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Hm, good point about the sugar alcohols. My doctor is letting me have peanut butter in the soft foods stage, as she and my dietician let me know at my first post-op appointment last week. For me, candy has been a trigger in the past, but not as much as savory things. I feel like on that front, I'll be ok. As you said, I too definitely want to move towards whole foods, but I would like this one day to have a little something, within reason, if I can.

Weight regain happens. You’re not the only one you had or will experience it. We get over confident or complacent & poor choices slip in. We go back to old behaviours of using food (or alcohol) to comfort us or sooth us in times of stress or emotional upsets. It’s why what you need to do is reset your head not your tummy. Remember how we always said doing the head work is a very important aspect of our weight loss & maintenance. A pouch reset won’t reduce the size of your tummy (not that your’s would be stretched) nor do anything to get to the root of your eating & change your behaviours. Stretching your tummy is pretty difficult. It would take a concentrated to eat excessive portions multiple times a day for a prolonged length of time to do it. You’ve made the first two steps already by acknowledging & recognising the what & why behind your regain & by starting to track your food again. Best advice then is to go back to how you were eating (food choices, portion sizes, eating behaviours, meeting protein & fluid goals) when you were nearing your stabilised weight. Would you consider going back to your dietician to help you get back on track? Did you see a therapist when you had your surgery? Maybe get in contact again for the regain & also the drinking. We have to be careful with addiction transfer after surgery. It can be a slippery slope. All the best. You got this.

@TwinkleToes87 you know yourself and your weaknesses best, but for most people, never having sugar again after surgery is probably taking it too far. I'll grant that there may be some triggering foods that some people would do best to avoid, just as a person in recovery who is addicted to alcohol will avoid drinking, not even a little bit. But giving up all sugar forever, foe most people, is the type of idea that sounds really great when you're planning how perfect you are going to be after this life changing surgery, and quickly becomes way harder and more punishing than you thought it would be when you are on the other side and realize the surgery was on your stomach but not on your brain/personality. I definitely have a sweet tooth, and unfortunately, gastric bypass did not make me hate sugar the way some people do. It still tastes good. But it also takes a lot less to satisfy me now. I can't physically eat two scoops of ice cream. I can eat about 5 bites. So instead of buying a big container of ice cream for home, which could quickly get me in trouble (because I can eat 5 bites at a time, but I could probably eat it 5 times a day, too), I save that treat for when I go out to my favorite farm stand with amazing homemade ice cream. And I split it with someone else so I'm not tempted to take it home for later. I don't buy a big bag of Hershey's Kisses for the house, but I will buy a single truffle from a chocolate shop and savor it. I won't buy packaged cookies, but I'll buy a single cookie from a good local bakery and eat it over two days. For me, the indulgence is now in the quality of what I am enjoying, not how much of it I can consume. It's not "no sugar ever" but "if I am eating sugar, it better be the best and only a little." And just so you know, the day before I had to start my 2-week liquid diet, I went to a restaurant and ordered a massive meal made up entirely of fried appetizers. I felt so sick and gross after, and it was that similar thinking of what if I never have this again. We all have those moments.

[MINI GASTRIC BYPASS THREAD – PLEASE CONSIDER YOUR SURGERY AND EXPERIENCES MAY NOT APPLY TO MINI GASTRIC BYPASS PATIENTS] Hi all BP’ers and lurkers out there; especially hi to everyone who had the mini gastric bypass (AKA the one-anastomosis gastric bypass/single-anastomosis gastric bypass/omega loop gastric bypass) It’s my surgiversary! I can’t believe it’s already been a year. But what a year it has been. Man. I wanted to share a lot of thoughts about my journey – there’s not a ton of MGB patients out there yet, and especially not in the US. I’ll admit I’ve been working on this for a while, because I want to share the good word about the MGB and contribute some of the things I simply cannot find out there. Well, now I know, at least how it’s been the first year for myself. So that’s my small contribution. Below, I’ll post the following posts individually so it’s easy to browse for anyone new: The surgery: what is it, how does it work, what does science say about weight loss and complications with MGB? My journey to weight loss surgery My weight journey for a year after the mini gastric bypass My diet and calories – stages + what does a typical day look like after a year? Exercise – what and when and how much? Alcohol and MGB What I wish they had told me prior to surgery Setting a goal Why I think you should consider the MGB What it’s like being a mini gastric bypass patient on BariatricPal – what I found useful, and why I needed a pause from participating on the forum What now? I hope you’ll find some of this enjoyable.

I don't post too much on here anymore because I'm 2 years and 3 months post of from bypass. Life has pretty much normalized and I've reached my goal weight. I would like to get down to maybe 195 lbs but I'm not sweating it too much because I feel the best I've ever been since starting this whole process. I am six feet tall and sit around 198/199 at the moment. I started this journey at around 340 lbs. I lost 30 lbs before my surgery. I have lots of loose skin on my belly, my thighs, and my arms. Unfortunately, I can't afford skin removal but I'm saving to do my arms next summer. After a while, sometimes you have days where you no longer connect to your old obese self. I have days where I feel huge and ugly still. It's easy to forget where you came from or how far you've come. What helps me is now and then I check my old photos and make comparisons so I can see my progress. The body dysmorphia is so real and something I know most of you if not all can and will relate to. Losing the weight did not fix my body image but it's different for everyone. Some things IT DID improve however: -Improve my joint health (daily knee pain gone). -Took up running. Avid runner now. Have done races and run regularly outside. -Lowered my blood pressure. -Lowered my heart rate. -No longer profusely sweat or turn red from basic activities. -No longer use alcohol and food to cope with anxiety. -So much energy to move and do chores/tasks. -Healed my obsession with food. I love seeing everyone's progress and reading your stories. Getting the surgery is not a fix-all. We have to do the work to eat the right foods in the right portions and get exercise regularly. It's easier the first year but I can tell you it gets harder and harder. Every day is a battle when you're trying to escape obesity. That's not a bad thing. It's rewarding and you learn so much and become a more resilient and deep person. So keep remembering why you did this, where you came from, and how much better life is getting for you!

I'm glad to see so many talking about what they do and don't like and why. That was more the purpose of my posts. Maybe it came off a bit harsh to some, but that wasn't my intent. For example, I tend to get a little testy when I see posts from people who had and sabotaged their surgeries, but I try to remember that it's not my post, not my journey, and my feelings about their post are mine and not theirs. I can't get mad at them because of how I feel about what they posted. No, I'm not saying anyone on this thread is sabotaging their surgery, it's just an example of what annoys me in posts, and how I just skip them instead of posting about how it upset me that they did this or said that. I'm sad my post made some feel a certain type of way, but I can't help but wonder why they felt that way. Did my post strike a nerve? If so, why? I wasn't judging anyone. I never have and never will. My simple curiosity about how one starts liking, or even getting past the taste and smell of, alcohol wasn't meant as a trigger or to upset. But the defensiveness of some about it makes me wonder if those who took what I said as an attack maybe feel some type of way about what, and how much, they drink and projected it onto me... Either way, we should be able to ask questions here, have open discussions, and not get lost in our feelings about it. People ask hard stuff. If it makes you feel a certain way, maybe skip the post. I don't know. This is the first time I've ever felt like this on this forum. I have to take a step back now and rethink my presence here. Sorry if I triggered and upset you guys, but maybe you should look inward and figure out why my questions bothered you so much....

My words of encouragement are these: Know why you're doing this and don't let yourself forget. I am long past my teen years but I have kids at that age now, and I know what a hard time in life it can be. It seems like everyone else can make bad choices and have zero consequences. It's the age where every meeting you go to for school or extracurricular activities has pizza and soda, where ramen is a legit choice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and where even the skinniest kids pack on 20 lbs thanks to college dorm food, pulling all-nighters, and overindulging in alcohol. Swimming against the stream is going to be a struggle. So stay focused on that reason or list of reasons that you're doing this. Have faith and confidence in yourself, and don't be afraid to be different. Young people often have no filters. They say things that are mean because they are insecure or unaware of how it will sound to others. If they're eating wings and beer for dinner and you have some poached salmon and broccoli or only drink water with lemon in it, they might feel bad about their own choices, but they're instinct may be to make you feel bad about yours instead. Be strong and remember why your health is important. God willing, you have a very long life ahead of you. You also have decades of hard times, stress, and the temptation to turn to food for comfort. Work on that now, and don't stop. Take care of your mental health while you're young because life is a challenge. The good news is, you will never be so resilient physically as you are right now. Your body wants to be healthy. Your skin wants to bounce back like a stretchy piece of elastic. You're going to do great and you've got a brilliant life ahead of you!

I'm not a doctor and you should definitely ask your doctor about these results! They are the only ones that can really interpret these things for you!! However I can tell you from experience that sometimes the B supplements they have us taking after surgery can really push up the B12 levels, even into the abnormal category. But far as I understand it, the body will deal with the extra B12 just fine. At least that is what I was told and it may be true for you, so try not to worry until you talk to your doctor! Also, rapid weight loss post op can do odd things to our labs overall, especially our liver labs. That is because all that fat we are losing has to be processed in the liver and it stresses it out a bit. This is one of the reasons we are advised to avoid alcohol for the first year, that liver doesn't need anything else going on to stress it out! Plus there is a risk of transfer addiction but that's a whole other story... So try to remind yourself that your body is working very hard right now and that will probably show up as some unusual labs for a while. Your doctor will let you know if there is anything to be concerned about. And finally, being in ketosis post op can do weird things to our labs as well, especially when it comes to what shows up in your urine. So again, try not to fret too hard until you talk with your doctor about this. It is possible this might be something they want to follow, or it could just be because of surgery and rapid weight loss in ketosis. Only they can tell you what is really going on. ❤️

ok, gonna throw my story on the table...take from it as you will, as a lesson to live by, a cautionary tale, or a personal justification...you choose. pre surgery i was also a weekend warrior, actually, more like a yearly quarterly warrior, lol. i had like a couple drinks every 2-3 months. probably got stupid drunk once a year or less. during weight loss phase (which lasted 7 months) i had maybe 5 partial drinks. i don't think i finished any of those drinks. my first "drink" was 3 weeks post op. I had maybe 2-3 sips of a glass of red wine. it was really weird, i swear i could feel the burning of the alcohol pass down my esophagus, through my stomach and along my intestines. my second drink was about 1 month later (christmas) and it was a very sugary soju-sake drink. again i had maybe 2-3 sips but this one resulted in my second worst dumping experience ever. *shudder*. the next 3 or so drinks were vodka or gin sodas (learned my lesson! less sugar!) ok. now its 2019, im in maintenance and i'm looking hawt and feeling awesome and me and mr. go on a couple vacations and i drink way more than i normally do. but its vacation, right? so its ok. i also took up smoking again after being smoke free for 10 years (but thats another story). now its 2020 and its effing covid, and i, like many others i know started drinking at home (i never did this before, i was always a go-out drinker) ...and now its 2024 and i drink every day. i don't get stupid drunk every day or anything (not that i'm trying to justify anything - i fondly call myself a high-functioning alcoholic), but i do drink every day. its at a point where others (i.e., my doctors and my hubs) are chastising me with the amount i drink. i know i drink too much and its probably doing a number on my health despite nothing showing up on any of my labs or whatever. i quit drinking for a month last year because my son said i couldn't stop drinking for a week. so i know i can stop (or at least slow down) if i really wanted to. trouble is i don't seem to really want to. last year, my OBGYN said i really should stop smoking AND drastically cut down the amount i drink. i told her i'm not sure i could do both, so i made her a deal and said i would stop smoking. i'm proud to say i have been smoke free for 9 months (after smoking for 4 years after quitting for 10, after smoking for 20...say that ten times fast, lol). its been surprisingly easy, but i think its because i can still drink. ANYWAY. i'm hoping to get into a mindset soon to address my drinking problem. i don't doubt my ability to reduce, but i'm not sure i will actually WANT to anytime soon. le sigh. so there you have it. i am the poster child of transfer addiction. despite all this, my weight has more or less remained unchanged (go figure). i continue to stay below goal weight this entire time. ....and i am literally typing this post out with an espresso martini in hand. dont judge me! lol. i am relatively chill about all this so even if you do judge me, i wont take it personally. p.s. oh, i should also mention that i get "affected" real quick and on very small amounts. and i also sober up real quick. this phenomenon is a purely post surgery thing. i needed lots more to get drunk before surgery....although my smaller size now may also be a factor....

3 years out for me and weighed myself this morning.... UGH - 10lbs up. Funny, as soon as I weighed myself, I thought of this forum and this was one of the first posts I saw. I think we lose the weight, get comfortable, and "forget" the WHY and HOW we got here. Something I heard over the holidays: "Wow, I am so proud of you for keeping the weight off" - Me thinking: (as I'm drinking a high calorie cocktail).... I'm pretty much a failure at the moment.... Here's the reality - I lost the weight, got comfortable, quit tracking, eating whatever and whenever I want - Results: 10lbs weight gain. For me, the trick seems to be: Be a slave to the scale, TRACK TRACK TRACK. and get back into this forum. Tracking and weighing seems to be the only way I don't lie to myself (as if my clothes don't tell me...). Get back on the forum and remind myself daily of what I need to do vs. what I want to do. Going to try and get back to the basics: fluids and protein - skip the boredom/stress snacking and nix the alcohol. Thanks for these posts and knowing we aren't alone in this journey!

I don’t really understand drinking to excess either. I don’t really understand why people take drugs or smoke either. Logically I realise for some, just like many on this forum did with food, it’s to comfort & soothe. To forget or avoid, at least for a while, the challenges & issues in their lives. Yes, I drank & still drink after surgery. I don’t enjoy it as much but I was never a big drinker as such - never large amounts. No I’ve never been drunk & only to the edge of tipsy. Personally, I don’t like the potential of losing control of what I’m doing or the situations I’m in (control freak). Also if I did drink more than a couple of glasses, I’d end up with the most hideous hiccups & that would be the end of my night anyway. We’re not a family of big drinkers either so that’s likely an influence too. I do find enjoyment in the flavours of alcohol much like the flavours & ingredients in an interesting recipe/meal. Can’t stand sweet wines or adding sweet mixers (except tonic & soda water in Gin 😉) to spirits but that’s the personal taste aspect. Much like I don’t understand people who say they love coffee but add syrups, cream & sweeteners to drink it. I’m more of a purist that way. I get the drinking, smoking, using & eating to fit in or feel more confident in a situation. I briefly smoked cigars. It was the 90s & I admit I did it to fit in & for attention. I was changing some of my friendship circle & wanted to be accepted. I look back & shake my head but during that time I came to realise a lot about myself & my needs. Like I didn’t need or want to smoke & if those people I was trying to impress didn’t like me for me I didn’t need or want them. Thankfully I only smoked a handful of times over a bout a year. Have no desire to do it again. And came out of the whole experience a stronger person. I’m not going to judge if someone drinks, smokes or uses. (Or mixes cola with scotch or lemonade with vodka.) They’re adults & it’s their choice. I’ll worry about them for sure & ensure they’re safe & not harming themselves or others. I might have just added more fuel to the discussion. Sorry @jparadigm, your original post has been hijacked.

Good for you! Your nutritionist needs to be working somewhere else. It's sad that everyone thinks it's OK to judge us. I educated a personal trainer at a gym (young guy) who, instead of giving me a personalized workout, gave me a lecture on diet. I told him I knew more about dieting than he ever would because I've read all the books and tried most of the fad diets because I've been dieting for 40 years, and that he should stick to his specialty. The doctor in charge of my nutrition team tried to talk me out of the surgery because I'd lost so much weight already. I told her I'd never had a problem losing weight, my problem is it always comes back and more, I want the metabolic reset so my body would be OK with me weighing less. No one understands the complexity of our metabolic set point. Scientists are studying weight loss surgeries in mice and have discovered all their theories are wrong or only part of the reason these surgeries reset out metabolic set point. No doubt their studies are funded by some pharmaceutical company so they can make a med to replace the surgery. Genetics, premature/low birth rate, health and neutrition issues, our culture and upbringing, stress and depression, habits that our bodies have become to crave... It isn't all about discipline. Compare people's attitudes toward Smokers, alcoholics and drug addicts, who get more understanding and less blame for the habits they can't quit (as long as they don't live on the street, beg, or look/smell bad). Broke people can get free rehab. Where is our free surgeries?

first off, @newbegining2024, you will have zero complaints from me, food porn is my favourite kind of porn, ha! re: food funerals, like @Arabesque, i didn't really have time (or thought) to have one. i had postponed my surgery twice in the year and a half prior deciding to finally (again) go through with it. I called my surgeon to say, lets do it in early to mid september 2018, and he booked me in for surgery in a little over a month later for October 2018. I got into tunnel-vision like mode of like, "Lets GOOOO!" while i didn't do any specific diet prior to the 2 week liquid diet before surgery, i DID make conscious efforts NOT to stuff myself or eat mindlessly. i did this for about 2-3 weeks, and didn't lose any weight, interestingly enough. then it was time for my 2 week liquid pre-diet of 3 protein shakes a day. and since i'm a self-proclaimed over-achiever😂, by the end of week 1 i was doing 2 shakes a day, and by mid week 2 i was down to 1 shake a day. yes, i know i was NOT supposed to do this, but i just wanted to prove to myself that i could for some reason (i blame the tunnel vision). again, interestingly enough, i lost 11 lbs. fast forward 5 and half years and life is good, i'm skinny, healthy, happy, and full of energy. i also eat whatever i want...in fractions of amounts i used to, of course. and we aren't just talking salads (though i do LOVE salads!), and boiled fish. i will order items displayed in that awesome spread that @newbegining2024 shared. i eat bread and pasta and fatty steaks, deep fried whatever, chips, bacon, pizza, cheese, alcohol and yes, even desserts. JUST IN VERY SMALL PORTIONS (and yes, i also eat steamed vegetables, grilled lean meats, greek yogurt, and a ton of water). i guess what i'm trying to say is that you don't have to say good bye to your fave foods forever. good luck! ❤️

this scares me but what scares me more is being so overweight never being able to there for my kids for anything. I have lost 100lbs gained it back, lost 40lbs gained it back, I have a very unhealthy relationship with food and self image. Now I am turning to surgery because I feel as tho is my last option to get my life under control. I am aware of the habits that I have will need to stop, the amount of food I eat needs to stop, the alcohol consumption will need to reduce. I am willing to this because this will help me in the long run. I am so sorry your going through this and this does make me more nervous about undergoing this surgery

So I'm home! I'm 72.5kg (159lbs) this morning so I've made it halfway to my goal like a true @NickelChip twin. I'm home until Thursday when I fly off again but It's going to be a hectic few days ( and I don't even want to think of all the laundry I have to do!). Thats means that in the last ten days since I was home I lost 1.7kg or 3.74lbs which is less bad than I thought. @NickelChip The travelling is hard, I'm usually in hotels with client meetings and lunch and dinners most evenings - I tend to tell them I'm intermittent fasting so manage to skip one meal. I'm not against eating in my room in the evening but do prefer to be out because I just hate the amount of time I spend shut in hotel rooms and prefer to profit from the ambiance of wherever I'm staying. It's just such a massive change for me because I've always been a social butterfly out and about where ever I go ... I went to an international school ( well multiple international schools - I was an "Expat Brat / Third culture Kid") growing up so tend to have acquaintance to visit most places too, or have a random packet to give someones cousin/friend/old neighbor and food and alcohol have always played in a big part in that for me. Eating alone inside isn't really my thing. I've actually got an airbnb for Athens because it's a longer stay so should be able to cook in the kitchen there, and I reckon there will be better salads, but it's a good idea to keep a tub of hummus and crudités in the fridge, I'm not a great fan of yogurt berry combos, but might try... I have perfected my smile and head tilt for when people I meet say "oh my god thats so lucky you get to travel so much" 🙂 @gracesmommy2 I'm not a fan of chips but could go for edamame! I come from a family of tall thin women with massive boobs - I'm the shortest ( and fattest) by quite a bit, I'm 5 ft 6 and my sisters, aunts etc are between 5ft8 and 6ft and probably have BMI's round 20.... So even when I was skinny I've always had massive boobs, I was a already a double F at 14 when I was 110lbs. When I was up at 200lbs and over they got to ridiculous proportions and I'd have deep dents on my shoulders from my bra straps digging in the whole time. I'm happy they're getting a bit smaller but hope I don't loose too much and that they don't head too far south .. but if they do ..that's what good bras are for. That said I am lucky because they've never caused back pain! Do take pictures if you feel up to it - they are good to look back at to see progress, you too @LisaCaryl ... I'm sure one day you'll like to look back at them! @Briss72 @Noelle74 @Eighmmie How are you getting on?

I'm almost 5 ½ years out. At this point i don't have a "typical" day of eating at all. It all really depends whats in my fridge, or where i am or what i feel like eating (and yes that includes cookies and bread). Now yesterday we went to costco and i loaded up on my fave lettuce mix (bought 2 boxes), also picked up a bag of avocados. so i had a salad for lunch and will probably going to be eating salads with avocado for the next week or so if/when i'm home...but its fair game to whatever when i'm out and about. for instance last night was margaritas (2) and 3 spicy chicken wings (oh and i bite of my pals' dessert crepe..spoiler alert it was NOT good) 🤷🏻‍♀️ i average 1800-2000 cals a day these days tho. BUT...at your stage (2 months post op, if i do my math correctly?) here is a sample of what i ate for a week back then: this week was the xmas holidays for me tho, so there was alot of eating out and not so much prepared foods at home. and you can see that i consumed almost double the amount of calories i normally take in on xmas eve...and i remember having a barf at some point that day (i was still learning my full cues so barfing was pretty common for me around 1-3 months) overall, slightly higher than normal calories (for ME at that time) on a couple other days that week. i also remember that i probably would have eaten more on the actual xmas day, but i drank a few sips of a super sweet alcoholic drink that night and i was counted out for the night due to a bad bout of dumping. yikes...it was NOT pretty. *shudder* anyway here are some screenshots from MFP for the week at my 2 month post op mark: also note that while these are logged as "meals" i generally pecked at each "meal" throughout the day and didn't actually eat all listed at one sitting. note also i did NOT make my protein goals by any means. i didn't come close to doing that regularly until sometime after the 3 month mark. and why there doesn't seem to be any protein shake consumption this week, i do not know! lastly, i had a lot of fun looking up my old food logs, so thanks for inspiring me to, lol.

@Noelle74 congrats on your weightloss! @BlueParis you look great btw and thank God I’m not French! 😂 I can’t imagine living somewhere where I felt ashamed of myself constantly because of my weight….. not that I haven’t in the past here in the states but never consistently as you’ve described. It’s interesting bc I’m fairly educated and a registered nurse to boot and still managed to become obese even having a very extensive knowledge of nutrition. I feel like a lot of “skinny” people just think that fat people are lazy and have no self control when often that isn’t the reason (or at least the only reason we are fat). For me at least, my obesity is multi-faceted…. a) I love food, particularly yummy fattening food and sweets and I DO lack self control when it comes to overeating. See d) below lol b) I also have diagnosed PCOS which makes me insulin resistant so I don’t metabolize carbohydrates like a normal person and they make me gain weight fast as opposed to someone who isn’t insulin resistant. This just makes it difficult to maintain a healthy diet for me and others like me in the long term bc you almost have to steer completely clear of carbs ALL the time. And I mean most carbs….bread, fruit, etc. c) Like @NickelChip has pointed out, at least here in the states, its like you’re set up for failure from the get go if your busy……it’s soooo difficult to eat healthy on the go if you don’t prep ahead. Good luck “grabbing” something while you’re running around that’s easy, cheap and isn’t processsed to death and horrible for you lol. And I swear the food in European countries is better than here and less processed. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Who knows? d) I’m flat out a food addict……I have no doubt. I mentioned one time before, I was a heavy smoker until January. I only quit because my surgeon made me. lol. I have tons of alcoholics and drug addicts in my family. I’m someone that truly believes that addiction is partially genetic. My addiction just happens to be food and tobacco. Not to say that you can’t overcome this. It’s just something that is and another hurdle to jump. I mean who knows, maybe if I lived in France I’d be shamed into being skinny? But that just sounds like a miserable position to be in. I’m glad you’re getting tiny again @BlueParis so you don’t feel that way and for your health and cerebral palsy. For now I’m with @LisaCaryl and @NickelChip, I would like to be healthier and it would be nice to be able to buy clothes in the regular store/department and not the fat lady store. At 288# I had gotten to where I never wanted to leave the house bc I was ashamed of what I looked like. But I’m in an 18ish now and at least no longer feel like I have to hide my giant fat self inside anymore. So that’s definitely a win for me right!? @LisaCaryl keep us updated on your knee…..Hope it’s ok, you probably need an anti inflammatory but they’re harsh on the stomach so be careful! @RonHall908 I wish I was like you with your exercising! I envy that strength and drive you have bc I’m lacking that. I did however get my Pilates bar today and did the workout that @NickelChip posted. Now I just have to keep up with it. We’ll see 😉

I've always joked that I came out of the womb with an addictive personality. Born to two parents with substance abuse and alcohol abuse issues, childhood trauma and other things always seemed to point me down the path of poor life choices that resulted in addict type behavior. I used off and on from the time I was 9 until I was 21 and then again from 23 to 29. I've been clean and sober now for 10 years and had no idea how heavily I relied on my ability to gulp down fizzy drinks or snack when I fell overwhelmed or overstimulated until after surgery. To make things better, I have a depressive disorder and a complete repulsion to my medication. I've tried five or six different antidepressants and the only ones that work and actually help stabilize me emotionally I'll give me serious nausea even just thinking about taking them. I guess I'm here to see if anyone else has major addict energy and what exactly you poured yourself into post-op? I feel like my life is falling apart. I am down 75 lb since the middle of September. I feel like I look exactly the same. I'm so overwhelmed with work just logging in makes me nauseous. And today my daughter told me she misses me being a fat mom because I had more energy and wasn't so sad. FYI, I am currently on a wait list for a psychiatrist to see if I need to get on any kind of meds aside from what I'm already on and on a wait list for a counselor, but my provider says it could be up to 3 months more before I get in to see anyone. I kind of don't know what to do and I'm tired of sleeping my life away. Help.

This topic is merely being presented as an educational topic with hopes that there has been experiences in the use of Marijuana after bariatric surgery. I smoke marijuana maybe once a week like having a glass of red sangria to relax after a long hard week. Although I'm not a frequent user, I am wondering if I will be able to use it after surgery. Fact for me is that it does induce hunger and I am sure this would not be condusive to being successful after the sleeve, but let's be real, there may be users out there who give it try. Unfortunately, there are not any concrete studies on this either like there is for tobacco and alcohol users. So feel free to enlighten and share your thoughts. Thanks!

Hell No! I have zero cravings for any food, which has to do with 95% of hormone telling your brain to eat is removed with bottom of stomach, there is no dumping, pouch will not stretch, but your esophagus will lose the feeling for having food in it if you overeat. And if you overeat too much you will have to throw up. But you won't get the sitting on the toilet. Alcohol won't make you drunk on 1 drink, and absorption is so much better. No way, sleeve was only choice I would ever make

I had sleeve surgery July 2023; 1. What was the best part of surgery for you? Everyday things, like my backside no longer taking up more than one seat on the bus, being able to comfortably close belt on plane seat, being able to walk with a bounce in my step, I now love clothes shopping etc. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? Severe complications from the day after the surgery which went on for months 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? Yes, suffered from severe pancreatitis, had a leak in my stomach (twice), allergic reaction to medication given to me in hospital, blood infection. Ended up spending three months in hospital over a period of four months. Had to have another procedure last month also. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? Life after so many months in hospital meant it took a few months to get energy back and was on a sick cert so not able to do anything but rest. Now almost 11 months later I feel great for the most part. Have found it difficult at times to cope with the food choices but now that I am on regular food I just have to try and stick to the smaller portions, eating slower and only an occasional alcoholic drink. I don't let anything stop me now, always carry a protein bar with me just in case I end up some place where the food isn't suitable. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? Months as I was on a feeding tube in the hospital and then the times they took me off it I had to go back to liquids and start the reintroduction phase all over again. Since February really that I am comfortable and now I am even trying foods I never ate before (I had homemade egg muffins today - used to hate eggs). 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? I used to consider popcorn a food group in its own right and ate way way too much of it so now just have had it a couple of times. I love potatoes but try to stay away from them. But these are my choices, not a case that I can't tolerate them anymore 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? Vomiting a lot when ill, couldn't even hold down water, but as part of eating only a few times and I know that it was because I ate too quickly. No dumping syndrome. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? 10 months 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? Yes but only now 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? Yes, I fully believe I suffered PTSD as a result of the complications 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? I regretted it for approx 9 months post op and was very annoyed with myself for deciding to have the op but that was only because of the complications and crap-fest I went through. Now I am through the worst of it I am starting to feel better about it all, I no longer blame myself (but haven't really forgiven the doctor yet) and I would recommend it if it is something you need in order to achieve a healthy long life.

Hi there fellow October buddies! I'm currently four days post op for gastric bypass. Man has this been quite the journey. Can't wait to get off these pain meds. They make me so woozy. I had my hydration infusion today and going for another on Monday. I think it's interesting how many different things each provider is having people do for various types of surgery. I had to do 1 week of protein shake diet and water only. I chose to do 12 days since doc ordered a liver biopsy based on my early 20s alcoholic hep of the liver. Still waiting on those results. Hoping 15 years of drinking minimally gave it a chance to heal somewhat. My beginning weight at the whole process in March 2023 was 284. After starting my life changing habits, I held steady at 268-274. After liquid diet I went down to 256. We shall see how the next few weeks go.

Oh, our changing taste buds. It can be quite intriguing. First there is the temporary change after surgery which I think the anaesthetic contributes a lot too. But then after removing certain foods from your eating, you can lose your desire for them or even enjoyment of them over time. Which can be a good thing with certain foods. I embraced my dislike & sensitivity to anything sweet & rarely eat traditional sweet foods or drinks anymore. Same with alcohol - probably average a glass a month (though with Christmas & Christmas parties coming up I may have a few more through December - LOL! Getting your family on board & understanding your eating now can be challenging. Maybe remind them that you are doing this with the support of a medical team & they are extremely happy with what you are doing & have no concerns. Your digestive system has been altered & you physically can’t eat the over large portions you used to which is a good thing. Maybe add that you are determined to be successful with your weight loss to be a healthier you & would hope you would have their support not their criticism & judgement. But you know your family best & what will resonate with them most. All the best.

I never did do a 5-yr anniversary post (which was like 3 months ago, oopsies). Here is a reply I made to someone's thread about being newly sleeved. I had alot of fun composing it - despite it going off an a total tangent - and thought it had a five-year-sleeve-anniversary type of feel to it so I'm putting it here! Am also adding my requisite swim suit shot, but this one is from vacay last month, and its NOT a full body shot, AND I'm half in the water, lol. Its too cold around here for me to change into one now and take a pic. Plus I'm lazy. So i give you: "5+ YEARS IN 1000 WORDS OR LESS": #### Begin #### Day 0: YES!! I'm alive! Weeks 1-2: Ouch, this kinda hurts. I detest all food and water! I'm sooo effing tired, im just gonna lay down here and be found in 3 weeks, half-eaten by wild dogs. Weeks 3-4: Oh wow, I LOVE water! Eating is such a chore. I don't want to do it. I lost HOW MUCH weight?? Whoa, this thing is gonna actually work! LET'S DO THIS! Those dogs will be very disappointed in eating me. Months 2-4: Am I ever going to eat like a normal person?? It taking me for-EVAH to eat my tiny cup of food. I am sick of people commenting on how I eat. Exercise is so much funner/easier when I'm not so big! Let me sign up for EVERYTHING! I LOVE new clothes! I am losing my hair! Who knew salad is my favourite thing on earth? Months 5-7: If one more person tells me to stop losing weight or asks if i have a disease I'm going to sic my wild dogs on them. I guess this is life now: eating tiny bits of food all day long...I guess I can do that, small price to pay for looking HAWT and feeling A-MAY-ZING. I wonder if anyone knows how full of myself I really am.... Months 8-10: OMG.I CAN'T POSSIBLY UP MY CALORIES TO MAINTENANCE LEVEL! HOW AM I GOING TO STOP LOSING WEIGHT! I AM GOING TO WITHER AWAY AND DIE! Month 11: Oh. So THAT's my maintenance calorie level. That's not so hard. I'm not going to die after all. Ok, Ok, I'll just take this ONE cigarette from you, handsome Italian guy in Italy...even though I quit cold turkey 10 years ago...it can't hurt, right? Month 14: Plastic. Surgery. Month 15: *cries* Month 16: Whoa, I'm looking even HAWT-er than before. How is this even possible? I wonder if anyone has ever exploded from being so full of themselves.... Month 17: Why hello carbs, I've missed you. bread, Pasta, Rice, we shall never be parted again! Oh, nice to meet you for the first time COVID! How long are you staying? Month 18-21: All skinny and plastic-ed up and no where to go. Eff you COVID. I guess I'll just do a little online shopping for stuff to wear when I am finally allowed out of the house. Sure, I'll have that martini for Breakfast. Hey, my hair is back to normal...and its even nicer than before. Go figure. Years 3-5: Huh. I stayed below goal weight this entire time and I am the picture of satisfactory health...does that make me awesome? I dunno...my closet is bursting with clothes...most of which I've worn maybe once or not at all. How am I still smoking??? It was only supposed to be one cigarette!!! I think I may have developed high-functioning alcoholism? Food intolerances? Who me? Nah, I can eat anything and everything, EXCEPT large amounts of sugar at one time cuz, you know, I may pass out on the couch. I may not eat as much as everyone around me, but I don't want to anyway, so there! But let me cook for you, bake for you, make copious amounts of food for you! And no, i AM NOT finished reading this menu in it's entirety...I'm about to order enough food for 5 people...you better be hungry! Today I take no medications other than for my acid reflux (which unfortunately came on due to my sleeve surgery). I eat carbs and (small amounts) of Desserts, I drink alcohol. My last physical/labs 6 months ago produced no concerns - other than an abnormal thickening of my uterine lining, but that has since resolved. I have ridiculous amounts of energy, I rarely fight with my husband, I handle stress and annoyance like a grown up. I'm digging life. Oh, and I still look HAWT. *mic drop* P.S. i also finally quit smoking 5 months and 14 days ago. yay me! hopefully I don't meet another handsome Italian with an extra cigarette in the future. Edited to add: P.P.S. sorry..i meant to just reply about the first few weeks after my sleeve surgery and food progression, but my fingers got a life of their own as I typed out my reply. plus it was kinda fun writing this. I may cut and paste this into a more appropriate thread if I find one Good Luck! ❤️ #### END ####

yes - definitely sounds like a reaction to artificial sweeteners. Would they let you have Fairlife milk instead? (It would probably have to be the plain milk since I'm assuming the chocolate milk and the Fairlife shakes have artificial sweeteners, too). Although maybe there's a sweetener that you can tolerate (most people aren't intolerant of all of them - just some (sugar alcohols are a common culprit. They're the ones whose names end it "-itol", like xylitol)