Search the Community

My thing is that this time I will FEEL like I can get anything down and never feel full because they are not touching my already sleeved and HEALED stomach and my hunger has already returned. BUT I need to follow the same protocol to protect my healing intestines. I think I will feel just as hungry as I do now and be able to stomach eating like normal but i must be good and follow the staged return to eating protocol anyways. i am sure it’s not going to be easy but of course I don’t want to hurt myself. It should be okay if I can have three shakes because I am doing two a day now on the LSD and it’s enough to sustain me so I am thinking maybe he will say I can do three shakes to keep me full plus eat those little tiny meals to go through the stages. I know it’s a little more calorie wise but I just don’t see me making it on two tablespoons of food when I still have my hunger and my stomach is not full. I really need to talk to him more about this before I leave the hospital because the normal by the book diet just isn’t going to work for me. But it definitely Sounds like maybe to play it safe I should just wait until i am closer to the next stage to have any yogurt.

I was allowed greek yogurt on my full liquid too, but I found it too thick in the beginning. I watered it down with a splash of milk until it was a thinner consistency, but after a week or so I was able to get it down on it's own.

That mixing pudding into the yogurt is a good idea. Especially since I usually find it to be tart. I wonder if that would be okay on the full liquid diet when I am first allowed yogurt. Maybe I shouldn’t push it since that’s already thicker than the shakes and stuff.

I've had a very up-and-down sort of week, mentally/emotionally (and weight-wise too, I guess). It started in that I'd finally gotten out of a stall, and everything stayed good for 10 days or so? And then a week with absolutely no weightloss. On the back of a stall, it just crushed my spirit. I said fine, by next week it'll be better, stay off the scale... and instead I hopped back on 2 days later to a 1.4lb gain. I think I went into a sort of zombie-state. I was still doing what I needed to (work-wise, diet-wise, exercise-wise) but it was like some kind of emotional shock: I was functioning but apathetic about pretty much everything. My brain and heart just couldn't take it, and shut down. Then the physical side. I'm sure it will surprise nobody here, but when you're behaving kind of like an automaton you don't pay enough attention to things like time, or specifically eating slowly. Cue the foamies and vomitting. I think four times in the past week. Luckily, most of the time I caught it early enough to prevent anything too intense, but yeah. I'd thought I was smart enough / experienced enough at this point to learn from my mistakes, but that one I just kept making. Afterwards, the lingering nausea kept me from eating enough -- so the protein goals were not met for five days in a row. (Until I found Greek Yogurt Cheesecake Pudding which turned things around so I was exceeding my goals) I'm doing better-ish, now? I still feel mildly dissociated, but the past couple days it's been like... life & energy slowly returning and my mood improving. The universe waited for me to be in a better mental place, and all of a sudden knocked 4 lbs off the scale this morning. Sunday, I had a great NSV that I didn't feel hit me until today -- I'm wearing a 1X for the first time in over a decade. (Top and bottom, which is another NSV because ever since my late 20s, my bottom has always required me to go one size up from whatever shirt size I was wearing) But even this NSV, I'm able to acknowledge it and told a couple people about it because I knew they'd be happy for me, but it still just all feels pretty superficial. I only seem to be able to get excited and enthused about other peoples' good news, lol.

I tried your greek yogurt cheesecake hack two days ago (just the greek yogurt & mix, I was lazy) ... I was immediately, irrevocably captivated. The thickness, the texture, it's so perfect. I've had a little bit two days in a row now, and my protein macros have skyrocketed. I topped it with a handful of fresh raspberries, and I now know exactly what I'll be bringing to summertime potlucks & bbqs. XD

Well I went back to the NP to clarify and it turns out I am supposed to do a two week LSD AND a 2 day all liquid one so I start tomorrow morning. My LSD diet isn’t to bad compared to some. I get one small low carb meal and a snack of like sugar free non fat yogurt. Breakfast and lunch is shakes. I pretty much knew that I was going to have to do more than two days once I talked to the NP but I wasn’t expecting 16 days. Yikes 😳 How is everyone else doing?

I can eat all fruits but still struggle with skins. Grape skins especially give me the foamies. I also peel apples, tomatoes and peaches/nectarines. TBH skin really scares me, I have had so many vomiting episodes. The first fruits I tried were raspberries and watermelon and are still my most favourites. I eat fruit with my yogurt in a morning and as an afternoon snack, watermelon or a low cal berry. Some evenings I have a peeled and cored apple with cheese.

--- It could be that a lot of people (like meeeee) may have been attributing symptoms to dumping syndrome when it was foamies, IBS, food intolerances, etc. But also just from a social-stats standpoint, people are more likely to complain about their bad times than come celebrate when things are just progressing normally/fine/ok. As for fruits, my personal experience would caution that as you're introducing new fruits to your diet, eat them with a protein you already know you tolerate well. The protein could help the fruit's sugars from just hitting your stomach straight up. And at first at least, maybe lean more towards fruits with good fibre content? I had a lot more luck with blueberries, raspberries and blackberries at first than other options. Even now, I can eat black cherries if they're mixed into some greek yogurt, but if I try to eat them on their own or with oatmeal it's just too much on my system (at this stage). (And just FYI: blueberries with natural peanut butter? So fricking satisfying. On it's own, or on a cracker / toast if you want that bit of crunch)

I think like most things, moderation is key. I have a basement stash of UPF in the basement for quick fixes: shelf stable protein shakes (obviously), instant bone broth packets, and a couple of instant soup powders I bought from the BP shop. They get me through days I'm feeling low energy or have no appetite. Right next to them, I have a huge stock of SF FF pudding mixes that I bought pre-op thinking I'd need them for the first two weeks of recovery (spoiler alert: I didn't need 1/16th of the **** I 'prepared' with), so the greek yogurt recipe sounds like a fab way to slowly make my way through the stash. I've also got a SF Lactose Free chocolate ice cream sitting in my freezer for certain monthly cravings. Again, something I bought for recovery that just.... hasn't been fully used up yet. It's not awful nutrition wise, but I use it sparingly. I have a pack of high protein flatbreads in the freezer, some NSA protein pancake mixes and a few NSA flavouring syrups in my pantry. I'm not against sweeteners or UPF in general, it's more that it's rare to find any one pre-made food that hits all the macros for me, and my brain really likes when I follow a nice, strict, mathematical structure. The only thing I use more often than I think I should is probably the protein pancake mix? Twice a week I'll make a pancake in place of a more balance meal -- this week it's been three times already because it -- and oatmeal-- are one of the few things not pinging my nausea. (It's been a rough week) (@NickelChip That's good to hear about the yonana machine -- I've been eyeballing it for a while but even as a child I go through cycles of strong banana-aversion LOL.)

I definitely don't think this is a slippery slope because honestly, I loved sweets before surgery and I am still the same person and love sweets now. I just can't/don't want to overindulge in the way I used to, and I find some of the things (cheaper chocolate, for instance) less appealing and not satisfying. My favorite treat (though I will caution that it won't meet strict low-carb targets, but I have not been given those from my program) is to use my Yonana machine to turn frozen fruit into a sorbet-like treat that I can eat alone or top with things like fresh sliced fruit, peanut butter made from plain or chocolate PB2 powder, unsweetened coconut, and homemade granola. I've also found some recipes for high protein acai base for smoothie bowls and am planning to give that a try instead of the frozen fruit on its own. It's basically frozen fruit, Greek yogurt, acai powder, and protein powder that you blend up and can store in the freezer in individual servings until ready to top with all the things above. Also, you don't have to use frozen banana to use the Yonana machine. I've used every type of frozen fruit you can think of with great results as I'm not a huge banana fan.

Oh. I am definitely not trying to preach against having little treats now and again. I just thought that If it’s true about the sweeteners messing up our tastes for sweet that may really help the majority of the time. My husband makes apples on the grill like that with cinnamon. That or the air fryer. They cook faster if you slice in wedges first. I add Splenda to them which is back to my issue with artificial sweeteners and how we started this conversation. I also seen somewhere it you add PB2 powder and cocoa powder to greek yogurt it’s supposed to be kinda like Reese’s. I would think it may need splenda too but we already know I have a problem. 🤣

this is very true! if you have a grill, slicing a peach in half put it in the microwave for just a touch to soften it then grill it open face down then add a dollop of Greek yogurt add a little cinnamon. DELCIOUS!! I tend to eat more whole foods but I have been getting a super hankering for candy, I think its almost that time of the month. The sugar free candy isnt worth my calories. so I am trying to find "desserts" that tickle my fancy.

So I have been making sure that I hit 100g or more of protein every day. I typically am low carb (under 60g) low fat (under 20g). I like to be adventurous with my food and I enjoy finding new recipes that fit into my macros. However, this last month I have been trying to find recipes that are yummy and fulfill my sweet tooth without going for the ice cream, or candy. One that I discovered was a Greek Yogurt Cheesecake: 1 container of Greek yogurt (i have used Dannons light and fit , 1Tbls of SF FF Cheesecake pudding mix, 1TBL of reduced fat whip. its 115cal 12g of protein, .5g fat and 15g carbs. (you can use any variation of yogurts and pudding mixes). Carbs are higher that I would usually eat but if you have a hard workout day and have it to spare this is the best treat! Also I did not know that Splenda made a brown sugar?! So diced up apples with some spray butter and 1tbls of that brown sugar and bake to soften. You can add it to a little plain Greek yogurt or eat it as it with a dollop of low fat cool whip. I have been finding that I need to have stuff like this in my diet in order to not go off track. Not everyday, but days where all I want to do is eat chocolate or ice cream. I have been following this mom of 3 that lost 50lbs through exercise and diet, she has a ton of recipes. All her single serving recipes easily make 2-3 servings for us bariatric folk, but its healthy and realistic for those people who don't want to restrict forever. Anyone else have some yummy recipes?! Or does anyone think this might cause a slippery slope?

I hope so! I feel like a zombie over the most menial tasks. I feel like I’m barely doing anything, and not tired in the moment, but my tank is completely wiped. I have been making sure to have my protein drink, plus 2 oz of yogurt for breakfast, but I’m not noticing any increase in energy.

I agree with @Arabesque I was on 200 Cals at 2 months, Didn't manage to get to 800 until about 9 months. Nine months later I was on less than 1000 Cals. My team only bothered about protein and liquids. They advised me to try 6 tiny meals a day. Full fat products helped me. As in cheese, nuts, milk and yogurts. I never had protein drinks. My surgeon was against them. I had milk shakes but made my own but M&S do some, a strawberry shake per 250 mls = 180 Cals and 8 grams of protein. Don't stress over this period, just do your best every day. We are not all the same

Just got my surgery date 7/23 for bypass. Just bought all my vitamins from Bariatric Pal. Stocking up on shakes, protein powder, yogurt smoothies, soup, jello. I do 10 days of liquids preop starting this Friday with the last 3 days being clears only. Going to have my steak Thursday night tho! 😂😜

I was like this. I managed 300 calories until 6 months. I was super restricted. My team were ok as long as I was well monitored and as long as I kept trying and drank most of my liquid allotment. I take PPI's twice a day and still need antacid. Food smells repulsed me. I couldn't eat eggs, meat or fish. I ate yogurt, soups, deli meats and cheese. I drank milk, coffee and Ribena. I forced myself to eat 6 tiny meals a day. My family were super worried about it. I managed a little better every day especially when the pressure was taken off me { I pressured myself } I took me 2 years to eat chicken, lamb, eggs and to this day can not eat salmon and oily fish. Stick with your team, they will get you through it. It will get easier.

I'm the same way, one little off step for me is a slippery mountain. Knowing this I am very regimented, I have a schedule/routine for taking my vitamins etc., it becomes muscle memory for me that way. One "just this time" and I start sliding full clip. Unfortunately, it IS a full time job, but as the saying goes the best for your future is to be your own boss - you never get rich working for others. Work towards your health and future. This is how I put myself on a routine: 1. Purchased a "Hidrate Spark" (water bottle that lights up to remind me to drink with an app to track and also remind me) annoying but it helps. 2. Purchased a 4 times a day 7 days a week vitamin container that I have set up with reminders on my phone I put right next to my coffeemaker. I used Velcro to attach it to my phone case. Its always with me. 3. A picture of myself on my frig/cabinets at my heaviest to remind me why. 4. Remove ALL temptations from the house. My husband wants junk food he goes out. Lastly, I hate hate working out so I purchased a weight vest and weight gloves which I wear all the time as I'm cleaning, walking etc. I also, IF I want a "treat" (Yasso Greek yogurt ice cream bar) or a no sugar fudgcicle I do some squats, leg lifts before I treat myself etc.. Just remember its baby steps, if I deny myself all at once I become resentful and angry. So, start with one improvement and do it consistently until you no longer have to remind yourself or you do it regularly then add the next health improvement to your routine. If I can do it, YOU can do it. I come from an entire family of smackers and grazers who are all thin - I recognize its a battle, unfortunately now its a lifetime battle and I finally decided being thin is soooooooo much better than being fat so I strap on my warrior armor and do what I have to do. Ask yourself what YOU want out of life and win the battle - period!

A good way to try different shakes without investing quite as much is to find a convenience store that has a variety of them individually. I’m not sure how many non dairy or other less common versions they will have but I guess it’s worth checking out. Hopefully you find one you can tolorate and you can one by one add things to it to increase the nutrition. Maybe just start by not adding the yogurt to the ones you are making since dairy does seem to be a common issue that people develop post surgery. Also, it could be the sugar in the fruit is too much or even the peanuts in the peanut butter. Maybe try almond butter or something else?? Like @SleeveToBypass2023I suggested, i would just keep trying all different store bough shakes or even differnt combos of the homemade ones until you find SOMETHING you can keep down. Once you do you can add to it from there.

I’m sorry to hear this it sounds just awful. Have you tried other shakes. Maybe it’s something in the ones you are making that you have an aversion to?! Maybe it’s the dairy in the yogurt.

I have been making protein drinks at home. I add berries and Greek yogurt, peanut butter. My bariatric surgeon is doing everything. I had an endoscopy done and an upper gi and everything looked good. He just ordered bloodwork to check for malnutrition but even that was in range. I have tried different anti-nausea medications and none seem to work. He thinks the next step is a feeding tube.

Made the fam Çilbir which is a turkish egg dish with a tangy and garlicky greek yogurt base, topped with poached eggs and drizzled with a hot spicy olive oil and butter mix. I love this dish but didn’t have any. I might have some for dinner. With a side of toasted sourdough.

the SADI is a fairly new surgery and isn't very common - which is probably why the office staff isn't that well versed in it. Although if the surgeon is going to be offering that surgery, they really need to get the office staff up to snuff, because they're the people you're usually going to see when you're there as far as red, purple, yogurt, and fudgsicles, they're probably talking about the day or two before the surgery, and not the regular pre-op diet that many of us have to do for a week or two before the surgery. I've had about four surgeries, plus a couple of colonoscopies, and having a completely liquid diet for the day or two before with nothing red or purple is pretty standard with any procedure. They don't want anything in your G/I tract (that's why they say only liquids), and red and purple fluids look like blood on the equipment they use, so they tell you to avoid anything red or purple.

I am having the SADI and I don’t know if that’s the reason for my issues (because this is kinda new) or if everyone gets this type of runaround. I have some questions about what vitamin I should be taking and the post op diet that neither of the TWO differnt nutritionist I paid for could answer for me and I questioned what one told me about the pre op diet. I figured I could just ask the dr at my post op about the vitamins but realized that I am scheduled to see the PA. Well, I met said PA already and I didn’t like him. He clearly knows ALOT about bariatric surgery, just not the SADI specifically . I had a whole list of questions and everytime I asked one he skirted it and talked about the other surgeries in general. Basically he said a whole lot or words and answered a whole lot of nothing. Well thankfully the Dr did not make me feel rushed at all and he answered every one of them on my next visit so that worked out fine but I do not want my follow up with that PA.. I called and asked his office if I could change it to the dr and they would not go for that but did claim that the NP actually knows a lot more about the Sadi so they changed my follow up appointments to her. Fingers crossed they weren’t just saying that. Then I asked about the pre op diet and what the nutritionist said which was that for the two day liquid diet I was not to have anything red or purple. The receptionist says you shouldn’t be having anything that comes in red or purple anyways. I said um…jello, popsicles, diet drinks such as crystal light and gator aide??? She says well you aren’t supposed to have any of that for the Sadi pre op. I said well then I must have the wrong book or something because I’m reading it from what you gave me And it lists all that as well as fudge sickles and yogurt. She puts me on hold then tells me I should just come in and talk to the NP before my surgery since I have so many questions. I said I feel like because this is new everyone is your office knows that the procedures is different yet all of the information you are giving me is generic for the other two more common surgeries and I am supposed to just magically know somehow what to do differently. She says well it is the correct information you just aren’t supposed to have this and this and this. I bit my tongue. I said you know I’m am really not trying to be difficult. I Just need to get the correct information. I know that this is routine for you but this is my body and it’s major surgery. I’m anxious enough without having to cross my fingers that I’m doing my part correctly and don’t do something that is going to jeopardize my life or my surgery just because someone handed me the wrong paper and told me the wrong things to do. My god It’s just so blooming irritating that I should have to go through all this, waste my time, money and frustration just because they don’t know. If they don’t know an answer just say that. And get back to me after they learn it. It’s that simple. Don’t try to fake your way through it and give me the wrong directions rather than just admit they don’t know. Idk if I’m just getting old when I feel like it’s a generational thing that they feel like if they are just confident enough that it will be okay even if they are wrong. Then again I’ve seen this in all ages. It’s okay to admit when you don’t know!! It’s the medical field And little mistakes can cost lives. So far I have paid two incompetent nutritionist and i am having to go for two extra office visits just because they don’t know the information the first time. But even worse what if I didn’t ask and did the wrong pre op. Okay Rant over. 😂

I don't know about brownies specifically, but unsweetened cocoa powder is fine. It's really low in calories. I often mix it into vanilla yogurt and throw some berries on top for a treat.