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My bariatric team and GP both suggested it when I hit a three month stall and was becoming discouraged and angry. I was prescribed Ozempic and it broke my stall the first week! I've lost 10lbs in one month so my stall is over. I stuck to my "diet" plan the entire time so some might just say it was nothing more than my stall finally ending, who knows? I receive the compounded version with B12 and its $120.00 a month without using my insurance (I didn't want to go through the hassle of pre authorization). So, its a possible option for you. I've had no side effects as of yet, I'm starting on my second month with a higher dose so I can't speak on the head cadence beat of the drum to EAT yet, perhaps its diminished a bit and my hunger has quieted. Your best bet is talk to your doctor they'll know what's best for you and it can't hurt to ask. I hope this helps. Good luck!

I am on a similar diet now. Two shakes and then a low carb dinner of the same portions of lean meat and veggies (mine adds non fat sugars free snacks and a small amount of fruit or starchy veggies). I do that for two weeks, BUT, two days before I switch to a liquid diet and then the night before (it doesn’t specify the time) I drink only clear liquids and after midnight it’s nothing (excepts a few hours before I drink a really small amount of Gatorade). Everyone is a bit differnt but I agree witb you that actual food six hours before doesn’t sound right at all. I would call. I was given the wrong info about my diet too. Personally I would ask to hear it from the dr or a medial assistant. I was given the wrong info about the need for the Liver Shrink Portion alltogether. The front desk seconded what the nurse that did my paperwork told me but I still didn’t trust it. Yesterday I met with the dr to clarify and it was good I trusted my gut because I am in fact supposed to do it and it started yesterday.

I had the Sleeve 3.5 years ago and I’m pending revision to SADI or bypass (Bypass if he gets in there a can’t do SADI for some reason). From what I have seen on these boards the post op pain level for the sleeve and bypass is pretty similar year still different from person to person. I think the main difference between someone with an easy vs tough recovery depends on whether any air gets trapped in there and causes gas pain. I was really fortunate with the sleeve that I didn’t have any gas pain at all and my recovery was quite easy. I was up a couple hours after being back to my room Bugging then nurses with questions about my urine output 🤣 At one point I even questioned whether they had somehow forgotten to do the surgery. I did feel like I had done about 1000 crunches. And I had to use the bed rails to assist in sitting up for the first day but if I was just lying or standing I felt normal. I even said I didn’t need pain meds right away. They said they suggested they wean me down because I was already on some and may not know it if I’m in pain. I went home the next day on just Tylenol but with a pain script just in case. I did feel fatigued for a while so I took naps daily and I waited the full two weeks before I did much as instructed but I FELT like I could do most things if I had tried. It is an adjustment to remember all the vitamins and figure out what to drink or “eat” and when but I set alarms on my phone and that helped quite a bit. I actually just created alarms for every half hour and then toggled them on as needed to plan my day. You are a step ahead of the game that you are already here and established where you can get support and ask questions if you have any I didn’t find this site until a couple of days before so I was still figuring out how the thing even worked while working through the rest of it. The people here are incredibly helpful to answer questions, cheer you on or just let you vent if you have a bad day. The main thing to keep in mind is your goals and your reasons why you are doing the surgery and that will get you through it. If you ask everyone if they have any regrets about Weight loss Surgery the most common response it that they only wish they had done it sooner. After a few months you should be in your new groove, just losing weight and noticing that you can already do things you haven’t been able to do. If you haven’t already, Check out the “weirdest non scale victories” thread on this site. It sorta turned to just normal non scale victories but it’s pretty inspiring

i know several people who are on or HAVE been on Ozempic (including me**)...all of them lost weight in varying degrees...all with different starting weights. but they all did lose weight and it was noticable (to me). from what i can observe, the ones who stopped taking it gained the weight they lost back eventually. the ones who are still on it seem to maintain the weight loss. **i tried ozempic last year for fun/testing as my mom is prescribed it for diabetes and she had some surplus. I used it for a month at the lowest dose, and by the end of it i lost almost 8 lbs (and my starting weight was like 120 so that was actually quite a lot for my size). i stopped taking it because really, i didn't need it and just wanted to see what the fuss was about anyway. within a 2-3 months i gained back 5-6 lbs of the inital loss. so end net result was minimal (for me). in summary: - it works, but it seems you have to keep taking it indefinitely for long term maintenance. - it is expensive, so keep that im mind. - im my experience (and the general consensus of those i know who take it), part of its charm/workablitiy is because you basically don't want to eat when you are on it. so when you get off it, you want to eat again. - if you have the means and desire and accesss you could try it and see for yourself...the initial weight loss may even be a mental boost to inspire you do more on your own? good luck!

hi all, I posted this in the pre op forum for June buddies, but thought I'd also post it here in case it helps anyone. Here's my experience so far after getting the Gastric Sleeve procedure on 13th June 2024... Immediately after surgery It was pretty rough for me, I woke up in a lot of pain, so much so that the nurses had to give me 30mg morphine for the pain. I was in a recovery room for the first 24 hours (standard procedure for the private hospital in the UK i went through) After the initial 24hrs I was moved back to my room where I felt a lot better. Even able to eat an ice pop and a small cup of Tomato Soup (sipping of course) and sipping Water every 5-10 mins. Week 1-2 I quickly moved onto the liquids phase, in which I must have taken in around 2-300 cals per day through Protein Shakes and watery Soups. I must admin this phase was the hardest for me, managing the pain meds as well as trying to drink as much liquids as I could in a day. It just so happened there was an international football (soccer) tournament on in Europe in my first 2 weeks' recovery so was engrossed in that! I also started walking 1 mile per day and upping that to almost 2 miles by the end of it. My weight loss was drastic in this phase but my word I was lethargic/got tired v easily and not up for doing much. Week 3-4 Puree stage - finally I felt I was able to get some proper food in me, and a few days after starting this phase, my weight slowed right down - the dreaded (but expected) 3 week plateau kicked in. I went around a week and a bit without any weight loss, despite me sticking to the recommended diet. I am not going to sugar coat this, it was a bit disappointing standing on those scales after a week, but I knew this would happen so meh I guess. Still walking 2 miles per day during this phase and now feeling I have a lot more energy. Week 5-6 Week 5 started with me starting to lose a pound every 2 days or so, so my body seems like it has adjusted to the inro of more foods for the 'soft foods' stage. I also started back at the gym doing some cardio work on top of my walks, and oh boy I have so much more energy for it! I am now around half way through week 6 and had my first appointment with my nutritionist and he is blown away by the progress I have made/am making. He gave me further chewing tips to make sure I am not overeating as I have been sick a couple of times when I've eaten too quickly and not realised I'm full/satisfied. He is now happy for me to start introducing more fibred meats and more complex foods, like a little Pasta and a little bit of rice, to test the waters. Struggles so far: Reminding myself I have a new stomach not eating what family members are eating e.g. Sunday dinner Eating too fast resulting in vomiting Extra attention from people who have noticed a loss in weight (47lbs and counting since pre-op liver diet). Since I've been overweight most of my adult life, I carried a lot of shame internally, so its in my nature not to talk about myself/get photos taken etc Wins so far Losing a lot of weight and all the benefits that go with it. Being more present with my family. Having the energy to do everything they want to do (I have a wife and 2 kids, girl 11, boy 7) Clothes! I have dropped from XXXL to XL already. Which was a surprise when I packed to go to a 5 day getaway with my fam in week 5 Mental health - the mental benefits come as such a relief. I no longer feel down about my weight (although I know I still have a ways to go) Confidence - generally just feel I can be more myself - hopefully some here will resonate with this. Would be great to hear of your experiences so far, especially if you had your procedure in April/May/June/July!

Hi everyone, how are y'all getting with your post op diets, exercise and wellbeing? Here's my experience so far after getting the Gastric Sleeve procedure on 13th June 2024... Immediately after surgery It was pretty rough for me, I woke up in a lot of pain, so much so that the nurses had to give me 30mg morphine for the pain. I was in a recovery room for the first 24 hours (standard procedure for the private hospital in the UK i went through) After the initial 24hrs I was moved back to my room where I felt a lot better. Even able to eat an ice pop and a small cup of tomato soup (sipping of course) and sipping water every 5-10 mins. Week 1-2 I quickly moved onto the liquids phase, in which I must have taken in around 2-300 cals per day through protein shakes and watery soups. I must admin this phase was the hardest for me, managing the pain meds as well as trying to drink as much liquids as I could in a day. It just so happened there was an international football (soccer) tournament on in Europe in my first 2 weeks' recovery so was engrossed in that! I also started walking 1 mile per day and upping that to almost 2 miles by the end of it. My weight loss was drastic in this phase but my word I was lethargic/got tired v easily and not up for doing much. Week 3-4 Puree stage - finally I felt I was able to get some proper food in me, and a few days after starting this phase, my weight slowed right down - the dreaded (but expected) 3 week plateau kicked in. I went around a week and a bit without any weight loss, despite me sticking to the recommended diet. I am not going to sugar coat this, it was a bit disappointing standing on those scales after a week, but I knew this would happen so meh I guess. Still walking 2 miles per day during this phase and now feeling I have a lot more energy. Week 5-6 Week 5 started with me starting to lose a pound every 2 days or so, so my body seems like it has adjusted to the inro of more foods for the 'soft foods' stage. I also started back at the gym doing some cardio work on top of my walks, and oh boy I have so much more energy for it! I am now around half way through week 6 and had my first appointment with my nutritionist and he is blown away by the progress I have made/am making. He gave me further chewing tips to make sure I am not overeating as I have been sick a couple of times when I've eaten too quickly and not realised I'm full/satisfied. He is now happy for me to start introducing more fibred meats and more complex foods, like a little pasta and a little bit of rice, to test the waters. Struggles so far: Reminding myself I have a new stomach not eating what family members are eating e.g. Sunday Dinner Eating too fast resulting in vomiting Extra attention from people who have noticed a loss in weight (47lbs and counting since pre-op liver diet). Since I've been overweight most of my adult life, I carried a lot of shame internally, so its in my nature not to talk about myself/get photos taken etc Wins so far Losing a lot of weight and all the benefits that go with it. Being more present with my family. Having the energy to do everything they want to do (I have a wife and 2 kids, girl 11, boy 7) Clothes! I have dropped from XXXL to XL already. Which was a surprise when I packed to go to a 5 day getaway with my fam in week 5 Mental health - the mental benefits come as such a relief. I no longer feel down about my weight (although I know I still have a ways to go) Confidence - generally just feel I can be more myself - hopefully some here will resonate with this. be great to hear of your journey so far, so let's have it folks, we're all in this together

Hey! So I had my surgery back in May - how are you feeling about your upcoming surgery? My first week was interesting for sure. I did feel overwhelmed at first trying to work out what I could and could not "eat" (I use that term loosely as it was the liquid stage 🤣), and I was over-thinking everything. I was trying to take all my vitamins, drink all the water I needed to, and also drink the "food" I could have. Plus just adjusting to how my body FELT whilst I was just doing all of these things. I'd never had surgery before, so it really did feel a bit surreal, but honestly it was not as bad as I thought it would be. My pain was very minimal, and I did quickly settle into a routine of things. Constipation post-op was a bit of an issue, so I'd advise maybe picking up some stuff to help alleviate this before you have surgery, just so you are prepared if it is an issue! But other than this, I haven't actually had any issues. My advice would be to not do what I did, and don't try to do it all at once. Focus on one little thing at a time. If you need rest, then rest, and drink when you can so that you are keeping your body hydrated. I was genuinely surprised at how quickly everything felt normal. Just take this time to slow down, and be mindful of how your body feels, and new sensations you may come across in terms of how eating/drinking feels etc. You'll be absolutely fine though! And this site is amazing for advice, and just to talk, so always reach out & good luck! I look forward to following your journey!

I'm scheduled for gastric bypass on August 12th and I'm hoping some of you will tell me what your first week post-op was like? I'd like to know what to expect. I know the first few months will be ROUGH, but I would like more specifics.

I’m glad you questioned everything and have finally got your answers from the horses mouth as it were. Just try to maintain an air of zen now for the next couple of weeks!

I would have focused more on my therapy sessions. I would have taken it all more seriously. My approach to the whole thing was "yeah yeah, I'll just go along and do what you shrink-folks tell me, let's just get this over with as quickly as possible, just sign me your 'ok' so that I can move on to surgery". At the moment I'm not very much inspired to go into more details and write some more... currently struggling with a serious weight re-gain (almost 20 kilos regain) ... and I don't know... some (almost) 3 years after my surgery, still struggling, just like before the surgery.

Hi everyone. I'm really really new here. Just signed up some couple of minutes ago. I have undergone bypass surgery in 2021. It's going to be full 3 years pretty soon. I am also struggling with the weight-loss regain/comeback. It's almost as if it has been a 2-year-miraculous-weight-loss-bonus time frame where you lose weight almost automatically... Yes, in the last 12 months-or-so I have been neglecting systematic and disciplined exercise/physical activity. My dieting hasn't been particularly strict either... I'm just pretty much saddened for having regained almost 20 kilos again (around 40 pounds, i'd say? sorry, metric-system folk over here) and once more facing the REALLY REALLY hard struggle of losing weight once again, just as if I've never had the surgery. LUNAXINIAN, just like you, I'd really like to read/receive folks' advice if this same weight re-gain happened to any of you as well, and what did you do, how did you overcome it, and most of all, how did you manage to start losing weight once again?

I did 2 things preop that helped immensely: 1) this may sound weird but i guessed i’d be in a little pain from the incisions so a couple of days before going into the clinic i move everything i figured i’d need in the first week post up to middle shelves in my kitchen/fridge : cups, scales, protein shakes and powders etc. And thank god i did because i had abdominal muscle pain (like i’d done 10000 crunches) and was told not to bend down for a while. 2) i wrote out « meal » plans from what my dietician provided in order to clearly see what time of day i’d eat (protein shakes) and drink (water). I’m the kind of person who needs a set plan that’s clear and that i can follow because i was lost the first few days. I wrote out 4 weeks of meal plans and i varied the shakes and purées and soups so i didn’t get sick of one specific one (never ate the same one 2 meals in a row and alternated with the next day). Not sure it actually helped my experience but it did help me see clearly mentally 🤣

For surgery on the NHS, it has to be shown that the patient is fully aware that the surgery is only a tool and that the patient has realistic expectations of life post-surgery. We have to show and understand that we are prepared to put in all the necessary work (daily vitamins and regular blood tests, to adhere to the rules of eating both immediately after surgery while we heal and then the lifelong commitment required to maintain their losses) I’m glad that my NHS Trust has hoops to jump through if I’m honest, as it inspires confidence for me. Would I love surgery now? Of course! I’m I mentally prepared for it? No, I don’t think I am. The past couple of weeks have shown me that I do respond to emotional situations by trying to soothe myself with food. Will I be able to do that post-op? Very, very doubtful as I would be worried about undoing both the surgery and the psychological readiness I know I need to undergo said surgery. I do read some posts on various forums that do give cause for concern as a pre-op patient, just as Tek identified above. I’m in no position to advise but it is comforting that the more experienced posters do their utmost to give advice and guide the user in contacting their surgeon, doctor etc or to re-read the advice they should have been given 🙂

I'm in the exact same situation. (Also in the UK). I'm going through the NHS. I wasn't expecting to have to start the diet so soon either. I was hoping to at least get my birthday and my friend's wedding out of the way before having to be restricted. I wasted a lot of food as I just bought groceries before my appointment. I'm not sure if the whole 12 weeks is the liver shrinking diet or just the last three weeks. I did mess up in a moment of feeling like I was starving and I had 4 slices of toast. If the whole 12 weeks is to shrink the liver, I wouldn't risk eating anything not on the list if it can be avoided. If just the last three weeks is the liver shrinking diet, maybe one "proper meal" a week is fine?

Hurray! We’re off to London this week 🤩 The past couple of weeks have been a little stressful but I managed to get last weeks 2.5lb gain off plus almost a lb more so I’m happy. I just want this to be a ‘normal’ week - no hospital appointments, worries or stressing over weight. I know my weight will go up but so what? We’re having a mini-break in a posh hotel, just the 2 of us. It can give us some badly needed time together where we’re just us, no work stresses (hubby) or health concerns etc. I think sometimes we lose sight of ourselves as an actual person and not a collection of ailments and anxieties over different things. Clothes are out and ready to be packed. I’ve tried to go outside my comfort zone a little and not just take the fat woman’s uniform of leggings and tops! I’m not taking dresses or skirts, purely because I haven’t managed to perfect getting on and off my scooter in a semi-ladylike way without flashing my wares to unsuspecting passers-by 😜 I have tried for a more dressier wardrobe so we will see. Nails to paint this afternoon and then hairdressers tomorrow. It’s nice to have that bit of a pamper (which we all deserve) I did manage toenails yesterday without making a complete hash of it so I will take that as a NSV as I was actually able to reach them, for once! Have a thoroughly wonderful week everyone. Onwards & Downwards!!

I'm pre-op and my surgery is much sooner along than I expected. I was expecting to have a few weeks to try and ease into the liver shrinking diet and buy foods that I can have on hand, but it was just sprung on me that I would need 12 weeks of liquids. No easing into it, no chance to have my favourite foods one last time (which isn't a bad thing really, but it feels like it. I lost control and cheated and I had 4 slices of toast and then felt so bad. Knowing it's only another 11 weeks to go is a short time, but it feels like years. I just got really upset at the idea that I won't be able to eat solid foods until December. It makes cravings so bad.

My surgeon cleared me for a little caffeine and I switched to decaf from week 2-6. Six weeks on I restricted myself to one cup of coffee a day only, occasionally 2 (second one decaf always) and that's huge progress from 4 cups of coffee a day. You can incorporate caffeine in your post op diet (6 weeks on), but make sure to check with your team first.

Hi, just looking for ideas of what might be going on. Side the day after surgery, I've been having issues with vomiting for several hours after eating. Not every meal, not even every day, but usually one a week. I do ok with purees now, but no solid food patterns are appearing. Even I say hours, I mean hours. Like, up to 12 hours is the longest so far. Throwing up food for several of those hours, then water the rest. I can eat or drink during this time - it comes right back up. I've had to get fluids, thiamine, and anti-emetics by iv twice now in 3 weeks. I've had an upper gi/ small bowel study done - liquids only - and everything was fine. My labs are fine, mainly because I'm diligent about my meds on days when I can take them. My surgeon won't do anything else because the gi study came back normal. Has anyone else ever dealt with this? Or any suggestions from anyone? I have an ultrasound scheduled to check my gallbladder, but I dint think it's that since my liver enzymes are perfect. I'm at my wit's end - I can't sleep, can't work, can't lie down, can't do anything except sit there and vomit every 10-20 minutes - literally. Just looking for some kind of hope at this point. Thank you for reading this far.

I woke up with a waist binder on from my sleeve which is pretty thick so it wouldn’t have really mattered so long as the waist was not too too tight. Like i wouldn’t wear jeans but looser leggings, pajama pants, track pants, shorts. Whatever you have. My incisions we’re pretty tiny and covered with tape (and then the binder) so in terms of like rubbing I don’t think it would have mattered. Not sure if everyone gets a binder though. To answer your main question my lowest incision was just below my belly button the highest is about 2 or 3” below my boobs if I’m wearing a bra 🤣 Assuming you’re going straight there and straight home i would honestly just wear whatever you are comfortable in. I wore Nike pants with slides and socks because I didn’t want to have to deal with sneakers 🤷🏼‍♀️ it wasn’t my finest fashion statement but I figured it’s a hospital everyone there is worried about their own stuff. The sundress was a good idea if you are comfortable in them. It would probably be easiest to put back on. No bending which is good. Ooh and I wore the same thing home as I wore there too. They had me change first thing when I got called back. I Just brought underthings and toiletries but I wasn’t allowed to shower. I did use my tablet, phone and chargers. Good luck tomorrow.

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?

I'm working on figuring out how to maintain lol I'm below goal, which is fine is I stay where I'm at. Don't really want to go any lower. I'm slowly increasing calories and carbs, but I can't go too high or I get sick. So I'm just trying to figure it out. My first year post surgery, I was half way to my goal (I needed to lose roughly 200 pounds to get to my goal). I had complications that slowed my weight loss (I lost 113 pounds in 8 months) after the 8-9 month mark. I had my revision 13 months after my initial surgery and lost another 94 pounds in a year. I also had 2 major surgeries during that time, too. Now my weight loss is (hopefully) stopping - 2 years after my initial surgery and 1 year after my revision. I've lost a total of 240 pounds from my highest weight and 207 pounds from my surgery-day weight. And it took me a total of 2 years. I hit many stalls along the way, but it's all been 100% worth it.

Officially 5 months post-op today. Here are some progress photos of today compared to two months ago (I missed my 4-month photos because I was on vacation) and to my highest weight, which is almost a year ago. I've been basically stalled for the past 4 weeks with only 2 lbs lost and a lot of bouncing up and down. With vacation, my good habits have slipped a bit. It's too easy to take "just a bite" of this, and also that, and maybe a "taste" of something else... to the point that it adds up way more than I think in a day. And I'm not back in the routine I was in before with walking every day. I have an appointment with my dietician on Tuesday and am hoping to get back on track this week. I still want to lose 25-30lbs so I can't lose focus!

I always liked making smoothies. I used 1 bottle of Propel electrolyte water (different flavors), 1 scoop of collagen, 1 scoop of greens, 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 4 packets of monk fruit sweetener, 1-2 cups of whatever fruit I wanted (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc), and avocado. I would also add ground flax seeds, ground chia seeds, and shredded coconut. I loved them. I did them from about 6 weeks through the first year. Then I just kind of got out of making them. Maybe I'll start doing them again.....

Well I went back to the NP to clarify and it turns out I am supposed to do a two week LSD AND a 2 day all liquid one so I start tomorrow morning. My LSD diet isn’t to bad compared to some. I get one small low carb meal and a snack of like sugar free non fat yogurt. Breakfast and lunch is shakes. I pretty much knew that I was going to have to do more than two days once I talked to the NP but I wasn’t expecting 16 days. Yikes 😳 How is everyone else doing?