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I second the suggestion to track everything you eat or drink. I know it can be annoying to weigh/measure and record everything but it is the best way to ensure your portions are too large or you’re missing hidden calories or underestimating them. For example ate your potatoes mashed with butter, milk & are you counting them? Try to focus more on home made foods too so you can control the ingredients and cooking methods. I’d also suggest eating more regularly aiming for three small meals of real food not two meals of shakes. I was someone who lost their hunger and interest in eating for about a year. I ate to a routine to ensure I was getting in the nutrients I needed. I still eat this way. Even if I’m not all that hungry, I’ll still eat something. At 800 calories, most of your meal would be protein with some vegetables. Take your record of your tracked eating & drinking to your dietician and ask them to review it and make actual suggestions of what you could eat (add or remove). Demand better advice than an eye roll or general you must be eating something that’s sabotaging your weight loss.

@melissa i am on a low fat high protein (definition-eat nothing) for two weeks. I am struggling and its only day 4.

HOW Long does this thirst thing last???? So 3ed week after total gastrectomy, similer to bariatric surgery; but the whole stomachs out. My body is telling me thirsty All the time, it lessens when i eat something but i am going insande. I will try popsicles and ice.

I agree with you, I definitely feel so much better and in less pain! I just can’t believe for 4 months I’ve been in this stall when it seems that the first year is major weight loss for most people 🥺 I do have regular check ins with my dietician and have been following the advice they give and they also suggested adding some calories but it’s hard to fit in my stomach. But no excuses I gotta do it. Just frustrating and no one on my care team seems to be alarmed or offer any medications even though it’s been 4 months of this. lol

Thank you so much! I actually use Parrot Pal app to track my calories and it gives me an average each week of my calories and protein! That’s the number it generates for me from all my tracking, which I do pretty religiously. I’ll try adding a little more cals it’s just hard because I can’t fit in a lot each day. Thank you again.

Adding to the things that may not be accurate: BMI. BMI is an average that was reduced to a simple algorithm: BMI = weight (kg) / [height (m)]^2. In words: weight * (height * height). This calculation is intended to be a rough estimate to start with not the end all be all it has become. Such a calculation is closer to "correct" at the middle or average height and weight. Tall people skew to a lower BMI, short people skew to a higher BMI. The taller / shorter we are the more the BMI skews lower / higher. Body type also can skew higher or lower BMI. Not all of our bodies are built the same yet the BMI assumes they are. The more muscle we have the more the BMI doesn't work right. Body builders show the extreme of this effect. Arnold at his younger best would weigh in at a very high BMI. But us humans can build enough muscle to screw with our BMI. BMI is a rough starting place. Once you have the number, it doesn't really matter. How we feel, our health both physical and mental, how our eating and exercise are feeling. These are the real measures. Whew, done with BMI. But the post goes on. Then another part of this whole thing is Goal Weight. Simply, It may be wrong. If we're aiming for a certain BMI or BMI range the BMI discussion above should cause us to think. If it's a weight we were when we were young(er), our body has changed since then. If it's a weight our surgeon or medical team created it is another number intended as an idea that has been turned into a goal to measure us by. If it's based on those on-line calculators they give the average progress and result of someone with our demographics: We as individuals are not average. Goals are not written in stone. As a target to aim for when you start the process, it's fine. As you progress things change. Our bodies may tell us the original goal is unrealistic. If our body is happy and healthy at a different weight perhaps we should listen. The thing with goals, we are over the moon when we lose 10, 20, 50 pounds more than goal. Look how unconcerned we are about missing our goals by 10, 20, or 50 pounds. Why is missing goal by 10, 20, 50 pounds the other way so devestating? We misjudged our goals both ways. Ultimately, it's where our bodies that decided where to stop. If we have goals, we should continually evaluate them and change them as necessary. We have more information about our process now than we did when we started. More now than last week. Be honest. Be realistic. Good luck, Tek

Great advice from @SpartanMaker as usual. I’d also add if you’re lifting weights you’d be building muscle which is heavier than fat. So you could have been losing some fat during this time while building muscle. May be consider having a dexa scan to measure your current muscle, fat & bone density. Then have another in a couple of months to compare. Are you still in contact with your dietician? If not maybe arrange an appointment. Because you are aware of your average daily calorie intake, I presume you’re measuring and tracking every thing you’re eating and drinking every day. I’d take this with you to the appointment and ask the dietician to go through it with you in case you are missing something not only in regards to calories but nutrients as well. If you’re a random tracker like I was and am, vigilantly track everything for a week or two before seeing the dietician. Don’t give up though. The scale may not be moving but I bet you’re fitter, stronger and generally healthier than you were before.

While I absolutely do not agree that it’s likely you will GAiN weight on 800 calories, 800 Calories can be a pretty good amount of food depending on what you eat. for example this is 757 calories and it’s 100 g of protein. breakfast: Caramel “Proffee” made from a premiere protein caramel shake with iced coffee mixed in. (It’s really good and filling with the protein btw). lunch: three eggs omelette with 2% cheese (1 ounce) and tomatoes and onion (1/2 cup). dinner: grilled chicken breast (3 ounce) and zucchini and onion (1/2 cup). snack: oikos triple zero yogurt I use the Baritastic app and I always have the same breakfast but then before I have lunch I plug in my plan and an idea for dinner to make certain it’s okay macro wise. I do pay some attention to calories but protein, added sugars and fat are more important. I also pay attention to my carbs because on some days my exercise is higher and I actually need to increase them a bit. If your dietician is not asking about your activity and your food choices and inky giving you a cookie cutter plan without real guidance I would be asking more questions. These plans need to be tailored to you specifically. if you are having a difficult time finding foods you like that meet the criteria you are definitely not alone. I had to do a ton of research and trial and error with recipes to find a couple weeks worth of meals that I enjoy and I was doing 900ish calories. I scoured the web and found low calorie recipes and also ways to cut calories from things I knew I enjoyed. Basically type “healthy” in front of anything you like and you should find ways to make a more bariatric friendly version. Some days you may need to reduce calories further by having two shakes or egg whites instead to budget for a higher calorie dinner. I don’t love to cook so I make double batches of things and freeze them in individual portions. this has been my lifesaver. For the 800 calories you may have to do a lot of lower calorie lean meat and veggie type dinners unless you cut calories during lunch. For instance instead of 3 eggs you could do five 5 whites and you could even omit the cheese if you need to cut calories further. i would imagine you could still lose on a little higher calorie budget and you have more flexibility in your menu but it may not be as fast as you would like. Either way, check out Baritastic (or another calorie tracking app). It’s very helpful to see exactly what’s in different food and to play around with these meal ideas on an app because you can add and delete and adjust the measurements to figure out how to make things work to fit your plan.

I turn 50 in a little over 2 weeks. 1 week before my surgery.

A few things stood out to me about your post. 1137 calories is oddly specific. Since most people can't be that accurate with their food intake, I'm curious why you used this specific number? Can you elaborate? For example, most food logging software is only accurate within about 10% plus or minus, even if you are really meticulous with weighing everything. Keep in mind as well that if you are eating very many processed foods, Manufacturers are given a pretty wide latitude in terms of the listed calories, so those aren't near as accurate is you might think. Most people drastically underestimate their overall calorie consumption by as much as 20 to 25%, even if they are logging their food. There are a number of reasons, but things like guestimating certain amounts, using "average" calorie amounts for some items, and not counting certain types of foods are common errors. In short, you may actually be eating a lot more than you think. I'm also curious how you came to the conclusion that 1137 calories per day is the proper amount for you to lose weight? It's entirely possible your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), is anywhere between say 900 and 1700 calories per day. While BMR is just one component of your overall calorie burn per day, it's typically the largest single component, even if you are super active. If you are only working out 3 days a week, I'd not put you into the super active category. My point is that while it's not super likely, it is possible that you are actually eating at maintenance right now. Especially if you are eating more than you think. (See points one and two.) Scales are a REALLY terrible way to track success since they don't account for variations in other tissues besides fat. Water, which is a huge component of your overall weight can fluctuate dramatically day-to-day. Ask yourself honestly, are your clothes fitting differently? There is a pretty good chance here that you have been losing fat, but made up for it by retaining water in your muscles. This is super common in people when they work out, especially when they start a new fitness routine. There's also a small possibility you are actually adding some muscle mass, especially if you are new to strength training. Muscle is much more dense than fat, so if you gain muscle and lose fat, your clothes will fit better, but you might weigh about the same. My advice is going to sound counter-intuitive, but I'd suggest adding 200-300 calories per day to your diet. Preferably lean protein. Do this for 4 weeks and then reassess where you're at. If you are really currently eating at maintenance (as you might think from weeks of no loss), then you would be expected to gain a tiny bit in the next 4 weeks. If it's as I suspect and you're actually eating too little right now, eating a little more may actually up your metabolic rate as well as change your hormone balance. This could be just the thing to kickstart some fat loss in the next 4 weeks. Best of luck whatever you decide.

I’m six months postop gastric sleeve and have lost 29.2 lbs post op. I have been stalled or going up and down 6 lbs for the last 4 months. I have been eating 1137 cals 80g Protein a day on average. I work out three days a week cardio and weight lifting. I’m so so sad that I’ve not been losing weight as I have dreams and goals of losing 80 more pounds to be a normal BMI. Has anyone gone through this and made it out on the other side? I asked my practitioner to please help me by prescribing me Zepbound which helped me lose before my surgery. I really need the metabolic support, but she will not until I’m a year post op. I don’t know what to do to achieve my goal. I feel so broken and like my body is working against me. Age 37 5’3.5” Highest weight before Mounjaro 293 Starting weight pre op 243 Current weight 212 Perfect blood work just high Cholesterol (genetics)

So I’m technically on soft foods now, per their little sheet they gave me. I tolerated purées fine so I was cleared to move to soft foods. I’ve also been…rarely picking at the softer ends of regular foods. Primarily pickles. Not sure why I have been intensely craving pickles, but it’s more intense than when I was pregnant. I have a fear of losing all of my hair and what muscle mass I do have so I’ve been hyper focused on my protein intake, which is absolutely pitiful right now. I did go shopping on the site earlier and ordered some of the protein shots, and then some hot cocoa mix, as well as liquid protein packets. I have always been a “grazer” so it’s hard for me to sit down and focus on a meal, but if I have something healthy to pick at or drink, I’ll drink it. I figure 100ml is easier to down than an entire shake, and I can do that a lot easier three times a day than I can with regular shakes.

I had surgery on 12/2. I started my preop diet on 11/15. The entirety of the last 6 weeks has been nothing but just protein powder. Premixed protein drinks. Clear protein. I am to the point where I can actually no longer stomach any amount of protein drink. They have started making me nauseated. And a lot of it is that I have to take my time with them and I can't just down them quickly like I used to. So far I have tried: -All of the fairlifes. These used to be my absolute fav. So far, the regular nutrition plan 30g protein chocolate ones are the best, but hard for me to find, especially in bulk. The strawberry/strawberry banana ones and vanilla ones are way too sweet. -A lot of premier protein flavors are gross to me. They were gross before surgery and are extra gross now. Same with MuscleMilk brand. -I have unflavored Isopure that I put into a lot of things, and this is fine as long as someone else makes whatever I am drinking and doesn't tell me that they put protein powder in it. It's like I can immediately tell, which tells me this is mostly mental. -Dutch chocolate isopure powder. Okay, but still protein powder-ish. -Isopure clear drinks. So far these have been my favorites, but it's a lot of liquid for me to take in, 3x a day, especially when I'd just prefer plain ice water. -H2Protein: sometimes these are too sweet, sometimes they are okay. I just ordered some of the protein shots in hopes that maybe the 3oz size will make it easier to get my protein goals, which have been severely suffering these last two weeks. Any advice?

Just checking you had your surgery in May so you’re 8 months out? Mmmm 800 may be a little low for you given your height and gender though that is a conversation to be had with your dietician with consideration of your needs and activity. I’m a lot shorter than you, female, likely older & wasn’t very active when losing and I was eating about 900 at 6 months and at my goal & I kept losing. Even now I maintain at my weight eating about 1600 calories. Though if you’re not hungry do you need more calories at this time?? I do disagree with your dietician saying if you increase your intake you will gain as you will continue to lose weight eating more calories if you’re still in a deficit (i.e. eating fewer calories than your body needs to function). It may slow down your rate of loss though. Yes, this time of year can be difficult with so much food and so many treats. It really does come down to making the best choices you can when you have little or no control of the food available. Consider portion size. Can you swap out anything? Try to balance your intake across all your meals during the day. Keep focus on your protein first then vegetables. Avoid carbs and limit what sweet treats you may indulge in. And if you’re not hungry you don’t have to eat because everyone else is. If you’re contributing a dish, make something you can eat without compromising your plan. Remember this is not everyday but just this time of the year so don’t beat yourself up if you do go off plan though try to get back to your regular eating style/plan as soon as possible. I’m 5.6 yrs out and I still follow these guidelines in these types of situations. After four Christmas gatherings with full on meals over a couple of days, food to prepare & leftovers to eat, I am glad to be back in my own home, with my own food choices and my own eating routines. I weighed myself this morning and I only put on 300g (0.6lb) over Christmas & being away a week so the guidelines do help to keep things under control. PS What are the shots you mentioned?

I would be confused too. How a dietician could say that anything over 800 calories will make you gain weight is just ridiculous. Here in the UK it is guided at 2000 calories a day for an active woman and 500 calories more for a active male per day. For information - To maintain my weight I need to eat around 1600 calories a day. Anything less and I drop weight. I don't exercise, just walk and apart from one day a week where I volunteer, I am retired. I still have a fair restriction on my sleeve. So my advice to you would be go back to the dietician, check the facts, ask for a diet sheet and if they want you on 800 calories it must be so you can drop quickly. It does not sound sustainable if you are active. I could do this diet for a short time because I cook from scratch, log everything religiously and can cook and plan ahead. So this is what my 800 calories would look like - Breakfast, 2 eggs scrambled in 1 calorie spray oil [ PAM ] and 200mls of full skim milk for my coffee Lunch, 2 cups of Vegetable soup made without starchy vegetables, so no potatoes Evening meal, 1 x 6 ounce chicken breast, side salad with calorie free dressing and a 7 ounce jacket potato I hope this helps

i skipped puree cuz it grossed me out. i barfed a little in my mouth when i saw the beef i pureed for my first foray into that stage. in the end, i just extended my full fluids diet an extra week then went straight to soft foods afterwards. though others have had great success an joy in this stage, so it cant be all bad?

I'm 8 months almost 9 months post opp and have stalled for a month. I'm like maybe 20 pounds from goal weight. I'm not going to stress about it! I hear it happens often and I dropped hella weight extremely fast with all my exercise I do daily. I also started strength training and I know muscle weighs more than fat. I'm gonna give a update in a few months to see where I'm at. I am in a freaking size 12 jeans BTW never f%]%>] Thought I'd ever see that number again! Obesity is a lifelong DISEASE! We got a lifetime! We GOT THIS!

Does your insurance have specific guidelines for qualifying? For example, mine required a BMI over 40 or over 35 plus a certain number of comorbidities from a specific list that they provided ( I can't remember the specifics now, but I do know they were spelled out clearly in writing). They required 6 months of regular appointments, including weigh-ins, with the team of dietician/surgeon/behavioral health specialists. They required a panel of blood tests, as well as a letter from the primary care physician in support of the surgery. Once those requirements were fulfilled, approval was a formality. We knew before the request was submitted that it would be approved. The actual approval took maybe 2 weeks to process and I was able to find the information by logging into my insurance portal and looking under the section for authorizations. Your surgeon's office should have someone on staff who is an expert at dealing with insurance who can tell you exactly how the process is expected to go. My office submitted my paperwork a standard number of weeks before the surgery, something like 3 or 4 weeks, I think.

Good luck! I’m a week in and am miserable to be honest. I know it will be worth it though.

My goals are to fill up my bank account, Christmas is a beast. I want to visit all my nearest family. Today I booked a future trip to see my older sister and her family. Its a long train journey which I love. So thats my start. I want to hold my weight I want to get rid of more stuff I want to spend 3 solo weeks on a Greek beach with books. I did it last year and it was one of the best thing I have ever done. I want to get out of the house one more day a week

I’m 52, sleeved on 12/07. I have a plan but all of this is still quite foreign. I’m at my 3 wk stall or something close but taking it one day at a time.

Anyone have a trick to detoxing from carbs. I swear they are like a drug to me and I have a little bit of processed carbs and I crave them for weeks. I will do it somehow but it’s not easy for me. I can do healthy carbs without issues. It the processed ones that I’m addicted to.

Hey so I’m three months post op and I haven’t been feeling well… I know I’m dehydrated and I know my bs are low from not eating on a consistent basis… it’s due to my job I work in an OR so there are times where I can go long periods of not eating or drinking but the last few weeks I haven’t been myself.. headaches so bad I’m nauseous then I don’t want to eat or drink bc my head hurts so bad then I get dizzy and lightheaded.. like I don’t know if I should follow up with my surgeon so he’s aware of my challenges during my work but today I didn’t eat hardly anything at all what should I do?

I pureed many different family dinners - just whatever was being made for everyone else! I loved them because they smelled and tasted of actual food after 4 weeks on nothing but protein shakes. They're not for everyone though - mine were smooth baby food texture and lots of people just don't like that. I still used shakes to meet my protein goals for those 2 weeks, or at least get close.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and New Year 2025! I'm now on week 10 feeling so much better! The aches, stabs and discomfort have mostly subsided. A little swelling. This was a little Christmas sweater I purchased and loved three years ago - BUT the sleeves were far too tight to look nice wearing. Now WA-LA... mission accomplished!!! Sophie wore her little black velvet sweater with fur collar with room to drape in the arms at Christmas party past weekend. YAY! Happy Holidays my dear bari friends!