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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.

That does sound filling! I just love my Protein cold brew LOL So its possible that a protein bar a couple of hours later which I have been doing with the Rxbar and its been filling. I will have to look at some other recipes for cold brews see if I can beef it up. Thank you for the suggestion!

If all you're having for breakfast is a protein cold brew, that won't stick with you for long. I have a smoothie in the mornings and it packs a good nutritional punch. I recall even from before surgery that a smoothie would keep me going until lunch. My new go-to, after some trial and error, is 150g frozen fruit, 30g baby spinach, 1tsp each of hemp seed, chia, flax, and raw sunflower seeds, 100g drained and rinsed canned beans (cannellini, white beans, black beans, chickpeas will all work), plus 2 scoops unflavored protein (20g), a scoop of beetroot powder and a scoop of Benefiber. I fill with as much water as my 20oz blender cup will hold. I add a squeeze of the bottled grated ginger to kind of mask the bean flavor, and I blend the heck out of it with a Vitamix so it's really smooth. It's about 360 calories, 30g protein, and has 16g fiber (11 from ingredients, 5 from Benefiber). It takes me about 45 minutes to drink it at 9 weeks post-op.

This has also been a big concern for me, but my Peruvian family has been very supportive of my decision. My boyfriend is also Peruvian and supportive of this decision, but we plan on visiting Peru when I am 6 months post op (surgery date for June 13th 2024). This will be my first time in Peru since I am from the US and we plan on doing a lot of walking around Lima, Callao as well as touring Huacachina, Ica and Las Ballestas. If you are still active on here do you have any insight now on how your relationship with Peruvian food has changed? I plan on staying as safe as I can abroad so making sure things are cooked thoroughly, no tap water, only peeled fruits/veggies that are thoroughly cleaned. As well as portioning when we do eat out we plan to share dishes, I will try to order vegetarian options when possible, and if I have to/want to order my own plate I will ask for a to go box right off the bat to make sure I dont eat too much due to like you said the massive portion sizes.

So, I just completed day 3 of my liver prep diet. Today seemed to be better than yesterday. I am not feeling as hungry, although I am already getting tired of the protein shakes. I still have little energy, just doing the absolute necessary and resting a lot. It's hard but not horrible and will be worth it when all is said and done. Everyone hang in there and remember what the goal is... better health and a longer life. I'm still nervous, but also ready to move forward. We got this!

5/10. Im a bit nervous. Also a failed lap band from 2010 :( but my team is great and im envisioning a healthy future to keep me motivated. I packed lip balm. Moisturizer. Earplugs. Phone charger. Don’t plan on being there long and come home in same clothes wore in! The dietitian said not to plan on liking any protein shake i liked preop so be careful what you stock up on. I seem not to mind any of them so it will be ok! New to posting and talking about all this.

Long story short - had gastric bypass in July of 2019. Highest weight 400. Current weight 167 to 173. I still feel some restriction to this day. Meals are small and I don't eat high fat, high sugar food. 2 yrs ago, I started having right sided pain. It felt like ovarian pain so saw OB & had 2 ultrasounds nothing showed up there. Pain worsened & had gall bladder removed 1.5 yrs ago. Adjusted diet again to deal with gal bladder being gone and things seemed ok. A few months after the right sided pain returned. About 4 mos ago, pain got so bad at times I'd be in a ball on my bed considering going to ER (which I HATE doing). Went back to primary got CT scan. Nothing found. findings. Then he referred me for colonoscopy & upper GI. I thought finally 'this was it, we've ruled out most other things'. I also had seen blood in my stools and it was old blood, like coffee grounds so I thought ok, not hemorrhoids? Just got back home from colonoscopy & upper GI. Good news is no polyps or other concerning things. Bad news is main finding was on bypass "Patient's surgical anastomosis noted to be widely dilated, raising possibility of Dumping Syndrome as a cause". OK, we know what dumping is. Thought it was post surgery when we ate food (i.e. sugar, high fat) that processed too fast, etc. & you had dumping. Is the type of dumping they mention different from post surgery dumping? They recommend I see revision specialist. Has anyone else had revision NOT due to 1st bariatric surgery not being successful but for a "medical reason" like this (other than GERD, heartburn). I'm not even sure insurance will pay, but I have 2 yrs worth of history on this. Even it if does pay, I dread what this means - more hair loss? If I do this, will I need another in 5 yrs?. I also still feel restriction kick in although yes, nothing like 1st 2 years My highest weight right now hovers at 173. I hoped I'd get to 150 but closest I've come is 167-168. Is revision another 'nuclear detonation option'? ANYONE have a revision specialist in the North Texas area they can recommend so I can at least get a consultation (north texas = Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington, Keller, Bedford, Euless, Hurst and Denton) I've also wondered if there is a chance of some straggler/stone from gallbladder surgery 1.5 yrs ago that should be considered? Any input would be appreciated. This is causing issues on my job as the pain hits out of nowhere (not X amount of time before OR after a meal, that I have been able to discern. Thank you!

Week 3 Post Op Sw: 155kg / 341 lbs Stats to date: - 11.6kg / 25.5 lbs I hit 3 full weeks post op yesterday and met with my surgeon + nutritionist So far so good, nut is happy with the progress i’ve made and have given the ok to move to solid food no restrictions. We looked at my hydration levels, all are good thank god because this particular subject is one of my biggest worries ! She gave me some ideas to up my protein but told me it’s quite normal to not be getting protein in yet and that month 2 is generally when you can build on that. We talked a lot about actually going up in food quantities. She told me that i should be eating 150g meals from month 1-3 then around 200 g from 3-6 months and ending up at 300g meals (standard portion size) from 6-12 months. She explained how to start adding quantity : adding one more spoonful per week. She and my surgeon are both pretty against weighing food they want me to start eyeballing as they both say the goal is to be able to live a normal life and be able to visually know one’s serving. Not sure how i feel about that and the whole upping the quantities thing is scary right now … we’ll see. My surgeon is completely happy and has provided my estimated weightloss curve. He estimates per his calculations a loss of around 60kg in 12 months - fingers crossed. He also gave me the ok to got back to work earlier than he had anticipated - but with a warning that i need to take particular care in having my daily vitamins because work means being more active and more fatigue. He did however not clear me for any physical activity on top of work. I work in an airport so i walk a LOT daily and he doesn’t want me to add more activity on top of my above average daily steps. I’ll be back in his office at month 3 now so early july ! I am officially stalled and have been for around 5 days so far weight wise which is expected and i’ve decided to just put the scale away and check back one week from now. I have survived my first ever restaurant with my boyfriend - and it went great ! I ate very slowly and was able to adapt my portion and my meal (steamed salmon and 1 baby potato) Incidentally we had a little conversation about his exclamations of « is that all you’re having are you sure, are you really sure » and i realised it’s strange for him to be seeing me eating so little and he has this kind of guilt about going all out and eating big portions. It made me feel ssooo good to get back into « normal » life, even at work i packed a snack box of individually portioned snacks (16g cheese slices, 30g watermelon, 30g strawberries and then a lunch of tuna salad and 3 crackers). It was so much easier than i thought to actually get into a real life normal routine - i love it !

I had gastric bypass in July of 2019. Highest weight was 400 before losing a bit on my own. Current weight varies from 167 to 173. I still feel some restriction to this day. My meals are usually small although I know we can all 'eat around' the restriction by eating smaller, but continuous meals and this was a slippery slope I fought back against. About 2 yrs ago, I started having right sided pain. It felt like the pain I used to feel when I ovulated so I assumed it was ovarian. Saw OB & had 2 ultrasounds and they couldn't even see right ovary (and the left was fine. Since they couldn't 'see' the right one, they said that was good since there was no obvious signs of..I don't know tumors, growths? The pain continued to worsen & I finally had gall bladder taken out 1.5 yrs ago. I adjusted diet again to deal with gal bladder being gone and things seemed ok. A few months after that the right sided pain returned. About 4 mos ago, the pain got so bad at times I'd be in a ball on my bed considering going to ER (which I HATE doing). Went back to primary got CT scan. CT came up with no findings. Then he referred me to GI doctor for colonoscopy & upper GI. I thought finally 'this was it, we've ruled out most other things'. I also had seen blood in my stools and it was old blood, like coffee grounds so I thought ok, not hemorrhoids? Just got back home from colonoscopy & upper GI. I thought doing prep was bad yrs ago, but much harder having had bypass surgery. Good news is no polyps or other concerning things. Bad news is main finding was on bypass "Patient's surgical anastomosis noted to be widely dilated, raising possibility of Dumping Syndrome as a cause". OK, most know what dumping is. I thought it was post surgery when we ate food (i.e. sugar, high fat) that processed too fast, etc. and you had dumping. Is the type of dumping they are alluding to different from our post surgery dumping? They recommended I see gastric bypass revision specialist. Has anyone else had revision NOT due to 1st bariatric surgery not being successful but for a "medical reason" like this (other than GERD, heartburn). I'm not even sure insurance will pay, but I have 2 yrs worth of history on this pain. Even it if does pay, I dread what this means for me - more hair loss? If I do this, will I need another revision in 5 yrs again at which point I'll be getting up there in age. I also still feel restriction kick in although yes, nothing like 1st 2 years My highest right now hovers at 173. I hoped I'd get to 150 but closest I've come is 167-168. Is revision another 'nuclear detonation option'? I've also wondered with the CT scan, etc. is there any chance of some straggler/stone from my gallbladder surgery 1.5 yrs ago that should be considered? Should I post this in the revision group instead? I read through some and was unsure. Are we allowed to cross-post? Any input would be appreciated. This is causing issues on my job as the pain hits out of nowhere (not X amount of time before OR after a meal, that I have been able to discern. Thank you!

Thanks ! I have unflavoured protein but it’s so hard to actually mix in that i’d given up on it entirely. I’ll try changing brands hopefully that helps 😊

On lifting days I am eating over 100g of protein. I typically hit 80g of protein with the exception of a weekend day (for some reason I don't eat a ton on the weekends) I havent been scared of Carbs since I am working out so much. My carbs do end up being around 60g, I eat fruit, veggies, beans ect... what is a typical post workout meal for you?

I would be most concerned with whether you're hitting your protein over the course of the day. You may need to focus extra on protein if you're lifting. I wouldn't go for extra calories, but more of your macro split coming from protein. You're most likely to build muscle when you start weight lifting. I noticed that a lot of the recommended protein foods, especially during the early diet stages are actually pretty low in protein compared to calories and ended up focusing a lot more on protein drinks and lean meats rather than "normal" type eating that was suggested where I was filling up on mixed macro foods like beans or dairy.

HI all! So I have been in a slight plateau, not losing a whole lot anymore. Staying pretty stagnant which is fine I knew this day would come. So I am taking advantage of this and starting to weight lift, light weights more reps with upper body since I don't want to bulk up but trim down, then heavier on my booty and legs to pump them up. Now I am STARVING! I don't think what I am eating is going to cut it anymore, not on days where I am lifting/ cardio. I have been doing pretty well staying 1000cal or under on days I just do cardio, which is nothing strenuous just 40-60min walk. anyone else have this issue? I am thinking that my protein/ decaf cold brew drink in the morning is not enough, might need to add something or start eating more? Any input?

How did you all go with your protein target after surgery? Im trying to get as much as possible, 100g but ideally 145g. I gotta say. It's hard!

@SandyT I'm having a gastric sleeve on May 6 as well! Glad to read about others' experiences here, helps me feel like I'm not on my own. I started my protein shake diet a couple days early on 4/19, and it has been rough so far (extreme fatigue, headaches, brain fog, and bloating). A few people have told me it usually gets better after 3-5 days, and I really hope that's the case!

Same here. So I have been lifting for 20 years but my diet was always awful leading to my obesity. I had my surgery on 11/6, and started lifting as soon as it didn’t hurt. I was much weaker than before but it did seam to bottom out and I’m getting stronger. I do progressive overload and eat about 160-180 g of protein per day. I want to pack on muscle but I don’t know how/if that’s possible like before. I like weightlifting so I’m going to keep doing that and see what happens. Usually 4 days of weights and 2 days of jogging (doing couch 2 5k program).

Ding, ding, ding - we have a winner! You are correct - I went through UW Health, and their program is still very much focused on balanced meals and not restricting. They give amounts to have at each meal (e.g., 1/2 cup), but I always thought this was a little wonky because a 1/2 cup of beans is way different than a 1/2 cup of sugar. I had to BEG my Dietitian to give me some sort of maximum macros for a day, and some of those ended up being way higher than I'm comfortable with (150g carbs per day), so I'm just kind of going with what makes sense to me...hitting ~80g protein and at least 64oz of fluids, and then loosely monitoring carbs and calories. I'm going to get back to tracking every day, just so I can be sure it's not what I'm putting in my mouth that's slowing me down!

Have you ever tried putting an egg in your smoothie? The thought of raw egg is gross, so I have never tried it. But the protein factor would be nice. I forgot to say that I put a scoop of Genepro unflavored protein powder in mine too.

I have been kicking off my day with a smoothie, and I think it's probably the healthiest thing I could do. I know the opinions on fruit sugar can vary, but for the most part, science seems to be on the side of reasonable quantities of whole fruit (not juice) being good for us and valuable for weight loss. I usually put about a cup (150g on the food scale) of assorted frozen fruits (may include banana, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, pineapple, mango, strawberries, blackberries, peaches, avocado), a handful of fresh baby spinach, 1 Tbsp each of chia seed, hemp seed, flax, and sunflower seed, a serving of beetroot powder, a scoop of Benefiber, 20g worth of unflavored protein powder, and top it off with tap water. This all fits in a 20oz smoothie blender cup, and usually takes me 30-60 minutes to drink as I start my morning. At around 425 calories and 33g protein, this is roughly half my calories and protein for the day! After that's done, I fill a 32oz thermal tumbler with 1 cup Fairlife skim milk and the rest decaf tea, which gets me another 13g protein, plus 24oz fluid. Since I can only get in about 15g protein at lunch and dinner when eating solid foods, it's really helpful for me to get so much in during the morning in an easy to consume format. I may try adding frozen riced cauliflower to the smoothie, too, as I hear that's good for the creaminess and I need another veg. Has anyone used any veg besides greens in your smoothies?

Congratulations on your upcoming revision. What exactly is the TORE procedure? That’s another one I haven’t heard of (there are a lot more options than I realized in WLS). I am looking to get a sleeve revised to SADI and I’m wondering if they will do anything to my sleeve since it’s probably not the same and I never felt like it was as small as others described to begin with. . Also, do you have a surgery date? have an appt on the 30th with the surgeon to tell him if I want SADI or bypass and to ask my questions and I’m getting a bit nervous about him setting a date. As much as I want to get this behind me and start my journey I am nervous about making this decision and it being so real if I have a date. It’s weird because I wasn’t nervous at all about the sleeve. But I guess it was much safer than a revision procedure. I am just nervous and there doesn’t seem to be many people to chat with about it. How long has it been since you had your first surgery? Sounds like it was a bypass? Were you happy with it?

I think most of us were told to shoot for 60-80 grams of protein a day, but as far as sugar/carbs, plans vary quite a bit. Some are low carb, some are ultra low carb (almost keto-level), some don't count carbs at all and insist their patients follow a balanced plan (mine was one of the latter). I've never counted carbs, but I'm not particularly sensitive to them, either (I know some people are). That said, during my first few months post-surgery, I rarely ate more than 80 carbs a day, and never over 100 - although that was just because I ate very little in those days, and there was such a push for that 60-80 grams of protein that I didn't have room for a ton of carbs. I don't pay attention to carbs at all any more - I just watch my overall calorie level and still make sure I'm meeting my protein goal.

Yes, I actually discovered these amazing chip alternatives. They are high in protein, only 150 calories per bag, and taste just like chips! They're called Legendary chips, which I got today at GNC. Chips are my weakness so I'm happy to have found a healthy high high-protein alternative. Other than that, I have no junk food in my house and like to keep it that way. I'm too weak right now to keep anything tempting in my house. It's full of water, protein shakes, protein chips, and quest protein cookies. You get the picture if I get a sweet craving, lean meats, nuts, veggies, etc.. I am going to start tracking my food again, too. I feel that helped me stay accountable. I am just so terrified of falling all the way back into my old habits. I can't allow that to happen. Thanks for responding and being helpful ❤️

Yes, it is usually those slider foods that I can eat so much with no problem. I feel like these last 2 weeks, I have been eating more than I should, and it's just kind of scary that I can. I prepped my meal and have my water and protein shake ready for tomorrow. I just want to do a refresh. I'm so scared of weight gain, and this tool is not working for me. I know this is the "honeymoon phase," and I really want to take advantage of it, too. Thanks for answering! ❤️