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Thank you so much @NickelChip for your great insight and information. It’s super helpful and calmed me down a lot. You are absolutely right and it’s something I need to think about and not set myself up for failure by being too restrictive. I was thinking because it’s my last opportunity for solids it would be my last chance to eat that because I had planned to not eat sugar again after surgery. Not an excuse, but I was hungry from missing my shakes due to working also. I wasn’t thinking right at all and regretted it immediately. It definitely opened my eyes to how my brain tries to justify eating something like that. I know I should not look at it as a loss of the foods I used to enjoy. Thank you again for sharing such wise and thoughtful insights. ❤️

Thank you Summerseeker and FifiLux! 2 of my meds are injections so I’m OK with them, another is folic acid but the tablets are small so hopefully will be OK with that. I have a HRT tablet to take daily (plus gel) plus the usual pain meds and vitamins. I intend to speak to my GP in good time re HRT to give myself chance to get used to any changes in medication she recommends. It’s a lot of information to take in when you begin isn’t it?? Hopefully the amount of reading etc I want to do will stop me reaching for ‘unsuitable’ foods in the meantime 😎

That is very helpful! I appreciate how much time and thought you put into your responses. I am around one kilo away from my new goal which I think is too low anyway, so I want to shift to maintenance at the moment but I am scared, worried, don't know how and I think I'm developing a low key ED. I was out with my mom and sister for lunch yesterday and we went to this fancy Chinese place and ordered dim sum, Kung Pao Chicken and Tenderloin. Obviously due to restriction I had very little food but then they brought in a dessert platter with mini samples of desserts they were testing and I was really scared to even trying a mini bite of anything. My mom and sister went like you aren't going to gain weight if you have one bite of something you fancy! this is not healthy. I don't know how to shift gears for maintenance and I am so worried of weight gain but also don't want to be sick looking. I have blabbered too much but I really want to learn from people who have successfully kept the weight off for years but are not afraid to eat. I need to achieve that balance and don't know how to do it.

H Hello there I have had my band for 8 years. Weight loss was not remarkable and at the max of 5-7 kg over all the years. Instead, the band has only caused issues and daily vomiting. Have finally decided to have it removed, as I now suspect it has slipped. I haven’t been able to keep food down for 7 days, despite not having had any fills for years. However, I have once concern: I am 41 y.o and have no children and planning to become pregnant this year. How soon after band removal am I allowed to become pregnant? Thank you

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 remember when my dad had to deal with Medicare a few years back. It was a whole ordeal, from filling out forms to waiting for approvals. But once everything was in order, it was a relief knowing he had coverage. As for wait times, it can vary, but typically they try to process stuff as quickly as possible. My dad had to wait a bit, but nothing too crazy. It's all about staying patient and following up if things take longer than expected. Also, I've been tossing around the idea of getting life insurance lately, you know, just to make sure my fam's looked after if anything goes south. Came across this site, Pure Cover, might be worth a look: https://purecover.co.uk/

Maybe have your friends and family come over to watch a movie and skip the food.

June 11th. Anyone else struggling with the no food 14 days before?

I will say, as I often do, be careful with processed and ultra processed food. That's what made most of us obese to start with. Its raison d'etre is to encourage us to eat more of it. Chemicals are added for flavour, mouth feel, even the noise when you open the package or can is researched to the hilt to encourage us to buy more and eat more. If you look at the ingredients and you don't have those in your kitchen then eat in moderation I think. I love BeanitoDiego's recipe. I've made something very similar with flax meal when I really wanted something akin to the bread I used to eat (I call it a MIM and it dates back to my Atkins diets of yore). If you cook it from scratch it won't be like processed bread and that might be slightly better (for some of us anyway). I wouldn't have made that until I was about 18 months post sleeve, and honestly only once or twice so I could e.g. have food that I and guests I was cooking for could share, but that's my choice of course. Depending on how far post op you are you will want to keep an eye on protein first, veg second, fruit third, carbs a looooong way back fourth if you have room to spare (so you get your protein and vitamins in). Having said all of that - welcome to your new life and here's to making good choices that keep us healthy.

Thank you. That was very helpful. The desire is definitely to chew. The food cravings I have are from Mediterranean cooking accounts on instagram. The salads look amazing. The old me would have liked at sugar and baking that way. At least the food I want is healthy. My surgeon doesn’t want me starting my vitamins until the 2 week follow up. The rationale is that getting all the fluid and protein that I need in a day should be my primary focus and he doesn’t want too much put on me all at once. im prescribed omeprazole twice daily. I’ve been taking the morning dose but not my evening dose. That also seems to me when I start feeling the “hunger”. I start taking them twice a day as prescribed.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. I try to stay around 1,000 calories per day at one year out. Some days are higher in calories while some days are lower. My best days are when I'm measuring/weighing my portions and writing in my food journal. Otherwise, for me, I feel like I give myself permission to eat more and that is what got me where I was before surgery. So, I'm changing my thinking from an obesity mindset to a growth mindset, and using all the tools available to me. So, thank you very much.

While loss of hunger is a benefit of the surgery, there are some who continue to feel hunger. Distinguishing whether you are experiencing real hunger or head hunger is most important to distinguish which you are experiencing. Craving a specific food, flavour or texture (like your desire to chew) is head hunger. If you used food to comfort or sooth yourself in the past during times of stress, anxiety, emotional upsets, hormonal variations, etc. you are likely experiencing head hunger simply because of the (conscious or sub conscious) physical & mental stress of the surgery. Having hunger pangs/pains is head hunger most of the time. You’re still producing the same amount of stomach acid as you did before surgery in your much smaller tummy which will cause the hunger pangs/pains. It’s why we’re usually prescribed a PPI to reduce the amount of acid for a period of time after surgery until it settles. A rumbling tummy also is not a sign of hunger in most cases - just your digestive system working. Many nerves are cut during surgery so signals and messages from your tummy to signal things like real hunger either aren’t getting through or are being distorted. Most of us discover our signals for real hunger are very different from the signals we used to recognise as hunger. I feel restless, like something is wrong & logically there is a real & legitimate reason for being hungry. All this takes time to recognise & understand & is part of the head work we all talk about you needing to do a long the way. Doesn’t help with your hunger though of course while you’re sorting through all this. In the meantime, look for a distraction. Try reading, contacting friends or family, crafting, go for a short walk, play a game, check social media, meditate, etc. Sipping a warm drink can be helpful too. All the best & congrats on your surgery.

1. What was the best part of surgery for you? The best part for me has been being able to do things I enjoy again. There were several things that I either couldn’t do or didn’t want to do because of my weight and now after losing so much weight I have been able to start doing most of those things again. For example, I love going to sporting events, but I had stopped going because I didn’t fit comfortably in many chairs at stadiums. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? I was one of the lucky ones that didn’t have any complications with the surgery (I had the bypass). Really my only complaint about the entire process was the gas pain following surgery. I was told by my doctor I may have some pain in my chest after the surgery, but it was way worse than I was expecting. But it only lasted for a few hours and after that everything went smoothly. 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) after your surgery? Not really. My surgeon did notice an umbilical hernia while doing my surgery but decided it would be better to get that fixed after I lost some weight, so I had another surgery for that 9 months later. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? Easier than I expected actually. I think it helps that I live alone right now so I have quite a bit of control over my environment. Like if I had a roommate who ordered pizza a lot, I think I would have a lot harder time eating healthier, but since I live alone I am able to control what food I am around for the most part. Probably the hardest part for me has been making sure I get enough fluids. I have always drank a lot with my meals and now I can’t do that anymore, so I’ve had to learn to drink throughout the day. I am finally doing better with that but I felt like I was constantly dehydrated for several months after the surgery. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? Not very long. The toughest part was remembering not to eat too fast or take too big of bites. During the first couple of weeks especially it does not take long until you will feel full and even just one too many bites can make you very uncomfortable for a while. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? The short answer is no. I have not found any food that I can’t tolerate, but there are foods I choose not to eat anymore. The only issue I had was with rice, and I think that was just because I ate a little too much. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? My recovery was not bad at all. Like I mentioned earlier, the gas pain was the worst part, but after that really the only pain I had was in my abdomen when I got out of bed or the recliner. I vomited a few times when I was learning to eat again but all of those were from just eating a little too much I think. Recently I’ve discovered I get low blood sugar really easily (and I’m not diabetic). I actually just talked with my nutritionist about this earlier today. I don’t have sugary foods too often, but I’ve found that if I have too much sugar all at once, I will get low blood sugar a few hours later. This never happened to me before my surgery. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? Just a few days. My surgery was on a Monday and I remember thinking I probably could have gone back to work that Thursday if I had needed to (my job is not physical at all though- I work at a desk most of the day). The toughest part was energy level. I returned to work one week after surgery but I was only able to work half days for a couple of days. 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? Yes, I have way more energy than I used to. I used to have to force myself to work out a few days a week, now I don’t like going even one day without some form of exercise. 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? Yes, I think it has. It has helped my mental health in some ways, like being able to do more of the things I enjoy has helped with my depression, but I have also found I am struggling with stress and anxiety more than I used to. I think at least part of the reason for that is that I used to cope with stress and anxiety by eating and I can’t do that anymore, at least not the way I used to. Also I should add that there was a part of me that thought that all of my problems (including my mental health issues) would magically go away once I lost weight. My mental health has definitely improved since I lost weight, but it is still something I am struggling with. I started seeing a therapist a few months ago and I believe that is helping me out a lot. 11. Do you regret it? Do you recommend it? I have not regretted it for a second. I was relatively young when I had the surgery (I was 32) and a part of me felt like I didn’t need the surgery, like I thought I was still young enough I could lose weight without surgery, but looking back on it I am glad I didn’t wait. I had a number of minor health problems that were all slowly getting worse, and I realize now that it was good that I didn’t wait for them to get worse. I will add that I feel I am one of the lucky ones that has had basically no complications from the surgery and no food intolerances or dumping. I know not everyone has had as easy of an experience following the surgery as I have.

I think we all go through that and even now sometimes I think that if I eat a little bit too much. I'll just reiterate that it takes quite a bit to stretch your stomach. Also, most people who have gained weight, it wasn't because of a physical change (i.e. stretching your stomach) but more because they stopped following the basic rules for restriction. For example, they may eat a lot of slider foods, consume milkshakes or other high calorie liquids that go right through your sleeve or rny with little or no restriction... Etc.

Looking good!! Have you tried moistening food when you reheat it? I was warned that reheating can make foods dry, and I may want to moisten them. When I reheat fish, I will put something on it. I've sprinkled water, put a dab of margarine, and even put some marinara sauce on it before. Dry foods just don't go down or sit well, and not being able to drink with food keeps it dry.

@BlueParis Thanks! Yes, I see some changes in my face in the photos and when I look in the mirror, and also my arms and even my hand look thinner in the most recent picture compared to last month. I've been microwaving, which may be the problem. Steaming would probably be the way to go. I brought home a delicious chicken shawarma from the weekend, but it dried out after a minute in the microwave and caused me all sorts of trouble. I wonder if putting it in a sous vide would work. I have a fresh turkey breast that I think I will try in the slow cooker that I can then use the meat for my salads at lunch. I do well with raw baby spinach, red peppers, cucumbers, and carrots. I never thought to cook turkey in a slow cooker, but the package suggested it (along with 3 cups broth). Worth a try! I'm so glad you're feeling a bit more at peace with your progress. I envy you being in London, although I swear you can freeze there in the middle of summer. But it's one of my favorite places. I had hoped to go for my 50th birthday this spring, but with surgery, it didn't really work out, so next year! Having spent the weekend away this weekend, I don't envy you all the travel because choosing foods while on the road is very hard. I feel like every time you go into a restaurant, it's some new server staring at your hardly-eaten plate and wondering what's wrong with you.

@NickelChip You look great! Your face seems to have changed a lot and that tummy is shrinking! Being able to walk long distances without feeling terrible is so nice isn’t it! Sorry to hear you’re struggling with reheated food - how are you reheating? Could you steam things ? I think that may help but if not let’s pray summer and salad season is round the corner!

Honestly, I think both? It can become a vicious cycle where you can't even find the 'root' problem anymore. For me, how I got to my heaviest weight was due to my problems feeding unto each other (no pun intended). I was overweight for the nth time in my life, and had always struggled with both weight and depression. My anxiety about being judged / out in public kept me homebound (and morphed into agoraphobia). Being homebound and anxious made me more depressed and judgmental about myself, which I punished / soothed with food. I gained more weight, and was more depressed and anxious and made it harder to go out and function in public. Early on in my "mental health" journey, I had a psychiatrist that was determined to find The Root Cause of my depression and anxiety. It wasn't until decades later that more MH professionals seemed to acknowledge (to me, anyway) that sometimes there's no one trigger or root cause-- sometimes its how several smaller issues fall together, like a series of unfortunate events.

Both. As long as I do the processing and cooking then its all fair game. I love to eat in vegan restaurants because they have such a depth of plant based knowledge. I really don't understand why you would buy high chemical processed food. If you eat no meat then why do people eat chemical based flavours that mimic bacon, chicken etc ?

Early out, I struggled to eat for 4 - 6 months or so. I had nausea and foamies really bad. My family were worried. I slowly figured it out and went from a tiny 300 cals to 700, that took me until 12 months out. I managed better after that and 900 - 1200 cals a day until 2 years out. We cook everything from scratch so I keep the fat content low. My stomach has still got a huge restriction [ lucky me] I rarely eat one portion in a sitting and will finish it later. Just trust your plan and your team. Eat the best food you can afford. You are worth the best.

Hi lovelies, Hope you are all well. Need your thoughts please. Had my VSG 5.5 months ago and these were my stats: Weight: 198/90 KGs Height: 168/5'5-5'6? I started at a BMI of 33, which I understand was on the lower side. Since surgery I have lost weight quite rapidly and I suspect its due to always being at a BMI of 22 my entire adulthood, I ate well, worked out and remained fit even after two pregnancies. My weight issues started 5 years back and then followed by a very bad ankle injury that affected my mobility that I reached my highest weight of 198. I understand that that where my body feels most comfortable at and its decided to take the chance to lose the pounds and run with it. My original goal was 154, and I got there very quickly then I changed my goal many times and settled on 127 which I am currently very close to. My surgeon seems to be a little apprehensive and has told me to try to slow it down and as per him it is very rare that he sees such rapid weight loss on a lower BMI patient. His original comment at 2 months was that the weight I had lost in 2 months was supposed to be my target at 6 months. Last time I saw him he asked me to up my calories to 1500 (currently at almost 800 on weekdays give or take, 600 on weekends because I apparently don't have much of an appetite on weekends). He ordered some bloodwork which I still haven't gone in for. I feel like my health is good, other than hair fall and the customary dizziness when getting up I am in fantastic health, I workout hard, I make good food choices and I prioritize my Protein. I also look great if you ask me. My fear is I am losing too much too fast, and from what I hear and see, you don't quite stop losing until at least 12 months post op, which - according to my projections and calculations - will leave me at 110/50 KGs at 12 months out. That is way too low I fear and I do not want to look like a skeleton. Also I feel I have a huge restriction and I can't eat more than a few bites at a time, drinking Water has become an aversion, I have to drink BCAA and sugar free iced tea to hydrate and tiny sips of water every hour or so. Other than that I eat very well, except I can't eat enough to maintain due to restriction. I am a little worried of my what will happen as the days pass and where I will end up. I don't want to get sick or too frail to work out and lift weights. I want to look good and feel good and I am not sure where my weight loss is heading but I am quite worried at this point. I also get comments on how I have lost half my body weight from people which is quite inaccurate lol but it's a complete shock when I meet someone who I haven't seen in some time, even my colleagues seem to think I'm looking too skinny. Sorry for typing so much, I thought it would be better if you have the full picture so its easier to respond. For anybody who's experience this, any thoughts?

Losing weight. Feeling healthier & better in general. I didn’t have any comorbidities but being almost 54 at the time I knew it was only a matter of time. The surgery was fine. Didn’t experience anything other than what was possible (like the terrible diarrhoea I had one day). My back went into spasm but that was more me & my back than a side effect of the surgery. No complications. Pretty easy actually. I think because I really wanted the surgery & had no doubts I was ready for the changes. And really once through the weight loss phase the changes are minimal & what you choose to do like eating choices, activity choices, etc. I didn’t experience many issues with being unable to tolerate certain foods except for the temporary changes to my taste buds. After two months I was eating pretty much what I wanted (nutritionally appropriate of course). Five years post sleeve & I eat pretty much what I want. There are things I chose not to eat any more simply because I don’t want to go back to how I was before surgery. My food choices are more nutritionally dense & eat more low or no processed foods. Last year my tummy decided it didn’t like eggs any more. Been meaning to test to see if it still doesn’t like them. I’ve always had a quirky tummy that was sensitive to some foods so that’s not a change for me really. I do experience the foamies more often than most but I think that it’s related more to my quirky tummy. I vomited (though more like regurgitating than full out muscle spasming vomiting) a couple of times in the first month or so. Due to the multi vitamins causing nausea more than any thing else. Probably took me a little longer because my energy was low for a while & my blood pressure was pretty low all the time (still is most of the time). Again, I always had a tendency towards low blood pressure so not a big change or adjustment. After the first couple of months, yes, I had more energy. No. I didn’t have any mental health issues prior to surgery & none after. Would say I feel more confident & comfortable about myself in general though. Don’t regret it at all. Yes I would recommend it. However, as I mentioned above you have to be ready for the surgery & the changes you have to make around your eating. There is a lot of head work you have to do around your relationship with food, what may drive you to turn to food & your eating habits. It is a lifetime thing & you will always have to work at it. As we say, the surgery changes your body but it doesn’t change your head & thinking. All the best.

food for thought: do we have metal issues because we are overweight? or are we overweight because we have mental issues? i sometimes think is one way and then other times the other...

1. What was the best part of surgery for you? The jumpstart to weight loss was obviously amazing, but I was surprised how quickly my usual body pain & aches stopped bothering me. My knee problems have basically vanished, and the lower back pain I had gotten so used to living with has gotten so much better. I can breath easier when doing things that used to have me out of breath -- going up 2 flights of stairs, for example. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? The pre-OP shakes -- I'm lactose intolerant and have trouble with stevia, and there were no shakes my care team could find for me that didn't have one-or-both things, so I spent a good 8-9 days barely keeping anything down. The surgery itself went off without a problem, and the pain wasn't as bad as I thought -- other than the car ride home! If you get WLS, bring a pillow to clutch to you afterwards!! 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? Nothing during, nor after -- but I'm only 10wks post-OP tomorrow. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? I too am on SSRIs for long-time depression & anxiety. Most days have been awesome and cheery. Even during the initial aches and pains of recovery, just knowing that things were going to start changing for the better improved my mental state. I still have bad moments / days but once I started seeing all the improvements to my life it makes it easier to push through. It certainly helps to have a good support system -- people in my life, but also honestly this forum. TBH I was in a #$%& mood all day and feeling lethargic, but logging in here I know that everyone here understands and it just makes me feel more settled. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? I am currently having a ton of problems with chicken breast. I hate 'dark meat' poultry, but tried chicken thighs recently and it's not too bad but still leaves me with a heavy feeling in my stomach -- still better than the stuck feeling in my chest that the white meat gave. I feel like no matter what I put on it or how I cook it, it's just clearly a No for now. That said, for the most part everything else has gone down well as long as I eat slowly, and make choices consistent with my care team's plan / schedule. Going from puree to soft foods was probably the hardest for me physically, because it felt so different in my stomach. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? It's early on for me, but the changes in my body's hormones seems to have stopped most of my cravings. When I'm having a rough time emotionally, I still have momentary yearnings for old 'comfort foods' but honestly just the thought of some of them will turn me off within a few minutes. (For some reason if I think about fatty oils too long, I just get nauseated). And many of my old comfort foods have just updated into healthier things I can eat. Instead of my mum's Dutch mashed potatoes, I have a smaller bowl of healthier mashed potatoes (or cauliflower, or heart of palm) with a scoop of bone broth powder to up the protein. Instead of spaghetti and meatballs, I have homemade meatballs and extra sauce -- or a ricotta bake instead of lasagna. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? I've had one instance of dumping syndrome so far, and it was 100% my own fault. I knew what the culprit was immediately (white-flour leftover tortilla and more difficult chicken breast). I won't lie, I seriously wanted to die for probably an hour, and then slept the rest of the day away. It's horrid. I'm hoping that I've learned enough to take better care / caution and avoid any more instances. Other than that, recovery has been pretty smooth. All my incisions healed up without issue, the gas pain only lasted a few weeks and then there was just a strange tightness / mild soreness on one side of my body for the first 5-6 weeks. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? I want to say 2-3 weeks. Around the time I started eating puree (week 3), my energy levels started bouncing back much more rapidly -- which let me walk more easily. 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? 100% yes. NGL, sometimes I feel like skipping even though it's not suitable for someone my age, LOL. I feel like I've been more efficient at work post-OP just because of the energy improvement, and physically I notice the increased stamina every time I go on an errand or for a walk with my dog. (I tire her out now!) 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? For the better. Some of it is because the energy and the physical improvements make me feel better about myself in general, but part of it is kind of a trickle-down effect. I spend more time making good, healthy choices for myself, spend more time being mindful whether it's while I'm eating, or making a grocery list, cooking, etc. It's so much time spent on self-improvement and self-care. So I have less time to worry about what other people's secret thoughts or judgments might be and take people more at face value. I have less time to waste on people that bring toxicity to my life or can't respect my boundaries. It's like this microcosm of self-care made by investing my energy in my current journey has expanded it's hooks into the rest of my life. I feel like for the first time in my life, I am actually one of my top priorities. 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? I had moments of regret during dumping syndrome, for sure. But as soon as I recovered from that one bout, I was still happy I'd done the surgery. I think it definitely forces us to take ownership of our own health and making the best decisions we can towards that. I would recommend it to anyone who has struggled with weight loss and can honestly look at their life and see themselves living in this framework for the rest of their lives. By all accounts it seems to be incredibly important to keep it all up -- the vitamins and supplements, the healthy choices and portion sizes, etc. I would NOT recommend it for anyone looking for a magic pill. This takes work, will continue to take work.

I am 35 HW: 325 SW: 297 CW 189 Gastric Sleeve Surgery Date: 1/24 1. What was the best part of surgery for you? Having a ton of energy! Not feeling groggy, my knees don't hurt when I wake up, working out and staying motivated, playing with my kids after a long day and still having the energy to cook dinner and pick up the house and sex life has improved, 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? The first week kinda sucked with how much gas pains and not being able to eat barely anything and I am dealing some hair loss right now. Other than that I had a really smooth surgery. 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? I was lucky, mine has been smooth sailing 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? Its different, I get more attention which is tough for me to get used to, I love exercising, I love shopping, I love getting ready everyday for work. I am the best version of myself, my boyfriend and kids deserve it and overall I deserve it! 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? I would say there are still things I don't want to eat but probably around 90day mark I felt good to eat just about anything within reason. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? Honestly I don't have the same desire to eat what I did. I will enjoy a couple of fries if I have an open faced burger or something but its not something that was a must like it was before. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? Recovery was great besides the gas pains. No vomiting or dumping syndrome. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? I would say 2 weeks. I was walking 1-2miles after the first week. The first week I walked around the block to get the gas out. I also have a high pain tolerance so that might have helped. Like I had two c-sections and once the epidural wore off I was up walking my babies up and down the hall, the nurses had to tell me to rest but I am Type A so I am a little nutty. 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? HELL YES!!! I wake up start life, workout for an hour plus walk on my lunch break 5 days a week, I work full time and am a college student. I have 3 children and my partner. I have energy for everything and I am not dog tired at the end of the day. 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? Yes, I struggle sometimes with the new body, how ppl treat me, and still see the 325lb woman in the mirror but I moreso I am in a better spot. I am not as anxious, stressed and I am able to take on tasks with a clearer mind (such as school) 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? My only regret is not getting it done sooner!