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Most plans given by Bariatric teams *may* allow bread months or years from where you are (but definitely not now). Some don’t recommend it at all. Did you receive any instructions from your Bariatric team about bread? I tried a bread based food at around 4 months post op (under advisement) and did not each much of it. At 4+ years out, it is still not a staple in my diet and I choose to eat mostly zero/low carb bread instead.

Hi everyone! I was just planning out my strategy for the coming Christmas dinners, lunches, brunches and thought I'd share. Maybe you guys have some tips to share as well! 1. Learning flexible control Problem We're used to thinking in black and whites. Good food and bad food. On-the-diet or off-the diet. Thoughts like 'oh well, since I already ate X, I may as well give up on my diet' are probably familiar to us. Solution This year, I'm going to eat beyond my calories, but not far beyond my calories. I'm not going to be counting, actually. I'm going to taste a little bit of everything, and stop when I feel satisfied. 2. Me first Problem "People expect me to be eating what they eat / I can't handle questions about how I eat / I will disappoint my Aunt if I don't eat this or that ..." Solution My body, my eating: I'm going to compliment the food I get, and in general take charge of the situation. I won't be hoping nobody notices I eat way less than the rest of the family, I'm eating how I want to eat and that's it. In general, I'm going to remind myself my eating is for my body. Their eating is for theirs. People who seem confident don't get second-guessed. Fake it 'till you make it. 3. Answering all the questions Problem People asking about my weight loss, commenting if I shouldn't put on some weight, judging bariatric surgery. Solution I'm going to be my own PR agent; and I'm coming prepared with answers. My answer to "how did you lose the weight?" is 'I fixed my mental relation to food first, then had bariatric surgery, and life has never been better, so happy with how I did this' is my prepared answer in a family setting. It sounds well-planned (and it was, btw) and doesn't open up a can of new questions. Rather it inspires co-celebration and I expect lots of 'good for you!' kinds of answers. Again, a confident attitude doesn't open attack lanes. My answer to "I think bariatric surgery is the easy way out" will be a question in return; "I don't know a lot of people who lost more than 100 lbs and kept it off without metabolic surgery, do you?" My answer to "oh but can't you drop the diet for a day and enjoy eating with your family like we do?" will be "I'd love to be here sharing a family meal in 20 years, too, so I'm not too focused on eating a certain amount, I'm focused on eating what's right for me" with a smile to make it less confrontational. However, a question like that warrants a certain amount of back off! in the reply. In general, see 2. I'll happily taste everything. I will eat however much or little I feel like, though. And it's okay to be a little on guard in our situation, we're still getting the hang of things. 4. Coming prepared Problem Finding myself without any options to eat something I'd like to eat. Solution Avoid setting myself up for failure: I'm stocking up the car on sugar-free chocolate, popped cheese, Quest protein chips, instant protein oatmeal and some fruit. If I'm hungry, I'm hungry, and then I need to eat. I don't want to chance it and find myself in a situation where I "have to" eat something I don't want to eat. I can eat whatever I want, in smaller amounts, but I'd like to have options. 5. Pre-forgiving myself Problem What if I end up eating 2,800 calories and washing that down with 1,200 calories worth of dessert wine? Solution The only way this will truly be a problem is if it means I'm back in beating myself over the head with it-land. If this happens, it was probably because it was a really fun night, the food was amazing, and hey, the upside to Auntie Liz' drinking problem is she brings awesome French dessert wine. Better help her drink that and move on with life the next day as planned. What do you guys do to fly through the holidays? Merry Christmas!

Generally post bariatric surgery we’re advised to avoid bread, pasta, rice especially while losing. They are nutritionally poor food choices, can swell &/or sit heavily in your much smaller tummy. Your focus should be protein. If you can only eat say 1/3 cup of food for a meal the majority of that 1/3 cup should be protein focussed. Some people do eat small amounts of vegetable pasta, cauliflower rice, etc. as they progress through the weight loss phase. And some find they can eat a little traditional bread, pasta or rice as they are able to eat larger portions at a meal. Many avoid these foods until maintenance when they start to reintroduce them into their diets. It does depend upon the plan you have been given & also how you react to certain foods. What does your plan/surgeon/dietician recommend? I still don’t eat bread or pasta or rice at 2yrs 7 months. They tend to still sit heavily in my tummy & I also try to focus on nutritionally dense food choices.

Thank you all for your kind words! These forums have been great for keeping me on track before and after surgery. I really appreciate you all. Honestly this is pretty much the only “before” pic, and I’m not even quite sure it’s at my highest. My program said take before pictures right before surgery, take measurements. But of course I didn’t listen. My main goal for photos pre-op was “don’t be in them”. A few more questions I see all the time I here I will answer: yes I lost hair, yes, even though I got my protein and vitamins. It just happens. I cut my hair shorter, and literally the only other person who noticed was my hair dresser. And all the hair is growing back now, which looks kind of funny since it’s a little frizzy halo on my head. But the whole hair thing is kinda funny to be honest, not a huge upset or a tragedy. No, I don’t feel like weight loss made me look dramatically older, nor did I gain wrinkles or jowls. But I’m in my 40s, and I’m a skincare enthusiast and regular Botox user so that may have influenced stuff. 😂 Yes, I can eat “normally” now. If I went out to a restaurant with someone who didn’t know it wouldn’t be obvious outside of what looks like a small appetite. I’m not eating special bariatric diet food. Happy to answer any questions people have! And thank you all again.

Yeh Jamieson is easily available here. But I was looking to get 1 pill a day kinda routine. But most of them are available in the US that costs shipping as much as the price of the meds. But I finally found a bariatric brand available on iHerb Canada and decent pricing with free shipping. It's called "Naturelo Bariatric multivitamin". It has all the requirements and my dietician is happy with it. So I'll be taking that for now until I get my blood work done. No other extra supplements needed. Even Calcium I get it from dairy consumption, so dietician will wait till the blood work to see if I need anything more.

Yes! My need for a knee replacement is actually what pushed me to have the surgery. The Ortho surgeon wouldn't do it unless I lost 75 pounds. I had the sleeve in March of 2019 and I had the total knee replacement in August of 2020. So I waited about 1.5 years between surgeries. But that's because it took time for me to lose the required weight. Ask the doctor (bariatric, Ortho, or both) but I don't think you will have to wait as long as I did. Best wishes.

Since you absolutely have to eat them (no other choices right now) I say cook the noodles until they are fully expanded (bordering on overcooked) to try to prevent them front expanding further in your stomach. Also you won’t need very much to eat now, so how much of it you eat in a serving will be limited anyway. But as soon as you can shop again ask the good people of this forum and they will help you chose things that will stretch your budget. (On a side note, I would love to see a thread created for an extremely tight budget - Bariatric style) Good Luck ❤️

I've always used drugstore vitamins (the better brands, like Centrum). You have to take two of them to meet the requirements. Here are the vitamin (and dosage) recommendations of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons (you have to scroll down to see them). ASMBS-Nutritional-Guidelines-2016-Update.pdf

Hello, so I was set on wanting to use Bariatricpal once a day multivitamin but cost of shipping is more than the cost of 3 months of supply. So I am back on square one and not sure which brand to go with. Anyone from Canada? Which brand of supplements did you use, easily accessible for Canada, specifically Ontario?

It's actually interesting, and while I definitely benefited from a calorie goal (and from it being high, comparatively), I think this will be the future of bariatric surgery. I've been sponging up so many scientific studies on this area, because I am a huge nerd when it comes to things that concern myself. I want to know it all. And it does seem like bodies ... end up where they're supposed to end up (with some variation, mind you) after surgery. No matter the program. What seems to differ is the regain. And this might be where portion sizes and types of food come in, rather than calories. Maybe our bodies adapt to whatever diet we put it on while going to our new set point? The Biggest Loser study from Harvard is pretty shocking in that regard (bodies can get +700 cals/day more efficient - that's a problem if you want to keep the weight off - it's not just calories in, calories out). Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how it goes for you! And don't go ultra low on food just because you can - that'd be my advice. I had tremendous success so far, and I've had a lot more calories than most here.

Not to worry, Msleo88. Many bariatric veterans suggest that you not weigh for at least 3 weeks post-op due to the crazy weights fluctuations caused by fluid. I know it’s hard to resist weighing, but stick to the plan and you’ll see results.

It really gets down to how bad your GERD (everybody gets occasional heartburn, that's just being human) and what is causing it. If it is caused be a hiatal hernia, which is quite common amongst obese people, then that will be fixed during your surgery. However, there can be other causes more specific to you that may not be fixed, in which case the RNY may be the better choice. If you haven't had one, I would suggest getting an EGD (endoscopy) to find out what's happening down there and guide you in your decisions. Some surgeons routinely order them pre-op, and others don't, but I think it's a good idea to answer questions like this. Having a surgeon who is well experienced with doing sleeves (not just bariatrics) is also helpful, as it takes practice for them to consistently get the sleeve right. When I had mine done ten years ago, there were a lot of sloppy sleeves being done as that soon after the sleeve started being approved by US insurance and most surgeons were still working their way up the learning curve. That is less of a problem now (at least here in the States) as most surgeons here are well up that learning curve, but there are still newbies at is out there and they should be avoided, particularly if things are marginal in the reflux department.

Hold on, I'm about to use SCIENCE! Your body has a set number of calories it burns even if you are completely inert (sleeping, G-d forbid in a coma, etc.). It's called your basal metabolic rate (BMR). It fluctuates with your weight and with how fast your metabolism is. For, say, a 40-year-old, 5'4" woman who weighs 250 lbs (not unusual for a bariatric patient), BMR is around 1800. Now add on any kind of daily living to that, which required calories, and you end up with a number called total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). If you're the same woman above and you're sedentary, your TDEE might be 2200; if you are one of those nutters like me who goes to CrossFit and goes running and works a physical job, your TDEE might be as much as 3000 calories. Now. You've had your surgery. You are not physically capable of eating anywhere near that amount. Let's say you're at 800 calories a day. Simply by eating those 800 calories and existing, your body will naturally be in a 1000 calorie a day deficit. Add in sedentary lifestyle, and you're in a 1400 calorie a day deficit. Generally speaking, about 3500 calories is a pound lost (this is not always true and can be overcome by fluid retention, fluid balance, hormonal changes, menstruation, eating really salty foods, vitamin deficiencies, etc.). Now let's say you're "overeating" and you're doing 1200 calories a day; you're still 600 calories short of your caloric needs just to exist, and 1000 calories short of what you need for a sedentary lifestyle. You are going to lose weight. You are not going to 'ruin' anything. What is happening to you is your body is rebalancing its fluids. That is why the "three-week stall" happens. Every body is subject to the rules of CICO (calories in calories out), and eventually CICO will take over from your body's rebalancing and the numbers will drop again. And do measure yourself once a week! Bust/chest, waist, abdomen, hips, thighs, calves, biceps, neck. This week I didn't lose a ton of weight BUT I lost a half inch off my waist, and I can tell because my trousers keep slipping and I had to put a new hole in my belt. One suggestion: don't weigh every day. And if you can't help it—some people just have to, I'm one of them—keep a running tally and then pick a day, let's say Tuesday, and average your weight over the last seven days. Then use the average weight to gauge progress, not the number on the scale that day. Where the thick smoothies and things come in is that your stomach is still healing from the trauma of surgery. But here's the thing—your body will TELL you when it doesn't like something you eat. It will clam up your stomach. Or make you nauseated. Or have unstoppable hiccups until your stomach empties. Or give you the sniffles (which is SUPER AWESOME during a respiratory pandemic, let me tell you). I ate a bite of an egg roll yesterday and got punished for it. So... tl;dr... don't worry too much about it, especially at first. Feed your body the protein and liquid it needs, and then move on to other foods.

I'm so, so sorry you're struggling. Please know we are rooting for you and want to see you healthy and well. I think first and foremost, you should stick to what you know you tolerate well and do not feel aversions to. Eat as much and as often as you can to help stabilize your caloric intake. Try focusing on what you CAN eat and try to enjoy it as much as possible. Secondly, I would definitely suggest getting in to see a therapist who specializes in disordered eating. Yes, VSG changed your anatomy, your bodily needs, and maybe even your tastes, but this is not normative and getting support will likely be a game changer for you. The sadness, depression, and frustration are all completely valid given what you're going through, but you don't have to stay in this place and there can be improvement. Lastly, I'd say you might want to get in to see a GI or bariatric surgeon to discuss. I also had surgery in Mx and had a wonderful experience and have a very supportive PCP at home, but something this severe might warrant a face to face visit with a specialist. If there are any physical factors they should be addressed along with the mental/emotional pieces. Wish you the very best of luck!

Literally all of this. I've enjoyed liver paté, grapes, popped cheese (yum!), Quest protein chips, multigrain crackers with Philadelphia Light, and some low-sugar/sugarfree treats as well. Normal popsicles, oh man, they've come in handy a few times! I was hungry enough for it, though, so it wasn't really a chore. @Summermoose I wouldn't be too worried about the fat; it's getting hooked on sugar that's the worry here (had to cut myself off from the popsicles at one point), because that really is the way to eat 'around' pretty much any bariatric surgery. You may already know this, but your body probably won't allow you to go overboard on fat. I had foie gras while out, had saved calories for it, all was good. Until, you know, I realized that much fat with our configuration works like an instant laxative. Not my proudest moment.

I had a 150 pound loss with my Lap Band, but never got to goal. And now I'm contemplating revision to RNY. I did have a tummy tuck 2 years ago. My surgeon was wonderful. She submitted to my insurance for a panniculectomy, but she said what I needed was a fleur de lis tummy tuck. So insurance approved the panniculectomy, but my surgeon did the fleur de lis, hernia repair and diastasis recti repair, and she didn't charge me extra. She is amazing. ❤️ One other note that I will add is I have a friend who was never a bariatric patient, but she had 4 kids and needed a tummy tuck, and her ob/gyn did the tummy tuck. She did not have good results at all and now regrets the decision. I would highly recommend having a plastic surgeon do your surgery. I think it's just a matter of finding the right surgeon in these situations.

I might disagree with some of the comments here. You will maintain a relationship with your surgeon for awhile so it’s important to choose someone that will acknowledge you. I suppose with some programs the surgeon does their job then it’s off to the PA or dietitian but in others you should be having regular appointments afterwards and then yearly. My gallbladder was removed recently. The surgeon did his job but his bedside was awful. However gallbladder removal isn’t life-changing and I’ve had no use for him since. Bariatric surgery is different. I’m surprised you haven’t had a meeting yet to at least discuss the best surgery for you.

I had my sleeve on May 17th. In January, I weighed 385. I started preparing and had my first bariatric meeting with the surgeon around mid March. My weight when I started my 2 weeks of shakes was 362 and my surgery weight was 342. I track almost everything I eat and I am setting at 256 right now. Kinda tough to track around the Holiday, but feel like I have a new lease on life. I danced for almost 3 straight hours on Nov 27th at my daughter’s wedding! Your stomach will be tiny which will help you while you get/keep your mind right. Do NOT cheat! Have and keep the faith in the process! If you do that you will be extremely happy and able to get back to an active lifestyle!!! :-)

Oh I love that! Same with me I was raw vegan the past year and loosing a feeling great I even became a cherries vegan nutritionist then my mother had a bunch of health problems and starting in June of this year I was back and forth to Missouri to help her. I got Covid late July - even though I was vaccinated and ended in pneumonia. My goal in January was loose my weight by the end of the year or get the sleeve. Life happened and kicked my butt this year so 3 months ago I called a bariatric surgeon and I got in this Weds for the sleeve. But I get the focusing on the mind I feel being a raw vegan put me vibrationally and spiritually in a different vibration and I have been working with a therapist to work through my eating disorders and issues with my mother. I feel this step is the next step but you are so right it is so important to focus on getting your mind in the right place. Sounds to me like you are really heading in the right direction! Next year is going to be such an amazing year! I can’t wait and am really looking forward to the next phase in my journey!!!

I am not joining WW waist of my $. I am an emotional eater which is never really addressed when having WLS. Overeaters anonymous is helping me change my mindset, it’s free and it’s working. You can attend on zoom and there are meetings 24/7/365. Best thing I ever did. Was sleeved in 2018. And after 4 months my hunger came back. Only list 80 lbs from the 165 my dr thought I would. So his disappointment lead to mine as well. I just joined OA and it’s not a weight loss club it deals with reasons why we eat overeat etc… free and best thing I ever done. They have group meetings for Bariatric people a few days a week but I attend a meeting every day. It’s amazing how better I feel about myself, less shame, less guilt and the scale is starting to move slowly but it is moving. In the right direction. If you feel you have mind work to do , or are an emotional eater try overeaters anonymous. It’s world wide

My sleeve date is Dec 21st! I’ve been reading blogs and watching vlogs of other peoples bariatric sleeve journey. They’ve been quite informative about the struggles of the first couples of weeks and the successes. I’m excited to learn new ways of eating as my mindset about food is already changing.

Congratulations on your sleeve. First I’m going to address the issue of Protein. In the beginning Protein is super important. It helps heal, Hair loss, muscle building, skin elasticity, etc. My full liquid diet consisted of 3 Protein Shakes a day with a list of other fluids in between my shakes. My surgery center let me know it was imperative that I got in at least 3 protein shakes a day. I went home with a 30 day supply of Bariatric Fusion protein power and Vitamins. Along with prescription for nausea and pain. So not having any protein for two week properly isn’t a good thing. They also gave me a list of approved bariatric protein shakes and powders so I can order more once I ran out of what they sent me home with. Now to address the negative, I don’t recommend anyone go abroad or go for a cheaper version. I actually feel sad for you because we went to a place that didn’t give you the correct information to be successful in the long run. This surgery is about so much more than have someone reputable to cut into you. It’s good to have a surgery team to be there for you before and after the surgery and to let you up for success. Everyone’s situation is different. Your starting weight was like mine in the 200s, so I didn’t have to undergo some of the things that others have. I must mention the I had RNY and not sleeve. There are a couple of things that I see that I know my surgery center in the US would have caught. Assuming you had heart burn before your surgery, RNY would have been the way to go instead. Also I started my surgery journey in August and I had my surgery in November in the US. During the months leading up to surgery, I was taught a new way of eating not only food choices, but also how to chew, eat slower, and take smaller bites. Most of all how to get used to not drinking for 30-45 minutes after eating. This was the hardest habit to break. Lol!!!! This made it easier for after surgery. I was also accustomed to ending this new way. I had several tests done just to ensure I was healthy enough handle the anesthesia. During the coarse of these tests it was discovered that I had sleep apnea and an irregular heart beat. Had I gone aboard and settled for a cheaper option, I could have died one the table because the anesthesiologist not know of these issues and we hadn’t worked to correct them as much as possible before hand. I had to work with a psychiatrist to work through my emotional eating. Now I turn to prayer or journaling instead of a bowl of ice cream and potato chips. So I said all that to say, YES you need protein. And to discourage anyone from taking a short cut or cheaper option. As you can see you can easily be given misinformation or left without the necessary info and tools to be successful after the surgery. Best wishes 💛💛💛💛

Congratulations on your sleeve. First I’m going to address the issue of protein. In the beginning Protein is super important. It helps heal, hair loss, muscle building, skin elasticity, etc. My full liquid diet consisted of 3 protein shakes a day with a list of other fluids in between my shakes. My surgery center let me know it was imperative that I got in at least 3 protein shakes a day. I went home with a 30 day supply of bariatric fusion protein power and vitamins. Along with prescription for nausea and pain. So not having any protein for two week properly isn’t a good thing. They also gave me a list of approved bariatric protein shakes and powders so I can order more once I ran out of what they sent me home with. Now to address the negative, I don’t recommend anyone go abroad or go for a cheaper version. I actually feel sad for you because we went to a place that didn’t give you the correct information to be successful in the long run. This surgery is about so much more than have someone reputable to cut into you. It’s good to have a surgery team to be there for you before and after the surgery and to let you up for success. Everyone’s situation is different. Your starting weight was like mine in the 200s, so I didn’t have to undergo some of the things that others have. I must mention the I had RNY and not sleeve. There are a couple of things that I see that I know my surgery center in the US would have caught. Assuming you had heart burn before your surgery, RNY would have been the way to go instead. Also I started my surgery journey in August and I had my surgery in November in the US. During the months leading up to surgery, I was taught a new way of eating not only food choices, but also how to chew, eat slower, and take smaller bites. This made it easier for after surgery. I was also accustomed to ending this new way. I had several tests done just to ensure I was healthy enough handle the anesthesia. During the coarse of these tests it was discovered that I had sleep apnea and an irregular heart beat. Had I gone aboard and settled for a cheaper option, I could have died one the table because the anesthesiologist not know of these issues and we hadn’t worked to correct them as much as possible before hand. I had to work with a psychiatrist to work through my emotional eating. Now I turn to prayer or journaling instead of a bowl of ice cream and potato chips. So I said all that to say, YES you need protein. And to discourage anyone from taking a short cut or cheaper option. As you can see you can easily be given misinformation or left without the necessary info and tools to be successful after the surgery. Best wishes 💛💛💛💛

Water down the protein shakes. Try adding 2 oz (1/4 c) water to an 11 oz protein drink. Continue diluting until you can tolerate them. You will probably only sip 2-4 oz per meal, or snack between meals. You could also try Isopure fruit-flavored powder. It looks like clear lemonade when mixed. There are also protein waters available. In Walmart I found some bottles of "Protein 2O", mixed berry flavor with 15 g protein, 70 cal, to use as a substitute for a protein shake. Several brands sell soup-flavored protein powders: Bariatric Advantage, ProtiDiet. They are not sweet and resemble creamy soups. I have found that I prefer plant-based shakes and powders over the whey-based. Examples, Pure Protein, Orgain. Remember to take a TINY SIP, wait, then take another TINY SIP... At this stage you cannot just "drink" shakes and water.

Okay, I had my sleeve done on Wednesday the 15th and I still feel like crap. I had my pre-op tests done on the 13th (full body scan, blood test, and routing checkup with the surgeon) and went into op around 8am that Wednesday. I know the time frame is weird, but considering the fact that the surgeon does 2 to 3 bariatrics surgeries a day (popular guy), I felt pretty comfortable doing it. I wanna start off by saying, I'm quite amused at the level of "attention" and pre-reqs that is required in the U.S. It is super unnecessary, a sleeve is probably one of the easiest major surgeries that can be performed. I actually felt sad for the people that had to undergo years of testing and check ups and even liver operations just to be able to do it. Don't waste your money and time on that and just find a reputable surgeon abroad who will most likely do it at 1/10th of the cost while being much more experienced with it (I was treated like a client/customer whenever I conuslted a doctor in the U.S. rather than a patient). Now that I got all the negativity towards the American healthcare system, I want to ask a few things about my current diet. For the most part, most post-op diets are similar but I don't understand how some people go hard on protein during the 1st phase when my diet doesn't involve any protein until the 5th week. First 14 days is clear liquids, and the nutritionist/surgeon literally just advised me to drink white grape or apple juice (peeled,strained, added water, no added sugars), broth water (no fat, no seasonings, bleh), and herbal drinks (no caffeine). How the heck is my body supposed to stay alive on what I suppose is basically nutrient weak foods? I'm still alive obviously, but I don't see how I won't be turned into a skeletal frame by the end of the 2nd week on this diet? I asked my doc "am I gonna be alive to even enjoy solid foods in a couple of months if I stick to this diet?", to which he replied "don't worry buddy, trust the process".(okay he didn't actually say that, but it was something among the lines of it'll be okay if you stick to it). I mean I trust the process, but I don't really trust the science behind it. Why do some people have the luxury of being allowed to eat SF Jello, ice pops, protein shakes, puddings, etc. just a few days after surgery when my diet is so harsh? How is not having any protein over 2 weeks a good thing? I had a natural weight loss journey before (300 to 185) and it involved a LOT of protein and little to no carbs/sugar + high fat for muscle building, so this just sounds so alien to me. Not sure if this helps, but I'm a 28 y/o male, current weight 258 ideal 170. I was prescribed anti-heartburn meds, pain meds, and blood thinners as well as a weekly dose of B-12. Sent from my SM-N970U using BariatricPal mobile app