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Ketosis actually makes sense. I have been on low Carb for two weeks and now no carb. Plus I was burning carbs for sure because I have been doing WAY more physical activity than I have done in years trying to get things in order. Finally, yes. I decided to trust my surgeon and I’m going with the SADI. He did ask if I wanted the bypasss if for some reason he gets in there and can’t do the SADI since he obviously can’t wake me up and ask. So I guess I won’t really know 100% until I wake up. I can’t believe after all that mental anguish that i am finally less than 24 hours out. About this time tomorrow I should in recovery or in my room. I am finally mentally prepared for all of this. And I haven’t recorded it because I remember my scale is different than my doctors and I forgot to weigh myself at home when I started the preop diet but I’m pretty sure I have lost 14 or 15 pounds already. Let the Journey begin!!

Hello everyone. I am a 63 year old grandmother from Indiana. I had RNY about 9 years ago and I've gotten way off track. Although I've lost 100 pounds I really need to lose way more. I lead a very inactive life due to arthritis in my lower back. I get short of breath very easy. My inability to follow the plan is my fault entirely because I just let things happen. I really had no support from the center that did my surgery which is surprising since they are a "Bariatric Center of Excellence". The dieticians don't follow up, my surgeon retired. I now suffer from low blood sugars to the point where I should really be calling EMS......I am talking in the 50's...once it got to 46. Needless to say I couldn't function and my husband had to take charge. Prior to surgery I had high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and some other stuff. My blood pressure and sleep apnea have gone away and my blood sugar has went the other direction where it runs too low sometimes. I go through days of it being way too low and then weeks of it being fantastic then we repeat the cycle. I need to get back on a routine and an eating plan that works for me. How does one get back on track at this point?

So as I’m looking at these healthy recipes I am thinking that my food choices will be more quality over quantity In the future. I know that some generic products are exactly the same but for those that aren’t I am splurging on the better brands and thinking of using fresh products more often. Instead of grated Parmesan cheese in a shaker I plan to get the chunk of Parmesan and grate it fresh for instance. I know that for my broccoli cheese soup I use fresh grated cheddar and it makes a huge difference so im hoping that’s the same with Parmesan. I’m going to try the cheese grater I already have to see if that works but if not the rotary ones are pretty inexpensive. I’m also going to do fresh vegetables and herbs. I may even experiment with making my own sauces and dressings eventually. Hopefully that will infuse better flavor to the healthy stuff. I also have a store near me that has a lot more healthy options and really good produce but I never go because it hasn’t been important enough to me in the past. I am like 10 minutes away once a week for my crochet group though so I figured I can at least go that often to start and more often if necessary. It’s ironic because I don’t want to go because it’s “too far” yet I wouldn’t think twice about driving that far for an unhealthy restaurant or just about anything else to be honest. My plan is to prioritize my health and that begins with the food I am putting into my body. Now I just have to figure out a plan for the exercise and actually follow through on all of it. . Anyone else have any ideas to get us on the right track?

At almost 4 months I was eating a wide range of meats and seafood , dairy, vegetables and some fruits. . Yes I did have some favourites because I like a routine and it’s easy to stick to that and not think about food. Plus I wasn’t hungry or really interested in food except as a source of nutrition. My meals were pretty simple and straightforward consequently. Breakfast was scrambled eggs or rolled oats. Lunch tended to be fish or chicken tenders usually with salad. Sometimes an omelette with cheese & vegetables, a pork sausage, or a meat ball (made and froze a lot of these). Sometimes I just ate the protein component. Mid afternoon I’d have a high protein yoghurt or some fruit (watermelon or apple) or string cheese. Dinner would be meat (any) and vegetables in some form. I cooked everything myself from scratch so I could control the ingredients and cooking methods. (Except the sausages from the butcher of course.) I rarely use recipes & if I do I usually don’t follow them exactiy. I’m a I’ll use that instead or that looks enough type cook. I still don’t eat bread (or rice or pasta - sits too heavily). The only ‘carb’ I had then was rolled oats about 4 times a week. Added multi grain crackers when I was trying to maintain so from about 6 months (though I think it was more like 8 months). In the first 4 months I went to big 60th & 40th birthday celebrations, went out to dinner and lunch at casual restaurants /cafes and at people’s homes. Wasn’t a lot but when I did I just made the best choices I could. Like I remember ordering a wrap less wrap for lunch so just the filling, & eating the insides of steamed wontons at an off the cuff Chinese takeaway dinner. Did the same with gyoza too - just ate the filling. At month 5 my niece turned 21 and we went to a fine dining restaurant (where portions are more appropriately sized) & I ordered a fish main course. Is it your restriction that limits you or do certain foods upset you (is your tummy still fussy)? My restriction only made itself known if I ate too quickly or too much. If the food was too dry or coarse than it could become the foamies. Still is the same now. I used to take 30 minutes up to an hour to eat. Now it can be 30 - 45 minutes. Don’t eat more than my appropriately sized portion even if it takes me the hour. If I eat more quickly, I can’t eat much and don’t get enough in regards to calories and nutrition and risk discomfort like the foamies.

Welcome. Yes, there will be many changes ahead but there will also be so many benefits and wins. And yes, it’s not uncommon to have concerns and fears and mourn what you used to do. (Yes, you may find the thread @summerseeker recommended helpful. At least in knowing you’re not alone in how you’re feeling.) I can only speak from my experience. Did I feel worried or grieve before my surgery or after? Honestly no. I truely had, had enough. And it all happened very quickly like not quite 6 weeks between seeing my GP for a referral & my surgery. Though I am someone who once makes a decision I stick to it. It’s interesting you should say you feel having the surgery is a punishment. I saw the constant dieting a punishment for gaining weight. I’d got to the point that nothing I did changed my weight. (Menopause did the final number on me.) I’m five years out. Do I think I’m on a diet now? No, this is just how I eat. Do I feel like I’m not eating enough? No, because I’ve learnt what I eat is appropriate for my needs and I used to eat way too much & way more than my body needed. I pretty much eat the recommended portion size of foods. Do I feel like I’m missing out on anything? No. There’s always alternatives, or you can have a small amount of what ever it is others are having or you used to enjoy. It comes down to how often you have it and how much you have. Plus you may find new things you really enjoy. Do I want to go back to eating exactly like I did before ? No. I mean that’s how I got to the weight I was & why I always struggled. Do I like to exercise. No & never really did before either (another punishment in the most part) so you’re ahead of me in that game. But I have found some things I do (little things like stretches and using resistance bands I do throughout my day) & I actually don’t mind doing them. A lot is of this is about learning & introducing new habits, new routines and developing a new relationship with food. Never be reluctant to seek the help & support of a therapist. Your head can be your greatest enemy. I do have a couple of little issues I deal with since my sleeve? Yes, I call them my quirks. I had a quirky tummy before my surgery so nothing new really just some are different & some are gone. Doesn’t stop me doing what I enjoy. PS And congrats on being able to do a push up. I’ve never been able to do a proper one. I can get down but can’t get back up again - tee hee! I do wall pushups though - stand about a meter away from a wall.

Meowdy, friends! 😸 I had VSG on 11/22/23 (the day before Thanksgiving here in the USA 😂, almost 5 months ago), and I have not been a very fast loser. While some people may have dropped 20 lbs in each of the first two months post-op, I'm just at almost 40 lbs down since surgery. My Physician's Assistant (we don't meet with the surgeon at all post-op in our program) said I'm definitely a "slow loser" and am about 12 lbs higher than they'd expect me to be right now. Anyone else out there only losing about 1-2 lbs per week? Anyone who was in this situation and managed to kick things up a notch? And also, anyone who was a slow loser who eventually met their weight loss goal? I've always been awesome at getting in my water, protein, and vitamins each day. My program pretty much refuses to give us macro goals other than protein, but I know I'm generally under 100g of carbs daily (sometimes much less). Protein, I'm usually at 80g+. Calories, I float around 1000 per day. Water, I get a MINIMUM of 64oz. I took a week off of exercising (elliptical and weights) when I was sick with a cold, and I actually lost the most in that week, so I laid off the exercise for a bit, worried it was slowing me down. I'm going to start back up on it, just because it's a good habit to get back into. When I do the elliptical, it's usually pretty vigorous for 30 minutes, sweating profusely and burning ~400-500 calories. I put on some very loud heavy metal and take out all my frustrations on the machine 😅 I'm worried I'm going to be stuck at this weight and that I'm "wasting" this tool and opportunity, or that maybe I chose the wrong surgery. Granted, my current weight is way better than where I was before starting the pre-op diet, and my mobility and endurance are IMMENSELY better, and my IBS-D has basically disappeared (THANK THE LORDT), but it's still not where I'd like to end up. The PA told me that sleeve patients can lose for at least 18 months post-op, so hopefully it's just a slow-but-steady race for me. I guess I could just use some encouragement or advice or anecdotes from others who were slow but successful, or if someone sees something glaringly "wrong" with what I'm doing.

Well. I am waiting on my appt to know for sure what my pre op is supposed to be because the girls at the front desk don’t know but I THINK I have two weeks left to eat what’s in freezer and panty so I don’t think I will be having anything healthy to post on here. Hopefully by the time I get back to normal foods there will be lots of new ideas to keep me on track.

No you are not wrong, we can enjoy food and drink eventually but realise we have to make sensible choices or we could go back to where we were pre-op. I think the way to think about it going forward is that you will still enjoy food just smaller portions, and depending on what your diet was like pre-op, maybe healthier choices. Some of your tastes may change from like to dislike or the opposite but you can enjoy and savour the smaller bites. Also during the liquid phase you are most certainly going to miss the thought of other food, I mean seriously who would prefer a bowl of flavoured dishwater soup vs something like a pizza or steak dinner? I am now a year out following my sleeve and cook the food I like but just eat in smaller portions and I go out about once a week for a lunch or dinner and enjoy the food - plus I enjoy it usually again the next day with the leftovers I bring home.

I have been creeping around here for months and finally decided to create an account and share. First though, I have to give great credit to my wife and family. My wife has been so supportive and flexible through the whole process. She has always been by my side, but during this process she read and learned about the changes, as much or more than I did. She has gone above and beyond with her support and care for me, all while still running a busy household. My kids are a constant reminder of why I did this -- so that I would be around for a long time. I wanted to be able to participate in life with my family. I also have to thank my surgical team and the care they provide. It has been great and truly lifesaving. I weighed 514-lbs on 9/12/22. I was a big boy to say the least. Shockingly, I was not in horrible medical condition. I did not take any medicine. Did not have diabetes or high blood pressure. I did have swelling in my legs, constantly sore/bad knees, and was very quick to be out of breath. I lived a very sedimentary live and limited my physical activity. I wanted to be able to be more active and be around with my family for a long time. I finally got up the nerve to discuss with my wife and she immediately got on board. I went through the program without an issue. Checked all boxes and completed all steps. Surgery was on 2/28/23 and it went well. I was up and moving that night, because that was one of the biggest hurdles to clear in order to leave. I was able to sip and keep liquid down. Discharged after one night! Incisions were sore, as expected. Gas was the worst, and not the good kind of gas that can clear the room when expelled (yeah, I am a guy), but the awful painful surgical gas, which took almost a week to fully go away. I was basically fully cleared by the doctor and back to work (in a nonphysical job) one week after surgery. My process was textbook, none of the complications that many have experienced, and I am lucky for it! This process has not been easy but has not been impossible. I have followed my plan, with the support at home, and it is working. I feel physically so much better. I am so much more mobile and active. I have never been happier. I have made changes to my daily life to support the process. My diet has changed but not radically. I eat a lot less and that is the biggest driver of my weight loss. I walk and am active in live, but I do not have a detailed exercise plan. I am still learning exactly what works for me, but most importantly I want others to know there are many routes to get to the same place. I try to get the big stuff right and not sweat the tiniest of details. My blood work at my six-month checkup was solid. Protein was on the low end in the range, but still acceptable. I was encouraged to keep on keeping on (shout out to Joe Dirt). They were comfortable enough to set my next follow up appointment out to one year. I was scared and nervous. I have had good days and bad days (constipation is AWFUL)! Most importantly, I wanted to share my story and I hope it can help others in some way. I never wanted to be skinny. I could care less what my BMI is. I wanted to feel better. I wanted to be able to participate in life with my family. And I am! I am no expert and I still have a long way to go, but I am happy and glad I had this surgery. As I have seen here, over and over again, we are all different, so what works for me may not for others, but I still wanted to share, and I hope it might be of some benefit to someone else. The non-scale wins are just the best! When I started this process, I was so huge that home scales couldn't hold me, so I would go months without weighing, but I knew good things were happening because of all the non-scale wins. Cherish those! This is a long (probably too long) post, so I will wrap. I recently weighed on my home scale (yeah, that's right, it now holds me) and I was at 288-lbs. If anyone has questions or wants more details about my journey, please let me know. I would be happy to share more.

This and I also detest animal print. To answer your questions. I don't sleep any better. I am old enough to have to get up twice every night to pee, I also have Fibromyalgia so I am constantly changing position to ease my pain. If I had a magic wish, I would love to sleep through the night again. Now Activity, I am a winner here. I can stand 8 hours behind a very busy charity shop counter once a week and still manage to get home, just about. I walk miles, any excuse and I am off down the road. I never realised how my obesity made me disabled. My walking stick is no longer needed. You will be amazed. Fashion, I am a late developer here. I hated clothes before. My new love is bright colours and over the knee dresses. I love clothes shopping, actual shopping and not just the online outlets. This big U turn shocked me to the core. I hid and now I want to be seen. People ask where I shop fgs. Anything you can wish for and many you won't have thought of will become your new life. Its so very amazing. You have the very worst pre op as I have said before but I know in the end its going to be worth it for you. Keep going, you have got this.

what if you schedule the tests for early January and just start the six months of visits now?! Because usually they wait until after the six months to submit to insurance and it can take like 30 days for an answer and then another month or two for the surgeons schedule. If you had your six months done and then knocked out them other tests like the first week of January then they could hopefully submit it all right after (unless you need follow up to any of that). If it is just the one visit though, That would be 6 months from now?? I mean ask the Dr if that works for her of course cause maybe I’m missing something but I hope they understand finances are important too.

My bites are about the amount given to a baby. I’ve learned(the hard way) to take very small bites and wait a minute before the next. Last night I was able to eat smoked chicken salad (homemade and pulverized with my Braun hand chopper) the amount that I ate was maybe 1/8th of a cup and 1 1/2 saltine crackers. Afterwards, I felt a little nausea so I think I had eaten too much. I’m leaning on my protein shakes a lot. Especially since it’s difficult to drink all the water I need. My fluid intake consists of water, shakes and popsicles. It’s hard to drink as much as I need at work due to the amount of calls that come in and the patient load. But, I’m down 25 lbs. and I feel good. My next hurdle is walking as I broke my tailbone about 3 weeks before my surgery. That’s a very difficult hurdle.

@LisaCaryl glad to hear your knees are better. Just wanted to mention also that I’d wait to worry on your A1C until they test it again later. It’s an average of your blood sugars over about 3 months if I remember correctly so it’s very very possible it just hasn’t been long enough for it to start coming down. 🤷🏼‍♀️ and LOVE the quest chips! I like the ranch and the taco ones, just wish they weren’t ridiculously expensive. 😩 And I think we’re 4 mo today woohoo. @NickelChip hope you have a great time on vacay! @Noelle74 wishing you luck on the new job! Hope ev1 else is doing well, I’m on one of my longer stalls and it’s driving me nuts! Doing what I should, tracking food and started a little Pilates bar exercise . I know it’s normal but like ev1 always says it’s just sooooo frustrating. plus my 6’1” skinny hubby is losing weight (that he absolutely does not need to lose), eating about twice what I eat (that I cook) and still eating out at restaurants with clients at least 1-2 x week. 🙄 Ain’t life a b@#&h! I know life’s NOT fair, but I just want to whine a little and say once…… Totally NOT fair! 😂

Hey and welcome to the June buddies thread I am just over 2 weeks since sleeve surgery and yes, the first 2 weeks were difficult. That chewing sensation is what I was craving and actually got some great advice earlier in this thread. I started to chew on sugar free ice lollies and made sure I had ice with my liquids, so I could crunch them. Other than that, not a lot you can do until you're on the next stage. All the best for your journey

My surgery is the 25th, so I'm just starting the liquid diet, but it's not too bad so far. I have a recommendation for something crunchy: crushed ice! I measure 17 ounces of water into a gallon baggie and add a packet of fruit punch crystal light. Set it in the freezer, and when it's solid, crush it with a rolling pin or heavy pan. If you have a thermos, the ice shards keep for a while and are fun to munch on during the day. Hope the next week goes by quickly for you!

So I am around 6 weeks post surgery I think! Seems like it has been so much longer! I have found that my restriction recently has been annoyingly high. I just have 0 interest in eating, and when I do take a bite it takes a while for me to get into it - I feel full quickly, which was something I wasn't struggling with a couple of weeks ago! I have started going back to the gym as of last week, and I am nervous but excited. Quickly realised my body is a lot weaker than it used to be 😅 I did 3 x 10 sets of squats and was walking like a cowboy for 4 days 🤣 I want to try swimming but I am nervous about wearing a swimming costume if I am honest, even though I can tell my clothes are bigger on me! Which is another thing...stuff just isn't fitting right! I was excited for this part, but I didn't think it would be annoying 😂 I can't wait to buy new stuff! Thanks for reading my useless waffle ❤️

Honestly, that's why it's not good to weigh yourself every day. Things like how much you ate and drank, how much salt you had, if you pooped or not can all affect your weight. As hard as it is, weighing yourself once (or if you must, twice) per week, in the morning after you go to the bathroom, before you eat or drink is the best way to see what you true weight is. Weight also fluctuates by a couple of pounds naturally, so if you weigh yourself daily, you'll get discouraged and frustrated and start to think, 5 weeks out, that you've plateaued. Be mindful of slider foods. That's stuff that you can eat more of because it goes down super easy and takes longer to make you feel full. Potatoes are known for this. As I said before, the first 6 months is when you lose the most the fastest. Eating things that slow down that process during that time is counter-productive. This is where you really want to stick to the diet as closely as possible to get the most out of the weight loss. Also move your body. Add in working out, walking, swimming, anything that increases movement over and above what you normally do. Not only does that help, but when you drop weight fast, you can lose muscle. So you want to start working on that.

Hi @Mandalynne - I'm getting the RNY. It was suggested by my surgeon. What surgery are you having? How did you choose? The liquid only diet is no joke. I started this journey at a weight clinic, and the doctor there put me on one to jump start my weight loss. It's a bear. Still, if I see a broccoli after all this, I'll be running for the hills. I hear you on the grocery shopping. I ended up taking a friend to Costco to stock up on my 3 LSD things, making sure I didn't browse. I've bought the little silverware, jello, 4 oz. containers, water flavors, protein shakes. Need some SF popsicles and broth. Shelf-stable things. That'll get me through the post-surgery liquid phase. It's a week for me. Are you telling people? All I've said is that I'm having a major surgery. I have a public job, so I'm not sure what to say when they see the weight coming off. This whole thing is so real now. I'm super nervous about the surgery and recovery. But I already know how it feels to be the way I am now and can see where I would end up. This is something different. I'm excited to see what happens next. We got this!

I kind of wish I hadn't had to do 3 weeks of liquid but honestly my appetite for food is dwindling. I noticed yesterday when I walked in to a building, I could smell something food related that honestly smelled amazing and I had this distinct, "Oh, that smells great" but I had no urge to eat it. Small victories!!

I'm in a stall as well the past few weeks. I dropped down to 227 lbs from 236 lbs. Since last week I'm at 230 lbs and holding. Though, I do feel like I may have lost a little in the inches department. It's slowing as well. As I was told by the exercise specialist. I'm still a baby being just 4 months out from surgery. Air fryers are nice, I cook my chicken. On it when.i don't throw it in the instapot.

Hello from hot Arizona! Everyone is so different as to what makes them dump. I’m over 6 years out & can eat almost anything. Fruit can be tricky because of all the natural sugar. I just finished eating 3.5oz of watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberry & grapes. I make little portion cups up with just a couple of bites of each fruit & keep them ready in the fridge for a late night snack. You just gotta start off slow to see what your body will tolerate & just because something makes you dump this week doesn’t mean that it is always gonna be that way the next time. Good luck

Technically not mid-week at this point, but I decided checking in here is a good place to start after a hiatus from the site for a while. I had my sleeve surgery last summer and the weight loss has slowed down significantly, but I am now within 5lbs of my first 100lb goal! Went from a size 24/26 to a 16/18. I was recently diagnosed with premature ovarian failure (peri / menopause before the age of 40, typically genetic) after YEARS of trying to get a diagnosis from clueless OBGYNs and I think the drop in hormones is contributing to the slow crawl. I’m battling through it while doing all I can naturally to stop the negative effects that come with perimenopause and menopause (I haven’t decided on HRT yet). Once summer break is over, I have an appointment with a terrific functional medicine doc who did extensive blood work to see where my problems are at the moment. I’ll also be joining a gym and shifting my focus from aerobics to strength training. Hopefully it’ll help me lose some more stubborn weight while also maintaining bone density and sculpting my new shape a bit.

Number one: don't base your satisfaction with yourself based on how you compare to others. you will NEVER be satisfied. Number two: don't ask other people if you should be disappointed in YOURSELF. you don't need (nor want) others to be in charge of your own self-respect. Number three: despite the fact that Numbers 1 and 2 above is OBVIOUS and LOGICAL, the reality is basically NOBODY follows them, so don't feel bad if you don't either. Number four: even though i JUST said don't compare, i'm going to give you some data to compare (lol).... at 2.5 months i lost 52.6 lbs (which was 22% of my total body weight...52 / 235 = 22%) and i understand, based on statistical data and anecdotal evidence, that i was a pretty speedy loser, so...yeah.

I lost 12lbs the first 2 weeks and I've lost 2lbs each week for the last 3 weeks. I only weigh myself once a week, as I'm afraid I'll become obsessed with weighing myself. I'm delighted with my NSV, needing to wear a belt with my trousers, and having the towel completely cover me after my shower.

I will have to say that at my highest weight I ate fairly well, just when I did eat bad I REALLY ate bad and binged. so that's how I blew up to 300lbs lol however now I am with you, if hubby is eating his Ben and Jerrys ice cream I will eat a couple of bites as opposed to eating the whole pint to myself. I do eat all the low carb stuff too. I do fear that my little Bites, Licks and Tastes will add up and make make me blow up again, but I work out 6 days a week, 2 cardio days, 2 upper body strength days, and 2 lower body strength days. I know you said that you have always worked out...I am getting bored of my routine which is why I added a cardio day and added 1 day of F45. What do you do?