Search the Community

Programs are so different, but you should definitely be eating, or at least attempting, more solid foods by 8 weeks. In case this helps, I've just found this YouTube channel where a bariatric dietician is working through the food stages in the post op diet. I don't think she'll get to where you are until next week, but you might want to check her out: https://www.youtube.com/@BariatricFoodCoach Also, I found this video really helpful in explaining how to approach eating right after surgery:

You could be craving fat. Beef is one of the fattier meats and a low carb bibimbap dish would have been full of fat from the oil everything is sauteed in, and the egg, and the dressing. Plus Korean food often has fermented veggies which are really good for you. I crave Korean food and Japanese food a lot. I finally realized part of the reason why is because they eat a little bit of a lot of things. Banchan and Bento boxes! *swoon* Quantity doesn't satisfy me, I hate eating one thing per meal. I need a bite or two of multiple things to feel satisfied. A little fat, a little fiber, a little carb, a lot of protein...something crunchy, something sour or pungent, something a bit sweet, something creamy. I have to hit multiple of those categories to feel satisfied in a meal. So I eat a tablespoon or two of numerous things. Then I'm satisfied and happy, even if I'm not bursting at the seams full... So you might be needing more variety and a bit more fat?

I take an extended release ADHD med. Before I had surgery I discussed this with my prescribing psychiatrist and he was not concerned about absorption with gastric sleeve. However every med is different so I would recommend having this conversation with your doctor. I MUST have something to eat with my adhd med or I get nauseated. I have meds I have to take on an empty stomach and meds I have to take with food so timing is a bit of an issue for me. I cannot take my meds as early as I used to so they kick in a bit later and i have had to adjust to that.

Yep, I'm 9 months post-op and may or may not just be coming out of about a 3-week stall. It's very normal and expected to start slowing down, stalling, and having small weight gains at this point. I hit a low of 170.2 toward the end of October, immediately bounced up a pound, and didn't drop below that low point until 3 days ago. Personally, I find that whenever I hit a new low after a little bit of a stall, especially if it involves a large one-day drop (I went from 170.8 to 169.0 in a day), I'll usually bounce around a little before seeing any steady declines. Most people continue losing weight until at least 12 months, and sometimes a little bit more until 18 or 24 months. But with a lot more stalls, especially the closer you get to a "normal" BMI. (I'm about 14 pounds away from not being considered overweight by the medical charts). The important thing is to develop a healthy eating and exercise routine that is sustainable no matter what the scale says. If you're doing what is reasonable and recommended, keep doing it. There's no need to change what isn't broken. On the other hand, if you know you've been straying from your good habits, focus on getting back to where you know you should be. Eating healthy foods in the correct portions on a regular schedule, moving your body throughout the week, getting the right amount of protein, taking vitamins, and drinking water are all things you will be doing for the rest of your life, even though at some point the scale will stop going down. The advice I am giving myself these days is to try to separate those good things I am doing from the number on the scale. Because for me, if I start seeing weight loss as a "reward" for "being good", it makes it harder to continue the good lifelong habits when that "reward" inevitably goes away. It also won't do you any favors in the long run if you try to introduce a bunch of things you know you will never be able to maintain just to get the scale moving faster. I might be able to drop a few pounds really fast if I went back to 500 calories per day or re-did my 2 week liquid diet, but I can't live like that forever, so it's a false victory. I think we all have to find the right balance of habits we can maintain fairly steadily for a lifetime and a healthy weight we can maintain without torturing ourselves. And remember that just because you hit the 12-month mark doesn't mean the game is over. You can always introduce improvements to your nutrition or your exercise that will result in slow and steady changes over time. You don't have to workout 5 days a week for 2 hours a day if that isn't your thing, but if you add some resistance training a few times per week or an extra walk after dinner, you will see those results down the road.

Looking pretty fine there @Lilia_90. Actually @GreenTealael started a thread the other day where a few of us have started sharing our maintenance stories which you may find interesting. Link below. 😁 What you have gleaned already is certainly true: there are many different ways of successfully managing your maintenance. As I say, & say very often, the only right way is the way that’s right for you. In the beginning you may find you are a little more controlled about what you are doing but over time you become more flexible in your food choices, eating style & how often & how much you eat of certain things. As you progress you continue to learn more things about what you can & can do. Well that’s how I was & am now. Certainly more flexible about some things. Bring in maintenance didn’t stop me going out & socialising with friends & family. I just was & still am very conscious about what I chose to eat, how much I ate & ensured I still ate slowly. Sometimes you have to make the best decisions you can in the situation. They may not be perfect but you can’t beat yourself about it. It’s not like you’re doing it everyday. I don’t track, but do random checks especially when I introduce new foods or new recipes. It may be checking calories or looking at ingredients & swapping some out, weighing serves t check portion sizes (weighed my cooked vegetables last night as I’ve added some extra ones & wondered if I needed t adjust the portion) or changing the cooking methods. I usually weigh a few times a week. I do this as previously if I thought I was gaining I wouldn’t get on the scales - it’s not true if there’s no proof. So weighing myself every second or so day keeps me honest. PS: It takes time to get past the body dysmorphia & being able to see how you really truely look now with your weight loss. Even with the evidence of body measurements clothing sizes, photos, number on the scales it can be hard to see the reality. Those fears of looking ‘sickly thin’ are very real with the dysmorphia. Doesn’t help when people around you may still be playing catch up too: Oh, you’re so thin. Don’t lose anymore weight. You look too thin now. Try to ignore those comments & in some cases you may need to tell others to butt out & mind their own business. In time & with regularly looking at the evidence you’ll come to accept & see how you look now. Though I still am surprised sometimes by how I can comfortably fit in small seats & squeeze through tight spaces. Understanding the space I physically take up in relation to the physical space around me.

I think this is the time when you stop worrying about what you weigh and you start focusing on how you are living and how your body feels. Are you still hungry even though you just ate a meal that would've been fine for you a month ago? Maybe you need to add more veggies to fill yourself up. Do you feel weak? This could be a sign your body needs more fuel. Are you getting the exercise you need? Are you eating the foods you know provide balanced nutrition? Fix these types of things if they need fixing and let your body do what it will. You still have many months to go before your weight loss journey comes to a stop, so to speak. Ride it out and don't try to steer things too much. It may feel weird to be the weight you are now because you've never been this weight before, but let your body figure it out. You'll get used to it. And if you don't like where you land in the future, you can start eating more to gain.

I’m sorry you’re feeling this way. Break ups can be very hard. I had a bad one when I was about your age & went through a period of depression & anxiety. Ended up leaving my job & moving back home. The depression coloured everything in my life. It may be doing the same for you too & causing you to regret the surgery & a change of behaviour that has bought you many benefits (weight loss, health improvements, more active, fewer restrictions, etc,). Yes, I’m considerably older than you & that means I can look at things differently than you so I don’t mind if you think I’m talking rubbish & don’t understand. 🙂 My friends are big eaters & drinkers & the first couple of times we went out after my surgery I felt a little uncomfortable & conspicuous because I sipped one alcoholic drink for hours, took a while to eat & ordered small plates. Then I realised, I wasn’t going out with them to eat & drink, I was going out with them to spend time with them. What I ate or didn’t eat & what I drank or didn’t drink was irrelevant. It was our friendship that was important. We socialise often (though likely not as often as you). At each others’ homes, bars, fine dining restaurants, etc. My surgery & food choices haven’t stopped us or slowed us down once (oh, except when they wanted to go to an high tea with unlimited champagne - I rarely eat sweet & one glass of champagne would be ample so not worth it. We did dinner instead.) Actually one of my friends decided to have surgery the year after me though she is more flexible in her food & drinking choices than me. Another one wants to have the surgery. And the fourth in our group, has slowed her eating & is making better food & alcohol choices. Not for anything I’ve said. I guess I’ve become a bit of a role model for a healthier life. LOL! Maybe have a chat with someone, like a therapist, about how you’re feeling to help you work through this.

Yea well I’m not going to say that exercise is as fun as your favorite pasttime to start. It took motivation on my part to get started. Even at a smaller BMI than you I started by just going to the end of my street and worked my way up, But seeing the progress of being able to do it without being out of breath or my knees hurting as bad as I went further and further motivated me to do even more. Exercise is never going to be fun for most people. Although at this point I am doing different group classes and I like the ladies that I get to do it with so it’s about as fun as it can be. The surgery will help with losing weight and that makes it a bit easier to get around. You may also find you have a bit more energy. You will start with just getting around the house better, but if you try to do a bit more as your body can do it safely, you will see that it’s up to you at a certain point. . Everyone starts in a different place, if you are pretty much couch bound, talk to your doctor about a physical therapist to help you get started. I actually asked if they could have one help me just to do some of these exercises safely so I didn’t hurt my knees or my neck, but they said they are not trainers. They will help if your doctor thinks you really need it, though. If you just need motivation, Hopefully whoever you have as your support system will cheer you on if that’s all you need. I know that my husband sees how hard I am trying with my food choices and even the exercise that I do at home so he is doing everything he can to help with it if I have a late class for aerobics and he makes dinner or he got me some headphones so that I could listen to music while I’m walking. My friend helped me to get started by talking to me on the phone and she was walking at her house while I was walking around mine. Also, if you have local support group, i have been going to that and it really helps. But I don’t want to overwhelm you thinking about doing exercise that sounds unattainable right now. I was only trying to let you know that his surgery is life-changing and give you something to look forward to. You don’t have to think about all of that right now just focus on small goals Just being able to get around the house better will be a really good start. Some people choose not to ever really exercise. And of course that’s your choice too. Losing weight will still make you healthier, even without exercise.

I would second the idea of trying warm liquids - I found it much easier to hit my fluid targets this way. Have you thought about VLCD-type soups? They are high protein (because they're intended to contain a whole day's requirement in 3 servings). Alternatively greek yoghurt/skyr or protein yoghurts? One tub of the latter has 20g protein and I could usually manage one in two or three sittings at your stage. I also quite enjoyed the pureed food phase, although there's no way I would have come anywhere close to my protein goals on the volume I could manage a month post op. There are so many things to juggle with your new stomach. The first few weeks can be difficult, and we worry about everything at the start. I think you'll relax into it and be absolutely fine. Keep trying your best and asking for advice - there are so many people here with loads of experience to share.

I remember the first time I realized I have food noise. I was given Saxenda and several weeks into it as I increased the dose, I noticed that the mental pressure to eat was gone... It was like that voice that often brought up food throughout the day was suddenly silenced. I never even realized it was there before, it was such a familiar thing in my mental landscape it didn't occur to me that not everyone has that! GLP-1 medications in general are known for this side effect. Meds for ADHD like Vyvanse and anti-depressants like Wellbutrin are also known to help with this. When I went off my Ozempic before surgery, the voice came back with a vengeance!! I didn't have much of a appetite pre-op, but man did it come back post-op... For the first month I was sooo hungry. And the voice was SO loud. Thankfully I have a lot of techniques to manage inner voices, due to a decade of somatic based trauma therapy. I think without that, the process would have been so much harder for me. One thing that helps me the most is distinguishing that part as a PART of me, not ALL of me. So instead of "I'm hungry!" it is "I'm noticing a part of me feels hungry." This may seem like a weird distinction, but research has shown when we do this with emotions "A part of me is angry." vs "I'm angry!") it helps us create a little space between us and the feeling and helps us remember that there are other parts of us present and not all of them are caught up in the emotion of the moment. Remembering there are parts of ourselves that are like Switzerland helps us navigate internally when voices get loud. So I apply this to head hunger too. I identify the part of me that is hungry. I ask it what it needs. I validate its experience. And then I offer to just sit with it for a while and be present with the feeling of hunger. Then I let it know when we are next going to eat and orient that part to thinking of what we might want to eat at the coming meal. I'm sure this approach won't work for everyone, it is just what I tend to do. I notice when I hear the parts of me that feel things and give them some presence, they often start to soften, or have something important to tell me about what we are experiencing in that moment. For instance, I have severe ADHD. I get easily distracted and forget to eat. Post op it has been a struggle. That voice is there to remind me to tend my body. It may be louder than most people have it, but it still serves a purpose and when I can give it a job it tends to fight with me less. I eat every 3 hours. Without exception. If I go past 3 hours the voices get really loud and I feel sick, probably my blood sugar dropping... So I eat every 3 hours. But I eat within a 30 minute window, then I'm done. I don't snack in between. If my body tells me we need more food before the 3 hour mark I stop to reflect why this might be. If it is because I am bored, I find something to redirect the energy to and wait. If it is due to a workout or being sick and burning through energy faster. I may add in an earlier meal. Seeing my body as something to partner with, as something I have a relationship with that I want to be a GOOD relationship, seems to help me remember to treat my inner voices with kindness and compassion instead of judgment and irritation. If someone you were closely connected to constantly ignored you or snapped at you, over time you'd either get louder or go away. That is what I did to my body. So now when I hear the voice it is a reminder that this is something I'm working to relate to in a healthier way, so I choose a reaction to it like I'd choose a reaction to a friend reminding me to eat or drink water. Sorry for the long ramble, it just happens to be something I've been reflecting deeply on over the past 6 months!! ETA: I do take Wellbutrin for depression. I have never noticed it affecting that internal voice, but some notice an impact. If you are struggling deeply with this voice, you might consider a medication that can support you in this. I have a good friend who has ADHD and noticed when she started Vyvanse it significantly helped with the food noise and binging behavior. It isn't a good solution for everyone, but it is a good solution for some. ❤️

I am a month out now and I am happy I dropped 18 pounds but now it seems I am on a stall already. I am still not making protein or fluid requirements. I never drank 100 oz. A day of water in my life. I am so full I can’t seem to reach this 70 - 80 of protein. I am on foods well chewed now. I feel like every 21/2 hours drink then wait eat then wit drink shake. Nothing to drink a hour after you eat. There are not enough hours in the day! Ia week after my surgery I got Covid and my age it wasn’t easy. I am still out of sorts. Doc checked me and I’m ok. I need to do better. I just started walks and some bicycle. I am hoping my stamina gets better. If anyone has any tricks they do about how to manage better with foods, I would appreciate if you can share! Thanks so much!

Kosher pickles and the pickle juice were the saving grace for me. They were not on the approved food list but based on the nutritional information should be unless the patient is on an extreme sodium restriction diet. I confessed my addition to my doctor and amazingly pickles are now included on the group's pre-op diet.

20+ years later, I never tracked a thing related to food. Good luck, Tek

omg repurposing leftovers is one of my fave things to do! a sample of my "Leftovers MacGyver-ing" (yes i take pictures food every. single. day. ...almost...i have an album titled "random food pics" on my phone hahahhaha) in order of appearance: 1. leftover baked potatoes into chunky cream of potato soup with bacon and cheddar 2. leftover cheesecake into cheesecake brownies 3. leftover dahl and sweet potato fries into curried sweet potato soup BONUS: also used leftover pita bread to make the croutons on top. 4. blueberry yogurt that was about to expire into yogurt bread

I sympathize. I had to drink liquids for 2 weeks. Now I'm nearly a week into the puree stage. 3 more to go. I started detesting anything sweet. Why in the world do all shakes taste like some sort of cake, powder or premades. Even the flavorless powders aren't truly flavorless. Puree stage is difficult too because I don't enjoy most foods the consistency of babyfood, but its only a season.

Thank you for saying that! I worry that I eat too much, I too, eat every 1.5-2hrs small meals and my days are long. I also feel like all I do is think about food, and think about my next work out instead of enjoying what I look like. I think its become an unhealthy obsession. My cravings for sweets are coming back full force. Last night I ended up drinking a zero sugar Nestle hot chocolate 2tb for 25 cal with unsweetened almond milk and hot water so iI would refrain from eating Ben & Jerrys ice cream that's in the freezer. I have found myself with a TBL measuring spoon eating 1 or 2 different flavors. Then I freak out and weigh myself. Or the kids are eating M&M's ill grab 1 or 2. My restriction is not fierce even though I wish it was! I have only overate 1x and I haven't felt that feeling again and never want to, which is why I stick to small meals. No more than 3-4oz total. I was at 1000 cal for a couple of months it wasn't till recently I creeped up to 1300 but my body seems to be happier here. Last couple of days I have been eating 1450-1500 and still lost a lb. I do track everything even my little bites, licks and tastes but ya know they aren't super accurate. *sigh* I am an overthinker and this is not the first time I have lost 100lbs (did it with Weight Watchers in my 20's before having kids) and I gained my weight back after a year so I can't get out of my own head.

Hi, my name is Krislynn, Kris, or just K., I'm new to this forum. I found it researching more about the duodenal switch. I turned 42 in July this year, and my highest weight before my first surgery was 536. I had the gastric sleeve in June 2017. The first year was a great learning experience in learning about healthy foods, changing my mindset, and what I needed to do to get healthy. That first year, I lost 221 lbs. But, then when I went back for the 2-year check-up, the surgeon that took care of me, had left the hospital and program and they informed me they had no one for me to see. But, then Covid hit shortly after that-- then I lost my job and ended up sitting home 2 years and gained close to 200 lbs back of what I lost and that was crippling to me because all my old health problems came right back. during all this happening, my mom and I chose to move from California to Indiana to be closer to my sister, I decided I couldn't take care of my mom who has declining health because of her weight too, has been type 2 diabetic for more than 20+ years at this rate with my health starting to decline again too. So I reached out to the weight loss doctors here, I spent 6 months Feb-Aug '24 taking off 70+ lbs by following their 1200 calorie diet, getting back into a healthy mindset. It's a struggle at times, and sometimes I take two big steps forward, and then I end up taking a big step backward, it's a daily walk. once I completed the mandatory 6-month medical weigh-ins, things moved quickly, I got approved by the psychologist, and then the insurance approved me to have the Duodenal Switch or SADIS surgery quickly, within a week I heard back. My new surgeon who's great, got me scheduled quickly after I finished all the required testing, and preop classes, this Monday, the 11th at 7 AM. I am feeling nervous because even though every test they've made me do has come back normal and negative, I am 7 years older and worry that something might possibly happen. I keep reminding myself, that I've already had the sleeve, so I won't be under that long, just long enough for him to do the switch. so basically, I'm going to go to sleep and then wake up on the other side of it. Can anyone who has had this surgery, give some advice or maybe just let me what to expect after this kind of surgery? The last time I woke up the only thing I remember is the immense pressure I felt on my chest from them feeling my stomach with gas to do the surgery. And The surgeon told me unfortunately I would be dealing with that again because it's something unavoidable. So, I'm prepared for that. Love to everyone, Krislynn☺️💜

UGH - Just UGH - I'm an idiot. I KNOW what to do.... but can't seem to get back into the game. Up almost 15lbs from my lowest and can't seem to get it back under control. A couple of weeks ago, I put some slacks away because they no longer fit comfortably. It just about made me sick to toss my "goal pants" on a shelf. As I type this, I'm thinking I need to go back to where I started. Put those bad boys back in the closet, try them on weekly (like I used to) until they fit right again. STOP wearing the comfortable stretchy leggings that I wore when I was losing weight... It's so easy to get comfortable at this point. I guess this is really just a rant (and a warning): don't get comfortable. Pay attention and BEFORE things get out of control, get back on track. It's much easier to lose 5 than 15. I tend to be a social eater/drinker vs. emotional so I know that I need to make sure I have the right (raw veggies and fruit) foods available when in social gatherings instead of the "standard" snack foods (charcuterie boards are my absolute downfall). Knowing I will have an adult beverage, making sure I'm also drinking a water in between to at least slow myself down.... Putting on those ill-fitting shorts at home to remind myself NOT to over indulge. Make small changes every week instead of trying to go all-in with a "pouch reset" (which I fail miserably at every time I try). Take pictures and compare. Anything it takes to remind yourself of WHY you did this to begin with. TRACK - Whew, I can't say that enough... TRACK. My failure to track is why I am where I am. When I see what's going in, it's a real eye-opener.

nope, doesn't look like you are doing anything wrong. you are losing weight, you are feeling good and your doc has no complaints. sounds like you are doing everything right. my first 3 months post op was all about food aversion and stomach restriction. i didn't make my protein goals for 3 months. my was tired and faint-y. everyone gets to their "place" in their own way and speed. no need to change what ain't broke.

It’s been a really frustrating week. It took me right back to the feelings I had when trying yet another weight loss regime and getting nowhere 😡 I have been trying new things this week plus sticking to my eating plan. However my weight has been all over the place, even though my calories have averaged 1400 per day, my protein intake around 100g and my carbs between 100 - 140g. I’d forgotten a couple of basic things - my body doesn’t do well losing weight when I’m throwing down a handful of pain killers 3 times a day and I didn’t check my salt intake. I retain water like mad when I have high salt foods which a couple of the new things I’d tried this week had (looking at you low fat sausages 👀) But, lesson learned with that, especially as I had bookmarked these sausages when I had to complete the liver reduction diet (allowed on my NHS trusts plan) Better to know now and not later when I know it would have sent my in to a proper flap! Overall, a whole 1lb down this week. Not a roaring success by any means but I did stick to plan and I didn’t fall headfirst into things I shouldn’t! Plus I am at a lower weight now than my initial reported weight to the clinic by the GP so that’s a positive 😊 Onwards and Downwards!

Thank you @SleeveToBypass2023 @Bypass2Freedom and @JennyBeez for your kind, supportive comments. All are very much appreciated 😄 @SleeveToBypass2023 I know my carbs are a little high but they are around half of what they were a couple of weeks ago! I’m trying to reduce the amount slowly but surely. I have to be careful as I did high protein/low carb around 12 years ago and lost 8.5 stones. Unfortunately this wasn’t sustainable for me which resulted in gaining back the loss and a couple of extra stones, just because I could 🙄 I need to try and find a balance between carbs and protein so it’s a constant work in progress at the moment. @Bypass2Freedom 💜 @JennyBeez oh, it’s definitely a learning experience! I’m happy that I didn’t end up sabotaging myself by listening to that little voice saying ‘it’s not working, have a pizza/chocolate bar/bag of crisps to make you feel better’. These small wins will all add up to something more substantial, I know they will. Salt is a sneaky little thing but it will remind me to be more aware. I will be glad to have my dietitian appointment in August, just to discuss everything. I’m weighing and recording everything that goes in my mouth on the Nutracheck app. I’ve changed how my nutrient choices are recorded so it shows my salt intake now, as well as carb, protein and calories so I can make adjustments as and when I need to. I would love to be someone who doesn’t have to think about food!

I've been unable to do rice (which is a shame since in my culture 90% of our food is rice based) and maybe because I ate too fast before but sandwiches have been a bit tough but I'll try again. Haven't tried pasta since the surgery. And I'm trying with the protein through bars and shakes; haven't tried making porkchops and steaks, although I do luncheon/charcuterie meat, korean short ribs, bbq (as slow cooked/smoked meat has been easy to digest) but I still get full and don't feel like eating more than that for the rest of the day (which again, only eat two meals a day at most).

I thought the same and my doctor told me that for the first few months he would be happier for me to take the pills to be sure until I was through the food phases etc. that I was getting enough vitamins. At times he sounds like a sales rep for the bariatric branded vitamins, which I don't get through him so makes no difference to him, but of course they are about three times the price here of non-bariatric ones. My blood tests so far have all show high vitamin levels (other than K) so now I am just down to one multi vit a day plus calcium & D2, then I add in a cod liver one as I can't eat fish. It's exhausting remembering to take them all on top of a daily reflux pill plus HRT!

Not everyone is given calorie goals. I wasn’t. There are some discussions about calories & a push to concentrate more on the quality of food you are eating. 500 calories is 500 calories regardless of wherever it’s a meal of steamed fish & vegetables or a burger & fries. However the nutrient difference is significant. However, if you would feel more comfortable with some caloric guidelines for as you progress, you have every right to ask for them. Beware though you may not be able to meet the caloric goals for a while & that’s okay. As long as you’re hitting those protein & fluid goals & slowly incorporating some vegetables you’ll be fine. I was given portion size guidelines: 1/4 - 1/3 of a cup from purée slowly increasing to a cup at 6 months slowly increasing again to be about accepted recommended portion sizes. So for example 3-4ozs of protein & a cup of vegetables which is where you likely will be around maintenance. Your advice may be different but our needs are likely different too. But it may be a starting point until you get a more definitive response from your dietician. PS Congratulations on your surgery.

Tomorrow is the big day! May 1. May Day! On the liver shrinking diet, the first two days and the last two days were the hardest. The first two days, I was ravenous and it took every ounce of willpower I had not to eat. By day 3, it wasn't a big deal. My particular diet called for 3 shakes, 1 serving of protein mix soup, a protein bar, a banana (for the potassium), and up to 3 sugar free gelatines. Plus as much zero cal clear drink I could stand. By day 3, I LIVED for that banana and protein bar. These last two days with no solid food at all has been tough. My sense of smell has ramped up significantly. Everything smells fantastic! I'll provide an update after the procedure is finished and I'm lucid again. I'm somewhat nervous about the discomfort, but I'm sure I'll be able to weather it. Wish me luck!