lizonaplane

You can try using BetterHelp and stating in your intake form that you are specifically looking for someone that specializes in eating disorders. I tried to do that, but I didn't really have much luck because I have a history of other issues that they picked up on. You can always switch therapists with them. I just stuck with the person I was matched with because it worked well enough and it turns out I don't really have an eating disorder, I just eat too much too often and take medications that cause weight gain. Good luck!

I don't know, honestly. I don't drink at all (never liked the taste of alcohol), but I think it's a very reasonable question given that you won't be able to drink much after surgery. Can you ask the nutritionist rather than the surgeon? Also, you can try to find out how long before the test for alcohol you have to stop drinking.

I wish I could have done my nutrition classes once a week instead of once a month - I would have paid more for that! Mine are group classes and they are so unhelpful. They don't focus on bariatric eating at all, just like "did you know french fries are unhealthy?" On the other hand, I've been able to lost 31 lbs since I started working towards the surgery in January, and I'm really starting to get used to the eating habits I'll need long term, so I am telling myself it's worth it. Anyway, surgeries were stopped until April at the center I'm using due to COVID.

What are you eating 5 weeks out? I travel for work sometimes and once I am cleared to lift my suitcase at 4 weeks I might be on the road again at any time, so I'm wondering what I will be eating at that point.

Weight regain is actually more common with sleeve than bypass, but I haven't been able to find exact numbers anywhere. I've seen numbers from 15-30% weight regain for WLS overall, but I don't think most people who regain weight regain all the weight, although I know it does happen.

I agree with everyone who said to see a nutritionist and a therapist. Also, you said there are only three things you "can eat". Why is that? Is that because you only know how to make three meals? If so, take a cooking class. If your stomach can only tolerate three meals, then that would surprise me since you are eating crisps and cakes. If you only LIKE three meals, try expanding your palate by NOT eating sweets except fruits and veggies - they taste so much sweeter and better if you're not eating cake and crisps (crisps are actually really sweet, not just salty). You can try to only eat when you're hungry enough to eat an apple or some berries - I found out that surprisingly, when I wasn't eating cookies, I actually found fruit much sweeter. It takes some time, but I no longer put Splenda on my berries and I really enjoy my food and feel less hungry (I haven't even had surgery yet!). You can do it!!!! Having a mental health diagnosis is not a destiny that prevents you from making good progress - I have bipolar disorder yet I work a very intense job and have fulfilling relationships, because I work at my mental health every day.

This process is not the same for every insurance or every surgery center. I only have four months of monthly nutrition classes, no EGD, no sleep study, no comorbidity requirement since my BMI was over 40 (almost 50 at the start). I have to see my primary care doctor one before the surgery, and I had to meet once with the psychologist and twice with the nutritionist. My process will be over six months anyway due to COVID delays (a lot of people's surgeries were canceled so I have to wait for them to all have their surgeries first).

I haven't had surgery yet, but I have seen elsewhere that some people can eat boneless skinless chicken thighs even if they can't do chicken breasts. Maybe try that? Also I agree with @Highly_Undermedicatedthat ground meat (you can get chicken, pork, turkey, beef, veal, etc) might be easier that a whole piece of meat, from what I have read. I have made ground turkey meatballs in a red curry sauce that were excellent, and they were pretty low in carbs (just a little corn starch as a binder). I've also made a more traditional red sauce turkey breast meatball dish; that had more carbs because it had panko binder and the tomato sauce had carbs even though it was no sugar. I also make buffalo chicken dip a lot (I add extra chicken thighs to it). Another favorite of mine that might be good after surgery is chili, since it's got ground meat and beans, and otherwise low carbs, and can be modified a lot. I eat it with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and shredded cheese.

That is just awesome. Good luck to both of you!

You can probably also have bone broth, which is high protein broth, but check with your surgery center because it has a fair amount of fat in it. I haven't had surgery yet but I've bought some in preparation.

I haven't had surgery yet, but I have found that whenever I am eating less I am cold. I tend to be cold unless I am moving around. I don't know if this applies to people after surgery, but once you are able, I would try moving around a bit, even just walking and swinging your arms. I will get on my treadmill for about ten minutes when I get cold and that warms me up for a few hours. Again, I don't know if this will work after surgery; I'm hoping it does because I'm already cold all the time!

I have fears of complications, regain ('ve lost 100 lbs and gained it back before), and dying in surgery. I'm not sure how I'd rank them; it depends on the day. I think regain is my biggest fear because it's the most likely, and it's not something that will go away after surgery. I think I will always fear that.

This... I'm so excited so I am telling people who don't need to know! I'm not ashamed; I feel like I'm doing something to take care of my health. But I see people here who've had very unsupportive family, friends, and partners, so I can certainly understand why people wouldn't feel the same way as I do. I'm single, I don't have kids, and my parents are really supportive - they're even coming up to stay with me for a few weeks during and after surgery (they will be staying at a hotel because my apartment is too small for three people, so it's not simple to do that). My brother was really concerned but it seemed to be about COVID and now that I'm vaccinated, I think he's probably okay (although when he had spinal surgery in college I was terrified, so maybe we're just really protective of each other).

I know many people who have had cancer who don't tell people they had cancer because it's none of other people's business. And most people who have cancer certainly don't discuss the details of their treatment with people outside their treatment team and their immediate family. Likewise, I am open here about having bipolar disorder because of the anonymity of the internet, but I don't tell people I work with unless necessary because of the stigma. Yes, it would be great to lessen the stigma but the downside is that they will treat me differently.

I haven't had surgery yet, but I will say that because sleeve can cause or worsen GERD, you may want to consider bypass if you already have bad GERD. Also, there is some evidence that bypass is better at reversing diabetes, but maybe not for more than a few years. Sleeve has slightly lower risk of complications, but both have very low rates of complications. Bypass is more likely to lead to "dumping" where foods high in carbs or fat can cause diarrhea and lots of bad physical sensations right after eating or within a few hours. If you have an extremely high BMI, bypass is more likely to help you to lose more weight, but here we're talking people who weigh like 500lbs. Before having surgery, it's a good idea to "walk the walk". By that I mean, eating more in the style of how you'll have to eat after surgery: stop drinking carbonated beverages, practice eating SLOWLY (I have not managed this yet), focus on protein and lower sugar/carbs. I think a good thing to do might be to watch some YouTube videos by Dr Matthew Weiner. He explains things well. Some of the videos are older, but they're still very good. Good luck!

Part of the reason that I tell everyone that I am having surgery is to lessen the stigma, but it's mostly because I'm an open book. However, not everyone has supportive people in their lives and they should not have to take the abuse that may be hurled their way just so the stigma may be lessened. It's just too hard on a journey that is already hard. I think it's great for those of us who feel we can be open about it, but it's not always easy, and we should be aware that it's not always going to be an option for everyone for a variety of reasons. And honestly, are you really going to run up to random people on the street and tell them? Every time you meet someone who met you when you were heavier you'll have to make a decision as to what to tell them. I the people I chat with who work in the airport club that I was planning to have surgery - after one of the women said I looked like I had lost weight, and I said I was preparing for surgery, and another one started asking questions. It was a nice conversation, but it was a little unnecessary.

Just curious, why did you choose Baritastic rather than MyFitnessPal? I've been using MFP since 2012 and I don't want to start all over with something else, but some people really like Baritastic and I'm wondering why. I don't think you can track vitamins on MFP, but you can track calories, macros, and water. I am not interested in tracking vitamins because I already remember to take all my medications with no issues.

Two popular choices are MyFitnessPal and Baritastic. I just started a thread on this this morning.

You can see your week, month, 2 months, 3 months, etc on MFP too, at least on the app.

Are you able to swallow the Effexor XR? because that medication can't be crushed or broken in half as it's an extended release, but I'm sure your surgery team told you that. It's possible for some reason that you're not absorbing it as well, but that's something to discuss with whomever prescribed it and/or the surgeon. I'm sorry you're feeling bad!

Your stomach is much smaller now, so you shouldn't have much hunger and your metabolism has been "reset" so it shouldn't set your metabolism into starvation mode. That's the whole point of the surgery; it resets your metabolism so you can have a lower set point and feel full on fewer calories.

I'm sorry that happened to you! I told everyone (I actually posted it on FB) and I only got negative comments from one person, and they're not someone I care about. Everyone else was super supportive! People in my life have seen me struggle with my weight for years, losing and regaining 50 then 100 lbs over the last 10 years. I need to try something I hope will be "permanent".

I didn't have to do a questionnaire. They wanted to know about my history with food behaviors (like whether I had any history of eating disorders/food addiction), any other mental illness (I have bipolar disorder and they just wanted to know it is being treated and they said they want to get sign off from my psychiatrist), family/friend support, etc.

Wow. This is all really awful. My parents didn't push diets on me at all, even though I was heavy as a child. We did have really odd rules about food - we couldn't have sugary cereals except as dessert, we could only have fruit roll-ups during presidential elections, etc. But we ate out all the time, so that wasn't really healthy. I lost a lot of weight when I was 13 through being really restrictive and exercising a lot, but then I gained 100 lbs in two years when I was put on medication for bipolar disorder. My parents basically didn't say anything. They've celebrated when I've lost weight and been really supportive when I'm trying to lose weight, but then my mom will push me to order a dessert at a restaurant because she wants dessert but won't order it herself. She and my dad are a tiny bit overweight, but both have at times been heavier; they have more time to exercise now that my dad is retired and my mom works fewer hours. My brother (not genetically related to us - he is adopted) is very overweight, so I know there is something definitely obesogenic about our family environment.

I agree with seeing a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. I would also stop the edibles. It's pretty well documented that marijuana leads to overeating, so that's probably not helping you. You mentioned you have anxiety... make sure you're getting that fully treated with prescription medication/therapy and you're not using marijuana to self-medicate. Your surgery center must have a therapist who can see you for a few sessions and/or refer you to someone.