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I am almost 2 years out from RNY and haven't suffered one day of reflux since the surgery. I also had a Hiatal hernia that went undiagnosed for years before pre-op testing found it. Caused Gerd from hell along with the excess weight. Both problems resolved with surgery. Also, the enjoyment of certain foods may take a bit. I still struggle with a few different textures. But for the most part I can tolerate most things quite well. I still have a good amount of restriction at this point too. I wish you the best and hope the reflux has become a thing of the past for you.

Today was my in-person post-op visit! I got officially cleared for full fluids. I can even have cream soups if I puree any chunks inside (like cheddar broccoli). Next week, I have a dietitian appointment and hope to be moved to soft foods. I can't wait for chicken salad and refried beans!

Hi all, I am almost 8 months post op bypass. I'm down 68 lbs (31 kg) I feel and look fantastic and I'm quite happy but I still need to lose 33-44 lbs and well it's barely coming off these past months. Now my question is I'm eating pretty well and counting calories and protien content. I'm focused on calories mostly but I think that's where the problem is. I should focus on my protien only which means I should eat 115g of protien daily which might mean more calories and it scares me.. I m active and go to the gym too (not as gym rat but not lazy) so what am I doing wrong? Do I need to up my protein? Also how much of the food is actually absorbed? Does bypass really mean ill def lose and maintain the weight? I need reassurance. Help me understand what to do now and if I'm safe

You will be really happy that you got the food processor for the purée stage. For my sleeve I didn’t get one and just thought puree food that wasn’t supposed to be purred sounded so gross. This time around this stage is sooooo much easier because I can have more variety. You can add some foods witb fiber too which helps with the constipation. I still don’t really like purée meat but I add unflavored protein powder to everything else and supplement with shakes. I know you didn’t get as much time as expected to wrap your mind around all this as expected but you are ready and you’ve got this!!

Good points. I do think post-menopausal women are still almost 4 times more likely to suffer from osteopena or osteoporosis, but I'm not surprised at all to see the rate going up for men. We as a species are just more sedentary and this is one of many diseases that unfortunately are exacerbated by our inactivity. Us older folks were also lied to for a long time about the "dangers" of activities like running, being told it would "wear out our joints". It seems the reverse is now being shown, which shouldn't be surprising if we consider Seyle's "General Adaptation Syndrome" model that first proposed the idea that our bodies respond positively to eustress. We are now finding that "impact" sports actually improve joint health and even can reverse bone loss. Food for thought.

I’m right there with you. I’m 1 month post-op and I’ve only lost 16.5lbs. 14 were in the first 11 days. I’ve only lost 2.5 lbs in the last two weeks. I’ve been on soft foods and trying to count the calories along with measuring, as I only am able to eat about 1/4 cup of food per meal. I don’t know what’s causing the slow. I barely get 600 calories. I’ve been moving quite a bit since we’re trying to move into our new home. I’m still under the target weight loss the doc gave me. Just discouraged.

@Mspretty86 ooooo okay! I'm not afraid of fats either. healthy fats are important! I refuse to restrict myself. I still eat fast food, I cant say no to a couple of French fries LOL There are days I cannot lie where I binge like a mofo but its never more than 1 day and I get back on track the next day. I.E today I started my period and I want to munch of anything and everything lol I just want to graze on all things chocolate. But I am eating my healthy sweets and hot coffee. Its helping!

As a bypass patient, there is really nothing that's off limits for me. I pretty much eat anything I want to, just in smaller portions. Some people have to be a bit more careful due to dumping syndrome, but I've been pretty lucky in that dumping for me is really rare. It's happened once in 2 years when I significantly overindulged on pretty much pure sugar with no fiber or protein to moderate things, It was not fun and I definitely learned my lesson! One other thing I'll say is that my tastes have changed. For example, I just don't really want much red meat, so I now eat a mostly vegetarian/pescatarian.

Never be afraid to go back a stage for a few days. Make sure your food has enough sauce/gravy with it. Dry foods are the devil to eat early. Especially chicken breast. It is so difficult early on when your internal stomach stitches are swollen for food to pass through. I really struggled and ate lots of nutrient rich homemade soups and stews. I was advised to eat 6-8 times a day, very small meals. At about 3 months your real restriction will kick in and it will be easier to judge when to stop eating before the over full feeling

Let's see... early on, it was scrambled eggs. That one is really common. You think it will be mild on your tummy, but you'd be better off with a fried or hard boiled egg because scrambling makes it really textured by comparison and for some reason, it's not good. I also struggled with broccoli and asparagus unless it was steamed to the point it turned to mush. I had a problem with reheated foods, too, so cooking up a big piece of salmon or chicken and then portioning it out for a few meals was a no-go unless I ate it cold. I could reheat ground meat, though, especially if it had a sauce with it. I would say that 99% of the time, none of these things were a problem after about 6 months. What I do still struggle with is if I forget to eat slowly and take very small bites that I chew thoroughly. In the beginning I used a cocktail fork to remind me to take tiny bites. I would chew for a minute before swallowing. If I didn't, I would get sick. But as time goes on, you can eat a bit more, chew a bit less, and get away with it. Until, like this morning, you are in a hurry and inhale your food without thinking like you did pre-surgery, and realize after about four rapid bites that this was a huge mistake. Sometimes when that happens, you will be in pain for a while and then it will subside on its own. Sometimes, it will come right back up. On the bright side, it is not like pre-surgery with that awful vomit taste and smell. It just looks (and tastes/smells) like chewed food, sometimes with some foamy mucus, and it's fairly quiet, too. (Sorry if that's really gross to describe, but I figured it's good to be prepared). One thing I did was order a pack of the motion sickness bags you can find online. I put a few in my car and tucked one in my purse. That way, if I was ever in public and ate something that didn't agree with me, it was much easier to be discreet about it. With dumping, in my experience, every so often if I have something sugary, I will experience an increased heart rate. It's not a big deal and it slows after about 15 minutes. But on Thanksgiving, my cousin made a green bean casserole that was very fatty with a ton of butter and cheese. I had a single bite of it, and maybe 20 minutes later my heart was pounding like I had just gotten up and run a lap around the block. It went away after about 15 minutes as well, but definitely a stronger reaction. But that's it for dumping for me. I've had enough sugary and fatty foods that I'm fairly confident I am one of the 70% who only experience very minor to no symptoms, unfortunately. I wish I had something to make me not want to indulge!

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.

P.S. the amount of vitamins recommended are often just a starting point. It's common to have quarterly blood tests the first year, and then annual tests thereafter. I think being allowed to go off all supplements isn't all that common (although it's true for some people), and I'd be surprised if it's true of ANYONE who had bypass, since that surgery has a malabsorption component. At any rate, vitamins and amounts of vitamins required are sometimes adjusted depending on the test results. For example, I require more protein than most patients because we discovered early on that my pre albumin level tanks unless I average 100 g a day. Also, I had to quit taking calcium a few years after surgery because it was clear I had no trouble absorbing it from my food and regular multivitamins, and the overage by taking additional supplementation was not only unneeded, but was also putting me at risk for kidney stones or damage. So your particular needs may change as time goes on - that's why it's important to keep up with any required testing.

Hello everyone, Yesterday, offically was my third week post surgery. I have been walking at least 2 miles M-F with my husband and feel I have my activity under control. I am working towards starting my strength training exercises. Really need to work on my Triceps and my thighs. I have lost about 20lbs post surgery date not sure if this is common loss or if others have lost more. I struggle with my pureed diet, I feel like I eat all day long. Takes about 2 hours to drink a protein smoothie in the morning, then worry about my H20 intake, then trying to get my meals in. According, to my Pureed stage, I am suppose to have a protein shake in the morning, then pureed lunch, then another protein shake for a snack a couple of hours later, the pureed for dinner. I feel as if I am eating all day. Takes so long to get through a smoothie with sips and pureed meals are 1/2 cup which is supposed to take about 30 minutes to eat. Am I doing something wrong? I have a Bariatician appointment next week hopefully will get some more information. Just want to make sure I dont stretch or doing anything adversely to my stomach pouch. Thank you in advance for any advice.

I have made this a few times and really like it (without the pasta accompaniment) https://motivation.ie/recipes/dinner-recipes/smoked-paprika-goulash-motivation-recipe/ Some other ideas you might like (all of which I have tested and gone back to again and again); https://www.bariatricfoodcoach.com/lasagna-stew/ - I do not do the pre-slow cooker browning https://skinnyfitalicious.com/crockpot-chicken-shawarma/#recipe - Love, make using chicken breast cubes/strips https://bakingqueen74.co.uk/slow-cooker-spicy-bean-stew/ https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spiced-carrot-lentil-soup - I don't do the pre-slow cooker step, just bang it all in the slow cooker. I do keep back one carrot though and add it in after blending but sill with about 30 minutes left on the cook so there are some soft bites, I also add a lot more chili but that is to my taste. https://www.bariatricfoodie.com/crockpot-curry-chicken/ - I skip step 1 https://www.bariatricfoodsource.com/blogs/bariatric-friendly-recipes/pureed-chicken-soup-bariatric-phase-3-soft-food - I just put all in the slow cooker and let it do its magic. I have added chili sometimes or other herbs. https://motivation.ie/recipes/lentil-soup-with-crispy-bacon/ - again I just put all the ingredients (skip the oil & bacon) into the slow cooker.

My hair was coming out in chunks around 4-6months -I thought I would be lucky but sigh nope!. My hair is coming back thick and I'm 15months post op. I make sure I eat 100+ grams of protein a day (usually closer to 150g which might be too much but that is something I am trying to figure out), take all my vitamins and I put 2-4TBLS of this in my coffee or incorporate it into my food every single day: https://www.gnc.com/powders/542500.html?ogmap=SHP|NBR|BING|STND|c|SITEWIDE||{B_PMax_NB}|All Products - Holiday||396351403|1244648496726018&gclid=4eaca2547a921363fd6aca455842f355&gclsrc=3p.ds&msclkid=4eaca2547a921363fd6aca455842f355&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=B_PMax_NB&utm_term=2329590261827342&utm_content=All Products - Holiday

Hi everyone! I have my surgery date scheduled for the 16th of March 2024. Due to a high BMI of 61 I have to do 4 weeks of the liver shrinkage diet. I started on Friday the 16th and I'm really struggling. I'm on total meal replacement shakes x 3 daily with just sugar free squash and water to drink alongside these. My total intake per day is 800 calories or less. How did you guys do it? I know I HAVE to do it, but it's so hard. I cry daily because I'm hungry and I want food. My stomach constantly growls, my stomach hurts and the shakes never feel like they satisfy any of that hunger. My partner is so supportive, he eats away from me and hides food so I don't feel any further distress and jealousy. I know why I'm doing this but I don't know how I'm expected to do this for a whole 4 weeks. Any advice or support is welcome. If anyone is doing the same atm for their March surgery please let me know, maybe we can buddy up! Thank you all ❤️ xKirstenx

This is my current situation except I’ve been on Wegovy for only 3 months. I haven’t lost any weight. The food noise is there and I don’t feel I’m eating less. I tried to get Zepbound (my insurance will cover it) but I haven’t been able to find a doctor who will prescribe it (because of my previous VSG surgery). I’m planning to meet with a Bariatric surgeon this week to discuss a possible revision surgery.

I LOVE that you're losing at a sustainable rate. There is so much data to suggest that crash diets almost never work, so losing ~1-3% of your total body weight per month is the sweet spot. I'd take it even further and say 1-2%, which is right where you're at. If I could give advice to anyone either trying to maintain after initial weight loss, or fighting regain like you are, it would be threefold: Focus more initially on learning to eat a healthy diet and less on the weight loss itself. People that follow the fad diet du jour when losing weight almost always regain because they very quickly go back to their old eating habits. If instead you focus on first learning to eat like a normal weight person that eats a healthy diet, you'll be setup for real success. Many people find that if they do this first, they don't really have to "diet" because their bodies actually start to self-regulate calories. Part of this is because when we eat a wide variety of foods that are nutrient rich, our bodies don't fire off signals to eat more. If that doesn't happen for you, there are strategies to slowly reduce intake while still maintaining your healthy diet. The second thing is to focus on instituting a regular physical activity routine. I feel like way too many people skip this, but the data is clear: up to 90% of people that have lost a lot of weight and successfully kept it off for years do a lot of exercise. In fact, the average for those successful losers is ~1 hour per day on most days of the week (roughly 300+ minutes a week.) This is twice the minimum recommended amount to stay healthy, and twice what someone needs that was never significantly overweight. I want to be clear, this is not really a huge factor in weight loss, but in weight maintenance, it's critical. Finally, focus on behavioral modification. Let's be honest. Most of us got as big as we did because we had an unhealthy relationship with food. We may never actually "cure" ourselves of that, but we can learn to fight back. Probably the best thing to do is work with a therapist that specializes in behavior modification, especially regarding weight. I realize this is not an option for everyone due to cost or availability, but there are also lots of good resources available online. Anyway, best of luck and keep up the good work!

I am currently in the process of fulfilling all of the requirements to have gastric bypass. I went to my GP for surgery clearance and he had some concerns. I have MCAS and I have issues almost on a daily basis with being nauseous and foods not agreeing with me due to my MCAS. He was wondering what it would be like for me post surgery. He is not opposed to the surgery. He says it is my decision and without MCAS he is all for it. He believes I will benefit from it. He just wants me to reach out to the community and see if anyone with MCAS has had the surgery before. Since the surgery can't be reversed it is best to make sure it will not hurt me before hand. So do any of you have MCAS (diagnosed prior to your surgery)? What was it like for you prior and post surgery? Has it helped or made it worse?

I have a ton of random stuff. Umm I have a home made flax “oatmeal” I mix with protein powder. I keep it in a canister near my coffee maker for “fast meals.” A scoop, add hot water from kurig, go. I make almond porridge when I need filling comfort food: 3 tbs almond meal, 1 tbs flax meal, 2/3 cup water. Boil till thickness I like, then take off heat, wisk in one egg and 1 tbs butter (beat like mad so the eggg e corporates without cooking and leaving pockets of cooked egg). I make a ton of crustless quiches and freeze slices. Quiche seems had, but it is super easy to make and often cheep. Its mainly eggs, milk, cheese, and stuff a veg and or meat in it. I use them to “dispose of leftovers.” I can make 4 in an hour and have breakfast for a month packed in my fridge.

I had a pre-existing problem with acid reflux. The gastric sleeve has a tendency to cause or worsen reflux, so my surgeon said he never does the sleeve on people like me. I have been more than happy with my results from the gastric bypass and NO acid reflux. It just disappeared, as my surgeon said it would. And I've changed my whole way of looking at food. It's been a wonderful experience.

I’m not a calorie counter. Didn’t have to & I was happy about that. I’d done it before and for me it just made me think about food more and I found it annoying and frustrating. However I would check my calorie intake and I still do random checks especially about new foods or recipes. I was more vigilant about portion size because that was the requirement I was given (1/4- 1/3 cup from purée slowly increasing to a cup at around 6 months). I still watch that carefully though I’m more aware now of the portion size of what I’m eating without having to get my scales or measuring cups & spoons out regularly. And I can eat more than a cup of course. I’m probably equally vigilant about the nutritional quality of what I eat. (Sister-in-law was just telling me about a new protein bar she’d found and I’m googling the nutritional info & ingredient list & comparing it with the one I already eat.) If you are required to track your intake then you have to track every single thing you put in your mouth to eat or drink. It can be very easy to consume a lot of extra calories without realising it even ‘healthy’ ones. If your team hasn’t set this as a requirement, than do what you feel most comfortable with. You know your relationship with food and eating getter than anyone. Though I’d probably at the very least do random checks if it isn’t a requirement. Yes, stalls are frustrating and can be depressing. Remember they are an important part of the process and it’s the time your body shuts down to take stock of where you are now Whithead your weight loss and changing diet, and what your needs are around things like digestive hormones, metabolism, etc. Weight loss is stressful on your body & it needs to take a breath to better manage the changing situations much like you do psychologically during a stressful time. The stall will break when your body is ready. Stick to your plan and don’t stress your body more than you are required to by your plan. It will be okay. All the best and I hope your surgical site heals soon.

Hey thanks, yeah I am trying very hard to stick with it by making semi normal food at night. This is how I will eat going forward, maybe not as big a portion, but right now getting about 8-900 cals per day, figure that will be good for weight loss going forward. Your Pickle salad sounds interesting 😁 Funny how we obsess about one thing!!

Wow you have progressed so quickly. I know each plan is different but holy cow that's so fast! "General food time" for me isn't until 6 months post-op. Congrats to you! Definitely listening to your body is the important thing going forward. I'm in the puree stage, but I'm sticking more to the liquids at this point because I'm nervous about the fact that I'm still not getting full signals. So I really don't want to push myself too much.

. Agree. I grew up in very similar circumstances. My father was a deacon in the Southern Baptist church and highly respected in the community. But behind closed door he became a monster who beat my mother with his fists (and his children when we were older) along with severe mental abuse. I walked away from God because of it. Even though He never left me. I returned to church years later to realize I can't base my faith on the actions of other people. The churches are filled with messed up/ broken people. Although I no longer attend church, I still believe. I pray one day you will see that you still need Him. As the loving caring Father that he really is and unlike the earthly horrible ones both of us grew up with. It's really easy to believe in ourselves and others when things are going well. But we tend to forget it's only by Him that we wake up every morning and take our next breath. Food for thought...