Soon2bFit21

I had a fairly bad allergic reaction to the surgical adhesive and developed a rash with lots of itching. Topical Benadryl helped, so did an extra strength cortisone cream. It still took a good 3 weeks before the rash went away unfortunately.

Thankfully I’m almost 6 months post op and didn’t have to deal with that Nutritionist any longer after that infamous last appointment.

I wouldn’t recommend Atkins, the ingredients aren’t that great and they’re often very high in fat and sugar alcohols. I did Built bars (ones without nuts) during the soft food phase without issue. Quest bars would work as well but they tend to have more sugar alcohols.

I gained weight during my pre op thanks to the inept nutritionist. I lost 18lbs the first month on my own diet and he insisted what I was doing (low carb) was wrong and not sustainable long term. I followed his plan to a T and just kept gaining and gaining. My surgeon told me I could stay the same weight but not gain, so I ended up going 1-2 days a week with zero food just to be sure I’d keep my weight the same for weight ins for pre op. It was a horrible experience and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I was accused of lying about my food intake, had my phone ripped out of my hand while the nutritionist went through my fitness pal trying to find something to throw in my face on what I was doing wrong. He concluded my weight gain was due to the protein bar I was eating for breakfast because he didn’t know the macros (it was on my tracking app and I showed him the physical bar in my purse). Instead, he said I must eat quest bars that were higher cal and less protein. Talk about an eye roll. My last visit with him ended in him telling me I was lying about having a surgery date and me almost leaving in tears.

I tolerate fried foods just fine, you just have to be extremely careful and track all your calories as they’ll add up quick. Some people can never eat fried or greasy foods without major GI upset.

I really like the Fairlife nutrition plan shakes as well: they were the only ones I could tolerate after surgery and I still drink them. The salted carmel one is great and so are chocolate and vanilla. I also bought plain whey isolate (from bulk nutrition) and added to soups, sauces, yogurt etc.

Your doctor said it was infected but not to worry? Did they give you any antibiotics or say you needed to come in? I am a wound care nurse, your margins are spreading which is not a good sign. If your doctor refuses to help, please go to urgent care or the ER.

Height: 5’11 Pre Surgery Weight: 339.8 (I actually gained on my 6 month pre op diet so there was no loss before surgery) Current weight at 5.5 months out: 249.2 Milestone: 90.6 lbs down

Are you only having gas as a side effect or are there other GI issues that go along with this? Are you taking a high quality probiotic and have you tried any bromelain/papayin based digestive enzymes? This may sound random, but I’ve heard of people having their vagus nerve damaged during surgery and this causing a lot of different odd side effects. It’s most commonly damaged during GI surgeries. My grandmother had her cut during a “routine” gallbladder removal and she’s suffered odd symptoms for many years before they finally found out what the issue was.

This could be eczema or psoriasis from a possible allergy to something or may be related to the stress on your body after surgery. I would see a dermatologist. There are also a lot of skin conditions that mimic either of the above.

There’s nothing wrong with straws despite what most bariatric surgeons will tell you. The info is very outdated and incorrect. For further proof, I’ve been using a straw since roughly 6wks post surgery with zero issues. I’m currently 90lbs down at 5 months out.

This was a bad stage for me as well. My nutritionist said that I didn’t have to actually purée meats, but just chop into very very small pieces. This was a lifesaver for me and I ate a lot of crock pot shredded chicken chopped small with fat free gravy and mashed potatoes, ground turkey, the infamous ricotta bake, and refried beans with thin salsa and cheese. I also did canned tuna and chicken, but that didn’t go down as well despite using light mayo. I also made chicken soup from scratch and just made sure the veggies were very well cooked/ mushy and I would mash each serving. Be sure that you chew very well and take your time in between bites and you should be fine with the minced/chopped vs pureed.

I have a very large dog as well and was walking him the first day home from surgery. As long as you’re sure you’re not going to be pulled it’s perfectly fine.

This is excellent advice on all respects and I couldn’t agree more! Also, I wanted to note that low fat low carb isn’t the best thing for dropping lbs quickly. I’d recommend keeping your fats up higher so you can reach ketosis. This will cause you to shed water quicker and jumpstart the fatloss if you are wanting to go the low carb route.

I’ve definitely noticed the arthritis symptoms and swelling. It feels as if all my major joints have been hit with a baseball bat. Even my hands and feet are swollen and hurting.

I haven’t changed anything with my diet, so everything has been going as normal in that respect. I’m also on a “normal” diet since I’m so far past my surgery date, so there isn’t a program I’m following at this point other than that eating a certain amount of cals and macros. The only thing that has changed is having Covid.

Thank you :)

I haven’t fully lost my taste/smell but it’s definitely lower than normal. I can’t seem to smell the normal things around the house (fragrances, candles etc) like I usually do either.

If it causes you pain, don’t do it. Carbonated drinks will Not cause your stomach to stretch out or any old wives’ tales that are perpetuated in the weight loss surgery industry. I’m down 85lbs at 5 months and drink 1, very rarely 2 cans of caffeine free diet soda a day. Make sure you’re still getting in the majority of your fluids from better sources and not having sides such as acid reflux and you’ll be fine. Also wanted to note that diet soda can be a trigger for some when it comes to binging. If this is the case, also stay away.

Have you tried vaping and lowering the nicotine levels slowly in the liquid? My best friend did this before her VSG and it helped tremendously.

It just depends on the person. I have a very high pain tolerance and was in agony for the first 4-5 days post surgery. Most of the pain was gas in my chest/shoulder and from the hernia repair vs the actual VSG. I had almost no incisional pain. The surgery is so individual it’s hard to judge how your body will react and I know plenty of others that were in very minimal pain and needed zero pain meds after the same procedure.

I had terrible gas pain in my chest and shoulder as well. The best thing you can do is just keep walking and it will dissipate. It took a little over a week to go away for me. I’d also suggest sleeping more upright as it seems to be worse laying flat or on one’s side. 

I had to give this for part of my insurance’s pre approval but my history was for 3 years. As others have mentioned, any MD that has your weight history will work. I just used my GP since I had consistent visits.

Pasta and starches (rice, bread, grains etc) are notorious for causing issues around that time period and often for months after. I’m 5 months out and only tolerate a small amount (1/4 cup cooked) or I start to get the “foamies”. I do find that the the protein pasta is easier to digest (I like the Barilla one).

I just wanted to note, for anyone that is stating that artificial sweeteners can cause weight gain and don’t drink diet because of them, I would absolutely not use this as a reason or to drink diet soda. There are artificial sweeteners in your protein shakes, protein bars, yoghurt, jello, pudding, Gatorade, mio/water flavorings, and many others items you consume. These are all foods and additions that are heavily relied upon on almost every single post op diet I’ve seen here.