Search the Community

What surgery did you have and how long ago OP? It would help us to advise you if you could provide a little more detail. 👍 I had a sleeve, and in the puree phase (2-4 weeks post op) I was eating WAY less than 100 grams/3.5oz per meal. Probably more like 2oz? But I was getting protein in in other ways (shakes).

It was 5 weeks on optifast 4x daily, nothing else besides water. That said I was honest about not being fully strict on it. I did slip up a few times.

You can do what you can do but do remember those cut nerves are still healing (about 8 weeks to be fully healed) so messages may nit be getting through as well or quickly. Probably best to tread more carefully for a few more weeks. Personally I still can’t chug. Any more than two mouthfuls & groan. But I drink slowly all day & night rarely feel really thirsty. I keep at a good hydration level all day I think.

Honestly 3 days out I was in the zone! 🤣 I missed chewing things, and other people's food smelled amazing, but I had a variety of shake and broth flavors, prus flavored waters, so I was doing pretty good! I was nervous about the surgery but excited! I was working on getting my house in order for post op life and I spent a ton of time pinning recipes for the post op phases. 🤣 You are almost there!! Good luck!!

Figured I'd join in! Had DS surgery on 12/18. Pre-surgery weight (about 1-week before) was 415, currently down to 375. Had to spend 4 nights in the hospital due to some complications (had very LOW blood pressure for a couple days due to kidney's not working properly) but improved each day. Felt very little pain (unless coughing/sneezing). Glad to be a part of the community here. Currently in pureed food stage, looking forward to the soft food stage in another week!

Thank you! Everyone’s messages is making me clammed down with my sad emotions. I feel the same about the sleeve surgery, I was pretty much ok after 2 -3 days after the sleeve, and didn’t have allergic reaction to the glue. The feeling after the revision was completely different so I guess I was shocked of how much I am going through. I was under the anesthesia much longer this time and I am still feeling dizzy, sweating from doing nothing right now. The nurse said my body is trying to get rid of the anesthesia from aspiration. Hoping to feel better soon.

The Bariatric Hospital I went to has a very good post op program. They have in person monthly and weekly online support meetings. The Doctor that started the program many years ago is the moderator. He said they started out the pre liquid diet at 2 days. But they ran into issues with the liver being too big. In one instance he said he went to move the liver and it split because it was so big. So, that's why they will not work on anyone that has less than a 2 week pre op liquid diet to shrink the liver. If they go in to do the surgery and someone didn't follow the 2 week diet, they wouldn't do the procedure. They are very safety conscience and take it seriously along with their follow up program. I would go into what all is done but it's fairly lengthy. I'm just a few days from being a month out. I started the Puree'/soft food phase about a week early. Because I was having issues with constipation and needed to get in some fiber. MiraLAX alone wasn't doing the job. Ever since, I've not had an issue. I've even cooked up some ground chicken. But you will fill up fast. Half a cup and I'm full. One scrambled egg with a 1 tsp of salsa & 1 Tsp Mashed Avacado and I can just get it down then I'm done. I've been trying to eat to meet my protein goals, but that is just impossible. I have one shake (premier protein) and I'll mix 60 Grams of Chobani greek non fat yogurt, with one scoop of powdered Premier protein and 1 tsp of PBfit2 to get a chocolate peanut butter yogurt. Don't forget the Sugar free popsicles, it really helped my stomach. Hot food or broth seemed to hurt my stomach a little. But the cold didn't. My Insurance doesn't pay for a Dietician either, however with the Bariatric program it only costs $25 per visit. Between the Surgeon and Bariatric hospital they charged my Insurance $75K so I'm sure they use part of that to cover some of the cost. Do you use the Baritastic app?

Thanks for the clarification as to me it came across in an accusatory way but I see now in your later posts where you are coming from. I just read it that you were accusing anyone who even had an infrequent drink as to be ashamed of themselves and I think in life being on the larger size we have probably had enough shame thrown at us. Anyway, as I already said, we are all adults and the choices we make are on ourselves. Everyone has different levels of likes, dislikes and tolerances. I can't stand the taste of rum on its own but that goes back to it being the first drink I ever had that I got drunk on at 13yrs of age - a mistake where I was given my mothers rum and coke drink at a party multiple times during the day instead of just my own coke as the barman thought I was being a good child and getting drinks for my mum! Yuck, I still remember being so ill that evening - I was the same green colour as my parents lovely avocado coloured bathroom 😂 Personally I have gone through a lot with this surgery that there is no way I am messing it up by drinking to the extent I would have before (just a good social life or bottle of wine at home, no mad benders etc). I will just have the occasional drink when out socially, like Friday I had 2/3 of one glass of red wine and that took two hours to drink and was enough for me.

I share this story in hopes that it may help someone to never pick up a drink after VSG or to at least be hyper-vigilant about the dangers of drinking post weight loss surgery. I was sleeved in August of 2015 @ 310 lbs. Quickly lost most of the weight needed and began running 5k. Not really setting the world on fire, but it was really good for me. Prior to surgery, I had always enjoyed drinking with friends. Typical guy stuff - couple beers @ a football game or watching the game on Sunday, meeting for drinks after work, etc. Never an issue or problem. Never anything that i had to have. My doctor warned me against alcohol, sodas, and transfer addictions, but I thought "never me". WOW, was I wrong. I remember the first couple times I had a beer after the surgery (I waited 6 months), it was very fizzy and uncomfortable. I convinced myself that it would get easier, and unfortunately it did. Next came the rum and coke zero. Wow, that tastes great, and I get a buzz very quickly. That fast buzz turned into getting very drunk, very quickly. Our new bodies absorb the alcohol in 1/2 the time that a normal internal system would. Over the last couple yeaars there have been many episodes of drinking way to much, blacking out, and not remembering what happened. I have had to apologize for my behavior more than once after a night of drinking. I even started drinking every day. I would make a drink as soon as I got home each day. 1 turns into 2 or 3. Just like lays potato chips you can not have just 1. Alcohol consumed my every thought. When can I have a drink? How can I make sure I can get a drink? It amazed me how I was able to justify that if creamer was good in my morning coffee, how great would Rumchatta be (it's damn good, by the way). I am living proof that transfer addiction is a real thing. I am now in counseling for my alcohol addiction. Transfer addiction is definitely a real thing. Prior to VSG surgery I was over 300 pounds because I had an addiction to food, and all the wrong kinds of food. My new addiction is alcohol and it's best friend is food addiction. what goes with beer = chicken wings, or nuts and pretzels, what goes with a margarita = tacos, etc. Alcohol also makes it impossible to lose weight. So if you are really dedicated to clean eating but you drink, your weight may stay the same, but it surely will not go down. I have packed on 60 lbs of the 120 that I lost. And, I am slowly changing behaviors to get back to where I want to be. It is a journey,, but I am worth it. I will overcome. Addiction is sacrificing everything for that one thing ! Recovery is sacrificing that 1 thing to have everything !

My dietitian has told me that I’m not eating enough and need to add more carbs in. I’ve done that this week and currently gained a pound this week 🫤

OP you really must stick to your plan one week post op. Yes it is really difficult for some people and I'm sorry you're one of them. Solid food a week after surgery can honestly be dangerous. You won't feel full because the nerves to your stomach have been cut and sutured and you need to let them grow back. This is why you can eat anything. You CAN, but you SHOULD NOT. Drink drink drink. If you meet your fluid goals I suspect your hunger will be easier to ignore.

I vape, and i got my gastric sleeve surgery next month on the 15th, i have been advised to quite 2 weeks previous to my surgery

Broilerbob I would have gone overboard with all that food. Good restraints you have Cat thanks. I am travelling to different places by car. But plane to Sydney. I was lucky to have a fridge. It took me 3 days to eat a very saucy pulled chicken korma. so the surgeon is taking me back in for surgery #6 on the 28th March. He still isn’t happy with the results and progress. I have already held off on the bread, pasta, rice, oil fried foods and carbonated drinks. But now I’m to try to have nothing carbohydrates and nothing sugary. Plus cut back on the yoghurt smoothies. It’s not leaving much for me to eat or drink. The fundoplication isn’t “flapping” like it should he said. But I told him I feel great. Just the regurgitation with everything I eat.

2 weeks, 1 month, three months & has been every 6 months for the last 2 years. The next appointment I have to make will be around my 5 year anniversary in May. Don’t know how long this will continue but it’s reassuring that they’re keeping an eye on me & are there if I need them. I actually look for ward to the appointment as I get on well with the doctor who does these appointments & we always have a good chat as well as the follow up.

Congrats and good luck! I had mine last Monday, and had similar doubts going into it. The first 8 hours afterwards was the worst, but it wasn't so much that it hurt, it was more just an uncomfortable feeling. That combined with coming out of anesthesia and the way I overthink things didn't help, haha, but around 8 hours afterwards it started easing dramatically. I felt way better the next morning and walking was easy after that. Definitely recommend walking and Gas-X to reduce the pressure feeling. As for the scale not moving, just remember that weight loss is not linear, it comes in waves. Whenever there's a sharp change to our body, our mind overreacts because it thinks we're under threat and its trying to save our life, even if its something as simple as a diet. The fat we accumulated was as a defense measure to protect against starvation for our ancestors, but we as humans haven't adapted to the plentiful amount of food and high carbohydrate availability that we have present day. Think of our fat cells as little balloons that can store pieces of fat as a potential fuel source for starvation protection. As we go into a deficit with our calorie restriction, the body is forced to burn those pieces of fat, but those balloons remain, waiting to be filled back up again "just in case". If our body thinks it is threatened after a significant amount of that fat fuel is burned, it will temporarily fill it with water/fluid to keep the balloons in tact. This is where the "water weight" you may have heard of comes into play. So even though the fat itself is gone, those balloons are hanging on for dear life, thinking they're trying to save you. Only after some time passes, the body decides that its safe to shed those empty fat balloons, and you'll have a "whoosh" of weight loss after a stall period. These stalls can be 1 week to a couple months, which makes it very easy to get discouraged. When (not if) you get to a stall, just remember to stay the course. You had an entire lifetime to condition your body that your higher food intake was the normal amount required for survival, so it won't be convinced that everything is ok with a reduced caloric intake for a little while. Your weight loss will appear like stair steps instead of a straight line. Also anticipate slight gains during these stalls. That is just the water retention, and not fat reappearing, so think of it as "fake weight". As you get close to your final goal, and you're exercising more, remember that muscle weighs more than fat, I think about 1.5x as much. So as you build muscle, it will offset the number on the scale. That is why the scale number isn't as important in the final phase of your weight loss journey. It can be discouraging if you're only chasing the number, so keep in mind all the other victories towards the end. Think of the energy you have, an easier time breathing, the ability to do things you couldn't before, being able to wear clothes you never thought you'd fit in, and the additional years added to your life!

For me now I am still trying to get into a routine of what I can and cannot tolerate but it is usually; Breakfast - pot of greek yogurt, tsbp of cinnamon (good for inflammation) and a 1/2 cup of granola or oats. (approx 20g protein). At weekends I do a protein pancake with fresh fruit. (15g protein) During the morning/afternoon - coffee with a scoop of collagen powder (10g of protein in the scoop) * 2 (20g protein) Lunch - usually a soup I have made in my slow cooker, at moment red lentil, chili & carrot which is delicious. (5g to 10g protein depending on the soup) Dinner - again something homemade in my slow cooker like a beef goulash, bolognese or chicken dish. I don't usually have a side with them, as not eating enough to sacrifice stomach space for a non protein element, but I do include some veg within the cooking process so I am happy with that. A few times I have had rice with the dishes but at the most 1/2 cup each time. Sometimes I will have the same thing for lunch and dinner as I batch cook so much my freezer is overflowing. The protein amounts very from about 8g to 25g depending on the food, for example a peanut butter (protein) chicken dish I made only has 241 calories, 8g fat, 14g carbs and a whooping 26g protein. On a Friday I treat myself to a 1/4 of a frozen protein vegan pizza (11g protein). It is the one thing really that I don't prepare myself. During the day if I remember to eat I might also have a protein bar, some nuts or 2 squares of dark chocolate. I am trying to get some fruit in also but it is hard to find the stomach space and the time (considering not being able to eat 30 mins either side of a drink). On activity, I have started the One & Done 7 minute exercise program, it is just three times a week as I am a beginner. I do 45 minutes of aqua aerobics once a week so that is four active days more than I did pre-op I try to get a walk in a couple of times a week also but find it hard to be motivated to do that unless it is around the shops which is then dangerous for my wallet!

Thanks for sharing everyone. I actually just got back from a cruise. I definitely adjusted my diet and didn’t go crazy but I also enjoyed the food I did eat. I actually intentionally exercised several mornings and ended up losing a few pounds over the week. I’m down about 14 inches in pants size and about 50 pounds from surgery.

Everything @NickelChip just said. This, this, this!!! Also, just be careful with the fruit cups and bananas. Other than that, looks good. I personally would incorporate a little more meat in there. I eat red meat once or twice a week. There's also keto bread, keto slim bagels, and keto blueberry muffin mix at WalMart (I use all of them and love them). Blueberries and strawberries are also fantastic, as are apples in moderation. Avocado is another go-to (personally, I love avocado toast in the morning). Smoothies made with almond milk, collagen powder, greens, and fruits of my choosing go a lot farther for me than a protein shake. Mostly because you want to get your protein from foods you're eating instead of drinks and snacks. I love Propel water, and I also love Gatorade Zero. I eat almonds (plain, smokehouse, hickory smoked, mesquite, all the things). Put a handful of almonds, some meat sticks or cubes, and cheese cubes in a container or baggie and you have a delicious, compliant, protein packed snack. I usually do that and also take mixed fruit (I'll slice a small apple and add a few strawberries and a handful or so of blueberries and that's my 2nd snack of the day) with me to work and it gets me through (I'm a clinical medical assistant so I'm on my feet a lot).

Will do, thank you! I'll start it today. I can't have anything else in my diet. Just my three shakes (to which I add skimmed milk). Everything else adds calories and they said it's a complete meal replacement shake diet only, so unfortunately I can't have anything else 😞 Do you think things would still be okay if I ate maybe broth and soup but went on just shakes for the last two weeks? I just don't know.

Well so much for my dolloping Boursin on my steak. My batch had started to go green even though it had another week to go. Sigh. Went to a different deli & another grocery store that’s supposed to stock it & no luck. Will have to make my own again.

Thanks for this! I fully intend to follow the guidance, it was just a curiosity as to how they determine their guidance. I just think it's really interesting to basically still be on full liquid to week three post-surgery. Maybe yours is tailored and mine is just sort of a set rubric? The food guidance I have isn't tailored to me––it's a PDF that's given to every bariatric patient in our medical group. My assigned nutritionist shared with me that her department always receives random updates to the diet directly from the bariatric department when the issue the new PDFs (we went through two updates while I was waiting for my surgery to be scheduled. When I have update calls with my nutritionist, she just asks me if I'm getting in my fluids and proteins and following the PDF for guidance on what I'm allowed to have. Either way, really interesting! Hope your surgery goes smoothly!!

Haha! I love this comment. Honestly, if she weren't my boyfriend's family, I would have used all manners of vulgar language as a response! I don't know why people just see fat people as easy targets, as if it is their right to inform them that 1) they are indeed fat, 2) they are lazy, but also 3) they should lose weight, but only in a socially acceptable way. Makes my blood boil!

My program requires it of everyone across the board, 2 weeks clear liquids, with 4-5 protein shakes a day. It's just their protocol. I dislike it but I learned a new thing, I can do liquids for 2 weeks. I've been very rigid about it and these past few days it's been harder cravings wise, but the days are going by.

@Missy4391 congratulations on the beginning of your journey I remember thinking that the waiting was one of the worst things, but trust me, it comes around quickly! As others have said, taking before pictures & measurements is a good idea! And I would also advice getting your head into the right space where you don't rely on the scales. I think it is all too easy to get addicted to weighing yourself, especially in the first 4/5 weeks after surgery when your body just needs that space to heal without the added strain of any stress you may feel if your weight fluctuates. This forum was amazing for me to prepare for the surgery and also what to expect after, so I really do recommend reading as much as possible One thing I wish I had done is trial some vitamins to see if I liked the taste pre-surgery. I know people say that your tastebuds can change, which is true, but some of the vitamins are just unbearable 🤢I bought Bariease powder supplement and my god it was the worst thing. I now just take dissolvable orange A-Z vitamins and let the fizz die down and it is so much better! @MrsFitz I think I may have already said this, but I am also in the UK so if you want to chat or have any UK specific questions please do let me know!

My surgery is 15th feb, had my pre op today. I should have had it 18 months ago but i couldnt do it. However, i am now very excited but nervous. My pre op diet is 5 pints of semi skimmed milk for 2 weeks