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Have you tried greek yogurt? Dannon makes an apple pie greek yogurt that you might like since you like applesauce. Definitely try to get some protein in! Good luck!

I think your body is really confused. You had major surgery and probably didn’t eat much the first couple weeks, then started eating heavier than you should and sugar as well. The body probably latched into the sugar and carbs to replenish stores and turned the rest to fat (explains the gain). Then you go back on track and your body needs to adjust again, but after losing some pounds you’re eating less often (so your metabolism machine is slower) and still having sugar even if it’s a small amount. Your body is really smart. After going through trauma, it’s going to try to stabilize. Here’s what I do know… you still have time to get yourself back on the right path. You will need all your fluids (sugar free), the protein prescribed by your plan, very low carbs and all of your vitamins. If you don’t at least do these things, you’ll probably remain frustrated and stuck. It’ll take a jolt and consistency to recover. I believe you can do it because you already got this far. Dealing with our emotions and food is not easy, but it is possible. I’m pretty sure everyone here would pat you on the back and tell you to get back in the ring, don’t be so hard on yourself and stay focused. You’ve still got time to turn it around! You can do this. Sending you all kinds of encouragement! 🌈😊

So your plan must allow you to eat regular food son after the surgery? I know everyone's plan is different. We had to do protein drinks until you were starving, then added easily digested food like cottage cheese. I lose very slowly but staying on the liquid protein drink for 3 weeks allowed me to drop 15 pounds the first 3 weeks. I think psychologically it helped more than anything! I think you are doing the right thing by adding protein, stick with the 4 ounces, add some vegs, we were told carbs twice a week. I like that you can have them, just not everyday. If I'm told I can't have something at all, I rebel and want it twice as bad. I was amazed at how much I could eat after surgery. Once I was able to add popcorn, which was months down the road, I could eat 3/4 to a full bag! At the same time I'm, reading about people who were 6 months out and couldn't barely take 3 bites and wanted to throw up! I remember thinking mine must be a failure. But I'm a year out, had surgery 2/23/22 and have lost 60 pounds. Stick with it, keep the carbs low or out of there and it will happen. I know sometimes I question if I'm always over eating because like you said, you take one extra bite and you do feel over full. What works for me is meditation, if I can do it everyday the practice of mindful eating is easier to do. I try to always leave something on the plate and stop eating before I'm to full. I suspect this will be a lifetime battle. Hang in there! Your body is still adjusting after surgery and going thru a lot of changes. You may drop several pounds at a time, then stall out, then drop some more. Thats what my weird body did.

I had my surgery Feb. 28, so it's almost been two months. A week after surgery my weight was 212 and i have barely moved since. At first, I thought I was holding weight because I hadn't had a regular bowel movement. Nope, not the problem. Then I thought it was because I started eating too heavy too soon; which was definitely part of the case because I had gained four pounds, almost five pounds back. But then I got back on track and lost the five pounds, plus two extra. But since then, for about the past two, almost three weeks, my weight has been sitting between 209 and 211. I've stayed on track and have been sticking to low carb, high protein meals. Any snacks I have are sugar free and so are the drinks; either sugar free or low sugar. I haven't gone off track until last night for Easter. I had a small plate of food within my limits, but ate a dessert that was high in sugar. I know it's bad that I had sugar at all, but I am proud of the self control I did have with not over eating/eating too much. I listened to my new stomach and stopped when I felt myself getting full; which is something I am still getting used to and figuring out. I have been struggling financially, unexpectedly, after having the surgery so I haven't been able to meal prep and buy all the foods and snacks I need to stay on track and not give in to temptations. And seeing as how I don't know when this financial struggle is going to get better, I don't know what to do about staying up on nutrition. Besides Easter, I've found it easier to barely eat anything at all, than to risk eating badly again. I am supposed to be eating 4-6 small meals a day to make sure I'm getting nutrients and proteins in, but it's more like I eat 2, MAYBE three times a day, high protein meals, just to get close to protein goals. Even though I am proud of the little restraint i had, I am still ashamed that I ate badly in the first place and that I wasn't strong enough to fight cravings. Which is definitely still a real thing after surgery. But I am really scared and concerned that I caused my surgery to fail because of the first time I went off track. Did I? I think I am in a stall. Is it possible to stall this early? What do I do? By going off track did I cause my sleeve not to work anymore? If not, how do I get back to dropping the weight like before? I know the "honeymoon phase" of dropping weight goes on for about a year to a year and a half, but did I cut it short by not staying on track and eating things I shouldn't have. I really need to know and I really need some guidance. My doctor's office is really busy and they haven't been the best getting back to me unless I have an appointment.

I had done the stress test to get cleared to have gastric sleeve but I was wondering if anyone also had to do a stress test 1 year post op. Just got a call to schedule one but I never heard my doc say I’d needed to do it. I still have follow up visits and bloodwork etc. Just wasn’t sure if the stress test was required or an optional thing. Surgery went great. Was done Feb 17th 2022 and I’ve lost 222 pounds to date.

I had it and as others said I stood slowly. Once I came off my high dose of BP meds it went away. It was not a big issue for me, the only thing is I always carry a drink and a protein bar when I go out. Its more of a comfort blanket now than actually needing them.

some information: I'm 24 73kg/160,9lbs 179cm/5'10. So I had my surgery around August of 2019. I lost around 50Kg from than till now but I don't wanne lose any more. I started going to the gym last week but before that I also did 3-4 month at home training because I didn't wanne go to the gym before i could at least do something. (stupid to think like that but yeah...) My arms looked like twigs and still do but at least there is a some muscle to see compared to 4 months ago. All the information I find online regarding gaining muscle is all about "eat big to get big" but that's the thing i can't eat big, like probably most of you guys. I have been drinking protein shakes 2X a day protein bars... and other food that contain protein to at least get as much as I can let's say around 80g of protein But I don't see much progress (counting the 4 month workouts at home) and I don't know if I should just trust what I’m doing now or change something... Sorry about my writing, I would say sorry about my English but even in my langue I write with many spelling mistakes.

Thank you for all the information, the tips and especially the reassurance. I'll be coming back to this post from time to time to remind myself these things. I think I have been having a lot of head hunger and that's a great point. Does the head hunger pass? I've seriously been craving pizza and Cheetos and lasagna. Maybe that's because I am already tired of sweet protein shakes.

I’m on all liquids. So far so good. The first days I really struggled with the protein shakes. I’m a huge texture person and I had trouble with the chalky/powdered part of the shakes but now I’m going strong. What does your diet look like?

Sometimes our bodies just decide to hold onto where we are right now. I am 12 years out. I had a wonderful Birthday week - and then some celebrations .... and a trip to Disneyland and ate meals out. I literally gained 5 pounds in a week. Shrug. I went back to what I do.. high protein, low to no processed carbs, lots of fruit and veggies, yogurt, cheese, nuts.... and for the first week and a half....nothing. the 5 lb weight just sat there. I ignored it. Two weeks, nothing, three weeks.... finally this week... it all came off. I did NOTHING different. It just happens that way (for me, at least) sometimes. It WILL come off. Give your body time. Losing weight quickly as we do in the first year is traumatic to our bodies. If your body shuts down, there may be a reason. I always figure my body is telling me that food is limited and we are having a famine ..... I explain to myself that this is not pre-history. I have a freezer and a stove and food. Eventually it will Happen.

I’m going to be honest with you…there is absolutely no way I could have gone back to work two days after my surgery (which would have been yesterday for me). I’m kinda going back tomorrow, and I’m even questioning whether I can do that (and it is a work from my bed, with laptop on my lap, kinda job). I’m no longer on pain killers during the day, but I just feel like sh*t. Gas pains have subsided a lot, but still there. I’m really struggling with getting any protein in me, and between alternating 2 ounces of a protein shake with getting water/other liquids in me, it is a full time job.

I never had any restriction, never dumped, never lost hunger. So while those are nice tools to have, don't rely on them to keep you on track. You have to retrain your brain and stomach on how to eat, when to eat, and what to eat. As well as when to NOT eat. Just because you CAN eat something, or a certain amount of something, doesn't mean you SHOULD eat it. For example, I CAN eat a burger patty, 1/4 cup of broccoli, and 2 hotdogs in 1 sitting (no buns). What I ACTUALLY eat is a burger patty and 1/2 a cup of broccoli. I'm comfortable but not stuffed, and it's healthier. You don't want to eat until you're completely stuffed. You want to eat until you're comfortable and no longer hungry. And you want to add in veggies whenever possible, and make sure your protein amounts are where they should be (protein makes you feel full longer).

I think there is non flavor protein powder you can add to food and I think drinks, I’m going to look into that. Sometimes my stomach gets cranky when I have stuff with flavoring.

I'm 3 days out of surgery and on protein liquids. I can't figure out how fast or slow to be eating in order to satisfy my hunger and make sure I don't stretch out my new pouch. I ate a 1/4 cup of pudding in about 10 minutes and am feeling guilty that it was too fast. My stomach gurgled and I felt it stretch. Am I damaging the pouch? How do you all eat slowly and satisfy the hunger?

I am moving g to soft food Monday. I am so excited. Does anyone have recipe ideas? I saw a young lady go to qudoba. She had chicken, beans, tomatoes. Sour cream and veggies that was it. It was all in restrictions. So I guess that was good. And I k ow we don't want to go out to eat if at all. I'm just grateful I have access to so many healthy food options at work. Like smoothies or power bowls. Etc. And the only reason why I keep it In my mind is because flavor, and because if nothing else sticks from what I bring from home this might. Or if I forget to restock and I feel it's a good skill to learn sort of thing. If that makes sense. Anyway.... does anyone have a super favor recipe? I'd love to know all the ins and outs of what you did during this phase. Thanks for the help. Be kind, please.

Your experiences are quite common at this stage. I wasn’t hungry or interested in eating either and I too just sipped my shakes & soups for hours in the liquid stage. I got in less than 300 calories in the beginning. I only ‘ate’ two meals during the liquid stage & from purées started to eat to a routine so I could better get my nutrients in. However, I was never given a caloric goal only protein & fluids & portion size recommendations. And it took a while to regularly reach those goals & that was okay. You can only physically eat what you can especially this soon after surgery. Doesn’t matter how much someone tells you you should be eating. If your tummy can’t tolerate more then you just can’t. I was barely eating 900 calories by 6 months. My surgeon & dietician were okay with this because I was eating a variety of nutrient dense foods & my blood work never showed I was lacking or low in anything. It was almost my 3rd year before I could eat 1400/1500 calories. Many eat more but this is fine for my age, height, gender, weight & activity level. That was my experience but others will have very different stories because we’re all different. Keep working at getting in your protein & fluids. Try explaining to your dietician that your surgeon is okay with what you’re doing. That you physically can’t eat that many calories at the moment while you’re still healing but you’ll keep working at it. If they won’t listen maybe try to find another dietician who is more understanding & willing to be more flexible for you & your needs. No one way will completely suit everyone. Plans should be flexible enough to be modified so it works for you whether it be your calories, portions, activity level, specific nutritional needs, medical needs, progress timelines, etc. PS - Try diluting your shakes, broths etc. & count the extra towards your 32oz water goal. Fluids don’t have to be just plain water. Try green or herbal teas, squeeze some lemon, lime or orange juice into your water, protein water, milk, yoghurt drinks, electrolyte drinks (an little boost of energy too) & then rotate the ones you enjoy throughout your day.

My gastric bypass was performed on Tues. April 4th. The procedure lasted 4 hrs since the doc was repairing a hiatal hernia at the same time. I was 2 hrs. in recovery so my fam was starting to get worried by 6PM despite the hourly updates. No complications. Pain was minimal. No nausea, vomiting or gas pain. Dry mouth from hell. Sipped water day 1. Walked a lap and up another time to use bathroom. Surprised they didn't walk me more. b4 going home. Day 2 . Tolerated meals well. Tried a little of everything they brought me. Discharged me that afternoon. Felt more pain at home. Mostly pulling on incisions as I bent over, stood or tried turning over in bed. Sipping on prescribed Hydrocod helps for pain. Walking on my treadmill every couple hrs for 5 minutes to prevent clots. Drinking my protein drinks and water for now till appetite returns. Not weighing till after inflammation goes down. Overall...so far so good. Pain lessens each day. Praying for a speedy recovery for all of you this month!!!

I had my 2 week post op appointments yesterday with my Nutritionist and the Dr. in charge of the Nutrition Clinic, the pharmacist and my surgeon. The Nutrition Doc put me on the bariatric scale and my body fat % is the same, so I'm losing as much muscle as fat. During the full liquid phase I was consuming an average of 534 calories a day, 66oz of water/shakes and 72.4g protein. I didn't just drink shakes, I ate yogurt 2x a day and pudding/protein too. I walked around my house quite a bit, but I only got about 2 hours of "exercise" because THAT incision was so painful the first week, and the second week somehow I triggered my back pain (the surgeon said that since it started hurting when I tried to increase my walking time, that the surgery could have triggered it). OK, that's the background. My Nutrition Doctor was disapproving of my calorie intake and told me I should have been getting at least 800 calories a day (she never told me that, my goals were 48-64oz of fluid and 60-80g protein). She said if I needed to, to sip on protein shakes during the day to bring my calorie and protein up. My surgeon said that getting less than 600 calories a day isn't unusual and not to worry about it, don't make myself eat. That I should take it easy until the episode with my back ends and then try to start walking and use some light weights to start building muscle. So, it wouldn't be a problem if I could do both, but now I'm on pureed/soft foods and as much as I was looking forward to it, I just don't want to eat. I didn't feel hungry during the last phase either, but I ate and drank as scheduled. It wasn't a problem, but it did take ALL day. Now, I get a few bites down and I don't feel full, nauseous or in pain, I just REALLY don't want it. It's confusing because I don't know how to read the signals anymore. Since the surgery, my stomach will growl and my mind says "I must be hungry" and at the same time "I don't feel hungry". So now, am I full or am I just repulsed because my tastes have changed? I used to drink plain water all the time, now it tastes bad. Do I go back to full liquids and add more shakes so I can get the 800 calories or do I press on with Phase 3 and try to find soft foods that I can make a whole meal out of and not worry about the calories? I don't feel like I can do both because while I had no problem with Phase 2, I don't think I can get the extra calories/protein while trying different foods that I may not want to eat after a few bites. I'm supposed to get at least 32oz of fluid from water, not shakes.

I had surgery March 2021 as well. My doctor has been so supportive throughout my whole post op journey. I stalled after a year as well. We tried multiple options to jump start my weight loss again. Mounjaro has definitely been the answer. I have lost a bunch of inches and about 35 lbs so far. It has helped me digest my food easier, helps my hair and nails grow, improves my moods...I can deal with the nausea and cramping and occasional vomiting. I am currently on the 12.5 and doing good. I hope it is working for you!!

great input from all of you- thank you! I’ll lean heavy on the protein shakes and do veggie dinners. I appreciate the reminder that it’s connected to the surgeon’s ability to do their job with best outcome…team effort. Thank you again…

I was on protein shakes and one non-starchy vegetable meal per day, so a similar plan to yours. No idea why some folks get super-restrictive milk diets and others can eat solid meals, but each surgery has its own way of doing things. Yes, the pre-op diet sucks, the cold-turkey off sugar addiction alone is brutal. But it's only two weeks. I kept that in my head at all times - two weeks is a blink of an eye in this whole process, and by week two my pre-surgery nerves had kicked in and that nervous energy helped divert my attention. Distract yourself with anything you can. Games, cleaning, walks, books, walk-and-podcast or walk-and-audiobook. Whatever you're able to do. Drink water, keep it on hand at all times. Stay focused on why you're doing this. Make wishlists of what you want to do and wear when you start dropping those sizes.

Everyone recovers differently & can or can’t tolerate different things at different times. Not everyone experiences temporary changes in their senses taste &/or smell. Some can drink cold drinks easily while others find warm or hot drinks easier & more soothing. Some people are advised (by their surgeon) to progress through the stages more quickly while others need to stay at a stage longer. You won’t really feel your restriction (a tightness across your chest) until you’re eating more solid foods & the nerves that were cut during the surgery are healed. The pain you initially felt would have been from stressing, straining or irritating your healing tummy. You shouldn’t use your restriction or discomfort as a signal you’ve eaten or drunk too much or too fast. Not everyone dumps. Less than 30% with sleeve & less than 40% with bypass. But it is easily managed by avoiding those foods that cause it (fats &/or sugars) which you should be doing while you’re losing weight. In time even those who do dump may find they can eat a small amount of these foods without issue. It is important to follow your plan. Remember all because you can doesn’t mean you should. The plan is in place for a reason. Initially to protect & support your healing tummy (think of all those sutures & staples holding your tummy together) & then to support your weight loss (awareness of portion sizes, calories, nutrition, food choices, reflect on old eating habits & establish new habits, etc.) Conversations with your surgeon & dietician would be of benefit to ensure you are making the best choices - behaviours & foods. If your surgeon feels you are healed enough to progress more quickly, they’ll let you know what you are able to do & eat now. I am worried you chose to eat cake at 4 weeks post surgery. It was your choice but was it a self sabotaging behaviour? Cake at week 4? What will you eat in subsequent weeks? Only you know the answer to this. Maybe a conversation with a therapist will help. And yes you will lose weight while your calorie intake is in deficit even eating cake but your focus should be on the nutritional value of what you are eating when your intake is low. Protein, protein, protein then vegetables & eventually some fruit & complex multi/whole grain carbs.

Love that you can have any/all non starchy veggies. Sounds like it isn’t much but it really is! For the shakes, I treated them like mini meals.. At breakfast, I made a coffee shake using latte flavored protein shakes and sipped slow. At lunch, I made a peanut butter banana chocolate milk shake with banana extract, a chocolate protein shake and PB2 peanut butter powder. For dinner, have a protein shake and some fajita seasoned sautéed veggies. For a snack, try having a strawberry banana shake (Fairlife) blended with ice. I was really afraid of the 2-week diet, but it flew by. The key is to keep it interesting. Have cauliflower “rice” with veggies, for example. My biggest worry was the doctor opening me up, seeing my liver covered in fat, then closing me up and saying “nope.” It happened to others on these forums, so the fear kept me in line. It was also a great prep experience for the weeks after surgery when you can only have liquids. Hope some of this is helpful

The pre-op diet is one of the most difficult parts of the WLS process. It can vary greatly from one surgeon to the next, and even between patients for the same surgeon (for example, I've read that some surgeons require a more strict pre-op diet for patients with a higher BMI and/or who carry more weight in the abdomen), but remember that it is for the safety of your surgery, to shrink your liver so your surgeon has good access to your stomach. You are trusting your surgeon to cut you open and rearrange your digestive system, so it's important for you to do your part in getting your body ready for surgery. As for tips and tricks, it depends on what's allowed on your pre-op diet, but sugar-free Jello and sugar-free popsicles are helpful if they're allowed (also for the post-op diet). A strategy I used during my pre-op diet was to get a lot of samples of different brands and flavors of protein shakes, so I had a variety and it helped me to figure out what I liked in preparation for using post-op (but be aware that many people report a change in taste after surgery, and after stocking up on protein shakes they liked before surgery, they realize they can't stand the same shakes after surgery). Good luck!

I’m starting my 2 week liquid diet on 4/12 and feeling unsure I’ll be able to manage it. My RNY is 4/26 and the nutritionist is allowing me any and all non-starchy vegetables but dear lord…will bone broth and protein shakes hold down the beast within?? I’ve lost about 13 lbs since January with just very clean high protein eating. HW- 276 CW- 263 and 5’8”. Why do some programs allow lean chicken at dinner and others are so adamant about liquids/purées? Anyone have any tips/tricks to get thru this period? Very excited for this lifestyle turnaround! Thanks in advance for any advice :)