Sunnyway

Tiny sips of water while eating may help you. Tiny sips are not the same as "drinking while eating". The reason for the rule is to prevent washing the food through the pouch faster than it should be moving thus preventing you from feeling satisfied.

Stomach or intestine rumbling is not a sign of hunger. It's merely food slowly moving through your system. Don't use it as a cue to eat.

I encourage you to read this book. Its advice may be your salvation. A Pound of Cure by Matthew Weiner, MD. A cookbook by the same bariatric surgeon is Bariatric Diet Guide and Cookbook. Finally, this next book may help you get back on track by reminding you of the steps you learned when you had your surgery. The Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients, by Colleen Cook.

I like plant-based protein drinks and shakes over the whey-based.

Sometimes it takes eating MORE to break a stall. Stalls occur for a couple of reasons: 1) to let your body catch up, and 2) because your metabolism is in starvation mode. If you eat MORE it may trigger your metabolism to speed up since it's no longer in starvation mode. It's counter-intuitive to eat MORE, but it frequently works. Perhaps you could eat 1100-1200 calories a day and see what happens.

If you are a sugar/food addict you will have cravings. Once you obtain from your trigger foods, the craving will pass after a withdrawal period that lasts only a week or two. If you eat even a small qualtity of sugar, flour, rice, potatoes, or processed foods the cravings will probably return and you'll have to go through withdrawal all over again. It gets much easier if you are abstaining. If you don't know if you are a sugar/food addict (or if you suspect you are), I recommend the following books:

I'm sure they are very tasty, but they are junk food. Keto junk food is still junk food and should be avoided.

My answer to temptation is to not have stuff in the house (like not making muffins) or eating some protein like Greek yogurt or string cheese. If the craving persists after that, I promise myself that I can have the craved item if I wait for half an hour. I've usually lost interest during that half hour.

Try holding a pillow over your belly when getting up or twisting. Putting that mild pressure over the incisions helps. A belly binder also helps, but if you were to order it now, you will be up and around before you would receive it.

I'm surprised you aren't required to follow up regularly. Dietary counseling really should be both pre and post surgery. Merely being accountable and having to check in keeps one on the right path. A 25-lb loss is doable. I've lost 50+ over 6 months pre-op with rigorous attention to the high protein, low carb, low-fat food food plan they provided. I've stalled and It's gotten more difficult to follow the plan as I get closer to surgery, but I have not regained any of the loss.

Take it one day at a time. It will all work out. I have to meet with a dietitian once a month prior to surgery--going on 6 months now. I've not found their advice very helpful, but it does make me accountable to report in. I've seen a different person each month so I have NOT developed a clinical relationship with any one of them. They don't seem to have looked at my chart prior to visits and it really pisses me off. My case is an outlier but they forget that until I remind them--every fricking time. It's very frustrating, but it makes me more determined. I've done lots of reading about WLS and have gotten numerous bariatric cookbooks. I'm as ready as I ever will be. I encourage you to do your homework, too, by learning as much as you can throughout the process.

You may be slipping up in minor ways that add up in the long run. Weigh and measure everything. Track your food on an app like Baritastic. It will keep you aware of what you are actually eating. You could also try resetting your set point by returning to all liquids, and build up again to solid foods over several weeks. If you have achieved your goal and stayed there for a while, a bit of weight gain is quite normal.

There are lots of recipes for home-made protein shakes online. There are also protein soup powders available from Bariatric Advantage and ProtiDiet. You can add unflavored protein powder to a variety of liquids. Think outside the box.

I am in agreement with Splenderella. Just to demonstrate that alcohol temperance or abstention must a life-long objective: I had my initial RNY 30 years ago and still cannot drink more than 1 or 2 cocktails or glasses of wine before becoming inebriated. As a result I drink very rarely and stop at one drink. Addiction transference is a real thing for WLS patients. Some become alcoholics after surgery, perhaps because alcohol is a substitute for food addiction, a different coping mechanism. Be cautious with alcohol after surgery and keep track of your drinking behavior. Be honest with your surgeon and dietitian about your alcohol intake. Have your first drink at home in a safe environment. Avoid alcohol for as long as you can, for at least six months post-surgery. Alcohol dehydrates you, so be sure to drink extra water. Stay away from all sweet drinks, which can make you dump. Alcoholic drinks are empty calories, which should be reason enough to abstain. Alcohol hits your bloodstream much faster after surgery so it will affect you much harder. Never drink and drive. The way alcohol affects you after surgery will definitely impair your ability to drive.

Are you able to up-chuck when you get that chest pain? Up-chucking usually gives immediate relief. I'm 30-years post my initial RNY and I still (rarely) get that blocked feeling. I tried to eat sweet potatoes with skin the other night and the skin did me in. <Urp!> and it was all better.

After the honeymoon period your calorie intake will increase, For a big guy like you, it may be 1500 calories, or more if you are very physically active. My maintenance level is likely to be 1000-1200 calories per day. At 1500, I gain weight. You will learn your way as you progress through the program. Do read as much as possible about WLS so you will know what to expect. Examples:

Immediately post surgery you may eat only 300-500 calories, but your intake will increase as you transition to soft and pureed foods and finally to "real" food. Yes, you will feel satisfied by this minimal intake. Enjoy the restriction and weight loss because it won't last forever. Learn to recognize when your pouch is full and STOP immediately. You also need to learn how to prepare and cook food appropriate for your new body. There are lots of bariatric recipes online and bariatric cookbooks are available on Amazon and elsewhere.

Have you tried Lactose-Free products? Lactaid Fat-Free milk and Cottage Cheese are readily available. FairLife Ultra-Filtered is also Lactose-Free. There are vegan cheeses that are fairly tasty if your Lactose-intolerance goes as far as cheese. Coconut yogurt is more expensive, but dairy free. Fage Zero Greek Yogurt is a milk product but is fat-free. Also, don't assume that your new lactose intolerance will be life-long. I still can't tolerate much whole milk or ice-cream but cheese and yogurt are no longer a problem.

Scrambled eggs can be hard at first. Poached eggs go down easier. Beef can be very hard for many months post surgery. I've never heard of the "drunken" effect unless you were uncomfortable after eating. The cure for the uncomfortable feeling in your chest (or hiccups or other symptom) is to up-chuck what you have eaten. Going forward pay close attention to physical feelings as you eat in order to learn when your pouch is full or over-full

RNY Gastric Bypass is usually the best surgical technique for people who have heartburn or GERD. It usually eliminates those issues and type II diabetes. Are you drinking or eating too quickly? Try slowing down to sips or tiny bites well chewed.

If you need sleep aid, see your doctor for a prescription and don't rely upon Benedryl for long term use. Commonly prescribed drugs are Trazadone and Lunesta. I've been using Lunesta for over 10 years and have never required an increased dosage. I sleep for eight hours and wake up refreshed. It's better than anything else I've tried. Ambien is often a GP's first choice, but IMHO it is a nasty drug. After one try I will never use it again. It puts one to sleep but may not keep one asleep. It may leave a hung-over effect. People have been known to sleep-walk and sleep-eat and have no memory of it afterwards. One must go to bed immediately upon taking it and must NEVER mix it with alcohol or operate equipment or vehicles.

If you don't already know how to cook, now is the time to learn. In order to eat differently for the rest of your life, you need to know how to choose, prep, and prepare appropriate meals. There are lots of supportive books about WLS and bariatric cooking. Here are a few that I've obtained:

I'm pre-surgery, planning ahead. If you have different recipes for each stage I'm interested in all.

Until about 18 months ago I did not know that RNY revisions were even possible. Had I known I would have had done it long ago. Medical science has come a long way in 30 years! My original RNY was done in 1990. It failed after 6 months and a 75-lb weight loss. I regained the weight lost at about 10 lbs a year, returned to my original high weight of 300+ lbs, and stayed there for over 20 years despite many efforts to lose. Over the years my pouch stretched from 2 oz to 9 oz, the anastomosis stretched, and a fistula developed between pouch and stomach (which was not separated at that time). The revision will reduce the size of the pouch and anastomosis, and will separate the remnant stomach. My surgeon estimates I'll lose another 60 lbs over the 50 I've lost pre-surgery. I'm hoping for another 75 lbs. Either way, I'll still be obese, but in better shape than I am now.

Protein soups are available from ProtiDiet and Bariatric Advantage. You might find plant-based protein easier than whey-based. Orgain's Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt is to die for, as is their Peppermint Hot Chocolate. Both are in powder form that you add to water or milk. Isopure has fruit and punch flavored protein powder. There are also unflavored protein powders you can add to other things once you are allowed soft and pureed food. You can also make your own protein shakes at home. There are lots of recipes online. Google "protein shake recipes".