FutureSylph

Thanks so much for the detailed and honest reporting. It really helps pre-oppers like me know what to expect. (I can put up with almost anything if I'm prepared for it, you know?)

Adding my best wishes for your prompt recovery. Itching is the pits.

Woohoo! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that it's smooth sailing from here on out.

I think "A lot" is an excellent answer; it's true without being specific. But if you're hoping to squelch them, you could try "Oh, you want to talk numbers? Let's start with your salary." That should give them a hint that their question was rude, and the number is none of their business.

I know how frustrating a stall is. Wishing you a big whoosh soon. Have you tried pushing fluids to twice your normal intake?

Have you tried ice packs? A bag of frozen peas is malleable and cheap; just remember to mark it as inedible before refreezing it.

Do you have smaller plates/bowls/flatware? They're not necessary, but can help you not feel deprived by small post-op portions. I bought some 2 oz. souffle cups and 4 oz. bowls for food storage, too. It's like a little girl's tea party took over my kitchen. 😊

Whaddya know, we have the same cooking secrets! LOL The main problem with those crumbles is they don't make the whole house smell like bacon frying, which is one of my absolute favorite aromas. Thanks for the recipe adaptation ideas. I probably shouldn't make them, because I'd want to eat the whole pan, but maybe I will right after surgery, when overindulging isn't an option.

I was okay until you said this. <whimpering and drooling>

Yep, what ShoppGirl said. If you hit trouble with any stage, going back to previous stages is fine. Hope you feel better soon!

Could also be a reaction to an ingredient in new vitamins/supplements. Make sure to include that, too, if you see an allergist.

Yes, please let us hear from you as soon as you're up to posting -- I'm assuming no news is good news, and the reason you haven't posted yet is that you're fresh out of surgery, but it would be great to have that confirmed. Hope all went well!

Tiny spoonfuls of applesauce, Greek yogurt, and mashed sweet potatoes moistened with chicken broth.

Candlelight is your friend.

Thinking of you, @lizonaplane, and hoping your surgery/recovery was smooth. Please do check in when you feel up to it.

I couldn't budge the scale the first three months, no matter how few calories I ate. Every time I managed to lose a pound, it would show back up within two days, sometimes bringing a buddy with it. It was incredibly frustrating to be eating cabbage instead of cake and not losing. What finally overcame it was making sure I drank at least half a gallon of fluids every day. My weight loss is still much slower than is reasonable to expect, but at least the gaining seems to have stopped (knocking on wood).

Best of luck today!

Woohoo! Are you getting excited yet? November 15 is my brother's birthday, so I've always liked that date. Congrats on getting a surgery date!

This one is cheap and good, IMO: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XU3C7M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

That's the hardest thing about counting calories for me -- I'm really good about logging foods before I eat them, but not so great at judging afterward how much I didn't eat. Sure makes it hard to be accurate.

So close, @lizonaplane! I'll keep my fingers crossed for a quiet, uneventful weekend.

Have you invested in smaller plates? Also, if it still looks skimpy to you, you can learn to do beautiful vegetable garnishes on YouTube that will fill up the plate. (Bonus: disposing of the tiny scraps from vegetable carving will re-train your brain that it's okay to throw away food.)

Congratulations!

Try different temperatures until you find what your new body likes. I'm still pre-op, but I'm practicing tiny sips for post-op. I find I can drink a lot more water if it's chilled but not ice-cold. Try room temperature and warm, too. Good luck!

How kind of you to say so! I felt bad that you seemed to take my post in a way that I didn't intend. Apology accepted and returned, since I must have written it poorly to have it misconstrued. I hope your day improves. Peace.