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I'm 45, 6 feet tall, and started out at 396 my heaviest (was 366 at the start of the pre-op diet). I am very, very active. Outdoor work, sports, CrossFit. I did track my food and, like you, was on way more than 3,000 calories a day. Now, two months post-op, I am 94 pounds down from my heavy and 64 from the start of the pre-op diet. I eat more than most people—I take in between 1000 and 1400 calories a day, including up to 120 g of carbohydrates, which is unusual for bariatric patients. I am still in the fast-lose "honeymoon" period and am losing 3-5 pounds a week after the initial massive weight dump. And yet... I'm satisfied. Thriving, even. The only thing is the restricted amount means my strength isn't what it was—probably lost about 30% off my PR lifts. I don't really care, because now I can run, and jump, and my palms can touch the floor, and I'm off my meds. I do feel hunger when I haven't eaten in too long, but it's not the gnawing "feed me or I will make your life miserable" HANGRY feeling I would have had before. It's more like... "things are not right, please to be feeding me now." Here are a couple of typical days for me, all approved by my nutritionist: Meal 1: Fairlife Core Power protein shake Meal 2 (post-workout): Oatmeal with protein powder, a bit of maple syrup, blueberries, and raspberries Meal 3: Koussa (summer squash stuffed with ground meat and rice, braised in tomato sauce) Meal 4: Tuna salad on one of those little dense squares of European-style flat rye bread Meal 5: Collagen peptide protein and an apple ---- Meal 1: Fairlife Core Power protein shake Meal 2 (post-workout): Scrambled egg with a bit of cheese, spinach, and hot sauce Meal 3: Ground turkey with sugar-free Korean BBQ sauce, green beans, a bit of rice Meal 4: Skyr (Icelandic nonfat yoghurt) with raspberries Meal 5: Lentils with ham The biggest thing I had to teach myself was that it's okay to leave food on the plate, EVEN IF IT'S JUST ONE TINY BITE. Because the line between "I am full" and "debilitating nausea and acid reflux" is sometimes just that one single bite.

My surgeon cleared me to run at 2 weeks ("as long as you're not a fool about it"), to bike and jump rope at 4 weeks, and cleared me completely at 6 weeks. I now run 2-3 times a week and do CrossFit 3-4 times a week, though one of the runs is always an "active recovery" run where I make sure my heart rate stays around 140 bpm (or, if you don't have a monitor, you should be able to hold a conversation without being out of breath).

I stopped drinking my protein (except for a high protein yoghurt drink I sipped on most afternoons) from day 1 of the purée stage. It was always my intention to get all the protein I needed (60g a day) from real food & not from shakes or supplements. (They were disgusting & I hated them.) Did I make my goal every day? No & it took a little while to be able to consume enough those first 2 months but eventually on average across a week I did or was pretty close. I just made sure everything I ate contained protein (except fruit). I also looked for ways to boost the protein like made scrambled eggs & rolled oats on milk & added more to make them sloppier. Add skim milk powder to your milk to boost the protein (can be sweet though). Didn’t care if I grazed on a meal for ages either. Lunch usually was just protein - a chicken tender, fish or any leftover meat from the night before.

*raises hand* I cancelled. TWICE. The first time, a few weeks after they set a surgery date, the second time just after I did all my redo labs. I did end up getting the surgery done the at the third attempt which was almost 2 years for my original date of that initial referral. I don’t quite remember what exactly led me to back out those first two times other than I guess I just wasn’t ready. When I finally bit the bullet and went though with it, I sorta wished I didn’t change my mind as I felt I could’ve felt awesome-er sooner. I’m 3 years out now and and completely happy/satisfied with the surgery and the results. Hands down best choice I made regarding my health, weight, mental well-being, confidence, relationships with others, etc, etc, I could go on and on…. Would I have had the same success if I went through with it the first (or second) time? When I wasn’t in a comfortable head space? Who knows. You are ready when YOU say you are ready. Good Luck! ❤️

Becoming lactose intolerant after surgery is not that uncommon. There are lots of lactose free & plant based dairy products available these days - cheeses, yoghurts, milk, ice cream, etc. You may have to try a few to find the ones you enjoy most though. I use lactose free milk but mainly because it has a much longer shelf life than ordinary fresh milk but also because if I have a lot of ordinary milk I can have issues. I have no trouble with cheeses or yoghurt. I don’t understand the chewing 30 times thing at all & am very glad I wasn’t told to do that. If your food is soft & moist enough you shouldn’t have to chew it down to a flavourless mush before swallowing. That’s why we use blenders in the purée stage or use a fork to mash what you eat a little first. I was able to eat milky rolled oats (instant 2 min ones) from purée stage. Easy to fix at work too. I used to microwave reheat scrambled eggs often (2 eggs lasted me three breakfasts). Can get a bit rubbery though.

There are many factors that affect your rate of loss: age, gender, starting weight, genetics, etc. Some are slow losers others are fast losers to begin. The rate you lose doesn’t affect the amount of weight you will lose. There are slow losers who reach their goal & fast losers who don’t. Don’t worry too much about your weight loss immediately post surgery. You have swelling, possibly still retaining fluids, your body is under stress, etc. Some surgeons even advise not to weigh yourself for a couple of weeks after surgery because of this. There are a couple of things you can rely upon. We all lose at our own rate & your rate of loss will slow as you get closer to goal. Every pound you lose is a win. Congrats on your surgery.

Hi @Arabesque, hope the results were all great. I had my gallbladder removed about 15 years ago so also have trouble breaking down and digesting certain foods. I also just got blood test results a few days ago and unfortunately I’ve become anemic. My doctor is going to give me two iron infusions two weeks apart and then put me on tablets to maintain my iron levels do hopefully that should sort that part out. So I’ll definitely mention creon to her as it sounds like it might really help, thank you!!

I had gastric sleeve surgery last Tuesday the 9th and have only lost about 2.5 pounds since then--I managed to lose about 13 pounds on the pre-op diet and am hoping to lose around 115 the first year to get to my goal weight (but of course the timing isn't as important as eventually reaching that milestone). I am trying not to get discouraged by my modest weight loss since the day of surgery, so I'm mostly just looking for some reassurance that weight loss in the first few weeks after surgery isn't a predictor of how much you'll end up losing overall and how quickly. How much weight did you lose the first month, and how did that taper off (if it did at all) in months two and three?

Help! Anyone have a sample menu that works. I go back to work in the morning, 6 weeks post op. How much protein do you drink vs food. 

It's been 2008 since I had a very successful surgery. Seriously, I swam in SF Sharkfest from Alcatraz to SF 2 yrs in a row. As I've gotten older, I have learned a few things I'd like to pass on to those who might not know this. Someone who has had bariatric surgery can only drink 5 oz of alcohol (wine/beer) and then they are legally drunk (trust me, you look act like you have had way too many drinks--slurred speech, staggering, falling down) and if you were to blow into a breathalyzer, you would get a reading indicating you are inebriated. Although I hadn't had anything to drink in about 30 yrs, during a few social dinners at our house, I had a small glass of wine and then my husband wanted to know just how much I had had to drink. When I say, "Not even one glass of wine," I was in such bad shape that he didn't believe me. He was furious and told me I wasn't to have any more drinks for the night. This also happened at my son's who was just livid with me and told me to go to a spare bedroom for the rest of the night. And, truly, I felt super drunk. At some point, I did some research and learned that because of how small my stomach pouch is and the way liquids are absorbed, I really shouldn't even have a sip of alcohol. Just thought I'd pass that on. Also, I originally lost 137 lbs to get to my goal weight. I maintained it for several years because I was working out regularly. A few yrs ago I started to put some weight back on, mostly because I wasn't exercising as much, I was alone ALL the time because of Covid because my husband was in contact with Covid infected people at the hospital he worked at 5 shifts a week for 1 yr and 9 months until his last day was Nov. 1. My diet wasn't as healthy and we were sleeping in different bedrooms on separate floors because he was so afraid he would test positive and give it to me. All last year, from July through May 29th when I had left hip replacement, I swam in a local lake for 1 hr each session...2x-4x a week with water getting down to 40 degrees. That kept me sane. Both of us have had our Covid vaccination shots and booster shots and I'm back in swimming in the cold water. If you have gained weight during the pandemic, just go through every day thankful and get back on the post-surgery diet your doctor put you on. (Currently, mine is 1200 cal, unless I burn over 900 swimming and only then do I get to add on 300). Even though I was afraid I had "stretched" my stomach pouch (I'll be 68 yrs old in a few weeks), I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy a month ago and the gastroenterologist said everything looks perfect.

Thank you so much!! It means a lot to hear that after such a long journey struggling with weight my whole life. Here’s a few before and afters including a tiktok I made but never posted haha. I’ve been very lucky with having minimal loose skin. I have been taking a collagen supplement daily and started that months before the surgery. I think that combined with a good strength training regimen and perhaps also because I got the surgery at a relatively young age (33) helped. For workouts I do an hour 5-6x a week; half cardio (indoor cycling or running) and half strength training. All of my strength has been the peloton strength classes. If you happen to have a peloton membership You can see my full program on my profile DucesWild, follow me!! Highly highly recommend peloton it has made it so much easier, convenient, and fun to workout. Finding classes I actually enjoyed and not pushing myself too hard, just committing to staying consistent moving my body, whether it be a walk or yoga on days I didn’t feel well, that has been the KEY so far. Hope this helps! Happy to share more details. IMG_0222.MOV

Had my RNY October 5th. I was diabetic, so getting off those meds was goal #1. After the 2-week pre-op diet, I had come off all my meds, but was hesitant to say I would be free from those after surgery. Had my appointment with my diabetes doc at 4-weeks post-op, she declared my diabetes was now in remission, and we said our goodbyes! Daily glucose sticks are between 80-92...no matter when I test them! Goal #2...reduce size & get back to feeling "normal", whatever that will be!

While it seems to be more of a blood pressure issue, if you've gone from liquids straight to soft foods, you may benefit for a week or two doing pureed foods as a transition to soft foods, even if it isn't part of your plan.

Binders (girdles, lol) would have been nice for about the first week. The first cough/sneeze made me wish I had taken them up on it at the hospital!

a lot of people lose their sense of hunger for a few weeks or months - plus your stomach will be a lot smaller - so yea - 1000 calories will seem quite filling. Even too much the first few weeks. I pretty much lost interest in food altogether for about the first five months (unfortunately, that didn't last!!). Milk that for all it's worth, because it's never going to be easier to lose weight than when you're not hungry and don't give a flip about food!

I was in a similar situation as you. 47 years old, 340 lbs (down from 400+), and doing a physical job, playing basketball still, and enjoying life. Then the dreaded D word came up, and I'd seen the diabetic story play out too many times. WLS immediately went from the back of my mind to it's happening. I picked the brain of a friend who'd had it, lurked on forums like this, and had 2 notebook pages of questions for my surgeon, and dietician. To answer your question, the liver shrinking diet prior to surgery tested my soul. Followed that up with the 3 week liquid diet post surgery. Was more bored than anything. Soft foods, on it now, and it's not hard, and extremely satisfying. Not only will you live on fewer calories, but with the proper preparation, the right mindset, and a good support system, you'll thrive.

You don't what to put the cart before the horse. Do your homework on the various WLSs out there. If you believe WLS if for you then you will find a surgeon. When you speak with your surgeon you should bring up all your concerns, your history, and your future. Undoubtedly your surgeon will take your situation into account when arriving at a recommendation. If WLS is one of the recommendations then your post-op life will be part of the discussion and planning you and your surgeon undertake. Worrying about the first 6 weeks of post-op life would be the least of my concerns. Good luck. Tek

It's really common for people to experience an immediate drop in apetite right after surgery. This can last from a few weeks to forever, it just depends on how your body reacts. I lost my apetite for most of the first year and then it slowly returned until now it is about 65% of what it was pre-surgery. When I had very little apetite, it was easy to live on 600 calories and I did for months. Then it went up to 800 calories and stayed there pretty much until I hit goal. I was blessed not to be hungry during the weight loss phase, but some people never do lose their apetite. So you won't know exactly how your body is going to react until you are post-op. But if you have the average experience, there will be at least some period of time when your apetite is greatly diminished.

So I only had 2 meals as it was my 1st day eating after 2 weeks post-op as advised by my surgeon. So my 1st meal was the scrambled eggs and then I did a protein shake for lunch and for dinner I had the lean ground beef. But it happened after I ate the scrambled eggs and after I ate the lean ground beef.. weird............ so today I'm only doing my liquids and get back to solids when I hear back from the doc tomorrow. Thanks GreenTealael Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

@misnomer My Preop diet is just low carb low cal. I'm kinda grateful. My pre op appointments are on Friday. Im hoping the week goes by very quickly!

My program refers to the entire 2-week thing as a "liquid diet," but part of the plan is a protein bar every day plus either a banana or 8oz of low-fat milk (for potassium). It becomes strictly liquid-only 2 days before surgery, though. For me, that will happen on Saturday. I love bananas, so that was an easy choice at first, but right now I'm desperate for any variety so I'll be switching to 1% milk this week. And they only provided 12 protein bars to begin with (smart bariatric center!), so I won't have to remember to stop eating them. I have my pre-op nutritionist appointment tomorrow morning, and Wednesday morning is the pre-op with my surgeon. I have a feeling this week will go by really fast!!

Scheduled for a mini gastric bypass this Friday, the 19th. Trying today to get a list together of everything I need as far as new foods and drinks so I can have it all in house by then. Confusing with so many different sites/people saying different things or mentioning different products. I would really appreciate any help or sites that kind of lay it out in simple terms. I've been given a lot of paperwork from the doctor and hospital and met with the hospital's bariatric person. Just ordered disposable medicine cups and case of Ensure Max Protein (suggested by Dr.'s PA) Also bought a bag of Bariatric Advantage Calcium Chews and Bariatric Fusion Multivitamins from them to start out on but will source out equivalent products that may be less expensive during my week off next week. Any tips or things to watch out for are welcome. Thanks in advance!

I'm on day 7 of my pre-op diet, and that is exactly what got me through day 5 -- which was the first Friday when I couldn't order a pizza/look forward to eating in front of the TV after a week of work. It really helped to remind myself that in just three more weeks I can start having yogurt again, in four more weeks I can go back to having (sf) pudding and applesauce and tuna and steamed veggies (etc.), and by February all dietary restrictions should be lifted. There may well be many foods that I never have again, but that will be by choice.

Scheduled for a mini gastric bypass this Friday, the 19th. Trying today to get a list together of everything I need as far as new foods and drinks so I can have it all in house by then. Confusing with so many different sites saying different things or mentioning different products. I'm a single man and have to handle this alone and would really appreciate any help or sites that kind of lay it out in simple terms. I've been given alot of paprerwork from the doctor and hospital and met with the hospital's bariatric person. Guess how I feel afterwards will dictate what I drink the 1st few days or week, but still unsure of how often and what is allowed or suggested as a whole. Thanks in advance

My surgery is in just over a week, and I bought this t-shirt to wear home: