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I am so excited for you!! Yaaaayyy!! It is really crazy how changing fluids and sleep can make a difference in weight loss! I too notice it immediately on the scale when I slack. It is common knowledge, yes, but so many people brush it off as unimportant when compared to food or exercise. But man, sleep and hydration will undermine your efforts elsewhere if they aren't on point. You are doing an awesome job, pat yourself on the back for changing two habits it would have been easy to ignore!

Ah yes! Though I am not in anywhere as lovely as Scotland or Ireland! I have always wanted to visit the US just to try the food...but I guess that will have to wait a long while now 😂 I shall have to see if they are avaliable in the UK - I see so many people talking about those! I so far have just got some powder to make protein water - I ordered peach tea, and watermelon flavours! https://www.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/clear-whey-protein-powder/12081395.html?affil=mpppc&gclid=ddf9e2dd9c041582771c84ff84212ed9&gclsrc=3p.ds&msclkid=ddf9e2dd9c041582771c84ff84212ed9&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=UK || EN || SEA || Brand || Consumables || EM&utm_term=myprotein clear whey isolate&utm_content=Brand || Clear Whey Isolate Definitely - I am trying to just mentally prepare but to be honest, far too much emotional eating!

Hello @Bypass2Freedom I used the Spire group too. I had wonderful care and was totally happy with my team. I stayed in hospital 4 days because of a few minor issues I was having and then a 5th day because of a power cut in my town. They said I couldn't go home to a cold house. No extra charges were levied either. I had zero pain. The head nurse and the dietician gave me their personal phone numbers in case I had any problems or questions along the way. My pre op was 3 weeks of milk and veg basically but your surgeon may want different. They asked me to take dressing gown, nightwear and slippers to the hospital. No need for a long telephone charger cable in our hospitals. Take some lip balm. My surgeon was against protein shakes so after my op I had milky coffee, home made shakes and Bovril or broth to drink. Puree was not for me, I had either tinned or home made soups sieved or mashed any lumps. When I came home I bought a bed wedge because I got reflux. I needed a thermos cup because my hot drinks were always going cold. It takes a long time to drink anything in the first few weeks. With Amazon having next day delivery, if you need something its so quick, its pointless stock piling stuff you may not need in advance. The hormonal changes are something that I had. I was very tearful and had full on PMT. I was 60+ so it came as a shock to me. There have been a few people on here who have become pregnant very quick after the surgery. If that's a problem then a chat with your GP might help.

I dont know what it is exactly. I work a lot and I study. I’m a nurse. I got into a fight with my mom and the guy I like isn’t interested in getting into a serious relationship. It’s a lot to deal with. I feel just lonely because I go through all of these new moments by myself, no one truly understands what this surgery has changed in my life. My body and the relationship I have with food is constantly transforming with time. I was using a weight loss drug that included an antidepressant, so I think it could be related. But I’ve always been depressed in my life, it’s just that I feel lonely going through all of these new changes. Losing weight isn’t easy, but people never really understand how much effort you have to put in, even if you have a tool like the surgery. I try to follow my diet as much as I can, but sometime let myself have some meals/snacks that I like. I’m stressed because I don’t know if I’m eating too much. My mind never shuts up, and it’s so exhausting. im just writing my thoughts, thank you for you answer

Yesterday was no fun, not gonna lie. Having two meals in one day disagree with me to the point of several hours of pain and frequent vomiting is not something I'd care to repeat, so I'm taking it as a warning to go very easy with foods today. My program's recommendation was to have 3 meals daily and to supplement with protein shakes in between as needed, but they were very anti-snacking, which I do understand in the longterm. But I hate protein shakes, so I've felt this added pressure that if I can't eat enough protein in one sitting, I'm dooming myself to drinking something vile in a few hours. It's a recipe for taking one bite too many. However, I went to the dietician the other day and she was asking about snacks, and seemed surprised when I said I didn't have any, just the protein shakes. She even suggested I may need to add in a snack or two! So now it seems I can have several small meals instead of protein shakes and they're fine with it. Talk about mixed messages! I swear they don't read their own booklets sometimes. Anyway, I'm going to experiment with smaller portions size and more frequent meals to see if it helps. If it's just a few things that trigger the tummy issues, I'll chalk it up to not being able to tolerate those foods. If it continues with no pattern or becomes more frequent, I'll definitely talk to my doctor's office to rule out a stricture.

You are another source of inspiration to me and I feel that we are very much similar (stats and progress and the love for food lolz) from what I gather through your replies and posts. I do not weigh daily and I do not track. I did track for 3 weeks a month or so ago and saw that I sit at around 800 calories a day (around 4.5 months post op) and now at over 6 months post op I still eat the same amount give or take. Even at my fittest and slimmest I never tracked or counted my calories and I don't think I will be doing that in my future if I am able to maintain my weight (with a little deviation that is). I also hate the weighing scale as it gives me so much anxiety (my heart starts thumping in my chest every time I step on it, I know I should talk to a therapist but I digress). What helps is that I exercise a lot and love working out since forever and it is sacred to me. I was traveling the past week and decided to have a little fun (to celebrate reaching the lowest weight I ever have) and allowed myself to eat normally (what the kids and the hubby were having) and that included burgers, bread, dessert (dumping is no joke, yikes!) and all things I didn't allow myself to eat. The portions were tiny mind you (thanks restriction). I decided to step on the scale once I was back and saw that I had lost 200 grams lol. I guess I should make friends with my scale and say hi multiple times a week instead of one. How do you keep tracking your calories without getting bored?

Good morning everyone! I have to say, all the extreme pain and unforeseen issues with surgery makes me nervous hahaha. I know it’s not the “norm”, but it makes you think. Singingbarista and Hiddenroses (i can’t figure out how to tag people hahaha), I totally know what you mean about not telling people. I have only told my sister and my mother and that’s because they’ve both had procedures similar to this. I agree, in my head there’s a fear of judgment that I’m taking the “easy way out”… even if I know that’s not true… this has got to be one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. This is a tool to aid us in loosing the excess weight that keeps us down for a number of reasons. I’m an Accountant, and fortunately I get to work remotely now so I’m not in the public eye, but when I fly down to see my family next year they’ll definitely see a big difference and I’ll have to be prepared for questions. I don’t like to lie so I’ll just have to prepare myself to tell the truth. If they judge me, that’s on them. I was given a choice on my procedures but was heavily advised to go with RNY because of the success rate with weight loss. My doctor told me that a lot of people he’s performed the Gastric Sleeve on have come back to get the RNY because of the weight gain back. My surgery is coming up on Wednesday and I’m honestly ready to get it over with. My food cravings and hunger pains are terrible. Maybe I’m not drinking enough water? I hear a lot of people say by this time it wasn’t so bad for them… ummm am I doing something wrong? Hahaha. How is everyone doing on the last days of the liquid diet? I have 4 days and counting… @Singingbarista, you have 3 days right? By the way, side note… i asked the doctor not to give me anything that’s a narcotic for pain meds (family history of severe pill addiction), does anyone think I can recover on Tramadol or Tylenol alone? Is there anyone who’s gone through that? Good luck to all, and for those of you who just went through the surgery, I really hope your pain goes away soon.

I am having the same struggle that you are having.. lately when people have been asking how am I losing the weight I just tell me.. working out 5-6 days a week, high protein, low carb and fat diet. That seems to do the trick. If they want to know more then I will tell them about the flavored waters that I am drinking and some of the high protein food that I am eating.

I second @NickelChip’s suggestion of trying warm/hot drinks. They are very soothing & the peppermint or ginger tea should help with the indigestion gas. Plus being hot, they force you to ensure you’re sipping. Get a thermal cup to keep them hot or pop your cup in a microwave to reheat as needed. Are you on a PPI yet? They reduce your stomach acid which is likely the cause of this gas. You’re still producing the amount of acid you needed to digest food when you had a large tummy & ate much more than you are able to now (especially after surgery).

I'm actually amazed. Lost 90 lbs, down to fighting weight based on weigh-in at gym using one of those machines that measures body fat + weigh- in at doctor's with clothes on a day later. Went from 40 waist to 33 (American size), can now fit into clothes I could not wear for quite a while, work out 4 times a week at a serious gym, most sessions with a highly experienced trainer. I haven't done one sit up yet- it's about balance, step up, step down, with kettle bell, 12 reps, 5 sets, squats with a dumbbell, 12 reps, 5 sets, then next exercise, etc. I do my warm up 1/2 hour in advance of the trainer session so I don't waste time--it's all exercise when I work with the trainer. I drink a 30 gram protein drink before and another after, so I'm finally building some muscle on what is now a diminutive appearing frame. I can't quite press my body weight yet, but I will. I have long hair for a guy, and yeah, it was coming out when washing it (not every day, more like every 4 days unless I get sweaty) but that seems to have finally stopped. I have no cravings for foods that I cannot have because I get sick if I eat a slice of pizza with toppings or eat more indigestible foods. So I just stay away from them. I have developed a fondness for medium rare lamb chops and roasted potatoes with rosemary salt. My wife is a good cook but we still eat at restaurants and I'm careful. I found out that alcohol just doesn't work- a beer is too filling and carbonated, for some reason wine doesn't taste good; I'm a high proof whiskey man and it doesn't metabolize. I'm on my ass with far less than what I could normally consume, so I just stopped altogether. (Good because I have Barrett's and alcohol is inflammatory). Punchline- this surgery really turned me around. Trade-offs to be sure, but I feel so much better and look far younger. I can walk fast and not get winded as easily. I'm in my 70th year and don't look like a geezer-- more like a ruffian in rude health. I had targeted 185 as a goal weight and reached that but I still have a small roll of fat around my middle. I figure that I can continue to lose a little more given the surgery stats, and tighten up my core as my work-out regime continues. I'm gonna start swimming this summer-- where I am in Texas it is 3 months of summer and 9 months of hell. Hell is just starting here. The really hardcore stuff is pilates. I used to do that with a women's class and they kicked my butt. I'm planning to advance to that as well. I think the "whole picture" outlook is optimal for me- I don't check the scale at home, I do my thing and get routine blood work done. Though I have a few health issues which come with age, I'm in pretty decent shape now, physically and mentally. Thanks to all you kind folks for your advice and support.

The purée/mush foods may be too heavy in your poor tummy & digestive system. Stick to the liquids for a couple of weeks. 2 weeks liquids, 2 weeks purée, 2 weeks soft, 2 weeks solid food is the most common post surgical eating plan but plans differ so check with your team. You’ve had a pretty major surgery & there are lots of staples & sutures holding your digestive system together. Nausea is quite common so ask for an anti nausea prescription or buy an over the counter version. We heal differently but generally it takes a good 8 weeks to fully heal so tread slowly & carefully. I wonder if you have an UTI from the catheter? It’s not unusual to have no other symptoms except a change in peeing habits. Best to see your doctor & have a urine test to be sure. And grab some cranberry tablets too.

Weight regain happens. You’re not the only one you had or will experience it. We get over confident or complacent & poor choices slip in. We go back to old behaviours of using food (or alcohol) to comfort us or sooth us in times of stress or emotional upsets. It’s why what you need to do is reset your head not your tummy. Remember how we always said doing the head work is a very important aspect of our weight loss & maintenance. A pouch reset won’t reduce the size of your tummy (not that your’s would be stretched) nor do anything to get to the root of your eating & change your behaviours. Stretching your tummy is pretty difficult. It would take a concentrated to eat excessive portions multiple times a day for a prolonged length of time to do it. You’ve made the first two steps already by acknowledging & recognising the what & why behind your regain & by starting to track your food again. Best advice then is to go back to how you were eating (food choices, portion sizes, eating behaviours, meeting protein & fluid goals) when you were nearing your stabilised weight. Would you consider going back to your dietician to help you get back on track? Did you see a therapist when you had your surgery? Maybe get in contact again for the regain & also the drinking. We have to be careful with addiction transfer after surgery. It can be a slippery slope. All the best. You got this.

How do you keep your carbs so low? I am kind of in awe of you right now 😄 The bean stew I made for meals is 30g carbs per serving alone (but only 180 calories and 12g protein). I am hitting between 900 and 1,100 calories, 30g fat and +/-70g protein a day. My guidance was to have +/- 60g protein a day and make good choices for food and eat small portions - no set calories etc. From reading others posts and feedback on the forum I have already decided to give my regular banana as it is too high in carbs (just two more left to eat!) and I have stopped taking a morning drink of honey, lemon, pepper and cinnamon as the honey made the carbs too high also. I am a bit freaked out now as my weight loss has slowed down the last three months and I have only lost a couple of pounds.

You will only get help and kindness here but we are not surgeons or dieticians. We can only help so much. We always recommend a visit with your team if possible. If you are not eating well and not getting enough liquids in then your body is holding every little calorie it can because you are in starvation mode. You will not loose weight, your body is in charge of this. If you can not get water down and you could a while back then you have a narrowing/ swelling in your new tummy and it needs a little easy tweak to stretch it back out. Its called a stricture. If this is something you have had from the beginning then you are forcing too much food and or drink in at once. Small sips of drinks, they can be hot, cold or frozen see which might work . Once you have mastered drinking, then pare down the foods to really soft, protein based ones again. Chew well and add sauces, it helps. Soft eggs, protein yogurt, soft cheese etc. Only eat a small amount, say 1 - 2 ounces and see if you can keep the foamies at bay. Foamies happen when your stomach rejects the food or drink it does not want that day. It may have been ok the day before but.... today, oh no you are not putting any more of that in me ... I haven't exercised as such, I was too decrepit too start with and I lack motivation now so I walk a few miles a week. Exercise doesn't really count for much weight loss unless its marathon running or such.

Hi all! Me again! Wednesday I am 3 weeks post op! I think I have the food down and just trying to figure out when I can do more than just walk my dog lol

The instructions I was given were 48 hours of pre-op liquid, with total fasting beginning the evening before surgery. The longer liquid diet is to promote rapid weight-loss and shrink your liver, but some surgeons don't find this necessary, or only apply it to patients over a certain BMI. The 24-48 hours of liquid-only and/or fasting prior to surgery is just to clear your digestive tract prior to operating. Also, some surgeons don't require a puree stage and go from foods like yogurt and ricotta directly to moist proteins and fully cooked veg that you are instructed to chew for 30 seconds to a minute before swallowing (essentially pureeing them with your teeth).

I hope talking to them about it will help! It's funny because everyone knows right now I can barely eat anything, but they all catch themselves offering me food because it's "polite." I'm eating dessert, want some? I made this big meal full of stuff you can't even look at right now, can I get you a plate? And then I see it on their faces, it's like oh, wait... But since you're dealing with regain, it's good that you are figuring out your triggers and asking others to help you avoid them now so you can have the best chance for success the second time around.

OK I am not a vet so feel free to ignore. Someone with much more experience will be along shortly and I too will be reading with interest. If you could track what you're eating now, in an app of your choosing, then that might help A LOT. Know thine enemy and all that. If I was in your shoes (and I may well be in a few years' time) then I think I would go back to protein first at most meals. Loads of veggies first at at least one meal a day too - raw or cooked. Track all of your macros. Ditch ultra processed foods and refined carbs *completely* - they are nobody's friends. For my own info please may I ask how long you maintained for following your sleeve and how quickly you regained when things got stressful?

I’m planning on a cross country road trip. Pre surgery, when I did those just had my trusty cheeze-its and whatever fast food was near me when I need to stop and charge. If anyone has any tips on what I should bring to keep me full or tips on some good munchies let’s hear them! Obviously fast food is out (for the most part) this time. I won’t be leaving until mid February when I’m 3 months post op TIA

So, I know they said that I can shower with the staples in, just no scrubbing the area. Instead I'm supposed to just let the water and soap run over the incision sites on their own. But I am so nervous about it that I bought baby wipes to do my 'cleaning' until I've healed up more. Or at least until the morning of my first post-op. I know they know what they are doing, but with my diabetes actually getting worse somehow on a liquid diet I am now terrified of screwing up my healing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @ShoppGirl Ooooh, that recipe sounds amazing if we can do that for ourselves. I'm adding it to the list of things to ask when I go for my first post-op appointment. (I know it won't be for a while, but I think it's good to go ahead and stock up on recipes early to avoid boredom. Though my husband's coworker who had the exact same procedure I did said you don't ever enjoy food again and he eats the same thing every day because it's only an eat to live thing.) No clue about that protein powder. I have been considering getting some unflavored powder of some kind to add to meals and such going forward to help with the protein goal. But I will admit that I also really haven't thought that far in advance lol. Today was my first day of milk of magnesia, and yeah... I went. I didn't even feel constipated. But you said when talking to your doctor that going on day 7, 8 and 9 were normal. So now I'm wondering if I went too quickly? Since surgery was literally Friday and it's Monday now. I don't know but I do feel better after going, so I guess that's another thing that is going to be individualized. Thank you for the milk idea. I did not add soy milk to my grocery order today, but that makes sense. Maybe I can convince hubby to go out in the morning and get some to make my life easier. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @Pepper_No_Salt Glad to hear every day gets better! I've been stuck in awake for a couple of hours, sleep for four hours mode. So I'm still working towards hitting my goals. I hate it because I feel like I'm falling behind, but I'm not feeling dehydrated so I guess that whole "body is healing" thing is working in my favor.

I was told about the 30:30 Rule by my team. For all of the reasons stated above. It can cause fullness and washing the food out of the pouch. I am 14 months out, and I will say this is one of the cons of RYGB. I don't like it but I get it. But it is a lifestyle change for life. In February, I had a bottle of water almost 30 minutes after lunch. What happened next was dumping where I didn't eat for the rest of the day. I was still a little shaky the next morning. Luckily for me, I was going to see my primary doc that morning. All in all, it turned out fine. So now I wait at least 45 minutes to an hour before drinking again. It may not be that way for you. But is the risk worth it? Especially, the chance of stretching your pouch? Where you may have to get it revised.

Happy to read everyones progress! I @LisaCaryl I feel you I'm still in Cairo so haven't weighed yet... I have no idea if I've lost at all this week or stalled or gained. Ramadan is over now so it'll be back to getting lunch normally etc, but I'm not sure it'll be a joy like it used too... even though I love the food from north africa to the middle east. Also Bit freaked that I have another week until I can weigh myself. @kissabeth It's so amazing to fit back into old clothes isn't it! Well done you. And well done for making it through the interrogation. @RonHall908 I know how depressing the stalls are ... but you've already lost over 100 pounds ... thats amazing I mean thats like the average weight of a 13 year old ... you've lost the équivalant of a teenager! @NickelChip How was the eclipse?

Welcome to the group and congrats on the upcoming surgery and all the pre-op success. I have not traveled to Peru, but I did go to Mexico about 9.5 months post op. Honestly it wasn't difficult at all. Typically by 8 weeks you should be healed on the inside and cleared for pretty much all movement. So by 6 months you'd be fine - generally speaking. I would say just packing all your vitamins and supplements is key of course. I also packed snacks mainly for the actual travel part - plane and car rides. I had jerky, cheese crisps, protein bars, portioned nuts and low carb chocolate. I had more than I really needed, but it definitely helped to have options. You could also consider protein powder or shakes in case. Also a reusable water bottle/cup comes in handy to ensure you stay hydrated. I stayed at an all inclusive resort and there were many healthy fresh options for all meals. The buffet breakfast had a ton of fresh fruit and veggies, a bunch of egg options - egg whites, hardboiled eggs, etc. and the meat protein options, yogurt and cheeses. There were various milks both dairy and non dairy options. Dinner menus had accommodations for different dietary needs. Off resort also wasn't difficult to navigate as there is a lot of protein and veg options. I found getting in movement was not difficult either. There was a gym, aerobic classes and water sports. But honestly walking around the resort, the pool, walking on the beach, the walking tours off resort - i never missed an exercise goal. The variables can happen depending on the area you are staying I'm sure, but I have friends who frequently travel to Peru to visit family and frequent many local cafes that have plentiful healthy options - healthier than you find in the states unless you grow it yourself since a majority is local and doesn't have to travel far at all. You will not likely be able to get exact specifics of macros if you like to track your food, but by 6 months you'll have an idea of estimated protein amounts and general portions for most foods you are likely to eat. As long as you stick with protein first, then veg and carbs last you should be good.

Me too Lostmom. I was in surgery on the 13th. Your team has you on clear liquids longer than mine did. I was clear liquids the day before through the two days after surgery, so I moved on to full liquids yesterday (Saturday). And I agree about the pain. It's almost non-existent for me aside from the gas (which is also getting better). I do crave real food when I'm hungry but as soon as I'm full from my 4 oz. of protein shake, those cravings subside. Keep us updated on how things are going. I like the idea of a, "surgery twin".