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For many, its nigh on impossible in the post surgical period to get in enough calories and nutrients. You wont starve or get ill or deficient in the few weeks it will take for you to heal and get your calories up there. Relax, and dont worry about it. Your body has plenty of reserves. Eat what you can fit it, eat healthy but there's NO point in eating more than you want to.

I am 3 years and 4 months post op so not quite 4 years yet. My situation is probably different from most people. I had a severe spine injury before the revision surgery. I can't exercise very much to help burn calories. So now I have leveled off. I haven't lost any weight in over a year but I haven't gained any either. I eat everyday until I'm full. I don't deprive myself of any food that I want. Breakfast is usually a small amount of cereal with fruit in it, or a bowl of watermelon or some other tasty fruit, or sometimes I skip the food, and drink something with protein. Or I'll have bacon and eggs and toast. Or French toast with butter and syrup. During the day I'll snack on vegetables or cheese or fruit or almonds. Maybe half a sandwich. I can eat a small portion of steak and about a quarter of a baked potato with butter and sour cream and a couple spears of asparagus. I love seafood. Any food that I want. The good thing is that I can't eat very much of it. I don't feel any discomfort unless I eat too much then there is a nausea kind of sick feeling and some pain from my abdomen for about a half hour until some of the food digests then I feel normal again, so I don't overeat anymore. I don't like that feeling. I still eat the same portion size but sometimes I still feel hungry after the meal so I will drink some water and that stops the hunger immediately. So far I haven't had any issues with the surgery. I had a very painful post-op recovery for about a week but now my stomach feels good. I haven't been to the weight loss surgeon for 2 years, but I do see my other gastroenterologist regularly for other problems, and he has checked me out through an upper GI endoscopy twice since the revision, and says everything looks fine. I think differently about food. Socializing with family and friends used to be a whole lot of eating. Now it's more talking and sipping on a beverage. Wine or Tea and even a margarita or a Jack and Coke. This surgery is dangerous. You need to really think about it and make sure it's right for you. I'm glad that I had it but I really wish that I could have solved the problem on my own. I know that there are quite a few people that have had a nightmare experience with this and I feel bad for them, but for me it has turned out very positive so far. I will need to have upper endoscopy's every 3 years for the rest of my life. Not because of this revision but for something else. My stomach acid has an effect on my other problem so this surgery has helped with that also. I also have to take a nexium pill everyday for the rest of my life. These are issues that I already had prior to the sleeve surgery, and were considered co-morbidity problems that were the main reasons for my insurance company approving the revision. Good luck to you.

Ask the dietician attached to the surgical team for a meal plan. and stick to the level she suggests. so free fluids first, then the next level. then soft food - I had low calorie jellies ready and pureed fruit (baby puree level). For me she suggested that I get in plain yoghurt as she knew I liked it. and eat protein first. my protein was mainly chicken, fish, eggs, and cottage cheese. But my greatest help was fresh unsweetened pineapple juice, to sip. It helped rid me of all the foamy mucous phlegm that was making life a misery for the first three weeks at home. Fresh pineapple juice really saved the day. My Doctor suggested it and it worked a treat after three hours of sipping it , a little at a time, I finally gained relief from all the vomiting of foamy phlegm. Here is why - fresh pineapples contain digestive a digestive enzyme in them called, "Bromelain". Bromelain helps break down hard to digest proteins in our digestive tract naturally so we do not end up with gas, bloating, nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea, burping or constipation. - enzyme bromelain is known to reduce phlegm and mucus in throat

I'm at 9 weeks myself and am down 69lbs since surgery date (12/18). My restriction is still there when it comes to dense Proteins, so I try to eat that. I've had some pretzels that definitely slide through the sleeve much quicker. A fruit that I've come to enjoy post-op due to not only being a treat, but giving some restriction, is Mandarins/Clementines. Delicious and only about 40 calories per each one. Honeymoon is never over as long as you are working your program and losing weight!

Bulletproof coffee is just coffee and fat. It extends your fast. You don't break your fast until you have carbs or protein. https://blog.bulletproof.com/bulletproof-fasting/ The whole point of bulletproof coffee is to extend your fast and give you energy. I don't drink bulletproof coffee. Post-op I have so much energy I don't need an energy boost in the morning. I think the calories in the coffee are a waste. I can drink black coffee and water and be perfectly fine until lunch. I used Bulletproof fasting to drop some weight a few years ago. It works but it isn't really necessary for a WLS patient. I have been 16:8 fasting for about 3 years. I work from home and I work late some of the time. 16:8 fasting stops me from eating/snacking at night and staying up too late. If I am hungry at Midnight I just go to bed, instead of cooking something and staying up until 2 or 3 am. Overall it has greatly improved my life. IF for me is just a calorie/behavior control method.

i used to do IF with BPC , but I can not imagine it now, half my calories for the day going on a drink I think it would taste abit to heavy for me right now too.

Yes liquids are a funny thing, I can down a 44 oz drink now in a few mins as long as no food is with it. Some foods like a ribeye now I can eat 4 oz and other softer foods I can get 6-8 oz. The restriction is still there a year out. As long as the surgeon does the work correctly you can expect long term restriction on solid foods, Liquids you have to be careful and stay away from any high calorie drinks or alcohol as they can run right through the sleeve.

So when this journey began I started trying protein shakes for the first time. I know why I never drank them before. They are disgusting! I have wasted more money than I care to think about with cases of ready made and cans of powder still in my cabinets. Finally, I have found the perfect protein shake for me. I put one Dole Shaker, one Chobani plain yogurt and a splash of sugar free liquid. Blend it for a few seconds in the blender and presto! A little taste of heaven! 20 grams of protein and 200 calories. Tastes like a milkshake and keeps me full till lunch. Slight warning that these are not cheap. The Dole Shakers run around $2.20 and Chobani yogurt about $1.30, so you're looking at $3.50 per shake but well worth the money! Lisa

Congrats and bigger congrats on making a decision to improve your quality of life and chances of living recurrence free (from stroke). You are doing the best thing you can do for your health! I second being careful about milk having lots of "sugars" in them. Most protein powders do not need additional calories or carbs from more protein. And it sounds as if you are getting plenty of protein. Also, too much protein can convert to energy or stored fat. Because you are sedentary you most likely have a lower TREE (total energy expenditure). Also, check your protein powder to make sure it doesn't have a lot of carbs or added sugars! Drink the lowest carb one you can. I agree you've gotten into the dreaded 3 week stall that hits anytime between 2-6 weeks. But 16lbs during that time frame is awesome! Average losses for mobil wls peeps is only 2-4lbs/week. So that's brilliant. Work your plan, follow your doc's progression to a T and you will be worlds different in 6 months! Cheers!

You'll have to eat at your maintenance calories, no other way really.

Premier shakes from costco are high in protein, have not to many calories. Also Labrada shakes are good Good Luck

don't lose hope! truth is, you WILL lose weight at that rate of intake. of course, your body may currently be trying to hold onto to what it can due to the extreme lack of intake. try to raise the calories, but more importantly, you need Protein. can you not eat hard Proteins at all? what about egg drop soup? or Protein shakes? 700-800 calories is just not enough. can you not eat flaked tuna, fish or chicken? what about trying these blended? how slow are you eating when you eat solids? are you chewing until it is mush? are you able to get in your 64 oz of Water? please try to focus more on protein .. check out www.fitday.com to see how your protein/calories add up.. it will get better, I promise!

Yes, that is where I started. When I realized how many calories I was packing on with fast food lunches almost daily, even this many calories had an impact :-) Keep going on your bike. Your body isn't used to the activity and will need to adjust. You could also do some "lifting" with cans of food, etc. you might have around, or other light weights. Try leg lifts from your chair, etc. And, keep walking, even if it's just across the room. I'm sure you'll find that it will get easier!

I beleive there are NO absolutes here. We made the disission to make a LIFE STLYE change. To me that means making healthier choices, but of coarse there is going to be the occassional high fat/calorie indulgance. But to me that's what is should be.....OCCASSIONAL... You have to make positive changes that you can live with the rest of your life, if that's not your mindset then how is this any different then any other diet we have done over our lifetime?? ~Monica

Hey everybody! I'm almost 6 weeks post op at this point and for the past few days I've been finding that I've been super hungry all the time. I can normally eat a small snack like a cheesestring or some deli meat to make the hunger feeling subside for a bit but then an hour or two later I find myself getting really hungry again and experience that gnawing stomach sensation. This hasn't really happened before and I've only noticed it being a problem in the last few days. The last few days I've been really good at hitting my Protein goals, and I'm always at about 70-80 grams, whereas before I could only hit 50-60. I'm wondering if that has something to do with it? I'm still measuring out all my food, tracking my food on myfitnesspal (food diary: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/avatarkorraa) keeping my calories at around 600-800 a day, and I can't eat more than 4oz in one sitting for sure, but I'm just worried that if this continues I'll eventually start eating too much and not sustaining my weight loss. My weight loss has also been quite slow, I've only lost about 20 pounds so far and I had my surgery on September 19th. :/ Any advice? Thanks!

It's most likely NOT hunger, you are probably mistaking the "bite" of acid in your stomach for hunger. I feel that too, but it isn't accompanied by growling and it doesn't feel quite the same. When you combine the mental "hunger" of missing things you liked eating, and the adjustments to tiny portion sizes, it can FEEL like hunger...but it's not quite the same. I don't feel anything like "traditional" hunger, right now. I get acid buildup a little on an empty stomach (getting better all the time) but no rumbling - the rumbling went away after about four weeks, it was just a symptom of my stomach recovery, I think (and it would happen after I ate, as well as before). Just stick to a schedule, eat when you're supposed to eat and don't eat when you're not. Surgery's not a turnkey solution, it does still require some self-discipline. If you get into the habit of "grazing" you're going to suffer calorie creep, and your weight loss will slow.

My doctor told me that everyone hits a plateau for a few weeks. "3 week stall" is what I've heard its been called. He said the body is adjusting to taking in more calories. He said after that I will start losing again. I haven't hit a plateau yet, but I'm dreading it too because I guess in my mind I just constantly need to see good results. I am a little over 3 weeks post-op by the way.

I think having any expectation around weight loss is difficult. It’s really going to depend on: - how long ago your surgery was (it’s faster right after, it definitely slows down after 6 months - age/height/gender (never ever compare yourself to a 20 something male!!) - current weight (if your BMI is very high, you can reasonably expect a higher loss) - activity levels and exercise - your diet (how closely are you following it? What are your calories/macros? Some plans target faster weight loss, eg keto, some aim for you to lose slow and steady. - other factors, eg your hormones, gut microbiome). Even then, there will be fluctuations. Some months you will lose more and some less. This is a long road for some of us. And you will stall, and then suddenly you will drop a few rounds really quickly. And it will be annoying. My advice is to be patient and honest with yourself. If it is weight loss is slow, assess how you can improve without beating yourself up!

I'll pile on. food log definitely. Then, see a nutritionist. This is very important. At 3.5 months I had only lost 12 lbs(all the first 2 weeks). I sat down with my nutritionist($40) and she noted that there was about 250 calories a day I was consuming that had no nutritional benefit. I compromised and went back to 2 lattes a week, no beer and a couple of other indulgences. 250 X 30=7500 fewer calories per month. That's 2 extra lbs lost. I ramped up my exercise routine and have now lost 25 lbs in the last 3 months. You admit you don't exercise? In my opinion, that's a must. But you can't out-train a lousy diet. See a nutritionist. It's worth every penny if losing weight is at all important to you? btw-at 6 months I was only down 32 lbs so it's not too late. tmf

I'm 5 months out. I'm at the low end of the calorie scale. I have a lot of restriction, and not a lot of physical hunger. I usually have shake in the morning, and 3 or so meals/snacks. As I said I have a lot of restriction, so a meal/snack is 1 oz of cheese or jerky, 1/2 to1 cup of soup, cucumbers with dip, laughing cow cheese w 34 degree crackers, coleslaw w light dressing, dehydrated cheese crackers, sandwich w 1/2 a slice of bread, 1 slice of turkey, mustard, ff mayo and lettuce, protein pasta w a 1/2 a turkey meatball and marinara sauce (2 oz by wt), greek yogurt, sf jello w greek yogurt, slice of watermelon 1/3 a Chicken or Mahi burger patty only (TJ's), quesadilla w a 1/2 a low carb tortilla, 1/2 oz cheese and salsa. So basically a shake, and mix and match from the other items I listed.

On my preop diet I had to do 8 days of 5 premier protein shakes per day. I was allowed to have broth, sugar free popsicles, and sugar free jello also. It was SOOO hard. I was hungry constantly. I’m so thankful mine was only a week long. I too thought, why can’t I just eat 800 calories a day of protein and veg? I still don’t know why my diet HAD to be protein shakes only. I didn’t question it. But definitely talk to your team and ask if there is something else you can do. Come to the table with a few ideas to throw their way. Maybe you and your dietitian can come up with something more tolerable.

Here's my take and experience on the pre-op diet. The doctor wanted to see a 15-25 pound loss before surgery to shrink the liver. So he required a 1600 calorie high protein/modified carbohydrate diet, the same diet he asks all his patients to undertake. I started at 326 and by surgery date I was at 301. No special diet immediately before surgery except for a couple days of liquid diet to clean me out. Since I was 69 and on medicare I was required to have 4 visits with a nutritionist to get approval for surgery. So over the four months for these visits I followed the requested diet and lost the weight my surgeon requested. The nutritionist was certainly helpful but one could probably do it without that assistance if you are properly motivated. Having said that. I am attaching the diet plan and a couple items I typed up to make it easier to follow. Also tracked my intakes to ensure I was on target. High Protein Modified Carbohydrate Meal Plan.PDF Diet HP MC food categories.docx Diet HIGH PROTEIN modified carb.docx

coffee is fine with my doc too. So my splurge are the sugar free creamer with exotic flavors. My current favorite is pumpkin spice. I measure out 2 tablespoons. Occasionally have a second cup later in the day. Another splurge is a tablespoon of Peanut Butter. Not everyday but yum (but so high in calories). I've thought of a third splurge - 1 or 2 times per week I have the Quaker low sugar instant oatmeal. Tastes decadent.

I ate refried beans yesterday and they did not set well with me. Felt like they were trying to come back up 3 hours after I ate them. I think they were too thick. Next time I try eating them I will have to thin them with some water. I love eating mashed potatoes even though I know they have lots of calories. It's been 2 weeks since my surgery and I actually tried mashed potatoes before I was supposed to. Had them last weekend. Didn't seem to have any issues with that. Great job on your weight loss! Good Luck on your fill.

I know these people exist, but for me I can't see having any issues hitting those kind of numbers at 6 months out. My doc wanted us on 3 meals a day and that was it - no snacks. There was no way I could do that. I had to aim for 3-4 meals plus a protein shake to hit my 60g for a day. I probably average 1600 calories a day being a year out. Truth be told I could easily be over 2000 if I wanted to. It's all about what you eat and how often. Yes, my portions have to be smaller, but if I wanted to graze all day long I could and easily rack up the calories. Even with healthy options like cottage cheese or Greek yogurt those are easy to get down. Really it isn't anything you should be overly concerned about IMO.