Namaste6

Also, Old Navy also has cute clothes and literally always has discounts. I get stuff there because it is cheap, so I won't have to care about losing weight and not wearing them again.

My surgeon said I would be on Purred food by then, so I can have a little bit of gravy and mashed green Beans. My mom is purposely making me some broth with shredded turkey. I'm nervous because it is going to be the first time having a meal with people other than family (my parents are big on not letting others be alone on holidays, so they invited neighbors and people from work).

Are there any gels or creams surgeons recommend to decrease scarring?

Thanks again for all of these amazing examples. I am 27 days away now! Couldn't be more excited

I use LostIt. It has a large food database, and you can scan barcodes (even generic brands) or make your own recipes and food items - it counts your carbs, fat, and Protein intake as well as your exercise. It also allows you to decrease your calorie intake to your desired amount without the app telling you that you are crazy hahaha. You can also connect it to your FitBit, digital scales (Aria, WiThings, etc.), MyFitnessPal, MapMyRun, and much more. You don't have to have the Premium for the basics such as exercise and food diary. The Premium is $29.99 a year and it is well worth it. It has really helped me.

@@Jangy03253 I wish you the best of luck. In my opinion, the surgery is a positive thing in your life right now, do not let the negativity of your husbands family ruin you. You deserve to be happy, healthy, and in a good place. You have a great support system here, and it is quite brave and a good step for you to voice your thoughts to us all. In the meantime, try to imagine your life post-op and how much stronger you will be. You deserve the best! Stay strong!

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. It is very helpful!

Macy's in my area has a large plus-size section that goes from sizes 14-28. They carry a brand named American Rag, which I noticed can fit at different sizes (When I was a 24, their skirt fit nicely. It still looks amazing now that I am a 20). City Chic sometimes run too big in the chest/waist area, and I am big busted. I have also really lucked out at Nordstrom Rack - clothes there are almost 50% off normal prices (cute shirts/skirts/dresses for under $30) TJ Maxx has good deals, and a lot of their clothes are made really well.

@@itstimealready There is a USB mug warmer that can keep your food warm since it takes longer to eat. So say you have chicken broth or soup... You can keep it on the Mug Warmer in the office or at home while you eat so it stays at a warm temperature. The one my husband has does both cooling and warming - so if I have like a colder Protein shake, it will keep it colder so it doesn't get too watery. Here is the one we have - but we got it on Amazon: https://www.vat19.com/item/usb-warmer-cooler

Not my experience: My cousin was told to go into maintenance at 160, she increased her intake based on what the nutritionist said, but still lost weight at an average of 0.5 lbs a week. 4 years post-op and she is in the 120's. Not sure if maybe it's a strategy the nutritionists have? Like I said, not my experience, but I have been grilling my family who has gotten surgery to get as much info as possible.

Good luck!

"A large liver prevents your surgeon from visualizing certain anatomy during the procedure. If the liver is too large, it then becomes unsafe to perform your gastric bypass surgery. Surgery, may then be cancelled and rescheduled to a later date." I know we are all doing the Sleeve here, but the surgeon still has to reposition the liver in order to make the sleeve, so having a shrunken liver will help decrease complications. If the liver is accidentally nicked or cut, it can cause internal bleeding. Stick to high Protein and low-carb, that is the gist of it. Many people do not follow a pre-op diet, and they are still fine. It is just a precaution to make things easier. I am sure your surgeon is highly qualified and even if your liver doesn't shrink they should do great.

I was told to do a Liver Shrinking Diet (Make sure it is less fatty, and a smaller size considering the stomach is located under it). I don't start my pre-op diet until 2 weeks before, but the Liver Shrinking diet a month before. This includes: 2 Protein shakes (Less than 200 cal, 12 carbs, 5 fat, 36 protein) 2 Protein Snacks ( Protein Bar, greek yogurt, 2 eggs, string cheese, 3 oz protein, or serving of nuts) 1 Meal (palm size protein, three handfuls of non-starch veggies, or one handful of fruit) Plenty of Water They said I can add a veggie to my protein snack too. Talk to your nutritionist - I am sure at your pre-op class they will let you know if there is anything else. I have been doing it for almost a month, and have lost 25 lbs. And according to my tests, my liver is healthier too.

I just bought the GNC Lean 25 in pumpkin Spice - bringing in the Fall season.

I live in Hawaii, and there are people who are very large individuals. So it surprises me that there is still the judged looks or fat shaming. My mom was at the GNC with me and she said she thought it was more of a "Oh, you're in here because you're making a change"... Rather than an insult. I think it's more that I am used to or rather expect the negativity I got another though: I can't wait to actually LIVE in Hawaii - hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, etc.)

Sadly, I cannot wait for the judged looks I get from people to stop. I went into GNC the other day, and the sales associate flat out said: "You aren't like any of our normal customers. Are you getting weight loss surgery done soon?". I know I shouldn't be embarrassed, since I am going through the process, but it's kind of unsettling/embarrassing when there is a store full of people.

Just do you! Forget the negative words you might hear; some people just don't get it. You are doing an amazing thing to better yourself. I can't wait for the day I don't have to look up weight restrictions or what kind of chairs are at a restaurant. Can't wait! (30 days away until the beginning!)

Congratulations! A year must have been hard to do, but that is amazing that you are finally through with it! (I am sure seeing people go through a program and have surgery in a month or so was hard to watch!) Wish you luck! 15 days away!

What others have you had? I keep buying random samples at GNC, but haven't found one I love other than the Quest banana Cream. Others I just kind of tolerate, like the Premiere Protein.

That's a shame =\ Do you watch Extreme Weight Loss? There was an episode a few months back about a couple losing weight for their wedding. And the woman realized that her fiance was actually holding her back and she was much happier when they had their mandatory separation. Maybe since you are re-evaluating yourself, you need to make more drastic changes. But involve him, express your feelings. Maybe he will realize that he needs to change for you. You should call your insurance company - I was under the impression that there is a mandatory coverage for up to 5 sessions per individual with a psychologist. I was told mine covered 10 visits. I think there was a co-pay of $25 per visit - you might only need 1. But my pre-op class mandated visits.

I have had quite a few family members have bariatric surgery (6 actually) and my cousin and her then boyfriend used to get into arguments because she would complain that he was eating too much in front of her (She never really fixed her food issues) Anyway, she took him to a few psychology appointments and it seemed to really help them.

@@Sophie74656 Is he not interested in the surgery? Maybe it's a mix of both jealousy as well as nervousness/being scared that people mentioned before. I would assume, but I do not know him, that he has been very comfortable with the both of you being larger together, and he is scared of everything changing. There was a forum on here a few weeks ago where someone mentioned her husband had the fear that when she got thinner, that she would leave him for someone not obese. Maybe he needs reassurance too? Then he can let go of his own insecurities and just be supportive.

@@Sophie74656 Is he on the heavy side too, if you don't mind me asking?

I am fortunate that even with my 25 lb weight loss pre-op, at a very high BMI, I have been complimented by my husband on little things. (Obviously he isn't happy that most of it has come from my chest area =P)

This is something I kind of nervous about. My husband used to be obese, but through a severe exercise obsession he has gotten down to 'overweight' status. He is VERY supportive when it comes to the surgery based on knowing how hard I have tried to lose weight in the past (I gained 100 lbs since we started dating 6 years ago based on his love of fast/unhealthy food) so he sees the struggle. Like I said, he LOVES exercise, but he doesn't push me to work out (I have been though), he will say "You don't have to go to the gym, you went yesterday". I want him to want to work out WITH me, but I know I am not on his level, and I can tell he thinks I will slow him down. Even though he works out a lot, he is still a big junk food eater - chips, chocolate, donuts, fried food, lots of rice and bread. So even though he is supportive of me it doesn't really help when I am limiting my food intake and he is bringing home crap from work and putting it in my face And to make it worse, he loves my Isopure drinks and Quest Protein bars and Vitamin chews haha - I don't get bothered by him eating/drinking my stuff though because I am hoping he will get into healthy eating to make my life easier (no more making two different dinner meals) The way I see it, my decision to get surgery will cause him to change his lifestyle too. So hopefully it will be for the better for both of us. I love the support, but I want to be a team rather than a "you do your thing, I'll do mine".