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if you're still seeing your bariatric team, I'd start there. Or if not, is it possible to see them again? Otherwise, if you're not still tracking your food intake, start there. Track for a couple of weeks to figure out what your average calorie intake is now. Then try cutting back by 100 calories or so for another couple of weeks. If that doesn't do the trick, cut back by another 100 calories. Rinse and repeat. Eventually you'll find the level where you'll start losing weight. also, start doing some of things we did that first year after surgery (NOT all the way back to shakes and purees - I mean how we ate after the first couple of months - focusing mostly on protein and non-starchy vegetables. Then if you have room, maybe a small serving of fruit or whole-grain carb). if you're having trouble with hunger while cutting back, add in more vegetables - I try to eat vegetables with every meal when I'm trying to lose (I don't always with breakfast, but I DO blend a cup of fresh spinach or kale in with my morning protein shake to make up for it). I also always keep raw veggies (with a dip made from plain Greek yogurt and ranch dressing mix), sugar free popsicles, and sugar free Jello around, too. Healthy fats like avocado and peanut butter or a handful of nuts can also help with the hunger - but just have a small portion of those since they're pretty high in calories. good luck with this. I know it's tough - I'm battling a 10-lb COVID gain right now and I know it isn't easy, but people do it... At least you're catching it at 40 lbs while it's still do-able oh btw - I know a lot of people who've regained who've had success with Weight Watchers, Keto, and/or intermittent fasting - so those might be options for you, too...

I've been loving my Unjury protein. I found the best price at Amazon.com I like the chocolate mixed with skim milk or plain yogurt. I also am adding the unflavored to most everything. Try it, it's good.

Another day of accountability. B'fast: One cup Kashi go lean with 1/2 c skim milk. 180C 13 gm Protein snack: One bottle Special k2O Water 50C 230CT 5 gm protein (18gmT) Lunch:Lean cuisine 250c 16 gm protein 480cT 34 gm T protein snack: 12 almonds and a low fat yogurt 200c (680 c) 7gm protein 41 gm T Another Special k water 50c (730) 46 gm T Dinner: 2 scrambled eggs and two pieces 60 C whole wheat toast ( couldn't finish it got stuck)300C this is the second night in a row I got stuck at dinner. Last fill kicking in? I just don't know. I wait and then can eat again, so I had Snack: 1/2 EAS power bar. 120C 1150 C Total Lost track of protein at 46 gm T

Sweet: SF Jello Cups with a dollop of Grk Yogurt mixed with some liquid vanilla stevia SF Popsicles SF Buttermilk Lemon "Ice Cream" 35cals/serving homemade (frozen into a big ice pop) Plain Grk Yogurt Mixed with Vitacost Peanut Butter Slim Powder topped with Walden Farms Blueberry Pancake Syrup and 4g of sliced almonds or pumpkin seeds Mocha chia yogurt made with hot coffee, cocoa powder, liquid vanilla stevia, then plumped and chilled and stirred with some Greek Yogurt (a dollop) mixed with liquid vanilla stevia SF Lemon Match Greek Yogurt with Blueberries and Walnuts, Chia Seeds, Hemp Hearts, Pumpkin Seeds 1 square Lindt 90% Extra Dark Chocolate and 1/2 oz walnuts or pecans 1 GG Brancrisp topped with Vitacost Peanut Butter Slim Powder (reconstituted with WF Marshmallow Cream) and topped with cocoa nibs, 1/8 thin sliced banana and a squirt of FF whipped cream in a can (Reddiwhip) 1-2 oz Granny Smith Apple with almond butter (1 tbsp) 1/2 oz Lily's SF Chocolate Chips, 1/2oz Pecans on walnuts, 1/2oz frozen blueberries Salty: Pork skins + peanut butter or almond butter (the real deal) 2% Kraft Deli Deluxe cheese nuked into crackers and topped with almond butter, peanut butter or cashew butter Olives with pits Cucumber topped with either ACV sprinkles or with Tajin seasoning Jicama ice cold and crisp topped with lime juice and sprinkled with either smoked paprika or Tajin Rosemary Bar Nuts (limit to 1/2oz per serving) Jerky of any kind or sausage sticks like Ostrim Seaweed Snacks Edamame with salt Quest Protein Chips Kale chips Zucchini chips (or buy cans of freeze dried zucchini and spice them in the oven)

And eat yogurt for the good bacteria. When I was proned to YI, I began using Ivory since it has no perfumes; I won't use any other kind of soap now.

So far bafflement... still undergoing tests but nothing conclusive so far... has anyone else experienced post-op complications several years out? Surgery July 2016. Only lost 100lbs (I know, I know, "only"), but I'm still about 100lbs overweight. I'm not unhappy w/the amount lost at all and feel much better overall so I do not regret the surgery. First, not sure any or all of these symptoms are related at all but since they're all (potentially) GI-related, I can't help but think (especially now) that they are. So here goes: I can't remember exactly when the first one occurred, but it was after "healing" for sure but the first time it happened, it was definitely after surgery: a charlie-horse in my abdomen. These occur very suddenly and occur when I'm bending, reaching or twisting my abdomen--but always forward, not backward. For example, I might just tuck my belly in to look down at my feet and whammo, charlie horse. I reach forward to pick up a kitten... whammo. They can happen at any time and are excruciatingly painful and I just jerk backwards in reaction and take diaphragmatic breaths and they'll ease up. About 4 months ago, I had a sudden pain "attack" after eating a relatively fatty meal... I'm talking waves of pain in the gut so intense that I actually called 911. Since I still have my gallbladder, I assumed gallbladder problems. Pain lasted about 7 hours or so, even through narcotics given in the ambulance and at the hospital. Worst pain I've ever felt in my life. Multiple tests run... no gallstones, so they basically sent me home after the pain finally subsided with a ridiculous "gastritis" diagnosis. Sorry, was crapola. About 6 weeks after that, I started to have diarrhea... for over two weeks straight, every single day. Didn't respond to OTC anti-diarrheals. Saw walk-in doc (my doc was on vacation) who ran a bunch of tests and nothing positive except blood in the stool. Diarrhea eventually cleared. PCP ordered endoscopy and colonoscopy--both normal. About 6 weeks ago, another pain attack--but not after fatty meal... just yogurt. This time I remembered I had meds at home--took anti-spasmodics (hyoscyamine) and oxycodone... took 3x regular dose to make pain tolerable. Faded again after about 7 hours. PCP suspects gallbladder function is to blame, even though no stones, so HIDA test this Thursday. In the timeline, this pain attack was about a week after the diarrhea cleared up... about a month ago. But here's the deal: I can physically (i.e. with my hands) feel that under that trocar scar is a hardening of tissue... it makes sense that it's scar tissue of course, but I feel like it's getting bigger? (as in, over a wider area, not deeper). It's not painful when pressure is applied, just uncomfortable? I have not yet brought this part up to PCP, but she has palpated my abdomen before and didn't call out anything as unusual. So I'm at a loss as to what's going on but something definitely is. Anyone experience anything at all like this? Especially those who are years out from surgery? So confused and tired of taking tests that aren't leading anywhere... thank goodness I have excellent insurance. Michelle

To find out how to compare products to better understand added sugars, click on Natural vs. Added Sugars. Use the chart on the second page as a guide to compare products.The chart compares applesauce and Greek style yogurt. You will see the products with only naturally occurring sugars, products with added sugars and “light” versions of the product. You will also see that the product with the most amount of sugar has the most calories.The front part of the food label usually doesn’t have any clues that the product can have a lot of added sugars. You must be a detective and investigate the Nutrition Facts Label and the ingredients list. Start your sugar hunt by using foods and beverages in your pantry or fridge to discover where added sugars are lurking in your food choices. Like any hunting expedition, it will take some time and practice to find the healthiest products to use on your journey towards health. Sugar Comparison Chart We are born with a preference for sweet tastes. However, sugar carries calories without any fiber, vitamins or minerals. Sugar is basically empty calories. For bariatric patients, too much sugar can lead to dumping. Natural Sugars vs Added Sugars Naturally occurring sugars are in fruits (fructose) and milk and dairy (lactose). The current Nutrition Facts label doesn’t tell us the difference. A teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams of sugar. If you drink a 12 oz. can of regular pop or 12 ounces regular fruit juice, that means you’ve consumed 40 grams of sugar. This translates to 10 teaspoons of sugar. That’s almost 1/4 cup of sugar! Other names for sugar When you read the ingredient list, look for words like syrup (corn, high fructose, maple, pancake, maltose), corn syrup solids, agave, molasses, beet sugar, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, invert sugar, cane juice, fruit juice, fruit juice concentrate, nectar (peach, apricot, pear), powdered or confectioner’s sugar, raw sugar, maple sugar, date sugar, malted barley, honey and anything ending in “–ose” (maltose, dextrose, glucose, fructose). These are all types of sugar. When you see these words in the ingredient list, look for foods that have sugar listed after the 3rd or 4th ingredient. When you see several sugar ingredients, look at the total amount sugar. Decide if it’s worth it to eat that food. Sugar alcohols These have less impact on your blood sugars. They are more slowly digested than sugar. Sugar alcohols have anywhere from 2 to 4 calories per gram. If your weight loss stalls, check to see if your “sugar free” foods have high amounts of sugar alcohols. You may be getting more calories than you think. Caution…eating too many sugar alcohols can laxative effect! Alternative Sweeteners Artificial sweeteners include Splenda (sucralose), Sweet ‘N Low (saccharin), NutraSweet (aspartame), Sweet One (acesulfame potassium) and Neotame. Stevia is extracted from the stevia plant and is considered a natural sweetener. Monkfruit is extracted from the monkfruit and is considered a natural sweetener. Natural vs. Added Sugars: Comparison Chart How do I find the amount of added sugars in a food? One way to find out what the added sugars are is to compare similar products. Comparisons of applesauce and Greek yogurt are detailed below. The order of appearance is the unsweetened, sweetened and light or low sugar version. Use this chart to compare other products you might choose. Remember that natural sugars are in milk/dairy and fruit. Is all that sugar worth it?

How far out are you? I am 2 yrs 7 months, and I'll eat half of a small baked potato or less.....occasionally. A little butter, use Greek yogurt for sour cream and sprinkle a little 2% cheddar in. Eat your Protein, the potato is a side and a treat!

My pre-op diet was sf applesauce, sf Jello, broth, 8 ounces Gatorade, one Protein shake, light yogurt and all the Water I wanted. I took in about 60 calories a day or less. You should lose on that as I am sure like the rest of us the amount of calories prior was probably pretty high. Good luck and good for you for starting now. You are right, the weight you lose now will put you that much closer to your goal!

Egg yolks are high in fat and contain no Protein - try to stick to the egg whites, if you can, that is where the protein is. My FAVORITE ready-to-drink Protein shakes are chocolate PREMIER shakes...I get mine at costco (similar, but better than Sam's Club) 160 cals, 30g of protein and 1g of sugar. For powder I like the Believe - Ice Cream Cookie flavor and also the unjury chocolate. CHOBANI greek yogurt comes in flavors, Peach, strawberry and Blueberry. I get them at my local grocery store or at CostCo. 14g of protein in 6oz containers, 140 cals I add raw spinach in with my shakes, to get some extra Vitamins and minerals. I have a VitaMix blender -- BEST ONE EVER!!! Great for smoothies, Soups, etc. I stay away from chicken - it gets stuck. But LOVE the fishes, and beef.... though!! GOOD LUCK!

i just need to know some foods that have high Protein, i havent been getting enough protein and my nutritionist told me to EAT my protein soo foods that go in this order Breakfast foods: lunch foods: dinner foods: can you help me, please? i dont get to see my doctor or nutritionist til i get new insurance, and i seriously can wait to get a fill, i havent had one at all, cause i been sick (nausea) for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 months (got surgery on 7/31/09)and just started feeling better at the end of december which was when my insurance ended (i had blue cross blue shield child health care plus) i really need one cause i get hungry a lot and i was thinking maybe i get hungry quicker because i wasnt getting enough protein?! (duh!) and does Fiber make you full too, or just make you go to the bathroom? im gonna have my mom get more fruit so i can eat those instead of making bad choices and it does help lol (i feel bad) ugh but yeah and apples keep me full for a while so ya, i made bad food choices for a while but maybe because i didnt know what kind of protein foods to eat? i eat chicken and eggs.. im gonna start eating greek yogurt again and cottage cheese...but yeah can you help me?

thanks guys i havent had yogurt since before sugery and a couple times after and i had cottage cheese yesturday, it was so good since i havent had it for soooooo long, i have chicken a lot, but i love it plus with some of my fav bbq sauce, Peanut Butter sounds good, wouldnt it make you more full if you have peanut butter and a banana?

I think it depends on the environment you work in. I work from home, so obviously not an issue. Some people, like those who work in nursing or retail, may have rules against drinking/eating while on duty. In this case, it's best to talk to HR or a manager about getting a doctor's note to allow them to eat/drink while working. After surgery, it's not possible to eat and drink quickly, and you will need to sip all day to get your fluids in. If you have an active or outdoors job, it's even more important to be drinking a lot. I'm not sure why a smoothie in particular would be difficult to drink at work, although you'd have to have someplace to wash the container so it doesn't get gross. I assume you would make it at home? Probably for the first few weeks/months a smoothie wouldn't be the best bet as it's too much fiber and not enough protein; a protein shake is better for that (personally I can only tolerate the premade kind because the ones make with powder always seem gritty to me). I also am eating a lot of yogurt; maybe you will need a small lunch bag/box that is insulated and some ice packs which you can buy cheaply on Amazon.

Hi all it's been a while since I stopped by...to remind you about me I have type 2 diabetes, on an insulin pump. I needed to lose 85 lbs to be at my goal. I've lost 43 lbs and the last weight loss I did have was in November. I need some help. I don't think I'm eating the right foods. I feel like I eat the same 4-5 foods everyday. lunch meat, cheese stick, yogurt Protein bar and Protein shakes.... Not to mention how expensive the Protein Bars and protein power is. I feel lost....I want to lose this other 42 lbs. I don't even know how to get on track or what I should be eating, or how much. It's like everything that I learned in my prep classes, doesn't seem to fit what's happening now. I have been trying to attended Jazzercise 3-4 days a week and walk as much as I can. I'm 47 if that helps any advice given. I did this to hopefully get off the insulin pump my need for insulin has greatly reduced but still on the pump. Thanks in advance!

This is what I wish I had taken, extra PJs and extra underwear (I forgot my underwear) and footie socks/slippers and flip flops. You probably will go shopping, but at soon as you get back to your room, you will want to put on comfortable clothes ie PJs. I flew United also and they allow you to check one bag for free, I HIGHLY recommend doing that. When I flew home, I upgraded to 1st class at check-in. It was the best $75 I have ever spent. Also take broth packets with you, the food and drink taste different in Mexico, except the bottle Water. I bought juice and yogurt from Walmart and it was NASTY!!

I ate vegetables and fruit from week 1. I never had any issues with constipation. I have regular BM's 1 -3 times a day. I started small with cooking or puree peaches and yogurt or tossing fresh spinach in my Protein smoothies during the full liquid stage. I also pureed spinach as a Soup base or tossed some into scrambled eggs as I moved onto soft food stages. By week 4 I was back to eating raw fruit and veg. Protein is important but so are the natural Fiber and nutrients you get from fruit and veg. I find that I lose more when my bowels are working properly. My protein is routinely in the 80 - 100gms range. You do not have to sacrifice one for the other.

YogaChick If my liquid diet was like yours I'm sure I would be fine as well. I am actually only allowed 3 shakes per day made with water and unlimited non caloric liquids. No berries, bananas, yogurt and certainly no meals.

Hi Newbek and Stratcat! I just wanted to say how great this thread has been to read. I'm not much of a journaler but have had to sometimes just to have somewhere to stow all my craziness as I go through this journey. I too feel the loss of a friend. Really I think food is more of a "frenemy", it's comforting to your face and then backstabs you when it adds the pounds on. I've been a big girl since I was a child, so giving up my longest lasting "friendship" has been hard. I know we get to eat again so that's helpful, I'm 5 days banded now so still working on broth and light Soups for the most part. I have such an addiction to food that everytime I see a food commercial on tv I want to run right out and get it and shove it in my mouth. My 2 week liquid diet was Hell on earth but I will have an appreciation for the taste of things now. I have always been a fast food addict so eating different soups and having to sit around others eating has also given me an appreciation for how good food can smell. I think the biggest change I've made is that food can't always be my entertainment now. When I'm bored I can't grab the hubby and ask which restaurant we are heading too. China buffet can't be the norm for Saturday lunch anymore. I thank God that I have such a supportive husband but we are really going to have to find new things to do with ourselves. We actually did venture out to Cracker Barrel today and that turned out to be really nice. He began Atkins when I started my 2 week liquid diet and Cracker Barrel has a whole part on their menu devoted to Low Carb. So he got his low carb meal and I got some yogurt. lol It's kind of fun being the cheap date now with my $2.99 meal. Of course I barely ate much at all but having the social part of eating out was still really nice. Anyhow, Newbek I saw you have a fever and don't feel well. I hope they call you back and everything's all right. If it takes them awhile to get back with you, the back of your insurance card (assuming you have it) usually has a nurse advice line # to call.

@manwithkids my starting bmi was 32. I would consult with dr. First since they can be the only ones to address psychologically and physically her condition and success rate. It is just a tool for a lifestyle change...how she uses it will determine success. Bmis are a small portion of the equation bc for me I just was not losing anything with trainer cutting calories everything..insulin resistance it was just not moving... @kika get ready life is about to be amazingly vibrantly changed. I did not do can soups bc one lifestyle change inforced myself to do even with a restricted diet was reduce processed foods. I only have them in emergencies. My soups were all homemade by grandma, she would make me chicken soups and I would only drink the broth. She would make them in large qty's and I would freeze in small containers. Then take them to work. I did always keep a cup of noodles in my purse that's about the worst of the consumption for broths bc you must be prepared at all times. One thing you are not diminishing is your hunger justbthe capacity for which to satisfy that hunger. Instead of 24oz of soup you are stuffed with 2-5oz but be prepared every 2hrs to eat. At the first 2wks restriction is absurd you just hate drinking it's like fireworks in the tummy for a while I was even having warm broth at 6am bc it was the only thing that would tame the beast, after a while keffir yogurt. Another interesting fact coffee ....haven't had coffee since pre surgery and I don't crave it. Learn to love whole foods and start looking at fun places for soups. Once you can eat heartier soups you'll stop at fancy restauratnts and take them to go. Try them now during your pre-op and remember post no chunky soups. Also your Protein shakes are vital...I choose an egg white protein from whole foods with my mixed frozen berrie and 4 oz of coconut juice w Water blend and enjoy Also need to be armed with your story...once weight loss starts everyone wants to know who what when where and how....be consistent and accurate lying sucks but it's no ones business but your own.

I heard about adding hershey's cocoa powder and stevia to plain greek yogurt then freezing it. Has anybody tried anything like this?

Hald a tub of plain yogurt, a big spoonful of LSA mix, a smll handful of wlnuts abd some berries, mmmm

I usually have a protein shake for breakfast. Since my band is tight in the mornings.or sometimes I will eat a chobani yogurt

Normally I can down a third of a cup if it’s substantial. Yogurt Ive been doing 5 ounces.

If you're going crazy, so am I - it's not constant, but I certainly seem to be a lot more sensitive to sewage smells post-op than I was before. Some other smells too: I had some rugrats over and for a week afterwards, I'd suddenly get a whiff of berry tube yogurt. My sister later told me one of the kids had spilled a little on a couch and she'd cleaned it up, which I'm sure she did, since I'm the only one in the entire family who keeps smelling it. I'm also pretty sure one of my perfumes has turned, though no one else thinks it has. So maybe it's just a sharper sense of smell?

I've been taking vitamins in capsule form, the ones recommended by my surgeon, since 7 day's post op. Prior to that, I was breaking the capsules open and mixing the powder inside into my protein shakes and drinkable yogurt. But I was cleared to start swallowing them whole at 7 days post-op. One capsule, three times a day.