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I'll start with a question for my maintenance buddies: Do you ever "forget" you had surgery and it becomes a new normal? I think about my sleeve/food all the time... as much as I did when I was actively losing. I'm always aware that I've had surgery, and I'm always trying to figure out when and how to eat. It's not a bad thing.. just a thing.

My surgeons required to pass the nicotine test as well or surgery would be postponed. Sometimes it depends on your anesthesiologist so they will at least be prepared to know you still have nicotine in your system.

I don't use butter, but I do olive oil. I have a spritzer bottle and sometimes use it when baking or air frying. You'd be surprised how little oil you need to crisp things up. But I mostly use 0 calorie cooking spray for that purpose. Also, heating olive oil to high temperatures cause it to lose a lot of its health benefits. Better to have a good nonstick skillet than fry anything. Even with a healthier choice of oil. The thing to remember is that the use of high fat oils can clog up your arteries and spike your cholesterol regardless of our weight. I know a lot of unhealthy thin people. Use sparingly.

Hello October friends. I am scheduled for October 27th. Super excited and nervous all at the same time. Glad to see all you lovely people here! Blessings.🍂🍁🏵️

That's fantastic!

i would be wary of any dietician that prescribes the same maintenance caloric amounts to all their patients without taking individual size, weight and metabolic rates into account (among a multitude of other factors!) i would be especially be wary of any dietician, when asked for a reason for his/her prescription, answers with "i don't know". as with all things, listen to what you are told and advised, but also make informed decisions on how to deal with your body based on observations of its responses to stimuli (i.e., caloric intake in this case). the 2000 calorie suggestion is an AVERAGE and does not apply to all. STATISTICALLY, only a small very very small percentage of the population actually requires exactly 2000 calories. the vast majority of the population fall above and below 2000 cals. thats MATH people. with that said, i am a 5yr post op, 5'2", 51 yr old, currently 117 lb female that maintains at about 1800 cals a day...and has been doing so for about 2+ years. (i used to maintain at 2300+ cals a day, but i was exercising like a fiend those days so it made sense). everyone will have varying maintenance calorie levels...if u can figure out yours and adjust as necessary, you are golden. Good Luck! ❤️

I have officially made it out of the obese BMI category!

P.S. regarding vomiting - I did experience some in the early weeks after surgery - I had to figure out what my stomach was going to tolerate (I can now eat pretty much anything - and have been able to for years - I just have to watch my portion sizes to avoid gaining weight). I don't vomit any more now than I did before I had surgery. But I just wanted to say that vomiting after surgery is different from vomiting before surgery. Your stomach is much smaller, so there's not much to vomit up. Plus your stomach is not producing as much acid, so you don't get that horrible taste in your mouth, either. It tastes the same coming up as it did going down. So suffice it to say, I don't dread vomiting like I did before I had surgery.

Sleeve patients need to adjust their eating "technique". We need to take smaller bites, chew to "mush" consistency and take longer pauses between bites. Making those adjustments should help the food go down easier. Keep in mind that our new smaller stomach pouches can be finicky, especially in the early post-op months....foods that we have never found disagreeable now could cause issues. I have only had pain and spasms when I have eaten one bite too much. Rather than fighting the urge to throw up, I give in and hug the porcelain alter ridding myself of the "foamies" and the one bite too much......instant relief! You will soon learn your food volume limits.

I keep my pantry and fridge full of grab and go options! Any low sugar Greek yogurt (I like siggis, two good, oikos triple zero), two good smoothies, bel gioso individual cheeses, cottage cheese cups, individual nut packs, whisps, chomps, hilo chips, egg bites, protein one bars. I always keep a pack of protein shakes in my trunk for emergencies!