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That's all understandable! At least your eyes are open, and you are frustrated. Hopefully, that will get you back on track. I'm so afraid of getting to where I can eat more. It seems that I'm able to eat just a bit more each week. I remember when I could only eat half a bag of Quest chips. Now, I can easily polish off the bag. As much as I dislike being nauseous, it does keep me from eating much. However, even when I think I've eaten a lot I'm still under 1,000 calories. It's funny what now feels like a lot! You've got this! I would get the junk out of the house and get things for the kids that they enjoy but aren't tempting to you. Keep some cut-up fruit and veggies in the fridge for easy grabbing when you need/want something.

Made 130g air fried octopus calamari. Consisted of instant pot cooked octopus, rolled in breading: nutritional yeast, potato starch, soy sauce, olive oil, and fiesta spice. Total calories: 226 calories. I ate about 3/4 of it.

I was surprised today to learn I don't have to do an all liquid diet except the 24 hours before. I have to follow an 800-900 calorie diet for the 11 days before eating food from my bariatric food store. So I'm glad it's not just going to be having liquid, till after the surgery! 😀

tomorrow July 10 😌 Weird because 1200 calories for the past 2 weeks and liquid diet 24 hours before the surgery. This is gonna sound nuts but I hope that my liver isn't a fat gigantic thing... so embarrassing. I had gastric sleeve back almost a decade ago and managed to regain the weight. It's the same surgeon for this gastric bypass.

I was like this. I managed 300 calories until 6 months. I was super restricted. My team were ok as long as I was well monitored and as long as I kept trying and drank most of my liquid allotment. I take PPI's twice a day and still need antacid. Food smells repulsed me. I couldn't eat eggs, meat or fish. I ate yogurt, soups, deli meats and cheese. I drank milk, coffee and Ribena. I forced myself to eat 6 tiny meals a day. My family were super worried about it. I managed a little better every day especially when the pressure was taken off me { I pressured myself } I took me 2 years to eat chicken, lamb, eggs and to this day can not eat salmon and oily fish. Stick with your team, they will get you through it. It will get easier.

It's easy to forget that "weight" and "fat" are not the same thing. You can burn fat and go up in weight, and it's normal for daily weight to fluctuate by several pounds. You've been really lucky so far that the scale has gone down consistently, but you're getting to the 6-month mark and that's when the surgery's fat burning effect starts to slow (not stop, but slow). In the past, you were burning enough fat quickly so that even if you went up in weight from water or the food in your digestive track, you wouldn't see it on the scale. Now, though, you might only lose a small amount of fat in a week, so you could see the scale become a little more erratic. It's totally normal and you aren't gaining fat. It's also very common to hit a stall around 6 months post op as your body recalibrates. You'll probably see slower weight loss once it breaks, but you'll still see the scale go down for many more months. And if I just base it on my own experience, you will experience this type of thing the closer you get to a number that feels important to you because the universe is like that. The moment I dropped below 200 lbs, which was such a psychological milestone for me, my weight bounced back up and it took another 10 days to get back into the 190s again. My third month post-op, I stalled and only lost a total of 3.8 pounds. The following month was my best month so far for weight loss. So don't read too much into a little wobble on the scale if your habits have been reasonable. If it takes 3500 extra calories to gain one pound, unless you can identify some really bad choices that would have led to a 14,000 calorie surplus this past week, it's not anything you're doing. Just keep following your plan and ignore the scale.

Yea. It’s really touch cooking small amounts. I know alot of people on here freeze a great deal. I haven’t gotten into that yet. I don’t have a ton of freezer space and I’m pretty unorganized so I may be able to do like one thing at a time but I don’t think creating a whole menu of frozen items is really for me. Anyways, i have been going back and forth since I’m pending revision in terms of my eating but when I a being good I eat a lot of salads. I love southwest and taco salads as well as market salad (a Copycat of Chick-fil-A salad that has chicken, nuts and fruit). @NickelChip suggested salmon on salad but I’m not a fan. I think I will try mahi mahi instead I just gotta figure out what else goes with that. I also like low carb wraps. I do a cheeseburger one, Philly cheesesteak (using deli roast beef that I just skillet fry for a few seconds), and grilled chicken Caesar. When I’m feeling extra fancy I will do chicken or beef stuffed peppers or zucchini boats with sausage. And when I’m craving Italian I will like cauliflower crust pizza or this low carb Italian bake I just found that’s basically lasagna without noodles but with Italian sausage (it’s low carb but but necessarily low calorie). That is pretty much my entire menu though which is why I am really hoping to expand my horizons. I get board and thats When I am tempted to eat off plan.

I made this post in another thread as a response to someone else, and then I realized it's something that might help others after they've had their surgery and find themselves struggling. Maybe you're seeing an increase in hormones all of a sudden...maybe you're discovering there's a lot more work involved in getting and keeping the results you need after having the surgery. Maybe you're struggling to change your relationship with food. Whatever the case is, maybe this will help "I never really had the emotional ups and downs, mostly because at the time I had PCOS, and the influx of estrogen from both my surgeries actually normalized my hormones for a few months each time lol What I DID have, however, is the emotional issues that came with changing my relationship with food. I had NO IDEA that would be a thing lol Changing what you eat, how you eat, when and why you eat, how often you eat is like breaking up with a toxic partner. You've been together for a REALLY long time, and even though you KNOW it's a terrible, unhealthy relationship, it's really all you know and you're so dependent on it you don't think you can function without it. And now you have to figure out how to. You have to completely retrain your brain, learn the difference between true hunger and head hunger (there is an actual, real difference), and you have to learn to read the nutrition labels, track your calories and Protein and carbs, work out, don't cheat (and don't make excuse after excuse and justification after justification for why you went back to the toxic relationship even after you knew it was bad for you, yet still gave in), measure food, track fluids, take HONEST accountability for your actions (which isn't something most of us had been particularly good at) and make adjustments as needed to stay as compliant as possible for the long haul. Contrary to what so many think, there's actually a LOT of work that has to happen after the surgery. The surgery itself is just a tool. It's not a miracle cure. It won't fix all the issues if you don't put in the actual work. Just eating smaller amounts without making any of the necessary changes isn't enough, and that's a hard lesson many learn later on. All of this is such a mind eff, and takes a toll on a person. It's a lot of changes, and a lot of work, thrown at a person all at once. And no matter how ready you think you are, it can still cause so much emotional turmoil, and understandably so. What I, and so many, don't realize is that we all have ED (eating disorders) in order to get to being obese and morbidly obese (or in some cases, super morbidly obese). It's not just anorexia or bulimia. I genuinely didn't know that. We have to retrain our brains to get out of that, and sometimes that requires help, and we have to be ok with getting that help. And because we have to do that, we then get incredibly frustrated and defeated feeling when the weight comes off slower than we thought it would, or we hit stalls (or in my case, stall after stall after stall - which is COMPLETELY normal, by the way, and should be expected). I said all of this to say there's SO many different reasons we can have emotions all over the place. Influx of hormones all at once, changes in relationship with food, changes in routines and increase in the things we don't particularly like doing (or not doing anymore), learning we have to do a lot of work to get and maintain the results we want after the surgery, learning PATIENCE with the rate of weight loss and trusting the process (easier said than done, believe me, I know), realizing that body dysmorphia is REAL and we can and do struggle with seeing ourselves as anything other than our formerly obese selves (I'm 182 pounds and I still see 421 pounds sometimes when I look in the mirror), and of course, hair loss (also COMPLETELY normal, and will eventually stop). You won't go bald, there's nothing to prevent it or stop it, you need to increase your protein, biotin doesn't slow it down, and it's a COMPLETELY normal part of the process that many of us don't know about until it happens and then we freak out. So give yourself some grace and just know this is normal. You're doing great, and we're all here for you, just like everyone was here for me "

I never really had the emotional ups and downs, mostly because at the time I had PCOS, and the influx of estrogen from both my surgeries actually normalized my hormones for a few months each time lol What I DID have, however, is the emotional issues that came with changing my relationship with food. I had NO IDEA that would be a thing lol Changing what you eat, how you eat, when and why you eat, how often you eat is like breaking up with a toxic partner. You've been together for a REALLY long time, and even though you KNOW it's a terrible, unhealthy relationship, it's really all you know and you're so dependent on it you don't think you can function without it. And now you have to figure out how to. You have to completely retrain your brain, learn the difference between true hunger and head hunger (there is an actual, real difference), and you have to learn to read the nutrition labels, track your calories and Protein and carbs, work out, don't cheat (and don't make excuse after excuse and justification after justification for why you went back to the toxic relationship even after you knew it was bad for you, yet still gave in), measure food, track fluids, take HONEST accountability for your actions (which isn't something most of us had been particularly good at) and make adjustments as needed to stay as compliant as possible for the long haul. Contrary to what so many think, there's actually a LOT of work that has to happen after the surgery. The surgery itself is just a tool. It's not a miracle cure. It won't fix all the issues if you don't put in the actual work. Just eating smaller amounts without making any of the necessary changes isn't enough, and that's a hard lesson many learn later on. All of this is such a mind eff, and takes a toll on a person. It's a lot of changes, and a lot of work, thrown at a person all at once. And no matter how ready you think you are, it can still cause so much emotional turmoil, and understandably so. What I, and so many, don't realize is that we all have ED (eating disorders) in order to get to being obese and morbidly obese (or in some cases, super morbidly obese). It's not just anorexia or bulimia. I genuinely didn't know that. We have to retrain our brains to get out of that, and sometimes that requires help, and we have to be ok with getting that help. And because we have to do that, we then get incredibly frustrated and defeated feeling when the weight comes off slower than we thought it would, or we hit stalls (or in my case, stall after stall after stall - which is COMPLETELY normal, by the way, and should be expected). I said all of this to say there's SO many different reasons we can have emotions all over the place. Influx of hormones all at once, changes in relationship with food, changes in routines and increase in the things we don't particularly like doing (or not doing anymore), learning we have to do a lot of work to get and maintain the results we want after the surgery, learning PATIENCE with the rate of weight loss and trusting the process (easier said than done, believe me, I know), realizing that body dysmorphia is REAL and we can and do struggle with seeing ourselves as anything other than our formerly obese selves (I'm 182 pounds and I still see 421 pounds sometimes when I look in the mirror), and of course, hair loss (also COMPLETELY normal, and will eventually stop). You won't go bald, there's nothing to prevent it or stop it, you need to increase your Protein, Biotin doesn't slow it down, and it's a COMPLETELY normal part of the process that many of us don't know about until it happens and then we freak out. So give yourself some grace and just know this is normal. You're doing great, and we're all here for you, just like everyone was here for me

If you are one the majority of us who lose our appetite & interest in eating, you won’t care about drinking the shakes, soups, bone broths, etc. or not think you’re eating g enough. I only drank two ‘meals’ a day during that stage , consuming about 200 calories. Remember your body has a lot of stored energy to keep it functioning effectively. The shakes, soups, etc. also count towards your fluid intake so that makes it easier to get your fluids in. I did things like diluted my soup & shakes, so more fluid & just sipped until they were finished. Drink during the night too. I still drink every time I get in or out of bed (which is often because you know you drink you pee 😁) If you do feel hungry, it may be head hunger not real hunger coming from the stress & emotional effects of the surgery especially if you ate to comfort or sooth yourself. Find something to distract yourself: read, contact a friend or family member, craft, play a game, do a puzzle, check your socials, go for a little walk, sip a warm drink like herbal or green tea. Don’t worry if you don’t hit your fluid & protein goals straight away or even every day. It’s not easy at first. As long as you’re close to your goals & making an effort you’ll be okay. The first 24-48 hours after surgery, I slept a lot. After that not much. Slept pretty well at night & then maybe a little nana nap in the afternoon was all. Really just rested with my water, shake, etc, beside me. Many people are back are work after a week or two. Write down why you decided to have this surgery & what you hope to achieve. Create a list of small wins you can achieve a long the way (each time you need a smaller clothing size, first time you can walk up stairs without puffing or discomfort, not needing an extender on a seat belt, etc. what ever is applicable to you). Put these in prominent places around your home - on the fridge, pantry, bathroom, etc. and read them whenever you need a reminder to stay on track. You’ve got this.

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I will be having hernia repair and vertical gastric sleeve on 8/6/24. SW 295.9 CW 270 GW 150 My food education class is this coming week, and I hope to learn a lot more about what I will be allowed to eat. I do know that I will be on a 2-week pre-op and 2-week post-op liquid diet. I will actually get all my vitamins and protein powders during my class. I am fortunate that my insurance covers the surgery at 100% and I only had a 4 month waiting period from my first doctor visit. I stopped all caffeine, carbonated, and high calorie drinks back in April. My daily water goal of 64oz is pretty hard to reach sometimes, but I do my best. Ironically, I do better on the days I am at work as opposed to at home. Best of luck to those of you giving up smoking.

I’m 4 months post op from my sleeve and I can barely eat. Everything puts me off but especially meats and veg. After 2 bites I’m totally put off, not super nauseous just completely disinterested and I have a lot of indigestion with gas belching, hiccups, and a dull ache in my stomach. It’s not getting better and my surgery team is stumped. Soups, shakes everything is ick. I dread eating at this point and barely get any protein and my calories are around 400/day making me feel like a walking zombie. Has anyone else had issues like this? I dont know if the sleeve is too tight or too small or what.

95 pounds in 3 months??? That's very alarming. That's roughly 32 pounds per month. That's not ok, no matter how you look at it. Your tests have all come back normal? If you can't eat, that's a real problem. I guess try having as many protein shakes as you can. If you make them at home, add things to them like greens powder, frozen fruit, avocado, maybe peanut or almond butter....whatever you can to get as much in you as possible. You need protein and calories and healthy fats right now. You also need fluids. Protein shakes will count as protein, calories, and fluids. See if you can get some zofran for the nausea. Which doctor is doing your tests, your primary or your bariatric? You should definitely be seeing your bariatric surgeon for this.

It's not that you need hard truth, you just need to face some truths for yourself. There's nothing we can tell you that you don't already know. You know what the bariatric diet is. You know what to eat and what not to. You know how much to eat, how often, and when to stop. You need to get back to basics. Maybe start the bariatric diet over. Do a week on each step of the diet to retrain your stomach and brain on what to do and not do. There's no "pouch shrinking diet" but there's a "retrain yourself how to eat properly again" diet, and it's essentially to start back over with the basics and go from there. Reach back out to the nutritionist from your surgeon's office if you need help or new meal ideas. Go back to using calorie/carb/protein/fat counting apps. Measure out your food again. Log your meals and meal plan. Make sure you're moving your body at least a little every day. Cut out sugar and salt as much as you can. Do all the things you did when you lost the 70 pounds. Do the things you already know to do. There's not really any new tips and tricks. It's lifestyle changes you need to make and stick with. If you didn't do it before, do it now.

I didn’t loose any weight with the liquid diet because I had already been following the bariatric plan for a whole year before the surgery so my body was used to being calorie restricted. The salt levels sound kind of high… like others have said. Don’t be surprised if you gain weight while in hospital because the IV fluids are full of salt too. Just keep drinking water and it will come off. Best of luck with your recovery!

I am about 6m out and I feel the same! I know I am not hungry but I want to eat. Its the act of eating that we are used to so being mindful is important. Drink water, a decaf iced coffee with a little Fat Free Fairlife milk, Jordan's skinny syrup, ice and decaf cold brew (I did this the other day) and it really helped with my sweet tooth without all the added calories or bad stuff. I have lots of tips and tricks LOL!! I am super close to my goal weight and for some reason my mindset this last week has been trash where I'm letting myself "snack" or graze. So I am working on it too.

I would avoid the V8 juice because of its low protein content. You need to get your protein in even before surgery (it’s good practice for after surgery too). Why waste those calories on something that won’t benefit your protein intake? You are consuming a lot of fluids which can be adding to any water retention you are experiencing too. Are you peeing a lot more? Give it a few more days for your body to get used to the low calorie, all fluid diet before worrying about the scales. All the best with your surgery. Exciting!!

Make sure you're getting your protein and fluids. I know you're 1 month out, so you can't get your full calories in yet. But don't push yourself too fast. Give your body time to heal, prioritize fluids and protein, and trust the process. You'll get there, but it's a marathon, not a sprint. You didn't gain the weight in a month or 2 and you won't lose it in a month or 2.

Being that you're a night shift nurse, you're already burning a ton of calories. You should probably cut your workouts way back. If you want to still work out frequently, maybe try for 45 minutes 3 days per week. Definitely increase your fluids. Get plenty of sleep. Increase your calories to AT LEAST 1000 per day, because with what you're burning between work and working out, your body likely thinks it's in starvation mode and it's hanging on to everything it can. If you decrease the workouts a bit and increase the calories a bit and increase your sleep and fluids, you should be able to wake your body back up and start losing again. Also, what are your stats? What surgery did you have, what was your starting weight and bmi and what is it now? You lose more and faster when you're heavier. As you get closer to a healthier and "normal" weight and bmi, the weight comes off slower.

Im 8mo po and im so frustrated that i cant lose anymore ... it has my feels all over the place... gained actually 6 llbs not water that came off.. i eat about 800 900 calories ive tried increasing.. im doing extra protien...i work out at least 1.5 hrs 4 to 5 times week. Little carbs under 60 usually 45 my water intake is low but i try but i do protien water too.. im to the point of no eating ... screw it... or eat whatever i want instead im frustrated ! I'm a nightshift nurse work 12 hrs... 5to 7 days a week...

I am in USA and started my pre op diet today. Surgery date is 7/17. I have a pre op diet of up to 800 Calories. Most is consisting of protein shakes, protein water, bouillions, an occasional very low fat, low sugar yougurt. (High protein so Greek). I was wondering why someone had a 300 calorie a day post op diet. Wouldn't you not have enough protein? Saffy1, what is on your diet?

Well you really do have to lot your calories if you have not done that (and measure things- don’t just eyeball it (because you would be surprised how little the portions look that we actually need after years of feeding an obese body and don’t go by what others think because they are used to seeing you eat so much more so it’s just as much of an adjustment for them as it is for you BUT, if you have tied all that, don’t just give uP, you’ve still got options

I don't know about brownies specifically, but unsweetened cocoa powder is fine. It's really low in calories. I often mix it into vanilla yogurt and throw some berries on top for a treat.

I *usually* fall into the non cook side these days so don’t worry about being a pro chef on the Food Before and After Thread. The pandemic destroyed my love of cooking. I did too much. These days like to batch cook and eat the same things until they’re gone. I have zero problems eating the same things on repeat because I don’t really crave specific foods (except chocolate) I just get hungry in general. TBH I don’t use traditional sweeteners often but when I do it’s VERY sparingly and actually measured. I prefer buy premade glazes so I can control the calories. Most of favorite things are also the easiest, like air fryer naked chicken tenders. Just thin slices chicken breast spices and a little oil.

I am at 6.5 months post op so relatively early out. Reached goal at 3.5 months but continued to lose (and still losing albeit slower). I have increased by calories by 200 and the weight loss hasn't stopped but that is all I can manage now. I will try to increase my calories gradually and see how it goes, from what I hear - and subject to you following your plan - it is unlikely that you stop losing before the 1 year mark. Best of Luck!