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Omg! I’m so glad that I found this. I’m having my surgery on April 7th!! Gastric sleeve. I’m very nervous but excited at the same time. I read that some of you have to do a liquid diet 2 weeks prior surgery. That’s wild. Mine is 2 days, thank God!! How are you feeling guys?

Hello fellow ATLeans. I’m in Atlanta as well and I have Kaiser. Post op going onn3 weeks from VSG. Congratulations to those post op and pre op. This is a wild ride!

Thank you for the quick responses! I've been wearing orthotics since I was young, so I don't expect that to ever go away, but my feet definitely got worse over the years with more weight gain, especially in the last 3 years it became so painful to walk for longer than 20 minutes without massive aching in my arches and feet, and of course the fun bonuses that go with it like shin splints, tight tendons, and knee pain! I'm just hoping some of those symtpoms go away with the weight loss. I've got some good ASICS now that have taken me a long time to 'break in', my feet still get sore no matter what I wear after a certain period, but at least I know that it should improve a bit and that I'm wearing good shoes and have proper orthotics. I'll see how I go later down the track when I've lost some weight!

Hello! I’m about 6 weeks post op and have been really bad about taking both my multi chewable and calcium vitamins. It’s honestly been close to two weeks now, and I’m feeling very off. Tired, not able to focus much, loopy. I started taking them again three days ago but I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced the same thing?

I was sleeved 9 years ago. I lost 110kg over the first 2 years and maintained weight at 67kg for 3 years. Then, I was put on ssri and anti psychotic meds and gained 10 kilos in the first 3 weeks. I went on to gain back 70 kilos of what I lost over the last few years. My psyc. put me on metformin to minimise the weight gain (even though I’m not diabetic) and my weight stopped going up for about the last year now. I have just come back to the community today as I recently committed to losing this weight again. I’m pleased to hear a previous comment here that says that people have lost weight on mental health meds successfully, I’m on the wagon and going for goal.

a lot of people seem to have trouble with eggs the first few weeks. If they're not "working" for you, wait and try them again later.

I am 9 years out. I lost 110kg and maintained goal for 3 years then went on mental health medication and gained back 70 kg of it and have just recommitted to eating the way I did to lose it the first time so I’m going back to goal !

More soup for me. Today I challenged myself to find everything to make a pot at the Portland State University farmer’s market. The only things I added from my pantry were chicken stock and salt & pepper. I found at the market: Rainbow chard, butternut squash, wild mushrooms, shallots, garlic, rainbow carrots, thyme, rosemary, and organic free range chicken thighs. This will make a week’s work of lunches.

I am struggling with the shàme of how much I eat and the kinds of foods I eat. Was it hard in the beginning? I am journal I need to find a way to sleep thru the night so I don't binge eat in middle of the night things like ice cream chips and I am been doing ok I gave up pop been 3 days without pop and I plan on saying no. Sent from my Scepter 8 Tablet using BariatricPal mobile app

Yes!! I'm two weeks post-op and I started having a horrible pain on my right side.

Hello, I am in the process of scheduling bariatric surgery. I had to do an at home sleep study which returned confirmed sleep apnea. I was requested to meet with a pulmonologist which I did. He put ina request for a CPAP machine but said there are delays getting them at the current moment so it could be months. Could this delay my surgery? I know what the CPAP machine is for, but do you need to be on it for a specific time ahead off surgery? I was really hoping to schedule surgery following my blood panel and EKG next week. Thank you!

Sorry things are not feeling so well right now! I concur with previous posters. When I was 6 weeks out and still vomiting several times a day, I wondered if things would ever feel good again. I had to spend all day sipping fluids, and didn’t get my fluids, protein, or full supplements for probably 2 months post-op. But my body eventually got back to “normal” and I am healthy. I can drink 8 oz. water in about a minute now. Maybe try a bit of Crystal Light with some unflavored protein powder? Or fruity protein powder? Bone broth with soft chicken? (Try the packets for ease). Soft chicken with beans and shredded cheese? Soft baked fish like Tilapia? GL, this will get better! PS - Sorry to hear about your other half leaving for a few months…. 😢 It will be special when they return and see the new you.

I’m just 11 days post op and i can drink more than just a few sips. I seem to be able to drink about 3-4 swallows at once, equalling around 4-6 Fluid ounces. I just keep drinking it when I’m not in the window immediately after I ‘eat’. Still technically on full liquid, but advancing slowly to puréed. I have been making Soups using Bone Broth (Swanson or the like) instead of Water. It provides Protein and Fluid intake (along with sodium, so be careful). I’ve also been mixing one spoon scoop of nonfat plain Greek yogurt, one spoon scoop of nonfat cottage cheese and mixing that with tbls sugar free Syrup. That’s what I have been having between my shakes. I also only mix 4oz unsweetened almond milk for 1 scoop Protein. Make it concentrated so that you get the Protein and don’t overwhelm yourself on the drink. V8 is a good option for liquids. Today I am making ricotta bake. I hope you turn the corner soon! Best

yes - buyer's remorse is common the first month or so. Many of us have been there. also - yep - many women mention their hormones being out of whack the first few weeks or months. In addition to weird moods, many often experience weird menstrual cycles. All that eventually stabilizes taste & appeal of food - many of us lose that for awhile. It's common to lose your sense of hunger for up to a year after surgery (a small minority never get it back it all - honestly, I wish I would have been one of them - it would be so much easier to lose & maintain my loss!). It's very weird at first, but you get used to it. My hunger came back at five months out, and things got much harder then. It is SO easy to lose weight when you're never hungry and couldn't give a flip about food. Take FULL advantage of that!! It'll never in your life be easier to lose weight than it is right now when you're not hungry and don't care about food!! Just make sure you're eating and drinking enough to maintain your health. So I know this sounds weird, so enjoy that "feature" while it lasts and milk it for all it's worth - because it your hunger and "food appeal" will almost certainly return at some point this year. drinking - you'll be able to drink a lot more as time goes on. I can drink normally again. But for now, just do whatever it takes to get the required amount of fluids in, even if that means sipping all day. Dehydration can land a lot of people back in the hospital...so keep at it!

I’m so sorry you are going through so much all at once. Your hormones are all our of whack right now too which isn’t helping I’m sure. You probably won’t be able to chug a whole bottle but you will be able to swallow a couple or a few sips at a time eventually. I am actually back to being able to drink the same as pre op. Have you tried the clear protein drinks or sneaking unflavored protein into your food? There are also some protein soups and stuff by Unjury that people have said are pretty good on here. As the previous poster said buyers remorse is not at all uncommon immediately post op. I was tired and had to take naps everyday for a couple of weeks.

Well the wheelbarrow of poop has found you and dropped its entire load onto your head in one go. I wish I could hug you right now. You sound like you need it. Chin up as we Brits say, Enjoy your husband whilst he is home, make some memories to live on whilst he is away. You have got this, take it a hour at a time if needed and we are here if you need extra support. I have read a few posts on here about buyers regret, mine included. Its a tough time, we are learning a new way to fuel our bodies and its not a simple fix. It took me nearly 9 weeks to be able to drink enough. I survived. I didn't do protein drinks but I did and still drink skimmed milk. I am allowed coffee so 2 large latte every day helps no end. Any liquid adds to your tally, ice pops, coconut water, soup, broth, tea, coffee. I found unsweetened tomato juice did wonders for me [ with a little hot sauce] I was told by my dietician to just get in what I could and things will improve. Just dont fret or worry, stressing gets us nowhere fast .

You can eat toast & crackers? I would have been jumping for joy. You can have textured food!! On weeks 3 & 4 I was on purées: baby food slop. A lot of what you’re feeling is psychological. As we say, you have to do the head work as you progress. Your head & emotions can really mess with you. We’ve all been there. As @Kris77 said, some of this could be head hunger. Your brain is looking for those other foods because they comfort you & you’re pretty stressed & sad at the moment. It’s an awful cycle. I’m sad I want a piece of cake. I can’t have cake which makes me sad. You’ve had pretty major surgery & your emotions & hormones are all upside down now too which also contributes. As Kris suggested, find something to distract yourself. Often a craving will pass in 30mins or so if you stop focussing on it. Often you think how can this little amount of food fill me up. It can’t satisfy my hunger. But this is your new tummy. It’s 80%+/- smaller now so it doesn’t take much to fill it. You’ll also find as you’re eating more solid food, you’ll start to feel more ‘full’ or you’ve had enough. Liquids go through your tummy quickly & you don’t get that full feeling so you think you haven’t eaten enough & must still be hungry or need more food. You will likely also discover your full & real hunger signals are different than before. Something you probably don’t want to hear is that you may need to reevaluate what you see as ‘good’ food. Is it nutrient dense food that nourishes your body or does it just feed your emotional needs? The nutrient dense ‘healthy’ food on your recommended eating plan is plenty tasty & satisfying. There are many ways to cook it & add herbs & spices for flavour. You’ll even work out out healthier ways to prep some of your favourites. I had spaghetti bolognese, a favourite, in my soft food stage. Cooked the meat sauce for ages & served it with zucchini noodles & Parmesan. Could only eat 1/3 cup but it was damn delicious. Remember to sip & eat slowly. If you feel some discomfort wait until it passes. The discomfort could be from eating too much or too quickly. Put your fork down between bites & your glass down between sips. And wait between eating & drinking. If you do experience, sharp cutting pains across your tummy it can be from too much acid in your tummy. And too much acid or a noisy tummy can make you think you’re hungry when you’re really not. Many surgeons prescribe a PPI after surgery to help combat the extra acid. If you weren’t, ask your doctor for a script. Hope I haven’t scared you. You will get through this. And if you need support or advice, plenty here willing to do so. All the best & sorry for the long post.

Is it something you’ve always had so your natural physiology, or something that developed with your weight gain? If it developed with your weight gain it’s likely it will improve. My ankles ached when I had my final big weight gain which was sudden & the balls of my feet burnt. Both these things improved heaps or disappeared completely. I’ve always had a degree of pronation (my ballet teacher lamented all the time) & it hasn’t changed because it’s how my body is built. Unfortunately the knee pain I get from sitting too long hasn’t improved but that’s from being short & sitting in chairs that are too high 😆. You may notice additional pain & discomfort as you lose weight as your muscles & tendons get used to not having to carry & balance your excess weight & get used to your improved posture. I had upper back pain in around month 3 or 4 because my bust had got a lot smaller & I was carrying myself differently. (Buying underwear that fit stopped the pain.)

It’s ok to have doubts & fears. We’ve all had them in some way during this process. And don’t be afraid to ask questions here. We’ve either experienced the same thing or can offer support or encouragement. My question is would you really want to go back to eating the same way? It lead you, like it did all of us, to being overweight. Will you never eat some of your old food favourites again? Not necessarily. They may become occasional treats just not every day or every week choices. Or you discover alternatives like vegetable pastas, bun free burgers or grilled, steamed, air fried or poached foods versus deep fried. Your portion sizes will be smaller & not those portions that are 2,3 & 4 times a recommended serving size. Of course, there will be restrictions on your food choices to begin. Initially to support your healing, then to support your weight loss & also to support your reeducation about food, nutrients, portion size, your relationship with food, etc. There may be certain foods you struggle with in the long term. Some develop intolerances like to lactose. It’s not that common & there are so many not dairy options about these days you don’t really miss out on anything. There may be foods that don’t sit as well in your tummy but it’s very individual. I still find bread, pasta & rice too heavy & filling & char grilled meats are too dry & coarse. There may be foods you choose to avoid or reduce to maintain your weight in the future. I still enjoy food, the flavour, the texture, etc. I go out to restaurants. I socialise with friends & family. I just make better food choices. I don’t see food & eating as a source of comfort or an emotional support to make me feel better or less bored. Food is the nutrition my body needs to function & to give me the energy to do the things I enjoy doing. All the best.

I had my surgery on the 3rd (2 weeks ago) and right now the diet I was given is scrambled eggs, tuna, toast, crackers, mashed potatoes and some other stuff i will never eat. I have stuck to each weeks diet and even been meeting my 64 oz water intake a day but today its hitting me really hard. I just want a meal. Like good food meal. Its so hard watching people eat all these delicious foods and driving by everything i love and not being able to enjoy any of it. I know, I have 4 weeks until I can taste good food again but I was almost in tears today. And I am ALWAYS hungry. So hungry. Even when I drink any liquids when it goes down it kind of hurts my stomach because it feels so empty. But its not? Is this normal? Anyways, how do yall do it? Any tips?

I'm almost to 4 weeks and haven't noticed any changes. I also never lost my appetite like so many people say they did. I broke down and ate 4 cashews right before I got to soft foods (I chewed them to death), but it actually did help and I went right back to doing what I was supposed to. So many things other people have had happen or deal with (good AND bad) haven't happened to me, that it is easy to feel like I haven't had the surgery. Some days I can follow the schedule and what I should eat and be fine, other days I just feel like I'm starving. Overall, I can tell it's good and better than before though, because I have to eat less.

Oh, yeah. I have things I haven’t worn yet either. A few things in my wardrobe still with the tags on. Partially COVID. Partially being out of the habit of going out. Most recently because the floods here postponed openings. Was supposed to be going to the opening night of a dance film my two nieces were in last week but it’s been delayed until June. It will be too cool to wear the outfit I was intending to wear so the tags will be staying on for a while longer. A contemporary dance performance I was thinking of seeing this week was also postponed. Sigh! I admire you giving a capsule wardrobe a go. My casual wardrobe could be considered a capsule. A few key pieces I rotate. But my better wardrobe is an extravaganza of excess. 😆

Because early on people can have trouble digesting the dry meat, my nutritionist said to not reheat it to eat or to add low/no fat gravy. But I haven't had to really add anything much to meat. I did some grilled chicken nuggets from chick-fil-a and barely dipped them in the ranch. Skinny girl dressings and other 0 cal dressings would also be good if you need something. I have used no sugar added marinara on tortilla to make "pizza" as well. I'm almost 4 weeks out.

I was told by my surgeon to stop all my diabetic medications when I started the 2 week diet before the surgery. My primary care physician said to see him 2 weeks after surgery. I never went back on my diabetic medication. My numbers run from 96 to 120. I am not a diabetic anymore. Hope this helps! Sent from my SM-T227U using BariatricPal mobile app

It’s 4 weeks post surgery for me and I am still having problems meeting my water and protein daily requirements. I feel like my weight loss is slow. I also feel like I’m not in a good place mentally sometimes. I have to keep reminding myself that my body IS a machine that I have to keep running well. If I don’t eat & drink as I should, I will feel all sorts of lethargy and negativity which in turn makes it more difficult to exercise and move. I’m very grateful that I have a wonderful medical support team whom I’m meeting monthly (used to be weekly) but sometimes it’s hard getting out of my head.