Escape_Pod

I'm sure this is overkill, but here's my list of things I bought right before or after surgery (copied from a post I made about a week post-op.

Pkg of 100 1-oz plastic medicine cups - I used these in the hospital once they started me on liquids. The nurse would pour me 4 at the start of an hour to work on for that hour. It was really helpful to get in the habit of sipping and not try to swallow too much at once. The hospital sent me home with extras, but I had gotten a 100-pack at Amazon for under $3. I think they're pretty handy to have in case your hospital doesn't use them.
Step stool with handle - our bed at home is REALLY high, and this was an essential. Think about what might help when you're trying to get in and out of bed, up and down from a recliner, or a couch. It will be hard for you to bend or twist. Getting up from laying flat is pretty hard and can be pretty painful.
A bunch of cocktail forks and tiny spoons (I got a 12-pack of "espresso spoons" on Amazon for under $20). I haven't used the forks yet, but the spoons have been great for taking SMALL bites of Jello, yogurt, Soup, and other things on my post-op full liquid diet.
No sugar added juice - the post-op bariatric liquid diet in the hospital was truly awful. I'm not used to using a lot of artificial sweeteners, so the crystal light was pretty awful. I don't know what kind of Jello that was, but it seemed to be 5 times as strong and have 20 times as much food coloring as regular sugar free jello. I thought my tongue would be orange for a week. Fortunately, since no-sugar-added juice was on my surgeon's post-op Clear Liquids diet, the nurses were fine with my husband bringing them in. I honestly don't consider myself a picky eater, I can manage most of the Protein shakes, but the juice was essential. I also had him bring in good quality chicken broth - I was fine with the hospital broth by day 3, discharge day, but the first day post-op it tasted like liquid salt. I was blessed to have a husband who was there by my side every moment, and a microwave he could use down the hall.
powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury chicken broth Protein supplement - you're going to get REALLY tired of sweet Protein drinks.
Electric mug warmer - whether it's the chicken broth or a Protein shake made into hot cocoa, something hot is a nice change, but it can't be over 130 degrees to begin with, or the protein curdles. Anything that will keep that mug hot for the hour plus it will take you to sip it is REALLY nice.
Some kind of insulated travel mug - I make up a cold Protein Shake with milk for Breakfast or lunch, and again, if it's going to take me an hour to drink it, I'd like it to stay cold
Extra ice packs - you're going to be sore, and it's really nice to be able to ice incisions and your swollen tummy. Honestly, my favorites are these "Kimberly-Clark Stay-Dry Ice Packs, Large" that I snagged from the hospital where they're considered single-use, so I figured they'd toss them when I left anyway. I have 3, and I've constantly filled them with ice cubes for the past 10 days. Unfortunately, at least on Amazon theyre EXPENSIVE because you have to buy a 50-pack. If you can request an ice pack now and then while you're in the hospital, maybe you can come home with some too. :tongue2:
Small whisk - I've found this to be pretty essential for mixing the Protein Drinks. I wish I'd had 3 or more small whisks so I could toss them in the dishwasher afterwards.
*** Liquid Tylenol *** - I happened to have this on hand because a friend told me she didn't need the narcotics after she got home, and this is what she used instead. There's an adult version that I can't find at the grocery store, but is easy to find at a decent-sized drug store. I ended up with a Migraine the evening I got home that wasn't controlled by the narcotics, and spent several hours fighting hard not to throw up. A call to the nurse confirmed it was ok to alternate liquid tylenol with the narcotics I have (be sure to double-check yourself though, some of the prescription narcotics contain acetaminophen, in which case it definitely would NOT be ok to mix). I was desperately glad to have had it on hand, and now that I'm off the good meds, I'm using it for occasional pain control.
My diet once I got home from the hospital is full liquids for two weeks, including milk, yogurt, jello, and cream Soups, as well as the clear broths and juice that was ok on Clear Liquids. So, I've gone through a lot of skim milk. Jello and yogurt make me a bit nervous because they're so thick, so I haven't used those much. I've used quite a bit of chicken broth for thinning cream Soups. I also have a clear mushroom broth that means the cream of mushroom actually tastes different than cream of potato, cream of chicken, etc.
Both a pill crusher, and a pill-splitter. Some of my meds are large enough I'd have to swallow them in 8 pieces if I split them, but the Nexium is small enough I can just split it, which is a lot more palatable than crushing it and trying to choke down the powder. It's hard to get a good mouth rinse done if you can't swallow more than an ounce of Water at a time!
Clothing-wise: slip-on shoes for going out for those important post-op walks, and I've pretty much lived in my yoga pants. I'm still pretty swollen, and my waist is still considerably larger than it was pre-op. Jeans are out of the question. Also, a nice warm robe and slippers. Used them in the hospital for my walks, and I've been FREEZING now and then since I got home.

Less essential, but nice to have:
Double-wall thermo espresso shot glasses - these definitely more optional, at this point I use the mug warmer, but I would have used them in the first few days when I was still portioning out 1-2 ounces at a time to sip on.
Extra measuring cups - I mix up 8 oz milk and a scoop of Protein Powder in a measuring cup, it's nice to have extras so I can throw them in the dishwasher.
At this point I'm mixing all my Protein Shakes with milk for the extra calories - that will stop as soon as I transition to purees, but without that I wouldn't even be getting 500 calories / day. Unfortunately, that means the chocolate isn't very chocolatey. Some unsweetened cocoa powder added in makes a much more satisfying hot cocoa. Variety is KEY!
A bunch of sample packets of Syntrax nectar in a variet of flavors. They have things like lemon tea and fuzzy navel. I mix these occasionally with Water when I can't stand the thought of another milk-mixed protein shake. BJs Bariatrics sells an 11-pack I think of sample sizes and you can pick which 11 flavors you want to try. I'm planning to make sure I have a bunch of these in my desk when I go back to work too so I can get my protein supplements in between meals.

Whew - hope that helps! Good luck to you with your surgery!!

You might check with your surgeon on this one, just because the kernel shells can be risky to you - they can get caught in the staple line is what I've been told. I miss popcorn too, it was a favorite of mine as well, but I really try to avoid it, even at 6 months out because I don't like to feed the carb monster. It's not something I can have just a little bit of without wanting more, an it can easily trigger more cravings for more carbs, which totally derails my weight loss. :-(

I'm sure this is overkill, but here's my list of things I bought right before or after surgery (copied from a post I made about a week post-op.

Pkg of 100 1-oz plastic medicine cups - I used these in the hospital once they started me on liquids. The nurse would pour me 4 at the start of an hour to work on for that hour. It was really helpful to get in the habit of sipping and not try to swallow too much at once. The hospital sent me home with extras, but I had gotten a 100-pack at Amazon for under $3. I think they're pretty handy to have in case your hospital doesn't use them.
Step stool with handle - our bed at home is REALLY high, and this was an essential. Think about what might help when you're trying to get in and out of bed, up and down from a recliner, or a couch. It will be hard for you to bend or twist. Getting up from laying flat is pretty hard and can be pretty painful.
A bunch of cocktail forks and tiny spoons (I got a 12-pack of "espresso spoons" on Amazon for under $20). I haven't used the forks yet, but the spoons have been great for taking SMALL bites of Jello, yogurt, Soup, and other things on my post-op full liquid diet.
No sugar added juice - the post-op bariatric liquid diet in the hospital was truly awful. I'm not used to using a lot of artificial sweeteners, so the crystal light was pretty awful. I don't know what kind of Jello that was, but it seemed to be 5 times as strong and have 20 times as much food coloring as regular sugar free jello. I thought my tongue would be orange for a week. Fortunately, since no-sugar-added juice was on my surgeon's post-op Clear Liquids diet, the nurses were fine with my husband bringing them in. I honestly don't consider myself a picky eater, I can manage most of the Protein shakes, but the juice was essential. I also had him bring in good quality chicken broth - I was fine with the hospital broth by day 3, discharge day, but the first day post-op it tasted like liquid salt. I was blessed to have a husband who was there by my side every moment, and a microwave he could use down the hall.
powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury chicken broth Protein supplement - you're going to get REALLY tired of sweet Protein drinks.
Electric mug warmer - whether it's the chicken broth or a Protein shake made into hot cocoa, something hot is a nice change, but it can't be over 130 degrees to begin with, or the protein curdles. Anything that will keep that mug hot for the hour plus it will take you to sip it is REALLY nice.
Some kind of insulated travel mug - I make up a cold Protein Shake with milk for Breakfast or lunch, and again, if it's going to take me an hour to drink it, I'd like it to stay cold
Extra ice packs - you're going to be sore, and it's really nice to be able to ice incisions and your swollen tummy. Honestly, my favorites are these "Kimberly-Clark Stay-Dry Ice Packs, Large" that I snagged from the hospital where they're considered single-use, so I figured they'd toss them when I left anyway. I have 3, and I've constantly filled them with ice cubes for the past 10 days. Unfortunately, at least on Amazon theyre EXPENSIVE because you have to buy a 50-pack. If you can request an ice pack now and then while you're in the hospital, maybe you can come home with some too. :tongue2:
Small whisk - I've found this to be pretty essential for mixing the Protein Drinks. I wish I'd had 3 or more small whisks so I could toss them in the dishwasher afterwards.
*** Liquid Tylenol *** - I happened to have this on hand because a friend told me she didn't need the narcotics after she got home, and this is what she used instead. There's an adult version that I can't find at the grocery store, but is easy to find at a decent-sized drug store. I ended up with a Migraine the evening I got home that wasn't controlled by the narcotics, and spent several hours fighting hard not to throw up. A call to the nurse confirmed it was ok to alternate liquid tylenol with the narcotics I have (be sure to double-check yourself though, some of the prescription narcotics contain acetaminophen, in which case it definitely would NOT be ok to mix). I was desperately glad to have had it on hand, and now that I'm off the good meds, I'm using it for occasional pain control.
My diet once I got home from the hospital is full liquids for two weeks, including milk, yogurt, jello, and cream Soups, as well as the clear broths and juice that was ok on Clear Liquids. So, I've gone through a lot of skim milk. Jello and yogurt make me a bit nervous because they're so thick, so I haven't used those much. I've used quite a bit of chicken broth for thinning cream Soups. I also have a clear mushroom broth that means the cream of mushroom actually tastes different than cream of potato, cream of chicken, etc.
Both a pill crusher, and a pill-splitter. Some of my meds are large enough I'd have to swallow them in 8 pieces if I split them, but the Nexium is small enough I can just split it, which is a lot more palatable than crushing it and trying to choke down the powder. It's hard to get a good mouth rinse done if you can't swallow more than an ounce of Water at a time!
Clothing-wise: slip-on shoes for going out for those important post-op walks, and I've pretty much lived in my yoga pants. I'm still pretty swollen, and my waist is still considerably larger than it was pre-op. Jeans are out of the question. Also, a nice warm robe and slippers. Used them in the hospital for my walks, and I've been FREEZING now and then since I got home.

Less essential, but nice to have:
Double-wall thermo espresso shot glasses - these definitely more optional, at this point I use the mug warmer, but I would have used them in the first few days when I was still portioning out 1-2 ounces at a time to sip on.
Extra measuring cups - I mix up 8 oz milk and a scoop of Protein Powder in a measuring cup, it's nice to have extras so I can throw them in the dishwasher.
At this point I'm mixing all my Protein Shakes with milk for the extra calories - that will stop as soon as I transition to purees, but without that I wouldn't even be getting 500 calories / day. Unfortunately, that means the chocolate isn't very chocolatey. Some unsweetened cocoa powder added in makes a much more satisfying hot cocoa. Variety is KEY!
A bunch of sample packets of Syntrax nectar in a variet of flavors. They have things like lemon tea and fuzzy navel. I mix these occasionally with Water when I can't stand the thought of another milk-mixed protein shake. BJs Bariatrics sells an 11-pack I think of sample sizes and you can pick which 11 flavors you want to try. I'm planning to make sure I have a bunch of these in my desk when I go back to work too so I can get my protein supplements in between meals.

Whew - hope that helps! Good luck to you with your surgery!!

Really, it's not about whether it comes back up or upsets your stomach. It's about the risk to your stapled stomach. PLEASE think carefully about what you put in your stomach while it's still healing!

I'm sure this is overkill, but here's my list of things I bought right before or after surgery (copied from a post I made about a week post-op.

Pkg of 100 1-oz plastic medicine cups - I used these in the hospital once they started me on liquids. The nurse would pour me 4 at the start of an hour to work on for that hour. It was really helpful to get in the habit of sipping and not try to swallow too much at once. The hospital sent me home with extras, but I had gotten a 100-pack at Amazon for under $3. I think they're pretty handy to have in case your hospital doesn't use them.
Step stool with handle - our bed at home is REALLY high, and this was an essential. Think about what might help when you're trying to get in and out of bed, up and down from a recliner, or a couch. It will be hard for you to bend or twist. Getting up from laying flat is pretty hard and can be pretty painful.
A bunch of cocktail forks and tiny spoons (I got a 12-pack of "espresso spoons" on Amazon for under $20). I haven't used the forks yet, but the spoons have been great for taking SMALL bites of Jello, yogurt, Soup, and other things on my post-op full liquid diet.
No sugar added juice - the post-op bariatric liquid diet in the hospital was truly awful. I'm not used to using a lot of artificial sweeteners, so the crystal light was pretty awful. I don't know what kind of Jello that was, but it seemed to be 5 times as strong and have 20 times as much food coloring as regular sugar free jello. I thought my tongue would be orange for a week. Fortunately, since no-sugar-added juice was on my surgeon's post-op Clear Liquids diet, the nurses were fine with my husband bringing them in. I honestly don't consider myself a picky eater, I can manage most of the Protein shakes, but the juice was essential. I also had him bring in good quality chicken broth - I was fine with the hospital broth by day 3, discharge day, but the first day post-op it tasted like liquid salt. I was blessed to have a husband who was there by my side every moment, and a microwave he could use down the hall.
powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury chicken broth Protein supplement - you're going to get REALLY tired of sweet Protein drinks.
Electric mug warmer - whether it's the chicken broth or a Protein shake made into hot cocoa, something hot is a nice change, but it can't be over 130 degrees to begin with, or the protein curdles. Anything that will keep that mug hot for the hour plus it will take you to sip it is REALLY nice.
Some kind of insulated travel mug - I make up a cold Protein Shake with milk for Breakfast or lunch, and again, if it's going to take me an hour to drink it, I'd like it to stay cold
Extra ice packs - you're going to be sore, and it's really nice to be able to ice incisions and your swollen tummy. Honestly, my favorites are these "Kimberly-Clark Stay-Dry Ice Packs, Large" that I snagged from the hospital where they're considered single-use, so I figured they'd toss them when I left anyway. I have 3, and I've constantly filled them with ice cubes for the past 10 days. Unfortunately, at least on Amazon theyre EXPENSIVE because you have to buy a 50-pack. If you can request an ice pack now and then while you're in the hospital, maybe you can come home with some too. :tongue2:
Small whisk - I've found this to be pretty essential for mixing the Protein Drinks. I wish I'd had 3 or more small whisks so I could toss them in the dishwasher afterwards.
*** Liquid Tylenol *** - I happened to have this on hand because a friend told me she didn't need the narcotics after she got home, and this is what she used instead. There's an adult version that I can't find at the grocery store, but is easy to find at a decent-sized drug store. I ended up with a Migraine the evening I got home that wasn't controlled by the narcotics, and spent several hours fighting hard not to throw up. A call to the nurse confirmed it was ok to alternate liquid tylenol with the narcotics I have (be sure to double-check yourself though, some of the prescription narcotics contain acetaminophen, in which case it definitely would NOT be ok to mix). I was desperately glad to have had it on hand, and now that I'm off the good meds, I'm using it for occasional pain control.
My diet once I got home from the hospital is full liquids for two weeks, including milk, yogurt, jello, and cream Soups, as well as the clear broths and juice that was ok on Clear Liquids. So, I've gone through a lot of skim milk. Jello and yogurt make me a bit nervous because they're so thick, so I haven't used those much. I've used quite a bit of chicken broth for thinning cream Soups. I also have a clear mushroom broth that means the cream of mushroom actually tastes different than cream of potato, cream of chicken, etc.
Both a pill crusher, and a pill-splitter. Some of my meds are large enough I'd have to swallow them in 8 pieces if I split them, but the Nexium is small enough I can just split it, which is a lot more palatable than crushing it and trying to choke down the powder. It's hard to get a good mouth rinse done if you can't swallow more than an ounce of Water at a time!
Clothing-wise: slip-on shoes for going out for those important post-op walks, and I've pretty much lived in my yoga pants. I'm still pretty swollen, and my waist is still considerably larger than it was pre-op. Jeans are out of the question. Also, a nice warm robe and slippers. Used them in the hospital for my walks, and I've been FREEZING now and then since I got home.

Less essential, but nice to have:
Double-wall thermo espresso shot glasses - these definitely more optional, at this point I use the mug warmer, but I would have used them in the first few days when I was still portioning out 1-2 ounces at a time to sip on.
Extra measuring cups - I mix up 8 oz milk and a scoop of Protein Powder in a measuring cup, it's nice to have extras so I can throw them in the dishwasher.
At this point I'm mixing all my Protein Shakes with milk for the extra calories - that will stop as soon as I transition to purees, but without that I wouldn't even be getting 500 calories / day. Unfortunately, that means the chocolate isn't very chocolatey. Some unsweetened cocoa powder added in makes a much more satisfying hot cocoa. Variety is KEY!
A bunch of sample packets of Syntrax nectar in a variet of flavors. They have things like lemon tea and fuzzy navel. I mix these occasionally with Water when I can't stand the thought of another milk-mixed protein shake. BJs Bariatrics sells an 11-pack I think of sample sizes and you can pick which 11 flavors you want to try. I'm planning to make sure I have a bunch of these in my desk when I go back to work too so I can get my protein supplements in between meals.

Whew - hope that helps! Good luck to you with your surgery!!

Just joining the chorus to say I also have to really watch the slider foods or I can get in a lot of trouble fast. I'm about 14 months post-op, and I can put on 8 pounds over the course of a week going into binge mode. Once I get carbs / sugar in my system I become like an addict and want to eat and eat and eat. And at the same time I feel bloated and lethargic and no longer want to exercise - a really bad combination!
Fortunately, if I can get myself back on track, after 3-4 days it becomes much easier and the pounds come off again. Those first few days require a heck of a lot of self-discipline, and every strategy I can come up with to fight the munchies, but I'm getting pretty good at the strategies. I can see I'll never maintain my weight loss if I don't conquer this though. I'm ok with that though, I may have to fight the head hunger, but at least I'm not also fighting real, physical hunger too. I don't think my sleeve is as tight as some of you report (I've never gotten a case of the slimeys, or had food come back up if I ate that one bite too much), but it will do the job if I do my part too.
I didn't have the surgery to be able to eat anything I want. I had the surgery to be able to DO anything I want - to live a life as an active, healthy, confident woman. Am I willing to exercise regularly, and give up doughnuts and chocolate for that? You betcha!

Yep, and most of us were obese as pre-ops because we failed to follow the "simple" guidelines of eat less / move more. And society judged us for failing to have a little self-discipline and lose the weight without surgery. Or, we went on a restrictive diet, became exercise fanatics, and lost a ton of weight, all the while committed to a permanent lifestyle change and then failed to "simply" stick with it and regained. Any of this sound familiar? How is it different to judge post-ops for failing to follow the plan?
I just don't think assigning blame is useful in this discussion, regardless of which way the finger is pointing, even if you're pointing it at yourself.

WE can develop due to thiamine deficiency. I'm particularly interested in this topic because my 1-year labs came back showing very low thiamine levels, despite faithful Multivitamin supplementation, so I've added a B complex to my routine. I know others on the boards have also seen this development. Unfortunately, the full text of the study requires a subscription or article purchase, but you may be able to obtain through a local library. Just for the record, I did not experience persistent vomiting (or, actually, any vomiting at all) - noted as a major determinant here.
Wernicke Encephalopathy in Subjects Undergoing Restrictive Weight Loss Surgery: A Systematic Review of Literature Data AbstractThe use of weight loss surgery is progressively increasing, and in recent years, restrictive bariatric surgery procedures have been more often used. Although thought to be associated with a lower incidence of post-operative side effects than malabsorpitive surgery, some cases of micronutrients deficiency have been reported because of an acquired thiamine deficiency; in this clinical setting, some cases of Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) have been described. Major determinants and predictors of this major neurological complication are currently unknown. The aim of this systematic review was to analyse literature data in order to address this issue. The main result of our systematic review was that persistent vomiting is the major determinant of WE in patients undergoing restrictive weight loss surgery. In addition, early thiamine supplementation can rapidly improve the clinical conditions, avoiding permanent deficiencies. On the other hand, given the wide variability of clinical and demographic characteristics, definite prognostic factors of WE occurrence and of clinical outcome cannot be identified. In conclusion, although our results are suggestive, further ad hoc prospective studies evaluating changes in micronutrients levels according to different types of surgery are needed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

I noticed it post-op, but things eventually returned more to normal for me. Of course, long-term, simply changing what you eat will cause your taste-buds to gradually adjust as well, so some things I use to enjoy are still too sweet, but I chalk that up to a change of eating habits. I'm rather certain if I went back to eating Reeses PB cups I go back to loving them in no time. Not going there...

I noticed it post-op, but things eventually returned more to normal for me. Of course, long-term, simply changing what you eat will cause your taste-buds to gradually adjust as well, so some things I use to enjoy are still too sweet, but I chalk that up to a change of eating habits. I'm rather certain if I went back to eating Reeses PB cups I go back to loving them in no time. Not going there...

Yep, and most of us were obese as pre-ops because we failed to follow the "simple" guidelines of eat less / move more. And society judged us for failing to have a little self-discipline and lose the weight without surgery. Or, we went on a restrictive diet, became exercise fanatics, and lost a ton of weight, all the while committed to a permanent lifestyle change and then failed to "simply" stick with it and regained. Any of this sound familiar? How is it different to judge post-ops for failing to follow the plan?
I just don't think assigning blame is useful in this discussion, regardless of which way the finger is pointing, even if you're pointing it at yourself.

Like others who've posted here, I really struggle with emotional eating and sugar cravings. I surpassed my surgeon's goal and got within a pound of my personal goal, but I've gained more than 10 pounds since then and have struggled for months to get back to eating consistently the way I should.
When I first started the pre-op diet, I was amazed at the difference a high-protein low-carb diet made in my cravings and hunger. It was like someone had flipped a switch and turned me into a different person. Suddenly, I could pass on the Cookies and cake in the break room without any difficulty. I didn't spend the day thinking about wanting to eat something every few minutes. It was like a miracle.
Now, 18 months post-op, the cravings are back with a vengeance, and I struggle to stay on plan for even a week at a time without doing a face plant into the chocolate!
I've been reading a ton of self-help books recently, and I've seen several that talk about the benefits of amino acid supplements. I started with 5-HTP because I am such a stress eater and have trouble staying on an even keel emotionally. Wow, what a difference it makes for me! I just feel a little more calm, a little less apt to fly off the handle. So, a couple of days ago I decided to try L-Glutamine which is supposed to help with sugar cravings. You probably won't believe me when I tell you I could feel a difference in under an hour. I wouldn't have believed it myself. It's like I found that switch to flip again, and making good food choices returned to being pretty easy, and my appetite in general is much lower. I'm taking it now a couple of times a day.
I don't know how long this will help for me, but I'm happy to give this a try for awhile. I thought it might be worth sharing for others who are struggling with sugar cravings. I always thought with me it was a matter of habit and stress-eating, but now that I'm taking supplements I have to say I'm a believer that there's definitely a biochemical component!
If you want more information, I'd recommend reading the Diet Cure by Julia Ross, or just about anything by Maria Emmerich (she has a great website too, mariahealth.blogspot.com I think). Or, see if you can find a nutritionist who's well versed in these sorts of supplements.

I'll admit up front, if regain of 22 pounds is the failure line, then I'm a failure. Or, I should say, I was. I'm working to get it back off again, and am well below that line again. But I definitely slipped back into old habits, and found myself slipping rapidly down the frightening slope back to obesity.
I don't find it useful to assign blame, either to the patient, or to the procedure, mostly because I think most of us were blamed for our obesity as pre-ops for a failure to "just stop" eating junk and get more exercise. Some of us struggle just as much to change what and how much we eat as post-ops (long-term).
I think it matters less whose failure that is, and more that we figure out how better to support patients, before and after surgery, in making whatever changes are needed for the individual to sustain long-term weight loss. There's so much at play here - long-ingrained habits, emotional and psychological elements, hormonal and biochemical elements, physical limitations, societal expectations... it's complicated.
I'm glad to see some honest reporting, though, on "failure" rates. For many (most?) of us, keeping those XX pounds off "forever" is going to require huge changes in many areas of our lives, not simply eating what we always have in smaller portions.

Once I get started with sugar, it's like I'm the pre-op me. I can't get enough of it, I'm obsessed with food all day long, I'm hoarding, and sneaking, and I put on weight like nobody's business. It took me a VERY long time to come to terms with it, but I simply cannot handle sugar in moderation. I consider myself an addict. As of this morning I still have 8.5 pounds of regain to lose (and I've been working on it since just before Christmas), but I'm thrilled to be back where I am - that's how out of control things got for me.
If you struggle with sugar withdrawal, you might try L-Glutamine or magnesium for a few days and see if that helps. Good luck!

Yep, and most of us were obese as pre-ops because we failed to follow the "simple" guidelines of eat less / move more. And society judged us for failing to have a little self-discipline and lose the weight without surgery. Or, we went on a restrictive diet, became exercise fanatics, and lost a ton of weight, all the while committed to a permanent lifestyle change and then failed to "simply" stick with it and regained. Any of this sound familiar? How is it different to judge post-ops for failing to follow the plan?
I just don't think assigning blame is useful in this discussion, regardless of which way the finger is pointing, even if you're pointing it at yourself.

Really, it's not about whether it comes back up or upsets your stomach. It's about the risk to your stapled stomach. PLEASE think carefully about what you put in your stomach while it's still healing!

You might check with your surgeon on this one, just because the kernel shells can be risky to you - they can get caught in the staple line is what I've been told. I miss popcorn too, it was a favorite of mine as well, but I really try to avoid it, even at 6 months out because I don't like to feed the carb monster. It's not something I can have just a little bit of without wanting more, an it can easily trigger more cravings for more carbs, which totally derails my weight loss. :-(

I'll admit up front, if regain of 22 pounds is the failure line, then I'm a failure. Or, I should say, I was. I'm working to get it back off again, and am well below that line again. But I definitely slipped back into old habits, and found myself slipping rapidly down the frightening slope back to obesity.
I don't find it useful to assign blame, either to the patient, or to the procedure, mostly because I think most of us were blamed for our obesity as pre-ops for a failure to "just stop" eating junk and get more exercise. Some of us struggle just as much to change what and how much we eat as post-ops (long-term).
I think it matters less whose failure that is, and more that we figure out how better to support patients, before and after surgery, in making whatever changes are needed for the individual to sustain long-term weight loss. There's so much at play here - long-ingrained habits, emotional and psychological elements, hormonal and biochemical elements, physical limitations, societal expectations... it's complicated.
I'm glad to see some honest reporting, though, on "failure" rates. For many (most?) of us, keeping those XX pounds off "forever" is going to require huge changes in many areas of our lives, not simply eating what we always have in smaller portions.

Can you incorporate Protein powder without drinking shakes? I love my morning Protein mocha (Click mocha, almond milk / hot Water, and a Starbucks via packet), but there's a lot you can do with Protein Powder. I mix Protein Powder into plain greek yogurt - I like Casein protein powder better than whey for this, as it's thicker and less gritty. I also make protein muffins with a bit of oatmeal, egg, vanilla protein powder, chopped apple, cottage cheese and cinnamon. I know it sounds weird, but it makes a surprisingly convincing muffin. I've found some great protein recipes online.

Can you incorporate Protein powder without drinking shakes? I love my morning Protein mocha (Click mocha, almond milk / hot Water, and a Starbucks via packet), but there's a lot you can do with Protein Powder. I mix Protein Powder into plain greek yogurt - I like Casein protein powder better than whey for this, as it's thicker and less gritty. I also make protein muffins with a bit of oatmeal, egg, vanilla protein powder, chopped apple, cottage cheese and cinnamon. I know it sounds weird, but it makes a surprisingly convincing muffin. I've found some great protein recipes online.

Can you incorporate Protein powder without drinking shakes? I love my morning Protein mocha (Click mocha, almond milk / hot Water, and a Starbucks via packet), but there's a lot you can do with Protein Powder. I mix Protein Powder into plain greek yogurt - I like Casein protein powder better than whey for this, as it's thicker and less gritty. I also make protein muffins with a bit of oatmeal, egg, vanilla protein powder, chopped apple, cottage cheese and cinnamon. I know it sounds weird, but it makes a surprisingly convincing muffin. I've found some great protein recipes online.

I don't have any experience with what you're describing, but I wondered if you're taking a probiotic? I started on one because my surgical nutritionist told us studies showed patients taking a probiotic had better weight loss (no idea why, but I figured it couldn't hurt!). I still take a daily probiotic, and I haven't had even a case of the sniffles in years (I'm sure now that I've said that I'll come down with a cold tomorrow). But if you're prone to stomach issues, a probiotic might be worth a try. I try to switch to a different brand every few months.
(And on a mostly unrelated note, I still love my Protein shake in the morning (it's actually more of a Protein hot mocha.)
Hope you're feeling better!

Lisa,
I have also gotten way off track, it's a recurring issue with me, and I know what I need to do, it's just a matter of not letting myself "forget" it once my weight gets back in my comfort zone. For me, personally, I cannot handle sugar in moderation. I know lots of folks can, and being able to have the occasional treat is key to staying on track. For ME, those treats have to be sugar-free, or I get sucked back in and get totally out of control, and it takes ages to drag myself back on track. I've got coming up on 4 weeks sugar-free under my belt, and it's SO much easier to stay on track once I get myself there.
I'll second the suggestion for Click, I love the mocha flavor. You can order it from Amazon, I'm not sure I've ever seen it in a store.
Jane's response is awesome on so many accounts. It truly is about being brutally honest with yourself about what will work for you, vs what's an excuse not to give up something you've become attached to.
I think if you can get 2-3 solid weeks of good eating habits behind you, you'll begin to really feel a difference, and it won't be such a struggle, but the key is to arm yourself with every possible tool you can think of for those 2-3 weeks. MyFitnessPal helps me, journaling helps sometimes, checking in on WLS sites like this one, or blogs that inspire me help keep me focused. Another strategy that's worked for me before is to join a challenge of some sort. MyTinyTank runs 6-week challenges every few weeks on a private Facebook page. Unfortunately you just missed the start of one (Nov. 29), but check out her website for more info (just search for MyTinyTank).
If you're on MyFitnessPal, send me a PM if you'd like to connect there for daily checking-in and support. I'm walking the same path, I'd be glad of some company in getting my weight back under control.

I noticed it post-op, but things eventually returned more to normal for me. Of course, long-term, simply changing what you eat will cause your taste-buds to gradually adjust as well, so some things I use to enjoy are still too sweet, but I chalk that up to a change of eating habits. I'm rather certain if I went back to eating Reeses PB cups I go back to loving them in no time. Not going there...

Abstract
Long-term weight regain is a fearedcomplicationof restrictive bariatric operation. The Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG)
is still in its early stages as a primary bariatric surgery and long-term data about its efficacy remains limited. From the
long term studies available it seems that approximately one-fifth of SG patients might be at risk for long-term weight
regain and about 5-10% of total SG patients will require surgical management forit. The possible mechanism behind
this weight regain is slowly being addressed. Patient noncompliance with dietary and lifestyle regimens is the most
practical factor that needs to be considered and can be prevented with a multidisciplinary team. Long-term gastric
pouch dilatation and gut hormone modulation are other theories that have been proposed to explain this weight regain.
Successful management strategies to combat weight recidivism include revisional bariatric surgery, performing a resleeve
gastrectomy or the addition of an adjustable band in the primary banded sleeve gastrectomy. However, the
safety of revisional bariatric surgery is a concern and should be performed only by an experienced bariatric surgeon.
It remains that as the SG continues to grow as a popular choice for the management of morbid obesity, more concrete
long term information will become available to address the how and why weight regain occurs.
http://omicsonline.org/open-access/the-sleeve-gastrectomy-and-how-and-why-it-can-fail-2161-1076-4-180.pdf