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Hi all. I have been on bariatric pal since last June. I was scheduled for a Loop DS September but had a complication with AFib. This has been addressed and I am scheduled for Monday 1/29/24. I just wanted to say this topic for me has been most helpful. I see many posts about protein, eating often and low carbs. I think for me this is very helpful. The nutritionist I'll be working with works in the bariatric department. I expect I'll be utilizing her often. Just as an aside I have been on Atkins type diets often including the original Atkins in 1971. Great information, thank you.

I believe that post came at the exact time I needed to hear it. Thank you. I am in a craft group and for some random reason they were talking about someone they knew that had bariatric surgery and how they gained it back. I told them I had the sleeve and I gained it back. That was kinda my way of testing the waters to see if I could confide in them I am considering it again. Well that went over okay so I did and that’s when All the advice came of how I should try to lose it with this diet and that. I know that I can lose weight. I have lost probably over 1000 pounds in my life. It’s the keeping it off part I cannot do!! Recently, I have been doing low carb trying out recipes that I think I can eat post op and I have lost a couple pounds. That’s when the little voice creeps in asking if I should try it the old fashioned way just one more time. Knowing good and well it will just be another year of dropping a few pounds then gaining that back plus some more soon after.

Received a call at 8.30am this morning to be told that I was discussed in last Fridays MDT meeting and was accepted for surgery 🥳🥳🥳 I was then told I would be having a ‘One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass’ - huh?? The nurse repeated herself and I was still none the wiser. She said that she would ask a specialist Bariatric nurse to call me to discuss and would send me the info out. I asked for it to be emailed, which she did. I had a read through and did some more research on the internet, just to familiarise myself with what had been suggested. It’s the mini gastric bypass. The specialist nurse rang me just after 9am and explained that it meant that my ‘pouch’ is slightly bigger then that of a Roux-en-Y bypass and there is only one connection or ‘anastomosis’ which is from the pouch to the bowel. Apparently it’s not as complex with the op taking around 1.5hours and recovery just the same as the normal bypass plus the weight loss is expected to be the same. I was recommended it because of Fibromyalgia and the chronic pain I have with RA and osteoarthritis as it would be easier for me. That made sense, thankfully! The specialist nurse said it was a relatively new procedure to the hospital which is why it wasn’t discussed in any detail at the first education session I attended a few months ago. Fair enough, I’m happy to go ahead with it. The wait is around 4-6 months - oh 😒 I was honest and said that I was concerned about losing focus while I’m waiting and gaining weight once again (we all know how easy that is) She went through everything again with me - 3 meals a day, 20/20/20, use a portion plate if I have one (I do) focus more on my protein etc. She also said that if I do begin to struggle, to contact her and they would fit me in with the dietitian to go through things with me. I felt better for her saying that. I did reiterate that I am happy to take a cancellation. She said they do get cancellations but would have to make sure that I had at least 3 weeks notice to complete the LRD. I’ll be honest and say that I’m really, really hoping that the 4-6 months is on the outside and that the surgery is sooner! I know that whatever will be will be, so just to keep on keeping on. Gym is going well, 3 visits last week and I’m hoping for 3 more this week. I’ve upped my levels and weights and I’m burning around 600-650 cals in around an hour or so workout or so my Apple Watch tells me! I can feel muscle, it just happens to be deeply buried and camouflaged with fat 😮 I tried my smaller sized gym stuff on yesterday and, while I can get it on I wouldn’t say it actually fitted, so a few more pounds to go before I would feel comfortable enough to wear it. I bought a new black trench coat from Costco at the weekend. It’s been a very, very long time since I’ve been able to fit into clothing from there so that was a nice boost. It will definitely last me a reduction of a couple of sizes too. My weight is steady at the moment but I do hope to bring it down a little bit more before I have to do the LRD. Bloods to have taken yet again on Wednesday. If my liver is off this time then they will have to think of something else. I’ve not had my weekly jabs for 7 weeks, I’ve missed my other jab for 4 weeks plus no pain relief for 4 weeks either and it’s all wearing really thin with me now. I’m finding that I’m snapping at hubby because of pain and it’s not fair. The gym is really helping my range of movement but the pain remains. We’re out for belated birthday drinks on Friday (postponed because of blood tests ) and that’s about it. I’ve decided to crack on and make a start on wrapping Christmas presents this week. Thankfully my Christmas shopping is almost finished - hurray for sales! Wishing everyone a happy week 🥰 Onwards and Downwards!

I find the calculator on the Mexico site to be rather inaccurate for me, but everyone varies. Age and surgery type, as well as co-morbidities all impact weight loss rate. It thinks I should be at 212lbs at 6 months but I'm at 240 with 6 days to go. Not gonna happen. It also thinks I should be at 170 by 12 months, but that's not very likely either. I've always used the following one as it takes into account the different surgeries and looks just like the one my surgeon uses. They calculate from the highest weight, it is important to include that because if you have a lot of weight loss before surgery your percentages may track differently and your post op weight loss may be slower. I've seen this happen to several people with surgeons calculating it improperly, or applying the bypass trajectory to a DS patient, which is a disaster and very stressful for the patient! This one takes into account much more like your age, ethnicity, and pre-existing conditions: https://riskcalculator.facs.org/bariatric/?_ga=2.112690692.1282950073.1698781773-393992475.1698781773 According to this one I should be at 78 lbs down for my DS surgery at 6 months. I'm at 80 lbs down. My weight loss has tracked along with this thing pretty steadily, give or take 15 lbs, since surgery, except for my 6 week stall. It puts me at 202 by 12 months out, but DS patients lose for 18-24 months post op, so I should be at 170 sometime in that 12-24 month period! In the end these are all just estimation tools. Our bodies do what they will and we make the most of it. Still, it is nice to have a loose guideline to follow.

i really depends if you can handle it. lots on here cannot, as it gives them angst and anxiety. if this is the case for you then don't do it. not worth it, honestly. the ultimate goal is to be able to maintain your weight LONG TERM (whatever weight that may be) more or less effortlessly. if it takes too much effort, gives you too much angst, is too restrictive and/or goes against your chosen lifestyle, then eventually, ultimately, it will let you down. case in point: a was a card-carrying carb-o-phobic. during weight loss phase and the first year of maintenance, i limited myself to 20g NET carbs a day (which is basically nothing). during that time, i was all, hells ya, i can do this forever! spoiler alert: i couldn't. pizza and pasta in italy has carbs. as does rice in asia, and mangos and bananas in the caribbean. there are no bariatric-friendly tasting menus at Michelin Star restaurants. i am an avid traveller and latest-and-greatest-restaurant-frequenter sprinkled with a touch of party-goer. and most likely a a high-functioning alcoholic. the low-to-no-carb M.O.just didn't fit. so i just ate it all. granted, i am an exercise addict and have (self-described) superhuman restriction, so it works for ME. my M.O. may not work for others. aside: i am almost 6 years post op and have maintained below goal weight this entire time. i look and feel pretty effing awesome, despite all the shite i eat and drink. again, i think this is just a personality thing. i am totally anal and LOVE stats and spreadsheets and data gathering and analysis, i get hot and heavy for graphs and rows and rows of aggregated data. so when you ask how do i NOT get bored..i answer with HOW COULD I POSSIBLY GET BORED???? this shite is RIVETING. it is legitimately FUN for me. and for those who don't share my specific brand of craziness, what i do is probably perceived as bonkers. but thats cool, different strokes and all that. the lesson here (as it always and forever shall be) is: Find what works for YOU, and do THAT. there will be a billion and one people on here and elsewhere that will tell you what to do and how to do it. they will tell you that this is terrible and that is the only way that will work. take from them what works and chuck the the rest. good luck! p.s. you look AWESOME!!!

Baritastic is a great app for tracking your food and it is made especially for bariatric patients!! It will track your fat for you as long as you enter everything you eat for the day! And it even has recipes in the app you can try...

I was told by my bariatric team nurse that it's normally a two week wait, and they would call me at that point to set up my surgery date. BCBS approved me within a week. So, I was surprised when the hospital nurse called me with check in day instructions and found my surgeon had already scheduled my surgery in 10 days. So what normally would have been a 2 week wait for approval, then a 2 week pre-op diet turned into a Fastrack to surgery. My liver shrinking diet was shortened because of it which was OK with me and obviously OK by my doctor. Good luck!

Have you seen a bariatric dietician? If not, perhaps it may be timely to do so. If I have understood correctly, you are eating 1/2cup of food at a time, many times a day??? You don't say what you are actually consuming...are you eating calorie dense foods? Nuts/seeds, cheese, full fat yoghurts/milk, avocado, salmon and other oily fish, eggs? Have you actually calorie counted your daily intake over a week or so? What exercise are you doing on a daily basis?

You must be so incredibly frustrated! Which type of surgery did you get, the sleeve or the bypass? I'm at about 7 weeks post op from getting the sleeve + intestinal revision and my calorie consumption ranges from 500-700/day, with my carb intake less than 35/day and a protein goal of 60/day with fluids of at least 48oz/day. I agree with others - it seems like a good idea, regardless of any advice you get from this forum, to revisit your surgeon. That said, I do believe you hit the nail on the head for one with the alcohol, and secondly I'd ask how many of your calories are coming from carbs. It's ok to include carbs in your diet, but really, this early, unless you are very physically active there isn't cause for many of them. At this stage it's typical to eat no more than 1/2cup - 1 cup of total food per meal, three times a day (or spaced out into 4 meals if needed). That's including your protein, which as someone else said should be the first thing you eat. Another thing about alcohol - it tends to cause dehydration - so you'd need to be consuming even MORE water throughout the day to compensate for that, just like caffeine. If you aren't hitting your hydration goal (PLUS, because of alcohol) then your body will struggle to convert your stored fat into energy, which is what causes most of the weight loss. An example of what my diet looks like at this stage is a single serve yogurt for breakfast (I have been getting the Aikos zero sugar or 2Good ones) - Remember no drinking 30 minutes before or after, and your meal should last at least 20-30 minutes. For lunch I might have a 'tuna melt' - which I make out of 1/3 can of tuna in water, a zero net carb small tortilla, and maybe 1/8 cup of shredded cheese or a low fat string cheese (I cook it folded over like a quesadilla) with maybe 1/8 cup of low fat cottage cheese, then for dinner a serving of one of the many bariatric recipes - there's a ricotta bake (lasagna with no noodles, basically), unstuffed cabbage rolls (Kind of like egg roll filling), or maybe chicken or tuna salad made with low fat mayo and a dab of relish with some cucumber slices/2-4 saltine crackers. I use the free Baritastic App to track my food and fluid intake. Using a tracking app increases weight loss significantly from what I've been told because you can see and understand what exactly you're putting in your body. The good news is that as far as I know, it isn't too late to backpedal and reset yourself! I'm NOT a doctor but my understanding is that if you get off track after weight loss surgery, especially this soon, one way to 'reset' is to go back on a liquid diet for a week or two, with zero-sugar jello, zero sugar pudding, and protein shakes (less than 5g of sugar each) to hit your goals. After that, work your way back up to puree foods for a week, then soft foods for a week. I strongly recommend eyeballing the nutrition information on any shake you think of buying, too, because there are some that are loaded with sugar and have as many as 22g of carbs EACH. After weight loss surgery it's also strongly discouraged to have fried food at all for the first 6 months, and after that maybe once per month. The same goes for sweets and baked goods. I hope this helps, and again - I feel like you should really follow up with your surgeon and a nutritionist! Best wishes!

I'm almost 4 months post from the ds so I'm no means an expert, but I've been sensitive/intolerant to gluten for the last like 7 yrs so I can chime in about food restrictions. Having to find substitutions for food you know and love is ROUGH, more so when you're sick or recovering. I've had problems with nausea, abdominal pain, and vitamin deficiency during my recovery so my dietician is still having me focus on protein with a little soft cooked, non-starchy vegetables (I really miss eating fruit). I have ADHD so eating the same thing for more than like 2 meals is almost impossible. However, there are a lot of other people who are dealing with low carb and bariatric diets so finding suggestions and recipes isn't hard. Unfortunately that also means it takes a lot of research and trial and error to find what works for you specifically. There are a lot of different alternatives for gluten free/low carb/no sugar/etc. products available online that are a bit pricey, but might also be a good option for what you want/crave too.

I’m really excited about the progress being made in pharmacology to manage obesity! This medication works well but is still generally considered a lifetime or long term treatment. Some can manage to keep the additional weight lost off with intensive lifestyle changes. However its so new there is much data on this for our population. Check out Dr. Weiner, he covers the topic extensively on his podcast and has additional info on his website. https://youtu.be/eu6Zt0LTg14?si=_rPWlf8DlrhGh3u6 https://www.poundofcureweightloss.com/glp1-medications/ Please connect with a Bariatric/weight management team that supports this. Unless you are T2D, you’ll likely be prescribed Zepbound. Make sure to check your insurance coverage and download the coupons. https://zepbound.lilly.com/coverage-savings

I know I have been active on here for a while now, and probably made far too many posts for someone who hasn't even had surgery yet, but today I put down my deposit payment for my gastric bypass surgery with Spire Gatwick in the UK, for the 14/05/24. It officially feels real! Until now, I had so many anxieties as to whether or not it would happen in case I couldn't find the money, or get approved for a loan etc, so it just feels like so much relief now that it is all finalised and I know it is gonna happen. I have my 1st dietetic consultation & my pre-op assessment on 05/04/24, and then my 2nd lot of pre-op bloods on 13/05/24. I am trying to log it all in my bariatric surgery journal which I am finding really useful! I guess I just wanted to post to just express how happy I feel right now, to people who I know will understand ❤️

Fun fact: the Bariatric Fusion chicken soup protein mix I thought was so disgusting I almost threw it out when I first tried it tastes surprisingly okay on the third day of a liquid diet. I'm glad I turned out to be too cheap to toss a $45 container of protein into the garbage without giving it another try. Pro tip: I used one of those plug-in coffee mug warmers with a small lidded travel mug to keep it just the right temperature for slow sips.

Have they tested you to see if you are having issues with reactive hypoglycemia? This usually kicks in 1-4 hours after a meal, but since you've had a bypass it is possible it could kick in faster for you if your food is transitioning faster. I've seen FB groups for bariatric patients that have this issue. I've noticed it often happens years out from surgery... I used to have issues with this before bariatric surgery, even on a low carb diet. Eating small meals often with fat and protein paired with your carbs is usually what they advise to treat it, along with other dietary adjustments. Personally if I don't eat every 2-3 hours, I aggressively crash energy wise. It is very pronounced. I have to carry snacks with me everywhere to prevent me going past that 3 hour mark or I look like the Energizer Bunny without his battery! LOL

WOW. No offense, but I'm glad I'm not in the UK. There's absolutely no way I could do 4 weeks. 2 weeks pushed me to my very limits. By the time I couldn't do it anymore and was ready to just give up, it was the day before surgery! I give you all the credit in the world. Just hearing 4 weeks would have absolutely put me off from the surgery. The fact that you're doing it is extremely admirable and impressive. We'll all definitely be here to support you and cheer you on. If you can do 4 weeks of this, you can definitely stick to the bariatric diet after.

Hey K, just resigned up to write you this post! I used to frequent this site when I was gearing up for Bariatric surgery years ago. And now I have just completed my first round of plastics where I was told I have little to no body fat. Was a great feeling! (2 more to come In the next year) But i also felt it was coming off so soooo slowly in the first month or so and really struggled with the fact I still felt hunger and I lost 97% of my excess weight In the first year. Most of that in the first 6months. I was huge.. when I started 399lbs and lost 6st pre surgery and 10st post surgery.. And have kept it off.. keep going! you will do this!! eyes on the prize.. before you know it you will be a year out those first few months feel like a slog as you just want it gone. My biggest recommendations are cut as many carbs as you can. I ate little to zero sugar, crisps and chocolate in my first year. I focused on carbs from vegetables only, very little pasta, rice etc maybe a spoonful max.. I focused on cauliflower rice, broccoli, air fried courgettes etc mainly protein.. look up the boos ridiculous brownie’s!! Protein based baked goods!! But They got me through for my sweet tooth it’s about finding compromises.. I froze sugar free jelly (orange) with sugar free angel delight (choc) on top into mini ice cube trays and would have a couple of these after dinner. and I did a lot of exercise, minimum 1hr 20mins a day walking.. 8-10k steps and on the weekend I did more and added a 40-1hr swim.. for me it gave less time to focus on food and build better habits you have got this hun keep going.. xx

Stories like this make me so sad... My condolences to her family and friends. She should not have been released to fly so early, the most dangerous post op complications usually show up in the first two weeks after surgery. It is absolutely ridiculous that people from countries like the US and UK are having to risk their lives going to places like Turkey for surgery because they can't get coverage for their surgeries thanks to **** insurance companies, or because they are on a waiting list that will take 5 years and require a crazy amount of hoops and delays. Obesity is a disease, not a moral failing. Bariatric surgery is life saving, life giving surgery that in the long run saves insurance companies and government healthcare a **** ton of money because patients who are successful with it often lose their pre-existing conditions, go off numerous medications, and avoid the complications of obesity in their lifetime... A good friend of mine recently had her company change insurance providers. She was in the process of getting her last appointments done for bariatric surgery. But the new insurance excludes all bariatric surgeries... She can't travel to Mexico even if she could afford it because of her complicated medical history. I'm so angry that ANY company or ANY insurance company can just decide not to provide coverage for these surgeries.

So, I'm a bad example, I'm really proud of not drinking - It'll be 11 weeks without a drop of alcohol for me next Tuesday and I was quite a heavy drinker so I never thought I'd make it so far. The non drinking I'm proud of. However - I'm still smoking and I know how bad it is, but I just can't stop, I've tried nicotine gum, vaping, patches, therapy etc etc ... and also true to Parisienne form ... I still have 5/6 coffees a day .... and I drink the carbonated diet beverages. But I'm trying to be as kind and non jugemental to myself as I try to be to others and take it one step at the time... I never thought I'd be able to not have alcohol for so so long and so once the novelty of being sober drops off I'll try and reduce the cigarettes ... getting rid of caffeine will be last though, it's cultural here really and I work long hours and swap time zones often so I do use coffee as a crutch ... maybe one day I'll get that sorted but it's not an issue for now for me. My partner is a doctor, not a bariatric doctor for sure, but he's still good a good grip on biology etc ... I had the operation with out telling him and told him afterwards ... but he has said, as has the cardiologist friend he sent me to chat with that it is still better to be a non overweight coffee drinking smoker than an obese, coffee drinking, big social alcohol drinker smoker ... So I'm going with that and trying to tackle one issue at a time ....

Just got my surgery scheduled for Feb 7th. Start my two week liquid diet tomorrow. My first weigh in October with the Bariatric center was 363 lbs. I weighed at the Surgeons office today at 310 lbs. Ready to get this done and move on.

Hi, I'm Sandra and I am having a gastric sleeve on May 6th! I have been lurking here reading as much as i can of other's posts and have learned a lot. My situation is a little different as this is my second bariatric surgery. I had lap band surgery in 2009 and now am having it converted because my band stopped working for me. I did lose weight but then gained a lot back and recently have lost some again but need to lose more. My reason for surgery is to be healthier and hopefully improve my arthritis pain and mobility. My emotions are currently all over the place, anxious, worried, happy and excited. I will start my liver prep diet in 1 week. Not looking forward to 2 weeks of shakes only. I really am not too concerned about the surgery itself, as I have had several surgeries, and the pain has not been bad afterwards. As for my overnight hospital stay, I plan to pack as little as possible. I will plan on wearing home the clothes I arrive in. I think moisturizer and lip balm are good ideas. I may take a light robe. Someone mentioned a heating pad, but I don't think most hospitals allow you to bring them (coming from a retired RN here). They can be a burn hazard if they malfunction. If I am only staying overnight, I may not need reading materials. I will likely watch TV and nap. Slippers to walk in will be needed. I wish you all the best of luck for an easy surgery and pain free post-op course!

Hi everyone! Just got my surgery date of August 12th. Suddenly it's all so real. So it looks like we'll all be surgery buddies!! I am really excited, scared, hopeful, and anxious. But at this point, I just want it done. I started my liver shrink diet yesterday. It's going great except that protein shakes really don't agree with me. I found one that is not so bad, but when you're drinking 3 a day (that was my doctor's minimum) it's a lot. My husband is super supportive although he doesn't like the idea of me having this surgery because he doesn't understand why I can't just lose weight and keep it off. (I bet you all do, though!) The good news is that he is a great guy and he's been with me every step, which is good because he's the cook at our house. I had my pre-anesthesia call today and I have my last appointment before surgery with the Physician's Assistant on Friday. Two weeks to go from today. I have done a lot of things to get ready. Since I work from home, I got a treadmill and an adjustable desk, so I can get up and walk on my treadmill during meetings. My goal is to walk 30 minutes 3 times a day (I'm up to 2 mph so that's 3 treadmill miles, although I know it's easier to walk on a treadmill than on the street). I don't always get 3 in, but it's SO much more exercise than I have gotten in years. I want to be in the best shape I can for surgery and recovery. I also got a bullet blender, tiny silverware, an electronic food scale, new measuring cups and spoons, and tiny storage containers to put pre-measured portions in so I can grab n' go. (Amazon makes it TOO easy to spend money!) I have read The Big Book on Gastric Bypass and I got several bariatric cookbooks so I can plan meals that meet the post-op requirements. I think the biggest part of all this for me is the idea of eating differently for the rest of my life. I have failed SO many diets (or they've failed me...) that it's really difficult to think I will really be able to lose my excess weight for good. I know that it is all up to me, and I am really hoping that having a tiny stomach and the new, shorter path for food digestion will be the key I've been looking for. I think it will be, because if I have a reason why I must eat small portions of nutritious foods and cannot eat sugar, that will make it much easier. Before, I could always say, "Oh, screw it, I'll just try again tomorrow" and give in to "mind hunger". That is why, like many of you have said, I will definitely need your support, and the support of my surgeon's clinic, to be successful in the long run. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and may we all be celebrating our successes together soon!

Welcome!! I had a friend who had bypass about the same time as you did and it was very different back then!! We have so many more resources available now. And SO many more products!! I remember how much she hated adding protein powders to her food and how stubborn she was about ignoring healthy food. She lost a ton of weight but I often wonder if she regained since she ate such junk post op. Eventually the portions catch up with you! Most advice for losing weight a while after surgery is to go back to basics, watching your portion size, cutting out simple carbs, getting most of your calories from healthy complex carbs, a little fat, and a generous portion of lean protein. Eat your protein portion first, your veggies second, and a few bites of a healthy starch/carb last, if you still have room. Get in whatever good movement you can. Drink at least 64 oz of water and for bypass patients I believe your protein per day should be close to 80 grams. You'd have to ask your doctor about your calories though. Do you still feel your restriction? I know with bypass they can do testing to see what your pouch looks like and hernia surgery is a good time to revise it if it needs a revision. I just had a hernia repair. I'm about 6 months post op from a Duodenal Switch. The healing process after hernia repair has been a lot like bariatric surgery. I can only eat liquids and some purees at the moment and I'm a week out. But I'm so glad I had the repair done!

if you're having your surgery in the US, the bariatric clinic usually includes post-op care, at least for the first year. My clinic provided it for the first five or so years - after that, patients who didn't have any issues (which is most of us) were referred to their regular PCP for their yearly exams/bloodwork. if you're having your surgery abroad, It depends on your US doctor if he/she will do follow ups. Check with them before your surgery. If it's an emergency, I can't imagine a hospital turning you away. Although that said, emergencies are pretty rare.

I second the suggestion of getting a few four packs and seeing what you like after surgery. I drank protein shakes the first couple of days when I could barely stay awake to drink them and get my water in. I liked the Fairlife ones the best but many like Premeir. I’m on day 8 of post-op full liquid now (3 weeks for my program) and have shifted toward the savory. I made a turkey bone broth and a beef Asian spiced bone broth before surgery and froze in pint containers. You can buy bone broth or bariatric broth packets as well. I've been rotating between those and “healthy” canned cream soups mixed with Fairlife milk - adding additional protein powder as needed. I spotted my miso in the back of the fridge tonight and am going to add that to the mix tomorrow. I strain everything I make through a fine mesh strainer and add plain protein powder to meet requirements. I think the variety of options is helping me get thru.

Hello there! I'm chiming in late but wanted to congratulate you on your victories so far and wish you well on your upcoming surgery! I just had a SADI surgery on August 5th - It is basically a sleeve + sleeve revision done initially, all in one go. I mainly wanted to give my opinion on your question regarding hobbies post-surgery -- I can only speak for myself, but being exactly one week out from surgery I can tell you that managing my fluids and getting to know my 'newly revised' body has been pretty consuming in and of itself! I'm so very, very tired of protein shakes but I will say the Premier have seemed to work best for me and offer the most variety so far, affordably. I don't know if your liquid diet has started yet, but if you have a great love for tomato, corn, peas, pineapple, celery, shrimp, artichoke, broccoli, cauliflower, rhubarb, Grapefruit, pasta, peanut butter, coconut, or steak this would be the time to enjoy them! According to my Bariatric guide, at least, those are considered cautionary foods for quite a while post-surgery. I also wanted to mention what has actually been the biggest help for me personally, as someone who also tends to over-prepare, triple-think, and struggles with both Anxiety and ADHD - there is an app called Finch that has proven to be an absolute life saver. I was feeling a lot of overwhelm leading up to the journey - and I took the long road, as you have, actually going ten months from start to surgery. I wasn't sure how I would actually follow through properly on the dietary restrictions, get myself more active, keep track of the vitamins, focus on the hydration -- and I also had to quit smoking and drinking alcohol. I have no advertising gain by mentioning this app by the way - lol - it has just helped me SO ridiculously much that I try to tell as many folks as I can about it. I was surprised when I mentioned it to my therapist that she already knew about it and said a lot of her patients use it. Finch is a silly game / task oriented app that has a free version which has worked out just fine for me so far. It kind of 'gamifies' making healthy choices, letting you customize your goals like drinking water, taking vitamins, getting out of the house, trying new activities, etc. There are different 'journeys' and 'goals' you can set for yourself - some of the ones I'm doing now are called 'New Year, New You' another one is 'Gratitude' and there is also 'So fresh, so clean'. The 'Nourish my Body' journey has really helped me evaluate the relationship I have had in the past with food and cultivate a better relationship with it moving forward. I know not everyone needs the same kind of encouragements that I do, but for me working through these pre-created goals, being given suggestions on how to interact more with my community, to think about what foods I do and do not enjoy, and prompt me to get more active have made a huge difference. Once you are recovered and looking for physically engaging activities I'd suggest exploring new hobbies like biking, geocashing, and nature photography. Even volunteering as a dog walker at your local humane society might be enjoyable. Best wishes!