Pandemonium

Hey there! Anxiety is pretty common once you get that surgery date. That is when everything kind of solidifies and becomes real. You will be able to eat lovely food again! It is just going to be a while as you'll want to maximize the loss of weight before you get to maintenance mode. You will also need to rethink how you approach those foods so that you can make them healthier and yet still enjoy those flavors. If you want some good inspiration on what you'll be able to do for food, I recommend checking out the Food Before & After thread on here. It's been going for over 2 years now and has TONS of pictures of the foods that people who are in all stages of post-op life are eating. You'll pick up all kinds of great tips and tricks from the people who post there! You may have to say goodbye to some of your favorite foods in the way that you knew them, but you'd be amazed at the ways you can revamp some foods to make them much healthier. And the fact that you'll have a built-in restrictor means that you're going to have a much harder time overindulging in things, though you'll always want to steer clear of slider foods. You're going to do great and sleeve surgery will change your life in so many amazing ways! Congrats on your surgery date!

Fingers crossed on a surgery date for you! As far as hating foods go, it's a crap shoot in terms of how or whether one's taste buds change after surgery, but sometimes it works out for the best. I stole one of my boyfriend's tater tots a couple of weeks ago as the smell was killing me. Ended up spitting it out because it just didn't taste good. So...one less temptation to worry about! And...you'll find a lot of great ideas from folks here about healthy substitutions for foods so that you'll still be able to enjoy many of the same things as before, just with some healthy tweaks to them. My favorite find pre-op was a recipe for pizza that uses ground/minced chicken breast for the crust. It's protein packed, delicious, and very easy to make! You're going to do great!

Oh! And sugar free flavor syrups can be a godsend to keep from getting fatigued by the same flavor shake all the time. Chocolate protein shake + SF Irish Creme syrup = a very happy me!

One important piece of advice/knowledge that it seems nearly no bariatric program gives out is that stalls do happen, very commonly around the 3 week mark. If you use the search box on here and search "three week stall", you will find THOUSANDS of posts from people who had surgery and then suddenly hit a period of time (anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks) where the weight just won't come off. It is something that is very common but is almost always a temporary situation. If it happens to you, keep calm and keep to your doctor's diet plan. One of the easiest adjustments to make to help get out of that stall is to increase your physical activity a little. Stalls/plateaus are likely to happen but they do not signal the end of your weight loss. It's only temporary. Also, start exploring protein shakes/drinks/powders now, if you haven't already done so. This will be where the lion's share of your protein is going to come from post-op and you will want to find one (or two or three) options that you like before you have surgery. Otherwise, it's a miserable experience to try and find what you like immediately after surgery. If you slip up on your diet, that does not mean it is the end of the world, but it IS something to be concerned about. It is something you will want to take corrective action on right away. The surgery is only a tool and if you don't make use of that tool, then you won't see the results that you want. If you have a slip-up, communicate with your doctor right away. Seek advice and assistance from your medical team (doctor, nutritionist, counselor, etc.) so that you can stay on track. Communication is key especially in this difficult time where in-person appointments are not always easy to come by. Don't compare your weight loss to anyone else's. Every single person's physiology is unique. Your metabolism is different from mine and from everyone else on this site. As long as the numbers on the scale are going down, you are succeeding. Never forget that. Lastly, this journey is a marathon, not a sprint. It is, quite literally, a lifelong journey. Use every pillar of support that you have to achieve success. Congrats on completing your pre-op program and I hope that you get your surgery date soon!

No, I've lost 43.4lbs in the past 2.5 months (post-op). The other 78.3lbs were lost in the 5 months pre-surgery when I first joined my bariatric program. That total is for the entire journey. Your pace is pretty much perfect!

Looks like you've got a lot of October surgery buddies! Congrats on your surgery date!

Seriously...the first couple of weeks are the absolute worst. Everyone can attest to that. You're already through the first week, so that's great! It WILL get better. I promise. I know it's hard to think that right now, but in another 7 days, you'll be a step closer to pureed foods, which will go a LONG way to helping deal with those cravings. Sure, it won't be pizza, but you're still a step closer than you were. The Ricotta Bake is a godsend because it will hit so many delicious Italian food marks that you may end up craving it instead. https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1793517 Seriously...bookmark that recipe and make it one of the first things you make when you get the okay to move to pureed/mushy foods. You've got this and you're going to continue to kick butt. We've all been there in the hell of those first couple of weeks and we all made it through. You can too!

Set small goals for yourself. We all decide what our ultimate goal is in terms of weight loss, but it is very important to also set smaller goals along that road for yourself. Kind of like taking a long road trip somewhere. You break up the trip with stops along the way to do something fun. In this case, the something fun is celebrating your accomplishment for reaching those little goals so that you're not just staring at a finish line that is far away. Revel in the successes you achieve along the way. Also, as you lose weight, challenge yourself to do something that you weren't able to do before. At nearly 350 pounds, I was not going to try running a 5k at any point in time. Now that I am where I am, I am in the process of improving my stamina and getting more comfortable with jogging and running so that I might actually do a 5k race once this pandemic is under control.

Any cardio workout is going to burn calories, so there's not really anything better than any other. Intensity is the key because the higher your heart rate, the more calories you're burning. At the end of the day, that will only be one part of the solution. Your caloric intake also needs to be adjusted. Have you switched off of your maintenance diet back to something close to your diet when you were in weight-loss mode post-op? If not, that is the biggest step to take. There will be a much bigger effect if you're able to exercise and burn 350-500 calories a day and you're only taking in 900 calories versus getting the same amount of exercise while taking in 1400-1600 calories a day.

Sipping broths are a great way to get fluids if you need something warm. The key is to use the low sodium ones, which are pretty easy to find. While I did not have issues with cold beverages, I found that mixing between cold and hot was welcome change of pace, so I definitely was thankful for broths. You can also mix in unflavored protein powder into them, so I found I had to stir/shake up the broth a lot to keep the protein from clumping up, but it wasn't a deal breaker.

Miralax is a usual go-to and has helped me out. My doctor prescribed some Colace, but I found it largely ineffective when compared to Miralax. I also have had success with Smooth Move tea, which has a great taste, though it does tend to make my insides very talkative.

Not everyone loses hair as WLS, but it does happen commonly enough. That said, it's a temporary thing in almost all cases once the body adjusts to the changes brought on by the surgery. In my case, the hair was already on it's way out even before I had my first surgery, let alone my revision.

Adding on to the previous post I made about Protein Water options possibly being something to look at (though they are generally only 20g of protein where most shakes are 30g, so there's a deficit there that you'd need to be able to make up), you specifically said that it's the smell of the shakes that you can't handle. As others have suggested, have you tried using a flavorless protein powder yet? It doesn't carry nearly the same odor that flavored powders have and are flavorless, so you can mix it into something to get around the issues that the flavored shakes are giving you. I'd recommend Fairlife milk as a mixer as it has a higher protein content (stick to 2% for fat and calorie sake) so you would be able to use slightly less powder and still hit 30g of protein per drink. Of course, if the texture is something you're having issues with, then a clear protein drink (protein water or the previously recommended Syntrax nectar powders) would be the way to go, keeping in mind that you'll need to drink more of them during the day to meet your program's protein goals, which is the priority.

Things are not always that cut and dry. For my lap band surgery 9 years ago, yes, I knew the post-op road map before surgery and what my diet plan would be. For the revision surgery I had in July, I THOUGHT I knew what my post-op road map was because I had a 2 hour long pre-surgery class where I received what my program refers to as the "Bible" - a 61 page handbook that details general instructions pre-surgery, what to expect the day of surgery, what recovery will entail, and, of course, the diet plan road map for their Phases 1 through 6. I went through that handbook cover to cover multiple times leading up to surgery. I had my surgery. I woke up. I started in on Phase 1 which was 1 ounce of water every 30 minutes. Phase 2 would start once I got home which would be 1 ounce of water every 15 minutes. Phase 3 would start after my first post-op follow-up (1 ounce of Protein shake every 15 minutes, twice a day and then 1 ounce of water every 15 minutes whenever I wasn't doing protein shakes). The morning after surgery, my doctor came to check on me and to get my discharge going. It was then that he told me to ignore what the handbook says and to not follow it. That he would be giving me instructions directly that he felt would be more successful. Did I mention that he WROTE the handbook? Because he did. So, there I went from knowing exactly what my post-op program was to being completely clueless about it because it would be parsed out to me every 1-2 weeks by my doctor instead. Based on the handbook, I should be in the tail end of Phase 5 which would be me eating soft foods. Realistically, I am still in some hybrid phase (4.5?) where the 3 meals I get a week are mostly blended/pureed with the occasional attempt to at soft food to see how I tolerate it. In two weeks time, I should, according to that handbook, be in Phase 6, which is the return to "normal" foods and being able to eat one meal a day, with protein supplements making up the rest of my intake. Except that doesn't seem likely to be what will happen because my doctor threw his own handbook out the window. So...nothing is ever set in stone, in terms of post-op diet plans.

Did you have any issues with protein shakes pre-op? If not, the issue may just be a temporary one as many people find their tolerances for different foods to be different in the post-op period. If you had issues with protein shakes pre-op, you should definitely have spoken with your doctor about it prior to surgery. That said, it is not the end of the world, but you definitely need to inform your doctor about this issue ASAP. While you say he won't be understanding, he may have other suggestions for you to get your protein in. There are MANY protein fluid options out there and there is certain to be one that works for you. The most obvious one that comes to mind is Protein Water (Premiere Protein Clear, Protein2o, etc), but you absolutely need to be consulting with your doctor on this.

Overall, I've been doing great as far as weight loss goes. Mentally and emotionally I've been through the ringer the past few weeks. It also hasn't helped that it looks like I'm on the cusp of a stall right now. Have gone from generally 3lbs a week to 1.8lbs and then this week down to .8lbs this morning. So I'm having a bit of a blah morning. While I know that the slowdown is inevitable, I'd hoped to get another month or two before it set in. Either way, I have decided to scale back to 3 meals a week again, after moving to 4 a week as of last week. We'll see if that helps.

3.5oz piece of halibut that I was lazy with and just used Old Bay to season with a shake of Everything Bagel seasoning to get some crunchy garlic in the mix. Made an ounce (dry weight) of edamame spaghetti and tossed it with Taste Cilantro Lime Ranch...and more Everything Bagel seasoning. I slightly overcooked the fish sadly (not used to baking such small portion sizes) but it didn't get too too dry. Of course, I finished it and was quite happy and then saw the news about Ruth Bader Ginsburg and now I'm heartbroken and sick to my stomach. Considering my day started with being told I had to get a COVID test by my employer and can't return to the office until I get the results and ended with this awful news, I think I'm done with Friday. At least my dinner was successful!

All things in moderation. Carbs are not inherently the enemy. Carbs are inevitable. Every single protein bar I eat has carbs. The body does need carbs for energy. They just are not the best choice to make when eating in terms of encouraging and sustaining your weight loss. So if you're sitting down to a meal where the bulk of the calories that you are consuming are from the carbs you're eating, it's not a good situation. You will end up burning through that energy and then will find yourself hungry again sooner than you would if more of those calories came from protein. You are not banned from ever eating bread or rice or pasta or your carb of choice every again. You just want to do it in moderation and to always seek out options for those items that are lower in carbs and to really focus on eating your protein source first.

I actually have several boxes of Black Bean and Edamame pastas in the cupboard from pre-surgery. I haven't touched them post-op yet. The tofu shirataki noodles caught my eye due to the low calorie count and figured I'd give them a try. I definitely prefer the protein pastas, but I'm always looking for new options!

So tonight involved trying to make something other than leftover ricotta bake or reheating the frozen bariatric shepherd's pie servings my mom made for me. And it also involved trying out two new products to see how I liked them. Even then, I kept it simple and just heated up some Tyson's grilled chicken strips, mixed it with some tofu shirataki macaroni elbows I grabbed at my local Asian supermarket, and some Spicy Garlic Parm sauce from Taste. Sprinkled generously with some Parmesan cheese and dug in. The flavor of the sauce was stellar and had a nice heat to it. The noodles were...odd. There wasn't anything wrong flavor-wise (wasn't really ANY flavor) but the texture was reeeeeeaaaalllllly weird. They're very chewy. It didn't completely turn me off of them, but will take some getting used to. All told, 18g of protein packed into 117 calories and it managed to hit the spot.

I eat 4 times a day: Breakfast at 9am Lunch at 1pm Snack at 4pm Dinner at 7pm This is the same schedule I followed pre-op, and it has kept me comfortable. I will infrequently indulge in an extra snack (slice of deli ham or turkey, spoonful of hummus or ricotta cheese) if I think I'll come in a little low on my protein for the day, but that doesn't tend to happen too often.

So, to me, that does seem like it's a bit more than one would expect from an immediate post-op diet. That said, I only have my own experiences from which to speak and if this is the diet that your doctor prescribed, then they may have a reason. For comparison, here is the diet I am on currently (I hit 10 weeks post-op tomorrow), which is not really standard for most programs that I've seen: 2 times a week: Breakfast - 9am - 2 scoops of Celebrate 4-in-1 in 8oz of unsweetened almond milk + 2 tsp Benefiber (185 calories) Lunch - 1pm - 1 scoop of Celebrate 4-in-1 in 8oz of unsweetened almond milk + 2 tsp Benefiber (115 calories) Snack - 4pm - 1 protein bar (18-20g of protein -Think, Pure Protein, or Built Bar) (160-230 calories) Dinner - 7pm - 1 protein bar (18-20g of protein -Think, Pure Protein, or Built Bar) (160-230 calories) 60+ ounces of water (usually Crystal Light) (40 calories if all Crystal Light) 1 time a week: Breakfast - 9am - 2 scoops of Celebrate 4-in-1 in 8oz of unsweetened almond milk + 2 tsp Benefiber (185 calories) Lunch - 1pm - 1 scoop of Celebrate 4-in-1 in 8oz of unsweetened almond milk + 2 tsp Benefiber (115 calories) Snack - 4pm - 1 bottle of Premiere Protein protein water (20g of protein in 16.9 ounces of fluids) (90 calories) Dinner - 7pm - 1 protein bar (18-20g of protein -Think, Pure Protein, or Built Bar) (160-230 calories) 4 times a week: (up from 3x/week as of this week) Breakfast - 9am - 2 scoops of Celebrate 4-in-1 in 8oz of unsweetened almond milk + 2 tsp Benefiber (185 calories) Lunch - 1pm - 1 scoops of Celebrate 4-in-1 in 8oz of unsweetened almond milk + 2 tsp Benefiber (115 calories) Snack - 4pm - 1 protein bar (18-20g of protein -Think, Pure Protein, or Built Bar) (160-230 calories) Dinner - 7pm - 3-4.oz of allowable soft foods (I've had ground chicken, ground turkey, pureed chicken salad made with hummus & greek yogurt, ricotta bake, baked/steamed whitefish, scrambled eggs) (210 - 250 calories) So I think there would be room to make adjustments to your diet plan, as long as you would still be hitting your protein goals, but that is definitely a conversation you would want to have with your doctor. Simply be upfront with them about your concerns about the slow weight loss and ask for guidance on how to make changes to your diet plan to facilitate better results. Some times you have to make those changes to the diet plan in order to keep your body on it's toes!

Can you give us a rundown of what you're generally eating for meals and when you're eating them? 800 to 1200 calories immediately post-op seems a little high. I am 9 weeks out (VSG) and I only occasionally break 800 calories (and only once have I gone above 900). But I also suspect there's a little bit of 3 week stall creeping in, as well.

Again...so many assumptions about what the OP did from someone who wasn't in the same program as them. We all know how the saying goes abut what happens when you "assume". So keep on assuming for all the forums to see, my dude.