Search the Community

Catwoman7 is right, this could be hormones... Some stabilize after a few weeks, others it takes longer, it depends a lot on how your individual body deals with it! I felt like I had the worst PMS for a few weeks, I cried at the drop of a hat, I was angry and moody and down. But it has balanced out. Also, major surgery all by itself can induce periods of depression post-op, this is not unusual and will fade in time. I had nausea daily for the first two months, then it suddenly faded away. One thing my intuitive eating coach suggested is starting my day with a shake or protein hot cocoa. This is because our tiny tummies can get a little dehydrated overnight and trying to put food in them first thing is uncomfortable. Easing into the day with fluids firsts rehydrates the tissue. Even with this I had to take nausea meds for 2 months twice a day. I found Zofran wasn't helpful so they gave me promethazine, it worked much better. And I never get much use out of omeprazole so I'm on pantaprazole in the morning and Dexilant in the evening. Don't be afraid to tell your team something isn't working if you try their medication adjustment and it isn't helping... Oh and one last thing, if you take meds for depression, you might want to let the person who manages them know you are feeling down. Sometimes depression meds need a bit of an adjustment a few months after surgery. Our absorption of things can change. But if you aren't on meds for depression, the above reasons are probably why you are feeling rather down...

First was at week 5. I had returned to work in a new area where an old work friend was based. I’d lost a good 10kgs (22 odd lbs) so noticeable. She’d known me from thin to obese & up & down so knew of my battles. She hugged me in welcome on my first day & then whispered I was looking good. I told her a few days later. She offered no judgement just good wishes. Everyone in that section knew I’d recently had a surgery but not what. Most presumed it was a ‘female surgery’ (it was a largely male section) & I didn’t correct them. I remember her reaction so well because on the last day of my contract (about 8 weeks later), they organised a farewell/thank you morning tea for me. Lots of sticky buns, cakes, etc. She whisperered she’d made sure there was some cheese & crudités so I could have a little bite of something & not feel uncomfortable. Such a considerate thing to do & all without fuss. Can’t recall who was last to notice I was losing weight. Sometimes people don’t say anything because they’re unsure how you’ll react or don’t want you to think they watching how successful you are or will be. Or if the don’t know worry you are unwell & again don’t want to broach the subject with you. So they say nothing. Your boyfriend is likely trying to be super supportive & nothing more. Depending on how much you were when you started, it can take a little while to really notice a change. For me, that 10kgs was almost a dress size, but because I wore a lot of loose, or elastic waisted clothing, my loss was sort of hidden. Gave you been taking photos or taking body measurements (weekly or monthly)? Sometimes the changes can be seen more easily that way than just in a mirror (body dysmorphia can blind us to the truth sometimes) or when pulling on your pants (until they fall down of course 😉). Congratulations on your loss so far.

You being able to drink more fluids is not due to your tummy being bigger. You probably are not having as much internal swelling as someone else does. Also, some never lose their ability to gulp a good bit of water, and you don't list your surgery, some bypass patients also have this happen. Fluids exit our stomach really quickly, some faster than others. The restriction with fluids early on is because of the internal swelling and how long it takes to get to the stomach through that swollen area. I had a LOT of swelling. Water went down at a trickle. I could literally hear it displace air in my stomach when it finally got there, like a little drain finally clearing. It was hilarious and so strange feeling. For me it took 3 weeks for this weirdness to stop. I can take a good 3-4 full swallows most days now before I get pressure from my tummy to slow down. I tell you all this because I know for a fact I have a larger sleeved stomach than most, my surgeon made it that way due to reflux. I've seen it empty fluids on imaging, it is fast as lightning! LOL Your tummy will not lead to bad food choices, even if it were bigger. But your mind will! Trust me, once you add solid proteins in, you will probably feel your restriction to some degree. Many never feel restriction with purees and fluids.

Anyone having issues with irregular heartbeats since having gastric bypass? I have been having problems with AFIB when I went through dumping the first few months and now 1 year out since February I have been in constant PVC (Premature ventricular contraction). My cardiologist is baffled. Been through all kinds of tests and my heart is healthy and have no blockages BUT even with meds it’s not going away. I am constantly having PVC’s AND when I eat my heart gets worse! I flutters like CRAZY!!!! Feels like I horrible panic attack, sometimes feel like I am going to have a heart attack or something. I have been in hospital, being monitored and back in hospital for testing and been on heart monitors. In 1 week wearing a monitor they recorded over 38,000 PVC’S 😱 I am at a loss here and never had these issues until I was revised to gastric bypass. I went back to Bariatric surgeon and he put me on reactive hypoglycemia diet he said that cannot cause PVCs, but it can cause heart, palpitations, and being on that diet has not made any changes. I go back to the cardiologist again for the 11th time on Tuesday after wearing my third monitor and I don’t know what is going to be done at this point. It’s really freaky that after I eat whether it’s healthy or not so healthy my heart does a freaking jiggly jig dance!!!! I thought I’d come on here to see if this is a problem that anybody else has heard of or experienced ?

Congratulations! It's encouraging to hear that cuz I'm one week in and I am getting so discouraged.

Every program will be different, but your best bet is to wean off it as quickly as you can. Decaf is usually fine, so you may start doing half-caf tomorrow with the goal of getting to all decaf before surgery. It's less a problem before surgery because you can make yourself drink extra water to combat the dehydration coffee can cause, but it's impossible to do that after, so ideally you don't want to drink anything that makes you get dehydrated. On the other hand, some programs let you have one cup of regular coffee per day. Just don't go cold turkey if you want to avoid a killer headache. I spent two weeks weaning myself off caffeine before my pre-op diet started.

No one tells you really how difficult it is to get in your protein post op. I am unable to drink the required Protein Powder it makes me sick to my stomach. Everything protein powder, protein water, protein yogurt seems to all have a chalky aftertaste. Can you guys give any suggestions or highly recommended products to get in protein that don’t taste chalky and disgusting ? Most ready made shakes taste overly sweet to me now . One month post op next week surviving on water, Jell-O, pudding and broth.

I had my VSG on October 2nd. I started real food this past Monday. I'm losing an average of 3 pounds per week. My problem is that not only am I hungry, I seem to be able to eat more than what I should be. It feels like I still have my entire stomach. Anyone else experiencing this? My surgeon says I'm doing great, but I'm not so sure.

IMHO, you've made a good decision. Let me share a bit of my story to convince you to put the scale away... period. When I had surgery I was too large by far for a home scale. The only time I was weighed for about a year and a half after surgery was at my surgeon's office at monthly follow-ups. Because of this, I never saw a stall in my weight loss. At my follow-ups my weight loss was never the topic of discussion unless I brought it up. The discussion centered on how I was feeling, how my plan was going, life changes, how was I emotionally, any issues or concerns. I learned valuable lessons in these appointments. Eventually I was able to weigh on a home scale. I practically lived on the scale for a couple weeks until the novelty wore off, then I never used it again. I knew how I was doing by how I felt, my plan compliance, how my clothes felt, my health, happiness and a number of other considerations. These are still my measurements. We don't need a scale to follow our plans. The number on a scale does not tell you how well you are following your plan. In some cases, the number on the scale may tempt you to change your successful plan. It's great not being ruled by a number on a scale and simply paying attention to the important stuff. Good luck, Tek

One week since my sleeve surgery. Some observations: Dehydration: They warned us this would be the biggest challenge and they weren't kidding! The doctors fixed a hiatal hernia they weren't expecting and they must have tightened it up pretty well. Drinking anything is a chore, and sometimes painful (though that is gradually going away). Seriously though, keeping a steady inflow of liquid takes mental focus. I'm getting better every day but hitting that 48oz minimum takes effort. What I'm Drinking: Vitamin Water Zero and Protein Shakes. I wish I had done more flavor profiling before surgery. My Gold Standard protein shakes are fine but the flavors are kind of meh. I'm so much of a cheapskate though, I'll stick with the Double Chocolate and Cinnamon Roll options until they run out. I liked the Unjury Cookies and Cream, but that brand is expensive and...again...cheapskate. How I'm feeling: No external pain. The core pain in my abdomen when moving around is largely gone...I only notice when I have to bend way down to pick up something. I won't say my energy is up, but I feel lighter. My feet aren't swollen. Clothes are fitting more easily. I'm going on progressively longer walks (but take along a bottle, the cotton mouth is real). Bleh: I hate ground up pills. The taste stays with me all. night. long. I can't wait to graduate to mushy foods! Never thought I'd be so excited for applesauce.

It doesn't sound like it. I know that the amount sounds like a lot compared to the can-only-eat-three-spoons-of-pureed-food-and-even-less-when-solid crowd but the amounts is not what strikes me odd. If the foods you're listing are fairly typical for a day of eating you simply might be lagging nutrients. No fruits at all, only a little bit of vegetables. I'm not surprised. The sodium content of the foods you listed seems to be fairly high. Quick weight loss or weight gain usually almost includes some water retention. My weight can swing up to almost 1 kg within one day because of how much water I hold. You say you want to start tracking. Are you a person who likes to track food, a person who abhors it (raises both hands simultaneously here) or a person who is not a fan but in the end doesn't mind it? Tracking foods/calories/macros can help people - however, it could be that you can benefit from a different food selection without even having to write everything down you eat. How far out of surgery are you? Are the stats you're listing in your profile still correct?

Surgery complete! It was on the 12th. I’m not going to lie -it really hurts. The first day or two was pretty rough. Besides my stomach hurting my throat was so angry from the tube. I’m going to blame that on my snoring… I find that every day I’m feeling much better than the last. From the start of my liquid diet a week before to now I’m down 12 lbs. that makes me very very happy. Definitely the most productive weight loss I’ve ever had. Im 6 days post-op and feeling pretty good- I get a twinge of pain when I use my stomachs muscles like laying down or sitting up but just a twinge like a 2/10. Now I’m ready to get going- I want to get the weight off and keep it off.

Things have changed a whole lot since my surgery in 2010! The diet plan I had to follow was one Ensure Protein [and I am know it was not the 30gr/carton variety] and water. That was it. On the hour, 2 oz of protein then 2 oz of water every 15 minutes. I even bought a set of eight pretty 2 oz shot glasses that my husband would use for my meals. At the top of the hour, he brought me one with protein and three with water. Start over at the top of the hour and continue until you went to bed. Slider foods, those that are pureed like mashed potatoes, canned refried beans, tuna with mayo, hot cereals, etc were for weeks 4-6 back then. Of course every practice has their own requirements and so much has changed. To up your protein, add some to your cereals or your yogurt. They make flavorless proteins. Find the protein that you can tolerate. Also, you can look into the clear liquid proteins that are out there. Many companies make them. Stalls are your body's way of trying to figure out just what you are trying to do to it. It naturally does not want you to starve to death so it will hold onto those pounds for as long as it can. Then, you will suddenly lose two pounds overnight, lose for a while and then begin another stall. This is the first of many stalls - just keep doing what you are supposed to be doing and don't let that stall get to you. Yes, that is hard, the "not letting it get to you" part. Remember that your surgery is just another tool in your toolbox and not a magic bullet. For the constipation, which is really common after this surgery because of the high protein intake, I would add Miralax to your water or any liquid or hot cereal. One capful mixed in 8 oz of water, for example. You won't know it is there. I now mix one capful of Miralax with my morning decaf coffee. You could also add stool softener as well. If after adding those, and not getting relief, absolutely speak with your surgeon. There are prescription meds out there that can help.

Hi Angela, I had gastric sleeve in Aug 2023, and had an itchy rash on my chest and stomach about 3 weeks later. I consulted my surgeon’s office, and they thought it was hives or a reaction to medication. They recommended I stop taking my new multivitamin. After two weeks of itching, I had some prescription antifungal cream and applied it just trying to get some relief. It went away immediately. Just had some sort of skin fungal infection. I’ve never had that before…just althlete’s foot. But I’m guessing our bodies go through some trauma after surgery and have a weakened immune system. I’m sure your doc can write you a script. Worth trying. Oh, and since others are updating, I am down 70 lbs. I need to exercise more than the occasional walk. Honestly this has been pretty easy for me, I’ve been able to tolerate a wide variety of food and adjusted well.

Well I’m feeling the same way. I lost so much weight in order to get the surgery now I’m hardly losing. I’m very frustrated I feel like I’m starving for nothing. I can’t hardly drink now I have to go get Hydration through IV 2x per week. I gained 10 pounds of water weight in one day. I’m almost 5 weeks out still waiting for that rainbow or not to regret my choice of having surgery.

I had nausea until about 8 weeks out. It was constant and impacted my ability to eat, drink, and take my vitamins. A few things helped me (and others like me) that may help you: 1. Ondansetron only takes the edge off of nausea for me. It is rather ineffective for my body. I have much better results with promethazine, it actually manages to eradicate the nausea for a number of hours. I'd ask about a prescription to try it, at this point it is worth trying something else for the nausea and they have a number of meds out there that can help with this. I took it several times a day. 2. My surgeon told me to be gradual with my addition of vitamins. I had to take the chewable B complex everyday, and the little B1 pill because my complex didn't have enough B1 in it alone. But these were pretty gentle on my stomach. The actual multivitamins though he said are rather activating for the stomach and some people can struggle to incorporate them early after surgery. It could be these are contributing to your stomach pain and nausea, especially if your multivitamin contains iron, as it can be a little hard on a new tummy. So talk to your doctor about this, perhaps they can switch you to a bariatric B complex and let you try adding in the multivitamin closer to 3 months than all at once right now. 3. When my stomach would hurt I'd massage it in clockwise motions with firm, but not painful, pressure. I got twisting stomach spasms for the first few weeks with any food or water and this was the only thing that helped ease the pain of them. 4. My PPI needed an extra dose and for me, omeprazole is worthless. Some people metabolize it fast and for some it just doesn't work as well. Have they considered switching you to Pantoprazole? It is often used in the hospital because it is so effective. It might be worth switching to it to see if it is any more effective for you. A lot of bariatric patients end up having to switch around to find the most effective one for them. 5. Hydration is crucial early out of surgery. They should have had you exclusively focusing on hydration for the first two weeks along with the B complex. It sounds like your electrolytes are off, probably because you are chronically dehydrated. Nausea is made MUCH worse by dehydration!! You are 6 weeks and still struggling. Unfortunately at this point you DO need to be trying to get in some protein with your hydration to prevent malnourishment. Greek yogurt is great for this, but there are other options too. Have you tried any protein water powders like SEEQ or Syntrax Nectars? These are easier to stomach and come in nice flavors. SEEQ watermelon is seriously tasty. LOL Try some sample packets!! It is okay if you can't hit your full protein goals yet, every little bit helps. If the change in meds doesn't help you at all, I hope they consider doing some imaging and a scope to ensure you aren't experiencing something like a stricture. They are rare, but they do happen, and they can cause issues with progressing the diet. 6. Water flavoring packets can help with getting in more water, as does sipping it around the clock out of those tiny cups until you get the hang of getting more water in. It can and does feel like a full time job and you will feel like you are floating! This is normal. Electrolyte powders are a great addition to water at least once a day because they really help you get minerals you are missing since you aren't eating them in food! And try a variety of things and a variety of temperatures. Some hot broth or tea, some flavored water over ice, something room temperature, sometimes the tummy has an opinion about what the best temp is! I am so sorry you are dealing with these issues 6 weeks out. It sounds like your team needs to be more proactive in trying different meds and doing some testing to figure out what is going on. Honestly, some do struggle like this for a while. On occasion some end up with TPN for a while to help them get the nutrition they need. It sounds like you aren't quite at that point because you are keeping some foods down, but it is an option if you continue to struggle and end up in the hospital repeatedly for low vitamin levels. Some find a month or two of TPN can get them past the roughest part and then their systems are able to handle food and water without issue. It really depends on the person. But you don't want to go that route if you can avoid it... ❤️

I feel the same. I was explaining to my partner that it's just liquid that doesn't even touch the sides. On top of that all the shakes are sweet, not savory, so it just feels like I'm having rubbish sweet shakes and nothing else. Sleep is the only time I feel okay because I don't feel the hunger as much. I just feel like I'm struggling on day 3 never mind another 25 days. I think maybe writing down the positives/reasons I'm doing it when I feel like I can't do it anymore or I'm tempted might be a good way to go. To remind myself. I think I'm going to weigh myself once a week to just see the scale down a little. Any weight loss is positive reinforcement. Thank you for sharing, it really helps!

Hey everyone, it’s me again. I woke up early this morning feeling pretty good and refreshed. I think I’m still proud of myself for doing my walk last night. I told my husband that I was proud and I know that it’s not really that big of a deal but it feels huge to me and he reminded me that after my sleeve I never exercised so it is a big deal. When he would mention it I would just tell him what my surgeon said that it’s really a pretty small part of weight loss. I left out the part where he said that it is still important for physical and mental health though. So I guess the fact that I am less that a month out this time and trying a different approach already is a pretty good thing. I went to do my grocery pickup this morning and got my supplies for my first week of soft foods which I get to start tomorrow 🎉 I ordered a lot more that I need for sure. The guy just kept adding bags to the trunk and my fridge has never been so full. I got out my book that my Dr gave me and it doesn’t mention a portion size for soft foods. The handout the hospital gave me says 1/2 to 3/4 cup though so I guess I will stick to 1/2 cup to start and make sure that’s okay. I just took a little nap since I woke up early and plan to walk again tonight. I have been scouring the Internet for a solution to my shorts riding up. The best thing I can find is to put a boning in the seam so I think I may order some and give that a try. I guess I have to drag out my sewing machine and relearn how to thread it and all that so I’m not sure how long I will procrastinate before I do it. I did order a pair of inexpensive yoga shorts to wear in the mean time and good news is when I measured my waist and hips to get the right size I realized that I have lost two inches in both. My only concern I have now is that one incision that’s dented in still. Everyone says that they think It will be fine but i just don’t know I think it’s going to stay like that honestly and worry that when I lost and it’s extra skin it’s going to look even worse. I guess no one but my husband will ever see it but I really wish it would just flatten out I hope everyone else is having a wonderful holiday weekend and feeling better and better each day. I know that I am.

I never even attempted to go the NHS route as knew it would be years. I’d toyed with the idea of surgery for a couple years, then I suddenly thought, what am I waiting for? No time like the present so just booked the consultation. There’s only one private hospital in my area of Scotland so it was Circle Health and Prof. Bruce for me. Both outstanding. I saw the psychologist and dietician within 2wks of the initial consultation and was then cleared for surgery. Zero complaints from me about any of the process, and apart from the constipation I’ve had a very easy recovery. So easy in fact I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I expected to suffer, and know how to cope with that as I have endometriosis, but no suffering ensued. so I feel very fortunate. I’m trying to take each day, one at a time. Last week I was panicking worrying about putting back on weight I’ve yet to lose. Eejit. So that needed to be quelled. My energy level is good, I’ve been slowly increasing the distance I walk every day, I drove after a week and plan to returning to work one month post surgery, all being well. The future looks brighter for me from where I’ve been sitting. Wishing you as positive an experience as I’ve had .

I am not one that does well with being patient and therefore I am in a terrible place mentally. I never thought about having surgery as I didn't know the options that are available today. Meeting with my Dr, we talked about Wegovy and the lifetime issues I has had with weight loss and the continued failure to do so. He suggested sleeve surgery. At first I was not going to consider it thinking it wasnt for me. After weeks of research I decided it was the exact thing I needed in my life. This is where the impatience comes in. I met with a surgeon for consultation and I started getting excited about all prospects of life changing results this would bring. - Lowering bp and getting off all meds - recovering some kidney function - getting rid of sleep apnea or at least losing enough BMI that I could get an implant because I cant keep my mask on - Being able to become an athlete again - Not needing an extension on the airplane - Other benefits that are personal. I waited a week for them to run my insurance and it was denied. Now I am stuck saving enough money to try and get it in the distant future. I am not mentally doing well with that fact. I got it in my head that I was going to get on the right path for me sooner rather than later. I looked into financing but I am a teacher and can not afford an extra "car payment". So I need to save and wait...impatiently.

I’m not counting macros calories or even protein - I just know I’m eating not a lot - even if I’m having to eat out for every meal I’m trying to make good choices and eat protein first - I think I’m way way off 100g of protein a day though! My doctors did say not to stress the protein too too much though and aim for about 80g most days. I’ll be back in Paris to weigh myself for my 2 month surgerversary but haven’t been able to weigh myself since last Wednesday which was 6.5 weeks post surgery - I’d lost 12.5kg which is 27.5lbs - I’m happy enough with that as I had a lower starting weight. I have another 20 pounds to loose to hit a healthy BMI but I know things will slow down weigh loss wise fast for me and I’d like to loose another 44lbs total to be back at my pre Covid happy/non near constant leg pain weight. it’s hard not having access to scales here and not being able to walk as much as I’d like because Cairo at night isn’t the safest place for solo female walks at night and I’m basically screwed to a chair in a conference center from 9-5 and night falls here at 6.15pm !

Had my gastric bypass on the 7th. Spent one night in the hospital. The gas pain is real. From my experience it seemed more intense than others have had. I have to be on a 2 week full liquid diet before I can start the puree phase. I can only get a bite or two of Jello down before I'm done. I could only get one protein shake down until today. Seems like I can take in more water than I should be able to. But, that's good. So that I can get the minimum of fluids in so I don't get dehydrated. I had glue, no staples. Overall, still sore nothing too painful just uncomfortable.

After wading through insurance crud, I looked into self-paying and doing it thru Blossom Bariatric's Fast Track program in Las Vegas. My cost would be $6300 all-inclusive, including hotel and transport between hotel and facility for the five days. The selling points include convenience as opposed to the options available with my insurance (closest hospital covered by insurance is a 6-hr drive vs. a 90-min flight to LV), no worries about losing weight before the procedure and getting declined (I'm borderline 40BMI), and no 3- or 6-month waiting period. I have three concerns: 1) Post-surgery followup and care. 2) The "safe sleeve" procedure they do... I can find very little information about it. 3) Not being able to meet the surgeon prior to committing to surgery at the facility. So... has anybody out there had the "safe sleeve" procedure through Blossom Bariatrics in Las Vegas?

Thank you for this information. This is very helpful. I was on omeprazole for the first weeks after surgery but not now. I do take the generic Zofran to help with nausea, but not every day. Lately the host stomach and vomiting has been in spells. One day in fine then the next I'm getting sick so easily. I've been living on Tums which has caused some intestinal issues I believe. I only have a bowel movement about once every 4-5 days and when I do it's mostly mucus and no stool. It's been a real passion in the butt. Pun intended. Lol Anyone else dealing with similar intestinal issues?

I feel you. I was in a similar place last week, mentally/emotionally. You'll definitely get through this. I'm glad you're consulting your doctor tomorrow, especially if the meds are contributing to your malaise. Right now, it sounds you're in a really tough place. Between the recovery diet being restrictive and not feeling well enough to eat, it's like this viscious cycle. The drugs and lack of nutrients/calories make you feel weaker, ill, and can zap your energy so bad it's hard to force yourself to eat/drink. (Sleep all you need to though -- our bodies definitely need that for the healing process!!) In the meantime, try to remember why you decided to go on this journey. For me, I'm looking forward to less joint pain as the pounds let up, getting my diabetes and blood pressure under control, being able to keep up a little better with my active nieces. Heh, and being able to shop for clothes that make me feel good instead of making me feel hidden. Are you on any supplements? Chewable multi vitamins and calcium/ vitamin d3 need some time to build up in your system but are definitely helpful in feeling more alive & awake.