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Hi Molly! Hope you're feeling better I'm 24 (Starting weight 114kg/251lbs) and I had my sleeve done on oct 9, it's been a little over a week now and I'm pretty much recovered. I now weigh around 105kg/231lbs. I'm just worried about scarring! Instead of sutures, my surgeon put derma-glue on it and it's healing well. The first day was hell with lots of gas and plenty of black out moments.. A nightmare. But it got progressively better as the hours went by and I was discharged on the 2nd day. I've been able to drink over 2 litres a day and get my Protein in and I can't wait till I can eat puréed stuff! I can already feel some of my clothes hanging a bit loose I started walking 2 hours a day, 1 hour at a time after the first week. Exercise has become easier cos there's less of me to lug around and do stuff. That part I definitely love. Time to build a new body and start living! My surgeon told me the highest weight loss would be within the first 3 months post surgery, so we need to work our butts off during this period to lose as much weight as possible before it slows, and I intend to do just that!

I agree, don't over stock. I did tons of premade Protein drinks, and ordered powder off line, which is much cheaper. I still have probably 20 shakes in refrigerator. I prefer the ones I make myself, love nectar protein, no need for milk. I did the wonton soup, but splurg, get it from a Chinese restaurant, tell them just broth. I paid 2 bucks for a court. I added flavorless Protein Powder. Ebay has tons of Proteins on it, get all whey. I also love vitacost.com. Google for coupons. If it can go through a strainer soup wise my doc was ok with it. Lots of chicken broth, sugar free popcycles, Adkins makes a protein fruit Water I really liked the orange. Newlife.com is my doctor, and the company he owns, I liked all the soups he had, chicken was wonderful. Biggest suggestion I have is get powder flavorless protein and boost your protein in everything. I personally had no problems getting liquids down, a lot do. A Protein Drink shaker is a great purchase, I loved power aid calorie free, and added fruit flavored protein powder to it. I saved the empty jugs, and still use them to make Protein Drinks ahead to keep in refrigerator. G2 is also good, but does have a few calories, just make sure you get the low calorie versions. The electrolytes in them are great for you. Drink two a day, and you gto all the water you need, 64ozs. Great for carrying around house Sent from my SM-N910T using the BariatricPal App

During the clear liquid phase my surgeon allowed ProtiDiet tomato basil and creamy chicken protein soups. Other soups weren't allowed for me (other than clear souls) until I was on full liquids.

I am 3 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. The plan I was given to follow was: Weeks 1-8: 2 ounces of food per meal x 3 meals per day Weeks 9-15: 3 ounces per meal Months 4-6: 4 ounces per meal Months 7-9: 5 ounces per meal Months 10-12: 6 ounces per meal Months 12-18: 7 ounces per meal Months 18 and beyond: 8 ounces per meal One other point. Protein shakes do not count against your meal allotment. I would blend in a half a banana into my Protein shake and the half a banana does not count against my meals. [but don't take this to the extreme.]

First of all, Congrats! I was banded on 10/6, so I'm a little ahead of you. I was not hungry for the first three or four days. After that, I got a little bit of an appetite, but a little Protein shake would satisfy me. I added a little Fiber powder to my shakes to avoid the constipation thing. As for being a bit loose, you have to remember, you're only taking in liquids and most likely have been for a week or more. You may also have a lactose issue, especially if you are making your shakes with milk. A lactose enzyme pill can help with that. Your appetite does come back, I am in bandster h-e-double toothpicks right now. I can't wait for my first fill. I was hoping to delay it until after the Thanksgiving holiday, but if my surgeon says I can have a fill tomorrow when I see her, I just may do that.

You can try the Protein powder w. Water. Maybe as a last resort. I find that kind of gross but it might tide you over. If you have a backpack or fanny pack I would plan to bring some foods with you. Pack and plan to be away all day and take in what you can. They can question you if you want but you have a medical reason to bring in your own food. Keep your eye out for soft stuff you can eat-- Soups, etc but you'll have to basically depend on your food stores. Take a cold pack to keep your cheese, etc cold at the bottom of the bag. At least you'll have something to snack on until you're off of the grounds and back at your car where you have food you can eat. Make some egg salad or tuna salad and stick it in a ziplock and keep it cool with an icepak or in a cooler in the car. Also see if you'd be able to leave and come back. You could go to your car and have something to eat and go back. At 2 weeks out though I don't think you'll be all that hungry, but I know very little about the duodenal switch only that the sleeve is part 1 of it and based on how I felt at 2 weeks out, some Snacks should be okay. I LIVED on pintos and cheese from taco bell during the fist few weeks. Even now I will go through there for some Beans and cheese.

Okay so I've been teetering on the fence about bariatric surgery for years. I've been overweight as long as I can remember, but it was never as bad as it is now. Seven years ago, I was 225lbs. Yes, it was overweight, but I wasn't stressed about it. I had enough on my plate with college, work, my husband being deployed for the first time and being in a new and unfamiliar place. It was a lot, and left no time for worrying about my weight. It wasn't affecting my health in obvious ways. So I'd brush it off to the side to deal with later. Then I became pregnant with my daughter, and the doctors worried because I was overweight. They told me not to gain weight. So I didn't. Heck, by the time I delivered I had lost 27 lbs. I had the smoothest of pregnancies, no complications at all. I joked I was one of the healthiest obese person my doctors would meet. So I brushed off worry about my weight again. I found excuse after excuse not to address the matter. In the last two years though, I've tried diets and programs and nothing lasted. Another thing I used as an excuse to not take the final step. If I can't bother to keep on with the diets, who am I to pursue surgery which is far more permanent. Now I am 340 lbs and I've stopped with the excuses and I've made the decision to look into my surgery option. I know I'm already approved by my insurance. It's just a matter of going through the consult and finding out if this is really the best route for me. But now I have my consult set up for December and I am left with questions and worries. Is this normal? Were most of you sure that this was the right choice for you? What helped you make the choice? Honestly, any help and advice is appreciated. I am just so new to all this and I feel like there are too many questions to ask...

Thank you all. I really appreciate you all taking the time to write and help ease my worries. There is just so much to think about, and so much to read. I am trying to even figure out what my options are. I was told last time that the doctors at the hospital I go to don't do LapBand anymore. I know they do Roux-en-Y. I am not sure what else they do, and I'm not which which option to even go with so I'm doing just as was suggested. I am researching. Haha though my husband is worried I will over research like I did when I was pregnant with our first child. At least I have his support in whatever I choose. I am very lucky in that regards.

Jen, I was sleeved 4/4 and have lost 8lbs. I was really frustrated-as my cal intake has been around 400per day as well. My nut said that my body is in starvation mode and I actually need more protein and calories. Hopefully week 2 or 3 I will get my BIG #. We should just relax a little and learn how to use our new tools! Are you getting in your 64 oz water every day? That has been difficult for me due to nausea.

Yes I am on there but as the name GIA (middle name) because I dont want my dysfunctional insane family to see my personal live on facebook lol. I'm starting my liquids tomorrow...I ordered my favorite food as my last big meal tonight but ended up throwing it out because it was way too salty. Im gonna start on premier protein shakes tomorrow

I actually had to switch dr's. My original one was pretty much scamming my insurance and kept having me come in and billing for bs stuff. I am PPO, so when I got the bills, I knew either I wasn't there or nothing was done like stated. I started 10/31 with my 6 mo. nutritional. New dr I saw 4/28 & 5/15 so he had 2 extra visits on there), it was submitted 5/28 & approved 6/3. I called Blue Shield Thursday to talk about the last dr, and they told me. And today when I faxed over my pcp approval for the surgery, she set everything up. And said I just need 1 week of protein diet.

Hi all, I'm new here - just started the process toward getting a sleeve with Kaiser Permanente in Southern CA - but I'm already wondering about food options. I know that, even now, I sometimes get in food ruts and make the same 4 things over and over and it gets old. After the surgery my food options will be so limited anyways that I dont want to feel further limited by my lack of creativity. Help me out. What are your favorite things to eat? Especially in the first months before I can really eat with my family again (but obviously with portion changes and carbs left out). And if anyone else is doing Options at Kaiser in Panorama City starting next week - hi!

After surgery your meal volume will be incredibly small and as a result if you did not consume Protein shakes, your body will suffer because of a lack of protein. Your muscles will begin to deteriorate and shrink. The two important qualities of a Protein shake it that it contains a minimal amount of sugar and that you can tolerate the taste. I used Muscle Milk Light (vanilla Creme) powder. It is 210 calories, 25 grams protein, 2 grams sugar. Also after surgery, your taste buds will change. So even though you might find it acceptable now, be prepared to experiment with other brands if you need to. In order to keep the cost low, once I locked onto a type of protein shake that I found acceptable, I ordered it by 26.5 ounce plastic containers over the internet.

Jennifer, after surgery I weighed a LOT more than before, thanks to all the fluids they pumped in during my stay at the hospital. Give your body some time to adjust. Keep following your doctor's eating plan. The weight will come off. I think you're doing great if you're getting in most of your protein and water--the first week after surgery, I could barely get 8 ounces of water in, and that took some serious effort! Just hang in there. :-)

beef broth was rough but a low sodium chicken broth went down quite well. Hot tea has been great I've been able to start having some creamy liquids like creamed Soups but I have to strain them or any chucks really reak havoc. The warm creamy foods have helped. The surgeon also said to start trying thin cream of wheat which has made me feel so much better as it sticks with you for a while. I really haven't been too hungry. The problem I'm having is the Protein. The Protein drinks are horrible and are turning my stomach. I say that but right now I am hungrey and weak but some of that is from driving 3 hours back to my house today. When I can rally, I'll head to the kitchen and have a little something. By the way, today is my first day with no pain killers at all and that has been nice.

Sleeved on 12/10/16. Dealing with severe depression for years and on Wellbutrin prior to surgery. My psych evaluation was very easy. 15 minute convo and leading questions about having a support network in place and managing your expectations. I stressed it to no end beforehand though, so I understand how you feel. It will go fine if you stay positive and even keeled. And the depression will improve dramatically within your first month after surgery if your experience is anything like mine. I stopped taking antidepressants, at least for now. That said, I explored bariatric surgery once before in 2014 with another surgeon. And I got as far as the psych evaluation in that program and he wouldn't clear me. At the time I was at my lowest depression and actually thought about suicide often. For his evaluation I had to do a two page questionnaire on my mental state before we spoke. I was brutally honest on the forms and it got me into trouble during the interview. He refused to give me the clearance and I was so discouraged that I gave up on all of it for 2 years. I thought being honest with "my doctor" would be fine, but his primary interest was actually protecting the program and the surgeon more than doing what was best for my health. He rationalized it that my emotional state could be too dangerous and risky after surgery if I experienced additional depression due to lack of ability to eat. I argued that the surgery was the best option to improve the depression and that he had a duty as a doctor to see that. He refused. My primary doctor yelled at me for being too open and honest about the depression. So just be careful what you say. Stay positive all the way. That you are eager to have this tool to help you reach your goals. Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

For me? Follow the protocols. After they remove your stomach those first 3 months are first a healing nightmare and then quickly becomes so fun with losing so fast. Then our tummies really heal and people's bad habbits can come back. For me I avoid it by just focusing on my protein and water goals. But I do it by making really awesome, delicous dishes at home. I currently make (and these are all low carb, high protein meals): Chilli Tandoori chicken Butter chicken Chicken Teriyaki Maryland Crab Cakes I took the time to practice and try stuff out. If I didn't like something or it didn't go down well, I brought it into work and gave it away. I spent a good month sourcing recipes, trying them out and now I have delicious protein meals that are SOO much better than anything I'd buy on the fly. I don't even CRAVE the stuff I'm not suppose to have cause i"m just excited to eat the awesome gourmet food I made. That and walking 15 minutes at 10:00 and 3:00 as well as a half hour at lunch. Those are my absolutes. Doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing, unless I'm on jury duty or something. I walk briskly at those time. Not a stroll, I'm out to MOVE. Finally, Stairs. I run up any flight of stairs I can. At work we have a flight of 16 steps. I do sets of UP & Down at least 3 times a day. Usually I come back from my brisk walks and end it with a set of 3 on the stairs. It doesn't really take that long. I invested the time on the front end for the recipes and now I have them down pat, can buy the ingredients with ease and throw together my meals for a whole week in a few hours. I make sure I walk 3 times a day and take advantage of the opportunities to move when they are presented. I've been fairly successful so far, I'm dropping inches consistently and then lbs are a little less predictable but our metabolism doesn't like to lose weight at this rate and will fight us from time to time. Overall this whole process is simple, but not easy. The way to make it easier on ourselves is to commit to the post surgical protocols. Good luck! I'll say this, the 1st 8 weeks were a nightmare for me, I had the VGS, Hiatal hernia repair and gallbladder removal. I hit a massive regret and depression wave around week 4 or 5. I cried my self-pitying eyes out and let myself feel all those emotions. Then I picked myself up again and haven't looked back. Nobody is gonna have a EASY time, but it will be faster and more fun if you follow the diet instructions and watch your body reveal itself to you. I am now happier than I have been in years but it wasn't a cakewalk getting here. So try to keep your head up, eyes on the prize and remember to allow yourself to feel all of your emotions and deal with the psychological stuff that comes up so you can enjoy this new life you are birthing for yourself.

I've crushed and mix them in small protein shake. Seem better than to have to deal with tummy pain.

My two faves are my fitness pal and spark people. Spark people's food data base is pretty large and has ever food u can imagine as well as it counts calories burnt during exercise as well it gives the option to provide you with a menu and a work out routine. there is also livestrong which i hear is great and loseit.com

First I would like to say this is a great site. I stumbled across it researching LB pre op information. This is definitely a journey nearing the end. My insurance required 6 months of supervised visits. My final visit was last week. Documents submitted to UHC yesterday. They say it takes 2 wks for approval. I've received clearance from the surgeon. Hopefully by the time I finish my pre op I can get scheduled. I'm hoping for a July date I'm on day 2 of diet and it has been difficult. Like most threads I read its relatively the same 2 high Protein shakes and 1 healthy meal. Yesterday I was hungrier than a stray dog! Today I was a little more prepared w Jello and beef Jerky to snack on. I'm trying to hang in there!

I was sleeved on august 18th and i have lost 26lbs. But i have been stuck since the 30th.. i haven't lost anyrhing since then and it's driving me crazy! I get in as much protein as possible. I drink a ton of water everyday.. when i eat it is small amounts and i am pretty active. I don't know what I'm doing wrong..

Hi guys, So I had my first email consultation with a surgeon regarding gastric sleeve surgery, filled out a few forms regarding my health, previous weight loss attempts etc . My sister is a doctor and she's really against me having the surgery because a) she's says I'm too young (27) and be she's concerned about the risk of developing esophageal cancer later on. Have any of you read up on this or had similar concerns? It's making me reconsider my options.

I have to agree with @@KindaFamiliar - it's all so subjective. On a side note: $AU120 a WEEK?! That's over $90 USD (yes, I googled the conversion)! Sh*t Australia is expensive... It will depend on what your tastes in food are, what you can tolerate, how far out of surgery you are, where you shop, how you shop, etc. Without pulling up actual receipts and invoices to verify, I'd estimate I spend about $80 per month on Protein powders/shakes/bars and supplements, and maybe another $100 or so on actual groceries. It should be noted that I go out of my way to save money. I buy what I can on Amazon (where virtually everything is much cheaper). I buy a VERY complete Multivitamin that eliminates the need for a couple of extra supplements. I use a vacuum sealer and chest freezer to my advantage so I can cook in advance and buy groceries in bulk, then portion things off into individual servings and store for future use. Again, the cost is going to vary quite greatly from person to person. But regardless, it will almost certainly be less that you've spent before surgery. I know mine is!

Hi Everyone, I was wondering if any of you have allergies to soy and dairy? I had surgery (Gastic Bypass) on Dec 22. and knew it would be hard because of the allergy intollerances to soy and dairy but figured I would do ok with egg white protien and or brown rice protien or even bean protien. But as it has turned out I can not do any of them...I am struggling to get in Protein and was just wondering if anyone else has had this problem and how you dealt with it? I am able to eat half a slice bacon or half an egg at a time, but as you can imagine, I can not get in enough protien that way, as I juggle trying trying to get in enough Water versus the food! It has been a long haul and I am worried I am not doing very well... Any help would be greatly appriciated Thanks Shi-

Hi Sheila I had my surgery 2 years ago and while I was lactose intolerant before surgery I found that after surgery I don't do well with a lot of soy either so I've turned to alternatives like almond milk. I know this doesn't help when it comes to Protein supplements but maybe that would be a way to get some extra protein. Good luck, Samantha