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My requirements were much like ms.sss', but faster (I am in the US). I did not have a supervised diet, just had to furnish weight history and an affidavit that yes darn it I have tried and failed. First consultation with the surgeon was 2 July 2021, surgery was 14 September 2021, so basically ten weeks. In that time, I had to: Have an introductory class of one hour Have one session with a support group Have one session with a dietitian Have a 1:1 session with the surgeon Have a psychological clearance (more on this later) Have an EKG Have blood work Have an appointment with my PCP to clear me for surgery Once I got all of that done, my insurance turned around the approval in 3 days and I was scheduled for surgery about 5 weeks later. I had the same history you do: lots of referrals, lots of resentment, lots of "this time I'm doing it FOR SURE". Now that I'm done with the surgery and losing weight hand over fist, I wish I'd listened the first time I was referred. I will say that they could do a heck of a lot better job talking through the ^$#%ing surgery instead of just "oh well call the weight clinic". If someone had pointed me at, say, this site, I might've bit the bullet and salvaged some of my youth. Oh well.

My team was pretty adamant about measuring by volume only, specifically telling us not to use a scale. You'll find with a lot of foods that you'll get more by weight than volume. I often eat the greek light and fit yogurts that come in a 5oz container so I like to use that container as a frame of reference. They told us around 6oz by volume for meal so I try to visualize if I could fit my meal into that container.

I actually very recently started to figure out that I had to adjust my eating because of the intensity of my workouts. My surgery team has kind of abandoned me at this point and haven't been helpful so I've done a lot of research on my own. I was hitting stalls very often despite not changing my eating from the plan and I was starting to get super depressed. My original guidelines said to get 70-100g of protein a day and I started researching nutrition for the workouts I'm doing which are largely CrossFit based. What I discovered personally is that I wasn't eating enough to fuel my muscles for the workouts and for recovery. I bumped my protein up to 100-125g a day and BAM the weight started moving again, I felt better and had more energy for my workouts. I also increased my water intake from 64oz to 100 oz. I eat three meals a day with small snacks in between. Granted they are tiny meals and tiny snacks but all of the focus is on protein, veggies/fruits, and complex carbs. It has made a huge difference and my weight and inches are moving again. I also had to remind myself that muscle weighs more than fat so that even when the scale wasn't moving, things were happening in the right way. Restricting your food will cause so many more issues, just make sure you're eating the right things and get that protein right. I also started a recovery routine of foam rolling, muscle massage after the workouts to decrease the inflammation and soreness which caused me to bloat up and retain water like crazy and it's made a big difference for me personally. I think this entire endeavor is about finding what works for you and your body. Most nutritionists I've contacted have come to the same thing: up your protein, spread your meals out, and up your water. Hope this helps.

My wait was about 5 months. My insurance required six visits of supervised weight loss but I had already satisfied one of these visits.

I just came back from my first work trip since surgery and I'm up 1.4 lbs. I'm disappointed but I think it's dehydration and constipation (I brought miralax packets with me but found I was always with people and didn't feel comfortable using them, plus I was really busy and had a hard time drinking enough). I also ate saltier food than normal. I hope I lose the weight quickly and go back to losing because I have a lot of travel coming up. I'm on the road constantly for the next 6 weeks or so.

I guess I am just alittle confused with the beginnings of pursuing a gastric sleeve..... For the past 2 yrs or so I have had my PCP make referrals on my behalf for weight loss management whether I wanted it or not. I went for a colonoscopy and only saw that Dr one time which was the day of my colonoscopy. Next thing I know after the colonoscopy Im getting phone messages from the weight loss management section of the hospital telling me I have several referrals and to contact them. To say I was pissed is mild lol. I guess I wanted to make the move myself and not be thrust into it. Of course Im way over weight, of course my health is suffering not to mention my mobility is next to none. Im just a procrastinator. I have been on several weight loss journeys within that 2 yr period. I did have a medically supervised diet for 5 months that I did. I lost weight but quickly started gaining it back after I fell last Christmas and injured my knee. Fast forward to July of this year and I had a gall bladder attack and made a trip to the local ER and yep you guessed it....by Monday morning I had another weight management referral......blah lol plus a referral to a general surgeon regarding the gall bladder. This lady was a real trooper lol she got to hear me complaining about all these referrals and my weight loss struggles; ironically the more I talked about it with her the more infuriated I got for getting all these referrals for a gastric bypass that I didnt want. Luckily I suppose she listened so Im going for a gastric sleeve appointment next week Thursday. She told me she wouldnt require a supervised diet and that I could just move on to the surgery itself. I guess Ill find out next week if she remembers telling me that or not. As far as I am aware I am going for a preop educational appt but from what Ive read in here there seems to be alot more to it. I see ppl say their surgery dates are in the far future and not anything soon. What are some of the timelines any of you are experiencing? I think I may have a rude awakening come next week Thursday lol

Unfortunately the feeling of failing is very common. A lot of it comes from poor information from your surgeon & your team. I don’t understand why they don’t prepare people better on what to expect. It would greatly reduce a lot of the anxiety people experience after surgery. Makes me angry. So sorry your surgeon & team didn’t private you & don’t seem to be on your side through this. Ok, first. The heady amounts of weight you lose at the beginning doesn’t continue. The rate at which you lose will reduce as you get closer to goal & are eating more. Losing about 1-2lbs a week is pretty average by months 3 or 4. Some my lose more, others less. You will lose at your rate. Many factors affect the rate (age, starting weight, previous weight loss history, gender, etc.). Stalls (plateaus) happen. Think of them as your body taking a break to come to terms with the stress of the diet & weight loss. You may stall from 1-3 weeks at a time. Every pound you lose is a win. Sorry but eating one meal a day is ridiculous. How are you able to consume 60g of protein plus a variety of other nutrient sources in one meal? It’s physically impossible for you! No wonder you’re feeling hungry. You are hungry!!! Do you have a dietician/nutritionalist? Once eating solid foods the goal should be introducing healthy eating habits (when you eat, what you eat, why you eat) which is why we’re advised to eat 3 meals a day & some (like me) are encouraged to add snacks as we progress to ensure protein & other nutrient goals are being met. Your portion sizes will increase as you progress too. Eat slowly. Don’t be afraid to graze on a meal for 30+ minutes if necessary. It takes time for the message you’re full to get through. I still try to eat only until I’ve had enough. (Do I really need the next bite or just want it?) Keep protein the biggest part of any meal or snack & eat it first if possible. Having a small amount of whole or multi grain carbs is ok - I was allowed to eat rolled oats from the purée stage. I even could have any fruit from around months 3/4. I went to my dietician every two weeks but honestly, I worked most of my eating plan out myself - she just confirmed I was making sensible choices & suggested some alternatives. You have to work out a way of eating that works for you & while you’re losing is the perfect time to begin. Do lots of reading (avoid the fad stuff - they’re never sustainable), reflect on your eating habits (trigger foods, foods you crave, what drives you to eat, weight gain/loss history, etc.) & how your lifestyle may impact your eating plan in the future (you have to be able to maintain a weight you’re happy & healthy at while still being able enjoy your life). A too restrictive diet will fail because it will limit you enjoying your life. You will get where you want to be. Good luck.

Hello yes I am meeting protein and liquid goals. I do think that exercising slows down the weight loss, but a complete stall for weeks is discouraging. I decided to stay off the scale for a while. I do notice changes in my body even if the scale isn't moving so that is good! I am going to add protein on the days I exercise. Thanks for the response

The reason I go by weight is that it's easier to measure than volume. (Like you can't squish a pizza slice into a measuring cup.) The density of all foods is pretty close to the density of water. Within 10%, I would guess. And if I chew thoroughly like I'm supposed to, that four ounces of pizza will be about half a cup.

On one of my many self-devised diets, years before VSG surgery, I fasted for 8 days straight. Only had water and non-caloric beverages. To my amazement, I lost ZERO pounds!! When my weight loss had slowed down (post-VSG) my nutritionist usually increases my daily calories. We should be eating 4-5 times a day. I’m rambling, I know, but I think we are often instructed to eat too few calories, and I believe, especially in the year post- op, we definitely should not be on OMAD or IF. Just sayin….

It’s interesting to hear what people say on this. My nutritionist said to go by volume which was difficult with many foods. Like how do you squish a taco or pizza down into a cup (fresco tacos and cauliflower pizza). But does the weight of it give you much either? I have recently been going by serving size. At 7 months out I can eat almost a serving it seems of most things. I said this to the NP yesterday in fact and she said that is fine. I can eat a little more than some people at my stage but she said as long as it’s nutritious food that’s okay cause most people eventually get to one serving. I am not eating past restriction nor do I have a bigger pouch, I am just chewing it to where it goes through more efficiently she says. I still think my pouch has always been bigger but what do I know. Anyways, glad to know I was not the only one confused by the weight vs volume thing.

Thank you for explaining this! Congrats on your weight loss and new improved maneuverability!!

Personally I prefer weighing and use that for the majority of items, but there are some thing that don't make sense to weigh and will be less affected by how tightly I pack the cup, like when I make soup. When I make something like that, I measure yield (in cups), figure out the stats for per cup or whatever, and then use that for recording amounts. Ounces by volume can be very different than by weight because food doesn't weigh the same, even if it seems like it would. I'm a beekeeper, and we have to sell honey by weight, because 8 fluid oz (by volume) of honey weighs more than 8 oz by weight since it is so dense. It can also vary from honey to honey depending on moisture content, etc, so weight is more variable.

If you scroll down the right side, under the ads for "Hot Products", there's a little doohickey that says "Together, we have lost..." (it's currently at nearly 5.5 million pounds). Under that is a place for your starting weight and your current weight. It'll update your ticker automagically. You can also do it from your profile, but this is way easier since most people don't need to update anything besides their CW.

I literally just posted about my clinic's nutritionist who wants everything measured. It's SO inaccurate... do you pack the rotisserie chicken into the container or not? That could double the weight! Everything has to be in grams for me. My scale isn't sensitive enough for the tiny fractions of an ounce, so everything is in grams. 80 grams of turkey for me for lunch; a wedge of La Vache Qui Rit is 30 g of cheese. Etc. etc.

My clinic has not had a dietitian/nutritionist on staff for months now (part of the Great Resignation, I guess). So they've been contracting with people, and I finally had had enough of it. She asked what I have been eating. I track religiously, down to the teaspoon of mustard (which probably isn't necessary, but...). So I told her. It came to about 850 calories. She absolutely lost her mind, whipped out a booklet, and told me I'm to be eating no more than 1/3 cup of food five times a day. I pointed out that I run or work out literally every day, that I am going back to a pretty physical outdoor job, that I'm losing weight steadily, and that eating this amount gives me the energy I need. I asked how I was supposed to get the protein goal the surgeon gave me (80-100 g a day) on that little food, and she told me to stop being difficult, that I was obviously going to just gain it all back (lol, on 850 cal a day, lol lol lol), that too much sodium would spike my blood pressure and heart rate (lol, it was 114/74 during intake with a resting heart rate of 54), etc., etc. So I fired her. At the top of my lungs. Which meant that a bunch of other people came running and there was kind of a scene. I don't care. I asked a friend who's had VSG who she uses for a NUT and she recommended her folks, so I signed up there and will be given macros to meet by someone who has experience with athletes who've undergone bariatric surgery. I'm not going to be wedged into a one-size-fits-all kind of thing because she's reading from some Nth-generation copy of some manual.

I am 4.5 weeks post-op VSG. Recovery is going well and I'm progressing through my plan's stages with minimal difficulty. I'm now in "full" soft foods and getting a little more variety. Prior to today, I have been using small containers to portion out my food, eyeballing it based on the size of the container (e.g. a 4oz container, roughly 3/4 full gets logged as 3oz, and so on). I've been averaging about 3oz per meal comfortably, sometimes a bite more, sometimes a bite less. Given that my diet is a little more varied and I'm really focusing on getting as much protein from "real" foods as possible, I decided to start weighing my portions to be more accurate. For lunch today, I weighed out 2.5oz of finely shredded rotisserie chicken and 30g of Alouette soft cheese. It *appeared* to be far more food than what I've been able to eat and I was a little shocked - lo and behold I have probably 1/4 of it left that I will not eat. I would have thought by weight the portion would have been LESS?! Doing some research, opinions on measuring by volume vs. weight are pretty varied, and my own program does not dictate one as better/more accurate than the other, just that we should measure & track. As a long time MFP user and lifelong dieter, weighing food is not new to me, and I certainly don't mind doing it. But I'm just so confused by the perceived disparity of a 2.5oz by weight portion vs. a 3oz by volume portion! TL;DR: I don't know how to portion food. HAAAALP. Do you weigh or measure? In your experience which is more accurate? Which is more helpful in portion control/tracking?

So I've been feeling absolutely fantastic... plenty of energy, lots of exercise, weight loss kicked off again after the Dread Third-Week Stall... ...until today, when suddenly I'm just nauseated by everything. Finished half my usual morning shake... bleh. Waited a while to finish the rest... bleh. Ate some known-good stuff (deli turkey)... bleh. Sigh. Hopefully this is short-lived. And fortunately I still have a few pills of ondansetron left if it gets unbearable.

You're just fine, better even, without the sugary drinks - at least you don't have that addiction to get over! You have gotten a good clue with the banana, and it doesn't have to be fruit or juice, any kind of complex carb will do, and it doesn't have to be much. As with everything, a bit of moderation is often the key. From what I have seen, those who are the most adamantly low carb, counting them out, not exceeding some magic number, etc. are the most affected. Sometimes we hear responses to your problem such as "isn't it wonderful -that's the smell of burning fat!" More accurately it is the smell of not eating your vegetables. We will drop ketones as long as we are burning our fat stores, irrespective what kind of diet is being used, but we don't need to take things to extremes. When I had labs pulled, I was dropping ketones as expected, so I guess one could say that I was "in ketosis", but I never had those type of symptoms as I never kept my carbs all that low - it wasn't sugary stuff, just vegetables, legumes, some berries in the yogurt, etc., yet my weight loss was still very rapid as my caloric deficit was fairly high. So, there is a balance one can achieve in this. It sounds like you have decent habits to begin with, but adapting things to work with the radically reduced intake that we have for a while can be tricky. Good luck with it....

I am 4 months out and just had an appointment with the surgeon last week. He suggested eating one meal a day in order to keep my blood sugar from spiking in my body. He stated that my body has enough stored fat and if I follow Intermittent Fasting/OMAD I will lose weight faster. This is in complete opposition to the nutritionists that work in his own office. If I eat just one meal a day at this point there is NO WAY I'd be able to meet my protein goals and my calorie intake would be miniscule. So, I am actually going to ignore my surgeons suggestion on this. I am going to keep eating according to the nutritionists well thought out plan and lose the weight when I lose the weight. Stick to what your comfortable with.... remember, losing weight is not a race.

I haven't been on here for a few years. Where do I post my weight for today? Plus will it be added to my ticker. Thanks Sent from my SM-A515U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

I have not been to Italy since pre-surgery, but I was just at Walt Disney World for two weeks, and I was 4 months out from surgery. I focused on my protein, and I did have carbs, but it was not a lot at one time because I was full from the protein. I passed on bread, I attempted to eat some Naan, but I probably only ate 2-3 bites, and that was more than enough. One breakfast was Stuffed French Toast with Turkey Sausage ... I ate the Turkey Sausage, and the cream cheese, apple bits in the french toast. It was decimated when I was done. I haven't really introduced bread to my regular diet (it was not allowed the first 3 months on my program). For Pizza - focus on the toppings Although Pizza in Italy is certainly different than America. I only eat Poultry, so I have not had steak. But I will say, any food I did try while on vacation, I fortunately had no issues with (including the sweet stuff). I just couldn't eat much of it. ..and don't be scared of the scale, I lost no weight while on vacation, then dropped 5.2 lbs the week after I returned.

Hi Bluesupef04, I am sorry that you are frustrated and feel like you are failing. Congratulations on your weight loss, it sounds like you lost around 70 pounds, that's awesome. You are absolutely not failing. I am also almost 3 months out. The weight seems to come off fast on pre op diet and the first month after the surgery. From what I understand average loss can be about 10 pounds a month for the first few months after surgery. Some lose more & some less. Stalls are also common for many WLS patients. I am sorry that you feel like your doctor isn't being helpful. I was surprised to read that he suggested eating once a day. Have you also been working with a nutritionist? You may want to meet with one to help you see if there is anything you can do with your food plan to help. I wish you luck moving forward & hope you achieve your weight loss goals.

I'm so sorry you're struggling. I know it must be extremely frustrating and scary to be at this point with so little support from your surgeon. I think weight loss normally slows significantly after the first couple of months, exactly when depends on each persons body, so don't be alarmed that you aren't losing at the same rate you did in month 1. However, I'm honestly shocked to hear that your surgeon recommends only one meal a day. I know that programs vary widely, but nearly all suggest several small meals a day by the 3 month mark. I had VSG, so my guidelines are a little different, but my surgeon recommends 4-6 2-4oz meals a day for RNY patients at the 3 month mark. Does your program have a registered dietician you can work with, instead of the surgeon? If not, could you find an independent one or maybe have your PCP refer you? If that's not an option, there are a ton of really great bariatric dieticians that do 1:1 coaching; you might want to look into that. In the interim, maybe try experimenting with a couple small meals a day. Focus on getting in proteins first, then high quality veggies/complex carbs. It may also be worth getting set up with a counselor. WLS is a HUGE life change and having some extra support can make all the difference in the world. The surgery is a tool, not a magic fix, and we are only as successful as our ability to USE that tool. So much of it is mental that it can feel overwhelming, and having a resource to help you work through the internal pieces of it can be a game changer. Best of luck to you! I know its exhausting, but you're doing a great job!

Hi everyone, I need some support and advice because I feel like I am failing so bad right now and I am so frustrated. I am almost three months post op. I lost 20lbs On my own before surgery. My surgeon was very strict and I only could have proteins shakes and water. I hated the protein shakes and ended up just having water a lot of the time. Especially after surgery, with a liquid diet I had mostly water. My surgeon wasn’t concerned. However, right after my surgery I lost a lot of weight really fast. The first month I lost about 30 pounds. It started slowing down the second month when I started eating especially. Second month I lost about 14 pounds. However about halfway through the month I started slowing down and hit plateaus. In the third month I have lost only 5 pounds. Is this normal? I went from 320 and am now at 250 or so. I have lost inches in the last months so I know SOMETHING is happening. But I feel like a failure and my surgeon absolutely is no help. I am realizing I haven’t got any if the support I need from him. He wants me to eat once a day, and I have never been able to do that aside from maybe day one of eating. My body is hungrier than that. It has gone from two a day total to two or three times a day with a snack. This seems on par with everything I’ve read but my surgeons words and requirements are really triggering my sense of failure. Paired with my extreme stalls the shame and guilt is intense. I work out 2-3 times a week pretty intensely and know m I’m building muscle. I also was struggling to drink all my water until last week. My foods consist of mostly cheese, meats, and veggies. I had crackers when I was sick the second month as well as a food two other times with minimal amounts of flour. I believe I am in ketosis all of the time and have not gotten out of it. I can eat 1-1.9 oz a day. Sometimes I eat until I’m full, but I’ve only had 3 or so times I’ve ate until I was past full. I’m definitely high anxiety on this and I know that is part of the issue. Anxiety causes stress which can hold weight but also make me want to eat more. Any thoughts?