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What do you mean by not always having real protein? What are your current protein sources? I was eating lamb, steak, chicken, pork, fish from solid foods so week 7.

Thank you to everyone who replied to my post, all of your thoughts, comments and encouragement is great appreciated. I lost 2lbs this week so I am hoping it continues. I am eating healthy foods and continuing with the exercise. My diet has changed radically from pre-surgery, it is quite shocking the difference (not just in terms of calories and portion sizes, but also the quality of food I eat). I am keeping myself motivated towards my goal of IVF. Thank you all again xx

What do you mean by not always having real protein? What are your current protein sources? I was eating lamb, steak, chicken, pork, fish from solid foods so week 7.

I used to set a timer and wait a minute between bites, and also chew each bite for at least 30 seconds. Eventually chewing everything really well becomes second nature (and you'll regret it if you don't). I also bought some tiny forks and spoons (search for cocktail forks/spoons) to help take small bites, but I'm over 3 years out now and use regular utensils. I take larger bites now but wait longer between bites (usually 3 minutes). Some people believe that you should eat mindfully and focus on your meal, not work or watch TV or anything while you're eating, but I personally take the opposite approach. If I'm not doing anything else while eating, I eat too fast, so I like to multitask during meals. I usually eat lunch at my desk while working and it takes me about 45 minutes to finish a salad.

You have had the roughest ride of all of us. Your body is saying enough, I need a holiday. Let it go to the beach. Eat well, exercise to a limit that will not tax your body. Kick back and look at how far you have come I am a great believer of being relaxed about the whole new lifestyle. I am not on a diet. What I do now, I will be able to continue with for the rest of my life. I don't push anything. I don't change the way I do anything, I have watched people do extreme diet and exercise and to be honest it has never worked for them. They fall off the regime that's too much to hard to stick too. I just stick to my teams advice. At the moment they want me to up my calcium and keep below 1500 cals. I don't lose for months and then I clunk down 5 lbs a time. Then the long stall starts again. On here I was advised that a 3 month stall meant that I was doing stuff wrong. The person who said this had not had the surgery and not walked in our shoes. I didn't take offence but oh boy is that person going to have a shock when they get into a stall. Its not all about a calorie deficit.

My first one at the clinic (I had 12 prior as an insurance requirement) was just myself and the Dietician he asked me how I was currently eating, and told me he was glad my insurance required 12 prior visits with a dietician before getting to him, then he went over what eating after surgery would be like, showed me a portion size shot glass. Told me about vitamins, and recommended I try different kinds of protein shakes, so I would know what I liked when I got to the 2-week full liquid pre-op. He explained the order to eat my foods in, and to try and get a little of each, after the healing period, during the healing period he said it was more important to focus on protein. lasted about an hour My second visit was virtual, went over the full liquid pre-op diet and was given my start date. My clinic gives you a book on your very first visit that has all of the information, so I was reminded what page the 2-week full liquid pre-op diet was on. lasted about 30 min My third visit was virtual and in a group, we again went over the 2-week full liquid pre-op and over the 2-week post-op at which point there is an in-person visit, where we are evaluated and will be told how to proceed next with our diet. Again we were told what pages to refer in our book. lasted 1.5 hours

You have just had major abdominal surgery, the body has to take a lot of resources to heal from that and some of the meds we are given can affect us for weeks after. Then you have to take into account that you lost a nice chunk of weight very rapidly, causing hormones to be released into your body that are not normally that high. This impacts mood a LOT for some people, myself included. Think of it like having PMS/PMDD from hell. Irritability is very common, higher emotionality as well, sometimes depression too. Major surgery can also trigger depression and in men depression most exhibits itself as anger. Talk to your wife and GP about this. If it continues to be an issue you might want to try a medication to even things out for while you are losing... I hate when people say they feel bad for eating around me. Eat your damned food!! LOL I'm not a child, I can handle my feels about it. It is nice when people are willing to eat (at least partly) what I'm eating so I feel like a part of the gathering instead of the one in the corner with a kiddie meal, but even if no one wants to join me, I don't need pity. I need empathy and time spent with the ones I love that doesn't involve food! Or that involves food without people feeling bad for their own food. I'm not here to food shame anyone. Are you tracking your meals in Baritastic?? If not, I highly recommend you do. It helps you keep track of your routine daily food and you can see what your macros look like and get an idea for when you have room to indulge a little and when you need to stay on the straight and narrow. Sleeve surgery is a purely restrictive procedure, which means it relies heavily on dietary restriction to help you lose the weight. You have to work with it to help it accomplish this. Make sure your first focus is WATER, then protein, at least 60 grams or whatever your dietician suggests, then some healthy carbs if you have room, and then if you still have room, a bite or two of a starch or something indulgent. You shouldn't have much room for straying right now. And you may need to talk to someone about the food struggle because the food you are eating right now IS "real food" and will need to become the foundation of your eating from here on out to be able to maintain the results you get from the sleeve's weight loss. I don't say this to guilt you at all, my indulgence is dark chocolate, always has been. But the DS requires me to adhere to a low carb diet, so I get a bite of chocolate in the evening after I've hit all my goals for the day! Hence the app tracking things. LOL Be kind to yourself, you are going through some huge changes, we all are, and our bodies are under a lot of stress. What it needs most is kindness and nurturing right now, not shame and guilt. ❤️

I didn't stop losing until I was 20 months out. But after the first year it was S-L-O-W going - like 1-2 lbs a month some months. 800-1000 calories sounds fine. I don't think I'd cut any more than that unless you're under medical supervision, like we are the first few weeks after surgery.

about a week - and that's pretty common. There's not much in there yet. You might want to start taking stool softeners because that first one post-surgery can be a doozy.

I read this article in the New York Times this week and thought it brought up a lot of interesting issues. With the alarming growth of obesity in young people, including children, there are a lot of questions about when should a patient become a candidate for WLS. With my upcoming surgery, I've had a few conversations with my teen/tween daughters about nutrition/healthy eating, as well as some of the possible genetic components of weight gain. Both of my girls are active and not currently at risk, but I know that my younger daughter is physically a lot like I was at her age, and I would do anything for her not to ever have to deal with weight gain the way I have as she gets older. I hope I can teach them both good habits now that they can carry with them. But what happens when a kid is already so large at age 16 that their quality of life is impacted? What's the responsible/ethical thing to do with regards to a surgery that can't be reversed? This is a very interesting read. In case you didn't read it, here's a link (it should bypass the paywall for non-subscribers until the end of November): https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/31/magazine/teen-bariatric-surgery.html?unlocked_article_code=1.7Ew.M7l-.QaJi8BjntPW_&smid=url-share

The shakes are more likely to give you constipation because of the high fibre & protein content. But increased peeing is another story & this will continue as meeting your fluid goals post surgery are very important. (I swear I still pee every hour or so.) Getting samples of a variety of brands & flavours are a good idea because it’s common for your taste buds & even your sense of smell to change & become extra sensitive for a while after the surgery. Your favourite flavours may taste disgusting for a few weeks. As long as the pre-made shakes or protein powders contain a similar amount of protein you can buy any brand any where. Use your recommended brand as a guide for acceptable protein & other nutrients in the alternative brand you find to assess their suitability. All the best with your surgery.

I agree with summerseeker. I was already post-menopausal when I had my surgery so the period changes didn't affect me, but I read on here all the time about screwed up periods and mood swings during the first few weeks or months after surgery. It eventually all settles back down and regulates. But yes - it's supposedly due to the estrogen in your fat cells being released during the rapid weight loss phase. I had very little hair loss (not enough for anyone to notice) which occurred during months 5-9. It does happen to most of us. It can range from none at all to lots of shedding - although not like it does to chemo patients. It may or may not be noticeable to others. I almost never hear about people having to get wigs. At most, those with noticeable loss usually get short cuts so it's not as noticeable. Although again, you may not lose any at all or lose very little. And there's really nothing you can do about it. As mentioned above, it's already dead, and the shock of surgery (plus the fact we take in very few calories the first few weeks and months) is just speeding up the normal growth/shedding cycle. your weight loss is going to naturally slow as you get closer and closer to your goal. In fact, those last few pounds can be a BEAR to get off. For some of us, the loss stops naturally. But if you're wanting yours to stop and it doesn't seem to be doing it on its own, you can always increase your calorie intake to stop it. Keep in mind that it's very common to gain 10-20 lbs after hitting your lowest weight, so you might want to factor that in. I intentionally went below my goal a bit to account for that. And also, it's more common to not quite reach your goal than to lose too much, so stopping the loss usually isn't an issue for many of us. But again - if you're in the situation where you need to stop it, it's just a matter of increasing your calorie intake.

You’re a week out from what was a pretty major surgery. You’ll be healing & recovering for a few weeks & will feel random spasms of pain or discomfort during this time. Sometimes it’s simply moving in the wrong way or bending or lifting that can cause what is like a muscle pull. There are often internal sutures to support your tummy & intestines which are easy to ‘pull’ or ‘strain’ if you do a little too much, too soon, or move too quickly. Same with feeling tired & having little energy. If you feel tired it’s your body telling you to rest so it can heal. It does get better & you’ll start to feel like your usual self soon. Of course if the pain gets worse, is stronger than you have been experiencing or is persisting, get in contact with your surgeon or go to your nearest medical centre just to be sure everything is okay.

Update: Gastric Bypass Date 8/16/2023 Starting weight 376 Current 1323.3 Down 53.7 pounds Pain: I do have dumping issues at times when I eat to fast. Usually I throw up real quick and all is good. Happens 2 or 3 times a week. Other then that no pain. I feel great. Please share your weight lose updates or any pain. Thank You.

Hi and thank you so much for the above! I didn't know that about the watches, thank you for this insight. I think I do need to up my protein - I find it difficult to get a lot of it from food as I don't find myself that hungry that often. With regards to sleep, this may be my fault I fear. I tend to get between 4-6 hours a night every day, and I take probiotics maybe once a week in pill format? I need to book an appointment for bloodwork as I haven't had any done since the surgery. Thank you so much for all these suggestions!

Surgery was 8/25 I’ve lost 34.4lbs - and last week finally got to see a 1 on the scale for the first number instead of a 2! Weighing in at 198.0 exactly! I’m either doing good on my water, or good on my protein - it’s really a struggle for me to do both in the same day. Unfortunately personal issues have come up and I haven’t been as active as I’ve wanted to be, but hope that changes in the next week or so. It’s cooling down in Florida, too, so hopefully I can get outside more! I am scared to try new foods - I’ve done relatively well, but the thought of adding grains in, or anything not protein freaks me out. I know it won’t derail me, but I feel like it’s a slippery slope and I would hate to slide backwards at all - would feel like such a failure.

Surgery was 8/25 I’ve lost 34.4lbs - and last week finally got to see a 1 on the scale for the first number instead of a 2! Weighing in at 198.0 exactly! I’m either doing good on my water, or good on my protein - it’s really a struggle for me to do both in the same day. Unfortunately personal issues have come up and I haven’t been as active as I’ve wanted to be, but hope that changes in the next week or so. It’s cooling down in Florida, too, so hopefully I can get outside more! I am scared to try new foods - I’ve done relatively well, but the thought of adding grains in, or anything not protein freaks me out. I know it won’t derail me, but I feel like it’s a slippery slope and I would hate to slide backwards at all - would feel like such a failure.

so ive been sick for almost a week now, and the fact that the sight of @Arabesque's flatbread actually stirred something (positive, lol) in my stomach makes me think im finally getting better and wont die after all! so i cut myself a slice of baguette for my first foray into solid food since last week tuesday. i've literally been living off tea, orange juice and cough syrup for the past 6 days. good news: it was yummy. (kinda) bad news: this is as far as i got. p.s. and yeah, im looking a little death-ish again, like the good ol days. sigh.

When my hunger came back I had to really focus on lower calorie foods so I ate baby carrots or broccoli for snacks if I couldn't wait for my next meal. Carrots did not work for my stomach at 1st though so be careful with them if you haven't tried them yet. I also live on low fat string cheese and grapes. I try to stick to just 3 meals a day but I have never had a strong restriction. Many people eat 5 or 6 small meals if they can't eat very much at any one time. Just make sure to hit your protein goals because that will help you feel fuller longer and drink enough water too. My office recommends staying around 1000 calories at 4 months so I would eat more often if needed but just made sure I didn't eat too many calories. It was a very frustrating time to feel hungry but unable to actually eat very much. My hunger did settle back down again after a few months though so hopefully yours will too. Good luck!

Thank you!! I'll message you my Discord or whatever you prefer, it would be nice to have a fellow DSer to talk to through this! 8 weeks in, so you are returning to "normal" food now. That's great progress, congrats on getting this far!

My RNY is scheduled for one week from today. I was all in until a couple weeks ago. I am a person that likes a lot of information so I've been watching a ton of videos and joined a few groups like this one. I know there are always chances of complications but the more I look, the more I'm seeing people that went through them, and people that really regret having it done. So now I'm basically terrified. I know no one can tell me what to do. I'm more or less talking it out myself by listing the pros and cons, but I'd also love to have input from people that have gone through it, especially if they are around the same size and situation as me. I am 5' 7" and my highest weight that I recall was 266. I have lost weight and regained it a thousand times in my life. I started the bariatric program a year and a half ago at 254 but a few months later for family issues I had to drop out. By that point I had lost weight on my own and was confident I could do it myself this time, but of course gained what I'd lost and then some. I started again this past April. I am really in the kick ass mindframe since then and have gotten down to 212 - actually 209.5 as of this morning. I'm again in that frame of mind thinking I've lost 55 on my own, I can lose the next 50 as well. And it is definitely possible, though it would be difficult. Keeping it off even more difficult, though again possible. I really have no major health issues, the primary reason is because I'm tired of being this size and failing constantly at losing it myself. I'm tired of shopping in plus size, tired of being scared about sitting in theater seats or a rollercoaster. Tired of seeing pictures of myself and not recognizing that person. I do have sleep apnea and use a cpap. I had a pre-op scope and they found I have grade B esophigitis, though I have no symptoms and very rarely get heartburn. For that reason I was hesitant to get a sleeve, and so many people that get a sleeve are going back for a revision that I decided gastric bypass was the way to go, and my surgeon agreed. I think if someone could see my future and tell me I wouldn't have any major complications and everything went smoothly, I would not even hesitate to do this. My insurance will cover it, I have the time off work. I feel like I'm mentally prepared to do what needs to be done - but I also know many people feel that way but underestimate exactly how it'll go. I feel like I have a pretty good pain tolerance and can get though that ok. Things I'm nervous about: major complications, of course. Getting in enough water and protein in the small amounts you can take in at a time (although I know it can be done). Food aversions - I'm a fairly picky person anyway and you read about people that can't eat anything without feeling sick, even a long time after surgery. Future pain and inability to take ibuprofen - I am allergic to Tylenol and get hives so I'm kind of out of options in the future. I have told a few people because I don't want the negativity ahead of time. Some are jealous and wish their insurance covered it and think I'm crazy to have second thoughts. Some have said look at how well I've done on my own, I can do this on my own without surgery. My husband says he'll support me but he also says he thinks I look great now and don't need it. He's gone to a couple classes with me and was visibly horrified when shown a video of the surgery, and I think he's more scared than he lets on. I have 2 daughters 16 and 21 that are very much momma's girls - one is nervous for the surgery, the other says 'you do you, dawg', lol. Both of them struggle with depression and I would be gutted if something happened to me because I'm not sure they'd handle it well. This is turning into a novel, I'm sorry. I had 2 women that have gone through it say no way would they go through having their guts surgically rearranged for just 45 pounds. And then I see others on here roughly my size that are happy as hell they went through it. And again, I know no one can tell me what to do. I am just trying to get as much info as possible. I don't necessarily buy the whole "my cousin had this surgery and these horrible things happened" stuff, or even "my cousin had this surgery, never had any complications and is thrilled with it" - but when I hear it directly from the people that went through it, it carries more weight. Thanks if you've gotten this far!!

April 3 here! Starting my liquid diet 03/20/23 Any rec’s on what to stock up on? * I’m Vegan* :/

there may be no info on it because it could be that no one has researched it. However, I've never had an issue with prescriptions. I know we're not supposed to take extended release versions of pills, and I know some people have to switch or increase their dosage of some meds (e.g. antidepressants), but I've never run into any of this with any of the prescriptions I've had. I've just taken them using the general instructions.. Also, you're far enough out that you shouldn't have to crush pills. I haven't crushed pills in years - I've been able to take everything whole ever since about my third week post-op.

I think it’s really easy to get discouraged. My dietitian‘s biggest recommendation was to not weigh yourself until your first official postop appointment and I stuck to that. I had so much inflammation, nothing was likely budging in the first 2-3 weeks but I had lost more than I expected by week 4. Hang in there!!