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My surgeons office encouraged exercising as soon as possible so I started walking one week post op. My weight at surgery was 257 so it’s really a 35 pound lost since surgery and 9 lbs lost prior to surgery. I try to walk at least three days a week but I do walk a ton at work as well. I think also the diet plan seems to be a lot stricter then others. I’m almost 9 weeks post op and I’m still only doing soft and chopped foods, only cooked veggies and no fruit. 7.6 pounds is amazing in two weeks!

I feel like doctors are really failing their patients by not having these conversations prior to surgery. Every bariatric surgery patient should have a good idea of what the progression of healing will look like before they ever sign the consent forms. That being said, I'm 3 years out from surgery and I don't have to weigh or measure quantities at all if I choose not to. I can eat a small, but regular-sized meal without worrying about my restriction. There are only two things I used to eat that I don't now - ground beef and barbecue. Ground beef upsets my tummy and barbecue doesn't taste good to me anymore. I don't drink beer, but I was served coffee in the hospital the day after surgery (thank goodness, because I'm a total coffee addict 😁). So with possibly a few exceptions, you should be able to eat whatever you want eventually. And as your restriction eases, you won't have to measure your intake precisely (although you will always want to be aware of portion sizes). I hope that helps!

Welcome to the forums. This is a rant I can get behind, quite familiar to be honest. Aside from the promotion, which seemed out of your control all the way through, you actually took steps to deal with your frustration and angst. I'd call your response to your lack of control a win. Good show. Bear in mind that the first few weeks or months post-op can just be a circus of out of control situations. If you approach them in the same problem solving way you should do great. Good luck, Tek

yep. Normal. That first one (that can take up to a week to "arrive") is often a doozy. You might want to try some other products - like milk of magnesia - or magnesium citrate. We were advised to take daily stool softeners at first to make it easier...but you may be beyond that at this point.

I would ask the IV store. Mine helped me a lot and suggested I get the big hydration bag. I started the IV 1 or 2 weeks after surgery. I also did acupuncture for healing.

I had 6 months of sick time accrued, so I took 6 weeks. I really wanted to spend that time working on changing habits, forming new ones and walking. I really wanted to make sure I was cementing my 'new life' before I introduced another element into the change. I didn't have any post op complications or issues. I know not everyone has the ability to take so much time off, but I found it really helpful for my emotional well being as well. I didn't know if I'd be super hormonal, in pain, or whatever and I thought healing mentally and physically and only focusing on ME would be beneficial, and it was.

I just keep reading so many stories of people not being able to get in the fluids that first week and feeling horrible with brain fog dehydration weakness

Would you have used this the first week after surgery ? Do you think it’s worth it When only a few days post op

I wanted to take off more but my boss wouldn't OK more than a week and my surgeon said I shouldn't need more than that, so I couldn't get anything from him saying I needed more time.

We made it to the almost 2 week mark

I think they told me to wait a month, but we barely made the 2 week mark.

True, you could do a desk job after a week but a more physically demanding job would take several weeks because of the 10 lb weight lifting restriction and the bending over repeatedly.

as far as food, once you get a few months out, there are no restrictions. Obviously, you have to eat less than what you were eating before surgery or you'll gain the weight back, but as far as not being able to eat certain types of food, no - no restrictions there. At seven years out, I still have to track my intake and measure/weigh some things, though. Otherwise, my weight starts heading north again pretty quickly. beer - we were allowed to drink alcohol at one year out, but like someone else said, some people's stomachs can't handle anything carbonated (mine can't). caffeine - there seems to be no consistency among surgeons on this. Some say you can never have it again for the rest of your life, some allow patients to have it while they're still in the hospital. I would say the majority are OK with it after a certain time period (for example - a month or three months or six months). Our clinic allowed decaf pretty early on (maybe 3 or 4 weeks out?), and caffeinated coffee at six months out.

I'm still pretty much doing that six weeks on. I don't have to think nearly as much about what I eat now. Big challenge in a few weeks' time when I go out for a meal with family (I haven't told them about my surgery). The restaurant only does a tasting menu so there are about 8 courses to get through. I hope they come slowly, I can drink a bit to help them slip down, and that I can 'share' (i.e. pass on) plenty of what's on my plate! I'll be telling them I'm cutting down, because that's the truth.

Ow wow - look at those losses and BMIs!!! I'm so glad to see you all doing so well. And I didn't know there was a 5-6 month stall, thanks for that. I'm right slap bang in the middle of it I think and I want it to GO AWAY NOW! What are you all doing exercise-wise? I think this is my next big hurdle. I walk the dog most days and do a really fast long walk (well, 3 miles) with a friend once a week. I think I need to do more but I work really long hours and it's easier just to veg out on the couch after work. I think the lighter evenings will help though. Gonna ask my friend whether we could walk on another night too - it's good motivation. And whether she might do the couch to 5k programme with me, I think it's time!

Can you arrange some help around the home for the first week or so (especially since you have small children)? That would be a godsend. Otherwise, I second having some different kinds of clear fluids available - I drank vegetable bouillon a *LOT* in the clear liquids phase. And herbal teas - plain water was so samey and I liked warm fluids much better than cold for those first couple of weeks, and seemed to be able to drink them more steadily. Best of luck - I think you're doing this at a fantastic time - my only regret re WLS is not having done it 15 years earlier so I could do more things with my children when they were small.

I had a desk job. I took three weeks off but could have gone back after two. I had very little pain with this surgery, and no other issues, but I was pretty tired for awhile (that actually lasted a month or more, but of course, it gets better and better every day). I suppose if I had to I could have gone back after one week, but I appreciated the time at home to sleep and also get used to the food progression. I would say two weeks is fine for most people who have desk jobs - but some may be able to swing it after one if they absolutely have to.

My plan permitted caffeine from day 1 and I would have really struggled without it, but they're all so different! It's not caused any issues for me. I had my first alcohol almost 6 weeks post op because it was xmas and I would have felt SO deprived without a glass of fizz - but I cleared that with my dietician first. I'm 5.5 months out now and have some alcohol every weekend but I know it's totally empty calories and must be slowing my weight loss to some extent - that's a hit I am willing to take. With regard to your favourites, they honestly mightn't be your favourites any more! I was a complete chocoholic before I had my sleeve, but honestly (really honestly) I would really rather have a chicken salad these days. How times change, and long may it last. But yes, as everyone else says, within a short time most people can eat most things again, just in smaller quantities. In the meantime, sit back, get your protein in, and enjoy watching that weight fall off. It's absolutely magical.

I had a rough ride early on and can honestly say that I could not go back to a desk job till 8 weeks. However I am only one of a tiny percentage who dont do well for a while after surgery.

I took 3 weeks off and I was glad I did - the pain really disturbed my sleep for a couple of weeks and even in the third week I was still really fatigued, and spending all day trying to reach my fluid intake goal! I could have gone back after 2 weeks but I think it would have been really pushing it for me to go back after one.

I found lemon ginger tea to be very comforting in the week or so after coming home. It also made a tasty chaser for the nasty liquid meds.

I was back to work in a week more or less. I will say that the first 2-3 weeks I was REALLY tired and an afternoon nap was very helpful.

Wow - What a week I've just had! Due to COVID, we haven't had our yearly work conference with customers since 2019. I've been with my company for 20+ years (and overweight the majority of that time) and haven't seen most of our customers post surgery. This past week was the first one and the reactions I had from co-workers (we work remotely so I haven't seen many of them since 2019 either) and customers was fantastic! I had folks who didn't recognize me at first and others who were just amazed at the transformation. I haven't been shy about how I lost the weight. Hell, I'll tell anyone how and why. I'd like to see the stigma of it gone. I waited so many years because intially I also believed I simply needed will-power to lose weight and keep it off. Like most of us here, I'd lost weight and gained it back plus some for a good part of my life. I tried everything and yup, I was still fat. This week I had several folks who were overweight ask me REAL questions about the surgery and life afterwards. It felt great to be able to explain the pros and cons of it all. I used what I've learned from both my experiences and this site (THANK YOU ALL!) to explain what it's like and how it affects you. Here are some of my thoughts and talking points: If you're an emotional eater, stress eater, or triggered eater, then this may not be the right answer for you. You definitely have to get that under control BEFORE surgery, Of 3 people that had surgery at about the same time, 2 of us have been successful (all sleevers). Another has only lost ~50 lbs. He simply wasn't ready for the changes and has managed to out eat the sleeve with junk food. If you're a social eater (that's ME) who has problems with primarily with portion control, you'll probably be more successful. You have to be prepared mentally for the changes (see bullet point 1). It's a roller coaster. The first few months are overwhelming. Hormones are out of control, you find you can do things you haven't done in ages as the weight loss, people are commenting, and sometimes you feel like your life will never be the same again. Many of us CAN eat anything we want after we heal- Just in smaller portions You will always need to be aware of this and try to make smart choices. I try to be smart about it. If I know I'm going to be tempted by junk food, I try and eat some heavy protein (chicken, beef, fish) FIRST so I really don't have any room left over for the temptation. Other times I just say F-it and eat the chips, crackers, dips, etc. I don't make it a habit, nor do I feel guilty when I do. You CAN out eat the sleeve. Yep, I drink. Sometimes to excess. Most of the time I don't. It's a social thing and I enjoy it. If I were doing to escape, I'd be worried. I get on the scale often. As in daily if I have it with me. This keeps me in check. If I don't, I find myself being far less conscience of what I'm eating or drinking. I know me, and if I don't I'll simply convince myself that the dryer must of shrunk my clothes! I have a 5lb threshold that I adhere to. If I get near that, I go back to tracking immediately so I can't lie to myself. If you're mentally and physically prepared for the restrictions and the lifestyle changes then this really can be the "easy way out" (I am fully aware that for many it is NOT easy so please don't take offense if you're stuggling). I'm one of the lucky ones. This surgery is life-changing in so many ways and I'll stress again, you need to be mentally prepared for those changes. If you're married or in a relationship, be prepared for how this affects your significant other (mine has been very supportive). Be prepared to take a good hard look at yourself and what you want out of this. People treat you differently - even ones you've known forever. I did this 100% for me. Frankly, a lot of it was for vanity and comfort. I was tired of being uncomfortable on a plane and not being able to experience things that had weight limits. I wanted to wear clothes that didn't come from Omar's tent factory. I find myself to be more confident and outgoing. This can be a shock to those around you. People may feel that you've changed (you HAVE). Be aware if you're becoming toxic and critical. Surgery is the right thing for some people, and the wrong thing for others. Don't be judgemental.

Ok, breathe. It’s ok. It’s only been four days since a pretty major surgery. You’ve had 80+/-% of your tummy removed. There are lots of staples & sutures holding your tummy together. You have been inflated with gas & had your insides pushed, prodded & pulled. You’re supposed to be in pain. Give yourself time to heal. The gas pain, surgical pain & muscular pain will reduce. Some people find improvement after 3 or 4 days while others a week. We’re all different. Even our ability to tolerate pain is different & that’s ok too. Contact your employer & see if you can negotiate a delay to your return to work or maybe a staged part time return if you think you will need it. Again we’re all different & you may need longer to recover. A friend was back after a week no problem Another needed three weeks. Me, I needed four weeks & still only returned to work part time. (My blood pressure was very low & my energy levels were zip.) You’d know if you had a leak. They’re pretty rare these days. Symptoms to look for include: Dizziness Fever Shortness of breath or fast breathing - more than 18 breaths a minute Fast heart rate - higher than 120 beats per minute Worsening abdominal pain Chest pain shoulder pain (not from the gas escaping) A general feeling of illness and anxiety Be kind to yourself & your body. You’ve been through a lot.

I read if you have a desk job (I do) then you only need a week off. If you have a more physical job, then 2-4 weeks might be necessary. I'm taking a week off (saved up my pto days).