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In my opinion this is the exact time to ask alot of questions. I was sleeved three years ago and I don’t think I asked enough questions beforehand or I may have made a differnt choice for myself in terms of which surgery. I am so excited for you and your surgery date. Congratulations.

Well my surgeons front office staff is consistent in giving me the wrong information at least. The nurse doing my paperwork said that my preop diet was two days liquid diet. I said last time I did a week of the LSD she said no it’s just two days but she would double check. Well when she didn’t call I called the office and they said yep two days but it sounded like they just checked the paper she gave me and hadn’t asked him. So thankfully I made an appt with the NP and she said that it should be two weeks of the LSD plus two days of liquids so I have to start in two days. Yet another shining example of why I don’t trust anything that they say. Who knows what would’ve happened when he found out on surgery day that I hadn’t done the diet at all. I would’ve been so devastated if they postponed me Thanks to @SleeveToBypass2023 though I did find out that they have a patient portal so I can skip the front office and message the Nurses and Doctor instead. Of course the front office wasn’t sure how to get me logged into it 🤣 they told me to call the help number on the site. The FAQ’s say that the office has to send me an invite first though with a code so I’ve got to ask the surgeon about that on Monday too. Shocking, right? Anyways, I have to wrap my mind around starting the pre op two weeks sooner than they said (a week sooner than I expected her to say). I am definitely doing to be wasting some food since I just bought groceries expecting to have another week. I am making a grocery order to pickup up Monday after I see the surgeon. I have the two shakes for breakfast and lunch. It’s honestly not too bad. I have to do two shakes but I do get a low carb dinner and a snack at least. Not complaining after seeing others having to all all liquid. I am going to get pretty board with it after two weeks though I’m sure. I wish I liked more of a variety of shakes. I like the cafe late or proffee a lot but of course that’s caffeine. Which it doesn’t technically say no caffeine but it seems like they told me that last time. Adding that to my list of questions too. The questions that the nutritionists should have answered but I was told no LSD so she didn’t go over it. 🤦‍♀️

Well done! I used to hate the gym, more so the feeling of self consciousness and thinking people are looking at me. My surgery date was close to yours & I've been back at the gym for about 3 weeks now as well as walking on non-gym days and am loving it, feel so good after each workout. Keep up the great work, you're smashing it!

I am 67 years old and just had VSG surgery on 1/24/24. I had a very easy recovery, I think. Obviously my incisions were tender and my left side hurt when I bent over. But other than that I felt pretty good. A little tired (after effects of anesthesia?) on a couple of days during the week after but a quick nap was the solution. I had no need for the pain medication I was sent home with. I took Tylenol once but it was for a headache. I am 6 1/2 weeks out and have lost 15 pounds. I had the "3 week stall" at 2 weeks and it lasted for 2 weeks but I am back to losing slowly. It appears I am going to be a slow loser, but I was that way before the surgery any time i tried to lose weight. I was (and am) most concerned with reducing my risk for diabetes, which is in my family medical history. I would also like to get off of blood pressure and cholesterol medication. I asked my doctor when I first went for my consultation if I was too old...he said "Absolutely not. My oldest VSG patient so far was 80 at the time of surgery." So I stopped worrying about age being a factor. And I feel great and have tons of energy. You'll do fine!!

All of this is super helpful! Thank you so much. I too am a fantasy/supernatural writer, though I haven't taken the time to write in a while. I may try to do NaNoWriMo again this year, we'll see. As for WoW, I keep returning strictly for the RP (though I am hoping the new expansion truly brings some life back to the actual game itself). We will see. I know it releases while I'm post-op, but unless I'm feeling truly up to it, I may wait before jumping into it. My guild knows I'm going on a medical hiatus and will return when I feel like I am ready to return. What server did you play on? I've been on Cho'gall, Arygos, and Wyrmrest Accord. I have toons on other servers, but those were/are the three I've been guilded and active on. And thank you for telling me how to tag people! I just do quotes and respond to posts because I couldn't figure that out (and because my brain needs to focus on one thing at a time lol). But I hope they get you in for testing soon! As someone who was diagnosed as an adult, it was a bit of a mixed blessing for me. I always knew I was "weird" and finally understood why. But then I had to look back and process all the times in my life where things could have been different had we known when I was a child. I hope your post-op appointment goes fantastically!

I would also join a Discord group if there was one! I'm still struggling with consistency since returning from vacation. I had to dive back into work and household stuff immediately and my brain power doesn't seem to stretch as far as food prep and maintaining a schedule. I've been stuck between 186 and 187 for a few weeks now. And since my region has been under a heat advisory since last week, I haven't been getting my walks in at all. I keep waiting for something new to report, but I still feel stuck. I will be taking 5-month photos in a few days, though. I missed my 4-month while on vacation, so I'm extra curious to compare this time to my before photos.

Everyone has different plans from their doctors but in all of them I have never heard of being on regular food after 2.5 weeks. Do you mean non liquid phase and that you are normal food but soft? I hope so as that is all your stomach should be handling now as you can't digest normal food at this stage, which is what may cause the vomitting and pain. It should be no water 30 minutes before and after a meal so maybe if you are only leaving it 10 minutes that is causing the problem? I did have gas issues but it was caused by complications so not the same for you I am sure. Could you ask your doctor about taking something to help with reflux?

That's so cruel and everyone is so scared that it could happen to them. I think I might have had a melt down. I feel for you because we want this surgery so badly and 3 weeks on a liquid diet is brutal. Biggest hugs sent your way.

On your plate. The fruit and veggies section is more protein. Need balance. I think i would go back to basics for a week.. 1 cup breakfast lunch dinner. Replace one meal with a protein shake. Reboot your mind and follow the post op plan for a guide.

I am scheduled in less than a week, May 28th for Sadie revision

100% with you! I've discovered I'm just as happy with a handful of lentil or quinoa chips than anything I thought I'd miss -- probably more happy, just because there's no guilt eating them. I'm early on in my Post-OP (12 weeks this coming Wednesday) but I feel like every week I find a new recipe or premade item that just amazes me. Like, "I can eat this tasty thing? Really?"

@AndreaJD your advice about the weight loss discussion with others is great! I’m definitely using that one and thank you!! Good luck on your surgery tomorrow, like you said, eyes on the prize! @Justarwaxx mine is on the 14th too!! Are you doing the Gastric Bypass as well? I’ve been told I’ll only be in the hospital 1 night… we shall see. Omg, my husband ate pizza for dinner… he was at least nice enough to eat it in another room, but still… i could almost kill for a piece. But again, eyes on the prize. I keep having to remind myself. 2 more days of this and then my life is changing. All our lives are changing for the better, which makes it worth it. You guys stay strong and good luck this week, I know a lot of us are on the roster this week. Be strong and positive vibes everyone!! I look forward to hearing from everyone after their surgery, keep us updated!!

this sounds fanstastic!! I am eating around 1000-1100 calories. I cannot seem to cut anywhere without getting really fatigued and dizzy. I walk 5x a week nothing crazy a little bit of terrain but havent found time to work out outside of my lunch break yet. So I am accepting that I need those calories. I have been doing the same thing for dinner as you, eating what everyone eats just taking out the carb element. We both had similar starting stats. Do you remember what worked for you at this stage? How long did it take for you lose the weight? Stalls? Any advice would be amazing! I never in a million years can imagine myself at 140! I am in disbelief I am at 226!

I am three years out and I chewed gum and i forgot and swallowed it. I called the surgeons office and they were like did you swallow it on purpose. I said of course not. She just told me what to watch for and when to go to er. It passed thank god bit I’ve never been so scared in my life. It’s not worth it to me. I haven’t swallowed gum since I was a kid but sure enough I did??

The sashimi was great! Very easy to eat. I had just a few bites of my miso soup and then gave that and the salad to my daughters (both items come with the order). I think I ate 4 or 5 pieces over the span of an hour, no rice, and half of one green tea mochi ice cream for dessert. I ordered a miso soup to take home because it was so delicious. I had half yesterday and will finish it today. Congratulations on your stall breaking! Mine is still hanging on, but I'm just trying to ignore it. I've lost 21 lbs but a lot of that happened during the liquid diet pre-op. When I told my dietician I'd lost 15lbs in two weeks pre-op, she said that was way more than expected and might be why my post-op loss has been slower. It'll all work out in the end, I guess.

I don't know where my other post went - I swore I typed one up earlier. Oh well - Here we go again! So, I'm at 3 weeks out exactly today from my SADI (Sleeve + Intestinal shortening) surgery and I'm definitely starting to feel less pulling and pinching with movements. I'm beginning week two of my puree diet, and I feel like it's going pretty well. During the Protein shake / liquid post diet for two weeks I did deal with constipation. It's still leveling out, but as I eat more 'regular' food (Even as a puree) that seems to be lifting a bit. I did still take some milk of magnesia yesterday out of caution because I hadn't 'gone' in two days, and didn't want to worry about it worsening. I'd say the hardest part for me continues to be the 'No drinking 30 mins before/after meals' but I use the Baritastic app to set a timer. I also use the timer to make sure my 'meals' take at least 30 minutes. Want to make sure I don't rush and end up feeling poorly afterward. Things that have worked well for me during my puree stage include egg drop soup, chicken/tuna salad made with puree chicken or tuna, light mayo, and sometimes a bit of relish, and for added protein a boiled egg or two, with or without the yolks per preference. (Dill relish is healthier than sweet relish). I did allow myself 2-3 saltines with those, usually about 3.5 oz of the tuna or chicken salad makes me feel sated. Other recipes that have worked include the ricotta bake and unstuffed cabbage rolls, pureed low fat/0 sugar yogurt or cottage cheese with Genepro powder and cooked, strained strawberries or blueberries (I added a bit of 0% Milk to make it more of a smoothie), Riccotta pureed with either a bit of fruit or avocado, small serving of oatmeal pureed with fruit (test yourself with an ounce or two less than you normally eat for oatmeal because it sits heavy and often swells - add some zero or skim milk to make it thinner if needed. Other recipes include homemade no-noodle chicken soup of sorts with rotisserie chicken, chicken broth, and pureed carrots w/a little bit of onion powder or diced onion. I also made a homemade 'philly cheese steak' filling of sorts with some sautéed bell peppers and a bit of diced onion, some roast beef lunch meat, and cream cheese. Others speak highly of pureed refried beans with a bit of seasoning to taste more like taco meat, adding either a bit of mild salsa or a combination of onion powder and perhaps a bit of cumin. That's a personal choice, and definitely suggest going slow with your seasoning due to possible heartburn. You could add a bit of shredded low-fat/skim mozzarella or even low fat sour cream to round it out. Today I made 'chicken pot pie w/no crust' which was basically just cooked carrots and finely diced celery and onions with finely diced rotisserie chicken with a can each of 98% fat free cream of celery and 98% fat free cream of chicken. I haven't had any yet because I'm a little unsure about the celery, even cooked, but pureed and in a small serving I'm sure it would treat me fine. The Ricotta Bake I made was super simple and I know there are a lot of variations to the recipe online. I made my own marinara sauce by peeling about 5 smallish tomatoes, dicing them, and simmering them with a little less than equal parts water, Italian seasoning, and a bit of diced onion. The ricotta mixture was easy; just used 8oz ricotta cheese, 1 egg, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan (I used the shaker but fresh is better) and 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. I put a layer of half the mix on the bottom of a buttered baking dish, topped it with 1/2 lb cooked and seasoned ground beef, then put the rest of the mixture on top. Poured about 3/4 of the homemade marinara over it then covered the dish with aluminum foil and baked at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. It's basically a no-noodle lasagna. The Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls I made were equally easy - I used a rotary grinder (Works SO well, bought on Amazon for around twenty bucks) to grate half a head of lettuce. Instead of canned diced tomatoes I once I again peeled about 5 small/medium tomatoes and diced them, adding to the skillet along with maybe 1/8 cup diced onion and another 1/2 lb of the ground beef. For seasoning the recipe I used just had me add a packet of Italian Dressing Seasoning mix. The family enjoyed it and after pureeing the ground beef a bit I found it fine to eat, although slowly and very well chewed (same with the ground beef in my ricotta bake). Both it and the Ricotta bake probably make about eight 1/3 cup servings with about 22g of Protein each. I want to respond more to folks - @Pepper_No_Salt I hate that you're dealing with so much nausea! I absolutely second talking to your care team about that. There are some nausea pills that dissolve under the tongue and work more quickly for me than the Zofran, they'd probably be willing to call you in some. Things that made me feel queasy were taking meds or vitamins before my meal had hit bottom, drinking too quickly, not walking around after I ate, and taking calcium and my multivitamin with iron too close to my Calcium. Not sure if any of that helps - I am also taking Prilosec for heartburn in the mornings and they had me add Magnesium Citrate at bedtime to help with constipation. Sometimes when I'm due to pass gas or have a bowel movement working its way through my system I'd start to feel a little icky and not really nauseous but more anxiety / feelings of fullness. I found that for whatever reason putting an ice pack on my chest or low back helped. I hope you find some relief! Oh, I also found that as soon as my thirty minutes post-meal is up it helps me to sip on REALLY cold water or Gatorade zero, especially if I do it while standing and moving around a little bit. I equate it to the need to get the burps out after eating, just like I had to do post-surgery. @ShoppGirl - Thanks for all of your support and input. I continue to read your posts and while I'm low energy on responding right now I hope the details of my recipe for the unstuffed cabbage bake is helpful! @draikaina8503 - Congratulations on your walk! I still wear out quickly even at three weeks out, but I knew the first month or two would be a slog and do feel my energy is rebounding. @Onemealplan - Sounds like you're doing great and I hope you enjoy the heck out of your vacation! I second what you said to @ShoppGirl about trying the crab, and hope the meals you do get to taste on vacation treat you well. I think her advice to just explain you're recovery from stomach surgery should more than reassure any staff concerned about your small portions. @AndreaJD I'm so glad your sister has been supportive! My 'chosen' brother and best friend has likewise done the same. He's been on a Keto journey for about two years with great results and I worried at first that he would think I was taking the 'easy way out' and now that he's heard more he's been great in reassuring me that he does NOT think that is the case at all, and in fact believes I chose a great option for myself that moves things along quicker but certainly with a lot of sacrifice and hard work. I also completely agree with you on the 'mind hunger' vs 'body hunger'. I'm lucky that I do feel a bit of pressure in my chest that I now identify as a feeling of 'fullness' as opposed to anxiety and I'm less worried about my protein goals now that I have the Genepro protein powder. I love that it isn't gritty when I mix it in with things as long as I mix it with something room temperature FIRST. That's on the instructions, actually, as is the fact that for your macros to count it as like 30-ish grams of protein per scoop rather than the 'weight' listed in Nutrition facts of 11g/scoop. Just wanted to make sur eI mentioned that! Oh - in regards to weighing - I get on the scale every day or so to kind of 'reinforce' what I'm doing, but remember that sometimes you see more from your measuring tape at the waist, hips, etc than the scale will show. Also head's up, a lot of folks plateau for a handful of days around week three and it will happen on and off moving forward, so don't be discouraged by that! @RRenaeL23 - I hope these recipes and suggestions for your puree diet work well! I'm still finding myself comfortable eating no more than about 3-4 oz at a meal, and certainly am following the no drinking 30 mins before/after meals. It's absolutely easier for me to do if I make sure my meal is on the moist side, even if it means adding a little extra water. It's better to add protein powder (Can't speak highly enough of the unflavored Genepro) to hit your protein goal than to overeat to make it, that's for sure! I'm always eager for my 30 minutes to be up so I can sip on icy cold water or Gatorade Zero. @Meme Campbell - Best of luck to you on your surgery tomorrow! Don't hesitate to ask for ice packs and pain relief and take advantage of the pain relief to get some walking in, especially the first couple of days. The pain lessons as you walk because it works the gas out. I also strongly suggest sipping your shakes / water / propel sitting as upright as is possible and not laying back until about ten minutes has passed or you've burped a few times! Keep us updated! Most of us in this thread have already had our surgeries but if you read through the first 3-7 pages you'll get a pretty good idea of what to expect if you don't already feel prepared. It's a bit of a process but the pain WILL start to lessen in the coming weeks! Don't be surprised when you get tired super quickly and be gentle on your body. Across the board surgeons seem to agree that your #1 priority fresh out of surgery will be walking as tolerated, focusing on your hydration, and getting as much protein as you comfortably can. Don't let yourself go more than three days without a bowel movement - Milk of Magnesia works wonders for that. I let myself go 5 days post surgery and that was a somewhat painful and unpleasant process to reverse. Colace makes your bowel movements 'smoother' but is NOT a laxative. If you deal with heartburn talk to your team - they put me on Prilosec for now. We're rooting for you! Sorry for anyone I missed; not sure what happened to my other post. Wishing you all the best in surgeries and recoveries!

Oh that is absolutely normal and actually still a great loss streak! The weight loss path is not a straight path down. It will slow and even stall as your body is adjusting. Weight training can add to it, but honestly your body will adjust throughout. And yes the smaller you get, the slower it gets. I lost about 30lbs in the first month and a half (including the pre-op diet) and yet it's taken me nearly 4 months to lose 12lbs. You are still early on since surgery and have done fantastic. We started about the same weight. We are in this for life so keep doing what you're doing and let everything else speak for itself - the way you feel, take pictures and measurements. The scale is just one factor.

I'm always cold too. I was cold before surgery and now it feels worse. Also i have a slow healing ulcer in my leg, which is going on three years everytime i get close to it healing somehow i manage to rip the dressing off it. Don't know if it's the extra walking I've been doing that has made it flare up again. On friday i had a fever and literally could not warm up (until i was too hot) that's gone now. Just called in sick for work to get some antibiotics for this leg. (Its Winter over here in Australia)

Don't let it get to that point, if you can help it. Make sure you have plenty of fluids, fiber, and MiraLax. In the very beginning, I needed Miralax in the morning and a stool softener/laxative combo at night. I did that for the first 6 weeks, then I was able to just use the Miralax everyday. But the last thing you want, especially in the first 6 weeks, is to be straining. The staples will be fine, but it's the healing from the surgery and the pain the straining can cause that you want to avoid.

While I have always been an avid exerciser (think everything from running, cycling, weight lifting, marital arts, HIIT, hiking ...etc.) I have always taken up a supplementary form of exercise that is fun and that I looked forward to. A few years ago I played tennis twice a week, then hiking, then taekwondo (reached the blue belt then had a very bad ankle injury that cause a lot of my weight gain), now I do Pilates twice a week in addition to my gym routine and these two sessions are the highlight of my week. Once you find something you enjoy be it tennis, padel, hiking, cycling, swimming or even walking it will be easier to build on that routine and do the things you don't so much enjoy (like weight lifting for example). It is also always good if you have a group you can exercise with (or play certain sports with) or a gym buddy. I also made sure to build a gym studio in my new house and that has been wonderous, I wake up early and workout and don't need to worry about the commute or how to shower and do my hair before work, so a set of dumbbells and a bench at your home can do wonders (if you have that option). I was always asked by friends and family why I am so adamant and a freak about my exercise regimen and if I get bored or sick of it, and my answer is I do it more for my mental wellbeing than for my physical appearance. Nothing comes close to that post workout feeling, it is literal therapy to me. I love to challenge myself and I love to work hard and feel like I've earned it, and I feel sluggish and not great on days I don't workout. Once you commit to a sort of movement daily, it will become a healthy addiction and the feeling that that brings is euphoric, if I say so myself. Just make sure you start easy and build on that.

Yeah nobody can control the snow except God. I'm not worried about the snow. It usually does snow in early November here in upstate NY but lately over the past 3 years or so it hasn't started snowing until Janurary. Hoping this year is another repeat of that. Time will tell. They gave me a whole booklet that my surgeon gave to me when he explained the various different surgeries to me and a bunch of other people about 7-8 months ago. It has everything that I need to know in it like what I'm supposed to be doing 2 weeks before my surgery 2 weeks afterwards ... everything. I just haven't had much time to give it a good going over its been a busy 7-8 months. They always ask me at the end of my appointments if I have any questions and I think I have some for my surgeon that I'll probably be asking him the day of my surgery so if I have any I can always ask. Most of my questions are medical questions though that I think only my surgeon can answer because I'm curious how my mental illness is going to affect my surgery and my weight loss journey after my surgery. It's definitely going to be more of a struggle than usual. Do all of your hunger pains and cravings usually go away with the surgery? Or do you still have to worry about the urge to eat?

If this experience taught me anything it was that the human body adapts - i was panicking my first week out of surgery i knew i wasn’t drinking enough broth and water and tea included. But my dietician just said you’ll see your body adapts as long as you keep sipping when you can - you do the best you can listen to your body. The internal swelling is no joke - you can feel perfectly fine on the outside but imagine the healing going on inside. You’ll actually be able to feel it go down a little each day and the restriction won’t be so harsh. I hit none of my hydration or protein goals the first few weeks 🤣 and i felt sooo bad about it but in the end it really isn’t the end of the world as long as you try to the best of your ability

I wish I could say from experience but I never made it to the maintenance phase with my sleeve and I’m early out from my revision. From being on the boards though it seems what most people do is to add like 100 healthy calories at a time and wait and see if that makes them gain and keep upping it until they find what their body is happy with. Of course if you level of activity or type of calories changes you may have to adjust so I think if you don’t choose to log your food daily you may want to at least spot check it like once a week just so you can see if your habits change gradually and keep on track for what works for your body. Congratulations on nearing maintenance!!

your surgeon is nuts - you just had major surgery! Of course you're going to get easily fatigued! I had to take naps in the afternoon for the first couple of weeks - and it was probably two months before I felt back to normal (although it got a little better every day...)

If you feel hungry grab a tsp of peanut butter. It helps and you get some protein. Dietitian just told me that yesterday I am 4 weeks post op