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I started my liquid diet this morning. I don't think it's going to be that bad. So far today I've had two 11oz Premier Protein shakes (Several months ago I bought the Vanilla and Chocolate and thought they were both kinda gross, but I found a case of limited edition "Root Beer Float" flavored shakes at Sam's Club and they're great!) about 60 oz of broth, and a couple Jello cups and I feel pretty good. I can't believe that my surgery date is only a week away. It's been month after month after month of waiting, and now it seems like it's coming up faster than a rocket sled on rails!

Thank you! I'm wrapping up day one now. It hasn't been that bad (so far) I've had two Premier Protein shakes (I found a limited edition Root Beer Float flavor that's really good at Sam's Club) about 60 ounces of broth, and a couple Jello cups. I think I'll do okay, but I'm thankful that my surgeon is only making me do one week instead of two or three, lol.

I just got back home from the ER I kept on throwing up everytime I sipped on the protein im much better no pain they had to give me potassium and a B1 shot

These are terrific questions! I think everyone's answer will differ, so I don't want to speak for everyone's experience but I can tell a couple of my own experiences. I used to absolutely love Egg McMuffins. 300 calories, 17 grams of protein, 12 grams of fat....they're really not even that bad for you. I used to joke that they were my personal perfect comfort food....I loved the taste, felt accomplished that I had a favorite that wasn't that bad....and just generally was happy about them. I remember starting solids again after surgery and taking a little bite of one....expecting that wonderful feeling. It was like (pardon me) sex with no orgasm. Zero pleasure. It didn't taste gross or anything, but it wasn't wonderful anymore. All of my EggMcMagic was GONE. I wasn't angry, I wasn't relieved. I was sad. It was a weird loss. The better part of my brain was happy and proud I no longer had such an intensely happy feeling about them....because I know that's disordered eating and I wanted to get away from that. But the nostalgic part of me that was still busy coping....felt the loss deeply. Most days, I was happy and relieved that food seemed to be losing control in my life. It felt good to say no, to throw things away after a few bites. It felt good when I had that crazy moment and bought something terrible like a box of little donuts....took one bite and had the strength to say....What the hell am I doing? And throw them all away. I'm proud I can do that now. That I can have a screw up, get something really awful, and have one or two bites and throw the package away. We're not perfect. We'll have moments. But the ability to pull up sooner and right the course sooner...has been a welcome and wonderful change. And as the years have gone by, I'm getting even better at this. I buy a lot less stuff to throw away now. LOL. Some people have a lot of emotional upheaval after surgery. Marriages can get worse, relationships can change. Be very aware of and use caution with cross-over addictions. Watch alcohol, gambling, flirting, over-spending, substances. Anything that gives you a pop of pleasure and distraction....keep a close eye on. Lots of data to show those things can bite you in the butt. The struggle is real, but so are the rewards. It is WONDERFUL to be able to walk five miles a day and get things done. It is wonderful to find cute clothes that fit, and like how you look in pictures. It is wonderful to inspire folks you love to make healthier choices. Lots of stuff is so nice. I remember the first time I could shave my legs and breathe at the same time. LOL! I remember the first time I tried on a swimsuit and went...holy ****! this looks great on me! The little victories are so lovely. About acid reflux... I have had almost no problem with it, with one notable exception. If I eat and lie down, I can end up with very nasty acid. If I wait an hour after eating before laying down...zero problems. I just need to be careful not to snack right before bed, which is a bad idea anyway, so the reminder isn't even that bad. I get a little bit of heart burn laying down maybe once every month or two now. I take a swig of Pepto and it's gone in a few minutes. Wishing you the best.

Hello all! I'm pre-surgery. waiting on a surgery date - I have been approved by insurance but will be out of the country for two weeks in July and told them I'd like to wait until back. I have lots of questions but two of them are below. I'm hopeful someone can wrap their brain around what I'm asking because I have struggled to find anyone who is able to really answer it for me. It's not that they are telling me what I don't want to hear, it's just not addressing the crux of the question. I'm hopeful this will make sense: Once you have WLS, in the first couple of months post op - what is your mind doing? I know people struggle to hit their protein and water goals a lot. I know it's a huge learning curve to adjust to the new stomach and relearn your limits and to feel full faster. But for those of us with food addictions who are looking at this as tool to get us through therapy and really force change - what is your mind doing?? when you realize you can't anymore - are you ok with that? are you angry? are you still craving the food? are you sad? are you relieved? are you satisfied? what is your brain telling you and your heart feeling in those moments as you adapt to not eating foods you used to crave, or if you can eat them how does it feel to limit those portions? I understand this is a tool. I KNOW this is necessary for healing and retraining and to make it through therapy successfully but I'm really wanting to try to know what to expect my mind and heart to feel when this massive part of my life is just ripped away. I am probably to equating it (albeit maybe not fairly) to a drug addiction rehab where they make you go cold turkey... i know i won't have physical withdrawls (aside from minor, potential repercussions while i learn to adapt to the new food intake) but what is my mind going to feel? what will i tell myself? what was your experience? does this question make sense? Also - i've never had problems with Heartburn or GERD beyond any sort of one-off meal once in a blue moon that may have caused a smidge of heartburn but it didn't last long and those instances are few and far between. BUT - I started taking Omeprizole because i clear my throat a lot and a nurse friend of mine told me it's likely acid reflux. I've not really noticed a difference in taking omeprizole so maybe it's not acid reflux and is just a weird habit. Anyway - should I be concerned about developing heartburn? My biggest fear with this is worrying that they might have to revise to bypass and i don't want a bypass. i'm fine with losing 80% of my somach but i'm not ok with bypassing it altogether... any thoughts or experiences anyone can speak on?

Never hurts to ask; the worst thing they can do is say no. Seniors' menus are another option, but again, sometimes they're more "strict" about such things than others.

I'm sorry. 2.5 oz of real chicken breast is 22 g of protein.

GOOD: All of the other great apes eat their sugar with lots of fiber. They rarely eat meat, they eat lots of plant fats, and eat tons of fruit, figs, and unrefined carbs. They don't keep livestock, milk cows, or eat cheese. Over 90% of their diets are plants, fruits, palm nuts. BAD: Eat your children's vitamin for dessert. Fruit is pure sugar and should be avoided. You should only eat protein and non starchy veggies! Also... GOOD: Nearly everyone with morbid obesity suffers from food addiction. They deal with the constant stress and background noise of food, hunger and craving..... in a ways that people of typical weights don't. Obesity has a tremendous psychological component that must be understood for longterm success. BAD: Trade one form of obsessive disordered eating for another if you want to be successful.

Read the labels. 2.5 oz of baby food chicken has just over 8 g of protein whereas 2.5 oz of real chicken breast has 16 g of protein. The nutritional count is not the same. When everything you put in your stomach matters, this is important. If you don't want to use your ninja, which I get, it's loud, bulky, and unfun to clean. Get a stick blender. It's quieter and easier to clean.

You need to talk to her doctor about her diet. People in end stage kidney disease are often on restricted protein diets because their kidneys can't handle extra protein. It's important to know specifically what kind of proteins will be easiest on her with her poor kidney function and how much protein is too much for her. Please talk to her medical providers about a good nutrition plan for her specific concerns.

I had a couple of baby food meals during purée stage. They were okay & handy to have on a day when purées were unpalatable or I couldn’t be bothered puréeing something. Yes, they are bland (low salt, low sugar, no spice) but it was fine for my sensitive tummy & tastebuds at that stage. If you think they’re too bland add some of your own spices to up the flavour. I just chose flavours I would enjoy as a real meal so yes meat & veges. I looked for organic brands & the ones that had the highest protein content (it’s not a lot though so don’t rely on them for most or all meals). They still have a good balance of nutrients because babies need as much, or more, nutritious food as we do - they’re just in smaller portions.

They’re great. I take roasted chickpeas when travelling or going away - easy to transport & a protein boost for the day. And a great option to serve if hosting drinks. Can be moreish though. Roasted fava beans are yummy too.

Menopause is what did me in too. I went from my usual lifelong range of 60-75kgs to suddenly being 91kg. It was like I woke up one day & there was the weight. Tried to unsuccessfully move it for a couple of years & decided surgery was my only option. I’m almost 58 & still have menopausal symptoms even on HRT. (Actually the estrogen flush we have while we’re losing actually stopped my menopausal symptoms. They came back once I got to goal though. ☹️) So losing your weight & maintaining is still possible. Don’t worry too much about doing ‘enough’ exercise. It only contributes to about 10% of your weight loss & I didn’t do any formal exercise while I was losing. Just was more active in my everyday life. Like stairs not lifts or escalators, park further away from where you’re going, make multiple trips up & down my stairs instead of only one or two trips, etc. Of course there are lots of other benefits to being active. I too found tea easiest to drink. I still have a large mug (about 400ml) of green tea every day. You’ll get your fluid up. Try drinking during the night as well. Sip every time you get up to pee. I still do this to push me up & over my goal. Looks like you’ve got a good handle on your protein so we’ll done. And congrats with your weight loss so far too.

I switched from baritastic to the “Eat this much” app/website. I like it better because sometimes decisions fatigue is real and it can plan my meals based on my allergies and daily macros (and load my groceries into instacart or Amazon) or I can add in my own food options. Also, I get more detailed information with regard to nutrition. (Pictures are nutrition info from yesterday) It did take some getting used to and they do have a premium version but I can’t remember what the difference is between that and the free one. 🤷‍♀️

I’m 53 and sleeve surgery date was 1/9/23 so about 5 months post op. So far lost 78 lbs with a few stalls along the way. Longest was 3 weeks (painful wait!). Weight loss has slowed down some but still consistently 2 lbs week sometimes more. I average 900 calories per day and goal of 80 grams protein sometimes I hit more. My doc suggested I increase protein intake and fluids. I never miss fluids 64-70 oz day. I’ve found my meals are pretty consistent and predictable and honestly don’t stray too far in my choices yet. I’m full at 5oz but can eat 6oz. Anything over that in one sitting is too much. I don’t really snack and just eat 3 meals a day. My one concession is 1/2 TBS peanut butter in late evening when I start to feel hungry before bed. Nice treat and curbs the hunger. I have another 70 lbs to lose and look forward to the day when I can eat 1200 calories a day! It’s a journey but feeling great. The biggest bummer is sagging skin and a sad reminder of how I got here in the first place. I’m sure changes in our hormones affect the swings of weight loss along the way but overall I’m convinced we just need to stay the course and it will fall off.

I used the grape liquacel. It's a bit funky. On bariatric pal, you can get samples of many different proteins before you commit to a large order. Maybe that is the way to go to find something she'll like. Is she strictly on liquids? There are other options for protein, like yogurt, soups with unflavored protein powder (genepro is good). I really like the bariatric pal protein shots in cran grape, pink lemonade, and apple. I hope you find something.

Im looking for family members or persons that have used the Liquacel protein. My mom went into kidney failure Dec 13 2022 and I found her not far from going to heaven and the amazing drs and god brought her back to us. Since then she has had a hard time with a good diet and fluid intake. She had to have emergency gallbladder removal surgery on June 2nd which just made life even harder for her. Her protein level keeps dropping and she is having issues with the bathroom. Does anyone know what the ones that are flavorless really taste like? She is so picky but Im running out of options to get her what she needs. Thank you, Worried daughter

Thank you Arabesque! I kind of get in my head at times because i really think menopause did a number on me as far as weight gain and inability to lose it on my own without surgery. I know everyone is different and we should not compare the rate or amount of weight loss to others. I just wonder at some point if menopause will interfere with the amount of weight i am able to lose as it seems my hormones seem to be sabotaging me as far as hot flashes, etc. My "banana" was born on 4/12/23 and I've lost 37 lbs. I suppose not bad for 2 months. I average 400-500 calories a day. I get about 60g of protein per day. I will be honest and say i don't exercise as much as i should. Water is hard for me to drink the amount you are supposed to so i did switch to decaf black tea with splenda and of course that is easier for me to drink more of it but still dont think i'm getting the 64oz of liquid.

Honestly, baby food is awful. You're better off to puree your own food. Meat in a crock pot is super moist and usually has liquid. This is ideal for puree. Ricotta bake is fantastic. Cooked veg purée nicely. You have options other than baby food. With that said, if you want to go that route, you can. I just don't have any good recommendations.

Erm......same. the right side. But I'm on dope so I can imagine your pain. Also my freaking shoulder hurts. I mean call if you feel it's too bad. But I've been told it's early and pain happens for at least four weeks. I did notice more protein intake helped me a little. I have a three year old though and my partners job don't give a flying fxxx about my pain so I had to act like I'm not dead inside 🙄😠. Call the clinic though love. At least get some pain meds that's their job.

A friend of mine brought me some various flavored roasted Chickpeas. They make a tasty high protein, high fiber snack when you want something crunchy.

Just mashed at home, no butter or milk, just a bit of stock. The cheese sauce was from a packet and lasted me about 4 serves. TBH I won't have it now, but that stage was just about getting food in. You could just stir a good protein cheese in the mash if you wanted cheese. I've got a good low fat cheese now that's 7 grams of protein per 25 gram serve. I love cheese! Haven't opened it yet though, my intention is to use it mostly for snacks and I find 3 meals filling.

I wondered about the steroids too as they can increase your appetite. People I know say they make them crave carbs or sugar. I also agree with focussing on your diet. Exercise only contributes to about 10% of any weight you want to lose but also makes you hungry. Of course there are lots of other benefits to exercising but don’t rely on it for weight loss. Reduce sugars (real & artificial), reduce fats, reduce carbs, reduce high processed foods, increase protein, increase vegetables, get your fluid intake up to 64ozs (try for more water than other fluids), introduce more low or no processed foods & watch portion sizes. All good new habits to start. You may find it easier to start adopting only one or two of these at a time.

When I stalled I had to switch something up like when I ate, what I ate, exercised etc Make sure your getting enough protein cause that will make you stall as well…Also NEVER drink while your eating it will expand your stomach…I’m 7 yrs out and have maintained for 5 yrs…I gained 20lbs after 2 yrs and have taken 15 back off and have maintained that for the past 5 yrs… I was 226 when I started and have stayed and maintained at 130. I wish you the best!!! It’s HARD work but it’s ALL worth it!!!

My doctor said it was optional. I requested it but he say I did not need to feel like I needed it. I asked bc eo said to get.