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I'm ten days out from VSG with a esophageal hernia repair. I did need to take Tylenol for pain for seven days, and I'm happy to be pain free now. Luckily, I was able to take 50oz of fluid from the beginning - and I am now up to 75+oz. Honestly, I was more worried about that than food restriction, because I have always loved drinking water. All of the sweet protein shakes and waters have put me off sweet tastes and I have been experimenting. I've been adding GenePro unflavored protein powder to everything (there is one with 22 grams of Protein for a small scoop). I'm in the pureed stage with meat now (I know - but my University's lead surgeon allows on his diet plan) and I have enjoyed cream of malanga soup with one very soft scrambled egg and today I made a kind of blended chicken tzatziki soup with cucumber, cottage cheese, chicken and dill, plus a little water. I'm so happy! 4oz had 21gr of protein. I also love spices, but I'm taking it slow. I have a couple of finishing salts with truffle or lemon/fennel. Just the lightest sprinkle makes a big difference to my tastebuds. And FlavorGod's Gingerbread cookie topper mini-sprinkles gives a zing to all the protein yogurt I've been eating. I hope this helps some people looking for ideas to get away from the sweet tastes. I've also switch off premade protein shakes and back to Iconic brand protein powders. They taste be mild and not sweet, so once you get to the 8oz of liquids I recommend it. I have been getting out to do errands before I go back to work next week, however I haven't really started walking with exercise in mind. It's time to start today. I'm nine pounds down and very happy I made the decision for WLS. 59 since starting this journey with the Bariatric Center in November. I'm a foodie, and I was worried about not being able to enjoy foods in the future and I'm incredibly happy I am on the way to good health. On that note, I was taken off a blood pressure med and a statin by my GP yesterday. THAT was a win! For any of you who are having more challenges after your surgery. Hang in there! My heart is with you because I know that could be any of us.

You can get them on Amazon, Bariatric Pal, your local big box store, and other locations/websites. You need to use liquid or chewable; no gummies. Multivitamins with iron, calcium, B12, and D3 are the recommended vitamins. This might look different for you based on your program and surgery. These are the vitamins my program and surgery required. There are also specific amounts of each vitamin/supplement, but I don't know those numbers right off. And don't take your calcium with iron. Did your team not give you this information?

Dr Matthew Weiner & Dr John Pilcher have excellent videos (you tube) on a range of bariatric topics really aimed at you & not so much your family members but they are very informative & an excellent resource. As for food, you may find by soft food you will be able to eat some of the same meals. Soups, stews, braises, mince dishes, etc. You may have to make ingredient substitutions, change cooking styles as you slowly reintroduce certain foods & ingredients but generally meals the whole family can eat - you’ll just have a much smaller portion. Great opportunity to try new healthier, more nutrient dense recipes & new/alternative ingredients. I live alone but regularly spent weekends with my 80+ yr old mother. She ate whatever I cooked & ate without issue or difficulty. I’d often have dinner at family or friends or go out to eat I just made sure my friends new what I could or couldn’t eat & made careful choices. I’d check menus before going out so I’d know what I could eat or what I could ask to be modified. I ate many of the meals I always did simply by making modifications to the recipes so it would be appropriate for my needs. My friend cooked for her family & basically ate that same meal from solid foods. For example making a pasta dish - she’d use zucchini noodles or would just eat the meat sauce component. Having tacos - she’d eat the filling not the taco shell. A bonus of your smaller portion size is leftovers. I freeze leftovers all the time. They are easy meals fir you to have when you don’t feel like cooking or for when your family wants something which isn’t a good option for you. Your weight loss period is the time you use to establish better eating habits & food choices. When you stop losing you don’t go back to eating how & what you used to eat. That’s why every other diet we were on failed & we’d regain weight. All the best.

I believe that good skin happens from the inside out. Hydration, nutrition etc. Slathering on a bunch of lotions helps in appearance and prevents the loss of water in the outermost layer of our skin. Does dry go away after Bariatric surgery? IDK, I'm only six weeks out but hopeful.

@Jeanniebug I definitely won’t be doing it anymore, it’s scary when some goes down accidentally or you don’t spit it out in time. @CarolineLittle yes yes you’re absolutely right, we have to stay strong but it’s so hard. I’m definitely not doing that again, my stomach did hurt a little but nothing more than that. thank you all for your words of encouragement this site is pretty cool, I hope everyone that has had Bariatric surgery comes across It.

Welcome to the bariatric world! I think everyone has a sagging skin issue. I didn't have a lot with my arms, neck and face thankfully but I do have an apron now and my boobs sag more then they did before surgery (tmi?), and while I am tickled my thighs no longer touch when I walk, if I walk fast they slap. I plan on having a mommy makeover surgery to fix the things I don't like. They next time I see my doctor I'll be talking to his plastic surgeon about fixing the issues. I had surgery 6/7/22 and I've lost 122lbs. Even with the sagging skin I'm down from a 26/28 to a size 14 that is starting to get loose. I have such a better quality of life. I would not change one day post op. Even if I never got a mommy makeover. I think the majority of my brothers and sisters in the bariatric world would agree that they are happier post op sagging skin and all. You'll do great! We are here to support you!

Thank you all for the insightful responses. To be clear- I understand more education will be involved. I actually have already looked into a few programs that would provide me the certifications for personal training, nutrition counseling, etc. I am in the US but would happily help folks in other countries as long as schedules could align. I will would also open my doors to all types of folks not just the Bariatric Surgery community (but my passion is geared towards the BS community). Thanks again.

Yes, I think a coach could be helpful. I know there are a lot of people who go to foreign countries to have surgery and they have no professional support when they get home. Personally, I have a pretty great bariatric team, so I already have a coach. But, I can definitely see where other people would find that kind of service useful. You're probably going to need to go to school.

Protein shots are what's getting me through. Bariatric Pal has some pretty good ones. They are usually about 3 oz worth, and I add about 4 oz more of water. There are lots of brands with 20g protein or more. I can not do the shakes any longer. Any time i try one, i feel like I'm going to vomit. I also bulk up my soups with unflavored protein. I'm still trying to find one I like. Good luck.

The BariatricPal Store carries a huge amount of bariatric friendly Unflavored protein options at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/flavor_unflavored Some popular options are: GENEPRO Gen3 Medical Grade Unflavored Protein Powder - 3rd Generation! at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/genepro/products/genepro-medical-grade-unflavored-protein-powder-3rd-generation You can get samples of GENEPRO at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/genepro/products/genepro-gen3-unflavored-protein-powder-single-serving-sample-packs Bariatric Advantage HPMR High Protein Meal Replacement Unflavored at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/products/bariatric-advantage-high-protein-meal-replacement?variant=17894360065 Syntrax Nectar 1lb Protein Powder Bottle - Medical Unflavored at https://store.bariatricpal.com/products/syntrax-nectar-1lb-protein-powder-bottle-medical-unflavored ProCel Whey Protein at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/products/procel-whey-protein-flavors

Hi here is my story I had the vertical sleeve gastrectomy in 2014 with hiatal hernia repair with the intent to loose weight to boost my fertility as we had been trying to have a baby for almost 2 years. I found myself pregnant 3 months later. It was not my intention to get pregnant so soon after surgery but we were thrilled. I did end up loosing about 120 pounds over all. Here I am 9 years and 3 babies later However I got back up to 286lbs. I am 36 years old and we decided we are done having biological children so I wanted to try and start my weight loss journey again. Reached back out to my bariatric office, and they scheduled an EGD to check out my sleeve and investigate as I do have heart burn. They found I had some gastritis and a hiatal hernia. In addition the top part of my sleeve had expanded above my diaphragm. So on April 27, 2023 I had another hiatal hernia repair and partial gastrectomy. He said that had more efficient ways on fixing my hernia than they did 9 years ago and that the partial gastrectomy would be kind of tightening up my sleeve at the top that expanded. I am at 270lbs today so it is nice to see the scale go down but I find myself frustrated that the weight is definitely not coming off like it did the first time around. I know it takes time and that I am doing well but the scale just will not move from 269-272lbs over a week and I hate it and just wanted to vent. I'm currently doing puree and I'm trying to make sure I get in all of my water and protein. I am not overeating for sure. I don't feel hungry at all and I have to remind myself to eat. Well that's the gist of my story and I just wanted to put it out there and see if anyone can relate and maybe we can help encourage each other, thanks for reading.

You will need a bachelor's degree or higher if you want to bill client's insurance. Otherwise, they will have to pay out of pocket. I have a friend who is a licensed health/fitness coach and does quite well without the degree. She used to be obese, and I believe someone who's been there/done that are just more relatable. When I told her I decided to get RNY she was supportive and even wrote a letter of recommendation to my bariatric team stating I had been through her program for a few years with moderate success. Showing them, I had been proactive but needed medical intervention. My bariatric nutritionist is a bit robotic. Like reading off a script, going through the steps. If you stop her to ask a question, she seems annoyed especially if she doesn't have an answer. LOL Then goes right back to her script. But it's OK. And I would be willing to Facetime her since I drive almost 2 hrs. for appointments. But I make all mine on same day with Doc, nurse, Nut etc. I have a great doctor so it's worth the drive. Good luck and I say go for it. It's a worthy goal, will help keep you on track and is rewarding. Many moons ago, I was a personal trainer, and it was a great job but I quit to help take care of my Mother after a stroke. I guess that was the point I quit taking care of me....

I know there's a clause in my bariatric workbook that states my surgery will be cancelled if I regain weight. I wasn't sure if that meant from first initial weigh in or last appointment. Either way it was enough of a deterrent for me.

I think this is incredibly useful--I would love to have had someone who's "been there" to talk to. I often find I am having to educate non-bariatric medical professionals about the issues I have (including therapists). Especially when it comes to mental health providers, it's important that they understand that some of the things we deal with are "normal" or "expected" and aren't, for instance, a symptom of an eating disorder. You also get to a point where sharing your wins or revealing your struggles is hard to explain to your well-meaning family and friends. If they struggle with their weight, your wins can feel like bragging, and they often can't understand how difficult, truly, it can be to have your entire body change that quickly, and you get met with "but you're skinny now! What's the problem?"...having a life coach who has been through the process would make you feel a lot less normal and a lot less alone! I feel like I see stories quite often from people who are unhappy with the advice or attitude of their dietitian and my opinion is that many of the dietitians people are having issues with don't understand our situation fully. Many of them have never struggled with their weight (and being a life-long healthy eater would certainly entice someone to enter that field, so it's understandable). It would be nice to be able to speak to someone who knows where the landmines for our unique metabolism and capacities are. Especially for those of us who haven't had the greatest examples of what a healthy relationship with food looks like, we need direction and support, not judgement, and you are in a unique position to provide just that. I think most people would welcome being able to meet online. I would have really wanted early in my journey someone I could check in with once a month, etc, about what I'm experiencing.

Good morning Bariatric Pal Community… I am writing this post to take a poll of sorts. A little background: I am 43 years old and 2.5 years post op; maintaining healthy eating and fitness habits. I am also training for my first Ironman Triathlon in September- how cool is that?!? Three years ago when I was 360 lbs, I never would have conceived the possibility of a triathlon. Anyway, the cool benefit of making all these positive changes is it has me thinking about different options professionally. I have a successful career currently but to be honest my heart just isn’t in it anymore. My real passion is health and fitness. Which brings me to this post… I am thinking about becoming a Fitness Coach/Life Coach geared towards the bariatric community. I would like feedback on the following questions: 1. In your journey, do you think having a coach would be helpful? 2. If so, would working with someone who has been in your shoes provide a credible perspective? 3. Would you be willing to engage with a coach virtually if in-person wasn’t an option? 4. What would you expect from a coach? Thanks in advance for your help!

I dont think many are on oxygen during your recovery- I know I went to a specific Bariatric hospital in Mexico, and none of use were on oxygen. I had a 4 hour flight there and back- and wore my jeans/tee/zip up hoodie home.- oh and slip on shoes! There was some swelling - so you could realistically wear your pjs home if you are just going straight home. I had an iV for the two days i was there, and so I stayed in gowns mostly- one to over the other as a robe like garment so I could walk thru the halls without my backside showing. Less was more, as I didnt want to have to carry or check any luggage for the 4 day trip- just my backpack which worked great- I totally didnt care what i looked like as long as i didnt smell bad. (Standards= low maintenance and minimal)

My doc advised me to cut back on my B-12 to once a week. The problem is I have several bottles of the bariatric pal one a day multivitamins that have 1000 bit B-12 included. I will need to take a different multivitamin. Does anyone have any suggestions on any bariatric vitamins that don’t have the B-12 included? I appreciate your feedback! 🙂

like someone above, I was also diagnosed with mild sleep apnea during my pre-surgery sleep study. The technician (or whoever it was who called me with the results) suggested that I get a CPAP machine, but when I mentioned it to the PA at my bariatric center, he said it was up to me, but it was pretty likely the sleep apnea would be gone after I'd lost about 20 lbs or so. I didn't have a repeat study after losing the first 20 lbs, but I was in a research study a few months post-surgery that involved three sleep studies (they were studying brain waves), and the pulmonologist who ran one of the studies told me I did not have sleep apnea. So yea - my weight loss "cured" it.

My B12 always runs high (1000+), but it's usually met by a shrug at the bariatric clinic. It wasn't until it once went up over 2000 that they suggested I cut back a bit on my supplement. So a high B12 after surgery isn't necessarily unusual, but 3000 is pretty high. Yea - maybe check with your regular doctor just in case. It can sometimes be caused by some serious condition, but they could also find nothing and just have you cut back on your supplementation. But it's probably good to get anything serious ruled out (and it could be that they could tell by your other lab values that there wasn't anything odd going on - but then, I don't know that. I'd just check with your PCP if you're concerned) High AST and ALT aren't uncommon after surgery, but they usually normalize around the second year. But like the person above said, sometimes it takes a little longer. I can't remember when mine went down (actually I just checked - at 2 years 3 months out, mine was still high. It did eventually drop down to normal, though) P.S. I just looked through my MyChart and noticed that when I had AST/ATL checked at 2 years 7 months out (as part of a metabolic panel) they were normal. So it was during my third year that they normalized (although I lost weight until month 20 since I started out at over 300 lbs)

Sorry for signing up and then immediately posting something TMI. I've been lurking for a while but signed up to ask/vent about this issue, since my bariatrics office is closed on weekends and I can't talk to my surgeon until Monday. So I had my sleeve done on the 2nd of this month. All went swimmingly. This past Monday I had my one week post-op and again, everything went swimmingly -- except for my pulse. My pulse measured 143 and I was admitted to the ER and eventually placed inpatient as it was determined I'd developed acute metabolic acidosis. Okay, that's my bad, thought I'd been consuming enough water but I guess not. Once my bicarbonate levels were normal again I was discharged, on Thursday. My issue started after that. Since coming home, I've been struck with severe nausea and stomach cramps, and since last night have been vomiting and having diarrhea frequently. I can't drink anything, and I've been trying desperately to keep hydrated through this. Any time I drink, within five minutes it's leaving my body again. And, to be extra TMI, the diarrhea is... yellow. As if there's excess fat in the stool. Which there shouldn't be, since all I consume is water and... well, protein water. I tried OTC medicine like Kaopectate, but it didn't help at all. I was wondering if I'd picked something up while in the hospital, but if it was bacterial, Kaopectate should've helped right? All the way leading up to surgery I was told over and over about preventing constipation, so this is kinda the last thing I expected lol. Has anyone else dealt with this after having a sleeve? Did you find any way to alleviate it? I'll be talking to my doctor on Monday (and crossing my fingers I won't have to go back in the hospital for a third time this month...) but man I'm really not looking forward to another day of going back and forth between the toilet and the bed.

I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea during pre op testing and was worried that would delay my surgery date since the tech told me they want to get it under control before I undergo surgery. Fortunately, my surgeon said it wouldn't make a difference and that the RNY would more than likely resolve it, which I'm hoping it does. Now I'm wondering if I should have gone ahead and got the machine since my out-of-pocket expenses have been met for the year. But I'm trying to be optimistic and believe I'm not going to need it in the future and hope the same for you. Anyone here can say their apnea was cured following surgery/weight loss? Oh, and I ran across this article after my diagnosis. Yikes!!! Just another reason to get the Bariatric surgery. Up, down, or no change: weight gain as an unwanted side effect of CPAP for obstructive sleep apnea | Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (aasm.org)

It sounds like you’ve had a rough go of it. Hope you are feeling a little better each day. I will pray for a great recovery. Mine is in 10 days and getting nervous. I have had a rough surgery 35 years ago, back in the old days (not Bariatric). And it was horrific. Medicine has come along ways. I am so glad they do laparoscopic surgery and have much better pain control . Hang in there it will get better..

Hi Georgie! Thank you so much for your reply! I'm sorry that your healing was slowed by other concerns, but I'm glad to hear you're getting there. 🩷 I'm very happy with the food I am getting in and my exercise. I think I have a healthy balance right now where I get at least 80g of protein every day (usually more, if I'm honest). This is what I have to watch out for because too much protein seems to dip back towards too many calories, as my surgeon told me. I work with a dietician who specializes in PCOS, so I have specific macro goals geared towards that and my bariatric requirements. I'm losing weight steadily - I just got over a stall, and I'm getting closer to a 50 pound weight loss, which is exciting to me. 🤩

im just about to look into posting my story and update my surgery details but could not do so easily and without not first attempting to seek any help I can before I literally lose the plot! I am now coming upto 13 weeks post mini gastric bypass. (Tuesday) on Valentines Day I underwent the surgeons scalpels I paid privately after the usual circumstances of hitting rock bottom and saying quite literally… ENOUGH! Money is not plentiful and I used my small inheritance from my late father. Lucky, I was able to do so. I live near Manchester in the UK and am seeing my surgeon next Wednesday after discussing my symptoms with the dietician. but… I’m struggling. I have zero support network with experience. A loving family yes but no one I feel can validate or reassure me. I have medical study experience but not enough experience or knowledge to explain my symptoms away. my most recent message I’m still awaiting reply to from my surgeons medical secretary as follows:- Hi (name removed for anonymity) Did you receive my message yesterday please? I spoke to the Dieticians yesterday too and they’ve arranged a consultation with surgeon to discuss further issues. Next Wednesday. I am hoping to attend in person but currently struggling with flu type symptoms. I don’t have other people who have had bariatric surgery to speak to who could be a support network or provide support. Do you know if there is a professional forum, overseen contact group or other network or other supportive services? I don’t feel I am having a good recovery and feel I am struggling. Plus, I feel I am that poorly now perhaps I was dismissed too readily or swiftly in my previous contacts. I am losing weight much much faster than all my peers I read. I’ve lost over 4 stones in just 13 weeks. Far too fast and I’m drained, lethargic, can barely hold my head up (albeit have flu too) but in May too! Not normally a fluey month as the norm?? Infact, I microsecond passed out yesterday and cracked my head on our bathroom sink - simply due to standing up from the loo! I do not have a supportive GP or GP surgery and am currently in the process of changing surgeries now BUT am writing to them and conducting a private appointment firstly as I do not trust full follow through handover transparency. My surgery requires professional evidence or correspondence of everything to even follow up. For example, they have borderline eGFR results and two scans showing kidney stone and cyst in situ YET won’t conduct further tests or refer until surgeon sends a letter too! It’s absurd! it’s the main reason I paid to get this surgery completed to try to be well and improve my life and stay away from GP Doctors who possibly practiced nothing more than general medicine for 5 years! I’m constantly having to contact you directly, but seem dismissed by quotes of it’s week 4, or week 6, or only week 8 or now it’s only week 16, go back to Soups and fluids, try a quarter of an egg instead of a full Egg. I’ve gone back to fluids only 3 times now! When then can I tolerate real food? Something I can use my teeth with would be nice now? I cant eat any meat barely at all now, (not even minced), swallowing gets more difficult, indigestion, heartburn is agony, my nails are like paper, my periods have disappeared completely albeit this could be normal as I’m 10 years post menopausal, my face is gray and sallowed. I look like death. I’ve just returned back from holiday but spent 5 days in bed due to tummy pain, bowel problems, agonising indigestion, feeling unwell. I also take 3 x baricol chewables a day, a Multivitamin tablet and a calcichew a day. I’ve read everything I can find, researched this surgery for 6 months prior to having it, watched videos on YouTube, nothing seems to validate or reassure me. I studied medicine myself for 2 years albeit I know this is extra bit of knowledge of human anatomy and practice, I certainly do not have the knowledge to explain my symptoms away. I know this is not psychological as I cannot tolerate warm, cold, mashed, puréed, anything I’ve been told to try and going back a step to try again. When then am I to carry on until? Perhaps until I pass out again or end up in A&E on a drip? I cant get anything down me. If I do manage one meal a day, it’s a quarter of a starter portion and I’ll nearly always vomit it back up or experience the pain in my tummy or severely painful heartburn or severely offensive and debilitating flatulence. How long until I can eat? How long until I can drink plentiful fluids without issues? Ie. More than 500 ml in a 24 hour period? How long until I feel well? How long until I can eat what my family eats albeit in a starter portion? A healthy clean hearty non processed meal! How long until I look and feel well? How long until I can eat without severely offensive flatulence? It’s disgusting and far too painful to keep inside or even attempt to get to a more private location! Once it’s there, it’s impossible to hide and I don’t feel confident even in taking my children to school! How long will my stools be pale yellow or grey? How long will this horrendous pain in my tummy last? Because it’s interfering with my daily life now too. I’m now buying omaprezol over the counter. Lamazeprol isn’t available over the counter like I was advised yesterday. How long until I can sleep a full Night without being woken by agonising heartburn or stomach pain? These are the questions I’d like to ask a support network rather than mither yourself, to then mither surgeon to then mither dieticians or worse my GP. I’m getting very frustrated now, mainly through a lack of support I think. I don’t like to join public forums or online networks normally but I don’t feel I can get the answers of validation or reassurance currently. Yet, I’ve paid over £12000 for the surgery and 2 years post surgery support. Where is the support please? Once I receive your reply I’ll Know whether to mention the letter requirements in my appointment too. I am so sorry I have to keep contacting you, mithering surgeon but I’m getting frustrated and upset now. I want to be well not worse. Plus, the more issues, symptoms I have the more neurotic I feel, yet I have nowhere else to ask. Regards So after reading this I hope you or anyone could offer some guidance or insight. simply put I am also at my wits end and do not want to regret this life changing surgery but I’m beginning to do so with intent and massive frustration. looking forward to any replies. I have copied and pasted this from my post yesterday. I don’t know what further info you’d like but am willing to explain absolutely anything if it will help you to support / advise. I can say today is a better day - I’m not well by any comparison and sleep deprivation is definitely affecting my cognitive function BUT I have managed one full bladder toilet trip and eaten twice today. Two rice cakes with 3 cheese dress and some pickled tiny chopped shallots. tiny fresh plum tomatoes with 3 x tender soft grilled bacon medalions on a slightly toasted Oatcake. all chewed three times (within an inch if their life) and each meal takes an average of an hour to eat and get down me. tummy pain 6 / 10 which is absolutely amazing in comparison to norm. nausea in situ but no vomiting today. a normal opening of bowels with the exception of colour as above. wind still offensive embarrassing but not as repetitive. 2 small cups of tea. 200ml sugar free cordial.

Hi Everyone, I know it’s now May - I have only just joined BAriatric Pals and just found your post. I had my MGB on Valentines Day! 14th February 2023! I hope it’s not too late to make friends - goodness knows I need you for support if you’re willing! I’ve not had it particularly well to date so feeling rather alone. albeit today is a much better day than the previous 50 I can wholeheartedly say I’ve regretted this surgery so far. I’m hoping this will not be be forever however! looking forward to hearing from you. ❤️🥰