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If you were advised 65-75g protein as your goal & one shake helps you to reach that goal or just exceed it as this stage you’re doing well. When your nutritionalist recommended 2 shakes did they realise you’re able to get 40-50g of protein in eating real food? To me the goal was to be get all I needed nutritionally from eating real food. I never had another shake after the2 week liquids stage, so from when I began purées. I ate a high protein yoghurt or yoghurt drink to give me the extra boost of protein to help me get near or to my 60g goal. (It did take me a while but my surgeon & dietician were okay with that.) To help reach my fluid goals, I started drinking during the night. still do. Every time I get in or out of bed I drink. Get up to pee, drink. If I’m reading in bed, watching tv, on social media, etc. in bed, I sip regularly. I get in another 8-10ozs most nights.

I'm 6 days post op and I'm experiencing that as well. I'm literally just craving "food" in general.

Wow, sounds like we are in the same boat. it is so hard to find foods that I can tolerate. As far a protein plain chicken is what I can keep down, if food it has to many spices or flavors to it, it all comes up. anything tomato based is a huge NO, red meat, nope. most veggies are a nope. I can eat a egg, but only the white, the taste of the yolk is a nope. I do mange to get about 22 grams of protein a day, most comes from shakes Only vanilla ( 1 brand) , other flavors make my nausea kick into overdrive. Most protein shakes, protein powder make me sick. I have spent 100$s of dollars trying to find something that i can tolerate. Currant my fluid intake is about 24 ounces in 24 hours. I'm still sipping so it stays down, I also am not a sleeper, I have been a insomniac since i was 18 , so 32 years of getting at best 4 hrs a night/day. Feels like every day is different, the suspence of what is going to stay down, what smell makes me sick, or if today is the day i cant drink anything, There are times I wish i never had a surgery, but I know i needed it, to try and get healthier. but this all is just so much. Thank you for your reply, nice to feel that i am not totally alone and there are others that struggle like myself. and i would love to chat!

Does your clinic want you to track it? Personally, I hate, like really hate, tracking food, it's inconvenient and annoying. My clinic wants me to eat 5 very small meals a day that are balanced, protein, carb, veg, and fruit. For me, I am still losing weight and my energy increased once I was able to have these other foods. My goal was to eat how "normal" people should be eating. I do struggle with real meat and raw veggies, my system still does not like them, so I eat a vegetarian diet and cook/steam all veggies. I have learned when to stop eating based on how I feel, I now know when one bite will be one bite too much, that is how I track. I just did my labs today for my 3-month check-up ( hit 3 months Jan 27) so I will see what my clinic has to say about my labs on Feb 12th and I will make adjustments from there if needed.

I know exactly how you’re feeling! I get the feeling of food being stuck in my stomach pouch. It’s very uncomfortable. The only thing that makes it feel better is throwing up. I’m okay with soft foods (mashed potatoes, oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, pudding, protein shakes). The only solid food that I’m confident in eating is Ritz Toasted Chips. I can stuff myself with those chips and dip and have no problems. Only recently have I been able to handle chicken, and even then, I have to be careful. Beef still gives me problems, although ground is better. I have to try the trick where you add water to ground beef.

Yes, I have run out of containers to store it all in and no point buying more as also running out of room in my freezer 😁 I take such small portions it takes ages to go through what I cook or buy, I got a small (150g) bag of salad the other day and that so far as done two meals and I will get at least a third if not fourth meal out of it. My eyes are still bigger than my stomach when it comes to judging portion sizes. Currently on rotation I have; spicy bean stew, carrot & lentil soup, bolognese, lasagna soup, lentil soup, peanut butter chicken and a couple of other 'surprises' as I don't remember what they are until I defrost them 😂. The great thing is that as I made them all at least I know the ingredients and that they are suitable for my after the surgery. Tomorrow or Tuesday, when I have a few more containers ready, I am going to make a chicken soup. I get a monthly food allowance as part of my salary and I am finding it hard to spend the money as need to buy so little now.

Hi Everyone, Hope you all are feeling and doing amazing. Quick question???? Did anyone have a feeling of being super full or not being able to "digest" regular food between 6-10 weeks post op? The feeling started around 6.5 weeks out and I just feel so UGH... Like anything I eat was just sitting at the top of my stomach. I also have issues being "regular" in the bathroom so I thought it was that. I was able to fix that and the bottom of my stomach got relief but the top still felt full. I was having a hard time eating or drinking only cause I always felt full like overfull. Reached out to the doctor and he said that sometimes between 6-10 weeks scar tissue can develop where the stomach and intestine are attached which can constrict. Has anyone had this and did it go away or get better after 10 weeks? I switched to primarily a liquid diet and it is better but still feel ugh. I feel like Violet in Willy Wonka. Doctor is doing an upper GI x-ray just to be safe but that is a week away. Just want to get ideas from you all. 🙂

*raises hand* 5+ year tracker, here. been logging my food intake since day one. im not as anal/precise about it as i was in the beginning, when i weighed and measured EVERYTHING. even spices and items with single digit calorie counts. now i kinda eyeball my food to determine portion size and sometimes just log a guesstimated calorie amount for an entire sandwich instead of breaking down the ingredients. i don't log when im on vacay anymore. but i DO still log. (oh and i still weigh myself every single morning- if i have access to a scale) for what its worth, personally i believe my tracking habits in the earlier years contributed to my successful weight loss and maintenance...if my weight started going in a direction i didn't like, i would know (because of my daily weighing) and i would generally also know why (because of my daily food tracking and activity monitoring), and be able to take appropriate action before it got out of hand, you know? at this point though, for me its more of a habit/hobby. i sorta feel like i'm pot-committed...i have all this data from the past 5 years and i feel like i should just keep going cuz it would be kinda cool to have like 10, 20, 30 years of data someday? i dunno. maybe i am still anal. in any case, i reached goal in 7months, and maintained below that goal weight this entire time. I am 5+ yrs post op i realize this M.O. is not for everyone and for some (most?) this level of effort would be more detrimental than helpful. bottom line: you know yourself best. do what works, don't what doesn't. good luck! ❤️ p.s. sorry this was so long

Thank you so much. oh how I really hope I am like you and it’s easier to make healthy choices at 7 months. Post sleeve my hunger came roaring back and I had already started to eat small portions of less than healthy foods because calorie wise they were okay in small portions before but with that hunger I ate more or more often and you see how that ended up. I do have two questions off the top of my head. Other than the really scary medical stuff my biggest fear are the bathroom issues (diarrhea and smelly gas). A couple DS people have said that it’s mostly just if you eat bad though. If you don’t mind me asking Is that the case for you? Also, I am trying to work out what the macros will be so I can get started now. Currently I’m trying to keep carbs below 40 but I have no clue what fat, sugar and calories I would be allowed. What are your macro requirements now. Ooh and finally when you look at carbs on the back of the package do you have to count total carbs or just the net carbs which are much lower?

Great responses so far- and as I hit anxious times, I find myself thinking about some of those unhealthier options too— I was/am an emotional eater- stuffing down my emotions with food— and realizing it was half the battle. When i get anxious/sad/have a feeling I have to slow myself down and ask am I really hungry? And to be completely honest, 90% of the time im not. I hope that as you heal from breakup you are able to find support to grieve and move on while also keeping up with taking care of yourself. Question- is it because you think the friends are having more fun than you? Or that they are watching you and wondering why you arent eating? I have never had anyone say anything about how much im eating— and if they ever did, I would simply say, im just not that hungry right now. But if it is that you are concerned they are watching you: i offer this quote from Schitt’s creek— Alexis discussing why David was anxious about his driver’s test: “ David, no one is thinking about you the way you are thinking about you”. That is the mantra I’ve decided to live by— no one cares what im doing! I am going to make sure i do what is best for me and have fun- and as long as it hurts no one, im golden. Best of luck to you!

Hey K, just resigned up to write you this post! I used to frequent this site when I was gearing up for Bariatric surgery years ago. And now I have just completed my first round of plastics where I was told I have little to no body fat. Was a great feeling! (2 more to come In the next year) But i also felt it was coming off so soooo slowly in the first month or so and really struggled with the fact I still felt hunger and I lost 97% of my excess weight In the first year. Most of that in the first 6months. I was huge.. when I started 399lbs and lost 6st pre surgery and 10st post surgery.. And have kept it off.. keep going! you will do this!! eyes on the prize.. before you know it you will be a year out those first few months feel like a slog as you just want it gone. My biggest recommendations are cut as many carbs as you can. I ate little to zero sugar, crisps and chocolate in my first year. I focused on carbs from vegetables only, very little pasta, rice etc maybe a spoonful max.. I focused on cauliflower rice, broccoli, air fried courgettes etc mainly protein.. look up the boos ridiculous brownie’s!! Protein based baked goods!! But They got me through for my sweet tooth it’s about finding compromises.. I froze sugar free jelly (orange) with sugar free angel delight (choc) on top into mini ice cube trays and would have a couple of these after dinner. and I did a lot of exercise, minimum 1hr 20mins a day walking.. 8-10k steps and on the weekend I did more and added a 40-1hr swim.. for me it gave less time to focus on food and build better habits you have got this hun keep going.. xx

So... It's seems my stall has finally "cracked" - I wouldn't go as far as broken, but cracked... and I'm happy with that. This morning I weighed in at 69.1kg which is 152.3lbs ( 10st12) and puts my BMI just below 25 ( 24.8!! woopeee). I've just voted because it's the EU elections here and am about to pack before I leave home for work for a week. I'm going to Budapest and really don't like the food there so I'll see how I get on. I'm really hoping to see a number starting with 68 when I get home even if I loose just 300g (10oz) this week I'll be happy with that! @Noelle74 I hope you have some better days comming and manage to eat without being miserable! @RonHall908 I have this fear too... Well done on all the activity! How do you find the time. I struggle to get my 10k steps some days with work and even though I've been for a few 5k runs I don't know how I'd find time to work out! @gracesmommy2 I might try those recipies! Thank you @NickelChip I see we share the same live-in housekeeper dream! I don't even have children and am often overwhelmed by my own mess and laundry especially when I do fast turn arounds for trips! I'd also like someone who could remind me to go to bed at the appropriate time, make me coffee in the morning ( to be honest my partner does this if he's around but we don't live together full time as we both want to keep our Paris appartments!), I'd like someone to say "Hey blue, lets go for a walk before bed, just 30 minutes" or "Hey blue, what about getting up 30 minutes earlier and walking to work?" or "Hey Blue, let me sort that ironing for you, why don't you use the time to do some yoga?" @LisaCaryl How are things going for you, how are you dealing with the stall ? @Briss72 How are you feeling? How's your leg? Have you found a dance routine you like ? If not I got myself a dress and don't feel massive in it even though I still don't like my tummy I thought my legs ( massive heels helping) looked pretty ok!

Day and night 5, Food and Meds The website said everyone speaks English, but 2 of 3 assigned to me don't speak much of it. We use Google translate, which is close enough to get it across. I didn't take a shower yesterday because I didn't like being helped with it and I figured since I sat in bed all day, at worse, I had a few crumbs. I suggest you do shower every day to keep an eye on your incisions. The really itchy spot turned out to be a blister. I've never been alergic to tape, but I have a couple blisters under the tape they used to hold gauze on.I'm able to get in bed without hurting now. I'm hoping it isn't just because I'm on pain meds. Starting day 3, I've been walking 2 or 3 times a day for a few minutes. Today, I walked for 15 minutes. Needless to say, I walk slow and hunched over. They gave me compression socks at the hospital, and I thought I put them in my bag when I got dressed, but I didn't. I tend to sleep most of the day and work and watch TV at night and go to sleep for the night after midnight meds. Before coming, I sent them dietary needs and asked if I could bring my own breakfast. I told them I'd had gastric sleeve and can only eat 6oz at a time, and no eggs or seafood. Unless you are adventurous or bring your own food as a backup, I suggest you be specific as to what you want to eat. I've had chicken or turkey, potatoes and salad 3 times (OK); soup 3 times, veg, chicken veg with barley, and veg with a big meatball (OK); tostados with weird stuff on it twice (not OK); I'm missing one meal, I think I told them I wasn't hungry and they asked if I'd like ice cream (I said yes and they brought a small bowl). For breakfast they make what I brought for breakfast, protein oatmeal and add a scoop of collagen with the added missing amino acid (they always use too much water). In addition to the oatmeal and collagen protein powder, I brought cheese and crackers, pure Protein Protein bars, and beef jerkey (I'm a rebel. It's low in fat, high in protein, low calorie, I spit out gristle, and if they ever have to cut a ball of gristle from my stomach then I'll give up beef). In the hospital, my doc gave me meds. The 2 antibiotics were to be taken every 8 hours, but not together and with food. The pain pills was take #1 and if it isn't enough take #2 2 hours later. #3 was only 3 pills and were the strongest and only to be taken at night if the pain was excruciating. I turned them over to the nurse at the house. They give me both #1 and #2 pain pills every time (6am, 8am, 2pm, 4pm, 10pm, midnight). I didn't object because I want to be as pain free as possible and they don't make me fuzzy). When they wake me up at 6am they give me fruit or peanut butter toast so I have something in my stomach. They don't bring food at the other times, but they know that I eat my snacks between meals.

It can be challenging when your taste buds are against you but it is a great opportunity to try things you haven’t before or give food you didn’t enjoy in the past another go. I wasn’t hungry or interested in eating either (for 8 months or so). So I ate to a routine to ensure I got on my required nutrition. It helped to change how I looked at eating - not for comfort, to make me feel good/better, if I was bored or …. but to fuel my body. Eating to live not living to eat. Was also when I began asking myself if I needed the next bite or just wanted it. Never forced myself to eat all my portion if I didn’t need it or thought nope, no more. At two months, I was eating only all real food & eating a wide variety of meats. Some vegetables were challenging but steamed green beans, cauliflower & cabbage were good. I could add tomatoes, celery, capsicum, onions, mushrooms to any slow cooked soup, stew, minced meat dish. etc. About a month later all vegetables were fine. Didn’t touch shakes from purées. Aim for three meals a day & maybe one snack. (I snacked on fruit or yoghurt.) Check with your dietician to see what they recommend for you. Try to avoid falling back into the old habit of eating if you have head hunger.

The gas is probably from the carbs. Especially simple carbs, though complex carbs can cause it too. DS/SADI patients have altered small intestines and those shorter lengths digest carbs differently than the full length did pre-op. Things with sugars in them, like carbs, can cause gas to build up as part of the digestion process. In addition to this, some people are sensitive to FODMAPS. That can happen with or without surgery. Onions are a huge FODMAP trigger food! Your gut may be reacting to these foods. You can try an elimination diet to see if it helps. But really, cut the carbs if you want peace. DS/SADI patients need about 90-120 grams of protein (120 grams is ideal, or whatever it takes to keep your protein levels at 7 or above) about 100-150 grams of fat depending on the surgery, and ideally we keep carbs below 50 grams during active weight loss, some go below 30 grams. But even in maintenance, we need to watch the carbs if we want to avoid gas and other digestive issues.

Even if those white ones are particulary high it's the advantage of my Cerebral Palsy ... my feet and legs are so twisted that heals are actually easier than flats, they straigten out my legs and make me more stable, I fall over my own feet in most trainers and flats (except birkenstocks that I find magical!) ... at school I got a special pass to be allowed to wear heels from about 7 years old ... all the other girls were so jealous! And there are worse disadvantages to be had. Well done on the 4 pound loss... thats massive! Enjoy it to the fullest. And how wonderful to slip into a old dress again and for cherry on the top it to be loose! I hope your daughters special event went well and that you felt amazing in your dress. I shocked a friend who saw me in jeans the other day... I pulled them out of my cellar, she hadn't seen me in jeans since pre pandemic (because I no longer had any jeans that fit ... and had resorted to wearing baggy dresses) and the jeans were tight and i had to wiggle wiggle jump into them and button them up lying flat on my back.. but I managed it. Hopefully they too will be loose one day. If I take the last 30 calendar days I've lost 7.5lbs - but since my three month "surgiversary" to now seven days short of 4 month surgiversary I've not even lost 2 lbs .... and most of that was in the last 24 hours! I really hope my stall has broken. I've arrived in Hungary and after a pretty chill Paris week have a very busy week planned so I just hope I'm able to make good choices food wise and that I get back to Paris to a loss on my scales! I wish I was that brave! I think if I tried that my team would have a field day and an intern would take a video and make it into a meme or a gif in minutes and I'd never live it down! I think it may be out but it is worth seeing a sports physio to ask and to "learn" how to run without putting too much strain on your knees, they may have tips and adaptations for you. Instead of regretting yesterday be proud of today and tomorrow if you can. Keep moving!

Hi everyone, My 3-month mark was January 27th, 2024 for RNY. I was cleared to eat regular food in the normal way (not liquid, puree) 2 days before Christmas. I just had my labs done today, and my 3-month checkup with the clinic is on Feb 12th, where we will go over labs and diet expectations. So I will know more then. From my highest weight, I have lost 61lbs/27.69k so far, since surgery on October 27th I have lost 39lbs/17.69k. I feel like I should have lost more, but I am right on track. I was exercising at the gym 6 days a week since mid-November, up until 2 weeks ago when I got snowed in. I am hoping to get back to the gym tomorrow, but I am overwhelmed looking for a new job/career change and I would like to move to Nevada. I have noticed that the exercise seems to help me with the weight coming off and I have been building muscle too, especially in my arms and legs (most excited about arms). I take full body measurements every month on the 27th. I started doing this the day before surgery in October and I have found it very encouraging, especially since I struggle with feeling I should have lost more. I would suggest everyone do this, there are some great cheap templates you can download from Etsy. The first month after surgery I lost 0lbs, nothing and I was super upset, how can no weight come off when all you get to eat is protein shakes, and it's a struggle to get them down? So I guess I hit my stall right out the gate. My surgery did go very well. I only stayed one night in the hospital, and I was eager to get home, I did throw up the entire time after surgery (that day and the next day) but I did not have pain or gas and I was able to walk around easily. TMI but I did start my period the day before surgery, so FYI bring your own pads to the hospital, the ones they have are terrible, and no you can't use a cup or tampons. I will let you know how my lab report turns out and what they tell me on February 12th. Oh and anyone living in Las Vegas or Henderson NV and can help with a job, that would be awesome I have a bachelor's in Business Management with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship, and I can learn to do anything quickly, but I would need to make enough to afford an apartment on my own. (it's worth a try)

I am about 11 weeks out from surgery, and i was told that everyone's body is different. And that everyone has different tolerations. Like you, i knew other people that had the prodecure with other physician groups, and they were able to move to other stages more quickly. I know for myself i did cut a few days (i think 2 -3) moving to that pureed stage. And i did handle it well. But not everyone does. I do think those are guidelines, and to trust and know your body, and just be cautious. And if anything doesn't feel right, revert back to the documented plan from your nutritionist. It seems most people have had success by reaching out to them and asking them their questions also.

I lost 70+ lbs. before I had my surgery. I've been eating healthy for a while now. But, it starting going into overdrive back in October. As of my weight today I've lost 25 pounds since my surgery. I had a 10 day stall and started to worry a bit because it was the time between my surgery and when I started soft foods. My surgeon and Dietician told me that would happen. I expected it, but it still had me second guessing at the time. One thing I've taken from all of the stories everyone has, nobody loses the same. I keep that in mind and then realize I'm only 7 weeks post op. I try to walk a 1-2 miles at least two days a week or more. I would like to walk more, but I have a torn meniscus that's going to require a full knee replacement (bone on bone). So, I'm limited without being in a lot of pain. On the days I don't walk, I use my rowing machine or I do some resistance training with a band or light weights. Thanks for your advice and story of what you've been through. I hope you're able to get where you want to be and I wish you the best!

Anxiety is awful. I used to stress out majorly due to my career, but even having been retired for ten years, I still have problems sleeping. I work out like an animal, now that I've lost most of my excess weight, and keep myself mentally engaged in a lot of things, but I still suffer from insomnia. My one doc, who I've used since the mid-90's, still has me on diazapam (addictive, but at some point for me, it just doesn't work so I stop and clean out) and Mirtazapine, which definitely puts me down most of the time. Only problem with the latter is that I don't wake up til 11am. Not good if I'm attempting to live a normal life. But, he's against sleeping pills and I get it. The other things, like Melatonin, just make me woozy. I'm in way better health as a result of the surgery and working out constantly. I'm consuming lots of protein through drinks plus food. I feel good. The lack of sleep can definitely ruin your day. I don't know what the current thinking is in the medical community. I trust my guy but still, it kinda sucks to have to medicate to get sleep. I'm real big on integrative medicine. Maybe there's an answer there. Dunno. Nice to see you folks!!!!

You had surgery almost 50 days ago, and your worst "transgression" is one instance of drinking tea with your food and consuming 2 fries and half a small onion ring? I have a feeling if past you could see this, she would not see much resemblance to herself. If eating those things felt triggering, like you're afraid it will be a slippery slope to undoing all the changes you're making, that's definitely something to work through, either on your own or with a therapist. I totally get that fear. But the hardest mindset shift, I think, is to realize we're not on a diet. This is life. Carb counts and protein goals and fat limits and daily calories are helpful guidelines to be mindful of, but they aren't laws that must be followed 100% of the time or else. Instead of beating yourself up, congratulate yourself on being more than halfway to your weight goal! And next time you have an event, decide ahead of time how to handle it if there's nothing there you can eat so you can go in feeling confident you won't have a slip.

Expansion on the use of Semaglutide: “The popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, which has helped millions of Americans shed pounds, can now be used to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attacks and other serious cardiovascular problems in patients who are overweight or who have obesity, federal regulators said Friday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a label change requested by drugmaker Novo Nordisk that expands the use of semaglutide. The decision was based on the results of a study that found that Wegovy cut the risk of serious heart problems — including heart attack, stroke and heart-related deaths. Higher-weight patients with heart disease but not diabetes were 20% less likely to experience those problems compared with patients who took placebo, or dummy shots, the study found.” https://www.npr.org/2024/03/08/1237133257/fda-approves-wegovy-heart-attack-stroke-risk#:~:text=Hourly News-,Wegovy approved to lessen heart attack%2C stroke risk in overweight,have obesity%2C the FDA said.

I never lost my hunger. Not with the sleeve and not with the revision to bypass. I just have more of a hard stop now that can't be ignored. My big thing has always been training my head. It's HARD, but very necessary. I always made sure I had 3 meals and 2 snack and a TON of fluids. And by a ton, I do mean A TON. My head told me I needed to eat, even when I knew I didn't. And that can manifest into physical hunger. I put myself on a schedule. Breakfast between this time and this time, snack here, lunch around this time, snack here, dinner between this time and this time. And then DRINK, DRINK, DRINK. Eventually my head and stomach learned when it's time to eat and when it's not. I only really run into trouble if I miss those times by a lot. THEN I'm in a minefield. Focus on protein as your #1 with food and snacks. That fills you up and keeps you full longer. Veggies are 2nd. Then carbs and HEALTHY fats. Sometimes at night, I'll have a sugar free popsicle if I really can't ignore the 3rd snack craving. I don't do it often, but the tropical ones are my favorite and they hit the spot. Make sure you're getting enough calories. Don't starve yourself, but also don't over eat. It's all about balance and training your brain. It takes a lot of time, patience, and effort. But I promise it's worth it.