Search the Community

Zoloft has always given me stomach issues, pre and post-op. My solution has been to take it with milk/protein shake and make sure you have a few oz of the milk/protein shake in your stomach before taking the pill. That has mitigated all issues for me.

How’s everyone in the July group doing so far? I think I’m 16 days out as of today. My surgery went well and recovery has been quite swift. I’m cleared to swim and do non vigorous exercises. Yay! I loved to swim laps prior to surgery, so I’m pretty thrilled to be back at the pool. It feels so good to move and my mobility has already gotten better! I feel pretty good overall. I have weird days where I’m honestly just angry. Some of that is frustration with eating 1/4 cup meals of food. I just need to work through that and acknowledge my feelings. My journaling pen has also been getting a workout. I’m also a little frustrated with how much physical hunger I feel as well. I’m learning to deal with it and find other things to occupy my time instead of eating or thinking about eating/cooking/etc. I wanted to note here that I spent a lot of time worrying before the surgery about the outcome, or “what if I feel like crap?” Well, the reality is that I felt like crap for about 3-4 days because of gas and fluid. But, then it was over and I felt ok pretty quick. Don’t waste your time dwelling on that stuff. Get your fluids, your walks and your protein. I recommend Unjury chicken soup protein if you’re having problems getting your shakes down. Do what you’re supposed to do and in time you’ll thank yourself for taking care of yourself. Sometimes what gets me through the negative thoughts is that these first few weeks are temporary and meant to retrain your stomach and your brain to make healthy choices. The weeks after surgery WILL pass quickly and you will come out the other side AND BE OK. Use the time to put some healthy routines in your pocket involving self-care, exercise, hydration, walking and protein. I’m excited to see where this journey will take me.

Perhaps instead of trying to get "meals" down, start with just a few sips here and there throughout the day - space your nutrition out all day long. As Shoppgirl said, try different brands, perhaps one will work with your system better. Are you getting water down? I personally added protein to my fluids because I wasn't getting enough with my meals. It doesn't have to be much each time. Lastly, peanut butter is oily regardless of the brand, my guess is the fat might be causing issues as well as the sugar in berries could all be culprits. Peanut butter makes me nauseous. Have you eaten anything that doesn't make you nauseated? If so stick with that for awhile, better to get the same thing down you than nothing! I hope you feel better soon!

all good comments thank you! I am on plan 90% if not 95%. I do eat the alternatives but sometimes they aren't the option (such as this restaurant) and I wasn't sure If I was alone but it seems like everyone has a different perspective. My hubs even asked if it was okay that he could eat it another time without me or something (he has no weight problems). I am proud of myself that the meal didn't end up being going into an uphill battle to get back on track. I felt guilty eating them and felt like I messed up, but just continued the next day. I feel as though that mindset is getting me out of the "diet" mentality and allowing me to live this way forever.

You have been tracking your macros and measuring activity far longer than me but from my little bit of experience and what the nurse practitioner told me I would basically just cut out your extra carbs while you are being less active to maintain and then decrease your calories a bit to lose but I wouldn’t cut too too much. Your body is healing so just don’t be in too much of a hurry and be at a significant calorie deficit. We had no choice with the bariatric surgery because we had to protect our healing, intestines and stomachs with the tiny portions during recovery but it is not ideal to recover from a surgery at a such a calorie deficit. Our bodies actually need extra calories and protein for wound healing so you may actually find that your body is burning more calories than you would be if you were just being a couch potato for no reason. Just something to consider or do a little research on. The reason I say just decrease the extra carbs is because before my activity, I was eating a certain way, and then the nurse practitioner learned how active I was being from my activity logs and she told me I just needed to increase my carbs to sustain that level of activity and decrease it if I slowed down and it has worked like a charm. So basically just reversing that is what I would do if I were in your situation. You could also reach out to your dietitian or nutritionist who gave you your original macro guidelines if that is the plan that has been working for you and ask him or her what they would change given your much lower activity for the time being.

Ugh. Conflicting information is so frustrating. I have gotten a lot of that with the SADI being new too. I just started making more appointments with the NP and I’m going with her advise. I had my Baritastic app open so I could show her a couple of weeks of nutrition at a glance and I told her my average step count from my watch. She actually had me increase my carbs and protein a bit because of my activity level. But she started me at like 60 carbs so your plan is different. Now they are good carbs. All veggies, fruits and whole grains like real oats or brown rice. I am now supposed to be around 80 but I haven’t quite gotten there. It’s hard to do after reaching 90g protein. I’m up to like 70g carbs and still lost 4 pounds last week (I started at an average of 5). I’m sure not all of our bodies are alike though or they would be able to land on one ideal diet plan that works for everyone. I don’t eat a lot of rice or oats. Most of my carbs are from veggies, fruits and beans. Once a week I have a low carb wrap which makes the carbs go way up but it’s mostly fiber so I think that’s okay (that’s on my list of questions) For your exercise bike, start out whenever you can fit it in but once you get the boost or energy it gives you to keep going try doing it first thing in the morning I started walking at night but with the rain had to do it in the morning a couple of times and realized that it gave me a tremendous amount of energy for the day. I even work in more movement throughout the day now. It’s pretty great.

Haha, I totally get that feeling! It’s like your body gives you a mini celebration with a quick drop, then goes, "Alright, let's take a break now!" 😂 But it's awesome that you’re seeing a steady loss over time—that’s the real win. And that Baritastic app sounds like a game-changer, especially with the line graph to track trends and measurements! I’ve also found keeping everything in one place super helpful instead of relying on random paper notes. Speaking of tracking, I think I might’ve had one of those "high restriction" days today. I always hear people talking about them, but I hadn’t really experienced one until now. It was so strange—I wasn’t hungry or full, just couldn’t eat much at all. I had breakfast at 11:30 a.m., and by lunch at 4 p.m., I had to force myself a bit. By 7:30 p.m., I couldn’t manage dinner at all, so I ended my day with a quick scoop of protein. Not sure if that’s what others describe, but it was definitely an off day!

@BlueParis depending how much milk you're using in tea and coffee, that's a decent source of protein. I don't know if you have ultra-filtered milk available in France (in US, the brand is Fairlife, like the protein shakes, but it's just milk that has been filtered to lower carbs and amp up the protein, not supplemented like the shakes). I started buying Fairlife milk and make a 1L thermal container of hot tea every morning, with between 125 and 250ml of milk in it, so my morning tea alone gives me between 7 and 13g protein. I would try adding a slice of smoked salmon to the bagel, but that's just because I love that combo. The omelet seems very healthy and the pannacotta sounds delicious. You might consider adding more beans/legumes to your rotation. I am getting so tired of meat. I've just ordered a vegan cookbook to help me discover new recipes that are based on plant proteins (not the fake meat, processed plant products but real foods). Maybe bean soups and stews, lentil curries? Your stall will break eventually, but in your case, because you're already at a "normal" BMI, it may be a lot harder and slower from here on out. Don't lose hope! After barely losing weight the entire month of May, I'm losing at the quickest pace since surgery, 9 lbs in 16 days! That's been a real surprise. I am eyeing my next milestone, which is 5.6 lbs away, the point where I will cross from an "obesity" BMI into just the "overweight" category. I have never looked so forward to being called "overweight" in my life! I'm also noticing I'm just not very interested in food. Even though I can technically eat a bit more now than in the beginning, I don't really want to. I'm not hungry and chewing is a chore. I'm sick of meat. I'm tired of thinking about protein. And while I do still enjoy going out for a meal, I am exhausted by looking at the plate and seeing 4 days' worth of food in front of me. I'll be going on a family summer vacation next week and have no idea what I'll manage to eat. We're going to amusement parks and water parks, so the typical fare will be pizza and hot dogs, which sound terrible. I'm stocking up on protein bars, which I find a bit better than shakes, though not something I want in my diet normally. But better than a hot dog! So if anyone has a favorite protein bar, especially one that won't melt in my bag on a hot day at an amusement park, please share!

That's what I was planning, and as much as I despise them at this point, I'll bring some single-serve protein shake packets, too. Those are easy to mix in a water bottle and carry along.

I tried your greek yogurt cheesecake hack two days ago (just the greek yogurt & mix, I was lazy) ... I was immediately, irrevocably captivated. The thickness, the texture, it's so perfect. I've had a little bit two days in a row now, and my protein macros have skyrocketed. I topped it with a handful of fresh raspberries, and I now know exactly what I'll be bringing to summertime potlucks & bbqs. XD

Yea. I was Just trying to get In some fiber by eating veggies puréed with protein powder mixed in because I am early out and am having issues with constipation. I need fiber. I talked to the NP today and she told me to get benefiber but I am also allowed puréed oats and I double checked that I can have the rolled ones so long as I purée them. I was super excited because I really like the MUSH overnight oats although I just realized that they do have added sugar so we shall see how they go.

I assume my ferritin level is OK. It has been tested as part of the bariatric blood work required repeatedly over time. So I imagine he would tell me if it was low, but the next time I talk to him, I will specifically ask. My protein should be fine, but I am going to go back to ensuring it is daily. I haven't fallen off the wagon, but a year out now - I am not as focused on counting every little thing. I just eat well and proper portions and much of the food I enjoy in general is protein rich. Thanks!

You will be really happy that you got the food processor for the purée stage. For my sleeve I didn’t get one and just thought puree food that wasn’t supposed to be purred sounded so gross. This time around this stage is sooooo much easier because I can have more variety. You can add some foods witb fiber too which helps with the constipation. I still don’t really like purée meat but I add unflavored protein powder to everything else and supplement with shakes. I know you didn’t get as much time as expected to wrap your mind around all this as expected but you are ready and you’ve got this!!

Pre-Op Diet The pre-op diet has a few purposes. The critical one is to shrink your liver so it’s not blocking your surgeon’s view of your insides during surgery. That makes your operation easier and safer. The pre-op diet also helps you lose weight. That may be surprising since you’re expecting to start your weight loss after surgery, but it’s actually a good idea to start losing weight beforehand. In fact, the more you lose before surgery, the safer surgery will be, and the better you’ll feel afterwards. Different surgeons suggest different pre-op diets. The diet has about 1,000 calories. It could depend on lean proteins and other nutrient-rich foods, or it could be a liquid diet with protein shakes. Or, it could be a combination of the two, with each day including two protein shakes as meal replacements plus one meal with vegetables and protein. The pre-op diet can last from a few days to several weeks or even months. In general, the longer you’re on it, the better. You’ll lose more weight, shrink your liver more, and gain confidence that you’ll be able to continue a strict eating program long-term after surgery. Get in Shape Why exercise before surgery? One reason is that, like with a good diet, it can make surgery safer. In this case, it’s because exercising can strengthen your heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Of course, exercise also burns calories and can help you lose a little extra weight before surgery. Another reason to get in shape before surgery is because it will make recovery easier. Many weight loss surgery patients find that walking around the house and then the neighborhood is their best tool for fighting post-op pain. If you’re used to being active before surgery, you’ll have an easier time walking after surgery. You don’t need to go crazy on your pre-op exercise regimen. If you’re not used to exercising, start small. As long as your doctor approves you to be active, just find a few minutes each day to walk at a comfortable pace. Clean and Stock the Kitchen Fact: you can’t eat food that’s not there. So, clean out your kitchen. Get rid of sugary desserts, starchy snacks, and fatty meats and cheeses. Anything you know you shouldn’t be eating shouldn’t be in your kitchen. Get rid of it before surgery because for weeks after surgery, you won’t be physically able to carry out heavy trash bags filled with forbidden foods. Once your kitchen is cleaned out, stock it up! At least get the protein shakes and powders you’ll need for weeks or more after surgery. Consider getting some flavored water in case you’re unable to tolerate water post-op. You can also stock up on non-perishable staples, such as canned chicken and tuna, frozen fruit and vegetables, and instant oatmeal packets. Take Your Nutritional Supplements You know you’ll be taking nutritional supplements post-op. If you have the sleeve or bypass, you’ll be taking them for life. With the band, you’ll need supplements for months, years, or life. Did you know you shouldn’t wait until after surgery to start taking your supplements? At a minimum, take a multivitamin beginning when you start your pre-op diet. Even if you’re eating a balanced diet, the supplement helps make sure your body has the nutrients it needs to heal your surgery wound. Also, it’s an insurance policy so that if you have trouble eating and swallowing supplements for a few weeks after surgery, your body will still have a good store of nutrients in reserve. Practice Your Healthy Eating Habits Consider the pre-op period practice for the post-op diet. That includes eating slowly, measuring portions, and choosing nutrient-dense instead of processed, high-calorie foods. Also consider making exercise a habit now, so it’s easier to get back to it after surgery. You cannot guarantee an easy surgery, but you can certainly do a few things to improve your chances. Use these tips to take control of your pre-op prep as soon as you’re ready to lose weight and get healthy!

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.

Which do you prefer for your protein? Meat? or plant base foods?

Okay so tonight I had cauliflower crust pizza. I didn’t make the crust. It was frozen. Not the absolute greatest but not terrible either. I made it with ricotta, mozz, chicken and onions so I got my protein at least. I have a battle between my brain and my stomach trying not to eat too terrible in these next couple of weeks Before I start my preop.

Today was my one month post op appointment and I gave her my phone with the summary of all my macros for the past week since I’ve been on soft food and a “normal” portion size (3/4 cup) and told her my current steps and she was really happy. I was worried that since my stomach was not operated on and I can tolerate foods and the larger portion of the range that I was eating too much for a month out and she said that with my level of activity I actually need to increase my protein a bit and the carbs as well and that my calories were fine to go up with that. She said that my loss is excellent and to keep doing what I’m doing just to increase my protein to 90g. She even said that I can add more veggies and some other foods as tolerated. I was worried about trying like asparagus and corn or rice paper (I’ve been craving spring rolls since I seen a recipe while on purée). I had already done my grocery order for this week and was going after there to pick it up so I added them rice papers to my cart for next weeks grocery run. I went ahead and scheduled my appointment for next month but she said that if I am still doing this well I can reschedule to my three month for my labs. I’m pretty excited! I did not feel like this after my sleeve. I feel like I have a handle on this, I am actually enjoying the healthier foods and the exercise. My energy's and my mood have improved tremendously. .

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! ☺️

My surgery is scheduled for June 20th! I'm currently in my preop diet but it is very modified. I only have to replace 1 meal with a protein shake and the rest of the meals consist of 1/2 cup lean protein and unlimited non starchy vegetables. Mine is modified b/c my BMI is not as high. Struggling with the dinner meal but trying to push through. Karli

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

I cook for my family so basically I adapt all of our meals to suit my post op diet. For dinner tonight I had ragu in lettuce leaves with added parmesan. Heavy on the veg. Basically spaghetti bolognese without the pasta. I have so many favourites now. Stir fry veg and whatever protein - chicken, pork, beef, tofu, tempeh. Beef chilli without the rice. Chicken or beef fajitas without the tortillas. Sunday roast dinners with the veg but not the carbs. Fish pie without the potato topping. Stews and casseroles with veg only. At 2.5 years post op this is second nature to me. I am really lucky in that I can eat anything. Protein and then veg is my priority but if I have room I fit in fruit too. Still have to be really careful re carbs - they are NOT my friend.

I don’t think I totally understand. I don’t know why your mouth is bothering you and I can’t think of what that would have to do with the surgery. If it’s some sort of dental pain you probably need a dentist but If it’s because liquids won’t go down and you were doing fine getting them down before I would definitely contact your surgeon. Did you go to the er for fluids? What did they say about whether it could be surgery related?? As for protein, they also make clear protein waters. Have you tried those??

While I have always been an avid exerciser (think everything from running, cycling, weight lifting, marital arts, HIIT, hiking ...etc.) I have always taken up a supplementary form of exercise that is fun and that I looked forward to. A few years ago I played tennis twice a week, then hiking, then taekwondo (reached the blue belt then had a very bad ankle injury that cause a lot of my weight gain), now I do Pilates twice a week in addition to my gym routine and these two sessions are the highlight of my week. Once you find something you enjoy be it tennis, padel, hiking, cycling, swimming or even walking it will be easier to build on that routine and do the things you don't so much enjoy (like weight lifting for example). It is also always good if you have a group you can exercise with (or play certain sports with) or a gym buddy. I also made sure to build a gym studio in my new house and that has been wonderous, I wake up early and workout and don't need to worry about the commute or how to shower and do my hair before work, so a set of dumbbells and a bench at your home can do wonders (if you have that option). I was always asked by friends and family why I am so adamant and a freak about my exercise regimen and if I get bored or sick of it, and my answer is I do it more for my mental wellbeing than for my physical appearance. Nothing comes close to that post workout feeling, it is literal therapy to me. I love to challenge myself and I love to work hard and feel like I've earned it, and I feel sluggish and not great on days I don't workout. Once you commit to a sort of movement daily, it will become a healthy addiction and the feeling that that brings is euphoric, if I say so myself. Just make sure you start easy and build on that.

If you don't like to cook how about some (low salt) deli meat rolled with mashed avacado and anything else you want to add in there so a meat wrap with on actual wrap/bread? You could make your own simple quiche - tortilla protein wrap as a the base in baking tin, add in three eggs, a cup of cottage cheese, salt & peper- mix and then add your toppings of your choice such as spinach, green beans, peppers, tomatoes, can top with mozzarella then if you like. Oven bake until golden.