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Hi there! Newbie here. Been reading a lot of the threads and already feel like a lot of you are my friends when I haven't actually spoken to any of you 🤣 I had my surgery on the 17th of December 2023 and my stats were: Height: 166 Cm (around 5'5/5'6?) Weight: 90 KG (198 lbs) I didn't do the liquid diet because my surgeon doesn't believe in it. Also, my surgeon specifically said "I will be very happy if you lose 20 KG (44 lb) but it's quite unlikely".I wan't heavily overweight and I was very athletic with a lot of muscle mass. Fast forward 18 weeks post surgery I have lost around 28.4 kgs (62.48 lbs) and my surgeon's mind is kind of blown lol, he wants me to stop losing but I do not think I am done yet. I get these comments that I look "stick thin" but mostly get many compliments as there is no sagging or loose skin (due to muscle mass pre-surgery). My problem is that I have hit my first stall ever this past week where I didn't lose anything (I was losing quite rapidly) and I am low-key freaking out. I still want to lose another 7 Kgs (15.5 lbs) just to have a wriggle room if my body decides to gain a little rebound weight later. I have started some heavy lifting the past week and man I am SO SORE so I think it's due to the inflammation? I am quite sad and disappointed to have not lost any weight the past week and I need some emotional support. I eat around 800 kcals a day with 65 grams of protein - give or take- (starting the past 2 weeks as I was still on a 300/400 kcal a day prior to that). Could that be another reason? Was anyone done losing at 4 months post op? While I know my weight is currently good/slightly under what is good for my height, I really want that wriggle room and I really don't want to be done so soon. Any advise?

Total Vs net carbs aren't really a thing this side of the pond. Disclaimer - I am writing this post with a glass of wine (completely useless carb) beside me, so make of it what you will. While you're in the active phase of weight loss post op IMO you should be minimising carbs. If you're not quite full after your protein and veg then have a little more veg. Or protein. Carbs are what make people fat - what made US fat. There are NO essential carbs (there ARE essential amino acids - i.e. protein - AND essential fatty acids - ie fats). Nobody needs refined carbohydrate to survive. If you absolutely have to incorporate carbs into your diet while still losing then keep them healthy. Carby veg, fruit, oatmeal, wholemeal bread/crackers, wholemeal pasta, brown rice, etc.

Please add the option to list a second surgery to our profile if possible. I’m thinking it’s kinda confusing to people that I am asking questions about pre op when I had surgery three years ago. Also please add the SADI surgery to the list of surgeries as well.

Even though I was cleared of any eating disorders by the psychiatrist prior to my sleeve surgery I am fairly confident that I meet the criteria for NES. According to my research the treatments are antidepressants which I am already on and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I asked my therapist who uses a different therapy approach what that means and she said CBT is about changing behaviors and she suggested that when I wake up wanting to eat that I crochet instead (replacing an undesired behavior with a healthier one). Well the other day I had to fast for blood work and I usually put a towel or something through the handles on the fridge to remind me not to eat or drink anything other than water and I thought to myself if this works for fasting why couldn’t I just do it every night. So I made sure to eat a high protein yogurt before bed so I know it’s not actual hunger then combined the visual reminder with the alternate behavior and I made it through the last two nights without eating any snacks but it wasn’t easy. I woke up and walked to the fridge several times and had a number of arguments with myself and even tried to rationalize that it was okay to just have one snack because it’s still less than normal. My husband said the good voice triumphed over evil for now. 😂 Anyways, I am curious to know if it’s that “simple” of a fix for lack of better word. Has anyone else had experience with NES? I am curious to know if this substitute behavior thing really works and if so how long it will take until the alternate behavior becomes my new habit. (How many more late night arguments am I going to have with myself)?

You might want to post this in the DS forum as well, as I know their requirements are different than those of the other surgeries. You guys eat more calories and more fat the rest of us (plus I remember certain carbs ar tough on DSers - they can cause G/I distress). I just looked up the nutritional value of eggs, and yes, your stats on both protein and fat in them are correct. The yolks are mostly fat. But then I would think eggs would be great for DSers - they're very nutrition, and you guys don't have to be as concerned about fat.

I am a stubborn b**ch so I used that strength to get me through on the days I knew what was going on but a lot of the time I had no idea how sick I was. It was only afterwards I found out how bad I was and how worried all my family and friends were. I didn't mention it above but I also had a blood infection and then an allergic reaction to one of the medications - basically anything that could go wrong/happen did. They couldn't do the feeding tube via my arms as my arms got infected and the veins collapsed, I think I had 8 different IVs in my ams over the months, they just kept switching from left to right until all veins had collapsed. I ended up having to have blood draws from my foot at one point and had my IV in my neck. I actually thought I was going to be physically ill when the first told me they had to put the IV in my neck and had to be given a xanex to calm down and go to the the procedure room but it was actually ok then afterwards and so much easier than my arms. I know what you mean about the health anxiety side of things, I was worried about everything when I came home finally, it was a shock to my system to suddenly be without the constant checks from nurses and doctors and not know if a little twinge or cough etc was a bad sign or just normal. I had to take my blood pressure during the day and do temperature checks to make sure I was at a normal range. I was also afraid to go for a walk of a few minutes in case I then didn't have the strength to get back home so I just walked the bus route on my road as figured if I could walk to the end of the road and get stuck I would just get the bus back. Now I can do 1.5km or so around the block at a steady pace. I am not sure where you are in the food reintroduction phase but once you are able to eat more protein it should also help with the energy levels but I do think rest is key. Once I got into a decent sleeping pattern again, took a few months at home after the nurses rounds at 11pm 4am 7am etc., I really saw the improvements in my energy. That is great that you got the appointment for next week. Just keep asking them to check everything and be honest with them about your fears so they can discuss with you. Just give it time and let your body recover, it has been through a shock to the system with the weight loss and then the infection on top. I figure my horror show can only help others to not feel as bad if they are struggling a bit. It has taken me a long time to start to feel better and more positive but I think I have turned a corner in the last couple of weeks.

I’m trying my best to mimic what I will be eating post surgery and today I logged my food and just mostly paid attention to carbs and protein. I logged but otherwise ignored the fat for now since I thought she was wrong. In the morning I had a protein shake with coffee. For lunch I had two scrambled eggs with Turkey sausage, morning Snack was a dannon light and fit yogurt, dinner was taco salad with pepper, onion, 1/3 cup cheese, 1/4 avacado and 4 oz lean taco meat. Then a chobani flip yogurt for snack which is the worst thing of the day because of that little bit of chocolate and peanut butter I guess. Anyways i added that to be 61g carbs (23 was that yogurt), 54.4g fat, and 105.5g protein. I am thinking I was close. Maybe adding a little more healthy fat such as more avocado or cheese or cooking with olive oil instead of pam spray and then switching out that evening yogurt with a lower carb one and I would’ve been pretty close to you. I realize as I’m going over this that I’m going to have to tweak this quite a bit for a smaller pouch if my surgeon re-sleeves me which I hope he does. This is going to take some time to figure out. Thank you so much for all of your help.

I have yet to see a nutritionist or dietician that truly understands the optimal diet for a SADI or DS patient. Most of the time we just get a modified version of what they give Bypass and Sleeve patients. But as you say, you aren't absorbing as much as they are, therefore to give you their requirements would leave you malnourished. 15 grams of fat is absurd by all medical standards. Most medical studies show we need 60 grams of fat for proper hormone function and even if you ate 60 grams of fat, with an altered digestive tract, you aren't absorbing that much, so you need to eat a little more than that. Even the ASMBS recommends 60 grams of fat by 1 year out!! Your dietician is not following best practices. Most SADI/DS patients I know follow the vets that have been living with this surgery for 10+ years and maintaining their weight loss. We figure they know more about optimal diet than a surgeon who has never lived with this surgery, or a dietician that has never even researched best diet for bariatric patients of various surgeries. Most patients I know are eating 100-120 grams of protein, less than 50 grams of carbs, and over 60 grams of fat, usually around 100 grams of fat for SADI and 150 grams for DS. You can increase your carbs once you have reached your goal weight, they tend to slow/stop weight loss, so in active weight loss it is important to keep them low so you stay in ketosis. A calorie range makes dieticians feel better, but it makes no sense for a SADI or DS patient because we malabsorb so much fat we can't even begin to properly calculate our calories. You could eat 1200 calories, but that wouldn't be what your body is absorbing. I'm sorry this is so complicated. In the end you have to decide what you feel best at. I don't feel good following guidelines like your dietician gave you and when I go over 50 grams of carbs I stop losing weight. So...yeah. I'm going to follow what allows my brain and hormones to function, what makes my skin, hair, and eyes feel best, what gives me the most energy, and what allows me to lose weight steadily. I'm the one that has to live in this body. It is sad these surgeries are so uncommon there are no good studies about optimal nutrition for them. But there is no way I'd go below ASMBS guidelines, they are the closest thing bariatric surgeons have to a standardizing body. Your dietician should be able to give you ASMBS guidelines for your surgery.

I travelled internationally two months ago, and was 6 months post-op. I brought protein bars, protein-enhanced electrolyte water mix packets, an empty water bottle & coffee cup, and snacks like a nut-based trail mix that I like to put together. I also hauled a giant plastic container of protein powder with me because I LIVE for my morning proffees. No problems crossing any borders or with any airports/security checkpoints.

So I finally got an email back from My dietician and the macros she gave me for diet post Sadi is 1000-1200 calories 90g protein 90g carbs and 15 grams of fat. That doesn’t seem to be anything close to yours. I am so confused and wondering if she is wrong. I feel like if I don’t absorb a descent pirtion of that I would be malnourished.

Okay so I am still so terrible with this stuff but my dietician makes it seem so much more confusing and I really need to understand this so I can get it right this time. I asked her what my requirements would be post SADI surgery and she said 1000-1200 calories 90g protein 90 carbs (45 fruit and veggies and 45 from starch), and 15g fat. I am trying to eat similar to that now to see what it’s like and I am logging my food. I figured my portions will be a little larger so I won’t be able to hit the exact goals but wanted to see where I am. This morning I did great with my protein iced coffee which is just a caramel shake with some coffee mixed in. Low calorie and carb and high protein. This afternoon however I thought I would have 2 scrambled eggs and one Turkey sausage Patty. The calories and carbs are fine but it seems like Either that fat goal is unrealistic or the protein goal is from normal food if there is really 15g of fat in two scrambled eggs and only like 13 grams of protein? Even if I forget the 7g of fat leaving out the Turkey sausage just two eggs is too much fat for one meal and reduces the protein. I hate egg whites but assumed two scrambled eggs would be okay. I know post surgery I will not eat two whole eggs which will reduce the fat some but also the protein. Could i add protein powder to the egg or something? Maybe an egg and a yogurt would be a better option? Or Do I have to just suck it up and eat the egg whites. She also said something about three teaspoons of “healthy fat” and I’m not sure if that’s in addition to the 15g of mono and polyunsaturated fat or if 15 is the total which may be where I’m getting confused. I just emailed her asking for clarification but last time it took her like two weeks to get back to me so I figured I’d see if anyone else can make sense of this.

Thank you so much!! as of now I am weight lifting 3-4x a week. Trying to switch up the exercises for my upper body and lower body. I do want to build a booty so I focus lifting heavy on those LOL. I agree I may need to eat more which I have been trying to incorporate more protein. I feel like this whole thing is a science and well I got a C in science so I am not sure what I am doing is hindering or helping. Like you said weightlifting and cardio are so good for us! I am sure I will see the difference in my body with inches as the time goes on. Loved the book/lecture

The thing is that they assume that you can only eat so much so if you prioritize protein then veggies then you should only be able to eat a tiny bit of healthy starches, if any, and based on that theory everyone will be okay. When I had Sleeve three years ago I swear mine was left larger than most though because I could drink and eat more from day one than they said I should. I always said that I know I had surgery because I could no longer get my moneys worth at an All you can eat buffet but I could still eat quite a bit. When I was back to “regular” portions I hit all my protein goals then ate my veggies like suggested but still had room for more carbs than I should be eating. I did great in the beginning when I was told how many ounces I should be eating and I wasn’t hungry so I just stopped myself there but later on I think I needed more guidance than just calories and what to prioritize. I know I was an exception to the rule though. When I went back to discuss revision with another dr he said not that I’m suggesting it but if you were eating a sub how many inches could you eat and when I said 5 or 6 easily he said that I should not be able to eat that much. I believe that is why things went wrong for me. I reached my first easy goal I set to encourage myself but never made it to my ideal body weight. Then a few month later when actual hunger came back and I ate until I was full I started to gain even with the healthy options because of my portion sizes. Admittedly if I had not been frustrated and basically gave up at some point I probably would not have gained ALL my weight back and I would still be healthier now than when I started, but I know where things began to go wrong so this time I asked repeatedly until I got even more guidance from the dietician.

How is everyone doing now? I had my surgery February 20th. I'm faring pretty well. Still some pain. Feeling like I need to eat all the time. Holding myself to food every hour to 2 hours. Very small amounts. Getting my protein. Starting a food diary tomorrow.

You being able to drink more fluids is not due to your tummy being bigger. You probably are not having as much internal swelling as someone else does. Also, some never lose their ability to gulp a good bit of water, and you don't list your surgery, some bypass patients also have this happen. Fluids exit our stomach really quickly, some faster than others. The restriction with fluids early on is because of the internal swelling and how long it takes to get to the stomach through that swollen area. I had a LOT of swelling. Water went down at a trickle. I could literally hear it displace air in my stomach when it finally got there, like a little drain finally clearing. It was hilarious and so strange feeling. For me it took 3 weeks for this weirdness to stop. I can take a good 3-4 full swallows most days now before I get pressure from my tummy to slow down. I tell you all this because I know for a fact I have a larger sleeved stomach than most, my surgeon made it that way due to reflux. I've seen it empty fluids on imaging, it is fast as lightning! LOL Your tummy will not lead to bad food choices, even if it were bigger. But your mind will! Trust me, once you add solid proteins in, you will probably feel your restriction to some degree. Many never feel restriction with purees and fluids.

For the first month, hydration is king. Calories are nice. Protein is good. But dehydration is the number one reason for ending up in the hospital post-op. Your family should be told about that. Aim for at least 64 oz a day. You may not get that at first, but after a few weeks of trying you will. For the first two weeks I felt like I was constantly drinking---and I was! I couldn't tolerate protein shakes or anything like jello or pudding, I had stomach spasms pretty severe the first two weeks. I could only get down water (which I had to flavor with sugar free flavorings to get down) and sugar free popsicles. My surgeon said that was okay. We have protein stores in our bodies to get us through the first few weeks. But it is still good to aim to get protein in as much as your tummy will allow. And I took my meds one pill at a time, spaced out throughout the day. Your family clearly loves you and are concerned, but only YOU know how you feel. It's okay to remind them of that. If they need more info they can read your packet from the surgeon or come read posts here. 😂 You'll get through this. Just keep sipping!! 💚

No actually. I was in Puerto Vallarta and there was never actually any concern with the water at any location. A lot of places do have bottled options, but even a few spots w regular water just served at the table or ice in drinks were just fine. There were 7 of us all together, just myself with surgery, and we were all fine.

Hello, I want to preface saying I have not had my surgery yet but I have been losing weight in the pre-op stages as per my dietitian and doctors request and this includes me going to the gym and getting my protein/calorie goals in for the day. The important thing to know is plateauing is inevitable as your body gets used to the things you do on a daily basis. So since you know that already you going to the gym is a beneficial first step in the right direction of losing more weight. That being said weight training is an amazing cardio/full body workout and for women you actually don’t have to worry about getting “bulky” my doctor said it’s just not what our bodies do to get stacked like that (he didn’t say it in those words of course but I’m paraphrasing). Which it’s true generally unless you’re a bodybuilder you won’t get bulked up like crazy (even then it’s usually the addition of hormones that add to bulking) so go ahead and lift girl! Cardio exercises like running, swimming etc. are also great to get into your routine which I see you have and it’s important to also not forget about aerobic exercises like yoga/pilates this will also minimize your chance of getting “bulky”. Overall, I would say if you have set days of the week you work out like MWF do that for 2 weeks then switch up the days, intensity of workouts and type of exercises you do on each day to give your body that “restart” it needs in order to start losing weight. It is also so incredibly important to eat enough calories! Yes sounds weird but you actually might not be eating enough for you to lose weight and this is what my doctor told me. If you don’t eat enough your body goes into “survival” mode because it’s not being given enough food in order to carry out your bodily functions to its fullest potential. Yes you can be taking supplements and be healthy on paper but if you’re trying to lose weight and exercising and eating well and still unable to lose the weight then it’s time to evaluate if you’re eating enough during the day. I would highly recommend reaching out to your doctor and/or dietitian about adequate dietary input your should have because there are all kinds of info and pamphlets on lines telling us to be between so and so calories at this point in time or to not exceed x amount but in reality everyone is different and all bodies are different. I hope this helps sorry for the book/lecture.

Personally, I do actually have loads of luggage space since I plan on bringing 1) lots of cute outfits with me and 2) many many MANY souvenirs back home. Plus buying the tickets months in advance has made it easier for me to upgrade the luggage since there’s no way two weeks worth of clothes were all gonna fit in my carry on since we plan on adventuring and going out all across Lima. One sole/sol is about 1/3 USD so definitely cheaper to buy stuff over there the only thing I really thought about brining is protein powder/shakes but then I feel powder might freak TSA out too much. 😂

Thank you all for your input and help! I don’t feel hunger or crave any foods right now. I just want to be left alone and just drink water when I wish to, eat something when I think I may want to. I’m not getting my calorie intake and no where near my protein intake. My parents are forcing again and again that I need to drink more and take all my meds etc. I know I need to but I have been taking them spaced out given o can’t just swallow everything at one time, it makes me sick. So anyway, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who has no “hunger” out there. Thanks everyone.

No personal experience of travel in South America but I've had loads of holidays whilst on my post op diet. Honestly if you stick to protein first, veg second and carbs last (by a long way) I think you can travel anywhere in the world. I hope you really enjoy your vacay.

One of the biggest adjustments I had to make post op was to eat because I needed to, not because I was hungry. I actually never lost my hunger post op, but in those first few weeks when all you can consume is liquid, it is a struggle to get everything in. As soon as I moved to purees I started eating something every 3 hours when I was awake. Everyone's interval is different. Some can do just 3 times a day, but for me if I got over the 3 hour mark I'd start to get shaky and irritable and completely crash, it was clear I needed food, even if food was just a shake or a protein yogurt. I'm 6 months post op now and this has eased and I can go a little longer, so I follow my hunger cues more now and mostly eat at normal mealtimes with snacks if I'm up late or up early. But in the early months I just couldn't do that.

Welcome!! I had a friend who had bypass about the same time as you did and it was very different back then!! We have so many more resources available now. And SO many more products!! I remember how much she hated adding protein powders to her food and how stubborn she was about ignoring healthy food. She lost a ton of weight but I often wonder if she regained since she ate such junk post op. Eventually the portions catch up with you! Most advice for losing weight a while after surgery is to go back to basics, watching your portion size, cutting out simple carbs, getting most of your calories from healthy complex carbs, a little fat, and a generous portion of lean protein. Eat your protein portion first, your veggies second, and a few bites of a healthy starch/carb last, if you still have room. Get in whatever good movement you can. Drink at least 64 oz of water and for bypass patients I believe your protein per day should be close to 80 grams. You'd have to ask your doctor about your calories though. Do you still feel your restriction? I know with bypass they can do testing to see what your pouch looks like and hernia surgery is a good time to revise it if it needs a revision. I just had a hernia repair. I'm about 6 months post op from a Duodenal Switch. The healing process after hernia repair has been a lot like bariatric surgery. I can only eat liquids and some purees at the moment and I'm a week out. But I'm so glad I had the repair done!

Hello and congratulations on your surgery date. I travelled a few times in Europe in the first 6 months. I too looked for advice on here. There they had many protein products easily available. I supplemented the hotel food with protein yogurts. From the buffet I was ok with omelettes, bacon, beans and tomatoes. I found soups, deli meats, cheeses, fish and minced meat dishes ok for my evening meal. At that time I couldn't eat chicken, rice, pasta, potatoes, salads and pastry. For the most part they are still off my menu. Everyone is different in how they recover from this surgery. By then you will know your own routine. You will have plenty of energy to do all kinds of activities. My calories were very low at that time so I had energy and then it quickly ran out and I would go for a glass of milk or a milky latte to perk me up long enough until my next meal. I took with me jerky, nuts, cheese snacks and protein bars. You could take protein powder to add to your food. If you can get to a large supermarket, you will be sure to find protein drinks and protein yogurts. They are popular the world over now due to body building.

Welcome to the group and congrats on the upcoming surgery and all the pre-op success. I have not traveled to Peru, but I did go to Mexico about 9.5 months post op. Honestly it wasn't difficult at all. Typically by 8 weeks you should be healed on the inside and cleared for pretty much all movement. So by 6 months you'd be fine - generally speaking. I would say just packing all your vitamins and supplements is key of course. I also packed snacks mainly for the actual travel part - plane and car rides. I had jerky, cheese crisps, protein bars, portioned nuts and low carb chocolate. I had more than I really needed, but it definitely helped to have options. You could also consider protein powder or shakes in case. Also a reusable water bottle/cup comes in handy to ensure you stay hydrated. I stayed at an all inclusive resort and there were many healthy fresh options for all meals. The buffet breakfast had a ton of fresh fruit and veggies, a bunch of egg options - egg whites, hardboiled eggs, etc. and the meat protein options, yogurt and cheeses. There were various milks both dairy and non dairy options. Dinner menus had accommodations for different dietary needs. Off resort also wasn't difficult to navigate as there is a lot of protein and veg options. I found getting in movement was not difficult either. There was a gym, aerobic classes and water sports. But honestly walking around the resort, the pool, walking on the beach, the walking tours off resort - i never missed an exercise goal. The variables can happen depending on the area you are staying I'm sure, but I have friends who frequently travel to Peru to visit family and frequent many local cafes that have plentiful healthy options - healthier than you find in the states unless you grow it yourself since a majority is local and doesn't have to travel far at all. You will not likely be able to get exact specifics of macros if you like to track your food, but by 6 months you'll have an idea of estimated protein amounts and general portions for most foods you are likely to eat. As long as you stick with protein first, then veg and carbs last you should be good.