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Hi all, Relatively new here and enjoying reading about everyone's experiences. My surgery is on 5th February. I have Multiple Sclerosis. I have been on a liquid diet for 6 days now (4 protein shakes a day, so around 800 calories total). The first 72 hours were, quite frankly, absolutely horrendous - I was headachy, very cranky and slept a lot (thankfully I was off work for a few days). Yesterday was my first day back at work and, boy, was it tough. I have a reminder on my phone to have water every 30 minutes and kept up with that really well and, while I did get hungry, it was the tiredness that really hit me. I was literally nodding off in a meeting at one point. My MS means I am generally fatigued all the time and so I have some little tips and tricks to help with that in general which might be useful for others. These have been hard to break through the fatigue and tiredness completely, but that may be due to my MS *and* the lack of nutrients and so may work for people without an auto-immune condition. Some things I do: Try to go for a walk every hour. Even if it's just a 5 minute stroll around the office, it gets me away from my desk. When I worked in retail and was on my feet all the time, I would take 5 minutes each hour to just sit. I would often go into the lavatory and sit in a stall. I live in the UK so was able to negotiate reasonable working changes to take my MS into account, and my managers were very supportive of me taking breaks. I realise this won't be the case for everyone, but if you can, I really recommend it. Fresh air. If you can get outside for your walk, do it. Even a couple of minutes of fresh air will help awaken your body and will help energise you. Also get as much fresh air as you can outside of work. I find that I am far more tired if I spend all my time inside than if I step out for a bit. Even at home. Do the easy tasks first. If you have a long task list - get the easy stuff out of the way. This will be an easy win and will give you a confidence and energy boost to tackle the more challenging items. We want to regulate and manage our energy and get the best pay off for minimal effort exerted. Smell peppermint, eucalyptus, lemon, etc. I always carry a small vial of eucalyptus essential oil with me and when I find myself getting particularly sleepy at work, just have a quick smell and it awakens my senses. Plus it smells lovely! Any essential oil that wakes you up and is "vibrant" will work. Talk. Tell your colleagues and manager that you're experiencing some fatigue at the moment and that it is affecting your energy levels at work. You'll be surprised how supportive people will be and how much people want to help. I hope this helps. Sending you all lots of good, positive energy. 🙏

Sorry im not familiar with the term ppi lol i think i may try the gas x though it is truly annoying having to belch every single time I swallow anything other than water. Also i was not prepared for the feeling of starvation i experienced yesterday i know im not following the diet exactly im not getting enough protein shake in there. But i felt truly hungry like seriously and it wasnt head hunger either my stomach actually growled. I didnt even feel that during the pre op liquid diet so it really caught me off guard. I also may be repeating myself i am im sorry these days are starting to blend. Today was a low day though i was depressed half the day i honestly wanted to just lay down and do nothing all day but of course thats not possible for me i have 3 young ones. My boyfriend helps out as much as possible but id feel bad leaving everything to him if i did that. I really truly cannot wait until this liquid portion stage is done and i am healed enough to eat FOOD i am going to devour some eggs and broccoli and spinach and i miss my fish oi im dying lol.

Thank you so much for this. It is really helpful. I have my consultation in one week.

Congratulations on your loss. Whoo hoo! Might be worth checking your calorie intake & what your body actually needs to maintain your current weight & activity level. What portion size are you actually eating? I eat pretty much what is considered an appropriate serving size in maintenance e.g. 3-4ozs protein & a cup of vegetables. Took me to about 18 +/- months to be able to physically be able to eat that. I had been snacking a lot in between to try to stop my continued weight loss until I got to that portion size. I actually still do have to snack just not as frequently. Might be worth a conversation with your dietician to see if there’s something you’re missing & what you could add to your every day eating to help. Also, a growling tummy is more often than not your digestive system doing what it’s supposed to - digest food. Mine is noisiest during & after I eat for up to a couple of hours. Remember you can’t be really be hungry as you’ve just/recently eaten. Your cup of tea is a great idea when this happens. PS - I snacked on combinations of cheese, multigrain crackers & hummus, protein bar, fruit, peanut paste, nuts, yogurt, chia pudding, etc. about 5x a day. Yes I felt I was eating all day long. Now I snack 3 x a day on basically the same things & also occasionally beef jerky & baked fava beans/chick peas.

I’m planning on a cross country road trip. Pre surgery, when I did those just had my trusty cheeze-its and whatever fast food was near me when I need to stop and charge. If anyone has any tips on what I should bring to keep me full or tips on some good munchies let’s hear them! Obviously fast food is out (for the most part) this time. I won’t be leaving until mid February when I’m 3 months post op TIA

Sorry just seen this now. Yes they were happy with the weight gain. Month 9 I did gain another 8 pounds (my appetite went crazy) so 15 pounds total. Baby was 7 pounds healthy and perfect! By 2 weeks post partum my weight went back to pre pregnancy weight. But then the holidays came and I did gain about 10 pounds, so I would just say be careful after you give birth and try to continue healthy eating habits.

Sorry just seen this now. Yes they were happy with the weight gain. Month 9 I did gain another 8 pounds (my appetite went crazy) so 15 pounds total. Baby was 7 pounds healthy and perfect! By 2 weeks post partum my weight went back to pre pregnancy weight. But then the holidays came and I did gain about 10 pounds, so I would just say be careful after you give birth and try to continue healthy eating habits.

This is very tragic. I read the article and I can’t tell if the original surgery in Turkey included a 10cm bowel resection (not a routine part of any standard WLS) or the emergency surgeries in Serbia. And she was released to fly just 3 days post op! That is still in the risk window for embolism. The worst part is the surgeon saying he did nothing wrong. He could have had the grace to just send his condolences or keep quiet. I’m so shocked and angry with the details the more I read. It’s all so sad. RIP

My sugery was 11/29.. as of this morning I am 32lbs down.. I started back into the gym on Monday, 8 weeks post op. I have not really had a weight stall yet, I am noticing that my hair loss has picked up so I am getting it cut on Tuesday. I am off all my food restrictions so I am excited about trying out all kinds of food. Going clothes shopping this weekend to pick up a few things as my clothes are falling off me.. This has been a fun, stressful and frustrating journey but I am here for it...

Yeh i did 10 weeks previously with oxo cube at night and multivitamins Its manageable but need the will to do it

Today was a very very rough day for me. Im tolerating water wayyyy better than the first few days. Swallowing protein shakes no matter how smLl the sip always gives me that feeling like someones squeezinc my stomach and im forcing out a belch soon after. That feeling is not pleasant makes me not want to drink them at all. On average i can get through almost 1 protein shake a day. Greek yogurt was okay still has the same effect as the protein shake though. Also when i tried sugar free jello same thing. I actually tried cream of chicken soup watered down. I wanted to cry because the taste is amazing but i just cannot enjoy it like i want because of how easy i get gas. Like i dont understand how i can have to belch SO much after swallowing smooth things plain smooth its crazy. Its a little depressing that i have to stick with this full liquid diet another whole week. I feel like im going to go insane lol. I made my 1 year old scrambled eggs she loves them and omg my stomach wanted to eat itself. I havent had a hunger pain like that since before pre op. It really caught me off guard. I was so close to devouring her eggs. At the risk of pain is the only thing that stopped me. This is going to be a long road for me.

Well so much for my dolloping Boursin on my steak. My batch had started to go green even though it had another week to go. Sigh. Went to a different deli & another grocery store that’s supposed to stock it & no luck. Will have to make my own again.

I feel the same... excited and nervous. I was so lucky that the therapist who did my psych evaluation for the surgeon had the surgery about 10 years ago and has kept her weight off. I'm meeting with her again 2 days before surgery for some reassurance and help with the nerves. All you get for 2 weeks is skimmed milk? that sounds really harsh! I'm not even sure that's sustainable???

My surgery is 15th feb, had my pre op today. I should have had it 18 months ago but i couldnt do it. However, i am now very excited but nervous. My pre op diet is 5 pints of semi skimmed milk for 2 weeks

6 months - 161 lbs, 3 months was 189 not 289

I surpassed my goal weight by 2pounds! in March is my 9 month follow up. I was just thinking back to two weeks after my surgery when I ended up in the hospital with dehydration and not hitting my protein goals. Here a I am kicking ass and taking names.

My surgery was 11/30, so I am about 8 weeks post op. I’ve lost 31 pounds and hit a stall. But dietician assured me to just stick with the plan and the weight loss will restart. Protein and Water goals are all I can think about lol

I just hit 9 weeks from surgery this week, and the 60 lb lost mark since starting the Pre-Op diet (11 weeks total). I'm finally off all of my diabetes and blood pressure meds, and my non-exertion-related dizzy spells have subsided, so I'm feeling good there. Fewer random aches and pains in my legs and back! However, after getting Covid over the holidays (5 weeks post op), I'm still feeling pretty tired and weak due to pre-existing issues with my lungs. I actually felt great the week before getting covid, and was getting around 5 miles of walking in per day and was getting more energy. After fighting it off for two weeks, I feel about as weak as I did about 5 days after surgery, even today. 1 mile of walking and I have to sit down for about a half hour. The only time I get dizzy is if I lift more than about 15-20 lbs. I'm working with my doctor on it, and it sounds like I may be stuck with long Covid for several months, but should eventually shake it. However, had I not had the surgery, I think I would've been way sicker had I caught it at my heaviest weight. My doctor said I would've probably had to spend a significant time in the hospital had I not had the surgery. No regrets at all! Just trying to focus on the baby steps and smaller incremental progress. Hope you all are doing well too!

I’m going jump in on this discussion if you all don’t mind. I had gastric sleeve in January 2019 (5’2” 210lbs). Within 6 months, my weight was 130lbs and i didnt like how i looked (cheeks sinking in), so i started increasing my calorie intake. Its January 2024 and im currently 175, trying to get back down to 150. Ive done it all…. gym 3x a week, personal trainer, nutritionist, dietician, logging my foods, staying within the 1500 calorie range, etc. Still no change. I got tired of the assumptions and guessing game (you should eat this, limit your fat, carbs, calories, do cardio, lift weights) and did my own research. I found out about a few scientifically proven tests that give 99.9% accurate results in regards to how many calories my body NEEDS just to function, how much lean mass and fat mass i have, etc. Low and behold, my body needs at least 1600 calories to function. Being active throughout the day, gym 3x a week, my body NEEDS roughly 2400 calories just to maintain my current weight. In order to lose weight, i have to consume 500 calories less, so thats 1900 calories. At 1500 calories a day over the past 3 years, my body was running on fumes, holding onto everything i ate, and going into hypoglycemia because it didnt have any fuel storage to pull from.

I had mine in May of 2023. I'm doing great , thanks for asking ! I've been eating low carb ,very small portions and except for a months long stall, everything is going a-ok I haven't had any carbonated drinks or alcohol so far, but I don't miss it. My stomach handles everything good with no problems. I'm down 2 sizes and couldn't be happier ! All my lab work have been perfect and I'm off 3 meds that I took for a long time. Diabetes is no longer in my future ! How have you been since your surgery ? You lost a ton !!!!!

My incident of hair loss was very similar to yours. It started about 3 months post surgery and continued to about 8 months. I cut my hair to shoulder length and that helped restore some fullness. I am now noticing hairs about an inch long growing all over my head! Good news, its coming back!!!

Hi everyone, I had my gastric sleeve surgery one week ago. I just joined this group today, and I’m excited to join all of you in this journey.

Best of luck to you tomorrow Hunybee118! Hope all goes well. Hang in there the first 2-3 days. It gets easier.

My sister is going in for her sleeve surgery tomorrow. I’m praying everything goes well, and that God blesses the doctors and nurses caring for her. Our poor mom is a wreck worried about us having wls two weeks apart.

You are welcome!! I'm one of those people that really want to know WHY I'm being told to do something. The dietitians at our practice do apply a lot of rules to everyone instead of differentiating between the surgeries, which is annoying, so I'm glad they differentiated in this respect, because type of surgery makes a big difference in a lot of things!! And yes, it is frustrating when they have a mark on a paper you are supposed to reach, but they don't take into account where you were vs where you are and the improvements you've made! Everyone's restriction is different and this is hard for a non-bariatric patient to understand. Our fullness is not like the fullness pre-op. That fullness post-op can be painful and really exhausting if we ignore it and try to push to finish something! And each person's restriction relaxes at their own rate. Some people have high restriction all the time, others it depends on the protein. 3/4 of a cup is a lot of food for any surgery a year out, but especially could be uncomfortable for a bypass because your tummies are so much smaller than even a sleeve patient. And even for those of us with sleeved stomachs, some keep high restriction permanently... I'm glad in that respect you went your own way, You are the expert of your own body, no one else can know exactly what you feel. And you are the only one who can advocate for you in that way and if the doctors and nutritionists aren't listening, you just have to research and find your own best practices... You are the one who has to live with them in the end!