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That first week is tough! In fact, the first few weeks are a big adjustment. Having feelings like, "What did I do?"😱, came up a few times over those first few weeks. Recovery from the surgery was smooth for me, but drinking & eating weren't fun or easy. It gets easier & better as you move through the stages of the diet plan & can tolerate more foods & beverages. Seeing success on the scale or with NSVs will also help it all seem worth it. Right now, I am almost 2 months post op and slightly over 40 pounds down. My clothes are getting baggy. I am able to eat a variety of foods, but know when to stop. I feel like I am in control of my eating for the first time in my life. It is so much easier for me to make better choices & try to practice mindful eating. At this point, this seems to be effective for me & I would do it again. I hope it continues to be a helpful tool in successfully losing weight & maintaining it. I hope the surgery is successful in helping you achieve your weightloss goals & that you will be pleased with your decision. 😁

I lost about 19 pounds in the first month after surgery date.i think I only lost 8 pounds the first week after surgery. I had a small stall around week 6, and now the scale is moving again. It sound like you lost a lot right after surgery, and I'm sure the scale will start moving again soon! 😁

I drink coffee without issue, have since day two if you count the cafe mocha protein drinks, probably day three of real coffee. There are some doctors (in all specialties) who give the absolute safest/healthiest/trendiest advice just because that’s what they do. The reality is caffeine isn’t needed by the body. Any research or study that even remotely indicates a negative association will cause some doctors to put (insert food/drink item here) on their prohibition list just because… it’s like a mechanic who says “get your oil changed every 5000 miles without exception” because technically it is the best/safest advice vs the mechanic who says “it’s honestly fine if you go over a little, just don’t go crazy and get it taken care of soon.” The first is covering his butt so the one in a million customer that has their engine blow up at 5001 miles past the last oil change doesn’t blow a gasket (hah!) and blame them even though it’s not likely connected vs the second who understands the realities of the situation and gives practical honest advise that is more compliant with the busy lives of the vast majority of people. Many doctors are VERY risk averse due to malpractice lawsuits, some are just exceptionally health conscious on behalf of their patients to the point of being unrealistic, some even misunderstand physics and how the body works (straw prohibition!! Grrrrrr!!). The real real answer? You’ll almost certainly be absolutely fine drinking coffee. There is a chance you won’t. There is a chance caffeine will cause you health concerns down the road. There is a chance it won’t. Your body doesn’t need it, but you may want it and that’s ok. Me? Sipping my coffee as I type this long ramble of a mess of a post.

Every surgeon has different guidelines and it's your own surgeons guidelines that should be followed for optimal success. Each surgeon has a slightly different program that they tweak until they see the most results from their patients. My own surgeon's guidelines was 1 week liquids, 1-2 week puree (depending on how you tolerate moving to soft foods stage), 2-3 weeks soft foods (depending on how you tolerate moving to a modified general diet), modified general diet (there were certain foods we were told to avoid for a set amount of time such as no berries, nuts, or lettuce for 3 months, no beans or potatoes for 6 months. Things like that).

My program allows coffee. They just ask that you limit it to no more than 2 cups per day. I didn't want any the first couple of weeks but then resumed it after that. Actually, it was even on my meal trays in the hospital. My program also allows straws, many do not.

Has anyone experienced hair loss? I’m 4 months out from ESG down 50 pounds and my hair started falling out in the last 2 weeks and it’s so depressing. I luckily have thick hair already but I can’t even run my hand through my hair without ending up with a handful of hair. I got some zinc I read that was good for hair loss and I take a hair nails and skin supplement. I’m just so sad losing this much hair is concerning. Thoughts? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Congrats on what you have achieved so far. Fantastic. I’m very glad I did the surgery. Like a lot of us, I’d tried many, many diets over the years. The two things they had in common was that if they worked I’d lose some weight & then put it on again (start gaining again a couple of weeks later). With the surgery I’ve been able to maintain my weight for about a year. I know I’m a newbie when it comes to maintaining but it’s been pretty astounding that I’ve been able to do for this long so far. The surgery afforded me the opportunity to reassess how I ate, what I ate & why I ate & I’m way more mindful of these now. The physicality of the surgery also helps me to keep to smaller portion sizes & the restriction reminds me very quickly if I eat too fast or too much. It also boosted my metabolism which I had killed through decades of not eating in an attempt to maintain my weight. I did quite a bit of reading too & worked out a way of eating that works for me. I wanted to ensure the changes I made to how I ate (I don’t like using the word diet much - too negative) was practical, sustainable & didn’t compromise how I wanted to live & enjoy my life. The surgery doesn’t stop me going out to restaurants, socialising with friends & family, etc. I don’t miss out on events. Honestly, my long term sensitivity to spice & chilli is much more restrictive on what & where I can eat than the surgery. Personally, I chose the sleeve because it altered my digestive system the least & had fewer possible restrictions & requirements (less chance of dumping, less absorption issues, etc.). Life has the unfortunate habit of throwing a heaping pile of crap at us at times, so we don’t know where we will be in 5 years. But even if in 5 years, you’ve settled at the average weight loss of 65% of the weight you had to lose, that’s still better than where you are now. You’ll be healthier, eating better & enjoying life more. That’s my thinking anyway. Good luck whatever you decide to do.

There are many different plans some with minimal differences others with more. Best advice is to follow your surgeon’s plan so if there is an issue they know where you should be in the process & what you should have been consuming. Mine was two weeks liquids. Two weeks purée & then two weeks soft.

I am a 50-year-old man who struggled with my weight most of my life, starting with being an overweight kid. No diet or exercise program produced tangible, good results. At my annual physical in March I weighed in at 405 pounds. I take no meds, and up to this point, my most serious health issue has been sleep apnea that I was trying to handle with CPAP (mostly unsuccessfully). Given my alarmingly high weight, my doctor recommended that I look into the bariatric surgery option. I eagerly started the process, looking at it as a once-in-a-lifetime chance for getting back to normal body weight and gaining a quality of life I have not enjoyed for a long time. The bariatric program I joined requires that patients lose 10% of their weight before even being scheduled for surgery. Insurance also requires at least 3 months of engagement with a managed weight loss program. I was determined that despite my past struggles with diets, I will do whatever it takes to make the cut. I met with the program's nutritionist and had a very nice discussion with her. Then I went home, and threw out the materials she gave me (calorie counting book, etc), and ignored all her directions and advice. I dove into reading and research and started implementing a diet largely based on Matthew Weiner's A Pound of Cure vegetable-focused program. I had immediate success, losing 20 lbs in the first month (guaranteed, a lot of that may have been water weight held onto by insulin). I kept reading and experimenting, incorporating advice from Sten Ekberg (Master Your Health), Eric Berg, Dave Asprey (Bulletproof Diet), Jason Fung (fasting strategies), and many others. At this point, I am three months into my pre-op personally directed diet. I have lost a total of 70 pounds have a current weight loss rate of 1 lb / day feeling great COMPLETE resolution of my sleep apnea issues 120/80 blood pressure (was somewhat high at the beginning of the program) went from a size 4XL to wearing 2XL (depending on cut of clothing) 48 inch waist to 42 inch waist not counting calories no hunger or craving issues I am just starting to discover the research (a recent Nobel Prize-winning one) regarding Autophagy and its related health benefits brought about by intermittent fasting, and many other possibilities. Next week I am scheduled to meet with the bariatric program's PA, do my weigh-in, and (pending insurance approval) schedule the surgery. I am torn and in doubt. The last few months have been some of the most exhilarating experiences in my life. Gaining control of my body and my overall health in the way I have done in such a short period of time is amazing. The bariatric surgery option, which just a short while ago seemed like a Holy Grail lifesaver to me, seems full of pitfalls and restrictions on the methods I can do to manage my body weight and health. I was looking forward to trying out possibilities with time-restricted eating, and using longer fasts (triggering autophagy) to eliminate loose, hanging skin that might come about otherwise with significant weight loss. On the other hand, I still weigh 335 pounds and am nowhere near my goal of a healthy 200. What if my weight loss stalls out well short of that goal? The sensible answer might be to simply wait, see what happens, and re-engage with the program if it seems necessary to keep pushing past a stall point. However, for reasons I do not want to detail, I might not have this option after this year. Under these circumstances, if this was your only chance to move ahead with a Gastric Sleeve operation, would you do it? Any other thoughts? Your help is greatly appreciated.

My surgeon gave my different information than my dietitian on the stages of progressing diet (I.e liquid, full liquid, soft food). I was wondering your timeline was. I am one week post op and still on clear liquids

I had surgery at 297 or something (I can’t remember) and I am now 232. my goal weight was 195. I JUST started losing again after a massive stall that lasted WEEKS. I get like I was stuck at 245 forever! food wise: I’m getting in 50- 60 grams of protein (my protein levels are lower than the average patient because of kidney issues) Caloric intake is 700-800 a day. I really can’t get in much sometimes but I make sure to hit my protein and water goals. sample meals for a day: breakfast: scrambled egg (I’ll eat maybe half snack: cheese stick lunch: P3 and a yogurt (sometimes I can’t finish the yogurt and only eat half) Dinner: 2 chicken wings and a bite or two of a side, but not much and I often pass on the side completely and just eat the chicken. I just had my call from the dr and they told me I was doing great…. So I guess they aren’t concerned with my stall 🤷🏼‍♀️ i honestly can’t even give them an accurate weight because the 232 was when I had jeans, shoes, etc… all my clothes. So I might be 220 something lol

Any other March sleevers found themself in a stall. I have lost 55 pounds and I seem to be stuck 20 pounds from my goal weight. How is everyone else doing??

Wanted to know what are people feelings about getting this surgery, I got it on sept 15, but kind of on the fence with it.

Gastric sleeve on sept 15, one week out and honestly am on the fence with the surgery

What a wonderful outcome! The 56lbs you lost was that after the revision? I go in for revision next week and have been looking for others experiences. Thank you for sharing and congratulations!

I had my VSG on 5/10/21. In my first few months, I had the rapid weight loss that is pretty typical, but in the last month or so, I have lost very little. I know that stalls are normal so I am not really stressed about that, but I have noticed some old habits starting to creep back in as my weight loss has slowed. I am doing less tracking, more grazing, eating bigger portions than I should, and making worse choices in general than I was a few months ago. So, I am here now looking for someone that is in a similar stage in their journey to connect with and possibly help me get back on track and keep me accountable. As I am sure many of you experience, my family is very supportive but it isn't the same as talking to someone that is one the same journey. BB

Try using a glycerin suppository laxative. I hadn't gone in a week and I used one and I had a BM in a half hour. So much better!

I'm just over a week out and I had all these fears a few weeks ago. (Except about the piercings!) I must have had the TAP block too, because I was in very little pain at the hospital, but I was in a lot of pain once I got home (mostly when I tried to get up from lying down or when I was walking). I did take 3 total opioid pills but I would probably have survived with just the Tylenol (although I'd have been quite uncomfortable). I don't take the tylenol around the clock anymore, but I still need it sometimes. I had a lot of trouble getting in my liquid and protein the first three days, but now I'm getting at least 80 oz a day of liquid and about 80g of protein. My plan doesn't allow pudding. I'm eating strained soup (hot and sour or tom yum or onion or tomato), light greek yogurt, protein drinks, and a tiny bit of sugar free jello, although that doesn't appeal to me much. I'm drinking iced decaf coffee mixed with protein drink, low sugar drink packets mixed with 24 oz of water (like crystal light but I don't like their flavors), and cold water. I need to eat every few hours and I'll sit on the couch with a water bottle on my lap until I've drunk at least 8 oz before doing anything else. I'm not a big TV watcher, so I'm doing this while listening to podcasts or talking on the phone. Best of luck to you all!

Congrats on beginning this journey! In the beginning it seems overwhelming, set small, manageable goals and non-food rewards for reaching them. That makes it much easier. Follow your surgeon's diet plan. At first it is very difficult as you will have head hunger, serious cravings. Drink water, read, adult coloring books, apps on your phone, other hobbies, can all help you get past those first few weeks. THEN you will have lost a significant amount, mostly water, but still, it feels amazing to see the pounds go away! A mantra I kept telling myself is "carbs beget carbs" this helped a lot. As I thought about having an old FAV, I'd be reminded that it will only make my cravings worse. Yes, absolutely consult with your doctor and get an RX for PT. Ask the therapist, specifically, to show you things that you can do at home, safely. Therabands might be a start, but I've no idea what strength you'd begin with, that's where PT comes in.

I have had warm soup but not broth since my liquid diet. I am willing to try it. I have never tried prune juice either but I will get some next time I am at the store. I used milk of magnesia a few weeks back and that worked instantly but I am looking for a long term natural remedy.

good luck to those with surgeries this week. It is not as bad as you are anticipating.

You need to take smaller sips. I am just over one week out. I can take bigger sips than right after surgery, but I still can't gulp water. Your surgery center should have told you about this. It gets better but you likely will not be able to "guzzle" water anymore.

that's not uncommon. It can take up to a week, and that first one can be a doozy!

Oh yes, way to large a portion to begin. It used to take me three days to eat two scrambled eggs. All plans are different but mine was 1/4 to 1/3 cup of food to begin. It can be shock at first to realise & accept that a couple of spoonfuls is more than enough. Plus how long it can take to eat such small quantities. Go slowly & don’t push yourself to eat more than your still healing digestive system can manage. You’ll work it all out.