blizair09

This might be my favorite post, ever! You go girl. I was so freaked out on my surgery day that booty was the last thing on my mind. (Of course, having my mon and dad there with my partner probably played a role in that...)

I took off six weeks (with short term disability paying at 100%). You will get a myriad of responses to this question. My advice is to take as much time as your personal, work, and financial situations will allow. It isn't just about physically healing, it is also about adjusting to post-op life. Taking all of that time off allowed me to heal, but it also helped me navigate the food stages and set myself up for continued success. Good luck!

A big part of this journey is re-defining your relationship with food. In my case, my goal was that food and drink were no longer the centerpiece of any part of my life. For others, especially those with less extreme relationships with food, life will go on. My advice is to work on not letting it bother you. What difference does it make if they eat pizza? You don't need it, so just enjoy the company and don't focus on the food. I understand that it is easier said that done in the beginning, but no one said that this journey was easy. Good luck!

Great post! I wish I could believe that everyone would take it to heart, but I know better.

I'm not saying it is impossible, but that is a pretty tall order. I am right at 3 months post-op today, and I have lost 56 pounds since the surgery. (I weighed 298 the day of surgery for reference.) Good luck!

I totally understand this post!! I have worn the same outfit (running shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops that I take off) every time I have to weigh regardless of weather. If I have to do something after where I need to wear "regular" clothes, I just change between the weighing and seeing the NP. It kind of freaked them out at first, but now they are used to it. They didn't even flinch when I came in that way last week before we left for our trip (and it was below 40 which is strange for New Orleans any day, but especially in mid-December).

I am doing low carb/moderate-to-high protein/high healthy fat. I did this throughout my six-month pre-op diet, continued it through the food stages (even having to stay on liquids an extra week because I wouldn't eat the food in one of the stages because it was all carb laden), and now that I am "on my own" so-to-speak. I am now averaging 900-1000 calories per day, less than 20 carbs per day, and around 100 grams of Protein per day. I lost 99 pounds pre-op, and as of today, I have lost another 47 pounds since the surgery on September 28 for a total of 146 pounds. If you restrict the carbs, it should help your weight loss. The foods I eat in one day are as follows: Meal #1: 1 scrambled egg and 2 pieces of bacon Meal #2: 4 oz cottage cheese with 2 T sugar-free strawberry preserves Meal #3: 2 oz salmon (cooked with 1/2 tsp olive oil) with 1 oz green Beans Meal #4: 1 string cheese Meal #5: 2 oz hamburger steak with 1 oz green beans Meal #6: 1 string cheese with 1 oz salmon (cooked with 1/2 tsp olive oil) Meal #7: 2 oz salmon (cooked with 1/2 tsp olive oil) with 1 oz green beans Meal #8: 4 oz cottage cheese with 2 T sugar-free strawberry preserves I eat the same thing every day. What kinds of things are you eating every day?

As independent adults, we do what we have to do. Ignore the comments that don't support your positive goals, embrace those that do, and stay the course! Good luck!

Awesome work! Keep it up!

The mental game is the biggest part of this journey. While I understand the feelings you are having, I would strongly recommend doing as much as you can to get your mind in the right place before you have the surgery. The surgery itself isn't going to get you where you want to be; it is the grit, perseverance, and mental toughness that will do that. Good luck!

You will get a myriad of different answers on here regarding this topic. Ultimately, when you go back to work is something you'll have to decide for yourself. In my case, I took off six weeks. I had short-term disability that paid at 100%, so it gave me the opportunity to take the time I needed to recover physically, conquer the serious fatigue problem that I had post-op, and devote myself 100% to the required post-op food stages. There is no way I could have gone back after a week, or even three weeks. During the last couple of weeks of my medical leave, physically I was better. The fatigue was still an issue and returning to work at that time would have really hampered me focusing on my Protein and Water intake, but it could have been done if I absolutely had to go back at that time. But early on, there is no way it could have happened. My advice is take as much time as your personal, professional, and financial situations will allow. Good luck!

There is this Kesiha parody from the Key Of Awesome, I can't copy it here cause my computer is work locked down, but one line is the girl singing, "Oh crap not again, it's an intervention". Going in my head right now I did the surgery. I am hurting and sipping and ready to not hurt so much, but overall everything went fine. Good for you! Best wishes for a speedy recovery and a successful next stage of your journey!!

This journey is more mental than anything else. Good for you for being strong and making a good decision!

I have a carb addiction; therefore, they are my enemy. I am going to have to always restrict them. I might not have to keep them below 20 after I hit my goal, but I can't imagine being able to have them go over 50 on a regular basis, but we'll see when the time comes. Right now, my 19.5 carbs per day, come from the following: 1. Cottage cheese (two 4 oz servings for a total of 8 carbs) 2. sugar-free strawberry preserves (two 17 g servings for a total of 4 carbs) 3. Green Beans (three 1 oz servings for a total of 6 carbs) 4. Reduced sugar ketchup (1 tablespoon for a total of 1 carb) 5. Powerade Zero Fruit Punch (12 oz pour for a total of 0.5 carb) Cottage cheese is my favorite. I never would fathom that I would become a cottage cheese lover, but I have! If I had to toss one of them, it would be the powerade zero. I front-load Water in the mornings (I have 64 oz before noon most days), so I usually have the powerade zero in the evening before bedtime.

I'd go back to Protein shakes or some kind of liquid with unflavored Protein powder for a few days. I have worked hard to be more clinical with food and think of it as fuel. I know what targets I want to hit each day (calories, protein, carbs, etc.) and I have food that gets me to those targets. Admittedly, I have selected things to eat that I like and stay within the confines of my daily allotments, but it is less about hunger for me and more about fueling and hitting targets. I know that this approach isn't for everyone, but maybe it can help you while you are dealing with non-hungry periods. If nothing else, try to maximize the protein you take in -- and protein shakes are the best way to do that if real food isn't an option. Good luck!

My doctor said that I don't have to take a calcium supplement as long as my lab results are in the normal range. So far, so good. I have 4 oz of cottage cheese twice a day, so I am actually getting more dairy than I did during my entire six-month pre-op diet program.

That is very cute! Wrong, but cute!

Happy birthday, and congratulations! Keep up the hard work!!

900 calories seems like a lot for two weeks post-op. I am in the 12th week post-op, and I am in the 900-1000 calorie range now. Looking back at my food journal, I didn't even break 500 calories until the beginning of Week 4 post-op. That aside, as hard as it is, you have to be patient in the beginning weeks. Your body is healing and dealing with all kinds of internal goings-on. If you follow your plan, the weight will start to come off, but it is going to do it in its own time. That is an issue we all have to face. Good luck!

We went and had all of the vaccinations for our SE Asia tour this morning. Typhoid was one of them, so hopefully Typhoid Mary will stay away! (She better because my arm hurts like hell from all the shots...) I hope you feel better soon.

I had an appointment with my PCP on February 3. My first appointment with the surgeon's NP was March 3. My sixth appointment with the surgeon himself was August 10, and my surgery was September 28. Good luck!