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it was ok, I think the first week you are tired and just concentrating on healing, week 3 however I was over it and regretting it big time, but I don't anymore.

I'm a bypass patient. I was told I could take anything the size of a pencil eraser or smaller as soon as I got home from the hospital (which covered all but two of my pills - I had to wait 2-3 weeks before trying those - and it did "work" - I was able to swallow everything perfectly after the 2-3 week wait on the two larger ones)

I'm also wondering. I'm 4 weeks post-op. Everything I've read, however, says that in the first 2-3 months it should be anywhere between 300-600 cal. I've set my limit at 500 (which includes 75 cal and 21 carbs from vitamins) because I'm eating solids now and those tuna, chicken, and beef servings are pretty high in cal even though I don't exceed 1/2 cup servings of anything. I'm a revision sleeve to bypass. I use Baritastic to document my cal, protein, carbs, fat, calcium, and H2O. I don't have another appointment until July 24th. Every doctor, though, has different opinions about our nutrition. Your best bet would be to contact the doc's office and just ask. I should probably do the same, lol!

I agree to stay off the scale, the first few months I did my best to only get on it once a week or every few days if I knew getting on it was going to cause some emotional turmoil.

Hello, I'm pretty new to this website and maybe I don't know how to optimize the search function yet but I'm looking for people who have had experience with the Center for Obesity and Metabolic Health at UCLA. what little I've seen on Bariatric Pal is about 5 years old and would love to hear about more recent experiences. How was your overnight stay? how has the post-op care been? I'm about 3 weeks out and I'm getting nerves. Thanks!

20 lbs is great for 6 weeks considering there may have been a stall of 3 weeks or so. So more or less you must have lost 20 lbs in about 3 to 4 weeks. And 20 lbs is a good chunk for the duration! And yes comparison to anyone else isn't going to do you any good. In the end, you won't ever lose the same amount as any xyz. You'll have to be happy with your progress and the weight your body decides to stabilize at as long as you did all you could and stuck to your weight loss plan! P.S - Just saw your BMI. Seems like your starting BMI wasn't that high to begin with. Higher the BMI, more the weight loss generally speaking!

Ms.sss how long did it take for your abdominal swelling to go down and feel normal enough?! Also, did you also wear the abdominal binder for about a year?! Dr. Chivers recommended wearing it 24/7 for 8 weeks and thereafter during the day and so for about a year!

Hello all. I am excited be on this weight loss journey. I had my VGS on July 6, 2023, so I am a less than a week post-op. I started this journey at 267 lbs- consult day. The day of surgery I was 230 lbs. My surgery went well, I spent one night in the hospital. My incisions are still sore but manageable, I feel great. Today, I weighed in at 226 lbs. I live in Florida. It is so great to have a place to share my experience and get advice. I hope I can be helpful in some way and my words can inspire someone.

Could be water weight, could be hormones, could be the day of the week, could just be...your turn to have a minor setback. You'll have some fluctuation here and there and as you lose more and the weight loss slows, you may notice it more. This is not a "failure" and it's destructive to frame it that way to yourself. It's part of the process. It's going to be ok. Don't beat yourself up. Don't sabotage yourself. Just keep going.

The pre-op diet may have been the hardest thing during this entire process. It took me about 6 days before those hunger pains and desire to eat literally everything I saw to go away. My pre-op diet consisted of (2) protein shakes and (1) frozen meal under 300 calories and under 700mg of sodium each day. I was allowed to eat all the broccoli and cucumber I wanted though. It's tough, but stick with it. You'll need that discipline post-op. I lost 15 lbs on the pre-op diet. My RnY was on May 15th. I started losing weight on my own on Jan 18th in preparation for this and I'm proud to say I'm down 90 lbs! I started at 380 and weighed in today at 290! The difference in energy is amazing, not to mention I'm wearing clothes I haven't worn in many, many years. Even lacing up my work boots can be done sitting down. I'm sitting closer to the steering wheel in the car and stupid things like putting the seatbelt on are so much easier. It's also amazing how hard it is to meet the 60 grams of protein each day without relying on a shake. I've been released to introduce all foods. I've got what I refer to as good eating days and bad eating days. Today happens to be a bad day. Can't find any rhyme or reason to it either. But I'm celebrating many more wins than that! Stick with it - you got this! You'll be on that liquid diet for a few weeks out of the hospital too.

Nice! We will have to keep in touch. What are you doing in these next 4 weeks to prepare??

Hi there my June friends - I hop you re all well. I had my surgery on 1st June (bypass). my starting weight was 215lbs and I am down to 184lbs. I have been able to eat purees foods straight out of hospital for 3.5 weeks and am now on soft food (food that I can get a fork through). I eat about 4-5 small meals per day and try to drink a litre and a half of water. I have not had any problems so far and am enjoying a wider variety of things to eat. I've been swimming almost each morning since just under 3 weeks out of surgery. I think I am doing ok - just so glad to have had this opportunity to help me to manage my weight. There is still so much to learn about this new tool but I am going to enjoy the journey 🙂. I hope you are all happy with the decision to have weight loss surgery xxx

This surgey was not something I took lightly. I prayed about it and prepared for 8 months before I got the call for Dec 19, 2022. I made this decision purely for my health as I’m sure most of you did as well. I was starting to have heart problems and my knees would hurt as I walked down the stairs. I was told it would be life changing and when it came to the weight loss it has been, but the complications that have bombarded me has me questioning if it was worth it. I don’t want to scare anyone off, because ninety-nine percent get through their gastric sleeve and adapt after the initial healing, but I have always been the one percent. You see I was the one percent with my pain management as well because I took steroid shots to my back after giving birth to my daughter. This went on for 10 years and then I developed adrenal insufficiency because my body became dependent on the hormone. It could no longer produce its own cortisol so I was then on the precipice of dying if I didn’t start a steroid regimen immediately among my diagnosis. I literally was down to that one percent of cortisol in my body. For five years I suffered unimaginable low energy, adrenal crisis when my body was to stressed, countless hospital visits and of course massive weight gain from cushions disease. I thought nothing would ever be as bad as that time in my life when I finally recovered after those five years and stopped my steroids. But the damage was done and I was severely obese at my heaviest of 270 and on top of that my thyroid suffered in the process so I could never get the weight off. Thats what led me to the only solution my doctor had and the realization that their are things worse than Addisons disease, at least for me. Since my surgery I have not been able to keep any food down. I have had to be admitted to the hospital for days on end where I would go back to the liquid diets. A few weeks ago I had a little tuna and my body rejected it with a fury sending me to the hospital for five days where I had two emergency surgeries. The doctor couldn’t believe what he was seeing on my mri. Somehow so much scar tissue has devolved that it was causing my sleeve to be pulled by my gallbladder and they were attached so we thought that was the reason I couldn’t keep any food down. After I came out of that surgery I felt relief and I wanted to cry because another thing I forgot to mention is that I had been nauseous 24/7 since my sleeve surgery, but for those five hours after waking up from the anesthesia and pain meds I felt normal. The nausea was gone. But the next day it was back with a vengeance and more imaging found that my gallbladder was infected and had to come out immediately. So under I went for the 3rd time in 6 months reentering the same wounds that still hadn’t healed. And again for a while I wanted to cry out that it’s a miracle, it’s all better, but as soon as all the meds wore off I was right back were I started. I also had to have a drain put in because their had been blood pooling around my sleeve since the first surgery. All they could do was prescribe me 3 medications to control the vomiting. I lost 7 pounds during that hospital stay. When I got home after being on a liquid diet for a few more days I slowly eased into the soft foods, but to this day after every meal or healthy snack I make my way to that porcelain hell were I retch until the nausea calms. I then take my nausea medications and Valium to relax my stomach muscles. It usually takes about three hours and then I do it all again because I’m only eating twice a day to avoid being sick morning, noon, and night. The only thing that has changed is the constant nausea, it’s now only after I eat something. I’m literally living off of soft cheese and fruit, but more than a few bites and all hell breaks loose. I can tell how malnourished I am because my hair is falling out in clumps and my skin is dry. I’m drinking as much liquid as I can, but dehydration is always around the corner. My doctor says I’m loosing more weight than he anticipated so I always thought hearing those words would bring me joy, but I’m so depressed and have no energy for my family so I have to ask myself daily was it worth it? Will it get better with more time? Again, I don’t want to scare anyone because their are more good stories on here than bad. I simply want to share my story because there is no other like it and that scares me. My daughter is always asking if I could die, she did this when I was sick with addisons too? I tell her if things get better before I reach my healthy weight of 130 then I’ll be ok because right now even though i’m not getting the calories I need my body still has enough fat storage to feed off of, but at the rate I’m loosing- a pound every other day, I will be severely malnourished if it gets to that point. Most people say the surgery is a blessing, but for me it may still be, but a blessing in disguise. I have spoken with my doctor and he doesn’t have the answers. I have scoured medical journals and comment boards also with no answers. If there is anyone on here that is going through the same thing please reach out and if you prefer to talk in private my email is marsgirl22@gmail.com. I know this was truly a long post, but my journey has been just as long and I hope that my story can help someone else to get the answers that seem to allude me. Oh and just for clarification of how rapidly I am losing I started at 260 pounds two weeks before my surgery and now I am 175 pounds and counting down. Bless you all for taking the time to read my story and I sincerely hope you want hesitate to help me if you can.

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 hit 8 weeks July 1st. So I may try to introduce some more raw vegetables. I have done all kinds of cooked vegetables, fresh fruits, and raw cucumbers and tomatoes with no issues. I miss salads.

10 months ago I had my sleeve (with a hernia repair) done… to be honest I had expected to loose more weigh fast than I have but I’m very pleased with my progress so far. I’ve had LOTS of long stalls (weeks at a time) along the way … and I did manage to loose 57 pounds before my surgery. My highest weight was 382… surgery day I weighed 325… this morning I weighed 247. It’s been nearly 25 years since I have seen this weight! It’s taking me a while, but I’m getting there… I still have a way to go, but I can’t be mad about loosing 135 pounds (78 since my surgery). About the hunger… for me, I notice when I’m not drinking enough I feel “hungry”. It’s more about hydration (for me) than hunger. If I stay hydrated - I don’t seem to get those hunger feelings. Stick to your plan and track your intake (food and water) … it really does help. Best of luck.

I know that sounds like an obvious statement, but despite the preparation, the consultations, dietitian advice as well as discussion with various doctors including the primary surgeon, I realized how much of this is on me and changing my thinking in relation to food. I never thought of myself as food fixated, or dependent. I certainly understand addiction and dependency from other things but food was always not only fuel, but a joy. I have fond memories of meals past; some of the great restaurants of the world, and the funky dives where I got a good meal. I'm in a new place. I can only eat a few bite before I feel almost full. Cross that line and it gets disgusting fast. So, food, for now, is something I have to be very careful of consuming. Some things are readily digestible, other things, not so much. (I'm 8 weeks out from surgery, a baby but I gotta be responsible). I realized that part of this is my mental attitude toward what I put into my body. It's like I have a much finer, more delicate filter. I certainly haven't gone to extremes but realize how sensitive my system is and it is my responsibility to follow through from the surgery to small steps in eating and exercise. Given the hiatal hernia repair, I'm still a time slot away from weight lifting. That's what draws me to the gym- treadmill stuff is a joke- there's a thing called a speed board that is not motorized, and requires your leg power to make it move. It require balance as well. Very expensive to own one, and none of the gyms where I am seem to have one. So I walk in mega stores. But I'm planning ahead-- I'll plug in with a couple different MD types over the next couple weeks- checking bloods- I feel undernourished, but I can't handle the volume of food I would ordinarily consume without thought. So I have to be mindful- and that is my main point-- you have a duty to yourself to be cautious about what you intake- both in terms of texture and in terms of volume. It seems like a couple of bites of 'regular food" gets me close to full; soft stuff, like soup, is easier. I'm taking all the supplements but am interested to see what the blood work shows. In the meantime, I'll say that this is a huge upward learning curve that I have taken on, despite the preparation and I think I had good medical and related advice to prepare me. It's just the transition from intellectual to real world. I'm learning.....

I am slowly preparing with dieting as well. I'm eating all the right foods, but probably not limited my intake as much as I should. I completely cut out alcohol too and don't plan on drinking again. I never liked soda or carbonated drinks so that part will be easy for me, but I love water haha and right now I drink a lot of water. I was worried that it would be hard for me not to drink water because some medications I'm on give me dry mouth and make me really thirsty. How far in advance did they tell you to do all liquids before surgery? Mine is two days but I thought maybe i should try to do it for a week to shrink my liver more too. I asked the office and they told me no I don't need to do that but I want the best recovery possible...

I’m 6 months post revision on a 10 year old sleeve. I’m having terrible stomach problems. Dumping, cramping, nausea. I’m talking with my doctor and nutritionist about. They think it’s either diet or I’ve developed a post surgical IBS. They just put me on a two week course of Rifaximin. I don’t know what is safe to eat any more. Everything seems to make me sick. I’ve lost 75 lbs post op 30% of my body weight in 6 months and MOST IMPORTANTLY the reflux which prompted the revision is gone. I’m sure some of it is my own doing. One piece of candy or something with sugar (even ketchup) and I’m on the toilet. I have discovered that I need 45 min (not 30 as recommended) between eating and drinking. Anything but pure protein seems to be a problem. Salmon or chicken are ok but if I have fruit, rice, grains of any kind, and even some veggies like broccoli or zucchini I’m on the toilet in an hour. I’m learning my portions, which are so sensitive, one bite or two too many and I’m feeling green and laying down. I guess I’m looking for advice on how to systematically find my safe foods and portions? Has anyone else developed an IBS like condition post op such that you needed medication? I can’t tell if this is that or diet or both and I’m not happy either way.

The surgery may be science, but the art of eating, post-surgery, isn't one size fits all as I have learned. I had the bypass and a hiatal hernia repair on June 6 and have been expanding my permissible diet within the general guidelines. I find that the hardest thing is the the line between full and over-doing it, particularly with new post surgery foods. I had one instance of "foamies" that caused me great discomfort- I wish I could have puked and gotten it over with; instead, I suffered gastric distress for hours, and eventually fell asleep sitting on the living room couch. You should talk to your nutritionist - sometimes, it seems, it is the food itself; sometimes, perhaps eating too much, too quickly. I'm finding the line between full and overfull to the point of distress to be a pretty fine one and easy to cross. The "frothing/foamies" gave me religion in the sense that I'm more careful about what I put into my gullet, how much and how quickly. This is a significant operation that changes a lot of your physiology- the volume and nature of the food you can accept and the degree to which you can explore new food options (within the guardrails) that don't make you sick. My take, also as a new post op patient, is that you have to take it slowly, be deliberate and work with the surgeons' staff and nutrionist to help you on your way. Nobody said it would be easy, but the rewards start to come pretty quickly. For me, just a little more than a couple months out, I have far more mobility, I'm not focused on the scale but more on my physical capabilities. I go see the surgeon for a follow up next week. My blood work looks pretty good, it has improved already. One other thing: I can still enjoy the sensation of eating good food, but that's subordinate to my main mission to remedy the problems that necessitated the surgery--not just weight loss, but Barrett's. The bypass pretty much eliminated GERD, which was huge. The weight loss is coming a long nicely and I'm deferring to the surgeon's team for advice.

Same for me too, different insurance though. I also had to lose 5% of my starting weight in six months. I really struggled with it. In the past I had been able to lose more than that within 3 months, but this time I had had to see a registered dietician as part of the program. I ate what she told me to eat and I also was required to exercise a minimum of 5 days a week. It took me 5 months to lose the 5%. I went to my final weigh-in at the 6-month mark and I was 1lb OVER the 5% goal. This meant I was not allowed to meet with the surgeon or do the testing the surgeon requires before the surgery. I had to call my insurance and explain to them what happened. They allowed me to have a weigh-in 4 days later. At this weigh-in, I was 8lbs BELOW the goal weight. I have since seen the surgeon, and had all of my testing done. I am not allowed to be over the goal weight at all. It is really hard trying to maintain this while I wait to get a surgery date ( If I am over the goal weight on the surgery day, then the surgery will be canceled) and it has added a lot of unnecessary stress. I constantly weigh myself several times a day, and I am super paranoid about eating. No food funerals for me and I am envious of everyone who gets to do one. If my surgery gets canceled for being 1lb over, which I was told it would be, then I will call my insurance again.

Oh straws. It’s one of those things that some surgeons say no & others don’t care. Mine said nothing & I used straws. Not all the time but a few times a week depending on what I was doing or drinking. Never had an issue. Actually found it easier to sip through a straw at first - can’t gulp or take large mouthfuls with a straw. You’re a couple of months out now so I guess you could give it a go & see. Do you have to use the straw or can you remove the straw & sip through the home?

I felt this!!! same with me! Im 3 weeks post op now!

I saw “bar pizza” and I thought Mass! All is not lost as others have said. I plan my pizza into my intake. I see a special holiday or super birthday or a difficult week time wise for cooking. Then I buy a large pizza and purposefully share it so with teenage boys I’m lucky to get 1-2 slices and I’m done. I make sure the size is obvious to share and not a single serving like a bar pizza is! I also eat in front of people. No more secretive eating habits! That’s why this surgery is a lot of work and not the easy way! You probably also weren’t full because there’s no way even a fully loaded meat pizza has enough protein to keep you in check? Every day is a learning opportunity, we’ve all made our learning mistakes too!

Yes during my carb withdrawl is when I posted that depressed before surgery post lolll. Now I feel much better my fiance ate a burger with Bun in front of me at lunch and before that would have pissed me off to the max and now it didn't bother me haha. We are actually staying on the beach so our cottage has a refrigerator and kitchen I'm very happy I don't have to eat out and ruin my diet. I just made a meal plan for the week of my semi liquid diet I am a huge sauce person so I'm doing a keto lettuce crunchwrap Supreme (keto taco bell) for dinner and a big Mac salad. Going to measure my sauce so I don't go crazy I know it would be better without it but until I go full liquid I'll allow it it's still low carb since made with Mayo!