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VGS 10/16 and I’ve lost about 32lbs since the surgery. I’ve definitely hit that weird zone with no weight loss that everyone has been posting about. I’ve been bouncing around +\- 3lbs for the last four weeks. It’s hard to not be discouraged and cheat on the diet (I’m an emotional eater). So I’m looking at other wins- smaller clothes, walking the dog, going up stairs, better movement in general. I have to keep telling myself- It doesn’t have to all be based on the number on the scale.

I think the people that lose so much weight after 6 mos are people who started at a much higher weight than both you and I. The heavier one is going into the procedure, the more they lose more quickly. I do know that if a person does not enough they will put themselves into a stall so i dont think those people are starving themselves, i think they are just bigger to begin with. I am only a couple months ahead of you (my surgery was 4/12/23) but my weight loss has considerably slowed and i havent even hit one year yet. I do eat more normal foods now as opposed to "diet food" but i do still limit my carbs and fat and sugar. Regardless, in the last 3 months ive only lost 10 lbs. Kind of annoying but i also could do better on my diet so that is partially my fault. How is your sleep? I also notice that when i get more sleep i seem to drop weight quicker. Im not the best at going to bed early enough though.

I haven’t been very public about my surgery journey, but I’m not very public about any of my health stuff.  If people ask, I’ll ease in slowly and gauge interest, but usually keep things short. [[I’m okay- aka I’m still not great but not is particularly bad. We’re working on it- meaning my doctors and I Ah, it’s going, meaning it’s pretty bad but you don’t really care about it. ]] For my weight loss- I did it primary as a potential benefit to help my health issues, not particularly for looks. There were two people who pretty much immediately started commenting as soon as I lost like 10 pounds.  Other than that it was only in the past 1-2 months that I have started getting regular comments.  And I am struggling to figure out how I want to deal with them.  If it is strictly compliments, I’ll just say thanks and move on. [I’m still supperrrr awkward about it, but 🤷🏻‍♀️] [I also don’t particularly like the attention, and it makes me want to dress to hide the changes.] But when people continue and ask what are you doing or what’s your motivation or anything like that that’s where I am struggling a little bit more. My goal for the surgery was focused on my health. It also is a little difficult because my health issues are caused my genetic issues, and while weight loss likely will help in the long term, I haven’t really seen any improvements since losing weight.  So it can be awkward for those conversations if other women ask how I have lost weight or if I’m feeling better.  I don’t wanna tell anyone, yeah I don’t really feel better, because I know that for most people it would.  So for those of you who aren’t really sharing about your surgery, what do you say if people ask about how you lost weight? How do you respond when people compliment you? All of that…

I need to rant a little! I have always struggled with excess weight in my adult life. Over the years I tried Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, my own thing, you name it. For the past 8 years I have been struggling to lose 50-60 lbs. It was extremely difficult for me to lose anything at all unless I severely limited calories - like 800, 900 per day - which I could only do with the help of prescription medicines. When I'd stop taking them the weight would come back despite that fact that I was rarely overeating, usually around 1500 calories per day. Over the years I gained and lost the same weight this way. I took Contrave, but it hyped me up so badly I couldn't stand it. I took Belviq, which worked well - I didn't care if I ate or not so it was easy to consume so few calories, but it was taken off the market. I used Qysmia, which also worked the same way. I lost 30 lbs, but I was paying out of pocket and couldn't afford it any more. One of my issues is that I lose weight VERY slowly, and it was frustrating to work so hard and lose a pound or 2 a month. After gaining all the weight back plus 10 more pounds in 2 years, I knew I could lose it again by getting back on Qysmia but I couldn't bear the thought of the "yoyo" again. I'm 67 and have diabetes and heart disease in my family, which I was afraid of developing if I didn't take and keep the weight off. I'm on blood pressure and cholesteroI meds already. I can't play with a yoyo any longer at this point in my life and so I began to consider sleeve gastrectomy. I researched and thought about it for a long time before finally having surgery 1/24/24. Yesterday it was 4 weeks since surgery. In the 1st 2 weeks I lost 10 lbs. While I hoped to lose more, this was a good result because before surgery it would have taken me about 6 months to lose 10 lbs. Victory!! Or so I thought. Since then, however, I haven't lost any weight. I've read about the 3 week stall, which I guess is what I am experiencing. I think I get it. And at the same time I am enormously frustrated and sometimes find myself thinking that I made this drastic and permanent change in my life only to have the same result - consuming very little calorically and the weight just not coming off. Except now I'm consuming even fewer calories (still on purees). And on top of that, I am hungry almost all day. After breakfast, I wait 15 minutes and start on water/fluids again. Fifteen minutes after that, I am hungry again. And yes, it's genuine hunger - with growling and an empty feeling. Eating 1/4 cup of food is not filling me up. I am getting usually around 70g of protein each day in what I'm eating and drinking, so it's not that. I had some wild expectations, I'll admit. My doctor gave me a goal weight that requires me to lose 50 lbs. (60 for a "stretch" goal). I (crazily) thought that it would take about 2 months to lose that much. I've since realized that with relatively little to lose it will go slower, but geez! For who knows what reason, I also thought I would hardly ever be hungry. Five days post op, natural hunger returned. I was mad! And surprised, but I relied on this forum and learned that hunger was still normal. I thought once I could actually eat something it would be more like "normal" hunger - like before surgery - when it was about time to eat. Instead I find that I am often just hungry all day (usually worse at night) and the amount I'm eating isn't enough. I eat the recommended 2 oz of food and I never feel full, but I stop because that is the recommended amount. The instructions I've been given have implied that this should be more than enough to fill me at this point and that I might not even be able to finish that much, but it hasn't been the case for me. In 30 minutes or so, it's like I didn't eat anything and I'm hungry again. Of course I realize that a lot of my problem is my unrealistic expectations. But sometimes I do feel frustrated that I did this drastic thing only to have nothing change - I still can't lost weight. Mostly, reason prevails and I know that sooner or later the weight has got to come off. Reason is reassuring for the mental issue I have here, but reason does nothing to help the hunger. Ok, rant over. Does anyone have experience like this? Very slow loss and constant hunger? Does the weight loss pick up? How long does the 3 week stall last? Does the hunger ever return to normal? Help!!

So 5 days post op I was put on pureed from full liquid. The chili my doctors gave examples of is Wendy's chili. I made my own, beef, red and kidney beans, tomato sauce and paste, and seasonings. Even in my binder it was clear liquid for 3 days, full liquid like pudding, cream of wheat, jello, ect for 10 days....so that would only be 13. But I had 3 days of full liquid and was clear for puree. Now that's my doctor, for roux en y. Maybe yours has you on a different plan for specific reasons, and maybe there's a misunderstanding about your liquid diet time period, because yeah I couldn't do 17 days with only liquids.

I understand fully what your saying. I was shocked too at how much less pain the surgery was compared to my gallbladder. I didn't really have too much anxiety, as I did excitement and finally had it done. when I came to in recovery I had to wait for a room to open, so I was there for a couple hours and my nurse was wonderful!! she was so kind and got me extra pillows and talked with me the whole time. All the staff was wonderful through the night and the next for going home I was home by I believe, 10:30 am. Why did they say you cant have soup or pudding more than once a day ? I can have soup just have to have it cream and strained before having it, I wonder why they stated that. I am sorry that they said that. I feel hungry all the time too, I am just trying to get fluids in and get at least one protein drink in a day at this point. I don't want to push it. I find It hard when my kids are making food not to just taste it to make sure it taste alright lol , but so far I have been good. I have slipped and took a very very small bite of some chicken wing dip and just made sure I chewed it really well. I sat okay. So I was glad. I really hope that you are able to get your medicine soon. I am on my own medicine and glad that I have it through this , I don't think that I would make without it.

I begin my 2 week liquid diet in 10 days, I want to try different shakes beforehand so I can see what I like & so I don’t get bored or just stuck with the same flavor for 2 weeks. please comment protein shakes you would highly recommend to try, Ready made protein shakes or powder !

Hey loves! I had my surgery 12.18 I’m about a week and half post op now. I have my follow up appointment today although they literally wanted me in there the day after I was discharged I was in no condition to go so I had to reschedule. Anesthesia hits me really hard every time so I was out for the first two days for the most part. My surgery experience was pretty good they found and fixed a hernia that was interesting to hear. I started out at 240 and im down 10 lbs now but for this week im been bouncing back from 229 to 230 :-/ I have been following the diet the doctors recommended if anything im not able to eat all they recommended per meal. I have experienced being backed up so would recommend anyone who hasn’t had their surgery yet to have miralax ready. Overall I’m fine I haven’t had any vomiting or anything else weird happen. I do feel a little frustrated bc last week I was dropping a lb a day. But my doctor said to introduce purée food this week so I’m assuming that has to do with the hold up🤷‍♀️. I have been walking daily and last night pulled out my workout bike so I will see what happens next. Sending you all prayers and congratulations to those who’ve had and are yet to get their surgery. I heard of the 3 week stall but I feel like I’m already there on week 2 :-/! Anyone else dealing with that? Is 10 lbs good? I’m 5’4 and started at 240 when I began my journey to get this surgery I was 234. In a week and a half I’m down 10lbs.

I agree with the others stating the importance of having a therapist or coach to walk through this with you. Dieticians and nutritionists are very helpful with making a tailored diet plan for your needs, but don't always address the issues in our head, since that's not in their job description. See if you can get your insurance to cover sessions in therapy or counseling, if nothing else, just to have someone to vent to that is obligated to not judge you . If insurance pushes back, check with local therapists that offer "coaching" sessions at a lower rate. I had to do that until my insurance rolled over at the first of the year. I'm only 10 weeks post op, but I'm dealing with constant head hunger and cravings. I'm learning now that I used the act of eating, and not the feeling of fullness, as a way to deflect stress. At least now, if I overdo it, my stomach will rebel, which is its own problem, because I don't want to put stress on the staples. My therapist is helping me practice ways to listen to my stomach, and not listen to my mouth, if that makes any sense. When those two are fighting, the stress and feelings of being a failure appear to me. I have to remind myself that despite hitting a stall and dealing with the cravings, I'm already much healthier for having decided to have surgery!

Hello all, I was posting on the "September surgery buddies" topic and somehow it seemed to get blended with the September topic from past years and so I figured why not just start a new one for us. I'm scheduled for what my surgeon calls a Duodenal Switch Loop September 19, 2023.

Yeah, I got a pack of these freezer safe glass 4 oz baby food jars on Amazon and they've been really helpful with portioning!! At first I could only eat about half of one, so about 1/4 cup total. A bit less if it was solid protein in meat form other than fish (beef, chicken, and pork sit heavier). That was it for about two months. In this third month my portion size suddenly increased to about 1/2 cup in total now! As far as meat and veggies are concerned at least. I have always been able to eat a little more of soft things like yogurt and pudding... But my PA told me that increase at 3 months is perfectly normal, and I could expect it to increase in stages throughout the first year or two, to not panic over it, hunger is natural and mine never went away from surgery, so I've really had to cultivate a healthy relationship with it. Because those stomach nerves are still healing, I watched my portion size carefully and really paid attention to discovering new fullness cues. For me those are a runny nose, hiccups, burping, and aggressive sneezing fits! Plus this building pressure or weight in the center of my stomach. These are all normal signals for bariatric patients, but we all get our own unique combination so be on the lookout for discovering yours! I think 2-3 shakes a day paired with things like yogurt and soft cereals seems really normal. It is great you are progressing so well! The problem with forums and support groups is we get used to seeing people post with problems and then we expect to have a slew of problems ourselves! And sometimes we do. But often times we don't... The majority of bariatric patients have no complications, progress their diets easily, and worry about eating too much and if their surgeon even did their surgery. 🤣 Your metabolism has been reset, it will handle calories a bit differently now. Just stay on the conservative end with simple carbs, as they can slow weight loss sometimes. Focus on that hydration and protein, and later on when cleared for all foods, on adding complex carbs like veggies, beans, and some fruit. Protein will help with the hunger, as does healthy fat and the fiber once it is safe for you to digest. My dietician told us to think more about macros than calories. So, to make sure things had less than 10 grams of sugar per serving, more than 20 grams of protein per shake, less than 10 grams of fat per serving, and keeping our total carbohydrates for the day under 50 grams in the early months...and that was their advice for all surgeries, with varying protein goals for each different one. Baritastic app has been really helpful with the tracking!

I dont eat the same foods everyday. Everyday is different. I get sick of foods faster. I've been trying to get foods with higher protein in them, like 15 plus grams of protein like Greek yogurt and cottage cheese. Haven't been drinking much water lately which is really bad. But yeah. I do like to write down what I eat in a day, I don't like logging with an app tho. I have a note book ready that I am gonna start doing tonight or tomorrow. I dont remember if I updated my stats on here or not, but I'm going to be 11 months post rny on the 21st. And I'm down 111.5 pounds. I had lapband in 2009, gallbladder removed in 2010, lapband revision in 2013 and 2 days later, it was removed due to an abscess...they poked a hole in my stomach during the revision. Before ryn I had gained 81.4 pounds in the 9 to 10 years after lapband removal. 2015 I did weight watchers and I tracked everything. It helped a lot

So interesting as they only required you to be on it for only 1 day. Every program varies so much as you can plainly see from everyone's responses. I had to do a 12 day preop diet. The first 10 days I could do 2 protein shakes and 1 lean protein and non starchy veg. Black coffee, tea, sugar free beverages all ok. A snack of low sugar fruits - berries mainly - was allowed. The 11th day was liquids only, but could include protein shake, sugar free jello, sugar free sodas, gatorade, broth. The last day was clear liquids only so no dairy at all (i did protein water and broth). 8 hours prior to surgery, I was to drink 16 oz of regular sugar Gatorade - as it was supposed to assist in recovery. 🤷‍♀️ The main point typically of this diet is to shrink your liver to make it easier to move to get to your stomach. I'm kind of shocked by the lack of details provided from your medical team. I had to do a whole Zoom meeting with the dietician and other patients having surgery done in the same window of time to discuss the entire pre and post op plan including the specific diet guidelines.

I've been home for a few hours now. I passed out pretty much as soon as I got home. I'm currently sipping on a Gatorade Zero, and now that I'm out of the hospital I can do a liquid diet instead of just clear liquids. So there's that, at least lol. My biggest problem is water. Doesn't matter if lukewarm or cold, straight water makes my stomach cramp. But because I am able to consume other liquids just fine, they went ahead and sent me home. The water thing is just something I'm going to have to keep working on. My other big issue was my body did the opposite of that they expected it to do in regards to my blood sugars. AKA, every time they tested, I was in the 200-300 range when they were expecting me to go down post-op. So I came home with rapid-acting insulin on a sliding scale. Hopefully soon we can discontinue that. For those of you asking about recipes, my doctor has me use the Baritastic app for my logging and tracking. It does have recipes on there as well, if you are looking to spice things up in the land of boredom. Now time to catch up on posts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @ShoppGirl - Amazing that they had you drink Gatorade 2 hours prior to arriving for surgery. I had to drink mine the night before, and absolutely nothing by mouth after midnight. It's wild to me how different doctors prefer their things to happen. As for taking the shots, I'm sure you are going to rock it. I struggled with the idea of giving myself shots, but over the years it just became another thing for me to put on my calendar to remind me to take. Your question about how long to wait between trying new things, my doctor said I could not try anything new on the same day. So if I tried something and it seemed to work, that would be my thing that day. Then the next day, I would keep that for the first meal, and then as long as it still agreed, I would try something new for the 2nd meal. Maybe that helps you out some? Thank you again for the recipe/website. The site has been bookmarked for me. So the straw thing is for life, it sounds like? At least based on your experience. Chewing your eggs to liquid is still really good. My nutritionist said that every bite I take from now on needs to be the consistency of applesauce before I swallow it. And that chewing even beyond that would be great. But you're rocking it! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @Pepper_No_Salt - Thank you for the idea of mixing things in. I guess I've been scared to do that because I didn't know if it was allowed or not. How do you like the Orgain powder? I use the Owyn premade shakes and Vega powder. They sent you home same day?!?! Holy crap, and I mean that in the best way possible lol. My doctor and nutritionist vehemently told me no straws. Apparently because you can actually suck up air as well as the liquid if you use a straw. I just don't know if that is forever, or just in the post-op period. But my stomach cramped drinking straight water no matter what temperature. However, I did exceptionally well with ice chips - letting them melt in my mouth and then trickle down with a swallow. That didn't affect me at all, so maybe see if you can get some ice chips from Sonic or something similar to maybe give you an idea of how much a 'sip' is? Another suggestion I got from my nutritionist as well as people who my husband work with that have had the RYGB is to buy shot glasses for your water. It should take you about 10-15 minutes to finish a shot glass of water. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @AndreaJD - Thank you for the well wishes! Water was a struggle, but I was up walking on my own the next day. So I feel like I was doing pretty good for myself! I get to start my full liquid stage today now that I'm home. But man, I can't stay awake enough to do much of anything. Hospitals and rest do not go in the same sentence, unless it's discussing negative rest. (My care team was absolutely great though, so I very much appreciate all they were doing for me even if it meant not getting nearly enough sleep.) This will be an experimental phase for me as I have to find dairy free options to make my life easier. But even if I had to literally water down yogurt, that would be better than the chicken broth I had in the hospital. lol ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @Hiddenroses - I have a bunch of staples as well, and have never experienced them before. So thank you for that explanation. Hopefully when I get mine out at the 10 day post-op, I'll be able to at least tolerate it now that I've kind of been forewarned. And yay, WrA peeps! Honestly we probably did cross paths, but in the early days of RP for me I was stupidly shy. For your chair question - I noticed sitting in any chair for longer than an hour bothers me currently. Which they didn't like in the hospital, because they wanted me in the chair for two hours at a time. And I just... could not do it. It ached too much. Even being home now, sitting in chairs I've sat in previously, I have about an hour long time span before it starts to ache. I take that as my sign to get up and move around. Dry mouth is a problem in particular for me. I still try to sipsipsip but I hate the feeling of dry mouth. And that's made worse by the fact that I'm a diabetic. And yes, I was thrilled (/s) to find out I was starting my period. Thank God for mesh panties and pads they had on hand. They assured me this happened quite often, but it still annoyed me to no end (especially when I'm on multiple birth controls to prevent having said periods due to endometriosis). As for poor executive function, I have that in spades as well. I had to come off my Adderall a couple of days prior to surgery because you know, they want me to go to sleep during anesthesia and not be on stimulants. And hoooo boy did that make the problem that much worse. If it wasn't for my poor husband, pretty sure I would have lost my head and left it laying somewhere. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @Onemealplan - Did your doctor allow ice cream for the puree foods? That's kind of awesome. I don't have recommendations for that stage yet as the earliest I will get to it is 8/28 after my post-op appointment. I do remember a recipe back from one of my diet days (Weight Watchers, maybe? I don't remember) that I think might be helpful. You take a helping of ricotta, mix it with Splenda (or whatever sugar alternative you prefer), and some cocoa powder that has no added sugar. Makes it a friendly chocolate treat. I can't give exact measurements on it because I played with it some to get the consistency I liked at the time. I also don't think I could handle the pureed proteins lol. I'll be saving those for when I get to the final stage. I can survive on tuna for a while, especially when I'm having protein shakes alongside it. They gave me a walking goal of 4 laps per 12 hour shift. i was doing those just fine, and when they finally let me walk on my own I extended how long a lap was. But I could not pass gas until they started giving me what is essentially children's Gas-x. And even now, I only pass gass within the 2-3 hours after I've had it. So thankful they sent me home with some. As for in the hospital, the only options i had was water, chicken broth, ice chips, and no sugar added hot chocolate when I specifically asked for it. They brought in 10oz bottles of Dasani water, and it would take me 12 hours to get through one of those due to the cramping. But everything else went down fine. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @Rob Nissam - Thank you for that explanation. My left shoulder was hurting the most over the last day, and they said it was the gas pain. It was the thing that made sure I did not skip any pain medicine, because I was almost in tears over it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Okay, I think I got through all the posts and everyone. If I missed someone, I am really sorry. For those of you in recover, I pray the pain lessens and the intake gets better daily. For those of you who are still waiting on surgery, YOU GOT THIS! I'll be praying for a safe and healthy surgery for you, and that your recovery process is simply fantastic. ❤️

I have yet to see a nutritionist or dietician that truly understands the optimal diet for a SADI or DS patient. Most of the time we just get a modified version of what they give Bypass and Sleeve patients. But as you say, you aren't absorbing as much as they are, therefore to give you their requirements would leave you malnourished. 15 grams of fat is absurd by all medical standards. Most medical studies show we need 60 grams of fat for proper hormone function and even if you ate 60 grams of fat, with an altered digestive tract, you aren't absorbing that much, so you need to eat a little more than that. Even the ASMBS recommends 60 grams of fat by 1 year out!! Your dietician is not following best practices. Most SADI/DS patients I know follow the vets that have been living with this surgery for 10+ years and maintaining their weight loss. We figure they know more about optimal diet than a surgeon who has never lived with this surgery, or a dietician that has never even researched best diet for bariatric patients of various surgeries. Most patients I know are eating 100-120 grams of protein, less than 50 grams of carbs, and over 60 grams of fat, usually around 100 grams of fat for SADI and 150 grams for DS. You can increase your carbs once you have reached your goal weight, they tend to slow/stop weight loss, so in active weight loss it is important to keep them low so you stay in ketosis. A calorie range makes dieticians feel better, but it makes no sense for a SADI or DS patient because we malabsorb so much fat we can't even begin to properly calculate our calories. You could eat 1200 calories, but that wouldn't be what your body is absorbing. I'm sorry this is so complicated. In the end you have to decide what you feel best at. I don't feel good following guidelines like your dietician gave you and when I go over 50 grams of carbs I stop losing weight. So...yeah. I'm going to follow what allows my brain and hormones to function, what makes my skin, hair, and eyes feel best, what gives me the most energy, and what allows me to lose weight steadily. I'm the one that has to live in this body. It is sad these surgeries are so uncommon there are no good studies about optimal nutrition for them. But there is no way I'd go below ASMBS guidelines, they are the closest thing bariatric surgeons have to a standardizing body. Your dietician should be able to give you ASMBS guidelines for your surgery.

I got a post-op call from the nurse today to check in. She suggested either miralax or milk of magnesia though said that 7-10 days of no bowel movement after surgery is normal.

Hi all. New here. Had my surgery on 12/18/23: DS/BPD. Spent a single night in the hospital, with discharge ~1pm the following day. Apparently I'm having a somewhat rare complication, which is severe hiccups. By severe I mean where the diaphragm spasms and holds for 10 seconds, during which you cannot breathe. Fortunately, this hasn't happened more than once per day, and today I got a scrip for a drug called Reglan which should moderate the hiccups until whatever is irritating my diaphragm heals itself. Aside from that, the weight is dropping off rapidly. Lost 11 lbs on the 2 week pre-surgery 1K cal/day diet, and am losing since surgery an average of 2.3 lbs / day, which is mind blowing. Cheers, Bruce

Need help and info on days post op and foods hi I’m new to the group and have so many questions, I had Roux-en-Y Bypass gastric bypass…. so rule of thumb is followed Weeks 1 and 2: Liquid diet Weeks 3 and 4: Puree diet Weeks 5 to 8: Soft diet After 8 weeks: Regular diet But I’m having issues sticking to this, I need help and advice on what I’m doing and if I’m wrong to do this and I can’t find answers, so I’m day 10 post op now as I had my surgery on the 2nd December 2023, first few days kept to the liquid diet that being said I’m struggling with taking so much fluids, any way I would say day 7 I feel fine no issues or anything when I drink the shakes etc and they are thickish shakes so day 8 post op I tried a chunky soup it was potato and leak I chewed the chunks before swallowing and yeah only managed like 4 spoons and done I’m full….. but today 10 days post op again should only be on liquid but I had mash and beans and again only a few mouth fills filled me and I’m fine no pains or anything….. I know they say people heal at different rates inside etc and I do know I heal quick from surgery’s Iv had in the pact ext…… so my question is am I moving to fast is this safe for me to continue should I slow down and go back to what the plan is supposed to happen because with me only being 10 days post op I’m eating at week 3-4 puree diet and to be honest I think I might be ok moving onto week 5-8 soft diet in a few days…. just any advice of anyone who has had this issues or may know a answer from experience or knowledge. many thanks. Meg. From UK. (Manchester)

Original VSG WLS 11/7/2017 (revised to RNY 2019) Height 5’3”-5’4” starting BMI 43-44 current BMI 25-26 Measurements July 2017 (before WLS) Hips 51 Thighs 31 Lower abdomen 53 Mid abdomen 49 Under bust 43 Full bust 50 Over bust 46 Arm 16 Measurements Jan 2021 (before plastics) Hips 43 Thighs 25 Lower abdomen 38 Mid abdomen 34 Under bust 31 Full bust 38 Over bust 36 Arm 11 At this point I barely remember what life was like preop unless I look at photos. However, I vividly remember immediately post op. The constant monitoring of every aspect of life to make sure I got it all right. Not going to lie, I don’t miss that- it could be exhausting at times (but ultimately worth it!). I have relaxed into a routine that works really well for me and nothing feels restrictive. I’m very happy I chose this path.❤️

We are for sure surgery buddies! I'm down about 30 pounds, but that is starting at my 10-day pre-op diet. Eating is so confusing to me. It's hard to put it into words. I want food, but when I eatI'm usually miserable. For the most part, it's not horrible pain unless I overdo it, but it's just very uncomfortable. That heaviness in my chest and feeling like it all wants to come back up. And I wish I hadn't eaten. Nothing is satisfying like it used to be. Tonight we went out for Chinese food, at my request. I ate maybe an 8th of what was on my plate. Probably less. It was shrimp and veggies... and, of course, way too much rice. I had 2 tastes of rice that had been soaked in the sauce. It was ok, I guess. I had 3 small shrimp and picked at the veggies. I didn't eat so much that I was miserable, just slightly uncomfortable. But I wanted more. I knew I couldn't eat more, so I stopped. I am trying so hard to stick to a schedule of 3 meals and making them primarily healthy. I just feel so blah after eating. Smoothies made with coconut water, 1/2 banana, spinach, blueberries, and some frozen fruits have been my friends the past few days. I don't think the sugar in the fruits is great for us, but it's helping me stay hydrated which I know is super important. As for bread, a friend of mine who had surgery two years ago recommended Dave's Killer Bread, the thin-sliced variety. I really like it and can usually eat one slice. I've put a few different things on it: tuna, smoked salmon, and PBFit peanut butter. You may want to give it a try. The slices are small and taste good. The other night, I had some leftover beans and cooked veggies. I took a taco shell and put them in it along with a bit of low-fat sour cream and taco sauce. I was surprised to be able to eat it all. It was tiny amounts of stuff inside but I even at the taco shell. I absolutely have to ramp up the exercise. After NickelChip mentioned her walking pad, I started to look into them. I'm excited because I ordered one yesterday. I'm hoping to use it while watching tv. I've been doing some "cardio drumming" and it's super fun. It's also super easy so not sure how much exercise I'm getting out of it. I'm rambling, sorry. I'll end now! It's been good hearing how you all are doing and seeing that while different, our paths are also similar! ♥

I have about 10 pounds to get to my goal of 150. I was curious about what maintenance looks like. I have an appointment in January to speak to my dietitian, but first-hand experience is always helpful, too. I'm worried about not being able to consume enough calories to maintain. I stopped counting and eating according to what my body is telling me (I'm losing an average of 10lbs a month.) I'm also concerned about reaching my goal weight and gaining a bit back (I've read that's a thing) Is it better to aim for under goal so if I gain it's back, it's where I want to be? Any any insight is much appreciated.

When I had my sleeve I tried to do the treadmill and absolutely could not stick with it. This time I am walking outside. Not sure if that’s an option for you but it’s so much more entertaining. Things to look at, people to say hello to, and you can go different ways and plus it’s fresh air. It’s also easier on your knees. I also walk a bit inside. For both, headphones help with music and a fitness watch so you can log your progress. After my nighttime shower I just put my exercise clothes on and sleep in them. That way when I wake up I am already dressed and I jump up and walk a bit around the house while my coffee is going and chilling over the ice so I can make my “proffee.” It’s just like 15 minutes (started with 5) or so but it’s a good start to my day. Then, I try to do a few minutes a couple more times during the day so I do it when I take my calcium (I have a recurring alarm to remind me). Depending on your job you may be able to do this on breaks. In the evenings, I prepare dinner but then head out to walk, depending on the weather. I am now up to 45 minutes but I started at 15. This one I get sweaty so I shower and put my exercise clothes on again (I have two sets and wash the other one daily) and then I sit down for my dinner and chill with my hubby for a while before it’s bedtime and i start it all again the next morning For me, it’s also easier to make a habit of things if I do them everyday, at least for a while. Eventually things will come up so I don’t do it every night, I’m sure but until it’s a habit I do it daily. My goal is 30 minutes a day no matter what but I try to do as much more as I can. The PA (physicians assistant) was at my support group meeting and did a talk one night on fitness and he shared that 90 minutes of exercise a week (15 minutes a day for 6 days of the week) causes a 15% Drop in “all cause mortality.” My surgeon was there and said that surgery actually only creates an 11% change so it’s pretty incredible. This takes 25 minutes per day because you want to do a 5 minute warm up and a 5 minute cool down. During the 15 minutes your goal is a zone 2 heart rate. You calculate the zone 2 range by first subtracting your age from 220 that is your MAXIMUM heart rate. Then you multiply that number by 60% that’s the lower number of your range and 70% which is the upper number of our range. The example is a 40 year old. 220 - 40 = 180 (MAX). 180 X 60% = 108 and 180 X 70% = 126. The zone 2 heart rate range for this person is between 108 - 126 beats per minute. (The fitness watch will tell you your heart rate so you can check You can do it at the gym if that works better for you and you can of course break it into three 30 minute sessions instead of daily if you choose as long as you get 90 minutes per week minimum. Once I can add strength training I may actually do it this way and do my weights on the other days. For now I’m just worrying about the cardio part. I can tell you though, it is so absolutely worth it. Since I have been doing the exercise I feel incredible. My energy has increased tremendously and my mood is so much better. It’s an all around good thing and not that hard, really, once you set your mind to it and get a few days under your belt it gets easier. I have been very sedentary for YEARS and I can’t believe I didn’t start this exercise thing sooner. It’s seriously pretty great!! Ooh and I was told the same thing for weights. At 6 weeks I can lift more than 10 pounds but not weights. Especially if I didn’t lift them before surgery and would be straining. Even at two months I’m supposed to slowly work my way up but I think that’s probably advisable for anyone whether they had surgery or not. Also, my friend found a fitness watch on Amazon for $20. Doesn’t have to be a fancy expensive one, just need heart rate and steps or distance really to get started. And if you know anyone else who wants to do some exercise, my friend and I talk on the phone most nights while we are both walking around our own houses. She said she wants to do her exercise bike last night but it goes so much faster when we talk. I said we can still talk while you ride your bike it doesn’t matter if we’re doing the same thing. The person you’re talking to doesn’t even really have to be exercising. They just have to be willing to talk to you and encourage you to keep doing it music works pretty well as an alternative busy a couple of nights and I’ve just used my headphones from instead of talking on the phone. Some people listen to podcasts as well

Hi everyone, how are y'all getting with your post op diets, exercise and wellbeing? Here's my experience so far after getting the Gastric Sleeve procedure on 13th June 2024... Immediately after surgery It was pretty rough for me, I woke up in a lot of pain, so much so that the nurses had to give me 30mg morphine for the pain. I was in a recovery room for the first 24 hours (standard procedure for the private hospital in the UK i went through) After the initial 24hrs I was moved back to my room where I felt a lot better. Even able to eat an ice pop and a small cup of tomato soup (sipping of course) and sipping water every 5-10 mins. Week 1-2 I quickly moved onto the liquids phase, in which I must have taken in around 2-300 cals per day through protein shakes and watery soups. I must admin this phase was the hardest for me, managing the pain meds as well as trying to drink as much liquids as I could in a day. It just so happened there was an international football (soccer) tournament on in Europe in my first 2 weeks' recovery so was engrossed in that! I also started walking 1 mile per day and upping that to almost 2 miles by the end of it. My weight loss was drastic in this phase but my word I was lethargic/got tired v easily and not up for doing much. Week 3-4 Puree stage - finally I felt I was able to get some proper food in me, and a few days after starting this phase, my weight slowed right down - the dreaded (but expected) 3 week plateau kicked in. I went around a week and a bit without any weight loss, despite me sticking to the recommended diet. I am not going to sugar coat this, it was a bit disappointing standing on those scales after a week, but I knew this would happen so meh I guess. Still walking 2 miles per day during this phase and now feeling I have a lot more energy. Week 5-6 Week 5 started with me starting to lose a pound every 2 days or so, so my body seems like it has adjusted to the inro of more foods for the 'soft foods' stage. I also started back at the gym doing some cardio work on top of my walks, and oh boy I have so much more energy for it! I am now around half way through week 6 and had my first appointment with my nutritionist and he is blown away by the progress I have made/am making. He gave me further chewing tips to make sure I am not overeating as I have been sick a couple of times when I've eaten too quickly and not realised I'm full/satisfied. He is now happy for me to start introducing more fibred meats and more complex foods, like a little pasta and a little bit of rice, to test the waters. Struggles so far: Reminding myself I have a new stomach not eating what family members are eating e.g. Sunday Dinner Eating too fast resulting in vomiting Extra attention from people who have noticed a loss in weight (47lbs and counting since pre-op liver diet). Since I've been overweight most of my adult life, I carried a lot of shame internally, so its in my nature not to talk about myself/get photos taken etc Wins so far Losing a lot of weight and all the benefits that go with it. Being more present with my family. Having the energy to do everything they want to do (I have a wife and 2 kids, girl 11, boy 7) Clothes! I have dropped from XXXL to XL already. Which was a surprise when I packed to go to a 5 day getaway with my fam in week 5 Mental health - the mental benefits come as such a relief. I no longer feel down about my weight (although I know I still have a ways to go) Confidence - generally just feel I can be more myself - hopefully some here will resonate with this. be great to hear of your journey so far, so let's have it folks, we're all in this together

I got an answer within 10 days when mine was submitted in 2021. I had to do 3 months of supervised diet. I think my out of pocket was something to the tune of about $175 for the actual procedure.

Just had my Gastric Bypass on November 10. I'm doing ok except for terrible heartburn! It kept me up for most of the night. Anybody else have that issue?