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Thanks that's really interesting. I was looking at abroad (which is considerably cheaper) but would obviously prefer a UK option. Will check it out. Thanks!

That is completely fine! So my bypass was around £12,100 and I pay it in monthly instalments for the next 60 months. So I paid a 5k deposit (you only need 10% minimum I believe for their finance), and my monthly payments are £150. I thought I couldn't afford it privately in the UK until I realised finance was an option, and it was affordable for me so I just went for it. I spent a while on the NHS waiting list and it was awful!

Thanks ... but I fear a UK option might be too expensive. May I ask what you paid roughly?

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

I’ve used MyProtein for the flavour drops and some protein bars I’m waiting on for delivery (also good when you find some discount codes 😉) Not a fan of peach but I love watermelon so will have a look at that. Do you have any suggestions for unflavoured protein powder? I want something I can put in such as scrambled eggs, soups etc but I’m struggling to find anything!

Here in the UK, the 2 week pre-op diet consists of half your plate veg/salad, a quarter protein and a quarter carbs, and to keep everything around the 800-900kcal per day mark. I've struggled on it tbh, but keep telling myself it's the last diet i'll ever go on. All the best for surgery today, you'll be awesome!

Just as a side note for protein water - I use MyProtein which is a UK based store (and they always seem to have sales on!), and their clear whey protein isolate is lovely. So many different flavours - I have peach tea and also the watermelon one, and it is really nice!

Does anyone have any pointers for where to get started? (I've been overweight most of my life. Very active but unable to control diet well. Ozempic didn't work. BMI of 34 so NHS won't help) I'm keen to look into surgical options in Europe but really don't know where to start and don't want to end up somewhere dodgy Thanks!

What are your favourite or best protein brands for powders, shakes, protein bars, and more.

I recall feeling similarly at 4 weeks. Some of that was due to the nerves being cut and dulled from surgery, I think, because I feel it more now. Also, I assume you are probably still on the softer proteins. I find I don't have the full feeling as quickly with things like yogurt or cottage cheese, or even a flaky white fish, the way I do with chicken or beef. I can eat a serving of yogurt and still have room for fruit, but if I eat 3 oz of chicken or beef, that's all I'm having!

I’m just beginning my second week of my pre op learning and it’s been a fun, interesting week (for me anyway!) I started eating a little better, getting more protein in to my daily diet and logging everything. Good news is that I’m 9lbs down in the first week so I will take that win thank you very much. I’ve also been practicing mindful eating too. My approach to eating was to hoover food up as quickly as possible but, after reading about WLS and what I need to concentrate on post-surgery, I have made sure that every meal has taken 20 mins to eat, that I eat off a plate, put my cutlery down between bites, don’t put more food in my mouth when I already have some food in there etc. Being a sceptical kind of person, I wasn’t really sold on the benefits of this but I gave it a whirl, just to see. I will definitely hold my hand up and admit that my scepticism was misplaced. My head and stomach now recognise that I have actually eaten something and it’s registered with them. I now have a feeling of fullness that I didn’t have before, which really is an eye opener. I know it probably sounds strange but I honestly cannot remember having this? Disordered eating has been such a part of my life for a very long time. I’ve also been giving different sources of protein a try, not for post-op as I’ve really taken on board people’s findings of tastes etc changing after surgery, but for the liver reduction diet and to give myself some variety now as I move towards that. I have tried protein water (a bit sweet but doable) protein yoghurts and protein puddings. Hubby recommended some PHD whey protein but I haven’t tried that yet. The bag isn’t yet open and all I can smell is overpowering vanilla 🤢 I will try it at some point this week, just to see if it tastes better than it smells! I’ve also ordered some 0%-everything flavour drops to try in Greek yoghurt etc, just waiting for those to arrive. My Bariatric plates arrived this week, plus measuring cups and spoons. I’ve been consistently taking my multivitamin, vitamin D and folic acid (because of pre-existing meds) have taken the dreaded ‘before’ photos (and managed not to cry) and generally had a positive week. I know my surgery may be a long way off but things are moving in the right direction and I’m happy about that. Onwards and downwards!

The one protein shake flavor I've personally been able to tolerate beyond the first few days post-op is orange. I know a lot of folks like chocolate or vanilla, but I found the orange (specifically I bought Synrtax Nectar Naturals) reminded me enough of orange juice (or, more like TANG, actually) that I was willing to accept it as part of my breakfast routine without getting too cranky. If I liked sweetened coffee, I would try adding chocolate protein shakes to my coffee, but I am not a sugary coffee drink person. For a while I added a scoop of unflavored protein to hot tea with some Fairlife skim milk. My other piece of advice is don't expect to be perfect. Just do your best today and try to do even better tomorrow.

Hey guys, I’ve been searching for a community that I can express my concerns & overall thoughts to about my journey. I’m 29 years old and decided for my overall wellbeing & happiness to get the gastric sleeve. The process was pretty smooth. I inquired in November & got my date in May & now as of today I am 5 days post op with my first post op appointment tomorrow. I started out 217 but as you know the liquid diet sheds off alot. On the day of surgery I was 199. Today I’m 195. I’m hoping that with this forum i’m able to navigate this new season. I refused to eat or consume anything at first because I loathe throwing up (let alone what it would feel like to throw up with 20% of your stomach🥴😂). But today I finally had creamy ginnoch soup after slowly just sipping protein smoothies. i felt like… a uncomfortable pressure after maybe 10 sips. (It taste so good). So I immediately stopped and it has now subsided. that’s all for now! If you got this far, thanks for reading😊

Congratulations! I'm almost 4 months post-op from gastric bypass and my advice is to watch every video from Dr. Matthew Weiner (Pound of Cure Weight Loss) and Dr. John Pilcher on YouTube. These were by far the best resources I found, and I go back and watch many of them (especially Dr. Weiner's, and also his new podcast) all the time even now. Especially the ones on how to build lifelong behaviors to keep the weight off. One thing I did early on, right after my first bariatric appointment where I weighed in at my highest weight ever (yikes!) was order Dr. Weiner's books. There's The Pound of Cure, which gives a detailed, step by step way to make healthy changes to your diet, plus a second book explaining how bariatric surgery really works and then his bariatric cookbook (I also really like Bariatric Meal Prep Made Easy by Kristin Willard). I made several of the changes recommended by the Pound of Cure (I didn't start with the 2-week diet, just started implementing changes I thought I could manage) and over time I lost about 12 pounds, plus just felt healthier and more in control of what I was eating. One other piece of advice: don't over-buy protein supplements. So many people on this board will tell you this, and I did not heed the advice. Now my cupboard is full of protein supplements I stopped liking after surgery and will never use. I've barely needed supplements after the first month or so, honestly. I feel guilty at how much money I spent on them, but I will likely end up throwing them all away (most are opened so can't be donated). If you want to stock up on anything, an unflavored protein powder is much more likely to be useful to you in the long run than the flavored shakes. But if you're buying flavored ones, consider trying a soup flavored one because the sweet ones get old really fast, even pre-surgery. Oh, and take "before" photos! I know taking photos can be so uncomfortable, but you will want them. Choose something very form fitting to start. I went with a pair of exercise leggings and a tank top that was so tight it was like skin. I took photos about a week after my first appointment, so around my highest weight, and then on the day before surgery and at each month-marker thereafter. So far, I've worn the same clothing each time, although I may need to change that as it becomes too baggy to show the progress clearly. Take your measurements the same day you take your photos. You may struggle to see (or refuse to believe) the changes in yourself, but the photos and measurements don't lie. Even if it's painful to see the photos now, you will be so grateful to have them later. I was in shock and wanted to cry when I truly looked at my highest weight photos, but I'm so glad I took them.

Hi 👋 I’m just starting my journey too! My appointments are over the next couple of months but no indication of when I could expect surgery. It could be up to a year apparently but I’m hoping that everything is straightforward with the appointments and tests so there’s no delays (and therefore my surgery is sooner 🤞) Where are you based? I’m UK 😊 I’ve been reading everything I can, downloading bariatric recipe books, ordered a couple of bariatric plates (advised by dietitian for portion control) plus measuring cups and spoons to make weighing a bit simpler. I’ve started to eat a more protein-based diet and I’m learning to slow down my eating (20 mins) so I’m not overwhelmed when I have to start the liver control diet and then surgery! Good luck with your journey, hope everything goes smoothly for you.

This is happening to me too!!! I had my surgery may 17th and I almost convinced myself that they took out the gastric band and didn't do the sleeve. Liquids and protein drinks went down with ease the first week...started getting hungry. Went to puree, that helped curb the hunger. Contacted my surgeon, he advised that everyone is different. If you can tolerate puree, then try soft foods. After that try a little more regular food. That sure cured the hunger issue, and I am only 22 days out of surgery. I use the Baritastic app install of myfitnesspal. This one tracks your protein, calories, carbs and water intake. I am currently eating around 700 to 800 calories per day and I am satisfied. They told me to sip sip sip my water, hell I can gulp gulp gulp. I really watch how much food I am stuffing into that little stomach at one time. It is still trying to heal. On a side note: Baritastic does Not reduce the amount of your calorie intake when you exercise-this keeps you to the 1200 cal range. My Fitness Pal subtracts your exercise from you calories telling you can eat more. We are not suppose to eat more...

I was sleeved in 2017. Highest weight was 275. Lowest was 159. My 'settled' weight was around 165 and it was perfect. I gained weight after menopause and couldn't move it with resets or diets. I just had GSRe or Overstitch a few days ago, which is a noninvasive revision that allows you to keep your sleeve--- it's just tightened up again. The size of mine had expanded quite a bit. The restriction I have now mimics what I had immediately after my original wls. This might be an option for you too if you're not wanting to revise to bypass.

I've been enjoying the Yasso frozen yogurt bars now that the weather is warm. 100 calories and 5g protein, with a reasonable amount of sugar for a dessert. The coffee chocolate chip is my favorite. And I am going to try those fancy brownie yogurts! I remember seeing them and thinking they seemed too indulgent for breakfast, but I didn't even think about having one for dessert!

I did bone broth, tomato soup with protein powder, every flavor of sugar free drink mix and shakes. As long as i got enough protein and the recommended calories i felt good. I loved sugar free peach tea to help get the fluids in….. sip sip sip. For the first two weeks my surgeon included the shakes as prt of my 64 oz goal.

Actually after surgery & when the constipation begins you may appreciate some of the digestive issues - LOL!! After surgery I really struggled with the shakes - the taste & texture were awful. I powered through with one, diluted an extra 50%, in the morning & then had soups. Broths, consommés, cream soups, are all good. Bone broth is best though I found it too salty. Have you explored the possibility of making your own smoothie using a vegan milk & a vegan yoghurt (blend to very thin consistency with extra milk or water)? Not sure the protein content though. Do you know what it is in the whey free protein powders that cause the digestive issues like the guar gum or xanthan (insoluble fibre)? Can’t help with the amino acid supplements sorry.

This really is the big fear, isn't it? I mean, I know when my bad habits hit. It's when I'm stressed and short on time. Like this week, where one kid had a major school presentation and the other was both sick AND had rehearsals for dance recital every night. And they need to be fed, and have all their stuff, and did they remember their water bottles, and money for a snack, and where are the dance shoes, and what time is pick up and...oh, wait, have I eaten anything today? And now all the food I bought to be so good and healthy is still frozen and I'm trying to figure out if I should choke down a protein shake or if putting peanut butter on a Ritz cracker can count as protein... This is definitely where those new, good habits need to be built. Because of course I can anticipate the craziness of a week like this ahead of time and prepare for it. I just need to work on actually doing so because a trip through McDonald's is no longer in the offing or I'll end up right back where I was. The modern world is built for convenience, but not for good health.

Not unhappy no it just seemed to not be shedding the lbs like before which I knew would happen eventually but I just wanted to be sure the rate I'm going is still good. I guess as long as I'm not gaining I won't stress too much. And I'll definitely do better with the protein and water from now on.

I like iced protein coffee or “proffee”. It’s just iced coffee with a protein shake mixed in and it’s delicious.

Amber, that sounds delicious and great for any time of the day! And haha, ripburn I like protein bars too