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Everyone here is such great support and knowing all of us are going through a version of this this month, I find encouraging. All bariatric surgeries are major surgeries, and remembering that everyone responds differently to it is helpful. My VSG is scheduled for May 12th. I'll pop on here as soon after that I can. I hope to see a post from you sharing your success after your surgery.

Oh boy, you've been through it haven't you? I hope you trend only upward and forward, Sophie. I'll be thinking of you and wishing you well.

Awesome! So glad to hear everything went well.

Wow, that's a drag. I'm just the opposite. I'm on day 8 of pre-op and have nearly no hunger. I do pump a lot of water through me though because I learned sometimes when I feel hungry I'm actually thirsty. My only issue, and it's minor is that I am having trouble sleeping at night. I understand it isn't uncommon with Keto and high protein diets, but I wish I could get a really restful night in. All the best!

I had the same issue with caffeine withdrawal. I had some green tea the first day, but it didn't help at all. I broke down and had a half cup on day 3 because I had such a bad headache, but I've been without since then and feeling a lot better. Hang it there!

Well, at least you'll get pain meds. That's something to look forward to with bad cramps

I, too am in my 60's and periods are a thing of the past. I suspect though that surgical teams deal with that all the time, and you will be up and down to the bathroom a lot after surgery, so it won't be as much of an issue as you may think. Today is day 7 of my pre-op and I'm doing great. I have fleeting thoughts of foods that aren't allowed, but honestly if I drink a protein shake every few hours, with lots of water/tea/broth in between, I'm golden. I gardened yesterday and noticed I don't have as much stamina, and I attribute that to the low calorie diet. I'm also not yet taking the bariatric vitamins I ordered, and probably should be as they contain more iron and folic acid and such than what I usually take. Surgery is a week from tomorrow! It is so great having all of you May surgery folks to chat with. Keep the faith all. It is so worth it!

Good luck Sherry Lab! Can't wait to hear all about your successes.

Welcome, I'm the day before you. The pre-op gets easier (I'm on day 6), though the mental part is where most of the challenge lies. Have you seen the discussion, What is your Why? It was helpful for me to write a bit about what is really driving my decision to change. Hope to see you on here and hear about how things are going for you. I

Congralations, that's exciting! I'll be thinking about you and cheering you on. BypassedSophie is also scheduled tomorrow for surgery. I look forward to hearing about your success!

Hah! Hysterical. It took me some time to decide to move forward as well and thankfully, I had some time to clear out the "stuff" from my kitchen that I knew I wouldn't be eating any time soon. I hear about people having regrets right after. Having a sense of humor and being kind to our bodies is a good place to start. Let us know how your surgery goes and best wishes for a successful one and a speedy recovery.

I felt that way too, 2 days in. I'm on day 5 today and feeling much better. I think it takes that long to go into ketosis and that's when the hunger and fogginess and cravings start to subside. I'm with you, though. I only want to do what is essential and no more. Over time, our bodies need more than liquid. Wishing you all the best!

It took about 3 days before I started to lose the hunger feeling. As much as I get sick of the protein shakes, I just force myself to drink one when I start getting a hunger signal. Right now, my cravings have diminished (I'm sure it comes and goes) and I actually walked through the grocery store yesterday without being miserable looking at everything I couldn't have... that seems like a milestone. Every day there's improvement. Hang in there!

Welcome! Best of luck on your journey.

Starting day 5 of the pre-op. I have more energy, though still fatigue easily. I've had a low grade headache and broke down and had a cup of green tea this morning because I'm pretty sure it's a caffeine withdrawal. (Already the headache is subsiding). The diet DOES get easier with each passing day so I'm feeling confident that I'll be able to manage the after-surgery diet restrictions. I'm noticing my weight dropping and joint pain easing, a big bonus. Hang in there, all. We can do this!

Exciting! I can't wait to hear how you do. I hope you get some time this weekend to just relax and take care of yourself. Several years ago I had gall bladder surgery and a friend sent me a link to some meditation apps that Kaiser Permanente has available to the public on their website. I listened to the one for people having surgery and I honestly believe it helped me better prepare and heal after. I'm not a meditator, mind you, but just listening to them was relaxing and soothing. Here's the link if you're interested. https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health-wellness/podcasts/conditions-diseases/surgery. Wishing you all the best and looking forward to hearing about your successes.

Way to go! Congratulations on taking responsibility for your health. That's so inspiring. When is/was your surgery?

My surgery is May 12th and I will be 63 in August. I can relate to the fat child, yo-yo dieting, multiple weight loss programs, etc, etc. I'm not sure why I waited this long; I only know that I woke up some months ago and decided to get off that treadmill. Right now, I'm 4 days into my pre-op diet and starting to feel really good. In fact, I can't say I'm missing food much at all (though I really miss coffee). I think it just took me until my 60s to finally realize I need a different tool than just will power. I'm glad so many of you have had such unbelievable success and I hope you know it is really encouraging to those of us just starting this journey! I hope to be able to offer the same one day with my own successes.

Hi all. I'm having surgery May 12th and am on day 4 of my pre-op. Other than some intermittent brain fog, I'm doing well on it and losing quite a lot of weight in the process. It's nice having others who're navigating the same or similar territory and I wish you all the best!

Boy, I'm right there with you. Finding a healthy substitute for food is the biggest challenge of all. I think of the surgery as a tool, but getting my head straight with food is really the journey. A friend who had surgery some years ago recommended a book that I am currently reading. It's called The Emotional First+Aid Kit (a practical guide to life after bariatric surgery) by Cynthia Alexander, PsyD. It has some useful guidance.

Way to go! I'm on day 3 and it IS getting easier.

I bought some Swanson's sipping broths today, which are chicken bone broths. They have 9 grams of protein in an 8oz serving, which is great. Not a lot of flavor in the plain chicken though. I added quite a bit of Morton's Nature's Seasoning and it wasn't half bad. Next time I'll try the Rosemary Lemon and see if it has a little more flavor.

Hang in there. Have you started your pre-op diet yet?

Welcome! Glad you're here to share this journey with all of us. I am also nervous, excited and unsure, AND I'm ready to take responsibility for my body and my eating.

Well done! But that has to be so frustrating that your PCP isn't getting their part done. Today is day 3 for me. I definitely feel the pounds coming off though I have a bit of a headache and fogginess. I know from past experience that a lot of that is caffeine withdrawal. I hear from others that it gets easier.