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Hi all I am now 23 days post op and on my 2nd week of puréed foods. I hope Xmas 🎄 has not been too hard on you. I lost my mum back in April, so this is my first year without her and it has been tough. I'm keeping myself busy preparing meals for my husband and it's not really bothered me that I have to purée anything that I am having. What does bother me is that I don't seem to be losing much weight 🤔. My husband and sister say they can see change in me but the scales say otherwise. Since my pre op assessment I have lost a total of 16lb and it just doesn't seem much at all. I don't know if I have an unrealistic expectation of what I should be losing. I think the only thing I maybe doing wrong is not eating enough. I have been lucky ... Although I had bad nausea during my first week post op, I had no sickness nor dumping. I just feel like I am doing something wrong. My dietiy suggested dropping out the homemade smoothies made with fruit which I have done. Is anyone else going through the same issue?

I feel you, three weeks out and I have lost that joie de vivre, nothing taste's good, I have sn awful taste in my mouth, can't stomach purees or protein drinks, when I eat something it's painful, water tastes horrible to me, but then again this is why we lose weight I can honestly say I am not having cravings more of a repulsion, hanging in there since everyone says it gets better.

Ay, cheers to that! Yeah, patiently working towards that feeling of hitting that goal! I’m enjoying the NSVs. For example, being able to wrap a regular ‘ole towel all the way around me. I can definitely relate. Just last month, I hit a stall but it happens. Can you handle any type of carb based food? I ask because trying to talk to the NUT about reintroducing them in my diet.

I’m in my second week of puréed diet. I also had two weeks puréed. My VSG was 12/04 and I’m looking forward to moving to soft foods next week. During the puréed, I have eaten ricotta bake; mashed potatoes; grits and eggs. Otherwise, protein shakes….

So, Ill be 2 weeks post op on Wednesday. Last week on Wednesday I was from 247 down to 227. Now, I'm currently at 230 !!!??? Why? ?? It's so stressful to see that 3 pound gain. I have been following my diet well, with the exception of not always eating 5 or 6 times a day. Is that why? But shouldn't I still lose?? Honestly I just forget because I don't get hungry. Or I'll be busy trying to wrangle 3 children. I can't eat what they eat and it's not very convenient to make pureed foods all the time. It's a process ya know. Some days idek how much liquids I drink. I'm not great at tracking. But I've had a mix of juice, milk and water. Anyway, has anyone else experienced this? Did I already ruin the good thing I had going??? Please help friends! Thank you!

You’ve just had a major surgery that has about a 8 week recovery so feeling low in energy, weak, lethargic, etc. is pretty normal. Remember you are consuming calories (just drinking them not eating them) & your body is burning your stored energy which you want it do. Try adding an electrolyte drink as one of your fluids for an energy boost. They can be sweet so I diluted mine - doubled the water added. I used hydralite & would sip it with my other liquids throughout the day. Listen to your body, rest if you need to & pace yourself through the day.

Puree can be tough. For some it’s a textural issue for others like me it’s a taste thing (everything tastes disgusting). You can puree a lot of things just add enough stock, milk, water, mayo, gravy, etc. to keep it the right dollopy texture/consistency. A friend told me she survived on pureed chicken with gravy. I mashed eggs with Mayo, was allowed thin instant oats, thin scrambled eggs, yoghurt, soups, etc. I tried pureeing tinned fish but blah! During soft foods I ate a lot of minced meat based dishes. Just made sure there was enough sauce/gravy to keep the meal wet. Also soft white fish, omelettes & made a couple of casseroles/stews & meat & vegetable soups. Yep, stalls can be frustrating & demoralising but remember an important step in your weight loss (when your body takes stock of your new needs & adjusts digestive hormones, metabolic rate, etc.). 17.5lbs in about 4 weeks is still pretty darn great. Even with the stall that’s an average of more than 4lbs a week. Can’t be upset with that.

I hope these work for you. I’ve been using them for almost a year now, not for the post surgical hair loss, but for menopausal thinning above my temple. Hasn’t helped yet. When I finish off this last bottle I’m not buying it again. They say you should see results in 3 months. Will be honest in that I didn’t use it every single day but I do use it 5 or 6 days a week. (It often made my hair feel a bit gloopy even though it’s not supposed to.) People swear by it so fingers crossed for you.

I sympathize. I had to drink liquids for 2 weeks. Now I'm nearly a week into the puree stage. 3 more to go. I started detesting anything sweet. Why in the world do all shakes taste like some sort of cake, powder or premades. Even the flavorless powders aren't truly flavorless. Puree stage is difficult too because I don't enjoy most foods the consistency of babyfood, but its only a season.

There is a lot of conflicting information out there so I'm not going to argue. Even different surgeons say different things. I will say that all bariatric surgeries altogether have a high chance of reversing diabetes. I have not heard of anyone that still has type two diabetes after the sleeve unless they regained their weight. Maybe the 'punishing' term rang bad to you, but what I meant was consequences for carb dumping and overeating are usually more severe for DS and Bypass patients. So maybe punishing was not the correct term. I'm sorry you saw it as being negative for those with bypass/switch but that was not my intention. But I do view throwing up, foaming at the mouth, dumping, and general malaise as punishing. No one enters into these surgeries to feel that way but keeping bad habits does result in this outcome and I wouldn't call it a reward. It is a definitely and incentive for many not to eat badly. I have even read on here and seen in other places where people felt they need something really restrictive to keep their diet in check. It happens with sleeves (not the foaming bit) too but you can usually get away with more. This is why the success rate with sleeve patients are slightly less. Also you don't have to defend your choice in surgery to me or explain it. I am not saying any surgery is better or worse than the other. All surgery comes with risks and downsides. The original poster asked for the NEGATIVES and the positives for the different surgeries and I just told her what my surgeon, research, patients of all three surgeries have said, and some other bariatric surgeons I follow. Also I never said sleeve patients couldn't suffer from vitamin deficiencies. I said it is more common (easier) with switch and bypass, which it is. Sleeve is not a malabsorption surgery. Vitamin deficiency also occurs in non-bariatric patients. A lot of people are suffering from vitamin d deficiency right now who have never had surgery. I can point you to a bariatric surgeon who doesn't even believe that sleeve patients need as high as potency and 'bariatric vitamins' like bypass and switch patients but they set the standard and the industry is going with it. Also, weightloss is more rapid for switch and bypass generally which is why gallbladder problems is more common but as always it doesn't HAVE to occur. Which I never indicated this was a one shoe fits all for anybody. It's a risk. At the end of the day everyone must make their own decision on what is right for them. Be it sleeve, switch, or bypass. I commend anyone taking charge of their life and going through this difficult process to come out the other side happier and healthier.

Here to give you hugs and a shoulder. I have dealt with the 3 week stall and I’m just here to say, before you know it it’ll be over. Think about when was it the last time you even lost 13lbs in a month? Even in my best place with diet and exercise I can say that was a stretch. But also, this really isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. We are in it for the long haul though our brains feel like this “tool” is an instant fix. It is probably harder around the holidays and I truly can’t say I’ve had to experience that end so early on, but just remember that the holidays are about so many other things. Hold on to the experiences outside of food. Remember that the food is truly not going anywhere and think of how you feel (and look) this time next year. Reach back to your whys. The greater reasons why we did this to begin with. I can’t help too much with full on menus, but one thing that helped a lot with puréed to soft was the ricotta bake. It felt like pizza/lasagna after I was sick of all the sweeter liquids and broths. It feels eternal now, but it will be such a small blip of time before you know it. Much love and wishing you a happy holiday and strength.

I started the eating out once a week after my honeymoon. I kept it reasonable, but it gave me something to look forward to and variety (and taste). When I started getting hungry again I took out the high calorie low protein nuts (which I added because they told me to go from 800 to 1200 calories when I wasn't even able to consume 800 yet and upped me to 100g of protein from 80) and a scoop of protein powder (high protein, low cal) and added in peanut butter toast, raison toast and another serving of ham. I don't mind eating the same thing every day when I'm at home because it's easier. If you put all your food in a spreadsheet and figure out the calories and protein per ounce, then you can switch it around easier if you need a change. Once I met my goal they told me to add 100-200 calories a day to stop my weight loss. I added in the daily cheat. I still have my spreadsheet, meal plan and measure everything, but when I eat out I can't figure the calories and protein, so I just count it as a meal and a cheat and watch my weight. My weight stayed within 1 pound of my goal weight for over a month when I was going to Halloween parties, Thanksgiving and going out with friends. I've lost another 2 pounds in the last month since I was not going out much. I'm OK with losing a little more weight for now even though I like the way I look at my goal weight because I know most people gain a little back, but I will have to maintain my weight after I get the skin removal surgery next month, so I will probably watch my weight and add in more fruits and vegetables. I'll still count the calories so I can figure out how many I need and make sure I get my protein, but at least I won't have to cram in high protein for EVERYTHING. I saw a different nutritionist when I went in earlier this month and she was surprised my regular nutritionist had told me to avoid fruit and only eat 2 servings of veggies a day. I told her I thought it was because she wanted me to get extra protein due to not being able to exercise much because of my back issues and fruit isn't a protein source. Note, if you get too much protein, your farts smell really bad.

Sounds like you're in a stall. As someone who has had MANY of them (and the last 2 were 4+ weeks long) I can tell you they're frustrating and can make you feel defeated. The best thing to do is watch your non scale victories, stick to your diet, change up your workout routine to "confuse" your body, and stay on course. The stall WILL break, but give yourself some grace and don't deviate from your plan. Weigh yourself once or twice a week instead of everyday. And you'll see that you'll get there.

Newbie here, first post! That said I have done my fair share of reading and creeping and have come to understand the 3 week stall is pretty common. That said... Tomorrow marks the 4th week post op and this entire week has had 0 loss. I have now lost 13 pounds post op bringing me to 17.4 in the last 30 days, and I feel like the surgery and the recovery was it worth 13 pounds? I feel stuck, I feel discouraged living like this during the holidays and not able to eat all the treats and food around. Now with the rant done, I am looking for a good puree to soft solids daily menu with food ratios that anyone can point me too? I am good at following a plan but suck at just making something up in a pinch, I have been planning but you know how it goes, sometimes you just don't feel like the things you made previously. I guess I just needed to vent, and in a space where others maybe have dealt with this themselves..

Just keep moving, drinking water and eating protein first hand stay off the scale! Your body letting go of the weight is not just physical but mental! Give yourself some grace and be patient with the process! It will move again so stay positive and try to keep the negative thoughts away! I just came off a three week stall where I fluctuated between 3 #s to the point I thought my scale was broken!!

I'm looking forward to following your progress. My surgery is scheduled for 1/12/24 in Tijuana. Dr. Rodolfo Castillo. I found him on RealSelf.com and researched him. I'm spending 6 nights in a recovery home (Casa Linda), then a week at my Dad's in southern California. $12,699 for 360 belt lipectomy, lipo, breast lift with gummy implants. He's going to do a bbl for no additional charge if he can, but he isn't sure from my pictures if I have enough fat in the areas he is working to do a bbl. I'm planning on going back to do my inner thighs and arms. My package includes all pre-surgery tests including cardio evaluation and lab tests, all surgery expenses and 1 night at the hospital, 6 nights at the recovery house with meals and nursing 24/7, all pain meds and medical supplies, compression garments and post surgery consultations. It doesn't include transportation to/from the airport because I have family and friends in Mexico and Southern California who I will be visiting before and after who will provide that.

I hate to cook too and still struggle to get as much water in as they want. I do get the minimum 48oz/day but don't always make the 64oz they want. I was so glad to stop eating cottage cheese and yogurt! I scoured the grocery isles for food that looked good and was easy to make (Or better, didn't require making). I have to admit I got a little bit of attitude about my diet when I was ALMOST, but not quite, meeting their calorie and water goals, telling them that I was struggling, and they scolded me and raised my goals. I have a spreadsheet that calculates calories and protein from every food I get with a nutrition label and buy low fat, low sugar foods so the calorie and protein count meets my goal. I got a frown from my nutritionist when I told her I eat ham every day, but I gave her a "look" and told her my calorie and protein goals were being met and she refrained from scolding me. I buy Kentucky Legend Bonless Quarter Sliced Ham because it doesn't have lunchmeat texture and I can just weigh out my portion and eat it cold. I got another frown when I told them I eat beef jerky, but reminded them that 100g of protein is hard to do, jerkey is low calorie and high protein, and I chew it VERY well and spit out gristle. If they have to cut a ball of gristle out of my stomach, then I'll stop eating beef. I switched nuts for peanut butter toast when I started getting hungrier. I eat a lowfat sharp cheddar with crackers. Quaker makes a protein Banana Nut Instant Oatmeal. I also eat 1/2 Atkins Chicken Margherita or Healthy Choice Simply Steamers Grilled Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo (1/2 is less than my 6 oz, but it's easier to just take half and eat the other half the next day and the math is easier too). Those 2 were the best my WalMart carries for frozen food Calorie/Protein ratio that I also liked. For an added vegetable I eat 2oz canned french style green beans with 1/2 oz Velveta low fat cheese heated in the microwave. Tyson makes a fajita chicken that microwaves well if you put a dollop of water on the plate. Turkey bacon doesn't really satisfy my bacon cravings, but turkey sausage is really good. If I'm craving sweets I'll eat a Quaker Caramel Rice Cake or a few dark chocolate chips. Luckily I crave salt, not sweets, and the salt cravings have almost gone away. If I'm going to be away from home for a few hours I pack an insulated lunch bag with a serving of ham, cheese and crackers, and jerkey to take with me. If I'm going to be gone for a day or longer I pack my food in bags and a cooler. I got married a little more than 3 months after my surgery and ate what I wanted at my wedding and during the honeymoon, I just kept the servings really small and took protein with me to make sure I still got enough protein and because I needed to eat more than 3 times a day. After that, I allowed myself one meal out each week, eating my 6oz and taking the rest home. Hubby ate most of the leftovers. After I reworked my diet to include tastier, real food, I switched my protein powder to a Collagen with the added missing amino acid. It mixes best with warm or hot liquids and was approved by my nutritionist. I still use 2 scoops a day, 1 with my protein oatmeal and 1 with my sugar free hot apple cider. I met my goal weight at 7 months, just in time for a Halloween party, and I allow myself a small cheat almost every day (my nutritionist told me to add 100-200 cal per day to stop losing weight and i decided to add a tasty snack rather than rework my diet). I watch my weight to make sure I'm not overdoing it. If I eat out, that's my cheat and it replaces a meal. I order what I want and ask for a container BEFORE the food is served so I can pack away all but 6oz before I start to eat. Some cheats aren't really cheats. I've added in apples, pineapple, strawberries and mango. Breyers Carb Smart Fudge Bars have 50 calories, 3g fat, 2g sugar (0 added), and 1g protein. It's only a cheat because of the low protein/cal ratio. Pure Protein bars could be a meal substitute instead of a cheat and have 180-200 cal, 3-4.5g fat, 2-3g sugar, and 19g protein. I like the Chocolate Salted Caramel that's a little chewy and the Chocolate Mint cookie, which has more of a grainy (cookie) texture but tastes really good. At a party, I may eat a bag of chips (~150cal), or I may give in and eat a single Reese's cup (105 cal). OK, maybe a bag of chips AND a single Reese's cup, I'm weak. Dot's Seasoned Pretzels have 130cal per oz. An entire bag of buttered flavored popcorn has 150cal (DO NOT LICK THE BAG). It's nice to eat something tasty and not worry about if it has enough protein. I just had my 9 month bloodwork done, it's all fine.

I was told two weeks. I'm surprised they didn't give you a specific date to start it. I'm just glad it's not on my birthday

I had mine almost two weeks ago. Lots of protein drinks (breakfast and lunch) and then a low calorie low fat dinner. I start it on December 28th (day after my birthday). Surgery is January 10th.

Hi all I had surgery on Aug 28 I went from 197 to now 173 which going down even 1 pound is better than going up. My goal is 160 which means I have 13 lbs to go. I have been sticking with my dietician’s initial recommendation- basically no white carbs. I was a potato head. Now if I want something with potatoes I use sweet potatoes instead. I quit rice and I was never a big bread eater. For the most part I stick with protein first and veggies. I continue to monitor sugar intake - the added sugar in food products- at home I have used Splenda for a couple years now. I don’t really snack I just eat my meals. My issue has been that I’m not hungry. My weight dropped then stalled and it wasn’t until I began to take in more protein that the pounds started coming off again. If you haven’t already I would suggest reaching out to your dietitian to reevaluate your diet and get some helpful new insights. Always be kind to yourself and give yourself grace. Celebrate every oz and inch that comes off.

Thank you for the replies. Summerseeker : "Food should not be boring. I just do not live to eat it anymore." I don't Iive to eat, I never have, but good food contributes to a good life. "Variety is the spice of life" variety I can't have. Yes, I knew this goes into this but, it doesn't make it any easier! What I was attempting to say is its boring because; 1. Unlike you I detest cooking so the thought of sitting down to think out my weeks meals sounds tedious and time consuming (even if necessary) I really wish I had the time and inclination to do it and I'm jealous of those who are willing and able.. I just don't want to add yet more measuring, weighing prepping to my day off since I do enough of that weekly in very exacting details (down to microns) 😛 Perhaps its also the lack of options..see #2; 2. With this new way of eating and my intolerance of carbs it makes my options very limited. After all there are five food groups and I've eliminated 3 of the five as it is - grains, most dairy unless you want overly processed artificial dairy and fruits. Add to that my food texture issue (symptom of ADHD) ..this leaves me with low fat beef, fish and chicken for proteins and veggies (non starchy). I do track everything I eat and drink as well although I love your way of if you get your proteins in and still want a "biscuit" and a bite of noodles you have it. Perhaps, I'm being overly controlling of my diet out of fear of regaining the weight and its causing me to feel this way. Arabesque: I understand why drinking water and peeing is important and your body should adjust to more water consumption, but, after 9 months I still go 20+ times a day - very inconvenient when I work managing a pathology lab - I have to remove a lab coat, gloves and mask, then go through decontamination processes each time I exit the lab and then upon entering resuit up and on top of that no drinks allowed in the lab - so in order to get my water in I have lunch time and when I get home OR leave the lab for my sip. So, this means working 10 hours a day it gives me a very short window to get my water in especially since I can't drink large quantities at once. I should have explained better (but my post was already long). My apologies. I guess my lack of "thirst" has developed from years of training from this job and my last. I just worry about not getting the required amount in. Anyway, its just me whinging. I'm just finding it difficult and quite frankly tiring (getting up several times a night to pee doesn't help).

Hi friends! I’m now 9 days post op. I’m in the puréed food stage and although my diet plan had this amazing sounding broccoli and cheese soup (puréed) recipe, it did not set well on my tummy. I ended up experiencing my first “dumping syndrome” last night as a result of about 3 teaspoons of that soup. I’ll say it has been a challenge to learn what my body will and will not tolerate. Just because it’s in a recipe book doesn’t always mean YOUR body can handle it. The experience I’ve had so far was that when I take a bite of something I’ll sit and let it digest a little to see how my belly feels about it. Most of the time it responds with gassy feelings, but the times where it feels PAINFUL, usually means it’s a no for me, at least for this stage. But last night the soup gave me no indication that it was going to end badly, so I had three teaspoons-to my delight as my family was eating it too-so I didn’t feel so “odd-man out” for this meal. But regardless, I’m feeling that cheeses, even smooth cheeses, for me may not be an option right now. If you’ve experienced the “dump”, what are some of the indicators you’ve had to tell you BEWARE? Also, did you feel absolutely depleted afterward? I felt like I just ran a marathon and all I wanted was rest. It was awful!

The water amount was just a recommendation from my team. They seemed to have a more relaxed attitude towards my goals. I drank what I could. I was only thirsty the first few difficult weeks. Now I just drink what I want, when I want. Before surgery, I detested eggs and just looking at them would make me heave. Now my body craves them. Isn't that strange. We cook all our meals from scratch and I decide on the weeks menu so I adapt them too suit my diabetic husband and my low carb life. If I fancy Thai food, I have it but with a Tom Yum soup vibe with a few fork full of noodles. It does satisfy my craving. If I want lasagne, I eat around the pasta as I can not tolerate it. I eat all the crispy burnt edges though I log everything that I eat and drink so if I want a biscuit and I have already got my protein in, Then I have a biscuit Food should not be boring. I just do not live to eat it anymore.

I'm having a food slump! I in no way get the water in each day I'm supposed too.. I'm not thirsty and to be honest I really hate going to the restroom 20+ times a day IF I do get close to the required 64+ oz a day. Plus, I don't understand why I need to, I didn't drink that much beforehand, so I don't understand why suddenly having a smaller stomach requires a sudden huge mandatory increase in water consumption!? Plus, I am sooooooooooooooooooo burnt out on the same foods over and over and yes over. I detest eggs (always have) and have always preferred something like avocado toast for breakfast and a cup of coffee. I detest cooking so I tend to eat the same thing every single day - something I can cook in quantity. Lately its been turkey chili with added protein powder. Chicken breast with veggies is boring/bland... Then there's the chicken of the sea - white fish with veggies..again just not my thing. So, I just eat the same thing over and over. I have to admit, I miss sauces, thai noodles and pizza and foods I can dip! I have a food texture problem so it leaves quite a few things off my plate..plus I'm hypersensitive to carbs - racing heart feeling jittery so I eat very low carb (under 25) low sugar, low calorie in other words low taste (to me anyway). I do what I have to to lose the weight and become healthy.. But its taken a lot of joy out of life, the holidays just plain suck now...all the family traditions came to a stop because of me (we used to all get our favorite restaurant dishes and share pot luck style for New Years), bake cookies with a Cookie exchange (no one wants my healthy protein balls - I eat them because I need protein, not because they're great tasting). I know I'm suppose to eat for fuel, but, we all eat for joy - if people didn't there wouldn't be different foods, cooking styles and spices, we eat at get togethers, social times, celebrations - I can't and don't want to inflict my eating restrictions/requirements on everyone else. I fight that siren song and battle it every week, anyone else? Anyone have any reasonable suggestions? (I added reasonable because my dietician suggests things like - " you want crunchy "eat a celery stick" you want noodles try palm noodles..etc. NOT even close. I think dieticians in bariatric clinics should have been a bariatric patient themselves so they'd understand their suggestions suck. Perhaps I'm asking if anyone else is or has gone through this...slump.....I find its easier to just not eat than eat another healthy bland boring food. Sorry for the rant.

I started my Ambien back a week after my gastric sleeve. And for that week every night when I would go to sleep, I would get up and sleepwalk up and down the stairs. Draw on the walls and the mirrors with red lipstick and I seen a little bitty, midget, looking trolls in the house.my doctor took me off of it quick. He said yeah it can have those kind of side effects so I guess it affects everyone different.