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my parents did, but they were not prepared to face off with my super-master level of stubbornness: they would tell me i could not leave the table unless i finished the food on my plate, but i would stay at that effing table for HOURS, not eating...even falling asleep a few times, i remember, just refusing to eat whatever was on that effing plate. after a while (months? years?) instead of making me sit at the table, they would make me do chores as a punishment instead. whatever. i did the chores. better than eating those disgusting brussel sprouts (spoiler alert: i love brussel sprouts now, lol), but i make them better than my parents did, so...) fast forward to today, and i always remind my Kid that she doesn't have to finish the food in front of her if she is done. if you don't want to eat, you don't have to eat, man.

Many of us discover that what we thought as of being hungry actually wasn’t hunger at all just our heads directing our eating. I remember the first time I experienced real hunger after surgery. I truly didn’t know what was wrong with me. I was restless. It was late in the evening & was in bed trying to sleep but tossing & turning. Knew something wasn’t right then I realised I hadn’t eaten since lunch. Aah, I’m hungry. Had a chicken tender and went back to bed and fell asleep all good again. Grumbling tummy, no hunger pains, no craving of a specific food or flavour or texture. So you may be on to something and on your way to discovering what your real hunger feels like. Whoo hoo!

I’m having all day nausea, regurgitation of food and vomiting. My surgeon thinks that it’s my gallbladder, but I’m not so sure. What were your symptoms for gallbladder problems? Versus gastric sleeve stricture?

Happy puree stage! It's so much nicer hahaha. I also over bought stuff but they are still surviving in my fridge. I wish I could advice u on the qty but I also read that 1/2 cup is right for now. If u guys read arabic, I would've shown what mine said and we would have a pretty good laugh as it basically says nothing informative teehee but I am surviving and losing the weight!! I wanna fast forward to 6 months

It's not that we're trying to pick on you or force you to justify yourself. But honestly, what you're saying doesn't make sense. How is it your insurance covered your surgery and a panni but won't cover you for organ failure? How are you not in the hospital now? If your organs are shutting down, no way would they have just sent you home. I work in healthcare, and we've sent people to the hospital for way less than that. I would suggest eating carb and calorie dense slider foods. Mashed potatoes are great for that. Add sour cream and butter. There's a lot of stuff you can have that will add weight. I've been struggling to get my weight up, but adding protein shakes, avocado on nearly everything I can, slider foods, etc... And eat every 2-3 hours during the day and the evening before you go to bed. You shouldn't have to get up through the night to eat.

I had a BMI of 35 but I had a sleeve. I also didn’t have any co morbidities - I knew they were likely ahead of me though. So I’m going to respond more generally using am I glad I had weight loss surgery not a specific surgery. Simply yes, I am. The bulk of must weight came on with menopause and nothing I did shifted it. Or if it did it would be back in a very short period of time. I reached a point where I couldn’t stand it any longer and made an appointment with my doctor for a referral. I was in surgery less than 6 weeks later (benefits of living in Australia with private health). Do I have any issues post surgery? Yes but they’re minor really and I had a quirky tummy before so no real change. I struggle a bit with the foamies but no dumping. I had reflux before but it was managed with dietary choices. Still have it though I take a PPI every day now vs a handful of times a year before & the symptoms are different now. (Best is I don’t get the hideous hiccups I used to get just the regular ones now.) One of the benefits of having surgery is you simply cannot eat the same volume of food. Of course if you are determined you can eat around some of your changed digestive system. But take the time in the initial months after surgery where its benefits are strongest, to learn about things like portion size, nutritional values, etc. and start adopting new behaviours. Reflect on your relationship with food and why you ate and start making changes there too. Seek the help & support of your dietician and a therapist as needed. Many seem to be concerned they won’t lose all the weight they’d like to starting at a lower BMI. I lost all of mine and more. It is important to remember that not everyone loses all the weight they’d like. The surgery (regardless of which you have), changes your body set point that is the weight your body is happy at which often is not the weight you think you’ll be happy at. With bypass it is always best to have a conversation with the doctor who prescribes your meds as bypass does interfere with the absorption of these. It may mean you need to swap some of your meds as @SleeveToBypass2023 mentioned. All the best.

Yes everyone's programs are different for sure and I agree with @ShoppGirl that if you have the option of a meal go with that. My program was 12 days pre-op diet - the first 10 days were 2 shakes - my team had a guideline for the calorie/carbs/sugar count they should have - and then a lean protein with a non starchy veg dinner. All other diet/no sugar drink options were fine - seltzer, diet soda, tea, black coffee, broth. I think I could have 1/2 cup of milk and a yogurt somewhere in there. Day 11 was liquids only - shakes, jello, broth. Day 12 was clear liquids only basically broth lol. Thankfully I was released from the hospital at the pureed stage and did not have a full liquid stage, but even pureed was not it after awhile. Vitamins and supplements you don't have to really start until after as long as your current bloodwork doesn't show any deficiencies. I had to start chewables only for the first 30 days and then could move to capsules.

Hi there! I am scheduled to have the gastric sleeve mid January 2025. I have done my research and completely understand the procedure and the physical side of it all. I was wondering how you cope emotionally with such a big change, especially for those that are so used to using food for comfort as I am. I've heard some say that since the ghrelin hormonal gland was removed from the stomach they never felt hungry and no longer think of food in the same way. I have also heard people say they are hungry all the time. I am expecting a whirlwind of emotions and I know it will not be easy. I'm just looking for some examples of your experiences, especially on emotional eating . How did/do you cope? Do you have/need coping mechanisms in place- if so what? Does it get easier? Do you have any helpful advice for a newbie like me? Thank you so much for your time guys x

My cousin hosts an annual cookie day and it’s this weekend. I decided a few months ago that I wasn’t going to go all day and make cookies. I am just going to pop by and say hello but that was enough for this year. It’s all about baking and that’s not my thing anyways but it’s for the kids so in terms of food there is nothing I can eat and there will be drinking too. There will probably be about 15 kinds of cookies (a few dozen of each) plus the sugar cookies the kids decorate all just sitting out on big tables and the whole house always smells so good. I know they are going to tell me to have a cookie and to take some home with me. Wish me luck not giving into temptation. Anyone else have a particular event that they are nervous about this season??

Omg same the smells of chicken and French fries and all the bad food that tasted sooo gooood my heart breaks for it but I have to be strong if I wanna come up on top of my health

I spoke to one before I was discharged and she told me the most basic stuff 1 week clear fluids 1 week fuller fluids 4 weeks purees Then some examples of food to have during each stage. Qtys are like cup wise but no mention of calories anywhere. I am currently on full liquids so I'd have a protien shake premade or powder using almond milk or normal milk + frozen Berries Greek yogurt low fat non flavored And I made a oat and chicken chicken soup which I blended and I have q cup of it a day. I did call the dietitian today and she said just eat healthy and I am eating right No mention of calories 😭😭😭 I am literally fetching info on this website or tiktok and just going eith it with the knowledge I got.

My husband grew up with a mom who made him take "no thank you" bites; he is still pretty picky, but he at least had to try it before he said "No thanks. I don't like it" with all his food. It so smart because sometimes kids think they don't like something until they try it, but forcing a kid to eat is never the right way. So good job being a great mom @Starwarsandcupcakes

Even at my age, I still have hungry days like a period day. I just allow myself more good healthy foods. There is always a day where I eat very little. At the end of the month my food tracker is always in range of 60 -80 grams of protein and 1500 calories a day.

I think your doing great! My program was strict on carb intake which in the beginning I was able to easily adhere to, however veggies, fruit and a bunch of good whole foods have carbs so its okay to eat them. We need them for our energy. Your protein is amazing! I also cook for my family; hubby and 3 kids. I just adjust. I eat what they eat just cut out the carby. With spaghetti, I just eat the meat sauce and put it on top of spaghetti squash or zoodles, or if I am making hamburgers I just eat the patty. My family is eating better now too, now I get lean ground beef, only eat chicken breast, we do lightly breaded chicken, so that might help with your journey too.

Over 3 yrs from revision (gerd) and I can eat about a cup of food comfortably. I always think I can eat the whole steak though but that feeling goes away after a few bites lol. I think protein will always be like that for me. So it really depends on what I eat. Either way, it's really fun & liberating to be able to experiment and eat all these delicious foods and focus on quality instead of quantity.

@NeonRaven8919, First of all, let me assure you that we all have head hunger. None of us got to a weight where we required weight loss surgery without overeating, and we all have our own demons. You are among others like yourself. It sucks, but it's not unbeatable. Here's what I have to say. I was in intensive outpatient eating disorders therapy for a few months, because I recognize that I am a compulsive overeater. That did nothing for the head hunger and portion control problems. For me, gastric bypass was the only solution because I need that brake on my overeating. And now, I have not had any sweets or high-sugar items since surgery because I know I could have dumping syndrome afterward, and nobody wants that. So that's another brake. For me, it's much easier to not eat something than to try to moderate. The reason for all of that is because I have a food addiction. I know this about myself because I also happen to be a recovering alcoholic, and the cravings are exactly the same. I did not get sober by myself. White-knuckling does not work for addiction. The compulsions are simply too strong. I could not have gotten sober by myself. And there was no reason to, because there is free help out there. Did I want to quit entirely? NO. But I couldn't go on like I was. And now I'm 32 years sober, after starting in a position where I couldn't go 24 hours without drinking. Why am I saying all this? Because your story sounds like mine. "Mindful eating" to control compulsion makes about as much sense as "mindful drinking" to control alcoholism (which is to say, none). So you may want to approach this problem like an addiction. I am not saying you are a food addict, only you can know whether that's true for you. What I'm saying is that you do not have to do this alone, and there's free help out there. @BigSue told you about some, and you will find TONS of support groups online in addition to the one she recommended. Take advantage of this free help, because white-knuckling is horrible and mostly doesn't work. Why? Because it's not about willpower. You did all the stuff to get your surgery, so we know you have willpower. If that worked against the kind of compulsion you're describing, it wouldn't be a problem. It doesn't. What does work is support groups. That's because they're full of people like us, who have to fight to change our relationship to food. If you do happen to think you might be a food addict, check out Overeaters Anonymous. There are groups everywhere and it's free. You don't have to commit to anything and there's no test or anything to attend. You can just listen or ask questions or whatever. I absolutely guarantee that if you told your story about the food at work to an OA meeting, every single head would nod. Everyone will know exactly what you're talking about because they've been there. Please don't give up on yourself, you're on a journey. People slip up. We get to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off, and keep on going forward. You did a brilliant, extremely courageous thing in sharing your challenge here, and see how much support and help you got? You can do this. You CAN do this. We all need a little help from our friends.

So, there's a normal meal and then there's what you get in a restaurant or what we've been taught to think is a normal meal. At about 8 months out, I can eat a full serving of chicken breast. That's defined as being between 3-4 oz. And in the same sitting, I can also eat a serving of broccoli, which is about 1 cup. I don't tend to eat grains often, but if someone gave me a serving of brown rice, which is 1/2 cup cooked, along with the chicken and the broccoli, I could probably eat about half of that on a good day, but not touch it on a day when I have a smaller appetite. Personally, I would be more likely to substitute a second veg or a fruit. What I've just listed would be considered a "standard" meal by a nutrition expert. It has about 280 calories and 24 g protein, and provides balanced nutrition from several food groups, along with fiber. But most people would probably think it was way too small, and if you went to a restaurant, you would get 4x that much food, plus half a gallon of fat and sugar laden sauce on top. And probably cheese, just for good measure. Could I eat that? No. And hopefully I will never be able to. A sandwich is tricky because of bread. I find bread too filling. I was out this weekend at a sports stadium and had to order my lunch from a food truck. I chose the grilled chicken pita wrap and ate all of the insides but treated the pita like a plate that got thrown away at the end. I do the same with a soup and half sandwich combo from a restaurant, eating the sandwich filling and the soup but ditching the bread.

Some food from my road trip: Classic (tourist trap 😀) burger and fries in Arizona. This became my only meal split throughout the day. I loved it. Flan and butter bundt cake with local tea selections (😊) in New Mexico. I barely ate any because it was a super sweet dumpling risk but I really like flan.

I wouldn’t trust any signals now either. Simply because many nerves were cut during the surgery, so signals either aren’t getting through, aren’t the same or maybe off. You won’t start to get these signals again until you’re fully healed (about 6-8 weeks). This is why it’s so important to follow your plan in regards to portion sizes and frequency of meals. Many do find their signals change. Well may be not change more you learn to identify and recognise what the signals really mean. Like a signal for being full (or had enough) might be sneezing, hiccups or a runny nose. We also learn to differentiate between head hunger (which usually used to drive us to eat ) and real hunger .Generally if you are craving a specific texture, flavour or food. Like many want to eat something crunchy during puree stage - that’s head hunger. Your desire for coffee is head hunger. Like @SpartanMaker said real hunger has different and unusual signals. I get restless and think something is wrong and then I realise I’m hungry. And yes, most times a grumbling tummy (hunger pangs) are just your digestive system working properly. It takes time to learn what these things mean to you. Just tread slowly and stick to your plan.

I arrive at the hospital at 7:45am! For plant based shakes I use Orgain powder. I think they only come in chocolate and vanilla, so I had to mix in my own things to make other flavors like PB2, pureed strawberries, etc.

I don't think I ever had a strict plan for myself other than limiting carbs, sugar and fried foods. I'm excited about Thanksgiving; I'm just planning to get a small plate and try a little of everything. We have 2 meals on Thanksgiving because we see both mine and my husband's family. I threw up for the first time since surgery last night. I think I just ate too fast and maybe didn't chew enough; it felt like it was stuck in my chest. So it was a good reminder to slow down and that I'm not completely the same as before surgery.

oh no I live in CA, the most expensive state UGH! I do Whole Foods sometimes and Trader Joes. I go to the neighborhood Walmart and Costco. Ill have to start couponing for sure

I’m nearing the 3weeks myself. I had an issue with puréed food for a few days when I first started the puréed diet. I had to go a few bites every 2 hours and compensate it with 1 1/2 oz of protein shake. Now my system is saying it’s fine it’s even had non puréed (but highly chewed) chilli just fine. I suggest trying around. I still can’t handle chicken very well but I can beef and fish. Remember every body is different. Do not be afraid to ask your team the question either. My doctor didn’t tell me the actual amount they removed either just an estimate of 2/3rds before the surgery.

Unfortunately weight loss isn’t consistent. You won’t get a lovely perfectly straight line on a graph. It zig & zags. More one week, less the next. None one week and a gain the next. We also have natural fluctuations in our weight which are all normal and when we are weighing ourselves every day they suddenly are very obvious. There are many reasons why we have these fluctuations and I swear sometimes it’s just your body messing with you. As long as your weight loss trend (over weeks and months) is in a downward direction you’re doing well. Add some soluble fibre to your soup or shake each day to help with the constipation. I got into a routine too. No poop for three days I took a stool softener. Remember too at first you’re not consuming much so you don’t have much for your body to excrete from so don’t expect to go every day. Despite some hiccups (like the power outage and loss of food) things seem to be going pretty smoothly for you. Yay!

That’s a shame. I believe if you contact customer service they guarantee their products if you don’t like them (let you exchange it maybe). . I know they made me pay return shipping though, which I didn’t love and they require you to purchase insurance as well, but I guess you would get the difference back after that at least. I have been satisfied with the quest products and the vitamins I purchased on there but I admit that I haven’t tried many others. I ordered the oatmeal, chili and some other items for purée stage but they were delayed in shipping (not their fault) so by the time I got them I was done with that stage so they ended up at the bottom of the pantry 😢 I suppose some day I may have a craving for oatmeal but it’s not my favorite food so who knows. The chili just sounds gross now that I can make the real deal.