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I’m down 31 pounds since surgery date and a total of 52 pounds from my heaviest in pre-op. Still eating very small portions about 4 times a day. So glad I made the decision to have surgery. Congrats to all my fellow May losers!!

Hi all! I am down 61 pounds since my pre op liquid diet. Been in a stall for the past (almost) 2 weeks, but I'm not as bothered by it as I was when I went through the dreaded 3 week stall. I know it's going to happen and it just makes the drop after it breaks all the sweeter! I am feeling good, still eating like a bird and not missing food much at all which has surprised me. Still paranoid about the weight loss stopping at any moment but trying not to think about that. We are heading into spring here in Australia so I'm hoping to drop a few more Kg by the end of September, I'd like to be under 90Kg. Then hopefully in some of the lovelier clothes for summer. I'm so glad we're all doing well, YAY US!!!

I think the general feeling is to limit the carbs until you get closer to maintenance. Just getting the protein and fluids in is a major accomplishment for a long time, and then adding veggies and some fruit is more than enough. Adding carbs and fatty foods like nuts and nut butters can slow down your weight loss. I reached goal in 7 months, but did not even think of adding a grain based carb, nuts, or nut butters until then. Then I added them very gradually, to ensure I wouldn't start regaining. I am 18 months out now, and am eating a whole foods plant based (WFPB) diet now. I get all my protein in, but it comes from legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and non dairy milk/yogurt. I eat a lot of carbs now - but they are whole grains, legumes, fruits and veggies - nothing processed. I eat nuts and seeds every day. I also eat 8-10 servings of veggies/fruit every day, so I am NEVER hungry with that much volume. This all to say that there are a lot of different ways to eat after surgery, but initially, until you reach goal, you need to stick to your protein, water, legumes, veggies. The other stuff can come later. The first 6 months are where you are going to lose a lot of weight. The first year is the golden year, and you want to maximize the opportunity to lose as much as you can during that time. After 12-18 months (sometimes sooner, sometimes later), the weight loss will slow down, your body will start absorbing nutrients more easily, you will lose the tight restriction, and all your new lifestyle modifications will be the real tools you will use to maintain your new weight. The surgery gets the weight off, but you need to do the rest. Don't waste those first months. Hold off on maintenance foods like grain based carbs, starchy vegetables, and nuts/nut butters until you are ready to stop losing and start maintaining. Just my 2 cents worth. I'm sure others will have different ideas.

Hi everyone I’m 5 days post ops and today I feel tired like I can sleep all day. Anyone else struggling with this? Surgery was 8/26. Thanks everyone.

I can only speak for myself and my experience. Recovery was not bad. I was extremely tired for about 4 months so I agree with the previous post that rest is essential. I remember binge watching Call the Midwife and a lot of shows I had on my list because I had NO energy. Just plan to have a lot of down time and take it easy. I read so much information that scared the crap out of me and none of it came true. 1. I never dumped or had food get stuck. Never puked (to this day) 2. I never got dehydrated. Water was not that hard to drink when I added limes or water additives. Hint water also went down very smoothly and I ordered several cases 3. I did go through a period of depression and most people do. You wonder what you did, how long will life be strange etc. Im about 1.5 years out and life seems really normal to me now. The only time I feel "altered" is when I eat at a BBQ or family event and I cant just have a hamburger and some sides. Its just the patty, cant really finish it and I cant have a bunch of beans and potato salad but other than that eating is pretty much the new normal 4. My hair did fall out more than usual but I never had major hair loss and it slowed down a little more than a year out To sum up...dont be scared!! They tell you all the terrible things that could happen because they kinda have to but dont expect those things to happen. Keep a positive outlook and you'll do fine

My hair loss started at 4 months and went on for another 4-5 months. From what I've read, the loss is from the dead hair getting pushed out by the new hair that is starting to regrow. My hair got quite thin but is now back to normal volume. BTW, I started mega doses of Biotin at 2 weeks post op, and it didn't help. Don't waste your money.

I think all of us have protein and fluid goals we're supposed to hit. with carbs, programs vary widely. Some are ultra-low-carb, some are moderately-low-carb, and some don't seem to care about carbs at all - so there's no universal answer to that one. Did your surgeon or dietitian give you guidelines on this? If so, i'd follow whatever their plan is. fats - I never counted fats. I still don't in maintenance. I now count calories (started that when I was several months out), and I still try to hit my protein and fluid goals every day. I guess I don't eat a lot of fatty things because I'd otherwise be constantly going over my daily calorie range, but I don't consciously count fats (although some people do) P.S. I should add I'm over five years out and have been in maintenance for 3.5 years, so I eat differently than I did the first year or two...

Well it depends if your insurance has a weight management program requirement. They made me do a 6 month weight management program, but some insurance only requires a 3 month program while others don't require one at all. My surgeons office was also booked out so my whole WLS journey took 8 months from the first appointment to my surgery date. It's worth it though!

I just posted these to another thread, but here are some recipes I used for pureed (that are so good I'd eat em during soft too!) Blend 1c low-fat ricotta, 1-2 T caramelized onions, and some finely chopped rosemary using a hand blender for a great whipped ricotta dip. Pressure cooked some cannelini Beans and blended with a touch of olive oil, lemon juice and zest for a white bean dip. Scrape vanilla bean seeds & add pod to low-fat milk and steep over low heat. Remove pod, combine with sugar-free cheesecake pudding and a little bit of almond extract. Tasted like an amaretto cheesecake! For soft foods most of my favorites were fish, but there were a couple of tasty meat recipes as well. Combine 1T low-cal cream cheese with either some minced shallot/capers or some everything bagel seasoning and serve with some smoked salmon. Poached fish in a milk broth flavored with leek, shallot, saffron. MD-style crabcakes (toss meat in a metal bowl first and listen for any clinking to pick out shells) with very little filler. These were especially great since you can portion into 2-oz mini crabcakes and freeze, then pull them out to broil as needed. https://leitesculinaria.com/44197/recipes-beef-chili.html This recipe was delicious. It's a ground beef chili that has a very soft consistency designed for topping hot dogs or hamburgers. Has some kick but loaded with flavor. Of course, chicken salad and tuna salad. Chopped up a whole rotisserie chicken and made a couple different types of salads- pesto and curry chicken salad. Hope you find some inspiration from these ideas!!

She probably isn't wanting the healthy stuff... she can make that at home. I think that sort of defeats the purpose of going one last time to her favorite restaurant that is closing. I say, go for it. It's not like she can eat that much in her small pouch. I would still steer clear of fried foods, if possible. And get back on track immediately after. I am 3 months out and VERY strict on what I eat -- have not had 1 cheat day since surgery, but if my favorite restaurant was closing, then I would allow myself a cheat day.