Splenda

I always tell people that the two weeks before surgery were much more difficult for me than anything that came after the surgery. It is a terrible period and you really do have to power through it.
As far as the Constipation, take Fiber capsules (preferably psyllium husk) with a probiotic. Its also a good habit to get into post-surgery, as soon as you can handle it. It will keep you regular and help with digestion.
Try a different brand of shakes and see it works better for you. I always preferred the Premier Protein shakes over the Equate ones.
Drink an insane amount of liquid during this time. Always be chugging some kind of liquid, just to try to keep your stomach relatively full. Eat sugar free popsicles by the box.

On Black Friday, I bought a Ninja Creami for my family. The Creami allows you to make your own ice cream pints. You make your liquid mix, place in it one of their plastic pints and freeze it for at least 24 hours. You put the pint in the machine, spin it for a few cycles and you get ice cream.
Here is why it is great for bariatric patients: you can make delicious, high Protein, low sugar ice cream. Not an exaggeration.
For my first ice cream, I mixed a 16 oz Premier Protein 30g chocolate shake, a packet of Chocolate Toffee Keto chow, 1 tsp of MCT oil and 4 tbs of 2% milk. I had to put that mixture into a blender to get it all mixed because it was pretty thick. But then I poured it into a plastic pint and froze it.

When it was done, it tasted just like a creamy chocolate ice cream and had the following nutritional profile (per MyFitnessPal)
356 calories
9.2g of fat
5.5g of net carbs
4.4g of sugar
57.7g of protein
109% of my calcium
34% of my iron
2,135mg of potassium
27.5% of Vitamin A
26% of Vitamin C
(By way of comparison, a pint of Blue Bell vanilla has 640 calories, 32g of fat, 68g of sugar and 16g of protein).
The Creami is not cheap (Normally $170, bought it for $125 on Black Friday). But if you can afford it and you like ice cream, I highly recommend it. You can use Protein Shakes, protein powders, Greek yogurt and a ton of other bariatric-friendly ingredients to make something that tastes like ice cream that you can eat guilt free.

I think there are two parts to it.
1. As someone mentioned, exercise tends to increase Water retention as muscles hoard it to help with inflammation.
2. Part of weight loss stalls is that your body adjusts to your routine. When you stop exercising for a few days, you change the routine, forcing your body to re-evaluate.
I've experienced the same phenomenon with my exercise and have decided that I will live with the slowed down weight loss to be in better overall health (my blood pressure and resting heart rate numbers are great).

I am also a sandwich lover. Here is what I have found (2.5 months post-op).
I have used Sola bread and Orowheat bread for sandwiches. Both are keto-friendly, meaning they are high in Fiber and Protein and low in carbs. The pieces are small, but they are still 60 calories a slice (Orowheat) or 70 cals/slice (Sola), so that is over 100 calories before you put anything in the bread. You will also need to toast the bread because it helps chew it down and regular bread can "ball up" in your stomach and cause problems. If you use toasted bread and use the sandwich as an occasional meal rather than a staple meal, you should be OK.
I did eat some tuna fish sandwiches for lunch, but it was just tuna fish straight out of the foil packet on toasted Orowheat. I went with tuna for the high protein content and Omega 3s.
With fries, moderation will absolutely be key. Can you steal 3 fries off someone's plate and eat them without discomfort or throwing off your diet? Yeah. I wouldn't eat a full compliment of them, both because the grease/oil could cause dumping and a fry doesn't have a ton of nutrition. If you are going to eat potatoes, try to eat them baked/boiled with the skin on, to maximize your nutrients.

1. 43, M, 6'0"
2. Net loss: 0 (weight fluctuated wildly)
3. 460
4. 430
5. 381
6. 331
7. 258

My initial goal weight was "what is the highest weight I could end up at where I would still feel like the surgery was a success?"
For me, that was 275. Once I hit that, I kept going and have maintained at around 220 lbs.

My initial goal weight was "what is the highest weight I could end up at where I would still feel like the surgery was a success?"
For me, that was 275. Once I hit that, I kept going and have maintained at around 220 lbs.

As a licensed Christian minister, here would be my response to them.
In Matthew 5:29-30, Jesus said "If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."
Jesus clearly endorsed the idea that you need self-control by almost any means necessary. He said that if your hand leads you to sin, be willing to cut it off. If your eye continually leads you to sin, be willing to gouge it out. So if your stomach leads you to the sin of gluttony, shouldn't you be equally willing to have it surgically altered to prevent such a sin?

1. 43, M, 6'0"
2. Net loss: 0 (weight fluctuated wildly)
3. 460
4. 430
5. 381
6. 331
7. 258

As a licensed Christian minister, here would be my response to them.
In Matthew 5:29-30, Jesus said "If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."
Jesus clearly endorsed the idea that you need self-control by almost any means necessary. He said that if your hand leads you to sin, be willing to cut it off. If your eye continually leads you to sin, be willing to gouge it out. So if your stomach leads you to the sin of gluttony, shouldn't you be equally willing to have it surgically altered to prevent such a sin?

As a licensed Christian minister, here would be my response to them.
In Matthew 5:29-30, Jesus said "If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."
Jesus clearly endorsed the idea that you need self-control by almost any means necessary. He said that if your hand leads you to sin, be willing to cut it off. If your eye continually leads you to sin, be willing to gouge it out. So if your stomach leads you to the sin of gluttony, shouldn't you be equally willing to have it surgically altered to prevent such a sin?

As a licensed Christian minister, here would be my response to them.
In Matthew 5:29-30, Jesus said "If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."
Jesus clearly endorsed the idea that you need self-control by almost any means necessary. He said that if your hand leads you to sin, be willing to cut it off. If your eye continually leads you to sin, be willing to gouge it out. So if your stomach leads you to the sin of gluttony, shouldn't you be equally willing to have it surgically altered to prevent such a sin?

I realize this post is older, but just wanted to say thank you for taking time to write it. As a Christian, I have also struggled with the notion that my body is a temple but that somehow I'm forsaking what He intended for me to be. I always try to hand over my battles to God. Now I feel tremendous relief knowing that He understands our struggles, so much so that He endorsed what many would call "drastic measures" to avoid sin and despair. Wow...this WLS journey is deeper than anyone can fathom!

I think my cousin is trying to kill me LOL She's a trainer, and she gave me some really good pointers for cardio, strength training, and weight training.
Well, today was cardio day, and she said to go to speed 2.5 and incline 15 on the treadmill and sustain it for a solid 30-45 minutes. I thought "no problem, I can do that". OMG by the time I got to incline 12 I thought I was gonna die lol It took me 20 minutes to work my way up to incline 15. Once I got to it, I was able to sustain it for 40 minutes.
I'm so proud that I was able to do it. I really didn't think I could, especially at the end. Now I'm exhausted and my body is screaming, so it's time to eat dinner (chicken drumsticks) and then take a long, hot shower.

Been a while since ive been on here, but just wanted post this for anyone it might help. 3.5 years since i got the surgery and its still by far the best thing i ever did. Back in November i completed a 33 mile ultra trail run. Something i never thought i would do. Im extremely proud of it and cant wait to set new goals. Fitness has made this journey that much easier and I love every aspect of it. Hopefully this will encourage someone!!! IF youre thinking about the surgery, do it.  

How far post-op are you? What restrictions do you still have from your surgeon?
I am pretty disciplined about avoiding carbs during my day to day life, but I do make an exception for Thanksgiving. I will have turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. But instead of creating a heaping plate (and then going back for more), I'll have a plate that looks like it will feed a 4-year old.

I started having UTI problems a few months after my surgery. Started buying D-Mannose at Walmart and taking it daily. Haven't had problems since -- highly recommend.

How far post-op are you? What restrictions do you still have from your surgeon?
I am pretty disciplined about avoiding carbs during my day to day life, but I do make an exception for Thanksgiving. I will have turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. But instead of creating a heaping plate (and then going back for more), I'll have a plate that looks like it will feed a 4-year old.

How far post-op are you? What restrictions do you still have from your surgeon?
I am pretty disciplined about avoiding carbs during my day to day life, but I do make an exception for Thanksgiving. I will have turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. But instead of creating a heaping plate (and then going back for more), I'll have a plate that looks like it will feed a 4-year old.

How far post-op are you? What restrictions do you still have from your surgeon?
I am pretty disciplined about avoiding carbs during my day to day life, but I do make an exception for Thanksgiving. I will have turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. But instead of creating a heaping plate (and then going back for more), I'll have a plate that looks like it will feed a 4-year old.

As a licensed Christian minister, here would be my response to them.
In Matthew 5:29-30, Jesus said "If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."
Jesus clearly endorsed the idea that you need self-control by almost any means necessary. He said that if your hand leads you to sin, be willing to cut it off. If your eye continually leads you to sin, be willing to gouge it out. So if your stomach leads you to the sin of gluttony, shouldn't you be equally willing to have it surgically altered to prevent such a sin?

This may sound like a weird question, but which scale did you use to determine your starting weight?
Here is what I mean: if the 251 mark is based on your home scale and your home scale is off by 15 pounds, doesn't that mean you started at 266 on the work scale?

As a licensed Christian minister, here would be my response to them.
In Matthew 5:29-30, Jesus said "If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."
Jesus clearly endorsed the idea that you need self-control by almost any means necessary. He said that if your hand leads you to sin, be willing to cut it off. If your eye continually leads you to sin, be willing to gouge it out. So if your stomach leads you to the sin of gluttony, shouldn't you be equally willing to have it surgically altered to prevent such a sin?

I use powdered collagen every day with no dangers. I think it does help with skin elasticity -- I did it more as a preventive measure to avoid losing hair or having brittle nails.
My go-to Breakfast is:
8 oz of black cold brew
1 scoop of collagen
1 scoop of unflavored whey Protein powder
2-3 squirts of skinny syrup
Blend all of that together, then pour in a 12 oz premade vanilla Protein Shake

Everyone's mileage may vary, but I found this calculator turned out to be pretty accurate for me:
https://mexicobariatriccenter.com/bariatric-surgery-weight-loss-timeline-calculator/
On the morning of my surgery, I was 460.
This calculator put me at 372 at the 3 month mark. I was 381.
It had me at 325 at the six month mark. I was 331.
It had me at 267 at the year mark. I am at 261.