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Most bariatric patients should avoid sugar six months to one year after weight loss surgery. Many stick to this plan because they have experienced the impending sensation of doom. (aka dumping syndrome) Depends on which procedure you have done and even then, some don't even experience it. Also, there are a lot of sugar free ice cream options out there too, but I prefer to add those type of things after reaching my weight loss goal and during maintenance. I do allow myself the SF popsicles for now when I feel a need for a sweet treat.

I am finally considering weight loss surgery. I just had a wonderful small ice cream cone out on my deck on a perfect summer evening. It was really delicious and I wondered if I’d be able to have such a treat after surgery. Without any judgement regarding equating food with happiness etc, can any experienced bariatric patients tell me if I’ll be able to enjoy a small cone post surgery? It’s probably not a deal-breaker, just trying to wrap my head around expectations.

I had19 teeth extracted 2 bone graphs and a bone removed from my pallet. last year (2022) on April 25th and was fitted dentures. The bottom plate has never allowed me to eat with them, and it took 9 months for my gums to heal before I could eat (chew- or gum) again .I lived for 9 months on Ramen noodles, rice and multi vitamins. So when it came time for my pre-Bariatric surgery "diet" it wasn't a big deal. Because I had just lived through a 9 month what I called "Denture Diet" My peak weight was 245, In Nov 2021 I was referred for Bariatric surgery. Due to the fact that I suffered from Insufficient veins in my calves, causing edema in my legs and feet. Spondylosis in my L 3-4-5, Osteoarthritis in my SI joint where the sacrum and sacroiliac meet at the pelvis and the anterior cart edge in my left knew was gone. I was fit for compression socks, heavy duty knee brace and at times I had to use a cane to get up and down and to catch myself if my knee buckled.( I fell getting out of bed, 3x in 6months) I developed hyperlipidemia, and was Pre-Diabetic. I couldn't stand for more than 10 mins , squat, bend, lift, ( making the bed, sweeping or vacuuming was torture.) or walk more than a block or shop for more than 30 mins. Because of Covid everything was severely backed up, once all of my pre-surgery testing and procedures were completed, it was Feb of this year( 2023 ) . I was cleared as a perfect candidate, but again -back log. At the time they said it may be June to sometime in August before the surgeon would available , and maybe longer to find a clear OR. It took so long to get scheduled there were a couple of procedures and test I had to repeat. On April 20 (23) they called me, there a was last minute cancellation for May 22, 2023, was that doable ? Oh heck yeah ! So on the 25th they had me starting my Pre-diet, All liquids except for Cottage cheese, At almost 3 weeks in, they were concerned my weight wasn't dropping as it should be ,and asked if was following the liquid diet, I was like what ?. NO .I wasn't told to. She said yeah on the 25th. Ok well this may mean we have to re-schedule. I was so upset. She said she was going to get ahold of my Case nurse to see what to do. A couple of hours later, I was like wait a minute. I called her and said I think there was a mis-communication. I have a copy of the diet, it didn't say Liquid . Just that I was suppose to start this diet on the 25th, and on the 20th right after she called I went and stocked up on EVERYTHING, and had the receipt to prove it. I asked when you said liquid did it include Cottage cheese. She said yes, Thank goodness. Yes I HAVE been on that diet since the 25th. I am very fortunate, I am a crazy fast healer,. I had all of this trepidation about healing right, and being able to get around ASAP. I am almost 60 and everything had been falling apart. My roommate is a very empathetic, compassionate , and a generous person, but what she is not, is a caregiver. So I was concerned about that. So I had my surgery on May 22, at 9 am. Woke up later in a hospital room, I had a horrible pain in my shoulder and it felt like someone kicked me in the gut. Tuesday morning I woke, still a little sore in the tummy ( like a pulled muscle) but other than that I was fine. At 3pm she came into discharge me, and told me to call my ride ( roommate) I ended up having to walk down to the nurse's station, because she said she would be right back to get my IV out ,but she didn't return, so I hunted her down. After I got it removed , she said she was going to go get a wheelchair. So I got out of bed, got dressed, gathered my things and sat on the bed and waited, and waited, my roommate called , I am here what's going on. I said she had to get a wheel chair. So I waited some more ,after like 30-45 minutes . Once again I walked down to the Nurse's Station hunting for her and pulled a "Karen", some guy showed up with my wheelchair, quickly. My roommate had been waiting in the Patient Pick-up zone for almost an hour and a half, she was fuming. I get home, go to bed, my roommate goes and picks up my pain meds it was liquid Tylenol and Liquid Gabapentin and Celebrex. When I took the liquids I almost threw up...WTH ? Out of curiosity, I looked up the ingredients. Freaking FAKE sweetener. I cannot tell you how many times I informed them I could NOT use any fake sweeter, because it gave me severe cramping stomach aches, vomiting, or IBS. Just two days before the surgery they tried to give me three Ensure to drink ,which I already knew had the fake sweetener, and said no can do, Keep them. And now my pain killers had them. I was like do you feel actual pain? Not really, just some tenderness. So I threw them out. The rest of the day I was up and around, doing things. And the next day it was like I never had the surgery. I live at a Studio Apartment complex with 16 units. My roommate is the on-site manager. So as I went back to my normal on the 4th day, ( with the weight lift, carry, push-pull restrictions), and the tenants were all like " I thought you were having surgery this week ?" I said " I did. On Monday." None of them could believe it. So that is my story. I am disappointed with my weight loss so far, ( it's been a month) as I have only lose 17lbs since the surgery. But I also considered, due to my 9 month "Denture Diet"( I lost 25 lbs,but once I was able to eat again I got back up, so, it may have changed the immediate weight loss factor. I have lost 45 lbs. So maybe that is why. So below is my pre-food, my favorite a plate FULL of (Foie de Veau Lyonnaise) Calf liver in onions. and my new diet. 4oz ( with a total of 2oz of food) containers with liver, mashed potatoes and broccoli.

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Regrets? What you are feeling is not unique so you are in good company. The first few weeks can be difficult but WLS veterans almost unanimously say their only regret is not doing this years ago. WLS is a lifestyle change that takes discipline and dedication but it gets easier, especially when you start seeing and FEELING the results of your efforts. You got this and your Bariatric Pals are here to support and cheering you on!

I wish you well! I'm having surgery at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio on July 27th. Anyone else been at their Bariatric & Metabolic Center?

When I was suffering from a rotator cuff injury, a couple of months ago, I was miserable. Tylenol wasn't doing a thing for my pain. I reached out to my surgeon's office and begged to be able to just take one dose of ibuprofen. They approved it, but told me to take omeprazole with it. NSAIDS increase your risk for ulcers. So does bariatric surgery. Combine the two and you're almost asking for a problem. The restriction on NSAIDS is forever, but it's probably not going to kill you to take them once in a while. You'll want to get approval from your team. I had already been several months post op, before trying to take it.

Well, today is the day. SURGERY DAY. It's more complicated than when I had the gastric sleeve because not only are they doing a revision from sleeve to bypass, they are removing my entire lower and mid stomach (the part that is bypassed) because that's where all my polyps develop. It's a 2 hour surgery, and I was told I'll be in recovery for about an hour after. It's like having 2 bariatric surgeries in 1, so the recovery/healing/down time will be worse than my original surgery. I'll be in the hospital for 2 nights, so I'll be home sometime on Friday the 30th. That sucks, and is really annoying (I hate hospitals) but I know it's necessary and will be worth it. I can't wait to get my life back. Working out, feeling good, no more in and out of the hospital, being ME again. This has been a looooong road, but I'm finally almost at the finish line. It's gonna be awesome when I hit my weight loss goal (I'm 70 pounds away and speaking it into existence now that THIS TIME NEXT YEAR I will be at my goal weight). So wish me luck, and I'll see ya'll on the flip side

Well, today is the day. SURGERY DAY. It's more complicated than when I had the gastric sleeve because not only are they doing a revision from sleeve to bypass, they are removing my entire lower and mid stomach (the part that is bypassed) because that's where all my polyps develop. It's a 2 hour surgery, and I was told I'll be in recovery for about an hour after. It's like having 2 bariatric surgeries in 1, so the recovery/healing/down time will be worse than my original surgery. I'll be in the hospital for 2 nights, so I'll be home sometime on Friday the 30th. That sucks, and is really annoying (I hate hospitals) but I know it's necessary and will be worth it. I can't wait to get my life back. Working out, feeling good, no more in and out of the hospital, being ME again. This has been a looooong road, but I'm finally almost at the finish line. It's gonna be awesome when I hit my weight loss goal (I'm 70 pounds away and speaking it into existence now that THIS TIME NEXT YEAR I will be at my goal weight). So wish me luck, and I'll see ya'll on the flip side

@boat 4 fun, I've had the same thoughts about following the diet/lifestyle. That just speaks more to the fact that I've got to change my thinking and take action on a new way of life. It's definitely a challenge. I know I need a long term commitment with renewing my mind as needed. This is about moving forward with healthier choices, right? I appreciate everyone here sharing their experiences and especially when facts and studies are shared, which helps me learn and grow. Hang in there! We can do hard things. Also, I'm getting my surgery from Cleveland Clinic. I was reminded recently not to use patches for some reason. Let us know how that works for you. I have a hard time taking pills so I'm trying chewables now, as much as I can. I'm sure you'll find what works best for you. All the best!

I see my dietician in August along with my surgeon and I also will be getting bloodwork done. Thank you for the tips/suggestions. The 1200 calories was a day that I had. The example wasn't the 1200 calorie day. I'm gonna take out bread or if I want bread/bread type products, just have half. I don't eat bread related foods every day. I try to stay away from junkfood. Alot of the times it's always in my face and I live with family, I've mentioned before to put it in a place where it's not in my face. It's always usually on the counter. Right now, yogurt is still turning my stomach just of the thought about it, but hopefully I can add it back in my diet. I love cheesesticks, protein drinks with 20g of protein, jello I need to make some, been loving cherries lately and apples. Have to pick up some strawberries. Does anyone eat and then at the 15 minute mark they get sick of what they're eating? So you stop? I have some recipes for bariatric meals, I need to whip that back out and make a grocery list. Plus I also follow a lot of people on tik tok and youtube. I also need to get back to eating egg, tuna or chicken salad again. What do you eat it with? Vegetables?

Protein Fluff - My Bariatric Solutions

This is similar to Ozempic and Wegovy, right? I have to ask, why are you taking that if you had surgery? And you will have to stay on it because once you stop, all the weight that came off will come right back on. BUT...having said that... it sounds like your body liked the previous dose you were on and worked well. If you were losing weight, why increase it? I would definitely lower the dose back to where it was before, and then maybe look at doing a pouch reset and starting your bariatric diet over to get the results you want from the sleeve.

Hello! Do any of you have any delicious recipes you'd like to share for the upcoming holiday? I'm supposed to bring a dish or a side or a dessert to a big get together and looking for bariatric friendly recipes! I'm post op and at 6 weeks, my plan allows me to try anything now. Thanks all!

PatchAid MV with iron https://patchaid.com/products/multivitamin-plus-topical-patch-patchaid And BariMelts ADEK, Dissolvable Bariatric Vitamins, Natural Strawberry Flavor, 60 Fast Melting Tablets (can find both on the store here too, I believe if not can get these on Amazon)

yes - I'd see if I could get a referral. People generally see a bariatric surgeon for follow-ups at least for the first year - and then some start just doing them with their PCP (I saw someone in my clinic for eight years - they kindly kicked me out just this year! Although I think a lot of people have switched over to their regular PCP long before I did....)

Does anyone have a Bariatric counselor they’d recommend, online preferably? I’m four weeks out and struggling with the mental barrier of not being able to turn to food to deal with emotions.

I would start calling bariatric doctors in your new location and ask the questions. Different doctors have different requirements. For me, my doctor saw me at 3 wk, 6wk, and will again at 6 months and at a year, as well as and every year after. I am also required 6 month labs, year labs, and labs every year after.

I had it during liquid phase. Day before I graduated to soft foods at week 3. So I didn't strain it. Since you are only one week out I probably would. Reminds me of day 2 in Bariatric hospital. For lunch they brought me a soup that had little bits of meat and veggie in it. I asked the nurse if it should be strained since everything I read about post-op diet said it should be. She looked at it and said it's small enough and should be fine. I didn't eat but a few bites of the broth to be on the safe side. I remember thinking... this is a bariatric hospital, and they should know better. LOL But maybe small pieces of food getting stuck in our yet unhealed stomach staples is just a myth too? IDK

No hair loss with the sleeve. Post revision to RNY (for gerd), I experience quite a bit, about 6 months of it. Started late too like 5 months in. If you aren't meeting your protein requirement, just swap some of your junk food for something healthy with protein. If that is too difficult, then try to have a little protein with each meal to help fill you up. For example, if you eat chips, add a string cheese to that meal. I think a bariatric therapist may be able to help with the junkfood cravings if you have access to it. Since you are still in the honeymoon stage, that may help you for the future when the appetite comes roaring back.

Hi everyone! I am hoping someone can help me understand the process of Post-Op life. Like, how often do you see your surgeon after surgery? And for how long do routine visits continue? My situation is this. I am scheduled to get surgery on August 11th. I am rocking and rolling through all of my Pre-Op appointments and really excited for the change this will all bring to my life. But we are looking to move 1300 miles away some time in October. I'm guessing I'll need to find a bariatric doctor just to have someone to reach out to with any issues or concerns. But is this going to be ridiculously difficult? Do doctors easily take on patients if they aren't making the "surgery money" off of you? And if things go well, how often am I supposed to follow up with a doc 8 weeks Post-Op? I realize it might not go stellar and then I'll desperately NEED my doc as well, so I really want to start the process of finding someone sooner rather than later. I hope this doesn't make me sound foolish. It's just that part of "changing my life" is to not just to get fit and healthy, more active and not a slave to my relationship with food, but to also embrace all of the things I want in my life. And this move is certainly a part of that. I am already prepared for postponing the move if I'm having any issues and need an extra month or so. October is just the best time for all other things being considered. I appreciate any advice you can give me. Thank you!

We've all been here, and we've all proven just how unsuccessful that route is. None of us would have had WLS if if it were as easy as just complying with the pre-surgery program - it's too restrictive and meant to be temporary. When you're not mentally ready for a change like this, your head is absolutely going to be throwing up every reason not to do it, so I'd consider seeing a bariatric therapist to help you before starting the program. As for on-the-go nutrition, there's nothing wrong with taking a packed lunch, or indeed a fanny-pack of nutritious snacks. I take a handful of small apples and individual high-protein yoghurts with me to work, which I snack on whenever I get a second (my second job, which is a cook in a cafe with barely a break over a day's shift - so I'm surrounded by food I shouldn't and don't touch - hence my little pile of apples). And as Tomo said - vitamin supplements are essential, for both bypass and DS, though I think DS requires more. But it's just a matter of adding it to your daily routine. I take mine every evening before bed.

I feel like a lot of practices write their guidelines with the expectation that you, the bariatric patient, are the single dumbest person who has ever walked the earth. If there's even the slightest chance that something could be problematic for anyone, they'll just forbid it for everyone, because you can't be trusted to, like, adapt or think or anything. And maybe they actually had a patient who was the single dumbest person who has ever walked the earth. That person put a piece of chicken in the microwave and let it go for 60 seconds and still choked it down, but then they got a tummy ache. Now no one gets to have warm leftovers. Maybe they had one patient who thought that 'black coffee" meant a triple-caramel venti machiatto. Now no one gets to have no-cal brewed caffeine beans. Maybe they had one patient who guzzled full-sugar Mountain Dew by the bottle post-op. Now you can't have a sip of champagne at your wedding. My dietician told me I can't have soup, because some people have trouble with it. Great, that's terrible for them. I've perfected my soup technique and I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to balloon back into super obesity because I had a cup of chicken noodle, so leave off.

If you can keep your nerve and get to the hospital on the day then you will thank yourself three months down the line. If you bottle it then in 12 months you will be back on the bariatric treadmill wishing that you will have enough courage this time around. We were are scared, its the unknown. Like @ ms.sss says I too would have this done again in a heartbeat. It has changed my life. Its worth it. The pre op diet is so tough it feels like you have to earn the surgery. I hated that diet so badly, I almost ran to the operating theatre