Mattymatt

That would be a good day to wake up to. Alas, I wouldn't know ....

@Crystalbear Are you getting the sleeve or the bypass? The bypass has some restrictions due to dumping syndrome so you really have to watch the carbs but you'll want to watch them because I hear that dumping syndrome is abject misery.

Nah, you're not. I compared the OptiFast soups to the shakes and the difference between them is that the soups have 300mg more of sodium. I just feel guilty for wasting them.

I never really liked cream soups to begin with at all. I am suffering through having the one per day that is required on OptiFast.

From the support groups I have attended, many of the participants have said that their tastes and desires in food changed radically. One guy related a really telling story. He used to love burgers and fries and now just the sight of red meat makes his stomach flip. I think rather than worry, you kind of have to ride it out and see what happens.

Yeah, your sister-in-law sounds like a really insecure person. The best thing you can do is sort of wish them well and move on. I am insecure in many ways but I am honest and open about it. I don't hide behind it and I am trying to work on it.

Very glad you're on the mend. Sometimes latent issues crop up after surgery and it's good to read that you have a caring surgeon.

Hi Charly, Each person's experience varies to some degree. Just hang in there and keep following the surgeon's dietary prescription. If you follow the advice honestly and earnestly, success will come.

The reason surgeons require a (sometimes) stringent pre-operation diet is actually to make surgery safer and faster. An enlarged liver and spleen can obstruct the view of the laprascopic camera making the surgery more difficult. As my surgeon says, this is especially the case in larger patients coming to the operating table. I just happen to be one of those too. I also reason that this pre-operation diet could work really well in my favor if for some reason the surgeon must abort the surgery. If that unlikely scenario does occur, I will already be adapted to the OptiFast diet that the surgeon prescribed so I might as well continue with it while the issue gets resolved. I am 6'4" and 356 pounds so I can get to a low of about 290 before losing the qualification for weight loss surgery. If it will be the case that I am not going to be safe for surgery, I will ride OptiFast to its natural conclusion and continue to work with a therapist. There can be bright spots in dark times.

That's still not bad at all! It's above the average of 1.5 - 2lbs per week. Your average is actually 3 pounds per week. You also have less to lose than a lot of other people. The less weight you have to lose the harder it is. Just keep at it and you'll get there. Remember, you didn't gain this weight overnight.

I just turned 41 and my dad reacted the same way. I finally told him in no uncertain terms that if he wants to have a relationship with me of any kind that I will have nothing but his support. I told him that he either supports me or goes his own way. There are always people that have their uneducated opinions. I tell them that once you've walked a mile or more in my shoes, with repeated and failed attempts at weight loss, surgery looks like a better and better option.

It does get better ... a lot better. It took me a full 7 days not to have hunger pangs anymore. My surgery is on March 12th. See how you feel tomorrow. I woke up this morning pleased to be free from hunger pangs. It does happen.

Nice work!!!

I think this is definitely a question you need to ask your surgeon. I asked mine that question and she said to wait one full year before doing it. It's a perfectly fair question to ask. I like wine and beer but I only drink one or two at most. I like the taste, not being sloshed.

Good for you for sticking to it! Sorry about the upset stomach though. Upset stomach and diarrhea are just another day in my life. I don't have a gall bladder so this comes and goes.

Please tell your surgeon about this. I'm no expert but it doesn't look real good.

Your lucky. I've been on my pre-op diet since Monday, February 26th and my blood sugar has been all over the place. It is disheartening. Buy some orange or grapefruit juice and treat the lows with 1/2 a cup of it. That always worked very well for me.

I had a friend with a diabetic and very overweight cat. She was 16 years old and the vet said just to leave her be at this point. Let her enjoy her food and her waning years. She died peacefully in her sleep at 18.

Fantastic weight loss on your part! That took some real dedication! :-) Love the kitty too.

Hey dude! Don't limit yourself to someone who had the surgery. Good people can be found if you don't limit yourself.

Are you drinking too fast?

Let's just stop the blame game right and here and right now. I stopped the blame game today when everything sunk in and I realized just how fragile I am. You know we are only living because of an intricate bio-chemical process that's protected by a perilously thin layer of skin. This means we need to make the best of our circumstances, not berate ourselves for them. This is going to be my 3rd weight loss program. I've been up and down 100+ pounds twice before and each time I regained the weight and blamed myself. Self-blame is something so easy to get mired in and difficult to get out of. The only thing that matters now is your journey up to, and past, your surgery date. My date is effectively a week away and I've got my eyes on it. If it helps I am 40 years old and lived most of my life overweight. Dating is very difficult when you don't look good and/or feel good. I've only had two girlfriends in my life, and it was the second one whom I fell in love with. When that ended, I packed on the weight I had lost really quickly. As Abe Lincoln was fond of saying, "It is not the years of your life that count, it is the life in your years." I haven't had much life in those years and I am determined to change that. The past does not matter any more.

Premiere protein shakes are a really good option! As @Creekimp13 notes, that just two of them and you're well on your way to your protein goals ...... Cricket powder? What!?

Congratulations on catching yourself before the ultimate fall! That's huge! You are still a success because you've kept more than 50% of your weight off. You're even just a success for catching yourself before the fall. Now just go back to the bariatric basics of protein first and follow this. You'll be back under control in no time.

It's very normal to be scared and worried and I'd be concerned if you were not. I am 10 days away from the big day and I am running the emotional gamut. I am on March 12th. When is your big day?