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Okay that milk of magnesia works miracles. I thought it was still going to be a strain but it wasn’t bad at all and it worked so fast. Like two hours or three maybe and I started with the lower dose. I am so relieved because my anxiety had me half believing that I had an obstruction. Thank goodness that is over for now. My NP said if I want to cut back from 2 stool Softeners a day I should do 2 then 1 Back and forth for little while before I go to Just one. But she expects based on what I have explained I probably need two until I am able to eat some fiber and more fluids.

It’s intermittent most days i can manage 42 oz comfortably but 64 is a stretch my surgeon left the prog so waiting for sb else - Kaiser sucks with replacements

It's really hard to deal with some of the changes. I remember a really rough night. In waves a snapple peach tea. I was like 1 month out so o I drive to store and all I can find is diet snapped lemon. I bought that and like one other diet tea and brought them home. Remember this was about 22 years ago now. I opened the Snapple (glass bottle) took a sip, hated it and just lost it. I was outside my apartment building and threw the bottle out of frustration. It hit the building, shattered and I started crying so hard, over an iced tea I could have made at home if i had thought about it really. But I was so upset it was after me hating so many sugar-free items. I was just so frustrated. Fast forward to today and I found things I like and have adapted slowly!

Thanks. I had my one week post op today and the pathology came back and I did in fact have gall stones. My surgeon did not discuss the channel length with me. Nor did he give me the option to resize my sleeve. He believes that the risks are too great for the difference it would make for me but he did also do several tests to get a good picture of my sleeve before we landed on the SADI as opposed to the bypass. Perhaps if my sleeve was larger he would have steered me towards the bypass. My surgery was robotic this time my sleeve was just laparoscopic I’m curious now what my channel length is. Not that I really know what would better one way or another. So it turns out that my pain was almost entirely from gas because I was in a great deal of it until the morning of day when I finally passed a lot of gas and with each time I felt more and more relief. I did walk quite a bit but in retrospect I would’ve walked even more if I had known how much better that toot was going to make me feel. I walked everytime I got up anyways, like to pee brush my teeth or when they woke me up in the middle of the night even. I finally pressed the issue that they switch out my IV pole machine thing. Mine had a very weak battery and even being unhooked that short time while I walked it depleted it so much that it set off alarms they had to come shut off. It was super annoying for them as well and I felt like they were acting annoyed with me as if it was my fault for calling them rather than just accepting that beeping going on all day and night. I am a super light sleeper and it went off other times too so I finally said don’t you have other patients that don’t have to unhook it so many times a day that you could switch with mine. They did and we were all happier for it. Anyways, grab that iv pile and walk walk walk. It doesn’t matter how fast you go, just that you do it. And if you have to toot or belch do not hold it in no matter what. I don’t care who is on the room. Get it out and explain later. Although the doctors and nurses should understand anyways. That was really tough for me but after the relief the first one brought I didn’t care anymore. 😆 I forget. Do you have your date Yet??

The only reason I suggested the stages is to give yourself time mentally to adjust to the changes little by little. It won't do anything for your pouch, but trying to change everything all at once, or even too fast, can set you up for failure. Yes, it's on you now. But really, it's always been. You just didn't know it. We rely on the restriction and the small size of our pouches to tell us when to stop eating, or what not to eat, or how often we can eat. But the food choices are still on us. Slider foods, foods high in carbs and unhealthy fats, high in salt and sugar...that's still on us. Slider foods, alcohol, sodas...that's still on us. So if you want to skip the stages, that's fine. But get yourself ready mentally to make the changes you need to make. You still have your tool. You just have to relearn how to properly use it.

Only being able to eat small portions is very normal & to be expected especially only being 3 months out. Remember how small your tummy is now. Your stomach is also still tight from the surgery but it does soften over time & becomes a little more flexible as so you slowly will be able to eat more than you can in the initial period. Initially I was eating 1/4 - 1/3 cup from purée & was barely eating a cup of food at 6 months but by years two or three I was eating pretty much an appropriate portion of food for e.g, about 3ozs of meat & a cup of vegetables. Most fast food & chain restaurants servings are hugely bigger (like 2, 3 or more times larger) than what is an actual recommended portion size so leftovers are expected. If eating out, order an appetiser or ask to share a main with someone else. And ask to take leftovers home. I always had left overs in my fridge from unfinished meals. Actually I still do - right now I have left over rolled oats from breakfast (I’ll eat it as an afternoon snack) and some leftover beef cheeks & vegetables from last night’s dinner. Usually it’s because I’m not all that hungry or simply have had enough. The reason behind eating slowly is for us to learn to be more conscious of actually eating & to consider whether we really need the next bite or just wanting the next bite or mindlessly shovelling food into our mouths. Also it takes at least 20 minutes for the message you are full to register. If you eat quickly you can easily eat to excess & way past being full and not eating only what you need. I also love my microwave if food gets too cold. Constipation is common. It becomes less common once you’re close to your final weight & when you’re eating a more balanced diet and larger portions. Add a non swelling soluble fibre and keep on top of the constipation by taking an over the counter medication. I’d take coloxyl if I got to day 3 without movement. And as @learn2cook suggested, speaking with a therapist (your bariatric team should be able to recommend someone with experience in disordered eating if you need) can be very helpful. All the best.

Reporting todays WIN 8/14/24...went to macys and the size 16 jeans are fitting well some are kind of big! It's been a LONG A$$ time since I've seen a size 16 from being in the size 20 somethings lol. I said today I would go to the mall and shop to see my actual size. I still do not want to buy a lot of cloths only month 4 and dropping fast!!

I had a revision surgery from sleeve to SADI a week ago today and I am a little concerned about how fast I am losing. Between the pre op diet and now I have lost 26 pounds. I think 14 pounds Pre Surgery and 12 this week. What’s odd is that the surgeon warned me that with it being a revision my loss would be quite a bit slower than with a virgin surgery and I don’t think I lost quite this fast with my sleeve. Obviously I want to lose And the faster the better so long as it’s still healthy. I have my first post op tomorrow and I plan to ask the NP but I am just curious to hear what others here have experienced. Maybe I’m worrying too soon. It could be that everyone loses this quick this early out regardless of vigin surgery or revision. It’s just something on my mind and I’m curious about what others experience has been with revision surgeries. Did you lose pretty quickly the first week as well?

So today I am finally at 3 months post op. Here is what that means for me: I can stop taking lansoprazole...YESSSSSSS! I absolutely hate the taste of that thing and if I never have to take it again, it'll be too soon. I can start taking tablets again, meaning I can try my Forceval prescription vitamins. I have heard that these can make people feel quite nauseous, so I will wait an hour after eating in the evening to take it, rather than in the morning as I usually do. I am due for bloods to be taken via my GP, though I imagine I'll struggle to get an appointment! I just wanted to reflect on my journey so far, and where I am at now. It is weird how quickly this becomes your new normal. In the beginning with the gas pain, the extreme fatigue etc, I did wonder how I'd adjust, but here I am! I was shocked at how fast the weight dropped initially, and I know I will keep losing (hopefully) for a little while longer. I think we all go through this weird mindset of being overweight for such a while, and our bodies not responding as we had hoped to fad diets, or us punishing ourselves for 'not trying hard enough', that I truly wondered if the surgery would even work. And it has worked, and it will continue to do so! I am in the dreaded - but very expected - 3 month stall. My weight isn't really moving much, but I know that I just need to keep on with my normal eating and routine and it'll break eventually (thanks to reading all of the posts regarding this phenomenon 🤣) I can still get dizzy when I am exercising, and my strength at the gym has really decreased which I am a bit miffed about, but I'll get there! TMI incoming: but pooping is still an annoyance...the severe constipation I had in the early post-op weeks still results in some little tears when I pass a bowel movement, so I am dealing with my new normal 😂 Positives: I passed my driving test and I am picking up my car on Saturday! I really do attribute passing to losing weight, and how it has made me feel more confident and capable. I can walk around for hours and not have pain in my hips and lower back. Pre-surgery this was absolutely excruciating, even the 5-6 minute walk home from work I had to stop 2-3 times due to the pain and being out of breath. No such worries now! I can see the weight loss in my face, which makes me happy. I can fit into a pair of denim shorts that previously couldn't even make their way up my lower thigh! My current weight is amazing to me, even though I am not at my goal YET, I haven't been this weight since 2017. In general, I just feel happier in myself, and I can't wait for the future! If you have read all of this, thank you! ❤️

I haven’t tried this yet but I just got another idea for a gadget that will come in very handy if it works like I think it will. A coffee mug warmer. For the broth and the cream soups for full liquid for sure. And maybe even the purée and soft stage since everything is supposed to be real moist. But At least for this soup stage because it just cools off so fast. The more I think about it this may not be as helpful for everyone with tiny tummies since you can only eat like 3 bites early out anyways. I am a little different since they didn’t operate on my stomach. Supposed to keep my portions small but I physically can eat more.

I completely understand your chaos and hope your surgery went well today! As to the constipation question - *absolutely* dealt with that during the liquid diet stage. I'm pretty sure it's the cutting out of almost all sugar and whatever they put in the protein shakes that does it. They had me taking 100mg of Colace twice a day during my liquid diet. I wanted to encourage you to ask for ice packs while in the hospital to help you manage your pain! I'm a week post op at home now and seem to have an ice pack against my abdomen probably 20 minutes out of every hour, still. It isn't that I'm hurting horribly, my pain is managed unless I stand for too long (NEVER would have thought merely standing long enough to cook breakfast would be so exhausting) but that ice pack and laying back at an angle is everything relief can be, at least for me personally. I'm very surprised I had to actively ASK for ice packs in the hospital; I wouldn't have thought to do so if I hadn't had a friend go through the same surgery and clue me in. Just remember the main thing about these surgeries is that there's a short road from your mouth to your belly afterward, and it has what I call a 'valve' toward the top of your stomach. You literally have to treat your belly like you would a baby and 'burp' yourself - walking helps, sitting upright and taking small sips, then rocking back and forth helps - but do NOT try to add more fluid until the tightness in your chest is relieved by a burp. It's like pumping gas into a car or like I said - burping a baby. There's a short tube from mouth to stomach and it only holds a few ounces. Until you burp and that tightness around your chest fades with the fluid being allowed to flow into your belly it literally is at maximum and efforts to drink more WILL make it come back up. I even waited to sip fluids if I knew I had to take medicine soon, to make sure I left room for the fluid it would take to get the pills down. Hopefully this helps you or someone else in recovery! I learned my lesson the first night after my surgery, one week ago - and the reflux / sicking up when I tried to go too fast did NOT feel good. I also 100% recommend getting up and slowly walking around as SOON as you can. THAT is what will make the pain start diminishing, because it rocks your body and works the gas they pumped in you for surgery back out. Best wishes! I hope it's going great for you! (ETA - Also, best wishes to your husband! I hope you two have someone on hand to help you out during your recoveries, and I will tell you from experience that it probably will feel like you're dropping more on the floor than ever before, simply because leaning down to pick it up would be painful! It requires discipline, especially if you tend toward being OCD like me, but trust me when I say trying to bend over to pick up a dropped 'whatever' is usually NOT worth it. Hugging an ice pack to your abdomen while you walk also helps tremendously at first.)

Thanks the journey is Hard but it's REAL! I'm a 4am every morning crazy lazy running 5 miles I think that contributed to the fast drop in these 4 months!

Thank you Mrs Fitz .Arabesque - mine is vaginal too ! had hysterectomy years ago and started spotting blood just lately .GP looked and doesn't know what it is so being fast tracked for poss vaginal cancer - so like you ! the wait is unbearable isn't it ? x

Hi everyone, I’m very new to forums, but it’s Nice to meet you all. I started this process back in February of this year, but I had been considering it for a while. my sister had the Gastric Sleeve, but my doctor wants me to get the Gastric Bypass, so that’s what I’m going to do. My starting weight was 266, i’m 5’3 with a BMI of 45… my doctor put my goal at 120.. fingers crossed. So insurance is covering it but I have a deductible. I have a surgery date of August 14, 2024. I’m currently on 2 week of the liquid diet. Today being the first day with absolutely no solid foods allowed. I had started preparing with purchasing toddler utensils and measured food containers, and a food scale. I stocked up on Ensure Max Protein, Unflavored protein powder, PB2 (no sugar added peanut butter powder), powdered banana and powdered freeze dried strawberries… all with no sugar added. I also bought Vanilla plant based protein powder. I blend a mixture of whatever flavor I want with 8 oz of skim milk or water. My routine is 2 ensures a day, then a powdered skim milk shake (in my ninja single blender) with whatever flavor, then I have 1 or 2 Progresso soup(s) for dinner (strained so I only get the broth)… the doctor said he didn’t care about the sodium only the sugar. If i need snacks, i drink 4oz of V8 juice original, or I have a sugar free chocolate pudding. i have been slowly buying and stocking baby food. I buy veggies and fruit and some mixed meals, but this is in preparation of the post-op puréed meal portion. I like to be prepared. I bought a 32oz water bottle on Amazon with that doesn’t have a straw (teaches me to sip). I know that I have to get through 2 of those a day minimum. I usually do pretty good. My biggest problem is that I don’t have the energy to get off my behind and use my Bowflex anymore. Sometimes I’ll do Beat saber for cardio but I’m just low on energy. Have to say low carb is rough and it gives me mild headaches every day. I’m worried that I’ll lose weight so fast that I won’t have time to protect the muscles I have because I don’t have the energy to work out. I’m now 6 days away from my surgery, I’m determined but nervous because the Bypass is a big change. I’m not a smoker, but to all of you out there quitting for this, kudos to you!! You can all do it if you set your mind to it.

I wanna join in!!! When I started this journey, I weighed 421 pounds. I was in a size 28/30 and 5x clothes, size 10 ring, and size 11 wide show. Fast forward 2 years and I weigh 176, I'm in size 12/L clothes, size 10 medium shoes and size 5 ring (I actually need a smaller size but that won't fit over my knuckle, so 5 is as low as I can go). I had high cholesterol (228), I had type 2 diabetes (A1c was 7.9 and glucose averaged around 168-175) and I had high blood pressure (even on meds, my "controlled" bp was averaging 135/85). Now my cholesterol stays around 125-130, my A1c is 5, my glucose was 96 last time it was checked, and my bp actually runs low now (105/58 on average). I always needed seats with no arms, tables in restaurants because I was so big my stomach would be smooshed against the table in a booth, couldn't sit in movie theater seats, needed a cane to get around because my mobility was so bad and I had so much inflammation in my joints. Snored when I slept. Couldn't stand for very long. No way could I ride a roller coaster or even walk around a theme park. Always needed an aisle seat and seat belt extender on a plane. Now I can sit anywhere I want, in any kind of seat, never need any kind of seatbelt extender, and never be smooshed against anything!! On another note, I noticed 2 things that still mess with my head. The first is that when I see my reflection in the mirror, I NEVER realize or remember it's me!!! I always think "man, I'd love to get down to that size" and it takes me a while to put 2 and 2 together and remember it's me I'm looking at and I'm already that size lol The other thing that messes with me is something my husband pointed out. When I walk, there's a gap between my thighs and they don't touch or rub against each other. WHAT??? I didn't even realize it!!! So I tried to walk with my thighs rubbing against each other and I ended up tripping myself because my shoes kept hitting against each other lol That was definitely crazy. But I love it!!!

Very happy this week! The London gain of 3.5lbs has gone plus another 6lbs has joined it this week so I’ve hit my 2stones loss target 😊 Hubby has documented this by taking pics and I can definitely see a difference - my backside isn’t as much as a shelf now 😉 I will post pics when I gain more confidence but they are definitely worth doing for your own records, even if you hate and despise your photos being taken. I’m sat here with my feet on a circulation booster, with my feet and calves twitching away. I’ve got it for both me and hubby in the hope that it will help both of us with our circulation and start helping me strengthen my muscles around my knees. We had a chat yesterday and agreed to rejoin our local gym. I know I won’t be able to do cardio like the treadmill etc but I certainly do need to spend some time on the resistance machines and hopefully the free weights. I want to try and get some muscle tone going and avoid masses of sagging skin if I can. I desperately miss going to the gym so I’m definitely looking forward to it. I’m due at physio next week for knee exercises so we’ve said we will begin 1st Sept (helps with keeping monthly finances straight too) Lots of NSVs this week…can now take my wedding/engagement/eternity rings off when in the bath. That certainly hasn’t happened for a long, long time. I’m finding more clothes to wear when ‘shopping in my wardrobe’. I’ve actually had to buy a BELT for my jeans 😮😮😮 I bought 3 pairs in the sales some time ago. 1pair fit fine, 1 I could just about fasten but not breathe, 1 I couldn’t fasten for love nor money. Fast forward to Saturday and it’s now 1 too big, 1 fasten easily and 1 fasten but can’t really breathe!!! Hopefully a belt will let me get some more wear out of them before they go off to the charity shop pile. It’s our wedding anniversary in September and I’ve set myself a target of wearing a dress that I wore for our wedding anniversary dinner 2 years ago. It’s a lovely dress and I felt fantastic when wearing it so hopefully it will fit again. I would like to lose another 10lbs or so before trying it on so fingers crossed 🤞🤞 Hubby knows what I’m aiming for and is all for it. Need to remember to record my food diary next week, ready for the dietitian appointment the week after. I record everything now but not the moods pre- and post- eating which they need. I’ve already recorded a dietitian diary just before I began my weight loss journey so hopefully she will be able to see the differences. Have a fantastic week everyone 🤩 Onwards and Downwards!

I had the SADI-S on June 14, 2024. Tomorrow (Aug 2) is my 7 week post op day. I was 278 when I started my liquid diet. I was 268 on surgery day. I was 275 directly after the surgery. Last week I was 238 and I had a combined inches lost of 31. I have been experiencing a stall for a few weeks. I’ll lose some and gain some but it’s the same 3 pounds. As such I’ve been trying to get more movement into my life. I’m eating, at the advice of my surgeon, in a trial and error way. He wants me to be able to eat normal foods as it is easier to get to your protein goals. I haven’t eaten bread, sugar, pasta, or potatoes. I probably won’t go back to those foods. The pain feels like you went hard on Abs day. It was pretty much gone after 3 weeks. Eating too much (even by a single bite) or drinking too soon after a meal hurts worse than after the surgery. If you feel full and you think it’s too soon, take a break then pick it back up. You’ll be able to get it down eventually. Your anastomosis will be swollen (the link between your stomach and intestines) so there’s a bit of backing up before it goes down. I found shaking my stomach helps the food/liquid go down. Get good with your food being cold. Even if it’s hot when you start eating, you can’t eat it fast enough for it to stay warm. This has been the worst change for me besides the smell of my 💩. Work on finding low fat/non fat substitutes for cheese, dairy, etc. Sugar free substitutes for drinks can help get water in. I like G Zero and the added electrolytes are helpful. Track your food in an app. Weight/measure everything. Avoid “eating out” even if you can find reasonable foods to eat, it’s impossible to know your macros when you’re only eating small bits of meals and maybe removing bread etc. I only have been out once and that was two days ago. I ate a few bites off my husband’s plate. I kept looking at everyone’s full plates and thinking about how I would have eaten all of that and still been hungry. You will be exhausted from lack of food and energy. However force yourself to at least walk laps around your home. Only weigh once a week. I had my husband hide my scale. It was pissing me off that my weight was fluctuating. You will see more movement in measurements than you see on the scale. Try not to fixate on the numbers and remember not to compare yourself to others. People with more to lose will be losing faster than you. Some will not follow a good diet and lose very slowly. Let your doctor guide you on follow ups. Trust the process. Im new to this message board but feel free to reach out to me if you want. I’m on instagram as @BariatricBunnyBabe and TikTok as @Bariatric.Bunny and when I find things that work I post about them. I also share my wins and my weight loss stats. SADI-S can 100% feel lonely but we’re out here doing the thing!

I had bypass, but from illustrations posted on here it looks like the stomach gets smaller in the switch operations too. There is a healing phase which takes a while. It seems to take a 2-3 week longer process if you’re a person with reflux issues. Some of that process is testing what your body can tolerate at different stages. I had a hard time getting eggs or chicken down. I still have trouble with turkey 3 years out but it may be a sensitivity at this point. Mostly all foods are fine now. The funniest/cute thing is the regurgitation is like a baby burp. The new stomach is so small! Seriously, a baby burp that’s quick and fast and tiny. The yuckiest for me was a communion wafer. It’s made of wheat. It’s hard and dry, and Covid was still on so no sharing the wine. I still hold it in my mouth until it’s thoroughly wet, then swallow. It got stuck and I had the “foamies” which is basically like dry heaving for a long length of time and it was painful. The whole problem of foamies can be avoided by taking small bites, chew thoroughly and try to use some sauce type thing to help food slide down. Stick to the stages and extend them a week or two if you’re worried, but talk to your team about it first.

Just got a call from the pre op nurse. Boy is this getting real!! I’m sure your instructions will be different so Idk if any of this is helpful fo anyone else but I typed it out for myself anyways and figured I may as well copy it here in case there is something someone hadn’t thought of yet. Please let me know if I am missing anything as well. Two Days Before (Monday) Switch to the liquid diet this morning. I also think I’m going to go ahead and pack that evening because there is enough to remember the night before. I have duplicates of all my toiletries and stuff I plan to pack so why not.(move my one rx so I don’t forget and take it in the morning) The Day before surgery: (Tuesday) Skip that one medication I moved starting this morning, switch from full to clear liquid this evening, remove rings, change sheets, take my shower with the special soap, take the nausea pill at bedtime and of course nothing at all after midnight. Surgery Day: (Wednesday) Wake up at 3:30am and take my allowed meds with 12oz of regular sugar Gatorade- finishing everything before 4:30, take my second shower with the special soap, toss towels in wash so they are clean post op, brush teeth and get dressed (which should be pretty fast considering I can’t put anything on my body or hair at all except clothes-no jewelry, makeup, lotions, deoderant, perfume-Nothing. (She said they don’t care if we stink. lol), Then head to the hospital at 5:15. *I have to remember not to pee after that Gatorade because they need a urine pregnancy test shortly after I arrive at 5:30. Turn off phone and give to hubby just before Surgery which is scheduled for 7:30am🤞 I asked about my meds. They say to leave everything valuable at home (except ID and insurance card) including wedding rings and medications but for the sleeve I was on some pretty new meds that they didn’t have in their pharmacy so my husband had to run home to get those. She said that very rarely happens but I could have them handy at home for him (in the original bottles) just in case. So, just a heads up if your driver can’t ever find anything like mine and you are on something less common it couldn’t hurt to leave them in plain view 🤣 I also plan to have a couple of things ready on the table that I will just ask my husband to bring me if it looks like I will end up staying a second night like my crochet bag, a book and some drink mixes (if they don’t have the ones I like). Things I can live without for one night but may want if I’m staying longer. I know at my bospital that they don’t give you a room until you are done with surgery and recovery so your bag has to go into a locker or something and they have to inventory all the stuff so they were very appreciative that I packed light for my sleeve.

Just got a call from the pre op nurse. Boy is this getting real!! I’m sure your instructions will be different but I just thought I would share mine for anyone having surgery for the first time to have some idea but it will also help me to organize all of this in my mind 😊 Two Days Before (Monday) Switch to the liquid diet this morning. I also think I’m going to go ahead and pack that evening because there is enough to remember the night before. I have duplicates of all my toiletries and stuff I plan to pack so why not.(move my one rx so I don’t forget and take it in the morning) The Day before surgery: (Tuesday) Skip that one medication I moved starting this morning, switch from full to clear liquid that evening, remove rings, change sheets, take my shower with the special soap, take the nausea pill at bedtime and of course nothing at all after midnight. Surgery Day: (Wednesday) Wake up at 3:30am and take my allowed meds with 12oz of regular sugar Gatorade- finishing everything before 4:30, take my second shower with the special soap, toss towels in wash so they are clean post op, brush teeth and get dressed (which should be pretty fast considering I can’t put anything on my body or hair at all except clothes-no jewelry, makeup, lotions, deoderant, perfume-Nothing. (She said they don’t care if we stink. lol), Then head to the hospital at 5:15. *I have to remember not to pee after that Gatorade because they need a urine pregnancy test shortly after I arrive at 5:30. Turn off phone and/or give to hubby just before Surgery which is scheduled for 7:30am🤞 I asked about my meds. They say to leave everything valuable at home (except ID and insurance card) including wedding rings and medications but for the sleeve I was on some pretty new meds that they didn’t have in their pharmacy so my husband had to run home to get those. She said that very rarely happens but I could have them handy at home for him (in the original bottles) just in case. So, just a heads up if your driver can’t ever find anything like mine and you are on something less common it couldn’t hurt to leave them in plain view 🤣 I also plan to have a couple of things ready on the table that I will just ask my husband to bring me if it looks like I will end up staying a second night like my crochet bag, a book and some drink mixes (if they don’t have the ones I like). Things I can live without for one night but may want if I’m staying longer. I know at my bospital that they don’t give you a room until you are done with surgery so your bag has to go into a locker or something and they have to inventory all the stuff so they were very appreciative that I packed light last time.

I am only 6months out and I eat more than the average sleever..so my doc told me. I also workout 6 days a week and am active. I cannot eat 1.5C of food. if I want to add a veg or carb to a meal then I will eat 2C of protein and then some veggies and if I have room like 1-2 TBLS of carbs. I eat around 1200-1300 calories but my protein is around 130-150g. I fear that I have stretched out my sleeve but I never eat to being full. ok ok maybe once or twice. but I don't feel sick or miserable just like I might eaten too fast. Anywho, For lunch today I made a jalapeno chicken salad with bacon bits and I was able to eat 4oz of that with 1/2 bag of quest chips. and I am good for about 2-3hours. So I think that equates to .5C? its a constant worry I think for all of us to not mess this up. I know for me I fear that I will wake up and be 300lbs again and that fear makes me stop eating shi&&y. I think my comment mightve been a tangent...Ill get off my soap box LOL

A sip isn’t a mouthful. Think about 1/2oz (15ml or about a tablespoon). As your body is able, you’ll be able to taking larger sips. How much & when is individual. Some can take several mouthfuls at a time in a couple of months. Me I’m 5 years out and two swallows is it for me. Your body will tell you if you’re drinking too much or too fast but certainly in that 8 week healing period best to keep to sipping. They insert a breathing tube which can cause swelling which hinders breathing & swallowing. It usually passes after a couple of days. Keep trying to do some slow deep breaths throughout the day. It will help you breathe out the surgical gas. Watch not being able to not breathe deeply especially if you have heart palpitations, chest pains or coughing. If you have that as well go to your nearest medical centre as it may be a clot. Try some biotin for your dry mouth/thirst. I found green tea soothing & refreshing. Any warm or hot drink can help too like herbal tea & soups & broths. Try warm water though some say cold water is easier.

I think sometimes our bodies kind of freak out when lots of changes are happening at once. As you lose weight, things redistribute, move around, the chemical make up of your insides change, hormones change, glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure all change. So even when the scale isn't moving, so many things are happening within our bodies that it likely needs time to catch up and get use to the new and ongoing changes before the weight can start to come off again. I know how frustrating it is, believe me. The amazing people on here had to talk me off the ledge a few times when I hit stall after stall. And I'm one that gains a few pounds whenever I hit a stall, so THAT was always fun lol But then I would drop like 6 pounds in 1 shot and then I knew the stall was over. I know this is so frustrating, but it'll pass. And you'll get to where you want to be. It took me 2 years to get where I am now. And I still feel that was fast. It took me almost 30 years to put the weight on, so getting it off in 2 years is HUGE. Give yourself some grace, feel your feelings, and just focus on all the good parts of this journey. You'll be ok and you'll get there

Had this happen to me quite often. A year ago I picked up a brand new pair of Jennifer Lopez jeans size 16 at a rummage sale, thinking I'll put away for a future time. Got home and curiously tried them on and they fit!! Buttoned.. zipped up and comfortable to wear. Fast forward to now, I bought a new pair of Old Navy shorts size 8 in Goodwill, In my mind I doubted they would fit but did. Amazing feeling and it's been many many years since I wore a size 8. Oh and today I put on a XX boho style shirt and wore it as a dress. 😎 I remember thinking this same thing but it was usually weight loss after any food centered holiday. That's never happened to me ..eva. Glamping at the lake every weekend doesn't seem to have much effect on my weight loss either. I'm very thankful.