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I had surgery May 1st, 2024, I lost 14 lbs the first week, but as soon as I started drinking and eating protein, I’ve stopped losing weight. I’m assuming it’s because I’m assuming it’s the protein intake, and not being able to eat veggies. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Anyone experience this?

So, I'm almost 3 months out from having my RNY gastric bypass. The surgery itself is very safe, but the first few months after can be rough. You don't eat a lot, and you may feel sick and probably exhausted, too. But by 3 months, your tummy is pretty well healed and you've learned to chew thoroughly, slow down, and take small bites. You may have identified a few trigger foods that you really have no desire to eat again (hello, scrambled eggs). At my appointment last week I was cleared to basically eat any type of food I wanted. I was warned a very tough steak or woody/fibrous vegetable and fruit (asparagus stems, pineapple), could still cause issues, but as long as you're reasonable about choices, it's fine. I'm thrilled to be allowed to have raw veg again. And I enjoy food. I just enjoy it on plates the size of a saucer instead of a big dinner plate, and I find I don't want more than a bite or two of unhealthy stuff. Except ice cream, which is why I don't keep that in the house! At restaurants, I either take home enough for 2-3 more meals, or I order an appetizer. And I skip the bread, pasta, and other fillers. It'll be a long time before I feel like I can handle a slice of pizza, for sure. But that's okay. My family ordered a pizza the other day and it smelled delicious, but I literally did not want it. Not even a taste. I never thought that would happen to me because I adore pizza, and it made me glad because saying no to it was no big deal. I can tell you that as a slow loser, I will probably never end up "thin" from this surgery. But it's made a huge difference for me already. The day I left the hospital, I was already off blood pressure meds, which I had been taking for a decade. My joints don't hurt anymore. My inflammation is down. I can walk longer and faster. I feel better. And I like the way I look more now too. I'm already able to buy some clothing that isn't specifically from the "plus" department, and I look forward to that being the norm. I'm 50 and I haven't been this low in weight since I was 29. But, it is an adjustment. It's a challenge. And if you love food, you will probably have to do a lot of mental work about that. Like, why are you eating? Are you hungry, or is it a self-soothing mechanism. And if the latter, is there a better way to deal with your emotions when you physically can't reach for food? I ask myself this a lot. My brother had VSG 15 years ago. If you didn't know him back then, you would think today he's an average weight guy (not skinny) with a slightly smaller than average appetite. We were at a wedding when I was still pre-surgery and he out ate me at dinner. So the "half a happy meal" thing is short term. Only you probably won't want to eat those after surgery because they might not sound appetizing anymore.

☝️i'm one of these. with a dash of some major changes...specifically my regular exercise regime. though i have to say that what i was doing when the first year or so of maintenance is very different from what i am doing now. i was still pretty strict about carbs and desserts and drinking calories that first year and a bit after reaching goal. as the years went on, i became less strict about WHAT i was eating, but still continued to keep an eye and stick to the TOTAL NUMBER OF CALORIES i needed to maintain...this amount changed up and down depending on my activity level, and i made sure to make changes as needed. i love going out and socializing and eating and drinking, and i've discovered that i can do all that and still maintain my current weight. i love to try new restaurants and tick off all the michelin star venues i could possibly go to before i die. and i am forever grateful for my wls and its restriction that has conditioned me to not overindulge...just have a taste to try and i am satisfied. (i am also forever greatful for whatever powers that be that have me loving exercise lol) with that said, let me attempt to provide my answers to your questions. NOTE: starting weight 235 lbs, 5'2" female, 46 yrs old at surgery. i lost 108 lbs in 7 months (plus my 2 wk pre-op diet) to reach goal. i am now 5 years, 8 months post op, and weighed 118.2 lbs this morning. 1. What are your golden rules to successful maintenance? - be flexible, be willing and able to change and make adjustments. weigh daily, always be aware of your calorie intake (i.e., track). EXERCISE: it makes you look and feel good. don't give into the angst...nobody is perfect...including YOU. i realize this is not for everyone, it takes a certain type of personality to be ok with this...i just happen to be one of them. 2. How did you manage the mental shift (navigating fear and uncertainty) while transitioning to maintenance? I can’t seem to quiet my thoughts and anxiety around WHAT IFs? - TIME. as time goes by you will gain experience and knowledge and hopefully learn to trust yourself. 3. How much indulgence do you actually allow yourself? - any time i want. hard to put a number or amount on this because it varies day by day, week by week. but i probably eat SOMETHING or other that most "dedicated" wls-ers would consider "bad" every day. (ASIDE: i personally don't think anything is "bad" just stuff higher in calories than others, with varying macro-makeups.

Hey guys! So far everything is going good. I had a RNY on the 10th of April and lost 80 pounds so far! I am also starting to see a huge difference in myself. More energy, feeling more happy and confident. I have also started to see difference in my skin... it feels less tight but I hoping it is just taking time to adjust as I know it takes longer for the skin to shrink. There are some weeks where I might lose 0.5 kg and others where I can lose 3kg bit the main thing is that it is a downward trend. Overall, I am happy I got the surgery.

Glad you're doing better! My hysterectomy was by far way worse than my bypass (was in the hospital for two weeks) so I understand the issues one can have from removing lady plumbing! You're on the backside now and things are looking up for you! Take care of yourself, looking good!

I’m terms of work it really does vary quite a bit person to person. I had my sleeve 3.5 years ago and physically I could’ve returned to a desk job the next day out of hospital in terms of pain but I was tired and took alot of naps. Some people that had same surgery around same time as me were in pain for a week. I think one of the main differences is whether any air gets trapped in there because that causes a lot of pain and takes a while to get it all out. I have been on these boards for a while though and honestly there are plenty of people with very little pain from day one like me and then there are also others who are in a great deal of pain for a couple weeks. I have even seen some that take a full month off. I’d say MOST fall somewhere in between. I would also keep in mind what your home demands are too. If you can’t come home and just rest then it will probably take you a little longer to be able to return to work because even when you do feel ready for work you most likely will not have your normal stamina for a little while. You most likely will need naps at night for a while after working full time. if you do a search on here for recovery time or time off work, etc. You will see lots of posts about this if you want to get a better idea.

I wake up at 3:30 am every morning. Work starts at 5 am. It's hard for me to go to bed at 9 pm. But I try anyway, only to toss and turn. I don't like taking meds to sleep. I may need a new sleep study just to see if I need the bipap. They did tell me that I may not need it after losing a lot of weight. They suggested that would be about a year out. As I mentioned in other posts, they warned me about exhaustion so that is definitely where I'm at. I hope it gets better soon. Being tired all the time isn't fun.

How much protein are they expecting you to get in? As far as I know, 60-80 grams is a typical goal for a bypass patient, with 80 grams being the excellent mark. And I agree, that is only 4 oz short of 64 oz, nothing to get bent out of shape over. Is more better? Yes, to a point, but my PA told me that to be getting 64oz of water in by 3 months is better than most patients are able to do... So it is odd they are riding you about it. You are doing great!! Most people cannot get their full requirement of protein in at 3 months, let alone at 6 weeks post op!! Give yourself some credit and ignore the complaints from them. I think it is generally good to follow our team's advice, but when they are making you feel bad for being within range of your goals (or very close to it) at 6 weeks post op, I think it is okay to set it aside and really appreciate for yourself how good you are doing... But that's just me, your mileage may vary. LOL

I'm 51, 9 weeks post op. I was working out regularly before surgery, doing well post op for the most part. Pretty sure I'll be feeling even better in another few weeks.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one going through this and I'm also so sorry ya'll had to go through it. I just had my surgery 6 days ago,came home after 3 days in the hospital and the doctor only gave me 2 days of pain medicine and said I shouldn't need more than that 😭 I'm in so much pain though on my left shoulder and up my left side of my neck when I breathe or eat or move. They had me on a heart monitor, in the hospital and said everything is fine with my heart. They act like I don't need more pain medicines but I have a high pain tolerance and I'm trying not to cry ya'll! I might go see my primary care provider and see what he can do for me because this is so bad. I hate to see that it can last months or even years later but, at least I know I am not the only one who has had this type of pain. Now I know I'm not crazy 😭❤️

What about a mouth spray? I take a D3K2 as a mouth spray in winter when my vitamin D levels drop (the regular blood tests identified the seasonal drop). It doesn’t real taste of anything and you simply squirt it under your tongue. I buy Bioceuticals but I don’t think they’re in the UK but there are other brands that make mouth sprays. Even if you can reduce how many capsules you have to swallow will help. And yes look fur capsules and not those huge, dry horse tablet ones. Check with your team about what vitamins you need to take @Chatterboxdea. Different surgeries have different vitamin requirements & ask when you should begin them. Plus your blood tests will inform what you may be lacking in so you don’t take more than you need which can have side effects (and can be expensive). For example I had a sleeve. Didn’t need to start taking supplements until the surgery and only took a multivitamin and briefly a vitamin D. My surgeon advised I could stop the D at about month 3 or 4 and then the multi at about 8 months.

As @AmberFL suggested, I’d start tracking your food intake. You don’t have to do it religiously to begin but just to start the routine & also get an idea of what you’re eating (nutritional value, calories & portion sizes). Then you could make small changes over the next few months like adjust your portion sizes, swap out some cooking styles or ingredients to healthier ones, try new recipes, drop a snack, etc. Also an opportunity to start to reflect on your relationship with food. Do you eat to comfort or sooth yourself (when you’re sad, stressed, anxious, angry, etc.)? Do you crave certain foods when you’re bored? Are you an hormonal carb or sweet? Do you have any eating habits like always snack at the movies or watching tv or have to have cake or a muffin with your coffee, etc. And so on. And, yes, start incorporating some activity into your week. Good opportunity to try some different things to see what you enjoy. You don’t have to embrace everything all at once. Simple small changes are always easier to adopt & adapt to than jumping in the deep end. You have time before your surgery. Second the advice not to buy up big in protein shakes. A temporary change in your taste buds is very common after the surgery and many find a flavour or brand of shake they enjoyed before the surgery in the pre surgery diet is disgusting after. Things can become too sweet &/or salty, the texture can be off putting and for some it’s the smell of certain foods. It can last upwards of around 6 or so weeks. I’m in Australia so none of the prolonged wait you have to go through. My surgery was not quite 4 weeks after I first met with the surgeon so I didn’t really have time to do anything - lol!

its been a weird week! Im glad its Friday here and my work day is done in 6hours lol! a GG?! wow I am sure you have nice boobies still even with the weight loss. I think with the weight loss and breastfeeding two of my children for over a year my boobs were like ya there is no way your coming back from this. So booby surgery is a must for me lol! Hoping to have a chillax weekend! You as well and get those lashes girl!!! I am thinking about it too but I spend way too much money on myself as it is hahahah

oh wow!! I’ve had to do pure liquids for 3 weeks. It’s been TOUGH!!

I’m curious. What did you make this morning. I have had had scrambled eggs and puréed egg salad so far. Well a few bites at least. I’m kinda scared to push it. I tried making real mashed potatoes in the food processor but that didn’t work out. They came out real thick and sticky. I added milk but it was still a fail. I’m thinking I will stick with instant for this couple of weeks just to be sure they are the right consistency. Tonight I’m thinking refried beans. I forgot to get salsa but I have fat free cheddar so that should be pretty good. I got my mug warmer today so at least it should be warm 🎉

Yesterday, I had my final appointment before my surgery date. I finally started having doubts about the whole thing and I'm relieved. Having doubts probably doesn't sound like a good thing, but it finally gave me chance to unload everything that was on my mind to the doctor. I was able to tell him that maybe I wanted the bypass instead. I've been on other forums and people seem to be really against the sleeve because long term weight loss is less than with other surgeries. But he reassured me that due to my age, no comorbidities and the fact that I'm on target with my weight loss, he still thinks this is a good surgery for me and my goals. They last time I spoke to him, he told me I wasn't sticking to the diet, and then he told me "most people lose only 3-4kg pre-surgery anyway" So why was he worrying me when I ONLY lost 5kg? But I guess he was in a better mood because he was back from holiday? 😂 Next appointment is a phone appointment where I just tell him my weight. And then the surgery weigh in and bloods before the surgery. I'm so ready for this now.

@SandyT I'm having a gastric sleeve on May 6 as well! Glad to read about others' experiences here, helps me feel like I'm not on my own. I started my protein shake diet a couple days early on 4/19, and it has been rough so far (extreme fatigue, headaches, brain fog, and bloating). A few people have told me it usually gets better after 3-5 days, and I really hope that's the case!

Hi all.. Am I doing something wrong? I had my surgery on 5th December so am over 4 weeks post op .. I feel awful, I'm struggling to eat any more than ready brek and then it's only 3-4 teaspoons full. I've got no energy and just feel rough

This if difficult to answer/compare. There are to many variables: 1. Type of surgery 2. How over weight someone is, 3. How surgery went 4. Type of job/work you have 5. How quick to recover 6. Pain management I say all this because it's different for each of us. I did well with surgery and was out the next day, very little surgery pain BUT my entire abdomen was a solid black bruise, so putting a seatbelt on to drive was impossible and it became only painful when I drove. My bruising lasted 45 days! I have two friends who had WLS, one went back in 2 weeks (the earliest her doctor would release her to go back) and another 7 days (although she said she wished she'd taken longer off - she was exhausted, sore and constipated). So, there's really no way to tell until you have surgery.

I've had insomnia forever and was on ambien before the surgery. I am a night owl and a grad student so I can go to sleep at 6am and be up sometime after 2pm. But even with ambien and benadryl, I'm lucky if I fall asleep after 10am. Yesterday was worse because I only slept for 2 hours. But I'm not tired at all. Does sleep get better? I'm only 3 weeks out.

Honestly, that's why it's not good to weigh yourself every day. Things like how much you ate and drank, how much salt you had, if you pooped or not can all affect your weight. As hard as it is, weighing yourself once (or if you must, twice) per week, in the morning after you go to the bathroom, before you eat or drink is the best way to see what you true weight is. Weight also fluctuates by a couple of pounds naturally, so if you weigh yourself daily, you'll get discouraged and frustrated and start to think, 5 weeks out, that you've plateaued. Be mindful of slider foods. That's stuff that you can eat more of because it goes down super easy and takes longer to make you feel full. Potatoes are known for this. As I said before, the first 6 months is when you lose the most the fastest. Eating things that slow down that process during that time is counter-productive. This is where you really want to stick to the diet as closely as possible to get the most out of the weight loss. Also move your body. Add in working out, walking, swimming, anything that increases movement over and above what you normally do. Not only does that help, but when you drop weight fast, you can lose muscle. So you want to start working on that.

I was given the 1/4 - 1/3 of a cup from purée advice too (slowly increasing to a cup by 6 months). If that’s yoghurt it would be about 2-3ozs. But I agree with the others - contact your team to ask. We have different needs & surgeons & dieticians have different requirements. Remember to eat slowly. Wait a couple of minutes between bites. I used to dip my teaspoon into my purées. No spoonfuls. Try not to eat until you feel full. Those signals are still not functioning accurately because your nerves were cut. (Takes about 8 weeks to be fully healed.) All the best.

I started watching the videos last summer when I first started the path toward surgery. I learned so much, and by now I've watched all the videos at least once. There's one on keeping the weight off for good that I go back to over and over to remind myself of the changes I need to make. I've watched all the podcasts, too. There's so much information and I feel like it's coming from a very trustworthy source. Last August, I read Pound of Cure. I did not start with the two-week metabolic reset diet, but I decided I would eat 16oz of non-starchy vegetables daily, cut back significantly on bread/crackers and cheese, switched my regular wheat pasta to chickpea pasta, and stopped drinking diet soda (my only regular source of artificial sweetener). I didn't count calories, cut back on portions, skip sweets, or do anything else that would have felt like a diet. I just made those relatively easy changes that I thought would address some of my biggest issues, and over about 6 months, I lost 13 lbs. There was never a time before when I lost so much weight by doing so little, so I'm definitely a believer that these changes work. If you're up for the challenge, the 2-week metabolic reset might be a great way to kick-start getting back on track. He explains it in his book, but there's a free PDF you can get from their website with all the pertinent info (scroll way down on the page to find the link): https://www.poundofcureweightloss.com/nutrition/.

You're eating 100 Grams of protein or more and actively walking 4/5 times a week. Seems like you've got a good routine down. I would just keep doing what you're doing and follow your doctors advice.

TL/DR: Worried about losing weight by not eating enough. | Looking for tips to reach protein/calorie goals when not hungry. | Looking for others' experiences with lack of hunger this far out in WL Journey. ------------------------- I meet with my nutritionist for check-ins about every 3 months. For this last one, my 9-month, she told me not to be upset if I hadn't lost, as a stall was expected. Yet, I had lost just as much as I had been. We went over what I had been eating & she wasn't concerned about content but suggested increasing variety. [I'm a meal repeater 🤷‍♀️] Though, she again warned me that it is now especially likely that I would stall since I hadn't yet. Since that appointment, I've still been losing weight. I know it might appear strange to worry about meeting the goals we are here to meet, but my nutritionist is big on trying to relearn the natural cues of the body. So, as they are absent, you can notice pressure in your stomach, sighing, or a runny nose as indications of fullness. As indications of hunger return, you can utilize them to increase portions within the parameters of slow eating and not exceeding controlled sizes. The thing is, I don't know that the initial increase after, you know, the literal wounds healed, I have really expanded much more. I don't really get hungry until 'early-bird dinner' time. So eating during the day is purely done out of obligation. [& if I'm being truthful, there are times when I forget entirely until after work.] So obviously, that leads me to try to have all of my calories in one 'meal' in the day, which I have to eat over a couple hours [even if it is small] if I don't want to get nauseous or actually regurgitate. [The regurgitation has improved slightly over the last couple of months. I had a very reactive stomach that required me to prolong my dependence on protein shakes. Pre-surgery, I don't think I came even close to needing to vomit since pre-school 🙁.] To be fully upfront, I have not counted a single macro or calorie or weighed a single food item during my entire journey. I've tried tracking before in my weight-loss journey, and it was not healthy mentally for me. I realize that I may be under goals rather than over them, but straightforward counting of calories is just not something that would be part of a successful journey for me. So, all of this is a longwinded way to say: - Is anyone else struggling to eat enough this far out? - What helps you to reach your protein/calorie goals when you don't really want to eat? - Any other tips/tricks/specific brand or meal suggestions?