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Protein Belgium waffle I used to make these often in the first year after WLS when I was concerned about reaching protein goals. I lost my trusted recipe so I’m back to experimenting again. This one was a little too thick and dry but overall not bad because the flavor was nice. I tried it with strawberry jam and agave caramel sauce. I prefer the caramel sauce. The tracking is for two full-size waffles without jam or sauce (I only ate half of one waffle so 136 cals, 19 g protein & 10 g carbs)

Unjury has great tasteless options and savory protein too.

Vital proteins

You are welcome!! I'm one of those people that really want to know WHY I'm being told to do something. The dietitians at our practice do apply a lot of rules to everyone instead of differentiating between the surgeries, which is annoying, so I'm glad they differentiated in this respect, because type of surgery makes a big difference in a lot of things!! And yes, it is frustrating when they have a mark on a paper you are supposed to reach, but they don't take into account where you were vs where you are and the improvements you've made! Everyone's restriction is different and this is hard for a non-bariatric patient to understand. Our fullness is not like the fullness pre-op. That fullness post-op can be painful and really exhausting if we ignore it and try to push to finish something! And each person's restriction relaxes at their own rate. Some people have high restriction all the time, others it depends on the protein. 3/4 of a cup is a lot of food for any surgery a year out, but especially could be uncomfortable for a bypass because your tummies are so much smaller than even a sleeve patient. And even for those of us with sleeved stomachs, some keep high restriction permanently... I'm glad in that respect you went your own way, You are the expert of your own body, no one else can know exactly what you feel. And you are the only one who can advocate for you in that way and if the doctors and nutritionists aren't listening, you just have to research and find your own best practices... You are the one who has to live with them in the end!

Thank you for this. One of the reasons I'm rebellious about some of the diet rules is the nutritionist applies all the same rules whether you had a sleeve or bypass. I don't like the doctor on the nutrition team because she has static goals regardless of your personal abilities. I didn't get a "good job, you're getting closer to your goal of 80g protein and 800 cal." I got "It's been 6 months, you need to consume 100g of protein and 1200 cal." This was very disheartening because I told them my stomach would hurt from trying to force myself to eat the 3/4 cup portions she told me to eat and I felt like all I did all day was eat and drink and still wasn't reaching the prior goal. It passed me off and I just mentally told her to go to #&%$ and took it at my own speed. I found more help here than from her.

Just finished not long ago my 3 week crawl through full fluid. My fav go to I've made is .5 cup of microfiltered lactose free protein milk, 1 tbsp of greek yogurt, 1tbsp peanut butter (i am not sure if this is okay on your preop.. but I tolerate it well post op and am very mindful of the fat content for the day, this is basically my fattiest meal), cocoa powder, probably .5 tbsp. and I put a full scoop of protein powder now, but was doing half a scoop before. I fill up my ninja smoothie cup the rest of the way with ice, blend it and it's like a peanut butter chocolate milkshake. Good luck!

I agree with this. At your starting weight you should have been offered a Duodenal Switch or a SADI procedure. If you weren't, I'm assuming it is because your surgeon can't perform those surgeries, so just offered you the sleeve? If you were offered these options, why did you opt for just the sleeve? My highest weight was 320. Two surgeons agreed I should have a traditional duodenal switch. I did the research and agreed with them, though originally I just wanted the sleeve. I was terrified of the switch portion of the surgery, especially because I've had ulcerations of the small intestines due to my autoimmune disease. So my surgeon called and consulted with my GI doctor and together they decided the DS was the best option for me and worth the risk because of how many benefits it would offer me. So I decided to accept my fear and go with the DS anyway. I'm so thankful I did and that it was an option offered to me. It has changed my life in so many ways for the better... The sleeve is the first part of a duodenal switch, that's where the sleeve operation actually came from. The intestinal part can be added at any stage by a surgeon qualified to do it, but only a small percentage of surgeons can perform it, as it can be rather complex. We see revisions from sleeve to DS all the time in my support group.

How much protein are they expecting you to get in? As far as I know, 60-80 grams is a typical goal for a bypass patient, with 80 grams being the excellent mark. And I agree, that is only 4 oz short of 64 oz, nothing to get bent out of shape over. Is more better? Yes, to a point, but my PA told me that to be getting 64oz of water in by 3 months is better than most patients are able to do... So it is odd they are riding you about it. You are doing great!! Most people cannot get their full requirement of protein in at 3 months, let alone at 6 weeks post op!! Give yourself some credit and ignore the complaints from them. I think it is generally good to follow our team's advice, but when they are making you feel bad for being within range of your goals (or very close to it) at 6 weeks post op, I think it is okay to set it aside and really appreciate for yourself how good you are doing... But that's just me, your mileage may vary. LOL

Yeah, the dietician was a prick to mention your weight in relation to other patients. You were not unusually heavy and it is just plain unprofessional. I hope you have a word with the surgeon about it at some point, people need feedback on how their staff are carrying out their jobs. I'm sorry it is so hard to obtain this surgery in the UK, you should have been given ample support and encouragement on your journey, not criticism. As was said above, you may need the support of a dietician post op and going to one who was condescending to you pre-op is not a recipe for success post-op. You may want to seek out your own dietician for support. One you can feel free to fire at will. LOL I find dieticians assume by default we are all idiots about food, especially healthy food. And they tend to fixate on weird things, like pasta alternatives that are "just like the real thing!" that they have probably never eaten themselves. Or cottage cheese!! OMG I do not want to eat a bowl full of cottage cheese!! I think they should have to go through a 3 month staged bariatric diet, including an all liquids portion, so they have some lived experience and can be a little more human with their patients... Although I will say I've actually run into a few dieticians that have had bariatric surgery and while they don't say the stupid weight things anymore, they do still have a lot of biases from their training (like no protein supplements because they aren't "real food"). Your weight story is not unusual, as others have said there is more and more research pointing to obesity being a very complex disease and far from a moral failing or issue of willpower. There are a lot of stigmas around weight and weight loss surgery and unfortunately the medical community is a willing participant in much of that misinformation. I'd advise you to find a therapist or a mindful eating coach who can support you in changing your food choices early on, so by the time your hunger comes back your new habits are firmly in place and something you can rely on. I wish you so much luck on your journey!! You are doing great!

I've read that caloric intake for a bypass patient at that month mark is not unusual. However, if you are more active than the normal bariatric patient, it is possible you are burning so many calories that your body is experiencing more of a caloric deficit than your dietician has estimated for you. Some dieticians are VERY good at individualizing their care to each patient's intake, activity, and dietary needs. Others stick to the book and will give everyone the same plan regardless of how many calories they are burning. That can be a detriment to you if you are burning more. If you are walking several miles a day, or intensely working out, you may need more protein than your current calories are allowing for. It might be worth messaging your dietician to ask if they took this into account. Stalls definitely happen, I had one last 6 weeks pretty early out after surgery, and I'm losing a little slower than I like, though they say it is right on target so I'm making my peace with that. It is good to stick to the plan you are given by your team, just make sure that plan is taking into account the whole picture of YOU, not just what patients average in general. Many bariatric patients are quite sedentary and averages account for that, not for active patients.

I concur with AmberFL, each surgeon has their own requirements. I was on liquid diet for 2 weeks pre-op and 3 weeks after... Hopefully your bariatric team gave you a diet plan for all phases but of your journey! Mine was no caffeine (no teas or coffees), protein drinks, broths, sugar free Jello and of course all the water I wanted! Oh joy!

Perhaps, but, I'm getting the amount of calories; 800, protein; 80, Carbs; 50 my surgeon/dietician put me on. That being said, I thought the same thing, but, I'm hesitant to go against doctors orders or diet plan. I have an appointment February 21, so maybe at 6 months they'll up my caloric intake. 🙏 I posted this concern of mine because I thought surely my clinic knows what works and yet my weight slowed way down. Anyone at 800 calories 5-6 month out too? I thought this was the norm at this stage...

So, I will be allowed water, decaf tea or coffee, sugar free flavoring, sugar free jello and popsicles, broth, skim or 1% milk, yogurt without any pieces in it, unsweetened apple sauce, sugar free pudding, cream of tomato soup, and of course protein supplements. I have to do this for 2 weeks. But I would call your office to make sure what they want you to do because they're all different.

Maybe the fact that you are practically starving yourself is the problem. Even with the weight-loss, your body still needs enough calories, including protein, carbs, and fats to burn. That’s when you start (or continue) losing weight. When you start eating too few calories, your body reads that as famine. It holds onto whatever calories it can. Your best bet is to eat enough calories that you and your body don’t think you’re in a famine.

Hi All, First Post I'm female in the UK and nearly 59 years old. I have been a fat toddler, a fat child, a fat teen and a fat adult. I have yo-yo dieted all my life, with each yo-yo lasting for a shorter period and resulting in a new high-point when I would inevitably bounce back. In July '23 I reached a new all time high 24st 9lb (345lb) I was about to start the diet again, about to go through the same loop but just couldn't face it. I made an appointment with a bariatric surgeon, discussed my history and options and agreed that a gastric sleeve was a good fit for me. I was told I was too heavy for their practice and I needed to lose 56lb before I could have the surgery. The surgery was booked for Jan 2nd '24 and I started dieting. As is the practice here I had an assessment with a psychologist who confirmed I was a suitable candidate and a dietician who again confirmed I was a suitable candidate but in the process managed to make me feel like I had already failed, in her words I was "Much heavier than most people who come to us" As she was a gate keeper and I needed her approval to progress I did not complain. That time will come. Following my initial consultation on the 8th Aug I started dieting to get down to the target weight. I have never had difficulty in losing weight I simply cannot maintain any losses. My normal pattern is if it takes me 6 months to lose the weight I will regain it and 10lb in the following 12-18 months. By the day of surgery I had lost 75lb and was already feeling so much better. I considered carrying on with just dieting and not having the surgery but I was already beginning to see my discipline weaken and I knew it would be the same old story. Surgery went well, I had very little pain or discomfort and by and large I cannot complain. I'm currently on the pureed stage of the diet and doing OK managing to keep protein and fluid levels up though I struggle with the fluids some day. I have lost 13lb in the last 21 days but have hit the dreaded 3 week plateau. Early days but I have no regrets - to be without hunger for the first time in my life is such a relief, I feel good and am doing more and more each day. I am already starting to live the life I want and i can see so many more benefits ahead and believe they are attainable and retainable. I wish I knew why I have struggled so much with my weight - there is no one trauma or set of childhood issues I can point at. It is not that I have a compulsion to eat everything in sight there are so many foods I can just ignore, I have no interest in sweet foods of any kind or greasy deep fried foods. But I cannot resist bread, pasta , rice etc and my down fall has always been the second or even third portion of these carbs. For this reason if no other I hope the VSG will not only prevent that behaviour but I also hope it will give me enough time to re gain control before considering a second helping. My parting thought for this post is that as I have gone through my journey thus far the one thing I have found is that my story is not that unusual, my problems are not unique and most importantly that they are not the result of some moral failing or fundamental weakness. There is more to life long obesity than can simply be solved with "diet and exercise" and having finally found medical professionals who believe that is the case I see this year and this journey as a new lease on life that I am going to grab with both hands. Koshk - newbie

Hey there, congratulations on your surgery date, it’s probably been quite a wait. My sleeve surgery was done 2wks ago privately in the U.K., my surgeon also works in the NHS so I presume the post op diet he uses is the same or similar for both sets of patients. within 3hrs of surgery I was sipping water, and throughout the following day I had half a milk shake, 4 spoons on soup, 2 spoons of jelly and another half milk shake. For 6 days post op I pretty much consumed protein milk shakes, protein yogurts & puddings, also Frubes, which were easy to eat, laughing cow/dairylea triangles, thin soups and cups of tea and water. At 2wks post op, I’m eating the above, but also mashed lentils (the pouches of ready made ones for ease.) liquidised bean/lentil/pea soups and hummus. All washed down with 2l of fluid per day. Trial and error over the past 2wks have taught me I need to eat small and often, as I’m rarely hungry it’s easy to forget to eat, but this is a mistake as then I do get hungry, eat too quickly, eat to much and feel rubbish. Really rubbish. I’ve found it really useful to make up little 50g pots of food, so I have a ready supply of yoghurt/protein pudding/lentils/mashed egg/lentils/hummus to grab and go. I eat 5 or 6 of these pots per day. Yesterday I had 200g of liquidised bean soup at one sitting, which was lovely and filling. my nutritionist said let your body guide you, so if you are starving at the liquid stage you may be ready for the soft diet/puree stage. At this stage she advised you can eat anything which is of a paste consistency as you swallow it. So bread sticks or Melba toast which melt and break down might be easier to eat than say a berry. I chew everything at least 20 times, so anything which arrives in my stomach is basically mush. I am a vegetarian but I read on here other people eat tuna and salmon at this stage, Hope this helps. Good luck for a straightforward procedure and steady recovery. You can do this 💪

I had the sleeve and had to do a week as well. I was also allowed one small meal a day except the last day. I was only allowed protein drinks and decaf/sugar free liquids, but no fruit juice.

Hi, I had gastric bypass surgery August 16, 2023. My heaviest weight ever was 260 lbs, but I started the 6 month weight loss program weighing 249lbs (5'3"). I had to do a one week of liquid diet which was just protein shakes, water, decaf tea. I can honestly say it was the hardest 3 days of my life on the liquid diet because the physical pains of hunger was a constant reminder I needed food. Day 4-7 was more so a mental hunger and I had a boost of energy. What helped me was just constantly drinking LOTS of water though out the day and keeping myself busy. Heaviest weight: 260lbs Starting weight: 249lbs Surgery weight (day of surgery) 235lbs Current weight: 181lbs Peppermint tea helped eased the hunger pains when I was experiencing stomach cramps. Also, no one told me my tongue will turn white, like literally a coating of white film on my tongue during the liquid diet phase. Something to do with ketosis (detox of sugar from body) Best of luck!

Did your doctor give you a list of what was tolerated on the liquid diet? I would just follow what was suggested for the liquid diet phase. Each doctor has their own plan specialized for their patients. I had gastric bypass and had to do a full one week of protein, water and decaf tea. My friend who had the sleeve also did a full one week liquid diet but also was allowed one low cal meal.

Oh good you got a diet sheet some don’t. I remember some other UK people only being allowed milk. I’d still give your dietician or surgeon a call to see what other options you might be able to include like the shakes (which can be awful after the surgery texturally &/or flavour wise) or broths. Or if you could blend yoghurt with the milk to make a smoothie adding a sugar free flavour or vanilla. Can’t hurt to ask. I’m not a milk drinker (except in my porridge) so I’d struggle with only milk.

I have to do a liquid diet tomorrow (day before surgery) and I am realizing I did not get everything I should for this 🤦‍♀️ anyways my surgeon said liquid diet, protein shakes are ok. That’s it. So can I have my decaf coffee with milk, or yogurt? Fruit or veggie smoothie? Jello? I have broths, Gatorade zero, decaf coffee, water but that’s it.

I have to do a liquid diet tomorrow (day before surgery) and I am realizing I did not get everything I should for this 🤦‍♀️ anyways my surgeon said liquid diet, protein shakes are ok. That’s it. So can I have my decaf coffee with milk, or yogurt? Fruit or veggie smoothie? Jello? I have broths, Gatorade zero, decaf coffee, water but that’s it.

I can't see why the weight isn't falling off for you. Dang, you certainly are eating very lean and low calorie. Seems unfair. I'm clearly nobody to give advice since I ballooned to nearly 350. I only know for my body and if I hit a stall I have to eat a bigger amount for one day then back down to low calories and it seems to jolt my system into more weight loss. My sister had gastric bypass - lost 85lbs and starved herself on cabbage to get down to the 100lbs loss so she could get her knees replaced. Once replaced and she started eating a normal (for us) diet and gained the 15 lbs back but has maintained her weight for the past 3 years. Th beef gelatin has no flavor, none. I can't eat sugar free jello due to the sweeteners they put in it. Many sweeteners are inflammatory and due to my super bad knees I can't stand any inflammation of that kind. If those products don't bother you then you could do sugar free jello, add some extra unflavored beef protein and have a tasty snack. I should add some foods make me retain water - like any tomato product and any wheat or rice. I've no clue why but if I eat those my feet, ankles and lower legs swell. I've been eating mostly paleo for the past 7 years. Has the Dr given any explanation? Any advice? My dietitian keeps telling me we are losing inches not necessarily pounds. I call BS. All I know is I have 17 more pounds to lose to get new knees. After that I hope to lose another 60 so my hubby can buy me a face lift (he doesn't know it yet) SURPRISE DEAR LOL

Okay - I have a one month update! This has been a difficult month! I had my surgeries on December 15, 2023, and I got a tummy tuck with fleur-de-lys, 360 liposuction, Brazilian butt lift, breast lift / reduction with implants, and arm lift for both arms. It was a lot! I spent the first week recovering in Tijuana in the recovery house, and then flew home to Seattle on Dec. 21. I had two drains, one on either side on my groin area. The plane ride introduced the first main issue I had. The left-side drain got yanked in transit and by the time I got home it had come out. The right-side drain wasn't far behind it; it had come so far out that I accidentally tripped on it on 12/22 and that one came out as well. Now I was drainless but still had a TON of excess fluid with no easy place to drain from. So, all that excess fluid escaped out of the easiest places possible - basically all my nicely sewn up tummy along my fleur-de-lys stitches! I went to the ER; I was so scared that first night - I thought any small movement, my belly was gonna split open and spill my intestines on the ER floor, and of course I also had a cough and every coughing fit made me very scared. The ER doctor dressed my wounds that had opened up and reassured me that my belly wasn't going to split open. The next business day, I scheduled an appointment with a plastic surgeon and wound care in my doctor's office. Basically, my wounds were: Left breast: two large wounds along the vertical incision line; one wound at the T-junction under my breast (this one becomes important later) Abdomen: an 1-inch-long split along the fleur-de-lys line above my belly button; split near the bottom of my belly button Lower abdomen: 2-inch long by 2-inch wide by 1-inch deep triangular hole at the T-junction where the fleur-de-lys incision meets the tummy tuck; 2-inch long seam opening along my groin / right hip Various small wounds on my arms, tummy, and hips My back healed perfectly! I met with the plastic surgeon and he recommended ways of dressing everything until I could be seen by wound care on January 5. In the meantime, I had developed an abscess behind one of my wisdom teeth and had to have them pulled. I scheduled that for January 5 also because I'm a glutton for punishment, but I opted for just laughing gas cuz I needed to be clear-headed for my wound care appointment after. Remember that T-junction left breast wound? Well, that started to open up wider and wider in the week leading up to wisdom teeth / wound care day. It was leaking a ton of fluid, and I could see something black inside the wound, which I initially thought was some form of necrosis. January 5 came, the dentist yanked my three wisdom teeth, and me and my designated driver headed over to wound care. Well, wound care was just as stumped as I was because it felt plasticky and they could shine light through it. They had never seen it before at wound care, but turns out my left implant was deciding to be an explant... and needed to be taken out. 😞Wound care patched me up great and sent me over to my plastic surgeon to discuss the implant. Because I had literally had my wisdom teeth out that day, they couldn't do the surgery to take out my implant until the following week. I was really sad and went through all the stages of grief, including bargaining, with the plastic surgeon. I asked what my options were for saving the implant and he said it looks like it has to come out. I said "Looks like, so there's a chance it can stay in?" Nope. I also asked about my options for removing the right-side implant in the same surgery so there's at least symmetry. He said that because the right-side isn't infected or splitting open, insurance won't cover the right implant removal. This was the first time I stopped crying and grinned up at him, "So I have a week to get the right side infected, yeah?" 🤣 Nope, again. The plan was to just get both breasts (and literally EVERYTHING ELSE) healed, and address the asymmetry later. I got my left implant removed on January 11. While I was under, my plastic surgeon also removed a ton of exposed stitches from my various wounds that allowed them to heal up so much faster. My implant was small, just 285 cc's, and while there is a visible difference in my boob sizes, it's not too bad for now. I'm going to decide later whether I want to re-implant the left side or explant the right. So that's my very long one-month update! It's been a crazy wild ride. Oh!!!! I also don't regret it! Other than the whole left-breast-implant-loss-thing, that is. I feel amazing in my body; in fact, I was just telling my therapist that I finally feel like I exist in my body for the first time in my whole life! They excised about 18 pounds of excess skin in all, and I am still a little swollen and losing water and wearing my stage 2 fajas. I'm so happy I had these surgeries! With as much as I had done, it went about as well as can be expected, and one loss in what like ten surgeries? I'll take those odds. 😉 ~Kukui

My original date was 1/11, but a case of RSV had me rescheduled me to February 29th. My surgeon advised the lean protein, certain low carb/low gassy vegetables and protein shakes diet, max of 900 calories per day. Also the sugar free popsicles, jellos etc. I did it before my first date was cancelled and lost 10+ pounds. Im looking forward to it.