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FORGIVE THE LENGTHY MESSAGE. NEED TO GIVE CONTEXT I am wondering if any one experienceD this my starting weight was 139kg before surgery on the 15th of January 2023 on day of surgery it was 131kg 2 weeks post-op i was stalled for 8weeks which was not a bother to me at the time i healed quite quickly with no complications and was moved to solids within 3 weeks by the dietitian too. between January and April i lost some weight down to 111kg Since april i have not lost anything. I have gained and lost 3-4 kg since April till date which is September 6th 2023 I do everything many people say on every platform which had never been a challenge namely Monitor what i eat: I eat between 88 - 1200 calories I have more protein than anything eggs, lean meat, chicken, fish, shrimps carbs are mostly bulgur wheat. which i have sparingly 2ce a month. Plantain i have daily to balance my protein intake but not as much as protein. I prob have more grams of protein a day and that includes protein water. I work out 4-5 days a week for up to 1:30 - 2:00 hours each day In April i worked out more 4 days a week 2ce a day 2day time cardio 1:30 hours night time strength training. no weights heavier than 25kg I take 2-3 liters of water throughout the day no compared to 3 months ago. Up to 1liter during my work out and the rest throughout the day. mostly sips. I do get hungry but try to drink water to quench or use the plantain (carb for the day) to satisfy myself i take my vitamins biotin and all recommended as well as powdered collagen Recent bloods shows everything within normal range. I am going into my 5th month and i am still 111kg Since April. My dietitian is numb on what is going on, the nurse recommended liquid collagen ( which makes no sense) and have said hormones.... but hormones cannot affect this 5months straight. I did bloods to check my thyroids and it showed elevated parathyroid (no idea what that means)..... not gotten an explanation as my vitamin levels and calcium levels are normal my nails are very soft and brittle and my hair falls like the weather ( only blessed to have a full head of hair but cant say it is helpful soon) No ...... the clothes i wore in April are still the same September. measurements are the same..... the only win i am getting from this is that my knee and ankle dont hurt as much when i workout. i dont burn out as i used to and i work out more than i used to before which was walking up to 50k-70ksteps a day. I have never been one who drank alcohol and haven't started post surgery. I have never been one who ate junk food like crisps, tacos, burgers. I have not been diagnosed diabetic nor with PCOS i noticed when i had no carbs in my diet i lost fast but when i introduced carbs as suggested by the dietitian everything came on hold I NEED SOME SIGN THAT I AM NOT IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE OR A LONG DREAM!!! Cos it feels pointless having done the surgery not to be an effective tool Anyone in a similar predicament before

It's normal for people who were part of your unhealthy habits to not like the new changes in your life. That doesn't make you a bad person. It means you're in a different season of your life now, and honestly, they can get onboard and support you or they can move along. Does that seem harsh to some? Sure. But sometimes relationships that were unhealthy, unsupportive, or even toxic can and will fall by the wayside as you become a healthier, happier version of who you used to be. My entire life has been completely overhauled. I'm really active now. I eat extremely healthy. I workout 4-5x per week. I'm pursuing a career that I thought I would never get to do. I shop differently. I look at food differently. I cut out so so many bad habits and had to work really, really hard to retrain my brain to see food as fuel and not as an addiction or drug (yes, food was almost like a drug to me). Because of these changes, I have no tolerance for anything that can derail me and set me back on the path I was on before. Does that rub people the wrong way? Yep. Do I care? Nope. It's my life and I have to live it the best way I can for me.

Not sure what you mean by gross ingredients? I mostly went with broths and some cream soups in the 3rd week of clear liquids, I'd mix one can broth to one can cream soup. My fourth week sent me into soft foods which was mostly eggs, ground sausage or beef and some fish. Week 5 I moved into chicken. Chicken being so very dry it seems harder to digest than anything else, ground beef was so much easier. I can't much do the protein shakes, the only way I've been able to choke them down is to literally put in a blender with some extra protein powder & yogurt and ice and make a smoothie/milkshake thing and top with keto whipped cream. I use it more as a dessert bc I can't drink all that sweet stuff in the early morning. Not much of a breakfast person but since this surgery I wake up famished but I guess 3-4 oz only takes so long to digest and if I eat at 7-9 pm by the time I get up at 9-10 am it has been a long time. I got the Walgreen's extra protein shakes, small town, limited choices around here.

I have been large all my life, but always felt healthy and mostly able to do what I wanted. I gained about 40 pounds during Covid and after struggling to get it off and no longer feeling healthy, my doctor recommended seeing an endocrinologist who recommended WLS. I was not interested, at all, so decided to try Ozempic. I was on it for a year, lost my Covid weight and a bit more, and was really surprised how it changed my cravings and interest in food. After my health insurance stopped covering Ozempic, I started researching other options and realized that WLS would give me some of the same effects I appreciated from the medication. I am on a long journey though because my health insurance requires six months of nutrition counseling and that ends in a work window when I can't take time off, so I'm hoping for a March 2024 surgery date. It's giving me plenty of time to plan, research and prepare! 🙂

@RTL1234 I did not have swelling like this with the sleeve and I am assuming since the hernia repair as well is the reason for more incisions. On the positive side yesterday when I got on the scale I lost 5 of the 7lbs from surgery (fluids, air, swollen, etc). I know it's not actual weight. We will see how things go this week. Last night was the worse with itching! I found some Zyrtec dissolvable tabs in my cabinet which helped a lot! When I read up on it - it said it's a better choice than benadryl since the effects last longer (fingers crossed). Liquids - On for two weeks post op until my follow up appointment next week on the 12th. I will be completing my blood thinning ejections then as well. After I'll be on puree for 2 wks then soft foods for another 2 wks. I'll be glad to move forward just because I can add more variety to the previous weeks. This is definitely helping me re-familiarize myself with getting the right amount of protein and fluids in daily. I was told to wait to start my vitamins 1-2 wks after, I'll start those this week. I purchased the ones from Bariatric Pal (capsules), I can open them and mix the powder in when I make my protein shake. Yes! I did find a way to mix it up for this last week of fluids! Today will be cream of bacon made the same way I did my soup yesterday. Exciting right? LOL

The rumbling grumbling tummy is just your digestive system doing what it’s supposed to do - digest food or so my surgeon’s colleague told me. I describe mine as my own personal poltergeist rattling the chains & moaning. Mine’s growling now 🤣🤣🤣. Most tummy rumblings aren’t a sign of hunger like we used to be told. As to the cramping & large BM, that may not be related to anything but maybe your bowels not fully emptying the previous days. Check the side effect of the antibiotics to be sure though. I know some can cause diarrhoea not sure about the reverse. I can get diarrhoea (very smelly & cutting pains befits hand) if I don’t have my PPI or haven’t eaten for a while. The acid builds up & irritates the intestines. Maybe the acid irritated your intestines enough not to cause diarrhoea but & a clean out??? If it occurs again give your team a call.

I'm great! Had GB on 8/16. I have energy and on phase 2 of my food plan- soft/puree diet. So far no vomiting, nausea or discomfort at this moment. I tried egg bites recipe on tik tok and canned chicken nuggets. Easy recipe to use and very few ingredients. I'm looking forward to eating salads and sushi in the near future. Heaviest weight: 260lbs Weight start of program: 249lbs Weight day of surgery: 235 Today's weight: 223 I'm 5'3

@Chel1 Do you feel like you were swollen with the sleeve too? Hopefully it subsides soon! I saw your other post about full liquids. I don’t blame you a bit. I get easily bored with food. I like variety as well. I’m glad you found something though to shake it up a bit! How long are you on liquids until purée or soft foods?

Yes! I had my RNY on the 18th. I am over the ready to drink proteins and all the different ingredients. I am going to experiment with non-flavored protein powders and adding my own flavors. So, far using the Premier Plant based chocolate powder with unsweet almond milk has been ok for me. I am on week 1 of soft foods and learning portion control. Hope the struggle ends soon for you!

Ever since last night after dinner, every time I eat solid food, my stomach gurgles for about 30-60 minutes, and I get a bit nauseous. Then, this morning (sorry TMI), I had a massive BM and severe painful cramping during. Thankfully, that went away after I finished in the restroom. The only thing that has changed is that I started an antibiotic Thursday and stopped the omeprazole on Wednesday. I have had very minimal issues since surgery or had any major food intolerance. Any insights? Could it be the antibiotic or not taking the PPI? Thanks!

We wondered the same thing, as drinking protein shakes in between our puree meals (2 oz), like suggested, were putting us higher calories (800). Our NUT never responded to neither of us. So we never got an answer. 19 days post op...still losing tho.

Going into my second week post op liquids and I have become weary eating the same things that I've noticed my fluid intake has been going down. I'm charting everything and although I am still within limits of my fluid intake I've noticed it declining as the week goes on. I was on a pre-op diet for one week with the day before surgery all clear liquids. So in actuality I'm going into 3 weeks of fluids. I've had different flavors of protein shakes, some I make some are premade. I have my SF popsicles, different flavors, broths, and creamed soups. I now want none of the above except I can still deal with the popsicles. It's like if you eat a certain food for a long time just the thought of that food makes you nauseous. I am still getting the protein shakes in but I need to mix it up a bit and need creative ways to get through this next week. I also have caffein free teas and SF hot chocolate (not a coffee drinker). I have been using SF Orange Crush & SF 4C tea with lemon packs to flavor my water. My 2 week follow up is Tuesday Sept 12 I still don't have an appetite and it's not that I am wanting to eat off the liquid plan, it's just that if I never have another broth or cream soup for the rest of my life I'll be just fine! lol Any suggestions to get through this next week?

41 days out & nearing the end of the soft food phase I was only eating 1/4-1/3 cup of food so really just a couple of bites. It took me 6 months to be able to eat about a cup & then another year to be able to eat about a recommended portion of most foods. I still have my restriction. I don’t feel it every day of course because I learnt not to eat until I feel it but that took time. There are days when it kicks in earlier than I expect - ate something more dense or rich, something that sat too heavily in my tummy, ate a little more quickly, or for some other reason my quirky tummy has that day. Some people can eat more from early on but it’s an individual thing. I remember saying to my surgeon at 8 months I can only eat what I can physically eat & he agreed. Do check with your team though to be sure everything is okay. If they want you to eat more you may have to eat your smaller meals more frequently. E.g. 4 or 5 small meals vs 3 meals of the size they recommend to meet goals. Worth discussions with your team. The healthy way of eating comes as you progress and are eating a wider variety of foods. At the moment you’re still healing & recovering & slowly introducing foods into your diet. In time you’ll work out how & what you want to eat in the long term. Think of the time you are losing weight as your time to learn better habits, about better nutrition, making better choices & what way of eating works best for you. I.e. a sustainable way of eating so you can maintain your weight that isn’t restrictive but complements how you want to live & enjoy your life.

What does your plan say? As long as your food is high protein, low fat, low carb, low sugar AND you can tolerate it, you're good. Always eat protein first, then veggies, then complex carbs (potatoes, whole grain, beans ect). I suggest maybe speaking with a dietitian.

Yeah, I haven't much been going to restaurants...we live in a rural area and only have 2 restaurants in our little town, both close at 2 pm, well there is a Mexican restaurant but I'm not much of a fan of Mexican food in general. I have a well stocked pantry, freezers and kitchen and actually enjoy cooking (this butt didn't get this big by itself) and Lord help me, I enjoy eating way too much. That said, I'm 33 days post op and it was awesome to find a "snack" I CAN HAVE...well I think I can have it? My list is so vague...I'll try to share this pic of my instructions. It says "Protein, Protein, Protein" suggests ground turkey....and I'm like with WHAT? As you all moved into your 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th weeks, What do you eat? I had a LOT of Cod this week, made an Alfredo shrimp/crab sauce to serve over it and some canned turnips on the side. I have Chicken thighs, breasts, wings, 3 kinds of Fish, Ground Beef & Turkey & Turkey burgers, Cooked red beans, 15 beans & Lima & Cream Peas and can't figure out a darn thing to make for dinner because I don't know how to pair or prepare it....I am seriously thinking of Buffalo Wings or thighs with sauce? Fortunately, I lost another pound (all that damned fish, lol) but maybe just because nothing seems to taste right or I don't have a taste for anything...rambling here, but does anyone else have that feeling? Like nothing is suiting you or you just don't feel like bothering for the whopping 3 or 4 oz you're going to be able to eat out of the pan after you do all that work? And What Veggies are acceptable at this point? Last night I had boneless ckn breast over a salad mix with a little dressing, green onions, bacon bits...and when I'm eating hubby asks if I can eat that. I had only considered the chicken, hadn't thought of if salad is allowed? I remembered someone saying they eat salads all the time but they are like an old timer. I have several containers of fresh mushrooms I was going to prep, some for now and freeze for later but then started wondering IF I can have??? Turkey burger with no bread sounds sucky... I'm not sure if food is "not allowed" bc of the calories/fat intake or if food isn't allowed bc of a possible adverse reaction with the bypass. Like if I make a turkey burger and eat a slice of whole wheat, is that OK? What about serving something with a sauce along side something like Quinoa? SMH...done with my rant, please share your rants and tell me I am NOT alone with all these things running around in my little A.D.D. brain

Paleo Pro Aztec Vanilla. Don't let the protein source scare you. You should be able to purchase individual packets at Whole Foods to try it so you don't have to commit to a full package if you don't like it!

Congrats that’s great! Quest Protein Chips are great for me. I personally love the tortilla style ones. For 140 cals and 19g Protein it’s a pretty great snack. The fats and carbs are also quite low. I like to keep them around for occasions such as going to the movies or hanging out with friends and they have their high cal/fat chips. I have even subbed them for a lunch when I just could not eat anything heavy, but needed to get my protein in. The Spicy Sweet Chili is my top flavor, followed by Nacho Cheese and Loaded Taco. The cookies I tried ages ago, well before surgery and wasn’t a fan as the fake sugar taste was quite prominent. I have not tried them again to see if it’s the same. I don’t think the stats on those are quite as good as the chips so beware. I will just caution, though the chips do have great stats, I would be sure to have them on occasion and not rely on them. As others have said, they can be a slider food or even a trigger food for some. I personally don’t have that trigger. I tend to just have a bag around as a just in case. They are portion sized bags so that it also helpful.

I’m 41 days out. I still can’t eat more than a couple of bites of anything. It’s really frustrating. I knew I would be restricted, but I didn’t realize how much. I wanted this surgery to help create a healthy relationship with food. One where I can be satisfied with normal portions. I also wanted to have a healthy diet full of vegetables so I could nourish my body like I feel God intended. Not with protein shakes that make me nauseous . I’m really feeling like this wasn’t the right choice for me because I’m feeling so distressed.

Great job, that's quite the accomplishment. As far as the protein snacks, just be careful of the calories, fat and carbs. Chips for me are a slider food; meaning I can just keep eating and don't really fill up on them and end up consuming too much. For example, we went out for Mexican food last night for my birthday and I ate about a third of the chips and salsa and still had my portion of dinner. Not great in the calorie arena. With that said, if you pre portion your chips it should be fine, same with the cookies. My thoughts are to limit the foods that got us to where we are and only consume them once and awhile as a special treat; even if they appear to be good. It's easy to fall back into old habits.

I most definitely felt this way. I had a complete pity party for myself. I needed it. Why can’t I do it on my own? Why is XXX so skinny and eats whatever they want when I eat one slice of cake and gain 5lbs? The negative talk resonated in my brain. I can’t do this, it’s too hard, I love food too much, I’m a side baker I can’t taste my baking. But guess what? YOU CAN F****** DO THIS!!!!! As for complications, I’ll just throw this out there. Vomiting - had some the first few days of post op however, I knew that I get like that with anesthesia, so my doctor and I did what we could to minimize it. I’ve since had my gallbladder removed one year later, and am having a revision as I have a hiatal hernia and severe GERD. So…would I consider those to be complications? Sure. But I would do it over again 100x!!! I have gained so much throughout this journey. And continue to. My current surgeon feels my initial surgeon should have chosen a bypass for me originally, which I asked for but they recommended sleeve so that’s what we went with. Current surgeon feels that with my co-morbities at that time, and other issues, I shouldn’t have been a candidate for a sleeve. Okay so all that to say, again I wouldn’t change it!!!! I tolerate literally any food with my sleeve. Now things sit “heavier” than others so if I’m eating that I may be miserable (like feeling stuffed not sick). After some tragedy in my family, I stopped eating well and started eating just snack food. I gained 18lbs. But then I crawled out of the hole and said okay, this has to stop, you’ve worked wayyyyy to hard to go backwards, get it together! Here I am, back on track, still have some of the gain to lose, but grateful that I have this tool aka my sleeve to help mitigate that for me. I used to love following people on IG/social media but I had to stop. Before my sleeve I looked at thin people and felt pangs of jealousy and constant comparison. Then after surgery and losing weight (not even to goal weight haven’t made it) I looked at the VSG “influencers”, the same way. Constant “oh her surgery was two weeks before mine and she’s already lost 100 lbs and I’ve ONLY lost 70”. It was perpetuating the SAME cycle I was in. So I just had to stop. Every now and again I search out the hashtag but for the most part I don’t because this journey is unique to YOU. Sorry for the novel, and if you made it through it, that’s great! Lol

I’m in the same boat, but it’s common when you’re switching to foods with a thicker consistency. I’m not getting discouraged because it’s still more progress than I was able to do on my own. Also… can anyone have egg salad in week 3?

it's a good thing you are going through the anger now and not after surgery as it seems so much worse then, the benefits certainly outweigh the bad. but in time normally around the 12 months to 2-year mark you will wonder where your restriction has gone and long for the early days post-surgery. you will be able to eat your fav foods just don't overdo it and make the most of the early post op days as the past very quickly. I thought I would never eat normally ever again and that I would never enjoy food again, but I did, and I can, and you will too.

I had some early nausea but very mild really & vomited a couple of times in the early weeks but that was related to vitamins (some can make you nauseous especially if you don’t take them after you eat). I occasionally have episodes of the foamies where you can vomit (more like regurgitating as the food barely or doesn’t get to your tummy & none of those straining muscles). They occur if you eat too quickly or something is to dry or coarse. It passes very, very quickly & you feel fine after you bring up that offending bite. I’ve realised I tend to eat more quickly when I’m with others &/or distracted. So it’s more a side effect of me not being mindful about my eating than of my sleeve because I can avoid it happening. I have it a couple or so of times a year (less than 5) so not often. The hideous reflux hiccups I had were way worse & I used to have to go home if I had an attack of those. Don’t have to with the foamies - just keep partying 😆😆!

I'm a relative newbie too, and had my bypass surgery on June 6. My surgeon's group is fairly aggressive in terms of the phases of diet but of course, I pushed beyond the envelope- had some shredded turkey leg that I deskinned and deboned on the first day I was allowed to eat "regular" food. It was too much volume and probably too difficult to digest at that point and I had to ride it out. I was frothing or foaming (aka "foamies"), had I been able to vomit I would have felt much better but couldn't. So, I walked around the house, found a spot on a sofa with pillows plopped around me and eventually fell asleep sitting up (which I can never do normally). It was exhausting. But it was like a temporary blockage that cleared. After that, I decided to be more conservative in my approach to food- both portions and types. I still have not done much red meat, though I'm a carnivore. And I've regulated my portions, erring on the side of "less." I was doing eggs for a while, was told scrambled was riskier than other types for some reason, but right now, eggs simply don't appeal to me.