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Well I signed a contact twenty years ago and I wasn't informed all that much about what I signed up for... Maybe because it was so long ago.. I do now know and understand the deal but the problem is simple.. So I had a car hit me when I was crossing the street and spent six months in a hospital followed by six months of a resting home to recover followed by a heart failure and another five months in the hospital followed by multiple hospital trips and lost all my original muscle.. I was always average strength but it's another thing to be told you might have a heart attack if you don't gain muscle. So I did everything I was told to bring me to this point. I have gained ten pounds of muscle in the last two years and I gain average of a pound a month. Only in the sorta person I need advise and someone to tell me what to do so that I don't make mistake. This might be a result of brain damage from my accident or maybe I'm just a big dumb guy I dunno.. But I did my own math if I eat 4200 calories I absorb 2200. So it does make sense I can't bulk however I'm taking enzymes and my doctor said the enzymes turn your ds off so that you can absorb everything you eat with them.. Now I'm fine tuning everything. Maybe my ds is to powerful and I'll learn that I really can't bulk and yes I look more defined in the mirror I think. But because my skin is stretchy it's hard to tell. I have gone from 175 to 178 so hopefully that's going to keep going up. My only real goal of taking the enzymes is to increase my protein which is 6.1. Before I worked out I was capable of maintaining my weight but my doctor told me I lost so much muscle that to not regain it would be dangerous to my health So regardless of anything I have no choice but to gain weight. If that means eventually eating 6000 calories so be it. But I really think the enzymes alone will solve my problems. I plan to take the enzymes for 3 months then get off then for two months then back on them in a bulk cutting kinda formula however I'll admit I don't know that this will work. I've gained weight in the past getting up to 240 in the resting home but that was eating six full meals a day with no working out and tons of high fat snacks and sense then I've gotten hypoglycemia which makes gaining weight difficult because I can't just devour sugar like I used to be able to. Man I used to love pudding cups... Anyways no I didn't know what I was getting into I was 19 and all I wanted was to lose weight but to still be able to eat as much as I wanted. Which is what I got. I never understood the risks. Never. That's why I got all these problems and it's hard to dig your self out of a ditch.. I would work out more if I thought it would help but I just lift weights 3x a week and I have a trainer and a bunch of great doctors who help.. The thing is the DS shouldn't kill me.. I should be able to figure out a way to make this work and my real issue is I'm 6"3 and a man so I require 3200 calories a day is what my trainer said. I only absorb 2200 thus I'm taking enzymes I'm focusing on absorbing protein and enough calories to feed my muscle building and I'm getting blood tests and scanning my body for progress it's a really scary time for me because I know I can lose muscle fast if I forget anything.. finding this website has helped me relearn just got crazy this surgery can be... For real you all helped me so much... But I can not except life as a weakling I'm 39 and a man and people need me so I can't just except things the way they are. If a normal person can build muscle I can to. It may take more work and more intelligence on my part but that fine I'm willing to do anything to be average if that makes sense.. in fact I was debating going to the gym today because my back hurts but you just motivated me to go . 😁 Thank you. Have a nice day. Please information is key here any advise on maybe how many calories you eat or your macros would be helpful to me because I do have a little problems working stuff out in my head and so the more information I can't the better I can deal.

I don't think you fully understood what you signed up for. I work out 6 to 7 days a week and do not have any bulk muscle. I had the Sadi DS 10 years ago and I can eat a horse without weight gain but also no bulk muscle. Instead, I have excellent muscle definition and can work out at a level not possible before wls. The DS fortunately keeps the weight off, so you will never bulk up. You signed up for this, and it's a fantastic thing for you to be able to work out, eat what you want, and be healthy, especially given you previously weighed over 400 lbs.

Hi I’m up north too my surgery date was 15th august 23 I suffered with nausea and vomiting for a few months after I couldn’t eat a couple of teaspoons without bringing it back I’m much better now tho still have sickness if one spoonful to much my amounts are very small and some food worse than others I struggle with chicken and anything tightly packed. Iv not had post op appt yet which I’m surprised about I had the mini bypass gone from 118kg to last weigh was 96kg I don’t know if that’s about normal or a bit slower ? But I havnt exercised as been feeling weak and exhausted all the time but I am 6 weeks over due my 2nd B12 which I get on 25th this month Iv struggled remembering to take all meds so some days I forget to take the calcium or gallstone one through the day I’m trying to be better with that, I don t know why but my osteoarthritis in hips are flaring up so bad that it’s to painful to exercise atm I’m just hoping to turn the corner with everything soon 🤔 Despite this I don’t regret it as I know it will all fall into place at some point Any advice welcomed especially on what I can try eat and drink and hit protein targets Xx

I have my 2 week pro-op appointment this Tuesday! I'm really hoping I don't have to do a full 2 weeks of liquid diet before surgery 🤣

I've heard good things about Spring Valley Collagen and Biotin, but results can vary from person to person. I totally get your quest for the perfect collagen supplement. So, two weeks might be a bit early to see major changes, so don't lose hope just yet! Sometimes these things take a bit of time to work their magic. Patience is key.And you know what's really cool? Making sure your supplements are fresh and at their best. You can use the Batch Code checker at https://batchdecoder.com to double-check the quality of your products. It's a handy tool to have in your beauty arsenal.

Week 5 was soft food for me. While it’s been 4.75yrs for me I remember making a lot of minced beef dishes: savoury mince, meat balls, bolognese with zucchini noodles. Also made a couple of slow cooked stews/casseroles & chunky soups.. So all had well cooked soft vegetables & its own sauce/gravy to keep everything moist. Omelettes & yoghurt/yoghurt drink were also on rotation & I had rolled oats & scrambled eggs for breakfast. I wasn’t eating much either (was told 1/4-1/3 cup from purée). I’d eat one golf ball sized meat ball. Two egg scrambled eggs took 3 days to eat. Doubt I was consuming 400 calories & barely reaching my protein goal - was much like @ms.sss in that way except I almost made 900 calories by 6 months. Check your plan as there can be a number of differences between what we’re advised to eat. And check with your team if you want to try something ‘off plan’ first. Listen to your body. There maybe foods your tummy can’t tolerate. Don’t give up on them though. Just avoid them for a week or so & then try again. Good luck.

I'm 5+ yrs post op now, but thanks to MyFitnessPal and my anal logging efforts, I can tell you exactly what I was eating on my 5th week post op! I focused on trying to get my protein in, for sure. Aimed for 70g, didn't always make it, but gave it an honest-to-goodness try. I do remember that i didn't eat much in the early months, due in part because of my of my restriction, but also because i had some serious food-aversion going on at the time and I just really didn't want to eat. I was however, surpassing my daily water goals easily (2L) all the time. I very much enjoyed drinking water, which I definitely preferred over actually eating. Below are screenshots of everything I logged/ate during my 5th week post op. Averaged 454 calories a day that 5th week, which i realized later was on the low side, oopsies. Though i stayed at about his calorie level until about month 3 or 4 when I averaged closer to 600 a day. By month 7 I was averaging 800 cals a day. Today, 5+ years later, I average about 1800 cals a day.

I went through all my "small" clothes too. I was able to wear the smallest ones until about 10 pounds from my goal. When my pants fell down walking up the stairs with my arms full, I knew it was time to buy. I like Ross and thrift stores. I also bought from TEMU, though I return half of what I buy. TEMU ships from China and takes 2-3 weeks, so I had to predict my size or order something that would look good a little tight. My daughter in law and 2 of my friends are thrilled with their "new" wardrobes too. One of those friends is right behind me in her weight loss, so she really needed the clothes I gave her.

I've had insomnia forever and was on ambien before the surgery. I am a night owl and a grad student so I can go to sleep at 6am and be up sometime after 2pm. But even with ambien and benadryl, I'm lucky if I fall asleep after 10am. Yesterday was worse because I only slept for 2 hours. But I'm not tired at all. Does sleep get better? I'm only 3 weeks out.

One of the things I sorely missed when overweight and homebound was thrifting. I had plenty of old clothes in various smaller sizes I held onto that I have been fitting into over the past 9 months since WLS. I have been having the best time buying new to me used clothing and bagging up the ones now too big and donating. I'm just so happy to finally fit back into stylish clothing again instead of tent dresses and elastic waistbands. I love vintage clothing and have no qualms wearing used except underwear. LOL I guess the thrill for me too is finding expensive items for practically nothing. Also it's just not practical to pay full price for clothing you will outgrow in a few short weeks.

I feel awful that you all went through this, but thankful at the same time because now I know I'm not alone. Please tell me if went away after a few weeks! I was so happy to be able to progress to the soft food diet, only to go back to liquids after a few days because the idea of eating made me sick. You'd think I'd be able to hit my fluid goals at least but the closest I've gotten is 48 ounces.

So the pain, discomfort and nausea will last a whole month? I have tried all of the meds the surgeons prescribed for those issues and I have to take them religiously everyday for some relief. But I am just now into my 3rd week. Sometimes it happens in the evenings, sometimes it's all day. I even sleep with a hot water bottle to ease the pain. I got the go ahead to go onto the soft diet, but after a few days, the liquid diet is easier to stomach. I don't think I've hit my protein and water goals once...

I have the worst luck, of course I'd be part of the 5% lol. I just had my post-op appt so it'll be a bit before I get my labs done. But if the pain and nausea usually go away after week 4, I guess I'll do my best to stick it out. Thank you!

Hi! After week 4 it seemed like everything finally changed for me. I no longer was feeling sick and was able to start keeping water and soft food down. I felt great and was able to walk longer distances daily. My doctor said in about 5% of WLS patients they deal with the nausea and just feeling down around the 3-4 week mark but it won't last long. Oh, also I had my labs done at my 3 month post-op and they were perfect. I'm currently 4 months post-op and down 61lbs! It's amazing how much better I'm feeling. Best of luck to you and I hope things start turning around for you.

I final got to move onto the soft food diet, but after eating a small amount of food for 3 days, I went back to liquids because the idea of food makes me sick. I have had an issue with pain and nausea since I was in the hospital and it continued at home, does this go away? I'm going into my 3rd week and I don't think I have ever made my protein and water goals..

Please tell me the nausea went after after the 4th week? I just had the MDS on 1/2/24 and I have had pain and nausea since I was in the hospital and it's happens just about every day at different times. I just got moved to the soft food diet and after having some food for 3 days, I could only stomach liquids today. I have been sleeping with a hot water bottle, along with meds, to deal with the pain. Since I'm not even into week 3, I am trying not to overreact/panic but I am definitely not meeting protein and liquid goals...

Curious to hear what people who had surgery in December 2023 are eating or what you ate when you were 5 weeks out? Sticking to protein and veggies?What is your general calorie consumption?

I can relate to the acid reflux issue due to having a hiatal hernia too. I was daily suffering with it for years until WLS. My stomach was also pushed up through my diaphragm. Docs found the hernia during pre-op testing and repaired it the same day as my RNY. I think your doctor was hoping by fixing your hernia, it might take care of your reflux along with you losing the abdominal weight from the sleeve surgery. I also carried the majority of my excess weight around my midsection and was told that my reflux was because excess fat was pushing food back up into my esophagus. That was before they discovered I had the hernia. But both problems contributed. After losing over 100 pounds, I'm finding that even though I am losing weight all over, my stomach is still the last place it is coming off. Very frustrating but I still have 40 lbs. to lose. And that's where it is sitting. I chalk it up to genetics. Sadly, the hernia repair didn't take care of your reflux and the sleeve is notorious for causing it. Even in those that never had it. One of the reasons I opted for the bypass and haven't had reflux since. As for your weight loss stall, maybe try backing off from hard workouts unless you are getting an adequate days rest in between. Increased levels of cortisol can cause abdominal weight gain. I lost all my weight from leisurely walking outdoors 2-3 miles 5-6xs a week.. GL. Your pics look great.

I would second the idea of trying warm liquids - I found it much easier to hit my fluid targets this way. Have you thought about VLCD-type soups? They are high protein (because they're intended to contain a whole day's requirement in 3 servings). Alternatively greek yoghurt/skyr or protein yoghurts? One tub of the latter has 20g protein and I could usually manage one in two or three sittings at your stage. I also quite enjoyed the pureed food phase, although there's no way I would have come anywhere close to my protein goals on the volume I could manage a month post op. There are so many things to juggle with your new stomach. The first few weeks can be difficult, and we worry about everything at the start. I think you'll relax into it and be absolutely fine. Keep trying your best and asking for advice - there are so many people here with loads of experience to share.

I follow all WLS guidelines so what does any of that really matter. I am allowed to eat some carbs as it’s limited and I don’t weigh my food. I use a small plate and I know what my measurements are. I do drink 30 minutes before and after. If I want sugar I’ll eat it within my own guidelines since I’m working out and that’s only once a month cravings. I’m only 5’3 and carry my fat in my belly. My surgeon has no problem with my stall since I workout 4-5x a week. I’m more worried about the daily medications I take for GERD for the past 13 yrs which isn’t good. They have me on 2 acid reflux pills and antibiotics so idk if that’s an issue too. I can lose weight I’ve always been thin all my life except after having my last baby which caused my hernia and issues; by then I couldn’t exercise no more gained weight plus perimenopause belly weight gain on top of that has been hard. The first pic on top was 1 yr before surgery the second pic is recent on new years.

The guidelines lines I’m referring to are : Limiting sugar intake to 5g or less per serving, protein forward meals, limiting carbs and fats. Separation of meals and drinks (30 min rule), limiting calories from drinks, etc. (I’m sure others can chime in with more Bariatric specific rules that they were given to follow). What is your doctors recommendations now that you have stalled? How tall are you? What does your exact calorie intake look like weekly? Do you accurately track it or eyeball the amounts? Have you used any online calculators to figure out your BMR, visceral fat, lean muscle mass, etc? These can help you figure out your excess body weight . Also InBody and DEXA scans will tell exactly how much excess fat you are carrying.

Just by way of alternatives: My plan never included protein drinks. I'm one of those folks that gets their protein from "food." Google it if necessary. My plan from day 1 was/is 3 meals per day of 3-4oz protein + 1oz veggies. First 6 weeks it was pureed. Granted, I never completed a meal until about 5 or 6 months post-op, but I did the best I could and my team was happy with that. At any rate, just a different take on the whole protein thing. Good luck, Tek

We all need to be a drama queen some times. 😉 But it’s pretty common & understandable that you might have some trepidation. As you said you’ve never had this surgery or any major surgery before. Fear of the unknown. Perfect opportunity for some drama & attention seeking - LOL! Write down any questions you may think of & ask when you have your appointment next week. Hopefully that will help ease some of your nerves & clarify what you should/might expect. All the best.

No one tells you really how difficult it is to get in your protein post op. I am unable to drink the required Protein Powder it makes me sick to my stomach. Everything protein powder, protein water, protein yogurt seems to all have a chalky aftertaste. Can you guys give any suggestions or highly recommended products to get in protein that don’t taste chalky and disgusting ? Most ready made shakes taste overly sweet to me now . One month post op next week surviving on water, Jell-O, pudding and broth.