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Make yourself down a protein shake, even if it's half in the am and half in the pm -- just until you're more able to get the protein from food sources. (Or even then, if it suits your needs). It doesn't have to be delicious, it just has to be nutritious -- at least while your body is still recovering (6-8 months?) and trying to establish a new regime of what it can eat. A protein shake, a bar, sip some bone broth -- whatever you need to do to get that protein up. ❤️

Me too! I'm on day 5 of pre-op diet and already so tired of "sweet" stuff from the protein drinks and SF jello.

I agree with others that it’s normal and it will slow down and stop eventually. I remember that phase all too well. I couldn’t really see the loss in the mirror but I hurt my back pretty bad and was down for a while. Before I vacuumed I noticed the hair collecting near all the baseboards and.i was horrified. I never lost enough for anyone else to notice either. It just seemed like I was going to. Just keep getting that protein in and you will be fine.

I would track it by how many water bottles you are drinking. If you are using a glass/cup, pour the water from the bottle into the cup so that way you know when you are done, how many oz that was. I think it is important to keep the water intake high while trying to get the protein in but that can take a few days to be able to do both.

Hello! I had my surgery on 6.12 and for me I use a fiber powder in my protein shakes and stool softeners, that seems to help me

Please ignore. It was misinformation online. I was concerned if they had a lot of iron that the calcium chew I was taking with them wouldn’t absorb as well but I checked the actual shake and it doesn’t have iron. It does have 650mg of calcium though so if I don’t take the multi with it I may be able to save some money on calcium chews. It’s calcium casenite. Just need to figure out if that is a form of calcium that we absorb post surgery.

lol which protein do you use? PP is sickly for me post op

Back from vacation last night and had a great time. We spent 2 days at the waterpark at Great Wolf Lodge, then drove to Hershey, Pennsylvania to visit the amusement park, followed by a trip through Lancaster County (where many Amish people live). I did what I could to meet protein goals and make healthy choices at restaurants, but I also allowed myself some sweets and tried not to stress about it too much. Weighed myself this morning and was down one pound since last week. Overall feeling good and looking forward to getting back to a more normal schedule, although I have a bit of a break from work until next week. A few random travel tips: Always make sure you are getting your food prepared the way you want it when you order. I saw a photo of a salad with grilled chicken on the menu, but I didn't realize it could also come fried until that was what the server brought me. She didn't ask which I wanted (she was new), and I just assumed it was grilled. A simple, "That's with grilled chicken, right?" would have saved me having to try to peel away all of the fried breading. If you must order fast food when on the road, a small cup of chili from Wendy's has 16g protein and 240 calories. I believe it's 22g carb (6g of which is fiber). They also have some nice salads. For a long car trip, bring a gallon-size thermal jug of ice water and keep it in the back to refill your smaller water bottle. Individual packs of edamame, beef jerky, and nuts made great portable snacks to get in some extra protein, and Quest protein chips are delicious! I also found protein pretzels in a gas station convenience store and they were good, although not as high in protein as Quest (which they also sold there).

I think I’m entering my ‘stall’ period now. Having had numerous attempts at weight loss in the past, I know my body sulks between week 3 and week 7. I’m just beginning week 5 so the timing is bang on. My weight has gone up 1.5lbs from my lowest weight this week but it happens so I will just keep on keeping on. Once my body has got over its sulk the weight should start coming off once again. A couple of NSV this week. I don’t know about anyone else but my clothing sizes can be a bit all over the place. One size of clothing can have 3 meanings for me, depending on what it’s made of. So, for example, there’s the ‘I’m kidding myself’ sizing - plenty of give, elasticated, stretchy material. It may say 22 but I know it’s really a 24+. There’s then the ‘huh, it’s not too bad’ sizing - some give, not that stretchy, a definitely generous 22, and then there’s the ‘unforgiving’ sizing - no give, no stretch, no elasticated waist etc, a definite 22. For long enough I’ve been at the ‘I’m kidding myself’ stage but I went shopping in my wardrobe and found a couple of tops with no give, a definite 22. Tried both on - they fit!! And they didn’t look like sausage skin!! Very happy dance around the bedroom! I also went out of my comfort zone at the weekend and bought myself a size 22 no-stretch denim maxi skirt. I can fasten it, just, but don’t rate my chances of sitting down and/or breathing in it 😮‍💨 However, I’m keeping it as I know I will fit in to it comfortably at some point. We’re off to London for a few nights in 3 weeks or so, so fingers crossed it may fit a little better by then 🤞🤞 Meds have finally been sorted and delivered, had my Oximetry test last week so hopefully that’s gone well. No Bariatric appointments this week but I have my endoscopy next week plus knee X-rays for my arthritis. Food wise things are going OK. My new favourite thing is Lindhals Stracciatella Kvarg protein yoghurt - oh, I could eat barrels of the stuff! I’ve also tried the Warburtons Protein Power bread as a change to the whole meal. It’s definitely nice as a change but doesn’t want to make me eat lots and lots of it, which is a definite plus! Hope everyone has a great week… Onwards and Downwards!

That's what I've been calling my coffee mixed with protein powder. I'm 99.99% sure that I picked that word up from someone else here on the forum. I even go to bed every night thinking about that sweet sweet proffee tomorrow morning 😂 ...

I drank instant black decaf for 3 months both pre-op and post-op. I'm 9 months post-op and have been back on regular coffee for about 6 months. A change in my preference is that I now drink it with half & half and protein powder added. Two or three servings every morning, no matter where or how I find myself 😁 During that 6 month caffeine-free period, I also drank warm herbal teas, and room temperature decaf black teas. I still enjoy the herbals in the evenings occasionally. And I'm back to regular black teas with cream, one of my favorites!

Problem with ignoring is the pressure that comes from realising you are getting majority of your protein from protein water in my case - can’t bear the PP post op and not real food

I just had my surgery on the 27th and am home from the hospital. I have been having a hard time with tracking how much I have been taking in with water and protein. Any tips or tricks to help track it so I make sure to try to reach my protein goal? I use the baritastic app but it doesn't allow me to go in and just put single ounces on some of my shakes. Also, I am experiencing a burning sensation on the right side lower part of my stomach. Any idea's what this could be from?

How's everyone doing heading toward July 4th Holidays? I'll be taking a trip driving to Missouri visiting friends and family there. I'm going to prep some meals and take protein shakes with me to make sure I don't fall off the wagon. I've lost a few pounds, breaking the stall I had going. I did measure my belly or what the bariatric center called my waist (measuring around my belly at the belly button), and I lost 1-1/2 inches since May. So the stall was not as significant as I thought it was. @BlueParis With the Olympics in Paris in a few weeks, are you going to attend any of the games? I would bet getting around will be a nightmare with so many people there for the games.

I'm further out, so what you will be able to eat right after and what I can eat now are pretty far apart. What I can eat now, 1 year post revision surgery, is what I consider a normal amount. For example, last night for dinner, I had 2 chicken drum sticks, 1/2 a cup of french cut green beans, and 1/2 cup sauteed squash. It was delicious and I was satisfied and between comfortable and full. I ate that at 6pm and had my final snack at 9pm, which was a small handful (maybe 12 or 14) of lightly salted almonds and 7 colby jack cheese cubes. And I went to bed at 10pm. For breakfast this morning I had a 2 egg omelet with colby jack cheese and half a sliced avocado with my mushroom coffee. For my first snack of the day, I'm having strawberries and blueberries (about a half a cup of each) and a vanilla protein smoothie (mostly just because I find them yummy for a snack sometimes). For lunch I'm having a salad with cucumbers (3 sliced cut in half), bacon bits (just a small sprinkle), sliced grilled chicken (3 strips cut in half), spinach and romaine lettuce (about a cup), about half a handful of chick peas (aka garbanzo beans), and 4 tbsp of ranch dressing. No idea what I'm having beyond that today. But that gives you an idea of what is normal for me. Everyone is different, though. You have to see what will end up working for your body, your lifestyle, and your needs. It'll come in time, just be patient and trust the process.

It's normal and will eventually slow down. Mine stopped after my first surgery around month 9. After my revision, around month 11. I cut my hair shorter this time around and it REALLY helped. I also use thickening and volumizing shampoo and conditioner, and I changed up how I style my hair so the part at the top of my head isn't so obvious. For extra protein, add a protein shake in at some point during the day. Use it as one of your snacks, or have it right before bed. That will give you a ton of extra protein, which is what your hair needs to grow. Hair can't produce protein, even though it needs it. Biotin helps hair be healthy but does not reduce hair loss or promote growth. Same with collagen and keratin. Only thing that really helps is protein. But I promise, no matter how it feels, you won't go bald.

I ate cottage cheese, avocado spread, hummus, protein pudding, protein yogurt, and even 3 or 4 teaspoon fulls of split pea soup (my husband had to eat the rest because it was REALLY filling). I also ate some tuna (but VERY sparingly), oatmeal (again, very sparingly and only 2 or 3 teaspoon fulls...my daughter ate the rest of the bowl because it was really filling), sauteed squash (used extra virgin olive oil and it was soft and soooo good), 1 scrambled egg (only had about 2 small bites and then hubby added the rest to his eggs and finished it). I was just so happy to be able to eat stuff, but I was absolutely NOT ready for how little I could actually eat lol

So close to the 60 lbs. lost mark.... I'm feeling great since my May 1 surgery. Clothes fitting nice and loose, people at work saying "whoa!" Still struggling a bit with hydration. I've been trying to find the perfect protein shake and I invite you to join me on my journey thus far. I'm going to rate them in order for worst to best. This is my opinion only and reflects only what I've tried thus far. I'm not affiliated with any protein powder corps but if someone wants to throw some cash my way for an endorsement, I won't say no. Be advised I don't mix the shakes with anything...just 7-8 oz of cool, clear water. Worst - Avoid at All Costs - Bodytech Whey Protein Isolate. They should call this, "aftertaste with a hint of flavor." I got the Melted Marshmallow and Cookies & Cream flavors in the 1.5 lb tubs. I choked the C&C down but couldn't stomach the marshmallow. Vitamin Shoppe did me a solid and let me exchange the opened tub back for store credit. Your Mileage May Vary - Ghost: The gimmick with Ghost is that they put a little of the flavored stuff in with the mix. That means the Oreo flavor I bought had a few Oreos mixed up in the powder. Not so many that it makes the protein/sugars mix per serving bad, but enough to effect the flavor and make you feel like you're having a forbidden treat. But hang on. For me, the shake (even with just water) was super sweet. Plus, the Oreo bits clump together and make for a chewy gooey swig. Ghost was too much for my newly cut stomach and made me nauseous. Now that I'm a few months past surgery, I can tolerate it somewhat better but it still isn't my favorite in consistency or stomach tolerance. Middle of the Road - Gold Standard: This powder never upset my stomach, mixes well, and is a good mid-range price point. There is a bit of aftertaste but it's not a deal breaker. Flavors are kind of forgettable. Double Rich Chocolate and Cinnamon Roll are safe bets. Getting Better - ISO100: This is a little more expensive than the choices below, you get fewer servings per dollar. You get what you pay for though. This powder mixes up nice and the flavors are pretty good. The Dunkin Glazed Donut was great! Gourmet Chocolate was also a cut above. Best so Far - Transparent Labs: Figures it would be the most expensive brand right? But this powder has been great on my poor stomach. The selling point here is that it's a minimalist powder, there are only 4-5 ingredients compared to the long list of additives you'll see in some of the cheaper brands. No stomach upset at all with this. Flavors are also subdued but pleasant. I've had the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip and Salted Caramel. Nice taste, not overwhelming. When it's shake time I think to myself, "Ah, this will be nice." rather than "Oh good grief...yeah, let's go choke it down." Ones I Want to Try: If any of you have tried these brands, I'd love to get your take before I shell out money: - Ryse - Gorilla Mode - Clean Simple Eats

Temporary hair loss is very common after surgery. Your body is going through a lot is stress: the surgery, reduced food intake, weight loss, anaesthetic, hormonal flushes & changes, etc. The result is a temporary acceleration of your natural hair loss cycle. It actually can occur after child birth, periods of extreme stress, other more major surgeries, etc. The hair you are losing is dead & you were going to lose it anyway just not as quickly. You can’t stop it. Or slow it down. Some people will suggest adding additional supplements but this period of hair loss still lasts about 4 month -/+ regardless of taking the additional supplements or not. Those supplements won’t help hair that is already dead. As long as you’re taking the vitamins your team recommends & are meeting your protein & other nutritional goals, you don’t need to do anything else. Your new hair is still growing just at its usual rate & it is only this new growth that may benefit from the supplements. How much you’ll lose is very individual & you can’t predict it. You may lose more if it’s summer (when we usually shed more hair) or if you are in your 7 year hair shedding cycle (just went through mine again & was losing a lot more than usual). Try cutting off some of your length if you have longer hair. Many of us do this so the new growth reaches the length of the old growth more quickly. And shorter hair is always bouncier & looks fuller than long. I decided some temporary hair loss is a small price to pay for the benefits of your weight loss. Oh, and try not to stress too much - it only adds to the stress your body is already under which influences the hair loss. PS: You can update your weight by scrolling to near the bottom of this page. You’ll see a section titled Together we have lost… Add your current weight & click Update Your Weight. It will display the next time you start a thread or respond to a post.

I had to do the diet when I had the sleeve surgery 2 years ago AND when I had the revision 1 year ago to bypass. Some surgeons require 2 weeks, some require 1 week, and some only 2 days. Just depends on your weight, bmi, and surgeon preferences. My first time, I had to do 2 weeks. It was all liquid. I was on protein shakes, bone broth, protein pudding, jello, Propel drinks, protein gatorade, smoothies. I was 421 pounds when I started it and 388 the day of surgery because of that diet. It sucked, but was very effective. Thank goodness it wasn't anything I would need to do long term, because no way, no how lol My 2nd time was for a week. It was slightly less strict. Same liquids except I could also have things like 1 meal of ministrone soup, protein yogurts with fruit in it, or hummus, avocado spread, and cottage cheese. This one was much more tolerable, and while I did still lose weight o it, it wasn't as much and it wasn't as bad. Still sucked, though. But at least I knew it was for a very limited amount of time. Both times, I knew it was worth it to make my surgeries as safe as possible. That was the most important thing to me.

I am 4 months out. I had sleeve into bypass. I can’t figure had to change weight yet on this site. I lost 50 pounds. I can’t believe the hair I am losing. I’m freaking going bald. Taking vitamins but 65 grams of protein a bit difficult for me. I get around 55. I can’t force the food. I talked with doc and they said it’s common to lose hair but he said it’s a lot. Try more protein. Ugh! So frustrated!

For my prog it’s the general guidelines rather than individual I guess. I have a Nespresso and k cup machine - the only decaf option in Nespresso is level 6-8 intensity haven’t found any palatable k cups any suggestions?

I really like the Quest protein shakes. The salted caramel is my favorite flavor.

Can’t stomach premier protein after op - any recommendations?

Relieved to hear that. Any tips for meeting nutritional guidelines - I am not very good at cooking. So my post op soft food day looks like protein water chicken mince (2-3oz) hummus or some Greek yogurt and a bite or canned peach so far