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At the end of last year, my life was over eating and especially lots of sugar. I binged on little debbie cakes, guzzled icees, had many high calorie starbucks drinks and a lot of fast food. I ate and drank so unhealthy that it really was a slow suicide. It was killing me and frankly I did not care, but rather welcomed it. After several things snowballing, the first of 2022 I started to take control. I made a choice to live. I struggled to work out the pain of the past and even current circumstances which lead me to cover the pain in food, especially sugar and non nutrient dense carbs. The pain that brought me well over 400 lbs and climbing. I journaled and cried and started to stand up for myself. I also did take Ryselbus which helped give me a leg up to do the work. My husband took it but the effects wore off some because he didn’t change. I knew i needed to change if I wanted to live. Over a few months, I did the very hard mental work. I broke addictions to fast food and the sugar. Going through the process sucked. Slowly, I repeated over and over again I was worth forgiving to getting into this unhealthy state. I could heal and forge a new way. I didn’t need sugar or binging on pizza to make me feel better, I could finally start to find empathy and forgiveness for myself. Now I am two days from life changing bariatric surgery in a good place. I am ready for the huge changes this surgery brings. No longer do I binge on sugar, bread, processed food. I don’t even want to binge 90% of the time and I have self soothed myself with forgiveness and understanding the other 10%. I have changed my eating patterns, my portions, my outlook. Sugar isn’t forbidden forever, but it will now be a treat, a sometimes indulgence. It feels amazing to be able to make that choice instead of being ruled by cravings. I feel lighter from not having to carry as much of the huge burden of self loathing and self hate I used to carry. I am worth forgiving myself. I guess really why I am writing this is I know the struggle is so real. each one of you has your own issues and challenges. Each one of you is worthy of self forgiveness and embracing good things in your life. shed the tears, embrace your flaws and find a way to accept yourself and move forward in a way you want. Even if you struggle, It is worth it.

I don’t have a diabetes diagnosis at this point (hoping to avoid that) but I was diagnosed with metabolic resistance and was on my way towards a diabetes diagnosis prior to weight loss surgery. Metabolic resistance can cause your body to react in different ways and really make loosing weight difficult - even when you are doing everything right. It’s a combination of several medical conditions that affect how your body breaks down and processes insulin. I struggled having to eat less than a 900 calories (prior to WLS) to see any results along with exercise (it was not maintainable long term). Eventually I agreed to try some medication - which made all the difference, I was finally able to eat reasonably and loose weight (slowly) but I was loosing. My body still fights me - but it’s better. I’m hoping the damage that metabolic syndrome can cause is reversible for me - depends on several factors (like how much damage was done while it was active, if my weight was the cause or genetics). The tests I’ve had are the fasting glucose & A1C, I’ve had non fasting test (but not asked to eat anything specific) and I’ve had to drink the sugary drink (which is awful). A family Dr is a good place to start, but I’d suggest talking with an endocrinologist if you don’t have one you see. Mine has been a blessing helping me dial in things and he doesn’t solely rely on labs to do it. He looks at my labs and my symptoms to make adjustments… in addition to metabolic syndrome - I have Hashimoto’s also. While ranges are great to guide you if you are looking for something wrong. My Endo is the first to say “that may not be what’s normal for you, so let’s see if we can do better”. Since my WLS I’ve had improved numbers across the board, except my cholesterol, but that might stay high till my weight stabilizes. I still have to take a medication to help my body process the insulin and when I take it, the weight comes off slowly but more easily than when I don’t. (Even if I am eating all the same things and doing the same activity). As far as what to eat, I would think the dr wants to see how your body is processing carbs in your normal diet, if they didn’t give you specific guidelines on what to eat. My guess on the “big meal” is they don’t want you to eat minimally and the test results wouldn’t be as accurate. Depending on the results - it might dictate the next test(s). So I would eat whatever the normal diet is I was eating (and struggling with) to give an accurate reflection of how my body is handling the breakdown, not cutting out carbs or anything else (dessert or snacks) that I would normally have. Good luck!

OMG! I got sleeved April 18 of this year and this past Friday October 28th I found out I’m 6 weeks pregnant😳🙌🏾🥰🥲 Guys, I’ve been with my husband for 12 years, married for 8. We have been trying to conceive for 7 years now. I was diagnosed with PCOS from a very early age and never had regular periods. We started fertility treatments in 2016, got pregnant via IUI 2017 and miscarried 1 month later. I was devastated and waited 3 years later to try again. Unfortunately I had to get uterine polyps removed that year and had to wait. Fast forward to 2021 where we started again and was told both tubes are blocked and we would have to do IVF but had to lose a significant amount of weight to be below the max BMI to do it. That is when I decided to get sleeved. It’s now Jan 2022, I started researching Dr’s, found one in February and we started the entire process. Surgery was a success, lost 86lbs reached my goal weight about 3 weeks ago and then BOOM this. Guys I’m so scared! I’ve read horrow stories of complications and etc. I do want to be excited for this miracle but I also feel like what if? Please share your stories with me, share any encouraging words, anything guys. I have waited what seems like a lifetime for this moment, for this blessing, for this miracle and I want to enjoy every single moment of it!

Well the fasting glucose is the one that’s a part of the regular labs, right? I get those Wednesday. My last one was right on the upper cusp of normal when I looked back but idk if he seen that or not. I think this Is his version of a glucose tolerance or glucose challenge test??. I say that just because he said I can just eat a big meal instead of drinking the gross drink. But it’s not a blood test (it’s the finger prick one) so idk. Lol

I've never had to do anything like that and never heard of doctors doing such a thing? Here's are a couple of basic rundowns of types of blood sugar tests: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/getting-tested.html https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/tests-diagnosis Honestly, the A1C is probably most used, along with a fasting glucose test. (FYI, clinical standards typically require at least 2 different tests, or 2 readings of the same test separated by time, before a positive diagnosis of diabetes should be made.) Both of these tests are easy to do, since they can be part of a regular blood draw. Some docs also like to see a glucose tolerance test, because this will show the swings in your blood sugar the others won't. For example, A1C is an average, but just like 5 is the average of 4 and 6, it's also the average of 1 and 9. Knowing just how big those swings are may help with a treatment plan. I doubt many do that up front, though. Typically they.ll do the A1C and fasting blood glucose and then decide if additional testing is needed. The problem with what your doctor is proposing is that it's not standardized. As you hinted at, your blood sugar levels could be different if you ate a carb heavy meal vs. a protein heavy meal. Without a way to control or account for that, I personally can't see the value in this non-standard test.

Ask 10 nutritionist if popcorn is "good for you" and you'll get 11 different opinions. Here's some of the reasons I've heard bariatric patients should avoid it: I honestly think this one is more urban myth, but some people claim popcorn kernels or pieces can get stuck in the staple line and cause issues. If true, this is obviously a bigger concern the closer you are to surgery. Even if the popcorn itself can be an okay choice, we tend to add toppings that aren't so good for us. It's easy to overeat since it feels like there's not much there. This can catch up to you though. Also, because it has very little protein, eating too much popcorn may prevent you from meeting your protein goals for the day. Popcorn is high in insoluble fiber, meaning it will draw water into it and swell in the gut. Now normally fiber is a good thing for a healthy gut, but especially for bariatric surgery patients that are not used to it, you run the risk of the popcorn swelling while it's still in your stomach and causing significant discomfort. This risk is probably reduced if you eat it slowly. Eat it too fast and you may regret it. Anything you eat in a mindless way (as we all tend to do at the movies), could lead to you eating too fast or too much. See #3 and 4 above. No question that alternatives such as those suggested above may be better for some people. The concern for me is that especially while at the movies, I have to make sure I don't fall into that "mindless eating" trap. That's so dangerous for me. I'm trying to learn to stop associating "movies" with "snacking". (I even do this at home, so Netflix is no relief.) I think at least for me, that may be the better option long term?

Interesting! I'm almost 3 weeks out and I feel like I eat fast, but then I realize it just took me 15 minutes to eat a Tablespoon of egg salad, so maybe I'm wrong. That would have been a bite before! But I can't just sit here and twiddle my thumbs for the 20-30 minutes I'm supposed to take for meals, so I do read or something between bites.

I eat relatively fast. One exception: If it is dense meat, like steak, and especially if I am in a social atmosphere, I slow down and chew really, really, really well. Nothing is worse than not feeling good in a public event.

I have EOE and was diagnosed with it in 2015 so I was already used to taking about 45 minutes to finish a meal and chewing my food to mush so that I don't choke so... nothing has changed there. It sometimes only takes me 30 minutes to eat now since I eat about 1/4 (or less) of what I used to. I tend to stop after a few bites to let it settle a bit in my stomach due to my eating too 'fast' a few times and overeating and since I can't vomit (no idea why, just have not been able to vomit since my surgery and trust me I've TRIED) it's incredibly uncomfortable to eat too much. So yeah. On average it's about 30-45 minutes for me to finish a meal.

I eat faster than I should but my stomach will let me know it's too fast, I am still measuring my food though. 4 months out.

I slowed wayyyy down early out, watching the clock between bites and while I chewed, but I never did have any issues from eating too quickly. I am a year and a half out now and I eat pretty fast. My husband is always joking with me that nobody is going to take my food. Lol I do also measure out my food though and my pouch is on the larger side so I don’t really have a chance to overeat. It is really ideal to eat as slow as you can so that your full cues have a chance to warn you before you overeat.

I am 7 months post-op: I eat pretty slow but I do find myself eating quicker sometimes and remind myself to slow down. I don't get sick from eating too fast but sometimes not chewing enough hits me slightly. Like a lump in my stomach but passes if I take a break for a few minutes then go back to eating. It depends what I am eating as for how long it takes. For example: solid proteins (meats) slow me down because they are "harder to chew" then say pork rinds which kind of dissolve while you are chewing, if that makes sense. I don't know if it is just me but sometimes as I am chewing the food just falls down my throat and I have to swallow before I normally would. It's like the food is done being chewed and escapes. haha hard to explain.

To follow up, I did start HRT this summer and instead of gaining, I actually lost 7 lbs and my worse symptoms of menopause subsided but I quickly realized that any further weight loss was going to be really hard. My doctor prescribed Moujaro and is a big fan of it (who knew?). I started it right after I posted this thread and I'm already down 20 lbs. Holy smokes! The appetite suppression and restriction (yes, I do feel it much more now) is crazy. I relate it to the feeling I had about 90 days out from surgery. I can eat what I want but just not very much of it and I'm rarely hungry. I didn't expect to lose so much weight so fast and I really only want to lose another 10 lbs so I doubt I will hit the max Mounjaro dose. I'm currently on 5 mg with no side effects beyond nausea the day after my shot. If this medication had been around when I had surgery, I don't know if I would have needed to have WLS but I am thankful it's here for me now. My doctor loves it to prevent recision surgery and regain in patients who are 36 months or longer out from their past surgery.

Yes. 3 protein shakes and a 4 oz protein meal (steak,chicken, etc) plus veggies. And of course the suger-free jello and popsicles, and a lot of water. Finished Day 4 today with no problems except the first day kind of felt dizzy/tired. To me it is very similiar to the many diets that I have experienced before so it is not that big of a deal for me. I also got pretty good in the past with intermittent fasting so I am holding off on my 1st shake until around noon. As with many of us, we are experts in losing weight but terrible at maintaining that loss. I am more concerned about the initial post-op phase diet so focusing on preparing mentally as well as getting my supplies. I am going into this with optimism. I greatly benefited being prepared and looking forward to the positive results last year when I had my Knee replaced. I am taking that same approach to this surgery. Hoping all have a successful journey!

Are you sure you are chewing well enough and not eating too fast. They can occur more often because of those things. For some people that is actually their full cue.

I don't think that we can attribute it 100% to other people. If we think about it, the way we felt about ourselves at a higher weight compared to a lower one. The way we carried ourselves and the body language we showed. Do you think it was always welcoming? Did I look like the girl who wanted to be talked to? Probably not. I was depressed, and not confident and my self-image in my head was totally not the same as it was when I was smaller. I know for a fact that shows and can be off-putting to some. In no way does that excuse people from being arseholes, disrespectful or rude. But I always think back to a friend who said when you don't want to be bothered at work "walk fast and look worried." LOL. If that can keep people at bay, I am sure that my depressed, overthinking look will keep people away.

Usually much faster if you pay out of pocket vs insurance. So many hoops to jump through. My first surgery was cash. It was very fast. Everything, tests, surgery... Etc. The latter two were insurance and there were unnecessary delays.

I find the milk in my rolled oats does that to me sometimes. Not as bad as you but similar symptoms - nausea, cold sweats & general weakness & passes fairly quickly likely because it’s more low key than yours. I use lactose free milk but it’s like it’s too rich or something. It tends to happen if I have my milky rolled oats too early in the morning (like before 8am). It’s like my tummy isn’t ready for it. Possibly it happened to you because your tummy can be sensitive (& fussy) fir a while after surgery while you are healing. Though the spitting up saliva aspect sounds like the foamies (not so much the other symptoms though) which often indicates eating/drinking too fast or too much. Try diluting your shake to thin it out some & drink more slowly. Sip, sip, sip.

I'm completely fine now, like it never happened! Totally my own fault. It came on fast- like 10 minutes after I finished drinking. I've been handling liquids really well and wasn't even thinking this morning when I drank the shake SO fast 🙊 It was a lesson for me to slow down and be more mindful of my new stomach.

If I don't chew well or if I take one bite too many or eat too fast. It can be hiccup city for me. Otherwise, I don't get them. Early on I got them quite a bit as my body was adjusting and healing. Extremely common early on but not later on.

I think you hit on the issue there. I doubt this was sugar or fat content, it seems like you just drank too much too fast.

The surgery is a tool, just like using a washing machine or a calculator. It makes it easier, yes but you still have to put in the work. And the tool fades when your hunger comes back so keeping the weight off is just as hard as any maintenance plan I have ever been on with one exception IF you took the time to make real changes to your diet and habits you know what to do to keep it off this time. Having said that, this is a major surgery with real changes to you body. Many of us have chronic constipation to deal with, most of us have to take vitamins forever and I believe all of us are told to avoid NSAIDS forever (which kinda sucks when you get a headache or throw your back out and drs won’t give you pain meds for these things). These are not major things, no but evidence that this does change your body forever. The nutritionist and the bariatric therapists are two huge components to the surgery that make it successful. If you have not tried those two things you may want to consider trying those first before committing to major surgery. I had a low-ish BMI and I had the sleeve (35). I wish I had tried those things first so that I would know I absolutely had to take this extreme option. I may very well be exactly where I am but at least I would know I truly did try everything first. But ask your doctor because you have real medical issues that I did not have and maybe losing it fast is imperative. The surgery will definitely help you to lose it faster that diet alone. Best of luck in whatever you choose. And just keep talking to your wife. My husband is also someone who has always been fit and doesn’t totally get it either. He is at least supportive but he is first to admit he doesn’t understand. I once told him when he was thirsty to try not to drink anything for hours and he will have some clue what it’s like to try to ignore hunger. Not the best analogy I know but it was the best I could think of. I also recommend taking her with you to your doctor visits if/when you do decide to have surgery or while you are trying to decide. They can help explain things to her.

I'm 14 days post op and believe I am in the middle of my first dumping episode 😣 I drank my morning protein shake too fast and 15 minutes later my heart started racing, I'm dizzy, I felt like I needed to throw up, and my whole body got hot. I'm sitting on the bathroom floor right now waiting to throw up but nothing is happening. How long does this usually last? Lesson learned!

You know, I really think this might be a case of my brain interpreting my abdominal pain with hunger cramps. Even though it ‘feels’ like hunger, I have no interest in food or eating. When I imagine sitting down and actually putting a forkful of something in my mouth I feel vaguely repulsed. I also know from experience of intermittent fasting and VLCDs that I usually don’t feel hunger for at least a day or two - sometimes I’d feel a wave of hunger from time to time but it would pass. So it seems unlikely that what I’m experiencing now is hunger - it is a CONSTANT pain and it’s only been a little over 24 hours since my last meal!

The truth is some people don’t lose their hunger after surgery. But it’s best to rule out the other culprits of thinking you may be hungry first. As @kaylee50 said, in almost most cases a rumbling, grumbling tummy does not mean you’re hungry. It’s just your digestive system doing what it’s supposed to: digest food. Not all food digests as fast as others so sometimes it can occur some ti e after you’ve eaten. This also leads to are you on a PPI as stomach acid can make you think you’re hungry too. Head hunger is a big culprit & a tough one to battle. Our brains are powerful & can convince us of lots of things. Are you hungry because you think it’s time to eat like it’s lunch time so I should be hungry? Are you hungry out of habit like because your watching a movie? Are you hungry because you’re stressed, sad, angry, frustrated, etc. & food is a way to sooth or comfort yourself? (The surgery is pretty stressful on your body, emotions & mind.) Do you think you’re hungry because your brain is telling you eating so little can’t be enough food? Try drinking something. I found a cup of green/herbal tea soothing & helpful. Distraction is also good. Go for stroll. Water your plants. Read, craft, play a game. Check out social media, you tube, this forum. Even waiting half an hour before having something to eat is often enough as real hunger doesn’t abate but head hunger does. Be careful eating foods not on your list of staged approved food. The restricted diet is in place to support & protect your healing tummy. Remember all because you can doesn’t mean you should. All the best.