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I was told drinking before a meal took up space that should be reserved for food. That never made much sense to me since liquids usually move quickly through. But in the beginning, I still waited 30 minutes before and after eating. Nowadays I wait anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour but only after a meal. Depending on the meal. It is quite painful otherwise if I don't. I would forego the snacks if I had to choose between them and staying hydrated. GL

I had just gone from pre diabetic to full on diabetic. This propelled me towards the surgery. I was prematurely old, walking with a stick and just about managing to keep house. I am now energetic, independent and quite frankly blooming. My high blood pressure disappeared with in two months and I came off those meds. At 6 months out, I was back to prediabetic. 12 months out, I was no longer pre diabetic. I had a rough ride early on. I had a very narrow new stomach. Eating and drinking were difficult. I have gained GERD which is a pain but its manageable if I eat and drink right. I eat out, drink alcohol and leave food uneaten. I have loose skin but I look great in clothes I am overjoyed that I did this surgery. I fit in the world, nobody looks at me.

Hello and congratulations on your surgery Nobody is totally prepared for this surgery. After all we learned to eat as a baby. We never gave a thought to the fact that we might need to re learn these skills. Add to this all the rules that we are told we have to adhere to and then we have remorse. It doesn't last long. Soon you will have it all figured out. Give yourself time to heal. Drink as much as you can, my intake was way off for the first month but as soon as I reached my teams goals, I felt much better. I had pain in the middle of my chest, not my stomach. I was advised on here to drink slower, try hot, cold or frozen drinks and do not gulp in air. If your pain is in the stomach area, if you are allowed try to, vary the temp of your drinks. Cold drinks sometimes cramp up your stomach. I never had gas pain but have read on here that it is usually in the shoulders. It might take you a while to eat all your fav foods but you will be able to soon, mostly. Over sweet, greasy and stodgy are all foods that are off my menu now. My pre surgery favs were salmon and mussels and I heave just thinking about them ! Why, I do not know. I am not bothered about the loss tbh. There are lots of foods to eat instead. I love that I can eat the tastiest morsels and leave the dross to others.

I like the Baritastic App but it doesn’t allow me to do it on my computer at work. I like being able to on my PC, since I am not allowed to have my phone in our office for security reasons. So I am using MyNetDiary and I really like it and it has a scanner. I literally am that person where I’m wondering if the surgeon did the surgery right or at all 😂 I’ve been on the forums for months so reading everyone’s story I was sure I would have terrible issues but I guess J should just appreciate that I am progressing fine and doing well. I am following the guidelines to a T on the workbook and not skewing off the types of foods so that is helping. BUT I am dreaming of having a layered dip FF refried beans, light sour cream, cheese and guac with whole wheat chips. I know I’ll only be able to eat 2 chips and a tiny dip but it sounds delish!! I do have the glass jars I kept my sons when I was making his baby food. I used them for dressing for our salads when I packed for lunches lol so I’ve been utilizing them and only eating 2oz of any soups. I am getting that heavy feeling in the middle of stomach so that much be my que. I figured it was gas telling me to slow but idk how much slower I can eat! It takes me 1hr to drink a protein shake! thank you for your wealth of knowledge it really helps!

I like the Baritastic App but it doesn’t allow me to do it on my computer at work. I like being able to on my PC, since I am not allowed to have my phone in our office for security reasons. So I am using MyNetDiary and I really like it and it has a scanner. I literally am that person where I’m wondering if the surgeon did the surgery right or at all 😂 I’ve been on the forums for months so reading everyone’s story I was sure I would have terrible issues but I guess J should just appreciate that I am progressing fine and doing well. I am following the guidelines to a T on the workbook and not skewing off the types of foods so that is helping. BUT I am dreaming of having a layered dip FF refried beans, light sour cream, cheese and guac with whole wheat chips. I know I’ll only be able to eat 2 chips and a tiny dip but it sounds delish!! I do have the glass jars I kept my sons when I was making his baby food. I used them for dressing for our salads when I packed for lunches lol so I’ve been utilizing them and only eating 2oz of any soups. I am getting that heavy feeling in the middle of stomach so that much be my que. I figured it was gas telling me to slow but idk how much slower I can eat! It takes me 1hr to drink a protein shake! thank you for your wealth of knowledge it really helps!

Regain is a fear I think we all carry with us. In addition to @Spinoza’s advice, make sure you restart tracking your food intake, fluids & activity too. It can be easy to let portion sizes slip, reintroduce foods that aren’t nutritionally dense & are calorie heavy, life gets busy so you drop or reduce any activity you were doing ir simply life throws challenges at you so watching what you eat gets forgotten or put in the too hard basket. Get back in touch with your team too: your dietician, therapist, etc. To talk through what’s been happening, any emotional, medical or psychological challenges you may have been facing, why you revered to old eating behaviours, better food choices etc. & look at ways you can better manage these considerations. Even meet up with your surgeon to look at what other options are available to you too.

These things can & do happen. Constipation is often an ongoing issue for many of us at least until we’re eating a broader range of food like vegetables & fruit. Try adding a soluble fibre to a drink, shake, soup, yoghurt, or similar to help. I used to take a stool softener if I hadn’t gone for three days to keep on top of it. Remember too you’re not actually eating that much so you don’t have much to actually poop out especially in the first couple of months. So don’t expect to go every day. Meeting or being close to your daily fluid goal is extremely important because of dehydration. Sip, sip, sip. I still drink during the night to ensure I reach mine. (Have a drink whenever I wake.) Your throat can be swollen for a little while after the surgery though it does generally pass in a couple of days. Do mention it to your surgeon when you go for your check up if it’s soon otherwise give them a call. Try drinks at different temperatures in the meantime. Many of us found warm or hot drinks more soothing than cool or cold drinks. And again sip slowly. Also remember we all heal & recover in our own way & time. This is a pretty major surgery & some take a little longer or can experience some challenges with certain aspects like hitting fluid or protein goals, or experience a little more surgical pain, have more gas pain, take a little longer to get their strength back, tolerate or not tolerate certain flavours, textures, smells, etc. Like your weight loss, your recovery may be a bit erratic. Easier today, but tomorrow not as much, then the next day is okay. Look back over a week to better see your progress. You can be sure that it does get better & easier in time. All the best.

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.

Yeah, not buying it. The medical community looks for what it wants to see. I married a statistician. They constantly remind me "Correlation does not equal causation!!" The medical community wants to believe that more physical activity will miraculously solve obesity issues because it puts the cause and the remedy right back in our laps, instead of admitting that this is a disease that is very complex and no one smoking gun is the cause or the cure. We need holistic approaches. I was a very active child. So were my siblings. My brother is a normal weight, my sister is often underweight, and I ended up over 300 lbs. My parents are normal weight though they both have siblings with weight issues. I gained a ton of weight while I was still active. Puberty hit and it was like someone switched on a helium tank and I just ballooned up. I've had more doctors than I care to count tell me that if I just got more physical activity and stopped eating McDonalds all would be well, ignoring the fact that I hate McDonalds and until my autoimmune disease got severe I was quite physically active. I know a lot of thin people who are couch potatoes. I know a lot of fat people who are active. These "studies" do nothing but continue to give doctors more ammunition in the shame game that is current obesity management. My partner is Chinese, was raised on traditional Cantonese food (which is very healthy in general), in a family where everyone is effortlessly thin except their grandmother who was diabetic... Several years ago my partner was diagnosed with diabetes. They've had weight issues all their life, despite being very active for most of it. Is it genetics? Perhaps. Is it current lifestyle? It probably contributed to it. Was it due to a childhood diet based on rice? Not likely, that diet also incorporated a ton of healthy protein options and a healthy variety of vegetables, including plenty of greens. A lack of exercise was certainly not the cause of it and increasing exercise is not going to be the cure for it either...

I don’t know if you all have a Whole Foods out there, but out here we do and I got the box of split pea soup it was thin and I used the Mrs’s dash seasoning on it they also have butternut squash but to me it was kind of sweet.

We are surgery twins! I'm sorry that this is happening, it totally sucks! and your feelings are so valid! I do feel hungry so what I had to do is change what I ate. So for bfast instead of a shake I now eat something with substance like eggs with avocado ect..then my shake is my "snack" I eat every 2-3hrs and that has helped me. *knock on wood* I have not hit a stall YET because I am sure one will come. I walk everyday for 30min, i wake up drinking water and my Isopure mix such as mixed berry or mango lime. Then I will have my decaf coffee with sugar free torani syrup and a dash of my nutpod creamer. Then an hour later I eat my food breakfast. It took me time to get there. I eat around 825 cal, 110g of protien, 35g carbs and under 20g of fat. When I am bored or feel hungry I chew gum or @ChunkCat suggested Millie's sipping broths and they are DELICIOUS!! Always protein first, something that I still am working on because I love my carbs LOL You got this and use this platform, we are here for you!

I like the Baritastic App but it doesn’t allow me to do it on my computer at work. I like being able to on my PC, since I am not allowed to have my phone in our office for security reasons. So I am using MyNetDiary and I really like it and it has a scanner. I literally am that person where I’m wondering if the surgeon did the surgery right or at all 😂 I’ve been on the forums for months so reading everyone’s story I was sure I would have terrible issues but I guess J should just appreciate that I am progressing fine and doing well. I am following the guidelines to a T on the workbook and not skewing off the types of foods so that is helping. BUT I am dreaming of having a layered dip FF refried beans, light sour cream, cheese and guac with whole wheat chips. I know I’ll only be able to eat 2 chips and a tiny dip but it sounds delish!! I do have the glass jars I kept my sons when I was making his baby food. I used them for dressing for our salads when I packed for lunches lol so I’ve been utilizing them and only eating 2oz of any soups. I am getting that heavy feeling in the middle of stomach so that much be my que. I figured it was gas telling me to slow but idk how much slower I can eat! It takes me 1hr to drink a protein shake! thank you for your wealth of knowledge it really helps!

I have my grandmother's silverware from 1938, which is so special even though it's just silverplate. The funny thing is, the cocktail forks pictured here were supposed to be in that pattern, but the seller on eBay sent me the wrong ones and I liked them so much, I offered to buy them too (she did end up sending me the correct forks, which I've put in the silverware chest). When I started looking for demitasse spoons, it turned out my grandma's pattern didn't have them, but the "mistake" pattern did. So it turned out to be a lucky accident, and they really complement the early 1900s china pattern (which is Bavarian, and not very expensive but looks gorgeous). I figured if I needed to use small plates and cutlery, I could at least make meals special by using the china that usually stays hidden in the cupboard. A way to shift from focusing on the quantity of the food to enjoying the overall aesthetic experience of dining.

I had gastric bypass in July of 2019. Highest weight was 400 before losing a bit on my own. Current weight varies from 167 to 173. I still feel some restriction to this day. My meals are usually small although I know we can all 'eat around' the restriction by eating smaller, but continuous meals and this was a slippery slope I fought back against. About 2 yrs ago, I started having right sided pain. It felt like the pain I used to feel when I ovulated so I assumed it was ovarian. Saw OB & had 2 ultrasounds and they couldn't even see right ovary (and the left was fine. Since they couldn't 'see' the right one, they said that was good since there was no obvious signs of..I don't know tumors, growths? The pain continued to worsen & I finally had gall bladder taken out 1.5 yrs ago. I adjusted diet again to deal with gal bladder being gone and things seemed ok. A few months after that the right sided pain returned. About 4 mos ago, the pain got so bad at times I'd be in a ball on my bed considering going to ER (which I HATE doing). Went back to primary got CT scan. CT came up with no findings. Then he referred me to GI doctor for colonoscopy & upper GI. I thought finally 'this was it, we've ruled out most other things'. I also had seen blood in my stools and it was old blood, like coffee grounds so I thought ok, not hemorrhoids? Just got back home from colonoscopy & upper GI. I thought doing prep was bad yrs ago, but much harder having had bypass surgery. Good news is no polyps or other concerning things. Bad news is main finding was on bypass "Patient's surgical anastomosis noted to be widely dilated, raising possibility of Dumping Syndrome as a cause". OK, most know what dumping is. I thought it was post surgery when we ate food (i.e. sugar, high fat) that processed too fast, etc. and you had dumping. Is the type of dumping they are alluding to different from our post surgery dumping? They recommended I see gastric bypass revision specialist. Has anyone else had revision NOT due to 1st bariatric surgery not being successful but for a "medical reason" like this (other than GERD, heartburn). I'm not even sure insurance will pay, but I have 2 yrs worth of history on this pain. Even it if does pay, I dread what this means for me - more hair loss? If I do this, will I need another revision in 5 yrs again at which point I'll be getting up there in age. I also still feel restriction kick in although yes, nothing like 1st 2 years My highest right now hovers at 173. I hoped I'd get to 150 but closest I've come is 167-168. Is revision another 'nuclear detonation option'? I've also wondered with the CT scan, etc. is there any chance of some straggler/stone from my gallbladder surgery 1.5 yrs ago that should be considered? Should I post this in the revision group instead? I read through some and was unsure. Are we allowed to cross-post? Any input would be appreciated. This is causing issues on my job as the pain hits out of nowhere (not X amount of time before OR after a meal, that I have been able to discern. Thank you!

You are a powerhouse. Well done. What are you putting in your 2oz food containers? I’ve got 2wks of protein drinks, soups etc but not even thought about soft diet yet. Have you re-started driving? I’ve been advised no driving for 3wks which is going to be very difficult. How has anyone else managed?

Hi December Friends! I had surgery on December 11 and so far, so good, not great but no regrets. I'm 50 years old and menopause is a major part of life so sleeping is a major issue. I'm not able to take my estrogen due to an increase risk of clotting, so I'm just not getting enough sleep. I feel like I'd be feeling much better if I could get some sleep. I had a hiatal hernia repair and that's been uncomfortable - probably the one thing I didn't feel prepared for. I just can't wait to get to pureed/soft foods. I hope my teeth don't forget how to do their job.

You are a powerhouse. Well done. What are you putting in your 2oz food containers? I’ve got 2wks of protein drinks, soups etc but not even thought about soft diet yet. Have you re-started driving? I’ve been advised no driving for 3wks which is going to be very difficult. How has anyone else managed?

I am 2 weeks post op now from gastric bypass.. I am doing ok on the pureed diet but really ready for some food. I am thinking I am going to love the soft food stage when I can add more things.. went back to work yesterday but I am so tired from the long days. This has been a little harder then I thought it would but I am making due.. my husband is starting to notice changes in me and I am noticing clothes are starting to fit weird. it is not often I get to say that me clothes are getting big.. off to see how this week goes..

I am sending you hugs. Your weight is still down from 134kg, so you are not a failure. I am sure that people more educated than me will be able to offer you more and better advice. But I will say that I think you should start tracking your food intake so that you know how many calories, carbohydrates, and protein that you are getting. Vi auguro buona fortuna e spero che ci terrete aggiornati!

I had the Duodenal Switch, which is different than the most common two surgeries being discussed here. I picked it because I had type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, sleep apnea, etc... I also picked it because I knew a purely restrictive surgery wouldn't work for me. Portion has never been my issue. Pre-op I was eating about 1000-1200 calories a day, for about 10 years, and did nothing but steadily gain weight. My surgeon said it was obvious I have a metabolic disorder, so I needed a metabolically strong surgery. I also didn't want to risk gaining weight back and the DS has the lowest rate of regain. But as a trade off it can cause more vitamin and protein deficiencies if not managed well and the diet is a bit different than the others post op because of our malabsorption. However, diabetes was my biggest concern and the DS puts about 95% of T2 cases in remission, and most stay that way. Post op my blood sugar dropped to 82 within 24 hours of surgery and my high blood pressure normalized, so they took me off of my diabetes meds and blood pressure meds. I'm 3 months out and my a1c is 4.8 without medication!! My blood pressure continues to be normal without meds. My cholesterol and triglycerides are also normal without medication, which hasn't happened in decades! All this to say---consult with a surgeon who offers ALL the surgeries if you can find one in your area. Talk to them about your reasons for wanting bariatric surgery and consider your options carefully. The sleeve surgery is amazing for a number of people, but it isn't right for everyone. The bypass is a fantastic surgery for certain patients, but again, it isn't for everyone. And the DS is a powerful surgery, but it definitely has a specific patient profile. All are great surgeries, but not all of them will be the best surgery for you. Only you and your surgeon can decide that. And don't be afraid to get a second opinion. I went to two surgeons before deciding on one (though both recommended the same surgery). I needed that extra reassurance I was picking the right surgeon and the right surgery. I'm so glad I did this surgery, I just wish it had been an option available to me when I was younger.❤️

Thank God. I am the same and was getting a bit worried about the fact I wasn't counting calories. I am just trying to eat small and regularly while including liquids. I am worried that I am not getting enough protein all the time but just not hungry enough to be able to fit more in most days. I didn't want to get into weighing out foods and tracking as felt that was putting too much stress on myself, just trying to be as healthy as possible in my food choices, with some occasional blips (slice of ready meal lasagna tonight). Some days I can eat slightly larger portions but figure a bit of extra bean stew isn't going to send me over the edge

I don’t really understand drinking to excess either. I don’t really understand why people take drugs or smoke either. Logically I realise for some, just like many on this forum did with food, it’s to comfort & soothe. To forget or avoid, at least for a while, the challenges & issues in their lives. Yes, I drank & still drink after surgery. I don’t enjoy it as much but I was never a big drinker as such - never large amounts. No I’ve never been drunk & only to the edge of tipsy. Personally, I don’t like the potential of losing control of what I’m doing or the situations I’m in (control freak). Also if I did drink more than a couple of glasses, I’d end up with the most hideous hiccups & that would be the end of my night anyway. We’re not a family of big drinkers either so that’s likely an influence too. I do find enjoyment in the flavours of alcohol much like the flavours & ingredients in an interesting recipe/meal. Can’t stand sweet wines or adding sweet mixers (except tonic & soda water in Gin 😉) to spirits but that’s the personal taste aspect. Much like I don’t understand people who say they love coffee but add syrups, cream & sweeteners to drink it. I’m more of a purist that way. I get the drinking, smoking, using & eating to fit in or feel more confident in a situation. I briefly smoked cigars. It was the 90s & I admit I did it to fit in & for attention. I was changing some of my friendship circle & wanted to be accepted. I look back & shake my head but during that time I came to realise a lot about myself & my needs. Like I didn’t need or want to smoke & if those people I was trying to impress didn’t like me for me I didn’t need or want them. Thankfully I only smoked a handful of times over a bout a year. Have no desire to do it again. And came out of the whole experience a stronger person. I’m not going to judge if someone drinks, smokes or uses. (Or mixes cola with scotch or lemonade with vodka.) They’re adults & it’s their choice. I’ll worry about them for sure & ensure they’re safe & not harming themselves or others. I might have just added more fuel to the discussion. Sorry @jparadigm, your original post has been hijacked.

Your able to eat mashed potatoes and chilling over the clear liquidate? Just wondering is rhe Chilli with beans, tomatoes etc? Thanks! I am on full liquids and not able to eat more than 2ounces per meal 3 times a day and it's only yogurt, pudding, cream soups but nothing with chunks or mashed consistency. Trying to get some ideas for when I go to pureed next Thursday. Its been a long 17 days on clear/full liquids(including preop diet). Thanks

Week 5 was soft food for me. While it’s been 4.75yrs for me I remember making a lot of minced beef dishes: savoury mince, meat balls, bolognese with zucchini noodles. Also made a couple of slow cooked stews/casseroles & chunky soups.. So all had well cooked soft vegetables & its own sauce/gravy to keep everything moist. Omelettes & yoghurt/yoghurt drink were also on rotation & I had rolled oats & scrambled eggs for breakfast. I wasn’t eating much either (was told 1/4-1/3 cup from purée). I’d eat one golf ball sized meat ball. Two egg scrambled eggs took 3 days to eat. Doubt I was consuming 400 calories & barely reaching my protein goal - was much like @ms.sss in that way except I almost made 900 calories by 6 months. Check your plan as there can be a number of differences between what we’re advised to eat. And check with your team if you want to try something ‘off plan’ first. Listen to your body. There maybe foods your tummy can’t tolerate. Don’t give up on them though. Just avoid them for a week or so & then try again. Good luck.

I can’t speak on the diabetic side, but I had my Gastric Sleeve done 12/4/2023, and I don’t regret it one bit. Recovery was quick to my surprise. I was allowed to go home the same day of the procedure. Make sure you walk because the most discomfort comes from the air they pump you full with during the surgery. Walking helps it escape. I was feeling fine day 2. Day 3 I stoped taking pain and nausea meds. I retuned to work after 2 weeks. You’ll have a sharp pain in your side if you laugh or cough; don’t panic it’s normal and will go away. Just hold your side, it helps. Pros: - You definitely lose weight (down 50lbs) - I sleep through the night, and it’s good sleep!!! I literally don’t even move. I used to toss and turn. - My feet, and knees no longer hurt. - My self confidence has increased. - I can cross my legs and feel girly. - I don’t feel limited because my size isn’t a thing anymore. - Save money on food. Cons: - Not an easy fix (you’ll have to create good eating habits. I was a binge/emotional eater. Sometimes when I get bored or depressed I snack and then my stomach hurts) - Lose skin (if that matters to you) - Going out to dinner is a waste because you will only be able to eat maybe 1/2 cup of food if you’re lucky. (Leftovers will last you a week) - Buying new clothes gets expensive!! (But feels amazing, so not such a con after all) To be honest I wish I had done this sooner. I was impatient and went the self-pay route because I didn’t want to take the classes insurance requires of people, but if you are willing to wait I can see the benefits the classes can do for you. Good luck to you!!