Foxbins

Liquids in, liquids out. There's nothing in your present diet to provide anything solid--no fibrous veggie or fruit remains, no undigestible bits. It'll change when your diet gets more varied.

Going through HR is a good idea, but otherwise you can say something like, "I'm having a medical procedure done and I will need X number of days off to undergo the procedure and recuperate." If your supervisor asks what it is, you can say anything you want. You can shut down further questions by saying "It's personal" or "I don't feel comfortable discussing my health with you." You aren't required to be specific. HR can help you there, with what information you absolutely must furnish. Does your company have FMLA?

You'll be fine. It will either come back up or go down.

Before my surgery I was taking 150mcg of Synthroid. As I lost weight, my physician had to reduce my dosage. I'm taking 112 now. Make sure you keep getting your blood work!

I'm 8 years post-op and still can't eat salmon. Even with a sauce, it's too dense and too dry. I can't eat tuna either, same problem. Halibut, cod, and trout are no problem.

I was 56 when I had my surgery, and I have been hypothyroid since age 45. I lost 100 lbs and have kept it off. You'll do fine, age is no barrier to success!

I am a psychologist. Although I don't do bariatric evaluations, if the psychologist you selected is doing an interview with you and assessments (MMPI or some other personality instrument) then I don't believe $575 is too much. Those assessment instruments are expensive to purchase and to score, and there is usually a report that gets written and sent to the surgeon.

My surgery was in Mexico and I flew there and home alone. No complications and a 100 lb weight loss that I've maintained for the past eight years. I didn't tell anyone I was having surgery and today only my PCP knows that I did. I had GERD develop about 18 months after surgery but it's managed on a PPI. I expect you'll do fine.

Eight years out-I weigh once weekly and log it. If my weight goes up two weeks in a row I modify my intake immediately.

I had my surgery done in Mexico and told my PCP I was having it done there. She strongly urged me not to have it done, but I did. When I returned I had the finest care she could provide--quarterly labs, referral to a nutritionist, quick answers to my questions. Find a PCP who understands you are trying to get healthy and convey that you're not having surgery in some strip mall by a person who didn't go to medical school, because all the US physicians I've talked to think that Mexico is some medical backwater instead of a sophisticated country with excellent universities.

I had surgery 8 years ago. My physicians are the only ones who know.

I had my surgery eight years ago in January. It really is an individual thing--my stomach seems to be quite sensitive and what other sleevers could eat early on I could not. I watched a woman who had surgery a month before me consume an entire sandwich for lunch. At the time, she would have been about six months postop and me, five. I couldn't have eaten a sandwich any more than I could have flown to the moon. For one thing, bready things feel terrible in my stomach--they did then, and they do now, so no cake, doughnuts, bread, croissants, etc for me. I handle toasted or crispy things slightly better, but the amount must be small. As for what I eat in a day--I have coffee with Splenda and 2 Tbsp of half and half for breakfast. Sometimes, but not very often, I might have one of those Oui yogurts. Lunch is a slice of cheese, 2 oz of meat, and four Triscuits. I have a mid-afternoon snack of nuts or maybe a cookie. For dinner I have a stirfry of veggies and shrimp, or a beef steak with mushrooms and tomatoes, or a Lean Cuisine dinner if I don't want to cook. I hike and ski, but I have always found it easier to lose by cutting calories than by exercise. Exercise is to keep me strong and functional. It's easy to graze all day long and the weight can easily pile back on. I added seven pounds last year purely from Starbucks and "treating" myself to dessert (Usually a piece of chocolate) after lunch and dinner. After I cut that out, the seven pounds went away and now I'm back in my comfort zone. I weigh myself once a week, and if there is a gain two weeks in a row I cut out Starbucks and sweets. I eat anything I want, but the quantities are small; a half-cup of anything is a good-sized serving for me, and I've learned that my eyes can be way bigger than my stomach, so weighing or measuring my food is a good thing. If I'm out, at a friend's house or a buffet, I take a quarter of what my mind tells me to, because a plateful of little dabs of things will probably be just right. If not, I can go back for seconds, or more salad or something. Really, for me it was about finding more interesting things to do than those related to food. I can eat so little, it's not worth my while to make elaborate recipes any more. I do bake quite a lot, which is funny because I don't eat cakes and such, but my neighbors, friends, and co-workers love me. Don't force anything, do what works for you, be patient, be kind to yourself. We all spent years and years beating ourselves up for being fat, please don't do the same thing trying to be thin. Surgery works better for some people than others, and no one knows why. Best wishes to you.

I have a hard time with slow-cooker meats. It seems as if all the moisture in the meat leaches into the sauce/gravy/liquid and leaves the meat dry inside. Chicken is okay if I stick to dark meat and eat slowly and is better with a sauce or gravy. Dense fish, like salmon and tuna, comes right back up every time, but sautéed cod and trout are fine. Well-marbled beef is wonderful, juicy and delicious. Eggs are hit or miss, scrambled are a no-no, soft boiled or over easy are fine. Chili is good, too. Give it a little more time and you'll find what works. You can always vary the taste of your protein with spices, sauces, and gravies.

Scallops were one of my staple foods early on. My nutritionist hated them, she kept saying, "There's nothing in them," meaning omega-3s and other stuff you get in fish. My reply was "They are full of protein and I can keep them down, so I'm eating them." I still eat them quite frequently. They're good, aren't they?

I was 56 when I had my surgery. I think I did fine--look at my stats!

Eight years out in January and I own more sweaters than any other article of clothing. Bought a heated mattress pad and have been very happy since I can't get to sleep if I'm cold.

I love marinated mushrooms--it's the vinegar! I'll have to try string beans. For protein, do you like eggs? tofu? beef? shrimp? I can't manage well-done anything, but a few strips of medium rare ribeye goes down nicely, and tofu, if you season it with strong flavors, is not too bad. I put it in stir frys. Eggs are hit or miss, but usually I can do soft boiled. You can put raw pasturized eggs in shakes without running the risk of salmonella. Shrimp are my go-to protein, I put them in salad, eat them boiled with cocktail sauce, toss a few in with the stir fry vegetables, eat them on top of Triscuits with avocado and hot sauce...

It didn't feel any different, I just noticed I was burping again. I burped before it was fixed, and then I stopped for a while after it was fixed, and then I started again. Figured the hernia was back. Upper GI shows that it's smaller than the one I had pre-surgery, though.

Mine is a 36F and I did fine. Smaller sizes are associated with more complications like leaks and strictures. Also, bougie size is only a guide to the end size of the stomach. If your surgeon oversews the staple line, your stomach will be smaller than the bougie size. As long as your surgeon uses a generally accepted size, say 32-40, I wouldn't worry too much. We are talking millimeters of difference here.

I had my surgery 8 years ago, post menopausal and age 56, and lost 100 lbs. Surgery weight was 232, down from a high of about 240 (I stopped getting on the scales when I started wearing size 22 pants). I thought my "goal" weight would be 150 because I couldn't remember ever being any smaller than that. I hit 150 and just kept losing. The sleeve did most of the work, it hated bread, sweets, pasta, potatoes, and most other high-carb food. Over time, I have lost my liking for them. Over the past 8 years I've put on 5 lbs, probably due to my metabolism slowing, but I'm still a size 6. I weigh myself every week and if there is a gain 2 weeks in a row, I cut back on Starbucks and olive oil until I'm back at 137. I wish you as much luck as I have had, but not being obese is wonderful. Every bit you lose helps.

Most Urgent Care centers do H & Ps. If one is near you that might be an option until you find a new PCP.

Realself.com is a good resource. I'd recommend my plastic surgeon, Dr. Lev in Costa Rica, for face/neck/eyes/nose/breasts but if you want something like a lower body lift he's not known for those.

I drove myself home from the airport on the 3rd postop day.

Oh, I remember that liquid phase...it was hard. I was using Premier Protein shakes and after drinking them for a while they were so sweet I could hardly get them down. I ended up cutting them with skim milk and adding banana extract, almond extract, raspberry extract...anything to change the taste. Even now, I crave texture and spice. Red pepper flakes are my friend, as is Tabasco sauce, salsa, garlic/chili paste, and A1 sauce. I put croutons on stuff just for the crunch. Soon you can have all of them. Be patient.

Stalls happen, no big deal, just stick to your program and you should be fine. Your body has to undergo a lot of changes to lose the amount of weight we need to lose and it can take some time as things adjust. I can gulp water if I want, no problem. I also use straws from time to time, no problem.