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After years of partying and always being the jolly fat lad, I decided after a harsh relationship break down to take stock of my life. I seem to have spent the majority of my adult life on a diet losing a little bit here and there but thing major and I would always end up pilling the weight back on plus a bit more. I am not unhealthy I was in the gym 3-4 times a week an playing rugby but nothing seemed to move the weight. I got injured playing rugby and had to stop playing an weight just spiralled out of control. it all came to a head in the summer of 2014 I was 31 years old and out of breath walking up the stairs at home and work. I grew bored of making excuses as to why I was out of breath and found it hard to admit that it was because of my weight but I knew something had to be done. I went to the my GP but he advised me there was 3-4 year wait for a consultation and offered me half price vouchers for a slimming world class. I advised him id tried that an weight watchers and the Cambridge diet etc. I decided I would go private I booked a consultation and met with the Spires health group in Bromsgrove at this point I had not told anyone about having surgery and contained to play the jolly fat guy. The morning of the consultation was the hardest thing I had done to date. I had a lot of doubt in my mind of I was doing the right thing or if I was a failure as I couldn't get the weight off and stick to a diet by myself but walking through those doors was the best thing I ever did the staff there where professional and treated me with respect. I met with my consultant Mr Nirja, and he conducted all the relevant tests an took my weight BMI etc. he then sat me down and explained both the sleeve an bypass options we decided between us I would go for the sleeve. After my meeting with Mr Nirja I was then taken in to another room and spoke to a lady called Sally who has actually had one of the first bypass in the UK many moons ago. this was just an extra thing they offered encase we felt we couldn't ask the Surgeon. All in all I was in there for around 2 hours. I came out feeling positive for the first time in a while, I decided I would have my surgery on the 20th December for the reason being I would have broken up from work by then and I would have 2 weeks off to recover as I had no holiday left to take. At this point I still had not told anyone I was having the surgery done. I was to start my liquid diet of 3 pints of milk an 2 yogurts on the 6th December 2014. I was excited and very nervous at the same time. on the 4th December after stressing about how my family would react I finally plucked up the courage to tell them. All the thoughts I had about how they would react and the questions id get bombarded with proved to be untrue my family were very supportive even if it did take me a few attempts to explain what exactly I was having done and what would happen. on the 6th I started the liquid diet and passed this off at work as another fad diet I was trying to much ridicule as per usual, It was probley the hardest 2 weeks I had in life up to that point as its a mental battle as there is nothing stopping you from actually saying sod it and eating normal food. The first 3days for me personally was torture I had stomach cramps and flatulent. But on the 4th day my body had accepted it and the rest of the time was a breeze. On Saturday 20th December I checked into the hospital in Solihull at 11am, I asked my parents to leave as I felt I had to brave this on my own. At 1pm I was walked down to theatre which was an experience in it self walking into a room that looked liked an alien space ship. I remember waking up around 6:20pm on that afternoon surrounded by doctors and nurses apparently my heart had stopped twice during the operation and I had to be brought back. I didn't wake up in pain just a dull ache really. After I spoke to a doctor they wheeled me in to ICU where I spent my first night with my new stomach. That night I didn't sleep much and spent the night talking to the nurse who was appointed to look after me. I had the last of my pain killers at 2am on the 21st December less then 12 hours post surgery an I have not had a single one since It wasn't me being a Martyr I just wasn't in any pain. On the Sunday morning my family visited me apart from being tired an sore I felt good I was up walking about. Just after lunch on the Sunday I was taken back to my room and I decided I would walk it instead of using the wheel chair. That Sunday was spent just watching TV and drifting in and out of sleep I was so bored lol. The Sunday night I slept like a log and a woke about 7am on the Monday morning a nurse asked if id like a cup of tea which I accepted and it was the best thing I had tasted in my life lol, My consultant came and visited me at 9am and said I was allowed to go home as soon as the nurses had brought my medicine from the pharmacy. I was discharged around 10:30am that morning with a bag of FastTab anti acids and some dissolvable paracetmol for when I need them (Still unopened) The First week was an eye opening experience first time Id had half a can of Soup for xmas dinner. I am now into week 7 since the op and I am not allowed to do any exercise at the moment until the end of February 2015. But I have lost 85lbs in 7 weeks so I am happy with the way its going. Already I feel so much better and happier in myself and clothes are getting baggy already, well this is my story so far sorry for waffling and ill keep updating it every so often. To anyone thinking of having surgery DO IT you wont regret it its not going to be easy far from it but my god its worth it!!!!! if you ever have any question please get in touch.

I'm vegetarian so I'm sure that plays a part. Lots of plant based foods full of Fiber. I am regular as clockwork and have been pretty much since day 5 post op. I go anywhere from 1 - 3 times a day, most days twice. I always have to go when I wake up and sometimes again after dinner. I find that on really active days, depending on what I've eaten I may go mid-day as well. Like the other posters have mentioned add some natural fiber in there. Apple or prune juice are good options. Probiotics or yogurt are also good. If you eat yogurt or hot cereals a tsp of wheat germ, flax powder or psylium powder may help.

On soft foods I was able to do canned tuna, refried beans, eggs, yogurt and such. I never had any trouble tolerating food.

Menu Blog I do push the limits of the food budget 1300-1500 calories per day vs. the typical 800-1200 quoted by most doctors. I do this for 4 reasons: 1) I think that they (the doctors) under estimate the amount of protein people need. The higher I keep my protein the better weight comes off. 2) I lift weights and feel I need the extra protein 3) I want to keep my metabolism in as high a gear as I can 4) based on my target weight 190 lbs. I won’t have to make many changes when I get there. Key for my Menu First, one of my key tools is Vitol Egg protein powder. Second is packing all my meal in 8oz plastic containers so I don’t have to guess. Third, we make most of the items below in a big batch on Sunday and uses them during the week. Fourth, sometimes you have to eat out, when I do I stick to fish or soups/stews they are easier to digest. Fifth, I avoid directly adding carbs because they make my hungry between meals. Breakfast (5 am) Option 1: 1 whole egg and 3 egg whites, 1oz low fat cheese and sliced peppers and mushrooms Option 2: 1 Cup Oatmeal with Vitol Egg powder 2 Tablespoons (adds 24Grams of Protein) Option 3: 1Cup fat free yogurt with Vitol Egg powder 2 Tablespoons (adds 24Grams of Protein) Mid-Morning (9 am) Option 1: 1Cup fat free yogurt with Vitol Egg powder 2 Tablespoons (adds 24Grams of Protein) Option 2: 8oz Diced Chicken Salad Option 3: 2 String cheese and 1oz. Almonds Option 4: MuscleMilk Protein Shake Lunch (Noon) Option 1: 1 cup Turkey Chili with 1 oz of Cheese Option 2: 1 cup fat free fried beans with diced, onions, peppers and salsa Option 3: 8oz Diced Chicken or Tuna Salad Pre Work Out Meal Late Afternoon (4 pm) Supplements – Nitric Oxide Drink with Creatine, Gummy Vitamins, Gummy Omegas Option 1: ½ Cup fat free yogurt with Vitol Egg powder 2 Tablespoons (adds 24Grams of Protein) Option 2: 4oz Diced Chicken Salad Option 3: 1 String cheese and 1oz. Almonds Option 4: MuscleMilk Protein Shake Post Work Out Dinner Option 1: 6 oz Ahi Tuna Steak in olive oil and lemon pepper Option 2: 1 cup chipotle chicken crock pot stew with carrots, onion, mushrooms, peppers Option 3: 8oz Chicken Brest Happy Eating

I had a similar issue for my first few months post-op. Yogurt was fine. Cottage cheese? Fine! Milk to mix a protein shake? Bad. So bad. I've taken to mixing my shakes with almond milk. I can have regular milk now without getting sick, but sometimes it doesn't sit right.

Princess- I hated the plain yogurt too, but I can have the Greek flavored ones as long as there are no lumps. The Dannon lite & fit toasted coconut vanilla and key lime are really good.

LOL... mine was the opposite. I never used to drink a lot of Water. NOW I love it and cannot stand juices. I bought a bunch of the small bottles of G2 - they actually made me gag. I ended up giving them away. I've noticed a change in the way foods taste too. I tried a container of yogurt and all I could taste was the artificial sweeteners. I tried different Soup broths and all I could taste was the potato starch in them. I guess it's not a bad thing, but it just makes every bite an adventure. lol. SO SORRY about the water thing!

Today I’m 6 days post op and I had an AWFUL afternoon. Stomach cramping, gas, nausea for hours. Pre surgery it never occurred to me that I would feel awful and not really have a particular reason for it. I figured that just about everything but protein shakes give me diarrhea at this point but I’d been slipping in some yogurt and cream of wheat now and then. Today I had a bit of yogurt and I’m dealing not with diarrhea but all I described above. I have no clue what changed- or even if it was the yogurt. Today was the first day I went out on a long car ride and a trip to the pet store- could it be that I physically overdid it? Anyway, I really hope this clears up soon but I might never know why it happened so I can avoid it again. Frustrating!

June 14, 2008 Down 4 pounds in 24 hours is quite amazing to me, however, I realize that the pounds are going to just drop off here at first. Yesterday was my first day on a Pre-Op two week diet. I had 1 Slim Fast Optima, 1 Weight Control Quaker Oatmeal, a serving of grapes, 1/2 an apple, 1 can of vegetarian vegetable soup, one 8 oz glass of skim milk with a packet of Carnation Instant Breakfast (no sugar added) mixed in, and 1 cup of no-fat cottage cheese. Oh and of course plenty of water, which I love. Actually, it wasn't so bad. I kept myself busy with reading, computer work, laundry. That's the key. I need to redirect my life. I'm looking into starting my own web site so that will take some time. This morning I got up at 7:00 and took a walk with the dogs. We walked down to the pond, which is a little ways away, downhill. The dogs loved the water and romped and played. So they got their exercise too. The trudge back up the hill was a killer, but I know it will get easier with time. If I consider my alternatives, (heart attack, stroke, diabetes, death), I rather like this hiking up and down hills. The Slim Fast tasted better this morning: Strawberry Cream, which I thought would be delicious, turns out NOT to be. Plus I had a yogurt, Activia, which I didn't get in yesterday. All the foods I mentioned are all that I will eat for the next two weeks. This was given to me by the dietitian. Why, I bet I lose 20 pounds even before surgery! The dietitian explained to me that the reason for this diet is to help the liver to lose weight. Fatty tissue built up around the liver is not good and hinders absorption of proper nutrients. I know there is more to it than that. I will need to research that again. So, I'm off and running. Well, actually, not running yet. That will come later, I hope.

I agree with the others about the lawsuit. Unless there is malpractice on your surgeon's part, they see this as a personal choice and your responsibility to research such a life altering procedure before moving forward. I was banded the day before you and can SO relate to your frustration. Believe me, I'm in a not so good place right now because I'm just stalled, but waiting for my next fill to see if that will be my much anticipated 'green zone'/'sweet spot'. I lost 17 lbs pre-op and 32 post. Honestly, I've done all that without restriction, without the band being at an optimal fill level, so it can be done. Journaling your food and doing any type of exercise for 30 minutes, taking in approx 60-70 grams of Protein per day and 64-96 oz of Water per day will definitely help you see results. If you are hungry, have a healthy snack that has protein (i.e. cheese stick or FF yogurt). Believe me, if everyone in Bandster hell sued their doctors when things were tough for them, they wouldn't be in business LOL Hang in there and definitely look through this site. There are some really good posts and advice that could help you through this rough patch. Good luck with everything!

At a week out, we were allowed to eat cream of wheat, oatmeal, yogurt and strained cream soup. I have a feeling when you get to the next stage, you'll feel better. Hang in there! PS...if you cheat again...and you shouldn't! But if you do? Don't eat something bizarre like cheetos....eat something you're allowed to eat on the next phase of your diet.

Yogurt with sliced almonds

Don't fret, ups and downs are part of this crazy roller coaster. Everyone has given you great advice. I would actually count the crabs you're taking in. Sadly, 2 pieces of bread...even thin bread...sounds too much. I was maxed at 1 serving per day. Look at the cheese and mayo for hidden carbs as well. Plus both milk and yogurt have lactose...a carb! If you do this, I think you'll be surprised at your carb intake and that stalls loss!

I was sleeved on 9/26/12. I lost 29lbs between the pre-surgery diet and after surgery, but today after work I noticed my pants were like seriously falling off me so I decided to hop on the scale to see where I was at and I actually gained 2lbs!! I am beside myself. I have been eating very healthy. Today for instance I ate soggy Special K Protein cereal for breakfast (low sugar), for a snack I had greek yogurt for lunch I ate half a turkey sandwich with only one piece of rye bread (one slice rye bread with turkey and swiss cheese on top sliced in half with lite mayo). For dinner I had chicken salad made with lite mayo on thin 100% whole wheat bread(thin bread, not normal bread), Am I eating too much?? What am I doing wrong? I have moved foward on my diet faster then I should of but these foods are not bothering me at all. So long as I take small bites and chew thoroughly I am fine. I could go back to eating mush which I think I am starting tomorrow, but what happens next week when I can start eating these foods?? Everything I ate today is "safe food" in my manual just for next week not this week. It's not like I am eating cookies and ice cream and junk food. The reason I had this surgery was because even when I ate right it did nothing, and now after surgery even though I can only eat a few ounces of healthy food I'm gaining weight. Did I just go thru all this for nothing?? I wanted to be down to 250 by the end of this week and now I am back up to pushing 260...

Yogurt is a great vehicle for crushed pills!

I will definitely call my surgeon and pharmacist and see what the deal is. My largest pill is generic Neurontin, gabapentin. It has a half score on it. But wouldn't the sharp edges from the cut pill(s) be a potential harm to the stapled pouch? If not, then why are we straining things like plain yogurt? I'm on full liquids upon arriving home. I still hate to crush. I also take bupropion, which seems like it's coated. But I'm not understanding how we/some can take pills when the pouch is so "sensitive" that we go on special diet protocols to avoid hurting it. I like your ideas on how to take crushed pills, and like even better that some people swallow whole pills. Again, I do what my surgeon says!

Chick, I had my 1 week visit today, and I had a woman tell me that she chewed some mac&cheese and spit it out, just to get the taste because she is starving! She had her surgery Dec 31. She said that it did more harm than good to chew it and spit it out. She said it made her stomach gurgle and rumble even more. For those that are close to moving to full liquids, call your doctor and ask if you can add in a protein shake or yogurt! If you are close enough, they will probably let you. I am 1 week today, and my doctor has allowed me to move to soft/pureed food 1 week early because I am healing and doing so well!

I'm on day 6...started eating Yoplat (is that spelled right? LOL) a couple days ago and I seem to get through a little more than a half before I feel "satisfied". How did you find the greek yogurt? Was the consistency too thick? LOL

My surgeon's office game me a Diet progression sheet and it says I can have low-fat/low-sugar yogurt the second day after surgery. I have the day after surgery as clear liquid then I go to full liquid for 2 weeks which include yogurt

My personal update: I had my bypass May 5th and I have been slowly healing. I was re-hospitalized because of severe impaction (not fun but I knew it may happen). My system is now working well but it took a while. My food is still between puréed and soft foods. Predominantly composed of one base protein shake a day, Greek yogurt, avocado, refried beans, cottage cheese, canned fruit, low fat shredded cheese, eggs and homemade peanut butter. Going to be trying some of my veggie and soy patties this week as my nutritionist said it was ok. I got my first set of lab results today. Everything looks great but oddly enough my B-12 is now high. I am beginning to lose a bit more hair. I am down 38 pounds and approaching one-derland. I am very happy with my weight loss. I got the ok to start weight training. I started at a size 18 bottom and 2X on top. I am now a loose 16 on bottom and an XL on top. I have given away 4 trash bags of clothes and fit into all but a few things I was to large for. My short term goals are to increase my food intake and variety-exercise-continue to work on swallowing all my pills. I would love to hear from you all and hear about your experiences.

First, you should be thrilled Ms. Lady because you are FIERCE! You started off a beauty and upgraded even more! ????Thanks for the input. We do have similar stats and build. I think my hips are bigger but we look similar in build. I love cheese too, almost any kind. It is so satisfying. I don't worry much about the fats either especially the plant-based. I also can't deal with apples, sadly. I do like yogurt and smoothies but I try not to drink my calories. What type of exercise do you do?

So I'm 7 days out, just starting purees today. Had to pop in at a work party and of course there was NO food I could eat. I did down a yogurt before I went, but sitting there with food in my face became a THING! So I dipped celery into a smooth dip. And it was good. So I did that several times. Still good. Fast forward 45 minutes until I arrived home and guess what?? Out she goes! I didn't think about the fat content that might have been in ranch dip, I thought, oh well, similar to yogurt, probs has protein, I should be good. Pouchie says "That's a no from me Dawg!!!"

So, to me, that does seem like it's a bit more than one would expect from an immediate post-op diet. That said, I only have my own experiences from which to speak and if this is the diet that your doctor prescribed, then they may have a reason. For comparison, here is the diet I am on currently (I hit 10 weeks post-op tomorrow), which is not really standard for most programs that I've seen: 2 times a week: Breakfast - 9am - 2 scoops of Celebrate 4-in-1 in 8oz of unsweetened almond milk + 2 tsp Benefiber (185 calories) Lunch - 1pm - 1 scoop of Celebrate 4-in-1 in 8oz of unsweetened almond milk + 2 tsp Benefiber (115 calories) Snack - 4pm - 1 protein bar (18-20g of protein -Think, Pure Protein, or Built Bar) (160-230 calories) Dinner - 7pm - 1 protein bar (18-20g of protein -Think, Pure Protein, or Built Bar) (160-230 calories) 60+ ounces of water (usually Crystal Light) (40 calories if all Crystal Light) 1 time a week: Breakfast - 9am - 2 scoops of Celebrate 4-in-1 in 8oz of unsweetened almond milk + 2 tsp Benefiber (185 calories) Lunch - 1pm - 1 scoop of Celebrate 4-in-1 in 8oz of unsweetened almond milk + 2 tsp Benefiber (115 calories) Snack - 4pm - 1 bottle of Premiere Protein protein water (20g of protein in 16.9 ounces of fluids) (90 calories) Dinner - 7pm - 1 protein bar (18-20g of protein -Think, Pure Protein, or Built Bar) (160-230 calories) 4 times a week: (up from 3x/week as of this week) Breakfast - 9am - 2 scoops of Celebrate 4-in-1 in 8oz of unsweetened almond milk + 2 tsp Benefiber (185 calories) Lunch - 1pm - 1 scoops of Celebrate 4-in-1 in 8oz of unsweetened almond milk + 2 tsp Benefiber (115 calories) Snack - 4pm - 1 protein bar (18-20g of protein -Think, Pure Protein, or Built Bar) (160-230 calories) Dinner - 7pm - 3-4.oz of allowable soft foods (I've had ground chicken, ground turkey, pureed chicken salad made with hummus & greek yogurt, ricotta bake, baked/steamed whitefish, scrambled eggs) (210 - 250 calories) So I think there would be room to make adjustments to your diet plan, as long as you would still be hitting your protein goals, but that is definitely a conversation you would want to have with your doctor. Simply be upfront with them about your concerns about the slow weight loss and ask for guidance on how to make changes to your diet plan to facilitate better results. Some times you have to make those changes to the diet plan in order to keep your body on it's toes!

I like Oikos Triple Zero yogurt. I usually buy vanilla, but they make plain, too. Post-op, it is really hard to get enough protein, so I mix protein powder into my yogurt. I like the vanilla yogurt with chocolate protein powder and powdered peanut butter. That may be too sweet for your taste (since there is also sweetener in protein powder), but you could try it with the plain yogurt.

Months before surgery then one month after surgery, I found Walmart's Great Value nonfat yogurts to be very satisfying. I have at least one per day. They have a little fruit stirred in and do have a little sugar. I'm a picky eater. I tried plain yogurt but would rather not eat than have plain or greek yogurt.