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I have a huge restriction, lucky me. At almost 2 years, I was only on about 800 cals a day. I had to eat so many protein yogurts to get in my quota of protein. After 2 years I decided to call it a day and upped my cals to 1500. This gives me a good number of cals and as I am not a great exerciser, could do more if I wanted more food. Counting my 3 week pre op diet, I lost about 90 lbs at 6 months out

I don't think you fully understood what you signed up for. I work out 6 to 7 days a week and do not have any bulk muscle. I had the Sadi DS 10 years ago and I can eat a horse without weight gain but also no bulk muscle. Instead, I have excellent muscle definition and can work out at a level not possible before wls. The DS fortunately keeps the weight off, so you will never bulk up. You signed up for this, and it's a fantastic thing for you to be able to work out, eat what you want, and be healthy, especially given you previously weighed over 400 lbs.

I pretty much had an immediate stall, but I think it was where I went hard on my pre-op diet. Eventually, the scale started moving again. Also, after the trauma of surgery, your body will panic until it realizes the change are ok. That can include inflammation and a lot of fluid retention, especially if you've received IVs in the days following surgery. During that time, you can still be burning fat, but the fluid retention offsets that on a scale, which makes it extremely frustrating! It's typical to experience a big stall around the 3 week mark and again around the 3 month mark, each can last a 2-3 weeks each, so prepare for that. If you lost some weight during pre-op, you may be hitting that dreaded stall early. The weight loss will look more like stair steps than a straight downward line, with the occasionally brief increase in weight. So if that happens, don't be alarmed. Just stick with the plan, track your calories and macros, and check in with your doctor if something feels off. Eventually, once your body realizes its safe to let go of that weight, and you're not in a starvation/survival situation, it will start to drop! Best of luck to you!

Thanks for sharing. In a little over a week I'll undergo a 360 with a breast lift and implants and these are very encouraging. I admit to being afraid of the pain too, but everyone has said that it's worth it. I figure if they could do it, so can I.

This is coming from a guy, so take it with a grain of salt. I had to go to an event requiring a jacket and tie last week, which was 6 weeks after the pre-op diet (4 weeks post op) weight loss began. When I put on my suit I wore previously in September, I looked like a little kid trying on his dad's clothes. I needed a shirt 3 sizes smaller than my previous, but only 1 size smaller pants. I would suggest waiting to shop until about 2 weeks prior to the event because its hard to predict where you'll be at that point. As far as the foods go, after having the sleeve done, I'm ok with some foods that I probably shouldn't be ready for yet (ground beef, salmon, high fiber/low carb bread which I have since cut back out since its not diet friendly), but others that I should be ok with are making me feel sick (leafy greens, broccoli, canned tuna). Again, I would just assess where you are a week or two out from the wedding, maybe ask them what is on the menu, but maybe plan to pack a diet-friendly snack in your bag just in case. Congrats again on your surgery!

I only had that machine attached until that night because it broke, then I just rotated my legs/ ankles and moved my toes. i still was wearing the compression socks though but the following day after surgery I took them off. i work with doctors and I went in 6 days post op and he looked at my incisions etc and felt ny legs to make sure everything was okay and it was so unless you had any health issues that they recommended you to continue using them I have no idea why 2 weeks post op? they want you up and moving for that purpose as well

If you lost a bunch of weight pre-surgery your loss post surgery may be slower for a little while. This is because the body has to recalibrate and reassure itself it isn't starving to death. It also has to replenish glycogen and rebalance your fluids and on and on. It's a lot of hard work for it!! And slow to one person is not slow to another person. I'm 6 weeks post op a DS and have lost 20 lbs. I did not lose much pre-op. I have been stalled for several weeks because that's the classic 3 week stall where the body does its thing to recalibrate to lose more weight. I'm not stressing about it, I just had a very major surgery! My body has been working hard! It takes time to recover. You feel like you are starving because you aren't getting your fluids in by mouth. Trust me, once you are getting all your fluids in it becomes a challenge to find times to eat and drink everything you need in a day. Getting fluids by IV will keep making the scale jump by 10 lbs because they fluid load you to last a few days. You are probably losing fat, it just isn't showing on the scales because of the IV fluids. Make sure you take measurements too, those often change when the scale doesn't. I wish you much luck in getting off the IVs!

So this could be your body’s set point. The weight your body is happiest at & will continue to gravitate to this weight despite your efforts to lose more. Remember if you reduce your calories & increase your activity to lose more weight, you will have to continue to eat fewer calories & be more active than you are now to maintain the lower weight. And this isn’t sustainable as you’re already experiencing & your body will fight you the whole time. This becomes a head issue. You’ve lost about 100lbs. That’s an achievement. Plus you’ve built muscle which weighs more than fat too. Look back on how you were before there surgery - general health & status of your cop morbidities, mobility, ability to do the things you wanted to, self confidence, etc. What have you gained or regained with this weight loss. Don’t fear your appointment. Take in your tracked food intake (there could be something you’re missing) & your activity. Ask what else you can do. Ask if this is it for you? Ask what else you can do. Maybe raise whether the GLP-1medications would be of benefit. Do you see a dietician? Because of your intense weight training, you may need to be consuming more & by reducing your calories you have put your body into starvation mode. Even with all this, don’t give up yet. Many of us continued to lose well into our second year albeit very slowly like grams not kilograms a week or month (ounces not pounds). All the best.

Hoping you're feeling better! I'm 5 weeks post-op but still have gas that comes back once a week or so. If I can't get to Gas-X, I have to walk around and do arm lift exercises while walking to help dissipate it. It tends to break it up for a couple hours, so I will do a short walk hourly if I can, even if its just for 5 minutes.

While I do soak my oats overnight, it’s not the traditional ‘overnight oats’ because I still cook it. I start with a microwave safe container. Add 1/4 cup traditional oats (half a serve & not instant which are more highly processed & has additives), 1/2 teaspoon dried cranberries, a tablespoon of mixed seeds & a cup of milk. I microwave it in the morning & then add 1/3 tub 20g protein yoghurt, additional milk for a runnier texture & blueberries. Gives me on average a good 22g or so of protein. You could add some unflavoured protein powder for an extra boost if you want. I eat it hot or cold. I always have a few spoons leftover (it’s very filling) which I eat as an afternoon snack. Be ware: don’t cook it after you add the yoghurt - it curdles - shudder! If you were wanting a quick grab & go breakfast before work, my version takes vey little time. Pop it in the microwave while you’re getting dressed. Stir in yoghurt, additional milk, berries & then go. The overnight recipes I’ve seen use half a grated apple & yoghurt, milk optional the night before & no cooking the next day. I think they use instant oats which is why it doesn’t need to be cooked. Traditional oats are a great complex whole grain carb. You get sweetness from the fruit you add so no added sugar. Great breakfast choice. I ate rolled oats & blue berries 3 or 4 days a week while losing & now eat it every day.

My hunger or interest in eating didn’t really return for around a year. I found eating to a routine very helpful. In fact I still eat this way. I started doing it to establish good/better eating behaviours (been a meal skipper for most of my life in an attempt to control my weight) & also to ensure I was getting in calories & necessary nutrients. Not a food tracker either. Wasn't required to in my program. I do random checks for my own curiosity, to ensure I wasn’t slipping or getting complacent & to check new foods/ingredients or recipes. I more often checked portions. I know my calorie intake was low compared to others (barely 900 at 6 months & my goal) but at least I was eating regularly & nutritiously. I still have times I don’t feel hungry. Usually just a day or two but went through a period of a couple of months recently which saw me reduce my intake a little. Went from 4 meals & 3 or 4 snacks to 3 meals & same snacks. On the days or times I didn’t feel as hungry I chose something lighter to eat like yoghurt, soup or just ate some protein & didn’t care if I didn’t eat all my portion. Oh & I still take 30-45 minutes to eat most meals - used to take up to an hour. I’m also a meal repeater. I have favourites & there’s nothing wrong with that. Know how much I can have as a portion & the protein content. I used to eat scrambled eggs or rolled oats for breakfast. Now I just eat rolled oats. Similarity at lunch - 3 or 4 options I rotated through currently two options. Dinner is repeats too mostly because of left overs. I still cook much as I did before 😁. Eat that meal for 2 or 3 days & freeze the remaining portions for those nights I don’t feel like cooking (love my freezer & microwave - little reheat & sometimes cook vegetables - 5 mins total). I usually cook pretty simply too: protein & vegetables so I can easily check what I’m eating & getting nutritionally. I never had those signals many speak of regarding fullness. No sneezing, no runny nose, etc. Just my restriction if I went too far or if something sat more heavily than expected. It’s why I started asking myself if I really needed the next bite or just wanted it. It’s not unusual for me to put food on my fork & then put it down again to maybe eat a couple of minutes later. I remember the first time I felt hungry after surgery. I was about 7 months, had a busy day & then went to a function. Hadn’t eaten much & there’s was nothing suitable at the event. Was home & in bed when I realised I was vey restless. Something was wrong but didn’t know what. It took some time to realise I was hungry. I realised this was my real hunger signal. Didn’t want a specific food, flavour or texture. There was a logical reason I was hungry - I hadn’t really eaten for most of the day. Took another 3 months before I felt it again. One of the things I’ve learnt along the way is you have to do what works best for you. Because it works for someone else doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Whether that is tracking or not tracking your food, how many meals or snacks you have, how much activity you do, what foods you choose to eat, eat occasionally, or generally avoid, etc. Use other people’s experiences & routines as suggestions of things you could try if you’re stuck but if they’re wrong for you, try something else. So after a long way of getting to it, my two suggestions based on my experiences if you want to try them, are: Track your calorie intake & nutrients for a few days just to ensure you’re on track & not missing anything. Then only check new foods you introduce &/or do random checks. Try eating to a routine. Doesn’t have to be a full meal but at least something that is nutritionally dense & protein focused. Oh, yes stalls happen. Mine were short. A few days only. I tracked my weight daily which is how I saw when they occured.

I’m about 2 1/2 almost 3 weeks out of surgery. My doctor said to go ahead and move onto the purée stage for about a week. My concern is that I have no problem eating. I can eat 4 ounces without any hesitation I can drink an 8 ounce glass of water without any hesitation. it almost feels like I didn’t have surgery. Now if I drink too fast, or I tend to eat something, maybe a little bit more than I should’ve maybe like 5 ounces I will get sick. Or I will just feel sick. I guess that’s how I remember that I had surgery and I’m not supposed to eat so much. It just seems so weird outside of surgery so soon that I feel like mentally I could sit and eat a burger and fries. I know physically I can’t eat a burger and fries but it’s getting my mind to correlate with my body. I know there’s a lot of mental work that has to be done after surgery and I thought I got myself prepared for that before surgery. so I guess I just need to work harder on the mindset of eating 4 ounces every couple hours to keep myself from being hungry. Because I do feel hungry at times. I do however recognize when I’m just bored hungry. So I’m hoping I can start moving out of that board hungry state And into not being hungry even when I’m bored. I know this week I noticed that I didn’t lose as much as I had been losing and I think a lot of that has to do with moving onto the purée stage and actually eating food. Also, I noticed that I didn’t get all my water in. The most I’ve been able to remember to drink has been like 48 ounces instead of 64. So I have to be better focused on getting my water in .

So i had my 2 week post op appointment today i have lost 23 pounds since my surgery day and i was told thats good. I didnt see my actual surgeon which was a bit annoying, and the doctor that did see me was rushing me out the damn door. Like i honestly could barely answer her questions before her next one. I tried telling her about the pain in my mouth and the constant spitting but she was clueless. I told the intake nurse about my depression up and down moods but this doctor didnt even bring it up. Today felt like i was a cross on a t or a dot on an i. Like ok youre healing good no major complications good ok see ya take care! Thankfully i had the mindset to see my regular pcp to discuss the problems im having and hopefully i get actual attention and help to fix the issues. Very disappointing day honestly.

The first couple days, just walking up down the hallway or across a parking lot will be all you'll feel like doing, but doing that while moving your arms is enough to get the gas pain to ease up considerably. You will get tired quickly those first few weeks, so plan to do things in short bursts followed by a short rest so you don't overdo it. I had my surgery on a Monday and I went back to work the next Monday, but I do work online from home. I've heard of people getting the sleeve go back to work after like 4 days, but I don't think I would want less than a week. I was able to walk a total of 3 miles on Day 4, but I was still on pain medicine and not thinking clearly. After I weaned off the meds I actually had to slow down for a few days until I adjusted. I did wait a week after coming off the pain meds to drive, but they did make me feel a little loopy and I wanted to play it safe. Physically I guess I could've driven sooner, but ask your doctor to be sure when it would be safe. Pain wasn't bad, just uncomfortable from the gas, but it would've been distracting to try to go back to work sooner. Other procedures are more involved and may need more time off. Same if there's a minor complication, or if your liver didn't shrink enough during the pre-op diet. It won't hurt your healing or weight loss, but the more they have to move around inside you, the longer you'll be sore.

I saw the term, momentary "buyers remorse" on someone's thread the other day in reference to having bariatric surgery and last night I understood when I had a fatigue and anxiety melt down. I went back to school at age 48, once the majority of my kids were gone and I could spare the time. I take a full time course load, so my house gets deep cleaned now only during school breaks. This spring break I didn't expect to get much house and yard work accomplished, as I expected to be recovering from my sleeve surgery. But here I am, nine days after surgery and in the last days of spring break and I'm feeling great. My doc cleared me to do any physical activity that didn't hurt and I seem to have full energy, so I decided to go to work yesterday on a kitchen deep clean. From about 8 am until 11 pm (with breaks and liquid meals all day), I cleaned the fridge and pantry, scrubbed the oven, washed the microwave and toaster oven, dusted the tops of cupboards, washed drawer fronts and pulls, mopped- all of it. My kitchen looks like I just moved in. "Seemed" however is the operative word here. When I came up to go to bed, I was more exhausted than I've been in I don't know how long. And then, when I got a side stitch just off to the left of my tiny new stomach, I started to panic. I manage a somatic anxiety disorder and an attention deficit- and once in a while, particularly when I'm too tired, I have an epic storm that just has to run it's course. So, I paced around my bedroom hyperventilating for 20 minutes and rued my decision to have this surgery. All I could think is, "what have you done?!?" It was pretty awful. This morning I feel fine, aside from an emotional hangover, which is really just what the absence of adrenaline feels like after a panic attack. Other than that, I'm glad I had the surgery again. I'm going to do some light yard work today in between naps and offer myself a helluva lot more grace and leniency. And tomorrow, I'm going to have my first solid food (puree) that I've had in a couple of weeks. That first two tablespoon serving is going to be magical.

It’s breast milk. Specifically the first that is produced after giving birth though it can leak from the breasts in the weeks prior to delivery. It’s full of antibodies of benefit to the new born but very few nutrients: low carbs, low calories, low sugar, low protein. You can buy it in powdered form. Not sure how it would ease hunger?? Except it being a liquid it would temporarily fill your tummy like any other liquid but without getting the protein & nutrients you need. But if it works for you …

Our tastes can change radically after surgery. Mine changed at about 2 weeks post op. I was SO mad!! LOL I didn't want to eat anything I had been eating. All my protein supplements tasted awful. Soup I loved 3 days before was vile. I felt like a pregnant woman!! 😂 I think part of it is being in ketosis, it does funny things to the body. And part of it is the hormonal surge we get after surgery as we start losing weight. I've talked to some who say it eases up and others who had it throughout the rapid weight loss stage, but their normal tastebuds came back once they stopped losing weight. I'm 3 months post op and right now I hate avocados (I used to eat them every day), and I can't taste sweet spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. I can't tell you how much this annoys me. LOL On the upside I like fish a lot more than I did before and that is great because fish is the gentlest meat protein you can eat and it packs a punch nutritionally!!

Hello again! Yes, @ShoppGirl - that's exactly what it was, now that you mention it that rings a bell! It was Heparin to help prevent blood clots. Maybe I won't need to B12 since I do still have my gallbladder - time will tell! I, too, had forgotten about the recipes on Baritastic until earlier today when I went to add the recipe I ended up using for the chicken salad I had for dinner. I need to get some fat free mayo; today I cheated and just used two teaspoons of regular mayo because that's what I had; and also sweet relish as opposed to dill relish. Are you taking an ADEK supplement? My nurse was insistent on my having to take them as a SADI patient post-op, so I ordered some from Barimelts that have thankfully not tasted terrible and dissolve quickly. It's a GREAT reminder about the recipes in Baritastic - thank you, @draikaina8503 for the reminder as well! When you get your staples out I'd suggest asking them to be liberal in their application of steri-strips, especially for ones that are on the sides or at an angle. Having that extra support against the pulling really did make a big difference. Weirdly, so has using antibiotic/pain relief ointment?! I'd never really experienced 'pain relief' from that ointment (generic over the counter) but I was shocked to find that after I applied it my pain did actually lesson! Who'd have thought?? Also, I totally kept the two reusable ice bags from the hospital and have been using them this whole time because they were softer than the ice packs I had and the ice being able to move around a bit as it melted was just more comfortable. I'm glad you'll be able to get back on your Adderall and normal medications now! I will say that nice warm showers also feel really nice overall during recovery, especially if you have an alternate shower pressure setting that can go easy on the surgical site and maybe more pulsing/massaging on the back. Just my own personal experience. I came across an inspiration idea for the puree phase today when looking around on Amazon! A friend of mine had given me about 2/3 of a container of the 30g powder protein in Vanilla and I realized that oatmeal is a great thing to add it to! I feel like if I cook the oatmeal and let it get soft and fluffy, then add in the protein powder with it to the food processor that I bet it will be perfect AND help me get my protein goal! Plus since oatmeal is high in fiber it should help with regular bowel movements. I even thought I might add some of my zero sugar caramel macchiato creamer to it in order to give it more flavor without adding an artificial sweetener. I do have some xantham gum though should I need it. I'm planning on exploring what types of purees I can make with my greek zero sugar vanilla yogurt, various fruits, and that protein powder. I'm not sure why but something just CLICKED earlier when I was in my kitchen and I realized that between the ricotta, strawberries, blueberries, low fat cottage cheese, and protein powder that I actually have a lot more options than I'd previously considered! You can also mix protein shakes with sugar free pudding instead of milk - but word to the wise, learn from my mistake and don't make up too much at once because at about day 3-4 it starts to separate and get runny. Before that it's quite tasty and filling, though! My chair isn't bothering me quite as much today after I laid a thick folded blanket down on the seat for cushioning; and I think part of my discomfort may have also just simply been from constipation and gas that needed to be passed. I'm proceeding with caution on starting new foods that I haven't already tried, but I will say the chicken salad sat really well on my stomach. I even 'cheated' and crumbled up two Ritz crackers on top for some texture variant - it was the first 'meal' I've eaten really other than my half a scrambled egg this morning that I found to be satisfying. I'm using the timer in Baritastic to make sure I go 30 mins before and after eating without a drink - that's still been rough but as long as I distract myself the time goes by pretty quickly. Oh - @draikaina8503 - I'm not sure if it is allowed for you per your doctor, but I've dealt with the dry mouth using sugar free jolly ranchers sparingly. I'm so sorry you're struggling with getting water down, but glad you're getting some relief with ice chips! Sonic definitely has better ice chips; as do a few gas stations here any there. Ice chips are SUCH a nice thing to have available. I'm cursing the fact that I don't have an ice dispenser in my fridge - sadly it isn't that fancy - but it sure would make it easier to fill these ice packs than having to fight to crack an ice tray and refill lol @Onemealplan - Yeah, what's with the ice cream? That sounds delightful lol - I mean, obviously one ounce wouldn't be bad - It just wasn't something I thought of myself as being allowed to have! Now you've got me thinking of all the sugar free varieties I saw available at Braum's in their store section! I guess I can also finally have my sugar free popsicles - Woohoo! Also thank you to @Rob Nissam for your insight about the gas and general knowledge sharing! I hope you are doing well on your path and in recovery! @AndreaJD - Thanks for the suggestions about what purrees are working for you! I'm all ears when it comes to tips to carry me through these next two weeks. I was thinking about my cream of soups earlier and how I can now have them warm. I know I need to buy some unflavored protein powder -- Does anyone have a suggestion for an unflavored protein powder they've found works well and mixes well? Just curious what's working and what if anything isn't! Wishing all of you the best in preparing, having surgeries, and recovering from them in the coming days! This forum has been invaluable to me and I'm grateful to all of you for sharing your tips and experiences so far!

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.

I'm so jealous. I also had surgery 1/24 and have lost 7 pounds. One of the reasons I did the VSG was because when I would try to lose weight, it would come off so slowly---like it would take maybe 6 weeks to lose 5 pounds. It took me 8 months to lose 30 lbs and that was with Qsymia and eating about 1000 calories a day. I would get so frustrated and just give up, I'd go back to my regular diet (which wasn't crazy--usually 1500 - 1800 calories a day) and everything I'd lost would come back. Now, given my usual speed of weight loss, 7 pounds in 9 days is great. But on this liquid diet where I'm getting 300 400 calories a day max, I thought I'd lose more quickly. I was hoping for at least 10-12 lbs by now. Still, I'm happy that I've done this; it's going well and I know that I will succeed. I was just hoping for it to be quicker!

I am 3 weeks and 3 days post op and do also experience the same tiredness and fatigue. Couldn't even grt going for work yesterday and had to reschedule 2 meetings to go back to sleep. My nurse and Dietician said this process and the lack of nutrients during the healing stages will make you extremely tired/weak to the same effect covid does. She was right, very much so. I've now had both. But I am feeling much better aside from that. I lost 22lbs on the 2 week preop diet and have lost 34lbs since surgery December 13th. Had my follow up and down 56lbs since November 29th. One day at a time. Process is more important than the goal. We can all get to our goal but I believe the process comes first.

That’s sounds more understandable I went into the office today and to my surprise I was 228 he said I misunderstood the diet plan lol I was not to start soft foods til two week after the surgery not on week two which makes me feel so much better because it’s easy to drink but wasn’t as easy to eat those puréed foods. my incisions are fine the biggest one I’m assuming is where they took the stomach out is bumpy also lol 😂 I feel fine to get up and walk about but after a certain point it’s over doing it this week I’m sick of being home so I’m heading to the mall today to exchange shoes for my kids the walking should be okay. Doc says walking only til week 6 post op. Which is a bummer bc I have a workout bike I set up last night too excited to use lol

Surgery scheduled for 1/23. I am on day 5 and I am struggling with the two week diet. 5 shakes a day is too much. I feel so bloated and am having acid reflux. I’m trying to schedule the shakes so I’m not having one too late ( at least two hours before I go to bed) but it is difficult. I’m feeling like I need to get up at o-dark-thirty to get a shake in so I can go to bed at a decent hour without the acid reflux. Help! 

I'm currently about 5 months post-op and have started to gradually gain a bit. Gained about 5.5 lbs in about a week and I've changed nothing with my routine. While I understand weight loss isn't linear and I can understand not losing for awhile, why am I gaining? Is this normal? Any advice is appreciated. How I can gauge where I should be, about how many carbs and calories did/do you consume at 5 months post-op?

I did not have sleeve I had bypass, I have had pernicious anemia my whole adult life. I have a severe case and take shots every two weeks no change since surgery nor am I willing to risk the side effects from not taking my shots I had severe memory loss before I was diagnosed and my memories were not recoverable. B-12 your body only absorbs what you need you are better off taking a shot than not.