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Congratulations on doing so well. I had a bypass over 5 years ago & I still weight my food at home. I never go over 3.5 oz. I do 2 oz of protein & the rest in veggies or fruit. You have a great attitude & will do well.

Any shake that does not contain artificial sweeteners basically passes in my book!! I have been through so-ooo many different protein shakes and my favorite is Plexus chocolate and vanilla!!😋

Chipotle has the best kids meals! I skip the rice but add a protein, beans, and a pick a vegi usually the corn or pico de gallo. Baby bag of chips holds about 8 tortilla chips. I usually don’t eat the tortillas.

I can drink milk till the cows come home. ❤️ I wonder if OP @bob_behn there and back? I would have a hard time in France with all the endless pasta. Lots of good travel advice here. I'm thinking small baggies of protein powder could get you temporarily detained??? Curious for future reference.

Scheduled for a DS on September 11. Counting down the days and running through the gambit of emotions. I didn't come into my surgery prep thinking that I'd be getting a WLS from the surgeon in an effort to fix a failing nissen fundoplication (GERD surgery, 2005). He just told me at the first appointment that it was my only real viable option for a repair and return to somewhat normal function. I'm eating reasonably now, I just have to remember to eat breakfast, which I usually don't but I've been trying to divide up my calories more thru the day instead of them all at the end of the day. I usually don't eat during work hours. Making sure I'm drinking plenty of no-calorie fluids and my care team recommends Liquid IV, so I've been making sure to drink at least one a day, although when I start my 2-week pre-op diet it'll go up to two each day. I think I'm ready, not 100%, still scared witless that I'm going to regret it but at the same time I know I can do this and that this is going to be my best shot at being able to enjoy life again.

I’m just over a month away, trying to prepare. My surgeon is recommending pro-stat collagen protein and a vitamin regimen for prep and healing (floradix, folic acid, and vitamin C). I am planning 2 weeks off from work - I work a remote desk job so I’m hoping I can make that work. I will be flying to Miami and staying in a recovery house for a week. What are things you learned during this process? Anything you wish you did differently?

It's funny how we're all different! I bought a load of protein shakes before my surgery and I can't stand them post mini gastric bypass! I also don't do well with lactose so I now use lactose free milk. I don't have such a sweet tooth as I did prior to surgery but I am craving savoury things - especially anything cheese flavoured!

I couldn't drink protein shakes either - they taste disgusting now. I understand your worry about hitting your protein goals. Personally I have found clear protein isolate much easier to drink - it comes in different flavours and just mixes into water. It also comes unflavoured so you can mix it into soup. I am three weeks post mini gastric bypass and I feel hungry too. So much so that I have started on soft food much earlier than my plan dictates. I know this is wrong so I am going to try and stop this. Could it be "head hunger" that you're experiencing? I say that because it's very common apparently. I think our bodies are going through so many changes but our brains are going to be playing catch-up.

I had bypass 3 weeks ago and I'm pretty much hungry 24/7. Only time I'm not is maybe for 15 min after eating something. Whether a protein shake or a soup. There really is no guarantee that your hunger will go away

@Arabesque So glad you mentioned the iron/caffeine discrepancy. This morning, I went back to work and had a protein shake with caffeine, but I also take my Iron in the morning after breakfast. Now I know to switch my Calcium to the morning, and my Iron to the evening. Thank you!

Hi Friend, I finished my Options classes last Thursday. They called me to schedule my consultation today (5 days later). HOWEVER.... when I signed up for the Options classes no one told me the wait time from end of classes to Surgical consultation/final clearance (only the amount of time from consultation to surgery, which was relatively short). I learned today that the next available in-person consultation appointment is 10/13..... then who knows (looks like I dont belong to this August cohort anymore. Sigh). The woman I spoke with told me I could contact the nurses office daily to see if there were any last minute cancellations. This is all specific to Kaiser Panorama City. Hope that helped. 😕

I am with Kaiser as well, how long did it take for Kaiser to contact you after your options workshop.

I have a delayed eating schedule. I don’t work any more which makes it easier to manage. I don’t have breakfast until around 8:30/9 because it doesn’t seem to sit as well earlier in the day. I ‘mid morning snack’ at around 1pm, mini snack at 3ish, lunch at around 4pm, dinner at about 6/6:30pm & final snack (protein bar) at 7:30ish. One thing about this whole experience has been to realise my old eating routines (like breakfast at 6am, etc.) didn’t work for me at all & I feel so much better for starting my day later & eating regularly. I drink all day & night. I keep water by my bed & drink every time I get in or out of bed (which can be a few times as I pee a lot 😁). I drink in the car (sip when I get in & out, at traffic lights, etc.) PS - I watched a medical documentary last year that advised that coffee can inhibit the absorption of iron by 70 or more percent. So if you’re going to do coffee as part of your breakfast routine, may be best to leave your iron supplement,if you take one, to later in the day,

Oh, I'm beyond heart broken, I literally cannot stop crying. I work in a hospital and my panic attack was so bad after being told my surgery was cancelled that I had several nurses, plus a physician all ask me if I was ok or if they could drive me somewhere/take me to the ER. I even got reprimanded by the nurse over the phone for not following instructions, when I asked if I was correct in being on an under 500 calorie diet, with my three 160 calorie protein shakes adding up to 480 calories/day. She refused to let me even speak. When I asked if I could speak for 30 seconds she said no. The instructions I was emailed says "3-5 protein shakes per day depending on the amount of protein per shake." I am using the Premier Protein, which has 30g protein, so since I was told I needed 80g/day I was drinking 3 shakes per day. She lectured me on not following instructions until she looked back in her email that she sent me and realized I was correct. Apparently it was suppose to be 6 shakes per day! This was also part of what got me cancelled, when I asked if I was correct that I should be under 500 calories/day.

I start the morning with 16 oz of water. Then, I have my protein shake. I have lunch, dinner, and at least a couple days of snacks. I purchased a really great recipe book with high protein options. A couple of my favorites are bell pepper nachos and tofu tacos. The biggest help is that I marinate enough for two or three family dinners and freeze the extra. This lets me take a break from planning during the week. My go to snack in a hurry is a Chobani 60 calories yogurt that has 11 grams of protein. I add some Granola and fruit, and this is a very filling and healthy option for me. I still have restriction, and that helps to keep me in check. This week, I am 6 months out and will need to push up my calories and protein intake.

Great!!! I am so glad you found them !! Some of them might be eligible for try before you buy, I think the first one I purchased I used "try before you buy". It is a great option if you are unsure of sizing and want to get a few sizes, or just simply want to try it first before you commit.

Hey there! I had my surgery on 08/03 and so far so good. Who would have known that once you cut out all food from your diet you find out you are lactose intolerant. All the protein shakes I bought are out the window.

I am almost 2 years out: First thing in the morning (6-ish) I eat something very small (>100 cal) in order to get my meds down, take meds, wait 30 minutes to drink anything else, and that first thing is usually a coffee with a scoop of collagen in it. Over the next couple hours I usually try to drink 32 oz of water or some similar no-calorie fluid. Mid-morning I have a small breakfast, or sometimes wait for lunch. Today it was a 1/4 of a half-baguette with ham, cheese, and mustard on it. (Total calories: around 250. The bread is 90.). Wait 30 minutes, start working on a second 32 oz of fluids. Mid-afternoon (2:00 pm or so), I have a snack that comes in around 150 calories. Today it was some imitation crabmeat and cucumbers with a spicy dipping sauce. I have dinner with my husband between 5 and 6; Dinner is usually around 300-400 calories (tonight it will be chicken tikka masala with cauliflower rice). I also try to finish yet another 32 oz of fluid before bed, which is early. I do snack in the evening partially because we eat dinner so early; my evening snack resembles the afternoon snack, usually veggies with some kind of protein component like a dip or some cheese/lunchmeat, and I try to keep it under 200 calories. Total for the day around 1100. 96 oz of water, one cup of coffee.

I'm a teacher so my eating schedule is pretty set. My breakfast is a protein shake with caffeine. My lunch time is usually between 12:30 and 1:15. When I get home I'll either have dinner right away and a healthy snack at around 8 PM, or I'll have a healthy snack and then dinner at about 7 PM. Sometimes, If I have a calorie/protein deficit at the end of the day, I'll add another healthy snack. As for water, I'm drinking that all day, also ensuring I get a min. of 64 oz.

Hi! My surgery was rescheduled for August 10th, this Thursday, because I got sick the week of my original date. I'm in the lower Hudson Valley, NY, just north of NYC. I'm having the SADI-S (aka SIPS / aka Modified Duodenal Switch). My surgeon doesn't put his patients on a liver reduction diet, but he does ask us to eliminate refined carbohydrates and I've been working with the dietician to increase proteins and decrease carbs overall since last October. On Wednesday I need to do a clear liquid diet. My nerves started last night, after I read through all the consent forms to sign, and when it really hit me about giving up my food habit. It's not like I hadn't thought about any of these things, but they seemed really far away so I didn't worry. I'm so happy that there seems to be a nice little cohort of us for August, so we can support each other! I'll go look for the FB group too. Good luck to everyone! I saw a few were having their surgeries early this month, how has it gone?

During the school year, I wake up at 5:30 to get my kids ready and usually drink a protein shake on the way to drop off around 7:30, 8. This is when I would have my coffee + collagen mixed in. The shake is my breakfast. I get home, do my exercises and cleaning and then eat lunch around noon. Dinner is usually on the early side around 5:30. I like giving my body enough time to digest before bed. If I get hungry between meals, I have a little cheese, yogurt or mixed nuts. Water consumption starts first thing in the morning. I have no issues drinking before I eat, but I wait the 30 minutes after.

I am 1 month post op from Gastric Sleeve and am wondering what time everyone gets started eating and drinking water? I am on the soft foods stage and getting about 50-60g of protein in a day and 64oz of water. I really want to start adding in a protein coffee but think I need to get up earlier in the day or use that as my breakfast meal. Can anyone share the meal schedules with me?

Hi! I'm so happy your year has been such a success! And how exciting for your daughter! It's awesome that she could see how your journey has gone, especially in that first month or two post-op. My surgery was on September 7, 2022, and I am kicking my butt trying to get to below 200 pounds by my one year RNY anniversary - I've got 10 pounds to go! I have lost 200 pounds since my highest weight in November 2021, and 145 pounds since surgery 11 months ago. Highest Weight: 410 | Surgery Weight: 355 | Current Weight: 210 | Goal Weight: 185 Physical Health: I am weight lifting 5 days per week, and my cardio is spin cycling or swimming 4-5 days per week. I'm currently a size 12, medium/large, down from size 28, 5x - I haven't been a size 12 since 6th grade! I am still not used to walking into a store and easily finding clothes that fit me. For decades, I have only been able to shop at plus-size clothing stores like Lane Bryant, and my options are so vast now! Also my hair is growing back and getting healthier again. My last blood test showed I was low on folate, so I'm taking that which has the benefit of helping with constipation, too. Recent realizations: collar bones and ribcage are things that I have turns out?? Mental Health: I don't track my food anymore because I started noticing some unhealthy food restriction patterns starting when I was closely tracking it. I have also asked for help from my support people. Just yesterday I asked my mom to remind me that, no matter what I said, today is going to be a rest day and she helped hold me to that today. She also offered to hold onto my scale for a bit which I took her up on so I can keep my weight loss progression mentally healthy. That said, I have been off my depression and anxiety medication for about five months now and I'm finding that my mental health has been thriving lately. Excess Skin: Because I've lived at 300-400 pounds for 20+ years, I have a ton of extra skin and I have started looking into excess skin surgery options for my belly, arms, and breasts. I am saving money wherever I can to try and save up for skin removal surgery. I will never be able to afford surgery in the US, but I've been researching options abroad like in Mexico, Colombia, and Thailand. Right now I use compression garments to hold my tummy skin in place while I exercise or basically just exist because chafing is a real problem. I have really bad skin to begin with and I don't need to add in chafing and skin infections just for fun. I hope you guys are doing great as we all come up on our one year anniversaries! Let's keep supporting each other and sharing in our various successes and struggles!

I lost 42kg so just a little less than you asked for. I don’t enjoy exercising. Never have. Still don’t. Over the years before surgery I tried lots of things: walking, yoga (one I enjoyed most), aerobics, swimming, cycling, etc. They never helped me lose weight or maintain my weight so I really wasn’t all that surprised when I discovered exercise only contribute to about 10% of any weight you want to lose. Of course there are many other benefits to exercising but don’t rely on it to help with your weight loss. Did I exercise during my weight loss? Nope. I just upped my everyday activities: parked further away from where I was going, walked up & down escalators & travelators, made multiple trips up & down my stairs (why carry groceries up in one trip when you can do it in two or three), etc. I still don’t exercise as such. I exercise snack at home by doing 5-10 minute sessions about 4 times a day of stretching & using resistance bands. I have loose skin (not a lot but enough) but my arms look more toned from using the bands - I just don’t wave my arms about. Too many factors influence how much loose skin you’ll have. Age, genetics, how much weight you lose, how long you were at your higher weight, your weight loss & gain history, etc. You can’t stop it. Your skin has already been stretched. You may get a little snap back if you’re younger & still producing elastin. Think of your lose skin as a well used & over stretched hair band/elastic. Can’t fix that. As to exercising helping with it, your muscles lie under your skin & your skin drapes over the top. You’ll need a lot of muscle to fill your skin out. My thighs would have to be three or more inches larger to fill out my loose skin there but I don’t want large thighs again. Nor do I want a large butt again to fill out the loose skin there. Surgery is your only option if your lose skin bothers you, limits your movements or gets infections, rashes, etc.

I am one week postop from doing the Endo scopic sleeve gastric and I’m doing my liquid diet but I don’t seem to get full with water. Should I be worried that my stitches on my stomach might of got loose or will it change once i get to eating solid protein