Strivingfor5K

Hi guys! I’m new here and I just had my surgery on 5/26/22. I’ve been overweight for the majority of my life, and I’ve been eager to start this journey by getting to know others who have done the same. My dad got gastric bypass and was able to keep the weight off, but he got it done a long time ago. So his advice is a little outdated. One thing I’ve noticed is that people keep emphasizing how good I’ll look once I lose weight. And it kinda sucks bc I didn’t do this for that. Sure, it helps. But I did it because I want to be healthier. Rambling aside, the only issues I have right now are maintaining my fluids and protein. And the gas. How was everyone else’s first couple of days? Any advice for a newbie?

I 100% agree with this. Pre-surgery (and pre-pandemic) I used to walk about 5.5-6 miles every other day, and I lost about 30 lbs over the course of a summer. I dislocated my knee right as the pandemic started, and gained a bunch of weight in recovery. But I’m hoping to get back to that once my stamina gets better.

As someone who used to work at Starbucks from 2017-2020, the post floating around from 2014 is making me cringe just a bit. Because a lot of people on there have been drinking things under the assumption that it’s low in sugar or decaf. And unfortunately that isn’t always the case. -The chai pumps are caffeinated and HIGH in sugar because it’s a concentrate and not actual tea. I’d say the best way to get it to avoid the sugar is to ask for only 1 pump, tell them to add water, and get it with non-fat or 1% milk. I believe there used to be a reduced sugar version of the chai, but I believe it was phased out. You could also just buy your own chai tea bags and heat up some milk. It might not be as good, but it’s less sugary. -DO NOT GET THE SOY FROM STARBUCKS. You might think it’s like regular soy, but it is not. It’s sweetened and therefore high in sugar. If you have to get a milk alternative, go for the coconut milk. But do not get the almond, oat, or soy. -The Earl Grey at Starbucks is not and never has been decaf. It’s actually one of the more highly caffeinated teas there. If I remember correctly, the peach tranquility was the least caffeinated hot tea there. -Speaking of Earl Grey, one of my fave drinks is a London Fog. I know some people who had it with coconut milk and sugar free vanilla, but I prefer nonfat or 1%. You can also get it iced, though they’ll very likely use the iced black tea instead of earl grey. -This wasn’t included in the post, but it is a common misconception: The caramel macchiato doesn’t have caramel syrup in it. It only has caramel sauce on top. The syrup at the bottom is vanilla. So if you miss your caramel macchiato, you can get one with sugar free vanilla, non-fat or coconut milk, and a super light drizzle of caramel. Or you could get no caramel at all and just get a sugar free vanilla macchiato (or upside down latte.) -All of the refreshers (Mango Dragonfruit, Strawberry, Kiwi) have caffeine in it and are high in sugar because they’re juice concentrates. You could get a tall with water and a little bit of lemonade if you REALLY want one. But my go-to is the Passion Tea with 2 stevia and 1 pump of raspberry. It’s refreshing, low in sugar, and is really tasty. You can also ask them to throw in some dried fruit if you want to. -The only drinks that don’t have caffeine in them are the cream Frappuccinos, the milk creams (your choice of steamed or iced milk with your fave syrup), and like…lemonade or apple juice. There used to be a reduced sugar version of the Frappuccino syrup for blending, but I don’t know if the stores still have them. Also, unfortunately, asking for less pumps of the sugary frap syrup does change the consistency of the frap. The syrup makes it smooth. I suppose you could get less pumps and eat it with a spoon, but that almost defeats the purpose. Anyone who still works there, please feel free to correct me or add anything if I’m wrong about something. I’d just hate to see people go in with the wrong info and get sick.

It was only after I stopped working there—and getting things for free—that I realized how pricey it is. And so now I look at our regulars who came in multiple times a day like they were CRAZY.

As someone who is 3-ish weeks out from surgery, I completely understand how you feel. I don’t have much of a desire to eat anything or drink anything, because everything gives me heartburn or indigestion. I’m really tired and I miss going out to drink with my friends. The only things I can keep down are soup and ice pops. Even water makes be feel a little ick sometimes. I used to be able to drink 64 oz. of water in like a half hour, and now I can barely get down 1/4 of that amount without feeling gross. I’m going to be patient with myself and say that this takes time. But 4-6 months feels so far away. And when food is a basic thing you need to function, and something you relied heavily on, every day feels like it’s going at a snails pace. I mean all of this to say that you aren’t alone in this. I know exactly how you feel.

Yeahhhhh you have to do a lot of substituting to bring that sugar count down.

The London Fog is like a tea latte. So they steam about half the cup size amount of milk and pour It over the hot tea. And there’s vanilla syrup at the bottom. I don’t really like Splenda, so I’d rather just get sugar free vanilla.

I’m still having a hard time getting all of my water in. Sometimes I drink too fast and feel like vomiting. Sometimes I feel like I have heartburn. I’ve been moved to the purée part, but I still feel like I can’t really eat anything other than thick soup or blended fish/chicken chunks. I feel like I’m not following the program well enough and I’m frustrated.

My mom has been super supportive with me throughout this whole experience. Unfortunately, I think she bought me a protein shake that’s too high in sugar/carbs. Every time I sip it, I feel sick. And I feel really bad because she bought it in BULK.

I wore crocs, a loose t-shirt, and sweat pants. You have to change out of them anyway, but it helps to have something that won’t rub against your skin when you come out.

I just had my surgery on the 26th, so I’m fresh off the table lol it’s been a struggle remembering to sip my liquids and get some walking in. Especially because I felt so tired and lethargic after the first couple of days. I feel a little more energized now though! Good luck to everyone else.