My name is Marisa. I’m having a gastric bypass surgery on August 7th. I’m starting my liquid diet two weeks before that and quitting smoking. I’m doing this for my health. I’m 60 years old and I’m looking for some encouragement from others who have had this done. I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I’m a little bit scared of the change and what I have to intake as protein to fill my daily intake. Is there anyone out there who follows a specific program? Please let me know. Thanks, Marisa.

Hello Marisa, Congratulations on your up coming surgery. You have come to the very best place for advice and kindness.

I think you are doing it tough giving up the cigarettes and going on a liquid diet at the same time. Both are very necessary though. We were all scared of the unknown before surgery. Try not to worry about specifics as it all slots in after surgery a lot easier than you think. Your team should give you your regime and it will not be the same as anyone elses. You need to follow that. We can help you if you tell us what you need to do.

Welcome!

I was thinking the same thing as @summerseeker. I personally would try to quit smoking now, rather than wait. A complete liquid diet for 2 weeks is hard enough without having to go through nicotine withdrawal at the same time. To be honest, it would also be safer for you. Smoking puts you at a much higher risk of complications from bariatric surgery. The sooner you quit, the better off you'll be. You do you, but that was my thought.

@summerseeker is also correct regarding your post surgery diet. They're all so different, it's hard to give specific advice. I could provide what my team had me do, but that might be completely at odds with what your team wants you to do. I'd start with what your surgical team has given you, but if you have questions about it that they can't answer, feel free to ask here. Alternately, if you want to post the plan you were given, we might be able to generate ideas for you that you can try.

One thing to consider: it's REALLY common for people's tastes to change after surgery. Something you like right now, may become the worst thing ever, and vice-versa. I know if you're worried about the post-surgical period, it's comforting to try to plan out what things will be like for you, but please don't try to stock up on stuff. Many of us did that and ended up with things we couldn't or wouldn't eat.

Best of luck.

Yes. My tastes changed for sure! And good luck with your surgery! Update us when it's over and let us know how you are doing. Hopefully everything goes smoothly. I didn't have any problems except wanting to be able to drink more at once. So keep water with you all the time and sip, sip, sip!!

Hello Selena

Thank you for your kind encouraging words. I will definitely keep you posted. Can’t wait to start really.

??

19 hours ago, summerseeker said:

Hello Marisa, Congratulations on your up coming surgery. You have come to the very best place for advice and kindness.

I think you are doing it tough giving up the cigarettes and going on a liquid diet at the same time. Both are very necessary though. We were all scared of the unknown before surgery. Try not to worry about specifics as it all slots in after surgery a lot easier than you think. Your team should give you your regime and it will not be the same as anyone elses. You need to follow that. We can help you if you tell us what you need to do.

Thank you for your kind words. I’ll keep you posted. Have a great day.

On 6/30/2025 at 12:39 PM, Marisa Colosimo said:

My name is Marisa. I’m having a gastric bypass surgery on August 7th. I’m starting my liquid diet two weeks before that and quitting smoking. I’m doing this for my health. I’m 60 years old and I’m looking for some encouragement from others who have had this done. I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I’m a little bit scared of the change and what I have to intake as Protein to fill my daily intake. Is there anyone out there who follows a specific program? Please let me know. Thanks, Marisa.

Hi Marisa, welcome! It’s totally normal to feel nervous. Just remember that this change is for the better, and that’s what counts. I’m still pre-op too, but I’ve learned a lot just from reading others’ experiences. Wishing you all the best for your surgery!

Hi Marisa, You can use this forum for all of your questions and hope that you get answers. There is another platform if you can afford a little bit of money to become a member of BariNation. The money you save on cigarettes, you can join the nation. Just my plug. Community of people like you, and there is room for beginners, and a lot of former smokers all on the bariatric journey. Licensed professionals for groups and meet-ups, a great place for support and answers, celebrating non-scale victories.

Quitting smoking is hard, it took me a year of taking Chantix twice a day to keep me from smoking. I "cheated" and took a cigarette now and again. Totally changing your life by going on a liquid diet and quitting smoking can make you nuts. I know that if you begin the quitting phase now, you will much more successful once your surgery comes to fruition.

Wishing you the best!

@WendyJane I know you might not like this comment but I have held my tongue for a while. Can you please stop plugging a company that costs money. It sounds like you are on a commision to get new members.

A dollar a day is a lot of wasted money when people can find all the information they need from people who have actually had the surgery and live with it.

@summerseeker I do not think it is a dollar a day wasted, you can find information and people there too who have all had the surgery and live with it every day, including those that have had it and they are the professionals that hold groups in the BariNation. Take a look at some of the YouTube videos. Maybe you will see that there are bariatric surgeons, licensed social workers, licensed counselors and others, including nurses in the BariNation group and they have four pillars, it is community, and you can ask questions and get answers and everyone is experienced working with Bariatric patients/clients. There is talk about all kinds of things. Until you give it a go, you wouldn't understand it but it is not like this forum that gives non-professional experience. For those that need to work with therapists, it is a lot cheaper to have 5 sessions of group therapy than 1 session in a one-on-one meeting with a private therapist. It is cost effective and you get so much more than you can imagine. I'm not saying anyone should join, just some that I feel would benefit. I might be "advertising" BariNation, but it is no difference than promoting Bariatric Pal vitamins. If I feel someone would benefit I would make mention of it and a little bit of information, but never do I try to persuade anyone to join, it is entirely up to the individual. Check out some of the YouTube videos. The latest drop was of our Leaders attending ASMBS and speaking about the need for patient support. If ASMBS invited them to talk, than that is something. When doctors/surgeons are asking to do pod casts and question and answer sessions, you can't say that they know nothing about bariatric patients. If you don't like it, I'm sorry but there is more than just writing, sometimes having a video meeting with people like me is important for my mental health and my journey. I have made friends and enjoy hearing about other people's lives and I have tried to learn from those that have had surgery well before me, even revisions for things that they had no control over. Before you criticize BariNation, you have to experience it. You are saving money on food, you can afford a few bucks a day to try it for a month and join in on anything on the calendar to check it out before making your opinion about BariNation.

Thanks.

helloooo fellow Torontonian! ❤️

re: specific program inquiry, if you are going through the OBN (Ontario Bariatric Network) your whole plan/program/schedule will be outlined for you. in my opinion, the program and guidelines are very generic and are applied to EVERYONE, so its not the greatest at taking individual needs into account. im a natural DIY-er, so i took what they prescribed and determined for myself what worked for ME and just left the rest. personally i think this is the best M.O., but i get its not in everyone's wheelhouse.

my best advice would be: keep doing what works until it doesn't, then find something else that does.

re: smoking: i was smoke free for about 10 yrs when i had wls (prior to that i was a pack a day smoker for about 20+ years. one year post wls i started again (i was on vacay and thought "one couldn't hurt", ha!) that ended up with smoking a pack a day again from 2019-2023. been smoke free since (again).

as we all know, you will only succeed in quitting if you ACTUALLY, REALLY, WANT to. both times i quit it was cold turkey. both times because i had a minor health scare and i ended up pondering my mortality. hopefully you will find the impetus to quitting...its hard (i know!). do the best you can....you may fall off the wagon a couple (or maybe tonnes!) of times, but so long as you make an honest effort to TRY, you are already better off.

good luck! ❤️

@WendyJane I don't /didn't need any advice other than that of my team and members of this kind forum. If you have a spare 40 dollars a month the bully for you, lots don't. I don't save the money on my food bill. I shop for better quality, more nutritious foods. I don't think its helpful to mention the company when the name has not been asked for.

Hello I am new in this community I wanted to say hello!

Hi James! And welcome! I've been here since last fall. ?