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My surgery was the 16th. I’m generally okay but exhausted. Food diary is a good idea, here is my yesterday: Coffee Ray fish with fennel salad and potatoes Square of dark chocolate Alcohol free spritz Asparagus and mayonnaise, bread, strawberries and whipped cream.

A food diary is a good idea. I hate doing them but I've been keeping one since my preop diet and will probably continue for a few more months until I really feel like I've got a good routine and no issues with hitting all the goals. I'm feeling pretty much back to normal, no issues with food in more than a week. What kind of pain are you experiencing?

I didn't have any issues drinking either. When I passed the puree stage and entered solid stage, that is when the restriction got real. lol

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.

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.

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.

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!

This sounds miserable. I haven't had bypass so I can't comment on that, but I did just have a hiatal hernia repair due to food getting caught in my esophagus and causing choking and chest pain. Best they can tell it was probably a sliding hernia, so sometimes most food could pass but pills would get stuck, and other days nothing could pass but water at a trickle. It was a really scary feeling and I'm thankful they got me in so quickly! You say you have this pain, but are you having any of the other symptoms of dumping like diarrhea, heart palpitations, dizziness, nausea, etc...? I would consult the revision specialist to see if they have run into something like this before. Right sided pain is so non-specific. I have a ovary that hides and when I ovulate on that side it hurt like HELL. I think it was pinned by my bladder and uterus, because after my hysterectomy the pain is much better (they left my ovaries). But that would only be for a few days every few months. Not as frequent as your pain sounds. I hope you find some answers. I'm sorry you are in such pain!

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.

Hello All, I am very new to the group and have not had my surgery yet but am scheduled for June 13th and I am excited to start losing weight exponentially even though I already have while on weight loss meds and starting a gym regimen while in the pre-op stages. My question for you all is if anyone traveled abroad within their first year post op? I am planning on going to Peru in Dec-Jan for two weeks and while I realize I will still have minimal portion sizes I feel I can make it work due to the wide variety of delicious/nutritious foods in the region that dont necessarily have to be carb-loaded. If anyone has experience with traveling to South America/Peru specifically your input would be much appreciated! I am hopeful that by that time I will be able to swim, walk and overall be active around touristy areas with ease but please let me know if there is anything else I should be aware of or try to pack before my travels to ensure I meet all of my nutritional needs.

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.

yep - most of us lose our sense of hunger for up to a year. I know it seems weird at first, but honestly, I found it very liberating after a while. I was free of "food noise" for the first time in forever! I hoped I'd be one of the very lucky few whose hunger never comes back, but I was not. it came back at five months out. Anyway, yes, norrmal. and take full advantage of that!! It's never going to be easier to lose weight than it will be right now. when you're never hungry and don't give a flip about food!

We’ve all been where you are now. Loss of hunger & appetite is a benefit of the surgery (though there are some who don’t lose their’s) but it can be confusing & difficult to work with it. Aim for three ‘meals’ a day and eat what you can. Don’t force yourself to eat more even if that means you don’t eat all your portion. You’ll get used to leftovers in your fridge you’ll finish at your next meal or the next day. I only drank two ‘meals’ a day during liquids. I diluted everything and just sipped, sipped, sipped until it was finished - usually a couple of hours hence the two meals. Probably the most challenging part is understanding the difference between real hunger & head hunger especially as many of us were driven by our heads when it came to eating not real hunger. Head hunger isn’t affected by the surgery so it can be a real struggle to manage as it seems almost stronger. Generally, if you’re craving a specific food, flavour or texture that’s head hunger (a craving). If you’re hungry out of boredom, emotions (like stress & worries after the surgery), habit (always snacked by watching tv or after dinner, etc.) that’s also head hunger. If head hunger is making itself known try distracting yourself: read, craft, do a puzzle, ring a friend, go for a walk, sip water, a cup of tea, or similar. It takes about 8 weeks for you to be healed after the surgery and this includes your nerves which carry the messages to tell you you’re hungry, had enough or are full. So for a while those messages may not get through or may get through differently and the signals may be different. Like some sneeze, or their nose runs when they’ve eaten enough. Believe me, when your hunger does come back you’ll wish for the days you didn’t have it. All the best. PS - Yes they pump you full of lots of fluids so the scales can show an increase after surgery. You’ll pee it out over a few days.

I found it hard the first 3 -5 days but once the internal swelling calmed down i kind of focused on feeling drinks or food going down. I’d spend 30 minutes mentally following the mouthful and trying to identify what i felt. In the end i’ve notice a sort of tension in the stomach as the first sign of being full. Then there were other random signs : hiccupping is the strangest one, and for the first week i’d get a runny nose if i’d eaten too much It’s all so new but we’ll work it out - good luck 😊

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!

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 experiencing right sided pain. It felt like the pain I used to feel when I ovulated so I assumed it was ovarian (post menopausal). Saw OB & had 2 ultrasounds and they couldn't even see my right ovary (like, where did it go?) 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 about 1.5 yrs ago. I adjusted diet again to deal with gal bladder being gone and things seemed to go ok. A ew 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 the ER (which I HATE doing). Went back to primary and he sent me for CT scan. CT came up with no findings. Then he referred me to GI doctor for colonoscopy and 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 the prep was bad 10 yrs ago, but it is much harder having had bypass surgery. Good news is they found no polyps or other concerning things. Bad news is I was stunned their main finding was regarding my bypass "Patient's surgical anastomosis was noted to be widely dilated, raising the possibility of Dumping Syndrome as a cause for her complaints". 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 or was too much for us to handle. They recommended I see a gastric bypass revision specialist. My question is, has anyone else had a revision NOT due to their 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 - even 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'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!

I feel so defeated.... it feels like every time I try to improve my health I make things worse. A small bit of back story first.... I had my WLS back in 2000, and was never told a lot of what they tell people now. I was simply told to take calcium, stool softeners and a multivitamin.... not what kind or what it should include etc. I was then told years later I was anemic, but after 2 years with that (PCP) doctor she never addressed it even though I inquired. Due to an extremely large hernia and pain I was having, I went to the bariatric doctor and he said to fix the hernia I would need to lose weight. I was losing weight again (after many years) and was feeling tired all the time. I asked my team about the low iron/anemia and asked if should I address it. I was advised to take 18 mg of iron daily so I bought the multivitamin with it included.... I bought a year's worth.... several days in, I became painfully constipated. Nothing worked but suppositories. I also increased my water intake and fiber both in food and with Benefiber. I was finally able to go without extreme pain after 2 days. One day of not using the suppositories and I am right back to not able to go again. I don't know if this is something that my body just needs to adjust to or if I messed myself up with all the years of taking stool softeners (that I don't even know if I was getting benefit of because I took soft gels)... I did message my team to ask advice, but with so many here going through similar stuff I thought I'd rant here also! I hate to think I wasted over $100 on the multivitamins that I can't take now. I'm a retired teacher with limited funds.....lol....

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.

I wonder if part of the problem of eating slider foods is that they are foods that we are used to just scarfing down and not paying attention, repetitive movements are soothing. I've noticed recently that I started eating a few bites of things that are not on my meal plan and somehow that contributed to my eating all foods without being mindful. When I eat slowly, paying attention to what I'm eating, I don't eat too much of even slider foods.