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Hey y'all! Congrats to all the new May surgeries! @ajrp001 we're surgery buddies! 😀 Haven't had much of a chance to hop on here the past few weeks. Between attending support groups, buying all the things I needed for before and after surgery, then getting things in order at home and church before my surgery took up more time than I expected. Surgery is now only 3 days away! I can't believe it! The anxiety is starting to really go up now! I finished my 12 day pre-op high protein/low carb diet yesterday and today I start my 3 day clear liquid diet. The pre op wasn't as easy as I thought it would be because I eat mostly vegetarian/no dairy due to allergies and trying to maintain the high protein while keeping carbs low was tougher than I thought. Now to survive 3 days of clear liquids only! I know it will be worth it in the end!

I need more protein shakes and waters

Budget for it. If you know you're likely to have a couple snacks after dinner, make room for it earlier in the day with your calories/protein. Learn what your behaviors are and try to "outsmart" yourself. Another thing that has helped me tremendously is to make my healthy snacks more convenient for myself than the unhealthy ones. These suggestions are obviously with the caveat that I don't know what stage of eating you're in, but this has worked for me. Cut up some veggies, make yourself some "snack boxes" for in the evening that are grab-and-go (maybe a Babybel Lite cheese and a handful of berries? Fresh mozzarella and tomato skewers? Olives and some sliced ham or turkey?). If you like sweet stuff, I make "yogurt sundaes" sometimes which is basically what it sounds like: greek yogurt (I like Dannon Light and Fit), with a handful of berries and a small amount of sugar-free chocolate chips or cocoa nibs, maybe some nuts? (Whatever fits with your diet that you like). It makes it feel more fun to call it a sundae.

Night time cravings are a challenge for many so you’re not alone in this. I can be pretty determined (pig headed some might say) so I manage my cravings differently. I don’t let them rule me. I use logic to manage them & have some habits I follow. I don’t eat after 8pm. I have my evening meal & then a protein bar about an hour later to boost my daily protein intake. If I feel hungry after that I know it’s not real hunger because I’ve eaten recently & have eaten well all day. I remind myself, I don’t need to eat or need those extra calories & it’s not real hunger. That’s just what I do. Of course we all weaken at times for many reasons. If I weaken I’ll have a little fruit or a few nuts. The important point @summerseeker raised was about not exceeding your daily calories if you do snack. I’m almost 4 years out & I do snack like the protein bar. They’re scheduled, add to my needed daily calories, protein, etc. intake but if I’m not hungry I won’t have them. It isn’t easy to do all this in the beginning when you’re still learning about so many things & still working out what works for you like how you’re going to mange your food choices, eating habits, etc. now & in the future. Try some distraction techniques & drinking (like a warm drink) in the meantime. They can be helpful when head hunger hits. If you are allowed a snack during the day, maybe save it to have at night. Good luck however you chose to manage those night time cravings.

A couple of weeks without your vitamins shouldn’t cause any problems. I mean some don’t start taking them for a month. It might only be an issue if your levels were already low. Like you won’t become anaemic unless your iron stores are low as well as your daily intake. The hair loss occurs because of stress (surgery, changed diet, etc.), hormonal fluctuations, anaesthetic & prolonged low protein intake (if you’re meeting your goal or getting closer to it in those first few weeks you’ll be okay). They cause your usual hair loss cycle to accelerate. Vitamins won’t stop the hair loss as that is dead hair you would have lost anyway. Vitamins may only benefit your new hair growth which isn’t affected by the surgery, etc.

My surgery is set for June 26th. I am starting to get all the necessary supplies and protein drinks very nervous. But ready to make a fresh healthy start.

I got my surgery Sept 2022 & started working out 3 months later but I was up on my fluids & protein intake. But you should definitely prioritize working on your protein & water intake. It will help the pounds shed off just as much as working out would & you wouldn't feel as weak.

I don't know how far along you are. If you are really finding it hard to be without food in the evening then find things that fit your calorie limit. I always have a snack in the early evening. I am helped by having GERD because I can not eat for 2 hours before bed. It depends on my calorie intake for the day - as to what I eat. Sometimes its the remnants of my last meal that I could not manage earlier. If I am low on calories, I will have some blue cheese and fruit. If I am low on protein, then its a protein yogurt or pudding. There are always sugar free ice lollies in the freezer and small single serve packets of popcorn in the cupboard and melon in my fridge.

Congrats! You've done fantastic!! I'm almost 3 years out and can relate to much of what you've said with regards to hunger coming back and being able to eat quite a bit more. Just curious though, do you find that it "comes and goes"? There are some days I feel huge restriction - like I can only eat a few bites of something, and then others I am hungry all day. Doesn't seem to matter what type of food it is (protein, salad, or slider foods). Also, much like you, I've had no issues with any different foods (sometimes I wish I did!).

My weight loss progressively slowed down each month post-op. Over time, I needed more calories to be satiated. Finally, at 9 months post-op, the weight loss stopped right at my Ideal Body Weight. I'm currently 14 mo post-op, and I'm still experimenting with how much and what to eat to maintain. I currently eat about 1800-2000 calories a day. I don't follow a specific diet now, but I try to stay focused on protein, eating clean, limited (and healthy) snacking. My biggest challenge is grazing. My restriction makes it hard to eat actual meals, so I find myself eating "pieces" of food throughout the day... some cheese here, an apple there, a piece of ham, some greek yogurt, a protein bar, etc. It's working ok for now, but it's something I'm monitoring. Initially, I was tracking everything I ate, but I don't do that now. I keep a running tab in my head, and I'm trying to get to the point that I can regulate intuitively. I weigh myself every morning. I've regained about a pound from my lowest weight.

My weight just slowed. I reached my goal & thought yay but I kept losing. So I slowly increased my calories as I was able hoping to slow it down. Some of the increased calories came as I was physically able to eat more - eventually more like a regular portion size. I also added snacks. I was still seeing my dietician so I worked through suggestions with her. I added two more serves of carbs (whole/multi grains), another serve of fruit, nuts, hummus, peanut paste, chia pudding, protein bar, etc. My dietician also suggested adding milk powder to my milk to enrich it (for my rolled oats & chia pudding but I found it too sweet). When I reached goal I was eating about 900 calories. When I finally stopped losing (about 11 months later & a further 11 odd kilos down) I was up to 1300. Now I eat about 1500 to maintain at about a kilo or so heavier weight. And yes I still snack a few times a day.

I was told to wait 2 weeks before starting vitamins because they can irritate the stomach lining. No damage done I'm sure. Just concentrate on getting your water and protein shakes in.

Hi all- I’d love it someone could help me understand what’s going on. I’m 4 days post op from gastric bypass/HH surgery. The instructions I received from the nutritionist and the hospital after visit summary was to begin chewable vitamins and tums the following day of returning home (ie day 3 post op). So, yesterday I took the chewable vitamins they suggest along with thin liquids and pain medication as needed. My wound pain has improved but this morning (day 4 PO) after taking the vitamins and good hydration on day 3 PO, I began to feel uncomfortable in my digestion. I kept away from any protein or drinks that weren’t water but progressively my new pouch started to reject all liquid. It got so uncomfortable that I called the on call doctor concerned about dehydration. The doctor, who was not my surgeon but works alongside my surgeon, said I shouldn’t start the vitamins until 2 weeks PO! I countered with that both pieces of written instructions say to start vitamins immediately and she acknowledged it says that but to not take them and wait for my follow up appt in 3 days. Meanwhile, try to get water down etc - although I’m still rejecting it. My basic questions are: when were you told to start vitamins following GB and have you experienced this severe discomfort early on or at all? Is it possible that I’ve done damage? I’ve read about “foamies” and recognize it as that. I will speak with the on-call doctor again if I can’t get fluids in tonight but it feels careless and easily solvable to correct the instructions. Any thoughts/advice? Thanks so much…

There’s no right or wrong way & there’s no one path everyone follows while they’re losing. Though it would be easier if we could say exactly what will happen on or by a specific day or time. Like week 6 day 4 I will have lost this much weight, I will meet my protein goal for the day, I will be 3ozs short on my fluids, I will poop, I will feel tired, & so on. You can depend upon certain things. You can expect your rate of weight loss to fluctuate day to day, week to week. You can expect to experience stalls at some times which will usually last 1-3 weeks but may be more. You can expect your rate of weight loss to slow as you get closer to your final weight. You can guarantee your weight loss experience may have similarities with someone else but won’t be exactly the same. There are averages (statistics) but they only can give you an idea of what might happen not will definitely happen. We’re all too different physically & psychologically, have different health issues & history, different demands on our lives, different genders, ages & heights, etc. I tracked my loss almost every day and yes there were ups & downs along the way but that’s just life - one day is never identical to the day before or the day after & there are always things that happen that you can’t control (hormonal fluctuations, pooping, peeing, energy levels, being unwell, etc.). The most important thing to me was I was losing & the general trend on my weight loss graph was downwards. Keep following your plan & getting in your protein & fluids as you’ve been doing & you will lose weight in your time. Don’t put pressure on yourself on how much you will lose by some arbitrary made up date. It will only stress & upset you if you don’t make it. All the best.

Very important to get your protein & fluids in. Focus on eating your protein first, then any vegetables you’re allowed & are able then if you are able any allowed carbs. There were plenty of meals where I ate only my protein because I didn’t need or want to eat anything else. (In fact I still do this - yesterday I had prawns for lunch just prawns, not even a sauce.) If you don’t enjoy the shakes (I certainly didn’t) find alternatives like a high protein yoghurt (you can make it into a drink by blending with milk - protein & fluids), protein waters, add unflavoured protein powders to other foods or drinks. I drink through the night & take a drink every time I get in & out of bed & get in another good cup (8oz) of water in. Keep water or other fluid with you always. Develop routines like every time I get in or out of my car I drink, drink at every red light. It all adds up.

I'm in the middle of week 2 post op, and I'm not losing anything! All liquid diet, getting all my protein in and only taking in around 400 calories a day. Also walking at least 2 miles or more a day. I pictured it going a lot differently especially when I read the weight loss average is 5 to 15 pounds a week in the beginning stages. I'm hoping that my body adjusts and I start seeing some progress soon. I like this subject and look forward to following the discussion.

I KNOW stalls are inevitable, and weightloss isn't a smooth line. Just curious how typical patterns have been? I didn't hit a stall at 2-3 weeks, possibly because my plan was full liquids for 4 weeks PO. I had a decent loss the first month, then 5 pounds the second month. Hoping this was just because I was transitioning to regular foods. As far as food, I am following the plan, no cheating, but I really can eat a healthy amount, and am getting in all my protein and water. Just wondering if I will be a slow and (hopefully) steady loser, or if others have experienced a slow spot in the beginning then bigger losses later? Yes, I'll stick with the plan, but for those of you that have tracked monthly or weekly loss, what was your pattern? Were slow months related to anything specific like holiday's, vacation, stress, or sliding?

I started walking pretty much as soon as I got home from the hospital. At a month out, I was cleared to do everything except for weights (had to wait eight weeks for that), so I was back doing water aerobics (at about four weeks out) the above poster is right, though - it's pretty important to get enough protein if you're going to start exercising (actually, it's pretty important even if you're NOT exercising!). Do you still do protein shakes? A lot of people give them up once they can get their protein requirements met by food, but if you're one who can't, there's that option. Also, six months is a long time to go without meeting your protein and fluid requirements - that's usually just an issue for people the first couple of months. You may want to let your clinic know about that....

6 wks since surgery. I am not taking down proteins good at all. Prior to surgery I was able to do protein and water perfectly fine. Since surgery the protein makes me sick to my stomach. i’ve been doing the refried beans and water and pomegranate or cranberry juice 50-50. I went for my six week follow up yesterday and they said that I should be eating solid foods. Now I still been doing purée. Some fish like cod or whiting. But nothing that really consist of a lot of chewing. it’s a big adjustment. I thought it would be just as easy as the adjustment and change that’s been made over the last eight months but it’s not. Good luck to you.

Hi, are you taking protein supplements to meet your intake? Very important when exercising for muscle repair as well as the fluids. I started by walking a few days, then switched to HIIT and currently doing a program by a trainer. There are many videos on youtube and pinterest that you can do. Sent from my SM-S916U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

I want to start exercising. I got my surgery at the end of October 2022 but I’m scared of exercising because I still don’t take enough protein or water and I get tired easily. How did you guys start? Or what exercises do you do? Any suggestions?

That’s correct, sleeve surgery removes around 75-80% of your tummy but gastric bypass creates a much smaller tummy from your tummy & attaches it to your rerouted intestines. Your remaining tummy is still there after bypass but no food can enter it. Further conversations with your surgeon may be needed to help you understand the differences in the surgeries, how they impact your body & which may be best for your needs. It may help ease some of your nerves too. (Nerves before surgery are very common - fear of the unknown, uncertainty, etc.) With both surgeries your ability to consume large portions is reduced. Initially after either surgery when you start consuming purées you will only be able to eat 1/4 - 1/3 cup of food. This slowly increases. (By 6 months I could eat about a cup of food & now I eat about the recommended serving size or a little less.) And it is possible for you to eventually eat around your smaller tummy which of course results in weight gain & something to be aware of. Changing your eating habits, your relationship with food, understanding the nutritional benefits of food, etc. are vital aspects of losing your weight & maintaining the loss. This is the work you have to do & has nothing to do with the surgery. Many find the temporary changes to our sense taste & sometimes smell after surgery is an opportunity to try different & healthier foods. I have some food sensitivities so I recognise you may as well but are they legitimate food sensitivities or just you don’t like to eat certain foods (taste, texture, etc.)? A dietician can help with this as well. Often working with a therapist is very helpful to work through your relationship ship with find & what is behind your eating habits., as well as your hunger (distinguishing between head hunger & real hunger). Focus on eating your protein first at every meal. Then eat your vegetables. Finally if you are able eat any carbs. This will be the same advice you will be given after surgery & when your able to eat solid foods. There were many meals I only ate my protein & couldn’t or didn’t want to eat anything else. ( I still have days like this almost 4 years out.) Start tracking your food (portion sizes, calories, protein & other macros). There are some great apps you can use. You can be successful with either surgery but after the honeymoon stage when things like your appetite returns, most of your success depends upon you. You have to be ready for the surgery & the changes it brings & the changes you have to make. Surgery was the best thing I ever did. All the best whatever you decide to do.

I was the same way. A friend of mine who is nurse helped me but my issue was the sweetness, she added some FF greek yogurt, unflavored, the protein shake a a little coconut milk. It made a huge difference in my being able to tolerate the shakes without getting nauseous.

I buy New World unflavored protein Powder on Walmart.com and mix up my shakes in a Vitamix. Alot of the premade drinks are just not palatable to me and expensive. This way I can use any flavors I want and can be added to food if you want to omit the shakes. My nutritionist approved and 26G protein per serving. I'm finding I can't stomach milk now so glad I bought the whey isolate version. I add water, ice cubes, frozen yogurt cup. frozen fruit and stevia or crystal lite type flavors. I made an orange creamsicle recently. Yummm and my fav is strawberry. If I add a lot of frozen it tastes like a milkshake. Sometimes I slice banana into it and eat with a spoon