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Im 3 weeks post op and I just want to eat solid food again. Anything solid. You will be surprised how you feel post-op versus pre-op. Your priorities will change.

While I absolutely do not agree that it’s likely you will GAiN weight on 800 calories, 800 Calories can be a pretty good amount of food depending on what you eat. for example this is 757 calories and it’s 100 g of protein. breakfast: Caramel “Proffee” made from a premiere protein caramel shake with iced coffee mixed in. (It’s really good and filling with the protein btw). lunch: three eggs omelette with 2% cheese (1 ounce) and tomatoes and onion (1/2 cup). dinner: grilled chicken breast (3 ounce) and zucchini and onion (1/2 cup). snack: oikos triple zero yogurt I use the Baritastic app and I always have the same breakfast but then before I have lunch I plug in my plan and an idea for dinner to make certain it’s okay macro wise. I do pay some attention to calories but protein, added sugars and fat are more important. I also pay attention to my carbs because on some days my exercise is higher and I actually need to increase them a bit. If your dietician is not asking about your activity and your food choices and inky giving you a cookie cutter plan without real guidance I would be asking more questions. These plans need to be tailored to you specifically. if you are having a difficult time finding foods you like that meet the criteria you are definitely not alone. I had to do a ton of research and trial and error with recipes to find a couple weeks worth of meals that I enjoy and I was doing 900ish calories. I scoured the web and found low calorie recipes and also ways to cut calories from things I knew I enjoyed. Basically type “healthy” in front of anything you like and you should find ways to make a more bariatric friendly version. Some days you may need to reduce calories further by having two shakes or egg whites instead to budget for a higher calorie dinner. I don’t love to cook so I make double batches of things and freeze them in individual portions. this has been my lifesaver. For the 800 calories you may have to do a lot of lower calorie lean meat and veggie type dinners unless you cut calories during lunch. For instance instead of 3 eggs you could do five 5 whites and you could even omit the cheese if you need to cut calories further. i would imagine you could still lose on a little higher calorie budget and you have more flexibility in your menu but it may not be as fast as you would like. Either way, check out Baritastic (or another calorie tracking app). It’s very helpful to see exactly what’s in different food and to play around with these meal ideas on an app because you can add and delete and adjust the measurements to figure out how to make things work to fit your plan.

Awesome I am putting this terminology in my notes to ask about. Thanks. I am hoping that if I have someone who’s really trained that I can return to my exercise routine faster than they typically recommend because they’re monitoring me specifically instead of the cookie cutter let’s just be safe and say eight weeks or whatever. Also, I really do think with the lymph nodes being removed that I’ll have to be pretty careful with weights and I’d rather have someone who knows what my limit should be.

Sometimes you have to do things differently than other people or use some of other people ideas to help with the pre-surgery weight loss task goal. When I started, I drunk two meal replacement shakes that was high in protein (30mg) and for dinner I would eat a small portion for dinner. The amount I would eat for dinner was the amount you are supposed to eat after surgery. I even started drinking my water 30 mins before my meal and 30 mins after my meal. I actually have been keeping this going for the past four months and within the last two weeks I did the full on liquid diet that helped me reach my goal weight before surgery. I know some people talked with their provider and got on medication to help them lose their goal weight before surgery. It will be okay; you will get there.

Its a tough ask to ask people who are very overweight to eat like a sparrow. We all feared this part. I thought it was bitterly cruel doing 3 weeks of milk and vegetables. I was so over this diet I ran into the operating theatre. The only thing that kept me on the straight and narrow was the fact that if my liver was still fatty, the surgery would stop and I would wake up with out the surgery. It has happened to a few people on here and they were heart broken. We are with you and if you want to vent, somewhere in the world, is a person on here ready to listen

same! first day of puree stage i pureed some beef and barfed a little in my mouth at the result. tossed it and just extended my "full fluids" stage another week then went to afterwards "soft foods"

One suggestion in terms of your bra is to buy a bra with the correct cup size, but one that actually fits you on the biggest hook. That way you can use the other two or three hooks depending on how many are on it as you lose weight still because usually when they fit you, they aim for that middle hook so that you can gain or lose 10 pounds and it’ll still fit, but you know you’re not gonna be gaining anytime soon. Another option that I thought about doing myself because I had the sleeve and I know that I don’t lose much in my cup size. It’s just the band size is to buy one that fits in the cup, but it’s actually a size smaller in the band and use a bra extender, so it’ll last longer

I did! I was able to get my mail-in vote sent off last week! I was up all night watching the election but tapped out just after they called Georgia, (4AM or so) Crazy close edge-of-your seat type stuff!

I drank it all the time before surgery. My clinic's instructions were to give up carbonated beverages forever, but I tried Diet Coke when I was about two or three years out. I about died - it tasted like a bunch of chemicals! (which it pretty much is). I ended up dumping it - it just wasn't good anymore - it was pretty bad, to be honest. I wasn't used to it any more - it'd been too long since I'd had it. I do drink flavored sparking water now (didn't start that until after the Diet Coke fiasco - so again, 2-3 years after surgery). Some brands are too carbonated for me (which really irritates my stomach), so I have to wait a while for those to flatten out a bit before I can drink them. Other brands I can drink right away since they're not as carbonated. btw - I don't think carbonation really causes your stomach to stretch out, but it really irritates some people's stomachs (which is why most surgeons will tell you to avoid it for the first few weeks or months after surgery. After that, some surgeons say it's fine as long as it doesn't irritate your stomach, and other surgeons tell you to give it up permanently)

Hi, everyone. I had a sleeve to mini bypass conversion in 2024. It’s been fine except I often have loose stools and need to run to the toilet. Recently I noticed a weird bulge in my abdomen a couple inches to the left of my belly button. I’m not able to see my doctor, as I’ve just started a job and am doing a three month shift in a remote location. There is no pain and sometimes the bulge is not there. It sort of comes and goes. Has anyone been through something similar? Thank you.

As from these posts you can see you ‘re not alone in being anxious about your loss of routine due to surgery or injury recovery. I can add me too. I feared if I didn’t get back into doing some form of my stretching & resistance band routines I would never get back to doing it after my hysterectomy. My innate laziness and dislike of exercise would kick in again. By day 4 I just had to do something so I started very slowly. Didn’t over extend my stretches to anywhere near what I usually did. Avoided certain things. Interestingly there are contradictions with post hysterectomy exercising. No lifting for two weeks, then 5kg, then 10 then all good ( so by 8 weeks lift anything) compared to no heavy weights (>15kg) for 6 months. No core muscle work for 3 months vs start core muscle work at one week. You can understand why I took my own path. If I felt a pull or discomfort I stopped and/or avoided that movement for a few days. I can understand having to avoid upper body work but what about lower body? Like using ankle weights like @kristieshannon suggested when you’re able to walk or get some resistance bands to do some stretches either sitting down or on the floor. Don’t use your arms. If you have circular bands use a chair to brace the band or get your husband to hold the bands. I do some where the band goes around my ankles and below my knees and I pull one leg away from the other. Try deep knee bends, squats, ankle work, pelvic thrusts with feet on a wall, etc. So you’re not doing weight baring exercises but still working your muscles. Even if it’s not your usual routine make it a new, though temporary routine. All the best.

So many awesome WIns this week ladies! My win for the week is keeping moisturized and hydrated. I will share this for neck, face, under eye! It is heaven! I love a good face routine. While loosing weight it's important to focus on our neck as it may start to droop! Well we have to focus on our entire bodies! So many changes!

Went to the clinic today n I'm back on the bill but like 3 times a week. Sigh .. maybe it was too soon going off it

A few things stood out to me about your post. 1137 calories is oddly specific. Since most people can't be that accurate with their food intake, I'm curious why you used this specific number? Can you elaborate? For example, most food logging software is only accurate within about 10% plus or minus, even if you are really meticulous with weighing everything. Keep in mind as well that if you are eating very many processed foods, Manufacturers are given a pretty wide latitude in terms of the listed calories, so those aren't near as accurate is you might think. Most people drastically underestimate their overall calorie consumption by as much as 20 to 25%, even if they are logging their food. There are a number of reasons, but things like guestimating certain amounts, using "average" calorie amounts for some items, and not counting certain types of foods are common errors. In short, you may actually be eating a lot more than you think. I'm also curious how you came to the conclusion that 1137 calories per day is the proper amount for you to lose weight? It's entirely possible your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), is anywhere between say 900 and 1700 calories per day. While BMR is just one component of your overall calorie burn per day, it's typically the largest single component, even if you are super active. If you are only working out 3 days a week, I'd not put you into the super active category. My point is that while it's not super likely, it is possible that you are actually eating at maintenance right now. Especially if you are eating more than you think. (See points one and two.) Scales are a REALLY terrible way to track success since they don't account for variations in other tissues besides fat. Water, which is a huge component of your overall weight can fluctuate dramatically day-to-day. Ask yourself honestly, are your clothes fitting differently? There is a pretty good chance here that you have been losing fat, but made up for it by retaining water in your muscles. This is super common in people when they work out, especially when they start a new fitness routine. There's also a small possibility you are actually adding some muscle mass, especially if you are new to strength training. Muscle is much more dense than fat, so if you gain muscle and lose fat, your clothes will fit better, but you might weigh about the same. My advice is going to sound counter-intuitive, but I'd suggest adding 200-300 calories per day to your diet. Preferably lean protein. Do this for 4 weeks and then reassess where you're at. If you are really currently eating at maintenance (as you might think from weeks of no loss), then you would be expected to gain a tiny bit in the next 4 weeks. If it's as I suspect and you're actually eating too little right now, eating a little more may actually up your metabolic rate as well as change your hormone balance. This could be just the thing to kickstart some fat loss in the next 4 weeks. Best of luck whatever you decide.

@julie. I think it’s weird that everyone’s pre op diet is so different. My nutritionist told me that it use to be all shakes before surgery but she asked the surgeon to include something chewy to help us not quit. I have to say it’s not simple. My surgeon is one of two drs at University of Miami hospital who does Bariatric surgery. He told me my husband could stay with me because the floor is his and he can specify a lot of things. I’ll be staying 2 nights because of distance and my age. Just liquid the day before surgery for me and two weeks after also. Then every 2 weeks the next step. I would love a slice pizza or a grilled cheese sandwich right now. It hasn’t even been a week yet:)

My win is that I have had zero Halloween candy so far, even though its been in my house and at my office all week! This is a big deal for me because sweets were always my go to before surgery.

Some of us do gain during stalls, so try (try! lol) not to worry too much about that either. ❤️ I just want to say, kudos to you doing so well on this extended liquid diet. It probably gets easier as it goes on, but I'm sure you'll have tougher days and easier days. If you ever need to vent, we're here for ya! But seriously, it sounds like you're really killing it already!

That’s what I’m in the process of doing right now it’s going from the sleeve to a bypass. I have three more months of nutrition classes and then I’ll be having my surgery.

It probably depends a lot on what your normal diet looks like. If, for example, you normally drink protein shakes and want to continue having those, then you could take protein powder that you mix with water or milk. Honestly though, if this is just a week or two, why worry about it? I'd say go have fun and eat whatever you want on the cruise. If when you get back home you find your weight has creeped up, just reduce your intake a bit for a while until you get back to your current weight (assuming you like being at your current weight).

I think trying to compare yourself to others to determine what's "normal" is a losing game. Plenty of people struggle with various things like fluid intake or nausea early on, but lots of others (like me), had very few issues at all. There really is no normal here. Regarding weight loss, it's only been a week. I'm quite sure you've actually lost some fat in the last week, but you are probably hanging onto some water weight after the surgery. That's quite common. I would suggest that you keep in mind that you're "playing the long game" here. Daily or even weekly variation in your weight are not things to be concerned over. It would be physiologically impossible for someone to eat 600 calories a day and not lose fat. It probably takes more calories than that just to keep your brain alive (much less the rest of you), every single day. If I can give you one piece of advice, try not to stress the process because stress can derail your success really quickly. People sometimes don't realize this, but stress can have a bigger impact on weight loss success than just about anything else. Stress will suppress your metabolism and also cause you to retain fluid, thus even further masking weight loss. I know it's hard, but trust your doctor, trust the process, and follow your post-op diet. It will work, as long as you do what you're supposed to do.

I am still craving carb heavy food and it’s been a week now. I swear for me processed carbs are the enemy. I can have any amount of healthy carbs without it affecting my appetite but processed ones just make me hungry for days after.icily I haven’t gained but I really need to Figure out how to get back on track. This is a slippery slope for me.

I'm only 2 months post surgery -- Thankfully, I've been very careful with what I eat, and have not yet had to deal with foamies or dumping syndrome. The two main issues I've had, are insomnia and.... I don't really know what to call it. It's not constipation, as I'm still going every day like clockwork, the...volume? is just rather intense and it hurts when I go. The insomnia was insane from weeks 3-6 though. I barely slept at all, I would stay awake all night long, and usually the rest of the next day too, then I would crash and sleep for 15-16 hours straight, then back to being awake for close to 48 hours. It was rough, but then one day it just suddenly straightened itself out again.

We would come down like a ton of bricks on someone who was mean on here. Its a safe place. People come for advice and reassurance and because I was helped I am paying it forward. I might add that it keeps me on track too so I am not as selfless as I seem. This is wise, I told only my husband and son. It was my decision to do this and like you I didn't want to listen to any negativity. Yes you will, I do. But in the beginning few days its a scary struggle and I did panic at this stage but we all got there. I got to a size and weight where I was happy. You then up your calories, a little each week until you get to the point where you stop loosing weight. Its really simple but takes a little courage to let go a bit.

Just had the SADI 1 week ago today and I could not be happier with my choice!

I went to the thrift store late this afternoon (Saturday) and bought a few things because I only have XL clothes and they don't fit anymore. I was sure I was in a size 12. NOPE. I'm in a size 10!!! I was absolutely FLOORED. I was a size 8 in the senior pic above. And I'm a 10 now. Ok WHAT??? I'm absolutely STUNNED. It was a pleasant surprise, I'll tell you that. But I'd be really happy to stop losing now lol I was at the same weight for a bit and thought I was at my body's new set point. Nope. Apparently I was in another stall. When it broke, I was down a few pounds again. It's like my body has a total mind of its own and likes to lose weight now no matter what I do. But either way, the fact that I can absolutely, literally go into any physical or online store and find something in my size, and have that something be cute and in-style and not just any random thing that fits.....that brings tears to my eyes for sure.