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You might try the Premier Protein ready made shakes. They come in a variety of flavors and are less chalky. If you are a coffee drinker, the cafe latte is great to help you wean down to 1 cup/day pre-surgery. The vanilla is nice and smooth and not too sweat.

I am scheduled for January 12th. Liquid diet is going well but I’m needing some other type of protein. This powder is starting to get disgusting

Rather than determine what you can eat to "satisfy" that craving, maybe it would be better to try and first understand why you're craving sweets at all? Some thoughts on possible things that may be driving this feeling: Forbidden foods: If you think of sweets as "forbidden", this can actually intensify your cravings for them. You might need to rethink your relationship with certain foods if this is true. Stress or a desire to self-soothe: Stress as well as physical and/or emotional pain can definitely drive you to crave things you see as comforting. For many, sweets may do this because eating them can trigger endorphins and dopamine in your brain in the same way powerful illicit drugs can. Contextual associations: We sometimes associate certain food with certain things. Examples would be people that feel they have to eat dessert or the meal isn't "done". Another example would be people that eat popcorn at the movies. Boredom: Typically boredom doesn't drive specific cravings, but can absolutely drive you to eat when you're not really hungry. Nutrient deficiencies/poor hydration: While there's a lot of anecdotal references for the idea that your body will crave certain things if you have a specific nutrient deficiency, there's not much scientific evidence for this belief. (In fact there's a lot of evidence that it's not correct. If that was actually driving cravings, we'd all be craving kale and broccoli instead of sugary, salty, fatty foods) That said, there are studies that show both poor hydration or insufficient protein or fiber will increase hunger. In this case however, your cravings would most likely be less specific and more "I'm hungry", vs. "I want sweets". i think once you understand the WHY, you'll be better armed on what you can do to address the craving. In some cases, distractions like @Arabesque mentioned may actually work better than finding a sweet thing that "satisfies" your craving. In other cases, you might be better off eating off plan if the "forbidden" food is the culprit. Only you can really know what's driving this and how best to deal with it.

I'm not sure if you can have these during your soft food stage but Quest brand chocolate chip cookie, double chocolate protein bars, & mini bars help me! Especially when I heat them up in the microwave for a few seconds. My favorite is the "double chocolate bar" If your programs allows you to have something like this during your soft phase try em! They get softer in the microwave. Also expect to only be able to eat half of 1 bar/cookies as they are quite filling in the beginning.

Hello All, I've been lurking here for a while and have appreciated your transparency and vulnerability. I was on this forum almost ten years ago after having a gastric sleeve. I never met my goal weight; over the years, the weight returned. Last month, I was only 50 pounds short of my highest weight. So, on December 12th of this year, I had a revision to gastric bypass. I feel a little discouraged right now because I don't feel I'm making the progress I expected. I lost 11 pounds my first week, but I am only down another 3 pounds for the next 3 weeks. So, I am only down 14 pounds at three weeks post-op. I do not have an appetite at all and am having difficulty getting anything down but liquids, although I was cleared to begin soft foods today. I couldn't even engage in the puree phase too much. Protein shakes are very hard to get down, so I've transitioned to Isopure (which is more of a liquid). Despite eating little to nothing, my weight loss is slow. It could also be attributed to my starting weight being a little lower than most. I started at 5'2, and my starting weight was 222. Additionally, I take bipolar meds, which are known to cause weight gain. Any words of advice or encouragement? I'm feeling down right now.

Hello! I’m four weeks post op for gastric sleeve and have been incorporating soft proteins. I noticed that I feel a distinct rise in temperature including sweating after eating some meals. Sometimes I’ll go from cold and shivering before I eat to sweating after in what seems like very little time. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it just a reflection of my body working hard to digest?

OHH I have a ton of favorite snacks! I'll start from my MOST favorite but they're all great 1: The Only Bean Crunchy Roasted Edamame Beans. DELICIOUS. Absolute favorite, it feels like I'm chomping on spicy roasted peanuts but without the extra carbs & fat. This Sriracha flavor is incredible. They also have bigger family sized bags but I loved these personal baggies. 117 & very filing. I tend to only eat half of a bag _____________________________ 2: Mini Quest Bars. I've been living off of these! They're small, w 8g of protein & only 80cals. They're the perfect on-the-go snack. I always keep some in my bag & they're yummy. _____________________________ 3: Wicked Cutz Beef Jerky. I found these on the Celebrate Bariatric Vitamins website & they're delicious! 1oz is only 50cals. That's the lowest I've found so far. Better flavor than a lot of the more popular store brands _____________________________ 4: Protein Puffs. I save these specifically for my "junk food" cravings. They're a tiny bit higher in cals than I'm used to but 15g fills up a small side bowl. I usually pair it with another protein like turkey slices. It makes me feel like I'm cheating a bit. Super yummy! _____________________________ 4: Fiber Gourmet crackers. I love pairing these with tuna or the famous tiktok 'sushi bake' instead of rice. I get about 15g (8 crackers) & it's usually about 34 Calories. This brands other crackers are also delicious, they're just stored away rn _____________________________ 5: Chomp Beef Sticks. These are delicious, 90cals & CLEAN. Sugar free & the ingredients in these are great! Especially in comparison to others like Slim Jim's. I also keep these in my bag or chopped up in a Bento box when I don't have a way to measure 1oz of the other jerky. So good!

Deli meat & cheese, rotisserie chicken, cottage cheese, grapes & berries, Flex protein chips, and pistachios are ALWAYS on hand for quick snacks or easy meals. I also usually have some cooked chicken of some variety measured out in the freezer, along with an assortment of frozen or canned veggies. I can just throw those in the microwave with some butter or BBQ sauce and BOOM a whole meal! I also try to freeze leftovers in one or two portion sizes so I can pull those out and have them for lunch a couple days a week. And I always have Lily's chocolate in the fridge for a treat! 😉

Sometimes we run out of ideas for snacks and meals. What are some of your favorite things to keep stocked up on? I can't live without a few flavors of Moon Cheese and my Milk Chocolate 1st Phorm Protein.

Nana22, I had a similar experience. I weighed 220.7 lbs the morning of surgery on Dec 29th and weighed 228 the following evening from so much water retention & gas? I think we have to hold on to a lot of non-scale victories. Being 5 days post-op, I have already noticed being able to breathe easier when sitting in a car with a seatbelt on and my knees not hurting or breaking when I walk down the stairs. While the head hunger is real and I am counting down the days until I get to pureed food (thanks for those suggestions, btw), I already feel like the procedure was worth it even though I experienced a few surgical complications (required a transfusion and an emergency EGD with the second surgery for a burst internal blood vessel and now body hives), I can already see the benefits of tracking water, protein, and planning out my meals throughout the day! Sent from my Pixel 5 using BariatricPal mobile app

I had my surgeon's staff write a Letter of Medical Necessity and my FSA covers my Bariatric Advantage multivitamins and calcium supplements for one year. They also wrote a letter for protein shakes, but my FSA denied that since it considers protein shakes food replacement. Sent from my Pixel 5 using BariatricPal mobile app

Do you crave the caffeine? I saw your thread about tea flavors and thought a lot of those sounded amazing. It's a nice way to switch up the water and water flavorings. Personally, I hate buying one use plastics and felt like the tea might be a better option for me than buying the vitamin water, Mio, Gatorade zero, etc. I'm so glad you started that post, Lisa. I've been drinking the Premier Protein cafe latte flavor to get my fix in for now. Sent from my Pixel 5 using BariatricPal mobile app

I have a follow up with my primary today but am fully ready to be sent to ER or go to ER if not directed to. Luckily I've been with this primary for more than a decade...heck...maybe almost 20 years and he knows 1) I am no pain weenie 2) I'm not a hypochondriac 3) I don't seek out pain meds and honestly most don't seem to be worth much HOWEVER when I'm in excruciating pain these days, I'm ready to try anything almost to get even a moment's relief The pain, as many stated, is almost like before removal. I can be in general discomfort, great discomfort or 'curl into a fetal position and try to breath thru it discomfort'. They don't warn you/inform you that having your gallbladder out is not a magic fix and also I wish I had known more about the downsides of not having a gallbladder, not that this would have changed me getting it removed or not but I sure would have been more mentally prepared. I have some of the 'follow up if you get these symptoms' type things going on but NOT the heavy hitter ones like jaundice (yellow eyes/skin) nor high fever. I've had blips of a few low grade temps, whatever they call it these days - 99.4, 99.2, 99.8. My daughters and I are odd as our normal body temps almost never show 98.6, we are all 3 about 95% of the time shown as 97.X. I don't know why and if that is even significant or just normal for many ppl. The discomfort/pain is 'alive' for sure over here (oof, and the bouts of nausea and 'flushing'/redness/clammy-soaked skin). Now I also have a continued burning sensation where..I guess my gallbladder used to be? My stomach gets very bloated/distended. I did a video the other night because I kid you not, I looked like I was 4 or 5 months pregnant. I was a bit taken a back as I'm used to seeing my saggy/deflated stomach and alarmed as I thought...OMG...how much weight have I gained over the holidays...!! (Answer - 8 pounds)...I do know in the past 2 days I've become very constipated so I just know that this is going to end up being a big focus if any scans are done. Yeah, I know...there is a lot of 'stuff' in there. The constipation is due to some unwise food choices and the fact that I'm not eating as much fiber as normal and I tend to have 'cycles' of constipation even when my diet is steady, predictable, relatively low in fat and high in fiber. I've taken stool softeners for past few days and just took a laxative. Anyone know if 2 to 4 years post surgery, can you have SO much constipation that you look VERY pregnant? For the ongoing pain/discomfort/burning I've tried: Not eating for most/90% of the day, drinking broth, doing a day of protein shakes, eating very little, eating a lot (not planned but it happened)..and none of this has impacted/alleviated the discomfort so I'm honestly..puzzled. Dang, I remember the bypass post op months when sometimes things didn't feel right - in hindsight I had some struggles with abdominal spasms and I'd get scanned and they'd be like 'nope, everything is ok'. I guess I should remember it is OK to go in and be seen and get verified that 'everything is ok' I guess that is why i honestly cringe at the thought of going to ER's, etc. Obviously I mentally know at this point that 'not going' is not a solution either. My appt with primary is in roughly 2 hours, I'll be mentally prepared to go wherever he feels is best if he does want me to go be 'seen/scanned', etc. TY to all who have taken time to comment. Hopefully for those who have not had their gallbladder removed you now know to do a bit more research/ask questions. Not saying this should change a recommendation to get a gallbladder removed but there are things you may need to do to make adjustments to your 'diet' post removal that did not get mentioned, nor was I fully aware of the gallbladder's role in our bodies and the fact that nothing else that I'm aware of 'leaps' in to take over that role. I SHOULD have done my homework. I've had 2 years of warning that my gallbladder was NOT Happy. I could have been better prepared. Blah.. Will let y'all know what I find out today and spread what my experience shows me/informs me/clarifies for me in the hope it may help someone else out down the road.

My preop was a 2 week liver diet with 4 shakes a day and three options out of six items- hard boiled egg, fat free cottage cheese, fat free ricotta, protein pudding .. the first day I had a salad lol.. but it gets easier make sure you enjoy your protein shake.. I found a brand I really liked. I lost 16 lbs in 2 weeks.

Hello everyone, it has been a while since I posted or updated. Mainly because there isn't much to update. (Just over 9 months post-op) First: I am going to go a head and admit that through the Holidays I sucked! I ate too much (not to be sick, but over my calories) and the wrong things at times. Reset- Holidays are over so I admit it and I am moving on from it and back on the horse and focused! The worst part of this (or at least what I am calling the worst) is that I still lost some weight through it. I am saying this is bad, because other than knowing I shouldn't have done it, there was no "punishment" in my mind. Honestly, I wish I would have just gained a few pounds. But, it didn't seem to stop me from getting re focused and back on track so I will take it. 9 month update: No changes except weight and NSV's! I can eat anything (including what I shouldn't) I don't and have never dumped. I still track everything I eat and drink, still stay within my calorie range (less the previous comment). I had my 9 month follow up with my surgical team. They called me a rock star. I was very proud of myself and how well I am doing. I still don't exercise, they still don't care. LOL Well, kinda, of course it has other health benefits but they are not concerned for the weight loss aspect of it. I am well ahead of schedule, and my Nutritionist has already started talking about my maintenance calories and how to start upping my calories slowly and safely. I told him to slow down, I still want to loose another 43 lbs to hit my goal! He agrees that is achievable, but was merely explaining where my calories would likely fall when the time comes. Which, is about double what I currently eat so he wanted to bring it to my attention so I could mentally prepare for how much more I would to eat to stop loosing weight. He explained that some people struggle physically and mentally to increase so greatly so he wanted me to have time to process and prepare for it. He said I would fall between 2000-2300 calories a day WITHOUT exercising, more depending on the intensity and frequency of exercise. Yeah.. that's a lot. I still drink a shake a day to maintain my calories and proteins, 70g protein or more a day and 80 oz fluids a day or more. Pretty much all water, and usually 1 sugar free drink a day to switch it up. NSV's are ENDLESS! Really, as we lose weight so many things change. Even some bad, like my bony ass knees when I sleep I have to stagger them so the knees are directly on top of each other because they hurt like crazy in the morning! I could go on for days about this subject! Body dysmorphia is real, like really real! When I was my heaviest, I knew I was fat but when I looked in the mirror I didn't see a 422 lbs person but when I saw pictures of my I did.. man I did.. I was sick to my stomach and so disgusted! Now, At almost half that size when I look in the mirror I still see a fat girl but when I see pictures I am like WHOA I am so small. I found out my cousin is 1 size smaller than me, but when I look at her I see someone very small and when I look at myself I cannot believe we are only 1 size different. I look so much bigger! I love to see pictures of myself now! I encourage them rather than hiding in the back of them. I buy shirts from everywhere, and really only because I can. HAH I have never been able to buy a souvenir shirt, they never fit. Not even close to fitting. Now I literally buy them everywhere I can, to an rate of just wasting money because I shrink out of them faster than I can actually get use out of them. To finish up: I hope to hit my goal weight by my 1 year follow up but I know 43 lbs in 3 months will be tough! My original goal was 225, which is much more reasonable to loose in these next 3 months. But 210 is my ultimate goal as that will be half of my starting weight which is pretty freaking cool! 422 down to 250 26/28 down to a 14 4/5XL TALL shirt down to a 1/2x regular shirt Good luck to all!!!! ❤️

I only drink 1 Gatorade per day. It's zero sugar and has protein. What I drink a lot of is Propel flavored water. And tea. I never drink Powerade.

Are you still in contact with your dietician? If not give them a call. They should be supporting you along the way & should work with you to develop a way of eating that works for you. How you are eating now should be getting closer to how you will eat in the long term. Do you still track your food? Personally I kept my food choices pretty simple. Protein & vegetables for lunch & dinner. Chose healthier cooking methods. Cooked & prepped 90+% of the food I ate myself. Anything I did purchase I read the nutrition panels very carefully. Kept low fat, low carbs, low sugar. Portion size was very important. And yes as @catwoman7 said the last pounds are the hardest to lose & take the longest to go. Congrats on your weight loss so far.

Have you had an MRI of the area? I would honestly make enough noise that your doctor has a second look. Sometimes you really need to stress to them that you are truly in considerable pain - and that your medical history will prove you're not a hypochondriac or opioid addict. I haven't had exactly what you describe, but I will say that with my own experience, gallbladders and their removal aren't simple or even cure the issue. I had my gallbladder removed in 2015, years before my WLS. I had a terrible gallstone attack that landed me in ER. Since then, I have had, on and off, gallstone-like attacks despite no longer having a gallbladder. Same sensation. Same building pressure that can bad enough that I have to lie down and just groan the pain out (I live in fear of it happening while driving). I get very sore right under my right rib where my liver is. Then it goes away again within a few minutes, sometimes less, depending on the severity. My gallbladder surgeon was also my WLS surgeon, so I've been able to tell him about it the last couple of times I've seen him. We're keeping an eye on it, and if it gets worse we'll have to talk options, however he's warned me that the "cure" can sometimes cause even worse issues, so I'm unlikely to choose a surgical fix. Apparently what I have can happen - sorry I don't recall the details (I was talking to him right before he did a gastroscopy on me so I was dopey), but from memory, some people can continue to have "attacks" because of new issues with the bile duct leading from the liver. Anyway, that's a long winded way of saying "chase this up because post-gallbladder-removal issues absolutely happen".

I'd go back to dietician. Maybe you need to say at soft foods for awhile. Get your protein in.

I drank 1-2 protein drinks a day.

I used Chocolate pudding made with dry powder milk to add protein.

I am about 4 months post op. I currently am eating okay but I need to get strict to my diet again. I have about 40 pounds more to lose and my weight loss has stopped. I would like some great ideas for meals that are low cal, low carb, high protein. When I look in the mirror I still feel like I am overweight, I know I have weight to lose on my inner legs and stomach. I would like to lose and get tone as well. The holidays were hard and I was not able to stay on track. Currently I am about 65 pounds down. I have lost a ton of inches. Pants size was 20 and I now wear a size 12. Shirts size was 2x and I now wear a medium. Any tips are helpful. I have been reading a lot of the forums for ideas.

It's been just over 3 years since I had my RNY (12/31/19). I am so glad I made the decision to do this. It's not easy and there are challenges, but I feel so much better in my own skin. Stats: 5'10; 44 years old Starting Weight: 336 Surgery weight: 292 Lowest weight: 155 Current weight: 172 Wins in 2022: Last year I really wanted to focus on strength and stamina. I set a bucket list goal of climbing Kilimanjaro (I did it in June!) and spent the first half of the year getting in shape for that. That included regular hikes, but also yoga and strength training classes to build muscle and flexibility. I also did a lot of time on the treadmill at incline (I hate the treadmill - but it served it's purpose). In the second half of the year I wanted to keep growing strength, stamina and flexibility but in a way I enjoy so I started HIIT classes. They are a great workout, give me cardio and strength in one which is a huge win. I also still do yoga once a week and try to hike when I can. At the end of the year I am the strongest and healthiest I can ever recall being. I also did a TON of traveling in 2022 which was great for my mental health. I got to see Equador, the Galapagos, Costa Rice, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Alaska, Victoria CA, Little Cayman, and other places in the US West. It's been amazing. Goals for 2023: In addition to continuing to grow on my physical fitness gains from 2022, this year I need to work on my relationship with food. In general I eat much healthier than I did pre-surgery (I was a total carb addict and rarely ate protein or vegetables), however I still struggle with emotional eating and moderation for trigger foods. I am very consciously NOT dieting. There will be times I eat pasta or sweets but I don't want to eat because I'm bored or <insert any emotion here>. I also want to be aware of the scale, I really want to stay between my low weight and where I am now, but not ruled by it. I'm not sure exactly what this will look like, but will figure it it. I also start a new job in a couple of weeks. I'm super excited about the role and the challenge it will present. It will mean a lot less time to travel, but I'm ready to take on something new. My goal (aside from doing well at the job) is to find a way to balance work and life in a more sustainable way that I have in the past. I hope all of you have an amazing 2023 and good luck in your journey's! Lori

Im working with Mt Auburn in Cambridge MA. They said i could have one cup of coffee if I wanted, so i started with just 2 oz on day 3, then 4 oz. 4 oz seems enough right now to be satisfying, and I drink either black with miralax or mix with 4 oz fairlife elite protein shake (the 46g protein per bottle variety). Im keeping careful notes on everything, looks like Im getting 600-750 calories per day. (Im 5’6”, 254 lb). Soups- i have the broccoli, bacon cheddar, mushroom and cream of chicken. They are all nice and savory and satisfying. Im putting them through seive at this point to not have any little “bits”. The bacon one was great yesterday when my teen was making pepperoni pizza. OMG the smell!!

Wow, Lisa! Great job hitting your protein goal. I'm gonna get after it today. Being in a car for 5 hours yesterday made that a little rough. Sent from my Pixel 5 using BariatricPal mobile app