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My journey began by yo-yo dieting. If there was a diet, I tried it, Weight-Watchers numerous times, Jenny Craig Twice, Nutri-system Twice, Low-Carb, Keto and at least I kid you not 30 other diet attempts! Oh, I forgot the best one! HMR, weight-loss shakes under medical care, I lost 200 pounds or more on that one! It was great and I kept my weight off for SIX years but old poor eating habits crept back in. Which brought me to 2012 and Dr. Steiner at St. Joe East in Lexington, Ky performed a Bariatric Sleeve. I did everything they told me, Everything! A remember waking up from surgery and it hurting like hell! Of course, they cut half my stomach OUT and threw it away. What did I think it was going to feel like? LOL. Anyway, I remember the great pain and they gave me something obviously that helped, morphine or something. So the next day, Dr. Steiner came in and said are you ready to go home? I was like NO, I am in so much pain, he told me to walk as much as I could around the floor. So, I made myself get out of bed and rolled the pole holding my IV fluid bag around the floor of the hospital wing I was in. I did that ALL day long and of course the amazing Dr. Steiner was right by the next morning I WAS ready to go home! I love Dr. Joshua Steiner, he is a brilliant doctor, I trust him as a surgeon implicitly! Unfortunately, St. Joe East was either overrun with patients or short staffed and I was NOT well tended too! I was in pain a lot as they were always late giving me pain medicine as I had switched from morphine to pills. So, they send me home with a bottle of Percocet which I only needed for I'd say a day or two and the rest I flushed! From the day I got home I continued what Dr. Steiner said to help heal myself faster, I got on my treadmill and walked and walked and walked and I healed so fast! I followed the liquid high protein diet, unjury, etc. by the book I did what he and his staff said to do! I am a great patient in that way, I do what I am told! I think walking so much, every single day really helped as far as loose skin too. Since I was off work for two weeks, when I got up at 4:45 in the morning every day, I started by putting on my shoes and hopping on the treadmill! Within two weeks I was up to an hour a day on the treadmill! I went back to work after two weeks and I was so tired, A four hundred and ten-pound body is tired when it can only consume so many calories as my stomach was so swollen and smaller and couldn't hold much food/liquid at all. But, I made it. So, I continued to follow exactly what Dr. Steiner and the staff said to do and the weight came off! I went to all my check-ups, lab works etc. I got to the weight they said I would and then the weight-loss stopped at 240 pounds! Boom! I maintained that for probably two years, continuing to follow the recommended LOW CARB diet. But then, I started slowly gaining weight! Scary! Check your diet? Are you eating differently? no, I'm not! Are you eating MORE? YES, I am! Hmmmm. But, my stomach is smaller! Right? Have you stretched it? I didn't know you could do that until AFTER surgery! Anyway, I was gaining weight and it was packing back on. While I lose FAST, I gain it FASTER! Oh Joy! So, I ballooned back up to 340 pounds and was too ashamed to go back to the weight-loss clinic and I know they would have helped me any way they could. But, I was so ashamed and felt so bad inside, you know the feeling when you have lost weight and gained it back, it SUCKS! Anyway, I was visiting another doctor locally and she was terrific, but when we came to the topic of food, I told her I followed a low carb diet, thinking I was so healthy! It's kind of funny now that I know better. I didn't know that a low carb diet was so detrimental to my health, but my doctor did and she said and I quote: "You are Killing Yourself eating that way!" Now, wasn't that nice!? LOL. Well, she didn't just criticize she was amazing and so supportive and she helped me change my eating habits to a No OIL, Whole Food Plant Based Diet! First Question, Where do I get my protein!???? I NOW I KNOW, that is not a cause for concern, I get all the protein and then some eating this way. The beauty of this way of eating is I am no longer deprived of delicious foods and I can eat potato's, glorious grains, fruits, vegetables, the recipes, and creations are endless and more importantly, DELICIOUS! I went from 340 pounds to 200 pounds! Not overnight but gradually and this is the first time that I have ever lost weight and not felt deprived in some way! I didn't have to weigh my food! I didn't have to measure my food! I didn't have to count calories? I didn't have to count carbs? I didn't have to count fat grams? I didn't have to count anything! I could now seat down to a meal and enjoy it and eat until I felt satiated! Wow! You know what? That is nice! Of course, I had a diet mentality, so I had to deprogram myself! That is a whole story in itself! I had to make myself NOT limit myself! That's crazy but true! I learned about nutrition! I found out that this whole PROTEIN thing is MOSTLY MARKETING! I found out the Food Pyramid has been marketing for YEARS! It's getting better but it's not there yet! The meat and dairy industries are huge and they OWN the politicians, like many other industries. Like my parents and our ancestors, we are indoctrinated into the foods we eat and I had to deprogram myself from years of indoctrination! I had to find out for myself that we are the ONLY species who DRINKS ANOTHER SPECIES MILK! What the? That's CRAZY! And GROSS! LOL. Anyway, THIS Works for me and "I" feel like I have been given the keys to the Kingdom because I have finally found a way of eating I LOVE and most of all feel NO deprivation! I am proud of myself for being so open-minded! I used to be a "Hey, do want some beef with your steak kind of person!" Or, go to Burger King or McDonald's and just order beef patties with Cheese and that's ALL I ate! Or I would just eat BACON for breakfast! So, being open-minded I no longer eat, any added OIL, No MEAT (Fish, Foul, Beef, Veal, etc) No Dairy (Cheese, Milk, Yogurt, etc.) I am so happy and healthy! No more Cholesterol meds for me! Also, when I had weight-loss surgery they told me my GERD would go away, be cured! Nope, I still had indigestion, acid reflux, GERD whatever you call it and if anything it became WORSE After surgery! I was aspirating when I slept! That is not fun! So, I took Prilosec/Nexium/Omeprazole! Turns out these medicines are linked to kidney DISEASE! I saw a commercial from a law firm saying if you took these meds and have kidney failure call our firm to join a class action law suit! That's not fun to realize you are on this stuff to help control your horrible acid reflux and it may cause your kidneys to fail! It didn't help much as I was still aspirating in my sleep! I had to start sleeping in a recliner! Anyway, NOW I am off that medicine because I don't need it any longer since I don't eat the foods that cause acid!!!! I didn't release eating animal flesh or eating animal milk products like cheese cause acid reflux!? Who knew? Yes, I was ignorant of so many things concerning nutrition! I am still on this journey, but I am so grateful to Dr. Steiner for performing my surgery and to St. Joe East for supporting me during my journey, I need to go back and let them see how well things are now! They would be proud, they are great! I am so grateful to my new doctor for helping me learn about nutrition and about how we were meant to eat and how when you eat the foods you are meant to eat your body rewards you with the body you are meant to have, one that's healthy and trim! Good Luck to everyone on this journey!

I’m post op. Surgery was April 26. Gastric bypass. Generally I’ll have a yogurt for breakfast(doc said Greek yogurt was good and it’s 15g of protein) then a protein shake for lunch and dinner. I don’t feel hungry but when I get, I also don’t feel full and that scares me for the future phases of diet.

I put Truvia in my tea and tolerate it just fine. I think it’s a matter of finding what will work for you. Artificial sweeteners didn’t bother me at all pre op but now some things with them I can’t eat because of them. Yogurt is one. Triple zero makes yogurt with no artificial sweeteners. You really have to read the labels and choose carefully if they bother you. I find some flavors more offensive than others as well. Good luck!

Dang guys. I'm so sorry for your struggles. Do NOT give up. You HAVE to keep trying. Just try slowly. Foamies DO suck though. Fo' shizzle! I use the Celebrate Chewables. I bought a huge jug of them so I'd get the cheapest I could. I chew one after breakfast and one after lunch. If I take them before a meal I get nauseated. @Orchids&Dragons Next time if your cake is dry, make a "parfait" with Greek yogurt sweetened with vanilla stevia. crumble it up into it and have mixed a little bit with the yogurt so it will act as lube. It might last you 3 servings, but it will still be easier on your tummy.

I almost feel like I should just give up on any type of non-liquid food. UGH! I was really good this morning, just yogurt then went to the gym. So, when I got home I thought I could have a treat and make a protein cake in a mug. Recipe didn't turn out well; it was very dense, but I had about 3 bites because I'm too cheap to throw it away. My stomach is totally rejecting it and I've had foamies for over an hour! This is still happening to me 4 or 5 times a week. I am SO OVER IT! At least I'm not at work today, small favors

I'm a snacker too. I've been trying different kinds of chips from Quest Nutrition. A little pricey I think, but worth the money. I've also been trying the Chobani Flip Greek Yogurts. They have a bunch of different flavors and I like that that the flip tray always has something crunchy in it. I am not sure if you are the same way, but I when I snack I always crave a "crunch". I can understand the laxatives thing, because that is what I would do to lose weight for the surgery. Just be careful and don't let worrying about losing weight make you sick. I think a cleanse is good every now and then but doing it too often can be harmful. What kinds of things do you snack on?

When the hunger hits, grab a protein shake in place of food and remind yourself it’s nourishment and nourishment is what you need to keep pushing on. Every time the urge hit me, I got creative and found a replacement for my craving. I made a spicy vegetable soup with protein broth and strained the broth so I could consume just the liquid. That was great for lunch and dinner when I wanted a hot meal. I hated Premier shakes, but I found that I could tolerate the Muscle Milk “knockout chocolate”- 32 G protein and Protien2o tropical coconut water 15 G protein. Those are my liquid diet staples. Try a yogurt, jello, popsicle, or sugar free pudding if the urge hits! I always made sure I packed a lunch bag full of things I could consume for my hours away at work. Unfortunately the 2 week prediet is just the beginning! Once you have surgery, water and variations of liquid will be all you can have for the next two weeks. I tried a creamy broccoli soup yesterday and that was so delicious! I can’t wait to have real substance no matter how small it may be. Good Luck!!! Remember it’s a head game and your in control! Nourishment is key, not indulgence!

My thoughts on the pre-op diet: The good; protein water from Sam’s is yum! Iconic protein drinks are super yum Evol Fire grilled steak is awesome The bad; Makes me think of food nonstop Tofu almost made me barf Siggi’s yogurt is revolting, and I gagged on it I’m jealous of the food I fix my boys I miss wine The ugly; I wanted real food so bad I ate an entire cantaloupe

I have never like artificial sweeteners. But I have been trying some lately. Today I bought some yogurt with some in to try! It is so awful! I don’t know if I can do it! Any suggestions? Toodles, Rue

Try Oikos yogurt

i just noticed that the Fage yogurt I got has 7 g of sugar per cup. Will that be ok?

I just got home from the grocery store. spent 225.00. I got 3 kinds of dry protein powder. I got soups, a blender, yogurts, gatorade, soy milk, regular milk, vitamins, sugar free jello. There are very small amounts of sugar in the protein powders. Will that be a problem?

That's just the beginning post-op phase while your stomach is healing. I'm 16 days post op now and it takes me 30-40 minutes to finish a Greek yogurt, my hospital roommate said the same thing yesterday while we were both eating a yogurt. I'm on blended foods phase. My dietician said by next week I will be able to fit more a little faster and comfortably. So it varies from your post op timeline. I am still figuring out how to eat and drink properly, seems easy, not always. But last night I had 3 oz of chicken (over like an hour) green beans (another 20?) and a tsp of mashed potato. Too much. They say average is 3-5 ounces when healed. I hope for 4 I

It starts off feeling very small due to swelling and inflammation. I'm 5 months out. I easily eat 4 ounces or so at a time. About a half a cup. Maybe a little more...particularly if the food is a slider like yogurt or oatmeal or protein bar. My meals are typically about 200 calories. And I eat 6 of them a day. LOL:)

I am going to go to the store tomorrow and get appropriate foods for weeks 1-4. I am going to try and make the best of it. I love jello, milk and yogurt so it shouldnt be that bad. I found Premier protein shakes on Amazon. Anyone have any thoughts on Premier Protein drinks?

Hi Mamalala! After 1 week post op you should be able to transition to a full liquid diet, which includes creamy strained soups, sugar free/light yogurt, and protein shakes. Premier Protein is by far the best tasting protein on the market and has the highest protein content with the least amount of calories. I would definitely check with your doctor's office to make sure this is ok, since everyone's post op needs/instructions vary from person to person.

I eat egg beaters (1/2 cup) with s little bit of cheese for breakfast almost every day. Sometimes I’ll cut up deli turkey very small and put that in too, or peppers and Mexican cheese. Greek yogurt is another good go to. It may not be soft enough, but turkey sausage links are good protein too. Regular eggs are always a good option with toast (if your not low carb) or cheese.

I don't know if these would be considered dumping: 1. I ate some yogurt with a spoonful of strawberry preserves that has a low sugar content. Fifteen minutes later, I felt nauseous with stomach cramping. I didn't have any other symptoms. 2. I had some cream of chicken and wild rice soup. About 30 minutes later, I had severe stomach pain that made me double over. So...I watch how much preserves I put in my yogurt, and I'll be staying away from rice for a while.

I've been sticking to my basic go to diet: high protein meats, Greek yogurt, hummus, cheese, protein shakes. I know I need more veggies and I do want them. It's just the trial and error process seems so daunting. I tried almonds for the first time too and nope! Lol [emoji28] Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

I am doing very well, thanks for asking. We have to be in the hospital at 0530 tomorrow which means leaving the house by 0445. I am really glad it worked out that way so I will get it over with early in the day. I will spend 1 night and be home Thursday. I have everything I need for the next week already here so husband will not have to do much other than help me get up and down if needed. Preop diet has been okay, yesterday was the first "no food at all" day but I made it. More of the same today and in fact for the next 2 weeks other than I am allowed non fat/sugar Greek yogurt in addition to the other stuff. Sugar free popsicles have become my BFF (best frozen friend) ...lol. Will post here tomorrow when I wake up.

I'm 3 weeks post op, I'm on the soft/puree phase and looking for some breakfast ideas. I do eggs, egg beaters, yogurt or roast beef hash. I don't like cottage cheese and can't do too much dairy. And no protien shakes or adding protien powder to my foods because they just don't sit well in my stomach. So if you have any other ideas please share away!! Thanks in advance!

Greek yogurt, refried beans with cheese on them, chili with turkey meat, chicken chili. I’m 6 months out and am full after 4oz-6oz.

I had DS surgery on 3/16/18. I'll be cleared for veggies, fruits and wheat bread in a few days. I can't have anything with a lot of fiber right now. I am not tracking anything yet bc I want to wait until I can eat everything. Breakfast is a premier protein shake, maybe scrambled eggs. I have these 1 cup containers that I take to work everyday filled with food. Las week I filled them with a little refried beans, shredded enchilada seasoned chicken and a little cheese. I will eat two or three while I am at work. It depends on how hungry I am. I will have some sort of snack when I get home. Maybe another premier, more chicken (I love chicken), protein oatmeal, etc. Sometimes I will have a sugar free popsicle. When I am brave enough I want to try greek yogurt. It didn't agree with me before the surgery but I am hoping that has changed. I have learned that I can no longer have spicy food which sucks.

My dietician suggests that I have a glass a milk or yogurt 3 times a day instead of taking calcium

I am 6 months out I had the sleeve on October 3 rd. I still can't eat very much. Like today I had 1 egg for breakfast a Greek low fat yogurt for lunch and a two ounce slice of pork shoulder with about three slices of potatoes and a couple small slices of cooked carrots. However I have not lost any weight in about a week now. That worries me. I have lost 89 pounds so far and need to loose 50 more by Christmas. So that I can have back surgery. Then I still want to loose about 40 more after that. So hopefully I can get going again. I have trouble with my back and lots of knee pain so walking is not an option at this time. Looking for swim classes.