SuperDave

You have to keep in mind, this is your decision, not theirs. You are the one making the change, not them. It is unfair to expect people to act differently around you because of a decision that you made. This is scary for them too. You ARE going to change. You ARE going to be a different person. If you don't think so, then stop now. The whole goal here is to change. You can only control yourself, so work on that. You cannot control your friends, family or coworkers, so don't waste your effort trying. This is about you, not them.

Really, it's not worth getting worked up over. You have changed, people are going to notice, why let that bother you? In time people will get used to the new you and the comments will stop. Worry about what you can control, let the other things go. For example, you can't control what people say, so let it go. You can control how you feel about or react to those comments, so work on that. For the most part, people are not trying to annoy you. They are simply noticing an accomplishment and want to let you know. The correct answer to "You are too skinny now" or "You look younger" or "That must have been difficult" is "Thank you for noticing, I have been working hard."

Enjoy the bad breath, it means you are losing fat! In my first 2 years after surgery, I could always tell when a stall was ending by how bad my breath was in the morning. There is no great way to kill it. I used to eat a spoonful of Tabasco sauce to overpower it. I don't know if it made my breath better, but it got the awful taste out of my mouth for a while.

At 3 years post op and easily maintaining under my goal weight, this was the most important thing I learned. I used to idolize food. Weekend road trips were based on where I could eat. Vacations were all about the restaurants I could visit. Every aspect of my social life revolved around food and drink. Looking back, it was ridiculous! There is SO much more in life to enjoy, food now gets in the way. I can truly say that I'm over it, and I swear there is no better feeling!

I'm not female, I'm not young (47), and I didn't start on the lighter side, I was 450 pounds. But I'll chime in anyway! Really, the fact that you realize there is a problem and are ready to make a change is a huge part of the battle. I was sleeved almost 3 years ago. It was hard. There were times I questioned if I had made the right decision. But 3 years later I would not change a thing. I lost more than half of my self, 265 pounds. Everything in life is better. My social life, family life, professional life and even sex life has all improved drastically. It's not because I'm different, I am still the same person. It is because I see myself different. I don't use my weight as an excuse to not be my best. Just jump in and don't look back. It is 100% worth it. Best of luck to you! You have got this!

You look great! Keep up the good (and sometimes hard) work!

Yep, I was never cold before. Now I'm always freezing, and I'm in Arizona! My wife made fun of me constantly last winter because I bought so many jackets.

Search Amazon for bariatric vitamins. You can definitely get them a lot cheaper than what you are paying.

If you are craving pasta you should try edamame spaghetti. It is high protein and low carb, and closer to pasta than any other lower carb options I have tried. It also cooks super fast and a very small amount is much more filling than regular pasta. Plus, it's 100% soybeans. It's more expensive than regular pasta, but like I said, a little goes a long way. I get it at my local Costco for about half the price I've seen it anywhere else.

Why start eating carbs again at all? That seems counterproductive. (In my humble opinion, of course.)

I do this with ice in my blender and use the sugar free Torani syrups. It's a nice Summer treat! A shaved ice machine probably works better, but I have one of those ridiculous professional blenders and it does pretty good!

I assume nothing. I simply stated that this is nothing compared to the challenges that you will face in the future. That is a fact. I also stated that this choice is not for everyone. Also a fact. Those things aren't negatives or telling you off or meant to be discouraging. They are simply facts. I also said it was 100% worth it for me. But hey, why dwell on the positive when you can "assume" you are being attacked?

Here's the deal. You have to decide if this is what you want to do and if it is going to be worth it to you. Only you can make that choice. You are discouraged over a 2 week diet when you haven't even had surgery yet. The ups and downs you are going to face going forward will make this seem like nothing. Are you ready for that? You must decide. I don't say this to discourage you more. Having weight loss surgery is the best decision I ever made. But I have learned from people on here and others I have met that it is not for everyone. Either go all in and truly commit yourself or don't, but do not ever assume it will be easy. This is not magic. You will feel terrible. You will have long periods of zero weight loss. You will question your decision over and over and over. You will hate what you are "allowed" to eat and crave what you can't have. It sucks, but that is the truth. Having said that, I would do it all again. For me, it was 100% worth it.

My wife and I work a LOT, so I'm not always in the mood to cook during the week when we get home. (I do all the cooking in our house.) I usually cook a roast or chicken in the pressure cooker or slow cooker on the weekends, then shred it use to top salads, heat up with veggies, use on a quesadilla with a low carb tortilla, etc. You can create a lot of quick meals with some basic prep work once a week, and more importantly it helps you avoid the restaurants.

If your surgeon is on top of things, you should get all of the information you need without asking too much. I had a 50+ page packet with answers to almost anything I could ever want to know. For me the important things to discuss were recovery time after surgery, how long to expect to be out of work and doing insurance, disability and FMLA paperwork for the time off from work. I don't know if any of that applies to your situation, though. Good luck with your appointment and your weight loss journey, Don't be nervous, you have got this!