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Hello Everyone! Hope those who have had surgery are doing well and those with pending surgery are hanging in there. I was doing well at my 1 week mark until yesterday when I had a near fainting episode. I went to see my PCP and he found that my potassium was low and I was just a little dehydrated, despite drinking constantly! It is probably due to the problem I am having with diarrhea. I started potassium pills and working on hydration, hope I will start feeling less weak. Be aware this can happen, even when on a liquid diet.

Think that’s normal and very natural. Changing your life is difficult. I’m nervous, had my pre op assessment today and my BP was through the roof, purely because I was there. I’m also frightened of being dependent upon people for even a short while. I take comfort knowing they do the surgery 3 times per week and people come through the other side. speak about your doubts. Bringing them into light might help.

Had my final appointment with the surgeon today - my preflight check - We are a go for take off in 3 weeks! Oh, and he is a cutie... although I'm too old to be a cougar! haha!

Hi all, I’m looking to see if anybody has any personal experience of taking recreational drugs after gastric sleeve surgery. I am going to Amsterdam 5 weeks after my surgery and I will most definitely want to smoke a joint and have a glass of wine. I’m also going to cream fields festival at the end of August. I will most definitely take drugs like cocaine and MDMA at this festival. Can anyone please share some personal experiences with me? Also I’m not looking for a lecture on the health implications I know the risk just looking for people’s experiences.

the SADI is a fairly new surgery and isn't very common - which is probably why the office staff isn't that well versed in it. Although if the surgeon is going to be offering that surgery, they really need to get the office staff up to snuff, because they're the people you're usually going to see when you're there as far as red, purple, yogurt, and fudgsicles, they're probably talking about the day or two before the surgery, and not the regular pre-op diet that many of us have to do for a week or two before the surgery. I've had about four surgeries, plus a couple of colonoscopies, and having a completely liquid diet for the day or two before with nothing red or purple is pretty standard with any procedure. They don't want anything in your G/I tract (that's why they say only liquids), and red and purple fluids look like blood on the equipment they use, so they tell you to avoid anything red or purple.

Just bumping this in case there are any May buddies out there 🤨 Thought I'd answer the questions too! 1) I am mostly nervous about the surgery itself, having not had surgery in my adult life. The idea of going under is a bit scary, but I know it is safe. I just need to breathe through the nerves haha. Also a little anxious about the amount of changes that need to be made, so I am trying to take it a step at a time, rather than all at once. 2) Nothing at the moment! But after talking to some others on this forum, lip balm is a must 🤪 3) Pretty much everything! But definitely feeling happier, in less pain, more capable, confident for the first time in my life. This is what will drive me through the bad days.

Weight loss success is roughly 80% or more about your nutrition and 20% or less about exercise. No gym required! So if you don't like the gym or can't fit it into your schedule, really hone in on the nutrition for now and add whatever body movement you CAN manage every day. Meet yourself where you are, not where you think you should be. If you only walk 1500 steps a day, set a goal for 5,000 a day and don't expect yourself to be running a marathon next month. If you're already good about walking, kick it up by putting on some ankle and wrist weights while you do a 15 minute dance video on YouTube to get your heart rate up and build some strength. Or buy a set of resistance bands and do those a few times per week. Culturally, I think we've become convinced you have to "go to the gym" to see results, and it's really not true. And if you only have the energy to focus on one thing in these early days, start with nutrition because that's where you will see the most lasting results. You're still healing right now and your body is not ready for grueling workouts at this stage.

I used the same protein shakes I had pre-surgery for my 2 week diet, and I bought some protein water. I found the premixed Premier Protein were very convenient the first couple days. As time went on, I became more and more disgusted by the artificial sweetener and chemical flavor of just about every protein shake I had. Luckily my liquid phase only lasted a week. After that, I started mixing unflavored protein with milk and blending in some frozen fruit for a smoothie. Much more palatable. I have a ton of protein shake mix leftover that I will likely just throw away.

Good luck tomorrow, I had mine a week ago and completely understand the emotions. There are a few other March buddies who recently had GS & are doing great! I recommend bringing chapstick or ask for some at the hospital! And walk as much as you can to get the gas bubbles out. It really makes a difference.

Nope. I've thrown up on several occasions (at least once a week). Haven't torn anything

So I’m two weeks postop and I know that’s early but I went from 217 to currently being 189. I know everyone’s like you have to give it time “Be patient” but emotionally., i wish that results were more rapid. I’ve been at 189 for three days and I barely eat anything. I enjoyed tomato soup recently, but the creaminess of it, kind of upset my stomach so it just feels like protein shakes are the only thing that will help and sustain me. I guess I’m writing for some support and encouragement that in time I’ll see more changes. The 28 pound difference did make me happy and I want to continue to see changes, but I guess I’m just not being patient enough. Please share some support😔 here.

Hi no not as of yet. I did have the d&c on 4/29 and was due to follow up with the DR last Friday… but of course her office called to cancel my appointment 1 hr before my arrival because she suddenly fell ill. So I had to reschedule and there was no dates available until the middle of june smh. In the meantime I did have them send my orders for an ultrasound in which I go next week. Since the d&c the cramps have not been as intense but I have had 2 cycles since 4/29. So we shall see. Thank you so much for checking in.

Okay so look at the macros and see if this fits your plan. It may be a little high in carbs for some if you’re not very active but this recipe is probably my favorite out of my two weeks if soft foods so I thought I would share. It’s called south of the border chicken chili from the McCormick website. I added onions and garlic because I like them in everything but this is super simple and high protein. You may want to leave out the corn and do more beans or tomatoes if your tummy is still fussy but I haven’t had any issues with anything and I’m allowed to start incorporating more foods so I’m having it with the corn and so far so good 🤞 My pot made a little over 7 one cup servings which Baritastic calculated at 25g of protein (12.5 if you can only do a half cup) and 26g carbs (but part of that was the onions). I needed more protein for the day so I opted for the shredded cheese on top. Anyways, it’s chicken, bell pepper, white and black beans, canned tomato and corn with a seasoning pack from McCormick. I can’t finish the whole cup so I’m gonna have it again for a snack but I really love it. I hope it freezes well. https://www.mccormick.com/recipes/main-dishes/south-of-the-border-chicken-chili

Oh yes. Food for weeks. I still cook more than I need but I do it on purpose now because I love having leftovers. Simply freeze the leftovers/excess for easy meals on another day. Just bag it up in appropriate serving sizes. (I love zip lock bags.) My freezer is filled with single serves of soups, bolognese, savoury mince, steak, chops, savoury egg muffins, … chicken, beef, lamb & pork. Don’t feel like cooking? Just defrost a meal & all I have to cook or prep are vegetables or salad if needed. Bonus you only have to cook dinner from scratch a couple of times a week. Found it very useful for work lunches too. Popped one of my frozen meals in my bag & reheated it at work. Easy.

Ouch that happen to me last week Sunday trying to get everything for Christmas I was so bad at the end of the day had been out from 5am til like 3 definitely pushed my limits that day. I dunno how I found this forum but glad I did I was beginning to feel so alone! Basically I plan to just get weighed once I go back to my doctors office at this point. Rest up and happy loosing for you take it easy I’ve been binge watching tv but admittedly it gets kinda boring lol. Thank you for your responses I hope to hear about your next few weeks :)!

Looking great, and I hope you enjoyed the beach! Last summer, I took my kids to an indoor water park at just around my highest ever weight. I had to buy a new suit because nothing I had fit anymore, and looking back at the pictures, oh my goodness. I even looked uncomfortable. We went again a few weeks ago, and I was 4 months post-op. Let's just say that thankfully, the suit from last year went straight to the giveaway bag, and I had to order a new one because even my "skinny" suit from a few years before was a bit roomy. I ordered two new ones and ended up with one that is perfect and one that was a bit tight, but I'm hoping it will fit me well in a few more months. Such a great feeling, and going on the water slides was so much more fun this time than 60 lbs ago, for sure.

I am new here and I’ve been devouring the forums. I am one week post ESG. I am down 16 lbs. I notice a lot of you have cute pictures on your signature showing your weight loss journey. Where do you get those?

Thank you for validating what I was feeling on the treadmill. I was trying to watch tv which was not directly in front of me too because it’s angled from the corner of the room but the treadmill was too close to it (kinda hard to explain) anyways, it did hurt my stomach worse so I had to quit. Also, mine can’t really go 2.0 mph. Anything less than 3.0 and it sputters…..is that the right word? I thought maybe it was my weight because I remember I was close to the high weight for it last time before I had surgery but that would make it 250 and I’m 228 now and it worked then at 335. In any case it’s really hard to keep my balance when that’s going on so I upped the speed and that didn’t hurt at first but caught up to me. I just don’t understand the bar that you cannot reach, lol, that thing makes no sense to me as I’m wishing I had something to grab and keep my balance. Awesome job sticking to just your protein and nothing more at the hospital. Especially when bored and worried about him and probably tired and all the things that would make us want to eat before all of this. Congratulations on getting cleared for soft foods. I started mine yesterday and it was so nice to be able to chew something. On that website that was suggested the fitness coach said she told her patients to do two bites of protein and one of veggie and I sorta stuck to that. I still obviously have to supplement with shakes that way but I would anyways so I figured it’s good for me to get into that habit. Hopefully my team will agree that is a good strategy. I’m not sure how early you get up but my time varies so I set alarms beginning at 9AM for my vitamins. I have been getting up at 8 and that works great I drink my protein shake and take my multi vitamin and stool softener by 9. Then the three calcium’s are 12, 3 and 6. Then at 9 I take my magnesium and stool softener. Basically every 3 hours I take something. I also added reminders in the Baritastic App so I can check it off each time which helps me to not question if I just turned off the alarm or if I actually took it. I’m really hoping they don’t add anything else or I will have to wake up in the middle of the night to take vitamins 😆 Congratulations on your non scale victory. I’m sure that others can see your 30 pound loss. It’s sometimes difficult for us to see in the mirror. It’s called body dysmorphia. People chat about it all the time in here who have lost 100 pounds and don’t see it. Three things that may help are side by side photos, taking measurements and if you look on Amazon they have a replica of one or five pounds of fat. You can visualize SIX of them big five pounders and see that IS ALOT!! it’s great that you are evaluating your hungry feeling to see if they are from the actual need for nutrition. When the hunger came back for me post sleeve that’s when things started to go wrong for me. I started giving into those feelings and I hadn’t changed my diet enough so the larger portions and more frequent meals and snacks added up quicker than if it was healthy foods. That’s why this time every healthy meal I make and actually like is a huge win for me as something to put into my Arsenal for when I am feeling hunger again. it sounds like you are really starting to get back into your groove. I’m so glad to hear it. Keep allowing yourself to take them little naps if you need them. It takes a while to get back to 100%’ from any major surgery. Never mind on the reduced calories we are taking in.

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 remember gaining a pound or two and always just figured it was the time of day or whatever. You know one salty meal or a full bowel can make a two or three pound difference. To this day k weigh two or three pounds more in the afternoon than morning time. Your loss will not be a straight line downwards, but it will trend down. Everyone says it and I know firsthand how hard it is to listen because I didn’t but try to stay off the scale for a while in between because then you will see the real losses. After my sleeve surgery I would weight myself daily but i only recorded it one day of the week so I could better see the number decreasing. Even still it didn’t always go down so honestly if you’re self disciplined enough, weighing like once a month would probably save a ton of mental anguish.

I went from a 5x and 28/30 in clothes to a 14 and XL. Stayed there for a bit so I went and got scrubs and outfits in XL. And was doing great for about 2 months. NOW I'm in a 12 and L in clothes. I never, ever thought I would be down to this size again, but the frustration is that now I can't fit into any of my clothes and work scrubs. I'm the main breadwinner in my family (my husband is on disability) and I just don't have money to buy more scrubs. I listed my old ones (3 sets of size 2x and 6 sets of XL) and they just aren't selling. They have solid bottoms and prints on the tops. I look rather comical in my scrubs now that they are a size too big. I guess I'm just venting because I'm irritated that my clothes don't fit, that I don't have the money to replace them with ones that do, and the ones I have aren't selling. I've only gained 2 pounds since I've been working hard to try and put more weight back on to at least get to my goal weight (I keep dropping back down and fighting to gain those 2 pounds back). I have to do blood work to have my thyroid tested. Apparently every once in a while, having WLS can throw the thyroid off and make it hyper active. So I might need to take something to even it out for a while, with the hope that it will normalize itself eventually. My doctor said that might explain why I literally cannot put on weight, keep on anything I do put on, and I just keep losing no matter what I do. Grrrr..... Ok, rant over....

Does anyone else ever feel guilty if they take a rest day from working out? We HAVE to take rest days to let our bodies and heal and rest, so we don't do damage. I work out 5 days per week and rest for 2. I rest on Thursday and Sunday. And I have to be honest, as soon as I wake up on rest day, I start feeling like I'm doing something wrong by not working out. As the day goes on, it just gets worse, and I have to literally FORCE myself to keep my rest day. I do keep to my rest days, but I really struggle with them. Anyone else, or am I just weird?

Reading a lot about tiredness and fatigue, is anyone feeling the other way at night? I’m struggling to sleep! I feel tired but ever since the op I have not got to sleep easily, have tried walking further in the day, reading etc but doesn’t seem to help!! (I’m 3 weeks post op on Tuesday) Feeling really positive otherwise though, the weight is coming down and the pureed stage doesn’t seem to be bothering me so much!! Just need to keep up with protein water to ensure I’m getting enough in, as only manage a few mouthfuls of the pureed food! Xx

I did experience a sudden feeling of fullness that wasn't present in the beginning when I ate/drank. My doctor ordered an esophagogram and let me know it could be the nerves in my stomach healing or a stricture. For me, it turned out to just be the nerves healing and I got adjusted as the weeks went on.

I don want to contradict your surgeons office, but I will say what I do and what my pamphlet states they gave me: most (not all) state 3oz of protein, approx 1/4 to 1/2 cup non starch veggies and 2 tablespoons of starchy veggies...or close to this give or take. It also depends on if you're male or female. On average at 3-6 months out 800 calories ( until I start maintenance that's all I get a day) - again depending on male or female. I've included a picture out of my program book...again there are different programs out there. I hope this helps some...At 8 months out I eat no more than 800 calories a day based on the pictures you see.