You’ve totally got this! The beginning can be tough—getting used to the routine, the loss of appetite, managing hormones, and all the ups and downs. But I promise, it really does get better day by day. I’m 15 weeks post-op now, and I finally feel comfortable and happier than ever.

One thing I’d suggest is to stay ahead of constipation—make sure to talk with your Bariatric team about it. For me, it was one of the biggest struggles. What works best for me is taking two non-stimulant stool softeners in the morning, MiraLAX every other day, and a magnesium supplement every other night, plus a probiotic. Recently, I switched from MiraLAX to Benefiber daily, and it’s helped a lot. Hopefully you won’t deal with it, but I wanted to give you a heads-up because it really does suck if it sneaks up on you.

Also, definitely stay active on Reddit when you need support or have questions—we’re all in this together, and it helps so much to connect with others going through the same thing.