summerseeker

I dont drink many fizzy drinks, I like zero sugar blackcurrant squash. I will occasionally have a long alcoholic drink and then I use diet Sprite, tonic or a Britvic 55 which is a fruit juice with added soda water. I have no problems now or earlier in my journey. If you try one, my advice would be to to put it in a glass and stir it to de gas it a little.

Well done for having the hutzpah to go alone. IMHO some gym's really have nasty people in them, If you have found a good one, well done. I used to ask when the quiet times were and found how to use the equipment just in case. I never like to make a fool of myself in public. Later on a few people would comment on how I had really progressed, in a good way. Small steps, big leaps. As I have said before your surgeon is brutal. He really wants you to work for the surgery. You know when you are at your weakest and can plan for it next month. If you need a few cheats - Could you make sugar free squash ice lollies ? Use your milk in a low cal milk shake ? Add some water noodles and chopped spring onion into your broth and add some 5 spice, it would be only 7 ish calories more ?

When I was fat I would have to go hunting in my wardrobe for clothes that fit. I would usually find nothing and need to buy new. It was so frustrating because I usually couldn't find what I needed and was never totally comfortable in my clothes Now I can always fit in all my clothes, shoes and boots. I decide in bed in the morning which outfit to wear. Its a stress free joy.

You look amazing, great weight loss

You look fabulous, Great photo

Whoop whoop, you look So Good. You must be thrilled

Don't be worried to go back a stage until you feel ready for the next. We are not all able to go ahead at the same time. If you can manage soup or a shake for your evening meal then that's a win at this early stage

Sorry to here this, you have been through the mill and back again. I hope you get the answers you need from the community here. I imagine you will have a lot of scar tissue and need a mesh insert. As they have said not the easiest surgery and many surgeons won't take this work on.

Happy Birthday @NeonRaven8919 May I say your surgeon is a pig to have you on such a regime. That's brutal. Kudos to you for not complaining or venting about it. You have your head in just the right place. New nails and a Comedy club sounds amazing, enjoy. Next time your birthday comes around you will be super slinky and feel like a million dollars.

Do you think you are depressed ? To me you sound like it. You are sabotaging yourself. Do you believe that you don't deserve to be thin ? My counsellor told me once - Do one thing every day that makes you feel better about yourself. So change something and be proud that you did. Little steps. Drink your allotted water, your whole body and mind will thank you. If you want to chat privately, message me. You deserve this. You have reached out that's the main thing

Oh my I am so sorry this is happening to you. I had at least 6 months of this, day in, day out. They tested me for a stricture but found my stitch line was swollen and inflamed and although I could swallow liquids slowly, solids were difficult. Now I still take Lansoprazole twice a day and antacid when I need it. It sucks to be the 1% that has difficulties. I found that artificial sugars, some protein substitutes, rich meats and iron in the vitamins were not for me. I didn't reach my liquid or protein goals but my team were sympathetic and monitored me. I was told to focus on drinking. I tried to eat 6 - 8 tiny meals a day. Every time I had a day of vomiting I would go back a step to liquids. I had a lot of thin soups, tiny slivers of cheese and milk. I tried to eat as clean as I could which wasn't hard with the tiny little amounts of food I could eat. I am occasionally sick now but its because I overeat, forget not to eat grape skins or eat too fast. Now I just give my stomach a days rest and continue. I am used to the feeling of pre vomit and I will usually deal with it. For some reason a popsicle sometimes works

Me too, so comfortable and tight enough to hide my wobbly arms and legs

We dreamed, we did it. Be proud.

What is your stage 3 ? Nobody has the same regime.

I am allowed all and everything. I limit myself because I can eat a whole bar of chocolate before I feel ill. So I buy small bars of really good chocolate. I know I will only eat one. Sometimes I melt the chocolate and dip strawberries in. I know cottage cheese is not for everyone but I love it. I chop a apple finely and mix it into the cheese. Works well with pineapple or kiwi too. Cheddar cheese and a crisp apple does wonders for me.

I can eat all fruits but still struggle with skins. Grape skins especially give me the foamies. I also peel apples, tomatoes and peaches/nectarines. TBH skin really scares me, I have had so many vomiting episodes. The first fruits I tried were raspberries and watermelon and are still my most favourites. I eat fruit with my yogurt in a morning and as an afternoon snack, watermelon or a low cal berry. Some evenings I have a peeled and cored apple with cheese.

I think your surgeon must be a male with a woman behind him who does all the home stuff. Clueless. Listen to your body, take naps when you can. I was super ill after my surgery and couldn't have worked for 3 months, never mind having to look after 4 children as well. If you ever see this surgeon again please see that he gets our input to update his views

Congratulations you look beautiful.

Hi @ indianlight, I had Gastric sleeve in a private hospital two and a half years ago and it cost £11600 with all the pre appointments. Gastric bypass was £2000 more at the time. I really wished I had gone the bypass route because I have wicked reflux but that boat has sailed and I have to deal with it. I have never heard of people getting a second operation on the NHS but why not try and keep on trying different doctors. Sometimes persistence does work. I have Fibromyalgia too and the surgeon told me that the surgery would not change this, it didn't. Have you tried Aquafit, it really helps. Its low impact and you can go at your own speed. I hope you get your help

That's so cruel and everyone is so scared that it could happen to them. I think I might have had a melt down. I feel for you because we want this surgery so badly and 3 weeks on a liquid diet is brutal. Biggest hugs sent your way.

This part doesn't last long but it does get samey. Have you tried bouillon cubes dissolved in water. Milk whizzed with some zero sugar peanut butter. Any soup sieved to take out the solids. I liked the flavour of chicken noodle soup, Gazpacho, and Pho.

I agree with @Arabesque I was on 200 Cals at 2 months, Didn't manage to get to 800 until about 9 months. Nine months later I was on less than 1000 Cals. My team only bothered about protein and liquids. They advised me to try 6 tiny meals a day. Full fat products helped me. As in cheese, nuts, milk and yogurts. I never had protein drinks. My surgeon was against them. I had milk shakes but made my own but M&S do some, a strawberry shake per 250 mls = 180 Cals and 8 grams of protein. Don't stress over this period, just do your best every day. We are not all the same

Hi Klare, I know of two people who went to Turkey for the surgery. First one was ok but second person had a shocking experience. The surgeon made her oesophagus too short and she cant keep any food down. She is seriously ill. She has had a bad time with doctors over here [ she says ] because she had the op outside the UK. I know in my heart all doctors can't be like this, they take an oath after all. Some who go get next to no pre or aftercare. They come on here asking for advice which is ok, its what we do but this is huge life and mind changing surgery. We all needed tons of help especially in the first months. Private hospitals over here offer a surgery package. I got two years aftercare. Monthly visits with a dietician and surgeon if I needed it, I did. They offer interest free loans. I wanted the surgery very badly, it cost me every penny I had. I don't know if I could have gone the overseas route if I didn't have the cash. There was so much I didn't know about what this surgery does. There are people who have posted on here that going from a Lap band to Gastric bypass was two surgeries. Surgeons wouldn't do both surgeries at once. You have a lot to think about. Good luck with your chosen journey.

Its hot as h**l in Greece in September. If you are going Self catering then you will not need as much as if you are in a Hotel. I took a huge case full for 3 weeks in May and wore 3 swimsuits and 3 dresses and 3 tops/dresses for over my costume. I wear swim dresses and feel confident in them. The rest I didn't wear for the most part. Lesson learned for me. Its a very laid back country and unless you are going in a 5* hotel, you will be ok dressed down. Shorts are what everyone wears. Loose dresses look great and are practical. I would buy a size down. I went down a size every 2 months.

I was like this. I managed 300 calories until 6 months. I was super restricted. My team were ok as long as I was well monitored and as long as I kept trying and drank most of my liquid allotment. I take PPI's twice a day and still need antacid. Food smells repulsed me. I couldn't eat eggs, meat or fish. I ate yogurt, soups, deli meats and cheese. I drank milk, coffee and Ribena. I forced myself to eat 6 tiny meals a day. My family were super worried about it. I managed a little better every day especially when the pressure was taken off me { I pressured myself } I took me 2 years to eat chicken, lamb, eggs and to this day can not eat salmon and oily fish. Stick with your team, they will get you through it. It will get easier.