What are you taking your MV with. I always take mine in the morning AFTER an ENtIRE protein shake. Anything less and I vomit immediately. It’s the iron. If you are only 3 weeks it’s likely you are not yet eating enough solids to stomach it. Try it with a shake if you haven’t and if that doesn’t work see anoint getting one with a lower iron content and taking a separate iron at a different time during the day to make up for it. For the waking try breaking it up into smaller spurts. Just five minutes at a medium pace ks like a quarter of a mile. It adds up quick!! That’s why I love my Apple Watch. I already had it but hadn’t worn it in forever but I updated it and other than the battery which means I have to charge it in the evening if I’m still exercising it works. Thinking about asking Santa for a new one 😉 Anyways it logs any little spurt of exercise and it shows you how quick it adds up, helps you track your heart rate and tells you exactly how many calories you burned based on that heart rate and your personal info if you enter it.

So yesterday, I was finally able to get down a cup of decaf coffee, cup of yogurt and a full protein shake (along with sipping my water). I wanted the coffee for sure, the yogurt was purposeful though I didn't really want it and finishing the shake in a day was surprising. However, today I can't help but wonder was that success the beginning of now having an "appetite"? Because did I just have some phantom hunger urge? I mean what is an appetite now? Am I doing too much? Today, coffee down, yogurt down about 2 hours later and I actually wanted it, and now I'm sipping my Butternut Squash soup that I truly did want 😋. Curious what are my true appetite/hunger signals will now be? Anyone care to share their experiences in the early days of PostOp?

I had a fun weekend too. I was invited to a wedding where they served hors d'oeuvres all afternoon followed by dinner. I had 4 mini appetizers, dinner and dessert (tried everything 1-2 mini bites). Went home and was famished LOL and the hubby had ordered Mexican so had 1/8 or so of a burrito, then some protein chips before bed. I did dance all night and broke a sweat so there's that. The funny thing I worked out my legs the next day (FASTED) and had tons of energy (thanks carbs) and even ran 2 miles after my workout. Weighed myself today and I had dropped 200 grams, how? God knows.

Find something you enjoy doing. While I have been a gym rat forever, I always take up things that I look forward to and it has to always be sustainable for me. So some years ago I took up tennis and would go twice a week, I also took up Taekwondo, martial arts and now Pilates. My two Pilates classes a week are the highlights of my week, I look forward to them and I shop cute workout outfits weekly because I like to look good when I go. It is much easier to build on the workouts (movement) you enjoy, so if you enjoy a certain activity (swimming, cycling, tennis, padel, Pilates, yoga, hiking, dancing, whatever it is) you will always feel a bit more motivated to build on that. So for me, I go for Pilates twice a week and I lift and do strength and conditioning another 3 days a week to add to my classes. I love jogging, HIIT and plyos and do that for my cardio, but even brisk walking is really really good to maintain weight loss. Keep it simple. Also, I find it much draining to workout after work, so I workout at 5:30 AM before work (except for my Pilates classes because my studio doesn't run classes that early), this allows me to get it out of the way and have my evenings free to do what I like (which is be with my kids, bake, chill). It also helps that I have a fully equipped gym at home that I have built. I always kept weights, a bench, jump rope and resistance band at my old house and would mostly workout at home early in the morning, if you can keep some weights, a walking pad and some resistance bands at home (if it is an option) do that, it works great for busy days or mornings where you don't have time/the will to go to the gym. This is what has worked for me. It has to be enjoyable and sustainable for you.

I ate too much yesterday and I could feel it, like I had half a sandwich (DELICIOUS BTW!) with a few chips, then dinner I had some beef sausage with mustard. Thennnn my sweet tooth kicked in. I ate way too much ice cream (part of it was a protein ice cream I made in my ninja creami) then some of hubbys ben and Jerry’s. I did not feel great. But my win is I woke up, drank my profee and hit the gym 40min HIIT work out and 30min on the treadmill on an incline (my normal Saturday workout). Pre-WLS I would’ve just been like whatever I’ll just let myself have a cheat weekend start again on Monday. Instead my mindset has changed and I told myself this is NOT going to be habit and it was OKAY to have nights like that once in awhile just not all the time!. So I kicked my ass in gear and got ‘er done! Happy Saturday!!

Date wise tomorrow is my one month surgiversary and I hit 33 pounds lost and 10K steps today. I have been on soft foods for five days and everything is going down really well. Protein, fluids and vitamins are all habit now and even my walking routine is getting to be easier. Baritastic App and Apple Watch are both awesome additions to my tool belt- I log everything. I am feeling pretty good and confident in all of this with the exception of that darn incision that’s still dented in. I think it really is going to just be like that forever. 😢 How’s everyone else doing?

Interesting question! I don't have a ton of routine when it comes to meals, with the possible exception of breakfast. Most days I eat a yogurt parfait with Greek yogurt, fresh berries & protein boosted Kind brand granola. That said, I'm not opposed to other things like banana nut pancakes (a favorite), or even cold pizza on occasion! Lunch is most often leftovers from dinner since we still haven't figured out how to cook 1.5 meals (half for me, whole for my wife). Dinner is super varied. We both like to cook and like good food, so it might be just about anything. That said, I have found that I just don't enjoy big slabs of meat anymore. We do occasionally have red meat, but it's probably once a week or less. I'd say we have seafood based dinners 3-4 times a week and 1-2 vegetarian meals per week. I also eat a lot more beans than I used to. Overall, I don't focus much on macros. It's more about eating a variety of healthy foods and enjoying what little I can eat. As far as activity, there is no typical day. It can vary from nothing at all (I do one dedicated rest day a week), to running 12-14 miles or more on my long run day. In a typical week, I run 30-40 miles (my main sport), but I also do strength training a couple days a week and do a little bit of cross training either on the bike or on a stationary rower. Later in the year I'm thinking of starting a marathon training block. If so, I'll be increasing my mileage up into the 50-60 MPW range. I think one of the main reasons my diet may differ from the "typical" post WLS diet is because of the high activity level I have. I just wouldn't be physically able to do that volume of running without eating a lot more carbs to fuel my runs. In fact, getting enough calories is my current challenge, not getting too many. That's another topic for another day however!

I had my bypass in 2018. Many foods still don't taste the same. My sense of smell and taste never really returned. That alone is worthy of mourning. I have a problem getting enough protein and calories. I am currently suffering from anemia (my hemoglobin had dipped to 5.2 at one point, requiring hospital admittance and blood transfusions.) The cause was determined... two ulcers slowly bleeding out. Eating is a chore... very little pleasure left.

Yes, the ulcers were definitely the culprits. I had an EGD (upper scope) to confirm it. I was slowly bleeding out. The weekly IV-iron infusions haven't shown any rapid results. I've been told that this is a slow process and could take weeks, if not months, before my labs are in ideal ranges. My hemoglobin is no longer in the fives. It is only in the eights, but that's progress. I am still dragging. No energy. I am a food pantry volunteer. I also provide transportation to at least three families who don't have a car. A homeless man named Gordon relies on me to help him with enough water and protein-rich canned food for the week. My husband keeps telling me that I can't help anyone unless I help myself (heal) first. It's hard for me to do that. It was during one of these pantry trips that I passed out in the parking lot (while in the lineup car queue for assistance). I hadn't been diagnosed at that point, so it was quite scary. Fortunately, one of the families I pick up for was with me. Who knows what would have happened had I been alone... I have other conditions that helped to mask the problem. For one, I have Hashimoto's, a common thyroid disorder. I was used to being fatigued from that. I am also a chronic pain patient and take heavy doses of morphine, so I am used to being in pain (and anemia hurts.) My daughter is a PharmD and two of my three sons are M.D.s so I have plenty of support and knowledge in my corner. My primary doctor is also my youngest son's medical school classmate. She is like a daughter to me... Which just goes to show that a person can have all these medical types in your life... and STILL succumb to something like this.

Have you tried the protein waters yet? Some people like them better than the shakes. Also, if you have a recliner, some people find that mkre comfortable for sleep for a while.

Double check with your team before incorporating any weights. My team said no intense exercise till 6 weeks and 8’weeks for any weights. I am a month out and called today and asked if it was okay to go up to an hour walking around the neighborhood (which I actually did last night but then read about waiting until six weeks and got scared). She said one hour collectively is fine but she would rather see me break that into two or three shorter walks so today I did 15 minutes in the morning and planned to do 30 tonight but I judged it wrong and it was 45. It’s a leisurely walk though. Not at all fast so I think it’s fine. in terms of the drinking an eating, some peoples pouches are more inflamed and it takes a little longer for the swelling to go down. You will be able to drink and eat bigger sips and bites eventually. Never the same as before but bigger. It can feel like a bit of a full time job to get In all the vitamins, protein and fluids for a while but it gets easier. As long as you are not drinking or eating past when you feel full, it sounds like you are doing fine!! And tell your husband he is awesome too for walking with you!! Mine encourages me, and like tonight he made my Salmon on the grill while I was gone but he never offered to actually go with me.

Hello everyone, Yesterday, offically was my third week post surgery. I have been walking at least 2 miles M-F with my husband and feel I have my activity under control. I am working towards starting my strength training exercises. Really need to work on my Triceps and my thighs. I have lost about 20lbs post surgery date not sure if this is common loss or if others have lost more. I struggle with my pureed diet, I feel like I eat all day long. Takes about 2 hours to drink a protein smoothie in the morning, then worry about my H20 intake, then trying to get my meals in. According, to my Pureed stage, I am suppose to have a protein shake in the morning, then pureed lunch, then another protein shake for a snack a couple of hours later, the pureed for dinner. I feel as if I am eating all day. Takes so long to get through a smoothie with sips and pureed meals are 1/2 cup which is supposed to take about 30 minutes to eat. Am I doing something wrong? I have a Bariatician appointment next week hopefully will get some more information. Just want to make sure I dont stretch or doing anything adversely to my stomach pouch. Thank you in advance for any advice.

I have tons of respect and empathy for those that have went through WLS and had complications. I am not one of them. My procedure, recovery, and stages were textbook. I was very lucky. That doesn't mean that every day was rainbows and puppy dogs, but it was typical. I was sore for days post-surgery, but back to work one week after the procedure. I immediately began to force myself to walk after the surgery. Short distances, then adding more as I started to feel better. March of 2023 my steps were 48299. August of 2024 my steps were 206084. Not going to break any records, but a nice improvement for me. To this point being active with life has been my only real exercise, so it is definitely an opportunity for me in the future to develop a better gym routine. I struggled with fluids and protein for months. Slowly, focusing on it and sticking to the plan I eventually got there. I never let it worry me, and just let me body adjust. I am not a scale watcher, so that was never a problem for me. At checkups I got weight updates, so I was never stressed about the scale. Now I weigh weekly, to make sure than I not gaining. I have had all the NSV that many have seen and shared. Less pain in my knees is my personal favorite NSV. I have arthritic knees, so they will never be great, but the less weight has helped a lot. Honestly, some of my NSV's also came along with some shame, that I had let myself get so big that these were NSV's, if that makes any sense. My worst times since the procedure were dealing with constipation (for the first time in my life). Took me several painful months to figure out a system for me. It is different for everyone, but I encourage everyone be aggressive with your plan to deal with it. For me, I take MiraLAX every third day and stool softener every other day. I am now better equipped if I notice I am not as regular, then I adjust the timing. The other problem I have now is seeing a big spread of food and wanting it all! It's just not possible now! Always protein first, but I try to have a few bites of everything I want, then cut it off. I eat healthier than I ever have. Staying focused on lean protein and vegetables. Working in fruits to help with my sweet tooth and provide some variety. In general, I am low carb, but I am not no carb. No more fast food for lunch or on the ride home from work. We meal plan, but nothing overboard, but I always pack healthy for work. Last week was salad week, so I had a salad with fat free dressing every day for lunch. Today, I had boneless skinless chicken breast, peanuts, blueberry, apple with peanut butter, and my protein shake spread out from 6a to 2p. I have also got down 48-ounces of water with a plan to get another 32-ounces of water in by the end of the day. Carbonated drinks bother me slightly, which is one of the few things. When I overdo it, my new overfilled feeling isn't in my stomach, it much higher, almost like in my throat. Not comfortable, and a good reminder to slow down, chew more, smaller bites, and stop eating! I hope this long overshare is helpful to someone and gives everyone a better idea of how my journey has been. Lastly, I have mention how great my wife and kids have been over the last few years. By my side the whole way and always supportive.

I am one week post op and I am struggling to sleep. I am normally a side sleeper so I think a lot of it is having to sleep on my back… and in socks, which I hate! Im doing good getting the fluids I need but I nervous to go back to work next week, because I feel like it will decrease. My biggest issues is that I’m so tired of the after taste of protein drinks! It makes me not want to drink any!

@Hiddenroses I also struggle with getting enough fluids in a day. I sometimes feel sick as if I am too full of liquid. I have found that chicken gets me to my protein goal bette than beef. Not sure why but it does. I am also still on eating 1/4-1/3 cup at a meal. Be careful with drinking so much Gatorade, it causes water retention. It may seem as if you are not losing weight as quickly. My doctor said to limit to 12 ounces in a day. As for sleep, I always sleep badly. I am very restless and wake multiple times a night. Been married 22 years and my hubby says I have always been like that. I am just happy now that I can sleep without being propped up with pillows to keep me comfy. Looking forward to when I can sleep on my stomach again. lol

Glad the cause has been found and you are on the road to recovery. I have pernicious anemia and for that reason at the first surgical consultation the surgeon said she thought sleeve would be the better option for me due to later complications with anemia and bypass. I was also told that unlike most sleeve patients who can stop the recommended bariatric vitamin regime after the first year that I was consider continuing on them for the rest of my life, I don't have an issue with that as no harm in taking them.

Some nights I definitely struggle. I have been pretty low on energy; I'm usually getting my protein and am taking all of my vitamins. I know that my goal of 64 oz a day of fluids has been flagging, though, honestly. I'm drinking a lot of Gatorade zero but plain water has not been tasting good, even filtered, unless it is REALLY cold. I mean, from a bottle in the fridge then poured over ice. I feel like it got harder as I moved into phase 3 of trying to eat more real food as opposed to drinking most of my meals. I do know that I was told to expect different back pain as I lost weight, and I feel like maybe the magnesium has activated my digestion so much that it sometimes keeps me awake? It isn't really pain, but more like gas pressure. Not sure if that part is SADI exclusive. Sorry I've been so silent lately, I have been skimming and still hope to respond to a few more posts.

Hopefully by now you've had a chance to talk to your team about your concerns. I just wanted to add that your basic assumption that you need to consume more fat is somewhat flawed. Our bodies are quite efficient at converting excess calories ingested via carbs or protein into fat, so dietary fat consumption per se isn't critical. That said, there is an issue you need to be aware of. There are substances called Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), that our bodies can't manufacture, so we're dependent on consuming them to get the recommended amounts. If this didn't come up in your convo with your team, I'd ask about EFAs specifically and see what they recommend.

Hello there!! I had my SADI on August 5th, I chose to start with the SADI for multiple reasons. You will need to take a couple of vitamins - the Bariatric multi I chose is actually called Barimelts, it dissolves easily and doesn't taste bad at all, just turns to powder in your mouth. I also get my ADEK from Barimelts - both are on Amazon and quite affordable. For Calcium I use the Bariatric Fusion Calcium, it is soft and chews easily, the texture is like a soft caramel (they come in fruity flavors, chocolate, and caramel I believe). Have to take the Calcium at least 3 hrs from the multi with iron though or it can cause stomach upset. My main issues at a month out are fatigue and an icky feeling when a bowel movement is coming on. Not dumping syndrome, just kind of a gassy, mild cramping feeling. I'm on what they call mechanical soft at this point, and have noticed that chicken and fish are definitely the best for getting protein - plus an unflavored protein powder called Genepro my nutritionist suggested. Read the package on it closely, it tells you to consider a scoop like 30g of protein instead of the nutrient fact 11g (or 9g, can't remember). I haven't had any nausea or negative effects from basing my macros off of that, but I also only use it once per day and try to get as much protein from my actual food as I can. I use Baritastic to track all of my food - keeping on top of hydration has been tricky but is working so far for me. I'm eager to get my energy level back up. I do time 30 mins of no drinking before a meal, at least 20-30 minutes for the meal itself, and 30 minutes after before drinking anything! I max out at 1/2-3/4 of a cup per meal, sometimes less. There is the SADI is lonely thread and also a lot of information shared on the August Surgery Buddy thread. I'm overdue to post there, been busy prepping for a friend's wedding I am in on the 8th. @ShoppGirl - I see you!! Will try to update elsewhere soon 👋🏻

Glad it went well for you both. As you don't have your stats in your bio or post it is hard to give any answer on the weight loss. Have you had post-op consultations with the team to know if they (knowing your details) consider you on track? Are you hitting your protein goals? Are you getting enough fluids? What is your daily food intake like?

I sent my surgical team an email to say I would like to be considered for the bypass instead. My fear is that this will put me behind schedule and they will schedule me for next year when as it is the surgery is a month away. I don't want to feel like I'm going backwards, which is how I would feel if they had to reschedule my surgery, but I want to set myself up for the most effective way forward. Maybe the surgeon will reassure me that the sleeve is the best option for me? I don't know. But I should definitely have the conversation. Barring a complication, I don't think revision surgery will be possible unless I win the lottery and go private.

Doesn’t sound like you have gastritis based on you saying you don’t have any symptoms but belching. Seems strange your team would suggest that and not confirm you have the symptoms of gastritis. Most times our tummy growls & rumbles it’s a sign of our digestive system working not a sign of hunger despite. What we were always told. You may find those noise are very loud and you may be someone who continues to experience this noisy digestive system. I say I have my own poltergeist rattling chains & moaning. My younger nieces & nephews think it’s hilarious. Another thing many of us discover is that real hunger feels different. For example I get restless like something is wrong but I don’t know what. Wanting to eat and/or wanting a specific food, flavour or texture (like salty, sweet, crunchy, etc.) is head hunger. However, it takes 2-4 hours for your tummy to empty so feeling hungry about 2.5hrs after eating could make sense. Plus add in you say you’re very active, real hunger does seem a possibility. Are they aware of how active you are? Are they concerned you aren’t meeting your protein goal (I mean that & getting your fluids in are supposed to be our main focus)? I’d ask whether having a shake after you swim, which would help with your protein intake, would be okay. Also ask would having the additional shake sabotage your weight loss at least until you are able to eat more at each meal and are better able to reach your protein goals without it. Can’t hurt to ask.