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First Question: How do you get your info on the left side of screen to show? I can't get it to let me edit my screen to put that stuff in.... PeggyAnne: You are NOT alone! I see a HUGE difference in the various drs and care that we all seem to get. Some of us get all the hand holding and people who are there every step of the way, others get a handout and a call if you have questions kind of experience. My dr suggested ground sausage and so I got some Jimmy Dean ground breakfast sausage, cooked in air fryer then diced it on a cutting board until it was finely minced and kept part to put in my scrambled eggs and took the rest and made a sizeable skillet of sausage gravy to go over those scrambled eggs. Honestly, it has been the least painful of foods. I got brave again and tried the mashed potatoes and gravy for lunch and am now regretting it!! It seems to create a suction/vacuum feeling in my stomach, weird and uncomfortable. I have enough gravy and eggs to last through September so I may just stick to that Beans work okay too as long as I have enough broth with them, I have had red beans and then lima beans but the Limas with a lot of broth and picked out the ham and sausage that was initially cooked with them before I froze them into containers. Dry foods seem incompatible at this point, no matter how soft. My dr SPECIFICALLY TOLD ME NOT TO EVEN TRY CHICKEN IN ANY FORM AT THIS POINT BC HE SAID IT IS ENTIRELY TOO DRY and I'm thinking he's right. I may try the same thing with some ground beef at some point and a brown gravy. Everyone seems to jump up and down when you mention this food or that food but what he basically said is that the goal at this point is just to find things that will actually go/stay down without making you sick or stuffed and in pain. I am seriously a very slow eater but it hasn't helped me here bc even eating slowly, putting utensil down between bites, chewing slowly, etc. some things are just making me feel like I ate a whole slab of beef! The eggs may work well bc they're scrambled? maybe the gravy makes it mushy enough? I don't know but I can't do 'pureed' and he said not to try chicken bc I was asking if I could make a chicken salad (NO) and so I'm just like you WTH can I eat? LOL my list says eggs, pureed veg, yogurt & pudding. at the end of week tomorrow that's 4 weeks and I guess I could move to the next stage but frankly not comfortable moving forward after another mashed potato fiasco today. I have a cake "frosting" recipe made of SF cool whip, dry pkg of sf jello and crushed pineapple and I'm very tempted to make it. I've only had one chocolate protein drink/shake and I mixed w/ice in blender and put sf whipped topping and it was like a milkshake but I'm not much into sweets so I may just have to make myself drink them.

I had spasms for a few weeks after surgery. I still have them sometimes if I take too big of a drink or eat too fast. I just push through them and slow down. At beginning my doc gave me a med to take for them. As for GERD I had it before surgery. And I don't find mine worse after. But I do know it gets really bad if I eat anything really spicy or fried. Even 1 bite.

Had my surgery August 5th so about 3 weeks post op. I’m just wondering if anyone has ever developed this after surgery or developed GERD? Caused I’d hate to have to do another surgery to correct it. what was your ease on this. This makes me feel like I don’t want to eat or drink ANYTHING at all. I don’t have any regrets still but this stuck feeling in my throat/chest can be a real pain.

yeah mine is fully liquid for 2 weeks. I'm having my surgery done at the Mayo Clinic so they're particular but they've been great. I really can't complain about my care or any of my providers because they've all been super helpful and caring. I've learned to like the Liquid IV stuff, at first it was like drinking straight saltwater to me but I've always been super touchy with salt and never use much of it because you can get flavor so many different ways other than just adding salt. I dunno, I guess being an avid home cook helps in some ways because I'm not at a loss for what to add to things to make them taste better a lot of the time, but then again it sucks because I'm going to be cooking for my family and not able to eat it. It makes me sad but I'll live. It's just a few weeks. I'll be eating with my family again in no time. With as fast as times been flying I'm sure it'll be find before I even have much time to complain, haha, maybe, I hope...

Had mine on Aug 14th. Was on my "liquid" diet which was anything but liquid for 4 weeks. They called it the liver shrink and was basically 500 calories worth of salt free canned green beans, 6 oz canned chicken, 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese and 1/2 cup beef gelatin jello. I dropped 25 lbs on it. Now I'm 12 days post op and started the puree diet 4 days ago. I've mainly been drinking protein drinks and eating instant mashed potatoes 1/4 cup at a time for a daily total of 3/4 cups. I know that's not right but eggs made me sick and I've not been to the store yet for chicken. Not sure what I'm supposed to be doing really but I've dropped another 6 lbs since surgery. I think I'll get some baby food if I can find it without sugar or natural sugar. I've no clue how to puree chicken or turkey. I'm pretty lost in all of this. Looking forward to getting brain function (I made myself a cup of tea with monk sugar, drank nearly all of it and when I went to wash the thermos I realized I forget to add the tea bag) SMH, and energy back. Tummy feels fine now, swelling is mostly gone. How are you doing now? You're just a day behind me.

losing your appetite is common - chronic nausea is not. There's a chance you could have a stricture developing - I had two of them during the first three months post-op (when they almost always occur, if they're going to occur). It started with nausea after eating - then vomiting after eating. As it progresses, you can't even keep fluids down. Check with a doctor - that may not be what it is, but if it is, you need to get that fixed (and it's a very easy fix). You can live for awhile without food, but not without fluids.

Are you doing any better? I took liquid acetaminophen I got from Amazon and the hospital gave me liquid gabapentin. I only needed the pain meds for 4 days. I wore an abdominal binder until yesterday, so for about a week. That helped tremendously. I had a hard time drinking liquid. I would take a few sips and set a timer for 15 minutes. Then, I tried 12 minutes. That seemed tolerable. I’m now at probably 2-3 oz every 15 minutes but I haven’t been timing it. Chicken broth with unflavored protein powder mixed in is my favorite “meal” right now. Between that and two or so protein shakes, I’ve been able to keep up on my liquid and protein intake. It’s been a challenge to learn this new way of life, but it seems to be going well. I too had regrets after the surgery, but I don’t any longer. This is a life saving procedure for me, and I’m determined to be successful.

I did. Liquid through soft food phases were easier for me. When I started regular solid food at 5 weeks, I felt heavy restriction. I was relieved because I wanted that. Didn't think the surgery worked during those early times. Soft food passes through easier and nerves were cut during your WLS. Until they regenerate, you will have an easier time eating certain foods. Sounds to me like that has happened. Regeneration.

I’m getting the sleeve Sept 1! Been on liquid diet a week tomorrow. Who wants to be weight loss buddies?? Anyone want to email - mine is tammydalcourt@msn.com

Hello fellow September Surgery Buddies! I'm scheduled September 7th for Bypass. I'm excited to start my new journey....in 2 weeks!!!!

My journey til surgery was 5 months I didn’t see my surgeon until I had completed all requirements of Medicare. started March 31st had 4 weight ins at my pcp office, a psych eval, a dietitian eval. An orientation at the local hospital. And 2 support meetings. Within 30 days I needed full blood panel, and 2 years of medical history provided by my pcp and a letter of medical clearance. Met with Doctors team leader 1st.. then 5 days later meet with the Doctor on a Tues Aug 8th Asked if fast track was ok … why yes it is. Scheduled me for the following Thursday, August 17. started my liquid diet the next day. I was his last for the day because Medicare required me to stay overnight, everything went great. I’m a week out and started soft food today. Hw 219.5 / Sw 202 / Cw 195.5 / Gw 140 I’m almost 67 and 5’ 2.5”

Yea that’s true. I have things that I occasionally eat/drink that are sliders or not the best choice. So don’t beat yourself up on it. One of them for me is SB Refreshers!! They are soooo bad. I try not to drink them but once a week if any but they are so good. Esp w our freakin hot weather here in Texas. Today is high of 105. 🔥

Yea that’s true. I have things that I occasionally eat/drink that are sliders or not the best choice. So don’t beat yourself up on it. One of them for me is SB Refreshers!! They are soooo bad. I try not to drink them but once a week if any but they are so good. Esp w our freakin hot weather here in Texas. Today is high of 105. 🔥

I actually weight myself every single morning. It’s a Noom habit that I’ve formed. It works for me so far. I’m just gonna continue with to do that for now. I’ve already hit a weight stall at 3 weeks out. Honestly think it’s poop related. Prior to surgery I use to go 2-4 times a day. Now I’m every 3 days even with proper hydration fiber movement and probiotics. Guess that’s my new norm. If I go past day 3 my stomach bloats and I’m miserable as hell. So far it’s only happen twice. A new routine I’ve done is having most of my hydration in the morning. Water protein decaf tea and coffee. From the moment I wake up till around noon or 2pm. Lunch. Snack. Hydration again and dinner and or snack. Then finish the day with more hydration. If I try to keep the 30 min eat drink interval I don’t get enough hydration and I feel crappy. It works so far. Hopefully I wont have to change anything soon. Does anyone else have a routine they would like to share?

For me, I do 1 part sugar free blue or yellow Powerade/Gatorade and 2 parts water. Or use true lemon powder packets with the stevia sweetener. So long as my water has SOMETHING in it, I can drink it but it's too "thin" that I gag trying to swallow it. Warm chicken bone broth with some garlic powder was my go to for the first few weeks because it soothed my stomach, but the salt made my feet and legs get all swollen. Even with being able to drink.. I still struggle getting enough but that is getting better! It's still hard for me to not drink anything when I eat. Food gets stuck in the back of my throat, so I usually take the tiniest sip just to get it down without choking me but I have to be super careful that I don't sip too much.

It was for me today. It's not something I plan to eat regularly after WLS. I read the label. 30g carbs/12g of it is sugar. Wasn't a good choice but so are a lot of other things posted to this thread. LOL My nutritionist encouraged me to eat carbs pre-op and it was really tough for me to shift from my Keto mentality to 45g of carbs daily. But I lost 22 pounds before WLS in those 3 months. In a few weeks I'm supposed to up my carbs to 60g. I usually sweeten food with Stevia so today was a one off.

I love fall just for the Pumpkin spice anything lol I have been on Pinterest the last few weeks eyeing variations on how to make this lighter. I usually don't do coffee shops even before surgery, but have some gift cards to use. I did finally find Premier Pumpkin spice and have been using that in my morning coffee all week.

Yes I agree. I’ve started just weighing myself a couple of times a week because it was driving me crazy!

I'm glad you are meeting your goals so early on. I definitely struggled with that for the first couple weeks. I started out straight out of the hospital on pureed. I made it to soft foods after 2 weeks. It was still difficult to eat much but it was around week 3 I had a bit more energy. Definitely need food, vitamins and hydration to get back that energy. For some it still takes awhile. Get in some electrolytes when you get in that exercise. Add 5 minutes or a few extra steps day by day. Just work up gradually and don't push too hard. Remember your body is healing and will also take up some of that energy to repair itself. Keep at it as you seem to be doing well.

Cereal, in general, doesn't sound appealing to me anymore. TBH, a lot of foods don't. It crazy the cereals they have out now. Sure, let's start our day with 30g of sugar in a bowl...lol. Or when I was young, we had plain cereal; like plain cheerios, and we'd add heaps of sugar to it. [emoji1785] Now, as adults, we just run through the coffee shop and get the 300+ calorie latte with 50g of sugar. With Fall coming up, the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks is launching soon. Here's the nutritional facts. It really makes me think about what I was doing to myself. I'd have one of these 3 or 4 times a week. No wonder obesity is an issue...

They said they weren't super worried because my blood work 2 weeks ago was perfect. But I was told to add more fat to my diet and repeat the blood work at 3 months post op. If it's still a problem, then we'll look into it further. I think, because I had so many complications, they are just being a little more careful.

That's great you're meeting your goals. Energy, for me, improved when I started eating soft foods, around week 4 and consuming a bit more calories. It's hard to have energy with 300-400 calories a day. Now, I average about 700-800 calories per day and have loads more energy between that and exercising and getting the weight off. It takes a lot to move around a bunch of extra weight. It's important to keep moving. Walk daily, if you can, to improve your stamina. And once the doctor clears you, start adding weights to build muscle. Muscle loss can be a big issue with WLS because your body is trying to find an energy/food source. The goal is for your body to consume the fat for energy. You're not required to be the next body builder or get a gym membership (you can if you want 😊). Walking, biking, hiking, home exercises, and stretching are sufficient. Just keep your body moving and your heart pumping.

Thank you both for your responses. I had the Bypass on 8/16/2023 it been a week. Right now I am dealing with fatigue but hitting all goals 64oz and 70g protein with issues now. Just tired I need to push myself to move around more. When did your energy improve ? What stage week?

One thing you can count on is that we all lose at our own rate - what’s right for us & our body & that’s a perfectly fine rate. There are averages & outliers ( those who lose faster & those who lose more slowly) but I always thought if my surgeon was happy with my lose I would be happy too. Your surgeon is happy so you can be too. You may also be experiencing a stall. The first is usually around week 3 but can be before or after that & usually can last 1-3 weeks. They can be extremely frustrating as the scale doesn’t move down at all & can even move upwards a little. Our bodies respond to the weight loss differently. Some people even say when their weight loss is stalling they notice their clothes are getting lower. After my weight stabilised my remaining fat seemed to resettle around my body. I went from having no shape to having a waist & hips again but the scale never changed. Maybe take body measurements & track those as well as the weight on the scale & see changes that way too. Maybe weigh& measure yourself less frequently so the drops are more noticeable. Celebrate every pound you lose. You’ll get where you need to be in your time.

Once the two week liquid stage ended that was the last protein shake I had. Food aversions (taste or texture) are pretty common but they pass & they’re usually just for a couple of foods (eggs, chicken breast & steak can be frequent culprits). Sometimes something you eat one day without issue is repulsive the next & then a couple of days later it’s fine again. This is also a great time to try foods you previously didn’t enjoy - you may find you lime them after your surgery. It’s related to the temporary changes to our senses of smell & taste & our tummy being a fussy tantrum throwing two year old while it’s healing. It can be a weird time. It’s best if you start to introduce real foods as soon as you’re able & just supplement with shakes if you’re worried about your protein goals. (I ate high protein yoghurts & drank high protein yoghurt drinks instead.) We can’t live on protein shakes alone. Real food aids your healing, provides a broader nutritional sources & supports your digestive system to recover & get used to any changes in your system better. Also helps you to start working on & learning about portion sizes & making better food choices.