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I just joined this forum. I had my Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy on 1/24/24. I apologize if this topic has been created before but I didn't see a place to search. I am 5 days post-op. Doing full liquid. My doctor says to concentrate more on hydration than protein at this point but I am drinking a protein shake and Protein20 in addition to water, so I'm getting at least 45 grams of protein a day. In addition I'm trying to get a few more grams here and there with yogurt and pudding with unflavored protein powder added. My long term goal. is 60 but the doc said not to focus so much on that right now. I am absolutely stunned to find that I am hungry! Genuine hunger, not appetite (which is not really present at the moment). I was not expecting that at all. Has anyone else experienced this? What did you do? Help!!!

I agree. Definitely contact your surgeon. It could be just swelling. It could be a stricture. But you really shouldn’t be experiencing strong pain a week out (except from the surgical gas pain but even that should be reducing each day.). Most of us throw away our opioid pain meds by day 3 or 4 & often don’t need any pain meds after then either. Yes, meeting those fluid & protein goals can be difficult in the beginning. I’m another one who struggled at first (one shake & a cup of soup each day from day 4 & really nothing before then except a few sips of water). As long as you are making an effort & slowly getting closer you’ll be fine. Be aware of possible dehydration though. All the best. And push to get a response from your surgeon asap.

Protein is essential but look at your sugars, per serving and added=total. To much sugar you will have dumping. I had surgery in 2008 and I still watch sugar intake. I eat to much, right away I get hot, start sweating then run for a bathroom. Everyone is different but I might be able to eat a half of cupcake or bite of a rich cake then I'm done. I use injury protein powder. I prefer the unflavored can add it to anything. Milk is to sweet and thick for me trying to get extra protein and calcium with milk I have unfortunately turned to skim. Unflavored you can put in yogurt shots with less sugar and adding much needed protein.

I start my 2 week liquid diet on Feb 7, but if I had to drink milk, I don't know what I would do . I can't stand the stuff! I haven't had a glass of milk since I was about 8. Thankfully, I can have protein shakes, yogurt, pudding, broth, and jello. If I start to feel grumpy about it, I'll remind myself I could be stuck drinking milk!

This makes me feel better. I don’t want to restrict myself so much that I don’t have enough energy but I also don’t want to mess this is. The protein shakes help me get over my goal in protien. Just need to work on my water! thanks for commenting!

i had a bit of difficulty getting my protein shakes the first 2 weeks, i used protein powders and i had to water them down ALOT to get it down. i probably only consumed maybe the equivalent 1 cup of a pre-made protein shake the entire first 14 days post surgery. it was a issue of aversion for me...it was just so unappealing and gag-inducing. that and i was just so exhausted that there just wasn't enough awake time to drink. my water consumption wasn't that great either, probably sipped maybe less than 2 cups a day (warm/hot water cuz it felt better)...and i did this from a 1oz medicine cup all day long...soooo annoying omg. first two weeks i probably had less than 400 calories each ENTIRE WEEK. but magically (on day 13 to be exact), i accidentally found out i could could gulp down water...i was so thirsty that i forgot i was supposed to sip...and it was wonderful lol. so much more satisfying than those sad sips from the stupid medicine cup. after that i was gulping down litres of ice water. and protein shakes cuz i just would water then down alot with ice water and down them. solid food on the other hand took a little longer master...but that's another story. now i drink lots and eat lots (avg 1800 cals a day) for a bariatric patient, but not quite like a "regular" person, lol....and im 5+ years out. long story short: hang in there, it gets better by increments. keep in contact with your doc and team, and there is no need to worry of they aren't. good luck ❤️

You could also make some protein balls. So easy to make and last ages. I brought a few with me for the times I have taken flights as they fit in my handbag. https://thebigmansworld.com/protein-energy-balls/

It is a brain game for sure on those road trips. There are a lot of protein snacks that are good. My last road trip I took Quest Protein Chips with me, they hit the spot for a snack. As far as restaurant eating, and there isn't a healthy option, most restaurants will give you a burger wrapped in lettuce, or a grilled chicken sandwich and hold the bread/mayo etc. There are ways to eat healthy on a trip even going to McDonalds. I typically will find a sit down place if I need to eat lunch/dinner etc, even if it means driving another hour to the next town. Gives me time to get that leg stretch in and find something that I can eat that won't break my weight loss goals. I will say I was super worried about hunting last year, we always eat all the junk non stop, and meals aren't exactly great. I was able to keep everything under control, only junk I had were chicharrónes, and some sugar free jerky. I kept a protein shake with me every day as some days we hunt through meals.

Don't worry about calories for a while. Once you are on the last phase for maintenance etc you will monitor more. I want to say by the time you are around 6 months you should have up to 1000 calories a day, and then with maintenance it is 1100-1500 calories a day. You aren't going to be able to eat enough (if you follow their guidelines) for the next while to worry about it. I am 5.5 months PO and I am between 600-800 calories a day. I only have my 3 meals, plus a snack if I am low on protein.

My cousin just had the surgery plus the hiatal hernia surgery 2 weeks ago, she still struggles with liquid intake. She still has to set a timer to sip sip sip. Try walking more for the gas pains, it helps get rid of them. Every hour walk for 5-10 minutes. I am 5.5 months post op and the first week was hard to drink anything, cold or hot. Even when I hit the puree stage it was hard enough to get liquid in let alone something with a thicker consistency. It will get better over time. I agree, contact your surgeon, see if they have any other options.

I did the Mexico self-pay, even with my insurance the process was almost a year long before approval, and estimated costs out of pocket were still more than going to Mexico. I wouldn't touch semaglutide with all the issues with it and weight loss. It works for some, but the friends I know who have done it have all put back on all their weight and 20 pounds after they quit it. Too many issues that can happen with it, stomach paralysis, rotten food in your stomach, etc. If you have HSA/FSA there are ways they will cover your surgery in Mexico or go towards the cost. I had a lady in my surgery group in Mexico that was able to use her HSA/FSA completely, I know she said she had other paperwork etc she had to do and get approval before hand as it was out of the country. I believe Go Light Bariatrics has a financing option, and I want to say it was interest free.

I’ve just had my surgery on January 23rd and I am struggling. I can barely handle any liquids, I’ve been trying to get my water and protein goals in but failing miserably. I’ve only managed to have just 2 bottles of protein since I left the hospital and for the broth I love barely had any and it’s almost been a week. Has anyone else had this problem? My stomach is constantly in pain and of course the gas pains. I can manage some water but it has to be cold and that’s mostly it. I know I have to have protein shakes and the broth but I just can’t. I’m just feeling weaker as the days go by and I’m not sure what to do next. Any advice?

I like the Baritastic App but it doesn’t allow me to do it on my computer at work. I like being able to on my PC, since I am not allowed to have my phone in our office for security reasons. So I am using MyNetDiary and I really like it and it has a scanner. I literally am that person where I’m wondering if the surgeon did the surgery right or at all 😂 I’ve been on the forums for months so reading everyone’s story I was sure I would have terrible issues but I guess J should just appreciate that I am progressing fine and doing well. I am following the guidelines to a T on the workbook and not skewing off the types of foods so that is helping. BUT I am dreaming of having a layered dip FF refried beans, light sour cream, cheese and guac with whole wheat chips. I know I’ll only be able to eat 2 chips and a tiny dip but it sounds delish!! I do have the glass jars I kept my sons when I was making his baby food. I used them for dressing for our salads when I packed for lunches lol so I’ve been utilizing them and only eating 2oz of any soups. I am getting that heavy feeling in the middle of stomach so that much be my que. I figured it was gas telling me to slow but idk how much slower I can eat! It takes me 1hr to drink a protein shake! thank you for your wealth of knowledge it really helps!

I like the Baritastic App but it doesn’t allow me to do it on my computer at work. I like being able to on my PC, since I am not allowed to have my phone in our office for security reasons. So I am using MyNetDiary and I really like it and it has a scanner. I literally am that person where I’m wondering if the surgeon did the surgery right or at all 😂 I’ve been on the forums for months so reading everyone’s story I was sure I would have terrible issues but I guess J should just appreciate that I am progressing fine and doing well. I am following the guidelines to a T on the workbook and not skewing off the types of foods so that is helping. BUT I am dreaming of having a layered dip FF refried beans, light sour cream, cheese and guac with whole wheat chips. I know I’ll only be able to eat 2 chips and a tiny dip but it sounds delish!! I do have the glass jars I kept my sons when I was making his baby food. I used them for dressing for our salads when I packed for lunches lol so I’ve been utilizing them and only eating 2oz of any soups. I am getting that heavy feeling in the middle of stomach so that much be my que. I figured it was gas telling me to slow but idk how much slower I can eat! It takes me 1hr to drink a protein shake! thank you for your wealth of knowledge it really helps!

I like the Baritastic App but it doesn’t allow me to do it on my computer at work. I like being able to on my PC, since I am not allowed to have my phone in our office for security reasons. So I am using MyNetDiary and I really like it and it has a scanner. I literally am that person where I’m wondering if the surgeon did the surgery right or at all 😂 I’ve been on the forums for months so reading everyone’s story I was sure I would have terrible issues but I guess J should just appreciate that I am progressing fine and doing well. I am following the guidelines to a T on the workbook and not skewing off the types of foods so that is helping. BUT I am dreaming of having a layered dip FF refried beans, light sour cream, cheese and guac with whole wheat chips. I know I’ll only be able to eat 2 chips and a tiny dip but it sounds delish!! I do have the glass jars I kept my sons when I was making his baby food. I used them for dressing for our salads when I packed for lunches lol so I’ve been utilizing them and only eating 2oz of any soups. I am getting that heavy feeling in the middle of stomach so that much be my que. I figured it was gas telling me to slow but idk how much slower I can eat! It takes me 1hr to drink a protein shake! thank you for your wealth of knowledge it really helps!

i often brought the following on road trips/vacays during weight loss phase: - beef jerky - frozen grapes and blueberries (if u bringing a cooler) - chicharron/pork rinds (if your calorie goals allow it) - protein powder

Yeah, I got a pack of these freezer safe glass 4 oz baby food jars on Amazon and they've been really helpful with portioning!! At first I could only eat about half of one, so about 1/4 cup total. A bit less if it was solid protein in meat form other than fish (beef, chicken, and pork sit heavier). That was it for about two months. In this third month my portion size suddenly increased to about 1/2 cup in total now! As far as meat and veggies are concerned at least. I have always been able to eat a little more of soft things like yogurt and pudding... But my PA told me that increase at 3 months is perfectly normal, and I could expect it to increase in stages throughout the first year or two, to not panic over it, hunger is natural and mine never went away from surgery, so I've really had to cultivate a healthy relationship with it. Because those stomach nerves are still healing, I watched my portion size carefully and really paid attention to discovering new fullness cues. For me those are a runny nose, hiccups, burping, and aggressive sneezing fits! Plus this building pressure or weight in the center of my stomach. These are all normal signals for bariatric patients, but we all get our own unique combination so be on the lookout for discovering yours! I think 2-3 shakes a day paired with things like yogurt and soft cereals seems really normal. It is great you are progressing so well! The problem with forums and support groups is we get used to seeing people post with problems and then we expect to have a slew of problems ourselves! And sometimes we do. But often times we don't... The majority of bariatric patients have no complications, progress their diets easily, and worry about eating too much and if their surgeon even did their surgery. 🤣 Your metabolism has been reset, it will handle calories a bit differently now. Just stay on the conservative end with simple carbs, as they can slow weight loss sometimes. Focus on that hydration and protein, and later on when cleared for all foods, on adding complex carbs like veggies, beans, and some fruit. Protein will help with the hunger, as does healthy fat and the fiber once it is safe for you to digest. My dietician told us to think more about macros than calories. So, to make sure things had less than 10 grams of sugar per serving, more than 20 grams of protein per shake, less than 10 grams of fat per serving, and keeping our total carbohydrates for the day under 50 grams in the early months...and that was their advice for all surgeries, with varying protein goals for each different one. Baritastic app has been really helpful with the tracking!

I would suggest eating exactly what you would eat if you were at home while on the trip, or as close to it as possible. Bring your usual foods, pre-portioned in small containers, in a cooler with lots of ice. Or if you have the budget for it, you can get a small fridge/freezer for your trunk that runs on your car's lighter plug. You can find ones on Amazon that are under $200 and can get to -4F in temperature. They also are great for grocery shopping trips in the heat of summer, so not a bad investment to consider. Bring protein supplements if you're still taking them along with a shaker bottle or one of those small portable blenders with a USB charger if you use powder. Don't forget some big jugs of water so you don't have to rely on overpriced small bottles at the convenience stores. Bring hot food in a thermal food container for the first day and plan to heat meals in the microwave at your hotel in the mornings if you have one. They even make electric lunchboxes that can plug into your car's lighter that will warm your food and keep it the right temp for hours. If you don't eat snacks at home as part of your regular program, don't eat them just because you're on the road! Driving can be boring and lead to head hunger, so consider getting some audio books to keep you occupied.

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!

That's been me this weekend! My surgery is Feb 21 and I start a two week liquid diet on Feb 7. On Friday, I had pizza delivered for myself and the kids because I thought hey, this is the last time for a long time that I'll have a pizza night. And then my mom came over yesterday and it was like...pick up tacos from the taqueria on the corner? Yes, please! Won't be having tacos for a while... I've been pretty dedicated to healthy eating since this summer, lots of green smoothies and healthy salads, but I think a few indulgences are only natural when staring down 4+ weeks of little more than protein shakes and broth.

My plan doesn’t talk about calories in the beginning the booklet they gave us was 60-80g of protein and 64oz of water min. Then they gave us examples of what foods to eat. My dietician told me stricked liquids for 3days and then starting to today modified but if I got sick or threw up back to clear liquids. I feel good but I feel like I shouldn’t lol! I should be struggling? Obviously I’m not eating what I used to. And my calories are way lower than before this program.

I was consuming something other than water every 2-3 hours as per my dietician's instructions.... I didn't really think about calories, I focused on my protein goals, water goals, and "eating" frequently. I still eat every 2-3 hours, so about 5-6 times a day. It sounds like you are progressing nicely!! Lucky you! I was on strict liquids for 2 weeks post op. Sounds like you get more things. I suggest broth or tea when that head hunger kicks in. Or a sugar free popsicle. I'd check with the guidelines your dietician gave you, often they want hydration focused on the most for the first few weeks, with protein goals a close second. Calories usually come in (if they come in at all) once you are on soft foods. But every practice is different!

You’ve got this! It’s amazing how everyone’s body is so different. I’m with you though, trying to walk walk walk. I want that bowel movement lol That’s great about your protein! Progress over perfection!

Hi all, I had my surgery 1/24, the first two days I consumed 250-300 calories with only broths and Water. I could hardly choke down a sip or 2 of Protein Shakes. Today I was able to incorporate yogurt and modified liquids. My “stage 2” stats are 64oz of water 72g of Protein, 16g carbs and 11g of fat with 502 calories. I had two “meals” bfast was a 2oz of hot cereal with FF fairlife milk and protien powder, then had protien shake, lunch was zero sugar chiobani yogurt, then had another protein shake. I really want some soup but that’s a head hunger thing. is this too much?

Good luck with your surgery!! I was on liquids for 2 weeks post op and didn't tolerate protein shakes, so I drank mostly water with sugar free flavoring packets in them (plain water made me gag), broths, strained soups, Fairlife milk, and after about 2 weeks I could finally get in a protein water. My surgeon cleared me to eat fish and soft eggs at 2 weeks (much to the annoyance of their dietician), which interestingly was easier for me to digest than the protein shakes. I couldn't tolerate jello either. In the pureed phase I tried pudding and yogurt but they sat too heavy, so I mostly ate fish and soft eggs and all the liquid things. Plus I was able to tolerate cream soups. In the soft stage I ate anything that could be cut easily with a plastic fork, mostly fish, yogurt, and cheese. By a month out I was finally able to handle the feeling of a protein shake... My tummy was just really sensitive. Be aware you may have issues with lactose early on, so I recommend a lactose free milk like Fairlife if you are in the US. I spent a lot of money on protein stuff it turned out my stomach didn't like or my tastebuds found offensive. I HIGHLY recommend sticking with sample packets of things. Those will easily get you through a few weeks. BariatricPal has a good number of them, I liked Syntrax Nectars best. Seeq has a sample pack available and I really loved their watermelon flavor of protein water. You can get samples from Unjury too, they have some protein broth flavors some people like. I also spent a lot of time pinning recipes on Pinterest for the stages, but I never used any of them because my tastebuds preferred really simple things. I couldn't tolerate anything with cooked tomatoes/tomato sauce for at least 2 months and I wasn't allowed to add raw fruits or veggies to shakes or smoothies, but every surgeon's guidelines are different.