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If you’ve undergone gastric sleeve surgery and are experiencing sleep apnea, our expert Sleep Apnea Doctor in Brookfield can help. We specialize in diagnosing and treating sleep apnea that may develop or worsen following bariatric surgery. At Advanced Sleep and TMJ Solutions, our comprehensive approach ensures you receive personalized care and effective treatment to improve your sleep quality and overall health. See more: https://advancedsleepandtmjsolutions.com/sleep-apnea-treatment/

Just wanted to pop by and give my experience! I am about 3 months post-op, and I was asking exactly the same thing in my very early days. I remember reading so much on here about people having high restriction, and feeling full after a few mouthfuls, and I just wasn't feeling that whilst I was on the liquid/puree stages! I had to ask my bariatric nurse if this is normal 🤣She told me that because the 'food' I was having was still essentially a liquid, it passes through the new stomach easily, hence why you don't really get a feeling of fullness. It made sense to me! So don't worry if you aren't feeling any full signals just yet. It is only once I started eating more solid foods that I was like...wow...okay, so this is what restriction feels like! As others have said, it can vary from person to person, but I definitely feel a tightness in my tummy/chest, sometimes I get little hiccups and generally just feel a bit bloated. I still use my FitBit to time 1 minute between every bite, just so I know I am taking it slow, and I have found this works for me! Best of luck on your journey

@Hiddenroses i am taking the chewable calcium from barimellts for now but will be switching back to my bariatric advantage chews because they taste like candy and I’m addicted. , I am doing the bariatric advantage chewable multi with ADEK and low iron for now and I have the SADI specific all in one vitamin from pro care health for later which has the ADEK, a higher iron content, and some other things that we need but I need to be able to consume a little more first. I used to take their regular multi post sleeve with 45mg of iron after a full protein shake but this one has 60mg iron, plus when i’m sipping slowly as I’m supposed to to let my intestines heal it takes almost an hour to get the whole shake down which I feel like at that point half of it is out of my stomach and I don’t want to vomit. (The iron is what makes you vomit without food). At my one month appt I will ask to see if it’s safe for me to drink A little quicker. I Know after my sleeve as my stomach healed I naturally started drinking a little faster by then so I’m guessing I can. i love that you’re creating new recipes and figuring out what works. Just FYI, I was told no strawberries Yet. I guess the seeds can get stuck in the incisions. Actually I was told nothing with skins or seeds. Although it sounds delicious and could be a go to if you don’t feel like cooking or are in a hurry later down the road. Oh yea everyone, for future reference this has some pretty good ideas for adding into cottage cheese. https://www.popsugar.com/food/cottage-cheese-stir-ins-27035442 You know I actually have never even tried cottage cheese which is why I was searching for ideas. I am picking some up tomorrow after my dr appt but I need to come up with ideas that I can add during purée to mix in with it if anyone has any ideas.

Bariatric fusion.com has quite a few recipes that look like they may actually be good when we get back to normal foods. And lots of protein shake and purée recipes too. Just FYI

Hi,these are my concerns:1-Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS),2-Gout,3-Knee pain.I'll appreciate any experiences about these comorbidities,after the weight loss.Thanks in advance!

I am going to recommend something I personally subscribe to, which is the online support groups through the Pound of Cure Weight Loss's nutrition program. It's $49 per month and you get unlimited online groups and classes, including groups run by Dr. Weiner, the bariatric surgeon, and Zoe, the registered dietician. They are both so nice and really helpful in answering questions and offering thoughtful advice. While he's not in your area (the practice is in Arizona), I know he's one of the few doctors out there who is happy to take patients who had surgeries elsewhere. If you're not already familiar with Dr. Weiner's book Pound of Cure, I can't suggest it enough. I bought it from Amazon last summer and it helped me start turning around my nutrition while I was waiting for surgery. Their podcast and video series on YouTube are also invaluable.

Finding a reliable dietician who is knows a thing or two about bariatric surgery is hard to do in my area. I went to Carmel, Indiana for my surgery.

I have not found a practice that will accept me since they didn't do my original surgery. I tried to go through my local Bariatric Center...I was even referred there by their surgeon who removed my gallbladder but they only saw me once and said that was all they were willing to do since I didn't have them do my original procedure. My PCP monitors my labs for me.

Hello everyone. I am a 63 year old grandmother from Indiana. I had RNY about 9 years ago and I've gotten way off track. Although I've lost 100 pounds I really need to lose way more. I lead a very inactive life due to arthritis in my lower back. I get short of breath very easy. My inability to follow the plan is my fault entirely because I just let things happen. I really had no support from the center that did my surgery which is surprising since they are a "Bariatric Center of Excellence". The dieticians don't follow up, my surgeon retired. I now suffer from low blood sugars to the point where I should really be calling EMS......I am talking in the 50's...once it got to 46. Needless to say I couldn't function and my husband had to take charge. Prior to surgery I had high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and some other stuff. My blood pressure and sleep apnea have gone away and my blood sugar has went the other direction where it runs too low sometimes. I go through days of it being way too low and then weeks of it being fantastic then we repeat the cycle. I need to get back on a routine and an eating plan that works for me. How does one get back on track at this point?

Only being able to eat small portions is very normal & to be expected especially only being 3 months out. Remember how small your tummy is now. Your stomach is also still tight from the surgery but it does soften over time & becomes a little more flexible as so you slowly will be able to eat more than you can in the initial period. Initially I was eating 1/4 - 1/3 cup from purée & was barely eating a cup of food at 6 months but by years two or three I was eating pretty much an appropriate portion of food for e.g, about 3ozs of meat & a cup of vegetables. Most fast food & chain restaurants servings are hugely bigger (like 2, 3 or more times larger) than what is an actual recommended portion size so leftovers are expected. If eating out, order an appetiser or ask to share a main with someone else. And ask to take leftovers home. I always had left overs in my fridge from unfinished meals. Actually I still do - right now I have left over rolled oats from breakfast (I’ll eat it as an afternoon snack) and some leftover beef cheeks & vegetables from last night’s dinner. Usually it’s because I’m not all that hungry or simply have had enough. The reason behind eating slowly is for us to learn to be more conscious of actually eating & to consider whether we really need the next bite or just wanting the next bite or mindlessly shovelling food into our mouths. Also it takes at least 20 minutes for the message you are full to register. If you eat quickly you can easily eat to excess & way past being full and not eating only what you need. I also love my microwave if food gets too cold. Constipation is common. It becomes less common once you’re close to your final weight & when you’re eating a more balanced diet and larger portions. Add a non swelling soluble fibre and keep on top of the constipation by taking an over the counter medication. I’d take coloxyl if I got to day 3 without movement. And as @learn2cook suggested, speaking with a therapist (your bariatric team should be able to recommend someone with experience in disordered eating if you need) can be very helpful. All the best.

On the one hand, the farther out from surgery you get, the more you can physically eat. This is normal at a year post-op, and may have coincided with the timing of your poor food choices. But if you have been going "off track" by eating a bunch of slider foods, that will in part explain why you don't feel any restriction. The more you focus on eating lean protein and high-fiber veggies, the more full you will likely feel. Your tool never goes away, but your nutrition becomes even more important the more your body can eat. My suggestion is to skip the "pouch reset" where you go through the stages of food. There's nothing magical about eating puree and drinking shakes. You were supposed to do that because your stomach had just been slice open and stapled up. What you should do is go back to a bariatric diet. This means eating protein first, veggies second, carbs third. It means portion control, eating at planned intervals, avoiding sugar and fat. It means waiting 30 minutes after you eat before you drink (not because you can't physically drink, but because doing so can contribute to hunger), and making sure you get a minimum of 64oz of water every day (but 90 oz is probably better). Instead of revisiting the first few weeks after surgery, meet your body where it is now. Plan three high protein, healthy meals for yourself each day. For breakfast, you might try making two eggs, a serving of spinach, and some roasted sweet potato. For lunch, you could try a salad with 4 oz of chicken and some black beans, plus lots of veggies. For dinner, make yourself 4 oz of salmon, a serving of broccoli, and a serving of quinoa. Space your meals evenly throughout the day, around 5 hours apart. See if that amount of food fills you up. If it does, you're pretty much where you probably should be at this stage. If it doesn't, add more veg to your plate at meal times, and allow yourself up to two healthy snacks, such some fresh raw veggies and a ranch dip made from Greek yogurt, and maybe a bowl of fresh berries with Coolwhip and nuts for dessert. My guess is, if you focus on eating the right things and not eating simple carbs and high fat comfort foods, you will start feeling much better.

My gastric sleeve which I just had surgery in April I would say is super restrictive. Now some other bariatric groups I am in they expressed concerns because they felt they could still eat a lot of food. A lot of this journey is mental and I am unsure if those who were saying they felt they could eat more than they should was still battling the mental aspect of surgery. It's the best thing you could do. It's a chance to start anew.

Hello @Averdra ! I'm so glad that you decided to speak up and join us! I feel honored to have helped inspire you - I was a big RP junkie on WoW and it even overflowed to Tumblr there for a while, for me Man, Covid is such a bear to deal with! I completely feel you on the delay - My 24 year old son moved from Missouri to Portland Oregon in the summer of 2021 and I was BEYOND excited for him to come visit me last fall. The date approached; and I got Covid for the FIRST time about four days before he was scheduled to land. It was heartbreaking to have to socially distance visit with him; he still wanted to come to be able to see his Granny and other family, plus had everything scheduled off work at that point. We risked ONE hug with my double masked, wearing plastic gloves Stupid Covid, screwing things up! That said - yeah, the dehydration weirdness that Covid can cause and the cough - it's so much better to be safe than sorry. Hopefully yours passed quickly without any lingering negative side effects. Welcome to the club, fellow WoW nerd! You certainly don't need to worry about 'jumping in' - we're all going through this at our own pace and the conversation it TOTALLY open! To @draikaina8503 - Yes, you DO got this! You're so very close now! Don't forget (if you're going to!) that this is the time to take those post op photos and measurements! We're here cheering for you to have as pain free a surgery process and recovery as possible Enjoy your sugar free popsicles if you're allowed them - not sure if it's allowed in the clear liquid state. Also, I will say that when it comes to the shakes try to prepare yourself some variety, if you can! I ended up doing french vanilla and chocolate for several days and thought I was going to lose my mind! I'm way regretting all this 'cream of' soup that I got because they just taste beyond awful to me (maybe it's the 98% free? Idk.) and wishing I'd gotten more chicken noodle soup to strain. I got a container of chicken broth but it tastes SO plain. @Onemealplan - I meant to comment previously - I've been having a lot of upper left shoulder pain as well. I wonder if maybe I had a nerve block as well - my pain hasn't been severe unless I move wrong or stand for too long trying to DO something like cook for my family, Your suggestion of a thermal cup dinged a bell for me - My fella has one of those I'll totally be using! Oh and @ShoppGirl that IS a really good idea, with the warmer. I had already been thinking along those lines but I figured I'd just set my little plate on a heating pad turned on high lol Welcome and congratulations on getting your surgery date, @caseyash30! It will be here before you know it! I just woke up from a nap and I'm pushing my limited a little to have something NOT a shake - I stirred a little bit of low fat cottage cheese in with some of my sugar free vanilla yogurt for variety. I'm mashing the heck out of the cottage cheese part and eating super slowly while also sipping a little bit of chicken broth I warmed up SLIGHTLY and added a touch of salt to. Hopefully everything sits right; so far so good. Other than water and splitting a Strawberry Premier shake 30g Protein between breakfast and lunch this is the only other thing I've 'eaten' today. I know I'm not 'graduated' to puree yet but good gravy I've been following everything to a T as far as instructions. I may have missed someone here - Oh! @ShoppGirl - Thanks for sharing a bit about yourself. To ME you seemed like Superwoman getting everything so prepared - and I completely understand that anxiety that the progress you made will be lost. I'm cheering you on and betting it won't, though! Every friend of mine I've seen go through Bariatric surgery so far ended up finding themselves bursting with energy by about month 3, and they really threw themselves into cleaning and organizing in an effort to keep busy. I've struggled with depression, anxiety, and overthinking, so I am hoping the same for myself! I didn't get as much pre-cleaning done as I would have liked and as expected, looking at the clutter is driving me up the wall! On the upside, having these mobility issues has clued me in to a few that I've now taken steps to solve for my Mother, who I live with and help care for. She was always reluctant to take regular showers and I didn't understand it until I went to shower myself and it occurred to me - the grab bar on the side of the tub is totally inadequate if you are unsteady, and there needs to be one mounted to the wall. I've already taken steps to make that happen and am very glad that this afforded me the realization @Pepper_No_Salt - Woot! You're so close as well! I hope the liquid portion of your pre-surgery diet goes smoothly and we're here cheering for your surgery and recovery to be as gentle and painless as possible! @AndreaJD - Congratulations on getting through it! Yeah, the gas pain can be SO real. I hope your recovery is going smoothly! Congratulations to @Everyone on your progress, again, sorry if I missed anyone!

Tonight I went to the required education session that my NHS Trust has as a non-negotiable requirement of being accepted for surgery. I will be honest and say I was left feeling completely underwhelmed with it. There was about 16 of us, all pre-op but at different stages of the required tests etc plus some family members (hubby went with me) There was also a Bariatric nurse, a dietitian and a former patient who had had the bypass in 2022. She explained her journey but it seemed very…I don’t know, sterile? Wrong word I know but I don’t know how else to explain her approach. She’s obviously happy with how it all turned out for her but it all seemed very whitewashed, which I found odd. She only mentioned one case of dumping syndrome but everything else was a walk in the park, which had me internally questioning things. She said she was currently in a months long stall but again, everything was hunky-dory. Someone asked about a typical days eating and it seemed really carb-heavy - toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, cheese and crackers for a snack, sausage and chips or mash for dinner etc etc. I asked about what additional protein she had - didn’t/couldn’t answer, asked about exercise - some walking and that’s about it. She mentioned hair loss being an issue but that it all grew back and was great. I know I’m being picky but I honestly wanted a more rounded discussion about of lots of different challenges that we could face with WLS and living the life post-op. I’d say out of the group that was there, maybe 5 had done any wider reading or research. I did find out that the hospitals approach to caffeine post-op is you can have a couple of cups of tea/coffee a day but they would rather patients filled up on foods/drinks that added protein, especially at the beginning. I also found out about the vitamins they give you and that they put the timings on the boxes to aid patients with timings etc, which was useful. Something that was bothering me was if my BMI dipped below 40, would I still be considered for surgery as I don’t have any co-morbidities like diabetes, heart issues etc. I need to get it below 40 before I will be considered for knee surgery, and I’m hoping that will happen end of Oct/beginning of Nov all being well. I was reassured about that, saying that they go off the booking weight reported by the GP when referred initially 🙂 I will be completely honest and say that, apart from some very specific questions I had of my hospital, I actually find this forum of much more use and beneficial to me personally. I have found out so much information from people who are further along in their own WLS journey, plus I know I’ve felt really supported by lots of very lovely and helpful users. There is such a wealth of experience on here that I know that if I have a question, someone will be along to answer it! Roll on the dietitian appointment next week 🤞

@Greekmom4 - Yay! I'm so happy for you to be close to purees! I don't get to have that step until Monday. Do the shakes not treat you well? I'm pretty burned out on them and they are admittedly a little pricy but getting down two of the 30g Protein Premier/Equate/Ensure has been the easiest way for me to meet my protein goals. Premier has a crazy amount of flavors and I'd put them in the lower-mid-range price point. I really like the Strawberry and as a long time coffee lover I will say the Caramel mixed with decaf coffee was a nice morning 'perk' that made me feel a little more like a normal human. The Banana one was ok, to me. I splurged and got their variety pack first off of Walmart. It's pricier that way per shake but at least lets you decide what flavors you like before committing to a four pack (or more) purchase of a given flavor. Also - 1000% agree on the bending! That's one factor I hadn't considered because I haven't had previous major surgeries - not to have things on the FLOOR that I need, lol. Thankfully my fella has been pretty patient about getting things for me that are out of reach. @ShoppGirl - I'm really glad you decided not to vacuum! I know how frustrating it is and must be for someone who seems so on top of things as you are, but try to be gentle with yourself! Recovering from either a gallbladder surgery OR bariatric surgery is a LOT, and you're doing both! Enjoy having that support person - and remember, I'm sure there are times when he leans on you, so it's totally ok to lean on him during this process. You'll be feeling like a million bucks and able to be Superwoman again before you know it!

I had a sleeve done years ago and, for me, I would lose in spurts, so maybe this is just a spurt and you will level off for a week or so and *boom* spurt again. But I wouldn't worry until you've had the chance to talk to your bariatric doctors office. Odds are they will be like, "that's great! good job!" 😀

Hello everyone! I see that the mid-month surgeries will be starting, some as of today! I'm am a week and a day post-op and have to say - I'm SO tired of being on a liquid diet and am absolutely counting down to this next Monday when I get to start purees. I'm telling myself I'm excited about purees, anyway - but I think I'm more looking forward to being able to have intake that isn't 'room temperature'. I've struggled to enjoy my pudding (sugar free, made with protein shake) because while cold it starts out nice and thick but as it begins to warm it gets slimy and watery I had things I wanted to respond to from the many posts I've just caught up on and by golly I'm going to try to tag multiples in this post and see if it works! *Please* forgive me if this is long; I'm a writer (unpublished but working on it - fantasy for anyone curious - so overwriting tends to be my worst tendency!) To start with, since I think this will affect pretty much everyone - I had an amazing revelation a couple of days ago that made PERFECT sense. Colace / Docusate is a stool softener, NOT a laxative! A friend of mine is a research junkie about medications (I am about almost everything BUT that) and shared a video to me of a Pharmacist talking about the absurd cost for Docusate / Colace considering what it IS. Miralax and Senna are laxatives, all Colace / Docusate does it provide lubrication to your stools so they will be easier to pass. I'm pretty irritated about this, honestly, because whileI can see the purpose of Colace/Docusate if you're severely constipated it won't actually get things 'Moving'! Literally >. I can attest to this being true because during my liquid diet the only times I had stools were when I took Senna - (obv check with your doctor/pharmacist, but seriously this helped me SO much because post-op I was again at 5 days without a stool, took some Senna, and bam.) To @AndreaJD and @Singingbarista , our Multi-care Clinic twinsies - How's it going?! This is your week!! I'm so excited for you both and hope your surgeries go great. You've both been wonderfully helpful and insightful in all the support you've offered and I'm eager to hear from you on the other side of the adventure! @AndreaJD - I just love your attitude SO much. Yes; we are certainly in a marathon for the next few months and NOT a sprint! I'm also rethinking my approach to food and looking forward to exploring new recipes. I find myself reading and re-reading my dietary instructions. I get a bit overly excited for my family's meals, savoring the smells and almost a bit resentful when they are NOT excited about the variety of foods that are available to them to eat. My fella says he wishes I'd stop vicariously trying to 'eat' through him - and I told him that's just tough, lol. I'm going to keep right on suggesting all of the available items like a waitress at a diner selling the food until I can eat a better variety myself! To @Justarwaxx and @Mandalynne- Today is your day!! I have you both in my thoughts and hope everything goes well for you! @Justarwaxx - Welcome to the forum, I'm so glad you joined us! @Mandalynne - Oh I'm SO glad to hear that my mentioning the Finch app helped someone! I'm rather ND myself (in case you couldn't tell from my rambling responses lol) and for me, Finch has been almost as life-changing as this surgery. Everything always felt overwhelming and scattered, with me constantly struggling to 'get on track' with endless efforts of organizational methods, then I would slide right back 'off track' for however long. My friend code on there is YJAMJAC79Y if you want to add my to your 'Tree Friends' lol - no offense taken if you don't! I can't believe they said only ONE day in the hospital for your surgery?! Surely they will keep you longer than THAT - it's pretty invasive! Please give us an update once you're situated and feel up to doing so! Also, I'm SO with you on enjoying the smells of food cooking! I keep looking at some blueberries and strawberries that are sitting in the fridge and literally pushing my Mom and fella to enjoy a popsicle for me, lol. I can't WAIT until I'm off this room temperature everything!! Update: I'm so sorry your surgery date was postponed! Hey there @draikaina8503 - Greetings, fellow nerd-friend! Your response about playing D+D & WoW resonated with me! I, too, am a gamer and nerd! ❤️ I have tried so many times to revisit WoW but it just is NOT the same now that I don't have all of my old friends and guildies from the 2007-2015 era around I have played WoW since 2004 on and off, and now have somewhat given up and just play Sims4. I love being able to create story and be immersed in my gaming, and always felt guilty to move into the territory of roleplaying storyline with folks when I never knew how long I'd 'stick around' on a given revisit to the game. But here you are, only *two days* away from your surgery! I hope that everything goes smoothly for you and that they aren't stingy with the pain relief. Ice packs have been SO helpful for me, as I previously stated, and making yourself get up and walk as soon as possible will help alleviate the gas pain. I had them get me a fresh ice pack each time before I went walking and would hold it pressed to my surgical area while pushing the stupid IV pole with my other hand. Remember, too, it's the act of walking and NOT the speed! You'll almost certainly feel the burps start to rise up and the relief that comes with that is as Shoppgirl said - it feels like a rainbow after a storm once the tooting and burps begin. Also; I appreciate you sharing that you're going through this as an individual with Au/ADHD; I'm on a wait list right now for testing and your mention reminded me that I need to follow up on that! As a result of my opening the different pages of this thread in different tabs I feel SO much more able to handle making a response all in one go like this! For anyone having trouble tagging you have to do the @ symbol, then start typing the name of the person you want to tag with a capitol letter. It will bring up a list at that point and the more letters you type the shorter that list of names will get - you can then tap on the right name (or click, if you're using a mouse - hope this helps!) I actually just noticed by combing through that @Pepper_No_Salt is also an 8/16 surgery ! You and @draikaina8503 are indeed surgery twins, just like you said! I bet you're starting to *really* feel it now! Or did they not get you scheduled back for the same day? I am SO glad that you got that issue corrected - I was mad on your behalf when I saw that it was cancelled! Hello and welcome, @Farhad , and congratulations on your surgery! Which one did you have, if I missed it, and how are you doing? I hope your pain is being managed well and that are having a good recovery. It sure is wild how quickly we fatigue now, isn't it? I learned around days 5-7 post-op that standing and doing anything that requires movement side to side causes me a lot more tenderness than when I slowly walk forward for the same amount of time, and couldn't for the life of me understand why. I guess it just makes a difference on how the incisions are pulled or tugged. I've got staples that I sure HOPE they take out Thursday because I'm SO tired of them pulling and feeling weird as a rough surface on my skin. To @Onemealplan - Thanks for your post and all of your great reminders that this journey will be very individualized experiences. We can see similarities but I've also definitely noticed how varied some of the doctor's orders for pre and post-op are. I was feeling jealous of @ShoppGirl for her ice chips, but then again she ALSO had a much longer pre-op diet than I did and we both were going in for a SADI surgery. My doctor ordered me to start with the vitamins as soon as I got home from the hospital, and I was here worrying about how I didn't re-start my calcium until yesterday because even though I ordered Bariatric calcium because it was STILL three big pills, so I reordered a chewable and it just got here yesterday. I will say the chewy Fusion style Calcium ones are tasty and felt like a brief reintroduction to flavor town, lol. I also appreciate what you said about the difference between physical and mental hunger - that's 100% true for me. The 'idea' of food sounding nice to me I've been treating as a craving for flavor, and I've taken to trying to sate that with different flavors of water beverages and a rare sugar free candy like a jolly rancher. I don't know if I'm supposed to allow myself those or not, but so far thankfully haven't had any negative consequences for having the occasional one. The visit to flavor town is certainly a welcome break from this shake monotony. Welcome and congratulations to you @Greekmom4! I'm taking the Prilosec as well and am right along with you, today I am 8 days post-op. Have you been experiencing nausea still? I'm not sure if it's due to my type of surgery but I've not had much nausea in a while, thankfully. Granted, I am trying super hard to alternate sipping water/sugar free Gatorade/Propel every 15 minutes and a bit of a 30g Protein shake every 15 minutes most of the time when I'm not napping - which seems I can never really do, because whenever I go to get flat or semi-flat I feel the settling in my chest of burps that will only come up if I sit upright fully and/or walk. I have been fortunate (I guess??) to be able to meet my protein goals for the past several days; the 30g Protein drinks are SUPER filling and feel a little heavy, especially felt very heavy at first. Finally - to @ShoppGirl - I was rereading and realized that of COURSE your journey was different than mine, not only because we have pre-surgery differences but also because they took out your Gallbladder as well! I'm so glad you're starting to get some relief due to the burping and such. I agree, the post-surgery bowel movement made a world of difference. See also above where I discussed learning the difference between the Colace and Senna/Miralax! You're a go-getter, that's for sure! I personally wouldn't recommend vacuuming today even though I know you're SO eager to get back to being productive. You may have already done it lol - I wouldn't be surprised! Thanks for the reminder to get up and move; I took longer writing this big response post than I should have and even though I have my ice pack in my lap I know I'm way overdue to get up and move around a bit. I enjoy you your sterile strips, I've got a total of 12 staples and they tug and pull obnoxiously, plus I can feel where my body is trying to push them out and HATE it. Thursday can't come soon enough!! Wishing you the best and so thankful for your continued interactions and support

Core Bariatric by Dr. Maria Iliakova and Tammie Lakose - this one is interesting because it's a bariatric surgeon and her very first bariatric patient. It's a new podcast that started this year, so not a lot to catch up on. No Guts No Glory by Allyson and Cortni - both of these ladies had bariatric surgeries. One had the sleeve and the other had the diversion with duodenal switch. So they share about the upsides, the downsides, and everything else.

Amber my Girl! The hamburger and the sauces 😩😩 plus shake...a bariatric girl can DREAM . I am such a foodie but have turned into a healthy bariatric foodie. I made a bomb Califlower pizza. We got this! One day @ a time!

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

Weight loss calmed down this week - 1.5lbs. No complaints though after the losses of the week before 🙂 Feeling tired today. Visited family yesterday, 6 hours all together sat in a van and my knees are so unhappy with me. It was our first time to our son’s new home which is a longer drive than his previous place. Will try and be better prepared next time. At least we spent time with the grandkids, which is always wonderful. A NSV yesterday…I bought some (non-stretchy) 3/4 cropped jeans a couple of years ago for £5, telling my daughter-in-law that I would fit in to them eventually. I broke them out yesterday, took the tags off and they fit perfectly!! 🥳🥳 The only downside was that it was far too hot for denim but the point was made 🙃 However DIL recognised them yesterday and was really pleased for me. Hubby has been a bit weird lately. Don’t get me wrong, still as massively supportive as ever but the ‘you will probably leave me when you lose weight’ comments have popped out more than a couple of times. Why do blokes always use this?? I did remind him that I didn’t leave him when I lost weight previously so why would I now? Do they think we’re only with them because we’re too fat to bother looking elsewhere? Jeez, I haven’t got the energy for anyone new, never mind all the stuff you generally do at the beginning of a relationship like shaving my legs or wearing matching underwear 🙄 Anyway, physio for knees tomorrow and Bariatric support group at the hospital on Wednesday. Have remembered to dig out my food diary to complete this week, ready for the dietitians appointment next week. Have a slimmer week everyone, we deserve it 🥰 Onwards and downwards!

I think it's always Good to talk about GRIEF and anger. Yesterday I was driving around Houston Texas running errands and the overwhelming grief took hold. If anyone has visited Texas you know our food is TOP tier so much seasoning so much flavor. I grieve not pulling in the drive thru after shopping. (Taco Bell, What-A-Burger, Shipleys Donuts)! I GRIEVE OUR ever so plentiful TACO TRUCKS at 2am where I would order 10 street tacos and a burrito with the red/green sauce I grieve boba TEA I grieve the comforts I grieve just being able to drink alot at one time. Who knew that a few sips of water could make you so full In noticing the griefs you become aware of how addicted you were to the food and the feeling. Sighs*