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Meal prepping for my work week- chocolate almond powder chia seed pudding for breakfasts with a protein shake in my coffee, sausage with peppers, onions, and mushrooms for lunch, and then these no bake brownies for desserts when I get home. (Dinner will be either chicken or tuna salad probably).

I experienced the weight stall and constipation. However, the weight that I have lost took a big load off my back, and I’m not in as much pain from that. I actually ended up in the ER because I was so constipated. I had tried to get it out the natural way, but it got stuck, and I was in so much pain and didn’t know what to do (this was the first time I had ever been constipated), so I called 911. Now it’s something I have to watch out for. I have Miralax and Lactulose on hand if it gets really bad. Try the Miralax first. Get incontinence pads, like Tena, and place them in pairs in the usual place and behind those (you’re going to leak). Also get disposable incontinence Chuks for wherever you sleep, because you’ll leak there, too. Have disposable gloves on hand and be prepared to glove up and get it out manually when it gets stuck, and you can’t push it out without feeling like you’re going to split in half. I know it’s gross, but I lost 6 pounds in about 5 days. I spoke with my surgeon, and she told me that stalls and constipation are to be expected with revision surgery. Talk to your surgeon about your concerns, and ask if there are other options that you can do. I learned that the Argon Coagulation surgery I had was only the first of several to expect.

This sounds delish. I’m at 4 weeks.

Hey everyone!! I just wanted to share with everyone some things that have been helping me pre-op and if anyone wants to share what helped them! I am so happy that I have three weeks before my surgery to take the time to really prepare myself. I'll start with In my down time now I have been reading the Big Book on the Gastric Bypass by Alex Brecher. I got it on Amazon Kindle for $8.99 and it has been an amazing source of knowledge that has helped me feel way more at ease about my surgery. It touches on pretty much everything! What are some things you guys are doing to prepare or did prepare? Would love to hear it ❤️

Hey all, back from my 2+ week vacation and wanted to give an update: First, you look awesome Lindsay! Second, the update (2 weeks traveling around Germany and Italy): Protein was VERY hard to hit. The "on the go" protein mixes that I brought got real tiresome real quick. I wasn't able to do them everyday. Thankfully, I got approved to have protein bars the day before I left, so I made use of those pretty heavily. Water was also VERY hard to hit. I wasn't keeping exact track, but based on the color of my urine, I wasn't doing great. I was also sweating a substantial amount too, so I needed even more water. The 30m no-drink after eating restriction was a killer. We would stop for some food, I would grab a nice cold bottled water, then have to wait 30m for it to warm up to 80 degrees before I could drink it (I never realized how spoiled I was with cold water) Exercise was easy. Nothing specific, but we averaged 15000 steps a day so I counted that There was a significant amount of cheating: I would usually order a meat based meal, but then try a bunch of different pastas from my family (tiny bites, but 3 or 4 different ones usually). I also occasionally had a bite or two of bread, and ate a piece or two of pizza. I drank wine...quite a bit. We had a couple of wine tastings booked, but I would also do wine before dinner with all my family. I had a grand total of 3 bites of gelato (which I am pretty proud of). The kids got gelato pretty much every night, and I only stole 3 bites as I wanted to try the flavors (coconut, stratiacello, and milk???) In addition to wine, I did have a glass+ of champagne (so double dip of alcohol and carbonation) I had unapproved meats. I didn't always have good options for meat, so there was a couple of nights I shared steak with somebody, or had some other non-approved meat. That being said, I only ever had one stomach issue on the whole trip. I ordered a plate of various meats (ribs, bacon, sausage). I am not sure what the problem was, if I ate too fast, didn't chew enough, or it was too fatty, but I had a pretty quick reaction and didn't feel good at all. There was pain in my stomach area for about 15 minutes. After getting up, walking around, and burping a WHOLE lot, the pain passed. Overall, I was very happy with how it all went. While I have a decent list of cheats above, other than the wine, I really only had a bite or two of non approved stuff each meal. My stomach felt great 98% of the time, and....I lost 9 pounds!!!

Thank you for your response, I've realized through this whole preop process how addicted to food I really am. Thankfully, I am taking the right steps and joined Betterhelp for therapy. There is a group session for Bariatric patients where I met a therapist who is a bariatric patient and food addict herself and I felt a weight lifted off of me talking to her yesterday and am going to continue with her twice a week. I feel like this is going to be a huge key to my success. I was having a breakdown when I posted that, but I feel much better now 😆 my fiance and I have decided to go to benihana that day as a date night,we've never done teppanyaki together and I'll get to have some yummy meat and vegetables and not cheat on my preop! I am feeling more hopeful now than ever and I'm sorry if that post came off as negative to anyone. My health is number one and I will be getting this surgery because we are all worth it!!

So I just had this revision, and I can tell you that the weight loss will not be like it was with the sleeve. I had it because I developed GERD, esophagitis, gastritis, and a TON of pre-cancerous polyps all through my stomach. So I also didn't have a choice. I was on 80mg daily of Nexium and still had break through GERD. With the sleeve, I lost 30 pounds in the first 2 weeks. With the revision, I lost 14. I also wasn't interested in doing it for weight loss, since I was chugging along and doing well until it all went stupid. My goal was to get back to living my life, get back to my beast mode work outs, get back to feeling good and not having pain. And that's what the surgery is doing for me. Losing additional weight is inevitable, but eating the stuff you're eating right now is not the way to add additional weight. The sugar and heavy carbs are a no no, especially once you have the bypass. Keep in mind, the more weight you add on now, the more you'll lose. If you really feel the need to try and pad your weight a little, do it by adding additional protein, add in an additional meal or 2 snacks (but don't make them junk). Increase your calories, not your carbs and sugar. Again, I'm not saying this is what you should be doing, but if you're determined to add weight on before the surgery, at least do it in a healthier way than what you're doing now. I can also say, the recovery from the bypass has been SO SO much better than with the sleeve. I honestly wish I had just done the bypass to begin with. So much less pain, I was up and around faster, able to do things better, could handle my pills and supplements (had to crush or completely eliminate them with the sleeve for the first 4-5 weeks), able to handle cold liquids (couldn't with the sleeve), able to get my fluids in so much easier (I drank a 20oz of water in the hospital the day after my surgery and could barely handle 3-4oz with the sleeve). So all in all, I'm exceptionally happy I did the revision. No more GERD, no more PPI, no more pain, much easier recovery, and while the weight is still coming off, it's doing so at a slower and more manageable pace. I wish you all the luck, and I promise you'll feel so much better after the revision.

Rocky, hopefully the past 10 days since you posted this your weight has started its gradual decent back down. It is a long process, so don't fret over daily/weekly movements (I know that is way easier said than done). Water weight can really move the scale from day to day. You might be dehydrated one day, then over the next week your body starts to retain some of the water that is has dropped over the past month. It is pretty normal I would say. During my 5 week stall, I went up 4 pounds, but have since dropped that and more. When you look back on this 12-18 months from now, this will just be a blip.

It's easy to be regretful those first few weeks after surgery. You are sore, hormones shifting etc. Give it time. 3 months out I can do things I haven't been able to do for years. Sure I can't have some of my favorite foods. But because I'm no longer sedentary and eating out of boredom, my mind is on other things besides my next meal. Before I rarely moved from my couch and now I'm walking 2 miles a day outside. I'm so loving it. After my doc appointment this week, I went to a huge mall and walked the length of it and back without taking a rest. Before, my back would have been killing me and I would have had to sit down. Honestly I wouldn't have even attempted it pre-op. I felt like a bird let out of a cage. I didn't buy any new clothes but I did splurge and got my brows done by a sweet little gal from India who has mastered the art of brow threading. This morning I'm going to the gym, getting a cryo therapy treatment, sitting in an infrared sauna then to the Chiropractor to help straighten me out as I lose weight. Just remember, there's more to life than just food. Enjoy your weekend

I haven’t lost at all for a week, I’m 3 weeks post op

Hi friends! My bypass date is 8/7! It feels surreal that it’s actually happening after such a long process for insurance approval. Some days I’m really excited and some days I’m terrified. My one week liquid preop diet starts 7/31.

I had my surgery on March 13th, exactly four months ago. At this point, I’ve only lost 32lbs (25 since surgery), which I am totally bummed about. Unlike others, my hunger returned almost immediately. But I have a ton of energy and am able to do so many things I couldn’t do easily before. My clothes fit and I feel more like myself. The down side… My weight loss seems to be dependent on everything being perfect each day (right amount of water, zero sugar, low carb, high protein, high fiber, can’t be sick or injured), which is not easy to do. Even at a calorie deficit, I’m not losing like I should be. Thankfully, of the weight I’ve lost, 19lbs was pure fat. I’ve only lost 2.5lbs of muscle. This is great news and has helped me transition back to the gym over the last few weeks. My heartburn didn’t go away. I actually need to be on omeprezole daily (sometimes twice per day), which is more of an annoyance than a problem. Two weeks ago, right on schedule, my hair started falling out. It’s been traumatic even though I knew it was very likely to happen. When your hair falls out but your weight loss is at a halt, it feels awful. Like what am I doing this for? I know the answer but in my “feel sorry for myself” moments, that’s the question I hear in my head. My body has been changing, and I can see where my skin was stretched out now in the strangest places. This and the hair loss has led to a spike in emotional eating. I’m sure that’s why I’ve been stalled the last 2-3 weeks. Sigh. I feel like a bit of a failure. At the end of the day, I wouldn’t change my decision. I just feel like the first six months are critical and I can’t seem to take advantage of them like I want to. Has this happened to you? Did you still make it to your goal? Any thoughts welcome 🙏

Hello! My surgery date is 7/31 and I’ve been getting prepared for surgery. My question is regarding the all liquid post op diet. My doctor has me on a clear liquid diet for the day after surgery and then I can switch to all liquids (like shakes) and I should stay on this all liquid diet for 2 weeks before starting on “Soft Foods” I over bought my drinks for these two weeks. My question is: Can I stay on the all liquid diet for another week or two before moving to soft foods? Is there any potential down side to that? Thanks!

I'm half way through my 5th week. Graduated from puree to minced chicken. I make a high protein mac salad with a little bit of cut up pasta, a little Shredded cheese, minced chicken, hard boiled egg and low fat mayo. After puree, if tastes like a gourmet meal. I also was craving veggies. I made a summer squash, zucchini, mushroom saute today.

Oh no… this must be so hard for you. I’m at the “typical” point right now (4 months out) dealing with shedding over the last two weeks. My hair fills a brush twice a day!! And I still lose clumps in the shower. It has been heart breaking even though I knew it was likely, actually dealing with it emotionally and physically has been so hard. So when you say this is your third time going through this in the last two years, I felt like I just wanted to give you a hug. it’s true there isn’t a whole lot you can do except commiserate, but I hope you know it’s safe to do so here and we understand. Hang in there!

If you do this surgery and when you have got through the rough first weeks, you will know you have done the right thing, my diabetes, high blood pressure and breathlessness just faded away. I know your Apnoea will go soon too because many others on here suffered with it. Hold your nerves if you can, everyone is very nervous, we all jumped into the unknown and I am fairly sure we would all do it again tomorrow

Hello and welcome in. As the above have voiced, be kind to yourself, do not rush into exercise. If you struggle with meds and vitamins, food and liquids - just do your best. You will get there. Around two weeks is when the pains subside. Hugging a pillow to your tummy when rising does help. Good healing

Some processed stuff too though Suzi. I found it helpful to avoid those foods in the weeks and months after my op. And sweet stuff was a real trigger early on - almost derailed me a few times. Yeah totally agree too - some yoghurts will have more sugar and stuff in them whilst presenting themselves as healthy. Wasn't dissing your recipe - as I said, it looks really fab. My comments were more for Kathy who seems to be early post surgery, and just to share my experience.

Being home from surgery is like being home your first baby- regrets, can’t take it back, what did I do, oh God is this my life now but two weeks later you start to feel normal again and better and it’s okay. I went through this too.

Ugh so at work on Day 2 of pre-op diet. I had some shredded red cabbage with lemon juice and a small packet of salt, a diet peach snapple, and 2 shakes so far. Also a decaf iced coffee with almond milk and fake sweetener. I feel like.... I have a flu. But it is day 1.5. I should not have the "keto flu" already and wonder if it is just my anxiety poking me and making little things turn into stressful things which trigger my migraines and pain. When I did my OG sleeve in 2018, I was off from work during this 2 week preop. Going to work while doing this is so much extra. Thankfully I am now in an office vs field job but still. My SADI-S is the 26th and all I can think about is I want food, soup, hearty. Choking down cabbage and lemon (which I do actually like!) makes me gag.

Same here my original surgery was supposed to be on April 26th. I've lost 22 pounds since my heaviest from following the preop diet before. About 2 weeks before I freaked out and cancelled. Too many people were telling me not to do it, horror stories and I barely had any support. This time I have not told anyone I'm doing it yet except for my sister and best friend. My pre op isn't as restrictive, they didn't give me a set calorie count and liquid starts 2 days before surgery. I did keto diet on my own before this from 2019-2020 and lost 90 pounds naturally, but I gained it back when I met my significant other and went off that diet. I feel like i dont like to exercise so that worries me and haven't found the motivation to start. I keep telling myself it's not important for weight loss and I'll do that x amount of weeks before or after the surgery. It doesn't help that my significant other isn't really supportive. They are worried for me and is the type that if I say I'm depressed and start crying about the surgery, instead of talking me thru it and saying it will pass, they will start crying too 🤣🤣, blame themself for not stopping me, say they dont want to see me suffer and convince me I'm not ready to do it and they won't be able to stand seeing me suffer after. Although I know it's good intentioned again, I need someone who's not as soft. I should be able to say I'm feeling depressed about it without them being the one that gets sad and emotional, I'm the one that should be sad lol. Last time was the second time I cancelled the surgery after going thru all of the motions. Now I'm telling myself third time is the charm and the office is going to think I'm nuts if I keep freaking out and canceling then saying just kidding the next week 🤣🤣

Before surgery at one of my dietician appointments , she did a bunch of calculations and said this surgery will help me lose 30 pounds. Granted,I started out with a lower BMI , but after reading all the weight loss by everyone else ,I feel like having the surgery, I went nuclear over a measley 30 pounds ! I do want to lose more ,so I guess it's up to me to do the rest of the work after I hit that point. Did anyone get a calculation like this ? Have you lost beyond the number they gave you by your own efforts ? Maybe I'm overthinking this . I've been at a stall for 3 weeks now and I think it's messing with my head .

Stalls can be agonizing. ( I'm in one now ...ugh ) I am just so impressed with your weight loss so far ! I'm crossing my fingers that it will end soon for you !

I had sleeve surgery done 9 years ago in 2014. I'm 5'4" and started at 202 pounds. I lost down to 102, and looked awful. It took me until 2017 to gain back to a healthy weight of 115. I have remained in the general vicinity of 113 - 117 since. From the start I've have terrible GERD. In February of this year my gastro said the GERD is out of control and I cannot put it off anymore, it's time for me to convert to bypass. I do NOT want to do this. I sought the opinions of 3 of doctors all of which said the same thing. I had EGD, upper GI series, manometry, and pH with Bravo. Surgeon said it's worse than they initially thought, and that I need surgery now. He submitted to insurance on Monday (3 days ago). He expects me to have surgery within a couple of weeks. When this was mentioned in February I weighed 116. I immediately started eating all the things to up my weight. I live on Crumbl Cookies, lemon cream pie, crackers with cheese, and potato chips. I've always eaten those things, but now I'm eating them nonstop. I'm currently at 124 pounds. I am scared to death about losing weight again. Surgeon says he expects me to lose around 20 pounds. That's too much. I don't want too look like that again. I'm happy with how I look now. I also am not at all interested in the process of all of it again. WLS is part of my past that I was happy to be done with. I don't want to do it again. It has been made abundantly clear to me that I have to do it, but I'm scared and sad. I don't know what I'm looking for here, maybe just looking to share these feelings and get them off my chest.

I’m with you 100%. Lost 30lbs on my own, doing my own thing in the months leading up to surgery. I had been told by everyone at the office I have to eat “their” food for two weeks, no exception, everyone has to do it. I tried it and developed not only some extreme food aversions but a massive case of depression. I did call the office and they let me transition to whole foods like chicken, cottage cheese, salad for the remainder. Still had to be 800 cal/day which was fine. So I was still able to go out to eat and just get a salad. Lost 8lbs in that two weeks before surgery. They didn’t tell me I’d go into ketosis and ache all over or that I would have zero energy. I think my depression came really from not being able to move (priorly walked 4-5 miles/day). Well it all came crashing down the night before my scheduled surgery. Full blown panic attack knowing damn well I wasn’t coping with life as it was and there’s no way I could add in a major operation and not even be able to do simple things like drink water. I ended up cancelling my surgery the morning of (May revisit in 6-12 months). Bottom line for me is that without good mental health, really nothing else matters. Even if I went through with the surgery I think my results may have been diminished with the level of depression I am/was experiencing that whole time I lost my first 30 lbs my mantra was “food is fuel” and while that is true and helped immensely in guiding making good food choices… food is so much more than that, often central to social gatherings being the big one. I am not an emotional eater but it was hard to not get my usual takeout like I used to or enjoy a treat