BigSue

The BariatricPal store has some really affordable vitamins (FYI, most of the vitamins you can buy at regular stores don't have everything you need as a bariatric patient). Your surgeon probably wants you to take chewable vitamins for the first couple of months: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/bariatric-vitamins/products/bariatricpal-multivitamin-one-day-bariatric-mixed-berry-chewable-45mg-iron?variant=28178713739341 I take these and I don't care for the taste (I'm 3 months out, so I'll be switching to the capsules once I run out of the chewables), but they're ok and the price is great. They probably have everything you need except calcium, unless you have a specific deficiency. Calcium needs to be taken separately from iron because calcium and iron interfere with each other, so you'll need a separate calcium citrate supplement (make sure it's calcium citrate -- most of the calcium supplements at regular stores are calcium carbonate).

The big one that you haven't mentioned is hair loss, which can freak out a person who doesn't know about it, so if you're not aware, I suggest you look up telogen effluvium. Basically, the physical trauma of the surgery causes most people to lose large quantities of hair about 3 months after surgery. It grows back, though. I haven't really experienced many side effects. I haven't noticed a change in taste, much to my disappointment, because I've always been a picky eater and my tastes gravitate toward sugary and fatty foods, and I dislike a lot of healthy foods like vegetables and fish. I had hoped that would change, but nope. Here is a whole thread about this: Also, I've seen a lot of YouTube videos along the lines of "X things I wish I had known before WLS": https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=things+i+wish+i+knew+before+weight+loss+surgery+

It is very normal to have second thoughts as you get close to your surgery date. I sure did! I lost almost 70 pounds before surgery, and I started to think maybe I should try to keep going on my own. But I've spent far too much of my life yo-yo dieting, so I knew that it was unlikely that I'd be able to lose that weight and keep it off without WLS. I've read that people make poor decisions when they are in a heightened emotional state, so you should always try to make big decisions when you are calm and have time to think through them rationally. Presumably, you've already had a long journey to get to this point, through all of the pre-op requirements you had to meet, so you've had plenty of time to make this decision rationally. We all have our reasons for doing something as drastic as WLS, and I don't know your specific reasons, but I think you should trust that decision that you made and that you were excited about up until this point. The pre-op diet and the first week after surgery are pretty miserable, but once you get through that, it gets much easier from there.

Wow! Congratulations on your success!

That's a question you'll have to ask your surgeon before you have the surgery. NSAIDs are not good to take after bariatric surgery because they can cause ulcers, but that is more important for gastric bypass patients than sleeve patients. Some doctors say it's ok for sleeve patients to take NSAIDs. Please ask your surgeon.

Congratulations -- that's awesome!

3 weeks is a little early for restaurant food, but beans (refried beans or black beans) would probably be ok, and maybe shredded chicken, and enchilada sauce. One of my favorite soft foods meals is refried beans topped with shredded chicken and enchilada sauce, and cheese (I used Laughing Cow cheese, but a little real cheese should be ok). I think most Mexican restaurants would be willing to make you a plate with beans, chicken, enchilada sauce, and cheese if you ask for it. And you will have a lot of leftovers.

I like Oikos Triple Zero yogurt. I usually buy vanilla, but they make plain, too. Post-op, it is really hard to get enough protein, so I mix protein powder into my yogurt. I like the vanilla yogurt with chocolate protein powder and powdered peanut butter. That may be too sweet for your taste (since there is also sweetener in protein powder), but you could try it with the plain yogurt.

Deleted (accidental duplicate post).

I had to take the MMPI (the one with hundreds of true/false questions). I'm a pro at that because I've had to take it several times for my job. I also had to take a multiple-choice test about eating habits. That one was kind of hard because I had changed my eating habits a lot in the months leading up to my surgery, and I wasn't sure if I should answer with my current eating habits in mind or those from before I started my pre-surgery weight loss. They ask questions like that to see if you're lying. If you say you never laugh at dirty jokes or never get angry, it shows that you're not being honest. That's also why there are a lot of repetitive questions (asking the same thing in slightly different ways), to see if you're being consistent.

I don't mind green beans, cucumber, iceberg or romaine lettuce, tomato, carrots, celery, broccoli, artichoke, and asparagus. I hate cauliflower (although I'm weirdly ok with cauliflower rice if I add sauce and mix-ins), bell peppers, squash, mushrooms, cabbage, weird lettuce (dandelion greens, kale, arugula, etc.), and brussels sprouts (and probably a lot of others that aren't coming to mind at the moment).

I haven’t really noticed any change in taste, and honestly, I’m disappointed. I had hoped my tastes would change because I’ve always been a picky eater, and of course I like foods that are full of carbs and fat (and dislike a lot of healthy foods like vegetables and fish). The only difference I’ve found is that I seem to have a higher tolerance for spicy foods now. I’ve always been a spice wimp, but I recently made some white chicken chili using the same recipe I always use, and it barely tasted spicy to me. I shared it with someone who like spicy food and remarked that it wasn’t as spicy as usual, and he couldn’t believe I would want it any spicier.

Pre-op diets vary a lot from one surgeon to the next. There are some surgeons who don't require any pre-op diet at all until the day before surgery. Some surgeons may vary their pre-op diet requirements by patient (for example, a patient with a BMI over 50 who carries a lot of weight in the midsection may require a stricter pre-op diet to shrink the liver than a patient with a BMI of 35 who carries the weight in the hips). Count yourself lucky that your surgeon has such a reasonable pre-op diet!

It is much easier to get protein when you can eat purées. Puréed foods can hide the flavor of protein powder much better than protein drinks. Here are some of my favorites: Greek yogurt mixed with protein powder (I like vanilla yogurt with chocolate flavored protein powder and powdered peanut butter). Sugar-free pudding mixed with protein powder Pureed refried beans mixed with unflavored protein powder (I like to top the beans with enchilada sauce, Laughing Cow cheese, and Flavor God nacho cheese powder) Applesauce mixed with unflavored protein powder and a tiny splash of sugar-free caramel syrup Protein oatmeal mixed with cinnamon roll protein powder Pureed black bean soup mixed with unflavored protein powder You might also want to browse the BariatricPal Store because they have a lot of protein-fortified foods like soups, oatmeal, pudding, etc. that you can try. One of my personal favorites is protein hot cocoa. It tastes like normal hot cocoa (no yucky protein taste) and if you mix it with Fairlife milk instead of water, it’s a lot of protein.

If you haven't talked to your surgeon's office in a while, it might be a good idea to give them a call to let them know you're almost done with your 6-month weight loss and ask what you need to do to schedule the endo and psych eval. A lot of bariatric practices have a "patient navigator" who helps to coordinate that stuff. I had some concerns about my insurance coverage (mainly because I hadn't been to a doctor in almost 10 years, so I didn't have a documented weight history), but the surgeon was very familiar with my insurance requirements and said, "Don't worry, we'll get you covered," and they did! They do this for a living, so most of them are pretty good at dealing with insurance companies.

I got my surgery date once I completed all of my pre-op requirements and was approved by my insurance. What makes you think you will be denied coverage? As long as your insurance covers WLS and you meet all of their requirements (which it looks like you are doing), it’s unlikely you’ll be denied. Has your surgeon’s practice gone over all of the requirements with you? They’re very experienced in dealing with insurance companies, so if you do what they say, you should be all set. Are you responsible for scheduling your endoscopy and psychology evaluation, or is the surgeon’s office supposed to contact you? It would probably help to speed things along if you get those knocked out by the time you finish your 6 month weight loss program, but I don’t know how your particular surgeon likes to handle this.

How about something like, “Well, my doctor just gave me a clean bill of health, so no need to worry!”

I am obsessed with Built Bars. They're delicious -- they taste like candy bars. Hands down, the best protein bars I've ever tried.

Are you allowed to eat purées yet? It is much easier to get protein when you can eat purées. Puréed foods can hide the flavor of protein powder much better than protein drinks. Here are some great options: Greek yogurt mixed with protein powder (I like vanilla yogurt with chocolate flavored protein powder and powdered peanut butter). Sugar-free pudding mixed with protein powder Pureed retried beans mixed with unflavored protein powder (I like to top the beans with enchilada sauce, Laughing Cow cheese, and Flavor God nacho cheese powder) Applesauce mixed with unflavored protein powder and a tiny splash of sugar-free caramel syrup Protein oatmeal mixed with cinnamon roll protein powder Pureed black bean soup mixed with unflavored protein powder You might also want to browse the BariatricPal store because they have a lot of protein-fortified foods like soups, oatmeal, pudding, etc. that you can try, one of my personal favorites is protein hot cocoa. It tastes like normal hot cocoa (no yucky protein taste) and if you mix it with Fairlife milk instead of water, it’s a lot of protein. You can also try Syntrax Nectar protein powder. It’s a little different from protein shakes and there are a lot of flavors, so you might find something you like.

Thanks for this... I'm only 2.5 months out, but I live in fear of regain. We all think at the beginning that we're totally committed and never going to regain, but a lot of people do -- even people who were tremendously successful in losing weight initially. I've spent a lot of time wondering what makes the difference between keeping the weight off permanently and gaining most or all of it back and how I can do the former. It's easy to say that I will now, but who knows how my life will look 5 years from now?

I had a pretty easy recovery. I had my surgery on July 16 (Thursday) and was discharged July 17 (Friday). I took the next week off from work and went back on July 27 (Monday). I have a desk job. If I really had to, I could have gone back a week earlier, but I wouldn't recommend it because for the first week, just getting fluids and protein is basically a full-time job. I had very little pain (other than gas pain for the first couple of days) and didn't need any pain medication after I left the hospital.

I first looked into weight loss surgery about 15 years ago. Things were different back then; the sleeve was not a common procedure (and not covered by some insurance companies), and the place where I attended an information session was mainly doing gastric bypass as an open procedure. They would only do laparoscopic surgery on patients with lower BMIs, and I wouldn't have qualified. I didn't go through with it because my family talked me out of it. The risks of complications were higher then. I have been lucky enough to have good health for most of my life. I'm in my late 30s and until the past year, I never went to the doctor or took any prescriptions during my adult lifetime. For all those years, I thought it would be crazy to take the risk of having weight loss surgery when I was perfectly healthy. I was afraid I would lose my good health to complications of weight loss surgery. I looked into it every so often, and when I remembered all the restrictions, I couldn't stand the thought of giving up my diet sodas and pizza and ice cream, letting my pouch rule my life, getting sick if I eat the wrong things, and having to take pills every day for the rest of my life. But aging takes a toll and my good health was starting to slip away. I found out from my work physical that I had high blood pressure, and they urged me to see a doctor. When I went to a doctor, I was diagnosed with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. It's gotten increasingly difficult for me to get around, which became a vicious cycle as I became more sedentary and gained even more weight, and the weight gain continued to decrease my mobility. I had a BMI over 60 at my highest weight. I came to the realization that I had a choice: I could keep going the way I was, keep gaining weight and losing mobility, see my health continue to decline, and probably die of a heart attack or stroke before I turned 50. Or I could have weight loss surgery, because I sure as hell wasn't going to be able to lose that kind of weight on my own. All that stuff I couldn't bear to give up for a chance at losing weight started to look a lot smaller compared to the life I was already giving up more and more every day at that weight, not just health-wise, but in my social life and my career as well. I went into it thinking that I wanted the gastric sleeve. It seemed less extreme, less risky than gastric bypass, My surgeon recommended gastric bypass because my BMI was so high. He said that for lower BMI patients, there's not a big difference in outcomes between sleeve and bypass, but for high BMI patients, the difference can be significant. Both are very safe procedures with low complication rates nowadays. So I ended up getting gastric bypass. I've since read a lot more information that has confirmed in my mind that gastric bypass was the right choice for me. I've seen a lot of people get their sleeves revised to bypass because of GERD and/or unsuccessful weight loss, and I don't want to have to get a revision. I had my surgery on July 16, and it went well. I was discharged from the hospital the next afternoon, and I had surprisingly little pain. I didn't need any pain medication, even Tylenol. The first few days were miserable (mainly due to gas pain from the gas pumped into my abdomen during the surgery), but I healed quickly and went back to work in a week and a half. I've stuck to the post-op progression plan very closely, and not gonna lie, the liquid phase is hell, but it went by quickly and it was much easier once I got to purees and soft foods. I haven't had any issues with anything I've eaten so far other than a feeling of food getting stuck sometimes (which isn't pleasant, but it works its way through after a few minutes). I lost 70 pounds before surgery and 40 pounds so far after surgery, for a total of 110 pounds. And now my BMI is about the same as yours, which is kind of depressing. But I have had great improvements in my health, like my blood pressure in the normal range and my latest A1C was 5.2 (down from 8.1 in February). My mobility is improving. I started out wearing size 26-28 and now I'm wearing 20-22. I still have a long way to go, but I'm getting there. I'm not far enough out yet to know how this is going to work out for me in the long run. Obviously, I'm pleased with my results so far, but from what I've read here, the first year is easy. Here are some of the cons that are not so obvious: I haven't told anybody other than medical professionals about my surgery because people can be very judgmental about it. How many people you tell is a very personal choice that can be difficult. It is really stressful to keep this secret and try to hide this surgery that affects my life so very much! (But also stressful to endure judgment from people who are clueless about WLS.) The fear of regain keeps me up at night. I'm doing well now, but I've seen soooo many people lose a ton of weight and gain most or all of it back. I've yo-yo dieted all my life and I would be absolutely devastated if I went through all of this only to gain the weight back. Food is everywhere. I feel like I'm constantly being bombarded with ads for food and restaurants, seeing decadent recipes on social media, and watching other people eat foods I love but can no longer eat. It's rough going to the grocery store and seeing a great sale on something I love only to remember I can't have it. Maybe you get used to it after a while, but right now, I have these sad moments every day where I miss the food I used to eat. Even if you reach your goal weight, you're still not going to have a great body... unless you go through the pain and expense of plastic surgery. It will still be a heck of a lot better than where you started, but not the same as someone the same height and weight who was never obese. I think it's important to go into this with your eyes wide open, understand what the tradeoffs are, and accept the things you will have to give up or deal with for this shot at changing your life. Most people say it's worth it.

My doctor says 2 hours between calcium and iron is fine, and there are only 24 hours in a day, so I go with 2 hours apart. My doctor also says the body can't absorb more than 600 mg of calcium at a time and to split it up in 3 doses. My vitamin D is 5000 iu, and I haven't seen any calcium + D supplements with enough vitamin D, plus I love my French vanilla caramel calcium soft chews. Just a personal preference on the B-12 -- I'd rather take a pill than get a shot (and I don't mind the B12; it's a tiny sublingual cherry-flavored pill).

A year ago, I was taking nothing -- no prescriptions, no supplements. In fact, this year was the first time I ever filled a prescription. I would occasionally take OTC ibuprofen, and that was about it for pills. Now I am taking 12 pills per day (up to 20 at one point, but fewer now because I'm taking some with higher dosages per pill, and a multivitamin with iron). I have a pill dispenser with 3 compartments per day, and I can barely fit everything in it. Every day when I take the last one, it feels like an accomplishment. I feel like I'm being dramatic because it's not like it's hard work to swallow a pill, but man, it's a chore to keep up with all of these pills every single day. I wish I could just take them whenever, but I'm supposed to take Synthroid on an empty stomach first thing in the morning and at least 4 hours apart from calcium and iron, and I take iron 2x/day (one combined with a multivitamin and additional iron later) and calcium 3x/day, all at least 2 hours apart from each other. This schedule is further complicated by the "no drinking 30 minutes before or after a meal" rule. I have a reminder app (Medisafe), but I often get off schedule because if I take my Synthroid, calcium, or iron late, it throws off everything else. It still helps because I record what time I take everything so I can keep track of when I can take the next one. Here's my list: Synthroid Pantoprazole Multivitamin with iron Chelated iron Calcium soft chews (my favorites -- I actually look forward to taking them because they taste like caramels) D3 B12 Biotin (these are pretty tasty, like strawberry candy)

I weigh and measure most of my food pretty precisely with a food scale, but there are a few exceptions where I don't bother to be that precise, and salads are among them. For greens and veggies with negligible calories, I just guesstimate, but I do measure the toppings like meat, dressing, croutons, etc. I learned that a serving size of croutons is ridiculously small. 7 grams is like 4 croutons. If you were to guesstimate croutons and just throw on a handful, it would be 3 or 4 servings. Dressing is usually the big calorie contributor, especially if you're using regular (not light) dressing, so that's important to measure precisely.