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Peggy Anne, I feel your pain. I'm supposed to move from pureed to more soft foods this week. I have stalled in my weight loss but I also have a thyroid issue now apparently. My dr did a blood check last week and my t4free is low but I quit my Levothyroxine at the time of the surgery bc they told me the thyroid was too high at that point...smh. For the last week I've been so tired I can barely walk, and then I developed a rash on the thyroid area of my neck and other thyroid symptoms so I started the meds back a couple of days ago but they still haven't helped. I called the nurse at my surgeon's office to ask if they had seen my results (i got them the next day) and she said basically she could make me an appointment but that really isn't their issue? I guess she wanted me to see my primary care dr but since I don't actually HAVE A REGULAR DR I told her I'm seeing my nephrologist tomorrow and I'd see if he could tell me what to do. I'm kind of like Why am I following up with the surgeon at all bc apparently if there is an issue, he won't handle it so I'm going to get labs done and sent to him to tell me to see a regular dr.???? About your meatballs....I had 1/4 lb of ground beef I cooked w./brown gravy and put over some mashed potatoes that stayed down so I took out a 1 lb pack of 12 frozen, pre-made meatballs last night that I thought I'd cook down in some spaghetti sauce. Didn't consider adding cheese but I thought I'd cook meatballs in the air fryer and then drain well and add to some store bought sauce. I am missing vegetables, carbs too like rice, breads, potatoes, etc. but the veg is almost a craving since I haven't had anything green in 30 days. I'm maybe eating 2-3 times a day, I also tried a piece of baked tilapia with butter and seasonings that stayed down well with no issues. It seems anything without a sauce or gravy causes issues, nothing too dry. Other than that I seem to be progressing along in the healing up process. Now if I can just get the strength back and walk across the room ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ:)

Most post-op diet plans I see here seem like standard weight loss diets. Some of them seem quite draconian. My surgeon's philosophy was different. From the very beginning he stressed that I was learning a new way of eating. This was a new way for me, but most rational people would view as "healthy" and nothing much out of the ordinary. This would be for the rest of my life. As I said in my previous post, I didn't count things in my plan beyond basic meal planning: Protein first then some veggies. I started at what most here would call a "maintenance diet." In the first 6 weeks, it was no different than my most recent 6 weeks, other than the food was pureed. When I reached goal, nothing changed. I had no desire nor inclination to live the rest of my life dieting. Good luck, Tek

You shouldn’t be experiencing a slow weight loss at only 2 weeks out, especially if this is the original bariatric surgery. Even with a revision, you shouldn’t be stalled (speaking as someone who has been). Looking at the ingredients in your meatball shake, though, I’m not surprised. The meatballs, ricotta and Parmesan are heavy, even though they’ve been blitzed. It sounds like you’re trying to move through the food stages to get to “regular” food again too quickly. This reminds me of a scene in an episode of “ER,” where a bariatric patient swore he was drinking his shakes. Turns out, the ingredients were pizza, an entire fried chicken dinner, and any kind of fast food you can think of, all blended in a blender. We all understand how it feels to be so desperate to get to solid-(ish) foods. The best thing we can do is follow the plan to the letter (and keep after the constipation, that’ll weigh you down, too). Take care, and keep up the good work.

I’ll be 5 years post op in October, and I was (and still am) an avid tracker so I log everything I eat, and my app figures out the cals and macros. During weight loss phase I focused on being ultra-low carb (under 25g NET carbs a day). I also went low-calorie but this sorta happened on its own cuz I didn’t really want to eat much anyway…I.e., by the time I got to goal, I was consuming sub-800 cals a day. lost all the weight I wanted plus a bit more, and looked like death’s older sister lolzzzzz. i eventually got over my fear of carbs during maintenance and by around 2-3 years post-op, was eating whatever carbs I want (not just good carbs, but the not-so-great ones as well…I’m looking at dessert and chips!) BUT I still make sure to stay within my maintenance calorie range1800-ish cals a day normally, 2300+ cals when I’m in an exercising phase. Its worth noting that I actually weigh LESS today (119 lbs) than I did when I was death’s sibling after reaching goal (127 lbs) yet I look waaaaaaay healthier (not so gaunt) now. I think it’s the carbs. While I really liked how my body looked back then when I was low-carbing, my face really suffered. Now, though my body looks less fit and “softer”, my face is also looking “softer” and is quite pleasing to look at in the mirror lolololzzzzzz. long story short, weight loss is ultimately down to calories in and calories out, however way those calories are comprised (carb, fat, or proteins). Stay under your maintenance calories and you WILL lose weight. The trick is finding out what your maintenance calories are at ANY GIVEN POINT IN TIME because it isn’t static and changes with age, activity level, health status, sleep patterns, stress levels, etc….which is why I’m a big proponent of food/body weight/activity tracking cuz all that data helps to figure out patterns and stuff. i get it’s not for everybody though. But I totally credit tracking to me staying under goal weight this entire time (5 years post in October). Good Luck!❤️

Hi My partner had a Allurion balloon fitted 4 days ago. She has been losing each day but today she has put on 3 lb. She has been stringent with her diet. Is this normal when starting to eat pureed food?

If you count carbs you still have to be mindful of how many calories you consume. And if you count calories you have to be mindful of how many of those are from carbs. Fruits and veggies I don't worry so much about. I used the Baritastic app during my 3-month pre-op diet basically to show my nutritionist what I was eating and to make sure I was staying within my limits to lose the weight needed for surgery. Afterwards I don't use it. Logging and thinking about food 24/7 drives me nuts. But I do practice mindful eating and if using it helps keep you on track, then do it. I did like the recipe feature. Just add all ingredients and then your serving size. It does all the math for you. I pretty much know what foods to eat and which to avoid and the WLS restricts my amounts anyway. Portion control, I think is most important. By now I've gotten pretty good at eyeballing what I put on my plate. Some days I can finish it and others I push it away. As long as my weight continues to go down, I know I am on the right track. I'm hoping by the time the honeymoon phase is over and normal hunger returns, I will have formed new habits to maintain my losses and continue losing weight to goal.

I do both. I use the Baritastic app, and I set my calorie and carb goals and try not to exceed them. I think some people take issue with carb counting because there's good carbs and really, really bad carbs. For me, carbs are really important to monitor because I really don't like vegetables. I can eat a bit of fresh salad, but that's about it because I have texture issues. I can't stand cooked veggies, to me it's inedible slime. Lol! Obviously, good carbs are necessary for vitamins and minerals and proper digestion, but carbs with no nutritional value (junk food) only "nurture" us emotionally. Ironically, after we eat crap that makes us feel good momentarily, we start to feel like crap, emotionally (guilt, mood swings) and physically (joint/muscle pain). I stand by my carb detoxes. I never realized how mood-altering crap food can be. I was starting to use junk food like I was using alcohol, just for instant gratification and distraction, alcohol and carb hangovers be damned. However, I was extremely frustrated, and easily irritated all.the.time. My joints hurt when I eat crap. My sleep suffers too. Once I went below 50 carbs a day, my whole attitude changed. I felt better physically and emotionally. Very healthy proteins are moderately high in calories (beef, chicken, seafood), but protein is very necessary with our bariatric surgeries. This is why I give myself more leeway with calories than carbs.Bad carbs, on the other hand, offer nothing but momentary satisfaction. Momentary satisfaction is good once in a while, but the problem with loading up on bad carbs again is that, like a drug, the more we ingest it, the more we crave it. The less we have it in our system, the less it calls our attention. People think I'm being dramatic, but I know how I feel when I detox from carbs and when I start eating crap again. It just snowballs, and eating junk becomes more and more "important" as the day progresses. Using the app really helps me keep a realistic awareness of my nutritional goals. Because I'm only 3 months out, my goal settings right now are 750-800 cal, 70-80g protein, and <50 carbs. I have good days when I hit only 600 cals, 30 carbs, but 85+g protein. I also have my bad days when I consume 875 cals, 60 carbs, but only 65g protein. I think they really go hand in hand because the more carbs I eat, the more calories I'm consuming (and the less protein I get). I worry more about my carb intake because when I go over on my carbs, I know it's because I had bites here and there of junk food (not good carbs). At the end of the day, it really all comes down to what kind of carb intake you have. If your carbs are coming from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, then it's great! But if not, then maybe take stock of them. Either way, I wish you the best always on your continued weight loss journey! P.S. Prior to my surgery, my doc wanted me to lose weight (so he could help me lose weight) so I did a semi-liquid, hyper-low carb diet and lost 32 lbs in 38 days. Didn't count or give a flip about calories. I only drank 3 shakes a day, they wanted me to drink 5. Tan locos! I couldn't drink 5. I did 3 shakes and a hearty all protein dinner.

Okay…so I’m on the puree stage and I got overzealous and ate a small piece of regular chicken that was moist. I chewed it really really good. Later, I had a sharp, deep pain around my biggest incision. Did I just make a detrimental mistake? It started to subside but I’m so afraid of a leak or damage to my sleeve. Has anyone experienced this before?

I have heard that you can get one extreme or the other and I chuckled about feeding your pets I have Sugar Gliders and I feed them this liquid food that I make - pretty much baby food so I will keep that in mind I’m on my second week of liquid diet - and taking laxative & muralx so I am dead sure I have never pooped so much in my life - I think the rumor of 22 lbs of poo in you is true because with liquid diet I don’t know how there is so much unless it’s flushing out that 22 lbs lol on a good note I have lost 10 lbs have meeting tomorrow with anesthesia & some last minute tests - then Friday we do this!! I’m not looking forward to pain - that is my hope going in is that I won’t be in major pain

I have heard that you can get one extreme or the other and I chuckled about feeding your pets I have Sugar Gliders and I feed them this liquid food that I make - pretty much baby food so I will keep that in mind I’m on my second week of liquid diet - and taking laxative & muralx so I am dead sure I have never pooped so much in my life - I think the rumor of 22 lbs of poo in you is true because with liquid diet I don’t know how there is so much unless it’s flushing out that 22 lbs lol on a good note I have lost 10 lbs have meeting tomorrow with anesthesia & some last minute tests - then Friday we do this!! I’m not looking forward to pain - that is my hope going in is that I won’t be in major pain

I'm almost 2 weeks post surgery. I'm feeling much better and starting to tolerate food somewhat. I managed to find a protein powder made with stevia and none of the sucralose which throws my joints into chaos. As long as I drink my protein 3 times a day I'll feel alive the following day. Yesterday I ate something besides mashed potato's. Meatballs, spag sauce, ricotta and parm cheese all pureed into runny much. It was delish. Could only get 1/4 cup down at 10am and I stayed full the rest of the day. Tried to force another "feeding" in at 3pm and managed to bloat. Maybe ate 1/8 cup and had to quit. I hate the bloating. Burping seems a luxury these days. I have 2 more weeks of the puree stage. Weight loss is super slow at this point. I know that'll get better too especially as I can increase my "feedings". I look forward to a new life with new knees (I'm already halfway to new knees YAY).

yep for me getting fluids to comfortably go and stay down has been not the greatest thing. the thin pureed foods are what's working well at least though. Just can't feed my pets at the same time or I'll end up not wanting to eat anymore because my brain thinks it looks the same😂 i also got weird side effects. most people have constipation or trouble with pooping afterward. i straight up day one and on have just been having diarrhea so i let the surgery team know and they said it's alright to not take any senna or milk of magnesia (praise the lord).

I just had my surgery Thurs 8/24/23. I'm still new to all yhis but started a very small support group as well in IG at #thesleevesuite. My goal is to show before , during the healing process and any tips or tricks that can help others. Personally I'll. Be upset if I have to get another surgery bcus I def was in pain but mostly from the air. I do notice that it's like all Drs GUVE diff advice which I find odd. I'm going to do some rewatch in the actual organization if these surgeries so I can see their guidelines. Bcus if can get confusing. I've just been recouping and like I can't sleep. I have insomnia. But idk if I can sip some zquil. I don't want to take the pain meds and /or Xanax if I don't have tok. So if anyone wants to post on the ig I literally just started and haven't posted thd pics yet I'd love to get any input or help to support this journey of mine. Now iv one of my sons can just show me a few more things ( like cutting my head and face off the pics to uploads Or like I never knew they fill us s air which truthfully caused my pain. But I feel like any support given and recurved is fear. I could never now drunk 3 full protein shakes plus all the whydratio so im grateful my son got me the 39 mg protein shakes. I am craving food but I feel full I'm just already sick of 3 days of this no flavor stuff which is why I'm so happy I found this site. It appears to have a lot of variety and Monday I'm going to order a little but if as much as I can afford. I'll leave reviews on here. Idk if I can on my IG w out permission from the company but if you want me to add your tips and tricks just leave me a message on #Thesleevesuite. We are all in this journey together. Anyone who thinks this is the easy way out is def clueless. I'm happy to see such variety avail on here. I can't wait til Monday to order some items but I'm in a tight budget. Any suggestion I need ideas for salty snacks when im iff the protein /clear liquids. Oh yea and I'm located in the Us but I didn't have to do a ord op diet except moo after. Midnight before surgery and my oysche even struggled w that and I snuck and ice cream sandwich!! But my surgery wasn't until like 1:3o pm. It's def a very odd feeling though to FEEL full but STILL HAVE CRAVINGS. HOPEFULLY THIS PART PASSES. MY KIDS DIED LAUGHING CUS I 1/2 joked that I'd love to just lick a pizza. Lol I'm so scared of this dumping thing though I'm going to ply it safe for sure. I will be passing this site in to my sister who has full bariatric June 8th. They have great items on here. Thank you!

Arabesque the roasted fava/chick peas as a snack? I’m guessing the peanut paste is peanut butter? And what is Labneh? I’ll admit I’m not the most adventurous or knowledgeable about foods and I’m very unfamiliar with foods abroad bc even when I travel I’m reluctant to eat a lot of things

Oh yes, plans can be very different @PennyinAL & we have different needs too which is why I suggested to the OP she contact her team about their requirements/expectations about snacking & what would be best for her. My plan was quite restrictive in some ways compared to others but it wasn’t difficult to follow. And my dietician adjusted the requirements based upon my needs as I progressed. Finding a way of eating that is sustainable, meets your individual needs & doesn’t restrict/limit your ability to live the life you want is essential. Certainly contributed to my successful weight loss & continued maintenance. 🙂 And yes it does take research & trying different things. It would be way easier for all of us if there was one way of eating that worked for everyone. PS. Out of curiosity what of the foods I mentioned didn’t you know?

First week out from surgery, it's normal to have gas pain/incision pain. Walking is the best medicine to expel the air that was pumped into you while performing the surgery. If it's a different kind of gas from something you ate or drank then Gas X would probably help if you are allowed to take it 3 days post op. I didn't suffer from any of the horrid gas pains but did have a lot of the gurgling as you described. I made myself get up and walk every hour for 5 minutes. I was more worried about getting blood clots. Congrats on your recent surgery @Nissi88 and week 2 should be much better for you. Whenever I have a lot of burping, it's usually accompanied by the foamies and/or nausea. I read the foamies are the stomachs way of protecting itself from an irritant by producing the slime that coats the stomach. Early on that healing stomach can be easily irritated so I was careful not to force food or drink trying to meet daily goals. I just made sure I didn't allow myself to become dehydrated.

Thank you ladies for the well needed advice. I’m still learning but don’t want to be a stress to my own self lol… I’ve never had GERD / reflux. But the spasms are definitely real. I’m happy I am not alone. As far as the eating I’ve been trying to but it’s not easy at all… So far my bowels has been great to me Praise God. I try to do the wait couple minutes but I do get frustrated very fast and it makes me not want my food if I have to stop to eat. It is a process I know I have to go through but phewww it’s not easy.. Again thank you lovely Ladies for the great advice.

I'm wondering if anyone can suggest some kind of food/snack/supplement that will give me a quick energy boost. I drink a protein shake that has caffeine (equivalent to 1 cup of coffee) once a day for breakfast. Sometimes, though, later in the evening, I feel a drop in my energy. I'm trying to keep my cal under 800, and my carbs under 40g. I don't want to consume more caffeine because it's a diuretic, and I have enough trouble staying hydrated as it is. Are there any snacks or supplements that will give me a quick boost of energy for the afternoon. I'm kinda dragging "(__(__)" during my last 2 classes at the end of the day. I'm taking my vitamins exactly as I should, and my numbers came back great on my blood work. I'd just like to know what, if anything, y'all use for a quick pick-me-up. TIA! EDIT* Just wanna add that I'm 3 months and 8 days out of my revision to bypass surgery, and I'm consuming 75-85g of protein daily.

@Shaqsback! Hi! By now you would have had your surgery. How are you doing thus far? My doctor informed me that weight loss is possible and that I will have to work at it. I would say we have 6 weeks of liquid to pureed to soft foods on LCD so we should take advantage! I don't need more sagging skin so hopefully I can walk on the treadmill and when I can do some light weight training to avoid this. My surgery is in 2 days! Monday 8/28 Give updates when you can. My sleeve was in 2017

Probably the best way to purée chicken is to blend it in a blender or food processor with chicken or other stock until it’s the texture you’re looking for. Add a thickening agent, such as tapioca flour, if needed. Yes, chicken meat can be dryer than other meats, but the dark meat is moister

OMG, some of the food dreams I have had right before and since my surgery have been crazy- me eating lots of pasta and pizza and chocolate and oh gosh, candy and snack bars. Grabbing handfuls of the things and stuffing them in my mouth 😂

You aren't required to eat breakfast food for breakfast. Good luck, Tek

Hi Arabesque ir is definitely very different from location to location because you’re from another country and the food references are for items that I have not even heard of :). As I mentioned in another post the difference from dr to dr can be HUGE as to the amount of care you receive, the amount of post surgery guidance and what is expected of patients. Some patients have very detailed instructions and menus while some of us get very little information. I have noticed that some people are convinced that carbs are no longer allowed, some are fine with them. My dr doesn’t seem to have a problem with them although they want you to get your protein in then veg and then if room allow carbs. I think that carbs, while not ideal, aren’t the devil. I also believe that if you’re eating a total of less than 4 oz per meal (my dr literally gives you a 4 oz measure cup and says this is what you do for all meals, the cup is imprinted with the words “measure for success”) that as long as you stick to food instead of junk you will probably be fine. Yes, make sure you get the protein but most foods aren’t that calorie dense. I found a TikTok person who is a bariatric patient who has videos specifically for snacks for low carb keto diet. I think we all have to do our research and find what works for our bodies and lifestyles.

I think developing gerd post sleeve is about 30% but many of those can manage it with medication & dietary choices. Like @DeAnnasNewLife23, I had reflux before my sleeve. It was mild & I managed it with dietary choices rarely needing meds. I still have reflux though it’s different. I need meds everyday (Nexium 20mg), still watch my food choices (no spicy foods, nothing too rich or too fatty/oily, no coffee, limit carbonation, etc.). Not eating or drinking will likely cause you reflux/gerd like symptoms simply because you have no food in your tummy to absorb the acid your body is producing & no fluids to flush it through your digestive system. The excess acid can also cause unpleasant diarrhoea too. I won’t mention the major health complications not drinking & not eating to get your necessary nutrients in will cause. To avoid that stuck feeling ensure you are eating slowly, taking small bites, eating foods that aren’t too dry, coarse or heavy & not eating more than your appropriate portion. It can result in the foamies too. I used a teaspoon to eat & literally ate 1/2 teaspoon at each bite. Take a bite, chew well & wait a couple of minutes or more before taking a second bite. I could take 20 or 30 minutes to eat 1/4 -1/3 cup of food. If the stuck feeling is like a tightness across your chest that could be your restriction. There’s a lot to learn & to discover what works for you & it can change as you progress. It takes time but you’ll get there.

Eggs can be difficult for many people at first. I was a lucky one & could eat them but only scrambled. Our tummies can be weird & quirky. I lived on scrambled eggs & rolled oats for breakfast (still do four years out until a few months back my tummy decided it didn’t like eggs anymore - see weird tummy). Some people stick with protein shakes for breakfast because of food aversions, simplicity & protein. I hated the shakes so i ate a high protein yoghurt & yoghurt drink ( blend the yoghurt with milk) to supplement my protein. You could try that for breakfast. It really is a lot of trial & error unfortunately. The gas, bloating, cramping, etc, could be your body adjusting to your altered digestive system. Has your surgeon offered any solutions or suggestions on how to manage it like gas X for the wind? All the best.