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I was able to break a lot of bad habits after WLS but I've developed new ones along the way. I'll share some of mine and I'm keen to hear yours too. Some of the Bad habits before WLS: 1. Spending a lot of money on junk food (fast food, potatoes chips, chocolate etc) specially when I'm at work. 2. Procrastination when it comes to exercising and doing something about my weight. I've reached a stage where I've decided to just let myself go and do nothing about it 3. Avoiding social gatherings if I knew that photos will taken or if it involves any sort of physical activity 4. Eating before going to bed and while watching TV I'm glad to report that I've broken all of the above and I couldn't be happier. Bad (not necessarily) habits after WLS 1. Spending a lot of money on new clothes. I can't resist buying new clothes if it fits or I know it will fit me in a month time or so. Yesterday I went to the mall to buy tomatoes from the supermarket and ended up buying 2 polo shirts, 1 shirt and new jeans 🤣. I got the tomatoes of course. 2. I hate looking at old photos of me and I really don't like the way I looked in those. I didn't have this feeling before. 3. I take a lot of selfies and photos of myself now haha. I guess I'm making up for past time 4. I'm not telling people the whole truth when asked how I lost the weight. I only tell them about diet and exercise and even show them my latest cycling records but nothing about the WLS. If only told a handful of people about my WLS because I thought they could benefit from one. One of my friends is planning his WLS next month. 5. I don't like how certain parts of my body look after losing a lot of weight (I don't hate tho) like my armpits which have turned into caves, the loose skins on my belly, my scars. I guess I'm a bit self conscious about those.

Glad you are feeling so well so fast! The liquid diet was the hardest, hopefully you can move to more interesting food soon. The time does go faster than I expected though. Great job on the weight loss!

I wasn't given any guidance for this specific point... Just that between the time I'm on solid food up until forever, I'd be going up to about 8oz of food. I'm not there yet and I'm about 7 months post op. I've found that some days I have more restriction than other days. And some foods - like meat - I can eat less of, in one sitting. I still wait to drink until 30 minutes after I'm done eating - or longer. And if I eat too fast, I tend to hurt. But, I don't eat as slowly as I probably should. I mostly measure out my food and I do not go back for seconds. I try to be really mindful of how full I'm feeling and I stop as soon as I think I might be starting to get full. Overeating is (thankfully!) still painful for me. I eat from little 8oz bowls and salad plates.

I'm on day 7 today of the liquid diet. There have been times it has felt hard but ive managed to stay with it. My surgery is on 1st June (next Thursday) - it cannot come fast enough. It is hard but we are all almost there ♥️

I am doing the liquid diet right now. It is very very difficult. I never heard before of 4 weeks liquid diet. It is really worrisome to me when all nutritionists, doctors and all hospitals differ in their opinions and their requirements. Some do not require any diet but for the couple of days prior to surgery, some allow 1 meal per day, others want all liquid, some ask for one week liquid others for 4 weeks. I understand that these decisions are based on BMI, etc, but why such high variation in requirements? To top this, my nutritionist placed me on all liquids diet two weeks ago and today when I met with my my surgeon he said I can have a small piece of chicken per day and I can replace the orange juice with 2 small bananas. I am really confused so I will continue the total liquid diet. I make it through this thinking that if I fail I will let them know, I will talk to my nutritionist. I also hope that I do not fail in the week prior to the surgery because they need to have a clear view. After all we are all humans, nobody is perfect and I am also sure I will not be the only patient in the world that had a mishap! I am angry, hungry and hopeful for the best! 😀 This is all I can do! Oh, by the way, warm chicken clear broth has been a life savior for me the couple of times when I was ready to fail! I bought these on Amazon, they are called Herb Ox sodium free granulated (chicken and beef) bullion. I add my own salt. They are yummy and a bowl of that will stop your craving and hunger. Sigh…Surgery cannot come fast enough! 😀

Had my sleeve surgery on April 18. Still feel hungry all the time too, but get full fast now when eating the soft foods. This threw me off at first because my fantasy before surgery was that I'd never feel hungry again, but what actually happened afterwards was the opposite! On my first week post op appointment I think my Dr. thought I was accusing him of giving me a bad sleeve.. HAHAHA! Today is the day I get to start having "regular" foods as tolerated. I'm very excited and nervous at the same time. Funny thing is, I don't even know where to start, so all I have in the house to eat is the stuff from my soft foods diet! 🙂 Hardest part for me is keeping track of my protein and fluid intake as I have a very busy work schedule and don't always log right away. I know this is a week point and I'm working on it. I lost 19 lbs pre op, and 27 lbs post op so far. Tomorrow is my one month post op follow up. Their scale usually adds a couple extra lbs than mine so I'll have more official numbers tomorrow. Good Luck Everyone! And thanks for posting, the topical conversations found on this site truly help some of us get thru!

No. That's nuts. You have a BMI of 86, you could be eating half a pound of cashews for lunch and you'd still lose weight. Not as fast as you are now, but at a good clip. That being said, the macro spread (ratio of fats, carbohydrates, and protein) of cashews isn't great. If you're only getting 700 calories a day, you need to be prioritizing protein and nuts aren't really a protein food. They're mostly fat. Again, eating them will not stop you from losing weight, but you need protein to ensure that the mass you're losing trends toward fat mass and not lean mass. Depending on what you're eating throughout the rest of the day, you might want to switch the cashews for a protein-dense food most days.

As far as getting liquids in, I'm finding it harder now that I'm in puree stage. For each meal I have to wait 30 minutes before and after, as well as the 30ish minutes it takes me to eat. So for 3 meals I'm losing 4.5 hours of drinking time. I drink as fast as I can without overdoing it, but I still seem to come up short a lot.

I think your goals are admirable. So many get caught up in how much they lose, how fast or slow they lose, how long it takes, etc. as they’re losing. Of course when we’ve lost our weight we all feel pretty darn happy about what we have achieved (& deservedly so). How you eat after you’ve stabilised is really up to you & how you want to live your life. If eating carbs fits in better with your lifestyle & your family then eat carbs. Just maybe choose better carbs - complex, whole & multi grains, low processed versions, smaller portions, or less often. You’ll work out what & how much of certain foods or food groups you need to eat, can eat, can eat occasionally, or those you may be better off avoiding. It’s your choice. Of course we can’t go back to how we used to eat - that’s just asking for trouble 🙂. Accompanied with this may be that your weight settles a little higher than at your lowest as you work out your caloric needs (what your body needs to function effectively to maintain your weight & activity level), eating style & lifestyle preferences and that’s okay. For me deciding not to call how I ate after I stabilised a ‘diet’ was a positive mental move. I’m not on a diet this is just how & what I eat. Diet had such negative connotations & memories for me: restrictions, being limited, missing out, etc. & failure. Personally, I cut out a lot of sugar & generally avoid artificial sweeteners & sugar substitutes whenever I can so I don’t eat cakes, biscuits, desserts etc. except a couple of times a year like Christmas. Don’t miss it. Don’t feel I’m missing out or being restricted & my friends & family accept it, no fussing or pushing me to eat. For example my niece was serving out cake for her 13th birthday earlier this year. When she got to me she asked what I’d like and added we have strawberries too. (I had strawberries.) It didn’t happen overnight but slowly it became just me. All the best.

Hi So my own surgery date has been confirmed as Sunday 18 June with a 2 day stay in hospital. I am having the sleeve done. I have a 10 day high protein, high veg diet to complete from 7 June to 17 and then fasting from 9pm the night before. Have not said it to people that I am doing this bar 2. Anyone any advice about the time off? I am self employed and don't want to take a huge amount of time off. I have kept a few days free but want to keep myself open to working as well. Not nervous about getting the surgery done. Honestly, that wouldn't bother me but a little nervous about going home from the surgery. Should I just expect to lie on the settee for a few days and watch bad movies? The team were not helpful in this regard. They just keep telling me everyone is different and it is hard to know. After the surgery I have a 7 day liquid diet to do followed by a one week of mashed foods like potato or scrambled eggs. Then back to regular food but small portions. I have multi vitamins for 2 years. Nice to find this resource.

I had my revision to bypass in August 2022 as well. I still get the foamies/slimes occasionally. It's strange but with the VSG I had experience dumping (fast heartrate, sweating, feeling clammy, malaise...Etc. but with the RNY, I experience foamies but no dumping. The only way I can stop the foamies is first, I keep blowing my nose when I first notice it, so no more will build up, then if that doesn't stop it, I use one of those tongue cleaners and rub the back of my tongue a few times, makes me cough and all the slime comes out. I remember in the beginning they would last for hours and hours. Now it's usually till I can clear it once. Last time I had it was after eating at a restaurant, on the way home in the car. I didn't have my tongue cleaner but used a chopstick from my takeout bag and an extra plastic bag. Eww. lol

other than people the size of those on "My 600 lb Life", most of us seem to lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month (yes, you can always find some who lose 30 lbs, but unless they're way bigger than the average WLS patient, they're outliers). Since you've lost 15 lbs in 18 days, you'll likely end up on the higher end of that range by the end of a month. I don't remember where I was at 18 days out, but at the one month out, I'd lost 16 lbs, and I was MUCH heavier than you (and starting BMI is one of the factors that affects your rate of weight loss). So stop worrying about it - you are fine. there are so many things that affect your rate of weight loss that you have little to no control over - age, gender, metabolic rate, how muscular you are, genetics, starting BMI, etc). The only two factors you have much control over is how closely you stick to your clinic's plan, and your activity level. If you do well with those, you'll lose the weight, whether fast or slow. In the end, it's how well you stick to your plan, and not your rate of weight loss, that determines your success. If you're good at following the plan and rarely veer off, you'll do fine.

I was advised the pre-op diet is essential as the liver needs to be shrunk enough for the surgeon to get behind it; the pre-op diet it conducive to the liver shrinkage. I was given two possible pre-op diets to follow. One consisting of milk, water and an oxo cube in hot water or yoghurt and soup diet (it is specific yoghurt and specific soup). I can move between the diets intermittently as i choose but cannot mix them on any given day - it has to be a full day of one or the other. I am on my second day of the milk diet. Apparently, that is the most popular. I think for me, it just takes away from having to shop and choose which yoghurt, soup etc. I could also prepare a soup but it would need specific ingredients. Have to say, there is some relief in not having to think about food in that was for a while. With each of the diets, we have to take a multivitamin and mineral. I'm on day 2 of the milk diet. its not as bad as i thought it might be. I had a bit if a headache this morning but that has now significantly subsided (i do not need a painkiller). I had a good sleep apart from waking couple of times to empty my bladder! I'm not really feeling tired at this time. 13 days to go and counting until my bypass 😊

@Blessd1 I looked through all the recipes and some look amazing, some not so much but we are all different. They’ve given me lots of ideas though so thank you so much for this. I can’t find the strawberry vinaigrette however, do you have the specific link for the homemade recipe please? I’d love to try it along with the cherry one too! riccotta I adore so I now searching on homemade meals. im struggling with meat even ground chicken and beef at the moment so it may mean I’m now vegetarian. I just need to learn a new lifestyle but will wait until the camera down my throat reports. I met with my surgeon and he’s suggested charcoal to help with the flatulence. Double up on PPI in the meantime and advised I shouldn’t hesitate to take upto 3 cyclizine a day for nausea. Keeping the little bit of food I manage to get down in me is priority. Only problem is the anti-vomit meds make me zonk! I’ve lost 5 stones in 13 weeks (which is 70lbs) or 32kg. He didn’t seem concerned about this and seemed to act like it was expected or normal even but it does concern me at how fast the weight is dropping off me. I have another 5 stones to lose at most to hit a BMI of 25 so in less than 3 months I’ve lost 50% of my excess weight. Yes it’s good I’m losing weight BUT the well-being is more of a priority for me and it’s zero at the moment. I’m tall at 5 ft 9 inches too. When I’ve read weight loss averages on MGB patients, the average weight loss is 60% of their excess weight in 2 years! This comparison is why I’m concerned. I don’t personally think I’ll suit being a size 10! I’ve never been a size 10 UK clothes size and the excess loose skin potential comes with its own set of problems too. But I’ll worry about this and deal with it if it arises. so now I’ll wait for the camera investigation and keep taking it day by day. speak really soon chelle x

I’m glad I ran into this forum. I had Gastric Bypass back in August 2022 and it’s now May 2023 and I still get the “Slimes” (or what some people call, the “Foamies”) from time to time. Sometimes more often than others. The worst is when I’m out and it happens. It literally disables me for 2 hours straight each time. It happens usually if I eat a bite too much, too fast, or the food is fairly dry (which is why the mucus is created), I think your body is trying to wet the food to get it through your system and thinks it’s stuck. The worst part for me is that I can’t stop salivating, and if even a little bit is swallowed it adds pain to my stomach and I have to force push it out (essentially with that terrible feeling of when you are vomiting) and instead, a bunch of slimey mucus and saliva come out. If I do it enough, you start to see juices from the food and little chunks from it as well. I have yet to actually vomit up straight food though. Most of the time I just have a cup on me to spit in and not even kidding you… I often fill up a medium Dunkin Donuts cup full of saliva and mucus… it’s disgusting. Either way, it’s terrible, and there’s no way to stop it once it’s started (for me at least). Every single time, after about an hour or two of this, you start to feel a little better and then this sinking feeling of relief in your stomach hits and you know something has caused it to stop. From there you feel so much better again. I’m experiencing the end of it right now as I’m typing this. It’s honestly a nightmare sometimes and I wish there was a quick solution for it. The only real solution for it is to eat very, very slow! And make sure your food is not too dry (I can eat wetter food so much faster than dry). Praying that this one day goes away completely … Good luck to everyone going through it! The good news from all this is that at my highest I was 540 pounds… after gastric sleeve, then 9 years later, gastric bypass, then within a few months gallbladder removal (due to gallstones) and finally, circumferential body lift and medial thigh lift, I’m feeling like a completely different person at 222 pounds… it’s surreal and as shitty as the slimes could be, I’d take it every day if I had to, in order to never go back…. ❤️

I think that the straw that broke the camel's back, was not being able to get into ketosis, despite fasting and eating very low carb for three weeks straight. I figured that my metabolism was broken at that point. I was diabetic, had high cholesterol, and my blood pressure was slowing creeping up. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Good for you! Luckily most of us do come out the other side of surgery just fine. I'm 8dpo and doing great. I'm losing fast too. We're both heavier so it makes sense and it is the liquid stage. Losses will stabilise soon and not be at such a crazy rate. I'm losing about 2 pounds a day which is nice but it's very short term, like a honeymoon phase. Keep up the good work and join our May Buddies thread if you haven't already.

Welcome to the bariatric world! I think everyone has a sagging skin issue. I didn't have a lot with my arms, neck and face thankfully but I do have an apron now and my boobs sag more then they did before surgery (tmi?), and while I am tickled my thighs no longer touch when I walk, if I walk fast they slap. I plan on having a mommy makeover surgery to fix the things I don't like. They next time I see my doctor I'll be talking to his plastic surgeon about fixing the issues. I had surgery 6/7/22 and I've lost 122lbs. Even with the sagging skin I'm down from a 26/28 to a size 14 that is starting to get loose. I have such a better quality of life. I would not change one day post op. Even if I never got a mommy makeover. I think the majority of my brothers and sisters in the bariatric world would agree that they are happier post op sagging skin and all. You'll do great! We are here to support you!

@Possum220 @Blessd1 hi new friends, I’ve spoken to my surgeon’s secretary and vented my frustrations. No reply! my appointment is tomorrow with my surgeon so I’m going to show him everything plus the fact I’ve lost nearly 5 stones in 13 weeks is too fast! I am providing him with my food diary and fluid diary for the last 4 weeks too. It does not make for happy reading BUT typically over the last 3-4 days I seem to be more comfortable. I’ve been to the toilet every day and opened my bowels properly. I’ve had nausea and tummy pain but not as severe so I’m out of bed today. I’ve managed to get on top of household duties and paperwork (mummy’s work is never done). my flu attack seems to have eased so I feel better. drinking is upto 1000ml per day. I can’t eat regularly and one small meal is all I can manage a day but it’s stated down and not caused agony. I really hope this is it, I’ve had an awful recovery and now things will run more smoothly. Fingers crossed 🥰🥰🥰🥰 how are you getting on? im desperate for some tasty recipes - know any flavoursome healthy recipes? X

I agree with everything Arabesque said. I don't know your starting weight, but generally speaking, the lower it is, the slower the weight loss is (usually, anyway). I was a slow loser rom the beginning and lost 100% of my excess weight (over 200 lbs) (I've had some regain since then, but within the 10-20 lb regain range that most of us experience after hitting our lowest weight). If you stick to your program, the weight will come off, whether fast or slow.

Some people are slow losers & some are fast. Nothing wrong or right about how fast or slow you lose. You’ll find lots of stats about weight loss but they are just averages & will give you an idea of what you might experience not what you definitely will experience. But 21lbs in about 5 weeks isn’t slow. Excluding your initial 7lbs, you’re averaging about 3lbs a week. That’s about what I lost & my surgeon & dietician were happy with my progress. Don’t know what your starting weight was but were you expecting to lose 40 & 50lbs in your first month? That only happens for those who began at very high weights like on My 600lb Life. Oh & how fast or slow you lose doesn’t affect how much you lose. You’ll be fine. Just stick to your plan.

I've tried several meal delivery services and use them semi regularly (at least once a month). I've used HelloFresh, Blue Apron, Home Chef and Every Plate. Home Chef is by far my favorite but I liked them all except for Blue Apron. My only complaint would be the prep time which is why I like Home Chef the most as they have "fast" meals that cut down on the prep time.

I definitely gained weight. When I left the hospital, I was still 5 pounds more than before surgery. With all the liquid.s they pumped into me, and being bloated like crazy, it was pretty obvious. But a week and a half later, I have lost almost 20 pounds from that point, and dropping fast.

Did they do a CT scan? With the fast heart rate, they really should be checking you for a pulmonary embolism. Not being able to keep down water, with diarrhea and vomiting, it is definitely concerning and may point to a blockage or stricture. I agree with @catwoman7, you might want to get back to the ER. Of note, I had diarrhea the ENTIRE time I was on liquids - so I'm not surprised there. But, I only had vomiting for a day or two after surgery.

im just about to look into posting my story and update my surgery details but could not do so easily and without not first attempting to seek any help I can before I literally lose the plot! I am now coming upto 13 weeks post mini gastric bypass. (Tuesday) on Valentines Day I underwent the surgeons scalpels I paid privately after the usual circumstances of hitting rock bottom and saying quite literally… ENOUGH! Money is not plentiful and I used my small inheritance from my late father. Lucky, I was able to do so. I live near Manchester in the UK and am seeing my surgeon next Wednesday after discussing my symptoms with the dietician. but… I’m struggling. I have zero support network with experience. A loving family yes but no one I feel can validate or reassure me. I have medical study experience but not enough experience or knowledge to explain my symptoms away. my most recent message I’m still awaiting reply to from my surgeons medical secretary as follows:- Hi (name removed for anonymity) Did you receive my message yesterday please? I spoke to the Dieticians yesterday too and they’ve arranged a consultation with surgeon to discuss further issues. Next Wednesday. I am hoping to attend in person but currently struggling with flu type symptoms. I don’t have other people who have had bariatric surgery to speak to who could be a support network or provide support. Do you know if there is a professional forum, overseen contact group or other network or other supportive services? I don’t feel I am having a good recovery and feel I am struggling. Plus, I feel I am that poorly now perhaps I was dismissed too readily or swiftly in my previous contacts. I am losing weight much much faster than all my peers I read. I’ve lost over 4 stones in just 13 weeks. Far too fast and I’m drained, lethargic, can barely hold my head up (albeit have flu too) but in May too! Not normally a fluey month as the norm?? Infact, I microsecond passed out yesterday and cracked my head on our bathroom sink - simply due to standing up from the loo! I do not have a supportive GP or GP surgery and am currently in the process of changing surgeries now BUT am writing to them and conducting a private appointment firstly as I do not trust full follow through handover transparency. My surgery requires professional evidence or correspondence of everything to even follow up. For example, they have borderline eGFR results and two scans showing kidney stone and cyst in situ YET won’t conduct further tests or refer until surgeon sends a letter too! It’s absurd! it’s the main reason I paid to get this surgery completed to try to be well and improve my life and stay away from GP Doctors who possibly practiced nothing more than general medicine for 5 years! I’m constantly having to contact you directly, but seem dismissed by quotes of it’s week 4, or week 6, or only week 8 or now it’s only week 16, go back to Soups and fluids, try a quarter of an egg instead of a full Egg. I’ve gone back to fluids only 3 times now! When then can I tolerate real food? Something I can use my teeth with would be nice now? I cant eat any meat barely at all now, (not even minced), swallowing gets more difficult, indigestion, heartburn is agony, my nails are like paper, my periods have disappeared completely albeit this could be normal as I’m 10 years post menopausal, my face is gray and sallowed. I look like death. I’ve just returned back from holiday but spent 5 days in bed due to tummy pain, bowel problems, agonising indigestion, feeling unwell. I also take 3 x baricol chewables a day, a Multivitamin tablet and a calcichew a day. I’ve read everything I can find, researched this surgery for 6 months prior to having it, watched videos on YouTube, nothing seems to validate or reassure me. I studied medicine myself for 2 years albeit I know this is extra bit of knowledge of human anatomy and practice, I certainly do not have the knowledge to explain my symptoms away. I know this is not psychological as I cannot tolerate warm, cold, mashed, puréed, anything I’ve been told to try and going back a step to try again. When then am I to carry on until? Perhaps until I pass out again or end up in A&E on a drip? I cant get anything down me. If I do manage one meal a day, it’s a quarter of a starter portion and I’ll nearly always vomit it back up or experience the pain in my tummy or severely painful heartburn or severely offensive and debilitating flatulence. How long until I can eat? How long until I can drink plentiful fluids without issues? Ie. More than 500 ml in a 24 hour period? How long until I feel well? How long until I can eat what my family eats albeit in a starter portion? A healthy clean hearty non processed meal! How long until I look and feel well? How long until I can eat without severely offensive flatulence? It’s disgusting and far too painful to keep inside or even attempt to get to a more private location! Once it’s there, it’s impossible to hide and I don’t feel confident even in taking my children to school! How long will my stools be pale yellow or grey? How long will this horrendous pain in my tummy last? Because it’s interfering with my daily life now too. I’m now buying omaprezol over the counter. Lamazeprol isn’t available over the counter like I was advised yesterday. How long until I can sleep a full Night without being woken by agonising heartburn or stomach pain? These are the questions I’d like to ask a support network rather than mither yourself, to then mither surgeon to then mither dieticians or worse my GP. I’m getting very frustrated now, mainly through a lack of support I think. I don’t like to join public forums or online networks normally but I don’t feel I can get the answers of validation or reassurance currently. Yet, I’ve paid over £12000 for the surgery and 2 years post surgery support. Where is the support please? Once I receive your reply I’ll Know whether to mention the letter requirements in my appointment too. I am so sorry I have to keep contacting you, mithering surgeon but I’m getting frustrated and upset now. I want to be well not worse. Plus, the more issues, symptoms I have the more neurotic I feel, yet I have nowhere else to ask. Regards So after reading this I hope you or anyone could offer some guidance or insight. simply put I am also at my wits end and do not want to regret this life changing surgery but I’m beginning to do so with intent and massive frustration. looking forward to any replies. I have copied and pasted this from my post yesterday. I don’t know what further info you’d like but am willing to explain absolutely anything if it will help you to support / advise. I can say today is a better day - I’m not well by any comparison and sleep deprivation is definitely affecting my cognitive function BUT I have managed one full bladder toilet trip and eaten twice today. Two rice cakes with 3 cheese dress and some pickled tiny chopped shallots. tiny fresh plum tomatoes with 3 x tender soft grilled bacon medalions on a slightly toasted Oatcake. all chewed three times (within an inch if their life) and each meal takes an average of an hour to eat and get down me. tummy pain 6 / 10 which is absolutely amazing in comparison to norm. nausea in situ but no vomiting today. a normal opening of bowels with the exception of colour as above. wind still offensive embarrassing but not as repetitive. 2 small cups of tea. 200ml sugar free cordial.