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TL/DR: Worried about losing weight by not eating enough. | Looking for tips to reach protein/calorie goals when not hungry. | Looking for others' experiences with lack of hunger this far out in WL Journey. ------------------------- I meet with my nutritionist for check-ins about every 3 months. For this last one, my 9-month, she told me not to be upset if I hadn't lost, as a stall was expected. Yet, I had lost just as much as I had been. We went over what I had been eating & she wasn't concerned about content but suggested increasing variety. [I'm a meal repeater 🤷‍♀️] Though, she again warned me that it is now especially likely that I would stall since I hadn't yet. Since that appointment, I've still been losing weight. I know it might appear strange to worry about meeting the goals we are here to meet, but my nutritionist is big on trying to relearn the natural cues of the body. So, as they are absent, you can notice pressure in your stomach, sighing, or a runny nose as indications of fullness. As indications of hunger return, you can utilize them to increase portions within the parameters of slow eating and not exceeding controlled sizes. The thing is, I don't know that the initial increase after, you know, the literal wounds healed, I have really expanded much more. I don't really get hungry until 'early-bird dinner' time. So eating during the day is purely done out of obligation. [& if I'm being truthful, there are times when I forget entirely until after work.] So obviously, that leads me to try to have all of my calories in one 'meal' in the day, which I have to eat over a couple hours [even if it is small] if I don't want to get nauseous or actually regurgitate. [The regurgitation has improved slightly over the last couple of months. I had a very reactive stomach that required me to prolong my dependence on protein shakes. Pre-surgery, I don't think I came even close to needing to vomit since pre-school 🙁.] To be fully upfront, I have not counted a single macro or calorie or weighed a single food item during my entire journey. I've tried tracking before in my weight-loss journey, and it was not healthy mentally for me. I realize that I may be under goals rather than over them, but straightforward counting of calories is just not something that would be part of a successful journey for me. So, all of this is a longwinded way to say: - Is anyone else struggling to eat enough this far out? - What helps you to reach your protein/calorie goals when you don't really want to eat? - Any other tips/tricks/specific brand or meal suggestions?

Yeah, that sounds 100% within the normal range of early post-op calorie consumption. I am having gastric bypass in 3 weeks, and my program suggests 3 meals and 3 protein supplements per day for the first several weeks. In the beginning, the word "meal" is used very loosely. This is basically limited to yogurt, cream soup, cream of wheat, pudding, and applesauce. The expectation is you can maybe have a few bites. All the protein is coming from those 3 shakes (20-25g per shake). Calories are pretty much irrelevant, at least for now. Your entire metabolism has been rewired. If you follow what you're told to do, you will lose weight on a wide spectrum of calorie intakes. My program suggests no more than 200 calories per protein shake serving, with a limit of 5 grams of sugar and at least 20g protein each. So, if I had the recommended 3 shakes and went with the max calories, I would consume 600 calories in those daily supplements, plus another maybe 100-200 in "meals" depending how much of the yogurt/cream of wheat/pudding I manage to swallow. My shakes actually only have 90 calories each (23g protein), so during my pre-op liquid diet, I won't feel at all guilty if I drink 4 or 5 of them, or even 6 if needed. Post-op, I doubt that will be possible, but even then, I wouldn't see an issue with having that many if I could physically manage it. All of which is a longwinded way of saying you're doing fine! Congratulations!

Well surgery went good today, went in any 11:30, woke at 3:30 got in room at 4:15. Doctor says surgery went very good. I have 7 incisions, been sipping water, and nodding out from pain meds. All in all, not as bad as I thought 💭 it would have been. Thanks to all the comment and do's and don'ts I've learned, being here on this page 📟 with the pre experiences from ppl here. I'm literally patient of the day, here on the gastric floor. Wanna thank everyone for the helpful information ℹ️ on the surgery. Now looking to further my education in the next stages of the eating process. The do's the don'ts, the can and can't have, and the how to's.

So #1 is you definitely need to fight to get this rebilled properly. It's insane to me that they won't fix the billing. They get paid more for the proper procedure, so that's crazy that they won't fix it. Then #2 is you need to contact someone about starting a lawsuit. The surgeon should have called an ambulance for you. The surgery should have been done in a hospital. You should have been monitored closely and been up walking within 2 hours of being out of recovery and back in your room. Knicking an artery could have literally killed you and definitely should been noticed before 10 hours. Finally #3 is getting this covered by your insurance. BCBS should be covering any lifesaving, medically necessary health care and procedures. No, they won't cover care for non covered procedures, but that's usually just follow ups and complications of the NON LIFE THREATENING variety. Everything you've been telling us falls into the life threatening, surgeon negligence, medically necessary to SAVE YOUR LIFE category and should be covered. You need someone to fight on your behalf to get this stuff covered and either greatly reduce or even completely eliminate your bill. I'm from Florida, and while it might be done in some places to have a surgery like this in a surgery center and not a hospital, it's definitely not the absolute norm. Did you do extensive research on this surgeon, his reviews, compare him and his pricing to other surgeons? No way would I have had this surgery and NOT been in a hospital. Too many things can happen when you least expect it. This guy distancing himself from all of this, when clearly he screwed up, is the first HUGE red flag. Refusing to fix the billing error is the 2nd one. Not calling an ambulance and instead having your husband take you (effectively making it appear that you left on your own and went to the ER instead of him seeing an issue while under his care and calling an ambulance for you, so he can wash his hands of it and look like whatever happened was on YOUR watch and not his) is a 3rd red flag.

like someone else said, only 30% of bypass patients dump, and it's not common to dump on fruit, even though it contains sugar. People who dump tend to dump on things like ice cream, cake, etc (and often they can eat SOME ice cream, etc - like maybe a few bites - but just not a lot) I'm several years out. The first few months I really only ate berries (once I was able to, that is - anything with seeds I was supposed to avoid the first few weeks post-op). I've been able to eat pretty much any fruit ever since - although sometimes acidic fruits like pineapple and citrus fruits irritate my stomach. I still eat them occasionally, though. P.S. I do know someone who dumped on pineapple once, so it IS possible to dump on fruit - but that was the only time I've ever heard of anyone dumping on fruit - so I think it's pretty uncommon.

I will have to say that at my highest weight I ate fairly well, just when I did eat bad I REALLY ate bad and binged. so that's how I blew up to 300lbs lol however now I am with you, if hubby is eating his Ben and Jerrys ice cream I will eat a couple of bites as opposed to eating the whole pint to myself. I do eat all the low carb stuff too. I do fear that my little Bites, Licks and Tastes will add up and make make me blow up again, but I work out 6 days a week, 2 cardio days, 2 upper body strength days, and 2 lower body strength days. I know you said that you have always worked out...I am getting bored of my routine which is why I added a cardio day and added 1 day of F45. What do you do?

As we approach our ONE YEAR anniversaries, how's it going? I surpassed my goal by 8 lbs for a total of 130 lbs lost! That number BLOWS my mind. I had my body composition test on Monday and they were very happy with the results. I haven't lost any fat free body mass since month 3, meaning I haven't lost any muscle in 9 months. I also am sitting at 18% body fat, which is insane. When I started I had 50% body fat. This has been such an amazing experience, and as I've said so many times, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I'm so excited to hear about everyone's progress.

I finally have some appointments lined up. I am seeing the PA at the surgeons office tomorrow, the dietician in two weeks and I do a pre screening for a bariatric therapist this week. They don’t take my insurance and I THINk it said it’s $175 a session but I’m hoping I don’t need too many. None of this is mandatory for revision but I want to dive in this time 100% readh!! I am just excited that I should finally be getting answers and some help.

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....

My team suggested putting the spoon down between mouthfuls, and waiting 3 to 5 minutes between each tablespoon for at least the first month. I found at first it was easiest to do while walking around my house: stash my soup at the table, stop to drink a tablespoon of it, and walk back and forth for few minutes. (It also kept me walking more often, cause I know it's good for me but sometimes my stomach muscles just don't want the jostling)

Literally me lol I thought it was just big because I was so fat. Turns out, I have 3 EXTREMELY large uterine fibroids that I knew nothing about (found accidentally on a CT when testing for something completely different) and they are making me stomach the size of someone who is 5 months pregnant. I'm having a total hysterectomy on May 7th to take care of it. The part of your stomach hanging down is likely from being so overweight, and as you lose more weight, it'll get worse due to loose and stretched out skin. Honestly, there's not much you can do for that outside of surgery. I tuck it into my underwear and it's good to go lol

If you have the days to take, take them. I am self-employed and work from home. There were certain things I had to do within a couple days of getting home because nobody else could do them, but it was a struggle. I was sore and exhausted. I'm three weeks out and doing a lot better but I still get very tired midday. It would have been great to have at least a full week to two weeks to recover. Also, figuring out what to eat and when to drink and all that really takes up most of your brain for a while.

That's good to know! I was shocked I lost so much in the pre-op phase. It took me 6 months to lose 15lbs from my highest weight this past summer, and then I lost the same amount in 2 weeks. So I imagine my body is reacting to that as well, like what the heck are you doing?! I just got to start soft proteins a few days ago (my doctor skips purees) and my calorie count is increasing as well. I seem to be able to get around 30g protein from food, and I'm still supposed to have 3 protein shakes, so I'm ending up with 90+ grams of protein and 600-650 calories. Pre-op I was at 600-800 calories per day and 80-100 grams protein, so maybe that's more of a sweet spot. Hopefully this will give me a nudge in the right direction!

@JennyBeez That is definitely the right way to go with it! I am so used to doing weights when I am at the gym, so it will be really weird going in and focusing on cardio (which I bloody hate), and body weight! What kinds of light exercises do you do? Definitely take it easy lovely! I am sorry to hear that your weekend wasn't great - sometimes everything comes all at once doesn't it? We are our own worst critics, and definitely see things 10000x worse on ourselves, as others may perceive them. Just make sure to get some self-care time in and remind yourself of how far you have already come ❤️ You got this x I haven't even had an appointment with my Dr yet - I don't think I am due to until 3 months post-op! But I did use my mum's blood pressure machine yesterday and it was ever so slightly high which is strange! I will be extra careful when standing for sure - and even more so when exercising, I don't want to pass out 😅

Great news that you're doing well. Congratulations on having the surgery behind you! My surgery is scheduled for 3/18 & the Dr will be fixing a hiatal hernia as well for me. It's nice to know other people going through similar things. Love to hear how your healing and progress continue.

I had gastric sleeve 3/9/2021 and I lose quite a bit of weight but as soon as the hunger came back I started gaining and didn’t stop. I recently revisited the surgeon and he thinks I may be a good candidate for the SADI. I am trying to research but I am not finding alot if good information about anything except the scary statistics. am hoping to find someone who had this procedure or has at least heard of it.

Had my surgery 3/18 & back home yesterday. Stayed 2 nights because couldn't hydrate myself enough day 1. And had 2 surgeries in one, the Dr fixed a large hiatal hernia while doing the GS. So today I'm focusing on continual sipping!!" Trying to go without pain meds as the crushed pills taste terrible🤣

It sounds like a lot of people have that 10-15-20 lb rebound after they stop losing, so that sounds kind of natural. Don't sneer at your 70lb loss though -- that's the average / median weight of a 10 year old girl. You have lost the equivalent of an entire child's body weight. I definitely second the therapist / group counselling route. I personally think therapy is good for everyone, anywhere, anytime -- but for things like ED it can be a game changer. Also? This forum. Come here often. Make it a point to log in at least two times a week, even if it's just to say hi, or grumble about your new protein powder tasting like saccharine-dipped-shite, etc. Honestly, reading other people's trials & tribulations reaching out and interacting on the regular with other people who are on similar journeys can be such a great support.

A loss is a loss!! Especially if you've been struggling with pain (and pain killers). Honestly, even if it were a gain, the fact that you're learning from it and identifying where your problems were this week would still make it a plus, in my book. This is a life-long journey you've (we've) started, and we're going to keep re-negotiating things with our bodies and our digestive systems -- so anything that teaches us is at least a small win, right? Sodium has been a toughie for me post-op. So many food items take out sugars/carbs or fats but really seem to up the sodium to make up for it. I was always a little sensitive to sodium, but post-op? JEEBUS, the sodium headaches if I'm not careful. (Looking at you, sugar free drink crystals)

Just a thought whilst reading through others comments. I know you said that carbs are hard to increase, however I think that is the culprit. I work out 6days a week and I am closer to 80g of carbs and 30 ish g of fat most days. You don't have to eat bread but fruits, and veggies have carbs. I am not saying goes balls to the wall, but if your working out then 1800 cal is not cutting it. My BMR to maintain is close to 2500 calories, I eat about 1500 cal right now just because I cannot physically eat that much. I checked to see how many calories I need to gain weight and I would need to consume 3300 calories a day! I am not saying stuff yourself, but eating every 1/5-2hrs will be beneficial- add granola to your yogurt, protein bar right after working out, eat some peanut butter balls with oatmeal, maple syrup, caco nibs or chocolate chips, add cottage cheese to eggs with a handful of spinach. Beefing up your meals will help you feel better. Maybe you know all this but just my two cents

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

Hey everyone!! how is everyone doing? I was exactly 6 weeks post op yesterday and it was my 33rd birthday! I’ve lost 20lb since the op but 40lb since liver reducing (3 weeks of liquids) finally onto textured foods but prioritising protein and liquids still. I’m now 248lb the lowest I’ve been is 224lb in adult life so I’m excited to get past that weight! I also get married at the end of June so determined to do the best possible. after 4 years of waiting for the op, I can’t believe it’s now done!! Xxx

Cucumber, lettuce, carrots, boiled beetroot, leeks, baked squash, roast cauliflower. Early out I had to get my veg in by making different vegetable soups and blitzing it. I had a cup as one of my 6 tiny meals a day. Any soup with added cheese was a particular favourite. Broccoli and stilton, onion and cheddar, carrot and cilantro { see I have been on this forum for so long that I am now using the American } lentil and vegetable and Gazpacho are still my favs. Raw veg other than lettuce tend to fill me for too long. I had some carrot batons this week and I was burping all evening, very unpleasant

If you love soups here is a recipe I found that I have made twice now recently and really like; https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spiced-carrot-lentil-soup I made it in the slow cooker and added 2/3 of the carrots for the whole process so they were soft and then added the other 1/3 in for the last hour or so to have a bit of bite to the soup even after blending down. I did peel and chop the carrots, did not leave the peel on. Also I did not use the oil or yogurt and went with more than a pinch of chili as it gives it a really nice kick. I got 9 to 10 servings out of the recipe instead of the indicated 4 so the nutritional values according to MyFitnessPal are; If I need to up my protein intake for the day I add some protein powder to the soup.

1. [Gender] Female     [Age @ Surgery]  29 yo     [Height] 5’5” 2. [Starting] 272 lbs | 7 lb loss  3. [Surgery Day] 265 lbs  4. [1 Month] 245 lbs  5. [3 Months] 226 lbs  6. [6 Months] 210 lbs  7. [11 Months]  166 lbs  8. [Surgery Type] Bypass