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I eat out fairly regularly. Sometimes my husband and I share. Sometimes I get an appetizer for my meal. Sometimes I just order a side dish. You get the picture. Generally, I order what I want. I eat until I'm satisfied, then take home the rest. I can usually get at least 2 meals out of those leftovers (in fact, I get tired of eating it long before I've finished it and my dogs are really enjoying the extras) When eating out in social situations, people are much more concerned with themselves and/or their conversations to notice what you're doing or not doing. I have NEVER had someone try to push more food on me. I've had a few occasions where family or friends either think I don't like the food or am sick. It doesn't happen often and it really isn't a big deal. If someone has the courage to ask, I tell them I'm trying to eat healthier and learning to stop when I'm satisfied is part of my practice.

Sounds like your body is telling you something. Take it slow, at your own pace. There's nothing wrong with staying on liquids or purees longer than the doctor's schedule. Eat slow, introduce 1 new item at a time, and pay attention to what you're body is telling you in response.

I second the Unjury recommendation. After surgery, I couldn't stand the Premier ready-to-drink. Fortunately, they didn't make me sick, but I just hated them. My doctor gave me samples and I couldn't tolerate any of them. I had prior experience with Unjury and happened to have some samples in my pantry. They were the only ones that I could eat. Even now I always have some unflavored on hand, but the choc and vanilla are also good. Not a big fan of the strawberry, but I can get really creative with the choc/vanilla. I also loved the chicken soup variety. It was a great option when you're tired of the sweetness. Good Luck!

Welcome to the club! I keep blankets and sweaters/jackets everywhere. It's 90+ degrees here in Texas right now and I'm carrying a jacket into all restaurants and begging them not to sit me underneath the AC vent!

So sorry for the job loss. I guess it's one of those "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger" kind of deals. Best of luck on that end. Agree, that what you're feeling is normal after surgery and as tempted as I am to encourage counseling, that may not be in the financial cards for you considering your situation. BUT, I LOVED Frustr8's suggestion. I had a bad experience with a psychologist early in my journey and was reluctant to go back. Suffice it to say, she only made me feel worse about myself and kind of angry. BUT, I started QiGong and Tai Chi just before surgery and it has made a huge difference in my life. Not only physically, but psychologically. I highly recommend it (and there are no floor exercises, so you don't have to worry about your Downward Facing Dog turning into a Beached Whale, LOL!)

As we age, we all get degenerative disc disease. Add the morbid obesity factor and our backs "age faster" than someone who is not obese. I doubt that the procedure caused a herniated disc. Herniated disc usually requires an event: "I turned wrong and my back popped" "I lifted X and my back popped" "I slipped and fell". I also agree with the others above. As we lose weight, our posture and our balance changes because we're no longer accommodating the same body mass. That will irritate the normal degeneration in your back.

Can't help with the pureed fish. I don't think I tried any kinds of pureed meats during my pureed stage out of sheer stubbornness. But, once I was able to eat regular food, shrimp became my new favorite protein. It was in bite-sizes and it went down without any grumbling from the sleeve.

@FluffyChix what app are you using to track? I love the format and I LOVE that they have HEB items!

1. I eat slowly and pay attention after each bite. I may even put my fork down in between just to force myself to slow down. I can feel when I'm full regardless of whether I've eaten my measured out portion. From paying attention and experience I know that there's a point where if I eat 1 more bite, I'll be really sorry. 2. At first, I had to sort of stick to a schedule. For those first few months, I had no appetite. So, sticking to my schedule was important to meet my nutritional goals. These days I have an appetite, but not such a voracious monster as I had before. Regardless, I still sort of stick to the schedule I had before. 3. For me, I work in an office environment that allows a lot of flexibility. I eat breakfast 7a-8a with lunch 1pm-2pm. I usually allow for a mid-morning snack and always carry a snack in my bag, just in case I find myself in a situation where I am faced with temptation or hunger that just makes it hard to work. *this was especially helpful in those early days when I was eating less than 1/2 cup at a time. I have dinner around 6 and I try to never eat after 7. Tips: #1-take it slow and pay attention. There's no one specific path or schedule that works for everyone. You may start with a strict schedule, but be willing to adjust your schedule to suit your needs. For me, my doctor gave me a schedule for those first few weeks. It became a little stressful to adhere to and made me feel like I was constantly watching the clock while trying to coordinate my food vs fluid intake. Once I settled into my own schedule, it all seemed quite natural. #2-Have portable protein snacks, just in case. In the first couple of months after surgery, I packed little 2-4 ounce containers of items I could eat. Protein bars are also very portable, but use caution and make sure you're getting ones that aren't high sugar content.

I had a similar situation at about 1 month out. I just ate a few bites of refried beans, cheese or no cheese. I was truly full after only a few small bites. So, I spent my time enjoying the company and atmosphere.

well, I guess I'll come back to you with another question. Why would ANYONE have surgery unless there was a medically necessary reason? (plastic surgery exempted) If you believe that this may not be medically necessary, your comorbidities are well-controlled, and you think you can do it with diet/exercise, you may not be ready for bariatric surgery. Based on the information you've posted, you have a BMI of 37 (obese) and you have at least 1 comorbidity that is known to be caused by or at least exacerbated by obesity and can contribute to reduced life span. So, as someone who has worked on the insurance side of things, you have medically necessary reasons for having the surgery, hence your assertion that you will "most likely be approved by insurance". Insurance companies do not like to pay for surgeries unless they are deemed medically necessary. Maybe you're feeling like your support group members situations are more serious than yours? I agree that if someone has heart issues, the situation appears somewhat more critical. But, that doesn't reduce the significance of sleep apnea. Did you know that sleep apnea contributes to heart issues, hypertension, and increases your risk for stroke? I'd say that's pretty serious. You may not have those things right now, but these are known consequences of long term sleep apnea. Same thing with diabetes. If your support group-mates cite diabetes as a cause, then likely theirs has been poorly controlled, which contributes to long term side effects (vascular issues, neuropathy, retinopathy, kidney disorders). For me: I didn't have heart issues. I didn't have diabetes. However, that doesn't mean that I wasn't on a direct path headed towards those things. My BMI was 46 at my highest. I had sleep apnea. I had some joint issues. All of those things were relatively well controlled. The key for me was that diet and exercise had not worked long term. I could lose, but I couldn't maintain. Sorry for the length, I guess I just see it from the perspective of someone who has their feet in healthcare and insurance. Hope I haven't confused you more.

Congrats! What a great feeling to see evidence of your shrinking waistline!✈️💃🏼

#1-it's none of their business and you can be vague that you're having minor abdominal surgery. #2-privacy laws are in place so that you don't HAVE to tell them what your personal medical condition is or what procedure you're having. So, again, you are not obligated to tell them anything aside from the fact that you are under medical treatment for a personal/private condition. If you feel you must say something because that's the kind of culture/environment you work in (say, these guys are your "buddies" and you feel bad about being obtuse), I would recommend saying you're having hernia repair. Rationale: unless you've already had your gallbladder out, you wouldn't want your deception to become obvious if/when you have to have your gallbladder out "again".

Oh, those first days and the anxiety over the first BMs. I remember being afraid to push, being afraid of what I'd see in the stool, you name it. Glad you're on the road to regularity. At this point in my game, I don't really take anything and am regular without any interventions. BUT, constipation is an ongoing threat in the bariatric community. Get your fluids. Stay active. Once you transition to regular food, include fiber (if you can't, supplement). I used to chew a fiber gummy every day, but I don't find that I really need it anymore. If you find yourself in a "situation", I relied on good old MOM (milk of magnesia). You can adjust the dosage based on the severity of your need. It tastes god-awful going down, but it does the trick. Other effective agents: smooth move tea, Miralax, Dulcolax. Here's to happy, regular BMs!

I don't think I even got into my bag until discharge, so I really didn't use anything I'd packed. Not my charger, not my PJ's, nothing. In fact, I think I turned my phone off and never turned it on. I might have had some lip balm and I would highly recommend having some, just in case. At discharge, I washed my face and combed my hair, put on some comfy clothes and out the door I went. Regarding slippers, I had them in my bag but never got them out and I'm glad I didn't. I agree with KCgirl061 above. There's nothing wrong with the hospital socks, even the gowns are tolerable (not fashionable, but tolerable). My advice: pack light. Make sure you have some stretchy pants/comfy clothes to go home in. Otherwise, the rest is a personal choice. If you feel you need basic toiletries, include lip balm.

I started off only telling those I felt needed to know, which at that time was my husband and a couple of my close friends. There are members of my immediate family who still don't know. For me, I didn't handle it like this to avoid judgment or fear of failure, I just figured that the world didn't need to be included in decisions I make about my personal health. I am a rather private person anyway, so handling it this way didn't feel like a deviation from how I handle anything in my life. My weight loss has been slow enough that I haven't gotten a lot of questions about "how". I don't feel the need to advertise that I had WLS, but I don't hide it. If someone has the guts to ask if I had surgery, I'll tell them. Otherwise, if they do ask how I'm losing, I can honestly answer that it's because I'm eating healthier and exercising. At over the 1-year mark, I have been able to remain relatively private about my surgery. Most people are very positive and complimentary about my weight loss and don't really question it. If I had it to do again, I'd do it the same way. Since you mentioned being afraid of being judged in a social setting, I'll tell you that my biggest challenge has been in restaurants. I seem to get questions when eating out. I've had family/friends think I either didn't like my food or was sick, but the biggest problem has been the wait staff. The servers notice when you don't eat much of your food, and depending on your setting, they may take offense and think that you didn't like the food. EX: I went on a cruise recently (and you know what kind of eat-fest THOSE are). Every meal the wait staff were VERY concerned that I hadn't eaten a lot of my food. I did my best to reassure them that I liked it, I just couldn't eat it. It was a little annoying, but a nice problem to have. I actually LOST weight on a cruise!

I had vitamin patches but didn't use them right away. I was recovering from surgery and just didn't have the energy to commit to them. It is 100% normal to have low energy after surgery. #1-you had major surgery and your body is taking up extra energy to heal. #2-you're not taking in much because of the type of surgery. I felt like I got run over by a truck and I felt that way for about a week. The 2nd week, my energy started coming back, but it was kind of a gradual return, one day at a time. I went back to work in the 2nd week, but I'll tell ya, I had to take frequent breaks due to fatigue and even fell asleep at lunch. Back to your original question: I started chewable vitamins at about week 3 or 4 because when I tried the patches, I developed an allergic reaction to the adhesive. Everyone is a little different in what they can tolerate/when. So, be prepared to have to try several types of vitamins and various times of day to take them. My first 2 months was a trial and error of vitamins. I absolutely hated the chalky chewables. The soft-chews weren't much better, but tolerable. The biggest issue was that most of them made me feel sick, dizzy, nauseated. I tried so many kinds, I forgot. I tried taking them before meals, with meals, after meals, in the morning, in the afternoon. Man, I was a crazy mess and some of them made me so sick for a couple of hours that I just could not function. I finally settled on gummies that I'd found at Costco and took them in the evening. That was the ONLY type and time that seemed to avoid the sick feeling. Once my stock of giant-sized gummies was gone, I tried the standard "horse pill" variety of vitamins. I estimate that I was at least 6 months post op before trying the standard vitamins and I sure was nervous when I did, but it seemed to work out just fine. I still take them in the evening and haven't had that queazy sickness ever since the first round of vitamin experiments.

I had clear liquids for week 1, full liquids for week 2, pureed for week 3, soft foods week 4. I stayed on soft foods for longer than a week, mostly out of fear. I don't think I had raw vegetables for at least 2 months because I was still learning and had had a couple of bad experiences where I'd eaten too fast/too much/didn't chew well enough/etc. Take it slow, chew well, introduce new foods one at a time so you'll know what works/what doesn't. There's nothing wrong with progressing slower than your surgeon recommends, but I agree with GreenTealael above. When in doubt, contact your surgical team to verify.

Yep. Chinese food provided my worst post-op experience in those earlier days. Don't eat it very often these days and when I do, I go very slow.

@Maiafw93, your employer is not entitled to know your personal medical information. Unless you're requesting FMLA, you are not obligated to provide any specific information on that end. And even if it were FMLA, you go through the HR dept and not your direct supervisor. If you're not comfortable divulging specifics to your supervisor, don't. Be vague. Say it's a minor surgical procedure that you'd rather keep private. For PTO, consult your employee handbook. It should tell you how to use your PTO and if there are any rules governing their use. I would think that the use of PTO for health reasons, aka surgery and it's subsequent recovery, should be adequate for use of PTO. If you need an "off work" slip, I'm sure your doctor would be happy to provide and he/she can put as little or as much detail on there as you'd like.

I had constipation in the first month after surgery and was a little terrified of that 1st one after surgery. I kept some MOM (milk of magnesia) on hand, just in case. It worked like a charm. Tastes a bit like chalk going down, but desperate times call for desperate measures! Now, I take some extra fiber every day with some probiotics. If things aren't moving as they should, I take a Dulcolax at night and that seems to keep me on track, but honestly, since I started the probiotics I haven't needed it. PS: Years ago, I struggled with chronic constipation. Miralax and Smooth Move Tea are very effective.

I have what I would say are "small NSV's" almost daily. I mean, I notice small things and am amazed by them nearly every day. Like, I can see definition in my ankles whereas I have had "cankles" all my life. BUT, the most amazing NSV happened to me about a month ago... I work from home and my home office is near the bathroom. I went into the bathroom without turning on the light and as I was walking out, there was a STRANGER in the bathroom with me! For the fraction of a second that it took me to realize that the stranger was me in the mirror, sheer terror ran through me. Once I realized that it was me, I had a very good laugh and it made me feel good that I've made such a transformation that I didn't even recognize myself.

Dehydration can cause dry, leathery, itchy skin. So, if you feel like you're not getting enough water, you probably aren't. Start tracking so that you know for sure. Possibility of dehydration aside, I agree with toodlerue above. Not uncommon to have dry skin in the first few months post op. Nothing wrong with showering every other day. I used BioOil after showers. I still do. It keeps my skin baby-soft. It also helped my surgical scars fade. *It's not a scar miracle cure, but honestly I can barely see them anymore. Good luck!

That's one rule I stick to pretty religiously. The only exception would be if I need to take medications with food. I'll drink just enough to get the meds down, then that's it. Even that little bit makes me feel uncomfortably full/bloated, so I guess that's probably a good thing.

Congrats @MeanSleevedMachine! What an accomplishment!