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I will give you the opposite side since I see my clinic as more conservative than most I see here. We are told that we should ALWAYS follow the 30/30/30 rule. That rule is no drinking 30 minutes before eating, chew every bite 30 times, and no drinking for 30 minutes after finishing eating. Drinking while eating allows you to eat more since it pushes the food through your pouch. Stopping drinking and waiting to drink is making use of the tool that RNY is. Not following his rule most believe will lead to weight gain over time. As for eating carbs... We should always eat our Protein first. We must also make our protein goal. Once those are met adding in some carbs is fine. I have had potatoes, rice, crackers, and bread. The one thing that my NUT told me I should not go back to is Cereal for Breakfast. I always enjoyed oatmeal for breakfast. There is simply not enough protein in any of the cereals to make the daily protein goal. It's different for each of us, but I hope this helps. Good luck!!

Hello everyone, My surgery is rearing it's head, coming up on March 24th so I thought I would give you some insight on my journey. Maybe you can relate, maybe not. If my story resonates with one person than I am glad I posted! I decided to look into weight loss surgery 2 1/2 years ago when I hit an all time high of 318lbs. After numerous failed attempts at weight watchers, hcg, medifast... you name it.. I knew something had to be done. I suffer from depression and PTSD. A huge part of my weight gain can be directly related to events in my childhood. I grew up in a well off family, I never starved or had to worry about not having food. It was one year after I was sexually abused by a family member (more than once) that I began noticing I was bigger than the other kids in my class. Prior to this I was modeling for ABC kids and teens and had a very supportive loving family who encouraged me to be who I wanted to be, my entire life my parents have supported me in every decision (lucky). I never said anything to my parents about being sexually abused because I thought it was my fault and I was embarrassed. I didn't want to hurt my parents or feel like I let them down. I struggled with this weight on my shoulders for about 15 years of my life until 2 years ago when I sought out therapy and someone to talk to. I didn't want to be on anti depressants any longer or anxiety medication because I didn't feel like I was living but merely existing. It was time I figured out a healthy way to cope. Through therapy I was able to come to a lot of realizations just by finally talking to someone about it and reflecting (as hard as that was). One of the realizations I had during therapy was that I was eating A] because I felt it was the only thing in my life I could control and B] because I was using my weight as a shield, as comfort, as protection. I thought if I was big people could not and would not want to abuse me. During my two years of therapy I got off of all of my medications, and gained more weight and hit an all time high of 343. Now I was eating for comfort because of all of these repressed memories I was dealing with and without medication. I was self-medicating with food. Once I had this realization I sought out to get educated on EVERYTHING I was putting into my body. All those words in the ingredients you cant pronounce, I looked them up and read how they affected my body and how my body breaks them down or doesn't. It is amazing how a little education and self discovery can shift your relationship with food! I have recently lost 45 lbs since I have changed my relationship with food. I can finally say I am at a place where I can now eat to live and not live to eat. I spent a lot of time working on me before I decided I was "ready" for WLS. Once I decided I was ready I attended several classes on mastering weight management. This is not something I have taken lightly as I really want to be a better person and live my life for me. This is my second chance at life, better yet the chance I felt was robbed from me. I wanted to be as emotionally, mentally, and physically prepared as I possibly could be before starting this new chapter in my journey, to ensure I would have nothing short of success on what I was about to set out to do. I know this was a long read so thank you to those of you who stuck with me here. P.S. I am so ready! :-D

I agree. I feel the same. I felt sad for him. I probably should have mentioned that he is 17. He was "prepped" for this surgery for one year. I had a talk with him and he said he's still losing. But I told him that from what I hear, it's not gonna stay that way if he continues like that. Anyway, I can only hope that as he grows, he realizes that he needs to change behaviors... Oh, he has his whole life in front of him, I hope for his sake that he can turn it around. It is not until 2 plus years out I would say that bad habits really start to rear their ugly head in weight gain. I didn't even realize they would do the surgery so young.

I used to be a size 8 then with weight gain I went up to a 9 1/2 and now back to an 8

Bread, Pasta, and sugar is what fueled my binging and weight gain, with an incessant appetite and non-stop hunger. With my calories limited at 800, I need to be diligent in using those 800 for Protein and veggies. So, there is no interest now in turning back. No more grain products for me. I do not want to open that door.

I am almost 3.5 years post op and still could not eat as much as your cousin ate. I actually feel a little sorry for him as he is on the fast track to weight gain and obviously did not take this surgery as seriously as it needs to be taken. This surgery is a chance to make changes and start over again. I am far from perfect, so I would never claim to be. I do, however, still follow a lot of a general "rules". I never counted or tracked, but I cut back on "bad" carbs and still do not eat/rarely eat rice/pasta/bread. I rarely drink with my meals. I never drank pop much before, and I now rarely drink it because it still hurts my stomach. I eat Protein and veggies first. I do eat treats sometimes, and I have and probably always will mess up here and there and over do it. But what has made it easy is it is always fairly easy to get back on the right track. I think it is not so following a strict set of "rules", but making it a lifestyle change. So many have said it, so I will only echo that it is a tool to work with. The sleeve will not do everything for you.

OuNewt: Best wishes to you for removal and success afterwards. I didn't update after my initial surgery. I got a postop infection ten days after surgery and was back in the hospital on high doses of intravenous antibiotics for four more days. I woke up with a temperature of 104 on day ten, so I called my surgeon. He had me go to emergency room. They did a ct scan and found that I had infection inside. My kind surgeon was on vacation, but he came to see me twice in the hospital, driving down from Maine to MA each time. He felt badly about the infection. Not sure how it came, but probably from that gross band that had been accumulating food and germs in my stomach. The band actually looked black in the EGD pictures - gross! So, here I am 8 months later with a lot of weight gained. I'm pursuing the sleeve now. Will have to wait and see. I hope that all goes well for you. Please keep us posted, as I'm one of those crazy, caring people that will be worrying about you and wondering how you're doing. Take care and be well. Sue

If you are still obese you technically do want to maintain your weight rather than gain, if overweight I think they recommend a 10-15lb weight gain. Those recommendations are the same surgery or not. I will say- I have only gained 7lbs at 30weeks. I was at the top end of normal weight so my doc wanted me to gain no more than 25lbs. If I keep gaining a pound per week- I should wind up around 15-17lbs gained. I'm perfectly ok with that. (I did lose 13 from Hyperemesis so my net gain may be 5-10lbs)

Only you can decide what's best for you. It's Unethical for a doctor to recommend one surgery over the other am Not fully disclose why they feel it's a better choice. But I wanted the sleeve day one! My lapband surgeon doesn't perform the sleeve or bypass. He told me often folks who have the sleeve gain it all back with in 2 yrs and it fails. My response... Only I can be the judge of my weight gain in the future. None the less My surgeon shouldn't have spoken ill of the Sleeve simply because was not his specialty. bottom line I never gained with the band but I never lost.. I sat steady at a 28 lb weight loss.. Even though I couldn't even swallow my own saliva. I regurgitated Water and vomited 3-4 times per week.

Hello! I have never joined a forum before, have been searching for one & so glad I came across BariatricPal. I am looking for some advice, suggestions, support, etc. I had gastric bypass surgery on July 25th 2012 & have lost a total of 114 pounds, 8 pant sizes, 1 shoe size & any/all health issues!! Life is pretty great, but I am starting to get nervous about gaining some weight back. I'm one of those people that reads all those worst-case scenerios & starts to panic - I do not want to be a statistic. I want to succeed, not go backwards. I have read that gaining some weight is normal but am interested in some ideas as to what is normal. The lowest I got was 156, my surgeon didn't think it was a good idea for me to be less than 165 so I was thrilled as the scale continued to drop & my waist line continued to shrink! I am religious when it comes to the scale; I weigh myself every morning before I get in the shower & sadly, depending on what figure stares back at me, determines my mood for that day. The past few months I have seen a weight gain of 1 pound here, 2 there, 3 lost, 1 gained & so on. This morning I stepped on the scale & it said 166...I was horrified. I called & spoke to a nurse & she said that was a normal amount of weight to gain, considering I ended up lower than my anticipated weight loss. That doesn't make me feel any better...wish it did. Just seeing that I'm 1 pound over than my original goal scares the crap out me. Instead of crying, I finished getting ready for work & hauled out the old food journal, Protein powder & determination. Also, my husband & I are trying for our third (and final) baby...I thought I was mentally preparing myself for the expected weight gain w/pregnancy but considering how upset I was this morning I'm not even close to being mentally prepared. I guess I'm still considered a newbie; not 2 years out yet so I welcome any suggestions, similar stories, etc. Thanks!!!

@shondelrobert Your band was merely "installed" last month. What they don't tell us in the consultation is that it could take months to get to the restriction level (sweet spot) where your hunger diminishes and your not able to consume the same volume of food at one sitting. I'm 7 months in and countless fills later and I "think" I've finally made it. It's been a long road. Some only take 1 fill, some 4, some 10...Restriction with lap band you have to sneak up on it, it isn't immediately out of surgery. If I were you, I'd stick to chickens and meats and vegetables for now. Stay away from sliders and junk foods that you can eat a lot of because they're filled with the most calories and will cause weight gain. Right now any weight loss will be from your very own will power and discipline.

So I guess time will tell.. I'm more worried I guess like most are about the weight gain.. Does it make any sense to try not to gain weight? Because then when u give birth you will be smaller than what u started??? I'd love to maintain my weight thru out just made it into onederland and would love to never see a 2 in front of my weight again..,

Thanks for the advise, it will be hard to find a new Protein drink. This one is pre-made and not thick it goes down so smooth with no after taste. My stomach is very particular, if something smells funny, I'm nauseous. If I look at food that is slimy or bloody ect, I'm nauseous. If food has a bad taste or is gritty or leaves a bad after taste, I'm nauseous. These nauseous feelings have led to throwing up, hart burn, & the sweats. My parents stopped saying "just try it" along time ago. Lol The Protein drinks I've tried are: muscle milk (both powdered & pre-mixed), EAS Advanced Edge, EAS Myoplex, ensure , Special K, stuff from lifetime fitness, pure protein ready to drink, boost, Isopure all of which made me nauseous & threw up after one. If anybody knows of any Liquid Protein drinks that are real good, please let me know. As for the weight gain you were right I just weighed myself & I went down to 205lbs. Also I'm taking your advise on the home made Soup, problem is I'm not a cook, but I have a crock pot & the will to try. Thank you so much.

I'm back after a long absence and a bunch of weight gain. I decided that the best thing (for me) was to treat myself as if I'd just had surgery and go on all liquids for two weeks...well, I've done so well with it that I'm now in my fourth week. Protein is the key. It will help you not only stay healthy, but also help you with hunger issues. Right after my surgery, back in 2008, I wasn't hungry for at least ten days. You can do this. Just be sure to find a Protein shake that you enjoy. It took me foreverrrrr to find one. xoxox

This is such a hard journey for all of us.... I the first year, I thought I had it made. I was so success. Now over 2 years out I have had to look at my weight gain and get back on track with tracking my intake of food, weighing on a daily basis and re-establishing that "yes, I am a sugar addict." when I eat sugar, even just a bit, I will gain weight. It so sucks at times....But I did gain about 6 lbs and as I stopped the sugar intake by closely monitoring all processed foods for sugar, corn, soybeam oil, or any other hidden sugar name. I am also following the 5:2 diet plan and am getting back to my goal.....It's hard and I get so tired of it and then my old pattern of junk enters the picture for just a second, and I'm a goner.... So now I'm using my positive self talk of "I'd rather be healthy and thin than carry on all that extra weight again." It works for me right now and plus I have reverted back to my old habits from the 1st year which is: eat protein first, veggies, little to no bread or tortillas, no pasta, no rice and eating organic.... This is my life style now. Eating out I eat pretty clean too. So I can not revert back and give up on myself.....I don't want anymore surgeries unless it's a plastic surgeon for my excess skin.

i had no symptoms at all except weight gain. they did the fluroscope Wednesday morning and that's how they found mine. she said with me having no chest pain, no reflux, no throwing up that i prob caught it early so i'm hoping liquids will fix it and no surgery.

I just asked this question to my nutritionist last week. She said that my surgeon's protocol is to loosen the band after a certain number of years (I can't remember how many) at goal weight. The reason for this is to avoid any complications linked with a potentially-inflammatory implanted device, especially as one gets older. My surgeon has observed that by that time...(the certain number of years maintaining), the patient has acquired the eating and exercise habit/mindset etc that will prevent him/her from gaining the weight back. If the patient observes weight gain after the band losening, he/she is instructed to return for a fill immediately.

Ok ladies I have a question about weight gain during your period. I have heard of some women noticing weight gain during your period. I guess before losing weight, I never noticed, or paid attention to my weight. That and I had stopped having my period all together. However, now it's back. I noticed this week during my weigh in that I had gained 5 lbs! Which of course freaked me out. Then I started my period. Have any of you gained 5 or more pounds during your period? If I would have been eating wrong, and not exercising I wouldn't have freaked out. But I work my butt off! lol..

Hi I'm two & 1/2 weeks out from surgery. At time of surgery I was 223. So far I've only lost 16 pounds, 207 lbs. I'm on my liquid diet & I gained "2 lbs" was 207lbs now 209lbs. I drink powerade zero, my stomach isn't tolerating water. I do get my soups from Olive Garden, pot belly, & panara bread. I'm shure there not the best choices but it's only two Tbls, twice a day & my stumach has always been finicky so if something actually sits well I eat that. Also my protein drink is called core power, which I love & only 100 cal/20g protein but there's 11g sugar. Could this be why I've gained weight or stalling weight loss? please let me know.

Gluten-free living is running rampant across America these days. In this article, we explore the top 5 myths about going "g-free" and who should - and doesn't have to - live this dietary lifestyle. It’s no secret that one of the most prominent diets-of-the-moment is the gluten free diet. Millions have jumped on the gluten free bandwagon, including many bariatric patients. Some sing the praises of the diet, claiming the health benefits are intensive. Others claim the diet is a fad and there is absolutely no nutritional benefit to eating this way. Here we will discuss some of the myths and truths of the gluten-free diet, and how it can affect someone with WLS. Myth #1: A Gluten-Free diet is a very healthy way to eat. FALSE: There are just as many UNhealthy gluten-free foods on the market as there are healthy ones. A trip down the gluten free aisle of any supermarket will prove that - cookies, cakes, pretzels, pastas, chips … There are as many gluten free choices in junk food as you can possibly imagine. And here’s the biggest problem with that: many gluten-free products have added sugar and/or fat to compensate to make the texture and/or flavor more palatable. It's also important to note that gluten free does NOT mean organic or GMO free, so if these are concerns for you, be sure to check for organic, non-gmo labels. Myth #2: Only people with celiac disease should follow a gluten-free diet FALSE: While celiac disease is the #1 cause for going gluten free, it’s not the only reason. There are millions of people that share a gluten sensitivity or intolerance that would greatly benefit from removing gluten from their diets. This can be characterized by bloating, digestive issues, rashes, migraines, and other health issues. The only way to be sure if you have a sensitivity or not is to undergo an elimination diet which completely removes gluten for a time period. After a period of time (generally a month or more) gluten is slowly reintroduced into the diet with notes made on any reaction that occurs. Myth #3: EVERYONE can benefit from a gluten free diet. FALSE: If you DON’T have celiac or an intolerance, there really is no health benefit to removing gluten from your diet. It won’t HURT you, to be sure, but it won’t necessarily HELP you either. Myth #4: You can’t go gluten-free without buying expensive products at your health food store. FALSE: It’s actually quite simple to eliminate gluten from your diet without having to buy anything special. Focusing your diet on fresh, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy will automatically put you on the right track. It’s also possible to find several breakfast cereals, snack crackers, and other items in your regular grocery store for not a huge amount of money - just be sure to read labels! Myth #5: Gluten is only found in wheat items, and if you eat corn, oats, or rice, you’re safe. FALSE: Many items made with corn, oats, and rice DO contain wheat or wheat by-products (such as dextrose). This is used to improve texture in many products. Additionally, some oat and corn products do contain gluten! It’s very important that if you’re going completely gluten free that you read labels. Of course you know to look for items such as wheat, but it’s also very important to look for other ingredients you might not think of. Dextrose, barley, rye, dextrin, vegetable protein, etc. For a full list of ingredients to avoid, do a google search - there are a multitude of great sites with this information. The simplest solution is to look for items that are labeled “gluten-free” right off the bat. While a gluten-free diet isn’t for everyone, there are still many people that benefit from it. Studies are showing that some WLS patients, especially sleevers, begin to show signs of gluten intolerance after surgery (along with lactose intolerance). If you think you might be gluten intolerant, try a gluten free diet for a time, then re-introduce wheat products slowly to check for a reaction. If you think you might have celiac disease, check with your doctor - they can run extensive tests to find out if you are. Symptoms of gluten intolerance include weight gain, bloating, depression, skin conditions, digestive issues, and a myriad of other ailments. Celiac disease is characterized by similar conditions, and also includes canker sores, numbness in extremities, and joint pain. . Sources of this article include Web MD, Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis, Go Gluten Free magazine, and various online websites. For a complete list of sources, contact the author at Admin@7BitesShow.com

It’s no secret that one of the most prominent diets-of-the-moment is the gluten free diet. Millions have jumped on the gluten free bandwagon, including many bariatric patients. Some sing the praises of the diet, claiming the health benefits are intensive. Others claim the diet is a fad and there is absolutely no nutritional benefit to eating this way. Here we will discuss some of the myths and truths of the gluten-free diet, and how it can affect someone with WLS. Myth #1: A Gluten-Free diet is a very healthy way to eat. FALSE: There are just as many UNhealthy gluten-free foods on the market as there are healthy ones. A trip down the gluten free aisle of any supermarket will prove that - cookies, cakes, pretzels, pastas, chips … There are as many gluten free choices in junk food as you can possibly imagine. And here’s the biggest problem with that: many gluten-free products have added sugar and/or fat to compensate to make the texture and/or flavor more palatable. It's also important to note that gluten free does NOT mean organic or GMO free, so if these are concerns for you, be sure to check for organic, non-gmo labels. Myth #2: Only people with celiac disease should follow a gluten-free diet FALSE: While celiac disease is the #1 cause for going gluten free, it’s not the only reason. There are millions of people that share a gluten sensitivity or intolerance that would greatly benefit from removing gluten from their diets. This can be characterized by bloating, digestive issues, rashes, migraines, and other health issues. The only way to be sure if you have a sensitivity or not is to undergo an elimination diet which completely removes gluten for a time period. After a period of time (generally a month or more) gluten is slowly reintroduced into the diet with notes made on any reaction that occurs. Myth #3: EVERYONE can benefit from a gluten free diet. FALSE: If you DON’T have celiac or an intolerance, there really is no health benefit to removing gluten from your diet. It won’t HURT you, to be sure, but it won’t necessarily HELP you either. Myth #4: You can’t go gluten-free without buying expensive products at your health food store. FALSE: It’s actually quite simple to eliminate gluten from your diet without having to buy anything special. Focusing your diet on fresh, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy will automatically put you on the right track. It’s also possible to find several breakfast cereals, snack crackers, and other items in your regular grocery store for not a huge amount of money - just be sure to read labels! Myth #5: Gluten is only found in wheat items, and if you eat corn, oats, or rice, you’re safe. FALSE: Many items made with corn, oats, and rice DO contain wheat or wheat by-products (such as dextrose). This is used to improve texture in many products. Additionally, some oat and corn products do contain gluten! It’s very important that if you’re going completely gluten free that you read labels. Of course you know to look for items such as wheat, but it’s also very important to look for other ingredients you might not think of. Dextrose, barley, rye, dextrin, vegetable protein, etc. For a full list of ingredients to avoid, do a google search - there are a multitude of great sites with this information. The simplest solution is to look for items that are labeled “gluten-free” right off the bat. While a gluten-free diet isn’t for everyone, there are still many people that benefit from it. Studies are showing that some WLS patients, especially sleevers, begin to show signs of gluten intolerance after surgery (along with lactose intolerance). If you think you might be gluten intolerant, try a gluten free diet for a time, then re-introduce wheat products slowly to check for a reaction. If you think you might have celiac disease, check with your doctor - they can run extensive tests to find out if you are. Symptoms of gluten intolerance include weight gain, bloating, depression, skin conditions, digestive issues, and a myriad of other ailments. Celiac disease is characterized by similar conditions, and also includes canker sores, numbness in extremities, and joint pain. . Sources of this article include Web MD, Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis, Go Gluten Free magazine, and various online websites. For a complete list of sources, contact the author at Admin@7BitesShow.com

Hi! I have Aetna as well and just had my surgery on Monday, make sure you do not gain any weight! Aetna has a new policy about weight gain that my doctor wasn't aware of

@btlombardo68...I have not cried yet, just frustrated sometimes that I have done this to myself and need surgery to correct. Not that I think I did this purposely, but having babies, SSRI's (weight gain side affect noted and used), and menopause, have made me quite the plumpkin! I think it's normal to have emotional rollerecoaster feelings over this, but if you go to support group and listen to the stories from the veterans,...It's going to all be okay and you will more than likely be saying you wished you had done it sooner! I'm keeping busy and refuse to allow my head to take in any negative thoughts. If I have any doubts creep in (and they do) I look into the future and what I want for me going forward after surgery. I want to fit in regular clothes. I want to take better care of my health (55+ and don't like the idea of diabetes, stroke, and electric carts at walmart!) I want to feel like a human being and be treated that way. Try to focus on the outcome of the surgery and you will be on the other side with me counting the pounds we lost. Good luck to you!

Ready-no weight gain since I started this process, UIC has been very serious about making sure you don't gain any weight! Amanda the nut said she wouldn't approve anyone that did, I don't know how serious they are but I really didn't want to find out.

Wow where to being... I would say that to truly dig back into myself my slide to my current weight (375 at the time of this writing) would stem from my college days. Although I was always the bigger kid in high school, I always hovered around the 220's. My first 2 years in college I completely destroyed my eating habits, late nights studying or just going out, crazy hours, long commutes, etc. I went from 220 to about 280 in what felt like overnight. As I bought new outfit after new outfit, I finally said "enough!" I hopped on weight watchers (which I had used in the past to some success). I enjoyed the freedom of the points program and how I could bank points for a cheat day and work out to bank some points or just use it as some extra weight taken off that week. I managed to lose 70 pounds and get back to 230 over the course of a year. Then my last year of college hit me like a ton of bricks. The class intensity was upped and I took on extra courses because I wanted to add minors into my program. I also met my lovely, darling, beautiful future wife at this point. Although some of the best times of my life happened over the next 2 years (I took an extra year to finish college with all the additional courses) I ended up dropping out of weight watchers and watched my weight skyrocket. After getting my Bachelor's, starting my Master's, getting a full time job, getting married, losing a close loved one, buying a house, having a child, my life became about everything else and all the focus I once placed on myself and my health faded to nothing. Over those 9 years, I would put on over 145 lbs. My shame knows no limits. I tried all the usual tricks: back on Weight Watchers, switched to Jenny Craig, tried Nutrisystem, back to Weight Watchers (which is where I am still at) and nothing worked, mostly because I lost the will to care about myself. It is not really in a negative way that I lost this will. I am not depressed. I don't emotional eat, in fact tough days I tend to eat little to nothing now, and crying just makes me sick to my stomach. Basically, I have dragged any sort of focus I once had for myself onto everything and everyone around me. I now know that I need balance in my life. I also need a kick in pants to get me started. So, September 9th, 2013, I am off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of weight loss surgeries. We discuss the choices that I want to get more information about, the Lap Band surgery and the Gastric Sleeve surgery. Both he says are good options. Due to my age (under 30), and the fact that I don't have any debilitating weight related health issues yet, like diabetes, damaged knee caps, painful lower back (though it's getting there), etc., he says that Lap Band can be a good option as it is reversible once I lose the weight. I like the sound of that, but in the back of my mind, I am thinking of my college days were I did great to lose 70 pounds, only to put back on double that weight. So we discuss option 2, the Gastric Sleeve. Although scary to think about at first, it does seem like the better option. After discussing things with my family and friends, I decided on the Gastric Sleeve. Now the fun begins. Tests, endoscopy, paperwork upon paperwork, letters, issues with insurance, disability forms (just in case) and finally! Sweet, sweet approval! I went to see the nutritionist and behavioral psychologist, learned a lot about myself and the process. I do regret not preparing as well as I should have for the surgery. I have been trying to slow down eating my meals but haven't gotten into a good rhythm. I am still struggling with not drinking with meals and my soda craving has been hard to curb. But I finally feel I am nearly ready. I have made plenty of puree Soups for post-surgery, my favorite of which is the butternut squash Soup, a great meal during the 2 week liquid diet portion post-surgery. I have devised a plan to make sure I am getting all my Protein in during the first two weeks until better sources can be added after the liquid diet phase. I ordered a Nurtibullet in the hopes that I will completely be over soda by being able to grind up fresh fruit / vegetables for delicious smoothies. For now, everything is coming together, but there is still a lot to do as well. I was told to watch my weight gain pre surgery and even to try and lose some before going in (though my insurance doesn't require it). I was able to knock off 10 pounds, but put it back on, and again managed it off, so I might be near 365 pre surgery, but I know that final result on Sunday night. I was also told not to blow it by going all out as a "last hooray". Though I must say I have been somewhat holding to that, I am making a trip this weekend to my favorite buffet in Atlantic City. But I have been good leading up to it know that I am going there, so hopefully I don't ruin my work over the last couple weeks! But I don't think of the surgery as a end to my eating out, and you really can't otherwise none of us would do it. In this case, I just want a weekend getaway pre surgery, and if there happens to be my favorite buffet there I might as well partake. So this is it, surgery is scheduled for March 3rd, 2014. I am ready as I'll ever be. I have told most of my family and most of my friends. That is a completely personal issue that I feel each individual must decide who to tell and when to tell them on their own. I made the mistake of telling my boss, which at first was all fine and dandy, but now as the surgery approaches I keep getting questions like, "when will you be 100%" and "will you ever be able to do X, Y or Z again at work" and "will you be calling out often due to issues with it?" and so on. My suggestion for work is to not tell them. At first I didn't think much of it, but now it is coming back to haunt me a bit. You don't have to lie as the law protects anyone having surgery to not have to tell their employer why they are doing it, but I would definitely not tell them why if you can help it. As for the family/friends, some I just didn't tell pre surgery because I didn't want them to worry about the surgery itself. Unfortunately, my parents had to know since they are going to help watch my son that day and take me to the hospital and all that. They are scared about the surgery going wrong, even though I assured them of the routineness of it nowadays. Heck, it is same day surgery! But of course I understand why they are scared, since it is still surgery. All my affairs are in order though, and I am ready for anything should it come my way. I am so excited for the surgery and I can't wait to be able to finally shed some real pounds. Everything that I am doing can also help my wife and son as all of us will be eating better at home. No more late night fast food runs, no more high calorie / sugar soda in the house, the ability to actually cook meals (i never cooked a day in my life until last month and now I can make some basic, healthy meals!), being able to do more outdoor / physical activities as a family. I am also so excited to finally wear things that have been sitting in my closet for years. Clothes that have never even had the chance to see the light of day. I am also excited to not have the seat of my pants rip out of pants while I am wearing them (3 times it happened, I must say stay away from St. John's Bay clothes). And the Pièce de résistance, I can finally wear shoes that aren't loafers! I wish all of those on this wonderful journey with me the best of luck and I look forward to making new friends in this process too. I am excited for the advice that I can give one day to newcomers and the advice I can receive from the veterans. Good luck to all!