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I don't think anyone here can really tell you if you should or shouldn't as it's a forever decision and some people might not be suitable for it. You just need to be 100% honest with yourself and what you want in life and what you're happy to sacrifice to have it. But I will be brutally honest with you and tell you my experience. Are you happy to spend the rest of your life unable to eat normal size meals? Are you happy spending the rest of your life prioritizing nutrition and protein and avoiding high calories/high sugar foods? You'll even have to monitor when you eat and drink as you can't do both at the same time. These are some things people don't realize you will have to do. I think there's a big misconception out there that you get the surgery, and the weight just falls off and you don't have to do anything but it's so far from that, people do fail with this surgery, people do stay obese and some even gain the weight back once they've lost a little, it happens. You will struggle, you will have to see a nutritionist, you will have to learn to eat right, you have to learn to focus on getting as much protein as possible and if you eat sugar and chocolate and cakes, the weight will just come right back only this time you'll also have deficiencies. Even so, it's not a bad thing. I think all of that is a lot easier than being obese and I'm happy to have this as a life, if it means I can run without knee pain. Also there's more deaths caused by obesity than the surgery, having the surgery adds years to your life, just make sure you go to a legit surgeon. I wanted the surgery 12 years ago, when i was only 215lbs, had 0 stretch marks and was still pretty young, but many people talked me out of it and I decided to go hard core instead and crash dieted my way to 150lbs, within a year I was at 200lbs again and then after another year 250lbs, then crash dieted again to 175lbs, then I went all the way up to 265lbs and yoyo'd like that for 7years. My weight gain had started when I met my now ex, before I met him I was tiny and fit, it took me many months of therapy after I left him, to find out I was dating a narcissist that was feeding me to keep me fat and then using my weight as justification to hurt me and call me names... and prevent me from leaving him thinking i wasn't good enough for anyone. Every time I had lost the weight in the past, he would freak out and make me feel bad, accuse me of trying to get fit to leave him and that was part of the reason I think I yoyo'd so bad. I was doing it for the wrong reasons, and i lived with someone that enjoyed watching me in pain. So the dieting would have never worked. I got the surgery thinking that it would be the end of arguments and part of me thought it would make him happy in the long run and things would change but no, our relationship ended and now I'm actually glad, because if I had stayed with him, even with the surgery, I'd still be obese. Am I happy I had it done? Yes, but there's times when I'm sad I can't just eat a normal meal at a restaurant, thankfully you can take left overs home and eat the rest as another meal later . There's people that will never understand and will say you cheated, talk behind your back and just be rude. It's gotten to the point I don't tell anyone I had the surgery because I'm tired of justifying it. Overall for me it was the right thing to do, even if i wasn't in the right mindset at the time, because it helped end a toxic relationship, it fixed my binge eating disorder, I got therapy and have been working on myself physically and mentally with the aim to maintain my health for life. I've still got a long way to go but i'm already feeling better about myself. I actually bought a corset for the first time in 10 years having loved them when i was younger... And it fit and looked good!!! My insurance wouldn't pay for the surgery, so i used all my life savings and I'm still happy I did. Take the time to really think about this, look at all the pros and cons. Decide if your reasons for wanting it are worth it. It is an amazing tool to help you lose weight and I think with the right guidance many people will benefit from having this done but you need to decided it you're one of them. Either way, if you decided to do the surgery or calorie count, we're always here to chat and support you. All the best on your journey to a healthier life.

Okay, I’m going to go down the straight talking path first so be warned. Cheating is cheating. A slip is different. A slip happens once & then you work to ensure you don’t repeat it. It’s understandable & relatable - everyone slips along the way in some way or other. Cheating implies you are doing it repeatedly. Only you know which category you fall into. This is just the beginning. After surgery you have at least 6 more weeks of restricted eating then months of following a eating plan to support your weight loss & your adopting better eating habits. Not everyone loses their appetite & has no interest in eating in the months after surgery. Our battles with eating do continue in some form or frequency even for those who lose their hunger in the beginning. The surgery isn’t a magic cure. It’s just a tool which works best if you put in the work. It isn’t easy but so worth it. When you reach for that chicken, etc., remind yourself why you’re doing this. Also reflect on why you’re reaching for it: a craving, an emotional need so for comfort, are you bored, angry, sad, annoyed, stressed, is it a habit, etc.? Try looking for a distraction. Go for a walk, read, ring a friend, craft, play a game, garden, check social media, etc. Try having a hot drink instead too. These can be useful habits to adopt long term. Now the softer path: Some plans do allow one meal of lean protein & vegetables & two protein shake meals on the pre surgical diet. (Some surgeons have a preferred plan they put all their patients on while others put different patients on different plans based on individual needs & circumstances.) Speak with your team to see if they would be willing for you to follow a modified plan instead of the all shake diet. It doesn’t hurt to ask & they may say yes. You can do this. All the best.

I didnt have room for anything else but protein at the soft food point, but i just ate tuna/tiny bit of mayo/chopped pickles— making sure they were super chopped. Later you could try cucumber slices as a “chip” - and like you said leafy green wrap might be a good solution when you are ready for that.

Wondering if this ever resolved for you? I’m 4 weeks out and I’m dealing with the same issue. Zofran 8mg is not doing it for me. X-rays shows acid reflux even though I don’t feel or taste it… I was eating normally and advancing in my diet, following orders and all of sudden half way third week I couldn’t eat or tolerate anything anymore. I can’t also have any protein at all cause I will throw up. Imaging showed everything was good. Now I’m worried I will de compensate.

For reference, I have a complicated medical history including several co-morbidities, an autoimmune disease that has affected my gut, eyes, and spine, with a history of small bowel ulcerations, and a history of iron deficiency and vitamin D deficiency that only respond to high dose pills (Vitamin D) and regular iron infusions. A while back I saw my first bariatric surgeon and had an awful experience. The guy was dismissive of my concerns, brushed off my questions, and was in the room less than 5 minutes and told me the DS was my only option and anything else would fail. His nurse was rude and took my blood pressure with the wrong cuff and when it came out at 175/112 told me I was just too nervous. (I know what "white coat hypertension looks like and mine does not look like that!). They rushed me through, didn't answer my questions, and I felt like a number. I saw my second surgeon today and the difference in visit was like night and day! He was much more engaged, has the same concerns about my surgery that I do, and said that it may be possible to only do a sleeve but if that ends up being the case we will make the best of it! He even volunteered to call my Gastroenterologist and chat with her to get her opinion and risk assessment if we go for a more invasive surgery. She has treated me for almost a decade so I really trust her opinion but I couldn't get an appointment to see her. He thanked me for giving him an interesting challenge to work on! And I got to meet my case manager who was super sweet. So all in all I am feeling much better at this place, super thankful for the long chat the doctor took the time to have, and incredibly relieved that the concerns are not all in my head like the last surgeon made me feel! To anyone with lots of questions and a doctor who won't answer them, it was definitely worth the effort to get a second opinion. As one of my doctors said "You need to be REALLY confident and comfortable with the surgeon that's going to cut into your gut and rearrange your insides!" LOL Oh, and my blood pressure was 104/67. 🤣

I just started the Puree stage of my diet. I made a batch of Pureed Chicken thighs made from skinless boneless chicken breasts with every iota of fat removed. I thinned it with low sodium chicken broth until it came together into a paste. I combine this with pureed hard boiled eggs and a little light mayo and greek yogurt to make a simple egg/chicken salad. I also mixed the pureed chicken with broths and strained cream soups to add a little protein and flavor. My body seems to be tolerating the chicken in pureed form just fine. I was a little concerned about introducing chicken back into my diet after talking to a friend who had Gastric Bypass about 8 years ago. She said Milk and Chicken were nightmare foods for her. I understand how you feel about chicken wings, and that crunchy fried texture. (I love my air fryer too). I have a few pounds of chicken wings, 2 wing-ettes per zip-lock bag, in the freezer waiting for the 'regular food' phase of my diet to start, after soft foods. My plan is to slow cook them in a sauce of some form until they are tender. It wont be crunchy, but they still will be wings. I have them in pairs of 2 for portion control. I'm going to treat them as, well, a Treat, and consume in moderation. Good luck on Soft foods, and your weight loss journey!

There are some days that I'm SOOOO hungry. Not every day, just some days. What do you do about it? I eat high protein snacks/meals/shakes, but it's not enough. I'm not satisfied. Then there are days I have to make myself eat. I just don't get it.

I had something that sounds sort of similar to this yesterday. I’ve consistently been eating my yogurt and a protein shake in the morning to wake my stomach up slowly, but I had a small bit of an omelette instead and it felt so strange right after. Last time I do that. I got back on my normal routine today.

I'm not sure how "northern" in Kentucky you are, but right across the river in Cincinnati there are many options. I had my procedure at JourneyLite in Evendale, OH...I'm not sure if they offer a VSG to DS revision, but you could call and ask. I felt very well taken care of by them.

jamaican jerk pork AND oxtail AND rice and peas. the rice was super filling...should've just ate the protein by itself. will eat the rest later if its still around. 🤞🏼 425 calories for the bowl.

Thanks for the information. I'll looked into it. It looks like it'll help some. I'm thinking exercise and surgery will be my only best option. Thankfully it's not too bad, but I hate it, especially on my legs where everyone can see it when I wear shorts or dresses.

I will agree with logging what you are eating and reviewing that. I have not myself gained, but when I felt I didn't loose enough in a week, I realized I was either short on protein or water those days. Also exercising will change your weight on the scale as you retain liquid for muscle recovery.

Seasoned broths can help with that, I know it's not "chewy" but I know I really missed savory things at the time. I was buying a brand of "beef pho broth" and adding garlic and ginger to it.

I know what you mean! But once you're over the liquid diet hump, everything is a breeze! I'm almost done with the pureed stage and didn't feel nearly as excruciatingly long as the liquid, heck, I even stuck with liquids rather than pureed with added high protein yogurts and adding gel fruit cups. You'll get to shredded chicken in soft foods in no time!

I'm so sorry you are going through this but like others have said it will get better as you eat more. I used to take daily Fiber and bought protein shakes that had fiber in them to stay regular. Now all I use is a daily protein shake with fiber in order to reach my daily fiber goal since I'm getting more fiber from food.

I’m hungry. Lol I miss chewing food. I’m only on day 8 post op. Chewing jello is not the same. It’s not like chicken. Lol Drinking my protein all day long is getting old really fast. Sigh… #justventing

This is so encouraging, thank you for posting! I have been researching my options as I'd prefer to go with the sleeve but have over 100 lbs to lose and I have been told that's not possible to do and maintain long term with the sleeve. It really helps to see those who have done it and maintained! Great job putting in all that hard work, you look fantastic! And thank you for your service. ❤️

If you are having milk with your cereal and able to keep that down, drink that. Any liquid will count towards your daily hydration needs besides water. Find things your body won't reject within your doctor's food plan and concentrate on those things, no matter how limited it is. For now, at least, till you get further out and past all the nausea. Also, you might need to wait longer than 30 minutes after eating to drink. Sometimes I have to wait an hour or more or else I can't keep any liquid down. As I was allowed more options to eat, I found out quickly that my tummy wasn't having certain foods. Chicken is a big no for me. Try not to introduce things too quickly. Your body sounds like it's just not ready for most things. Good luck!

Thank you so much for that information! I've been looking for a good protein shake for a while so this is super helpful 🙂 I hope your revision went well!

I can relate. I had my MGB 18 months ago and I've been and still struggling with head hunger too. I also felt the restriction has eased a lot after 1 year. Up to 12 months, I was not able to finish 1 hard boiled egg and half a toast. Now I can finish that and have a cup of coffee with it for breakfast. Sometimes, when I'm not too busy at work I find myself always wanting to snack on something. I've stated packing some salad from home to snack on whenever I feel like eating something. Chickpeas are another good option because it is high in protein and fiber and makes me full for a long time. Getting up and walking around the office, drinking some water / coffee also helps when I get the "urge" to eat. I hope this helps.

I would ask if they have any set nutrition goals for which they want you to aim (calories, protein, carbs, fiber). I would also ask if you're taking your vitamins correctly, or if they would have you make any changes. Make sure to let them know how much water you're drinking, they'll tell if you if it's enough or not. Take any vitamins and medications you're using with you, so they can know exactly what you're taking.

I had my revision June 21st, original R N Y in 2005. Just remind yourself it is to make sure your liver is smaller to make the surgery less complicated for you! If you haven't tried them yet, bariatric pal has awesome protein shots available. I love the orange. It's like conentrated Tang! 100 calories, 15 grams of protein. Other really good protein shakes that got me through it, Redcon1 Protein shakes are 0 grams of sugar 250 calories and 40 grams of protein. Also KaChava is a good powder shake with alot of protein and super foods in it. I still incorporate these in my diet post surgery and it definately helps. Hope your surgery goes well with no issues!

Don't be concerned. Everyone's different. I am only liquids 2 days before surgery and in the hospital. When discharged I can move to cream soups and protein shakes.

I’m trying to find the best protein powder. Right now I’m using Premier Protein pre made bottles-cake batter, coffee, chocolate peanut butter, cookies and cream and banana are my favorites. What are protein powders that are being used everyone? Thank you.

I agree with you!! I am so paranoid about eating too many calories and so i under eat! I am 3.5 months out of sleeve surgery and I think my body is in starvation mode. I'm going to try to up my calories to 600 and see if that breaks my somewhat stall. i was drinking a protein shake at night but i figured its like 160 calories before bed.....not sure if that is good for me. I drink it in the morning now as breakfast. Then i will have no fat cottage cheese or greek yogurt as a snack a couple hours after dinner.