ShoppGirl

I get what you mean about the New Year’s resolution bunch. I had a couple of people ask me if I want to walk with them since they know that I have been walking and I’m getting healthier. It was funny because one of them tried to make it sound like she was doing me a favor because I have slowed down a bit with my chemo but I still exercise almost every single day. Just nit 6 miles plus a group class like I was doing. Anyways I let that idea fizzle out because I didn’t want to rearrange my schedule or be on a schedule for a few weeks until they start making excuses to not go time after time. I’m sorry but if you calling me in November saying you want to start on the first of January you most likely are not serious about making a change. When we make up our minds to change our lives, most of us want to start NOW!!

OK, so post surgery I have a scar under my belly button that was hard, but the nurse practitioner said it was just because my surgery was a revision and they use that same spot twice. Well now the scar part feels loose, but if I put my finger inside my belly button, I can still feel something hard underneath there. My husband had me feel his and it’s hard too but different. He says that’s just how my belly button feels without all the blubber on top of it, but I don’t know. I don’t remember ever feeling that when I was thin. Has anyone had an umbilical hernia? Is that something that could be caused by the surgery? Am I describing anything close to that? 😂 I plan to ask the surgeon eventually. Actually, I’m doing the bowel prep for a colonoscopy right now and endoscopy for something unrelated but I thought I would ask her tomorrow if she has any idea. I’m just curious what others have to say about their experience. It doesn’t hurt or anything and if it’s a hernia, I am assuming it’s very small but I just really don’t recall anything hard of being there. Maybe it’s just because it’s been a while since I could really feel it. 🤷‍♀️

Having recently had biopsies in my breasts and they tried to use bandages to create compression I am very aware of just how much our boobs juggle when we walk so I totally get why this could create an issue in your situation. You do not want to have to pay for a revision surgery so just do what your told. If your like I was with my implants, you will want to take them girls out for a stroll just as soon and as often as you can once your cleared to do so safely so I am not worried that your going to fall back into old habits. Give yourself a little leniency for the short time it takes to get back to your routine. I’m certain that your new look will be all the motivation you need to get back out the door and right back on track.

Maybe check out Dr. Matthew Weiner’s pound of cure weight loss book. He goes over a handful of things that you can change and you can pick which one you want to start with. For me, the fruits and veggies was a good one because I actually like fruits and veggies. Replacing a lot of the process carbs with healthy carbs for me is the most important component to weight loss not just to cut calories in the short run but to stop cravings in the long run. For me processed carbs, make me crave sugar. One cookie and I want pasta I want cake. I want it all and I crave it for a week. Natural carbs do not do that to me and they can help reduce the cravings a little while I get through the week or so to detox from them. Once I am off of the processed carbs so long as I get my protein, I stay feeling full so it’s much easier to sustain a healthy diet. Keto never worked for me either and I have learned post surgery that is most likely because of not being able to eat hardly any carbs at or it was all the processed junk I was eating instead of natural food. They alter things by adding more fiber to cut the carbs and all of that and that may be reducing your calories to help you lose weight, but for me it wasn’t the same for my body as a veggie with fiber. It’s not sustainable because my body was still craving the carbs. I would lose weight in the beginning, but the cravings were horrible and eventually I would give in to them and then I just wanted even more. Anyways, you may not be able to replace every unhealthy carb with healthy carbs on your own before surgery, but if you can reduce some of them by trying out different recipes to find fruits and veggies that you like, it may cut enough to lose your 10% and be a good start to finding healthy carbs that you enjoy

I have seen the waistband clips too, and they look like they would work, but also not sure how you feel about Temu but I saw something on there that is elastic with buttons all along it and if you’re wearing jeans, you cut through the inside layer and then you put this elastic through and you hand so the one side down with just a couple stitches to tack it down and then you fold the elastic over and there’s a button to cinch it. I wish I could remember what it was called, but I saw it and I thought that was pretty cool because it’s kind of like children’s clothes come with something that already in the Waist. I know my friend will shop in the children’s section because she’s real petite and she likes that Waist.

Hopefully it gets better with time but they do make ginger candies that could help with nausea. Also maybe try protein shakes and see if you can stomach them better since they don’t need to be digested as much as they can be sipped slowly over time. Maybe just pop them back in the cooler ir pour over ice.

Several good possibilities above but also consider this. It is copied from Google AI because I couldn’t think of the words to describe it. “ “Glycogen storage: When you drastically reduce carbs, your body depletes glycogen stores, which are stored with water. When you reintroduce even a small amount of carbs, your body quickly replenishes glycogen, leading to temporary weight gain due to water retention” I know this happens to me. I eat low-ish good quality carbs and then when I have like one cookie it seems like I gained 3-4 pounds and I panic but it always goes back down.

I was on tricare for a short time years ago but didn’t have it for my bariatric surgeries. But after dealing with the revision process with any insurance I I learned that them covering it for GERD would be far more likely than just for weight regain. GERD it would be repairing a complication or side effect of surgery instead of just doing another bariatric surgery. They consider that more of a medical necessity If that makes any sense.

Also, from my understanding the SADI and SIPS are the same procedure. Just different names and the S after SADI is for sleeve as in when it’s done as a virgin surgery and they do the sleeve at the same time. People seem to use the names interchangeably so it was very confusing to me in my research but hopefully I got it right and hopefully that helps you when you are doing your due diligence. ❤️

That’s awesome. I have been very pleased with my revision to SADI. My surgeon didn’t mention the intestine length thing but he did have me do the barium swallow, an endoscopy and a gastric emptying study before saying that the SADI would be an option as well as the bypass and it was up to me which I wanted to do. There are pros and cons to the SADI revision. statistically (which by definition means there are outliers that are more or less) but the majority of people lose faster and the loss is more durable which got my attention but the possibility of bathroom issues is significant (fortunately I didn’t have this at all until I recently started chemo but I don’t think it has anything to do with the surgery). One con though of SADI is that many doctors have never heard of it. From my family Dr, to the urgent care, ER physicians, gyno, radiologies, breast surgeon, etc. Even the gastro dr who will be doing an endoscopy and colonoscopy on me Monday has never heard of the SADI but my bariatric doctor said he will explain my anatomy to her and it will be fine. I always tell them it’s a modified version of the Duodenal Switch with one anastomosis instead of two and if they still look confused I tell them it’s not exactly but kinda like a bypass and a sleeve combined. But obviously I need the person putting a camera in there to understand better than that. I think you will be very pleased with your results from either one but another thing to consider is if you have a complication or need revision to the SADI how many doctors are able to operate on you. My surgeon told me that if I had a complication he would stabilize me but he would send me to a nearby hospital if I needed any type of revision. I appreciated that he was willing to admit his limits and I was okay with that but I guess it is a risk you may want to ask about. Your surgeon may very well have done lots of these but mine had not. Also, not a lot of doctors will do a revision to the SADI just because of regain. You would be more likely to find someone to revise a bypass. Not that we are hoping to need a third surgery but obesity is complex and a lifelong struggle so it’s something to think about. I wish you the best of luck. And hope to hear about your surgery date soon.

I had a revision to SADI on 8/7/2024. Lost 70 pounds but then I started chemo for breast cancer that I was diagnosed with a day shy of my 3 month surgiversary. I was told not to lose quite as fast by the oncologist and the oncology dietician so I have since only lost ten more in 2.5 months. Anyways, my double mastectomy is tentatively scheduled for 5/8/2024. During that surgery they remove all the breast tissue and put in Empty bladders they call expanders and then they slowly fill them each week with saline in the office to stretch the skin making room for the implant. The cosmetic dr says that I could take my time and try out all the sizes and go up and down and then do the reconstruction surgery to put in the saline implant when I’m sure of the size I want and I loved that idea because I want to go smaller but I know it’s going to take a while for my brain to get used to it. The problem is that I have to begin radiation 6 weeks post surgery and the process does something to your skin that makes it very hard to stretch so the radiation Dr says I need to decide on a size before I start radiation treatments. Well I don't think it would be a good idea to postpone radiation just to decide on a breast size so I kinda need to know what my goal is right away so he fills it fast enough for me to get there within 6 weeks. At the same time it will hurt worse the faster we go. I am currently a 36 G. I was thinking maybe a 36 C or D would be small enough that they don’t get in the way with exercise and hurt my back and neck but not look too small after seeing myself larger for so many years. Also if I drop more weight and get to say a 34 I would be a D or DD but what if I lose more weight I mean I want to keep going if I can and then I’m a 32 DDD. I was a 32 C when I was younger and I think when I got my implants I went to a small DD but I sorta doubt i will get that small again, honestly. how much weight did you guys lose between band sizes. I was thinking that if I get to 158 I would be thrilled and that’s only 20 more pounds so I know that I won’t get to a 32 at that size. Do you think it’s possible I will get back to the 120’s. I know the last two months threw my pattern off a bit but I was losing steady at 3-4 pounds a week before all of this. Is there anyone with similar stats that can tell me about their experience with SADI or maybe a virgin bypass. My loss trend was similar to that according to the NP at 3 months out. I really wish I could do this after I get to my low weight and stabilize. All I want is to be able to buy bras in a normal store and not have to pay a fortune for lunch lady bras anymore or have my back breaking and poor posture from a too large chest. But at the same time I don’t want to look too small. I figure that I would find the smallest size that I could get used to so when I lose more weight it will probably be perfect but I won’t have time to get used to it like the surgeon and I hoped. 😢 So I get that cup size is a matter of preference but can anyone with similar stats tell me how much they ultimately lost if they were losing 3-4 pounds at 3 months or how much weight they lost between band sizes or 36-34 and 34-32. Or anything else that may help me. I’m so scared I’m gonna decide on a size and my body is going to change but since it’s all implant after this surgery my boobs won’t change with me with loss or gain and I will be way too big or small for my frame.

Great idea to speak with your bariatric doctor but discuss the Wegovy with them as well. I have not discussed Wegovy with the bariatric surgeon post surgery but I mentioned it to the PA as a possibility if I am to gain during my cancer treatment over this year if that would be an option and he say it may. I mean he could have assumed that I just meant any GLP-1 and assumed either would do but he didn’t say that Wegovy was not okay for me and I had sleeve prior to my revision to SADI and my surgeon leaves the sleeve as is and does the bypass portion to make up the modified duodenal switch surgery (SADI). Also, post sleeve but pre SADI, I discussed GLP-1 as an option for regain and he said it was a serious contender in terms of what he thought would work for me but the insurance coverage was the issue. I went with the revision and it’s been night and day In terms of the surgery being a better fit for me so I’m not trying to deter you, but maybe the redo was all I needed because I wasn’t mentally ready with the sleeve. I guess I honestly can’t say 100% for certain. Either way, don’t give up. The bariatric doctors won’t give up on you either, together you will find what works for you. Consider what your coverage is and what the cost will be long term though and whether your team will keep prescribing it as a maintenance thing or what happens when you get to goal too because there are pros and cons with both. I mean Wegovy is not surgery and that’s a pro anytime you can avoid surgery but the cost, long term side effects of the shot and regain stats are all things that I would be asking about.

I have had 7 surgeries (tonsils and adenoids, breast augmentation, Melonoma, Sleeve, SADI and now a chemo port) and I still get nervous about surgery. The first time is of course the worst in terms of anxiety because you have no clue what to expect, but for me by the time I was wheeled into the operating room and realized just how many people there are involved in just my surgery I felt a great deal safer. Your team does this everyday and if anything does go a little off plan they have the doctors and the resources there to deal with it. All you have to do tomorrow is show up. I really think for someone’s first surgery they should have you come in one day before and just show you where you will go and talk to you through it but since they don’t, my best advice would be to tell them this is your first surgery and that you are nervous and to please be patient with you and explain what’s going on. It’s pretty straightforward though you’re gonna get there and they’re gonna clean and sanitize you get your changed put in an IV and have you signed a couple things and answer questions about your medical history probably ask you to repeat your date of birth 1000 times. You will talk to your surgeon before you go back there, you will meet the anesthesiologist and probably have a couple of nurses in and out of there to get you dressed and ready. One thing that no one I wish they had is that if your in your reproductive years they’re going to want a urine pregnancy test when you get there so if peeing on command is an issue for you (it is for me 😂) , maybe don’t empty your bladder all the way. I have never been able to go under pressure so my first few surgeries they always had to do a rushed blood pregnancy test because I would not be able to go. Now I know to just not go again before I leave the house, which is my normal habit, and then I can go by the time they call me back (they just need a tiny bit to dip the cardboard thing into). I second not worrying if you can’t sleep tonight. If you do have something that helps relax or just distracts you like music or podcasts, bring along a pair of headphones for while you are waiting. They will most likely keep you busy once you get called back but if you have a little wait it may help if you’re anxious. Best of luck to you. Don’t forget to walk walk walk. If you’re in pain walk more. Once you pass gas you will feel so much relief and walking should help you to do that.

This is a huge win. 🏅

Yea it sounds like you are bigger boned. That’s something I liked to say when I was heavier because it sounded better but I’m really don’t think that I am supposed to carry a lot of weight. My frame is tiny.

I think our bodies are kindly used to running on a varied amount of calories because if you think about it back in like caveman days or whatever they may eat a feast one day and nothing the next so eating a little more one day and a little less another it’s kinda works out. We just have to be honest with ourselves and make sure we really are eating a little less the same amount of days as the days we eat a little more. Or I know I do. 😂

I really do appreciate all of you sharing your experiences, suggestions, and encouragement. This community is absolutely incredible. ❤️

OMG, see that size looks amazing on you and I really think that eventually it would on me but I know my brain just takes a while to get used to things and unfortunately I don’t have the time I would prefer. I think you guys have talked me into going for the smaller size though. I really do enjoy my yoga and I have wanted a reduction for years because of them just being in the way during activities, difficulty finding an adequately supportive sports bra as @SpartanMaker mentioned, back and neck pain and ill fitting clothing at any size because my breast are the last place that I lose weight so they stick with me. Volume wise I have only lost one cup size so far and I have lost 80 pounds!! I mean that doesn’t matter now because it’s gonna be all implant anyways in a few months but I’m just saying that I am over the big breast thing. At the same time when you’re used to looking at a pretty large chest for a decade I can imagine that a C cup is gonna look pretty tiny at first. My estimation is I will have like two weeks to get used to it before I start radiation and I’m pretty much locked in to that size. Then again, I will get used to it for six weeks I suppose because I will be flat to begin with. The radiation oncologist did say that it may be possible for me to go with like expanders for one cup size larger and then decide to put in the smaller implant so I intend to ask the surgeon about that at my preop appointment. Maybe I will actually be able to find a really good fitting sports bra and try jogging for the first time since my 20s!!

I do totally understand the sister sizes, but thank you. That is my concern that if I were to go with a D now at 36 that if I do actually get down to a 32, which is what size I was when I was 25 so technically I guess it is possible, that I would be a triple D or F depending on the brand and where it’s made and if I recall correctly 32F was one of the harder sizes to find. I am just tired of having to go to one store that is almost always out of stock and have very limited options for bras. So I’m thinking maybe I should go with a C to be safe. That is true that I can always wear a padded bra or even one of them water bras if I just had a certain outfit that I wanted to be a little bigger in. I never thought of that.

Awesome I am putting this terminology in my notes to ask about. Thanks. I am hoping that if I have someone who’s really trained that I can return to my exercise routine faster than they typically recommend because they’re monitoring me specifically instead of the cookie cutter let’s just be safe and say eight weeks or whatever. Also, I really do think with the lymph nodes being removed that I’ll have to be pretty careful with weights and I’d rather have someone who knows what my limit should be.

Thank you for your kind words. I think I am going to be the same with the moving goal. I was actually tiny my whole life and didn’t start gaining until around age 25. I was a size one when I met my husband so I would love to get back there but I am not nearly as active now even when I exercise like mad. My hobbies have changed from very active ones to sedentary ones so formal exercise is my primary form of activity. I just want to feel good at this point and if I get to a size medium I will be happy enough. I won’t just stop there though unless my body wants to. Building muscle is going to be my next big challenge. I wish you the best of luck in your goals with that. I am thinking that at some point I am going to have to get a personal trainer for the muscle building since that is something I have never even tried. Hopefully next year I will be In a place that I can start working on that. Maybe insurance will cover it since I will need help to do it safely after my surgery 🤔 I need to ask about that.

Yea well if you get an honest picture you may find that you have been losing all along on even higher calories than you think. We are definitely not all the same with what our body requires even if we could do the exact same in terms or activity. So many things play into our metabolism that I’ve seen people on here who can maintain their ideal at as high as 2500 calories and others that have to maintain at like 1200. Weight loss calorie requirements are probably just as varied. How is the activity going? Have you started any new cool classes?? I did a PIYO class that was pretty fun. It was at a local gym that has a day rate for people who don’t want a membership and it was only $5 which is more than I pay for YOGA but it was something different and it was on a Saturday so my friend got to meet me. I am actually thinking of doing a tai chi class that’s also at my community center. The Beginners class is at kind of an inconvenient time for me Is what has stopped my from trying it already but I can make it work I guess since it’s not forever. The regular class time works better for me. I figured if I like it I may do yoga one day and tai chi one day then as soon as I can get back to it I will do cardio two days.

So did you eat less than you normally do the day that you logged it? If so, you might wanna log it for like a week or something and try to get a better idea of what you actually eat. It’s possible because your activity has increased that you can still lose on 13 or 1400 calories. I think really it depends more on the quality of your calories than it does the actual calories. Like as long as your carbs are natural carbs, and your fats are healthy fats. They may have more calories, but they may not cause you to slow your loss. I’ve been eating a lot more calories but I think mine is a little different because of the chemo. I know that they said it burns a lot of carbs. So I’ve been eating like fruit and vegetables all day long and my calories are up to 13-1700 some days even and I’m losing still. Slower than I was but it’s hard because I do my infusion and my weight shoots up like 8 pounds and it scares me but then it eventually goes down and I don’t know how much it’s really going to go down this time it was an extra two pounds. But I know for me based on my activity I was able to increase my calories before all this chemo stuff probably like 300-400 of mostly healthy carbs that I added and I was losing the same, which was the occasional very small portion of brown rice and then lots of extra fruits and veggie snacks. Like I would have just a small side salad in between meals or a cup of fruit. Of course I was working out like a mad woman. 😂

That looks delish. Maybe you could do a bariatric food blog or something.

I wasn’t going to discuss this on these boards since I don’t want to turn the discussion away from weight loss. I figured I would talk cancer at the cancer support group and weight related stuff here, but I am quickly realizing that it’s very much intertwined. I had my revision surgery to SADI on 8/7/2024 and I felt something on my breast in the shower in September. I went to gyno, got sent to get a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound and then biopsies and it came back as cancer 11/6/2024 (about 4 months post op). A few days later I was with the breast surgeon and was told it was triple negative and it’s very aggressive so the process is a little different for me in that it’s all very fast moving but it’s pretty much the same collection of treatments for most cancer I believe. I am currently two rounds into chemotherapy and just started immunotherapy and also doing appointments for all kinds of scans and imaging as well as meeting the rest of my doctors and setting up my future treatments which will be double mastectomy, then radiation and then maybe oral chemo. Basically I have not sat down since I learned the diagnosis and I have had to learn a tremendous amount very fast to make some pretty heavy decisions very quickly to keep the ball rolling. It’s been a whirlwind From a bariatric standpoint things have been incredibly challenging. For one my appointments are all over Florida. I have a medical oncologist, a breast surgeon, a cosmetic breast surgeon, a radiation oncologist, and a second opinion oncologist and now a gynocologist in the mix but that’s pretty specific to me. So far and I have had to have imaging done at 3 different places as well since it’s all been so rushed it’s just about who can get me in the soonest and then since these places aren’t connected I have to wait around for records and discs and carry them all to each of my appointment to make sure everyone has everything I have been traveling non stop with little time to prepare things so prioritizing my nutrition and exercise has been a huge challenge just in terms of time. There are just not enough hours in the day!! Then there is the chemo, the shot that builds up your white blood cells, and the immunotherapy infusion which also take time (2-3 different appointments depending on how it works out that week) but also all of this effects my cravings and energy. First there is the fact that I have to be on steroids which we all know are the enemy of weight loss but also the fact that eating is different. I consider myself very fortunate that food doesn’t taste bad to me and nausea is not an issue like it is for so many but it’s still not the same. I crave something very specific. I taste it and it’s good but I eat three bites and don’t want it anymore. My refrigerator is a leftover graveyard lol. In terms of energy I am on the strongest treatment regimen the oncologist says so fatigue sorta goes with the territory. I have been walking everyday still except for the biopsy day and my chemo port surgery day and I have done my yoga when my schedule permits but I have not done my cardio class because I think I sweat too much considering how dehydrating the chemo already is. Also I can’t touch community stuff for 24 hours after chemo without possibly exposing others to the chemo drug and we use balls, bars, discs, etc. Also more recently there is the fact that I have lost about 85% of my hair and I get too hot to wear a hat. I think once I’m bald it will actually look better and I am going to try really hard to just get over that but right now I don’t look like I have cancer. It just looks like a botched hair cut to me so I’m living in hats. The good news is it’s going very fast. It started falling out last week and it’s almost gone already so by next week I think I will just be bald. Well, yesterday I did totally forget to exercise with all that I had going on and I’m feeling guilty today now that I remembered but I know that’s silly. I am just hoping that as treatment goes on I am able to keep up my exercise. All the doctors say it’s good to keep pushing myself just not too hard. Exercise and good nutrition are going to make this alot easier on me. Back to food again. Not sure if it’s just the stress of the whole situation or the fact that chemo puts you into early menopause but Thursday was a particularly bad day. My moods were erratic to say the least and I had a bunch of blood drawn after having nothing but a protein shake all day so at 7pm I was pretty much famished by the time we stopped to eat. Olive Garden was the most convenient option and I planned soup and salad but when I got in there that went out the window. I went totally off plan. Again I feel guilty but these darn steroids and all the crazy emotions are making it so much harder to make the better choices when it’s staring at me tempting me I did still get my protein for the day though if there is any good in that What’s really hard about this is that even with the pasta and bread I am actually still losing weight so for my previously obese brain it’s tempting to not just enjoy that while it lasts. But I know that the processed crap is not good for my body, especially right now. I don’t feel as good since I have not been exercising as much and I’ve been eating off plan. I don’t sleep as well at night and I seem to crave more and more junk as well as have less energy throughout the day. thankfully my program has provided to me free of charge an oncology dietician, but I am her first patient who is actively still in weight loss phase undergoing chemo. She had agreed to check in with me once a week since this is new for both of us and she seems amazing so far. She suggested that I do not lose more than two to three pounds a week which was my average before the chemo. Because the chemo has apparently sped up my metabolism she says that I need to increase calories but to add healthy ones which is extremely difficult because adding calories goes against all we just learned and over 2000 calories of healthy food is a very large volume of food that my body is just not wanting right now (I was eating around 900-1000 before this and already felt like I was eating all day. And remember that most of these meals are on the road these days so I have to eat what I can fit in a cooler or stop somewhere on the side of the highway most times. Not easy to find clean healthy food on the road. Enough stating the obvious that it’s tough, here’s what I actually have to offer so far in terms of advice. First thing when I wake up in the morning I have a protein shake which is a really good head start to the day and if I am lucky enough to still be around a couple of hours later I have a second breakfast instead of waiting until there’s time to eat on whatever adventure the day brings. That helps with the protein if I don’t have time to stop at all. Although recently the shakes haven’t gone down so well so I just wake up and have scrambled eggs with 2% cheese and whatever leftover veggies are on hand.. If I know I won’t have time for that I also have some boiled eggs In the fridge that I can eat real fast or slice up with some cheese and take on the go. I carry in my cooler a high protein yogurt drink, chomps pepperoni flavored turkey jerky and baby bell light or mozzarella sticks. It helps to put the ice pack in a ziplock with these items if you live where it gets hot. I also carry a bag with high protein snacks quest protein chips, kind minis, cliff minis, pistachio nuts, nut butter packets, quest cheddar cheese crackers, granola to add to yogurt, etc Freezer meals!! Omg. I was doing these before my diagnosis and they were super convenient then and have been a lifesaver now. I have tex med chili, chicken chili, turkey meatballs, turkey taco meat, grilled chicken, meatloaf, etc in the freezer and it’s all measured and weighed out so that I can pop in the fridge the night before or even jet defrost in microwave if need be. When I have time to cook I do double batches so I can keep my freezer stock replenished. I have a note in my phone notes that it titled In freezer and I just keep adding to it what I freeze and how many portions are in there so if I’m not home I can check my freezer stock. I also do a version of meal prep with chick fila as well I like their market and southwest salads (I get the market one without the blue cheese) I buy one of each with two extra chicken fillets and take them home and I make four salads out of that. I take off all the toppings with a bit of lettuce and put into a smaller container to make a market salad and do the same with the southwest. Then I put the leftover lettuce with the chicken into another container and I have fresh shredded Parmesan in snack ziplocks and ceaser dressing also in ziplocks (sorta less pleasant looking but I figure less risk if bacteria than them tiny containers which are hard to get really clean since I am immunocompromised and infection is so dangerous right now) i cut off a corner and squeeze it out like an icing bag. I just use half of the packets of dressing with the market and southwest salads and then toss the rest. I have the ziplock containers that have the twist top lids and these are easy to toss into the cooler when they do not open at all I still log my macros in Baritastic this has really been helpful for me to be honest about what I’m eating with my oncology dietician so she can keep me on track . It also lets you log your activity, weight, inches lost and set notifications for vitamins and stuff. I added a reminder to put on my fitness watch and to take my regular meds too I also carry my water with me and I set alarms again to drink. You have to wear a mask and for me that seems to make me drink like a quarter as much as I do without one so I have to have reminders again. Vitamins need alarms too. Chemo brain is a real thing and when your days is never the same it’s hard to have a routine anyways so I actually have alarms for just about everything in life right now. I made different tones for water, vitamins and appointments and I have a checklist to go over before I leave the house to make sure I did and packed everything. My friend and family also have reminders for me in their phones for the real important stuff and they call or text to make sure I haven’t forgotten. I just found out that two of the programs I belong too offer virtual yoga sessions. I haven’t tried it yet because they are at set times as well but I added them to my calendar as recurring appts just like the live one so I can attend whichever one I have time for. Someone else suggested you tube for videos but I haven’t tried that either. Yoga by the way is my only sense of calm throughout all of this so I HIGHLY recommend it. That and meditation I know that both of these sound a little fruity before you give them a good fair try and meditation takes a lot of practice before it really Did anything for me but I swear my mind runs non stop with anxiety and worry and for that one hour I’m in yoga or the few minutes I’m meditating it is at peace. It’s amazing!! So I am a little over a month into this and I’ve got a good year and a half to go if all goes well so I’m sure I will have more to add to this but I just wanted to pop In and share what my experience has been juggling a new cancer diagnosis while pretty early out from bariatric surgery. I hope this helps someone. Even if it’s less advice and more to let you know that you are not alone in the struggle.