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Don't worry about calories for a while. Once you are on the last phase for maintenance etc you will monitor more. I want to say by the time you are around 6 months you should have up to 1000 calories a day, and then with maintenance it is 1100-1500 calories a day. You aren't going to be able to eat enough (if you follow their guidelines) for the next while to worry about it. I am 5.5 months PO and I am between 600-800 calories a day. I only have my 3 meals, plus a snack if I am low on protein.

My cousin just had the surgery plus the hiatal hernia surgery 2 weeks ago, she still struggles with liquid intake. She still has to set a timer to sip sip sip. Try walking more for the gas pains, it helps get rid of them. Every hour walk for 5-10 minutes. I am 5.5 months post op and the first week was hard to drink anything, cold or hot. Even when I hit the puree stage it was hard enough to get liquid in let alone something with a thicker consistency. It will get better over time. I agree, contact your surgeon, see if they have any other options.

Big hugs. Contact your team ASAP. Do you have nausea ? vomiting ? You need your teams advice You may have a stricture. If it is, its nothing major and is a quick fix. Or you could be like I was, really very swollen internally. I struggled for about 3 months and survived. I ate and drank very little but as soon as I could make the goals given, I felt so much better. Try thinning your shakes, Add milk. just keep trying to do better every day. You will get there in the end.

I'm on a two week liquid diet before my Feb 7th surgery. What's your restrictions? Ask your doctor about taking multivitamins. I'm able to even on the liquid diet. But other doctors might before restive.

Thanks Cat. they were so yummy. I had them again a few days later but they didn’t sit right. I am almost at the 3 month mark. I will do measurements in a few days. I have to eat even smaller amounts then a normal sleeve patient and chew 1000 times. Almost like mush in my mouth before it goes down. this is odd: The dietician has told me to chew the steak and then spit it out. This way I can get the taste and not the blockage. That has worked for at home meals. I am enjoying creating and cooking again. I have been busy with work(own business, work from home) but I have been staying 200km away from home 2 days a week as I have stuff on. Mostly immediate family stuff. That has interfered with my eating and drinking routine. I don’t feel happy/excited to eat out in public. Being judged for what and how much I eat. A friend complained I was wasting food. im looking forward to everyone’s achievements on our 3 month mark.

I’ve just had my surgery on January 23rd and I am struggling. I can barely handle any liquids, I’ve been trying to get my water and protein goals in but failing miserably. I’ve only managed to have just 2 bottles of protein since I left the hospital and for the broth I love barely had any and it’s almost been a week. Has anyone else had this problem? My stomach is constantly in pain and of course the gas pains. I can manage some water but it has to be cold and that’s mostly it. I know I have to have protein shakes and the broth but I just can’t. I’m just feeling weaker as the days go by and I’m not sure what to do next. Any advice?

I second the suggestion of a car cool box/fridge. Opens up so many possibilities! Don't go with processed food unless that's all you can tolerate (our stomachs tell us what to eat 3 months out)! If you can go for fruit, cheese, deli meat, raw veggies and hummus then that will get you far. Good luck!

Hi guys! I’m on day 5 of my two week liquid diet. My surgery is scheduled for February 6th. I have to say that even though it’s not as horrible as I expected, it absolutely does SUCK having only liquids, sugar free jello, popsicles and broth! The weird thing is that technically I only get hungry around normal meal times. I do miss actually chewing and I have super low energy and headaches. I also am having trouble sleeping. I’m all out of wack. I’m not working because of disability, so I’m thankful I don’t have to worry about WORKING. Whenever I feel bad or super hungry, I look on TikTok for before and afters for motivation. In the wee hours of the morning if I’m awake I’ll “cheat” and have a zero everything Greek yogurt. It kind of makes me feel better. I don’t think my doctor will mind, but I’ll ask tomorrow. It’s hard, but I’m trying to find distractions too. I just want this time to go by faster.

Yeah, I got a pack of these freezer safe glass 4 oz baby food jars on Amazon and they've been really helpful with portioning!! At first I could only eat about half of one, so about 1/4 cup total. A bit less if it was solid protein in meat form other than fish (beef, chicken, and pork sit heavier). That was it for about two months. In this third month my portion size suddenly increased to about 1/2 cup in total now! As far as meat and veggies are concerned at least. I have always been able to eat a little more of soft things like yogurt and pudding... But my PA told me that increase at 3 months is perfectly normal, and I could expect it to increase in stages throughout the first year or two, to not panic over it, hunger is natural and mine never went away from surgery, so I've really had to cultivate a healthy relationship with it. Because those stomach nerves are still healing, I watched my portion size carefully and really paid attention to discovering new fullness cues. For me those are a runny nose, hiccups, burping, and aggressive sneezing fits! Plus this building pressure or weight in the center of my stomach. These are all normal signals for bariatric patients, but we all get our own unique combination so be on the lookout for discovering yours! I think 2-3 shakes a day paired with things like yogurt and soft cereals seems really normal. It is great you are progressing so well! The problem with forums and support groups is we get used to seeing people post with problems and then we expect to have a slew of problems ourselves! And sometimes we do. But often times we don't... The majority of bariatric patients have no complications, progress their diets easily, and worry about eating too much and if their surgeon even did their surgery. 🤣 Your metabolism has been reset, it will handle calories a bit differently now. Just stay on the conservative end with simple carbs, as they can slow weight loss sometimes. Focus on that hydration and protein, and later on when cleared for all foods, on adding complex carbs like veggies, beans, and some fruit. Protein will help with the hunger, as does healthy fat and the fiber once it is safe for you to digest. My dietician told us to think more about macros than calories. So, to make sure things had less than 10 grams of sugar per serving, more than 20 grams of protein per shake, less than 10 grams of fat per serving, and keeping our total carbohydrates for the day under 50 grams in the early months...and that was their advice for all surgeries, with varying protein goals for each different one. Baritastic app has been really helpful with the tracking!

Yeah, I would just keep an eye on portion size to avoid overdoing it early on. I have a couple of favorite cookbooks out of all of the ones that I've bought (because I always overdo everything). They are: The Bariatric Diet Guide and Cookbook by Dr. Matthew Weiner (a bariatric surgeon), and Bariatric Meal Prep Made Easy by Kristin Willard (a registered dietician who specializes in bariatric nutrition). I would 100% recommend both of them and you can get them on Amazon. I like Dr. Weiner's book because he gives you what serving size to expect at different stages post-op. For instance, there's a chickpea curry with riced cauliflower. If you're at 1-3 months post op, your suggested serving is 2 tbsp curry and 2 tbsp cauli (which is 1/4 cup total). If you are 3 months to 2 years, it's 1/4 cup of each. If you are 2 years or more, it's 1 cup curry and 1/2 cup cauli. What I like is that it normalizes the reality that you start with really small portions and naturally eat more over time. I see so many people getting so nervous because they are hungrier at 1 year than they were at 1 month, and it's like yes, that's what is supposed to happen! I wish this book had the nutrition facts spelled out for all three portion sizes, not just the largest, because my math sucks with fraction. And I wish it had more photos, although the ones it does have are very nice and the overall quality of the book is high. What I like about Kristin Willard's book is it gives you 6 full-week meal plans and is meant for doing prep ahead, grab-and- go types of meals that you portion out in advance. Also, it is gorgeously illustrated with full-color photos for every single recipe. There is one weekly menu for purees, one for soft foods, and 4 for normal diet. They even include a shopping list for each weekly plan. In my opinion, (comparing to my surgeon's plan and what I see in Dr. Weiner's book) the suggested portion sizes are geared toward a patient who is 1-2 years post-op, so bear that in mind. You would probably get twice as many servings out of each recipe in the first year, and up to 4x the servings in the first few months. And of course both books are likely to have specific foods at a stage that your own program disagrees with, so you have to adjust accordingly. I'm also going to give an honorable mention to The Easy 5-ingredient Bariatric Cookbook by Megan Wolf, a registered dietician and bariatric specialist. The book loses marks for the lack of photos but gains marks for its stage specific portion size suggestions and for all the recipes being really easy to pull-off without buying out your entire supermarket for ingredients. The author is based in Manhattan, and these are definitely recipes you could accomplish with a tiny NYC kitchen and limited cooking skills. Honestly, if I had a friend going through WLS, I would probably give all three of these as a gift, along with a set of small (4 oz and 8-12oz) freezer safe food storage containers. Hope that helps!

Yeah, that sounds 100% within the normal range of early post-op calorie consumption. I am having gastric bypass in 3 weeks, and my program suggests 3 meals and 3 protein supplements per day for the first several weeks. In the beginning, the word "meal" is used very loosely. This is basically limited to yogurt, cream soup, cream of wheat, pudding, and applesauce. The expectation is you can maybe have a few bites. All the protein is coming from those 3 shakes (20-25g per shake). Calories are pretty much irrelevant, at least for now. Your entire metabolism has been rewired. If you follow what you're told to do, you will lose weight on a wide spectrum of calorie intakes. My program suggests no more than 200 calories per protein shake serving, with a limit of 5 grams of sugar and at least 20g protein each. So, if I had the recommended 3 shakes and went with the max calories, I would consume 600 calories in those daily supplements, plus another maybe 100-200 in "meals" depending how much of the yogurt/cream of wheat/pudding I manage to swallow. My shakes actually only have 90 calories each (23g protein), so during my pre-op liquid diet, I won't feel at all guilty if I drink 4 or 5 of them, or even 6 if needed. Post-op, I doubt that will be possible, but even then, I wouldn't see an issue with having that many if I could physically manage it. All of which is a longwinded way of saying you're doing fine! Congratulations!

That's been me this weekend! My surgery is Feb 21 and I start a two week liquid diet on Feb 7. On Friday, I had pizza delivered for myself and the kids because I thought hey, this is the last time for a long time that I'll have a pizza night. And then my mom came over yesterday and it was like...pick up tacos from the taqueria on the corner? Yes, please! Won't be having tacos for a while... I've been pretty dedicated to healthy eating since this summer, lots of green smoothies and healthy salads, but I think a few indulgences are only natural when staring down 4+ weeks of little more than protein shakes and broth.

Jan 22, now one week out and still in significant pain. I had revision sleeve to gastric bypass.

Hey Everyone, I keep seeing how people have a hard time using the restroom. Even my mom told me that she had an issue peeing when she got the sleeve. I am shocked at how my body is working. I’ve been able to pee since day 1 and I’ve had steady, good bowel movements since day 3. I had taken pain meds and was not constipated at all. Maybe my body was happy to get rid of that stomach lol anyway I’m excited for the Summer Time fine bodies we are working hard to get. Happy healing ladies. ❤️ WL Update: as of 01/27, I am down 22.2 lbs. with 121 lbs to go😋

I was consuming something other than water every 2-3 hours as per my dietician's instructions.... I didn't really think about calories, I focused on my protein goals, water goals, and "eating" frequently. I still eat every 2-3 hours, so about 5-6 times a day. It sounds like you are progressing nicely!! Lucky you! I was on strict liquids for 2 weeks post op. Sounds like you get more things. I suggest broth or tea when that head hunger kicks in. Or a sugar free popsicle. I'd check with the guidelines your dietician gave you, often they want hydration focused on the most for the first few weeks, with protein goals a close second. Calories usually come in (if they come in at all) once you are on soft foods. But every practice is different!

Good luck with your surgery!! I was on liquids for 2 weeks post op and didn't tolerate protein shakes, so I drank mostly water with sugar free flavoring packets in them (plain water made me gag), broths, strained soups, Fairlife milk, and after about 2 weeks I could finally get in a protein water. My surgeon cleared me to eat fish and soft eggs at 2 weeks (much to the annoyance of their dietician), which interestingly was easier for me to digest than the protein shakes. I couldn't tolerate jello either. In the pureed phase I tried pudding and yogurt but they sat too heavy, so I mostly ate fish and soft eggs and all the liquid things. Plus I was able to tolerate cream soups. In the soft stage I ate anything that could be cut easily with a plastic fork, mostly fish, yogurt, and cheese. By a month out I was finally able to handle the feeling of a protein shake... My tummy was just really sensitive. Be aware you may have issues with lactose early on, so I recommend a lactose free milk like Fairlife if you are in the US. I spent a lot of money on protein stuff it turned out my stomach didn't like or my tastebuds found offensive. I HIGHLY recommend sticking with sample packets of things. Those will easily get you through a few weeks. BariatricPal has a good number of them, I liked Syntrax Nectars best. Seeq has a sample pack available and I really loved their watermelon flavor of protein water. You can get samples from Unjury too, they have some protein broth flavors some people like. I also spent a lot of time pinning recipes on Pinterest for the stages, but I never used any of them because my tastebuds preferred really simple things. I couldn't tolerate anything with cooked tomatoes/tomato sauce for at least 2 months and I wasn't allowed to add raw fruits or veggies to shakes or smoothies, but every surgeon's guidelines are different.

Stories like this make me so sad... My condolences to her family and friends. She should not have been released to fly so early, the most dangerous post op complications usually show up in the first two weeks after surgery. It is absolutely ridiculous that people from countries like the US and UK are having to risk their lives going to places like Turkey for surgery because they can't get coverage for their surgeries thanks to **** insurance companies, or because they are on a waiting list that will take 5 years and require a crazy amount of hoops and delays. Obesity is a disease, not a moral failing. Bariatric surgery is life saving, life giving surgery that in the long run saves insurance companies and government healthcare a **** ton of money because patients who are successful with it often lose their pre-existing conditions, go off numerous medications, and avoid the complications of obesity in their lifetime... A good friend of mine recently had her company change insurance providers. She was in the process of getting her last appointments done for bariatric surgery. But the new insurance excludes all bariatric surgeries... She can't travel to Mexico even if she could afford it because of her complicated medical history. I'm so angry that ANY company or ANY insurance company can just decide not to provide coverage for these surgeries.

I went on a road trip for the holidays at 2 months out. I took a giant lunchbox with me filled with protein shakes and ice packs, cheese and some other cold snacks (I can recommend a fantastic lunchbox on Amazon if you are interested). Then I filled the top of it with some Powercrunch protein bars, Quest sweet chili protein chips, Paleovalley meat sticks (they weren't too dry) and water flavoring packets (I like sugar free lemonade and the Jolly Rancher sugar free ones because I love sour things). I stopped every 2 hours to walk around and use the bathroom to ensure I was hydrating properly. And we stopped for 2-3 meals a day in addition to my shakes and snacks. It worked really well!! I didn't feel deprived at all. In fact, I felt better than I did on road trips before surgery because I stopped more often and hydrated better! Plus I was making wiser food choices.

Sorry you guys are dealing with this! Are either of you on a PPI (proton pump inhibitor), this could be something like omeprazole. Typically the over the counter dose isn't high enough, so it is best prescribed by your doctor. Some people end up taking it twice a day. Omeprazole never worked for me, I take pantoprazole in the morning and Dexilant in the evening. Both are prescription. Bariatric patients typically need a PPI after surgery to protect their stomach from acid and help the sutures heal. Our new tummies are still producing the amount of acid we produced for our whole stomach, which is obviously too much acid for a little tummy. This can cause pain, nausea, vomiting, a feeling of not being able to swallow because acid is washing into the esophagus and irritating it. It can also cause that classic heartburn feeling... If you aren't on one, tell your doctor you want one. If you are on one, it's possible it isn't working, you may need a higher dose or a different medication (some people metabolize omeprazole too quickly). In addition to this, it takes a while for our new tummies to heal the nerves that were cut and our fullness cues and stomach sensations can be different than they were before. Fullness may feel completely different and very uncomfortable. After I eat I feel pressure at about the middle of my stomach and a feeling of heaviness sitting there. It is my signal not to eat anymore. If I persist, I'll start hiccuping and sneezing aggressively, and sometimes vomit. I am very careful not to get to that point. But I can eat a normal bariatric sleeve portion for 3 months out... Sometimes heavy proteins like meat sit very heavily in new stomachs for the first year. It isn't unusual to not tolerate beef or chicken breast. Proteins should be moist (like chicken thigh in a sauce), with small bites and very thorough chewing. You'll probably eat a smaller portion of them than you would yogurt or eggs. Fish and other seafood are the easiest meat proteins for us to digest because they are lighter and softer, so try that if beef and chicken are too heavy. If after a few weeks on a PPI you are still not able to at least advance to moist fish without pain or vomiting, I'd be requesting an endoscopy or other imaging to ensure there isn't a stomach stricture or scarring getting in the way of you eating. Strictures aren't super common in sleeves but they do happen.

Feb 14th for me. I decided to "love myself" by picking this date. I have my preop visit next week so I'll find out my pre-surgery diet then. I feel like I've been having a lot of "last meals". My greatest goal out of all this is not just the loss of weight but rather re-jump starting my approach to food. I guess it will begin next week.

I am 10 weeks out and feeling well! I started back on one cup of coffee a day and I am using a straw a few times a week 🤦‍♀️ I only weigh in once a month so not sure exactly how much I have lost but my clothes are falling off! Glad everyone is doing well!

Ahhh ok thank you for explaining im not sure if i am off hand. I know theres 3 medications they gave me but i dont pay attention to the names ( i know thats bad) mainly just instructions on usage. I really thought i was a patient person i guess this will really test a persons limit of patience lol. 8 weeks omg no im hoping im healed wayyy before then I cannot imagine being this way for another month and half lol. But I will trek on and keep doing what i need to do.

Ahhh ok thank you for explaining im not sure if i am off hand. I know theres 3 medications they gave me but i dont pay attention to the names ( i know thats bad) mainly just instructions on usage. I really thought i was a patient person i guess this will really test a persons limit of patience lol. 8 weeks omg no im hoping im healed wayyy before then I cannot imagine being this way for another month and half lol. But I will trek on and keep doing what i need to do.

PPI are proton pump inhibitors which reduce the amount of stomach acid like Esomeprole (Nexium), Omeprazole (Prilosec), etc. I think you need a prescription in the States too for 20+mg doses. Over the counter ones of less than that usually aren’t strong enough. In most cases your stomach growling or hunger pangs are actually just your digestive system doing what it’s supposed to digest food. The PPI will help with that because at the moment your body is still producing enough acid to digest the amount of food you used to eat. Your head can mess with you bad at this time. It makes you want the food you can’t have at the moment even more Plus so many of us used food as a comfort & you can’t have it at the moment so aren’t able to comfort or soothe yourself like you usually would in a time of stress & emotional turbulence. Give yourself time to heal & recover from what is a pretty major surgery. It takes a good 8 weeks to fully heal & feel more like yourself. Be gentle on yourself.

Awww no girl soft foods as in yogurt 😂 I have to wait another 2 weeks for all that goodness of food girl 😂