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I would get the drinks with the sweetener of your choice and just add the unflavored protein to them, or brew tea and add the erythritol to it, then add the protein powder. I hate artificial sweeteners but I have decided part of my journey to surgery is learning to tolerate them as this is a lifelong change and I don't do well with sugar alcohols like erythritol. My surgeon requires the 2 week pre surgery liver reduction diet to be done with the Premier Protein premade shakes and those are sucralose based... I think I have like 10 flavors of them now. LOL I still cringe with the first few sips but having them ice cold helps. With fruit drinks I find a sour component helps cut the artificial taste and sometimes watering them down more than the package states. I like adding cold brew coffee concentrate to the shakes, the bitter component balances out the sweetness. I'll have to get decaf for after surgery! But really, the pumpkin spice flavored one with coffee concentrate makes a pretty decent pumpkin spice latte!

Hell No! I have zero cravings for any food, which has to do with 95% of hormone telling your brain to eat is removed with bottom of stomach, there is no dumping, pouch will not stretch, but your esophagus will lose the feeling for having food in it if you overeat. And if you overeat too much you will have to throw up. But you won't get the sitting on the toilet. Alcohol won't make you drunk on 1 drink, and absorption is so much better. No way, sleeve was only choice I would ever make

I have just arrived home from our 14 day holiday. We had it booked pre- covid and the company allowed us to continue postponing the booking until we could go. It was a All inclusive type holiday where you stay in a big resort and everything is at hand which suits us when travelling, my husband needs a wheelchair. We were a little nervous of the airports and flying as it is such a hassle with a wheelchair. It all went quite smoothly except for the times I was stranded with a hubby, wheelchair, two suitcases and two bags and a large handbag. At times it felt like I was the puzzle where you have a river to cross with a bag of grain, a hen and a fox. I wore the bags like a bandolero, pulled the suitcase and pushed the wheelchair with my stomach. Oh the joys of checking in at airports. I ate what I wanted, which being me, was always the best fish, seafood, cheeses and a vast amount of serrano/ parma ham. They made their own cookies and bread so these never got bypassed but in small amounts. I even had butter and ice cream. I drank strong coffee with liqueurs and some long cocktails. Usually one or two a day. A few times I felt really drunk when the bar tenders had made the cocktails stronger than the last. It was not a good feeling but I found something to eat and then the alcohol was absorbed quickly. I was a little worried to get on the scales this morning. Pre surgery, I could put almost a stone on in the two weeks [14lbs] a lot of it was water weight around my swollen ankles. I weighed in at exactly the same and TMI moment, had 8 days of poop inside me. So may even loose weight when the medicine kicks in [ or is it out ? ] So te he he another win win for my bariatric surgery

FORGIVE THE LENGTHY MESSAGE. NEED TO GIVE CONTEXT I am wondering if any one experienced this my starting weight was 139kg before surgery on the 15th of January 2023 on day of surgery it was 131kg 2 weeks post-op i was stalled for 8weeks which was not a bother to me at the time i healed quite quickly with no complications and was moved to solids within 3 weeks by the dietitian too. between January and April i lost some weight down to 111kg Since april i have not lost anything. I have gained and lost 3-4 kg since April till date which is September 6th 2023 I do everything many people say on every platform which had never been a challenge namely Monitor what i eat: I eat between 88 - 1200 calories I have more protein than anything eggs, lean meat, chicken, fish, shrimps carbs are mostly bulgur wheat. which i have sparingly 2ce a month. Plantain i have daily to balance my protein intake but not as much as protein. I prob have more grams of protein a day and that includes protein water. I work out 4-5 days a week for up to 1:30 - 2:00 hours each day In April i worked out more 4 days a week 2ce a day 2day time cardio 1:30 hours night time strength training. no weights heavier than 25kg i take my vitamins biotin and all recommended as well as powdered collagen Recent bloods shows everything within normal range. I am going into my 5th month and i am still 111kg Since April. My dietitian is numb on what is going on, the nurse recommended liquid collagen ( which makes no sense) and have said hormones.... but hormones cannot affect this 5months straight. I did bloods to check my thyroids and it showed elevated parathyroid (no idea what that means)..... not gotten an explanation as my vitamin levels and calcium levels are normal my nails are very soft and brittle and my hair falls like the weather ( only blessed to have a full head of hair but cant say it is helpful soon) No ...... the clothes i wore in April are still the same September. measurements are the same..... the only win i am getting from this is that my knee and ankle dont hurt as much when i workout. i dont burn out as i used to and i work out more than i used to before which was walking up to 50k-70ksteps a day. I have never been one who drank alcohol and havent started post surgery. I have never been one who ate junk food like crisps, tacos, burgers. I have not been diagnosed diabetic nor with PCOS i noticed when i had no carbs in my diet i lost fast but when i introduced carbs as suggested by the dietitian everything came on hold I NEED SOME SIGN THAT I AM NOT IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE OR A LONG DREAM!!! Cos it feels pointless having done the surgery not to be an effective tool Anyone in a similar predicament before

FORGIVE THE LENGTHY MESSAGE. NEED TO GIVE CONTEXT I am wondering if any one experienceD this my starting weight was 139kg before surgery on the 15th of January 2023 on day of surgery it was 131kg 2 weeks post-op i was stalled for 8weeks which was not a bother to me at the time i healed quite quickly with no complications and was moved to solids within 3 weeks by the dietitian too. between January and April i lost some weight down to 111kg Since april i have not lost anything. I have gained and lost 3-4 kg since April till date which is September 6th 2023 I do everything many people say on every platform which had never been a challenge namely Monitor what i eat: I eat between 88 - 1200 calories I have more protein than anything eggs, lean meat, chicken, fish, shrimps carbs are mostly bulgur wheat. which i have sparingly 2ce a month. Plantain i have daily to balance my protein intake but not as much as protein. I prob have more grams of protein a day and that includes protein water. I work out 4-5 days a week for up to 1:30 - 2:00 hours each day In April i worked out more 4 days a week 2ce a day 2day time cardio 1:30 hours night time strength training. no weights heavier than 25kg I take 2-3 liters of water throughout the day no compared to 3 months ago. Up to 1liter during my work out and the rest throughout the day. mostly sips. I do get hungry but try to drink water to quench or use the plantain (carb for the day) to satisfy myself i take my vitamins biotin and all recommended as well as powdered collagen Recent bloods shows everything within normal range. I am going into my 5th month and i am still 111kg Since April. My dietitian is numb on what is going on, the nurse recommended liquid collagen ( which makes no sense) and have said hormones.... but hormones cannot affect this 5months straight. I did bloods to check my thyroids and it showed elevated parathyroid (no idea what that means)..... not gotten an explanation as my vitamin levels and calcium levels are normal my nails are very soft and brittle and my hair falls like the weather ( only blessed to have a full head of hair but cant say it is helpful soon) No ...... the clothes i wore in April are still the same September. measurements are the same..... the only win i am getting from this is that my knee and ankle dont hurt as much when i workout. i dont burn out as i used to and i work out more than i used to before which was walking up to 50k-70ksteps a day. I have never been one who drank alcohol and haven't started post surgery. I have never been one who ate junk food like crisps, tacos, burgers. I have not been diagnosed diabetic nor with PCOS i noticed when i had no carbs in my diet i lost fast but when i introduced carbs as suggested by the dietitian everything came on hold I NEED SOME SIGN THAT I AM NOT IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE OR A LONG DREAM!!! Cos it feels pointless having done the surgery not to be an effective tool Anyone in a similar predicament before

yes - definitely sounds like a reaction to artificial sweeteners. Would they let you have Fairlife milk instead? (It would probably have to be the plain milk since I'm assuming the chocolate milk and the Fairlife shakes have artificial sweeteners, too). Although maybe there's a sweetener that you can tolerate (most people aren't intolerant of all of them - just some (sugar alcohols are a common culprit. They're the ones whose names end it "-itol", like xylitol)

No acne, but a pimple which is odd at my age (56) and then I broke out in a rash at my thyroid area, asked my nephrologist about it and he said it isn't my thyroid so now I have no idea WTH it is??? I have had my surgeon say and a surgeon I am following on Youtube, Dr. John Pilcher out of San Antonio, Tx, say repeatedly about how the bariatric surgery somehow resets your hormones so I'd say it is probably "normal" to have hormonal changes affecting your body like a teen in puberty. I normally have very clear skin and it is usually in great shape for my age but it has been very dry since surgery (but I had also discontinued my thyroid meds at the time of surgery and have since re-started) and I feel like I look like my skin has aged 5 years since! IF this doesn't improve and the red blotch doesn't go away by next week I'm going to see a regular md and then a dermatologist bc I hate the look of it. Another weird thing to consider: We are all probably eating more fats/meats than before surgery? Broths and cream soups can have high fat contents, eggs, cheeses, etc. especially if it wasn't your "usual" diet. I rarely ate eggs/breakfast foods but have been waking very hungry and it is one of the few soft foods so I've gone through nearly 3 dozen eggs these last 31 days! I don't think I've ever eaten so many eggs. Ditto with Chicken broth and cream of chicken soup. /for the pimple I just wiped it with alcohol, used my metal face pimple clearer thingy to scrape/pop it off and reapplied alcohol and it was dried up and gone the next morn. p

I do both. I use the Baritastic app, and I set my calorie and carb goals and try not to exceed them. I think some people take issue with carb counting because there's good carbs and really, really bad carbs. For me, carbs are really important to monitor because I really don't like vegetables. I can eat a bit of fresh salad, but that's about it because I have texture issues. I can't stand cooked veggies, to me it's inedible slime. Lol! Obviously, good carbs are necessary for vitamins and minerals and proper digestion, but carbs with no nutritional value (junk food) only "nurture" us emotionally. Ironically, after we eat crap that makes us feel good momentarily, we start to feel like crap, emotionally (guilt, mood swings) and physically (joint/muscle pain). I stand by my carb detoxes. I never realized how mood-altering crap food can be. I was starting to use junk food like I was using alcohol, just for instant gratification and distraction, alcohol and carb hangovers be damned. However, I was extremely frustrated, and easily irritated all.the.time. My joints hurt when I eat crap. My sleep suffers too. Once I went below 50 carbs a day, my whole attitude changed. I felt better physically and emotionally. Very healthy proteins are moderately high in calories (beef, chicken, seafood), but protein is very necessary with our bariatric surgeries. This is why I give myself more leeway with calories than carbs.Bad carbs, on the other hand, offer nothing but momentary satisfaction. Momentary satisfaction is good once in a while, but the problem with loading up on bad carbs again is that, like a drug, the more we ingest it, the more we crave it. The less we have it in our system, the less it calls our attention. People think I'm being dramatic, but I know how I feel when I detox from carbs and when I start eating crap again. It just snowballs, and eating junk becomes more and more "important" as the day progresses. Using the app really helps me keep a realistic awareness of my nutritional goals. Because I'm only 3 months out, my goal settings right now are 750-800 cal, 70-80g protein, and <50 carbs. I have good days when I hit only 600 cals, 30 carbs, but 85+g protein. I also have my bad days when I consume 875 cals, 60 carbs, but only 65g protein. I think they really go hand in hand because the more carbs I eat, the more calories I'm consuming (and the less protein I get). I worry more about my carb intake because when I go over on my carbs, I know it's because I had bites here and there of junk food (not good carbs). At the end of the day, it really all comes down to what kind of carb intake you have. If your carbs are coming from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, then it's great! But if not, then maybe take stock of them. Either way, I wish you the best always on your continued weight loss journey! P.S. Prior to my surgery, my doc wanted me to lose weight (so he could help me lose weight) so I did a semi-liquid, hyper-low carb diet and lost 32 lbs in 38 days. Didn't count or give a flip about calories. I only drank 3 shakes a day, they wanted me to drink 5. Tan locos! I couldn't drink 5. I did 3 shakes and a hearty all protein dinner.

3 month update! 5/4/23 - Start Pre-surgery diet - 324 5/15/23 - Surgery - 307.6 8/15/23 - 3 month - 242.4 Had my 3 month visit with the dietician and have blown past all of the targets (both the 3m and 6m ones). The year target is down 100 pounds (from the 324), and I am only 18 pounds away from that one. Should be able to hit it by 6 months. Have had very little in the way of side effects. I have thrown up twice when I over ate and had 20-30m of pain after eating some pork that I apparently didn't do right (not sure if I didn't chew it enough or what). I have been pretty low energy only when working out (but that is getting a little better), but have been fine the rest of the day. I have occassionally had an alcoholic drink (started on vacation and has crept back into one or two drinks a week), but I am trying to be a little more strict about that. Currently reading a book called Wheat Belly that talks about how evil Wheat is. Pretty interesting stuff, but heavy on the science behind it all. In the past week I have averaged: 975 calories per day, 78g of protein, 64 oz of water. Given that I workout in the Texas heat (Crossfit gym), I need to be drinking more fluids, otherwise I am really happy with where I am at. I don't feel like there is anything that I want to eat that I can't (or haven't been) eating already. I cheat a little bit with tortilla chips, but that is really the only thing. Honestly, I feel like this whole process has been as painless as possible. I feel incredibly lucky, especially after hearing Synlee's story (I hope you are doing better!)

From what I'm reading about the Ozempic and Mounjaro injections, once you stop taking them, their appetite suppressant effects wear off and the weight comes back. I have a friend who takes one, but she takes it because she's diabetic. She has lost weight, but she'll most likely need it the rest of her life due to the diabetes anyway. She's told me that at times, she won't inject herself if she goes on a trip (for example) so that she can indulge in alcohol and decadent food without feeling nauseated/vomiting/cramps/diarrhea. But again, she doesn't take it for weight loss. If they're being used solely for weight loss, they will help, but I guess it all depends on how long you're willing to take them. It's possible you can use the injections until you reach your goal. After that, however, it would be up to your self-discipline to continue to foster the modifications that the injections provided. I imagine you'd also have to consider insurance coverage, personal expense, and what short-term and long-term side effects they'll have on you, and whether those effects are cohesive with your lifestyle.

I was told by my surgery team to not drink at all. Due to the increased risk of ulcers, transfer addiction & alcoholism.

I detoxed from carbs and alcohol. It was difficult for only about the first 3 or 4 days. The less you eat carbs the less you crave them. I did 3 protein shakes and one solid, super low carb meal a day. Lost about 30 lbs in 30 days before I even started my 2-week pre-op liquid diet.

Awesome to hear of y’all’s progress! Synlee, I hope you are getting some relief, or at least some answers and hope going forward. I am almost done with my travel-palooza (28 days of travel in a 41 day span). The diet has been a little wheels off, mainly around alcohol (have a few frozen cocktails on the beach). Been doing good at home and decent overall, but will need to rededicate myself next week once I am back home for good. All that being said, I couldn’t be happier with my results. Down 69 from starting (53 from surgery date), and closing in on 250. My face is much thinner now and I have dropped a size or two in clothes. Daily energy has been good, but I have noticed a huge change in my energy and strength levels while working out. I feel like I am running at 50-60% of what I was at pre-surgery. Everything I have read said that gets better as the caloric intake increases, so I am not too worried about it. also reading an interesting book called Wheat Belly that talks about the damaging effects of modern wheat, and I think it has convinced me (along with the general guidelines from my doc) to move to a paleo type diet long term (very very low carb).

Ohhh, the soda thing is good to know. I don't have a habit of drinking them, but this is incentive not to develop one before surgery! Also, to the OP, have you checked out the little bento box containers you can get on Amazon? There are a variety of them. I have two different ones and love them because they make it so easy to prep meals and snacks! I have the Kinsho small bentos and the Easy Lunchboxes bento snack boxes. The sugar free drink mixes can be overly sweet but you can cut them with unsweetened tea! Or carbonated water if you are craving carbonation and don't want to quit. Or just use a portion of the pack/dilute it more and add fruit/lemon slices. I find I crave the taste of sour fruit things, so adding lemonade powder and lemons or limes to things usually cuts the cloying sweetness some of those other fruit flavors have. I often use the unsweetened Just Lemon or Just Lime powder in things. I think you can even get a grapefruit one. Just avoid the sugar alcohols, they are brutal on the gut!

Try sparkling water instead of soda. All the bubbles but no sugar or artificial sweeteners. The artificial sweeteners in the zero sugar drinks could be what’s upsetting you @naynay77. The sugar alcohol ones (any ending in ‘ol’) are the usual culprits.

I very truly feel your pain. I was sleeved in 2009 and I did fantastic the first 6 years. I lost 149 lbs and 9 dress sizes. At first, I wasn't even exercising and the weight just melted away daily. When I got down to the weight limit that could not be exceeded on an elliptical machine that I borrowed from a sister, I started exercising on it. Eventually, I was using the elliptical for an hour, non-stop, 5 days a week. Everything began to change in December 2014. My father passed away and he was the be all end all of existence for me. I am the youngest of 13 kids and was totally a daddy's girl. He was very ill already, but he ended up dying on my mom's birthday from a heart attack in his sleep. I was the first one to get to his house after my brother who was taking care of him called us all. When I got to my dad, his eyes were still open. My brother was dealing with the coroner and the police officer. I really freaked out and thought I'd better close his eyes before my other sisters or my nieces and nephews saw him. So I did. I closed my father's eyes. My heart broke in half right at that moment. I kinda lost my sh*t. My doc ended up putting me on Xanax and Ambien. Fast forward a few months to April 2015, I ended up getting divorced. Then 15 months later in July 2016 my mother died. Her heart stopped, and during CPR administration, her ribs broke and one pierced her lung. It filled with fluid and because she'd had respiratory issues most of her life, they couldn't help her. She died after 3 agonizing days in the hospital. Then in 2017, I was transferred from one job post to another. They weren't even going to tell me until right before I showed up for work, I found out sooner by accident. I'd been at that post for 10 years. It was a retaliation from a supervisor who knew that I knew too much information about illegal activity that went on under his nose. Literally, every year something horrible was happening to me. The anxiety, depression, and meds led to me not giving a sh*t about what I ate and a lot of drinking. I was drinking every night. I wasn't exercising anymore. I was eating anything I wanted to eat. It was still very little food, because I had a lot of restriction. But I was eating every kind of junk food you can think of. I was eating at all hours of the day. I was grazing, as they call it. I could eat every 3 hours. And the alcohol was just straight shots of tequila. By 2022, I had regained most of my weight and gone back up 6 sizes. You can lose weight again. You can detox from carbs. You can go back to protein shakes. This past May, I started dieting (on my own) because the doc wanted me to lose weight before he'd do the revision. I was drinking a protein shake for breakfast and for lunch, then I was eating a good, solid, very low carb (even zero carb) dinner. No alcohol. In 30 days, I lost 30 lbs. And this was before my surgery. It is absolutely possible, but you have to make the effort and you have to have the discipline. The first 3-4 days are tough as you detox, but then it just gets easier and easier. I wish you luck, friend.

Hi all November 2021 people! I want to do a little update because this thread is the only 'diary' I ever actually made - it's fascinating to look back at some of the posts we all made as we went along. I hope you are all doing really well. There aren't many of us posting regularly here any more so I hope that's because you are all too busy enjoying your new life. I am but I just like it here too, LOL. So, my current weight is 139 lbs - it's gone up and down by 2 or 3 pounds within the range 137 - 140 for the last 3 or 4 months but so far no further than that, and I don't take any particular action when those couple of pounds go on. Calorie intake is still about 1300 on weekdays and probably more like 1800-2000 at weekends now (alcohol and limited snacks). I still track everything. I walk A LOT for exercise. I stopped running after a few attempts because even though I enjoyed it it was causing me pain afterwards that lasted for days and then I couldn't do my usual walks so ended up costing me exercise time! I really want to get into some weights but I have such a busy life (excuse alert!) that I am short of time after I fit in all my walks. I am thankful every day that I had this surgery. Honestly, even if I regained every pound tomorrow it would have been worth it just to have this time feeling normal and being able to do normal things. We have a family vacation starting next week that I would have dreaded before, and now I can't wait and am signing up for every single activity along with my children. I would love to hear from anyone in the original gang who still reads but doesn't post much.

I was told a year, but I sipped a beer at about 6 weeks, hated the taste and still do 8 months post op. Had my first official drink 8 weeks post op, a margarita with lots of ice to dilute the drink. It will hit you fast, 2 sips in and I started to feel a tingling sensation in my nape, that's how I still know I'm getting tipsy. I did notice that even though it hits faster, it also metabolizes faster. I tasted wine about 4 months post op, prefer not to do it, cheap wine its not the way to go, my palate separates the alcohol and it taste like a sip of juice, followed by a sip of alcohol. Since then, I had done a skinny mojito twice. I do try to limit the amount of alcohol I'm consuming because of the empty calories, and because I do not want to go back to bad habits, socially I think is fine.

I was cleared to drink alcohol at 3 months post-op which was right on July 4th. I made a mix of sugar free Cranberry juice and a shot of vodka. Tasted good, didn't make me drunk, sick or passed out. But made sure I ate something beforehand and drank very slowly. Have fun!!

It was at about two months. I had a gin & tonic which I sipped for hours - not kidding. Then it was another couple of months before I had another. I actually sort of lost my taste for it. Four years out & I still don’t drink often - usually a glass about once a month (except last weekend with girlfriends & a wedding - was a glass & a half of champagne each day for three days). A glass or two while you’re away likely won’t hurt. But do check with your team because plans differ. Remember it does slow your metabolism & the effects of the alcohol may be stronger & you may feel the effects more quickly. Track the calories & keep your non alcoholic fluids up.

i didnt have rice nor starch-based noodles until close to 1.5 years post op (by choice, not by mandate). i did have shirataki noodles though (a non-starch/carb plant-based noodle), and they sat very heavy in my stomach. plus they had zero nutritional value, ha. when i finally did get around to consuming rice and traditional noodles, like others above, they were/are veerrrrry filling and hang around in my stomach for what feels like forever. as for whether they are "allowed" it all depends on who u ask. i was cleared for everything (except alcohol) after 1 month. as with everything, if u really want it, try a bit and see how you and ur body responds. then go from there. Good luck! ❤️

Oh wow this is one of those things on which different programmes are so very different! I was cleared to have a glass or two of wine 7 weeks post op (xmas though so that might have accelerated my request). And I have had *some* alcohol on one or two days pretty much every week since then. Honestly I don't think it has held me back at all. I know this might be very different for others though. Can't see that one or two drinks on a holiday will impede your progress. Hope you have a lovely holiday OP!

Hi everyone! When did everyone have their first sip post surgery? I’m 7 months out now & on vacation. I want to have one cocktail but I’m kind of nervous since I have drank in forever and I don’t eat much.

I had the revision due to weight regain (not more weight loss from where the sleeve got me). Fourteen years ago, I had the sleeve. It was great, and I kept the weight off for 6 years. In 2014, life began to take its toll, and I gained it back. It took a decade and a half, but it happened. I still had restriction right up to this second surgery. There were other factors, however, like severe depression and anxiety after the death of my parents (18 months apart), a divorce right in between those 18 months, a job transfer I was not expecting and was not happy about the year after that, and then seriously quarantine-ing with my daughter and having to teach from home for a year and a half. Then the medications they put me on which eventually led to drinking alcohol every day.

How much pain you have is variable. I had none after my sleeve but I really knew about it with my gall removal. But the surgical gas is mostly in your abdominal cavity not in your digestive tract so burping & farting have minimal impact. The surgical gas rises up behind your lungs putting pressure on nerves which cause the pain. The gas is absorbed into your lungs & breathed out. Walking, marching on the spot, pumping your arms up & down, slow deep breathing all help you breath that gas out. Heat packs can help with any discomfort. It usually takes about a week to fully pass. Additional burping or farting can be from the shakes, any sugar alcohols used in the shakes or drinking too quickly, plus the change in your digestive process could be adding to it while your body gets used to the changes. GasX may help with this gas. As with everything if it persists or gets worse give your team a call.