, because I’ve learnt what I eat is appropriate for my needs and I used to eat way too much & way more than my body needed. I pretty much eat the recommended portion size of foods. Do I feel like I’m missing out on anything? No. There’s always alternatives, or you can have a small amount of what ever it is others are having or you used to enjoy. It comes down to how often you have it and how much you have. Plus you may find new things you really enjoy. Do I want to go back to eating exactly like I did before ? No. I mean that’s how I got to the weight I was & why I always struggled. Do I like to exercise. No & never really did before either (another punishment in the most part) so you’re ahead of me in that game. But I have found some things I do (little things like stretches and using resistance bands I do throughout my day) & I actually don’t mind doing them. A lot is of this is about learning & introducing new habits, new routines and developing a new relationship with food. Never be reluctant to seek the help & support of a therapist. Your head can be your greatest enemy. I do have a couple of little issues I deal with since my sleeve? Yes, I call them my quirks. I had a quirky tummy before my surgery so nothing new really just some are different & some are gone. Doesn’t stop me doing what I enjoy. PS And congrats on being able to do a push up. I’ve never been able to do a proper one. I can get down but can’t get back up again - tee hee! I do wall pushups though - stand about a meter away from a wall.

I have been having issues with my phone that I have literally spent like 20 hours on the phone (mostly on hold waiting for a representative) over the last 3 weeks trying to straighten it out and now they did a ticket and someone is supposed to call me in 5-7 days but he basically implied they did all they can do. I have tried anything and everything I can think of. Gone into the store, then another location, new phone, new carrier and back to the old carrier with the old phone. Nothing is working. BUT, even though I am stressed out to the max I have stayed on plan in terms of diet and kept up with my activity. In the past this entire last three weeks I would have given myself a number of cheat days because “i needed it with all that was going on” but Nope. This time I am not turning to food. In fact I am walking more and doing more YOGA to try and calm myself down which surprisingly helps more than food. Huge win for me!’

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

OMG please do not compare yourself to anyone else, its the road to ruin. This is not a quick fix, it may take over a year to loose your extra weight. My journey took nearly 3 years. If you stick at the program you will get to the weight of your dreams. Everyone who does this surgery has a different regime to follow. Some can have solids straight away, some have liquids for 4 weeks then puree for 2 weeks. Some eat low calorie, zero sugar, zero fat etc Some of us [me] eat full fat. Some have Carbs, some of us don't [me] Some exercise, some don't. What I am trying to say is don't try to compare to the unknown. You are doing amazing. Right on track. Follow your teams regime. You are just beginning. Slow and steady wins this race. Any time now you may have a fright when you don't loose anything, your body needs these stalls to regroup.

I had a lap band placed in 2013 and ended up having it removed here in January. It up getting infected. Thankfully no erosion and just some scar tissue. The surgery to remove it was miserable for me tbh but at that time i started the process to revising from band to bypass. Thankfully that went through without a hitch and I had surgery on the 2nd of October. Initially with the band I lost over 100 lbs very quickly and felt so good. Went from 305 down to around 200. About a year after the band was placed I got my gallbladder out and I feel like that is when things kind of took a turn for me. I ended up having issues with the band so I just removed all the fluid after a year or so and just coasted through life with the thing. Things still getting stuck with it empty. Ended up gaining all my weight back and then some. Anyway, I just got the bypass on the 2nd and I am just overwhelmed with fear of not losing enough with the bypass as well as regain. Wondering if anyone has had similar experiences? On the pre op diet I lost 15 lbs and I have lost about 17 since surgery. I am almost 3 weeks. I read about people losing 30-40 right away. I worry im not on track even though I feel as if im doing well. I dont have any pain, my energy is good, i havnt puked at all since surgery (still on full liquids) and overall things seem to be doing well. I do need to up my protein (60-70 grams a day) but am able to get my fluids in. Time will tell I guess but would love to hear about others experiences. Thanks Brittany

You are very early in your recovery and your inside, stomach stitches are not fully healed. You dont want to push food that might do some damage. Do you know that you can't drink with food ? because that would push your meal straight out of your stomach. It is said that the hungry signals are false and could be too much stomach acid working on no food causing the rumblings. Some say its dehydration. It is always best to follow your surgeons regime at this time because it seems to be different from anyone elses. FYI, I was still on liquids at three weeks. It is a massive change in our eating habits and it take a while to get your head around. At about 6-8 weeks when your stomach has healed, your true restriction will kick in and you will be surprised how little you can eat. Just try to hang in there until you get the go ahead to eat meats etc again. They will stay longer in your stomach and you will feel full for longer

I’m 3 weeks post op I had a poached egg for breakfast I ate it all and 2 hrs later I’m starving is that normal

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