Penguin733

Thanks guys, I'm almost 6 months out (which in hindsight I should've mentioned before) and I've always struggled with my weight from fat to underweight to obese (hence why I did the surgery). So, I got really paranoid as I finally hit my mark and plateau'd as I thought that was it, then earlier last week and past few days I noticed the number decreasing so I thought I might go underweight again and this time couldn't do anything about it, but good to hear it's somewhat normal and that I'll surely recover over time it seems.

I'm 6'1 and my weight pre-op was at 265 at my heaviest. I am 6-month post-op and sitting at 175lbs.

Thanks guys, I'm almost 6 months out (which in hindsight I should've mentioned before) and I've always struggled with my weight from fat to underweight to obese (hence why I did the surgery). So, I got really paranoid as I finally hit my mark and plateau'd as I thought that was it, then earlier last week and past few days I noticed the number decreasing so I thought I might go underweight again and this time couldn't do anything about it, but good to hear it's somewhat normal and that I'll surely recover over time it seems.

i lost another 15+ lbs in the 6 months after i reached goal weight.
i had to learn to get out of diet mode and into maintenance mode, which was unexpectedly difficult as i had a low-key fear of carbs and eating more and gaining all the 125 lbs i lost back in a one fell swoop, ha!
anyway, i slowly ate more and more, but had a sort of physical limitation because i had very effective restriction, so i had to choose higher calorie, low volume foods.
by the time my 2 yr post op mark hit, i gained back about 1/2 of the extra weight i lost.
today, at 5+ yrs out, im still more or less the same weight. BUT my composition is different: i had more muscle mass percentage back then (because i was exercising much more recently then) so i am technically fatter now despite being the same weight. but i digress...
anyhoo...short answer to ur question is eat more calories than u burn. it doesn't mean eat heaps and heaps of food, just choose higher calorie stuff: avocados, nuts, full fat cheese and dairy, olive oil, salmon or other oily fish, red meat, egg yolks, etc.
...and if you are able to practice moderation, chips (my go to was chicharron), chocolate, etc. if you can't practice moderation, then just don't bother going this route...slippery slope and all...
you may lose more weight as u figure stiff out. though unless ur doc is worried, you probably don't need to either.
oh, and no, i didn't meal prep, but i did grocery shop plan and execute to make sure i always had stuff at home i could eat/prepare. mind u i don't/didn't work outside the home so i was able to eat/cook on the fly.
good luck! ❤️

you don't have your stats listed, but keep in mind that most of us experience a 10-20 lb rebound weight gain in year 2 or 3. I was really worried about going too low - and for months I was pretty gaunt and bony, but I've put on about 30 lbs since then (I'm almost nine years out). The first 15 was welcome -and expected. I'm not that happy with the last 15, and it's a bear getting anything off. So be careful what you wish for. On the other hand, if you're so low that you're unhealthy, then that's another story. The commenters above have some good tips.

I'm not sure how many months out from surgery you are, but it sounds like the goal you set and the weight your body wants to be right now are at odds. Are you dangerously underweight at this point, or experiencing other serious negative side effects from losing weight? If not, I would suggest riding it out. Continue to eat nutrient dense foods in reasonable portions to the point of feeling satisfied from them, get a healthy amount of exercise, and ignore the numbers on the scale or the reflection in the mirror for a while until your body has a chance to figure itself out on its own time. I think most of the time, it sorts itself out. When my brother had his VSG 15 years ago, he had a period of several months, maybe 12-18 months after his surgery, where he was very skinny, to the point of him being a little concerned (and self-conscious about it since he was used to being a big guy). And then it all kind of fell into place without him having to do anything drastic.

I kept losing fur another 11 months after I reached my goal. For a time I couldn’t eat more than I was. I added some Snacks to eat between meals & my dietician suggested adding milk powder to my milk to enrich it with more Protein & more calories. (I found this too sweet so I gave up after a short time.) I was eventually able to eat larger portions but I was still eating 4-5 snacks a day by the time my weight finally stabilised. (I was eating about 1300 calories at that point.)
I usually eat about 1600 calories now, about 3 snacks & have basically maintained. How I eat has been sustainable for me & doesn’t limit or restrict my life in any way. What I realised is that the weight I’m at is the weight my body gravitates to & is happiest at: my set point.
It may take you some time to be able to eat the calories you need to maintain. Also your goal weight may not be your new set point (it could be higher or lower). Another point to consider is that the lowest weight you reach may not be the weight at which you stabilise. Our bodies often resettle at a higher weight. There is the possibility of the bounce back regain at around year 2 or 3. Or you adjust your eating to better support your lifestyle & consequently eat a few more calories.

Try adding some additional carbs (low processed, complex whole & multi grains) some good fats, another serve of fruit, … Have a chat with your dietician too for some ways to incorporate additional but still nutrient dense foods into your eating.
All the best.

My moment was when it clicked that I could afford it; I always struggled with my weight fluctuating but I was getting to the point where I was just getting bigger despite all my efforts in exercising (and I always liked going to the gym, would even go for 2hrs), but I was simply eating more than I was putting out, on top of which I never felt full awhen eating + my insatiable hunger when my depression would hit, so I needed a physical stop.
I opt'd for the sleeve as it would still allow me to eat what I like, but rather smaller portions. And with positive attestations from family members and friends I went ahead with it.
I'm nearing two weeks post-op and don't regret it so far, I am just begging for the liquid diet to end just so I can have diversity in what I eat lol; currently getting burned out on just having Protein Shakes and gatorade.

I used to sleep on my side before the surgery, but since the surgery every once in a while I sleep on my back and now sleep with my mouth open & snore which I haven't done since I was a kid! Getting annoyed with waking up to a dry mouth and I know it's not good health wise; anyone else experience this weird phenomenon? Or is it just me? lol

I really did misunderstand what they meant, I'm doing best with food I've been having and even though I'm 6-7 weeks post op I thought I'd have no issues with anything, but it is what you said it's that I'll have no restrictions in now allowing to *reintroduce* everything else I hadn't before. 😕

Still a bit of a hurdle, but I'm definitely out of the painful part lately as it's a very full feeling (which I'm grateful for as I used to never feel full pre-op) and an uncomfortable bubbling feeling at worst with stuff I haven't tried.

My moment was when it clicked that I could afford it; I always struggled with my weight fluctuating but I was getting to the point where I was just getting bigger despite all my efforts in exercising (and I always liked going to the gym, would even go for 2hrs), but I was simply eating more than I was putting out, on top of which I never felt full awhen eating + my insatiable hunger when my depression would hit, so I needed a physical stop.
I opt'd for the sleeve as it would still allow me to eat what I like, but rather smaller portions. And with positive attestations from family members and friends I went ahead with it.
I'm nearing two weeks post-op and don't regret it so far, I am just begging for the liquid diet to end just so I can have diversity in what I eat lol; currently getting burned out on just having Protein Shakes and gatorade.

Try adding in an electrolyte drink to your fluids to give you an energy boost. Low blood pressure (postural hypotension) causes the dizziness on standing. It usually passes as you start eating more (I have it all the time but I always tended to low BP so nothing new for me). Make getting up slowly a habit & wait before moving. If my vision starts to narrow I reach for something solid like a table, chair, walk (or person), to ground me for those few seconds. I also bend over so my head is lower or equal to my heart until everything starts to right itself again.
As an example of what I meant by the portion not being right for you at this time: I used to take hours to drink a Protein Shake. I’d dilute it (double the water) to make it more palatable & easier to drink. But there was no way I could drink one as a 20-30 min ‘meal’. I still take up to an hour to eat a tub of yoghurt & then sometimes can’t eat the whole tub because it can suit a little heavy or I just don’t want more. Try making the yoghurt into a yoghurt drink by blending it with milk (extra Protein bonus) & sip it for ages too. Both count towards your fluid goals as well as protein.
Meeting your protein goal gets easier as you progress & are able to eat a little more & a little more easily.

I know what you mean! But once you're over the liquid diet hump, everything is a breeze! I'm almost done with the pureed stage and didn't feel nearly as excruciatingly long as the liquid, heck, I even stuck with liquids rather than pureed with added high Protein yogurts and adding gel fruit cups. You'll get to shredded chicken in soft foods in no time!

I cooked with mushrooms from soft - omelettes usually but also mince dishes & casseroles.
I would think it would be a no to wings for some time. One of our biggest enemies is food that is too dry & coarse especially in the first months. It can sort of get stuck & cause the foamies. chicken breast, even skinless, is a common culprit. So a wing which is traditionally drier would be worse & then frying it, even air frying would make it more dry & the crispy skin would be dry & coarse as well. Even in soft food, you food should be moist, tender & have some sort of gravies, sauces to help you chew & swallow the food. If you want chicken, try thigh (boned or deboned), baked or sautéed in a pan & flavour with any herbs or spices you usually enjoy with your wings. Thighs are more tender (& flavoursome).
Of course check with your team. Plans can be different as we all know & then it depends upon what we can tolerate.

tofu and paneer would be soft - but not pureed
re: rice and noodles - I didn't eat those at all for at least the first year. I'm not sure if they'd be considered "soft", but they're not very nutritious and take up real estate in your stomach when you should be filling it with mostly Protein since your protein needs are very high the first few weeks. Also, even at eight years out, even though I do occasonally eat rice and noodles, i can't eat much of either since they sit in my stomach like a brick. So you'll eventually be ALLOWED to eat those things (all my food restrictions were lifted once I was about six months out), but they do bother some people.

Dang, but that makes sense. I just recall seeing a post about it in an old thread here so I hadn't really considered it but I did go ahead and emailed my dietician while making this post too. Just sent it after hours so she won't be able to get back to me until tomorrow at the earliest. And I'm totally fine with them not being ok, I'm fine with Soup, yogurt, cottage cheese, and mashed potatoes just anything other than the Protein Shakes & gatorade I've been stuck with for these two weeks in post-op for my liquid phase lol. I've been slowly going mad with just that. lol

My moment was when it clicked that I could afford it; I always struggled with my weight fluctuating but I was getting to the point where I was just getting bigger despite all my efforts in exercising (and I always liked going to the gym, would even go for 2hrs), but I was simply eating more than I was putting out, on top of which I never felt full awhen eating + my insatiable hunger when my depression would hit, so I needed a physical stop.
I opt'd for the sleeve as it would still allow me to eat what I like, but rather smaller portions. And with positive attestations from family members and friends I went ahead with it.
I'm nearing two weeks post-op and don't regret it so far, I am just begging for the liquid diet to end just so I can have diversity in what I eat lol; currently getting burned out on just having Protein Shakes and gatorade.

Yeah for sure, I've definitely learned that walk around trick early on. Just want to make sure those bigger sips don't have any other underlying problems other than that 'stuck in the throat' feeling.