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I know I don’t belong here but I just wanted to pop in quick enough to wish all the Moms in here a Happy Mother’s Day. Ok I’m out, carry on. :)

I completely relate to all of your feelings about this! I first started looking into WLS 15 years before I actually went through with it. I considered it many times over the course of those years, but the reason it took me so long to go through with it was exactly what you said -- I hated the thought of giving up everything that I loved. I couldn't imagine not eating a whole Red Baron pizza every week, or giving up my diet sodas. But I eventually reached a point where I had to choose between my health and continuing to eat the way I wanted, and that's when I went through with the surgery. The first few months (including the pre-op diet) are HARD. It is a huge adjustment to make to your life, especially in the liquid/purees/soft foods stages. Even when you get to the "normal food" stage, it's hard to know what to eat because it feels like everything you want is now off-limits. I still have the occasional pangs of sadness when I see something that looks delicious and realize I can't have it. I think the biggest surprise for me after surgery has been how little I miss my old diet. I have gradually discovered new, healthy recipes and foods that I never even would have tried back when I was eating pizza, french fries, pasta, ice cream, etc. I'm actually enjoying eating healthy food. I don't miss eating rice at all (in case you didn't know, most WLS patients don't eat rice because it expands in the stomach and can be painful) because I have found that cauliflower rice is a great substitute. I didn't even try it until my pre-op diet because I hated cauliflower, and now I eat it several times per week. I recently tried chia seed pudding and learned that I love it! I've started drinking tea since I quit carbonated beverages and now I'm discovering all kinds of delicious teas. I've found some great spice blends and sauces that make vegetables really tasty, and delicious light salad dressings. Can you believe I never tried sriracha before surgery, and now I love it (Huy Fong chili garlic sauce is even better). I'm about 10 months out from surgery, so still in the honeymoon period, but my experience at this point has been that the adjustment to my diet has been easier than I expected. The hard part for me has been making time in my life to take care of myself and my health because I didn't really exercise before surgery, and now I'm devoting over an hour per day to it. I went years without ever going to a doctor (other than the dentist) and now I have to go a few times per year, get periodic bloodwork, keep my prescriptions filled, etc. I have to take my vitamins every day. It can all be a burden, but the tradeoff is that I am in the best health of my adult life, and not obese for the first time in my adult life. I'm not saying that WLS is right for everyone, but you know all the reasons you have decided to do this and whether it's worth all of the changes you'll have to make. Good luck!

it should stop on its own. Things do shift around during year 2, so you'll start looking less gaunt - and then in year 3, MANY of us put on 10-20 lbs of bounce back weight (and some put on more), so I wouldn't get too worried yet... I was really worried when I got into the low 130s, but I bounced back 20 lbs in year 3. Now I kinda wish I hadn't - but it happens to the majority of us.

Hey everyone! I just joined the site about a month or so after discovering it. I first considered weight loss surgery about 6 years ago. It was put on hold for varying reasons. Last year, I finally decided to move forward, then COVID hit. My first choice was the Lap Band, but after reading personal experiences on this site and others, I changed my mind. Also, my surgeon was willing to do the procedure, but he had made clear it typically was not as successful and had more long term complications (erosion, slippage, etc) than the sleeve or bypass. After scheduling an appointment to further discuss my options and the pros and cons of each type of surgery, I will now be having the gastric bypass procedure. Surgery is scheduled for next week (May 18th). I'm excited and also nervous. I have mild anxiety, but it's controlled without medication and I see my therapist occasionally. For anyone with anxiety, how did you limit nervous or anxious feelings prior to surgery?

So I reached my goal approx. 2 months ago. I went from 216 to 135 in 7 months!! Now I am down to 131 and keep losing even though I increased my protein, carbs, etc. I still eat healthy, but I am able to eat more now. I don't know why I keep losing. I am starting to look really sickly.

I am 10 months post-op and I eat/drink everything I used to, but in MUCH smaller portions. I was really busy yesterday and struggling to get calories in so I grabbed a slice of pizza from Whole Foods. I ate less than half of it and gave the rest to Husband (I got full AND it was too greasy for my taste). I hosted a dinner party last night and ate pie with ice cream for dessert with our guests (I do not dump). I am trying to stop losing weight right now, so I am eating more carbs than I have in months. I still follow the protein first rule, though. You will be able to enjoy some of the things you love in the future and you might be surprised on how your tastes change. 😊

It was the same for me early on. I think a lot of it is pain from the cut stomach as it heals. The stomach will still churn and contract and it’s likely normal to feel that pain and I’m guessing the sensation really isn’t much different from hunger pangs. After a few weeks it went away for me, and 11 months out it still hasn’t returned, at all.

I don’t take fiber supplements because I find they back me up. I do drink Smooth Move tea most nights, and take a senna tablet on the nights I don’t. Since WLS, I find not going for more than two days is radically uncomfortable for me. The times I miss my tea or tablet typically results in days of misery getting back on track. I go most mornings with my tea or tablet and I am a happy pooper! 💩😬

UPDATE Well....quit smoking! Passed my nicotine test. Pre op requirements completed. Packet being sent to insurance next week! Now the wait begins.

I have contemplated eating what I want too while getting all my pre op stuff done. But then my blood work came back saying that, instead of still being borderline, I was now in fact Type 2 Diabetic. Luckily I had already started Keto weeks previous before that test came back (to get me used to no sugars or bad carbs). But yeah before that I most definitely felt like saying eff it, I'm gonna eat what I want while I can. But nope, figured I'd take this time now to prepare myself for what needs to become the norm for me anyway once this surgery is done. But I totally get your way of thinking. Had my blood work not come back like it did I may have even done the same but that scared the sh*t outta me because it is something I had been trying to avoid for years now.