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What you need to do eating wise before surgery & after surgery is different. Before surgery is to show you can commit to a changed way of eating, introduce you to healthier food options, make you more aware of the nutritional value of what you eat & to lose weight & fat around your liver to make your surgery safer & easier. So a non bariatric dietician should be fine. After surgery, other considerations come into play such as during the staged return to eating solid foods, importance of macros & knowledge of the usually temporary effects of the surgery around food intolerances, nutritional needs, etc. May be consider seeing the bariatric dietician after your surgery. I know the distance can be prohibitive but you can always have zoom or phone appointments & only travel to see the dietician every month or two. Something to consider. No scale is the same plus you’re not the same. I tend to weigh myself first thing in the morning before food or drink & usually after pooping. But when I go to my doctor, it’s later in the day, I’m dressed, I’ve eaten & been drinking, etc. Scales on carpet will weigh differently than those on wood or tiles (uneven surfaces). The age of the scales, age if batteries, moisture in a bathroom, dust, etc can affect the accuracy. I didn’t care so much what my doctors scales read as I knew what mine did. They had their records of my weight loss & now maintenance & I have mine. Your weight loss should be the basically the same - if you lose 5 lbs it will show on everyone’s scales regardless what the numbers actually say. I’m going to presume you don’t have access to a stove & oven which limits your ability to cook your meals. What about a microwave or toaster oven? They don’t take up a lot of room & just need a power point & will give you more meal options.

150 grams of protein is only 600 calories. You need to eat the correct amount of protein so the weight you do loose is mostly fat and not muscle. Also protein keeps you satisfied longer so you shouldn't be hungry quickly after eating. My biggest suggestion is not to second guess your dietician, surgeon, etc. Not to be harsh but what you have been doing apparently hasn't worked or you would not need WLS. In order for WLS to be successful, you will have to stop making excuses and follow the plan. WLS is not easy or a quick fix. It is just a tool. You and only you will still have to work hard. Whoever says it is easy hasn't done it! You CAN be successful just like so many others on this site.

I can't tolerate whey or any other kind of milk protein, and I discovered this in pre-op. Try switching to a different protein source like soy protein, pea protein, etc.

It absolutely could be the shakes or the artificial sweeteners in them or the other zero calorie drinks. Try other shakes - maybe Fairlife or one made with pea protein? Also try different drinks - maybe tea or lemon water? I like Body Armor Lyte, they are made with erythritol, which I seem to do just fine with. Some people do better with savor drinks like bone broth. I felt like trash on my LRD as well (2 weeks, liquids only). You are definitely NOT alone. hang in there though, it doesn't last forever but it is an important part of the process!

Hi everybody, I started my 2 week, pre-op LRD today and am really struggling…not with hunger, but with massive stomach pain/bloating and gas. My stomach can be sensitive to some foods (for example, I can’t eat fermented foods, aspartame, etc.), but I didn’t think I consumed anything “bad” today. My diet is supposed to be a protein shake for B, L & D with one yogurt and one egg per day (and unlimited zero sugar drinks). I had a Premier Protein shake (chocolate) for breakfast, one hard boiled egg for a snack, and 1/2 a Premier Protein shake for lunch a few hours later. Started getting really nauseous about midday, and my stomach now is just…pain. Also, I had a Gatorade Zero during the day. I have had small amounts of protein shakes leading up to this, and everything was fine, but this is most definitely some kind of bad reaction (maybe I’m a little lactose intolerant? I don’t drink much milk usually). I honestly don’t know how I’m going to survive this if I can even have protein shakes… Has anybody else gone through this?

The split green pea soup he buys me has 39 g of protein. I have been blending it and eating small cups throughout the day. Will refried beans give me gas? I use unflavored protein powder in most things. I think its gross, but I still use it. I don't miss cheese, so I would be ok without cheese. I will look for more high protein soups. I am happy I posted that. I needed to hear that I need to be more gentle. I think I am experiencing head hunger and I dont like feeling out of energy. I can feel when my body needs nourishment. I am happy I read to take it easy and not rush. Those two bites of scrambled eggs hurt. So far, I have been following my plan. I miss eating food and I need to not swallow so fast and take smaller bites. I am learning and trying.

Hi Blossom, really sorry to hear you’re struggling. Have you tried hummus? I heard many vegans talk about having hummus at this stage to get their protein. Refried beans are another option. Instead of going all out with dairy, I wonder if you could ease into it (sprinkle some cheese on refried beans, for example). Unflavored protein powder is something you could add to split pea soup or other vegan friendly soups to kick up the protein content. Just some ideas because I know it can be hard. Be sure to blend up larger chunks and sauce up things like eggs. I learned how to make “runny eggs” which are fully cooked scrambled eggs with cheese and cream. If you can’t do the cream, I wonder if you could add cashew milk? Anyways, I hope you’re able to find a good balance for yourself.

I understand that it is not too much for a 300lb person, but should I really be eating to support a 300lb person? I also am not hungry with the way I have been eating. So I do not know why she started in with the protein thing. I also do not know how I can possibly fit that amount of protein in, especially since I am supposed to be listening to hunger cues and stopping eating right before I am full.

No, the Dietician is not the one the surgeon uses. I will be having my surgery at a place called the Rockwood Clinic, they have their whole own program with their own dietician. My insurance wants me to complete 12 dietician visits before surgery, and they told me to go to one near me. (Rockwood is 3 hours away). I did ask my insurance about going to the dietician at the clinic and I told them I would rather see a dietician who specializes in bariatric (especially since I have noticed bariatric dieticians take a totally different approach than this lady). My insurance said that it did not matter and that it would be best to see a dietician in my town so that travel would not be so inconvenient. I will be seeing the dietician that the surgeon uses after I get the surgery. I actually already feel very full the way I am eating now, and the dietician knows this. I did not go in complaining of being hungry, infact, I have eaten when I was not hungry because she wants me to eat every 4 hours 3 times a day and then have 2 snacks, I do not have the snacks, I do not need them. I would be happy eating twice a day to be honest, but the dietician does not advise that. I do not have any restrictions on carbs, sugar, fats, or anything. I am just not supposed to eat fast food, this dietician wants me to cook everything (I have explained I hate to cook and my current situation does not allow for me to have a normal kitchen). Currently, I eat tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, feta, hummus, avocado, Daves killer bread (thin slice) turkey bacon, ( I usually turn all of that into a sandwich) fage yogurt and strawberries, mushrooms stuffed with cheese spinach, tomato, onions, cilantro. might have chicken in tomato/basil/cilantro sauce or cauliflower pasta with clams. blueberries and apples. I used to drink a protein shake in the morning (mixed with soy milk) but she told me I needed to eat something with it (again I did not complain about hunger) so I added a slice of toast and an apple, and she liked that until a different visit when she said that eating a protein shake for breakfast and having yogurt at lunch was the same as having two giant glasses of milk and I need to stop with the yogurt. Well, I still have the yogurt at lunch and I eat the sandwich at lunch and breakfast and sometimes dinner too. The yogurt has 12-15 grams of protein depending on which one I choose. I also have at least 96 oz of plain water a day. I should add when I eat chicken (which is always either breast or tender never breaded, always cooked in the air fryer) I get so hungry about 20 minutes later it's weird, but chicken has that effect on me and that is why I do not really care for it.

150 grams of protein for a 300 lb person is not too much - and in fact, skewing toward eating more protein vis-a-vis fat and carbs will help you lose weight. Protein takes longer (and more calories) to burn off than do the other two macronutrients, and it can also keep you satisfied longer.

Hey everyone- quick update: I’m starting purées today and doing good. Applesauce and puréed Cuban black beans going down without issue. Happy to focus on moving into food proteins this week. Anybody else on purées or similar yet? How are you doing? What are you eating?

Choose any one scale, if its at home put it in exactly the same space every time. If I move mine to the other side of my bathroom I gain 7lbs. Is the dietician the one your surgeon uses ? and is this the surgeons advice to you ? 150 grams of protein is not a lot pre surgery. Eating protein will make you feel fuller while keeping calories low. I imagine you need to keep the Carbs low. Can you add what you protein count is usually like, it will help us help you Are you vegetarian or vegan? There are so many protein options out there now. Find some protein yogurts that you can eat or add extra protein to your milk and yogurt. Dhal is great for protein, add extra yogurt and seeds to top it.

I had my first follow up with my surgeon last night as this week makes it 6 weeks. I told him all my concerns that I shared in this thread and he basically told me to stop comparing myself to everyone else, as people lose weight at different speeds. He also told me that I don't need to be juggling down the 50g protein shakes I have been doing as it's all liquid calories, and that now I can eat solid foods again, to concentrate more on food protein than liquid protein. He said he's very happy with my progress, although I don't know if I believe him? I've stalled for the last three weeks and put on a pound this week, but he seems to be happy that I've lost a stone since 31st January. Personally, I think it's very slow. But I guess that's part of the comparison stuff isn't it? I'm moving house so I've packed my scales away and am going to try and weigh myself once every two weeks.

tl;dr at the bottom I could use some advice. I went to see my dietician today (not a bariatric surgery dietician, I can explain why I am seeing her if you want to know). She knows I am going to have weight loss surgery as long as I hit the goal weight my insurance told me I need to be at. I have to be at the goal weight by June 24, 2023, in order for my insurance to pay for my surgery. I had a weigh in the doctor's office a couple of days ago and weighed 301, my scale at home said 302. However, on the same day, the scale at a friend's house said 313. I knew I had this Dietician appointment two days later and I knew she would weigh me. I continued to weigh myself at home (after getting new batteries) and I was at 302 then 299 and today at home I weighed 303, right before my appointment, when I got to her office I was weighed and it said 313. I am concerned about what to believe since the doctor's office and my scale show similar numbers. I also bought a new scale today and it said 313. The Dietician told me I needed to eat more protein, which honestly I struggle with. she said I needed 150 grams!! I said are you kidding? that seems like a lot. She used my weight to come up with this number. Should I really be trying to eat enough protein for a 300-lb person or should I be eating protein for a goal-weight person (mine is 170)? also, my clothing is loose like I lost the 20 lbs mine and the doctor's scale shows, and not 10 lbs like everyone else's scale shows. Also, I have always naturally been more muscular even when I was 120 lbs and did not eat any protein aside from what is in plants. tl:dr- should I be eating enough protein to support a 300lb person or should I be eating protein for a "normal" sized person? AND should I trust the Doctors scale more so than the Dietician's scale?

Not everyone experiences dumping & fewer do with sleeve than bypass. You may never experience it. Dumping occurs from eating high fat or sugar. Can occur with high processed simple carbs & dairy but less common again. If your shakes are too thick add more water or milk. I used to double the water to my shakes. I cannot stress enough to follow your plan & your staged returned to eating diet. It is in place to protect & support your healing tummy & digestive system. Remember all those sutures & staples holding your tummy together. All because you drank or ate something without an issue doesn’t mean you should. You could have just been lucky. There are several vegans on this forum who successfully lost weight & maintain their lower weight. You just have to be careful to meet your protein & other nutrient goals. There are so many plant based protein alternatives you can choose from. Your dietician should be able to guide you about your options if you have concerns. If eating meat & dairy upset you before surgery they still will after surgery. Are you experiencing real hunger or head hunger? Wanting to eat a specific food or texture or flavour is head hunger. A lot of the area in your tummy that produces the hunger hormone Ghrelin was removed plus because of the nerves that were cut during surgery, the message to say you’re hungry doesn’t get through to your brain or if they do they are often different. And they won’t until you are fully healed. Head hunger is very powerful & is usually what drove us to eating in the past so we think that feeling is real hunger.

Thanks for your response and the links. I am about 5 weeks out. I am typically a fast eater but I use a bariatric app now to time my eating. (Which felt so silly until I realized I needed to take more time) I track everything less for the calories and more to make sure I hit that protein goal so I know I am usually hitting the 60g or slightly surpassing it for 3 weeks straight now. Fluids was a struggle and hitting 60oz is hard for me. I get into that range most days like it might come out 50ish oz a day on average for the past two weeks so maybe that is the problem (I did admit this to my doctor as well) I don't drink at all after eating I figured out quickly that was a ticket to barftown. Meats are just not my friend. Chicken specifically my stomach just automatically rejects it in any form including pureed. Fish will stay down but I'm only gonna get a couple of bites from that. Most my protein is coming from eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and protein shakes. So I think when I said that to my surgeon that was her red flag for gallbladder but I guess I'll find that out in April. I am not on the strict only three meals a day routine they set for me and my surgeon is okay with that because I'm only getting a few bites for meal times unless it straight up broth then I can do 4oz. I kind of just eat every 4 hours and use a food scale to figure out how much I ate each time. However reading your post I think maybe I'll stay away from the scale until I can hit the water goal more consistently. My next appointment is 6 weeks out (I don't think I can wait until then to see where I am because if I step on that scale six weeks later and I'm still 199 my heart will just shatter) and because I go through the VA I think that might be my last or I have to pay out of pocket so I am panicking more that I'm not on track. Like if I was progressing better I would feel more confident without that support and I know when I only have the VA to lean on then I am pretty much on my own no one is going to help me trouble shoot there. Sent from my SM-S908U using BariatricPal mobile app

I wanted to list my experiences to see if others have the same and what they have done I have not experienced dumping yet. I often forget to not drink and eat at the same time. I was surprised I am ok. I am hungry often. Getting protein is a nonstop struggle.. I found out split pea soup has a lot of protein so I put it in a blender and eat it. Muscle milk, and protein shakes with fresh fruit. Protein shakes, if they are to thick, hurt me. I have ate vegan for three years. I am not super excited about not eating vegan. But, I feel in the first few weeks it is easier and I am ok with that. BUT I took a bite of scrambled eggs and it HURT. I am scared to try dairy because I have not had these things in over 3 years. Before surgery if I accidentally ate dairy, meat, etc it hurt my stomach. Has anyone had experiences with trying it after being vegan for awhile? I am moving to soft foods and I would like some ideas. I saw people eat oatmeal and potates and both are on my list of foods to avoid. Ideas? Please share your experiences with me.

Juice is very high in natural sugars. Think of how many pieces of fruit are used to make a single glass but you wouldn’t eat the same number in one sitting. And you miss out on lots of the nutrients fruit can provide by drinking juice not eating the whole fruit. You’ll be able to introduce fruit soon. You may have got a slight abrasion from the catheter they inserted during surgery or maybe a UTI from the same. The burning could be from either. Was it an antibiotic they gave you? Can’t help you with hunger. I didn’t really experience any until early into my second year. Had one experience of real hunger at about 8 months after a busy day I hadn’t eaten much & missed dinner but that was it for a few more months. I ate very much to routine. I knew I had to get protein & nutrients in so I ate regularly. Also knew I had to keep my boosted metabolism burning. Are you sure you’re experiencing real hunger or is it just head hunger? If your craving/wanting to eat a specific food, texture or flavour it’s most likely head hunger. Remember all those nerves they cut during surgery. Your signals of real hunger likely won’t be getting through or will be different if you are one of the small number who continue to experience real hunger after surgery.

Having no energy is normal. I felt like it took me a few months to regain my energy back. Protein and Iron are going to factor into that. I'm sure you will have bloodwork soon and hopefully, your doctor can recommend some changes to help with that.

you really need to fluids and possibly electrolytes. I am hoping they are monitoring you properly. As a nurse that is the one thing that many mess up on. keep in mind the signs and symptoms of dehydration-sorry i am a nurse and its habit dizzy or light headedness headache tiredness dry mouth, lips and eyes and passing small amounts of urine less than three to four times per day. if you go 8 hours w/out urinating you need to call your doc. you may need IV infusion. Find sugarfree pedialyte try that small sips (30 mL-use one of the med cups that come with liquid meds thats 30 mL) every 15 min. TRY to get some protein in you. doesnt need to be a shake. Sugar free popsicles and jello are good alternatives.

Fluids to build back your volume and lots of protein. make sure you are taking your multivitamin with iron!

One of the things you need to be is patient. It does not fall off over night. Now you have spoken to your surgeon you need to look at what you are eating. You didnt mention how far out you are and water and protein as well as PORTION go hand in hand. If you are not getting enough water and protein your body will return to starvation mode and hold on to fat. You mentioned "holding food down". If you are drinking when you are eating that is one thing you need to stop. Get a 20-30 minute timer and use it for your eating and drinking. If you are fairly new post op then you need to be taking 20 min at a minimum to eat. Then wait 20-30 min before you drink. EAT SLOW...i have always been a fast eater and large bites and this was my focus. Stay off the scale. its more defeating than it needs to be. Weigh in at your appointments only. I am a nurse and I love to research things. I found this for you to read. This indicates that bariatric surgery should be considered in helping PCOS sufferers that are struggling with obesity. I think you need to look at your patterns and habits first. Keep a diary and log your food. You will be as surprised as I was!! Be kind to yourself, this is not a race, its a life changing event that takes work and commitment. Take it one day at a time. Things like sugar free popsicles count as water too as does sugar free jello. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7538203/ There is more research that needs to be done in this area of course. But Obesity and insulin resistance feeds PCOS. In a nutshell gist of the article is "Surgery successfully mediates the regression of PCOS"

Does anyone else with PCOS find that there still seems to be a struggle with weightloss? Background for me: I started at 220ish lost 6lbs during the pre surgery diet and lost about 19 lbs since surgery. When I talked to my surgeon yesterday she said it sounds like I'm doing the right things but she did agree that most people would be down a lot more. She wants to look at my gallbladder since I have been having trouble holding down food like chicken specifically so maybe there is something there. But I feel like the point of the surgery was I was struggling to lose weight on my own. I thought PCOS was making that harder and it felt like everyone and their mother suggested WLS for me to help and now I feel like it's failing. My doc didn't really seem to want to give nutritional guidance besides hitting 60g of protein and 60oz of water. She is more concerned with me holding food down which is understandable but my focus is this weight. Is there something I should be doing that maybe PCOS patients need to adjust compared to "normal" patients? Sent from my SM-S908U using BariatricPal mobile app

I too am suffering with fatigue. One pool exercise routine and I’m exhausted but not every day. Some days getting up is a challenge. I don’t like cold, so hope it’s that. I walked two miles one evening, it was great, but next morning was exhausted. Blood work seems ok. Yes I’m 70, but this is weird. I read some COVID patients experience this much later. I can’t seem to get answers. I take my multi vitas, Protein, vitamin B12 and Vita D 50K per week. Go to gym almost every day for pool or walk, bike, so trying to build muscle. Slow looser. Sleeve last July. Lost 30 lbs so far, so it’s not that I’m depleted. Ughh