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As the clock ticks down to surgery day, I'm wondering if those of you who are post-op or are in the maintenance phase have favorite bariatric cookbooks or recipe blogs that you recommend. I see Amazon has some great bariatric cookbooks, specifically bariatric air fryer cookbooks, which I'm excited about in order to reduce cooking my protein in oil/butter. TIA! Sent from my Pixel 5 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi Im new to this whole thing, I just had Gastric Bypass 4 days ago, but wanted to ask about some of the phone apps you use to track food, or your weightloss, or anything relating to bariatric surgery Thanks 😃

That is awesome! I can't wait to get my license renewed this summer. It says 350 on it and I was almost 50 pounds more than that when I got it last time. I have also never had my real weight on my driver's license and I can't wait to put it on there in August! Sent from my Pixel 5a using BariatricPal mobile app

I am finally under my drivers license weight, I can't wait for renewal so I can update my weight.

December has been an absolutely horrible month for me. I lost my GrandPa at the beginning of the month. I have been so sick all month long with stomach bugs, viruses, flu and now I have kidney stones from all the antibiotics and a cold with a nasty cough that has my chest on fire. I can’t ketch a break in the sick department! I’m freezing even more than normal due to all the sicknesses. I have a lingering migraine that Tylenol won’t touch. It’s been horrible! My Bariatric team just keeps telling me to keep my fluids up so I don’t get dehydrated and let the sicknesses run the courses but I have never been so sick for so long before or with so many sicknesses so close together. My body needs a vacation. I guess if anything good has come out of this month I haven’t been eating so much so my weight has dropped to 184 without even trying.

I had Bariatric surgery to help me with portion control. While waiting for surgery in pandemic I did Noom. Lost 30# with portion control and 80% good food choices. At 8 wks post op I just started all foods. I'm testing a food each day. I was proud that I haven't had any dumping. I have not tried any high sugar. I still measure what I eat. 1/3 c protein, 1/8 c veggie but once a day it is carb and a fruit. 5 meals, every 2 hours. I just put my goals in Myfitness app to monitor my protein and calories, carbs and fat. It is not a diet anymore, a way of life. Plan to progress to 1 cup by 9 months to one year. Maintain that.

Okay so I have been following but not posting much for a little while. I have been frustrated, feeling like I don’t have much advice to offer others because I have been searching for my own answers and very embarrassed about my weigh gain. Anyways, for those of you who don’t know me, I had my surgery March 9, 2021 at 235 (5’8”). I lost pretty steadily down to 169 but then stalled for months on end until my appetite came back and I started gaining and continue to gain. I have been struggling uphill while searching for answers ever since. The bariatric team blames my psyc meds but the prescribing dr claims they are weight neutral meds. My family dr agrees and showed me an article about the cravings they cause but he ordered thyroid and diabetes tests too which came back fine but I continue to gain so I made an appointment with an endocrine doctor thanks to a few people on here who suggested it. I finally just seen the endo doc and My cortisol was elevated on the suppression test so I just completed the two day saliva test which hopefully will bring some more answers but what they have said so far is that it’s probably sub clinical cushings which takes a while to confirm. I thought about waiting until I had more info but they said it will be another two or three weeks for these results and I may need more tests after that. I guess MY diagnosis is not really the point anyways. My point is I have recently learned of three things that could be the culprit of my weight that were never tested before surgery and I wonder why they don’t mention these tests pre surgery. I mean They are simple blood tests. I even googled to see why the cushings thing isn’t investigated since it doesn’t resolve with bariatric surgery and all I could find was one article that said it is of course suggested if you present with any of the classic symptoms but in terms of a blanket requirement for people considering bariatric surgery this person felt it unnecessary because it’s not extremely common. I guess maybe that’s the view of my doctor too but I sure wish I was presented with the option at least. I am just curious whether these are things that are tested or even brought up by other people doctors prior to surgery or what others think about whether they should be. And perhaps to give some people things they can investigate first if they are on the fence about surgery. I just feel like the surgery was never going to work for me because it seems likely that the root of my issue is still there. I am maintaining SOME of the loss but according to what I understand about what I have read so far, left untreated I will steadily continue to gain. I know this is still up in the air and not a super common thing regardless but I can’t be the only one struggling with this pre or post surgery and I hope my experience can help someone else struggle just a little less cause watching everyone around me try to be polite as I slowly put the weight back on has felt even worse than being obese was to begin with. I am trying to hang In there for answers and give myself grace but it’s hard to not feel like a failure as I continue to gain and everyone now knows I had surgery and of course I have to wonder if I blew my one shot at surgery because I am doing these tests after instead of before surgery. Regardless, if you are someone who doesn’t really make a ton of poor food choices but just eats more than “normal” because you always feel hungry, consider a cortisol test before surgery. I wish I had.

I'm happy that I've now lost a little bit more than half of my goal. I've lost 19.8 kilos (43.65 pounds) and I have 19.2 kilos to go to reach my goal weight. Also, since I'm at 93.2 right now I'm likely to reach my goal weight of 93 this month. Of course, it's Christmas this weekend, and I have to be a bit careful, but I think it will be ok. The only negative is that I have an UTI, for the first time in more than a decade. I looked it up, and yes, there's an increased chance of UTI's after bariatric surgery. So, I went to the drs office and got antibiotics. Hopefully, they will work and I won't be sick during my Christmas break.

I've worked at Denny's for over a year now and I've worked in other restaurants as well.I grew up eating Denny's with my grandparents and its always been a comfort.I absolutely love working in the food service realm.I love cooking,serving,hosting it sucks sometimes but at the end of the day I love it! Well...Loved it.I can't imagine how I'm gonna be able to work much longer there- I mean when my parents cook its absolute torture everything smells so good but at least for the most part its relatively healthier than a restaurant and I'll be able to have solid foods in 7-8 weeks.At Denny's though everything has margarine,sugar and fat even the chicken is grilled in margarine.I don't think i'd have enough self control being around that kinda food all the time.Employees can get free soda while they work and the occasional prank call to-go order leaves food up for grabs.Maybe my opinion will change as my healing and journey progresses but as of right now I'm quite nervous.Majority of the food there will likely cause any bariatric patient dumping syndrome. Not even the salads are safe with the fat and sugar content in the dressings and the most protein packed things are made with margarine which is not measured out.I know I could not eat anything there but when you work nights like I do you rarely wanna go home and cook something not to mention sometimes its so busy you can't even eat and 4-5 hours with not eating is a no bueno coming from my surgeon.At this point it just seems extremely risky.

I've worked at Denny's for over a year now and I've worked in other restaurants as well.I grew up eating Denny's with my grandparents and its always been a comfort.I absolutely love working in the food service realm.I love cooking,serving,hosting it sucks sometimes but at the end of the day I love it! Well...Loved it.I can't imagine how I'm gonna be able to work much longer there- I mean when my parents cook its absolute torture everything smells so good but at least for the most part its relatively healthier than a restaurant and I'll be able to have solid foods in 7-8 weeks.At Denny's though everything has margarine,sugar and fat even the chicken is grilled in margarine.I don't think i'd have enough self control being around that kinda food all the time.Employees can get free soda while they work and the occasional prank call to-go order leaves food up for grabs.Maybe my opinion will change as my healing and journey progresses but as of right now I'm quite nervous.Majority of the food there will likely cause any bariatric patient dumping syndrome. Not even the salads are safe with the fat and sugar content in the dressings and the most protein packed things are made with margarine which is not measured out.I know I could not eat anything there but when you work nights like I do you rarely wanna go home and cook something not to mention sometimes its so busy you can't even eat and 4-5 hours with not eating is a no bueno coming from my surgeon.At this point it just seems extremely risky.

HI Everyone, I'm relatively new here but hoping someone might be able to help provide me some guidance. I'm 7 weeks post op and been nauseous since week 3 but the nausea has gotten worse. I've been suspecting a stricture but my surgeon does not believe it. While I can get water and food down, it feels like sits in my stomach forever and I have nausea every time I eat. The other night, I tried upping what I ate because I'm not getting enough protein. Mind you, I ate slow and small amounts. I was super nauseous that night and all day yesterday. Now every time I eat or drink anything, my stomach is gurgling. Especially with water, like it's trying to get through stuck food sitting in my stomach. My surgeon is on maternity leave and won't be back until February, so I'm going to see another surgeon in her office (that doesn't do bariatric surgery but acid reflux surgery) on Tuesday of next week. Can you tell me if an upper GI would diagnose a stricture? I've also thought it could be an ulcer but I don't have much pain, just nausea. Any thoughts would be great! I'm so miserable right now and at that "I wish I had not done this" stage. : (. Thanks. Laura

I appreciate these tips to maintain privacy while still being able to engage the bariatric community. Thanks so much! I really appreciate the forums and the feedback that I have received so far. I also feel like sometimes you get out what you put in, but I need to be mindful of how much is public (location, pics, name, etc). Sent from my Pixel 5 using BariatricPal mobile app

Oh good point! Yes let's DM a bit to keep in touch. I just got the pre op info today, with the liver reduction diet and the food stages...I am feeling like it hasn't really sunk in how life will look after this surgery. Trying to get my head in gear so that I'm not totally shocked by all the changes. Is anyone working with a dietitian after surgery? I have access to an online nutritionist, but would probably like to work with someone who has experience with bariatric patients.

I was told to expect to lose 125 lb roughly from the surgery... Pre-op I lost 40 so that's about 165 lb of loss... I think I can lose more than that being that since the pre-op diet in June to now after having surgery October 6th I have lost a turtle of 92 lb.. My goal weight is 180 to 199... Why 199 you say? I want to be part of wOnederland as my mom had calls it who have bariatric surgery 13 years ago... I haven't waited under 200 lb since I was 19... I'm 36 and I'm ready to roll!!!! I also decided that I didn't want to be super duper skinny because that doesn't look good with my frame. So I am completely happy with 180 to 199

This is such a critical issue that my team literally put it at the very front of their bariatric pre-op binder. I'm attaching their guidelines for dealing with constipation. There are no copyright marks anywhere in their document, so I'm going to assume this falls under fair-use guidelines. Sorry for all the poop emoji's! I think it was their way of trying to lighten the mood on a serious subject that people feel strange discussing. One thing you'll see over and over in this is if you're having trouble, call your team. It may feel weird to talk to your nurse about this, but constipation is one of the most common questions they get. They are very used to talking about it. For what it's worth, my surgery was a few weeks before you and I still take one colace and one peri-colace daily. BM Guide.pdf

I received a letter from my insurance (Aetna) that says "Standard Insufficient Information Form". The gist of the letter is Aetna asking my history before completing the bariatric program i completed. Is this normal? Is this a precursor for denial? i'm very anxious now. I honestly thought being accepted into a bariatric program and successfully completing the program was enough.I guess that was wrong.

Hello, Does anyone want to buy these unopened bouillon or cream Soups off me? I can't have whey and didn't realize they had Whey Protein in them when I bought them. I bought them for $87.99/6pk but will sell for $85/6pk. Please tell me what 6 you would like or if you want all of them. Message me so I can mail them to you or if you are near Holden, MA then you can pick up. Just had surgery so can't drive. Thanks Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello, Does anyone want to buy these unopened bouillon or cream soups off me? I can't have Whey and didn't realize they had Whey Protein in them when I bought them. I bought them for $87.99/6pk but will sell for $85/6pk. Please tell me what 6 you would like or if you want all of them. Message me so I can mail them to you or if you are near Holden, MA then you can pick up. Just had surgery so can't drive. Thanks Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Yes my restriction kicks in and I do stop eating but am usually hungry about 1 hour later. Hopefully I will figure out what is triggering the hunger/snacking. I don't have a dietician, my health plan gives you a book for their patients to follow and the dieticians they do have do not have experience with bariatric patients. and give not so great advice. I'll probably have to pay out of pocket for a tailor made plan.

I was removing snow from my car in freezing weather when a neighbor who is like a stranger to me snuck up behind me and was within inches from my face and said "you have lost alot of weight". I don't associate with this person as there are over 100 tenants here and you can't know everyone. I was startled as I didn't even know they were there and what popped out was "oh? I don't know." To which they replied, "well you have!". They then turned around and walked away. The way they said "well you have" was kind of in a mean tone of voice. Almost like they didn't like me saying "Oh? I don't know". I felt uncomfortable about what happened. During a support group, the dietician at the bariatric center I go to said we can respond any way we feel fit when people make comments about our weight loss that make us feel our privacy is being invaded or if someone is being nosy compared to someone paying us a heartfelt caring compliment. If someone you don't associate with mentions your weight loss in a way that doesn't feel complimentary or genuine, what are some approaches you have taken? I could have said "mind your own business", "can't you see I am busy", "why did you just sneak up behind me like that", etc. And maybe I should have! Thanks.

So sorry you experienced this. And they always do it out of the goodness of their heart & in your best interest. Out of curiosity, does your friend have a weight issue? Could it be jealousy that you are doing something about your health & she isn’t?? Get some stats ready for next time you see them. Morbidity rates after bariatric surgery ate less than 1% which is way less than many other surgeries. 0.7% for appendectomy while only 0.3% for sleeve. Obesity is the 5th highest cause of death world wide - 2.8 million people die each year from obesity related illnesses & complications. Would they comment if you were having a different non weight related surgery? I deliberately did not tell some friends. One in particular as she has always been very competitive. I told her I was seeing a dietician & had done a lot of research into eating & in relation to my personal needs. All true & sure enough she started seeing a dietician (she had put a little weight -age- but wasn’t even really overweight). And then came the what size are you wearing now questions. She was always wearing the same or a smaller size. Mind you she wasn’t my size but you can understand why I didn’t tell her.

It really is different for each individual. I can only tell what I experienced from my Gastric Bypass surgery on Nov 8th. I felt the gas the first few days but no real discomfort to me. Sometimes just changing position would help. No pain per say but I walked a lot around the house and honestly was too tired those first few days to take the dog for a walk. No problem sleeping (I sleep on my side anyway). They gave me pain meds to take home but I never needed any. Speaking of tired, remember you will be recovering from surgery so you will be worn out. Rest, rest, and recuperate. My first 2 weeks was a "full liquid diet" where I lived on protein shakes and yogurt. My focus was on healing, getting protein, and fluids. Again, I experienced no pain, no GERD, and very little constipation. By the 2nd week I had more energy, so started taking the dog for a morning walk again ( she is so Happy!). Still not hungry! 3rd & 4th week was my "pureee phase" and again no pain or complications. My energy was still increasing however I made sure I was active in the morning because the afternoons still saw my batteries running low. During my 4th week I added my Airdyne stationary bike to my routine after the morning walk. Then had a 2 week "soft textured" phase which I am entering the final week. Still no pain or complications. Still learning the "full indicator" (when to stop eating) and trying to find foods that I want to eat (especially in this phase). Still not hungry but I have become aware of when my actual stomach and not my head says "feed me". Looking forward to the "Bariatric regular" phase starting soon. I honestly feel that these previous phases (including pre-surgery) have prepared me for the long run. So in summary, I personally did not experience any difficulties or pain with this surgery but am enjoying not only the weight loss but the healthy lifestyle. Also, my blood sugar & BP are normal without any medications for the first time in decades. Listen to your bariatric team, stick with the plan and you will be fine. You are going to have great 2023!

I take Bariatric Advantage enhanced Multi, 2 chewable with breakfast and calcium chewable 3x day, lunch dinner and bedtime.

Try FitLife fat-free milk. It's ultra-pasturized and lactose free--plus it tastes good. It also froths like a dream. I also encourage you to buy a few bariatric cookbooks. There are many on Amazon. They give ideas for all stages post-surgery.

I hope you know that there will be a drain or drains following your bariatric surgery! I found them uncomfortable but bearable.