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Its crazy how different every Dr is. Mine tells me the same things to strive for. 3 meals plus a snack no more than 4oz or 1/2 cup. But she 100% understands that I just can not physically do it yet at 2 month post op. So she absolutely tells me to supplement with shakes because it is more important to “try” to get to these guidelines while maintaining my protein intake for the health of my body. Right now she says is the time to take advantage of the weight loss, to try all the foods I can tolerate so I can build that healthy diet. But telling my I am not allowed to supplement will only discourage me and make me feel like a failure. She said these are your goals, and every day you work to make it to these goals. But 3 priorities over everything. Water Protein vitamins…..

@AndreaJD my doctor uses binders after surgery also. I also have to use a spirometer to breathe into for 2 weeks to make sure I am getting full lung expansion. I agree, the “before” pictures are hard to look at. But they are also motivation to make a change.

Good morning! I have officially joined the "stallers" club this week. It is sad to see the scale at the same place it was a week ago. But I have all of you going through it, too, and while we don't like it, it does help some. I guess I'm glad to be part of the club lol.

I have a very physical job as well and understand how hard it is. I've been out of work for 6 weeks already and due to complications and needing a lot of Iv infusions I'm going to be out another 3 weeks. Hang in there

This is a spasm, try drinking warm fluids, cold drinks sometimes trigger this. Keep on top of your pain meds. There were vitamins that I couldn't take especially ones with iron in. My team were ok with me getting iron free ones. Your poor tiny stomach literally doesnt know what has hit it at this time. Its tiny and very swollen. Very little can get through it. My team were ok with me not attaing my protein goals as long as I could keep trying to get in my liquids. Hopefully you will not be hungry for a long time. When you have mastered drinking, you can begin to find your way around eating. I could eat a tiny amount every 3 hours. I had to force myself because you can get very weak otherwise. It was a strange feeling for sure.

Not revision specific, but even in my (virgin) Sleeve & RNY group there were people in my pre-op program who got 2 days, 5 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, etc. Hopefully all surgeons decide on a case by case basis. If in doubt, maybe reach back out to them again and ask if there's any risk to you doing a longer pre-op diet voluntarily?

Two weeks is the usual length of the pre surgery diet. But there are difference in what format the diet actually takes. Some are all liquid like yours (can be shakes or milk based drinks or other liquids) or two shake meals & one meal. Mine was keto. It, as @ShoppGirl said, can be influenced by your staring weight & how much weight they want you to lose to reduce the size of your liver before the surgery. It may be your general health status. It can also just be your surgeon’s preference. My two friends & I were each on a different pre surgery diet but all were two weeks long (2 of us had the same surgeon .) Each of us were in different places (health, weight) when we began.

Had my surgery on 4/15 then 3 day later I had and infection with 15 count white blood cell, heart racing and temp 104. I was taking the following day for.catscan and was told that i had a cyst or abcess. When i was returned to r[m the Physician told.my hisband they had to do surgery and my.husband asked when and we were told in 45.minutes. I have another surgery within 3 days of the gastric surgery. Part of stomach was left open. Which caused infection. This has been and scary situation for me.and my family. I stayed in hospital for 18 days and was sent home with 3 drainage tubes and PICC LINES. Not sure why I am have some much saliva which causes me.to spit constantly and want to stop.

Here are 5 website for swapping your clothes. 1- Swapstyle 2-Rehash 3- Dig N’ Swap 4- ThredUp 5- Closet Infinite This is an article that talks about these websites https://www.wisebread.com/5-websites-for-swapping-your-clothes-and-refreshing-your-wardrobe

There's no actual pouch reset, you're correct about that. It's more getting your mind right again. You have to get back to basics, not to retrain your pouch but to retrain yourself how to eat (and not eat) again. A week of stage 1, a week of stage 2, etc is a great way to start over. It's gonna be really rough, not gonna lie, but start tracking everything that goes into your mouth. Everything you eat and drink. how much, how often. Start tracking your calories, carbs, fats, and proteins. Prioritize protein first, then veggies, then healthy fats. Follow the eating and drinking rules. Reach back out to your surgeon's office and your nutritionist, if you can. You still have your tool, you just have to hold yourself accountable and start using it properly again.

Thank you! I actually scaled back a little lol and dropped the 4lb gain lol odd! I love working out, its just something that is fun, I have 3 kids, work full time, finishing my bachelors so the gym is my one hour of putting music in my ears and its just me, so I have fallen in love with it. I am thinking that I need to scale a little more though. this advice is great!

Thank you!! I am incredibly happy. Getting my Vitamin D from 13 to almost 100 has done wonders for my depression. The extra energy DOES feel amazing, especially because I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and I never really expected the surgery to impact that favorably. The first 4 weeks were hard energy-wise. I remember how exhausting even taking a shower was until I was past a month out. Bariatric surgery is major surgery and it takes our bodies a while to heal from that. Add in our dietary restrictions as we slowly incorporate food again and it is a great recipe for fatigue. I'd say by about week 8 the nausea disappeared and I noticed I was gaining energy steadily. I could stand in the kitchen and cook. I could go for a short walk. I could shower and actually leave the house without a nap first. I had not been able to do those things in several years so it was a striking difference. Hang in there!! It is a good sign you feel about back to normal energy-wise right now! Yes, according to everything I've read, the goal is 50% by 6 months for a DS surgery, so I'm ahead of my goal. I really hope things continue on steadily. A lot of people lose a chunk early on and then taper down slower after month 3. My body doesn't like to follow general trends, so I stalled out for most of that time and then suddenly my weight loss sped up! It is quicker now than it has been since about a week post op. Isn't that funny? Everyone's body has its own rhythm. It is so, so hard to trust that, but it seems to be true the more people I see go through this surgery.

I had some ladies in a group I belong to that are in weight watchers who sorta turned their nose up at first mention of weight loss surgery. I took it as a challenge to educate them. In all fairness they get to see me each week and hear about my nutrition and activity choices but I’m pretty sure they now realize they didn’t have all the facts before and recently started being some of my biggest cheerleaders. I guess you won’t be afforded the time to change their minds about it this one visit but maybe it will help some to know that their ignorance is most likely just lack of education and that upon seeing how hard you work at it, they may change their perspective eventually as well

Ok, so I'm 2 years and 4 months out from my 1st surgery and 1 year 3 months out from my revision. I'm still losing (trying to stop losing but so far I'm still losing an average of 4 pounds per month) so I haven't experienced the rebound weight gain yet. I can tell you I eat popcorn all the time. I also eat smokehouse almonds, cheese cubes, salami and/or peperoni slices for snacks. I eat Rebel ice-cream, keto brownies, sliced apples mixed with fresh blueberries and raspberries, Greek yogurt with fresh berries and monk fruit sweetener mixed in, keto cake with sugar free icing, French toast with keto bread, fresh berries, and sugar free syrup. If I want "guilty" food, I have something like steak, 2 spoonfuls peas mixed with mozzarella cheese, and 2 spoonfuls of Bob Evans mashed potatoes. I don't tolerate carbs very well, so I have to be careful with them. I also have kettle chips fried in avocado oil, 1 packet (instead of my former usual 2-3) of oatmeal such as cinnamon apple or banana cream, and minestrone soup and crackers (only like 4 or 5). Everything is a balance. Nothing in excess, no large portions, no "off plan" foods too often. Just a little here and there and whatever you have should be fine. Just remember to keep working out, keep moving your body, keep prioritizing protein and you should be good.

im 6 years out next month. for the past 3-4 years i can (and do!) eat anything/everything in small amounts. (this includes all the things most say they don't eat or drink). i average 2000-2300 cals a day. and i've stayed below goal weight this entire time. and have not needed to buy bigger clothes lol. but i also exercise quite a bit. the exercise is all things i really enjoy doing so its not "work" for me. balance is important, but also getting rid of the idea and thought processes that something is bad or not allowed or forbidden or whatever. because this usually leads to angst and shame and guilt that does nobody any good.

I had a sleeve done years ago and, for me, I would lose in spurts, so maybe this is just a spurt and you will level off for a week or so and *boom* spurt again. But I wouldn't worry until you've had the chance to talk to your bariatric doctors office. Odds are they will be like, "that's great! good job!" 😀

I don't think I ate anything that made me sick post op, except for sugar (I am sure it is a form of dumping). At 10+ months post op I eat everything, and by everything I mean I can eat everything and feel fine, my portions are much smaller of course. I eat tacos, burgers, sushi, noodles, pizza and even dessert but in smaller amounts. I eat out 2-3 times a week. Here are some things I follow that help me eat what I feel for in moderation: - I do not drink my calories, other than an oat/almond flat white, all my drinks are calorie free. I do not drink alcohol nor sugary drinks. I drink water, diet soda and coffee and that's about it. - I limit deep fried food, I almost always opt for grilled/air fried/baked. If there's a portion of fries and I really want some, I will have one or two and stop. - I prioritize protein 90% of the time. On weekdays I always start with my protein, then my veggies THEN a tiny bit of carbs if I have space (most of the time there is not much space left). When I'm out for a nice dinner or I've ordered in I will eat my order the way it is and will not pick the protein first, so if I've ordered a burger I will eat it as it, or if it is sushi i will eat that and not worry about protein first, but that is only a couple times a week. - I make tweaks and substitute when taste isn't compromised. I love my big mac tacos but I don't want to be eating 200+ calories from a tortilla, so I substitute that with a mission low carb because I really can't taste the difference, or it's negligible. I also substitute wheat toast for protein toast (still occasionally eat sourdough because I love it and can taste the difference). I also opt for low fat milk/dairy/meats when I can, but I will not substitute cheddar for a low fat version for example because MELTED CHEDDAR 🤤 - I eat carbs in tiny amounts. So if I'm snacking and picked up a cookie, I will eat a bit of it or half at most. If it is a slice of cake I make sure it is tiny or I will eat half the slice, if it's ice cream it is half a scoop. I can't tolerate much of sugar and it makes me ill but I will taste/try. And it has to be WORTH IT. I will not eat something for the sake of eating it, I should really want to try/eat it, and if it ends up not being good, I will not continue eating it. - I workout a lot, I lift, I run, I do Pilates, I cycle and close my steps. I stay active. If you can control your portions and refrain from the "all or nothing mindset" it is very possible to eat what you like and maintain your results, at the end of the day it's calories in vs calories out. Also, my moto is that life is too short to be living miserably (I love food LOL). I will however say that I recommend that you hit maintenance first before exploring with the above. I was VERY strict during weight loss and ate 100% clean.

Does every doctor interpret this treatment process differently? I've been reading so many different timelines that everyone is being given, and I'm confused as to whether there is actually a "norm" and then doctors deviate accordingly, or if each doctor/medical group sets their ideal SOP? For instance, my surgeon required 2 full weeks of liquid only diet for pre-op and at least one night in the hospital after surgery. My first in-person check-in was at one week. I have video/phone appointments until my next in-person at 6 months. Pureed/soft foods don't start until week 3. Solid foods will start week 7. Red meat/shrimp at 6 months. I have Kaiser in the DMV, so the food part is proscribed by the bariatric department, but even the overnight requirement was different with other people having surgery the same day as me. A nurse said my surgeon makes it a standard while others are out in hours. Obviously, it looks like my doctor is moving out of an abundance of caution, which I appreciate, but is anyone not in the Kaiser system getting the same guidance?

How long post-op are you? I know my surgeon said not to have sex/any sexual activity for around 2-4 weeks! But definitely if it hurts, probably too soon for you!

Tomorrow is the big day! May 1. May Day! On the liver shrinking diet, the first two days and the last two days were the hardest. The first two days, I was ravenous and it took every ounce of willpower I had not to eat. By day 3, it wasn't a big deal. My particular diet called for 3 shakes, 1 serving of protein mix soup, a protein bar, a banana (for the potassium), and up to 3 sugar free gelatines. Plus as much zero cal clear drink I could stand. By day 3, I LIVED for that banana and protein bar. These last two days with no solid food at all has been tough. My sense of smell has ramped up significantly. Everything smells fantastic! I'll provide an update after the procedure is finished and I'm lucid again. I'm somewhat nervous about the discomfort, but I'm sure I'll be able to weather it. Wish me luck!

I am scheduled for an RNY Wednesday May 22! I met with the surgeon last week and when his RN came in afterwards, she goes, "we can get you on the schedule on the 22nd first thing in the morning." Thinking she meant June 22, I told her that would be perfect because it would give me just over a month to get things in order at work and get the house post-op friendly. She just looked at me and said, "No... May 22nd... like two weeks from now." 😅 1) I think the thing I'm most nervous about is the questions and opinions from others. I've lost almost 100 already and get comments congratulating me for "not taking the easy way out with surgery." Now that I've announced that I'll be out of work for a few weeks for a surgery, I keep getting asked about what kind. I've defaulted to saying a hiatal hernia repair. I've only told the five people in my support team the truth. 2) I'm planning on bringing my own pillow and blanket, some comfy clothes and non-slip slippers, iPad, Kindle and a couple books (I'm a mood reader so I never know what I'm going to want to read!), toiletries and bathroom items, lip balm, and a hair tie or claw clip. 3) I'm excited to just finally have it done! I'm tired of battling diets and hormones/genetics to only be able to lose 15 pounds then hitting the plateau that eventually leaves me feeling defeated, so I give up and gain the 15 pounds plus a few more back.

I never did do a 5-yr anniversary post (which was like 3 months ago, oopsies). Here is a reply I made to someone's thread about being newly sleeved. I had alot of fun composing it - despite it going off an a total tangent - and thought it had a five-year-sleeve-anniversary type of feel to it so I'm putting it here! Am also adding my requisite swim suit shot, but this one is from vacay last month, and its NOT a full body shot, AND I'm half in the water, lol. Its too cold around here for me to change into one now and take a pic. Plus I'm lazy. So i give you: "5+ YEARS IN 1000 WORDS OR LESS": #### Begin #### Day 0: YES!! I'm alive! Weeks 1-2: Ouch, this kinda hurts. I detest all food and water! I'm sooo effing tired, im just gonna lay down here and be found in 3 weeks, half-eaten by wild dogs. Weeks 3-4: Oh wow, I LOVE water! Eating is such a chore. I don't want to do it. I lost HOW MUCH weight?? Whoa, this thing is gonna actually work! LET'S DO THIS! Those dogs will be very disappointed in eating me. Months 2-4: Am I ever going to eat like a normal person?? It taking me for-EVAH to eat my tiny cup of food. I am sick of people commenting on how I eat. Exercise is so much funner/easier when I'm not so big! Let me sign up for EVERYTHING! I LOVE new clothes! I am losing my hair! Who knew salad is my favourite thing on earth? Months 5-7: If one more person tells me to stop losing weight or asks if i have a disease I'm going to sic my wild dogs on them. I guess this is life now: eating tiny bits of food all day long...I guess I can do that, small price to pay for looking HAWT and feeling A-MAY-ZING. I wonder if anyone knows how full of myself I really am.... Months 8-10: OMG.I CAN'T POSSIBLY UP MY CALORIES TO MAINTENANCE LEVEL! HOW AM I GOING TO STOP LOSING WEIGHT! I AM GOING TO WITHER AWAY AND DIE! Month 11: Oh. So THAT's my maintenance calorie level. That's not so hard. I'm not going to die after all. Ok, Ok, I'll just take this ONE cigarette from you, handsome Italian guy in Italy...even though I quit cold turkey 10 years ago...it can't hurt, right? Month 14: Plastic. Surgery. Month 15: *cries* Month 16: Whoa, I'm looking even HAWT-er than before. How is this even possible? I wonder if anyone has ever exploded from being so full of themselves.... Month 17: Why hello carbs, I've missed you. bread, Pasta, Rice, we shall never be parted again! Oh, nice to meet you for the first time COVID! How long are you staying? Month 18-21: All skinny and plastic-ed up and no where to go. Eff you COVID. I guess I'll just do a little online shopping for stuff to wear when I am finally allowed out of the house. Sure, I'll have that martini for Breakfast. Hey, my hair is back to normal...and its even nicer than before. Go figure. Years 3-5: Huh. I stayed below goal weight this entire time and I am the picture of satisfactory health...does that make me awesome? I dunno...my closet is bursting with clothes...most of which I've worn maybe once or not at all. How am I still smoking??? It was only supposed to be one cigarette!!! I think I may have developed high-functioning alcoholism? Food intolerances? Who me? Nah, I can eat anything and everything, EXCEPT large amounts of sugar at one time cuz, you know, I may pass out on the couch. I may not eat as much as everyone around me, but I don't want to anyway, so there! But let me cook for you, bake for you, make copious amounts of food for you! And no, i AM NOT finished reading this menu in it's entirety...I'm about to order enough food for 5 people...you better be hungry! Today I take no medications other than for my acid reflux (which unfortunately came on due to my sleeve surgery). I eat carbs and (small amounts) of Desserts, I drink alcohol. My last physical/labs 6 months ago produced no concerns - other than an abnormal thickening of my uterine lining, but that has since resolved. I have ridiculous amounts of energy, I rarely fight with my husband, I handle stress and annoyance like a grown up. I'm digging life. Oh, and I still look HAWT. *mic drop* P.S. i also finally quit smoking 5 months and 14 days ago. yay me! hopefully I don't meet another handsome Italian with an extra cigarette in the future. Edited to add: P.P.S. sorry..i meant to just reply about the first few weeks after my sleeve surgery and food progression, but my fingers got a life of their own as I typed out my reply. plus it was kinda fun writing this. I may cut and paste this into a more appropriate thread if I find one Good Luck! ❤️ #### END ####

I think 21days post op and losing 16-18lbs is great! I just learned in this community that revision surgery have slowly weight loss. My doctor and me doing my own research never came up till I found this site. i am also feeling that I am having multiple stalls. Before pre op diet I lose 15lbs on my own, then during pre op diet I lost 8 lbs on the first week of liquid diet and stall for one week have no weight loss. Then went into surgery while having the stall. After the surgery, I gained 7 lbs of water retention from the iv I got from the hospital. It took a few days and get back to my surgery day weight, then I loss about 5 lbs in a week. so almost 2 weeks after surgery only loss 5 lbs. So 16-18lbs is great! I am jelly here. But like many said everyone is different, although it’s hard, but I am trying to positive.

omg those stuffing waffles sound delish!!! (cant really see in ur pic though...) totally going to try this this week!!! thx for recipe

Great job on everything so far!! I applaud you on your dedication to moving your body!! I also take my measurements once a month, on the 1st. I totally relate to everything you said, including the early stall! I had a stall at 2 weeks and it lasted a month. I cried at my 3 week appointment, as I had gained 6 pounds. I thought my surgeon would think I was non-compliant, even though I was only getting 3-400 calories a day. She hugged me and told me that it was literally impossible for me to be non-compliant at this stage! It was just my body freaking out at itself, and the goal over time was to add a lot more calories. I haven't been able to do much more than a little slow walking, even at nearly 4 months out and just short of 40lbs down from surgery weight. I think it has to do with sleep, about which I have huge issues. I feel like once I get better with that, I'll be able to add a lot more movement. I'm hoping that will help get me through future stalls, which I know are very likely to come and are super normal. Still doesn't make it easy! Also having trouble getting my 64+ of liquids. It's a daily struggle that I don't always meet. My surgeon chose to leave the hospital and physician's group 3 months after my surgery, because the powers that be were making decisions about the program that she felt compromised the program's (and her) integrity. She's moved to a more holistic private practice now, and even though they don't take my insurance, she offers a special rate for follow-ups to her former surgery patients. I'm totally going to go see her for my 6 month f/u and beyond, because the hospital has now ended their bariatric program, and I adore my surgeon and her holistic attitude. I feel really lucky.