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I’m 18 days post-op and on purées and I am struggling with protein intake. Protein shakes are so hard to get down, the milkyness of them turns me off and I feel nauseous. I’ve tried premade and protein powder. I’ve not once met my daily protein goal because of it. 😩 Hopefully next week with soft foods and then regular foods the week after will help with that. Other than that I’m doing okay, which is good.

Congratulations on reaching this decision! It sounds like things will move quickly for you, which is great news. Try not to let yourself dwell on surgery risks as serious complications are so very rare. Even with a surgery that lasted much longer than anticipated due to some oddities that came up after it started (I had no idea, I was asleep the whole time!), I was safe the entire time and ended up only having one additional night in the hospital out of an abundance of caution. Surgery is a game changer. I think it's helpful to make nutrition changes and start better habits in the lead-up, but the truth is, it will all be so different after, and it can be hard to plan for that because you just don't know what it will be like for you. For weeks or months, eating might feel more like a chore. There's a good chance your tastebuds will change and you may find what you crave now isn't really what you want after. Things you thought would be easier may feel harder for you, and things you thought would be hard are a total non-issue. The hardest part by far, at least for me, was the 2-week pre-op diet, and just the waiting for surgery day to come.

Hi All, I am having my surgery in 2 days (10/1/19) and just need to see some motivation to help me stop being so nervous. Can everyone just provide their first 6 month weight loss stats. Lbs down per month - month 1, 2, 3, etc...so I can be reminded of all the good things I have to look forward too! I am so excited but so scared and this simple thing will help me tremendously. Thanks!

Well, bariatric surgeon did not find anything wrong with my pouch (inside my pouch, no scar tissue causing problems, no hernia/bleeding inside pouch, etc.). Ironically unlike the 3 incisions that I had during my gastric bypass surgery, I have FIVE incisions. I guess he REALLY looked around. I look like I got attacked by a knife-wielding assailant with very precise aim..lol. I have my follow up with the surgeon tomorrow to talk about the procedure (he only saw my husband after the procedure as he had back to back surgeries lined up) as I have not officially spoken with him. I am trying to remember to ask him about their stance/experience on semiglutide/similar meds for their patients.

I too have dealt with stalls….and struggled with water and protein intake. the struggle is real! And so odd right? For me it was going from eating everything in sight to sharing a plate with the hubs when we go out to eat. one thing I did because I was so sick of protein shakes and bars…. I even went through a phase when I ate baby food every so often just to switch it up! i started experimenting with unflavored flavored protein….soups, sugar free jello, pancakes/muffins ect tons of recipes on this site. once you start eating regularly and getting out and about, you will feel so much better….trust the process (as they say!) also make sure you are taking the vitamins/meds recommended by your doc good luck 😊

I have always had a dilemma about the sleeve, because patients can expand their stomach pouch, by poor compliance. The majority of people who have bariatric surgery experience psychological problems with their relationship with food rather than a physiological problem. Therefore, not withstanding a brain transplant, I don't think a sleeve would be successful for such individuals. I think that's one of the main reasons for revision from sleeve to bypass. With bypass, this is my own experience, you can eat as much as you want, but you don't put on the weight. I feel sleeve is suited to people who need a helping hand to lose weight but are strong enough to comply with a lifestyle diet change. Those of us who would continue to struggle with our relationship with food regardless, I think are better candidates for the bypass. The bypass comes in various strengths. There are several variations of the bariatric gastric bypass surgery, including: 1. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) 2. Mini gastric bypass (MGB) 3. Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS) and While Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, mini gastric bypass, and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch are the most well-known variations, there are other less common types of gastric bypass surgeries, including: 1. Single Anastomosis Gastric Bypass (SAGB) 2. Loop Gastric Bypass 3. Sleeve Gastrectomy with Transit Bipartition

MY surgery date is 3/21 I'm also excited and nervous. I'm going through Milwaukee. I'm so ready for a slimmer healthier me.

After a year I have problems sometimes where the food just will not go down or if it does it is uncomfrotable. Beef burgers seem to be my main issue, no matter how small a bite I take or chew it, I have realised that about 70% of the time they don't agree with me. I have made chicken dishes and one night able to eat without an issue and the following day having another portion it immediately comes back up or if it goes down it does so uncomfortably. Last time with the burger was when I was out for dinner with a work colleague a couple of weeks ago and he got so worried about me as he said I literally went sickly white and looked like I needed to either vomit or pass out. I just took deep breaths for a few minutes and it (and the feeling) eventually passed but I think I will avoid burgers when out of the house for a while anyway.

If you have in person support groups you may also be able to find an exercise buddy. I met a lady the other night at mine and we exchanged numbers so we can walk together if I can handle the heat. She does 5 miles a day so I won’t be able to do the whole time witb her right away but hopefully she won’t mind backtracking a bit or I can just turn back alone until I can get caught up to her distance wise. I plan to see what I actually can do to start on my own so I don’t kill myself trying to keep up with her though but wheni had the sleeve I never did exercise or go to support meetings and this time I’m three weeks out and already ordered my walking shoes. The support groups really do work.

Hello from hot Arizona! Everyone is so different as to what makes them dump. I’m over 6 years out & can eat almost anything. Fruit can be tricky because of all the natural sugar. I just finished eating 3.5oz of watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberry & grapes. I make little portion cups up with just a couple of bites of each fruit & keep them ready in the fridge for a late night snack. You just gotta start off slow to see what your body will tolerate & just because something makes you dump this week doesn’t mean that it is always gonna be that way the next time. Good luck

I ate eggs without an issue for four years then suddenly tummy said no. Was annoying because if I went out for breakfast I’d have scrambled eggs and often made an omelet with lots of vegetables for lunch. Worse went to a new restaurant for breakfast and they do a scrambled eggs with crab - drool. Keep saying it’s been more than a year & must try eggs again but haven’t got around to it. I still have odd times too when I eat something easily one day & the next night I’m eating the exact same thing & nope not tonight & then next week it’s fine. So does it happen? Yep it does, even years out. I know there are some (not all) people here who also continue to struggle with certain foods. You’re relatively early out so it’s even more likely to happen - fussy & still sensitive tummy.

10 days post op today and i feel sooooo much better. Those first few days were tough ! I was kind of panicking because i wasn’t keeping things down well but the past 3 days have been a breath of fresh air. I moved to purees, and was able to eat scrambled eggs with a little low fat cream cheese, mashed veggies and white fish puréed together and i have finally found the one protein shake that does not make me throw up haha Every day is getting easier - i think i’ve finally mastered the quantity i can eat after the first 3 days of purees where i systematically threw up after eating too much … I realised that no matter what my eating plan says i need to adapt size of the meal to what i can actually manage. I can finally also manage water comfortably and that is such a relief !!

Have you checked to see if you have any uterine fibroids? I'm asking because I ended up having an abdominal total hysterectomy because I had 3 extremely large ones and they couldn't do anything laparoscopically. My stomach was the size of someone who was 5 1/2 months pregnant. We never noticed it when I was over 400 pounds because EVERYTHING was fat on me. But once I lost a ton of weight, I finally agreed to a pap and they found the enlarged uterus. 1 ultrasound and abdominal ct later, and it was confirmed. I had the hysterectomy and my stomach is a lot flatter. Looks like it's supposed to.

I have it with smells. So many things smell like fish or tobacco to me. My dad will make himself a coffee, and I smell cigarettes. He'll be frying up eggs or a hamburger, tobacco. And for some reason, a lot of medicinal scents smell fishy to me: my metformin makes me gag because it smells so strongly of fish -- as does my children's grape-flavoured allergy liquid. 😕 As for taste, I've been lucky enough not to experience that -- although my taste buds are definitely still out of whack / different than pre-op. I can taste chemicals in SO many things now -- even items that I was fine with (twice, just last week) suddenly taste chemically. (I'm looking at you, lemon pudding....)

Meals from the last few days- those cheesy stuffing waffles with over easy eggs and griddled tomatoes (clearly didn’t eat it all) cottage cheese mixed with cooked onions, bell pepper, and mushrooms then microwaved with marinara and turkey pepperoni (this I will definitely eat again) lemon poppyseed bread with ricotta, sliced apple, and honey (ate about 3/4 the bread and ricotta) polenta with French onion roasted green beans (a kit from the produce section) and shrimp, onions and tomatoes in veggie broth (the kids had theirs mixed with rice) spicy Thai chili tuna mixed with nonfat yogurt, more reduced sugar Thai chili sauce, and shredded lettuce. Only ate 10 of the Thai chili rice crisps cottage cheese plate with an everything bagel, strawberries, mini bell peppers, tomato slices, and lettuce (ate half the bagel, most of the cottage cheese and peppers and about half everything else)

@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!

2 lbs a week is considered "rapid weight loss". I know it doesn't seem like it, especially when comparing to others progress, but it is true... By 3 months you want to have lost 25% of your excess weight to be "average" and right on target, though even if you aren't at 25% lost there is still hope, because some people lose very slowly the first 3 months, then pick up the pace. If your surgery weight was somewhere around 286 and your goal is 150, your excess weight is 136 lbs. 25% of this would be 34 lbs. You have lost 43 lbs. So you have actually lost 32% of your excess weight! That is excellent!! You are ahead of schedule... Percentages IMO are much better to use than actual lbs lost because it is the percentages that really show you where you are! And on a funny note, I was exactly where you are at 3 months--43 lbs lost, 137 lbs excess weight, so 32% towards my goal weight! LOL Your team should be thrilled! Sorry your boobs are going south too... A good bra does help, I am losing fast in the band size for some reason, I have to buy a new bra every month! LOL

what if you schedule the tests for early January and just start the six months of visits now?! Because usually they wait until after the six months to submit to insurance and it can take like 30 days for an answer and then another month or two for the surgeons schedule. If you had your six months done and then knocked out them other tests like the first week of January then they could hopefully submit it all right after (unless you need follow up to any of that). If it is just the one visit though, That would be 6 months from now?? I mean ask the Dr if that works for her of course cause maybe I’m missing something but I hope they understand finances are important too.

My doctor wrote me off work for 2.5 weeks - 2 weeks out, I'm fine, and after the first week, I probably could have (a bit miserably) gone back to work, but I think I really needed that first week off. Even though I had minimal pain, some days I just needed to sleep. Your body is going through a lot! Treat it well ❤️

I have bad knees, no cartilage in either, which I have been told will need to be replaced in the years to come. I see you don't have a pool close by that is not cheap but I do aqua aerobics once a week and feel the benefit of it so if you could even afford a class once a week it might do you the world of good. I am lucky that my hospital run the class so I just have to pay about €100 by way of membership for the year and the classes are 50 weeks of the year. I also have an exercise bike that I go would go slowly on for about 20 minutes three times a week. Now that I have lost more weight and the weather is improving I find I can do short walks of about 20 minutes/1.5km. My knees do ache afterwards at night but not as bad as before when I was heavier so I feel it is worth it, put a bit of gel on them and it helps me sleep easier. I now also do the Svelte 'One and Done' exercise program, just the beginner level, three days a week. There are some exercises I can't do as they require knee movements I can't do but from what I have seen so far there is always an alternative exercise shown if movement is not possible. You could always check out their YouTube site as they have plenty of exercises that you don't have to pay for. Even though my weight loss has slowed down I can see where I am still losing cm's.

Thank you so much for all these suggestions! Yes I feel hungry sometimes after 30-60mins of a meal. So I drink water or protein shake. I do take PPI, that could be a possibility of why I still feel hungry. Most of the time it’s my head hunger craving for certain food. Also my tummy does rumble but don’t really feel hungry. I’ve been able to tell what type of hunger I am feeling. when I drink liquid, I literally sit there and drink with small sips through out the hours….when my tummy feel full from it, I come back to it later. I can feel the liquid traveling down when I drink. Yesterday was my first day being able to reach 60oz of liquid, but at night I didn’t feel well. Had my dinner at 6pm, went to sleep 11pm. I woke up feeling something up my chest and when trying to get up, I vomited. Sorry if TMI. It’s was all slimy mucus. No food. I was shivering, chills, migraine. I vomited a few times then vomited foamy bubbles… well after that I felt so much better. In search to see what is going on with me, it seems many bariatric patients go through this, but usually right after eating if they didn’t chew well or had too much food. I have tofu last night tho. It’s soft and should be easy to break down. On the bright side, It seems I am breaking my stall. From 241.6, I am now 240.6 lbs. even it’s only a little bit I am happy, because I am on this stall since 2 weeks ago, only 1 week after surgery.

This has been my experience too. My surgery was 3/28, and I'm barely now getting down a little water without it coming back up. I'm trying to figure out how to get down my crushed meds if I can't get down much water.

I had a similiar but different issue in the fact that i got loan from bank to cover the out of pocket - it was a secured loan against my car and the car insurance was under the bank's provider but the left hand couldnt talk to the right hand and the document they kept supplying me would go through - eventually someone sent me the policy document and that was accepted but i was literally ripping my head off ...with annoyance. Anyway I'm 3 months post surgery tomorrow and I'm finally happy with how I'm tracking.... sw was 118.6 now 96.4 so heading the right direction. I want to get into the 80's by my 6 month appointment in August

Hey Warren, I'm presuming because they would only look at fixing the opening if they did feel it was contributing to the pain and other issues I'm having 'downstream'. This would not be a true revision in the sense of reducing the size of the pouch. My insurance company also only pays for 1 bariatric surgery in your 'lifetime'. They would only pass for the revision of opening if it were medically necessitated, and they would not consider 'failure to lose weight' or a 'weight regain' as medically necessary. My GI wanted me to talk to the bariatric surgeon who specializes in revisions. The surgeon does not think what is happening to me is 'dumping due to widened opening'. He said it doesn't sound like dumping to him and if that happened to everyone whose opening widened, everyone would be having "dumping" issues after a couple of years. He did point out that both the upper and lower GI I had done do not look at the inside of the pouch so if there is a hernia that is causing the on again/off again pain and on rare occasions bleeding (looks like coffee grounds), then the GI doctor would not know as they never 'scope' the pouch for a routine upper/lower GI. He also indicated that depending on the scope size a GI doctor uses, it doesn't go through every single space that we have (due to us having been um "modified"?) so it would take a doctor who uses an extra long scope. That last part I must confess I do not understand at all. He does have me scheduled right now for a laparoscopic investigatory procedure to take a look inside my pouch and see if there is scar tissue or a hernia that needs to be addressed. He also gave me prescription acid reflux meds and said if i got better after 'taking' them, I could cancel the procedure in 2 weeks. What he fails to understand and I've tried telling his office, I can go a month with no pain. Then I go back to back days in extreme pain. Have not been able to tie it to specific food, time of day I'm eating, etc. My right side starts with a stabby/cramping pain (closest I can compare if it feels like the pain I used to get when I ovulated or that 'stitch in your side' type feeling. It often goes downhill from there. I have tried to get it figured out now for 2 years but taking ANY medicine and 'not having an episode in the next 2 weeks' does NOT give me a definitive answer as I do not have this pain all the time, it is just enough to be frustrating and has lasted LONG enough to be concerning. The 'coffee ground' type bleeding that I have observed is one and off for the past 3 months (maybe it started a while ago but now I know what to 'look for'. I don't like going under anesthesia but I'm probably going to keep that procedure scheduled as I have no guarantee that ANY medicine given for the next 2 weeks has 'fixed' any issue. I wonder if anyone else has ever had their opening revised but not their pouch out of curiosity.

I think all traces of pot pretty much leaves your body within about two weeks - I don't think it's necessary to detox for that to happen. I'd eat the protein - your body needs it - esp after bariatric surgery. EDITED to add this. Just found it on WebMd: If you’re a chronic user, more THC will build up and remain in your body. That’s because your body can only break down THC at a specific rate. Your body stores the excess THC in your fat cells. More frequent marijuana use means a longer time for THC to leave your system. Here are the average detoxification times: One-time use: one to three days Moderate use (three times a week): five to seven days Daily use: seven to 14 days Heavy use: 14 to 90 days