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Unfortunately weight loss isn’t consistent. You won’t get a lovely perfectly straight line on a graph. It zig & zags. More one week, less the next. None one week and a gain the next. We also have natural fluctuations in our weight which are all normal and when we are weighing ourselves every day they suddenly are very obvious. There are many reasons why we have these fluctuations and I swear sometimes it’s just your body messing with you. As long as your weight loss trend (over weeks and months) is in a downward direction you’re doing well. Add some soluble fibre to your soup or shake each day to help with the constipation. I got into a routine too. No poop for three days I took a stool softener. Remember too at first you’re not consuming much so you don’t have much for your body to excrete from so don’t expect to go every day. Despite some hiccups (like the power outage and loss of food) things seem to be going pretty smoothly for you. Yay!

Generally, the closer you can get to a natural, whole food diet, the better. The goal is to get your protein from real food and to learn recipes and choices that will work for you forever. Having said this, it all depends what you like and what you can tolerate. Personally, I hated protein drinks but I did find a powdered one I liked and ended up having one per day at breakfast until I hit about 8 months post-op, but that was because I pre-bought a ton of the stuff on a big sale and wanted to use it up instead of wasting it. Once you can manage a Greek yogurt, a couple eggs, and 3-6 oz of meat over the course of a day, you probably don't need protein supplements.

You may want to just keep them around and have them at night if there’s a day that you realize that you aren’t going to meet your protein goal. I also take them in a cooler. If I know I’m going to be having some kind of a crazy day where I may end up tempted to eat something less than ideal for lunch or whatever I’ll have that instead. And if I don’t use it, I just put it back in the fridge for the next time. They are quite tasty though, and I for a long time was having one for breakfast with coffee as an iced coffee for quite some time actually. Most doctors will agree that if you can get your protein from real food that’s preferred over something artificial, but it’s most important that you get your protein and if you need it, you need it I mean, that’s what my doctor said anyway

You just reminded me. I was allowed a couple free foods on my preop. The sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles and broth and lettuce, pickles and something else I didn’t like. The popsicles helped a lot. I got the tropical flavor ones. The pineapple was so good I have them in my freezer today and still Have them as a snack. I log All of my food even my calcium chews but I still don’t count them or dill pickle spears as free foods and do not log them. It sounds kind of crazy, but mentally it allows me to not feel like I’m starving because I can always have a pickle or a popsicle, no matter what else I had that day. For me more than half of this is a mental battle and I have to learn little ways to trick my brain into not wanting to overindulge. Just keep in mind with the popsicles that some doctors do not want you to have red or purple a couple days out from your surgery. Just double check your literature for something like that. I actually ate the red and orange ones first and save the pineapple ones for the couple days before surgery and that was my favorite two days because I love the pineapple. 😂

I think we first need to define stall here. A true stall is when your weight does not go down even after 2-3 weeks. 3 DAYS does not constitute a stall. Keep in mind that your body is made up of lots of other "stuff" besides fat. Things that can easily vary from day to day and even hour to hour besides fat: Muscle mass Water weight (did you know that your body is about 60% water?) Food weight Stool weight Of those, the biggest culprits early on are likely water weight and stool weight. The latter one because lots of people struggle with constipation early after surgery. Water weight can vary for lots of different reasons, but hormone changes, medicines, temperature differences, fluid consumption rate, stress levels, excess salt consumption, illness and low protein, potassium or magnesium intake all can contribute to water retention. I know you said you just HAD to weigh yourself daily, but if you are expecting to always see a nice linear drop in your weight day-to-day, weighing so often is probably not a great idea for you. Remember, this is for the long-haul, so don't stress small variations in your weight. It would be physiologically impossible for you to have literally stopped losing fat at this point.

Thank you I’m sorry about your mom. It’s so hard to wait to get help and especially hard to see your loved ones have to wait. I definitely avoid eggs lol they don’t make me throw up but they do cause other issues eggs, lactose except for hard cheeses, chicken - except when it’s ground up, pork, anything fried, salad dressing, mayo, steak, and a lot of beef, protein shakes, protein bars, nuts, corn, onions, juices, oranges, avocado, most turkey, products, and turkey itself, pineapple, any food product from Starbucks - I am 100% sure this is preservative oriented, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, spinach (sometimes can tolerate cooked) I’m not really interested in sympathy, but you can tell there’s not a whole lot left. This is pretty much why I am now affected less than I was because having figured out the list I do end up eating something from the list eventually as I have no choice or I won’t eat. I’m sure I’m missing 10 or 15 items. I would think if it was a parasite my blood work would not be as good as it is. And my blood pressure is 120/72. I’m considering trying a protein shake that is clear to see if the other things that are in them causing the issue or if it’s actually protein but mostly, I’m just looking forward to getting a colonoscopy and an endoscopy to find out what the hell is going on

I get the routine thing. I very much stick as closely to my routine as I can but sometimes I just can’t. All I can do is Just make the best choices I can. I can do no more than that. Don’t beat myself up about it but know I will be back in my routine when I get home. That’s all you can do too. You don’t want to negatively colour your wonderful holiday overly worrying about dietary choices. There are things you can do. Keep your activity up. Check on what the cruise offers in terms of gyms, walking routes around the ship, classes, etc. and make a plan to incorporate something every day. Plus you’ll probably be doing a lot of walking at your various stops which will help balance any additional calories you consume. But you may be surprised at what may be available food wise. Don’t hesitate to ask for changes to dishes either. And if you put on a couple of pounds, you’ll find they drop off once you’re back on your path only needing a small change temporarily to lose them. Have a n amazing time on the cruise.

So sorry to read you are having these experiences @Dsmart. Wait times for specialists are terrible everywhere regardless of what country you live these days. (My mum was told 18 months to see a gerontologist in Australia. She told them not to bother as she could be dead by then!) I have experienced a sudden & unexpected intolerance to a specific food but nothing like yours & it was only one food: eggs. Never had an issue with them after surgery but around the four year mark I suddenly started to vomit if I ate them (didn’t matter how they were cooked.) took about 18 months I was able to eat them again but I generally avoid them - too risky if I’m out. I wonder if it could be a parasite or a bacterial infection if not the cause but contributing to your symptoms. When you do see the gastroenterologist ensure you get a colonoscopy, an endoscopy and stool samples are taken. Ask about trying a FOD map diet which eliminates a lot of ingredients that can cause digestional issues. (Actually you could try it now.) Just throwing some ideas out there. No expert. I did have the parasite giardia for years which hates lactose and causes cramping and strong diarrhoea and a general feeling of being unwell which made me suggest a parasite or bacteria. A cousin is on a FOD map diet after experiencing an array of digestional issues following a series of viruses including covid twice. I hope you can get some answers and a solution soon.

I didn’t have significant issues immediately after the surgery. I know a lot of people experience, dumping, nausea, and vomiting. I had one experience of vomiting, and it was simply because I made a bad choice to drink a drink that had too much sugar in it. I really had, other than the inability to eat big portions, no issues at all. Since that was what I was going for to begin with I was pretty happy and felt very fortunate. I followed what I now know to be a pretty typical less fiber, diet as the lettuce and other things seem to not do well. But vegetables that were cooked were fine. About three years ago, I started to experience extreme, explosive diarrhea - at first I thought it was random… Maybe I was sick, or I had eaten something bad. At that point, the occurrences were about a month apart. As this started to occur more often, I started eliminating things from my diet. Last summer, it was every day. I also had cramping and it would continue until my bowel was empty. At that point out of complete necessity I changed everything I wrote down what my habits were, anything that was consistent that I was consuming. I started systematically removing. I had stopped drinking diet sodas about five years ago, and it never occurred to me that artificial sugar could play a role in this however, I did find out that as I added, sugar-free vanilla to my coffee each day, that was playing a huge role. As soon as I started drinking, just black coffee I felt some relief. I thought that maybe I found the solution. It went from every day to every other day basically. So I started cutting more things out. And then I started having more symptoms. My stomach hurt when I ate. It felt like my esophagus hurt. I started having food come back up. I had to eliminate anything with oil in it. Almost everything I enjoy eating in anyway is off the list. Which is fine, I’m 63. I don’t need to enjoy my meals, exactly. However, it makes selecting food very difficult, especially as I travel a lot. I’ve now started adding gas, more cramping, and the symptoms are better one day worse than next. as to what my team says, lol… My gastroenterology appointment is next month. I have been waiting four months for that appointment. My blood work is perfect better than it’s ever been. I’ve had an ultrasound on my abdomen. Everything is fine except for my gallbladder has some sludge in it. I am well aware that my gallbladder perhaps is part of the problem. However, my PCP thinks that I should just lose weight and my gallbladder will be OK. With that, I can’t lose weight. I’ve actually gained during this whole time. Which seems almost impossible as I spend a tremendous amount of time eliminating everything I eatalmost immediately. The other amazing part of this is I feel great other than the diarrhea/other stuff. I go to the gym, I travel every week for work, I am in different environments with different schedules and somehow I have been able to work around my situation. I have had to cut out longer flights, which has made me really sad because I’ve missed several opportunities to go places I’ve wanted to go, but the risk of not being able to being in a bathroom for a half hour is too high. my current list of what I can eat with no issue is toast, sharp cheddar cheese, cooked green beans, chicken noodle soup, and Parmesan cheese crisps. It’s not a diet that anyone really wants to live on lol. Nor is it actually possible to live on.

You're on vacation. There are no rules on vacation, especially 13 years post-op. Having said that, protein first as always. The rest can wait until you get home. I've never had an issue finding tolerable foods and I dump on sugars and fats, so more restrictive than most. Cruises are known for their volume and variety of food. They even cater to different diets. You'd really have to work pretty hard to have a problem. Good luck, Tek

I'm about the same amount of time since my bypass. I don't recall having an intollerance to almost all foods for extended periods. But for a few days or a week, sure. I don't think you should rule out the experience of anyone based on years post-op because there are people here that know more about weight loss surgeries than you and I. Heck, they give many surgeons a run for their money. Some of us research the stuffing out of weight loss surgeries before we even see a surgeon. Could you fill us in on what's going on? How does your intollerance work? Does it prevent you from swallowing, or does your food come back up? How long after eating? Anything else change during this period? Your previous issues could also provide insight into your current issues. Also, what does your medical team say? Tons of knowledge and experience is on the edge of their seats waiting to help. Tek

If anyone is 15 years or more out of surgery and having some issues, I would like to share and get some advice. I have climbed a lot of mountains lol in terms of side effects, etc. but now I am finding an intolerance to almost all foods. This is new in the last year and a half and has gotten worse

Most of the comfort foods that I prefer are not exactly on plan. Chili or chicken chili are nice for the cold weather though and they’re on my plan. I also like quiche. I found one at Walmart by the deli that is made with egg whites so it’s less calories. Of course it’s still a little high in fat because it’s got full milk cheese but considering it’s a prepared food that’s fairly inexpensive It’s reasonable macros. I definitely have to be sure to have like just a protein shake for breakfast and then something really reasonable for dinner like chicken breast or fish with veggies. Anyways, if you consider it what I do is just slice it up while it’s cold and then heat one slice in the oven at a time so it’s nice and crispy and good. I’ve not tried freezing yet cause I’m not sure if it’s safe to freeze eggs like that. I know you can’t freeze raw eggs but I don’t know about eggs that are in something. Seems like the texture would not be the same. Anyways, I hope everyone. Find a way to stay relatively warm and not let this cold weather mess us up too bad.

@SpartanMaker okay I have all my food prepped and ready for this week so I am going to follow up with you next week, once I figure out my foods for the week! Thank you for all the advice and taking the time to go through this with me!

Yes! I've been experiencing the same lack of motivation. I feel its (for me anyway) the constant cloudy days, the nothing new (surgery almost 18 months out now) ..same old food..I mean lets be honest here chicken is chicken is chicken and lastly I've noticed this if you watch TV every commercial; children with cancer/disabilities, dogs and cats abused left out in the cold, maimed soldiers, pharmaceuticals for ailments, food/homes for ppl etc. Its depressing! I wish I had magical motivating words for you, but remember you've done so well with your journey to a healthier body/lifestyle there will be occasional physical and mental setbacks..its all part of the journey. Could it be depression? Maybe, but I feel ppl are too quick to call mental downs(we can't be up all the time) "depression". Just as we can't be motivated all the time! Now if it lasts for months on end -possibly. Just take a step back, give yourself a break after all you've done so much all ready! Take the time to self reflect, feel down if need be it IS part of being human..then pick yourself up and do what you need to do..I've read your posts you are a go getter, motivated kind hearted person to others - be that way for/to yourself! Lastly, do a self check maybe especially during winter check your vitamins - especially Vitamin D, maybe you need an adjustment, how are your macros? Do something completely different out of your normal comfort zones. I personally detest working out and I agree knowing you need to and doing it/enjoying it two different things. Sometimes you just need a break. Do yourself a favor and give yourself one! Now, here I will differ from the post above; I don't personally like the " schedule" your workouts.. Writing them down because it reinforces my feeling down if/when I don't do them, seeing my failure doesn't help me feel better only worse, but each of us works differently. Do what helps you.

Depression can definitely impact motivation, so your husband may be on to something? That said, there is a difference between clinical depression and situational depression. Clinical depression is generally a lot more serious and long lasting, whereas situational depression tends to be less severe and tends to get better over time once you are further out from the triggering event. I'm not a mental health professional, but it certainly seems more like situational depression to me if you're really stressed about the work/funding situation. I think if you are concerned, the best course of action would be to talk to a mental health professional. We all go through some rough stuff every now and again, so if you need help, please get it. With that out of the way, I do also want to give you my thoughts on general overall motivation to exercise when you are struggling with that. What people often fail to understand is that humans are literally designed to conserve calorie expenditure. This is a key survival instinct, or at least it was back when food was a lot more scarce than it is today. I mention this because sometimes people think there's something wrong with them when they are not motivated to workout. Actually just the opposite is true. That feeling to want to do just about anything else other than workout is instinctual. So what do we do about this? well, since calorie conservation is such a strong instinct, we need even stronger things to overcome that feeling. Below are some ways we can do that. These are roughly in order of importance (at least in my opinion): Probably the single most important thing is to really understand your why. By that I mean if you don't really know why you want to exercise, or if the reason is somewhat vague (such as just feeling like you're supposed to), that just may never be enough. Really explore what caused you to want to make this change. If the reason is sufficiently important (for me it was not wanting to die an early death), then it makes everything else a lot easier because you can always refer back to the why when you'd rather just do something else. Make it a habit. Let's be honest. There are certain things you do in life that are just habits and you don't really need motivation to do them. They may not even be things you enjoy, but you do them anyway. For me that's things like laundry or dishes. Showering or brushing my teeth might be more examples. I don't really need a lot of motivation to do them, I just do them because that's part of what I do day to day. What we want to do is get to the point that exercising is just another habit. This could be a pretty long post in and of itself, but one tip I have is something called "habit stacking". I blatantly stole this idea from a book by author James Clear called "Atomic Habits". (I Highly recommend reading it by the way.) The idea here is to attach the new habit you want, such as working out, to an existing one you already do like eating dinner. It might look like this: "After I eat dinner, I will go for a walk around the block" Set realistic goals and update them as you progress. Realistic is the key here because I often find that people either set too easy of a goal, or much more likely, too hard of a goal. If your goal is to workout 5 days a week for 30 minutes at a time when right now, you're basically doing nothing, that's simply too much at once. A much better goal would be something like "I'm going to go to the gym once this week". For some people, just getting out the door and to the gym is the hardest part, so if the goal is just getting there, it overcomes the biggest challenge. Most likely, once you're there, you'll at least do something (you won't just turn around and come home). The same can be true if you're goal is walking around the neighborhood. Often just getting out the door is the hardest part, so instead of saying I'm going to walk 30 minutes a day, simply make the goal getting out the door once this week. This one is a little harder, but you need to explore your feelings and determine what your intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are. Some people are motivated almost exclusively by one of the other, but my experience is that most people are motivated at least in part by both internal and external things. When you know what these things are, it makes motivation a lot easier. As an example, I really love the way working out makes me feel, which is a strong internal motivator. That said, I also really enjoy looking fit. (I'm vain, sue me). I use these two things to my advantage. Put it on your schedule. Way too many people say they are just too busy to workout, but most of the time, that's just an excuse. If it's important, then you'll put it on your calendar just like anything else that's important. "Pre-prep" for your workout. This can vary depending on what you do, but a lot of people that workout in the morning (or immediately after work), find that if they lay out their workout clothes, or pack their gym bags before they go to bet the night before, it takes away one of the biggest challenges they have to getting the workout started. This removes an excuse not to do the workout, and in addition, serves as a reminder to actually do the workout. These are the biggest ones that come to mind for me. There are other tricks and tips I could give (like finding an accountability partner), but this post is already pretty long. One final thing I wanted to mention. A lot of people have found (and research backs this up), that regular exercise can actually significantly lessen symptoms of depression. While I do still recommend talking to a professional, you may find that working out actually helps you feel better. Best of luck!

The first week of the pre surgical diet is hard @Skewiff especially when it’s as restricted as yours. Much of what you’re experiencing is withdrawals from carbs, sugar, caffeine (though you said you’re drinking coffee which is unusual). Not being able to eat solid food adds to the challenge as your cravings (for textures like crunch, flavours like salty or sweet and for specific foods) are still there. The second week is always easier. And after the surgery when you’re still on the liquid diet, you won’t be all that interested in eating or food. All the best with your surgery.

chiming in to say i had a similar start to running like AmberFL. (note though that i am a track or round-my-600m-neighbourhood-block runner, and not a follow-my-nose-runnner lol). started off walking around the track/block, then jogging one side of it, to jogging 1/2 of it, to jogging every other lap to full on jogging non-stop, then doing the same progression, this time interspersing with running. then longer and/or faster runs. by the end of my running heyday, i was running at least 5K every day (sometimes twice a day) with a longer 10K maybe once a week. then...i hurt my foot. didn't run for 3 months, and never went back to it with the same intensity. these days, i probably get a 5K in 1-2 times a week (less when its too cold). but i do get my exercise in other ways, so its all good. as for fuel, its been a while, but i do remember feeling quite hungry after runs and would actually eat food before noon (not my usual M.O.), could also be because i always ran on an empty stomach (by choice, i hate - and still do - the feeling of something in my stomach when i exercise). to the OP, its effing awesome that you are discovering a fondness for exercise...it really does make a world of difference, for your health, your sleep, your body's ability for recovery, your mental clarity....your overall well-being! plus, it makes you feel grrrrrrrreaaat and look hawt. ❤️

I love comfort food when its cold so I want all the soups, stews and chilis. I also bought a Shepherd's Pie tonight for dinner, which I love, so I'm excited for that!

@bahuber5477 Great job, it sounds like your doing all the right things! I too make an exception for protein shakes. The nutrient profile for most of them is fantastic and for many of us, it would be next to impossible to reach our protein goals eating just whole foods. I know I can't eat that much and I'm over 2 years out. As an aside, I just wanted to say thank you for what you do. Nurses are the unsung heroes of the healthcare system and I for one really appreciate what you all do.

Spartan Maker thanks for the feedback. I am doing my best to increase my physical activity every day. I am weight training with the a trainer 2x a week and I’ve been trying to get in 30-45 minutes of cardio 2-3 times a week to. I do agree I probably need to do my best to up the intensity. I think I’ll start couch to 5k and start jogging. Lately my protein has been variable. I always get 70-80 but I know I would like to get more like 150. On a good day I get 110. My calories have been anywhere from 900-1300 depending on the day and if I work long hours. My hunger is generally fair. I do get hunger cues and what not but it’s not terribly overwhelming. I have been feeling great overall. I would say as far as processed foods the main thing I eat processed is the shakes otherwise I have been trying to eat Whole Foods. I am a nurse and work 12 hour shifts and I do need To do better about getting a little additional physical activity after my shifts. This is a journey but have been blessed with feeling good and generally have good energy.

Yes, the power outage was dreadful, we have never had power out for more than a few hours before, we managed fine, it's Summer here so no need for heating, and we managed to amuse ourselves - the food was the worse part! Not only did we lose all my Bari prepped food, but I have been food prepping for the others in the family too ... so much lost food. Our power company offer $250 compensation, it won't cover it all, but will help a bit. Makes you appreciate how dependent we are on our power!!

Sorry, wanted to make one other comment here. Please don't approach your weight loss as something that will inevitably stall short of your goals. Plenty of us make it to goal and below, and have maintained this lower weight successfully. There are two things that will really up your chances here: You need to eat better and move more. If you slowly start making better food choices, you'll find you'll lose weight more steadily and be a lot less likely to regain. By making better food choices, I mean eating less ultra-processed foods and focusing instead on: Protein: High quality legumes Lean dairy Lean meats Carbs: Mostly veggies Some whole grains Some fruit Fats: Try to make this primarily monounsaturated fats This is not to say you can never have a treat, or have to eat only the above, but the more you focus on less processed foods, the better off you'll be. I also recognize that you can't make changes like this overnight. Take your time by just making small changes here and there until they become your new normal. Once those small changes are the new norm for you, it's time to make another small change. Keep at this process of making just small changes and eventually, your diet will be a lot better. In terms of movement, we now have lots of data to show that people that are successful in maintaining after weight loss tend to be very active. Once again, I know you're not going to be running any marathons tomorrow, but you absolutely can start small and focus on doing more and more over time. The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week, which works out to 30 minutes per day for 5 days. They also recommend 2 days of strength training per week. Some data suggests that formerly overweight and obese people need to do even more than this, so my personal recommendation would be to shoot for at least 300 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity or 150 hours of intense physical activity, or some combination of the two per week. If you are over 65, the CDC also recommends you do some sort of regular training to improve balance since this can have a dramatic impact on fall risk. I know that sounds like a lot, but again, if you start slow (even 5 minutes a day 3 days a week), you definitely can get there. For reference, moderate intensity physical activity is walking a brisk pace, or similar activities such as a slow bike ride. Intense physical activity is more like jogging or riding a bike up a hill. If you didn't work up a sweat, it definitely does not count as intense.

Maybe check out Dr. Matthew Weiner’s pound of cure weight loss book. He goes over a handful of things that you can change and you can pick which one you want to start with. For me, the fruits and veggies was a good one because I actually like fruits and veggies. Replacing a lot of the process carbs with healthy carbs for me is the most important component to weight loss not just to cut calories in the short run but to stop cravings in the long run. For me processed carbs, make me crave sugar. One cookie and I want pasta I want cake. I want it all and I crave it for a week. Natural carbs do not do that to me and they can help reduce the cravings a little while I get through the week or so to detox from them. Once I am off of the processed carbs so long as I get my protein, I stay feeling full so it’s much easier to sustain a healthy diet. Keto never worked for me either and I have learned post surgery that is most likely because of not being able to eat hardly any carbs at or it was all the processed junk I was eating instead of natural food. They alter things by adding more fiber to cut the carbs and all of that and that may be reducing your calories to help you lose weight, but for me it wasn’t the same for my body as a veggie with fiber. It’s not sustainable because my body was still craving the carbs. I would lose weight in the beginning, but the cravings were horrible and eventually I would give in to them and then I just wanted even more. Anyways, you may not be able to replace every unhealthy carb with healthy carbs on your own before surgery, but if you can reduce some of them by trying out different recipes to find fruits and veggies that you like, it may cut enough to lose your 10% and be a good start to finding healthy carbs that you enjoy

Happy New Year 2025! Perhaps, this is an ideal time to share, encourage and exchange our Non-Weight Scale Victories? Our past, current and long term success is not simply a mere number on the weight scale. Or the antiquated medical BMI charts. Do you agree? Just a few of my NWSV's... 1. Long fitness walks without achy knees or feet 2. No longer the need for an airplane seat belt extender 3. I can now see my feet 4. Lost ½ of myself 5. Wear belts and boots that never fit my obese body before 6. Dropped one entire shoe size 7. Winter layers without feeling extra huge & bulky anymore 8. I control food now, it does not control me! AND, so much more.