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Hey!!! Another December 27th person. I think we have more than 3 now!! I have been going through all the stuff my doctors and nutritionist gave me. Organized my meal plans by weeks and just finished ordering the list of stuff they suggested. I already had most of it from previous diets. hopefully one of the other people will post too. They have made some plans for family for the first few weeks to make things easier. They have some great ideas too.

Hello Everyone! I am also new to the community. I am having a gastric sleeve on 12/27. I have been investigating the sleeve for many years, but the timing is finally right. I had my first appointment with my surgeon in the beginning of August and got the go ahead two weeks ago. I've been reasearching, prepping, and planning my butt off! 😊 Looking forward to sharing the journey with all of you!

Still hurting. Actually looking forward to surgery on Wednesday. Also upset because I'm probably going to miss ALL of next week. Plus the 2 days I missed last week and I will only have 3 paid days on my check on the 15th. Not only do I have bills to pay, that was supposed to cover Christmas. And not just the gifts, but the decorations, the dinner, cards, all of it. Now we'll have literally nothing. And the pain meds don't do anything but knock me out. Once I wake up, I'm in pain again. Time to take my meds and pass out. I'm so over it all....Oh, before I forget!!! Let's not leave out that I\m basically back on my stage 1 bariatric diet because when I try to ear regular food, it KILLS my hernia (it's a delayed reaction, so I'm guessing it's happening as it makes its way down my colon, or to my bowels, or wherever it goes). That was ok yesterday. But TODAY!!! Oh TODAY has been a joy because now even LIQUIDS

Here's an example of what I'm talking about. Yesterday I went out for lunch with my partner. I got some items people might frown at, but they fit in with my overall DS macros and I didn't eat as much as I felt like I did. And it didn't have as many calories or carbs as I thought it might. A tablespoon of this, a tablespoon of that adds up, but there are still ways to keep it balanced so in the end it doesn't set you off track. I wouldn't eat this every day, but it was a nice treat this week and being able to eat out normally really cheered me up!

You have just had major abdominal surgery, the body has to take a lot of resources to heal from that and some of the meds we are given can affect us for weeks after. Then you have to take into account that you lost a nice chunk of weight very rapidly, causing hormones to be released into your body that are not normally that high. This impacts mood a LOT for some people, myself included. Think of it like having PMS/PMDD from hell. Irritability is very common, higher emotionality as well, sometimes depression too. Major surgery can also trigger depression and in men depression most exhibits itself as anger. Talk to your wife and GP about this. If it continues to be an issue you might want to try a medication to even things out for while you are losing... I hate when people say they feel bad for eating around me. Eat your damned food!! LOL I'm not a child, I can handle my feels about it. It is nice when people are willing to eat (at least partly) what I'm eating so I feel like a part of the gathering instead of the one in the corner with a kiddie meal, but even if no one wants to join me, I don't need pity. I need empathy and time spent with the ones I love that doesn't involve food! Or that involves food without people feeling bad for their own food. I'm not here to food shame anyone. Are you tracking your meals in Baritastic?? If not, I highly recommend you do. It helps you keep track of your routine daily food and you can see what your macros look like and get an idea for when you have room to indulge a little and when you need to stay on the straight and narrow. Sleeve surgery is a purely restrictive procedure, which means it relies heavily on dietary restriction to help you lose the weight. You have to work with it to help it accomplish this. Make sure your first focus is WATER, then protein, at least 60 grams or whatever your dietician suggests, then some healthy carbs if you have room, and then if you still have room, a bite or two of a starch or something indulgent. You shouldn't have much room for straying right now. And you may need to talk to someone about the food struggle because the food you are eating right now IS "real food" and will need to become the foundation of your eating from here on out to be able to maintain the results you get from the sleeve's weight loss. I don't say this to guilt you at all, my indulgence is dark chocolate, always has been. But the DS requires me to adhere to a low carb diet, so I get a bite of chocolate in the evening after I've hit all my goals for the day! Hence the app tracking things. LOL Be kind to yourself, you are going through some huge changes, we all are, and our bodies are under a lot of stress. What it needs most is kindness and nurturing right now, not shame and guilt. ❤️

I’m scheduled for December 15th just started my 2 week liquid diet yesterday🫠

I will be having gastric bypass done at the end of this month, but when I was trying to decide between sleeve or bypass, one of the resources I used was this risk calculator. In addition to risks, it lets you select your own co-morbidities such as sleep apnea, hypertension, or diabetes to see how likely it is that they will resolve based on which procedure you choose, and shows you a BMI predictor chart at the 12-month mark. I found it pretty helpful. Additionally, I found this video super informative: The factors that I considered most were GERD risk and the desire to control my blood sugar and blood pressure, as well as feeling like I could benefit from the threat of dumping if I ate too much fat or sugar, my weaknesses! It definitely took me several weeks to decide as I weighed it all.

I'm a little different because I had the bypass (8.5 years ago), but I started out at almost 400 lbs, so weight-wise, we were in similar starting positions. The first year seems like a huge life change, but sitting here years out, the only thing that's different is that I average about 1600 calories a day rather than 3000+. When I go out to eat, I eat maybe half the entree and take the rest home in a to-go box (or sometimes I'll get something like an appetizer or soup rather than an entree if I'm not that hungry). Other than that...??? Oh - I take vitamins regularly now. But other than that, not that much different. But again, the first year or so - yes. But you'll be doing quite a bit of prep work before that. For example, my insurance required me to do a six-month diet with a registered dietitian, and she kind of eased me into the type of diet I'd be following after surgery. She had me eating 2300 kcal/cay (which now would seem like a ton - like Thanksgiving day - but at the time seemed like a diet - although enough calories to be at least tolerable). She also had me gradually decrease my carb intake and increase my protein intake. I focused on healthy foods (although I ate a pretty healthy diet even BEFORE surgery, I just ate way too much). She had me start taking a multivitamin every day and getting some exercise about 3x a week. My surgeon also didn't want us drinking caffeinated beverages for the first six months after surgery (although some surgeons are fine with caffeine), so she also had me gradually decrease my caffeine intake. So basically, I was as prepared as I could be before they rolled me into surgery. I don't have PCOS and have never had a hysterectomy, so I can't address that, but I know WLS patients who've had both. Hopefully someone will respond to you on that.

By my second week post WLS I had an amazing hankering for ricotta cheese baked into a pasta shell. As a lactose intolerant person, this wasn’t something I normally kept around the house. This thought stuck in my head for days. I finally bought the frozen stuffed shells after reading that ricotta is mostly lactose free, baked it with marinara, and ate the soft inside when it was done. My kid thought he won the lottery and I felt so so satisfied. I never craved it again. It was exactly one ounce of ricotta cheese inside one shell. I did taste the shell, which tasted like wet cardboard, and spit it out, because why bother. The idea is to think about your craving first, then plan it into your week when your body is ready. I find guilt to be a waste of time, we are all messy humans. Slow down and enjoy your craving in small healthy sizes with careful thought.

I know it's so hard with kids, but I suggest getting rid of everything in the house that could be a temptation. This summer, I stopped replacing the snacks as they ran out. I stopped buying candy and cookies. We started making "nice cream" from frozen fruit. I have just under 4 weeks to go and I'd say about 90% of the stuff is gone, replaced with salted nuts and apple sauce cups. Luckily, my girls are 12 and 15, so they understand why, and I can let them have candy for themselves when the time comes and they'll know not to have it anywhere near me. But don't feel guilty! It's a learning experience, that's all. Now you know you have to be extra mindful when food is around.

Most definitely yes!! Felt like I had done a core muscle marathon. 😂 It lasted a few weeks but now at 1 month post op it's gone. It is there to remind you to take it easy!!

Thanks for the advice guys! I'm already doing all those things. I get 60-90 grams of protein a day (I'm a DS patient so my protein requirement is higher), I am getting all my water in daily, I'm walking when I can, and doing anything physical that is safe for this stage of my healing. Truly, there is nothing I can do to break the stall. Stalls break when they are ready. This is my body recalibrating. It is discouraging but I'm trying to be patient. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and the body needs down time to rest and recover and recalibrate so we can move forward. The best thing I can do right now is stay the course so I don't give it anything new to have to adjust to! LOL I'm one month post op today!! So happy with that. My healing is going well. I'm still nauseous on and off, especially in the morning, but other than that I feel good. My incisions are almost invisible already. No more soreness in the muscles of my abdomen. I still can't lift much yet but I'm being very careful about that because I don't want a hernia. I can sleep on my side again. I'm getting the hang of estimating what portions of what foods I can eat without measuring cups. I still think anything resembling chicken breast is vile and dry and a concrete block in my tummy. But I can get all different sorts of protein drinks in now when I need them!! Aaaand my partner bought us an espresso machine for Christmas so I can have my favorite espresso drinks decaf with my high protein Fairlife milk!! That's true love man...

Yeeessss... I am 4 weeks post op and have been at a stall for almost 2 weeks. In fact, just to be insulting, I gained 3 lbs. 😐 I know it is the 3 week stall, but man it is discouraging and it makes you scared that the weight loss won't start again. I'm trying hard to ignore the scale for a few weeks, stick to my plan, and trust my body to do its thing when it is ready. It has had a LOT of stress to deal with. Major surgery takes a ton of body resources to heal from. So I'm focusing on protein, hydration, and getting some walking in. I can't really do anything else. It'll break when it breaks. I only let myself get on the scale once a week to keep from fixating. It is hard, but worth it for my mental health. LOL

I don't know what surgery you had, that kind of impacts the answer. If you had a DS I'd steer WAY clear, the carbs in the corn portion will send you running to the bathroom. My nutritionist told all of us regardless of surgery to avoid anything dense and chewy for 6 months as it will ball up inside your tummy and sit like a lump. I'd be especially cautious of this if you had the Gastric Bypass. If you had one of the other surgeries you may be able to eat the meat portion. But I'd caution you to consider the spices. I'm 4 weeks out and if I have anything Mexican with sauce, or spices, or any tomato based sauce other than ketchup, I end up in agony for hours...and then in the bathroom. My healing tummy has decided those things are still just too strong. I can weirdly handle sriracha just fine and have no clue why, but other than that, nope.

I begin my 2 week liquid diet in 10 days, I want to try different shakes beforehand so I can see what I like & so I don’t get bored or just stuck with the same flavor for 2 weeks. please comment protein shakes you would highly recommend to try, Ready made protein shakes or powder !

seems like i haven't posted on here in forever! was going through my phone doing my regular picture deletions to free up some space (who else has a GAZILLION pics on thier phone?!?! lol) and figured i'd post a couple! its funny that i don't have alot of full body shots of myself these days...managed to find these tho. first one was on vacay down south and the second one from a weekend road trip a few weeks later. p.s. i did buy a whole lotta black friday/cyber monday clothes deals so hopefully i'l have something interesting to post soon!

Hi MJ hope this time round is a success for you. I had to have a 2nd gastric sleeve. Had an emergency GS last August 2022 due to my hiatus hernia and diaphragm strangling my stomach. After a non successful 14 months I had to have another part of my stomach removed and the hiatus hernia repaired again. But this time it was way ip in my chest. 29 days post op and am feeling good now. Besides vomiting a few times this week.

Totally understandable, and 6 weeks of liquids is a long time to plan for. I only have 2 days of liquids pre-op and 2 weeks post-op. Are you allowed soft dairy during that time? I can have yogurt, ricotta, and sugar free pudding, plus strained cream soups. Although I don't like creamed soups, so not sure I'll bother with that option. But I know what you mean about salt in the pre-made broth. If I had room in my freezer, I would make a bunch of it. Just remember, almost everything you need can be purchased locally after surgery. You really only need a few days' worth. And if you have a nutritionist in your program, you can probably get some samples, too. Honestly, I think I've bought as many things as I have (and probably won't need) because I've had my date since early October and buying protein shakes and vitamins has been a way to ease my impatience while I wait!

Yeah I bought a couple of 10 packs of Propels packets. I am going to get a chicken this weekend and start making some broth to freeze into portions. I looked at all the options for broth and it is loaded with salt ,which I am not a fan of, so I figure it is just best to make myself. I am sitting down now going over what I do and don’t need to actually order to cover 6 weeks of liquid diet (3 preop and 3postop) I think I am just feeling overwhelmed at what feels like the last minute now.

I did not, I stayed the same weight for maybe a week but that was it and it was close to my 2 months mark. Im gonna be 3 months next Tuesday and ive lost 68 lbs since surgery. (SW 369)

A couple weeks ago I had my dietitian appointment and psych evaluation. At my psych evaluation she told me she was going to send a letter to my insurance asking them to waive the rest of my drug tests because I'm not a heavy user so me staying clean won't be an issue. I have my EGD scheduled on the 5th of December, and I go for my surgical clearance on the 14th! I'm getting nervous lol I haven't had a big surgery before 😅

Yeah, I really didn’t mean food lol. I was meaning the drinks and broth. But that is good to know so I will get for the 3 weeks preop then I can do one week at a time post. I was thinking of getting a variety of flavor protein drinks since like you said some tastes change. I have been hearing that from everyone. Preop I will do protein shakes, chicken broth, SF drink mixed and popsicles. So post op I will do chicken broth, popsicles, a small pack of unflavored protein powder to add to water, and my sugar free drink mixes(like crystal light). wow that seems so much easier. Thanks for helping me think through a kind of shopping list.

you'll probably just be doing protein drinks and shakes the first two weeks, so I wouldn't worry about food yet. I would just get enough protein shakes/drinks for the first few days, because for many of us, our tastes change after surgery. Something you liked before surgery you might not like afterwards (e.g., I couldn't deal with sweet-flavored shakes for awhile after surgery - my sense of taste became more intense, and sweetness became intolerably sweet, at least for the first month or so. I lived on Unjury's chicken broth flavored shakes for quite awhile). So I wouldn't buy a huge tub of protein powder, for example, at this point, since if you end up hating it after surgery, that's a lot of money down the drain. Maybe just pick up (or order) a few individual packets of protein powder - or if you can have (and want) the ready-to-drink variety, just get enough bottles for the first few days.

I am 4 weeks now from surgery. I got my date of 12/27. I have been doing pre op since April but I ran into a health issue that took priority. Now that is taken care of this last stretch has gone quickly. I have a 2 week liquid with one meal a day. Then I have a 1 week liquid only up to surgery. Of course after surgery is the two week post op liquid and then adding in purée food for week three. I don’t know where to start and everything is so expensive. I have gotten some of the stuff I will need but none of it food or the Protein Drinks and shakes. That part I am actually finding rather overwhelming on what to get and how much And advice from anyone?

You need to be an advocate for yourself. If something felt off then your gut (pun totally intended) is telling you it’s not right. I would definitely work on getting any test test results that you have had done and find someone else. I am not sure what stat you’re in but I am sure there must be someone else to go to. Heck I live in Atlanta area and we have a bariatric surgeon every three blocks. You did the right thing and if they get defensive about it then that tells me they are the problem. I understand things happen sometimes but you need to be able to follow up. My Dr had a pre op appointment with me but he was called into surgery (he does other surgery too not just WLS) and instead of cancelling our appointment he called me and we talked on the phone while he was on the way to the hospital (It wasn’t an issue because it was mostly to go over test results and the next steps) it showed me that he was there for me if I need him. Just make sure you document everything you have done so far so you don’t have to start from square one.