A couple of questions about recovery before a family wedding. I am scheduled for VSG on March 6. Yes, far out due to work commitments. I have a big family wedding two months later and am wondering (overthinking) how this will all work?

1) I am not in the wedding party but do have a role and need to get a new dress. At this point, I am planning to get a dress that fits me now and assume it may be a bit roomy two months following my surgery, but will still work. Does that seem reasonable, in others experience?

2) Is it likely I’ll be able to eat any of the wedding food two months out? I absolutely realize my experience may be different from others, just wondering what events have been like at two months for others going through the surgery. I also understand my options will be limited (plain protein?) but wondering if I’ll have to pack food/snacks. I’ve read all kinds recovery eating schedules but don’t have the proscribed one for my program yet.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences and advice!

Edited December 29, 20232 yr by Pines
Typo

I dont know what weight you are so its really guess work. I did a 3 week pre op diet and with 2 months post surgery weight loss, I dropped 40 pounds. If you do the same and bought your outfit, maybe your clothes would not fit.

I really had a struggle with food after surgery. At 2 months I was just about getting the hang of it. I would not have eaten regular food. Soup, milk, yogurts and cheese were my staples at that time. If I had to go to a function I would pack myself a emergency pack, just in case. I had massive drops in energy and needed lots of little meals to pick me up. I still carry protein bars and a drink.

I, too, was mostly eating things like soup and yogurt then...and other soft-ish things. I was "allowed" to eat most solid foods by then (except for raw vegetables - that took a few more months), but I still found some solid things difficult to eat. I also wasn't eating very much by then - maybe 600-800 kcal/day. I ate mostly protein and (cooked or soft) produce. I didn't eat breads, rice, pasta, or treats like cake until I was over a year out. I probably COULD have, but I didn't - some of it just bothered me. Others I just didn't want to eat at the time because I didn't want to go down that road that early.

This is coming from a guy, so take it with a grain of salt. I had to go to an event requiring a jacket and tie last week, which was 6 weeks after the pre-op diet (4 weeks post op) weight loss began. When I put on my suit I wore previously in September, I looked like a little kid trying on his dad's clothes. I needed a shirt 3 sizes smaller than my previous, but only 1 size smaller pants. I would suggest waiting to shop until about 2 weeks prior to the event because its hard to predict where you'll be at that point.

As far as the foods go, after having the sleeve done, I'm ok with some foods that I probably shouldn't be ready for yet (ground beef, salmon, high fiber/low carb bread which I have since cut back out since its not diet friendly), but others that I should be ok with are making me feel sick (leafy greens, broccoli, canned tuna). Again, I would just assess where you are a week or two out from the wedding, maybe ask them what is on the menu, but maybe plan to pack a diet-friendly snack in your bag just in case. Congrats again on your surgery!

At two months I was slowly trying a variety of meats. Just made sure they were tender & moist & had a sauce or gravy. I was allowed to eat most cooked vegetables (except potatoes) though struggled with the flavour of some because my tastebuds were still weird & that can be a real challenge. Could only eat a little bit like a small cauliflower floret or two green beans.

Will your family know about your surgery & would the bride/groom be willing to tell you what will be on the menu before hand so you could try a few things before? I would avoid chicken breast as it is renown for causing issues (too dry), anything char grilled or well done steak. Would also pack a shake &/or soup you can easily make up or keep in a thermal pack just in case.

Can be hard to judge how much you will have lost by then as rate of loss differs & starting weight influences how much you may lose too. I started at 200lbs & lost pretty consistently. I’d lost about 12kg (26lbs) & was a good dress size almost two down at 2 months. I had a 40th birthday around that time & I bought a loose dress (not floaty more it nicely fell). I could easily belt it & was still able to wear it two months later. It became my ‘good dress’ for a while. Maybe look for something as close to the wedding as possible & go for something with an elastic waist, can be belted, or easily taken in if needed so you can wear it for a while after.

at my two month mark it was christmas-ish and i along with the gazillion family parties, i had a wedding-like 50th bday party as well (not mine lol).

eating was not an issue, i nibbled stuff here and there. i did bring a protein shake (or two) to every single event, just in case, but didn't need it at any of them. i could easily find something among the spread to eat.

as for something to wear, i would probably nix the idea of buying a dress that fits u now. i can almost guarantee that it WILL NOT fit u in May.

not sure if u are a hoarder of just-in-case "skinny clothes" like i was, but i was able to dip into this stash for a few months during weight loss phase for my dress-up needs.

if anything, maybe wait until at least April to buy a new outfit?

Thanks everyone for your feedback - I REALLY appreciate it! I was trying to think ahead because I have the two busiest months at work right before my surgery AND I just got called for jury duty in February. When it rains, it pours! ? Maybe I’ll just wait and spend some time while I’m off for recovery doing some intensive online shopping, or at least narrowing down some options. Again, thanks for sharing your experiences!

11 hours ago, Pines said:

Thanks everyone for your feedback - I REALLY appreciate it! I was trying to think ahead because I have the two busiest months at work right before my surgery AND I just got called for jury duty in February. When it rains, it pours! ? Maybe I’ll just wait and spend some time while I’m off for recovery doing some intensive online shopping, or at least narrowing down some options. Again, thanks for sharing your experiences!

one of the perks of being a smaller size is that it takes a fraction of the time to buy clothes that fit AND are cute vs the length of time it took when we were bigger.

you may find that you can just walk into a store find something off the rack and BAM, done.

1 hour ago, ms.sss said:

one of the perks of being a smaller size is that it takes a fraction of the time to buy clothes that fit AND are cute vs the length of time it took when we were bigger.

you may find that you can just walk into a store find something off the rack and BAM, done.

Wow, can't remember what that's like. Even years ago when I was a "slender" US size 16w, I couldn't find dresses anywhere. I remember going shopping before a coworker's wedding (pre-internet shopping 25 years ago) and I couldn't find a single dress. Not even bad dresses. They all stopped at size 14, and the women's department had work clothing but no fancy stuff. I was literally walking from store to store in downtown Boston with money burning a hole in my wallet and nobody had a dress to sell me. I ended up wearing a cute pink suit from my closet and making do. Thank goodness for the internet!

For OP, if you can order from BloomChic, I was very pleased with their plus-size selections (if that size range is still needed for you by then). They have dresses under $40 that are really classy. I bought myself two, a short-sleeve and a long-sleeve, for my cousin's fall wedding and got free shipping. Both are nice dresses for a semi-formal dress code. With surgery coming up next month, I hope the next time I need them, they won't fit!