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Sooooo..... its been another week or more.... how are you doing ? Are you feeling any better ? Are you losing inches instead of pounds ? Sometimes that happens too ! We care ! Let us know !

I am 1 week preop (VSG) and due to a genetic chronic disease which can cause me to have very low blood pressure my surgeon just suggested today that I set up home infusions a couple times a week for the first month to prevent dehydration and complications to my health condition. He knew nothing about how to set this up or if it would be covered by insurance, etc. But is certain I need to do it. Has ANYONE had to do this for any reason or have any information on the ins and outs? Thank you.

I have surgery Friday and have been thinking about this same thing— can you have actual protein shakes on the “clear” liquid phase? I’m reading my paperwork and it seems I could.. but would love to hear what others did for the “clear” part- my second week is “full” liquids… the one protein water (ie protein Gatorade) had was terrible, could barely get thru half of it. Any suggestions on clear ones that are good are appreciated.

Hello there, I'm in Ireland and scheduled for March 10th. Initial appointment was December 22nd. Super fast. I'm nearly done week 1 pre op diet - don't see much off scales though...........

2 weeks. I dealt with mostly muscle pain from where they pulled out the stomach that lingered. The gas, incision pain etc was non existent almost instantly

My father took that, as zyloprim, every day but never had to take NSAIDS as well. Once on Zyloprim he rarely if ever had an attack. But definitely speak to your surgeon & prescribing doctor. I think it was in my second year my surgeon said I could take a NSAIDS very occasionally as a low dose. One tablet not two. Not on subsequent days & not regularly. Rarely take one but did take one tablet a night immediately after dinner for three nights in a row when I had COVID.

The long term success of either surgery depends upon you. Many of the initial benefits of bariatric surgery fade over time. Your hunger comes back, your restriction can soften, it is possible to eat around your smaller tummy & your body’s new set point, etc. What the surgery does do is give you time. Time to make changes to your relationship with food: the why you eat, what you eat, when you eat, how you eat. Time to understand your cravings & develop strategies to better manage them. Time to establish new habits about eating & exercise. Time to work out how you want to eat in the future & what works for you & your body. Regain occurs for many reasons: psychological, physiological, behavioural. Bounce back regain (usually 20%+/- of the weight lost) around the third year is common. It can be because your body settles into the weight it is happiest at (your set point). Medication changes. The crap life can throw at you (employment, relationships, health, pandemics). Complacency. A too restrictive way of eating or too demanding exercise regime. Not dealing with your relationship with food. And for some it can be a deliberate choice as they themselves feel happier at a higher weight or they make adjustments to their food choices to better suit their life. Not failure of the surgery but the impact of outside factors. The average weight loss for both sleeve or bypass at the three year mark is about 65% of the weight to be lost. Of course as with all statistics there are some who lose more & some who lose less. If you are considering revision surgery of sleeve to bypass as a sign of the failure of the sleeve, remember many who have revision surgery do so because they developed GERD not necessarily weight gain. I have a sleeve & lost more than my goal and have pretty much maintained though at only almost 4 years post surgery I’m still somewhat of a bariatric baby. I settled at 49kg (48.5-49.5). I unexpectedly gained about 2kgs about 18months ago (50.5-51) but recently we discovered I wasn’t absorbing my HRT meds. Changed to a patch & my weight is slowly decreasing (49.2-50). Small numbers I know. Has it been difficult? No, not really. It was very obvious what I had been doing wasn’t working for me & I needed to make changes. I put myself & my health first. I changed my relationship with food. Made a decision to change what, when & how I ate. It became a new mindset. The changes have been sustainable & haven’t restricted my life. I still enjoy food & eating but my desire is for healthier, more nutritious foods. And no I’m not running marathons or spending hours in the gym just some at home stretching & resistance bands. Sorry long post.

You can usually add protein powder to any liquid you’re allowed during this stage. Have you been given your dietary requirements for post surgery yet? There are foods & liquids you should avoid during the 6 or so weeks of the restricted diet while you’re healing. Check with your surgeon’s office & your dietician about what you can & can have. There can be differences in what you’re allowed & when across surgeons & plans. Like I didn’t have a clear liquid stage just liquids. All the best with your surgery.

Hi! I am having surgery next week and was wondering about the liquid diet post op. Are we to add unflavored protein powder to our broths during this stage? I bought some protein clear liquid (premiere and Gatorade) so I didn’t know if I should be doing that also.

Not only do hiccups hurt, but sneezing too lol. I'm still having trouble getting my goals met. But I can't achieve them if I the a nap during the day. That's hard wven before surgery, I took a nap during the day. I find it hard too because I'm so sick of protein shakes, they're starting to taste so sweet to me. I can't wait to start purees next week. It doesn't hurt to sleep on your stomach? When I was able to sleep on my side a few days ago, I was so happy, but I have to have a pillow.

I hear you! It still is a little hard being a week out. But try a spoonful or a sip, wait for it to go down and just pay attention to how it feels. Maybe wait a few seconds to a minute and then take another sip/spoonful

I'll definitely try that. Thanks for the tips. Here is what worked for me so far: - sucking mints (sugar-free ones) really helps. I carry them with me everywhere I go. - I don't eat before cooking my food (which I do once a week). Otherwise I won't be able to do it. - Going for a walk after the meal also helps

Hello fellow shorty! I'm an inch shorter than you and my starting numbers are very similar to yours! I had my surgery in September 2021, I reached my goal weight of 110 in October 2022. Overall, this surgery has been life-changing and I am so glad I was brave enough to go through the process. I had some issues in the beginning, but once I started to recover it went fast. Right now if I'm being completely honest the biggest problem I have is trying to keep what weight I have left ON so I can still shop in the adults' section and not have to buy everything in kids' sizes. You're going to stall here and there, some will be short and sometimes it will feel like you haven't lost an ounce in a month; stay the course, trust the process, and know that a lot of the time stalls are giving your skin and muscles a chance to catch up and adjust.

Thanks appreciated. Having a tough time meeting protein goals but trying my best. Today I start my 3rd week diet where I can finally have eggs and possibly tofu (if I can stomach it [emoji38]) so hopefully a turning point on the protein. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

It gets easier by the day to meet the protein/liquid goals. Hang in there! Tomorrow, I'll be at 3 weeks post-op and returning to work on Thursday. Went to the gym twice now and was slow, but steady, on the treadmill. It's been night and day from the first week to the third. Feeling so much better.

Hello @pintsizedmallrat I had my sleeve surgery in December of 2021. Hence, I am about 14 months postop. To date, I have lost 153lbs. from my highest pre-surgery weight. Interestingly enough, you had your surgery at the same location where I had my surgery...that is if there is only one Dr. Trace Curry who does bariatric surgeries. I did not have any complications from my surgery that were any different than situations that have been described on this site. As a male, I haven't experienced anything different than what others, male or female, have described. I will try to highlight some of the things I have experienced. I only used the pain medication for the first day. The gas from the surgery was the worst part for me. Once the gas went away, everything else was pretty smooth. I stayed at a hotel near the surgery center the first night. The next morning, I went home with someone else driving. I followed the doctor's instructions very closely when it came to food, vitamins and movement. I count every calorie for which I eat and/or drink. I was very cold for the first few months. Approximately 30 days after surgery, I was permitted to begin exercising. (walking) Once permitted, I began other forms of cardio like biking, jogging and the elliptical machine. Once permitted, I began to lift weights. I have continued the exercise regimen every week since. I weigh myself every week in order to track my progress. I don't know if any of this will be helpful to you. I hope your husband has a great experience. Best wishes to you and your family!

On week 5 you should still really only be focused on your protein and hydration 60+ gr of protein 64+ oz of water. At 5 weeks out my food tracker tells me I was getting around 600 calories a day, but I wasn’t counting calories per my team’s instructions… only focusing on protein and hydration.

I had the same experience and at about the same time. I think it only lasted for about a week though so enjoy it while you can. Then I hit the 3 week stall and everything slowed down for about 3 weeks. After that my energy started going up again and stayed above my pre surgery level ever since. I hope your energy levels stay high and don't worry too much about the exercise. Usually the more I exercised the more energy I had and it didn't affect hunger at all. Good luck and take care!

I lost over 200 lbs but I had bypass. But I just wanted to say that it took almost two years for me to lose all that. My weight loss REALLY slowed down after I hit the year mark (near the end, it was like 2 lbs a month!), but it all came off. I was stalling a lot more frequently that second year, too. So many times I thought "well, this is it...", and then I'd drop a couple more pounds. Just stick with it! Your body might not be done losing yet.

I'm one year post-op and I'm eating almost everything but in small quantities (please don't tell my doctor 🤣). I noticed that I can't stand seeing or smelling food after finishing my meal regardless of what food I ate. It is not a big deal if I'm eating at home since I can just move to a different room or go out for a walk. Last week we were invited to a restaurant. The smell coming from the kitchen was really appetizing when we went in and I was excited to get my food. I enjoyed the meal but I wanted to leave as soon as was done eating. I really couldn't stand the smell coming from the kitchen after eating. The group wanted to have a chat after meal and I was really struggling to keep up. That feeling went away after a few minutes but still it was difficult. I follow a lot of food photographers on social media and I always avoid checking my feed after meals for the exact same reason. Anyone with similar experience?

I'd go to urgent care. I've never heard of people reacting to the surgery like that, but some people are allergic to certain meds or to the surgical glue or tape they use. Are you taking ursodiol? (the med some surgeons put their patients on for a few weeks to help prevent gallstones). Hives can be a side effect of that (not a common one, but I know it's a side effect because I was one of those people who got hives from it). Or it could be some other med you're reacting to. Just check with your PCP or go to urgent care. I reacted to either the surgical tape or glue when I had plastic surgery (although I didn't react to it with my RNY, oddly - but maybe it was different brand of tape/glue) - they put me on prednisone for a few days so I'd quit reacting to it. With the ursodiol I was taking after my RNY, the PA at my bariatric clinic just had me quit taking it. anyway, I doubt it was the surgery per se - but it could be some med or something that you're reacting to. They'll know what to do.

Ha! Carrots were the first thing I officially threw up at about week 8. Ate a soft slice one day easy but the next up it came. They actually weren’t on my permitted food list for a few months - root vegetables were a no. Slider foods are high processed, high sugar &/or high carb foods with very little nutritional value. How many do you eat? 6 baby carrots/half cup is considered a single portion size but this is for someone on a regular diet.. If your carrots are very soft & well cooked, you possibly are digesting them quickly & can eat more but they wouldn’t be considered a slider. Are you eating them raw as a snack or with protein as a meal? Remember eat your protein first then your vegetables if you’re able. Portion size is important for everything you eat. At 2 months I could just eat a small cauliflower floret or a green bean after I ate my protein. Could also be the baby carrots are satisfying your craving for sweet &/or crunchy not a real hunger. Head hunger can be very powerful. Have a chat with your dietician.

I get it. Like @Starwarsandcupcakes, sometimes I too just don’t feel hungry. And other times I didn’t feel like cooking (think this is common for most people some times & I only cook for myself not a family). I know I still need to consume something nutritious so on not hungry days I’ll have yogurt for lunch (easier to eat & digest than a proper ‘meal’) &/or I’ll skip snacks. On the don’t feel like cooking days, I go to my freezer where I have lots of single serve meals. Then it’s simply a matter of reheating & microwaving a few vegetables. I always prep enough food for 3 or 4 meals & will freeze 1 or 2 of them. This week I made zucchini noodle bolognese which I’ll eat for a few days & I froze four servings I can eat in the future. @NP_WIP, have you tried to find some meals everyone in your family will eat so you only have to cook one dinner or keep some of the meal the same for everyone. I know it can be difficult with different dietary needs but even if you can do it a couple of times a week it would be easier for you.

Everyone is different in the way they loose weight. Men on the whole, tend to loose quicker than women. You are doing really great with the weight loss and getting your protein and liquids in to you so well. The weight loss will slow down as you begin to eat more normal foods but then your restriction will kick in to keep you honest. After a while the hunger comes back and that's when all we have learned will be needed to keep us on track. Enjoy this honeymoon period you are in, be ready for the 3 week stall.

I’m a military veteran and the VA just sent me the Bariatric Pal MultiVit ONE like in the photo. Amen! I hate the other chewables! I’m 5 weeks post gastric bypass. Good luck!