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Completely. My RNY surgery was 12/1 I had a really rough time in the PACU (post-surgery recovery); my blood pressure kept spiking and O2 levels kept dropping. I was there for 6 hours and it was like a terrible fever dream. Meanwhile, I think I kind of underestimated how much pain would be involved. I do tend to bounce back quickly from surgery, but the past week has been really grueling. And while I'm *very* fortunate not to have much trouble with nausea or swallowing liquids, I miss food terribly. On Friday night, after picking out a Christmas tree, my family got Mexican take-out. Just smelling the food in the car caused me to burst into tears, knowing tonight would be another f'in protein shake and jell-o for me. My husband — who usually is pretty understanding and supportive — told me I needed to just get over it. That was a *special moment.* 😑 But I identify with your emotions right now. I just don't care about anything. Nothing sounds fun; everything feels like more effort than it's worth. I am desperately hoping this turns around soon.

Hahaha... My surgeon/clinic says none At all for 6 months! It's insane how different every office is. I would have such an improved quality of life with a cup or two of decaf... I am 10 days post op maybe I will try it next week.

the first year I did not, but since I hit maintenance, yes. I can eat 1-2 slices of pizza now (different from pre-op when I could down 1/2 a large pizza in one sitting). I also eat chocolate occasionally. There's really nothing I can't eat now other than highly fatty meals. My husband and I used to go out for Friday night fish fries when I was pre-op, but I couldn't do that anymore. They consisted of two or three deep-fried filets, tartar sauce, French fries, cole slaw made with mayo, and a roll with butter. My stomach rebels at that much fat now (although I could probably have one fish filet if everything that came with it wasn't fat-laden). other than that - yep - there's nothing I can't eat, although I eat it less frequently and in much smaller quantities than I did before. But then, that's true of a lot never-been-obese people, too.

You might also be one of the 20% of patients who don't lose their hunger after surgery. That's where I am. I have to eat 6 times a day most days, but my surgery center is fine with that. I'm 3 months out, but I've been hungry from the first week. Don't assume that your hunger is reflux or head hunger, like everyone on this board will tell you. As far as food suggestions will go, I would recommend refried beans, tuna with mayo well mashed, high protein milk, nut butters, soft cheeses, etc.

Give yourself some time You just had major major surgery. It's easy for us to think that whatever we are feeling today is how we will feel forever. Maybe make a deal with yourself just to take it one day at a time, and not think about 'is this how I will feel forever?' until you're on solid foods again - in 4-6 weeks' time?

I’m two days shy of being 15 weeks po and I’ve lost 70 pounds (32 kg) I am so proud of myself 😃🥺 I can hardly believe it! I can almost taste the 99 kg mark, if I keep losing at this rate I’ll reach it mid January!

Thanks for the replies on this, I am currently taking a chewable bariatric multivitamin that has the calcium citrate in it. It's a one stop shop until my tummy can deal with swallowing tablets. The downside is I have to take three of them daily and they're fairly hefty - but since I've been taking them in the evening thanks to the advice here, life has been much easier!

Hi! Just got the Rouen xy gastric bypass on December 7th last week. Got home on Friday the 10th and doing great. I am off pain meds for 2 days now. I do have a pain that comes and goes under my left breast. But it's manageable and only for an hour or so a day. Hardest part is I can't eat what I want it's make me so sad. But I did this beacuse my blood pressure before was regularly 175/115 Have a wife and 4 kids so I want to be around. For them!! SW -358 CW after 5 days -344 Goal weight 200 pounds. I'm 6 feet tall.

I'm only 7.5 weeks post-op. I was getting about 400-500 calories in around 4 weeks post-op. However, my nutritionist did not like that & said I need at least 600, up to 900. I average about 800-1k daily. Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

So I lost about 12 pounds on the clear liquid phase which was for 7 days post-Op. Today is the end of day 11 and I haven't lost anything since full fluid phase. Calories are around 450 to 600 and protein around 40 to 50 grams/day. Not sure if that's too much. But yeh I am clearly on a stall and not sure when it'll start moving down. 😭

I met with the dietitian yesterday. She said she was surprised when she first saw me on her schedule because I just saw her a few weeks ago for the annual visit, but then she saw my surgeon's notes. We talked a bit about how I felt about going through this process again, then we got down to business of talking about the post op diet progression. Things have changed since my sleeve 7 years ago, the diet progression is slower, which I think is a good thing. Last time the progression of full liquid to soft was rather abrupt in my opinion, but this time I'll be gradually thickening the texture of food over a few months. She mentioned baby food as an option and that got me thinking, they sell small blenders for this purpose. I found one that was used only once on Facebook Marketplace. I got it for $20, it's $60 on Amazon. My surgeon drew me a picture of the surgery and so did my dietitian who went into a lot more detail about a few specifics of how food passes through a RNY pouch vs a sleeve and how/why dumping happens. Her drawing and explanation made so many things click. I'm more determined than ever to make the most of this opportunity. Yes, I'm doing it for severe GERD, but I'd love to lose another 20-30 pounds too. I know most of the weight loss will come during the first few months when food is very limited. I called my insurance company and the rep I talked to was super nice and answered all my questions. She confirmed they got the request for preauthorization from my clinic. I'll know before Christmas!!! My insurance is generally super speedy so I'm thinking I'll know about approval in the next week or so. It can't come fast enough. Despite meds and better eating, I've had a few rather nasty attacks of reflux.

I had surgery 11/29 still on full liquids. It was going well at first then a week after surgery I got a bad cold. Many of the protein drinks have milk (whey) in them that makes me cough even more. I cal the dr had a day on broth where I add extra collegian . If you need a little extra protein consider adding non-flavor collegian.

I started taking birth control pills the week before my surgery. I had gastric bypass 2.5 weeks ago. I am thinking of switching to the arm implant because of the malabsorption for gastric bypass. I don’t know if I can trust my husband to exit the premises at the right time. Lol!!!!

I have heard of a few people mention this happening on here but none of them seemed to follow up with updates. I’m sure if you include your bariatric team in the process it will be just fine. At three months you should be able to get plenty of nutrition for you and the baby. I wonder if the cravings will be less since the hunger hormone is gone for most of us. That would be ideal. Congratulations.

Okay. It took almost 2 weeks but my stall finally broke. Down 6 today from last week. That's 51# down since Nov 8. I focused on the protein and fluids this week. Hair looking a bit thin already though. I don't dig that. Oh well.

I was supposed to start the mushy/soft food phase yesterday but it’s not going well. After just 1 tiny completely chewed bite it feels stuck in my throat. I have tried three times now: ricotta bake (no egg), soft scrambled egg and a thick puréed soup. Honestly even with liquids I feel it hang out for a bit in the same spot before going into my stomach. But if I eat real slow with small sips it’s fine. I’m going to just go back to the full liquid phase and ask the surgeon on Monday. I was wondering if anyone had other food suggestions that may go down easier? Yeah was thinking thin mashed potatoes. I was supposed to have my hiatal hernia fixed during surgery but it ended up not happening. I sort of wonder if this is related. I needed it fixed because it’s causing me a ton of pain, vocal and swallowing trouble…

Every week I buy a rotisserie chicken and use that in a variety of places. I also always have a frozen bag of cooked shrimp (TJs Argentinian Shrimp) & frozen chicken skewers (Costco) in the freezer, which just need to be defrosted and warmed. Some of my regular "no cook" meals are: chicken & green beans, chicken & roast squash (pre cut), Shrimp & green beans, chicken veg soup (TJs). They probably sound boring, but I enjoy them and they all end up low carb & under 200 calories for plenty of food. A no cook splurge = Amys burritos (so good! but adds up fast). (For breakfast I always have coffee w/ unflavored Unjury protein powder.) If you are willing to cook a little, I also sometimes make Banza pasta & shrimp or cauliflower latkes (TJs). And at the end of the week, I turn the left over veggies & chicken into soup and freeze that. I will also note that I keep canned veggies on hand. I know they are not as nutritious as fresh, but they also aren't bad (if low sodium, as I understand) and they are still low calorie. In a pinch they are better than pasta or crackers or a lot of other options. I often don't cook fresh fast enough and I hate seeing them go bad. Hope that helps. I appreciate seeing everyones suggestions, they help me a ton.

you can still lose weight because you'll still have the restriction - the only issue is the hunger suppression may not be as strong at this point. hair loss usually doesn't start right away - for a lot of people it starts around three months out, but it can be even later. Mine was months 5-9. I remember reading somewhere that if it doesn't start by about six months out, you're probably not going to experience it - but you're still in that range, so...

Plans are different & so are you. Some do stay on a stage longer because they’re just not ready to move on & that’s ok. Make your first purées really sloppy & runny or go for thick soups at first so you get used to that denser, thicker texture vs a liquid. Don’t give up on a food you struggled with. Our tummies can be a bit fussy & temperamental at first. Or sometimes things just taste disgusting. Try it again in a week or two & then in another week or so if need be. You’ll even find your tummy suddenly says no way to something you’ve eaten regularly but is fine with it again two days later. I used to say my tummy was like a petulant two year old child throwing random temper tantrums. That tightness across your chest is your restriction. You don’t usually start to feel until you’re on more solid food. It’s a signal you’ve eaten too much, too fast or eaten something too dry or too coarse, etc. You’ll work out your triggers - it’s a bit of trial & error. Stalls happen. The first one often is about week 3 +/-. Think of it as your body just needing a break. It’s been pretty stressed & needs to shut down for a 1-3 weeks. It does not mean you’re doing the wrong thing or failing … unless you’ve wildly gone off plan. It’s possible you’ll experience more than one stall along the way. You won’t put on weight by starting on the next stage unless you suddenly start eating huge portions (pretty darn impossible with your small tummy unless you put in a lot of effort to stretch it) or making poor food choices. You won’t be consuming more calories than your body needs to function. That’s the only way you’ll put on weight. And I’m not talking about our normal fluctuations ( fluid, constipation, life, etc.) As long as your general weight loss trend is downwards you’re doing great. It’s ok to go at your own pace. You’ll do fine.

I think it really depends on the surgeon. I went with one of the top bariatric surgeons in Australia, hes the one who first started using a minimally invasive method to do the surgery in Australia and trained other surgeons to do it that way. My surgeon and dietitian said its highly recommended to stay on the fluids for three weeks unless you cant tolerate the shakes. The only shake flavour ive been able to tolerate since surgery is the coffee one, the other flavours made be very nauseous, and even then having more than one of the coffee shakes per day made me nauseous. Ive mostly been living on fluids the three weeks, except for the cottage cheese every couple days. According to studies, its safe from a surgical perspective to start on puree at 5 days post op, but you dont have to if you dont want to, you can simply stay on the fluids for the three weeks. My surgery came with a complete package of the surgeon, registered nurse, dietition/nurtitionist, counselling and the fresh start program so i trust my highly experienced team who im in regular contact with. I didnt spend two years researching surgeons to just go with someone who doesnt know what theyre doing, i went with my surgeon for a reason, that hes one of the best in Australia. Im also a registered nurse so i really knew what to look out for when finding the perfect surgeon for me. Ive known some people who do 2 weeks fluids, 2 weeks puree, 2 weeks soft and then normal diet. Some ive known do only a couple days of fluids then by day 3 or 4 theyre on puree and then 2 weeks post op on a soft diet. So it really depends on the surgeon your with and who actually keeps up to date with the current research. Personally i wouldnt have gone with a surgeon who said puree at 3 days post op then soft at 2 weeks!

I had to wait until 3:weeks to have puréed. I was on liquids and then full liquids so that my stomach would have a chance to heal and adjust to what I was taking in. 5:days post op for puréed foods just seems really too fast to be introducing puréed foods to your stomach. In my opinion I don’t think your stomach is ready to handle a big change to food that quickly. I’m sorry if my opinion may upset you. Bit through my weight loss program including working with my nutritionist this is not a good choice at only 5 days post op.

Hello! I am currently day 9, sleeved 12/1. I had some complications, but am feeling 100 times better now. I am on full liquids until PO next tuesday, limited options, getting to the point where I can't stomach some things anymore. I cannot tell the difference between hunger and reflux. It feels like hunger! Its cramping, painful, and makes all sorts of noises( gurgling, sounds like growling.) Im still working on fluids but hit my protein goal( can down 10 oz of protein shake and 5 oz of yogurt, 3/4 cup of soup, all done in accordance to my plan). Its felt like this all week! Today is the first day I haven't felt it, or felt hungry. Im on 20 mg of omeprazole, and was on 10 before surgery because of reflux, over production of acid, etc. Is this what it is? Hunger? Help! Sent from my SM-N986U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey! I'm 8 days post-op. My experience with renew wasn't be best ever, but I did okay. I struggled a bit at the end of clear liquids but now I am onto full liquids living my best life (haha). I'm down 4 lbs this week so just trying to keep on keeping on.

I was 47 when I had RNY gastric bypass twelve years ago. There was no "honeymoon" period where the pounds melted away for me. I do not believe this was age related because my surgical peers at the time lost weight at about the same rate as younger women. Nonetheless, I exceeded my surgeons goal and have maintained this with a lot of difficulty. An autoimmune disorder, hypothyroidism and medications are to blame for an average loss of less than half a pound weekly. Watching the scale go down and up then repeat was frustrating but I had a good experienced surgeon who also had the same procedure. The metabolically challenged as he put it need to stay on plan even when it seems there is no progress. Not what I wanted to hear at the time. I was angry and beginning to have regrets but a good support network "talked me off the ledge". After a year of following the rules I made changes to my doctor's plan. Using information from the body building community I Incorporated eating practices used to increase lean muscle mass. None conflict with the needs of gastric bypass patients. I researched options I believed could serve me better. At 17 months post op I made my desired maximum weight. I'm still pushing to get 5lbs lower. I deliberately left out the numbers. Not because it's a secret, I've posted this info in the past. Some individual readers may distinguish between weight/BMI classifications then rate difficulty and speed of weight loss to evaluate "success". That is not the point of my reply. Also, I make no claim to post op diet perfection nor do I blame metabolism for my obesity. No matter where you start at any age you will need to work your plan. You may work hard and see only small results as you watch surgical peers break their surgeons rules and do well. Further, you will likely have to make Healthful adjustments to augment your progress based on your needs. I've met many success stories since I committed to surgical intervention and I'm in good company. Today my weight is 30lbs up because of steroids, hypothyroidism, and binge eating disorder. It was 40lbs up a few weeks ago. Age is not the only issue in my struggle but "I Got This". This is one of a few episodes of rapid fat gain. I'm not talking about pounds and Water weight. You will not hear me say I've gained my weight back. What I've put on is fat but it's not mine and I'm not keeping it. I've learned how to "re lose" body fat and curb weight gain in spite of menopause and other factors. There is no secret to my maintenance. Never buy a larger size, period. Clothing measurement, not size number is my guide. I avoid stretch fabrics when I can without sacrificing style. I also monitor my body fat percentage. Formulas used by the YMCA and the military are easy to find. Ten years plus post op forced me to figure this out. A support network even before your procedure can help you learn what you need for the long term. If you have access to counseling or mental healthcare take advantage of it. Many of us with recently recognized mental health concerns like binge eating disorder and compulsive over eating do not know these illnesses exist. They can even be incorporated into a healthy post op eating plan with your nutritionists blessing. The more you know about why you are obese the easier and more successful your maintenance plan will be. Yes, I said maintenance plan. You asked for post op support but You WILL Succeed. We all find our way here because we want to be well and we all can be. I've included what I wished I knew pre op. This process is emotional as well as physical. Every pound lost is joyful but for some even a week with no change feels devastating. Get ready for the highs and lows knowing will be the Winner. Some famous writer somewhere is quoted as not having had the time to be conscise. For me include spell checking and grammar too. You have my story and I hope it's helpful. All the best!

Hi all, just checking in! 23 days out, 6lbs off. Third day of eating soft food, mostly fish so far, at about 1/4 cup per meal. Still having at least one protein shake a day too. Slightly harder to get the fluids in now because I'm so full after eating the proper food that I can't drink anything for an hour or more, so I've started pre-loading with fluids before meals. Have started getting on the cross trainer in the last 3 days - starting at 5 minutes and increasing by a minute a day. Still have some pain in my left side that with certain movements can be really sharp, and still wakens me at night sometimes. I have two holiday meals out next week, one with friends one with family, it'll be interesting to see how those go! No alcohol so far but I might try something this weekend because I really don't want my first glass of wine to result in disaster at a dinner in a restaurant. And that's my report! How are all of you getting along? Any plans for the weekend? I'm going to a nice festive concert tomorrow - really looking forward to that. Every day is feeling more normal.