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Honestly I would suggest moving to a high Protein, low carb diet now. The more carbs you eat, the more you will crave them. If you can kick those cravings now, you will be in good shape come surgery time. I am guessing your snacking is chips, crackers, sweets....those types of Snacks. Plan your snacks and Change them out for beef jerkey, nuts, cheese, Apple with Peanut Butter. Only allow yourself one after dinner. If you move to a protein rich, low carb diet and start getting rid of processed foods that have no nutritional value you will stay full longer as well. Try adding a Protein shake as a Meal Replacement but choose one high in protein and very low in sugar. Premier Protein ready made shakes is a very good option. 30 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar, 160 calories.

I would not call losing 42lbs in 2 months a stall. That is excellent weight loss. You have to give yourself a break, your body needs time to adjust. Take it from me, I was a fairly fast loser in the first 4 months and then my loss slowed down to a crawl. I am lucky if I lose 1lb a week right now, but it is still a loss of a pound that I will never see again. The norm is to lose 10 to 15 lbs per month. Seriously whether you lose slow or fast, it all catches up in the end. Those that start out really fast slow way down and some just lose consistently all along the road but most end up at the same place about a year out. Be patient and stay off the scale if it makes you frustrated.

I never treated mine. Obviously they are still a little red because I am only one year out but based on other scars I have had they will get so faint you will barely see them over time.

I also had GI upset that we figured out was a lactose issue. As soon as I switched to premier Protein ready made shakes and adding lactaid fat free milk to thin them out a little it went away completely. Not sure if you are already on protein yet but it definately helped me. I know the first week I did not have this issue as I was on a clear liquid diet. It started for me as soon as they put me on Protein Shakes at the start of week 2.

By the way, I have tried them scrambled, an omelet, poached, over easy scrambled with other stuff. Egg custard. Nothing works for me

@@JacksdadShane I am 12 months post op and still cannot tolerate eggs. They just simply do not sit well with me however I have been eating chicken since the puréed stage and it is one of my favorite Proteins. I don't know how to explain it but as you " Eggs, No Bueno!"

I am so very sorry you are experiencing such horrible complications! At this point, what phase of the diet are you currently on? It would help to have this information. Given your complications I am guessing you are either on puréed or soft foods. Maybe give us some idea of what you are currently trying to eat. When you say solid foods, does that mean a regular diet? If so, you might need more time on puréed or soft foods give. The trauma to your pouch. There have been a lot of people that have had to take a step back and advance even more slowly. Maybe try taking a week and go back to liquids for a few days, followed by puréed.

The nervous feeling you all are having is perfectly normal. You need to try to focus on the positives and what the end result will be. As another poster said, this surgery is low risk. I have had so many many surgeries in my life and it is always a bit scary but they take excellent care of you to make sure you feel nothing and more importantly that you wake up. They also do a great job of controlling pain. The best thing you can do for yourself this week in preparation is remain positive. Distract yourself from thinking about the worst because it is not going to happen anyway. Every time I have had surgery and trust me, I have had several big scary ones I take time for myself to get in the right frame of mind. I try hard to relax myself by taking a long hot bath, listening to calming music, reading a book. Anything that will take my mind off the worry. I try to visualize the improvement in my life that is coming. I got myself to a point with this surgery that I was way more excited than scared and I knew everything was going to go great. Guess what, it did and I am now 12 months post op and down 121lbs, 25 away from my goal. Good luck to you guys this week! You are soon to join the losers club!

My bariatric center of excellence automatically removes the gallbladder when performing WLS. Had I had one they would have taken it out. I lost mine about 23 years ago when I went on a diet and lost 60lbs. Rapid weight loss can have a impact on your gallbladder and you see many folks having to have it removed after WLS. Therefore they simply take it out at the same time.

I am officially 12 months post op as of Saturday. I have lost 121lbs so far and have about 25 to go to get to my ultimate goal. I have definately noticed a lot more joint pain but it has changed. Before surgery it was severe in my ankles and knees. I also have it in my hips, spine and shoulders. I no longer have joint pain in my ankles and knees unless I go really crazy and over exercise. My shoulders, hips and spine however are much worse. I do however have Psoriatic arthritis which is an autoimmune disease that I have had for years so I don't really know how much that is impacting me at this point. I will say to Jame's point, from month 2 on, my behind is actually extremely painful. When you lose this much weight your tailbone begins to stick out.i no longer have any padding in my rear, in fact my husband keeps laughing at me because my butt is completely flat. Jokingly, I will say I went from fat ass to flat ass! I cannot sit comfortably with using a A pillow designed to provide relief. I bought mine on Amazon, it is called a Coccyx pillow. I have not tried a gel cusion but may have to give that a try. I know the tailbone thing is a big issue for many on this site.

At 8 weeks I began eating nuts and yes, my Nut approved. They have excellent Protein and good fats. Yes they have a higher calorie count but I was told not to focus on calories but to focus on protein. It is important not to sit and graze on them but give yourself a serving and track it in Myfitnesspal. I eat nuts almost everyday. I also eat beef jerkey and full fat cheese. It took a bit longer to be able to eat beef jerkey but it has excellent protein and as long as you are getting more than 64 ounces of Water it is a good snack. I drink more than 64 ounces and it flushes the salt from my system so I have been told to increase my salt intake. Jerkey can be pretty salty.

Is it a lactose issue? I had a similiar problem for the first few months but used lactaid or fair life milk and that worked great. If not, I would suggest trying Premier Protein ready made shakes, this way you do not have to worry about it. These shakes have 30 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar 160 calories. They taste great and are one of the most powerful protein options out there. They are filling and keep you full for a long time. You can buy them at Sam's and costco in bulk -18 pack You can also buy a 4 pack at Walmart and some Walgreens stores chocolate seems to be everyone's favorite but they also have vanilla and strawberry if you want to change it up. Good luck!

I was on Clear liquids for the first week so you are right no yogurt or applesauce. Right after surgery they removed me from metformin thank goodness but they had me continue Nexium, Levoxl and Propanalol. The Levoxl and Propanalol were small enough to swallow with Water. The Nexium had to be opened and added to liquid to drink. It was gross! The opening in your new tummy is the size of an eraser head so any pill smaller than that can be swallowed with water. After week 1 they stopped Nexium, High Cholesterol pills. After a month we stopped the high cholesterol and high blood pressure meds which left me with 1 tiny pill and my Vitamins which were all chewable at that point. They will work with you in the hospital to determine how you should take them, also they will provide liquid pain meds.

You have done fantastic! Congratulations on your success and thanks for sharing your story. It is very inspirational!

Yup, I am with James on this. Focus on Protein and liquids and do not worry about Ketosis. This is the first time I have heard of a doctor having someone focus on it. The reality is if you follow the low protein, low carb diet you will be in Ketosis for a while and it will only help your weight loss. My surgeon had me eating good carbs with protein since the very beginning. He and my nut are all about a balanced diet with a heavy Focus to hit my minimum protein goals. My carbs come from vegetables and fruits although I was not allowed fruit until I entered the soft food stage which was 4 weeks post op.

Congratulations! Keep us posted on your progress. Have a safe surgery and speedy recovery!

Time to take some time and breathe deeply. What you are feeling is normal. The liquid diet does not help the situation. I remember my husband who was very supportive of me yelling at me because my brain was just not functioning. I remember literally screaming at him 2 days before my surgery. " I said let me take all food away from you and you live on Protein shakes and chicken broth for 2 weeks and see how your brain functions" It shut him up fast and then of course I apologized and explained that my brain was very foggy. Then the day before my surgery I got very emotional and realized it was just nerves. I spent 30 minutes doing deep breathing exercises and then went and soaked in a hot bath listening to relaxing music. I swear if helped me so very much. I was excited to have surgery but nervous all at the same time. Everything will go great for you, you just need to clear your head a little bit. Tell hubby that you love him and everything is going to be fine. You are going to be a much healthier person in a very short amount of time. This is just one of the bumps along your journey. good luck to you tomorrow and keep us posted! Best wishes for a safe and speedy recovery! P.S. My husband did try the liquid diet and literally gave up before the first day was over!

The reason you are probably snacking so much is because you are not getting your Protein. It is that dense protein from food that will fill you up and keep you full. I went through this as well right around the same time. My nut suggested 2 bites of protein for every 1 bite of good carbs like vegetables and fruit. 3 meals a day. If you get hungry in between which should not yet be the case but it is possible, try drinking 8 oz. of milk for your snack. Milk turns to a solid filling you up and provides protein. You might even try fair life milk which has added protein to it. This will help you get to your protein goal. You also should ask yourself am I really hungry or am I dehydrated? Dehydration causes the exact symptoms of hunger. When you get that feeling in between meals, drink Water or crystal light until it goes away. If that feeling comes back right away, drink that cup of milk. You are likely dealing with head hunger or dehydration.

@@Neutz, It will not be your life after surgery. You have to remember your system is detoxing and getting rid of all the sugar/carbs. They are what give you energy. I do remember exactly what you are referring to (brain fog), I swore I just could not function those last couple days. I wasn't hungry just feeling crappy. You have 1 more day to go and then your surgery day will be here. Hang in there and keep your eye on the prize! You will feel better soon! I hope all goes well with your surgery and you are on the road to recovery soon! Good luck!

This is a great and funny question! Thanks for asking it and I hope you don't mind a females response. I had head rolls! On the back of my head near my neck. It was gross and thankfully had a full head of hair that hid it. My head and face were the very first places where I started dropping weight. NO MORE HEADROLL! It is gone, there is nothing left! It is also the only place on my body where the skin snapped back into place! GAH! I wish the rest of me would have snapped back as nicely. At least I could have hid it with my hair! LOL! I have jokingly told my husband he can no longer call me a "fat head"! (He never did....)

@@Canadian lady, You are having surgery in a few weeks? Has your surgeons office given you information about both surgeries and the expectations for post op care? If not I would suggest you ask for this information so you have everything you need to do to prepare yourself for success. Having WLS requires a great amount of work on your part to be successful. The answer to your question about regain is yes, absolutely you can gain all of your weight back down the road if you do not follow the plan. It is important that you are given a plan and speak with a therapist to ensure there is a plan to deal with any current eating habits that got you here. Otherwise it is very possible to eat around your surgery. I would definately reach out to your surgeon asap and ask for their expectations post surgery. I went to a bariatric center of excellence and was given a giant binder that informed me of all the surgery options, their risks, what I could expect afterwards and a food and exercise plan. I believe most surgeons have something similiar. Best of luck on your upcoming surgery!

46C to a 38c/b. I have deflated! Ugh!

Yes, absolutely a problem for me. I used to have borderline high blood pressure. Now my heart rate averages in the low 50's, hits the 40's daily and has gotten as low as the 30s. In July i began having issues with blacking out when changing positions. I had spine surgery in June, 2 weeks after that surgery I stood up too fast and woke up on the floor. I have no idea how long I was out but we think it was probably seconds. I went to the ER where they told me my blood pressure was normal but my heart rate was running very low. They sent me to 2 cardiologists and an endocrinologist. At this point my blood pressure was running at 85/55 and my heart rate in the 40's. I had every work up for cardiac and adrenal and all came back excellent. All of these doctors referred me back to my bariatric team. My bariatrician told me that this is pretty common following WLS and that I simply needed to change positions very slowly allowing my blood pressure and heart rate to adjust more slowly. I have learned to really be careful when chNging positions and have learned that if I wiggle my hands and feet before getting up it lessens this feeling. Also if the room starts to go dark on me, I sit down immediately. There is a few threads here in bariatric pal in this topic, it sounds like this is pretty common.

Woo hoo! I am so very happy for you!!!!

I would change to premier Protein ready made shakes. They each have 30 grams of protein, only 1 gram of sugar and 160 calories. I start my day everyday by having one which gets my protein kick started for the day. I also eat a lot of cottage cheese which has fantastic protein and beef jerkey has a ton as well. You will get sick down the road if you don't get your protein up to an acceptable level. 1gram of protein for every inch you are tall minimum everyday. I am guessing you know this. I would suggest talking to your nutritionist for suggestions as well. I would NOT suggest using carnation instant breakfast drinks as a solution. There is only 5 grams of protein and 12 grams of carbohydrates. It is not a healthy option for post op WLS patients. Stick with a high protein low carb solution,