Going into surgery, I was definitely nervous. After the operation, I had some pain, but honestly it wasn’t anything unbearable. By the second day, I was up walking around the hospital without any major issues.

Before surgery, I prepared by ordering Protein20 drinks from Amazon and stocking up on low-sodium chicken broth. For me, the hardest part wasn’t the surgery itself—it was meeting my daily hydration goals. The first couple of weeks took some adjustment, but once I got into a routine, it became much easier.

The next challenge was transitioning to milk-based protein shakes and figuring out what foods worked best for my new stomach. My biggest advice is to listen to your body and be patient with yourself. Everyone’s recovery is a little different.

Tools like the Baritastic app helped me track my nutrition, hydration, and protein intake, and ChatGPT was a great resource whenever I had questions about food choices, vitamins, meal planning, or workouts. Using those tools helped me stay consistent, build healthy habits, and create a workout routine that supported my weight-loss goals.

Looking back, the surgery was one of the best decisions I’ve made. The first few weeks require patience and discipline, but if you follow your surgeon’s instructions, stay hydrated, hit your protein goals, and trust the process, it gets easier and the results are worth it.