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Well I’m 1.5 weeks into my 4 week preop diet and things have smoothed out a bit thank goodness. I’ve got a preop appointment tomorrow for testing and other fun things. My work has also cleared me to be out essentially through the rest of the year. Positive thoughts for you all with your Nov. 1 dates!

My third day I was flying back from a conference and the airline food smelled good. Yikes! 😁

Unfortunately, yes your hunger comes back as do all your cravings, old bad habits, etc. it can be difficult at first to discern between real hunger & head hunger. Real hunger feels different. I feel restless as if something is wrong. There is always a logical reason I feel hungry (haven’t eaten, missed a meal, didn’t eat much,). If there isn’t a reason to feel hungry or if I crave a specific food, flavour or texture I know it’s head hunger. Head hunger often passes real hunger doesn’t. If you are still producing too much stomach acid you may have hunger pangs. Hunger pangs & your tummy rumbling usually isn’t a sign of hunger as we were always told - it’s just either too much acid (try taking a ppi or antacid) or your digestive system working properly. Distractions can help. Go for a walk, craft, read, clean out a cupboard or drawer, ring a friend, check this forum, play a game. Even set a time - I’ll have something to eat in half an hour & then chose a nutrient dense low calorie option. Sipping a warm drink can help too. Many find counselling very helpful to understand your relationship with food & what drives you to eat (your cravings, emotions, habits, etc.). They’ll also help you work out ways to manage these when they feel like they’re taking over. You won’t stop the but you’ll better identify why you want to eat & work out ways to take away some of their power.

While I agree that selecting the right tool is important (right for your needs, health & medical considerations, lifestyle etc.) getting your head right is equally as if not a more important part. Not everyone loses their appetite after surgery & if you do it’s temporary. We all say, the surgery changes your body but it doesn’t change your thinking. It doesn’t stop your cravings, emotions, habits. They’ll still be there when your appetite returns. You have to do the head work as well. It is possible to eat around your tool, to make poor food choices & then not lose or regain your weight. Changing your relationship with food, understanding why you eat (habit, emotional support, craving, boredom, etc.) are essential. It’s like getting a gym membership or buying a treadmill, how successful you are depends upon you changing your behaviours & actually using the treadmill or going to the gym. Many people find working with a therapist extremely helpful in understanding & developing strategies to manage what motivates or drives our eating & the food choices we make. Unfortunately, life does tend to throw crap at us at times, & knowing how to manage the emotional turmoils that usually come with it & not fall back on old eating behaviours will help you continue your weight loss & maintain in the future. As @NickelChip said, Dr Weiner & Dr Pitcher have amazing resources but I do encourage you to consider seeking counselling. Your doctor, surgeon & team should be able to recommend someone with experience in disordered eating & bariatric patients. (Many insurances require at least one visit as part of your approval anyway.) All the best.

I did it!!! I just got offered a job IN MY CHOSEN FIELD!!!!! I busted my butt (finished my program early and with a 94), chased a dream I thought was lost to me (thanks to the surgery, getting my health under control, changing my diet, and believing in myself that I could actually do it), and I just got my first job in the medical field!!!!! I literally cried. I'm so so excited!!!! I start on Monday!!!!!! Even though I'm a Medical Administrative Assistant, I won't be at the front desk when you first walk into the office (checking people in, collecting payments, verifying insurance, etc). I'll be the one that comes to get you and takes your vitals, takes you to your exam room, asks you questions and updates your chart, go over any doctor's orders, and then checks you out at the "check out" desk. I'll schedule follow up appointments, handle referrals, and call in any scripts and refills. AND, they will provide the scrubs I'll be wearing. I'm in an AWESOME mood!!!!! I can't believe I really did it. I wasn't sure I could, but here I am!!! I literally cried when I got the call today. I still can't believe it!!! And after 6 months, they will pay for me to continue my training to become a Clinical Medical Assistant and get all the certifications that come with that. All I have left to do is get this last 50 pounds off and then I'm literally living my very best life

I start my all liquids on Thanksgiving and I am getting comments from the peanut gallery about it... I told them... This is not my last Thanksgiving, I will be able to join you all. Just now bring the focus on family, friends and memories not the food..

I have Fibromyalgia which I believe to be a little similar. I was told by my surgeon that the surgery would not change my Fibro. It hasn't. I overdid it yesterday and I am totally wiped out today. I am in tired, painful agony. The other thing to consider is how your meds work with a small stomach and the other pills you have to take. I have a huge calcium tablet that has to be taken away from other pills. I take antacid/ nausea tablets twice a day. These line my stomach and I feel they stop my pain medication from working well. Straight after my surgery, I was not able to take them as crushed up they taste vile.

My surgery date of gastric sleeve was 10/19/23

Aah the how often to weigh debate. The responses seem to swing from very rarely/never to daily. I weighed every day for the first two years or so but now weigh 3 or 4 times a week. In the past if I thought I was putting on weight I wouldn’t go near the scales. If I didn’t see the number on the scales I could believe I wasn’t putting on weight even if my pants were very tight or bought the next size. So me weighing as I do now is about what I need to do to keep myself honest. I say you know you best & weigh yourself as you need to keep yourself motivated & on track. Has my hunger returned, yes. It did so slowly. Has it increased since it fully returned, no. There are still odd days or times I’m not all that hungry at all. (Wish that happened more often 😁.) I try to eat very much to a routine & not eat outside of that. If I think I’m hungry I consider if it’s real hunger or head hunger. Such as when did I last eat? Did I eat a smaller portion at my last meal? Is it almost time for a meal? How am I feeling - bored, sad, annoyed, stressed, etc. It can be an ‘interesting’ discussion I’m having with myself. 😁 This helps most of the time. I’m sorry about your injury @huskymama especially after achieving so much. But you didn’t have to go back to shakes to lose your weight just go back to how & what you were eating before your injury though smaller portions as you can’t be as active at the moment. Meet your fluids & protein goals. Eat your protein first then vegetables & last any carbs you’re allowed if you are able. Return to lower fats, carbs & sugar. Check with your dietician for ideas & guidance. Focus on upper body exercises because of your injury. Search for some exercises for those with limited mobility online. You can do this.

Here's my concern with what you just said. If it says 25 carbs, you will drink it. But what about carbs in other things? Are you staying below your allotted carb count for the entire day, or are you counting the carbs based on each individual item and not the entire day as a whole? Your allotted carbs for the entire day are much lower than they were pre-surgery, so make sure you're paying attention to that and staying at or below your carb amount for the whole day. For me, I can't go above 50 carbs for the whole day, but I tend to stay at around 30 for the day. You have to watch the protein, fat, carb, and calorie intake now. My nutritionist said my allowable numbers are: Calories - no more than 500 calories per day (based on being where you're at in the process)m carbs: 50 or less, fat: 50 or less, and protein: 60-90g. I just had my revision, so I'll have to start my process over once I'm done with all liquids, but given the guidelines, there's no way I would ever drink anything that was 15, 20, or 25 carbs per serving.