BigSue

That early on, I think it’s very difficult to meet your Protein goal without protein powder/shakes and protein-fortified foods. My go-to Breakfast is half a container of Greek yogurt with half a scoop of protein powder for a total of 19 grams of protein. You can also mix unflavored protein powder into a lot of things like Soups, refried Beans, etc. I sometimes use Quest protein chips for a protein boost (I make taco bites using 1/3 of a bag of protein chips + taco meat + lettuce, Tomato, and plain Greek yogurt, or put crushed protein chips on a salad).
Since you can only eat small quantities, you have to eat mainly protein (typically meat). There’s not much room for anything else, even vegetables. I am 6 months out and still find it challenging to get 60 grams of protein per day. I still use protein powder every day. Part of it is that I don’t eat between meals; I guess if you snack throughout the day, you can probably work in some more protein, but I’m trying not to fall back into bad habits.

Congratulations on your success! We are pretty similar — I had my surgery just a week before yours, and I have also lost 100 pounds since my surgery (I lost about 70 pounds before surgery). My initial goal weight was 180 pounds based on average weight loss (this was before I lost the first 70 pounds), but now I’m shooting for 150, although I honestly don’t care all that much about the number on the scale; for me, it’s all about the NSVs. When I stop and think about it, I’m in disbelief that I have lost such a massive amount of weight. I used to see people who have lost 100+ pounds and think it was impossible, and now I’m one of them.
i also have the same sense that it doesn’t feel like I’ve lost as much as I have. I am literally half the size I used to be, and of course I can tell that I’m smaller, but I definitely don’t feel like I’m half my old size.
I actually like to cook, and I spend a lot of time on Pinterest looking at bariatric-friendly recipes (I find a lot of recipe on Keto web sites, even though I don’t exactly follow the keto diet, but a lot of keto recipes are good because they’re low-carb). One of the cool things about being a bariatric patient is that my portion sizes are so small that I get a ton of servings out of a single recipe. I made a batch of turkey meat sauce that came out to 27 portions! I have a freezer full of single-serving meals from just a few cooking sessions. I’ve really enjoyed finding new, healthy recipes that I love, and I hardly even miss the old unhealthy foods I used to eat. I recently discovered that I like spaghetti squash! And I eat cauliflower rice all the time. I hardly recognize myself anymore.
Anyway, it’s great to see someone else enjoying great results from WLS. It is truly life-changing!

You NEED ricotta bake in your life! It’s the best thing you can eat in the soft food stage. I’m 6 months out and can eat normal foods, but ricotta bake is still one of my go-to meals. I eat it with turkey meat sauce and it’s basically lasagna sans noodles.
I split the recipe into 8 4-ounce glass bowls (I bake it in individual bowls instead of 1 big dish). It freezes well, so it’s super easy to grab a serving of ricotta bake and a serving of turkey meat sauce out of the freezer and stick them in the microwave.

You NEED ricotta bake in your life! It’s the best thing you can eat in the soft food stage. I’m 6 months out and can eat normal foods, but ricotta bake is still one of my go-to meals. I eat it with turkey meat sauce and it’s basically lasagna sans noodles.
I split the recipe into 8 4-ounce glass bowls (I bake it in individual bowls instead of 1 big dish). It freezes well, so it’s super easy to grab a serving of ricotta bake and a serving of turkey meat sauce out of the freezer and stick them in the microwave.

Sleeved June 2013. Almost 8 years post-op.

Its been almost 4 years, i havent reached my goal body weight, but im on the way,

Sent from my VOG-L04 using BariatricPal mobile app

You NEED ricotta bake in your life! It’s the best thing you can eat in the soft food stage. I’m 6 months out and can eat normal foods, but ricotta bake is still one of my go-to meals. I eat it with turkey meat sauce and it’s basically lasagna sans noodles.
I split the recipe into 8 4-ounce glass bowls (I bake it in individual bowls instead of 1 big dish). It freezes well, so it’s super easy to grab a serving of ricotta bake and a serving of turkey meat sauce out of the freezer and stick them in the microwave.

Keep in mind that I still have a lot of weight to lose, but I have definitely had improvements in mobility. It's a lot easier to climb stairs without carrying an extra 120 pounds! Easier to get in and out of chairs, etc. My knee and foot pain has improved a bit, but it's also counteracted by the fact that I'm exercising more. I also have better flexibility -- for example, no problem bending down to tie my shoes. My blood pressure and blood glucose are now on the low side of normal with no medication. And that's all on top of the benefits of not always being the fattest person in the room, being able to fit in chairs, if I ever fly again I won't need a seatbelt extension, I can buy clothes from some mainstream brands (still XL or XXL, but in brands that don't make clothes as big as I used to be).

I've never been one to really "chug" Water, but within the first month, I wasn't limited to slow sipping anymore, and within 2-3 months, I could drink relatively normally. It's still slightly uncomfortable if I try to drink really fast, but I'm 6.5 months out now and have very little trouble drinking enough water. I have noticed that when I drink warm drinks, I sometimes either drink too fast or perhaps the way I sip makes me swallow some air and I get a little discomfort in my stomach, but it's not too bad and it goes away quickly.

Everyone's experience is different, but generally speaking, this is a very safe surgery with low complication rates. I'm 6.5 months post-gastric bypass and I'm doing great. I've lost 100 pounds since my surgery. I only had to spend one night in the hospital, and I had very little pain. I didn't need to take any pain medication, not even Tylenol, after I left the hospital. The gas pain was pretty bad when I first woke up, but it didn't last long.
The first few weeks after surgery are the hardest, and a lot of people experience temporary feelings of regret at some point during that time, but once you get past the liquid/puree/soft stages and you start to see results, you will probably be very happy that you decided to have the surgery. Most of us are. Good luck!

Before my surgery, I ordered a lot of different samples of Protein powder, and IdealFit was my favorite. I love mixing the birthday cake with yogurt, and the chocolate brownie, chocolate coconut, and mint chocolate are good to drink. I have my eye on the chocolate cherry and butter pecan, but unfortunately, those aren't available in sample sizes and I'm not sure I want to commit to a huge tub without tasting it first.
I also got some interesting flavors from 1up Nutrition, Northbound Nutrition (Waves of Whey), KetoShop, and Black Magic Supply. They all have single-serving samples so you don't have to buy a whole tub.

I'm surprised I didn't get very many responses about this, but I guess if you don't live in the middle of nowhere, a trip to Trader Joe's is not a big event 😀. I found some product recommendations on Keto web sites and YouTube videos. Here's my haul:

They didn't have several of the items on my list, and there were a few things I didn't buy because they seemed way overpriced, but here's what I got (some of it is just general grocery items just to save me a trip to another store):
meat
Individually frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs ($7.99) Ground chicken ($3.79) Ground turkey ($2.99) Pork tenderloin ($4.15) Chile lime chicken burgers ($3.69) Chicken sausage ($3.99) Produce
Spaghetti squash ($2.99) Organic romaine bagged salad ($2.69) Heavenly tomatoes ($2.79) Head of garlic ($.49) Organic ginger ($1.79) Frozen
Frozen green Beans ($1.99) Frozen asparagus ($2.99) Frozen raspberries ($2.49) Pantry
Avocado oil ($5.99) Kalamata olive oil ($8.99) Sesame oil ($2.99) Rice vinegar ($1.99) Salsa Autentica ($1.99) Salsa Verde ($1.99) Sundried tomatoes ($1.99) Masala simmer sauce ($2.69) Almond flour ($7.49) Snacks
Chomps Jerky ($1.69) Quest Hero bar ($1.99) Power Crunch bar ($1.49) Freeze-dried raspberries ($3.99) Refrigerated
Plain nonfat Greek yogurt ($.99) Green goddess Salad Dressing ($3.99) Spicy cashew salad dressing ($3.99) I've only tried a few of these items so far. I love the green goddess salad dressing; it's only 10 calories per tablespoon and surprisingly tasty (I actually licked the bowl when I finished my salad). Sadly, it's perishable and only has about a month shelf-life in the fridge. Haven't tried the spicy cashew dressing yet, but online reviewers love it. I like the chicken burgers, but they'd be better on a nice, fluffy bun.
I felt so weird buying all healthy stuff and no junk food! If I had made this trip a year ago, I would have been all over the delicious-looking baked goods and the snacks and Desserts stacked above the freezer aisle.

Starting purees is great! After the liquid diet, it's nice to be able to eat something resembling real food. You should mix Protein Powder into purees to make sure you meet your Protein goal. My advice for that is to use flavored protein powder for sweet foods and unflavored protein powder for savory foods. Here's what I ate in the pureed stage:
Fat-free, no sugar added Greek yogurt (vanilla yogurt + birthday cake protein powder; vanilla yogurt + chocolate protein powder + powdered peanut butter; strawberry yogurt + strawberry protein powder, etc.) Fat-free, sugar-free pudding (chocolate pudding + chocolate protein powder + powdered peanut butter; vanilla pudding + strawberry protein powder, etc.) Unsweetened applesauce + cinnamon roll protein powder Protein oatmeal + cinnamon roll protein powder Pureed refried Beans + unflavored protein powder, topped with enchilada sauce + Laughing Cow cheese Pureed black bean Soup + unflavored protein powder Mashed cauliflower + unflavored protein powder, topped with gravy

Yes, you could use ground beef. Some people don't tolerate beef very well after surgery, so turkey is a little safer. I found a turkey meat sauce recipe that I love and I don't miss the beef.
Regarding pizza... I am 6.5 months out and have not eaten real pizza since my surgery. Pizza is my kryptonite. Before surgery, I could not resist pizza. I ate a whole frozen pizza every week (Red Baron pizza, which is a bit smaller and lower in calories than, say, DiGiorno, but still, a whole pizza). Even when I was losing weight before surgery, on pizza day, I would fast the rest of the day just so I could eat that pizza. I cannot overstate how much I love(d) pizza.
In November (about 4 months after my surgery), I had a chicken crust pizza. I bought a frozen one (Foster Farms) and split it into 3 meals. It was ok, but not great, and I haven't bought it again. I've heard homemade chicken crust is better, so I'll try that someday. I do occasionally make myself a tortilla pizza using a Mr. Tortilla 1 net carb tortilla, 1/2 ounce marinara sauce, 1 ounce mozzarella cheese, and 5 pieces of turkey pepperoni. 133 calories and it kind of satisfies the pizza craving.
The good news is that I don't crave pizza nearly as much as I used to. Before surgery, looking at pizza, smelling pizza, seeing a pizza commercial, or even seeing characters on a TV show eating pizza would make me want pizza in my belly NOW. But I have found a lot of healthy recipes that I truly enjoy eating enough that I don't care about pizza as much anymore. I eat three meals per day and no Snacks, so I have to choose wisely what I'm eating for my three meals (and one of those meals is almost always reserved for a Built Bar), and there are plenty of things that I would rather eat. I know you don't want a lecture, but I suggest finding foods that are healthy and delicious, and you may find yourself not wanting pizza as much.

Yeah, just about everybody loses hair after surgery, and there's not much you can do about it. It will grow back. I have fine hair to begin with, so it was pretty noticeable when it started thinning. It has started growing back and it looks terrible because all the new hair is so much shorter than the hair that didn't fall out, but at least my scalp isn't looking so bare anymore.

You NEED ricotta bake in your life! It’s the best thing you can eat in the soft food stage. I’m 6 months out and can eat normal foods, but ricotta bake is still one of my go-to meals. I eat it with turkey meat sauce and it’s basically lasagna sans noodles.
I split the recipe into 8 4-ounce glass bowls (I bake it in individual bowls instead of 1 big dish). It freezes well, so it’s super easy to grab a serving of ricotta bake and a serving of turkey meat sauce out of the freezer and stick them in the microwave.

You NEED ricotta bake in your life! It’s the best thing you can eat in the soft food stage. I’m 6 months out and can eat normal foods, but ricotta bake is still one of my go-to meals. I eat it with turkey meat sauce and it’s basically lasagna sans noodles.
I split the recipe into 8 4-ounce glass bowls (I bake it in individual bowls instead of 1 big dish). It freezes well, so it’s super easy to grab a serving of ricotta bake and a serving of turkey meat sauce out of the freezer and stick them in the microwave.

Welcome! This site is a great resource for preparing you for weight loss surgery. I had my initial consultation almost a year ago, and I'm down 165 pounds from then! Feel free to post any questions you have throughout the process.

Yes, most people experience significant Hair loss, but it starts growing back within a couple of months. That's when the real fun begins, because the new growth is much shorter than whatever hair didn't fall out, so it looks like a mess with all the short hairs sticking out. I have fine hair to begin with, so my hair loss was quite noticeable. It looked like I was going bald and trying to cover it up with a bad combover. It's growing back now, and it looks terrible because of all the short hairs, but it no longer looks like I'm balding. Some people say Biotin helps and others say it does nothing. Protein and Iron can also affect Hair growth.

Yes, I had a Vitamin D deficiency before my surgery, so I have a prescription for 5000 IU daily. It is also available over the counter, but it costs slightly less as a prescription. My vitamin D level was good on my latest bloodwork.

Yes, most people experience significant Hair loss, but it starts growing back within a couple of months. That's when the real fun begins, because the new growth is much shorter than whatever hair didn't fall out, so it looks like a mess with all the short hairs sticking out. I have fine hair to begin with, so my hair loss was quite noticeable. It looked like I was going bald and trying to cover it up with a bad combover. It's growing back now, and it looks terrible because of all the short hairs, but it no longer looks like I'm balding. Some people say Biotin helps and others say it does nothing. Protein and Iron can also affect Hair growth.

Yes, I had a Vitamin D deficiency before my surgery, so I have a prescription for 5000 IU daily. It is also available over the counter, but it costs slightly less as a prescription. My vitamin D level was good on my latest bloodwork.

Sorry you're having these problems. I'm glad you posted your story here because I think it's important for people to go into this surgery with their eyes wide open, knowing the potential pros and cons. Before my surgery, I looked for people who regretted it because I wanted to be fully aware of the worst-case scenario. I had a lot of trouble finding people who regretted it -- even most people who had horrible complications said they would do it all over again! I think this is partly because the people who are glad they had the surgery are the ones who post about it and make videos about it (and of course the fact that the vast majority of people who have the surgery are happy with it).
I hope that your problems improve. I've read that a lot of WLS patients have menstrual changes because estrogen and other hormones are stored in fat, and fast weight loss results in the release of these hormones into the bloodstream. I'm not a doctor, of course, but I would guess there's a good chance that this problem will go away eventually. I definitely think it's worth talking to your OB/GYN if you haven't already.
As for the preoccupation with your weight and eating, I think that's something that will lessen over time as you get used to your new body and your new life, but if not, maybe you could look into counseling. I'll be interested to see how you feel a year from now. I certainly hope it gets better and you come to be happy with your decision to get the surgery.

I tried Shirataki Pasta (found at Walmart) for the first time this week, and I like it! It has a bad smell in the bag, but I prepared it like this and there was no taste or smell:
https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/lchf/how-to-cook-and-like-shirataki-noodles
I ate 1/4 cup of it with some delicious turkey meat sauce (https://www.panningtheglobe.com/quick-turkey-ragu/) and it was a decent imitation of spaghetti. I prefer this to zucchini or butternut squash noodles because I don't like squash.

I'm a big fan of cauliflower rice. It's weird because I hate cauliflower, but I don't mind cauliflower rice. With sauce and mix-ins, I can almost fool myself into thinking I'm eating actual rice. I mostly buy the plain kind, but this fried rice style makes a good lazy 3-ingredient meal: fried cauliflower rice + frozen pulled chicken + Huy Fong chili garlic sauce. The nutrition info is for the entire bag, but I only eat 1/5 of the bag (2 ounces).

This frozen pulled chicken is awesome. It is so convenient to keep in the freezer. I think it's better than the grilled chicken strips. It's great for salads, mixing with cauliflower rice, covering with sugar-free BBQ Sauce, etc. -- basically any time I don't feel like cooking my own chicken.

It’s your body, so you can decide what your goal is! Why don’t you start with a goal of losing 30 pounds — which you seem to be confident you can do — and when you get there, see how you feel? Maybe you’ll be happy with that, or maybe you’ll feel motivated to lose 30 more pounds from there. But please don’t fall into the trap of thinking it will be a failure if you “only” lose 30 pounds and not 60.