The Greater Fool

SF Popsicles. 'Nuff said. Good luck, Tek

I've never heard of Thyroid issues getting in the way of WLS. Having said that I'm sure that in the zillions of WLS patients out there at least one couldn't or wouldn't have surgery because of a Thyroid issue. All you can do is wait to see *IF* there is an issue. Then you will know if it's a WLS stopper. Worrying won't help. Good luck, Tek

Good job! I wouldn't put future weight loss on a schedule because as you [editorial] approach goal it usually goes tediously slow. When you only lose 30 it will make you feel like a failure rather than the success you actually will be. But that's me. Then again, I'm a freak so I wouldn't pay much attention to me if I were you. Good luck and continued success. Tek

Well, technically alcohol is not recommended for anyone, just like so many things we eat, drink, inhale, inject or whatever. The trick of such things is to be aware of the possible harms and to mitigate them as well as we can. For Gastric Bypass folks the reason some foods and drinks are an issue is when we eat them they don't get to spend any time in our stomachs soaking in digestive juices anymore. Everything drops directly into our intestines. Many/Most Gastric Bypass folks, of which I am one and this is true for me, report that alcohol hits quicker and harder. On the flip side it fades quicker and the after affects, if you have any, happen and fade sooner. Because of all this try it at home or in and otherwise safe place to see how alcohol affects you. Now for the warnings and caveats: Again, since the alcohol is not being doled to your intestines over time by your stomach, it is being digested and absorbed quickly and overwhelms your liver quicker which creates problems for your liver. Issues on the liver with overdrinking will happen quicker for us. Then there is the whole addiction transfer thing to which we may be more vulnerable. Especially early post-op we've had food taken away and haven't gotten used to our new situation. With the quick buzz it's a not uncommon problem. Especially early post-op alcohol on a healing surgery invites ulcers. On to real life: We're adults more or less. Most of us that drank pre-op will drink post-op. Try to be cautious and enjoy. Good luck, Tek

Is the scale broken? You'll be asking the same question in an amazingly short number of days when you don't lose an ounce for two or three weeks. Scales are not your friend. How would YOU feel if the people you know stepped all over you all the time? Exactly. The only way to make the scale your friend is to cuddle with it, keep it clean and shiny, tell it jokes, but never ever step on it. Congratulations and good luck, Tek

I got tired just reading that. Congratulations and continued success. Tek

I took a robe, slippers, and a book. I never used the slippers because the socks with traction the hospital provided were more comfortable. I tried reading when I realized I was reading the same page over and over. I don't know if it was the anesthesia or what but I just could not absorb anything. Maybe it was the bed from hell which was a special bed they rented for me that was slightly less comfortable than a cement slab. I spent more time sleeping in the comfortable chair in the room. The robe was useful, especially on walks. Last thing other patients needed to see was... well... you know. Everything else was provided by the hospital. Good luck, Tek

From first consult to surgery was about 2.5 months. Most of the time was waiting for all the testing appointments I had to get done. There were also requirements back then with my insurance to prove 5 years morbid obesity then 6 months medically supervised diet in the last 2 years which was already documented by my PCP in the previous year, so I had all the months/years long requirements already documented. Once my Doc put in for insurance approval, which took 2 weeks because they were relocating, it didn't even take 1 work day for insurance approval. Good luck, Tek

Is 3oz of pureed steamed cauliflower within your plan? Did you make yourself sick or uncomfortable? Your answers determine your answer. My plan said 3oz protein, 1oz veggies, not that I could manage it that early. There were days when 1oz of anything was overdoing it, others when 4oz wasn't. Good luck, Tek

I never was on a liquid diet. I was able to eat real food until 6:00pm the night before. After surgery, for dinner I had pureed stuff, I don't remember exactly what it was. Puree went for 6 weeks, then real food again. Different strokes for different surgeons, as usual. Good luck, Tek

Are you sure your cousin wasn't playing a joke on you? While I am in admiration of your accomplishment your cousin should know this is no way to run a railroad. Good luck, Tek

You know how every Surgeon has their own plan, and even those plans can vary by patient? Well, Insurance is the same way. Every company has their own rules, but even within company there are a variety of plans and even individual employers can change the plans in many cases. Bottom line is call your insurance company, since that is from where the form came and get them to explain until you understand what they are saying. Good luck, Tek

At about 4am when I was doing one of my morning runs, a police car pulled up and stopped about 30 yards away, then turned on his lights and over his megaphone started sharing how proud he was of my losing weight so well, that he'd been watching me these months, and was personally invested in my success... At 4am. Over the megaphone. This went on for about a minute when the police academy on the street was starting their morning run, and over the megaphone he told them to congratulate me and shake my hand, so about 25 cadets ran over and did just that. At 4am. Over the megaphone. Thanks officers. Tek

This seems to be about 6 weeks of pureed, which is what my plan was 19 years ago. I would advocate being careful this early out. I didn't pay close enough attention and created some issues for myself which was embarrassing and stressful. As a result it took some time to get the self induced stress under control. It seems to me that the possible pureed-like foods available seems very much dependent on the type of restaurant(s) being entertained. It seems you should be able to manage something akin to mashed stuff. Ground meats would likely be available in a variety of cuisines. If worse comes to worse one could always feign a minor stomach ailment then have something earlier or later that fits into your program. Good luck, Tek

I give in to cravings. Not much and not frequently. For me, if I deny myself it becomes all I can think about. If I take a bite, it's good and it's over. Good luck, Tek

It was an adventure of agony and ecstasy into a new world of self discovery. I experienced the joy of victory and the agony of defeat. I laughed, I cried, it was a rollercoaster of emotions. The beginning seems to lose a lot of participants to the extent that many regret what they've done, but I was more focused on the drama of our protagonist pushing through adversity. Soon enough the new paradigm became normal, even boring. This does not mean the story is boring, however, as slowly but surely we see life changing. While the upbeat ending seemed inevitable it didn't even dent the emotional payoff of seeing our hero achieve things they didn't know they wanted. 5 Stars. Tek

If you have followed your plan well you have not failed. Heck, if you are lifeing as well as it seems then you are tremendously successful since lifeing is the name of the game. Oddly I think folks focus too much on a number on a scale. The important thing is following your plan, getting healthier, and feeling better. These are the true measures of success. High expectations and comparing ourselves to others is self-defeating. Even if we believe our expectations are reasonable we will sooner or later not meet them. There is always someone that loses more faster. Then we feel like failures when in reality we have no control over how much or quickly we lose weight. Good luck, Tek

Congratulations to the OP on overcoming the big 'C'. At 19 years post-op my restriction is the same was it was at about 6 months post-op. The restriction is still a very active part of my life. It was never even hinted that the restriction was temporary or not a long term part of my solution. Being a binge eater, if my restriction eased I would have returned to binge eating. It hasn't and I haven't. I don't know if I did or didn't do something right or wrong but I'm glad my surgery is still in full force and function. Perhaps I'm just lucky. Another aspect of restriction is that if one doesn't chew well, a chuck of food can get stuck which will result in pain and can compel retching until it is up and out. This is not as fun as it sounds. Chewing well enough was something I had to focus on for the first few months. I had an open surgery which means I was cut from stem to stern and opened up. I ended up with a drain because they couldn't reach something related to removing my gallbladder, bile ducts IIRC, and some 30 odd staples neither of which were the joys one would expect. The vast majority of people then and more so now have laparoscopic surgeries which involve 3 small holes and rarely a drain. Good luck, Tek

I eat until my appropriately portion-sized meal is complete or when I get the message that the next bite will be a mistake, whichever comes first. This is the rule I've followed since day one with the caveat that for the first 6 months I never completed my meal and learning when the next bite would be a mistake was less than fool-proof. Good luck, Tek

Never bought a scale post-op and the one I had pre-op was insufficient to the task for the first couple years post-op. Once I could weigh on the home scale I didn't, opting only to weigh at follow-ups and other medical appointments. One does not need a home scale to follow their plan. Good luck, Tek

I had 500 or so excess pounds. It took a bit over 3 years to get into a normal BMI. Good luck, Tek

I never chose a goal weight. At 1/4 ton overweight I would have killed to get within 100 pounds of an overweight BMI. Anything better was too far beyond reason in my mind. As it turns out I shot past a normal BMI before I managed to get back up. I had 16 pounds removed during my abdominoplasty. Good luck, Tek

There were days when in the first month or so that I ate a dozen or more SF Popsicles. I did them because early on I could barely eat or drink and the little bit of fluid and big flavor helped tremendously in many ways. They were lights on dark days. As I was able to eat and drink better the SF Popsicles fell out of my diet on their own. For the record my medical team suggested SF Popsicles for early on for the very reasons I used them. There is no way I didn't and don't take my surgery and plan seriously even now. I was a plan Nazi the first 3 years and slightly more flexible since. I lost my excess weight and have maintained it. SF drinks are a frequent element of my diet. I think artificial sugars are the gods' gift and have no issue consuming them when I want a sweet flavor. Everyone, interestingly, is different. If consuming artificial sweeteners causes you issues, go with me here, don't consume them. If anything causes you issues avoid them. If you don't have a problem, don't let anyone make it a problem. Good luck, Tek

I want to reply, I've actually tried more than once. More than thrice. It just ends up being negative. But, since I hate seeing threads get no response, here I am trying again... Have you used similar, far less expensive all-in-ones such as Instant Pot? If not, for 1/10 the price of Thermomix you can see if you will use such a product enough to justify a $2,000 price. Once you're sure it's your money. Do your research. I've opted not to get into the problems with MLMs. My opinion is not good and I work in the industry. This is where past response attempts went off the rails. Good luck, Tek

What you may need to bring on vacation depends on your eating plan and how firmly you intend to stick to it. If you do protein drinks and intend to stick with them then you'll need to bring protein drinks. Obviously, anything you just must have that may not be available on vacation you need to bring. Or your can adjust by eating foods on the vacation that still allow you to achieve your protein and calorie goals. Or, you can just ****-it all because you're on vacation. Personally, I'm somewhere between the last two options on vacation, depending on the meal. My plan since puree has been easy to follow no matter where I am with no special potions, lotions, or concoctions. As for drinking, you have similar options. Be careful, though. At this point you're eating very little, so alcohol can hit harder. Many sleeve folks are also generally affected by alcohol faster and harder so be very careful. If you're going to drink do it in a safe place initially so you can get a handle on the new paradigm for you. Also, transfer addiction is a hazard, so again, be aware and careful. Again personally, I don't recall drinking until more than a year out, on vacation. I don't drink normally but ****-it all, I'm on vacation. Once people understand your vacation, goals, and plan, they can offer a ton of tips. The requirements for a backpacking trip would be different than a 5 star resort. Enjoy your vacation. Tek