Search the Community

Ugh, YES. Part of it is the hormonal changes (not just menstrual!), body chemistry changes, etc. I don't know if there's much we can do about this part beyond nutrition, hormone supplements if required, etc -- much like menopause and pre-menopause. Another part of it is also that for many of us, food was a coping mechanism for a long time and now we've removed that as an option. It means we have to either face the things we were trying to drown out with gravy, or find new and improved, healthy ways to cope. Instead of "What a shitty day, I deserve pie!" it's "What a shitty day, I should eat a protein bar and hit the gym to work out my frustration!" or "What a shitty day, I should actually talk to that person about their poor behaviour." On my side, I've suffered through cyclical depression throughout my life. I'd like to say it gave me a good launching point for when the post-op emotions started hitting, but it's one of those struggles that's just ... always a struggle, lol. I cope with a few CBT techniques that I've learned over the years to get through the most intense moments, and once I'm feeling less unbalanced it's easier to get into a better headspace. Be the one to reach out to someone else at least once a day. Do 20 minutes of mindful self-care -- ie give yourself a hair treatment for 20 minutes and try not to think about anything other than brushing your hair, count strokes, massaging your scalp etc. ((Side note: if you're currently in The Hair Loss phase, maybe skip this for a hand treatment? My hair is suuuuper thin right now.)) I try to re-direct myself into how to make positive changes regarding whatever it was that recently bothered me / triggered me. Not 'fix' things, but improve the situation or my reaction somehow. Sometimes it just requires a long circle of thinking until I realize I'm internalizing something that I don't need to be, or upset about something that normally wouldn't cause a reaction at all, etc. One of my biggest problems and solutions is exercise. If I'm a moody mess, I don't want to exercise. Have no motivation to get up and do it. Yet everytime I force myself to do it, I feel bloody amazing afterwards -- energetic, spirits buoyed, all that good stuff. It doesn't have to be anything major, just walking outside at a good pace can change my mood about 15 minutes in when those endorphins kick in.

I love a good discount code 😂I swear I have stocked up on so many of their protein snacks which I am excited to try - also I went to Icelands and they have done a crossover with MyProtein and they have loads of food in there! The chocolate ice cream is AMAZING, and if you are having a bypass and need to stay under 7g of sugar per 100ml/g then it is perfect! Honestly I am SO struggling to find unflavoured protein powder - I think I am a bit like you in the sense when I smell something and it makes me gag, I really cannot drink it, and I have yet to find something that suits me

Be careful with chips as when you can eat a little more they are a slider food that can get you in trouble. Quest makes some protein chips that are pretty good. I like the ranch ones and my husband loves the loaded taco. They have them at Walmart or target and Amazon.not that I am recommending them this early out but everyone’s plan is different.

Sorry to butt in as I'm only a little over 10 months post GS but I feel I can share a little of what I'm doing to maintain. I reached my initial goal 3 months post op and continued to lose until about 9 months post op, went much below goal weight and stabilized (I think as I've been the same weight with one +- 1KG fluctuation for 1.5 months). I lost weight very rapidly and the weird thing is, during weight loss I never tracked, I would only check my calorie intake once every 2-3 weeks to see where I'm sitting at but the whole theme was barely eating to survive and insane restriction. Now that I've stabilized I track my intake 3-4 times a week to know where I am at and what daily average intake is. There are non hungry days where I don't bother to track (plus weekends) and days where I'm ravenous and I make sure I track to know. I have also picked up the habit of weighing myself at least a few times a week, sometimes daily or twice a day (during weight loss I weighed once a week only), now at maintenance I weigh more often and only because I never did pre WLS and my weight kept creeping up and I refused to face reality (if I didn't know then it didn't happen). I also believe that what gets measured gets managed. I cook most of my food and eat out about twice a week, I prioritize protein 90% of the time and eat fairly well. I get in at least 140 grams of protein a day but I also don't deprive myself of anything. I eat bread, rice, pasta ,dessert and everything else really, just not in substantial portions and usually after I've gotten my protein in. I workout a lot. Always have and always will and I believe this has been a huge factor in my success so far. I built back all the muscle I lost and I believe my muscles are allowing me to eat much more without worrying about weight gain (I eat between 1500-1900 calories a day, depending on how hungry I am). I walk between 8k-10k steps a day too. Lastly, I have worked out a wriggle room for myself, If I do gain a little of weight then it is no big deal, it does not distress me and I will deal with it when/if it happens. I try my best everyday and I accept that I am not perfect nor do I set unrealistic standards for myself. I also believe maintenance is a mindset shift as much as it's a physical adjustment. Portion control, constant check-ins, daily movement are great habits to build, but also liberating ourselves of food fear and relinquishing the all or nothing sentiment.

So by this time next week you will be post-op My surgery was 4th July last year and even though I am not American I consider it my Independence Day as it was the first day of a new and improved, as in happier and healthier, me but it has taken me many months of recovery and work to get where I am so far, surgery is certainly not the easy option some people think (as in those who don't need it). The coming weeks and months will be a learning curve so don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself, don't compare your losses to others as everyone is different and just most importantly be kind to yourself. That I think is what I have come away with most from the last year, I take time for myself when needed, I say no to things I don't want to do rather than try to make everyone else happy as I used to in the past, I listen to my body more when it says it needs a walk/fresh air or rest, I speak up for myself more and I am really trying not to let the little things stress me out as I am very much a person who always felt the need to be in control (even if it was control of overeating etc.). If you haven't done so already I recommend taking your measurements and some pictures today or tomorrow so you have something to look back on in the coming months and years to see how well you do.

im 6 yrs out in a few weeks, and these days i can eat about 1-1.5 cups in volume in one sitting...more if its salad, less if its's dense protein or fluffy bread or pasta. but i mean, i could eat another 1-1.5 cups after i digest in a couple hours... further, i don't normally eat low-calorie on purpose...i try to average to 2300 cals a day more or less to maintain my current physique. you will find that you will be able to eat a little bit more as well as more frequently as time goes by. hopefully you will learn what amounts you need to maintain based on your activity level/health state and adjust accordingly as your needs change. ❤️

I don’t think at the two month mark I was Consuming anywhere close to 1000 calories either but 300 may be a bit low. Are you getting all of your protein? That seemed to be all my nutritionist was concerned with at that point. If not, I would definitely be adding in shakes. Otherwise, listen to your team because everyone’s goals are differnt depending on a number of factors. Your goal will most likely not be the same as your friend.

for during weight loss phase: protein shakes, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, chicken, eggs, seafood, tofu, natural peanut butter. during maintenance: all of the above plus: all cheese! all meat! all nuts! all nut butters! chicharron/pork rinds (my fave go-to)!

Blueberry vanilla (Semi scratch made) protein waffle. With the added yogurt and blueberries it was a little tart but still good. I think pre WLS I would eat 2 of these, or 1 with sides but I can’t remember anymore. I think the biggest change is that I prioritize protein in meals now and pre WLS I didn’t even think about it. How does everyone feel about breakfast? Skip or no? What about “breakfast foods”?

These are my favorite vegan brands (in the US) for processed foods: Field Roast, Morningstar Farms, Violife, and Orgain. I have also tried OWYN protein shakes and keep a few in the 'fridge. I'm not a huge fan of Daiya products, but the shredded white cheese is okay on top of beans.

I can add that if you focus on protein it may be helpful to cut your snacks if you eat those. Based on my experience after the sleeve and from my experience with the dietician while I am pending revision I have been recently focusing on protein first and keeping carbs low and it keeps me full longer and I am losing a little. Basically I am eating just lean meat, veggies and a little fruit. I think it’s the fiber that makes you full faster and the protein that keeps you full longer. I have a protein shake in the morning with my coffee for breakfast and then eat my breakfast for lunch (egg white omelet) and usually chicken or fish for dinner with veggies. This seems to be working for me, I am losing very slowly.

Today (January 16th) is my birthday. 🥳 This year I opted out of the birthday dinner’s I’m usually taken to by friends and family. I am 40 days post op and while I am now in the “eat whatever I can phase” ofc I’m following the low carb / high protein / no sugar diet I’m advised to follow by my bariatric nutritionist. So for my birthday this year, I didn’t want to go to a restaurant knowing I can’t eat too much food right now + I didn’t want to be tempted by restaurant foods. But I did want to know if anyone else had surgery close to their birthday like me and if so, did you allow yourself a birthday treat? Like a cupcake 🧁? I haven’t had sugar (other than my protein shakes and yogurts) since late November so idk how it will affect my stomach either but I was thinking of just getting a little birthday cupcake 🧁 for myself tomorrow. I’d love to hear others input or experience. Thanks! ☺️

I am 6 days post op and down 15 pounds!! I feel great, just sore when I turn or bend a certain way. Getting excited for protein drinks starting Thursday.

Thank you very much! Congratulations to you as well for your successful journey. It's amazing to finally be free of the fat and, more importantly for me, the addiction to food and the total control/power I have over food now. It's seriously my lifelong dream at 55 so staying motivated was baked in.. Thank you again. I am sure I didn't elaborate or explain my reasons enough but actually I am concerned about slowing down the weight loss. I still eat very small portions and am worried it would be hard to sustain on just protein, without carbs. I like my body running more ketogenic than carbed up with the ups and downs of carbs. Without adding fat, and with our malabsorption aspect of the surgery, I am wondering if its possible or not so much..If I am being honest, at 240lbs, I started eating dirtier with carbs to try and stabilize at 240 until I got my knee surgeries, but then just dropped another 20+ within a month and a half or so. My steps and activity increased, small by normal people standards, but a lot for where I have been, after I got another Cortisone shot to the knees. This just illustrates my concern once I reach goal weight and I am rucking, hiking, and lifting. Those three things will be lifelong for longevity and mobility going forward. Obviously everyone is different as far genetically and such, but I have been extremely low calorie, plenty of short fasts up to three days, and have plateaued at certain points during my weight loss, and after doing a refeed with carbs and basically whatever I want to eat, I recharged my metabolism for another huge run of weight loss. The refeed was usually only a couple days to a few days but less than a week. Now with this approach remember I am lifting weights. I mean hard as I can weight lifting 4 days a week. It sucks! Low energy lifting is not fun but the recomp.. I really believe the built-in calorie burn from lean muscle mass is the most efficient way to permanently stay in shape. Male or female doesn't matter. IMHO if your metabolism is slow and you are struggling with the last few pounds, I mean the literally like 5-10 pounds from goal BF, man or woman, start lifting weights. The body recomp will floor you. And that weight or really I think just your body composition after significant weight loss without adding lean muscle mass leaves you looking(Sometimes) like a no muscle bag of skin. Flat. It's not fun but the results.. Anyways thank you for the reply and just to make clear if any of the vets care to weigh in, the WLS gave me the tool, the only tool I will ever need again to lose weight. It's so powerful for me that I need to think about slowing down my weight loss combined with, if possible, being low carb and more ketogenic as a lifestyle choice I prefer. I just don't know if low carb is sustainable without the fat calories. that specifically is what I am looking for. Does anyone prefer low carb/ketogenic after surgery and is it possible? I already realize that fats can be problematic, is anyone doing carnivore after DS Sadi. Not my preference but the only option it seems for low carb without the keto fat plan. Thanks in advance for any tips.

Things have been going well! After some very slow weight loss in late April thru May, June is really looking up. With my 4-month mark just a few days away, I'm down about 61 lbs from my highest weight, which includes 35lbs since my actual surgery. I'm looking forward to hitting the "overweight not obese" milestone soon, just 5lbs to go! And 35lbs to go until I reach my weight goal! My hair thinning is just starting. My hairdresser styled it a bit shorter when I went yesterday and she'll suggest a new style if it becomes needed. But it's not too bad yet. Thankfully, I don't have any issues hitting protein and water targets. I usually have a protein shake in the morning to start the day and I put around a cup of Fairlife skim milk in my 32oz morning decaf tea, so that's 36g protein before I even have food, which I do a few hours after I get up. I can eat around 15-20g protein when it's solid food. I like Greek yogurt with berries and nuts for breakfast and often do a salad with chicken strips for lunch. Dinner is all sorts of things. The protein shake I use is Syntrax Nectar Natural in orange flavor, which vaguely reminds me of orange TANG. It feels sort of like having a glass of orange juice, enough to not be too weird in the morning before I'm fully awake. The rest of the flavors are just disgusting, although I am okay mixing a scoop of vanilla with some frozen pineapple and a splash of water or milk in a blender to make a frozen treat on a hot day. I do have about 1x a week issues with vomiting, triggered by different foods each time but usually either due to eating too fast or something being too dry. It's hard because a single bite can trigger it so it's very unforgiving. I've started carrying a small hospital-style vomit bags (found on Amazon) in my car and purse so that I won't be caught in an uncomfortable situation in public.. So far, I haven't needed them, but it makes me feel better to have it with me. I'm going on vacation next week and planning to bring along some protein bars and easy snacks like roasted edamame and beef jerky (which I found in 50-calorie packs at Dollar Tree). Once I'm home, I'm hoping to do some meal prep and try some new recipes because food is getting boring and kind of a chore. I don't really experience any hunger, so remembering to eat and making myself eat regularly is a nuisance.

I love proffee. I find more protein shakes too sweet, so I tend to mix decaf coffee with part protein shake, part fairlife milk. I've tried unflavoured protein powder into coffee with milk as well and it's not bad but never quite as good, lol. If you like flavoured coffees, sugar free syrups and extracts are great to change things up -- I like bourbon, almond or rum extract in my proffee, but can only handle the sweetness of the sugar free syrups if I'm using unflavoured protein powder in place of a shake, otherwise it's too overpowering. My program had me wean off shakes and into purees (not soft food), so I had a much slower reintegration into 'actual food'. But I remember being absolutely in love my first day of purees (cottage cheese and pureed sweet potato seemed like heaven) -- and progressing to soft foods, I had chicken noodle soup my first day and not having to strain all the delicious things out of it made a world of difference. It's like a light shining down on you from above that there's an end to what you're going through, confirmation that you will be able to eat 'real food' again, all that reassuring stuff. For soft food, definitely recommend ricotta bakes -- but since you're allowed lean ground meats too, you could adapt it into an even more lasagne (sans noodle) experience by making the tomato-sauce a meat sauce. If you're allowed crackers yet (my program allowed melba toast and saltines early on), 'avocado toast' with a bit of cream cheese is a nice texture, or pseudo-eggs benedict: crackers/toast with goats cheese and a poached egg. I loved making chili with ground turkey and random veg, add a bit of refried beans to thicken it up and serve with a dollop of greek yogurt on top in place of sour cream.

I dump and my first sensation is feeling loopy, then I see bright spots that don’t go away, they get worse. Then the sweats and shaking starts, and if I haven’t fixed myself with some protein then it turns into vomit/diarrhea town. Others could feel different, but the clue to me is you saying your “skin was crawling.” If it’s food allergy related, it’s very serious. I wish you the best!

Just got my surgery date 7/23 for bypass. Just bought all my vitamins from Bariatric Pal. Stocking up on shakes, protein powder, yogurt smoothies, soup, jello. I do 10 days of liquids preop starting this Friday with the last 3 days being clears only. Going to have my steak Thursday night tho! 😂😜

Hopefully by now you've had a chance to talk to your team about your concerns. I just wanted to add that your basic assumption that you need to consume more fat is somewhat flawed. Our bodies are quite efficient at converting excess calories ingested via carbs or protein into fat, so dietary fat consumption per se isn't critical. That said, there is an issue you need to be aware of. There are substances called Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), that our bodies can't manufacture, so we're dependent on consuming them to get the recommended amounts. If this didn't come up in your convo with your team, I'd ask about EFAs specifically and see what they recommend.

Animal: lamb, trout, chicken & turkey Plant: tofu, chickpea Powder: Isopure dutch chocolate and Premier chocolate (I add cocoa powder to both for a genuine chocolate milk flavor Shakes: Core Powder Water: Protein 20 Collagen: Great Lakes unflavored

Loads of useful suggestions here (as ever!) Seems such a long time ago now. I am the exception to the rule - after 2 weeks of pre-op protein shakes and 2 weeks of post-op liquids my first pureed meals were like the tastiest things I've ever had. I lovvvved them. I basically pureed a selection of whatever my family were having (I cook for everyone) with a bit of extra liquid (gravy was best) and gobbled it all down! Saved a couple of tiny portions (like a tablespoon or two) for my other meals that day or the next and hit my protein goal mainly from protein yoghurts and protein shakes. Strangely I didn't have soup until the next phase but it's still a big go-to for lunch now, especially with lentils for added protein.

Vitamin and Mineral Absorption: Unlike SADI-S, gastric bypass allows for full absorption of fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You might have (temporarily) gotten lactose intolerance. Most medications have lactose as a binder and if you’re sensitive, look out! You’ve sure been through a lot! It’s only been a week so I guess you’re on liquids. I used OWYN shakes because there’s no lactose in them. Others on here turned me onto Fairlife milk and shakes, there’s no lactose there either and both are high in protein but less than 5gms carbs. Who’s at home with you now?

Just put a few teaspoons of milk powder in your cup of skimmed milk and add your nut butter and blitz. Half a banana gives fibre. Add some Greek yogurt or protein yogurt when you are eating more. Just do it to taste.