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I had a bad, bad soda habit. I didn't have a pre-op diet, so I had my last Coke at 11 pm, an hour before 24 hours of clear liquids before surgery. I lost the taste for them and haven't tried a sip since. I'm determined not to let soda pass my lips again.

@@ForeverHealthy I am about five months out from RNY. Many people find months after surgery that they can eat a little bit of the wrong foods all day long. I can eat a lot more chips or crackers than I can Protein. And I get hungry again way faster on those foods than protein. So yes, sticking to the plan is key. I can eat about 2.5 oz of meat at a time and a few bites of veggies. That keeps me full for hours and I feel a hell of a lot better when I make good food choices. After surgery, some people choose to moderate or abstain or some combo of the two when it comes to off-plan foods. My nutritionist has told me wheat crackers are ok as long as I have some protein with them, like cheese. I sometimes have cheese and crackers as a snack. A little indulgence once in a while helps me stay on track. Other "problem foods" I'm abstaining from completely, like soda, diet or not. I understand it's also possible to stretch the pouch, so it's important to stop eating when you're full. It's been helpful for me that when I'm satisfied, the food doesn't really taste good anymore so it's easier to stop. I have had to have some pep talks with myself about not trying to squeeze in a few extra bites to meet my protein goals. I hope this helps!

I recently had a bad cold and tried a teaspoon of buckwheat honey in my tea. I was desperate to relieve my cough. I dumped and will never make that mistake again!

@@winklie I think maybe your Sahara ass is worse than mine and my volcano ass is worse than yours. When it's Sahara, I can usually take something and work it out. When it's volcano, it's never just once for me. It's multiple times, my stomach is upset and I feel weak and shitty. (All puns intended)

@@sharkgirl It has always worked for me within two hours, but everyone is different. The few times I've taken it have been right after work and on a Saturday, to avoid times I'd be at work and trying to sleep.

@wilklie Again, I'm the opposite! I'd rather give birth to an 8-pound turd than basically pee through my butt. Different folks, different butt problem preferences. And I was thinking of someone eating a healthy, balanced diet years out from surgery, not garbage. At least I'm crossing my fingers that one day a balanced diet will leave me less, well, butt hurt.

Good questions to ask anyone accusing you of taking the easy way out: Do you take any daily medicines? Oh, you have a chronic condition? Well isn't taking medicine taking the easy way out? Can't you just deal with your condition yourself? Did you chase a boar down with a spear and cook it over an open fire last night for your dinner? Oh, you bought food from the grocery store and cooked it in your oven? Isn't that taking the easy way out? We all know it's not easy, but even if it was, who cares? We all take the shortest, fastest route to work. Doing otherwise would be insane.

It's taught me how easily things can get out of control and how diligent I need to be in the future to protect my health. It's also taught me what it's like to live with a marginalized identity. That's given me a lot of empathy for others with marginalized identities and I never want to lose that. In my post-op life, I envision being a more active participant in my own life. I have a list of things I've wanted to do but haven't because of my weight. I'm looking forward to experiencing them all!

@@McButterpants I'm still early in the weight loss phase so no experience with this, but want to offer some words of support. Please don't be embarrassed to talk about these things! What you're going through seems pretty common, based on my time here. My understanding is that WLS allows us to "easily" lose 100 or more pounds because getting that much excess weight off is damn near impossible for us without it. But it's not a permanent fix. The hunger comes back and work is required not to gain large amounts of weight back. The weight you've gained is much smaller than the 100 or more extra pounds you were carrying before surgery. You're very smart to catch this early and seek support before it gets out of control. I wish you the best as you hit the reset button. I'm first glad you posted for your own well-being. But your post also helps us who are still in the weight loss phase know what's coming down the pike and prepare, so thank you for sharing!

My understanding is that it's caused by the post-op diet. I imagine a year or two out, when you're eating more normally, it subsides, but I'm not totally sure. Any veterans out there who can chime in?

@@Leanmachine "MOM is a pleasure to take. My Surgeon prescribed liquid Colace, which is branded as Diocto Liquid, and it is, without a doubt or hesitation the absolute worst tasting thing I have ever imbibed. It actually has a pleasant taste in the mouth, but when you swallow it, it hits your esophagus and burns, the gets into the stoma, and is equally unpleasant, I gagged the three or four times I took it. It's as close to vomiting as I have come post op. The only way I found to begin to mitigate it's nastiness, is to have a cup of coffee in hand, and gargle with it, to get it off your esophagus, and then flush it out of the stomach. They make Colace in a gel cap as well. I tried two of those, but the gel cap was so thick, I almost could not crush it in my mouth, and they contain the same flavor as the liquid. I am willing to bet that they make the gel cap so thick so that it does not dissolve in your stomach but at some point in your intestines. With my shorter digestive tract due to BP I don't think they would dissolve at all. Ergo why I did not mention it in the post, I guess sleeve people might be able to take it, but BP folks are out of luck." It's the opposite with me. I only take MOM as a last resort because it always upsets my stomach and sometimes overshoots the target. Colace is my personal standby. The small gel tablets don't bother me a bit, it doesn't upset my stomach and it works without working TOO well. So, I say, try different solutions and see what works for you!

@ I'm going to guess you live somewhere without huge temperature fluctuations throughout the year? San Diego maybe? While there is a little overlap between my winter and summer clothes (might wear a sweater over a short-sleeve top in winter or jeans in the summer if it's under 85 degree), 20 degree weather definitely calls for drastically different clothes than 100 degree weather.

This winter I've been enjoying bringing things out from last year and wondering will this fit? It's been a great change to find the answer is "no" for quite a few items not because they're too small, but because they're too big! Periodically I've been going "shopping" through some old, smaller clothes. Last night I found a beautiful jacket that I haven't been able to wear in years. I've gotten so many compliments on it today!

So I just tried to measure out 4 oz of turkey for dinner and was already in "no way in hell can I eat that much" zone at 3 oz. Deck of cards my a$$.

I definitely understand the pull of the scale! I weighed myself several times a day for about two months after surgery. It actually gave me good information on how my weight fluctuates throughout each day so I can tell the difference between meaningless fluctuation and real loss/gain. Now I'm weighing about twice a week and watching the number go down. It's fantastic! On a side note, the one scale I WILL be using every day now is my new food scale. Last night I weighed a portion of chicken that I was sure had to be 4 oz. It was only 2.5. I think this is going to help me set goals for myself to meet my Protein needs.

I'm about 2.5 months out. You guys think treating my scars now would help or have I waited too long to start?

Welcome to onederland! Can't wait to meet you there!

Today I noticed myself standing with my hands behind my back, one hand holding the opposite wrist. It's been a while since standing that way was comfortable! I didn't even notice I was doing it at first it was so natural!

@@bellabloom I'm glad the inpatient facility was a good wake up call and that you're finding a program that's a better fit. Your post sounds positive and like you're making progress! Hang in there and keep up the good work! We're rooting for you here!

My doctor recommended five to six weeks. I took five and worked from home one week. Many people are very fatigued until about six weeks out, due to healing and the rapid weight loss.

Stalls definitely make me reevaluate how well I'm following the plan and how I can do even better. I'm thankful for that. I'm determined to focus on the plan instead of taking on other unhealthy measures to make the scale move. Being thankful for stalls still might require what one might call "graduate level gratitude." haha I had no idea that people lose more inches during a stall, btw!

I've heard about the benefits of coconut oil, but also warnings against it because of the high saturated fat content. It seems like the jury it still out, so I'm sticking with olive oil for now.

I think the concept of more individualized eating plans is interesting. For so long we've seen blanket statements about what's good or bad for everyone. I'm just glad the research is being done. It's an epidemic that no one has figured out quite how to solve. I was happy for the opportunity to participate in a study when I have my surgery. They took samples of blood and a little bit of fat while during the procedure. Just hope it helps!