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Hi , I just got my 6 months bloods and my serum urea level is above range 8.6mmo/L - it's above the higher reference limit .I know we're all devouring a lot of protein , but I'm concerned about my kidneys and this high urea reading .Does anyone know anything about this ? I've tried to look it up and it just says too much protein can cause high urea levels and kidney problems .Worried now, thanks .

Regardless of which procedure you decide on, this is a lifestyle change. If you don't already have one I suggest talking to a mental health professional before scheduling your big day. I was leaning towards a bypass, but my doctors shared with me that the bypass comes with a lot more risk, and that for the types of medications I take, a sleeve would be best. I am now 3 days post-op and while I used to have a severe sweet tooth, I can honestly say that it's been difficult to choke down some of these protein shakes because they're simply TOO sweet. This is a big change, and I hope that you can find a comfortable place emotionally/mentally to pick a date. Good luck!

Yeah, I don’t know how people hit their protein goals without protein shakes. I’m lucky that I can tolerate clear whey protein pretty well, so can just have a few of those a day and I’ve hit my target. The meal plans my dietician has sent through just seem so unrealistic. The portions are DEFINITELY too large to finish and would still come under target. And then in my last meeting she lectured me for eating 1/3 cup instead of 1/4 cup portions, when in some instances the meals on the meal plan would be more like a full cup! Hard eye roll. At the moment, I’m relying on protein water and vitamin supplements, and trying to eat a good mix of fish, yoghurt, soy, veggies, and complex carbs. I have to say while the pre op and hospital care was pretty great, the post surgery care leaves something to be desired. But still skinnier than I’ve been in 15 years, and no major health complaints that I’ve identified.

I have not had surgery yet, but from what I am learning, the focus for long term success should be protein first. If eating four slices of pizza was something you did once it’s probably isn’t the end of the world, but it is also not going to provide you with the nutrients you need. Is it a slippery slope for you? If you pull the meat off two chicken thighs, it doesn’t seem like it would be to much. That may be a better option. What plan did your surgeon give you? If the surgery is a tool, the work lies in sticking to the plan. Eating whatever I want has ultimately got me thinking about having surgery. if you are eating what you want, are you tracking calories? What do you need to be eating to maintain?

My dietician stressed to me that protein was the most important. So for my “meals” most of the time I only eat my protein source (chicken, fish, etc.) with no side so I can eat more of it. I add veggies and fruit more as snacks throughout the day as I’m able. Certain fruits are harder for me. Bananas (even though I usually only finish half) and grapes seem to work the best. My dietician also told me that to break your plate into 3 categories, protein, veggie and carb or starch and eat in that order. My protein size she recommended 3-4 ounces. I can tell you even now once I finish that much protein (and that’s IF I can finish it all) I’m full. I may have a spoonful of mashed potatoes just because I want a taste, but that’s about it. It’s way too much food for me still. By 8 weeks post op they wanted me at 60 grams of protein a day without relying on shakes. That was a really daunting number that I still struggle with. Even if I eat nothing but protein each day some days I don’t hit that. I do still add in shakes on workout days but not as part of my normal diet. So I see the 60 grams a day as a goal I’m working up towards instead of something I must hit every day. I can’t physically eat more than my stomach comfortably can handle. But I can choose items higher in protein when deciding what to eat. Tuna packets are small enough (3 ounces) and have a lot of protein (12-15 grams). I prefer the deli style tuna salad one by Starkist. I take that to work for my lunch most nights. I can eat the entire packet if I don’t eat anything else with it. Exercise was hard in the beginning. I started off just walking a couple times a week. I was eating so little that just carrying laundry upstairs made me light headed and fatigued. That has gotten better though and I’m slowly increasing the intensity of my workouts. So just take it slow, eat protein first and just listen to your body. Everyone is different on what we can handle when.

Had gastric bypass 10/3. Down 77 pounds total. 19 of that was before surgery. Anyway, I am barely getting in 600 calories a day at this point and can only handle about an ounce and a half of protein with a couple bites of veggies at meals. I have a very clear full signal and don’t eat past it. I haven’t had sugar or carbs since surgery and I intend to stick with that. I cannot tolerate cheese, nuts, butter, basically anything but lean proteins and some vegetables. I even struggle with fruit. I don’t have a dietician so I have no idea if I am on track or not with my eating so I just take each day as it comes. I am happy with my weight loss. As most everyone I wish it was faster. But I have only stalled once and that was at the 3 week mark. I am exercising some but with the low amount of calories I am eating it is hard to have a lot of stamina. If anyone has any pointers let me know. I also still rely on 1-2 protein shakes a day to get protein up to around 80 grams.

Hi, yes it helps tremendously! I’m just back from my appointment with the dietitian. She spent an hour with me going through everything I have in a day (so little). She said she was worried about not only my protein intake but also my fibre intake. She’s a different dietician than the one I saw before surgery who had given me a default 4 week diet plan. I will list the tips she gave (which I might post in another thread as well to help others): *my old diet plan listed a soft cracker and cream cheese for breakfast, followed by a plain yoghurt and then runny vegetable soup for lunch. Second snack was homemade applesauce with no sugar and dinner was soup with cracker. All of that during 4 weeks! The only changed were week two pureed veggies with minced meat. Third week same diet except breakfast with hard cheese instead of cream cheese and more meat. Fourth week was same diet but introduction of some harder foods … this was not exciting to say the least. The puréed stage literally killed me and guess what… it was neither dumping nor dehydration. I was severely constipated! The minute I had a proper bowel movement (I had had 2 very small ones before) the relief to cramping and nausea disappeared into thin air. I can’t explain it. so this new dietician is like: 1) Don’t worry about water. Keep drinking hot drinks like teas and coffee, just dilute them a bit more 2) cut a banana in three and have one piece as a snack instead of plain yoghurt 3) change the yoghurt into soy, almond or coconut in case you turn intolerant to lactose which can happen after surgery 4) adding meat to your puréed veggies too challenging? Add a slice of smoked salmon even in week 2. 5) have a yokult to keep your flora alive 6) drink a couple of protein shakes instead of a meal if too challenging… anyway, the flexibility was eye opening. She said don’t try to follow rules too blindly. As long as you keep eating pretty soft foods you are fine eating toasted bread with peanutbutter (creamy)! to say that I was in a shock is an understatement… cant wait to have breakfast tomorrow!

Love protein2O!! I’ve always used the liquids version but have wanted to try the powders. I’ll definitely bring trying this. Protein 2O has been an integral part of my success so far and I know it will continue to be an important part of my routine.

Checking in on how everyone is doing 2 - 2.5 months out. I’m finally getting my energy back. I had bloodwork done last week ahead of my 3 month checkin with my surgeon and just got the results back. All my blood panel and nutritional numbers are in the optimal range! In such a short time period I went from: - 6.2 A1C (prediabetic) to 5.1 (non-diabetic) -194 to 75 mg/dL triglycerides -134 to 96 LDL Cholesterol - 214 to 158 mg/dL overall cholesterol My protein, calcium, and all other nutrients are where they should beAnd I’m honestly just so grateful I’ve followed the advisement of my team and hadthe support of the folks here. Since my December 5 surgery I’ve dropped 2-3 sizes (3 top, 2 bottom) and 38lbs! Since I started this process on August 6 (my first consult) I’ve dropped 60lbs. Really excited for my appointment with my surgeon next week to use the InBody machine and see how that translates to body fat percentage across various regions of my body. A month into 2x/week personal training I am seeing huge gains in my strength and pulmonary capacity for HIIT. My one a day swims are back to my pre-surgery speed when I was swimming twice a day 5x week. I’m still tired most evening after 6pm and only halfway to my goal. I get frustrated with stalls and am not always perfect, but overall my only regret is not taking this step sooner. Hope everyone is doing well and sending some December surgery love.

Hey everyone, surgery was 10/24 and I’m down from 215 to 167. The last 4 weekly weigh ins the scale has bounced between 168-171 so I may be in a stall. I was in one after the first 4 weeks for almost 6 weeks. It’s annoying but I’m happy with my progress as I’m officially the smallest I have been in 20 years with all my yo yo dieting. I also know that I may be getting closer to my new size my body wants to be so the weight loss may stop. I’ve been trying to focus more on working out now. Before my surgery I lifted weights regularly. I know I’ve lost a lot of muscle these last couple months and I feel much weaker. So I’m trying to get back into that. Clothing wise I’m down from a size 18 to a 10. I haven’t really had to buy new clothes yet as I kept clothes from all my previous lose and regain episodes. I also wear uniforms to work every day which are provided so being that it’s winter my non-work clothes is mostly hoodies and sweat pants anyway 😁 Food wise it’s hit or miss. I have started to feel hunger signals again but my portions are still pretty small. My doctor never told me to track my food intake which I’m grateful for because I don’t want to feel like I’m on a diet. But I would rough guess my intake to be about 1000 calories a day. I still try to prioritize protein first which doesn’t leave much room for anything else. But I do try to snack on fruit or veggies throughout the day to get my nutrients in. Sugar free sweets and cookies have helped with any sweet tooth cravings I get. I have ate plenty of things with sugar at this point as I really don’t restrict anything, but I do try to limit it to just occasionally. I also struggle with feeling like I have to clean my plate, even when I start to feel full. So I try to start with a small amount to begin with. Then wait a couple minutes before deciding if I want more, and usually I don’t. I still eat really fast so pausing for a few minutes helps my stomach to catch up. I’ve been out to eat several times. Usually I just split a meal with my wife and it works out great. She’s not going to eat the entire dish and I only need a few bites. The weirdest part with food for me is that my tastes have changed. Foods I used to enjoy don’t sit well or taste as good. I used to drink black coffee every day, now it hurts my stomach so I’ve just quit it. I thought the lack of caffeine would be an issue but it really hasn’t been. I do occasionally drink instant sugar free cappuccino but not daily. Also hot wings used to be a favorite of mine and now they taste off. Same thing with a lot of spicy food actually. So while I wouldn’t say I restrict food, at least for weight loss purposes, I’m trying to learn how different things make me feel and structure my eating like that. Just like with overeating I tell myself while something might sound appealing, is it worth me feeling kinda crappy for the next 30-45 minutes? That helps to think of it like that. I have definitely overdone portions and regretted it. Hence why I try to start smaller to begin with. It’s hard when you have one bite left not to just eat it, but that one bite will cost you and it’s just not worth the discomfort for me. All in all I would say I’m feeling good and I’m happy. I’m starting to see myself as smaller for the first time. I’ll catch my reflection in a window or something and be like damn, is that how skinny I am? It’s a crazy feeling I’ve never felt before. I knew I was getting smaller because my clothes sizes were going down. But I’m just now really seeing it. I have more work to do, more so in the gym now than the scale, but I’m feeling accomplished and motivated.

Hi - water puts me in hell .Even a sip .I told my Dietitian and she said it's pretty common .She pointed me to Vieve Protein water , it goes down very softly .They sell it on Amazon and I'd be utterly lost without it .You're not just getting fluids in , you are getting protein .I also suffer from trapped gas/wind - I could burp for Britain ! It lasts for a few hours and then goes off .It only happens about twice a month but it's horrible isn't it ? I'm six months in and still find solid food very uncomfortable to digest ,I tend to stick with soft foods . Hope this helps !

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Hi, my bypass was 1/23/23. I was nervous as well not knowing what is going on with my insides healing. Very scared at times navigating drinking clear fluids and protein shakes. I couldn't gage how long the liquid took to get through the swollen areas of the surgery. I wished I had superpowers of xray vision ha! I have had surgeries before that I'd gage my healing on visible scars and inflammation. This was new and different. I want to validate your feelings of fears as I too had these anxious moments. You'll start to get better learning your new organs function as with everything new it's going to take time. I'm starting my new phase of soft foods(from pureed) and will have to figure out again how my healing is going. (Secretly hoping for those xray vision superpowers, ha!) Cheryl

Thank you, today was a lot better than. Yesterday, I was even able to sleep. I asked the surgeon if it was normal, he said yes. I can't drink the protein shake tho, it tastes Nasty. Got more water down than yesterday and a little more than. Half if the yogurt. It's weird feeling full after that

I sure felt like a whiney baby post-op. My surgeon said no baby food. Babies have different nutritional needs than adults. Pureed options are easy. Let's see, what did I puree? Prime rib, Thai chicken, Curry chicken, Chicken alfreado. The list goes on and on, I ate my favorite proteins and big flavor foods. Good luck, Tek

I'm about 20 years post-op. From 6 weeks post-op to now my meals are 3-4oz of protein, 1oz of veggies. I eat until I get full or complete my meal, whichever comes first. Forcing it just causes discomfort and even pain, so I don't do it. There are days when I take a bite or two and get the signals that I need to stop. I might try again in an hour or just say "f-it" and go on with my day. My pouch is the boss. Good luck, Tek

I had this when I was not drinking enough, and eating enough calories because of a swollen suture line in my new tummy. Then I had it again when I had dropped a lot of weight and needed to come off my blood pressure medication, I just didn't need it anymore. I had it randomly yesterday morning when I got out of bed too quickly and got busy. I ate some yogurt and had a large milky coffee and I was fine. When I am out I always take a protein bar in case this happens when I have skipped a meal

I am so glad that you are working with a therapist and have a great working relationship with them. I had a sleeve a dozen years ago in my mid 50's. I am now (well - next month !) 67 years old. I struggled with my weight my entire life. Had this been an option years before, I would have done it ! I am also a mental health professional. The problem with depression and/or anxiety is that you can be those things when you are obese, and losing weight .... well... you may weigh a lot less, but you can still be depressed/anxious. If you are using medication to help modulate your mental health symptoms, you might check how those medications work with your specific surgery. Weight loss surgery will not "make anyone happy" - but it will help you to lose weight ! Personally, I have panic attacks. They started about 20 years ago for no good reason. My weight before, during and after weight loss has had absolutely NO effect on them. Some years are better than others. If you have weight re-gain, you have to get to a emotional/mental place where you can concentrate on going back to basics of how you lost the weight in the first place after surgery. I did experience weight gain at about 6 to 7 years post sleeve. I lost my mother, brother and father in a few year's time. I did not pay attention to what I was eating. I became a caregiver and mourned those losses. I had too much on my mind to "see" myself. When I got myself back together, and could see past all those events; I made a conscious decision to re lose the 40 pounds I put on. ( I had lost 140 ) I took a couple years to lose the weight. I realized I did not know how to maintain my weight. So each time I lost 10 pounds or so I would stop losing weight and work on maintaining THAT weight for a couple months. Once I had that down, I would lose some more. I needed to be INTENTIONAL. And make the way I eat work for me. I got back to where I was, and then kept it stable for another year. A few months back I decided to lose some more. My thought was 10 more pounds. I have lost 12. I am at one of my maintenance phases right now. Try not to let your weight define who you are, who you want to be, and know that there is NO time line for being your best self ! Congratulations on saving up that money to give yourself the BEST way to lose weight, and to be successful.

So I pretty much tell anyone who will listen about my upcoming surgery. I explain the year of pre op requirements I had to meet, the diets I need to follow (pre and post op), the potential of food intolerances that I may gain. The life long vitamin deficiency that I have to address. And so far, for me, the nasty aftertaste of pure death I get from cheap protein shakes. I explain what the surgery consists of (amazing how many people think sleeve is the same as a lap band). Lol, lazy way out, cheating. Let’s just take a look at the rules, while they are looking for the rules that show we are cheating, I’ll be moving on with my new, longer life. Screw em!

The ones who’ve never been fat or the cringed medical term obese! But you should have just exercised. Hired a whole trainer because I thought the same thing 18 years ago. Oh if I don’t lose it by then…. I am going to figure what I did wrong and start over. For me gastric sleeve was a blessing because I NEVER realized how bad I eat even with fruits, veggies whole grain and protein.

The pain from plastic surgery was a lot more intense than laparoscopic weight loss surgery for me (however to me it was comparable to a caesarean). I also didn’t think I would pursue skin removable when I started because I was so focused on health. Honestly I could have gone either way but what pushed me over the edge was someone asking when was I due. I was not pregnant. I booked a plastic surgery consult less than 6 months after that. I see a lot of sleeveless compression tops for men and that might be I lighter layer option to consider.

I love Premier Clear Peach (haven't tried the Tropical Punch flavor) ! They are very refreshing and a welcome change from the thickness of the protein shakes. I have not been able to find them on store shelves and have had to order online. If anyone knows of a store which stocks them, the information would be greatly appreciated!

My surgery date is March 8! I started a low-carb liver-shrink diet today. I’m so excited…not nervous at all! I’m going to do the Premiere Clear for the first week to keep my protein up and then the second week, I’ll add in my Fairlife chocolate protein shakes…they’re my favorite! I haven’t tried the Premier Clear yet, but from what I’ve read, it’s got good reviews…has anyone here tried it?

Would these be allowed during a clear liquid diet as long as you do not chew and swallow the hard candy? After surgery, your mouth is dry, throat is sore and stomach is queasy....seems like a good option to address all issues. The only objectionable factor I foresee, might be the sugar alcohols causing more gas but one or two pieces shouldn't contribute unless a person is highly sensitive to sugar alcohols. Any experience or opinions would be appreciated.

Amazing! It’s great to hear this side as well thanks for sharing. I think it provides a good balance. It hasn’t been all bad for me Infact I think it’s been mostly good. The pain was intense and still comes from time to time (I’m nearly 2 weeks post op) but that’s probably because I’m doing a bit more with 4 young children. I don’t know how you’re managing to hit your protein goals. I still struggle with mine but I’m not yet at the purée stage so watch this space. Water is especially difficult to hit 700ml never mind the 1.2litres I’ve been told I need daily. I’m definitely hitting my 90 minute walking target so that’s a plus. And I am starting to feel my jeans fall so an additional yay!!