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I believe in my heart I may be the only one doing this to myself...or even able to muster up the courage to talk publicly about it. I'm not getting my protein in. I'm not getting my water in. I haven't been taking my vitamins. I haven't been to the gym in over 2 weeks. I eat what I want, to the point of making myself puke with intolerable food. I gave up. I drink alcohol. I'm lazy. NO i'm not looking for pity, i'm genuinely curious to know if anyone else is or has been in my shoes.. I'm almost 5 months post-op, down 40+ pounds. Losing 1-2lbs per week SOMEHOW. If you've been here, how did you get out of this fog? I'm petrified to address this with my doctor in fear of being judged. I'm in the closet with all this. Scared/anxious i'll just regain my weight over the next year. I feel im in concrete and have ABSOLUTELY NO motivation to change habits very disappointed in myself. Disgusted really. Recently went to a gathering and seen myself in pictures and I am way bigger than i thought i was. im just all over the crazy table!

@Hiddenroses you are getting sooooo close. Hows the preop diet going? Bitten anyone’s head off yet? I’ve lost my temper a couple of times. Ticked off one worker so bad that when I called back to ask another question they must’ve seen me on the caller I’D and kept putting me back on hold for over an hour. Oopsie 🙊 I would’ve tried to explain but I figured unless they were in this boat they really wouldn’t get it anyways. Luckily I was home just purging my pantry from stuff I shouldn’t have around anyways so i just put it on speaker phone and listened to the hold music until they finally picked up. i am not sure if I mentioned that I am having lunch with a friend tomorrow at a steakhouse. I am still allowed one meal a day of lean meat and veggies till Monday. Then it’s all liquids. I called the office to make sure it was okay to do the shake for dinner instead and they said no biggie. I’m sure my friend will order exactly what I would rather have so it’s going to be a bit of torture but I figure I may as well get used to it since choosing the healthier option while others are living their non diet lives is going to be my new normal. I am officially done cleaning out the fridge, freezer and Pantry ridding it if all temptation. I just remembered that I do have some stuff stashed in the cabinet above the microwave though. Mostly nuts and salad toppings and stuff that are okay to have around but may expired before I can actually eat them so I may as well give them away too. I also deep cleaned all the floors since it will be a while before I can do that again and i plan to do all my bedding and the bathrooms on the day before so they are as sanitary as possible when I get home. I think I may actually be ahead of schedule and have the day Sunday to relax. I’ve got a lot of calls to make Monday and Tuesday will be all about last minute stuff before surgery but Sunday I think I will do something fun. A pedicure maybe. I could really use one. Without polish I guess. Did they tell you no polish? They used to always say that but I don’t think she did this time. She said nothing on your body or hair but didn’t say to remove nail polish. Guess I will go with clear just to be safe. Anyways, I hope that you are doing well and that you are organized and relaxing a bit yourself this weekend. Good luck Monday.

@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!

I had a lap band placed in 2013 and ended up having it removed here in January. It up getting infected. Thankfully no erosion and just some scar tissue. The surgery to remove it was miserable for me tbh but at that time i started the process to revising from band to bypass. Thankfully that went through without a hitch and I had surgery on the 2nd of October. Initially with the band I lost over 100 lbs very quickly and felt so good. Went from 305 down to around 200. About a year after the band was placed I got my gallbladder out and I feel like that is when things kind of took a turn for me. I ended up having issues with the band so I just removed all the fluid after a year or so and just coasted through life with the thing. Things still getting stuck with it empty. Ended up gaining all my weight back and then some. Anyway, I just got the bypass on the 2nd and I am just overwhelmed with fear of not losing enough with the bypass as well as regain. Wondering if anyone has had similar experiences? On the pre op diet I lost 15 lbs and I have lost about 17 since surgery. I am almost 3 weeks. I read about people losing 30-40 right away. I worry im not on track even though I feel as if im doing well. I dont have any pain, my energy is good, i havnt puked at all since surgery (still on full liquids) and overall things seem to be doing well. I do need to up my protein (60-70 grams a day) but am able to get my fluids in. Time will tell I guess but would love to hear about others experiences. Thanks Brittany

hi Christine. I find the reverse is just as true too. Where the most commonly experienced effects of surgery just aren’t shared with patients by their team. How many post do we see from people upset, depressed & frustrated about stalls, hair loss, foamies, etc. Though I know there could be things missed simply because there is so, so much information we’re given & have to absorb. I do advocate sticking to the plan given to you by your team but we know there is no one size fits all (in life, clothing or plans). If something isn’t working for you, ask for alternatives, other options or suggestions as to what you can do or eat or drink, etc. Take suggestions & experiences people offer here & ask your team if you could try them. They’re supposed to know you & are best placed to advise what will support you without compromising your recovery or progress. Hope your upcoming surgery is successful & everything is put back to where it’s supposed to be. PS - Fellow teacher here too - well was one of my careers. What year levels or subjects did you teach? Congrats on your retirement.

Follow up: Surgery went well. Doctor was very pleased with it and my post-op. Tomorrow is the one week mark and I feel pretty good. Following the protein and water intake rules. Using a medicine cup to drink from so that I remember to sip helps a lot. Anyway happy to report that surgery at 60 is going even better than it was at 50 so far!!

Hello! I had the sleeve gastrectomy 9.5 months ago. I've been working on exercising and eating right, but I've been in a bit of a stall these past 5 weeks. I went down from 290 to 170 pounds, but I've been stuck at 170 for 5 weeks. I've been eating 1200-1500 calories a day and still not losing weight. I've done some research, and apparently, your body adjusts to low calories after a while of eating at that rate. At the beginning of my post-op phase, there were some complications on my end. I didn't eat ANYTHING for two months straight, not even protein shakes, and I was only hitting about 20oz of water daily (which landed me in the ER, but I'm fine now lol). I've looked online, and it says for my height, age, and weight, a good maintenance level would be 2100 calories. I'm eating well under that in a deficit and heavy weight lifting, so I don't know why my body won't drop anything. I'm worried that my body adjusted to the 0-calorie few months I had, then the 500-1000 calories three months after that. I've only started hitting my 1200-1500 calories in March when I joined the gym. I know the stall is not due to "muscle gain" because I'm not eating in a surplus, and I'm only eating 65-80 grams of protein in hopes of simply maintaining while I drop fat. I also read online that apparently people who go through rapid weight loss have even lower calorie maintenance than the average person, and that makes sense, but surely it cannot be under 1200, right? The majority of bodies need 1500 to operate. I'm so confused! When I ask my surgeon about calories, he says not to worry about them and eat healthy, which I'm doing. It's just frustrating because I want to work on building muscle, but I want to lose some more fat before that. I guess my question is, does anyone know anything about calories after surgery, and/or how many calories are you eating after surgery to help lose weight?

Anyone have a good high protein recipe? Or do you all stay clear?

My surgery is scheduled for the 27th. I am on day 3 of my liquid diet and boy am I struggling. It's very hard to break old habits of just snacking but even now on the liquid diet I want a healthy snack but unable to have it. I think it's the chewing sensation I miss. I am able to have one health meal a day and usually have protein shakes for the other meals. (breakfast and lunch) I try to save my healthy meal for dinner so I can eat with my family but with being on summer vacation it has been hard to not want to just snack all day. I have been going back and forth if this is something I should followed through with as I will not be able to enjoy the things I used to after surgery. Maybe I'm over thinking and it's just nerves for the post op life.

Most days are ok providing I’m willing to prepare with protein ‘enriched’ products before going to work - I hate having to force in 20gm s of protein before bed.. I’m on soft food stage but I don’t think I’m doing this as well as I can still relying on protein powders and pre packaged drinks instead of sourcing it from food so I guess I’m still on that steep learning curve haha. basically currently I’m a non cook ( a great pre-heater though) but bestie made me all these nutritious home made soups that got me through up until now - I’ve still some in the freezer but I just can’t look at them the same at the moment ( kind of like Optifast…. I’ve reached THAT point. im reading this really cool book which I got from eBay called Ultimate Gastric Sleeve Success which is where I found out about this forum ( lists website address in book) by Dr Duc c Vuong which has all these activities to do - so now I’ve got to decided if I can learn to cook 👩‍🍳 haha that’s why I married my husband lol

@BlueParis Glad you get to be home for a few days at least and I think that’s a great weight loss! I’m happy for you. 😁 just wanted to throw these roasted edamame beans out there for you if you can get them. I find the multi flavored 24 pack on amazon to be the least expensive way to get them (about $1/pack). I know they aren’t cheap but I really like them and they’re like 100 kcals and 11 gm of protein in a tiny little .9 ounce package. They may be salty for some but I love them!

I want to echo Nickel, and also point out that this is why many care teams warn you not to drink for at least 30 minutes post meal -- because the liquid will flush that meal down faster than you want it to in order to be able to absorb all those nutrients. I'm 2 months post-op, and even though I usually try to take my time with a protein shake and spread it over 30-40 minutes, sometimes at work I'll realized I downed it in 15-20 and am feeling no troubles. (But heaven forbid should I try to eat anything chewable in under 35 minutes, my body will punish me immediately lol)

This is so important! I went into surgery with BP of 130/88, taking meds for years, and left the hospital 2 days later at 92/54. Because it was so much lower right away, I stayed off the BP meds and doctor officially removed them from my chart about 3 weeks later when my BP was still measuring 110/68 without them. Good luck meeting your protein and fluid goals!

Greetings, So I really hit a low point with some financial stress that I went through with a small business I have and reverted back to my old ways of dealing with things - very poor food choices over a couple of months. I feel terrible, but I am ready to get back on track. However I have some concerns. I am able to eat anything and even drink at the same time now - a year and a bit out from surgery. I don't get the "foamies" if I eat too much, etc. I don't get the full feeling that I was still getting right before my crash. What I am saying is - I am worried that the "tool" that was supposed to help me is no longer there to help keep me in check. I know the stomach can't be stretched to what it used to be, so I am fine with that knowledge after doing some research. However I am wondering once I go back to eating properly, drinking more water and getting my protein - will things go back to how things were prior to my 2 months of screwing up or is that probably gone forever now with feeling full, etc. Like I never had the surgery. I looked into a pouch reset - but it seems there is a lot of misinformation out there. That this is not a real thing from what doctors have said - like drinking just shakes for a week again or whatever will NOT reset your pouch. I would appreciate feedback on the above and if anyone went through something similar - what was your experience to get your sleeve back on track. Thank you very much. HM

I’m no dietician and very new here as well, but if you really have no access to other food (hopefully on a temporary basis), could you just order the protein and veg? Maybe skip the rice and noodles? Consider adding another protein and veg combo like shrimp and veg instead of the lo-mein. I’ve noticed many Chinese restaurants have “diet” offerings with low oil sauces, sauces on the side, etc. And sorry, I’m only 8 days post-op so have no idea about food fixations at this point. 😄

Hi @Mandalynne - I'm getting the RNY. It was suggested by my surgeon. What surgery are you having? How did you choose? The liquid only diet is no joke. I started this journey at a weight clinic, and the doctor there put me on one to jump start my weight loss. It's a bear. Still, if I see a broccoli after all this, I'll be running for the hills. I hear you on the grocery shopping. I ended up taking a friend to Costco to stock up on my 3 LSD things, making sure I didn't browse. I've bought the little silverware, jello, 4 oz. containers, water flavors, protein shakes. Need some SF popsicles and broth. Shelf-stable things. That'll get me through the post-surgery liquid phase. It's a week for me. Are you telling people? All I've said is that I'm having a major surgery. I have a public job, so I'm not sure what to say when they see the weight coming off. This whole thing is so real now. I'm super nervous about the surgery and recovery. But I already know how it feels to be the way I am now and can see where I would end up. This is something different. I'm excited to see what happens next. We got this!

Just hit 3 weeks post-op today. I’m also on 2oz purée food to be SLOWLY eaten over 30 minutes. At this stage, protein shakes no longer count towards water goal of 48-64oz. I have also still been hungry and felt like I needed more substance. Met with my surgeon yesterday and he said the hunger hormones are still adjusting in my body, and it may take a few more weeks to feel less hungry. Also, I know some of the hunger is mental. Some things that have helped me are to actually take 30 minutes to eat the 2oz- which is quite difficult for me to slow down that much. I also stick to 16oz of water slowly sipped until around 8am. Protein shake slowly sipped 10am-12pm (I started adding a serving of collagen peptides to my morning protein shake (my program says collagen peptides are not a complete source of nutrition, so should not be taken as a full meal)- this has put me at more calories and protein earlier in the day. Lunch around 2pm, dinner around 5:30/6pm, another protein shake or 1oz purée a little later if needed. Goal is 60-75 grams of protein

I had VSG (2015) to RNY revision on January 18th due to GERD. I also had regained almost 70 pounds from my VSG post-op low weight. I've so far lost about 20 pounds since the pre-op diet & surgery. I need to lose another 20 pounds (for normal BMI) to 50 pounds (for calculated ideal body weight). I'm now on unrestricted food textures, and per my program's dietician, I'm supposed to be on my "maintenance" diet now. However, they refuse to discuss any calorie goals or macros other than protein. I'm someone who needs very clear goals and guidelines (thanks, long-undiagnosed ADHD), and I'm feeling very lost about what my diet should look like moving forward. The lifelong guidelines for my program, as I understand them: 60-80g protein per day Up to 4 oz. (1/2 cup) per meal, consisting of: Up to 3 oz. protein per meal Up to 1 oz. (total) veg, fruit, or starch per meal 3 meals per day 1 snack per day (the program guide I was given says 1-2, but per my surgeon I'm only allowed to have 1 snack per day and it has to be between lunch and dinner) - I have no guidelines for the amount I'm allowed for the snack. I assume it's not supposed to be as much food as the meals, but I don't know. Protein shakes/powders are frowned upon The only sample menu provided in my program guide is as follows: Breakfast: Egg omelet with sautéed peppers & onions Snack: Protein shake OR Greek yogurt with berries [removed per my surgeon's instructions] Lunch: Lettuce wrap with turkey and avocado/cheese [it is not clear to me if the / means avocado OR cheese, or avocado AND cheese, but I assume the former] Snack: Apple slices with 2 tablespoons nut butter OR carrots with hummus Dinner: Pesto chicken with spaghetti squash, sautéed spinach, and cherry tomatoes I plugged this menu into the Baritastic app to try and get a sense of what the calories and macros are supposed to look like. The sample menu gave no amounts other than the nut butter, so I used the 3 oz. protein + 1 oz. veg/fruit/starch rule. With the carrots & hummus snack option, here are the macros for the day: 593 calories 62g protein 32g fat 17g carbs (13g net carbs) 4g sugar 4g fiber And here are the apple & nut butter (I used natural peanut butter) macros for the day: 739 calories 67g protein 43g fat 21g carbs (16g net carbs) 8g sugar 5g fiber So from that, I'm extrapolating that I should be aiming for the following daily: 600-750 calories 60-80g protein 30-40g fat less than 25g carbs less than 10g sugar I have a few concerns... I have already been going well over those amounts at just over a month post-op. I've typically getting around 800-900 calories per day. It seems like a real struggle to get to the upper range of protein daily while sticking to the allowed amounts and without using any shakes or protein supplements. Even then, 80g seems low for a protein goal. I have never been a big meat eater (I was vegetarian through most of my teens and 20s), and I absolutely cannot stand any fish or seafood. I do eat a lot of dairy, eggs, and beans, but it seems like that's not going to do it. The standard daily fiber goal I've always heard is 25g per day. I've been getting about 12-15g per day right now, but knowing that I'm overeating and already having too many carbs means even that's not sustainable. I've struggled with post-op constipation... I have gotten to a much better place recently, but if I need to cut back to 4-5g of fiber per day to be within my other limits, I'm afraid of going backwards. That I'm limited to 1/2 cup of food per meal for the rest of my life came as a shock to me, as a revision patient. I knew that my pouch would be smaller than my sleeve, and like with my original surgery, the amount I'd be able to eat at one time would be very small initially. But with my sleeve (which was done by a different surgeon in a different program), there was definitely not the expectation that the amount I could/should eat at 1 month post-op would be the same as what I could/should be eating at 6 months or 1 year out. My bypass surgeon also told me that she left my pouch a little larger than normal so that I wouldn't lose too much additional weight, so my pouch is already larger than a regular bypass patient's. Do these amounts seem in line with other people's experiences? Or am I way off-base?

Hey there, I'm 6 days out from gastric bypass too and the only things I'm having right now are protein shakes, water, broth, and little bit of zero sugar yogurt or unsweetened kefir. Focus on fluids first, protein shakes second, and anything else only when your goals are met for hydration and protein. I'm finding hot tea (decaf) and broth go down much better than cold stuff, so you could give that a try and see if you are the same.

I have to agree, it has to be sustainable. I know there are other things I can eat the healthier version of foods, But sometimes you want one slice of pizza from your fav pizza joint. I had a convo with my sister who is thin and she asked me when will I get to eat normal portions- I told her well my stomach wont let me but I do small indulgences, I brought her cookies that I made and I don't eat them however I love baking (my mom calls it projecting) but my sister told me that I have good willpower to not eat them. Instead of eating 6-7slices of pizza I am eating one with no crust. Ill eat a protein pizza or cauliflower crust one. I am super rambling lol

I had sleeve 3.5 years ago and I gained all my weight back because I was too embarrassed to ask for help before it was too late. You already taken a big step in reaching out here for help. I would also reccomend that you make an appointment with your team for further support. I thought for sure mine was going to chastise me for messing up but that couldn’t have been further from what happened when i finally did. All they wanted to do is help. I ended up doing a revision but my preop diet was pretty doable and detoxed me from sugar and carbs. Mine was two shakes a day and then low carb dinner of 3oz lean protein with a cup to a cup And a half of lower carb veggies. Something like that may be a Reset of sorts but you shouldn’t do it without consulting a doctor. Anyways, doing that I noticed that each day it got easier and easier as my body stopped cravings the sugar and carbs so I didn’t feel like I was starving myself anymore. For me, that’s the biggest obstacle. If I’m not starving I can make the better choices. You may also reach out to your dietician. Be honest about what you are eating as ask for help to make small changes to get you back on track. Keep posting and let us know your progress of struggles.

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!

Rahhh … I’m still stalled! Trying to keep with the onwards and upwards mentality even if it would be much easier if the scales were going downwards … managed 26k steps yesterday so that’s a plus. Starting to get homesick from travelling so much for work. I get back home to Paris on Saturday and have to leave again Thursday. I then have nearly 3 weeks non stop without getting home again. I’m finding it complicated to make good food choices and have enough protein. I’ve basically been having milky coffee and potatoes as a main food groups for the last few days. I hate protein shakes, I don’t really eat meat ( and strictly no pork), I don’t really eat fish ( and strictly no shellfish or seafood). At home I can do cheese and chickpeas and lentils and tofu etc etc but being out and about so much is complicated. I did hit 12 weeks no alcohol on Tuesday which is a big win for me because I’ve never thought I’d make it so far and the not drinking is getting easier day by day to resist the temptation. And also I sort of told myself that I go 24 weeks (6 ish months rounded down) so I’m half way through.

I agree with NickelChip, your PCP not knowing about the surgery is not a big deal IMO. What is most important is that YOU understand your surgery and whatever anatomy you end up with, and that you are able to communicate that to emergency responders and ER doctors in an emergency. Everyone close to me knows what surgery I've had done, knows the technical term for it, and it is in my phone's health info that emergency responders can access. A lot of SADI and DS patients carry a card illustration of their surgery in their wallets or on their phones. When I was considering the SADI and two surgeons recommended I do the DS instead I had reservations. I live in North Carolina and we have some really stellar bariatric surgeons here in Raleigh. But I plan on moving back to New Zealand in the next few years and DS surgery is really rare there, there are only 2 surgeons I know of in the country who can perform it and they are both in Auckland. My surgeon here told me as long as I planned on having the first few years locally here in Raleigh, and as long as there was one surgeon that could be consulted about my care in the area I move to, I should be fine with the DS... The same applies to the SADI. What we tend to forget is that people have surgery on their small intestines for a variety of reasons besides bariatric surgery. Cancer, Crohn's, etc... Many people have designer insides and while not every gastro doc is trained to do a DS or SADI, they have the technical skill to find a surgeon to consult with about your surgery should they need it. In terms of your PCP what she most needs to know is that it is vital to order a FULL panel of bariatric labs for you at least once a year, as well as at any point if you start having symptoms of a vitamin deficiency or protein deficiency. She'll also need to watch your iron levels. These are things a PCP can do. She also needs to be in good communication with your surgeon if she has any questions. Doctors act like they can't talk to each other, but they can. I have an autoimmune GI condition that causes ulcerations sometimes (like Crohn's) and my bariatric surgeon actually called and consulted with my GI doctor to ensure they were on the same page about the surgery and to ensure it was a safe surgical option for me. That made me feel SO well cared for! My PCP has a sister who had the sleeve done so she's familiar with the bariatric surgery options. She is well read, researches what she needs to, knows how to consult when she needs more info, and trusts me to tell her what I need when I need it. For me, that's the perfect PCP. I don't need her to understand the complexities of my surgery. I just need her to know when she's out of her depth and needs to refer out to a GI doctor, my bariatric surgeon, or the ER.