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Happy puree stage! It's so much nicer hahaha. I also over bought stuff but they are still surviving in my fridge. I wish I could advice u on the qty but I also read that 1/2 cup is right for now. If u guys read arabic, I would've shown what mine said and we would have a pretty good laugh as it basically says nothing informative teehee but I am surviving and losing the weight!! I wanna fast forward to 6 months

for most, it doesn't have to be this way...i am 6 yrs out and i still go out yo eat and go to dinner parties and have coffee and dessert. if anything, i probably go even more than pre-wls cuz i live to get dressed up and go out and socialize more now. and yes, its almost always centred by food and eating and drinking. i think the further out u get it gets a little less angsty cuz u have learned to trust yourself around food and know your limits in autopilot. i order whatever i feel for and generally just have a taste of it and the rest is generally eaten by my meal companions or becomes a take out box. or compost if it wasn't very good. i particularly like to go out with lots of people cuz then i get to taste all their stuff too. and yeah, we will rate the food in order of preference, critique them and discuss what could be better or left out, take pics for our IG, etc lol. i gave a bucket list of restaurants i am going trough locally and abroad. in fact i am on vacay right now and we came with a list of restaurants and bars and cafes and snack joints to try and have gone through almost all of them plus a few extra we thought would be interesting. i'd estimate we've visited (and ate at!) 40+ restaurants and bars in the last 9 days. and this doesn't even include the multiple food stalls we sampled at the 3 food festivals/night markets we went to. and for those that may be wondering, no, i did not regain all my weight back (i've stayed below goal weight since achieving it at 7 months post op, im 6 yrs out next month). aside: also may be worth noting that my travel companions are all normal sized and never had weight problems in thier lives (except maybe one of our group who is diabetic). i guess what im trying to say is that food and food-centred social situations and vacations can still be enjoyed (im probably an extreme proof of this) and we dont need to miss out and feel deprived if we dont want to. you can eat that burger (just maybe not the whole thing and definitely not 3 of them). and the beauty of eating less is you can have a taste of your friend's fries, a peice of your partner's steak, a sushi off ur kid's plate, a forkful of pie from the stranger at the other table...lol anyway, thats just my very looooooong speech on foodie-ism and food enjoyment years on the other side.

Late posting today as I’ve been to the gym this morning and thoroughly enjoyed myself 🥳 Hubby is off work this week so he came with me. We like going together as we both wander off to do our own things but touch base occasionally. Unfortunately there were couple of teens who enjoyed pointing and laughing but it didn’t stop me and it just made them look like a pair of dickheads, especially when others glared at them. I don’t know if they expected me to pass out within a couple of minutes of beginning my workout but I did over an hour so sucks to be you, kids…I did have a chat with a member of staff as to when the quieter times are (without teens as there were quite a few and they have no absolutely no gym manners) and he said before 3pm when the schools go back. Thankfully that’s this week so we will be back Wednesday afternoon to have another go 🙂 Of course it will be interesting to see what state I will be in tomorrow but I didn’t hammer it, just familiarised myself with everything again. I did have a protein shake when I got back home plus a hot bath with some Epsom salts in the hope of counteracting the worst of the aches and pains. Looking forward to trying some free weights to get some hardcore toning going on! Couldn’t today as the free weights area was busy. Went out for lunch yesterday and kept it relatively healthy. Gains from the past week or so have pretty much gone, which is good. I’d thrown on a pair of leggings and a t-shirt earlier in the week and hubby commented on the fact that the weight was coming off my legs and backside. I think his exact words were “you’re losing weight off your legs and arse love”. Such a way with words, what can I say?? Clothing does continue to improve fit-wise, so I'm happy with that. Granddaughters first day of school on Weds and her 5th birthday on Thursday so there will be cake this coming weekend when we’re there for her party. I can’t believe she’s almost 5 - time really does fly! Surgeons appointment coming up on Friday - eek! I think I’m as prepared as I will ever be for it. I’ve got over the initial shock re the speed of it and I’m now just looking forward to it. My mini food processor thingy has been delivered and I’ve downloaded a couple of additional Bariatric recipe books for my Kindle (all freebies, thankfully) I’m trying not to think too deeply about the puréed phase as none of it sounds appealing but I know it’s something that has to be gone through! 6 weeks isn’t too long in the grand scheme of things. Have a super week everyone 😉 Onwards and Downwards!

I never did start to actually use them after my sleeve so congrats on making a plan this early out but they do sell adjustable weights if you end up needing more. It’s quite a bit more compact than having to store all the different sizes. I can’t recall the brand name but I found mine on Amazon. They aren’t quite as cheap as a big set so if you have the room for weights then these may not make sense but if storage is an issue they have a few brands that make them now and some are cheaper than others. Also keep in mind that the price may be for one. Mine was at least. Good Luck finding your weight training groove.

My best advice is to be prepared to put yourself first for around a month. It didn’t take that long for the pain to get better but it does take a little while to get your stamina back and get into a groove with all the vitamins, protein and water and then each of the stages are a little adjustment. Take your time and allow your body the rest that it needs and prioritize yourself and your recovery for the time you need. The good news is that you should also see a pretty big drop on the scale as in your measurements. Which leads to my second suggestion which is to take photos and measurements as well as recording your weight beginning preop. They will help keep you motivated later down The road when the scale stalls. The third thing I would suggest is to check out an App that allows you to record your progress. The Baritastic App lets you record everything from food and water to vitamins, exercise, measurements, weight, and even your bowel movements which will become something that you think about more than ever post surgery haha 😆 and it is fairly easy to figure out. I wish I had started before my preop or my surgery. Also, make sure that you have whatever stool softeners, laxatives or soluble fiber your team suggests on hand and begin whatever preventative measures they set for you immediately post op. When you are in the hospital don’t hesitate to tell them if you are in pain. And Walk ALOT. Especially if you are in pain. It doesn’t matter how fast you go, it’s just the movement. I promise you that passing gas is your biggest goal in terms of relieving pain and the walking helps with that.

Yeah €150 is expensive but I get a small contribution from work towards gym membership so I think I will try it out, plus if it is too cheap I may not turn up! I have a free introductory personal training session at the end of Sept (have to wait until I am back from holidays) and then if I like it I can start membership from Oct. and they include personal training in their price so that should help me. It is a small gym, only 10 people allowed at a time and no-one from my work is a member there which is a bonus as my boss is a member in the cheaper gym near me. I really just need to be shown the correct way to use the weights to try to tone up arms and legs but any tips from you @AmberFL would be great and much appreciated for at home use. I have 3lb and 6.5lb dumbells at home but no idea where I am on fitness scale, I would think medium - I do pilates and aqua aerobics (but not for August as everything in this country closes down for the month!) and walking but nothing high energy.

The first time I saw my nutritionist was a few days post op and I knew then and there that I won't be seeing her again. She wasn't bad and didn't say anything that was discouraging, but it was obvious I had much more knowledge about health and diet than her ( I am a certified nutritionist and personal trainer). I managed my diet and actually visited my surgeon quite often to address the rapid weight loss and he had a lot of wisdom and great advise to share. Nobody will know your body like you, you could be eating 200 grams of carbs a day and still lose weight, you could also eat 60 grams and not lose much. No two people are the same, and looking at how successful you have been so far and how you have built good habits for yourself, I am more than sure that you will continue to be successful in the long run.

Hey everyone, it’s me again. I woke up early this morning feeling pretty good and refreshed. I think I’m still proud of myself for doing my walk last night. I told my husband that I was proud and I know that it’s not really that big of a deal but it feels huge to me and he reminded me that after my sleeve I never exercised so it is a big deal. When he would mention it I would just tell him what my surgeon said that it’s really a pretty small part of weight loss. I left out the part where he said that it is still important for physical and mental health though. So I guess the fact that I am less that a month out this time and trying a different approach already is a pretty good thing. I went to do my grocery pickup this morning and got my supplies for my first week of soft foods which I get to start tomorrow 🎉 I ordered a lot more that I need for sure. The guy just kept adding bags to the trunk and my fridge has never been so full. I got out my book that my Dr gave me and it doesn’t mention a portion size for soft foods. The handout the hospital gave me says 1/2 to 3/4 cup though so I guess I will stick to 1/2 cup to start and make sure that’s okay. I just took a little nap since I woke up early and plan to walk again tonight. I have been scouring the Internet for a solution to my shorts riding up. The best thing I can find is to put a boning in the seam so I think I may order some and give that a try. I guess I have to drag out my sewing machine and relearn how to thread it and all that so I’m not sure how long I will procrastinate before I do it. I did order a pair of inexpensive yoga shorts to wear in the mean time and good news is when I measured my waist and hips to get the right size I realized that I have lost two inches in both. My only concern I have now is that one incision that’s dented in still. Everyone says that they think It will be fine but i just don’t know I think it’s going to stay like that honestly and worry that when I lost and it’s extra skin it’s going to look even worse. I guess no one but my husband will ever see it but I really wish it would just flatten out I hope everyone else is having a wonderful holiday weekend and feeling better and better each day. I know that I am.

im 6 years out next month. for the past 3-4 years i can (and do!) eat anything/everything in small amounts. (this includes all the things most say they don't eat or drink). i average 2000-2300 cals a day. and i've stayed below goal weight this entire time. and have not needed to buy bigger clothes lol. but i also exercise quite a bit. the exercise is all things i really enjoy doing so its not "work" for me. balance is important, but also getting rid of the idea and thought processes that something is bad or not allowed or forbidden or whatever. because this usually leads to angst and shame and guilt that does nobody any good.

Ok, so I'm 2 years and 4 months out from my 1st surgery and 1 year 3 months out from my revision. I'm still losing (trying to stop losing but so far I'm still losing an average of 4 pounds per month) so I haven't experienced the rebound weight gain yet. I can tell you I eat popcorn all the time. I also eat smokehouse almonds, cheese cubes, salami and/or peperoni slices for snacks. I eat Rebel ice-cream, keto brownies, sliced apples mixed with fresh blueberries and raspberries, Greek yogurt with fresh berries and monk fruit sweetener mixed in, keto cake with sugar free icing, French toast with keto bread, fresh berries, and sugar free syrup. If I want "guilty" food, I have something like steak, 2 spoonfuls peas mixed with mozzarella cheese, and 2 spoonfuls of Bob Evans mashed potatoes. I don't tolerate carbs very well, so I have to be careful with them. I also have kettle chips fried in avocado oil, 1 packet (instead of my former usual 2-3) of oatmeal such as cinnamon apple or banana cream, and minestrone soup and crackers (only like 4 or 5). Everything is a balance. Nothing in excess, no large portions, no "off plan" foods too often. Just a little here and there and whatever you have should be fine. Just remember to keep working out, keep moving your body, keep prioritizing protein and you should be good.

Does such a thing exist? I don’t really want to just wear bicycle shorts but I have always had bigger inner thighs (even when I was thin) and this is of course way worse at my current weight. I found “Chamoise Butt’r” which is a cream you put on to prevent chafing which is AMAZING but it still doesn’t stop me from looking and feeling awkward needing to pull my shorts down in the middle every few steps. Has anyone found any shorts that are better for extended sizes?

Sooo I am over 8.5 months post-op, and want to ask the veterans what their thoughts are on carbonation? I was a big diet soda and coffee drinker pre WLS and I knew I would never cut coffee out and I've had it since the second week post WLS with no issues, but carbonated drinks is a different story. My surgeon has encouraged me to eat anything and everything except for diet soda. He has been adamant that I don' take it up again. Another friend who's had WLS and has lost and maintained her weight loss and eats everything has told me that she occasionally drinks diet soda but only started having it 2 years post op and advised against it at this point for me. My brother who's been sleeved for almost 4 years drinks it and is the definition of slim. I really really like diet soda, and I only want to have a small glass once a weekish, is that so bad? My restriction is fierce so a little loosening up doesn't bother me much. What are your thoughts?

Here's another link for recipes for those who are needing more things in their diets: https://www.bariatricfoodcoach.com/weight-loss-surgery-recipes/

Tbh...there is no "best shoe for walking." One type might be great for me and not you. Plus, one might be great for being 100+ over weight, but not at healthy weight. Your best bet is to go to decent podiatrist and ask their opinion or a shoe store and try them on, tell them what you are needing and looking for in a shoe.

"I mean all the hoops that are required for weight loss surgery, I haven’t done anything like this for any other surgery It really feels like discrimination. How is it that in this day and age they are still getting away with it.?" I wholeheartedly agree. I think about this when I think about skin surgery not being covered by insurance because its "elective" "plastic surgery" yet transitional surgeries are covered and "elective". Both are to help with how we see ourselves, what our inner selves are, our mental health! The differences are one can cause bad rashes, difficulties wearing clothing and getting around/exercising, back pain/skeletal pain from excessive hanging skin weight and is caused by treating a disease. The other involves self perception as well and can cause mental distress, yet is readily covered by insurance and yet involves "healthy body parts." To me it IS discrimination, why cover one without question but not the other? Heck, transitional doesn't even require therapy now. Both are major changes in a life. I always got the impression insurance companies refuse to cover skin surgery because we "brought it on ourselves" opposed to it being an actual symptom from a disease. I have rosacea which is purely a visual thing yet its covered, as is acne, warts etc...all covered. Yes, they're cheaper to cover, but are a disease that's visual that's covered they also won't cause a secondary problems. They will even cover breast reductions for back pain, why not excessive skin for back pain? I personally found no worth to the therapy session, I knew and know what caused my obesity and what I needed to do to get healthier. Some may not. It should be voluntary or required if people start to back slide gaining weight after surgery but to me beforehand was pointless. It would have been more helpful to cover the changes in your life that would be happening. Yes, I was also required to do a group session with ppl who had gone through it or were..but it was a structured topic put on by the dieticians. Perhaps if they offered mentors or group sessions for dealing with life changes..that would be better..ppl who've gone through it, not someone schooled on what its supposed to be like..that would be better opposed to a size two I've never battled with my weight therapist/dietician!

JennyBeez you wrote; " grieve the convenience of high fat/sugar/calorie foods. The ability to go anywhere with friends or family for a meal and not have to worry about 'will I be able to find something I can eat?' and cruising the menu online first." Hi, I'm blonde patriot living in CDA, and I have a problem. I'm a social eater..." This is the hardest for me. I am already sick of doing the menu scans beforehand. It quickly made me realize that 99.9% of the food at restaurants is a no go due to being fried, made with sugar or extremely high in carbs and calories! Plus, if you're like I am, I detest cooking and eating out is what my husband, friends and family do - we enjoy, excuse me I use to and they still do enjoy food and the experience. It took all the joy out of get togethers for me. Plus most food I can eat tastes bland now. Now before anyone says "but you can still enjoy being with friends and family foods just a small part of that" <rolls eyes> they don't understand - it wasn't and isn't a small part of it. When we used to go out it was to eat, we'd share our choices, talk about the differences between this and that choice here and at other restaurants etc. It was one of the main reasons we got together! We had certain restaurants for celebrating birthdays, promotions, good semester grades and holidays etc. We had certain dishes - our favorites depending on what our activities for the day were. Now, I spend the first 15 mins examining the menu picking each thing apart ..does it have fat, too many calories, carbs, protein or hidden sugars will it even taste decent? Is it 300 calories or preferably less? After that I look longingly at others choices I actually want. Then comes the dreaded lets get an after dinner drink or coffee with dessert. So I get to watch that too from the sidelines. Even my husbands and my retirement has changed, we had a list of the places in the U.S. that were known for specialties such as a lobster rolls in Maine, black beans and rice in New Orleans, Philly cheese steaks in Philly, New York pizza etc., for our first year of retirement we were going to rent an RV and travel..visit those places based on our food choices and eat their specialties, they were our destinations. Then, after the first year my husband wanted to "belly up" to the shrimp and lobster bars on cruises for "days on end." Now all this has changed and I'm now resentful at myself and society. Myself because well becoming obese and society for being judgmental and valuing youth, beauty and being thin over the value of a persons worth inside! Yes, I'm thinner and healthier and most likely will live longer (no guarantees)... but...to be honest I don't want to take a walk instead of going to a restaurant as one person said and as my dietician suggests. They're NOT the same thing, one does not equal the other! No friend who wants to go out and about with the girls to shop and eat wants to substitute a walk instead. I DO know its my "new reality" and I do what I must, I'm just not happy about it. It feels as if a part of the joy has been removed, sucked out of life along with a portion of my stomach. Yes...I do try and find other things.. .but yeah well. Everything involved food, go to the beach pack a lunch (not two separate lunches one I can eat and the rest for everyone else), go shopping, go to the theater with dinner beforehand, go to the movies, go dancing - nope no alcohol or anything with calories oh joy - water!!!. Lol no one ever said hey girls lets do a girls day...and hit the gym where we can all sweat together, grunt and watch others pop veins struggling to lift a weight bar for fun! Even my poor husband has had to change, he used to be excited to bring some new food home he found at a new restaurant or even at the grocery store he'd want to share with me...nope not anymore. He just eats it before he gets home to save me and him the having to turn it down. So yes, I mourn not only the food, but the convenience, fun and get togethers. I have even noticed my friends don't call much anymore to "do" lunches because they'd always ask "where CAN you eat now"? The choices were limited or I'd have to ask the server for considerations..making it more work than fun. 300 calories or less is extremely hard to do at restaurants and my friends didn't want to put me through it anymore. So yes, I mourn. Sorry for the long whine/rant but Jenny geez brought it all up again for me.

Here you go: https://www.obesitycoverage.com/weight-loss-surgeries/gastric-bypass/how-much-can-i-expect-to-lose

I never really noticed in my weight loss period because it was Covid times and I wore the same old stuff everyday. I was years out of the habit of looking in mirrors too. Nowadays, almost 3 years out, I buy clothes in my size -UK 14 - and they fit me all over. Like people say. the weight / fat distributes itself around your body after you stop weight loss. I haven't had any skin surgery either. People actually ask where I buy my clothes ! and copy me ! Where is the Vogue camera man when you want him ? Ha !

I totally understand the anxious mind, trust me. That’s awesome your weight loss. A great start to this truly amazing journey. I am a little over three weeks post op. Not sure I if I said that before but I have a friend of a friend that had her surgery like a year ago. I touched base with her today and told her how excited I am that I ordered pants that are a size smaller and they come today and they already Fit!! Also I ordered new walking shoes and my friend and I are planning to walk at the same time everyday and chat on the phone since we live over an hour apart. We are starting tomorrow. The goal is 30 minutes but I am going to just do loops around my block the first time so I’m not far from home if it’s too much. She replied and said that she has been biking several miles and that I will soon need to get myself a bike so I can join her. I was like no way. I’m wondering if I can do a half hour walk between the heat and my knees. She was like I started with 15 minutes walking and worked my way up. She said this surgery is Life Changing. She said she has SO much energy now and she feels amazing. She has lost well over100 pounds and has only 8 more to get to her goal. I Just thought I would share a positive story that you can take and try ti picture what your version of amazing looks like. Then you can use that when the anxiety starts to creep in. Seriously. I’m telling you. One step at a time. You’ve got this. ❤️

Are you just doing the treadmill at the gym? If not you may want to double check with your team. I am not cleared for ten gym till 6 weeks. 8 weeks for anything with weights. I am absolutely thrilled for you that you are feeling so good. I Just don’t want you to hurt yourself because of something you didn’t know.

Thank you for that. I have a really hard time dealing with the heat and of course my temp goes way up when I exercise since I’m so out of shape. But the extra weight makes it way worse so I have stayed away from exercise for years. Being absolutely drenched in sweat is pretty gross for a female (I’m talking like hair soaked like I went in a pool sweat) and it’s so embarrassing for me that all I will do is my treadmill at home but that is so boring it never sticks. i am really going to try to just push past it though and start around the neighborhood because I know it will get much better when I lose a bit and get more in shape. This lady at my in person support group walks like 5 miles a day and she suggested walking together. I think I need to start on my own for while but I know that it would be great for me to have someone to do it with so that’s the goal is to walk with her. For now. Hopefully the gym is in my future though. Weird Question, if your hair does get sweaty do you wash it with shampoo everyday or just rinse it with water really well or what. I have oily hair and it took sooooo long for me to get to the point that I could to every other day shampooing but when I was doing the treadmill everyday I was washing it daily and every hairdresser I have been to says it’s not good to wash it daily.

not sad at all! I started walking too girl! When I first got this surgery I committed to walking for 30min 5days a week during my lunch break. I did that for 6 weeks, till I started introducing weights with work out videos with Sydney Cummings, So I did my walks during lunch then came home and did my 30min weight work out, After two weeks I knew I needed to go to the gym where I had more options with weights. The top picture is my first day at the gym and then the bottom is this week. Just consistency and tbh I didn't think I would achieve what I did. I really thought in my heart of hearts I would bottom out around 190 and just be "chunky fit" and I was/am okay with that. Start slowwwwww, its not a race and with consistency you will be shocked with your success!!

haha! girl I gotchu!! From what I read you work out a lot so if your comfortable with weights then lift heavy! I do anymore from 40 to 110lbs depending on the workout. I workout lower body 3x a week! Here are some examples of workouts I do! Also you can totally ask, I am having so much fun seeing what transforms my body lol. I have more written down in another book, but if you want more lemme know!! I have great upper body ones too! Still working on the abs lol I haven't found anything that has helped a whole lot, but with the workouts I do now my core is pretty strong. This is my quick lunch workout paired with 30min of cardio 4 sets 8-10 reps Leg Press Seated Hamstrings Seated Leg Extensions This is my tried and true for a booty pump: Cardio: Treadmill 12+ incline 3+ mph 30 min (don't hold onto rails) Back Extensions 15 reps no weights, 15 reps with weights, 15 reps with the heaviest weights Bulgarian Split Squats Heavy Weights 4 sets of 8 each leg Walking lunges Heavy Weights 4 sets of 8 steps turn around and walk back 8 steps Hip Thrusts Heavy Weighted 4 sets of 8-12 reps This is a machine only: Start at highest weight for 2 sets then finish at last set with 10 reps at heaviest weight, 10 reps at medium weight finish with 10 reps at lighter weight Back extension Glute Kickback Machine Hip Adductor Hip Abductor Leg lift Leg curl

I’m pretty sure that it’s the ones that are more concerned with their patients statistics. Just as the surgeon looks good with low complication rates, it makes their program look good for their patients to lose a higher percentage of excess weight.

Mine was because of regain post sleeve. My surgeon said that the sleeve is a really great procedure and it works great for so many people but obesity is complex and some people just need a little more of a metabolic change to be successful. I have the added complexity of bipolar disorder and anxiety. The depressive episodes and the anxiety cause me to make less healthy choices and some of the meds that go with it that cause weight gain as well. I went with the sleeve because of the meds and it causing less absorption issues and it was certainly wise to try it first but it just wasn’t the right choice for me. I just revised to SADI three weeks ago and according to my NP I am doing great in terms of loss for a revision and my recovery. I certainly feel great and I am not craving sweets which was another reason I think I regained. It’s not at all common according to my surgeon (usually it’s the opposite and sweet cravers stop craving them) but post sleeve I went from a savory person to one that craved sweets. During the liquids stage post sleeve my cravings were for various deserts. Post SADI I am craving Fish Tacos and apples with Nut Butter so I think that may have reversed itself which will make things sooooo much easier.