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I am preop and was just reading through the folder my surgeon's office has given me. There's a section called keeping the weight off where they talk about portions after you've gotten past the honeymoon period. They say that a meal should be 3-4 oz of lean protein with 20-25g protein, 1/2 cup of whole grain or starchy vegetables, and then half of the plate is leafy/non-starchy veg and fruit. The most important part for me was where they said: Sometimes portion sizes increase over time. If you feel you are able to eat more at meals, increase the portion of non-starchy vegetables. I would start there, because I think the tendency as appetite increases is to grab a bigger plate and increase everything proportionally. So now you may be eating 5-6 oz protein and 3/4 to 1 cup of starch or grain. And maybe adding in more sauces, more fats, a piece of bread, some alcohol, juice, some sweet treats, a daily snack. My surgeon's plan emphasizes keeping to 3 meals per day without snacking once you're past the first few weeks where you need to supplement with protein shakes just to meet minimum protein goals. But if you can regularly get 20-25g protein at a meal, plus 1/2 cup starch or grain and some veg/fruit, you don't need to eat more than 3 times per day, 4-6 hours apart. This is something that isn't always made clear. When I started this journey, I was certain that gastric bypass would mean having to eat lots of small meals all throughout the day, which is exactly what I'm being told not to do! But you do need to get at least 64oz of water or more all the time, and you can add as much veg and fruit as you need to feel full. I think that is where I would start in your position. Go back to measuring your meals, setting timers to remind you when your meal times are if you need to, eating only food you prepare yourself and/or know exactly what's in it. Check your cupboards for temptations and get rid of them. Pay attention to the urges you have to do something that isn't part of your plan, because that's probably going to show you the problem areas and help you figure out how to change. And most of all, give yourself a little bit of grace, because this isn't easy (no matter what people try to say). Take care of yourself. Get enough sleep. Get fresh air and exercise. Be kind to yourself.

I got a cold on December 3rd and my surgery is also scheduled for the 13th. Surgery sisters haha! I feel much better thankfully, but I did inform my bariatric team last week. Hope to hear from them tomorrow when they are back in to see if they will proceed. Hoping for us both!!

It's been just over 3 years since I had my RNY (12/31/19). I am so glad I made the decision to do this. It's not easy and there are challenges, but I feel so much better in my own skin. Stats: 5'10; 44 years old Starting Weight: 336 Surgery weight: 292 Lowest weight: 155 Current weight: 172 Wins in 2022: Last year I really wanted to focus on strength and stamina. I set a bucket list goal of climbing Kilimanjaro (I did it in June!) and spent the first half of the year getting in shape for that. That included regular hikes, but also yoga and strength training classes to build muscle and flexibility. I also did a lot of time on the treadmill at incline (I hate the treadmill - but it served it's purpose). In the second half of the year I wanted to keep growing strength, stamina and flexibility but in a way I enjoy so I started HIIT classes. They are a great workout, give me cardio and strength in one which is a huge win. I also still do yoga once a week and try to hike when I can. At the end of the year I am the strongest and healthiest I can ever recall being. I also did a TON of traveling in 2022 which was great for my mental health. I got to see Equador, the Galapagos, Costa Rice, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Alaska, Victoria CA, Little Cayman, and other places in the US West. It's been amazing. Goals for 2023: In addition to continuing to grow on my physical fitness gains from 2022, this year I need to work on my relationship with food. In general I eat much healthier than I did pre-surgery (I was a total carb addict and rarely ate protein or vegetables), however I still struggle with emotional eating and moderation for trigger foods. I am very consciously NOT dieting. There will be times I eat pasta or sweets but I don't want to eat because I'm bored or <insert any emotion here>. I also want to be aware of the scale, I really want to stay between my low weight and where I am now, but not ruled by it. I'm not sure exactly what this will look like, but will figure it it. I also start a new job in a couple of weeks. I'm super excited about the role and the challenge it will present. It will mean a lot less time to travel, but I'm ready to take on something new. My goal (aside from doing well at the job) is to find a way to balance work and life in a more sustainable way that I have in the past. I hope all of you have an amazing 2023 and good luck in your journey's! Lori

Hey i was wondering if anyone else experienced low grade (99.7) fever over a couple days the first week after surgery? Im feeling really good keeping everything down mild gerd and i keep having a little anxiety im assuming from the drastic change but i was a little nervous about the fever.

Congratulations on your plastic surgery!! I'll be watching for your updates. I had DS surgery 6 weeks ago but I anticipate by the time I'm done losing I'll be wanting the same list you are getting done tomorrow! I hear the recovery can be hard when you stack them that way, but if they aren't doing the arms at least you'll be able to move them without too much pain. I don't know of any advice since I haven't had plastic surgery before, but I imagine you should be watching your fluid intake so you don't get dehydrated and stay on top of the stool softeners and Miralax so you don't get constipated!! Good luck with things tomorrow! Have a safe and uneventful surgery! ❤️

Thanks for updating us!! I am so sorry they had to change their surgery plans... My 3 week liver reduction diet didn't seem to work very well either, my surgeon said my liver had not responded the way he'd hoped it would have, but he's a pretty skilled surgeon so he was still able to do my full surgery with it. I have read about a number of people with that issue that end up having to stage their surgery though... I really hope you do well with the sleeve, maybe you won't even have to have the second part done!! I'm glad you have the option to though... The feels are strong after surgery even when everything goes perfectly, so I can imagine you were feeling it with everything that happened, plus the meds coursing through your system! I hope your pain continues to ease. Keep updating!! ❤️

Its very easy to get dehydrated the first couple weeks after surgery, which will make you feel miserable if you can't stay ahead of it. Look for hydration enhancers like Liquid IV or other brands that are more effective at hydrating and restoring electrolytes than Gatorade or Pedialyte is. In addition to that, and as others have said, getting the anesthesia out of your system can make you feel weird for a few days. If there's any anti-nausea medicine you can take, you may want to look into that. Also gas! Definitely get some Gas-X to help get rid of the random pressure and pain that can show up anywhere from your waist to your shoulder! Any walking you can do in short bursts, and raising your arms up and down while walking, will also help dispel that gas. It stayed around for nearly 2 weeks for me before getting rid of it all.

Try to keep food moist by adding sauces & gravies. In the beginning I ate a lot of mince dishes like savoury mince & bolognese (without the pasta) & some casseroles/stews which are more on the sloppy side & are more easily eaten & digested. In time this won’t be as necessary but dry or coarse food may still cause you some issues at times. In time you will find you can drink with or closer to when you eat. This is an individual thing though - some can, some can’t. But, yes, in the first months while you’re eating so little it is vital you properly digest your foods & get every nutrient. Drinking while eating washes the food through your digestive system more quickly. This video helps explain it: In the beginning I used to sip on my shakes & soups for ages. I’d dilute them to thin them out & because they count as liquids you are helping to ensure you meet your fluid goals too. I didn’t have more serves than I was supposed to & this is an important consideration. There will be times when you have to make the best choice possible from the food you have available. For example you could have eaten the broth & not the martza balls in the deli soup or strained it when you got home. If you’re cooking you choose the ingredients you add so you could just not put potatoes or rice in the chicken soup you made. In the beginning this can be even more difficult because of your limitations but there are ways around it. Taking food with you to eat is often the easiest. Remember too that as well as all the sutures & staples holding your tummy together, a lot of nerves were cut so messages aren’t getting through or aren’t getting through in the same way so you may not know if you are actually doing damage. It takes about 8 weeks to fully heal so it is important to stick to your plan in regards to food choices, portion sizes, etc. It’s there to protect your healing tummy & support your recovery. This may seem a lot & it does take time to work it all out. We all slip or not make the best choice at some time. It’s all part of the learning. You just have to not make it a regular thing. You’ve got this. All the best.

Well I signed a contact twenty years ago and I wasn't informed all that much about what I signed up for... Maybe because it was so long ago.. I do now know and understand the deal but the problem is simple.. So I had a car hit me when I was crossing the street and spent six months in a hospital followed by six months of a resting home to recover followed by a heart failure and another five months in the hospital followed by multiple hospital trips and lost all my original muscle.. I was always average strength but it's another thing to be told you might have a heart attack if you don't gain muscle. So I did everything I was told to bring me to this point. I have gained ten pounds of muscle in the last two years and I gain average of a pound a month. Only in the sorta person I need advise and someone to tell me what to do so that I don't make mistake. This might be a result of brain damage from my accident or maybe I'm just a big dumb guy I dunno.. But I did my own math if I eat 4200 calories I absorb 2200. So it does make sense I can't bulk however I'm taking enzymes and my doctor said the enzymes turn your ds off so that you can absorb everything you eat with them.. Now I'm fine tuning everything. Maybe my ds is to powerful and I'll learn that I really can't bulk and yes I look more defined in the mirror I think. But because my skin is stretchy it's hard to tell. I have gone from 175 to 178 so hopefully that's going to keep going up. My only real goal of taking the enzymes is to increase my protein which is 6.1. Before I worked out I was capable of maintaining my weight but my doctor told me I lost so much muscle that to not regain it would be dangerous to my health So regardless of anything I have no choice but to gain weight. If that means eventually eating 6000 calories so be it. But I really think the enzymes alone will solve my problems. I plan to take the enzymes for 3 months then get off then for two months then back on them in a bulk cutting kinda formula however I'll admit I don't know that this will work. I've gained weight in the past getting up to 240 in the resting home but that was eating six full meals a day with no working out and tons of high fat snacks and sense then I've gotten hypoglycemia which makes gaining weight difficult because I can't just devour sugar like I used to be able to. Man I used to love pudding cups... Anyways no I didn't know what I was getting into I was 19 and all I wanted was to lose weight but to still be able to eat as much as I wanted. Which is what I got. I never understood the risks. Never. That's why I got all these problems and it's hard to dig your self out of a ditch.. I would work out more if I thought it would help but I just lift weights 3x a week and I have a trainer and a bunch of great doctors who help.. The thing is the DS shouldn't kill me.. I should be able to figure out a way to make this work and my real issue is I'm 6"3 and a man so I require 3200 calories a day is what my trainer said. I only absorb 2200 thus I'm taking enzymes I'm focusing on absorbing protein and enough calories to feed my muscle building and I'm getting blood tests and scanning my body for progress it's a really scary time for me because I know I can lose muscle fast if I forget anything.. finding this website has helped me relearn just got crazy this surgery can be... For real you all helped me so much... But I can not except life as a weakling I'm 39 and a man and people need me so I can't just except things the way they are. If a normal person can build muscle I can to. It may take more work and more intelligence on my part but that fine I'm willing to do anything to be average if that makes sense.. in fact I was debating going to the gym today because my back hurts but you just motivated me to go . 😁 Thank you. Have a nice day. Please information is key here any advise on maybe how many calories you eat or your macros would be helpful to me because I do have a little problems working stuff out in my head and so the more information I can't the better I can deal.

So loveies, week 1 post op down 7 lbs went in at 227 started my journey at 247 lbs. I find the post op liquid diet is frustrating just sipping fluids all day until go to sleep. It really does tale all day to get those fluids in. I belch alot not sure why. The past 2 mornings I've woken up extremely nauseous. Anyone else have/ had these issues. On a good note Dietician called scheduled appointment for next week to hopefully upgrade me to puree/ soft diet

So loveies, week 1 post op down 7 lbs went in at 227 started my journey at 247 lbs. I find the post op liquid diet is frustrating just sipping fluids all day until go to sleep. It really does tale all day to get those fluids in. I belch alot not sure why. The past 2 mornings I've woken up extremely nauseous. Anyone else have/ had these issues. On a good note Dietician called scheduled appointment for next week to hopefully upgrade me to puree/ soft diet

So loveies, week 1 post op down 7 lbs went in at 227 started my journey at 247 lbs. I find the post op liquid diet is frustrating just sipping fluids all day until go to sleep. It really does tale all day to get those fluids in. I belch alot not sure why. The past 2 mornings I've woken up extremely nauseous. Anyone else have/ had these issues. On a good note Dietician called scheduled appointment for next week to hopefully upgrade me to puree/ soft diet

So loveies, week 1 post op down 7 lbs went in at 227 started my journey at 247 lbs. I find the post op liquid diet is frustrating just sipping fluids all day until go to sleep. It really does tale all day to get those fluids in. I belch alot not sure why. The past 2 mornings I've woken up extremely nauseous. Anyone else have/ had these issues. On a good note Dietician called scheduled appointment for next week to hopefully upgrade me to puree/ soft diet

like others, eight lbs in eight years is actually great. Most people have a 10-20 lb rebound - and usually earlier on than you - usually at about three years out. And fortunately, as someone implied, it's eight lbs and not 40! It should be do-able, although that said, the closer you are to a normal BMI, the harder it is to lose even a few lbs. I've said this before on here, but I remember going to Weight Watchers meetings before surgery and listening in disbelief to those barely overweight women moan and complain about how hard it was to lose 10 lbs. And there I was - 200 lbs overweight. But I totally get it now!!! I've been dealing with regain, too (I'm 20 lbs above my lowest weight and have been since even before the pandemic), but I've been weighing back and forth after all this struggling if it's even worth the struggle (and my doctor is fine with my current weight, so she doesn't "get it" - which is no help!). I know a ton of long-timers who are dealing with the same thing. Some have just given up trying and are just focusing on maintaining where they're at, some have had some success with Weight Watchers, others swear by intermittent fasting, some go really low carb for awhile. And some go back to eating the way they did the first year post-op (not all the way back to purees and soft food - but they way they were eating when they were 6-12 months or so out). Whatever works and fits your lifestyle is worth a shot. But know that it's tough - your loss will be in ounces at this point rather than pounds, so it's hard to see your successes - but it can be done and some people do succeed! Anyway, best of luck to you!

I've had 2 holiday seasons with family (who don't know I had surgery) and just coming up to my third! I've handled them all differently. The first was really tough because it would have been less than 6 weeks after my op so I just didn't go. Last year I made sure my partner was sitting next to me and then put most of my food (we get a huge loaded plate each) onto his, in small increments. I also ate 'in reverse order' - carbs first, then veg, then a tiny bit of meat (which halts everything for me, LOL). This year I will be able to eat like half a normal dinner (so a quarter of the massive dinner we seem to get served). I'll push the rest about on my plate and feed some to the dog. Like lots of the *always thin* people have done for years. At various times over the last 2 years I have disposed of food - into bins and occasionally wrapped in serviettes into my handbag, LOL - and hidden food (eg ordered a chicken salad where I eat the salad and then hide all the chicken under the last few leaves). Just to deflect attention. People who can be open about the fact they have had surgery just quote the surgery. If you're telling folks you're on a strict weight loss diet for your health that works too. I do (really do) understand the special pressures of a family Christmas and I hope you get through it well. It gets better, I promise.

VGS 10/16 and I’ve lost about 32lbs since the surgery. I’ve definitely hit that weird zone with no weight loss that everyone has been posting about. I’ve been bouncing around +\- 3lbs for the last four weeks. It’s hard to not be discouraged and cheat on the diet (I’m an emotional eater). So I’m looking at other wins- smaller clothes, walking the dog, going up stairs, better movement in general. I have to keep telling myself- It doesn’t have to all be based on the number on the scale.

I have yet to get a surgery date, I'm hoping for January. It's interesting how different some doctors are and what they require. My Dr. wants me to do a 2 week liquid diet before surgery. Also, I've been using Premier Protein. It has the most Protein @30grams of most other protein replacements.

Just an update on my situation: On Wednesday evening, I emailed my primary care physician and asked her if she could look into things because I still had heard nothing. Yesterday, I heard back from her, confirming she had reached out on my behalf and the center was indeed closing. She was shocked I had received no information. This morning, I got a call first from the office of the doctor I had seen at the weight management center up until July, when I moved from the medical to surgical side. She wants me to come in Monday so she can walk me through things, and I think just to see how I am doing with all this because she's really nice and had been my doctor for 6+ years. A few hours later, I finally heard from the manager who was supposed to be contacting me. He told me the center is officially closing in February, so all remaining surgeries were cancelled, and he told me of three options for centers within the same hospital group (Beth Israel Lahey) that had agreed to help absorb the affected patients. He is supposed to be sending my information to the one I chose, Winchester Hospital, and I also left them a message this afternoon (their office closes early on Fridays so I just missed them). Praying that I'll have a better idea on Monday how big a delay this will cause and how many new flaming hoops I will have to jump through. Bottom line, reaching out to my primary care doctor seemed to get the wheels turning, so never be afraid to be the squeaky wheel! Also, I managed to keep my temper in check with the manager because I'm positive this is not his doing, but I would welcome the chance to express my displeasure to the hospital administration. A troop of poorly trained chimpanzees could have handled this with more compassion and competency, and I think that reflects directly on the upper management (upon whom I have been wishing many unpleasant afflictions this week).

I sure did lol... I called and told them and I told them I was willing to reschedule and start the 5 weeks again, but they said we would not need to reschedule and to just keep trying and that I was doing amazing and not to beat myself up. I was quite surprised as they seemed at first that the 5 weeks optifast diet was a must. When I went in for my pre-op to meet the guy putting me under, I told them again as it made me nervous and he seemed rather unbothered by it lol. He said "oh we don't care about that, what I care about is you not having anything after midnight prior to surgery". He laughed and said I was not the only one, nor the last to have cheated. I still feel lousy for it though, and everyones bariatric team is different with what they want you to do prior to surgery. I would not advocate cheating on the pre-op diet, but I if you have please do not beat yourself up about it as you are not alone. I would let them know though just because I feel it is important to be honest. Hugs.

Hi, I'm feeling much better now.. The first few days we're awful but only nausea, I say only.. I was sitting on the edge of my bed thinking wtf have I done to myself... ( Bit of a drama queen 👑). But I got in touch with the Dr and got some anti sickness tablets (soluble) and within 24hrs I felt so much better. The pre op diet takes some getting used too but on two occasions I had got 2 weeks into it and then it was cancelled. When it came to the last time, I was determined not to go off course and then when I got to the hospital they didn't even weigh me! So I don't know what my pre-op weight was. I'm just going by my pre-assessment weight. I know it's different for everyone, but I don't actually feel like I am losing much weight 🤔. According to my home scales (which may not be any good), I have lost 16lb since my pre-assessment but like I said, I don't know how much of that was the pre op diet... I was even thinking maybe they didn't even do the op just made incisions and it's all physicosymatic... Well you can see where my head is at 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Are you eating well ? What is your daily average calories ? Are you getting your protein quota and liquids in ? Are you taking your vitamins ? Have you had any nutritional blood works done lately ? Sorry if this sounds intrusive but it does really matter if we are to give you a quality answer. I am due my 3 monthly B12 shot and I really know its due because I feel incredibly worn out and old again. In 2 weeks I will be running around like the ever ready bunny on the battery advert.

I cant afford a therapist, but I have a mental health therapist if that makes sense at all. My insurance doesn't cover the therapist that helps with food behaviors, which is so strange. I feel like this is happening because I'm feeling a bit stressed out with Christmas approaching. Since it was starting to get out of hand last week. Plus my birthday is tomorrow as well, but I don't feel like im as stressed out about that as much as I am for christmas. I have things I need to do before Christmas like go to the orchard to get apples, go to the store to get a few things for christmas dinner, go to the bank, pay bills, I have a tattoo appointment, I need to meet up with someone to give them their gift, I have my birthday dinner on Friday then my friends and I are going to the movies. I then also feel like maybe I was lacking sleep because my son would sleep when he got home from school until midnight and refused to go back to bed and every few seconds would ask me a question or turn the light on. Thankfully he's on a schedule now. So, basically I'm just stress eating? I would love to not bring junk home or if it needs to be here, then I would at least love for that stuff to be out of sight because yes "out of sight out of mind". But I get "just because it's there, doesn't me you need to eat it". If it's there I'm super tempted to eat it because for one it's there and two, it's easy to eat. *sigh* yeah I come here because like a lot of people, I do struggle still. Why does food have to be the enemy when it's our friend? Maybe I should just put whatever is in my sight up in the cupboard. If I don't do it, I don't think it will. Then I'll be forced to grab and apple or a banana. I dont ever skip my vitamins. That's one thing I make sure to do. Why won't my brain do that with the protein and water? Priorities man, those are priorities! My family is my support system and my team. I also come here every now and then for support or I message people on youtube and tik tok for some support. It does help. But I feel like I need to give my family a little reminder that I need more support especially when it comes to the bad stuff to keep it out of sight. I want to find snacks that have high protein in it like beef jerky snack packs. I can't stand protein bars. I've also been really liking cracking nuts, almonds, pecans, Walnuts and Brazil nuts, like I've only really liked almonds, but found I like all of those nuts now and I stopped eating them for a week now. Want to snack on those again. I want to like coffee, but I can't stand it made at home now after surgery 🤣 I wanted to give proffee a try. I also have fairlife ready to drink protein shakes left, but they may be expired, if not, I was thinking about trying to make a smoothie with it.

I would totally cry, but you'll get through it, it's only a few weeks. At scheduling it was already 3 months out for me and now it's only 4 weeks. The time went by pretty quickly, I've been keeping myself occupied with crosswords, books, tv shows, music, and little projects around the house. Getting ready for Christmas can be a focus?

I had the same experience as NickelChip on the GLP-1 meds. Saxenda I lost about 15 lbs on, when insurance decided I didn't lose that fast enough they stopped covering it. I gained the 15 back plus another 10 almost immediately. I then went on Victoza, no weight loss. I did Ozempic for two years, also no weight loss. And on both of them I actually gained weight until my highest weight of 320lbs. They did help my A1C levels but that was it. They all had unpleasant side effects and cost a ton. I'm 7 weeks out from a duodenal switch. I've lost 26 lbs since the surgery and while there have been tough moments I'm so glad I decided to go with surgery instead of trying more medication... I've lost 40 lbs since my highest weight! I've never lost that much weight with anything, ever, not even with keto plus the meds. Usually if I have issues with a doctor's office not returning my calls or responding to my messages, I eventually go in there and talk to the office staff in person and wait until they send a nurse out to deal with my issue. 😂 It is quite effective! I'm super nice about it, but still... I had a LOT of scheduling issues with my surgery and in the middle of it they lost their scheduler and I had to deal with some really rude staff on the phone. But it all got sorted out in the end! Hang in there!!

Hi all, can’t say how relieved I am in some ways to hear people are having the same challenges. Had the sleeve on 10/30 and while have lost 21kg / 46lba so far, if anything it’s getting a lot tougher. On one hand the extra energy and the ability to wear clothes several sizes smaller is an absolute win that genuinely has made me laugh out loud at times. Just really struggling with eating and drinking. Am only getting maybe 50% of the recommended water daily and even that’s a massive, massive fight. A cup of water can take 2 hours to drink or on days like today even longer. As for three small meals of soft food, I’d probably kill to manage that right now. A few spoons of protein yoghurt for breakfast and if am lucky a few spoons of puréed potato / fish / scrambled egg is about as much as I can manage (and most days I feel really uncomfortable after even that). Am taking my team, chowing everything extremely carefully but no joy. Per diet plan should be moving on from puréed food to soft food but after trying it for two days, looks like it’s a no go. Interestingly am not in the US (am in Poland these days) and here the approach was quite different. There was no specific pre-op diet at all which I found weird. That said, surgeon was incredible and the surgery itself went very well. I guess he felt confident enough shifting an enlarged liver (I have fatty liver disease anyway so maybe he thought that it may not help enough to make it worthwhile) Anyway, good luck all