It's all new

Sounds scary! You have to focus on the fluids - but this time around listen to your body and more closely watch for signs of dehydration. If you are getting dehydrated you really need to go in and get IV fluids. Be careful!

I am of the mind that at least for me it would be a bad idea. As someone else said - I'm sure you can, but should you? Soda can be very addicting and has no nutritional value. It is also debatable as to whether it can stretch the sleeve. No thanks. Can you try, try again to substitute something else? I don't judge you for craving it - I have my own cravings. But as to whether I think it's a good idea - not so much.

I don't have a family to cook for, so my situation is a bit different. I do take care of my mom, who at this point is still wanting to cook for herself some of the time. When I cook for her, I make things that I can eat too. I make meat (lean) and veggies. I usually either skip the carbs or put a potato in the oven or something similarly easy and hands off - since I don't eat carbs and I love them that is the hardest part. I also make omelettes - hers is just prepared to include the yolk, lots of butter, lots of cheese, more veggies... you get the idea. Mine is egg whites, fat free cooking spray, a very small amount of cheese, and a few baby tomatoes. It is interesting because I am always trying to keep weight on her or get her to gain due to her illness, and my Quest is the opposite! Going out to eat is a treat. I do look online at every menu before I go to a restaurant - I have found that some restaurants don't have a single thing that fits my dietary needs. I order smaller plates, appetizers, share food, take food home, and on occasion have asked them to bring half an order although I have paid full price. Just having some variety can be so nice. My only concern is that there are always hidden calories when a restaurant prepares my food.

I take Prevacid. While mine is Rx it can also be purchased OTC.

I think reporting what happened is appropriate. And not discussing your personal medical history at work - understandable and a personal choice. Everyone knows about my surgery, but if I were to start a new job and planned on maintaining strictly professional relationships I can't imagine discussing it - it invites familiarity in many ways you might be trying to avoid. For me, the people in my life know me well, care about my health, and to exclude them would not acknowledge their importance in my life.

How tall are you - and what is your goal weight? Sounds like you have had great success!!

You do you - prioritize your health and wellness. Being judged is not healthy for you. Once you are on the other side maybe he will understand... and maybe he won't. It is always possible that as you transform he will too. I wish you the best as you prepare for surgery and start thinking about the preop diet.

I think around a month - but my doc ok'd it. And I had no issues with it. I have read about others not being able to tolerate salad for months though!

It does sound like part of this may be head hunger - what do you think? You may not feel the reflux but i have heard that people don't experience it as reflux but as a feeling of hunger. I take Prevacid and it works for me, but there are many, many options - this may be worth a try as it is a very common post-op issue. I don't know if you would see the results after just one dose or if it would take a few days to show if it helped. Perhaps speak to your doc about this issue, too. He/She would likely have an opinion and might even prescribe an acid reducer. Yes. Water, water, water. I never feel thirsty... But I feel very very hungry if I don't stay on top of my fluids. At 5 months out I get 9-10 glasses per day. I aim for 600-800 calories daily, but it took me a couple months to get there. And your Protein sounds low compared to what I've heard you should aim for... turns out every doc is different though so it may be that you are in the recommended range for your doc. Good luck!

It's by Light & Fit - it comes in a 4-pack.

I'm with Pookeyism - I think desert as we knew it is a thing of the past. No matter if ice cream has less sugar - it is still ice cream and in my opinion should be very, very rarely consumed. I think I might give in to a small serving once every few months, and even that seems too often. But I have found something that fits in my diet, keeps me within the 20-30 carbs per day I allow myself, and is a sweet treat. Light & Fit has a Greek yogurt that is great. It is 80 calories, no fat, 12 grams of Protein, and 9 carbs. It is relatively high in carbs, so in order to have it I really have to watch what else I eat. I think this is how we can have a treat now - make it something that is full of protein. If you are eating other carbs and don't have enough left, you can eat Greek yogurt with Torani sugar free syrup or sugar free Jello mix.

Are you taking anything for reflux, and if so are you sure it is working? Are you getting all you protein in? Are you drinking plenty of fluids - thirst and hunger can be easily confused. And what are you eating 4 ozs of? That sounds like quite a bit, but it is far different if it is soup than if it is chicken. If you are having liquids or mushies it is not uncommon not to feel full - people usually notice a big difference with solids. If you are eating 4 ozs of lean meat at once already you might want to back down a bit, just my opinion but its an awful lot of chicken (for example) at your stage. (My doctor progressed my diet early, so i wanted to address both mushies and solids...). An are you eating carbs? If so try cutting back - carbs tend to create hunger more than they control it - but that's just me. I like to stick to 20-30 grams of carbs per day - not everyone does low carb though. Are you tracking your calories, protein, carbs, and fat intake? If not, consider it. MyFitnessPal is available on smartphones or on the computer and is excellent for tracking your consumption. Hope you find something helpful in this list!

A hotly debated topic. Follow your surgeons advice - if he said to stay away there may well be a very legitimate reason. Suppose there is an 80% chance it won't harm you... SO not worth it to me. It is too widely debated to believe with 100% certainty that it is not harmful. Also, many many many many of us with obesity have had addictions to soda - coincidence? But this still does not address the OP's actual question - which is whether soda could have stretched our stomachs in the first place creating larger capacities allowing us to become obese. I don't have a medical answer, but I think it is unlikely. Our stomachs were previously pretty stretchy - now not so much as they removed the part that stretched the most. This is NOT a definitive answer - just my best guess!

Absolutely. At five months out what I find most important is to have softer foods in the morning. Particularly during the early days if I ate something firm at breakfast I couldn't get more than the tiniest bit in, and then never caught up my calories for the rest of the day.

I want to be fit. As in, a lean, mean, fighting machine. I take care of my mom who is terminally ill - i want to be strong enough to provide care for her as her condition requires it. I'm working on it. I saw my bicep a few days ago for the first time in years. I want to get on Facebook - I have avoided it because I was too embarrassed to post an updated photo. I want to enjoy wearing more fashionable clothes. There are important people in my life who I have not seen for close to a decade due to embarrassment about my weight. I want to reconnect with them. And I want to create a future for myself - I am creating a future for myself. Six months ago it seemed pretty bleak. Now, I know that every day brings more opportunity for health, fitness, and long term happiness.

Are prices there substantially different? What is the quality supposed to be - on par with the US, or is it superior? I guess I'm asking if you are going there for better care, lower cost, better results - what is the expectation? I'm curious because I am going to need a lift/augmentation and TT as well. I have given some thought to going to Mexico but hadn't heard about going to the DR. Thoughts?

That preop diet is hell. Once I had surgery the first month was still a difficult transition, figuring out how to get in fluids and protein, getting enough calories... I still had periods of weakness and dizziness. After that first month my body adjusted and I have had plenty of energy with 600-700 calories. You CAN do this!!

Surgery in May. Previously size 22\24 and 3X tops. Currently size 12 just starting to fit into some 10's. Size large tops - occasionally XL or M depending on fit.

What about gallbladder problems? I am not sure about the symptoms, but I know that many of us end up with gallbladder issues. Might be worth checking?

Protein bars generally have too many carbs as far as I'm concerned. Even shopping around for those with the fewest - I've never found one that worked. I think eating unprocessed food is usually a better option when possible. For those times when you are on the go and have no options, or when you need the extra carbs before an intense workout then I think it is worth it. Then again, I'm a low carb kind of girl because I think it is more effective - other people don't feel the same way. I have found that beef Jerky is a great option for when I am on the go and don't have the option of having my regular meal - I weigh it ahead of time into individual servings. Good luck.

Everyone's doc is different - mine has said coffee is no problem in moderation. I have some in my chocolate Protein drink every afternoon, and also have an occasional fat free latte. The latte is a splurge due to the carbs in the milk, I really watch what else I eat on those days.

I think you will hear from many that beef is particularly hard on your sleeve at first. My doc allowed beef after a short time once I was on solids - many docs have their patients wait months. Regardless of that debate, it seems that trying something a bit easier to digest might help you get in just a bit more - if you are in a mushy stage try some fish if that fits with what your doc has said. I think it will still be shocking how little you can fit, but overall it may be a better experience.