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@@Kiki1313, I wish you the best of luck and hope everything works out for you!

I was told to remain on this plan until I hit my goal weight and then we would up my calories so I would stop losing and begin to maintain. Of course I am not there yet so I dont have actual experience.

I personally thought the first four days were the hardest due to hunger and you are almost there. I did notice that by days 9 & 10, my brain was not functioning as sharp as it should. I was a bit foggy by then, plus you get really sick of the protein shakes ( they became cloying sweet for me) I think I drank more chicken broth than anything. Good luck and take it one day at a time. You can do this and it is so worth it in the end.

@@Justajenn, congratulations! I dream about hitting Onederland! I am 29lbs away and then I will get to join you. Keep on pushing, you are doing fantastic!

@@tebowfan, I am green with envy! I hope everything goes well and you are recovering soon. Warm thoughts and prayers are coming your way!

I am with you! I have 60 left to lose and I just reached the 5 month mark. I am down 82. I would love to be close to my goal by my surgiversary which I september 29th. I know I can do this, you can too!

Love/hate. I love how I feel afterwards and I always hate getting started. It makes me feel like I have accomplished so much.

I keep it simple too. My nut told me two bites of protein for every 1 bite of vegetables. If u follow that rule u really don't have a lot of room for carbs but you get good carbs and it enough to keep your brain functioning. Also if I have a snack I will eat protein type snacks such as cheese, nuts or a glass of milk.

I feel your pain, quite literally. I have degenerative spine disease as well. It has effected both my lower lumbar and my cervical spine. In 2001 I had my l5/s1 fused. The worst surgery of my life and after having done it I had nerve pain running down my leg that I had not had before. My doctor explained that the nerve had been crushed between the two vertebrae and when he released it it was swollen and red. I suffered for 2 more years with that leg pain and finally went to a pain specialist who installed a neurostimulator in my low back. The first time they switched the unit on in the operating room (yes I was awake but heavily sedated), my leg pain immediately disappeared. I used my Nuerostimulators every day for 2 years. One day I decided to switch it off and see how that leg pain was doing. Low and behold the nerve pain was gone! I still have my nuerostimulator and every once in a while I have low back pain I will turn it on and it takes it right away. Now of course I have a terrible degeneration going on in my cervical spine and after suffering with it for 10 years I am looking at multiple fusions. I really have no other choice as this issue is causing severe migraine headaches. I see the surgeon on April 14th. Ugh! I would recommend getting a second opinion and finding out what your options for pain control. I did not want to remain on narcotics because I believe they made another kind of pain. I have been off them for years now and feel much better because of it.

I had what I would call a very smooth recovery. Had my surgery on a Monday, came home on Thursday. I was off all pain meds by Friday. The big thing is that first week I was on a clear liquid diet an d I remember running out of steam very fast. No pain, just exhausted. At my one week post op check in I was allowed to begin Protein shakes and pureed food and although this stage was personally tough for me, I felt much better because I was getting protein and that was giving me more energy. At the 4 week mark I moved to soft foods and felt pretty normal although I would get tired in the afternoons. By 6 weeks I went to Vegas for 10 days and kept up with everyone. I felt absolutely fantastic! It has only got better from there as I introduced new foods. I hope you have a speedy recovery and find that things move along quickly! Good luck to you!

Everyone has fears like this initially. The biggest thing is to remain positive and work through the lifestyle changes required to remain successful. You have to work at it but your new tummy is a tool that will help you do it. Your tastes change so much that those food items that you cared about previously won't be what you care about in the future. The saying is true, you crave what you eat most of. If you eat healthy Proteins, veggies and fruits that is what you will crave. This is all about a head game, and you can absolutely win the battle. The battle is absolutely worth it! Good luck!

Are u drinking or eating dairy products? If so you might have become lactose intolerant. I had a similiar experience and after the doctor told me these were symptoms of lactose intolerance I switched to lactose free milk. I also had issues with the whey isolate Protein and had to change to Premier Protein pre made shakes. Once I figured these two issues out that feeling went away. I was about 4 weeks post op. By the way, I am 5 months post op now and can eat regular cheese and cottage cheese but if I drink more than a sip or two of regular milk, I have that bloated feeling. I just use lactose free milk. Good luck, I hope you figure out what is causing that.

If I cannot find one on line, the next time I see my nut I will ask for a copy.

I actually had a very long conversation with my nutritionist and bariatric nurse about premier protein ready made shakes. They are a perfectly acceptable solution and give you 30grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar. This was their recommendation after I could not tolerate the powdered whey protein isolate. I have been using these since week 2 post op. Recently there was some discussion on this site about RNY patients malabsorbing this particular type of protein. I went back to my nutritionist and shared this info with her. She actually showed me that protein is absorbed lower in the digestive tract. RNY patients do not malabsorb protein. She had a great chart that showed where different nutrients are absorbed, she keeps this chart with her when questions like this come up. I tried to find a similiar chart on line but will keep looking.

I honestly have not had sweet cravings which is weird because I was a sugarholic prior to surgery. The thing is I have stayed away completely from trigger foods like sweets and Pasta. I already know I won't dump so my fear is if I eat those things I will begin to crave them. As far as soda goes it is an absolute no no. It will in fact stretch your pouch. The carbonation is the biggest problem, they use c02 which is the same gas used to expand your abdominal cavity during surgery. I would 100 percent stay away. I think you already know you are doing the wrong things, the good news is you recognize it. Now, you just need to go back to the reason you had this surgery in the first place and remind yourself. You can do this! I would suggest making an appointment with the bariatric psychologist so you can talk through why you are reverting. It might help you work through these things. Good luck! I wish you all the best!

Congratulations! Everyday gets a little better and if you are feeling this good already, think about how you will feel in the coming months! Keep us posted on your progress.

Yes, my nut also highly recommended. I know the concern was that our body's malabsorb this particular Protein. This is not true, my nut even showed me a diagram that showed where in the body protein is absorbed. It was interesting conversation because it was interesting to see where in the body's system different nutrients are absorbed. Calcium is one of the nutrients that are malabsorbed higher by the jejunum. Protein absorption happens below the bypass (jejunum and part of the duodenum). I tried to find a diagram similar to hers on line to share but was not able to find one with enough detail. Anyway the moral of the story is because of where protein is absorbed, we do not malabsorb it. Calcium on the other hand you need to pay close attention to. She told me they practically overdose you on calcium because of this issue.

As long as you are confident that you can stick to it for that long. 2 weeks is a long time as it is. If u cannot stick to it and end up going off plan right before your surgery, that is not good. The important thing about the liquid diet is that is meant to shrink your liver so it can easily be moved out of the way during surgery. If you feel like you can stay completely on that liquid diet for 3 weeks then it could definately benefit you. Good luck!

I went on vacation to crazy Las Vegas right on the 6 week post op timeline. I felt absolutely fantastic and had been moved to soft food by the. I took my Protein shakes with me so I could start my day out right. I am purchased some Quest bars at the suggestion of my doctors office. If I had trouble finding something to eat I would slowly nibble on those Protein Bars. Apple pie and banana nut was my favorite. It has a lot more protein than baby food. I also purchased light string cheese. I was there for 10 days and I did extremely well during that time.

I am glad to hear that work helps. I was layed off from my job after 26 years there last April. I had to put my home up for sale and we are moving back to our hometown area of Milwaukee. We are currently in Minneapolis. It took 9 months to sell our home, it is a large property on 3 acres. Anyway, I did not want to get a job until we moved so I have been home since surgery in September. When you are home it is so easy to hit the fridge or pantry. I am hoping to get work soon after moving so I too can not think about the temptations in my kitchen. The good news for me is I eat pretty healthy but I wonder how much better my progress could be if I was at work. Thanks for the affirmation!

@@Onyx999, have you talked with the phsycologist about your worries. They can really help you work through some of your feelings. I do think the idea of going out and getting drunk with friends might be a bit concerning and I understand that it is a part of life however you will have to be very careful with this. It is a known fact that many bariatric patients trade one addiction for another and ultimately become alcoholics. It is one of the things your surgeon will warn you about. My surgeons office actually made me sign a contract stating I would not touch alcohol for the first year. They figure by that time you have built healthy food and drink habit. Also liquor has a lot of calories so it could cause you to gain if you drink a lot of it. You are not crazy for thinking about all of these things, we all do it. The reality for me so far is that your taste changes and most of those things are not even appealing anymore. I started getting heavy in my 20's and now I am 51. I wish I could turn back time and do this in my 20s. I feel like I gave up so much of my life being obese. If I had to do it all over again, I would make the decision to do this in my 20s so I could enjoy more of my life. That of course is easy for me to say as all of those experiences are behind me and I realize that they just were not important. I think if you talk through some of your worries with your phsycologist it might help you. Good luck to you, please keep us posted on your progress as you move forward.

Honestly other than changes in my diet, I really was doing pretty great by this point. You will just have to care of yourself to make sure you get your fluids and Protein in, it is sometimes hard to do that when your focus is elsewhere but I am sure you will have no problem. The other thing you might experience is fatigue. I just remember getting pretty tired in the afternoons. I actually went on a vacation for 10 days to Las Vegas at 6 weeks. As you know Vegas can be very active and I found myself having more energy after I really got moving. You might actually find the extra activity really helps you. Good luck!

Hi there! Sorry to hear that you have been struggling.i am glad to hear you have come out on the other side and are doing something about it. Great job on dropping some weight. Have you tried googling the pouch test? I know you are worried that you stretched your pouch out but I understand the pouch test will help reset things for you if you are willing to give it a try. I am so glad to hear your bi polar is back in check and you are recovering nicely. I wish you all the best!

Woot woot! Congratulations. I bet you are on top of the world today.

I am 5 months post op as well and I have not for one second regretted my decision to have RNY. I am down 82 lbs and 5 sizes. The most important thing is I have my health back. Diabetes gone, high cholesterol gone, sleep apnea gone, and most importantly i had stage 3 kidney disease and my kidneys are functioning normal! There is a lot of change that comes with the decision but I don't even mind the change. It is good healthy change! I was very ready and did not have a single doubt going in. I also had a very supportive husband who had my back. Don't second guess yourself but do make sure you are truly ready. If you are having doubts you should talk to your phsycologist. They will help you work through them. Good luck and keep us posted.