JeffN

It depends if your doctor used a drain you would know if you had a drain if you had one. It is the only uncomfortable aspect of the VGS in my case

I found that coffee increases acidity an can cause digestive issues. I drank over two pots a day before surgery and have not drank any since.

Tonight I actually ate real food Salmon with smoked green beens. I could only eat an ounce of the salmon and .75 ounces of the green beans. So those reading this thread and have no issues with soft food be warned it will probably change when you move to solid foods.

I found that drinking liquids for me were no problem including protein shakes. I spoke with my Dr., and she said that the fluids go through the stomach unhindered because there is a valve at the bottom of the stomach that never fully close. The reason we were limited to small sips right after surgery was that of swelling. My Dr. cautioned me though that once I started to eat real food, I would then feel full. You need to learn what the "New Full" feels. You will feel discomfort in the chest around the breastplate. The minute I feel that I stop eating. I have had zero issues so far. The other thing I have learned is that if you chew your food and I mean chew your food to the point of liquefaction you should not have any issues because the only thing your stomach has to digest is tiny particles. This helps keep the acid down as well. We forget that the first stage of digestion happens in the mouth as we chew. The more we do there, the less our stomachs have to do and the less acid it must produce.

For me so far I found that if I stay below or at 900 calories per day I lose quicker at 1000 ~ 1200 I will stall. That just means my body has adjusted and stores all that it can. I am going to start switching to a Paleo and Keto diet every other Month or so to keep my body confused. But I still have to make sure I that my exercise and food intake ends up to be 900 calories per day.

My EKG said I had a heart attack, which I thought I never did but come to find out I was having mini TI's while I was sleeping because my CPAP was malfunctioning and not giving me the pressure it was programmed. Don't take the reading and dismiss it. Take the advice of your Dr. and seek out a Cardiologist. I know it will delay your surgery but it is far better to be safe than sorry, and it is dangerous to put a large person under anesthesia let alone someone who has a possible heart condition.

A stall is signs that your body has adjusted, What I am finding is that a lot of people who are successful in their weight loss switched up their routine. Maybe workout in the morning vs. the evening. Stop eating certain foods and switch them up. I am looking at doing the Keto and Paleo diets and switching those up every month or so. I have a set of dice, and every month I will roll it, and if it comes up even then Paleo, and if the dice is odd Keto. Also, I have to stay around the 900 calories mark to see real change. I have found for me that at 1000 - 1200 calories per day my weight loss slows. Stay in the game don't give up! That is the key learn and educate yourself and listen to your body it does speak to you.

I weigh myself in the morning first thing right out of bed after going the bathroom, that seems to give the best consistent results for me.

Great advice and it shows there are many different ways to achieve the same goal. The Keto diet sounds like my second choice once I get more advanced in my plan. Right now 3/2/1 OZ rule works because it is simple to do no matter what eating situation I might find myself in while traveling.

Replace the milk with either Almond or Soy MIlk. Get the unsweetened kind. You could call bodybuilder.com and talk with one of their specialists. I am sure they could recommend something for you with your requirements. Also, visit a local health food store. Good luck with your surgery. I hope you have a life-changing experience for the good like I did.

I had GERD before my surgery, and all my gastro Doctor did was to prescribe me pills. My VGS surgeon cured my GERD by fixing Hyanial Hernia. She said it was one of the worst she had seen and it took her over 45 minutes just to repair. My stomach was up in my esophagus and had to be pulled down. I have had zero issues with GERD since. I do take an anti-acid in the morning called OMEPRAZOL but was told that I could stop taking that in a few more weeks after my esophagus and stomach heal. I found a few simple tricks to keep the acid down. I don't gulp water I sip it very slowly. I drink water with lemon. I chew my food and when I think it is time to swallow I chew some more. I found that well-chewed food reduces the acid in your stomach because it has less work to do. I wait four hours between meals to allow what I have eaten to fully digest. Also, I had to learn what full was. It is now a GERD like feeling just under my breastbone. Once I feel that slight discomfort I am done eating not even another bite.

I stick the plan of 3 OZ of Protein, 1 Oz of healthy fat and 2 OZ of fruit or vegetables every four hours. I find that leads me to about 100g of protein, 60g Fat, and 60g of carbs every day. I was obsessed with the magic numbers but found that too difficult to figure out. For me the simpler the better so the 3/2/1 OZ rule works for me Protein/Fruits&Vegtables/Fats. Also if I stuck to this rule I am consistently hitting the 1000 calories per day or just under. I get almost all my fat from avocados or olive oil. I eat zero bread, rice and try to avoid any processed sugars. My sugar carbs come from the fruits.

I guess what throws me off is why are we even asking about products? Why do we look at over processed Industrialized Food Manufactures who's products are known to cause myriad of health issues for solutions that have already proven not to be healthy at all? For every product listed in this thread, I can find a natural, healthy alternative. Yes, it requires assembly, but we need to take a better interest in our health and stop supporting the industrial food manufacturers that are pushing poison and labeling it as healthy.

Might want to read this about Adkins from a Food Nutritionist and Food Scientific Researcher https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-atkins-low-carb-bars-healthy#section1 So I am not ambiguous I criticized no one, except the Industrialized Food Manufacturers. All I was stating is when I cut out processed foods I lost weight and was losing weight long before the VGS. When I eliminated processed foods from my diet, I also lost the desire to eat unhealthy processed foods after being detoxed from them. I see countless numbers of persons going back to eating this crap, and then a few months later they start craving the same stuff that made them unhealthy, to begin with. Maybe it is not a sign of weakness or all in the mind, maybe the food industry has figured out how to keep us hooked like a drug addict to their s#!t. There are alternatives that are natural and beneficial to your body. My recommendations is to seek those things out you will find joy in your healthy lifestyle change its all about the journey. A Quick Google Search for Low Carb High Protein Bars turned up: https://www.lowcarblab.com/best-low-carb-protein-bar-recipes/

I can guarantee that the sugar that is most if not all is processed sugar and not natural.

I find it amazing that people still look at chemical-based products for nutrition. I have done nothing but eat products that are natural. I have a saying "if God did not make it I will not eat it". That seems to work for me I have already lost almost 75Lbs in two and a half months. I lost 40lbs before my surgery and the only thing I changed was what I ate. You can get just as much protein from real food than from any powder. I only eat quality foods and at the portion sizes that I now eat because of the VGS I can afford to eat like I am in a Michelin Star restaurant.

I am not talking about carb loading we are talking about taking on carbs for energy for intense workouts and recovery. Your workout should consume the carbs you intake.

High protein diets can lead to constipation. I found that drinking Metamucil increased fiber and helped me in the past.

I would talk with the pros at bodybuilding.com they can help you tailor your dietary needs. I was a power lifter before I blew out my Achilles’ tendon and stopped working out all together and put on all my weight. I am working with them now to tailor a diet along with me getting back into the gym. They have liquid carbs non sugar carbs that will not stretch your stomach I would also get a nutrition tracking software to make sure you track nutritional along with exercise that way you can still stay at 1000 calories per day. It can be done! Good luck.

I was told I would be in for a treat once I was on solids. I have one more week of soft foods then solids here I come. I am taking this time to learn how to chew food. My advisor told me the key to any diet going forward is to chew and when you think you have chewed enough chew some more. My wife likes my new eating habits because I no longer rush her by eating and finishing before her. She had to wait for me to finish.

Have you tried to replace some of your meals with high protein? IF you have no more body fat to lose you will start to lose muscle mass which is not good either.

Weight loss is a function of calories in vs. calories out. I suspect that you are taking in just enough calories to maintain your weight. You lose weight one of two ways you either decrease the amount you take in, which the VGS helps you do, or you increase your activity level through exercise. It sounds like you are burning what you are taking in thus you are staying the same weight. So if you can reduce your food/calorie intake anymore without feeling miserable, you need to increase your exercise. FYI hunger is a product of nutrition the crappier food you eat, the more likely you will hunger. Replace the chemical-laced cooking with natural, healthy eating, and you might feel satisfied longer and probably be able to reduce your caloric intake.

Good news for sure, the only advice I can give you is walking as soon as you can after the surgery. Every one that I know that did that had far better recoveries. Good luck!

Your status says Pre-op so are you asking if 4oz of food does not fill your up now or after you had surgery? Before surgery your stomach is the size of a football after surgery it will be the size of an egg 6oz. Also, you need to know what filled up feels like. It will no longer be in your stomach but in your chest around your breastplate. What eating stage are you at and how long ago did you have your surgery?

I found walking helped a lot for me. When drinking water at first, I was told to only drink an ounce every 15 minutes. When you drink water, let it run down the back of your throat instead of swallowing. Swallowing can sometimes lead to air pockets, and that will cause you to regurgitate the liquid. You honestly have to learn how to re-eat and drink with VGS surgery. I no longer swallow anything. I chew everything up until it just is no longer and I never just take a drink of water. I let it sit in my mouth and let is just slide down. I am grateful that a friend shared this technique with me because I have had zero issues. For the pain, you have to walk and keep walking as long as you can. Stay away from NSAIDs based painkillers they have been shown to cause leaks.