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Not sure if everyone else bought food processors for their purée phase but I’m having so much fun with mine. I made fresh guac and pico the other night for my Turkey tacos (sams the shell) and tonight I made skinny pesto sauce, which I’ve never made regular pesto sauce, but I think they pretty much just substituted a little bit of lemon juice for the olive oil oil or a little more lemon juice. It’s pretty delicious though with all the fresh ingredients.

Awesome 👏🏻 It’s a really good feeling and it keeps going. It makes you feel even better about your food choices and your mood improves even further. I swear it’s like a miracle drug that snowballs but in a good way.

Dr Matthew Weiner has done a few podcast and has been speaking about regain with sleeve on his social media a lot lately. May be worth checking them out if only for some information to consider. He does prescribe GLP -1s for many of his sleevers and says this is a path many will have to go down as regain is common with sleeve. Have you been in contact with your surgeon (if they are still practicing nearby) to discuss options? Have you considered revisiting your dietician too. May be worth tracking what your eating and drinking too just to ensure your not missing something. It’s easy to become complacent about food choices, portion sizes, frequency or meals, etc. or not meeting protein & fluid goals as time passes. Have you had any medication changes? What are your activity levels like?

For the purée stage a food processor comes in handy and I got some tiny containers at dollar tree that were a little over two ounces that worked well to store leftovers. Tylenol, stool softeners, soluable fiber or milk of magnesia (or whatever combination your team recommends) and a good thermometer are good to have on hand as well as ice packs that you mentioned. I had one that is made for the lower back that comes with a belt like thing velcros around you with a pocket for the ice pack. It comes with two ice or heat packs (my team said no heat though). I got it on Amazon a long time ago for my back but I tried it for my tummy and it works. Great for icing while still being able to do things. The one I got is called magic gel. My waist was about 48” I think when I started and it just fit though so keep that in mind. It may fit up to 50?? Don’t stock up too much on the protein shakes because your tastes may change a bit and tastes for sweet stuff is a common change. Your dr may give you a stomach binder if you don’t get staples but if not ask if they have one or are okay with you ordering one (Amazon) if you feel like the jiggling is causing you pain. The compression really helped me. Also while you are in hospital you can ask for ice packs too. Other things that have really come in handy not for recovery but for a little later In the process were the Baritastic app which is free but familiarize yourself with it no so you can start logging your measurements and weight right before your start your preop diet. It sends reminders for your vitamins and you can log your fluids and moods (there is a little diary) and even your bowel movements. I also got a pair of Bluetooth headphones which make my exercise (walking) a lot more fun and a fitness watch is more important than the headphones. They have some on Amazon for like $20 my friend got one and says it works fine to log her heart rate and distance. The apple Watch has a fitness app that lets you set goals and stuff and it’s pretty user friendly. I have a much older one that I haven’t used in forever but I got it out and updated it and it works just fine. The cheaper ones may have a fitness app too I’m just not sure. That’s all I can think of for now. I’m sure others will think of some things I am forgetting.

I was taking my creon tablets like they were going out of fashion. Because I wanted to absorb nutrients from the food and vitamins I was having. I found some bloating and constipation but nothing major. The part I didn't like is the having to take tablets before eating. Sometimes I'd forget and then have a mouthful of the tablets straight after finishing my food. My issue for malabsorption was MGB, pancreas was healthy so creon was never going to helps, and didn't. I revised from MGB to RNY.

I've gained about 5kg and am approximately 5 months post RNY. The surgery is something that I'm getting used to because of the restriction. I definitely feel full after eating a smaller portion. With the MGB, I had zero restriction and could eat like a horse, but not one iota was being absorbed. My energy levels were shot. Post RNY, energy levels are better and blood test results are showing that I am actually absorbing the multi vitamins etc that I take, this absorption was absent with MGB. If you are going to revise from MGB to RNY to a little gain weight, your surgeon will have to tinker with the limb lengths. My stomach pouch was kept the same, so I have an RNY with MGB stomach pouch but customised limb lengths. I think I will know more about the final result in a year from now. I can hand on heart say that MGB was a mistake, because it was too powerful a procedure for me. I should have just opted for RNY from the very beginning, but because I was paying privately for the procedure, I thought it best to go for MGB at the time, for two reasons, one it was powerful and two that it was safer than RNY. Only one limb gets cut and replumbed with MGB but two with the RNY. I have seen fantastic results with people who have been sleeved. But, for me, I have a food and sugar addiction. I do not have an off switch, so in that sense poor discipline when it comes to controlling my relationship with food. I'm also bone idle. On that basis I had ruled out the sleeve. I hope it was the correct decision. Ideally, people should opt for the sleeve for weight loss and RNY for those who are in a similar position to myself.

Oh God! I just experienced my first foamies attack! I think I ate too fast and didn't chew my food well! I was eating during a video call meeting and got distracted.. I can literally feel the food in my heart 🤣 To be honest, I am quite happy to finally feel fullness today! At breakfast and lunch and now dinner! I always felt out of place for not feeling "full" well I definitely felt it and I do not want to reach full stage or fullness again .. God I wanna push down the food 😩 ouchy but yay!

Lot's of good advice in your post! I wanted to comment on the above issue regarding proteins that seem like they just don't want to digest properly. I was advised by my surgical team to try papain (also known as papaya proteinase I). It was like a miracle in quickly easing that really horrible feeling and getting the food to digest. It might not be for everyone (I hear some people can react to it), but it worked so well for me I tend to carry some with me when I'm traveling or know I'll be eating out.

Hi everyone! I haven't been on this site in a VERY long time, but I am currently on a new weight loss journey and I thought I would report in with my experience and the hope that some of you newbies can learn from it. I had my VSG surgery on 9/1/2014, so 10 years ago this month. At the time of my surgery, I weighed ~260 pounds and I am 5'6". I have lost and gained weight a million times before that, with my highest weight ever having been 277 pounds. In the first couple of years after my surgery, I was able to get below my goal weight (165) all the way down to 154. During that time I trained for and ran in a half marathon and a full marathon, completing the full marathon in September 2016 (almost exactly two years after my surgery). I separated from my then-husband in May of 2016 and our divorce was final in December 2016. My life took a very different path after that and I did not stick to my healthy diet and exercise. I met my current husband in February of 2017 and while I love him dearly and he is THE BEST, he is a bit of a hedonist and we definitely supported each other in our hedonism. I became a connoisseur of fine craft beers and we have a large friend group who we go out with or have get-togethers with several times a week. I not only stopped running but stopped exercising altogether. Both my current husband and I put on weight in the seven years we have been together, especially during COVID, and I got all the way back up to 234 pounds! Last year, my husband was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, and, in April, we resolved to turn things around together. Since then, I have lost 30 pounds and I am on my way down to my new goal weight of 180. So, here are some things I want to report, trying to lose weight again for the first time since immediately after my surgery: The restriction still works! I cannot eat much more than about 200 grams of food in one sitting. Once I cut out snacking and stopped drinking as many calories (beer), it was easy to rely on my sleeve to restrict my daily caloric intake. My metabolism is still normal. As a 5'6 female weighing 203.2 pounds, I still burn ~2100 calories per day just by living, according to my Garmin watch and it definitely tracks with the calorie differential I am logging and the weight loss I am seeing. I still can't eat and drink at the same time. I usually have to wait about 45 minutes to an hour to drink anything after I eat a full meal. Being overly full is still an unpleasant feeling. Before my surgery, I used to love the sensation of being "stuffed." Since surgery and to this day, it is still uncomfortable for me if I overeat in one sitting. Not a pleasant sensation at all, but not painful like it was in the very beginning. I can still get dumping syndrome if I'm not careful. If eat too much sugar too fast, usually in the form of ice cream or a milkshake, I get dumping syndrome and it is VERY unpleasant, fortunately, it is very rare. Food can still get "stuck." Every once in a while, mostly when I am eating turkey or pork it seems, food can get stuck and it is completely miserable. Be sure to thoroughly chew your food!!! Especially dense meats. My advice to anyone who is post-sleeve and still losing weight or trying to maintain their weight: Snacks are the enemy! It's so easy to get in extra calories by eating smaller amounts between meals. Your sleeve won't help you at all with this. Drinking your calories is easy and dangerous. I haven't given up my precious beer entirely, but I have cut back and I am mindful of the type of beer I am drinking as some types are more caloric than others. You can just as easily drink your calories even if you don't drink alcohol. Be wary of soda, milkshakes, energy drinks, juices, and too much cream/sugar/syrups in your coffee. Keep up with the exercise. It doesn't have to be training for a marathon like I did in the beginning. Currently, my husband and I take a ~mile walk after dinner each night and we try to do one, long, 4-5 mile walk/hike on the weekend. Just that moderate amount of activity can make a big difference. Be mindful of calorically dense foods. Even though I can only eat 200 grams at a time, if it is 200 grams of junk, it can have a LOT of calories! I hope the lesson that all of you take from this post is that the sleeve is a tool and it is all about how you use it. It can work for you, even 10 years out, as long as you use it correctly.

You didn't provide a lot of detail regarding your diet or activity level, but I'd be willing to put money on a couple of things: A relatively large percentage of your diet is made up of highly processed foods. You are not very active. Let's start with diet. You need to understand that it's not just about calories in vs calories out. Diet quality can be a huge factor in whether or not you can successfully maintain your weight at a lower level. If you do eat a lot of processed foods, start making really small changes and focus on just one sustainable change at a time until that change becomes the new normal for you. You can then move on to another sustainable change. Slow sustainable changes are the key, not quick-fix diets. As far as physical activity is concerned, there is significant body of evidence now that the vast majority of successful "weight loss maintainers" get an average of 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Yes, this is more than the typical recommended amount, but it's probably needed. (Discussing why is too big a topic for this reply). More detail would help. I hope you get it figured out.

I sometimes date the bag as to when I made it but generally up to 6 or so months. I found some lamb cutlets (raw) in the depths of the freezer that were about two years old (I think from memory). I made soup with them. Tasted fine, just ensure the food is room temp when you freeze otherwise you’ll get ice build up. This degrades the food most & more quickly I feel. I did a clean out last week and threw out some egg muffins that were a good 16 months old and some mystery meat I’d cooked but didn’t label. As @SpartanMaker said - the mystery meat just looked grey and unappetising. oh, sometimes double bagging helps with freezer burn. Zip lock the individual portions of a certain food and then bag them together in a larger plastic bag (I sometimes do this and recycle my fruit & vegetable bags).

Finally starting to feel “normal” again with food prep and meals after being in a funk the past few months. Went to a conference a couple weeks ago and this was the lunch. The salmon was good. The rice and soup? Not so much. And I didn’t even grab dessert. 😂

Had my one month post op appointment today and I showed her my food tracking summary of all my macros and told her what I’ve been doing on my fitness and she was very please. Said my weight loss is excellent and my food choices are perfect. She wants me to increase a little bit to add a little more protein and carbs because I’m so active now but other than that everything is fine. I cannot believe how amazing I feel you guys. I have not had this level of energy since I was a teenager and I’m not just eating but ENJOYING foods that I never liked before!! The fresh ingredients is seriously the trick. It’s more work but it makes things taste so much better.

You don't really have to worry about food safety if the food is frozen at 0°F (-18°C?) or lower. It technically can keep indefinitely. The problem is the quality will degrade over time and this is made worse if there is air in contact with the food. From my experience, freezer burn is the biggest problem. After a while in the freezer things will start to dehydrate and oxidize if exposed to air. That's why you want to get rid of as much air as possible. You'll know if it's freezer burned when it gets kind of a grey or white surface to any parts exposed to air. This will cause an off flavor that's not particularly pleasant. This may be happen in a few months, or much, much longer if stored properly. I once tried to grind up a ~5 year old roast that I "rescued" from the bottom of my freezer. I knew it was freezer burned, but I was hoping that if I made chili from if, the strong flavors of the spices would mask the freezer burned taste. It didn't. ☹️ 0/10, wouldn't recommend.

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. .

Start full liquids today. I read one person say restrictions don't really show up until your on regular food again.

A new week beckons… Laid in bed this morning, just taking stock of how I’m feeling and I actually feel happy. It’s been a long time since I’ve had that happy feeling for no apparent reason. The first part of my WLS journey is completed and now out of my hands for now so I’ve mentally put that to one side. I’ve started back at the gym and I’M LOVING IT!! I know the gym isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I truly enjoy it. I found something that works for me and can sustain it, which is really important for anyone trying to improve their fitness. I’ve been 3 times this past week and I’m not pushing it as yet, no matter how much the little devil on my shoulder is telling me to 😈 I’m aiming to go every 3rd day at the moment but will re-visit that in a few weeks time. Granddaughters party went as well as could be expected with other little kids there! I didn’t go mad food-wise - a burger, handful of mini sausage rolls, 1 Jammie Dodger, a cupcake and a small piece of cake. I actually threw a piece of quiche away which is a first for me and left the crisps, coleslaw etc alone! I know it may seem a lot but compared to what I would shovel away previously, it’s actually quite restrained! My body shape is changing, even if the scales aren’t particularly moving right now. I went through my gym stuff and tried on a pair of leggings that are size 18/20 and they fit! That was a bit of a surprise, especially as I couldn’t get them up my thighs previously 😮 Various other items are now ether too big or now fitting whereas before they were too tight. The jeans that were fine a few weeks ago? Can now get them off without unfastening them! I actually had to buy some smaller things this week. I’m not a fan of bras, they dig in and I find them uncomfortable. So I prefer the crop-top bralette type things (I’m a C cup at most) I’d noticed that I wasn’t feeling as ‘secure’ as I had before so decided it was time to update. I got a couple of vest tops with built-in support and a 3 pack of bralettes from M&S, all in smaller sizes and all fit - yay! It’s the simple things really that can give such a boost 🙂 Hairdressers tomorrow. I’m having a bit of a crisis with my hair at the moment. When I was accepted on to the Bariatric Pathway, I decided to grow my hair (all part of the ‘New Me’ vibe) Previously I had pixi-type cut and now it’s a short bob, just about at the bottom of my ears. However it’s lacking any body and looks really thin. I know my meds can play havoc, especially as I started a new injection back on November which can cause hair thinning after a few months. My hair hasn’t come out in clumps or anything, I’m just finding lots of stray hairs on things. I know that WLS also causes Hair loss, so I’m now floundering a little. I’m going to have a chat with my hairdresser and see what she comes up with but I’m really erring on the side of ‘chop it off’…sigh…it’s not easy being a woman at times is it?? I plan to tackle more of my wardrobe this week and get that thinned out. Has anyone else gone through their clothes and thought to themselves “what were you thinking?” Yeah, I’m having a bit of that. However it’s more of a case of I’ve bought something previously and it has remained unworn. This is what happens when you’re the size of a a house - you buy something because it fits, not because you actually like it. I definitely will be a damn sight more discerning moving forward. Have a fabulously productive week everyone 😉 Onwards and Downwards!

I wouldn’t trust any signals now either. Simply because many nerves were cut during the surgery, so signals either aren’t getting through, aren’t the same or maybe off. You won’t start to get these signals again until you’re fully healed (about 6-8 weeks). This is why it’s so important to follow your plan in regards to portion sizes and frequency of meals. Many do find their signals change. Well may be not change more you learn to identify and recognise what the signals really mean. Like a signal for being full (or had enough) might be sneezing, hiccups or a runny nose. We also learn to differentiate between head hunger (which usually used to drive us to eat ) and real hunger .Generally if you are craving a specific texture, flavour or food. Like many want to eat something crunchy during puree stage - that’s head hunger. Your desire for coffee is head hunger. Like @SpartanMaker said real hunger has different and unusual signals. I get restless and think something is wrong and then I realise I’m hungry. And yes, most times a grumbling tummy (hunger pangs) are just your digestive system working properly. It takes time to learn what these things mean to you. Just tread slowly and stick to your plan.

Actually I didn’t. I’m totally new to freezing prepared food. Thanks for the tip.

Checking in! I'm a little over 3 weeks post op but it feels like longer! I've started making lists of what foods sit well and what absolutely doesnt. I'm doing great with eggs, turkey salad, cheese, strawberries, watermelon, and soups. I rejected chicken. I've also had trouble with my MV. It was sitting really well until one day I just got extremely ill after taking it. I don't know what the secret sauce is of taking it where it won't cause nausea. I'm thinking of changing brands. I've been able to go out to events and I'm getting better at refusing to put myself in positions where I'll have trouble with food. Yesterday my friends wanted to go to Asian Buffet, i explained I couldn't eat anything there but they were persistant. I got in the car and my daughter rolled down her window and told them all she didn't feel good. I didn't want to ruin their evening by making them choose something else, all in all I wasn't mad. It's just different. My other bari gals I'm friends with get it. Still having trouble getting all my water in. I think that will just take time. I'm at 50oz a day. I also need to priortize walking because I'm only doing that once or twice a week due to being so busy.

I grieve bread today like a bar b q sandwich with a big ass Texas size bun, I grieve all breads...due to my food addiction since surgery in April I no longer eat breads, potatoes, cookies, candies etc ...and every damn day I'm mourning bread. Like an alcoholic in order to sustain sobriety they can't even have one sip..the same applies for me unfortunately. A slippery slope into the pits of hell

You poor thing doing this without much guidance from your team. First of all, DO NOT let anyone give you advise who is not a medical professional or someone who had your surgery. Who knows what they are comparing it to. For one thing most people thing all the surgeries are a Bypass and they are all the same, and second who knows how far out this person was. On top of that, liquids pretty much go right through once the swelling goes down. One month post sleeve i Was practical bacK to drinking my normal one gallon of fluids which is twice what they recommend as a goal!! This time it’s really not a good comparison since they didn’t operate on my stomach but I am up to 3/4 cup of food per meal. My book says 1/2-3/4 cup. All I know is that I feel fantastic. I am losing at a steady pace and exercising too which I never did before. I know it’s hard not to compare but honestly we should take everyone’s advice with a grain of salt because your doctor is the only one who knows all about you and your circumstances as well as your surgery. Make sure that your nutritionist has worked with bariatric patients before or you will most likely be wasting your time though. Did you call and ask your team if they can get you in sooner?? Corrected to add actually I just realized you did not have a sleeve or bypass either. Honestly you need to get advise from someone who had your surgery. We can cheer you on and relate to many parts of all of this but I know I for one am not very familiar with your surgery at all.

Sigh! I had a coffee meeting with a client who I never met before and we sort of talked about my surgery and when she knew I had the surgery she was SHOCKED that I was able to finish my ice coffee faster than she did and I was actually able to stomach it. She started to say I shouldn't be able too and bla bla... her advices were based on what she saw close friends go through and it just made me go through more anxiety than what I've been going through because I've been feeling like how come I can stomach more foods than most of you? Many say I couldn't eat this and that and here I am eating! Obviously I ain't eating like I used too but being able to finish my tiny bowl makes me feel guilty! My husband told me to snap out of it becayse I am definitely not over eating :((( I need to stop comparing myself to others.. P.s. I booked a session with a dietitian from a private hospital just saw I can have a one on one! As I can't wait till the 16th to meet with my doctor

I know how you feel! I was hoping I'd be more active but tbh I just made realistic short goals Like my goal now 3 weeks post op to walk 30 mins 3x aweek Then increase the goals slowly. I work better with short term goals and also when I'm allowed to go to the gym I'll get a membership for like 1 month then ill def feel guilty for not going but if I have 1 year membership I'll also say I have time. I'll go tomorrow! But that's just me teehee!# Don't feel so bad as long as u r sticking to Yr program of eating right! It's 80% food and 20% working out! WE GOT THIS!

When was your ur op? But as I know it is pretty normal as @ShoppGirl mentioned it could be leftover food or water or if ur aunty flow is around the corner.. I decided to stop weighing weekly and check in 2 weeks at my 1 month post op appointment! And I'm hoping to see a good decrease and avoid disappointment with the daily or weekly checks!