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On your plate. The fruit and veggies section is more protein. Need balance. I think i would go back to basics for a week.. 1 cup breakfast lunch dinner. Replace one meal with a protein shake. Reboot your mind and follow the post op plan for a guide.

Okay, so I had reached a BMI of 40 when I got the referral to the surgical team. But with 6 months of nutrition counseling and the 2 week liquid diet, the day of surgery I had a BMI of 36.3. I chose the bypass and I am very happy with it. My weight loss has not been the dramatic numbers you see with larger patients, but it's been stunning to me. I am almost a year out and am currently within 9 pounds of a normal BMI. I have not been this weight in 30 years and I firmly believe no amount of diet and exercise alone would have gotten me here. I would do it again in a heartbeat and wish I had done it earlier. With regards to the bypass itself, I am very pleased with it. I chose it over the sleeve because of GERD concerns and because my brother, who had the sleeve 15 years ago, has had a lot of regain that I think the bypass will help me avoid to some degree. I had some issues with vomiting for the first several months when I didn't eat very slowly or had something that was not the "right" texture for my picky insides. But other than that, I've been great. At this point, I can eat about a third to a half of a typical portion of most meals so I don't feel like I get funny looks or anything from people who don't know my situation. I do not experience dumping, which is sad because it means I can eat sweets if I want them without getting sick. And yes, I do want them, so managing cravings is my biggest challenge. I no longer care much for bread or pasta and I also don't eat rice. I do like a few roasted potatoes sometimes and I will steal a couple fries from someone else's plate but I won't order them for myself. I mostly prefer protein, veg, and fruit. And, yeah, sweets... My labs have all looked good so far (have to go get blood drawn next week ahead of my 1-year follow up). I feel fantastic. My one concern had been not being able to take ibuprofen because I was taking it a few times a week for pain. Well, within weeks of the surgery, even when my weight was still fairly high, my pain went away. I have had one time in the past year when I had a headache and wished I could take ibuprofen (and actually, I could have if I had really needed to because a single ibuprofen, or even one a week, is not a high enough risk to worry about).

I had a fun weekend too. I was invited to a wedding where they served hors d'oeuvres all afternoon followed by dinner. I had 4 mini appetizers, dinner and dessert (tried everything 1-2 mini bites). Went home and was famished LOL and the hubby had ordered Mexican so had 1/8 or so of a burrito, then some protein chips before bed. I did dance all night and broke a sweat so there's that. The funny thing I worked out my legs the next day (FASTED) and had tons of energy (thanks carbs) and even ran 2 miles after my workout. Weighed myself today and I had dropped 200 grams, how? God knows.

Today was my one month post op appointment and I gave her my phone with the summary of all my macros for the past week since I’ve been on soft food and a “normal” portion size (3/4 cup) and told her my current steps and she was really happy. I was worried that since my stomach was not operated on and I can tolerate foods and the larger portion of the range that I was eating too much for a month out and she said that with my level of activity I actually need to increase my protein a bit and the carbs as well and that my calories were fine to go up with that. She said that my loss is excellent and to keep doing what I’m doing just to increase my protein to 90g. She even said that I can add more veggies and some other foods as tolerated. I was worried about trying like asparagus and corn or rice paper (I’ve been craving spring rolls since I seen a recipe while on purée). I had already done my grocery order for this week and was going after there to pick it up so I added them rice papers to my cart for next weeks grocery run. I went ahead and scheduled my appointment for next month but she said that if I am still doing this well I can reschedule to my three month for my labs. I’m pretty excited! I did not feel like this after my sleeve. I feel like I have a handle on this, I am actually enjoying the healthier foods and the exercise. My energy's and my mood have improved tremendously. .

Funny how different our taste buds can be after surgery. Rice protein powder is a new one for me but I struggled with the pea protein. So much for its claim it was flavourless. I love peas but this tasted & smelt awful. Plus the texture - blah! I had a huge container of it & was going to throw it out but like you felt it was a waste of ‘food’ (& money). Ended up giving it to some friends of friends who loved it. May be you can find someone to give your rice powder to or donate it to a food bank?? I gave away some tins of tuna I had in my cupboard (gone right off it not that I loved it before). The pest man who came to spray my house yesterday took the two tins I had. Now to find someone to take the tinned salmon.

Sorry for any mistakes I make in my entry, but english is not my first language :) I am in need for some advice since I'm getting frustrated. So it's only 2,5 weeks since I had my sleeve-surgery, and the doctors have told me to be patient, but I just want to check in to see if anyone else have experienced this (I'm sure there is!). I am now on regular food, which means I can eat anything, but as adviced I always try to up my protein. After I eat a meal I feel alot of discomfort in my chest, I feel so much air have to come out, I often get the hiccups and I burp alot, I also gulp in my mouth. I make sure I don't drink water 10 minutes before a meal and 20-30 minutes after. But I have been vomitting my food , especially my dinner, alot. That happend yessterday evening, I ate dinner, waited 30 minutes, drank a sip of water. Then felt so neouses I had to make myself throw it all up, and it was hardly any food since my pain in my chest (gas) keeps me from eating. I have not yet felt full from eating, but I always stop because of the pain in my chest. My quesstion is why am I throwing up and when will the pain in my chest go away. Thank you in advance :)

How are things going? Have you gotten back on track? Remember, prioritize protein first, then veggies, then healthy fats. Lower your carbs, cut down/cut out sugar and salt as much as you can. Same with soda and alcohol. Get plenty of fluids in (minimum of 64 fl oz). Move your body and exercise.

Tomorrow will be a year since surgery, I've lost 62 lbs since the surgery, a total of 100 lbs since the beginning of the journey. This started for me with gastroparesis, hiatal hernia, and bile acid reflux with normal GERD. All of that is now better and other than a slight hiccup (hernia repair in November) I've done very well. Overall the first few weeks are still a blur, and life just got easier as the months passed. I continued to walk and work out, and the difference is amazing. My feet feel better, my back feels better. I have plantar fasciitis, and have had spinal fusion at 2 levels, so that is an incredible relief, the pain is much more manageable now. I used to get relief only from NSAIDs, now tylenol works well. My prediabetic situation is now gone, my A1C went from a 6 to a 5.2. I've recently discovered I can have a bit of chocolate or regular cookies, any more than a bit and I'll have sweating, nausea, etc. It's not that bad for me, but not pleasant which is actually helpful. I can eat anything I want to, but I don't feel driven to eat the things I know I shouldn't eat. Head hunger is a thing but I deal with it by eating protein and if it doesn't taste good, I'm not physically hungry. Not to say I haven't had a few slippery slope moments, I have, but it's much easier to get back into the good habits now that I've been doing it for a year. I just feel like myself again, physically I feel normal again, and that is life altering. I wear stupid cute clothes, mostly thrifted because I didn't know where I would land, but I think I'm there now. I loved trying different styles and colors from what I've been wearing, and now I'm back to my style, just different sizes. I wear softer colors, loose and comfortable styles, and I just feel good. I have to say that this site, and the people on here that take the time to answer questions and discuss the experience has been extremely helpful, so thank you!!!! Happy New Year everyone!

Sounds like we are in somewhat of the same position when it comes to food! I am really struggling to eat more 🤣 Protein shakes are also going to have to remain a part of my life for a while! I am glad that you are feeling great though, amazing to hear!

So yesterday, I was finally able to get down a cup of decaf coffee, cup of yogurt and a full protein shake (along with sipping my water). I wanted the coffee for sure, the yogurt was purposeful though I didn't really want it and finishing the shake in a day was surprising. However, today I can't help but wonder was that success the beginning of now having an "appetite"? Because did I just have some phantom hunger urge? I mean what is an appetite now? Am I doing too much? Today, coffee down, yogurt down about 2 hours later and I actually wanted it, and now I'm sipping my Butternut Squash soup that I truly did want 😋. Curious what are my true appetite/hunger signals will now be? Anyone care to share their experiences in the early days of PostOp?

For my prog it’s the general guidelines rather than individual I guess. I have a Nespresso and k cup machine - the only decaf option in Nespresso is level 6-8 intensity haven’t found any palatable k cups any suggestions?

I suppose I'm one of the few people after reading responses to the OP's post who haven't had their past food cravings or the food they love change. I still want pizza, phad Thai and Chinese food etc. No, grilled fish doesn't suddenly appeal to me anymore than it did before surgery, in no way is grilled fish comparable to fish and chips to me. I don't suddenly find a piece of fruit better than a brownie. There are times I'd kill for a roll or a sandwich with actual bread (not keto tree bark full grain bread) and yes I become resentful. I'm being totally honest, healthy alternatives don't taste as good (to me) and trying to change food I love/loved to a "healthier" version just isn't the same and doesn't taste anything close leading me to; 1. A waste of time and energy and cost, cooking/cleaning afterwards 2. Total disappointment and yes anger. I explain this because I found myself becoming upset because I wasn't and haven't experienced the sudden love of healthier food like others here on this forum leading me to be upset with myself. So, I'm being honest about my personal experience. There are some alternatives I have found such as Yasso "ice cream" bars and Wilde chicken chips, but that's about it. Unfortunately, I find myself just not eating opposed to stuffing yet another high protein non tasty food into my mouth. To combat this I stick to a few things I do like (you should know I've had food issues my whole life, in fact I almost died as a child because I'm an extremely picky eater - food texture issues). So, this is on me. I do get the required protein or close by drinking a fairlife protein drink. I say all this because the taste for healthier food doesn't happen for everyone and I don't want you thinking it most definitely will for you then if not wondering what's wrong with you!. I've only experienced dumping one time, but for the most part I can eat what I used too, the difference is I chose not too. Being thin to me is by far better than eating something I love and enjoy. Does it take a lot of joy out of my life? Yes, celebrations/holidays just aren't the same. I'm not trying to depress you, I'm sure you have enough of that as it is, but I am being realistic. You need to determine what your real priorities are; 15 mins of eating enjoyable food or 24/7 of being thinner and healthy? It all comes down to the mentality of it. Having your head straight on what you really want. I truly hope you're one of the lucky ones as all those who've responded thus far and you find healthier alternatives you like or you just don't like your old food loves, but be aware that might not happen and start getting it straight in your head now. Thinner/healthier/longer life/decreased co-morbidities vs. 15 minutes of food enjoyment and weight gain? Lastly, If I really want something I get it, take a few bites and physically walk away from it. I throw it away before I eat more or give it to my husband.. either way I get away from it. It all comes down to choices and what's really important to you. Good luck, you got this, you've haven't gone through all this just to throw away your opportunity for a healthier thinner life. It would be a tragedy for getting a few good tasty bites in. I really hope I haven't burst your bubble after reading others more positive your tastes will change posts, I wanted you to also read there are others who aren't that lucky but still do what's right for a healthier thinner life. Its all getting the mindset down and if all you read was just the your food tastes will change posts and that never happens you'll blame yourself like I did. I hope this helps you. Some may condemn me for my less than positive post, but I've always been a realistic no rainbows flying out my backside type and I would have appreciated both sides of it right after surgery so I knew all possibilities. Lastly, don't condemn yourself if you do cheat occasionally, just up step up and eat right next time!

I love MyProtein for powders. For shakes, I also like Ufit, Grenade and For Goodness Shakes. I hate protein bars. I've never found a good one.

Had my one month post op appointment today and I showed her my food tracking summary of all my macros and told her what I’ve been doing on my fitness and she was very please. Said my weight loss is excellent and my food choices are perfect. She wants me to increase a little bit to add a little more protein and carbs because I’m so active now but other than that everything is fine. I cannot believe how amazing I feel you guys. I have not had this level of energy since I was a teenager and I’m not just eating but ENJOYING foods that I never liked before!! The fresh ingredients is seriously the trick. It’s more work but it makes things taste so much better.

Pre-Op Diet The pre-op diet has a few purposes. The critical one is to shrink your liver so it’s not blocking your surgeon’s view of your insides during surgery. That makes your operation easier and safer. The pre-op diet also helps you lose weight. That may be surprising since you’re expecting to start your weight loss after surgery, but it’s actually a good idea to start losing weight beforehand. In fact, the more you lose before surgery, the safer surgery will be, and the better you’ll feel afterwards. Different surgeons suggest different pre-op diets. The diet has about 1,000 calories. It could depend on lean proteins and other nutrient-rich foods, or it could be a liquid diet with protein shakes. Or, it could be a combination of the two, with each day including two protein shakes as meal replacements plus one meal with vegetables and protein. The pre-op diet can last from a few days to several weeks or even months. In general, the longer you’re on it, the better. You’ll lose more weight, shrink your liver more, and gain confidence that you’ll be able to continue a strict eating program long-term after surgery. Get in Shape Why exercise before surgery? One reason is that, like with a good diet, it can make surgery safer. In this case, it’s because exercising can strengthen your heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Of course, exercise also burns calories and can help you lose a little extra weight before surgery. Another reason to get in shape before surgery is because it will make recovery easier. Many weight loss surgery patients find that walking around the house and then the neighborhood is their best tool for fighting post-op pain. If you’re used to being active before surgery, you’ll have an easier time walking after surgery. You don’t need to go crazy on your pre-op exercise regimen. If you’re not used to exercising, start small. As long as your doctor approves you to be active, just find a few minutes each day to walk at a comfortable pace. Clean and Stock the Kitchen Fact: you can’t eat food that’s not there. So, clean out your kitchen. Get rid of sugary desserts, starchy snacks, and fatty meats and cheeses. Anything you know you shouldn’t be eating shouldn’t be in your kitchen. Get rid of it before surgery because for weeks after surgery, you won’t be physically able to carry out heavy trash bags filled with forbidden foods. Once your kitchen is cleaned out, stock it up! At least get the protein shakes and powders you’ll need for weeks or more after surgery. Consider getting some flavored water in case you’re unable to tolerate water post-op. You can also stock up on non-perishable staples, such as canned chicken and tuna, frozen fruit and vegetables, and instant oatmeal packets. Take Your Nutritional Supplements You know you’ll be taking nutritional supplements post-op. If you have the sleeve or bypass, you’ll be taking them for life. With the band, you’ll need supplements for months, years, or life. Did you know you shouldn’t wait until after surgery to start taking your supplements? At a minimum, take a multivitamin beginning when you start your pre-op diet. Even if you’re eating a balanced diet, the supplement helps make sure your body has the nutrients it needs to heal your surgery wound. Also, it’s an insurance policy so that if you have trouble eating and swallowing supplements for a few weeks after surgery, your body will still have a good store of nutrients in reserve. Practice Your Healthy Eating Habits Consider the pre-op period practice for the post-op diet. That includes eating slowly, measuring portions, and choosing nutrient-dense instead of processed, high-calorie foods. Also consider making exercise a habit now, so it’s easier to get back to it after surgery. You cannot guarantee an easy surgery, but you can certainly do a few things to improve your chances. Use these tips to take control of your pre-op prep as soon as you’re ready to lose weight and get healthy!

I have to admit, I'm also unaware of revisions that can be done with bypass. I was under the impression your options are fairly limited after bypass, though I'm no expert. Reflux after bypass can certainly happen, but it's highly unusual, as is stretching out your pouch to an abnormally large size (aside from the regular increase in capacity that is normal). I would think a visit to your primary care doctor would be your first step, or an appointment with your surgeon's office if that's possible (I know it's been a long time, so maybe that isn't possible). You're going to want to determine if something has gone wrong that can be fixed surgically, or if it's something that medication or lifestyle changes could better address.

Exactly as others have reacted. What is your definition of a normal size? I can eat about a recommended portion size and that took me well into my 3rd year. Sometimes it depends on what I’m eating or if I’m feeling hungry & then I can’t eat the whole portion. Not unusual to have leftovers in my fridge. As an example I can eat about 3ozs of protein plus a cup of vegetables for dinner, 2 golf ball size rissoles/meat balls & cup of vegetables, about 2/3 of 2 scrambled eggs, a tub of yoghurt, 1/2 a large apple, 8 macadamia nuts, 8-10 grapes. If I go out to eat I can eat about 3/4 of a main meal in a fine dining restaurant when meals are pretty much recommended portion sizes. In Australia our servings aren’t as large as some of the American servings though they are getting larger in the casual eating places. For example, I ordered a small salt & pepper calamari meal at a pub & took half home for dinner. This is an Australian site (below) but I’m sure there’ll be US sites about recommended portion sizes to give you an idea. However, you need to work out what size portions will provide you with the appropriate nutrients and calories your body needs to function effectively and for you to maintain your weight. https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/how-much-do-we-need-each-day/serve-sizes Your nutritionalist will help advise you on this too.

I miss a stack of pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, it would always be the breakfast I would order if staying in a hotel. My favourite food day of the year, after Christmas Day, is pancake Tuesday I have made my own protein powder or oats and banana based pancakes and they have been fine but really miss the crispy bacon 😋 I think I will try one when I am on holidays later this month and see how it goes down. A big grief of mine at the moment is not being able to trust my stomach at times, in that food may not go down well whereas the same thing was no issue a few days before. It has made me much more wary when eating out.

Hello again everyone! I'll start by saying I'm sorry it takes me so long to post my responses. This is because while I do skim posts from my phone, especially when I see an email that has me tagged I find it so much easier to type and properly respond from my desktop computer. So - If I 'Like' a post' just know I'll likely later mention something in one of my long summarized posts, like this one! Yesterday was exhausting for me; I slept poorly Tuesday night due to heartburn and tenderness on the left hand side. I did get a few things done yesterday, though, including making it to Walmart finally to get my returns processed. I'm not sure why I thought I'd need extra bandages and such after my surgery, but I didn't. That said, after reviewing the cost of canned soups and canned chicken, I decided just to buy a rotisserie chicken! Honestly, that's proven to be easier and more economical because after deboning it there is plenty of flavorful chicken to either puree into chicken salad or puree with chicken broth and some canned peas/carrots as a kind of 'no noodle' soup! I also had a ridiculous epiphany this morning - cooking and straining our fruits BEFORE mixing them with yogurt or ricotta works WAY BETTER! This should have been obvious but in my addled mind I've been either 'peeling' the strawberries, or like this morning I thought I'd put the whole blueberry yogurt smoothie through the metal screen to strain and hey - that worked POORLY! Lol - silly the illogical things we do at times, eh? Or maybe it's just me, idk! Oh - I ALSO realized yesterday evening, when I had basically zero energy nor desire to mess with dinner but still was far short of my protein goal that I hadn't started taking the Collagen yet that I bought to help my hair, skin, and nails. Lo and behold when I scoped it out (I ordered Nature Target Multi-Collagen Peptides from Amazon) that one scoop DOES have 9g of Protein! I truly felt like I was cheating the system when I poured a scoop in about 4oz of Gatorade Zero, Orange and called that my dinner. I'm not sure what caused me to sleep better last night - the fact that I held/hugged a pillow ( Thank you again @draikaina8503 for mentioning the pillow your nursing staff gave you!) against my left side during most movements throughout the day, the fact that I was extremely tired, the relief from hearing from my doctor's office, or just time and healing in general) but I DID sleep well and today has gone more smoothly for me. As of today I'm 17 days post op, about a 1/4 of the way into my two weeks of puree diet. @ShoppGirl - I haven't noticed about white spots on the tongue after different types of protein drinks because I've been really aware of any 'filmy texture' so rinse my mouth after each meal, but I do feel like the Ensure is thicker and takes more effort for me to rinse after drinking. Thanks for mentioning the Protein Water! I'm going to look into that to see if it will help me meet my protein goal of 60g/day. @draikaina8503 - I haven't noticed much as far as skin sensitivity goes although my bruises from where they stuck me have taken an AGE to heal! I've been worried about you and hope that the incident with your doggo didn't leave you with any lasting damage (I may see a post about that later as I read). Are you taking Collagen Peptides by chance? I noticed one of the Youtubers who documented their own surgery journey dealt with breakouts afterward while taking Collagen and wondered if maybe it was impurities being purged from their skin as a result of the Collagen itself. If not I'd definitely mention it to your surgeon and double check (not that I think you'd miss anything since you seem VERY thorough) that some ingredient you're intolerant to hasn't snuck its way into your routine. Update: Oh good, I'm glad you got some reassurance from your physician's office. Wow - congratulations on the return to school! The start date is rolling right up, isn't it?! Yeah, timing - eesh - I feel ya! Best of luck in finding a comfortable position in which to do your course work, and the energy to tackle everything at once! So far though it looks like you're nailing it and no reason to think that success won't keep right on coming! Oh - and yeah, I guess I AM blessed to have been given this little bottle of Hibiclens! I had noticed that there was one of those tubs in my hospital room when I got ready to check out and there was another bottle of it in there as well as a couple of 'No rinse' shampoo caps. I snagged everything out of it - figured if my insurance was paying for it, I was gonna grab it for possible later use! I wish I could hand you this extra bottle, honestly! @Pepper_No_Salt - Wow; goodness! Yeah; honestly it sounds like you're doing way too much! I'm only just now starting to feel up to helping load the dishwasher, and today I managed to slowly sort through the clothing in my chest of drawers for size/quality of condition. Even then, I had to have my fella open the drawers for me because it's older and they stick a bit, plus pulling anything makes me tender, much less bending and pulling at the same time! I can't IMAGINE trying to tackle everything you just listed at this stage. I know we all heal at different rates but my surgeon's office told me yesterday that the pain *I* have been mainly experiencing, a pulling/tugging on my left side, can take up to a month or two to recover from. She said to remember that despite how the surface appears to have healed that there is a LOT of repair and healing happening internally. She also said that as frustrating as it is to just try to be patient with myself because the body is adjusting in a lot of ways between not getting hardly any carbs, learning to get its energy from different sources, i.e. stored fat, processing our intake of protein/water differently, and literally healing multiple organs (for me, SADI, intestines and stomach from the sleeve portion) and that takes a lot out of a person. @Justarwaxx - Oh my goodness, that sounds VERY anxiety inducing! This is your body and your journey, I absolutely suggest contacting your surgeon's office to see if they can send you some kind of guideline on what to be doing at your different stages. Also, I will be honest - that sounds like a lot of calories to be intaking during your liquid diet and I can't help but wonder if you're drinking maybe the wrong particular protein shake? I don't say that because I think you SHOULD worry about calories specifically but you DO need to worry about sugar intake. I got tripped up because my surgeon's team gave me a booklet guide for the whole process and I'm not supposed to drink any protein shakes that have less than 15g of Protein and more than 5g of sugar. The protein shakes are deceptive as heck, though! Example: The off brand Equate ones I got are Max Protein with 30g of Protein and less than 1g of sugar, and one time I accidentally bought their Protein Plus which had 20g of sugar in each one! They tasted great - but at the cost of all that sugar it was a hard pass! Also if you are drinking regular Gatorade or Powerade I could see that being a factor; I'm on Zero Sugar for my non-protein beverages. I can totally see how you'd feel at a loss - I spent 10 months working up to my surgery (because I had to quit smoking, etc) and I still feel like I'm winging it. If your surgeon's team didn't mention it, I will - there is an app called Baritastic that is free on the Google Play Store. You can scan the items you intake or search them on the 'Food Log' and it usually pulls up the correct information and lets you put what percent of the listed serving size you consumed. I do suggest checking at least one time to make sure it's pulling up the correct information that matches the Nutrition Facts listed on the item. After that it will be recorded in your 'Recent' list and you can just choose it easily that way. Baritastic also has a built in Timer for 30 minutes you can use to track when you stop drinking and can start drinking after a meal - once you're past the liquid stage and move on to meals that's pretty important across the board as far as I know. The 'No drinking 30 minutes before, during, or after a meal' is important because due to the adjusted size of your stomach it can only fit a certain amount, and you could get overly full of water before or after a meal otherwise, leading to you being sick to your stomach or feeling miserable overall. Honestly, I've been setting a timer when I sit down at my computer as well so I don't get absorbed in what I'm doing and sit for too long. That's been helpful! Best of healing and well wishes to you all - Oh, finally updated my ticker but bummed I can't put 'SADI' as my surgery type. Oh well! Adding: The Finch App continues to help me navigate these waters, big time. I open my free Finch app (Also on the Google Play App store) more often then I open Facebook or any social media. Taking care of that silly cute cartoon bird and getting rewarded for taking care of MY personal business is such a benefit to someone like me who is almost certainly ADHD/Autistic at some level. I even use it to remind me to log my food/liquid intake in Baritastic. OH and I did make solid contact with the testing center I've been on a wait list with - looks like I'll at least be able to get in to a counselor soon, though I'm still on the wait list for actual Autism testing. Ok - that's all for now!

How is everyone doing over the weekends when schedules are more flexible and chaotic? I was pretty proud of myself today, my hubby asked me late last night if I wanted to go car shopping today and I didn’t really have anything to pack in terms of food but figured we may get stuck there if he found one he liked and we decided to get it so I threw a couple of shakes in the cooler for lunch and dinner. Luckily we didn’t get stuck, although we may next weekend because he has narrowed it down to one car now, but I was proud of myself because in the past when I didn’t think ahead for stuff like that I would end up starving and eating out of the vending machine and/or fast food when we finally got out of there. I think I will always keep shakes on hand for situations like that (just toss one into the cooler when I go shopping with a friend or whatever). Or protein bars but I’m not sure if they make me feel as full as a shake does.

I've heard/read of this before - so yes, some people do seem to develop lactose intolerance after weight loss surgery. You could try something like Fairlife milk. It's ultra processed although it has higher protein and less sugar than regular milk, and it's lactose free. There are other brands of lactose free milk on the market, too.

Low fat Cottage cheese -- you can jazz it up with different savoury or sweet seasonings -- a bit of cinnamon and splenda was a favourite of mine, but so was garlic, dill and a touch of salt. (And honestly, just black pepper was great. I missed pepper.) Refried beans or pureed kidney beans / chick peas. (Or hummus on a lazy day). I mixed my refried beans with a bit of enchilada sauce (choose one with no added sugar). It gave deconstructed bean burrito vibes. Pureed sweet potato instead of regular white potatoes. Again, you can make it a sweet dish with cinnamon, or turn it savoury with a bit of salt, garlic and black pepper. You can do the same with butternut squash. Add a little water / broth to make it a smoother consistency, and throw in a scoop or two of bone broth powder or unflavoured protein powder so you're still getting that protein in. Have you tried any strained or pureed soups? Particularly the cream-of-whatever soups, pureed chowders, etc. I also liked some of the protein soups at the bariatric pal store enough that I still used some of them as sauces 4mo out. The BP Bacon Cheese soup is good (but salty) and the Proti-Diet Chicken soup is not quite a cream soup but not a broth either. (It's salty too. Honestly, I feel like most powdered soups are/were too salty for my tastes but watering them down a little further usually works)

I bought a ninja creami machine and I get the keto chow mix and I make a yummy protein ice cream. I tend to use milk or water instead of heavy cream because of the calories but it still turns out ok. I also love just fruit in it too, my favorite is pears. Coffee with a protein shake also makes great ice cream. It's fun to throw in weird things and see what happens lol.

I unfortunately am very limited in protein shake flavors that are available. I'm actually allergic to milk, so all I can have are plant protein shakes. So yay for having to have the more expensive, less available flavors. >_> I did buy a tape measure this morning when I was running errands so that I can take my measurements! My other tape measure, uh.... really put in perspective how big I was because it wouldn't go around me. Depressing but also motivating to know that I am doing the right thing for me. Hopefully, I move to being able to have 'cream of' soups when I get home. Though there are concerns about how much surgery they will actually be doing as I do have endometriosis. So the hope is that it hasn't spread since my last endo surgery 15 years ago, and therefore they don't have to deal with that particular complication. I am nervous about the hernia repair. I know it's common, but it's just one more thing to go through. I've been prepping myself for the bypass, not the hernia repair. LOL

I was supposed to have my surgery Dec 28 last year. I had the option of taking a last-minute cancelation the Monday of Thanksgiving week, but when I told my mom (whose help I needed with my kids), she was totally against it. Said I would ruin everyone's holidays if I had a terrible recovery and kinda made it all about everyone else. So I gave up the date, even though it pained me to do it, because I didn't want to be selfish. A couple weeks later, my hospital discontinued their surgical program and canceled my date. I was devastated. I had to rebook with a different program, which was still affiliated with the parent organization of my hospital, but unfamiliar to me. I didn't end up getting my surgery until February. It was very stressful and I was pretty angry with myself for not choosing what I wanted instead of what other people wanted me to do. Having said that, it did all work out for the best in some ways. Apparently, the November surgery date would have been right after the doctors at my old program were told the center was closing, so maybe that would have meant the surgeon wasn't as focused going into my surgery, which could have been dangerous for me. And I would have had to do all my follow up with a different program, which would've been awkward. And I appreciate that I knocked out my deductible in February so have had full coverage of all my tests and appointments all year. I actually have a biopsy I have to get done next month (not related to bariatric surgery) and that won't have any out of pocket costs, so yay for that. On the other hand, my recovery was pretty much text book, so all my mom's worries over me ruining the holidays with a terrible recovery were baseless. I was pretty self sufficient and back to about 80% functioning by the end of the first week. And 8 months post-surgery, the holidays are rolling around again and guess what? I still can't eat more than a tiny plate of turkey breast, a few green beans, and a bite of pumpkin pie. I still won't be baking a million cookies or drinking a pint of egg nog. So, whether it happens this year or next, your family will have to figure out how to navigate around your new normal. If it were me, I would decide based on what makes financial sense (your deductible, etc.), what works for you with time off work, and would probably avoid the two weeks right before Christmas just because you will need some time to recover in peace without holidays adding to your stress. In retrospect, waiting until February wasn't such a big deal, though, so if you do have to wait, it will be okay. Just make sure you do it for yourself and not for everyone else.