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I haven’t tried contrave but I’m pretty sure that is one of the meds that my doctors considered for me when I started to regain as well. I wasn’t able to take it because of my other meds in on, unfortunately. I do have a friend that took it within the last year. She said Her dr wrote the rx for the two meds that it’s made from separately because it was quite a bit cheaper that way. I guess it wasn’t the right med for her, though, because she is now trying Wegovy. They started her at a really low dose and she said it will take until month five or six for her to be on the therapeutic dose of the Wegovy. I’m kinda surprised if you had side effects right away if they started you low as well. If so, that’s for sure not the one for you. Anyways, there is a reason that all those meds continue to be sold and prescribed. What works For one person may not work for another. It’s the same as antidepressants. There are a zillion of them because it really does vary from one person to the next. I’m my opinion it’s definitely worth a try. I did take phentermine when I was younger if they offer that option at some point. It worked during the day but of course as a stimulant was designed to run out at night. I did lose a little but not what I had hoped. I’m all fairness I tend to do the majority of my eating at night anyways. I can see where it could work for someone who does not have that terrible habit.

I agree with @Arabesque I was on 200 Cals at 2 months, Didn't manage to get to 800 until about 9 months. Nine months later I was on less than 1000 Cals. My team only bothered about protein and liquids. They advised me to try 6 tiny meals a day. Full fat products helped me. As in cheese, nuts, milk and yogurts. I never had protein drinks. My surgeon was against them. I had milk shakes but made my own but M&S do some, a strawberry shake per 250 mls = 180 Cals and 8 grams of protein. Don't stress over this period, just do your best every day. We are not all the same

August 7th isn't too far away! You're close to the preop diet. I started mine a few days ago and it's testing me, but I knew it would. If I were a smaller person, I don't think it would be such an issue. If I weren't having appetite issues even before the diet, things would be easier, too. What's helped has been sipping on broth or slurping on sugar free Jell-O all day. I go slow with those so it feels like I'm eating/taking in more than I am. I'm only nervous about one thing: the gas pains immediately after surgery. I've never had surgery before, so I am not sure what to expect. I want to have a realistic expectation of pain before experiencing it. I know I will handle it better that way. Luckily, I have a few family members who have had laparoscopic procedures before and we willing to be honest about the experience. I've been avoiding stories online of others' experiences of that moment, because we all have different pain thresholds and it's too easy to go down the rabbit hole of scary stories. Especially with AI/algorithms thinking we want to see the worst of the worst. I want to share why I made my decision to have the SADI-S vs a sleeve or bypass. While I cannot speak to what things will be like after surgery, I am confident I'm making the correct decision for myself. I'm in my 30s with no kids, but would like some. I have been struggling with my weight ballooning up and down for the last 20 years. At my heaviest, I was over 320 pounds. I hit that as I made the decision for surgery. I didn't know what surgery I wanted, so I started doing research into the best bariatric surgeons in my state. I read through their websites and looked at reviews for the surgeons through my insurance provider, google, yelp, and other such websites. Then I asked a few friends in the medical field which doctors they would want doing surgery on them. All of that narrowed my list down significantly. I ultimately went on gut instinct and don't regret it at all. My surgeon is amazing. Her teams is extremely supportive. Here's some information she gave me on my options: -- Gastric Bypass: She does not recommend the procedure to any patient. It has more points for potential surgery complications and, in her medical opinion, the highest chance for weight regain. -- Sleeve: potential to lose 70% of excess weight. Less than 1% chance for complications. -- SIPS/SADI-S: potential to lose 80% of excess weight. Less than 1% chance of surgical complications. I want to have children, and she advised that the SIPS/SADI-S (there really needs to be a better name for this) is the best choice to allow me to get pregnant a year or so post-op (depending on how I'm doing) and reenter weight loss when appropriate post-birth. I will have to work very closely with my weight loss team throughout the entire pregnancy, but it really feels like a bonus to have more support. My surgeon's office also recommends patients to very talented specialists for all surgery clearances. They all treated me like they were part of a huge team dedicated to helping me get through surgery clearance. It was amazing. I was given a packet with all the possible issues I might encounter post-op, what can be done if they happen, and how to avoid them in the first place. When I read through it spelled out in black and white, it's easy to see what my life would need to be to avoid a horrible experience. The most embarrassing ones are noted as being most common with gastric bypass than sleeve or DS. Most of these complications can be avoided by chewing well, not drinking during meals, and not overeating. One of my doctors said I am going back to being a baby again, digestively. I will need to reteach my body how to process what I eat and not be afraid to push back milestones if I'm not ready to start the next leg of the journey. I'm definitely anxious. The unknown is always scary. I'm confident at the same time because of the team I'm working with. And because of the support I have at home. I know I'm extremely lucky to have the surgeon and support I do. It's definitely a burden to afford this surgery right now, but I don't believe I will feel that way in 5 or 10 years.

Yea. I checked and I don’t have any coverage for them either so to get the real deal I would be looking at a considerable amount out of pocket like you. I didn’t mind the suggestion though, some insurance companies are actually covering them for weight loss now and when they do they are much more affordable. I have a friend who just got on Wegovy for weight loss and her copay is only $25 a month!!! If I had that coverage I would for sure be asking more questions. A lot of companies are also making compounded ones that are like $2-300 but it’s not really clear if they are as effective and/or safe quite yet. . My primary provider said they were working on getting the compounded ones in their office so I assume those would be safe but still I question the effectiveness and they are only beginning to work on it now so who knows when it will actually happen. My primary said if it was her she wouldn’t wait for that option to become affordable since my numbers are creeping up. Anyways, your surgery is getting really close. Are you excited? Nervous? I am already a little of both. Mine is Aug 7. I keep on questioning if I am crazy to go with the newest option just because there isn’t as much help out there for me post op. At least I haven’t found it yet. I already spoke with two nutritionists and both of them claimed to know beforehand about the procedure then both of them pushed the same information on me as they would for a bypass. Total waste of money. I have an appt soon with the NP at my office, though. I’m hoping to get some answers about the regular diet and the supplements that are specific to the SADI. Have you started your pre op diet yet??

I don’t think at the two month mark I was Consuming anywhere close to 1000 calories either but 300 may be a bit low. Are you getting all of your protein? That seemed to be all my nutritionist was concerned with at that point. If not, I would definitely be adding in shakes. Otherwise, listen to your team because everyone’s goals are differnt depending on a number of factors. Your goal will most likely not be the same as your friend.

So, I am almost 2 months post-op, and I am due to have my 8 week check-in with a bariatric nurse. My friend also had the same surgery as me, just the day prior, and she has had this check-in already. She was told that at the current stage we are in post-op, we should be eating 900-1000 calories a day!! 🫠🤯 I genuinely don't think my body is capable! I think I eat around 400-500 on a good day, and I mean a REALLY good day (which is rare), and around 300 on a normal day. Maybe I need to have more protein shakes? I don't know. The prospect of eating that much seems so daunting, and I really get full on what I am already eating!

I never had reflux or gerd so I was a fantastic candidate for the sleeve. And after the sleeve, the gerd was so bad I was on 80mg of Nexium TWICE per day PLUS pepcid for break through and TUMS if really needed (and I was always doing all of it, sometimes still with no real relief). I developed so many polyps from the incredibly high amounts of PPI over a long period of time that I needed 4 endoscopies to remove them. I also developed gastritis and esophagitis. I was told I had no choice but to have the revision to bypass. So 13 months after my sleeve, I was back in the hospital having the bypass. The recovery was SO much faster and easier, the gerd was cured almost immediately, getting my fluids down was so much easier, my only real regret is that I had the sleeve at all. I just wish I had gone straight to the bypass to begin with. If you already have gerd, I STRONGLY advise at least thinking about the bypass instead of the sleeve. The bariatric surgeon may not even give you the sleeve as an option, so maybe start considering the bypass as a viable choice.

Don't overthink it. We tend to want to over-prepare, pack too much, stock up way too much, read every single thing we see online and then obsess about any negative thing we see. You're ready. You've finished all the hurdles, you've been approved, you have the date. There's not a lot you can do 2 months before your surgery. Maybe start looking at different food tracking apps to see which feels the most user friendly to you. Look through youtube to find some good GENTLE workouts for the first 6 weeks post op and save them to a private playlist for yourself. Make sure you have some loose clothing for after surgery. I bought one of those big, cure jugs that is 64fl oz so it would be easy to measure how much water and fluids I was taking in (admittedly, at first I was barely getting in 3-4oz at a time, but I quickly worked my way up and was glad I had that because it was cute and convenient). Make sure you have plenty of Miralax on hand and possibly, if things are really plugged up, a laxative/stool softener combo. And I made sure when I was drinking broth, it was bone broth because it has more protein. That's really it.

As @AmberFL suggested, I’d start tracking your food intake. You don’t have to do it religiously to begin but just to start the routine & also get an idea of what you’re eating (nutritional value, calories & portion sizes). Then you could make small changes over the next few months like adjust your portion sizes, swap out some cooking styles or ingredients to healthier ones, try new recipes, drop a snack, etc. Also an opportunity to start to reflect on your relationship with food. Do you eat to comfort or sooth yourself (when you’re sad, stressed, anxious, angry, etc.)? Do you crave certain foods when you’re bored? Are you an hormonal carb or sweet? Do you have any eating habits like always snack at the movies or watching tv or have to have cake or a muffin with your coffee, etc. And so on. And, yes, start incorporating some activity into your week. Good opportunity to try some different things to see what you enjoy. You don’t have to embrace everything all at once. Simple small changes are always easier to adopt & adapt to than jumping in the deep end. You have time before your surgery. Second the advice not to buy up big in protein shakes. A temporary change in your taste buds is very common after the surgery and many find a flavour or brand of shake they enjoyed before the surgery in the pre surgery diet is disgusting after. Things can become too sweet &/or salty, the texture can be off putting and for some it’s the smell of certain foods. It can last upwards of around 6 or so weeks. I’m in Australia so none of the prolonged wait you have to go through. My surgery was not quite 4 weeks after I first met with the surgeon so I didn’t really have time to do anything - lol!

Don’t stock up too much on protein drinks if you can help it. Your tastes may change a little post up and tastes for sweets is a common change. I suggest going to a convenience store to get a variety of flavors in singles serves or the four packs they have at Walmart. Enough to get you through a week would probably be safe. Then you can place a grocery order for pickup on your way home from your post op appt for the ones you actually do like or order them from Amazon. (Make certain they have your brand ahead of time of course). If you do get some that are too sweet post surgery don’t toss Them right away though. Once you can have caffeine they may not be so bad mixed with coffee. Either a little as creamer in a hot coffee or more mixed with iced coffee for a “proffee” If you don’t have anyone that can get them for you if your recovery takes longer Maybe buy ahead just in case but save your receipt You may also want to be sure you have something on hand for constipation if your team didn’t tell you to already.

Great advice! A home-deep-clean is definitely on the horizon. And I'm definitely going to try the protein shakes to see which one works the best for me. Thank you!

Not wish but glad that I did. I stopped caffeine about a month or so before surgery, I tracked all my food so I got in the habit, I went for walks to build up stamina, only 3x a week until surgery, I had different kind of protein shakes, one of each kind that tickled my fancy so after surgery I had options. Some I liked and got more, some I had one drink then gave to my hubs. I would wait for the liquid diet until they tell you to start because it sucks! I only had to do 1day and I complained the entire day LOL, some people do a food funeral where they eat all the foods they want since that will be on hold for a bit. I actually deep cleaned my house the week before surgery (I am super Type A LOL) but made me feel good that I didn't have to worry about house keeping for a minute. I do wish I would cleaned out my pantry better, I had junk food in my house and even though I didn't give into temptation, it was there. Also my mindset with food. I'm 6months post op and it still messes with me, like wanting to eat huge burrito because I'm upset but knowing I physically cant. Its like breaking up with someone. @SleeveToBypass2023 said it really well, breaking in a very toxic relationship, you know its not good for you but you still go back. If you can mentally prepare yourself for it. Its a mindf*%^ .

If you have a local Chinese or Korean restaurant, they most likely have a few tofu based dishes. One thing about tofu is that there are different firmnesses (soft, firm, extra firm) which really change the texture a lot. When you're new to cooking with it, just buying the wrong kind for what you plan to do with it can make your dish unpleasant. (Or not knowing how to treat it! I love stir fried tofu in restaurants but couldn't get mine to brown up nicely because for the longest time I didn't realize I needed to press the excess water out for a fair bit beforehand) The other thing is that tofu has a very mild flavour. It mostly just is a great protein with some nice texture variants which picks up other flavors. If you have a vegan friend, you might be best off just asking them if they can give you an easy recipe to try -- or see if you can wriggle a tofu-dinner invite from them one day so you can try it out 'properly'. One of my favorite new ways to eat tofu post-OP is in dips! It does kind of mask the tofu though, so I don't know if you'd get a 'tofu experience' out of it. I've done this one a few times with different variants of herbs: https://www.walderwellness.com/herbed-tofu-dip/ (I tend to skip the parsley and replace with fresh basil, and usually omit the vinegar entirely)

I don't know how other programs do it, but my 6 months of supervised diet was basically just a logbook of what I was eating, when, how much. My team didn't have me on any restrictions until 2 weeks before the scheduled surgery. They certainly followed up with me consistently, but it was more to suggest how I could adjust my food after the surgery -- ie, "I see you had 2 cups oatmeal for breakfast! After the surgery, you'll probably start at half a cup and go from there, you'll want to make it with either a higher protein milk like fairlife or even a protein shake, you'll want to use thicker oats rather than instant or minute-oats," etc I did lose about 20 lbs total pre-op -- just because having to measure my food made me more aware of how much I was eating. I don't want this to come off the wrong way, but I don't think losing too much weight before the surgery will be an issue for you -- or for most people approaching it as an option. If your BMI is high enough to qualify you starting the program, it's highly unlikely you'll be able to lose enough on your own to drop your BMI to a point that it would disqualify you. (I'm not saying it's impossible! But most people turn to WLS as a last resort after so many other methods have failed -- if we could successfully lose a big chunk of weight by ourselves just by being on a supervised diet, we would have done it without turning to WLS.)

I keep a mental tally of protein each day but I haven't been writing it down. However, I have an appointment with my dietician on the 23rd so I think I will write everything down for at least a week before so I can bring it in with me to discuss. I always wear my Fitbit, so I have data for exercise and sleep, but obviously having the nutrition info is important. And it would help with accountability and resisting temptation, too. I haven't tried the cottage cheese flatbread but I've seen the videos and am intrigued!

Are you all still tracking all that you eat? I keep thinking maybe I can stop, but then I feel like I need to be accountable and I like to know how much protein and how many calories I'm getting. Also, has anyone made cottage cheese flatbread? I saw a recipe for it on TikTok. It's super easy, and they said it was good. I'm going to try it tonight. It's just cottage cheese, egg, and seasoning! I think I'm going to make it and wrap up a vegan hot dog for dinner.

I cook for my family so basically I adapt all of our meals to suit my post op diet. For dinner tonight I had ragu in lettuce leaves with added parmesan. Heavy on the veg. Basically spaghetti bolognese without the pasta. I have so many favourites now. Stir fry veg and whatever protein - chicken, pork, beef, tofu, tempeh. Beef chilli without the rice. Chicken or beef fajitas without the tortillas. Sunday roast dinners with the veg but not the carbs. Fish pie without the potato topping. Stews and casseroles with veg only. At 2.5 years post op this is second nature to me. I am really lucky in that I can eat anything. Protein and then veg is my priority but if I have room I fit in fruit too. Still have to be really careful re carbs - they are NOT my friend.

I dump and my first sensation is feeling loopy, then I see bright spots that don’t go away, they get worse. Then the sweats and shaking starts, and if I haven’t fixed myself with some protein then it turns into vomit/diarrhea town. Others could feel different, but the clue to me is you saying your “skin was crawling.” If it’s food allergy related, it’s very serious. I wish you the best!

So I had the sleeve and then a year later revision to bypass (due to complications). I can tell you that I developed sensitivities and outright allergies to foods I had never had before IN MY LIFE after my surgeries. After my sleeve, I developed an allergy to peanuts. Not horrible, but I need to take something if I eat them, so I just don't eat them or anything with peanuts in them. I also became lactose intolerant. BADLY. So I avoid dairy and use almond milk and lactose free things. I also have a low tolerance for salt. I use to salt EVERYTHING and now I pretty much never use it at all because I can't tolerate the taste. It's very metallic tasting and gives me a headache. When I had my revision, all of that stayed the same PLUS I suddenly got a serious, life threatening allergy to shellfish. I have to carry an epi pen with me at all times. I can't eat it, touch it, or even be in the room when it's being cooked because even breathing in the proteins that are released into the air when it's being cooked causes a reaction. I was born and raised in Florida. Shellfish are a way of life there. I could LIVE on crab legs and shrimp. It literally BROKE MY HEART when I realized I'd never be able to eat it again. Also from the revision, I developed an allergy to surgical glue lol Didn't have that with my first surgery, or any other surgery before it, but from my revision on, can't tolerate it, and can barely tolerate band-aids lol I mean, what??? That's so strange to me, but it's true. I've had every test under the sun, and while it's common for taste buds and likes/dislikes for foods and drinks to change after these surgeries (definitely have that, as well), and even to develop sensitivities to foods like dairy and sugar and salt, it's rare to get such major allergies to foods (happens, but it's rare). So of course, my doctors were super interested in me lol Not trying to make history, ya'll, just tryin to feel better lol

Just got my surgery date 7/23 for bypass. Just bought all my vitamins from Bariatric Pal. Stocking up on shakes, protein powder, yogurt smoothies, soup, jello. I do 10 days of liquids preop starting this Friday with the last 3 days being clears only. Going to have my steak Thursday night tho! 😂😜

My go-to marinara brand is Bove's, which is made in Vermont and only contains plum tomatoes, olive oil, fresh onions, fresh garlic, salt, and fresh spices. It's delicious, but is pricey and can be harder to find if you aren't in New England. But the one I will get if I'm not able to find Bove's (or if I'm feeling like a cheaper option) is Ragu Kettle Cooked tomato basil, which you can get at Walmart and Target for under $3 a jar. It's about as close to homemade as you will find from a bigger brand and the ingredients look like things you keep in the kitchen. The turkey meatballs are fresh but precooked from Shady Brook Farms and can be found in a lot of grocery stores. The ingredient list is kind of terrible, though. They are tasty and heat up in 2 minutes, but once I actually looked at all the crap in them (I tossed them in the cart without checking), I will probably opt for a frozen version in the future if I don't want to make homemade. Speaking of frozen, they make frozen zucchini spirals, and I think you can get butternut squash and beet spirals, too. When made with fresh (not frozen) ingredients, I just toss it all in a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Dinner done!

As others have said, I felt absolutely no hunger after surgery. I got a little tired of the same flavors every day and kind of missed chewing, but I wasn't hungry. I even had to go back on liquids for a few more weeks because of some vomiting issues and it was fine. For resting, the first couple days home I rested a lot. I would bring a big tumbler of water and a premade protein shake into the living room and just sit and watch TV and nap when I needed. That passed quickly and the pain was mostly gone within a few days. You will be amazed how quickly you are feeling back to normal. You've got this!

Oh how fun. Do you make Like little flowers out of pepperoni and all that? I have seen some really cute ideas online for them boards. I just never feel like I have an Occasion fancy enough to make them For. Mayne I should do a board one of these days just for fun. I would like to see if them roses are as easy as them make them look in the videos. 😂 . I need to try shrimp again. I decided that I don’t like it when I was young and I have not tried it again since. I like lobster and snow crab but i think it was more of a texture thing for me with the shrimp. I am such a kid when It comes to food. I need to just make myself try it since it’s a good lean protein. I love salad. I am so worried that I will not be able to tolorate it after the SADI. Some people on the DS board said they cannot. I need to ask if it’s just the lettuce or if they Can’t do raw veggies either. I don’t mind salad without lettuce. At home I use very little lettuce anyways and when I’m out I eat around it to save room for the good stuff.

It sounds like a lot of people have that 10-15-20 lb rebound after they stop losing, so that sounds kind of natural. Don't sneer at your 70lb loss though -- that's the average / median weight of a 10 year old girl. You have lost the equivalent of an entire child's body weight. I definitely second the therapist / group counselling route. I personally think therapy is good for everyone, anywhere, anytime -- but for things like ED it can be a game changer. Also? This forum. Come here often. Make it a point to log in at least two times a week, even if it's just to say hi, or grumble about your new protein powder tasting like saccharine-dipped-shite, etc. Honestly, reading other people's trials & tribulations reaching out and interacting on the regular with other people who are on similar journeys can be such a great support.

The scales have bounced around all over the place this week 😬 These things happen so I won’t stress out about it… I’ve been trying to sort out what clothes I’m taking on our 3 day trip to London. It’s a 5* hotel with restaurants to match, plus we’re going to the Royal Opera House too so want to look as though we’ve made an effort. I don’t actually have any ‘nice’ clothes. I seem to have a wardrobe of ‘it fits, it will do’ plus a load of holiday/summer clothes that are too small at present. I bitched at hubby (not his fault, he was just there in the firing line) and then freaked out. Hubby wanted me to have a look for some new clothes. I’m totally no good at spending money on clothing for myself, I just don’t see the point. I won’t try anything on in a store, so that was out. So, it’s online shopping. I found a couple of sites but I was getting myself in a state and I just balked at the whole thing. I was snapping at hubby and, to be fair, he took it quite calmly. Anyway, I finally got myself calmed down. I found something I liked, he found something he liked, both were in the sale at Phase Eight so I’ve ordered and they are due to be delivered this afternoon. Hubby knows not to be around me when I’m trying something on. Hopefully things will fit (gone up a size from what I think I am, just in case) but if they’re too big, they will go back and if they’re too small hubby wants me to keep them to wear when I do lose some more weight. I’ve also ordered a nice combo from good old M&S too, ready to pick up tomorrow. Clothing really does stress me out. Being fat is one thing but I don’t want to look like a clown as well. I feel shamed and embarrassed when clothes that should fit no longer do. It’s just that, for whatever reason, the shame and embarrassment doesn’t transfer into positive action in reducing my weight. Ridiculous I know. I’m a grown woman who can tell you all the ins and outs of a low carb/high protein diet plus a fair few others so why can I put that knowledge in to long term action?? Why is it taking WLS to motivate myself?? Maybe it’s because I will be answerable to someone else ie the hospital? Something to discuss anyway when I have my dietitian appointment in August. Anyway, Endoscopy tomorrow and knee X-rays on Wednesday. Off to visit the grandchildren on Saturday so that’s definitely something to look forward to 🙂 Hope everyone has a positive start to their week. Onwards and Downwards!