WishMeSmaller

Mom took me out for lunch for my upcoming birthday. Half of a crab cake, one ahi poke taco, salad and a spear of asparagus. Super decadent, but kept my portions small. The plate is a small appetizer plate. Ate all of it except the fried wonton “taco shell.“ It was amazing! For comparison on my portions, Mom had two of the tacos plus my shell, one whole crab cake, two mini muffins, salad, and a couple of spears of asparagus. She is 75 years old and has a normal BMI. I am trying to not feel guilty for this splurge meal 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

None of the hospitals in my area have great reviews. I work in healthcare though, so I know sometimes things go great, so great review, and sometimes things just go wrong and bad review results. I know that I have bent over backwards for some people to make them happy and they are still not satisfied. They are going to leave a bad review because someone in admitting was short with them, and I can’t fix that. Healthcare is tough. People are scared, uncomfortable, and want to be everyone’s top priority, but sometimes someone is sicker and just needs more help, so they get it. In the operating room you will be everyone’s priority, so if you trust your surgeon, you are good to go. I have lost weight on my own many times with diet and exercise, only to gain it back with a little extra to show for it. This is my forever chance to get the weight off and keep it off. Sending best wishes for you to reach a decision you are comfortable with! 💕

Burping and pain in your upper abdomen/epigastric region (from gas or???), can be symptoms of GERD. Probably a good idea to contact your PCP or surgeon’s office if symptoms persist. Do you take anything for GERD now?

Congrats on all of the positive changes to your health! Your face is radically narrower with cheek bones and jawline coming out! The big changes in your body shape will follow. Hang in there! You are obviously doing everything right!

You have a slamming figure with or without😊

Yay! It goes fast!

I googled it. Don’t remember exact numbers, but very similar to regular hummus. 80 kcals for two Tbsp. When I see it, I’m going to try it.

Talk to your primary care provider about your metformin prior your surgery. They may need to change your dose or formulation. Mine had me stop when I started my pre-op diet. I am 90% sure I will not have to restart it, but will be having labs in the next couple weeks to check A1c. 🤞🏻

Same! 😂 When I was younger and drank too much, I would never puke, fighting it all the way. Keep in mind I did have bypass, which I think contributes to the improvement as there is no stomach acid or bile in the vomit. It is also not that gut wrenching feeling anymore. My husband says it’s like baby spit up, and I would agree. Bizarre!

So glad you are feeling better! After my first experience with tuna making me sick for six hours I have not even tried canned meat again. I feel like it is just too dry. I have tolerated all other fish and meat without any problems since then. My first month or so, after my bad times with canned tuna and salmon lox, I mostly just stuck with meat substitutes like Boca burgers and Morning Star sausage links, and fresh fish. Scallops were actually great for me with their smooth texture. I have also struggled with lunch meat turkey. I don’t get sick, but it feels like I am swallowing sand paper. Yuck!

RNY. Surgery around 3 PM Monday. Discharged noon on Tuesday.

Beef Asian lettuce wrap. Ate the whole thing. 😋 Debating if I should have another half size one. Probably not. Ps. I pulled out my little white dessert/salad plates to try to make the food photograph better😂😂

I’ve been eating whole wheat lavash bread since about week four. I cut a sheet in half (50 calories for my brand) and make a wrap with protein and veggies. I can only eat about a half like this at a time. I also have sprinkle some reduced fat cheese on a half sheet with whatever seasoning sounds good, and broiled it to have with salad. That is so yum and very satisfying for my cravings. It really fills me up though. The pitas I have looked at are just too calorie dense right now in early weight loss phase, but I will definitely be having them in maintenance occasionally. 😋

I just ordered some! Thank you! Hopefully one of my stores will get the other one sometime soon. 🤞🏻🤞🏻

I lost about 15 pounds the first month. I lost 15 pounds on the pre-op diet. I have two weeks before my two month and I am already down 12 for this second month. Just keep going. It happens if you stick to your plan of getting protein, water, and avoiding high calorie foods like bread, pasta, and sweets. SOB can be a medical emergency, especially if you are having a hard time catching your breath at rest and have to pause to complete sentences. Definitely think you should contact your doctor. COVID is one potential cause, but there are many others too, and some of them can be life threatening. Hope you are feeling better, but if not, please get checked out and keep us posted!

We don’t have an Aldi. I’ve never seen this at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. I definitely need this in my life, but for now it’s a no go. 😭

I also work 10 hour days, mostly desk, very busy and stressful, with a need to think and make decisions quickly. I went back to work after two weeks, with no issues. One caveat...I was working from home for my first two weeks back, which was easier food-wise as I did not have to pack meals.

OMG! That is terrible! Hope you feel better. Please keep us posted. 🤗

Fresh, cedar planked halibut and caprese salad with avocado. I ate all of it😋

Congrats on starting this journey! Do you by chance mean laparoscopic surgery? I have not heard of anyone doing Bariatric surgeries with lasers. This was my second laparoscopic surgery (first was laparoscopic, robotic assisted for hysterectomy). Honestly, both surgeries were really easy recoveries for me. I have minimal pain and bounce back pretty well after the first week post-op. The hardest part of this one was my issues with eating some foods. My surgeons plan was basically one week of full liquids and then puréed foods week two. I definitely tried foods my body wasn’t ready for too early and ended up suffering as I already discussed. But even then I felt good overall, like right after puking. I also had a hiatal hernia repair, which likely caused or contributed to the post eating pain and puke episodes. Everyone is different though. Some people go back to work the next day, and some people need a month off to recover. I have never had a traditional open surgery, but I would imagine a much tougher recovery. Good luck!

The pain was way more unpleasant than the puking. Puking is way different now than before and I consider it an improved puking experience. 😂😂 I did call my surgeon’s office and they weren’t concerned, so I wasn’t either. I have puked four times since surgery and the fish early on was the worst. I also puked up soft, white watermelon seeds early on, and my morning pills more recently. I think I took the pills too fast and they pretty much came right back up. I took them again at a slower pace and they stayed. It is bizarre how casual it feels now to puke. I HATED puking before surgery.

Last Wednesday I had a work meeting with sandwiches and chips. I took one piece of sandwich and ate the meat, cheese, and tomatoes off of it. I cannot tell you how much I wanted the bread and chips. I did eat a very tiny corner of bread, but resisted anything else. Thankfully, most people were not paying attention to what I was doing as we practice social distancing when we meet. Sorry you had to deal with that. These tests are hard. I also went out to Mexican food with a family group (they all know about my surgery), last weekend. It was so tough to just get a side of refried beans and only eat 4 tortilla chips. Thankfully no one was having margaritas! 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ I guess this is all part of the process to become who we are meant to be. Stay strong!

My first experiences with fish (salmon and tuna) during puréed stage did not go well. I got the pain about where my pouch is and horrible cramping for about 6 hours both times, while I puked it all out. Not fun. I recommend egg salad and refried beans. Both went down exceedingly well. Reset to full liquids for a day is a good idea. Keep on keeping on!

@RainbowBrite57 this is also what struck me with your story. This is something you should bring up with HR. Sorry you are having to deal with this when you are excited to start this new chapter in your life. We are with YOU!

I agree with @AZhiker about the straw. I have a hydroflask with a straw that I sip from all day, starting out with about a cup during my morning workout. I have always been a big water drinker, but now usually have 16 oz with crystal light sometime during the day, sipped through a straw. I also have a cup of herbal tea in the evening, and a smoothie with one cup of water for breakfast (in a cup with a straw). Broth and protein drinks also count, so you can incorporate those as well. Pale yellow is what you should see in the toilet most of the time, although it will typically be bright yellow after vitamins. I am allowed caffeine, so I also get some fluids with my caffeinated beverages. Hope some of the ideas in these responses help!