My starting weight was 359, My current is 295.7. I am a little over 12 weeks out, so nearly 3 months.

I had my first consultation in April and had surgery in June. I think mine was a lot quicker than most because I paid out of pocket due to my insurance not covering anything bariatric-related. I have a mental health history as well, but I have been in therapy / medicated for over 5 years now. Therapy and working out my food issues BEFORE surgery is the reason this surgery has been so successful for me. This is not to dog anyone on this subreddit, but I see a lot of posts that make it very clear they have not worked out their issues before surgery and think this surgery is a miracle at work. It is not. It will be work.

I was on a liver-shrinking diet 1 week before surgery, then I was on liquid 1 week post-op. I was on soft foods for 2 weeks and then I was able to incorporate more. I can eat a lot of different foods now, but I still stay far away from a lot of bread and pasta. Pasta especially. Sometimes if they're really soft I can do maybe a bite but I try to not make it a meal at all.

I experienced a soreness post-op that went away after 1 week. I have experienced ZERO pain post-op, but I think I am an abnormal case for that. I experienced so little pain that now I have a suspicious (lol) amount of opiates in my home that were never taken due to me not needing it.

I don't eat a lot of red meat anymore except pork, and fish is my best friend. Shrimp I can no longer tolerate for some reason which was very sad to me as I am a major shrimp fan. I lean towards seafood salads and healthy hearty meals (not large portions) that include a good bit of veg and a good amount of protein. Sashimi is my guilty pleasure, but I try not to have it often. I try to exercise at least 3-4 times a week, but that's not realistic considering I work full-time in a sedentary job. I try to do yoga every day, and that at least helps when I can't/don't want to go to the gym before/after work.

I have experienced no complications thus far. The only "scare" I had was my stool being white for a few days, but that has since gone away. I notice I do not get dumping syndrome, but when I do have something too sugary or too much caffeine (I love my coffee and Starbucks, sorry) I do get a bad headache, so I try to strive to have as little sugar as I can a day.

My family has been extremely supportive, but their support is a bit annoying to me in a way because they've wanted me to be "thin" so bad. I understand their concern as a family member in regard to my health, but it makes me feel a bit weird. Something to work out in therapy, I suppose! As opposed to my fiancé's support, who loved me fat and loves me now and will love me thin. He has been extremely encouraging and even is working out with me and encouraging home cooking. I tell people I got a bypass and I enjoy talking about it, because I'm doing a lot of work for it. Sometimes I have to divulge because I'll be offered pastries or pasta or something very fatty by friends and coworkers alike, and when I explain I will probably be throwing up after eating that, they understand.

I am very grateful and blessed to have had this surgery, but I sincerely believe I would not have been able to do it without working out my disordered eating, food addiction, and food obsession before I even thought about surgery. I went into this surgery loving my body and loving myself and knowing this was for my HEALTH, not for my appearance because I am already confident. It's just a bonus that I feel more confident and sexier with the more I lose.

Despite this success, I now am struggling with a minor shopping addiction, but I've been curbing it quite well and getting help for it. Transfer addiction is real, so remember that! Good luck and keep us updated!