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While I do soak my oats overnight, it’s not the traditional ‘overnight oats’ because I still cook it. I start with a microwave safe container. Add 1/4 cup traditional oats (half a serve & not instant which are more highly processed & has additives), 1/2 teaspoon dried cranberries, a tablespoon of mixed seeds & a cup of milk. I microwave it in the morning & then add 1/3 tub 20g protein yoghurt, additional milk for a runnier texture & blueberries. Gives me on average a good 22g or so of protein. You could add some unflavoured protein powder for an extra boost if you want. I eat it hot or cold. I always have a few spoons leftover (it’s very filling) which I eat as an afternoon snack. Be ware: don’t cook it after you add the yoghurt - it curdles - shudder! If you were wanting a quick grab & go breakfast before work, my version takes vey little time. Pop it in the microwave while you’re getting dressed. Stir in yoghurt, additional milk, berries & then go. The overnight recipes I’ve seen use half a grated apple & yoghurt, milk optional the night before & no cooking the next day. I think they use instant oats which is why it doesn’t need to be cooked. Traditional oats are a great complex whole grain carb. You get sweetness from the fruit you add so no added sugar. Great breakfast choice. I ate rolled oats & blue berries 3 or 4 days a week while losing & now eat it every day.

for most people, yes, gastric bypass greatly improves if not outright cures heartburn. Mine completely went away for the first three years. I have it occasionally now (I'm nine years out), but it's pretty mild and a couple of Tums (or something similar) will usually knock it out.

@summerseeker made a great list! I would add to make sure your surgeon prescribes a PPI (proton pump inhibitor) for the first few months after surgery. This is to help calm the acid production in your stomach because our tiny stomachs are still making enough acid for our big stomach at first! With lower acidity you'll be able to sleep better and heal better internally without acid irritating that tender healing tissue. And keep in mind that hydration is crucial for the first few weeks, more than anything else, because it is hydration that will keep you out of the ER for dehydration. Try different temperature fluids (ice cold, hot, room temp), different flavors (sweet water flavoring packets, savory broth, neutral lactose free milk, herbal teas, decaf tea), and different textures (protein milk, protein water, protein shakes, milk thinned yogurt when allowed, sugar free popsicles). All fluid counts at first, even shakes or sugar free popsicles. I ate a LOT of sugar free popsicles the first two weeks. BUT, if you can't get near those 64 oz be sure to let your surgeon know. There is no shame in going to get hydration infusions and usually if you let them know before it is critical, they can arrange for it at an infusion center instead of the ER. Oh and wear something loose to the hospital, preferably something that doesn't put pressure on your stomach. And shoes you don't have to bend over to put on! LOL

Do you think just going back to that pre-surgery diet for a week would work well as a jump start? The 1 - 2 cups of broth, 4 oz of protein, 1 cup veg, 2.5 protein shakes? The surgar free water packet flavorings and even the gatorade / powerade zero still give me the prevomit saliva problem T_T

Hahahaha!! I eat a little bit of dark chocolate a few times a week for my mental health. I save it until after dinner and only have a bite or two, so it takes forever to finish a bar or bag of chocolate chips. But man, saving those carbs for that dark chocolate is worth it! 😂 I recently discovered freeze dried strawberries. OMG *swoon* I can't eat any raw fruit yet, it sends me right to the bathroom. But apparently freeze dried is fine and eating 1/4 cup of freeze dried strawberries easily fits into my macros. They are delicious crumbled on top of greek yogurt too! But they have to be freeze dried, the regular dried variety has sugar added and is waaay higher in carbs.

This makes sense! I have been under 50g, I have no desire to eat any bread but my guy bought me this huge Valentines Day heart of Sees Candy so I have been eating 1 bite of my favorite and putting it back. Just like the Trunchbull in Matilda LMFAO! It is what has been keeping me from over indulging. Its the perfect bite and I enjoy it. I may not have it every single day but 2x a week.

Even though you are a revision, your digestive system is still full of swelling and sutures from a major surgery! Hydration is king for the first two weeks, then protein, and both of these needs can be met with fluids... If you are experiencing nausea don't be afraid to ask for meds, it should help you be able to drink more. I agree with the others, sounds like a possible UTI. Best to go be tested at the doctor. Be sure to let your surgeon know approximately how much fluid you are getting in a day. Low fluid intake not only causes dehydration, but it can increase your risk for a UTI, especially in the first few weeks after surgery. ❤️

I'm so sorry you are experiencing this!! This isn't a you problem!! If you aren't losing sufficient weight you are either being given poor advice from your nutrition team, poor medical support from your surgeon, or it is possible your body is under significant stress for whatever reason and isn't losing weight. There are rare cases when someone with a sleeve doesn't respond but often those are people who have low starting weights. If they had a high starting weight and don't respond to the sleeve surgery, these people generally end up revised to bypass or a DS/SADI, and then lose weight, but again, that should be a convo being initiated by your surgeon as a future possibility if food modification and medications don't work. Some people take GLP-1 meds to help jumpstart their weight loss if the surgery hasn't triggered it, but again, at the 6 month mark this should be something the surgeon initiates conversation about. You shouldn't be living in fear of your appointments with them. If you aren't feeling supported you might consider getting a second opinion from another bariatric surgeon in the area not affiliated with this practice. I strongly believe in second opinions when talking things like surgery... It may sound like I'm being harsh on your team, but lets be clear. They made a nice chunk of money off of your surgery. You deserve good aftercare!! Some surgeons, like my own, believe that the best way to lose weight in the first 6 months to a year after surgery is through being in ketosis. This involves a good protein intake (60-80 grams with the sleeve) and carbs below 50 total carbs or 30 grams net carbs. You can get pee strips to test if you are in ketosis. Once in ketosis you should go through regular periods when you lose some weight, followed by periods where you lose none as your body stabilizes from the previous loss and recalibrates. If this doesn't happen, I'd definitely be communicating with the surgeon about it! What dietary advice did your team give you? Hydration is important for weight loss. If you aren't able to eat enough calories or drink enough water your body will go into starvation mode like @summerseeker mentioned. This is a huge stressor to the body!! And huge stress will cause weight loss to stop. Sleep is also crucial to weight loss, often more important than exercise. If you aren't getting regular sleep for enough hours per night, this can stall your weight loss. Physical activity of some kind is important, but it accounts for less weight loss than proper nutrition and sleep. And if you are under calories and under hydrated exercise will just further stress out your body.

Ahhh, the lovely tier 3 programme! It took an absolute age just to even be considered for that to begin with, I really feel for you. Then the added issue of thinking you would be aiming for a certain month or period of the year, to then be told last minute it's being pushed back, again and again, is genuinely the worst of it. Being completely honest too, as someone who is self-employed, I just don't earn enough regularly to commit to paying it per month. I was working 6/7 days a week between two jobs and I was barely earning more than 22-ish thousand a year salary until the end of last year. I do have the comfort of earning a little bit more now, but only in the right seasons unfortunately. I did put in a complaint yesterday to PALS, and they very quickly responded which was good of them, but it was conveniently not the woman who caused the stress to begin with. They've 'provisionally' (and I use that loosely!) let me know the 28th of March could work depending on how many others they have to schedule. Just a waiting game I suppose. Thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate it x

Honestly, this seems way off-base, with the exception of 60-80 grams protein, which is completely sufficient for most people (but not all!). Your calorie estimations are much too low for the vast majority of people in maintenance mode. So rest assured, you won't be on 650 calories for life! Also, 25g carb is extremely low carb and not a lifestyle most people are eager to embrace. If a doctor insisted on 25g carb for life as the only way to succeed, I would seek out a second opinion for sure. From what I see people saying around here, 1200 to 1500 is a much more realistic calorie range for the long term, although that is for maintenance, not for weight loss or for early days after surgery. If you eat to maintain your current weight right now, that would seem to go against your goal of losing 20-50lbs more. I have two suggestions. First, check out some bariatric cookbooks because they will tell you appropriate portion sizes for maintenance as well as give you some ideas for what types of foods to be eating. My favorite is Kristin Willard's Bariatric Meal Prep Made Easy: 6 Weeks of Portion Controlled Recipes to Keep the Weight off. She's a registered dietician specializing in bariatrics and every recipe has a gorgeous color illustration. Second, take a look at the Portion Perfection brand bariatric plate. It's kind of expensive, so you may not want to buy it, but the concept is really good. Basically it's an 8 inch plate (with a one inch rim all the way around, so a 6 inch circle of eating space). There are lines and illustrations to divide up the plate and show you where to put your foods and how much. If you're a visual person, this may really help. Other than that, you may want to check out some of the nutrition videos as well as the weekly podcast done by Dr. Matthew Weiner (Pound of Cure). I find them so insightful and he and his dietician, Zoe, are very keen on plant-based nutrition, which may be perfect for you. Edited to add: Here is a link to a dietician article about post-op goals that might help: https://www.mybariatricdietitian.com/mbd-blog/portion-sizes-after-weight-loss-surgery

I was on clear liquids 3 days, then full liquids for the first 2 weeks post op! While I craved substantial food at 6 days, my stomach wasn’t anywhere near ready for pureed food. Started pureed on day 15 post op and will be on it until 4 weeks post op. Next stage is soft food (weeks 4-6). At 6 weeks post op, I can slowly transition to solids

Just hit 3 weeks post-op today. I’m also on 2oz purée food to be SLOWLY eaten over 30 minutes. At this stage, protein shakes no longer count towards water goal of 48-64oz. I have also still been hungry and felt like I needed more substance. Met with my surgeon yesterday and he said the hunger hormones are still adjusting in my body, and it may take a few more weeks to feel less hungry. Also, I know some of the hunger is mental. Some things that have helped me are to actually take 30 minutes to eat the 2oz- which is quite difficult for me to slow down that much. I also stick to 16oz of water slowly sipped until around 8am. Protein shake slowly sipped 10am-12pm (I started adding a serving of collagen peptides to my morning protein shake (my program says collagen peptides are not a complete source of nutrition, so should not be taken as a full meal)- this has put me at more calories and protein earlier in the day. Lunch around 2pm, dinner around 5:30/6pm, another protein shake or 1oz purée a little later if needed. Goal is 60-75 grams of protein

Hello Irene, Welcome in here and congratulations on your surgery date. You will find a March 2024 group on here that you can join. Don't read anything on the net. Scare stories are not needed. This surgery is very safe. This forum is a safe place. Stick to your teams advice, There is not a single person on here who has the same regime as you, pre or post op. Don't buy loads of things you think you may need. Our tastes buds change after surgery because of Ketosis. Just buy a few of a selection of protein shakes. You may want to buy pain meds if you are not in the UK. You will not need much at the hospital. Go in clothes that you can go home in. Take a Chapstick and some Biotin. Some people take a phone charger with a long lead. You might want to use a recliner chair for sleeping, if you have one. I didn't and had to sleep upright in bed for a while and a recliner would have been easier. I had a bed wedge and lots of pillows. If you have a pre op diet they are tough for the first 4 or 5 days but its worth it in the end. You will have a weight loss stall at 2-3 weeks. You have not done anything wrong. You may get over emotional and / or get the regrets at this time. Our hormones are in the fat cells and releasing them in such a hurry makes our hormones go on a wild ride.

Try to work through the liquid diet and stay on it as recommended. Getting in 3 Protein shakes a day is pretty good, you're getting your protein in. I'm 3 weeks out from my surgery. Don't rush the soft foods, from my own experience you won't be able to eat much at all. It seemed like I could get in all the liquid I needed. Once I started soft food, I can barely get 1 measuring cup of food in. So you will need to drink one or two protein shakes a day to get in the protein you need with the food you can eat once you get to soft food phase. You won't be able to eat enough protein to get he recommended amount set by the dietician or whoever is directing you the recommended amount protein you need. I too lost weight before my surgery 70 lbs. Since my surgery I've only lost 7 lbs. Which is expected because of healing and getting the body back used to taking in soft foods again. You're doing really good, keep it up. Remember, when you do get to eat soft foods, take it slow. I've vomited only a couple times from getting to full. It's definitely different when you can only take a few bites and feel full. Wish you the best!

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.

So I am six months past surgery. My initial operation was August 21, 2023. I was 328 on the day of, and 376 at my highest before surgery. I lost 20 pounds by 2 weeks after the surgery, and have not lost weight since. I had weighed 305 since then. I noticed my weight creeping up on the scale now, and I'm at 309 again. I will say, however, I have gone from wearing a 4x to wearing a 1x in shirt sizes, though have only gone down two sizes in pants 28 to 24. I am struggling with drinking water. I feel starving. I've noticed myself wanting to eat every few hours. Then when I eat I vomit, or feel nauseous and spend a good amount of time nearly throwing up. Whenever I drink water I get that pre-vomit spit thing that happens and my mouth just makes spit for like 30 minutes and I feel awful. I think lack of physical activity has kept me held back in terms of the stagnant weight, I spend most of my days in bed or sitting in a chair at a desk. Is there anything that has helped anyone, any slight tricks to fix me? I don't want to hide and say I'm doing all the things right I'm doing great anymore, I know I'm not doing the best and I am looking to find support in getting there.

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.

It really is amazing to see how all the different doctors approach the pre diet, surgery, out patient vs hospital stay, post diet length of phases, what you can eat, what you can't in each phase. Of course we probably all think / hope that our own doc is doing it right. I'm trying hard to follow my doctor's course, even though when I read where some of you are, it gets difficult. Had first puree tonight (cheated by starting 12hrs early.. Oh well!) It was really good but really surprising how different your stomach reacts to it. I was definitely full after a few teaspoons as compared to eating pudding. I have a nutribullet, so you really end up making many servings so there's enough volume to puree. The mental part of the recovery has been awful. Hoping that being on the puree for the next two weeks will start to bring up the mood. FYI.. My insurance doesn't cover a nutritionist/dietician. Some of my doctor's dietician appts are considered part of the procedure and thus discounted cost. I paid almost nothing for the procedure itself, but not the dietician part. I looked online and found Health Loft. Many insurances cover them, including mine. They advertise as services for eating disorders, but they also have specialists for bariatric. It's virtual. Now I can use a dietician and get some counseling for many more visits as I try to change my life. Even though I've known for decades how I should be eating, I need all the help I can get.

Hi! I was wondering if anyone who is 5+ years since surgery is still experiencing any issues? I find that when I eat certain foods, much like when I was about a year or so out, that I have a feeling of being too full and can’t keep the food down. It isnt all the time. And it isnt really if I eat too much or too fast. I still eat pretty small meals at any given time and typically just eat 6 or so very small meals. An example would be if I eat pasta, maybe 1/3 to 1/2 a cup may feel unbearable and too full and can’t keep the pasta down. It could be something random like a handful of jelly belly jelly beans. I would say it happens maybe 1 a week? Just curious if anyone else has this issue. I have done well at keeping the weight off since the surgery and have hovered around 130-140 for the past 2 years. I am fairly active 50’s, 5’5 female. Thanks!!

Hi there! I just had my surgery last Monday on February 19th! I am on day 8, and honestly, im starting to feel almost back to normal! Struggling with the fact that I can't eat anything other than soup and pudding despite being so so hungry. Everything has been going down really good. I have had no issues getting in protein. I have 3 premier protein shakes a day, which equals to 90g of protein. I just wish I could eat soft foods like mashed potato and eggs. But my nurse practitioner wants me to stay on the liquid diet for another 3 weeks. YEAH RIGHT, hahah im going to be introducing some foods next week I think. I can't wait any longer. I am so hungry! I hope you have a speedy recovery from surgery! If you need any advice or have any questions, I am always here for you! Heaviest Weight: 376 - April 2023 Weight on day of surgery: 291 - February 2024 Total lbs lost before surgery: 85 lbs Current weight (1 week after surgery): 280 Total lbs lost since April: 96 lbs Im so close to meeting my 100 lbs down goal!!

Hi there! I just had my surgery last Monday on February 19th! I am on day 8, and honestly, im starting to feel almost back to normal! Struggling with the fact that I can't eat anything other than soup and pudding despite being so so hungry. Everything has been going down really good. I have had no issues getting in protein. I have 3 premier protein shakes a day, which equals to 90g of protein. I just wish I could eat soft foods like mashed potato and eggs. But my nurse practitioner wants me to stay on the liquid diet for another 3 weeks. YEAH RIGHT, hahah im going to be introducing some foods next week I think. I can't wait any longer. I am so hungry! I hope you have a speedy recovery from surgery! If you need any advice or have any questions, I am always here for you!

Thank you, I completely agree. Common practice usually would be to call the patient on the waitlist at the top (I have been told you are able to refuse a date to be offered another just one time, in the event you have a situation you can't miss in your personal life, for example), and offer the date with 2-4 weeks notice of surgery to begin the liver reduction diet. I agree though, it doesn't take a genius to work out that this way of contacting people is simply ridiculous. What if one is driving again, or it's an inappropriate time to answer a call? I have since found the complaints email for the health service trust, and have sent one off to explain the situation. I would be shocked if this was their policy, honestly, but I'll wait and see I suppose.

I spoke with the nurse last night and tomorrow I get to begin the soft proteins phase, which will be one week post-op. I'm going to the grocery store tonight. I will have to start separating food and liquids, waiting 30 minutes after drinking to eat and then 30-60 minutes after eating to drink. This is going to be a challenge because it takes me forever to drink anything. Part of the problem is I am developing an aversion to my protein shakes and anything sweet or artificially flavored. I think it's time to start making use of my unflavored protein and Greek yogurt to make my own shakes because the commercial stuff is just tasting terrible. Soft proteins include cottage cheese, string cheese, ricotta, flaky white fish, ground poultry, refried beans, tuna salad, eggs, yogurt, and tofu. My eating schedule when I begin soft proteins will be: Breakfast soft protein 16-20oz fluid plus a protein shake between breakfast and lunch Lunch soft protein 16-20 oz fluid plus a protein shake between lunch and dinner Dinner soft protein 16-20 oz fluid plus a protein shake after dinner/before bed

Whoa, be careful with the salt, It will dehydrate you more. If I could suggest something, get some cranberry juice and get as much down you as possible. Its great for bladder issues. Lots of us are not allowed food for a few weeks and I know that until I got onto real solid food and anti nausea tablets that I suffered terribly.

Excited and nervous pretty much sums up my mental state from last July when I started the surgical program to last week when I finally got the surgery!