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Please don't wait to get signals a week after surgery. There's little or no feedback from our stomachs because all the nerves have been cut. Takes weeks or months to heal and tell you anything, and even then, as the others have said, the feeling of fullness can be really delayed. I am 28 months post sleeve and I have just learned to eyeball what volume and mix of foods my stomach can manage, and usually stop a bit before that for safety's sake. If I go beyond that I get a runny nose and sneeze (Vagus nerve stimulation). By then it's too late though. You'll learn how to manage as you go along. Just stick to small volumes at the start. At your stage you shouldn't be too hungry so you're just eating for fuel - treasure this time, it passes all too quickly. 😍 Stick strictly to the volumes you have been given. Weirdly I wasn't given any by my team so I asked for advice here and then stuck to THAT and it was very helpful.

I guess I've been doing this all along, at least once I was allowed regular foods. I'll have a small serving of ice cream if I go to an ice cream place. I had a couple bites of cheesecake a while back. I'll have a square of dark chocolate a few times a week. I generally order chicken or fish, and not fried, with veggies at a restaurant, but I'll eat the sauces and not worry about it. I'll eat a couple fries off someone else's plate. That'a all I want is one or two. My program is fairly simple, 60-80g protein and 64 oz water are the only rules I was given, (no specific calorie or carb rules) with an added recommendation of aim for 3 meals a day, about 40% protein per meal, and avoid snacking. Obviously, there is the list of good choices and not so good choices that we all know, like avoid oils and fried foods, and eat nutrient dense foods, etc. But I stopped keeping a written food journal every day because it isn't required of me, and for me, I don't want to live like I'm on a perpetual diet. Somewhere I heard the advice to follow a 90/10 rule. If 90% of what you eat is healthy, don't worry so much about the other 10%. That resonates with me. Also, I like the concept of a "planned indulgence" instead of a cheat meal. Cheating implies doing something wrong. Planning to indulge in something is deliberate and you're in control of it. For me, that fits my life.

Anyone else experience complications post bypass? I just had an endoscopy that found ulcers inflammation and stricture at the sit where my new stomach connects to my intestines. Apparently it's because of lack of enough blood flow to the area and is the reason I've been so sick since my surgery 6 weeks ago

I have a total of 4 weeks preop diet. The first 3 weeks, daily, I could have 2 protein shakes, 2 low cal, low fat, low carb snacks, 3 oz of lean protein, and one cup of non starchy vegetables. Also at least 64 oz water. I lost 22 lbs. this last week I can have 5 protein shakes and at least 64 oz water. I’m on day two of that and I have been very weak, shaky, and sometimes nauseous today. Hoping for a better day tomorrow!

That sounds really good Marcia.. I start soft foods next week and will try it out..

@ShoppGirl Thank you for your reply I have therapy every week, but was going to start looking for more weight-related therapists in my area as I am extremely worried about coping with the emotional eating. I am sorry to hear about the struggles you have had, and I hope it all works out for you. Pureed food sounds like the worst stage! I, like you, feel that pureeing 'normal' foods probably is gross haha! Hospital bag is actually one of the things I do need to think about! I shall add those to my list, thank you

My surgery was February 2nd. 8 weeks post-op & it's been so much more overwhelming than I thought! Food hurts going down & feels like rocks are piling up in my stomach. This is only 3-4 very small bites, well chewed, approved foods that are moist, eating slowly & no drinking water with meals. Sometimes I'm in terrible pain! Even water feels like it's backing up. My doctor scheduled me for an endoscopy Wednesday thinking I might have a stricture & possibly an ulcer. My stomach still hurts more than I thought it would in certain areas. Can anyone else relate? I thought I was very well prepared for this surgery but gosh!

I had an open RNY so they idea of laying down flat was laughable... if laughing didn't hurt so much. Once the staples and drain were removed after about 3 weeks I was able to start entertaining the idea of laying flat. I entertained the idea for about another 2 weeks when I finally gave it a go. Another week and I was laying down in just about any position I put my mind to, though I didn't put my mind to it over much. By six weeks I was pretty much able to position myself in just about any way. I was a rather large fellow, so there was more of me putting pressure on tender spots than for the average bear. I didn't see any reason to push myself, it's not like I was in a race or such. Good luck, Tek

That does sound like the basis for the diet I'm on. They told me to work on getting 64oz of water per day as top priority, then around 60-80g of protein next. Next it was to prioritize some unsaturated fats (fish, poultry, and lower carb veggie protein options). From there, they told me to keep carbs under 10g per serving, and under 55g total for the day (not quite as low as keto). Then try to keep saturated fats low where possible. I'm a 6'1" male, so they had me try to target 800-1000 calories per day during the weight loss phase, and work toward 1200 after about 6 months. You may want to check with your doctor or nutritionist to see if they have a recommended range to target. I learned the hard way while I was sick with Covid over the holidays that its really easy for excess calories to be hiding in small things. But overall, just keep up with what you are doing. There will be a stall within the first couple months, and a second stall a couple months after that, so just mentally prepare for it. Both will last 2-4 weeks and will likely have a slight regain in the middle of it. It doesn't take much fluid retention to make the number on the scale go back up. Remember that a 16oz bottle of water is literally 1lb. It's not fat, so it doesn't count. if you're drinking a half gallon / 2L of water a day, that's 4 lbs sitting there, but it doesn't count as "fat weight". It is jarring to see a 4lb fluctuation on the scale, but you're not losing progress, it's just water that your body isn't done processing yet. Think of the weight loss more like stair steps rather than a straight line. You can push through it!

Thought I'd update this post because I just had the chance to attend a live Q&A session with Dr. Matthew Weiner. I talked to him about my weight loss so far and concerns about how slow my progress has felt post-op. He asked me about pre-op weight loss and what my highest weight had been, and explained that even though I was 223 going into surgery, I had started at 251 and lost 12 lbs from nutrition changes over 6 months, plus 16 lbs from the pre-op diet, so that all factors into the final weight loss expectations. He suggested in terms of what my final weight loss from the surgery might be that using the 251 starting weight could be more accurate, and that the pre-op diet weight loss would definitely help explain the slower weight loss post-op. Bottom line, I feel so much relief hearing this explanation from him and really appreciated him taking the time to ask so many questions to get to the answer! My surgeon really hasn't given me an estimate of what I should expect to lose, although I plan to ask at my 3-month appointment next week so I can compare.

I added my measuring tape to the collection of items I'm gathering for the hospital when I read your post! It IS getting really close and I'm definitely feeling it. I did get pretty moody a couple of times this week, honestly. I don't know why, because I didn't really feel hungry but I did feel very reactionary and super sensitive. In fact, I was (and still am a little.. ) worried that it was PMS because I read that women who swiftly go on the type of liquid low carb / no sugar diet can have a change in their cycle. My brain immediately went "Oh Noooooo what if I have to deal with cramps on surgery day?!" So far I'm just crossing my fingers against that being the case, and hoping my body at LEAST waits a week! It feels surreal for me because I haven't been apart from my fella hardly at all in the two years we've been together and I realized tonight is the last night for a few days that I'll get to sleep beside him. Because of travel and work he isn't going to be with me at the hospital but my Mom and good friend will. It's Saturday night and I'm scheduled to be at the hospital around 5am Monday! I head out of town tomorrow evening. I'm holding strong on not smoking and plan to do my very best to maintain that post-op! I've already noticed, from not smoking and from the diet, my taste buds changing. The drink mix I used to really enjoy (A cheap one, surprisingly, zero sugar Hydrate in Grape flavor sold at Dollar General for like 1.20/6 flavor packs) now tastes kinda gunky. I'm not sure if it is because of all the shakes or just the lack of sugar/carbs. I find myself rinsing my mouth out a lot, especially after the shakes, and even though I'm drinking a lot of water my throat still feels dry from time to time, especially at night. I've started drinking my water plain or with a little lemon in it, which is especially nice when I drink it hot. I don't enjoy my coffee sweet or creamy anymore, either - it feels like 'too much'. Not that I have more than one cup, max, of caffeinated coffee per day - I even purchased a 3 in one coffee pot that takes loose leaf tea, pods, and regular coffee for the sake of my Mom and fella. I'm not entirely surprised at the change in taste buds seeing as when I quit drinking soda and would take a sip after a long time it would taste awful (especially any kind of dark colored soda). Oh - and to follow up on the Colace; I do think my doctor's office made me start the colace with my liquid diet BECAUSE of all the protein, especially in the shakes. I'm pretty sure those do slow your digestion; I've actually found myself taking an extra allowed laxative just because I want to be sure they have as much space to operate as possible and I feel like I've remained borderline constipated. My friend said that she didn't have a BM until 4 days post-op and they were concerned about that. I keep editing this post realizing I forgot to add things -- I SO feel you on the use of public restrooms! I've always done pretty well to avoid having to go #2 at public places and what you described happening - noise, smell, makes me nervous. That's really the ONLY side effect of the SADI that I'm a little concerned about. So far I'm telling myself that since I've been running on the side of constipated it should be ok, especially if I am mindful with my diet. It was really cool to see a post here from someone 4 years post-SADI! That was very reassuring, about being able to eventually eat most of the same foods, but in moderation and in much smaller portions. This might be my last update prior to surgery as tomorrow I plan to do last minute laundry and triple check my instructions, but I'll definitely be checking in as soon as I feel up to it to tell everyone how it went! How exciting is it to see this thread starting to pop with activity?! I feel SO lucky to have found this place and be receiving so many tips and insights from others who have / are going through the same things! Best wishes to all, we got this!!

Aww, thanks! I'm glad it helped! It is amazing at how sensitive and reactive our tummies are post-op. They definitely have opinions! How are you feeling now with another week having passed? Early out things can change so quickly looking back on it but in the moment feel like they take forever. I blame it on the "drinking water like it is your only job" thing, the day seems to stretch on sooo long when you have 64oz worth of baby sips to take! 🤣

I am having the same struggle that you are having.. lately when people have been asking how am I losing the weight I just tell me.. working out 5-6 days a week, high protein, low carb and fat diet. That seems to do the trick. If they want to know more then I will tell them about the flavored waters that I am drinking and some of the high protein food that I am eating.

I'm a week out from surgery and have started on pureed food. I'm trying to figure out when I'm getting full without getting too full. Today I think I overdid it and it wasn't comfy at all! I get discomfort right between my breasts... the first few days after surgery, I was really sore there, and liquids hurt going down. They found a hiatal hernia and fixed that during surgery, and I figured that repair was causing the pain. But it's kind of in the same place where I get uncomfortable when I think I'm full. With that said... I'm curious about what full feels like to others. Thanks!!

I did the same - I had my husband take pictures of me every month on my surgery date until I hit maintenance 20 months later. It's much easier to see your progress if you can refer back to previous photos. You can't always tell a difference from month to month, but comparing photos to ones taken three or four months earlier - yep - you can definitely see the difference! Plus it's great having photo documentation of your journey! Congrats, by the way - you're doing great!

Have you just started the psych meds? They take awhile to kick in . ( like around 6 weeks ) Maybe then , you won't be as anxious . Good luck and don't be afraid to take advantage of therapy

Right now I am not getting a great deal of help from his team. I am trying to decide between SADI and bypass but I honestly think I may be one of the first patients to get the SADI with him. A fact that if it is true scares me a bit but the possibility of greater weight loss has kept me interested. I do have an appointment tomorrow with his PA and in two weeks with the dietician to help in my decision. I hope I get quite a few answers between the two. I am just really trying to figure things out so I can eat that way now to see what I am possibly getting myself into. Lol

Ok surgery buddies. I don’t mean to go share too much, but I haven’t had a bowel movement in almost 2 weeks. I’m starting to get really concerned. My support staff suggested Mira lax which I may have to get. Anyone else experience this so far?

I went with the bypass because it had the better chance of resolving my issues with hypertension, cholesterol, and blood sugar, and much better chance of not developing GERD. I also know the 10-year weight loss/regain numbers are a bit better for bypass. And, just a minor consideration, but I felt better not having part of my body removed. I know, I had my intestines rerouted and all that, but my stomach is still in there and somehow that made me have more peace of mind. 2 weeks out today and my recovery has been fantastic. My doctor moved me along to basically a regular solid food diet at my appointment, with just some restrictions regarding excluding beef/pork/lamb and raw veg for a few more weeks. I've had no issues, only minor pain the first few days, and I feel fantastic. I can walk for an hour or more at a time with no problem. My recovery has been much easier than my brother's when he had the sleeve several years back, though not sure if that has anything to do with the surgery type.

I went 2 weeks after the surgery, then 3 months, then 6 months, then 1 year, then once every year after that. My surgeon said I'll do a 1 year follow up until I hit 5 years out, then it's more of on an as needed basis, like if something is wrong or whatever.

Hi everyone, My 3-month mark was January 27th, 2024 for RNY. I was cleared to eat regular food in the normal way (not liquid, puree) 2 days before Christmas. I just had my labs done today, and my 3-month checkup with the clinic is on Feb 12th, where we will go over labs and diet expectations. So I will know more then. From my highest weight, I have lost 61lbs/27.69k so far, since surgery on October 27th I have lost 39lbs/17.69k. I feel like I should have lost more, but I am right on track. I was exercising at the gym 6 days a week since mid-November, up until 2 weeks ago when I got snowed in. I am hoping to get back to the gym tomorrow, but I am overwhelmed looking for a new job/career change and I would like to move to Nevada. I have noticed that the exercise seems to help me with the weight coming off and I have been building muscle too, especially in my arms and legs (most excited about arms). I take full body measurements every month on the 27th. I started doing this the day before surgery in October and I have found it very encouraging, especially since I struggle with feeling I should have lost more. I would suggest everyone do this, there are some great cheap templates you can download from Etsy. The first month after surgery I lost 0lbs, nothing and I was super upset, how can no weight come off when all you get to eat is protein shakes, and it's a struggle to get them down? So I guess I hit my stall right out the gate. My surgery did go very well. I only stayed one night in the hospital, and I was eager to get home, I did throw up the entire time after surgery (that day and the next day) but I did not have pain or gas and I was able to walk around easily. TMI but I did start my period the day before surgery, so FYI bring your own pads to the hospital, the ones they have are terrible, and no you can't use a cup or tampons. I will let you know how my lab report turns out and what they tell me on February 12th. Oh and anyone living in Las Vegas or Henderson NV and can help with a job, that would be awesome I have a bachelor's in Business Management with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship, and I can learn to do anything quickly, but I would need to make enough to afford an apartment on my own. (it's worth a try)

@Greekmom4 that bean recipe sounds good. Is salsa considered a purée though? I guess you can purée it a little more. I’m gonna order some now and try to use my little hand blender with it and see what happens. You have to tell me how exactly you went about making purée chicken salad. Was it totally mush? I am allowed canned chicken and tuna and a little low fat Mayo but that seems like a big jump from liquid to me. @Hiddenroses i haven't experienced that but have heard of lots of weird physical aches and pains, especially back pain that occurs as we lose because our posture changes so quickly. And lots of people do end up needing a cushion when they sit after a while. I’m gonna guess it is the loss. Your first NSV!! Needing extra butt cushion 🎉 @Onemealplan are you allowed the egg substitute? I had never tried them until my pre op diet and they are surprisingly good. The first ingredient is egg whites but they add some stuff to make them taste a whole lot more like regular eggs which is great for me because I really don’t care for egg whites. They are also super soft and moist which is good for us right now. @Hiddenroses I am editing this post to add that now that I am paying attention I am feeling a bit of tingling in my butt cheek. I am lying in an adjustable bed watching tv and I’m actually not in a very comfortable position at all but I swear I just noticed some tingling in the right side and shifted my weight. 🤣 I guess if it happened before I just didn’t pay much attention. I’m lucky that I haven’t had to do any desk chair sitting this week. That just got me to thinking about when will be the best time to get a new mattress. One thing I do remember with the sleeve was that the mattress seemed uncomfortable after I lost a significant ***** of weight. I think it’s because I was not sleeping in my same dented in spot with the posture changes. I flipped the mattress a few times and then ended up switching mattresses with my husband who is tiny because he can sleep on anything and that worked last time but I don’t remember if they have been replaced since then. I’m thinking not so I’m going to have to for sure this time at some point.

Yeah I haven't looked in to the plastics side of things as to what is covered for me. I do recall it being mentioned at one point by the psychiatrist I had to go see and I think he said it had to be a few years and then a decision process but at this stage it is too soon to be thinking about that. My big (literally and figuratively) problem area is my legs, thighs in particular. Even after loosing so much weight, with a bit more to go, there is no way I would wear anything that would show anything above my ankles. As it is I have to go back into hospital next week for a few days to have the tube in my stomach removed and them to monitor me to see if my leak has fully closed.

Hey guys... I just wanted to check in.. I am going next week for my 3 month post op appointment and for some reason I am feeling really down.. I don't feel like I have done enough, lost enough , or working out enough. I am going to buckle down a little more this week.. I have some meal planning to do and hope that I might lose a little bit more before this appointment.. On a good note.. I am now on bag number 3 of donation clothes, most of my closet is pretty cleaned out. looking at super cut summer clothes. I went shopping last night bought a new pair of jeans. I have gone from a size 26-24 2xl-3xl to an 18 pants, xl shirt. so excited for cloths shopping.. I hope everyone else is doing good...

I will be 3 weeks this Thursday, it gets better once you get into soft foods. Take it one day at a time, you will reach the point of yummy food again.