JDLane

I had regular cycles prior to surgery and had one child already. I was on the mini pill during surgery and I believe I got one extra period post op but after that cycle things evened out again and I went back to being regular. I'm over a year out and currently pregnant with number 2. I was cleared to try around 1 year post op and it happened quickly for us. So I would say I had little hormonal effects.

I was started on zoloft prior to surgery, I didn't notice any weight gain then. I've continued on it since surgery and to my knowledge it has not had any effect on that aspect of things.

Like others have said, just don't make a habit out of it. Part of the reason I had this surgery is because I don't want to continue the lifetime of diets and guilt with eating. I want to lose the weight and just have a healthy relationship with food, that includes the occasional candy bar. Beating yourself up or being overly restrictive may lead to more binges. Just accept it happened and move on. If you find yourself desperate for candy try to find an alternative option or go for a mini size. But this first year is your fast lane for weight loss and you should try to maximize that as much as possible. I was on Protonix for 2 months post op and still have it for as needed. I was never prescribed the other med you mentioned.

I resumed ordering Hello Fresh meals about 5 months post op. I try to order the carb smart ones and I eat mostly the protein and vegetable, a few bites of potato or carb. Typically I'll have some leftovers but not a ton. My fiancé might eat some of my portion and I also share with my toddler son so it works out. It's a nice option when I don't want to think about meal planning but I don't use it weekly, that may get overwhelming then.

Unfortunately it wasn't homemade, it was a microwave kit from Target. I think it would be pretty simple though, just partially boil some cauliflower or even roast it so that it's still a little hard and then any standard mac and cheese sauce would work. I'm jealous of the cooking husband, mine's expertise ends at hot dogs🤣

I apparently forgot the after picture but made air fried salmon, roasted broccoli and cauliflower ‘Mac & cheese’

I've met my protein and fluid goals from the beginning and still experienced hair loss. No bald spots though and probably not even noticeable thinning to anyone else. It was mostly just in the shower/hair brushing I had a lot more fall out than I normally would so that's when I would notice it the most. Once dried and styled I don't think I really noticed it much. I'm about 10 months out now and I think I'm pretty much back to normal, and I have a fuzzy little halo of regrowth frizzing all over my head, so that's fun. I think it may depend on your hair type and a lot of different things. If you already have thin hair, it'll likely be more noticeable.

I'm down about 80lbs. I've been stuck since the end of December though and I'd really like to lose another 20. Especially because I'd really like to try for another child in a few months so I'd like to get to my lowest before I risk gaining any with pregnancy. I finally made an appointment with my dietician for later this week so maybe he can help me get things moving again. I'm working on exercising more but with that comes an increased appetite so it's a hard balance.

I got a stomach bug a few months after my sleeve surgery. I just focused on fluids and keeping down what I could. This was mostly Gatorade zero and body armor lytes. When I felt I could stomach food I did stick to crackers and simple carbs. It only lasted a day or two and I was able to ease back into normal protein dominant eating. Like most stomach bugs it was gone quickly and I don't think missing 1-2 days of hitting your goals is going to cause significant damage. I would stay away from soda and junk food but I don't think the occasional cracker to test your stomach will hurt anything.

I did self pay in PA through my local hospital group. My insurance covered much of my preop appointments and testing but the surgery itself was an exclusion by my employer. I ended up paying somewhere around 15k total and the bulk of that was the surgery itself and hospital stay. Those were discounted through the hospital for being self pay. I would definitely contact your billing department and inquire about self pay discounts.

I vomit when my stomach says no thanks. For me this typically means I ate too fast but sometimes if it's just something that doesn't agree, and often these are things I shouldn't have eaten anyway like a few bites of rice or ice cream. But for the most part there aren't specific food types that disagree with me, just eating too quickly. The loud stomach noises are just your new normal. The hiccups, chest pressure, runny nose are all good indicators of just fullness.

I'm sleeved and I take the mini pill however my fiancé and I also use condoms. But no unplanned pregnancies yet so take that how you will lol. And I do have a toddler from prior to surgery. I have a handful of friends with IUDs who really like them but I know peoples experiences can vary.

So I didn't have this reaction personally but I was warned about it during my behavioral evaluation appointments before surgery. It's apparently pretty common to have some emotional upset after surgery. The rapid weight loss can release hormones stored in fat and in general it's a big change in your life which can trigger stuff. It's great you already reached out for help, hopefully you find some balance soon!

I like the premier shakes and at 9 months out still have 1 almost every day because I just prefer to knock half my protein out without thinking about it. My tastes did not change after surgery. P3 snack packs are great to have on hand for a quick lunch, I always have deli turkey in the fridge too, eggs, turkey jerky and jerky sticks, greek yogurt, eggwich's are a good breakfast option. Wasa bread thin cracker things, good thin crackers, rice cakes. I drink a ton of gatorade zero, body armour lyte, and diet iced tea as well. Even though my tastes didn't change after surgery I still wouldn't recommend stocking up too much on anything. Even if you like something you may get sick of it. Variety helps keep things interesting.

Trying to get through leftovers in the fridge. About 2oz boneless skinless chicken thigh grilled and 1/3 cup chicken lo mein.

I was going to jump in with a rant about the demonization of potatoes as well. Sure it's high in carbs but they are also loaded with vitamins and nutrients. I'm unsure where people got the idea that they are of no nutritional value because it isn't accurate. Can you find those nutrients in lower carb options? Absolutely, but lets not trash the potato unfairly. A few minutes on google can expand on the details but I know they are a source of potassium and B6 as well as fiber. Anyway, if your body tolerates them they are fine in moderation. I'd focus on protein first obviously but you can definitely try a little and see how it goes.

I'm about 8 months out and I could easily get my protein from 'normal' food however I choose to have 1 protein shake per day because I like it for breakfast and also then I just don't have to think about protein again for the rest of the day because I know I'll hit the rest through food no problem. But if you had eggs for breakfast, greek yogurt and fruit for snack, lunch meat and cheese for lunch, jerky and nuts for snack, meat and veggie for dinner you'd easily hit your goal for the day once you are able to consume a few oz at a time and you'd have a pretty balanced day.

I don't personally carry anything. I just visualize a 5oz yogurt cup and what I think would fit into that. I take small portions and I stop eating when I'm full.

I'd start with your insurance and see if you even need a referral. Do you typically need a referral to see a specialist? Find out your insurance requirements for surgery. It shouldn't be your primary that has requirements for you, it's typically insurance and the surgeon themselves that will have criteria you may need to meet. You may be able to just investigate local practices on your own and schedule something. But I would also just say I'm interested in getting more information on weight loss surgery, can you help me with that? And then go from there. If you do need a referral and they say no, ask them to document their refusal in your chart and then seek another doctor.

Reach out to your medical team, you'll want to talk to your nutritionist and probably behavioral therapist. You haven't ruined anything yet but you'll want to break the bad habits now that you're recognizing them. As far as diet goes, don't try to do a 'reset' and go back on only liquids or anything overly restrictive. Just get back to prioritizing protein, limiting 'junk', staying hydrated. Try to work some more movement into your day. Be kind to yourself.

My week 1 was clears plus protein shakes. Then full liquids which included yogurts, jello, soups, thinned oatmeal, etc. It gets much easier when you on to full liquids and then puree's feels like heaven when you reach that!

Yes, and? OP was looking for convenience food options because she is tired of shakes...

Yes, and? OP was looking for convenience food options because she is tired of shakes...

The healthy choice power bowls look like they might be a good choice. About 200 calories for whole thing but you'd probably only eat half, decent protein, carbs aren't too bad. I'm a big fan of the P3 packs with meat, cheese and nuts. Precooked chicken is an easy go to. Cooked frozen shrimp you could just microwave and toss in a premade sauce with a microwaved veggie. Jerky meats are typically a good option. They make keto cereals now that are decent macros if you just wanted a bowl of cereal with milk.

Learning to feed your body on hunger cues and not your feelings may be something you need to work through in therapy. Most bariatric programs worth their salt will have you do a behavioral evaluation. You'll want to be honest with them about these things and start working on them early so that you can get ahead of yourself. I'm not one of those people who's taste suddenly changed after surgery. Now at 6 months out there's very little I cannot eat if I choose to. It's a matter of making the better choices. I for sure still have food cravings and want to eat things that aren't necessarily going to fuel my body the way they should. I personally try to find balance, if I'm craving something I'll have a small portion because I feel like fighting it leads to binging and I'd much rather have a balanced diet. I will say the surgery helps me with being able to recognize more easily when I'm actually hungry versus just wanting to eat for the sake of it. It's much easier to pause and check in with my body and then shut it down if I'm not actually hungry. With getting full so quickly it's also much easier to stop if you do start to eat something you shouldn't because you'll quickly get full. Everyone here will tell you over and over again the surgery is just a tool you still have to put in the work to keep up with things. And for some of us it's harder work. I would love to be able to agree with all the points Tony presented above but they simply aren't true for me. So instead I make an effort to actively work against my cravings and my smaller stomach absolutely helps with that. (PS not to say Tony isn't working, I just mean it's different for everybody). It's definitely not a quick fix but I think worth it thus far.