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I had a lap band placed in 2013 and ended up having it removed here in January. It up getting infected. Thankfully no erosion and just some scar tissue. The surgery to remove it was miserable for me tbh but at that time i started the process to revising from band to bypass. Thankfully that went through without a hitch and I had surgery on the 2nd of October. Initially with the band I lost over 100 lbs very quickly and felt so good. Went from 305 down to around 200. About a year after the band was placed I got my gallbladder out and I feel like that is when things kind of took a turn for me. I ended up having issues with the band so I just removed all the fluid after a year or so and just coasted through life with the thing. Things still getting stuck with it empty. Ended up gaining all my weight back and then some. Anyway, I just got the bypass on the 2nd and I am just overwhelmed with fear of not losing enough with the bypass as well as regain. Wondering if anyone has had similar experiences? On the pre op diet I lost 15 lbs and I have lost about 17 since surgery. I am almost 3 weeks. I read about people losing 30-40 right away. I worry im not on track even though I feel as if im doing well. I dont have any pain, my energy is good, i havnt puked at all since surgery (still on full liquids) and overall things seem to be doing well. I do need to up my protein (60-70 grams a day) but am able to get my fluids in. Time will tell I guess but would love to hear about others experiences. Thanks Brittany

Shakes, bone broths, broths, consommés, cream soups, protein water are really your only options. It’s essential to focus on your protein and to consume things that are thin enough not to irritate your poor swollen & healing tummy & digestive system. Have you tried straining (really well so no little bits of herbs, vegetables, etc. in it) won ton soup or ramen noodles so you only have the broth? It might help by changing up the flavours you’re sipping. Try blending milk & a little yoghurt though it can be a little thick/dense & therefore difficult to tolerate at this stage & better in purée.

So I'm thinking now you're finally comfortable and sure about the SADI, correct? Since you're already doing the LSD, you probably need to know what surgery you're having lol Just eat until you're satisfied, not full. Make smart choices, track what you eat and how often, don't graze, don't cheat (especially in the beginning) and make sure you move your body. Prioritize protein and fluids. You know the drill. You'll be fine

Premier protein is intolerable pos op - I use fairlife/ isopure the nausea is just worse somedays more than others its not mechanical restriction so much as just a not wanting to drink more bc it’s plain water if that makes sense Haven’t found a flavor enhancer I like so far anyone have a sipping schedule (how much water to aim for in a certain period to get to 64) would be very welcome

It's normal and will eventually slow down. Mine stopped after my first surgery around month 9. After my revision, around month 11. I cut my hair shorter this time around and it REALLY helped. I also use thickening and volumizing shampoo and conditioner, and I changed up how I style my hair so the part at the top of my head isn't so obvious. For extra protein, add a protein shake in at some point during the day. Use it as one of your snacks, or have it right before bed. That will give you a ton of extra protein, which is what your hair needs to grow. Hair can't produce protein, even though it needs it. Biotin helps hair be healthy but does not reduce hair loss or promote growth. Same with collagen and keratin. Only thing that really helps is protein. But I promise, no matter how it feels, you won't go bald.

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.

Well it should be a really good thing that you like water post op. Not sure about the salad. With the surgeries they actually cut your stomach and intestines it’s a while before your allowed salad but do they actually cut anything with the balloon or do they do they fill it after it’s in there somehow? I had the sleeve first, and I recently had a revision to the CB because of weight red and because they didn’t operate on my stomach. I had to wait like two months until everything was healed and now I can eat whatever I want so I’m back to salad earlier than those who had their stomach operated on. I’m sure you’re a doctor will tell you what is appropriate for you though. I really wish one of our restaurants would have Bogo on salads. I actually love them too. I have found that when logging all of my macros in an app that salad is actually not as great for us as we think it is as we tend to eat it. It’s mostly the dressing even one serving is pretty high in calories but if I am careful what I have the rest of the day I’m able to enjoy it on my plan. I finally figured out that if you put it in a bigger container and stir it around with the dressing, it’s easier to get a little bit on all of the lettuce with a smaller amount of dressing. Kind of like they do when they prepare Caesar salad. Of course it’s kind of hard to do that when you’re actually in a restaurant, but then I will just ask for the dressing on the side and dip a little bit as I go. With the smaller stomach, I mostly eat the toppings anyway, and just a tiny bit of lettuce to get the protein and nutrition before I run out of room.

I found a stock cube in water with some protein powder had a bit of a salty flavouring to it. I am more savoury than sweet for my taste buds so I know how you are feeling. The thing that got me through was knowing I was able to swallow very little of the liquids and it was only for a couple of weeks.

I did the Hello Fresh and it saved a trip to the grocery and they add a little variety to your menu but there is still a lot of prep In my opinion. They send you like one carrot and one small onion, etc. Whatever is needed but you still have to cut it and do all that. I would Rather just do grocery pickup and get exactly what I want if I have to cook. Pre surgery I wanted to see what the post op diet would eventually be like post SADI and I did the factor 75 low carb meals for a while. They are not cheap but they were really good and of course super convenient, cheaper than ordering in and actually healthy. They are fully prepared and refrigerated not frozen so they retain the flavor. For a family they will actually be a little more economical because the bigger the box the cheaper they are. Plus it’s a way for everyone to get something they actually like. Some people don’t like splurging on food but we all have our priorities. I like to think of food as just as important as medicine because eating right now Is preventative medicine. If having those meals will help keep you on track and budget permits then by all means go for it!! I ended up doing a bigger box plan to start and then reduced my plan because you get like 50% off or something like that for the first order. Of course they are perishable so no more than you can eat. I just had them for all three meals a day for the week so I could try several and then cancel if I didn’t like it. Keep in mind that some of them say they are good less than a week so when you get them eat those first. I just set reminders in my calendar for when to order or skip and when to cancel if I wanted to. Because they will send it automatically and you get stuck paying for options you don’t even get to choose.

Tastes certainly change post surgery. Prior to my sleeve I was a salty snack girl. Had the sleeve and I started craving sweets all of a sudden. Possibly part of why it didn’t work for me. Woke up from my revision craving healthy Food-food though. Even for snacks I want nourishment not junk. I wanted fish tacos so bad during my entire liquid phase and I like things like spinach now. It’s weird. You may not like stuff you loved before but you may also like some things you didn’t before so be open to trying things. Hopefully you will find some healthy things you love to replace them things you don’t like now. Ooh and if you like peanut butter and have some vanilla shakes left over try mixing PB2 into your shake. It takes a lot of mixing and you won’t want to do it until your cleared for like purées because it makes it a little thicker but it’s really good and it increases the protein. Ooh another thing you can do with the shakes to cut the sweetness is to mix them with coffee. I actually buy the caramel ones that are really sweet intentionally to make my iced coffee. It’s delicious.

Tired, sore and physically/mentally drained.. but happy you did it. It made me feel hopeful that finally I was going to be healthy. You can also expect to be over whelmed even if you've done your research..its a complete change in your routine; constant water sips, small healthy protein meal stages and preparing each meal for those stages...lots of adjustments to your new life. You've got this!

I tried your greek yogurt cheesecake hack two days ago (just the greek yogurt & mix, I was lazy) ... I was immediately, irrevocably captivated. The thickness, the texture, it's so perfect. I've had a little bit two days in a row now, and my protein macros have skyrocketed. I topped it with a handful of fresh raspberries, and I now know exactly what I'll be bringing to summertime potlucks & bbqs. XD

The unstuffed cabbage rolls sound good. Believe it or not I’ve never made any type of cabbage roll. I have however been using deli roast beef for my cheese steak for a while. I just get the really rare meat and then heat it for a few Seconds in a skillet. I’ve never tried mixing cream cheese in it though. That sounds interesting. I like to make Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers when I trying to be good. I bet the cream cheese would sorta hold the mixture down into the pepper better. I wish I could try it now. I suppose I could make it for my hubby and puree mine. My AC miraculously came back on last nigjt after two hours of flashing an error code and not working. It just started back up- so weird. We don’t dare touch it because we don’t believe it’s fixed but it’s cheaper to have someone come check it during the week. My husband is going to tell them the error code it was giving tomorrow and just see if there is anything they need to do. Maybe it is fine. That would be a nice break since it’s just barely out of warranty now plus I won’t habe to deal with the workers being here. I’m still thinking about them cabbage rolls. After the purée tuna was gross to me I kinda thought purée meat was gonna be a no go. Was it good? I’m sure iit helped that it was in the sauce and all that too. I was looking at another ricotta recipe that had chicken and spinach that was a casserole with cheese as well I was considering for my early soft food stage. I think it had artichoke hearts too. It was on Pinterest. They actually have a-lot of recipes under high protein low fat and high protein bariatric recipes. One thimg I forgot about is adding to the plain Greek yogurt. The ranch or French onion soup mix or PB2 to make dips. I added that and some peeled apples and a seedless cucumber to my shopping list for soft foods with the ranch and the PB dip in mind. I think the dry onions should wait for regular foods but it is really good so I mentioned it.

I hope so! I feel like a zombie over the most menial tasks. I feel like I’m barely doing anything, and not tired in the moment, but my tank is completely wiped. I have been making sure to have my protein drink, plus 2 oz of yogurt for breakfast, but I’m not noticing any increase in energy.

for some of us, both sleeve and bypass, constipation becomes a chronic "feature". It's been nine years for me so I can't remember when I stopped the (post-surgery) stool softeners, but shortly after I stopped I realized I was having frequent problems "going", so I've been taking a capful of Miralax every morning to stay on top of it. I don't back up very often, but when I do, like sleeve2bypass, I usually have to take something stronger. But from what I read and hear, many or us do take Miralax (or magnesium tablets) daily to try to prevent backups. (btw - the chronic constipation many of us deal with is probably due to the diet (high protein/low carb) and a couple of the supplements we take (calcium and iron are both known to cause constipation in some people).

Mine is readymade too but Im sure like anything else it will vary from brand to brand. What brand is yours without whey? Will be good to know if Dairy is an issue for me post SADI because I like the protein water better than the shakes. What’s so difficult for me is that I can’t see the darn labels. 😆. Im just getting to this stage in life so I never have my readers when I need them. I usually take a picture so I can zoom in to read it. Pain in the butt.

I am in a stall but have gotten back to a comfortable, positive vibe where I just don't care. And hopefully it'll break my addiction to the scale. My work week has been fraught with stress and cleaning up other peoples' messes -- but I'm trying to remind myself that their bad choices are not my responsibility, and if they want to continue to make poor choices despite my efforts that they can deal with the repercussions themselves. I have entered my malicious compliance phase. Having a lot of trouble with foods lately, particularly lunch times for some reason. I reached out to my team and they told me that while it's not ideal, if I need to do protein shakes or protein-added soups at lunch for a while, it's not going to do any harm. They'd 'like' me to be eating more real foods and not relying on a shake for lunch everyday, but that's something I can 'work towards'. I really don't see the big deal, tbh. I get plenty of dinner variety, and while breakfasts have been pretty much cereal or oatmeal for a while I see variety on the horizon there too. Ok, all that sounded mildly unhappy - but honestly, I'm in a great mood -- especially compared to last week LOL. I feel energized again -- emotionally, mentally & physically.

@Greekmom4 - Yay! I'm so happy for you to be close to purees! I don't get to have that step until Monday. Do the shakes not treat you well? I'm pretty burned out on them and they are admittedly a little pricy but getting down two of the 30g Protein Premier/Equate/Ensure has been the easiest way for me to meet my protein goals. Premier has a crazy amount of flavors and I'd put them in the lower-mid-range price point. I really like the Strawberry and as a long time coffee lover I will say the Caramel mixed with decaf coffee was a nice morning 'perk' that made me feel a little more like a normal human. The Banana one was ok, to me. I splurged and got their variety pack first off of Walmart. It's pricier that way per shake but at least lets you decide what flavors you like before committing to a four pack (or more) purchase of a given flavor. Also - 1000% agree on the bending! That's one factor I hadn't considered because I haven't had previous major surgeries - not to have things on the FLOOR that I need, lol. Thankfully my fella has been pretty patient about getting things for me that are out of reach. @ShoppGirl - I'm really glad you decided not to vacuum! I know how frustrating it is and must be for someone who seems so on top of things as you are, but try to be gentle with yourself! Recovering from either a gallbladder surgery OR bariatric surgery is a LOT, and you're doing both! Enjoy having that support person - and remember, I'm sure there are times when he leans on you, so it's totally ok to lean on him during this process. You'll be feeling like a million bucks and able to be Superwoman again before you know it!

Hi March Buddies, How is everyone doing? I can’t believe it’s been 5 months post op. Had a huge milestone met this morning on the scale after a period of stagnant weight loss. A weight that I haven’t seen in over 30 years. I’m still in shock and very grateful I’m on this journey. Still more work to be done, but, these moments help to reassure me I’m on the right path. Hope my surgery buddies are all healed and doing well. I’m having an incisional hernia repair in a couple weeks, not from the gastric surgery, from gallbladder removal 10 years ago! Hopefully this will be the end of surgeries for a long time! Would love to hear what people have found to keep their protein levels up. And what activities are you able to enjoy now? I was thrilled to ride some amusement rides with my kids this summer!

Ugh, YES. Part of it is the hormonal changes (not just menstrual!), body chemistry changes, etc. I don't know if there's much we can do about this part beyond nutrition, hormone supplements if required, etc -- much like menopause and pre-menopause. Another part of it is also that for many of us, food was a coping mechanism for a long time and now we've removed that as an option. It means we have to either face the things we were trying to drown out with gravy, or find new and improved, healthy ways to cope. Instead of "What a shitty day, I deserve pie!" it's "What a shitty day, I should eat a protein bar and hit the gym to work out my frustration!" or "What a shitty day, I should actually talk to that person about their poor behaviour." On my side, I've suffered through cyclical depression throughout my life. I'd like to say it gave me a good launching point for when the post-op emotions started hitting, but it's one of those struggles that's just ... always a struggle, lol. I cope with a few CBT techniques that I've learned over the years to get through the most intense moments, and once I'm feeling less unbalanced it's easier to get into a better headspace. Be the one to reach out to someone else at least once a day. Do 20 minutes of mindful self-care -- ie give yourself a hair treatment for 20 minutes and try not to think about anything other than brushing your hair, count strokes, massaging your scalp etc. ((Side note: if you're currently in The Hair Loss phase, maybe skip this for a hand treatment? My hair is suuuuper thin right now.)) I try to re-direct myself into how to make positive changes regarding whatever it was that recently bothered me / triggered me. Not 'fix' things, but improve the situation or my reaction somehow. Sometimes it just requires a long circle of thinking until I realize I'm internalizing something that I don't need to be, or upset about something that normally wouldn't cause a reaction at all, etc. One of my biggest problems and solutions is exercise. If I'm a moody mess, I don't want to exercise. Have no motivation to get up and do it. Yet everytime I force myself to do it, I feel bloody amazing afterwards -- energetic, spirits buoyed, all that good stuff. It doesn't have to be anything major, just walking outside at a good pace can change my mood about 15 minutes in when those endorphins kick in.

Do you have any protein shakes you like rhat you can tolorate? And do you like coffee? If so, have you tried “proffee”. I don’t like to cook in morning so even after 3.5 years And all my good habits going out the window, I still enjoy my proffee for breakfast. I was so relieved fbaf my dr is not a stickler on caffeine so I can still have it on my LSD for revision. Well up until the last two days of all liquid. Only because I can’t stand black coffee

Thank you for validating what I was feeling on the treadmill. I was trying to watch tv which was not directly in front of me too because it’s angled from the corner of the room but the treadmill was too close to it (kinda hard to explain) anyways, it did hurt my stomach worse so I had to quit. Also, mine can’t really go 2.0 mph. Anything less than 3.0 and it sputters…..is that the right word? I thought maybe it was my weight because I remember I was close to the high weight for it last time before I had surgery but that would make it 250 and I’m 228 now and it worked then at 335. In any case it’s really hard to keep my balance when that’s going on so I upped the speed and that didn’t hurt at first but caught up to me. I just don’t understand the bar that you cannot reach, lol, that thing makes no sense to me as I’m wishing I had something to grab and keep my balance. Awesome job sticking to just your protein and nothing more at the hospital. Especially when bored and worried about him and probably tired and all the things that would make us want to eat before all of this. Congratulations on getting cleared for soft foods. I started mine yesterday and it was so nice to be able to chew something. On that website that was suggested the fitness coach said she told her patients to do two bites of protein and one of veggie and I sorta stuck to that. I still obviously have to supplement with shakes that way but I would anyways so I figured it’s good for me to get into that habit. Hopefully my team will agree that is a good strategy. I’m not sure how early you get up but my time varies so I set alarms beginning at 9AM for my vitamins. I have been getting up at 8 and that works great I drink my protein shake and take my multi vitamin and stool softener by 9. Then the three calcium’s are 12, 3 and 6. Then at 9 I take my magnesium and stool softener. Basically every 3 hours I take something. I also added reminders in the Baritastic App so I can check it off each time which helps me to not question if I just turned off the alarm or if I actually took it. I’m really hoping they don’t add anything else or I will have to wake up in the middle of the night to take vitamins 😆 Congratulations on your non scale victory. I’m sure that others can see your 30 pound loss. It’s sometimes difficult for us to see in the mirror. It’s called body dysmorphia. People chat about it all the time in here who have lost 100 pounds and don’t see it. Three things that may help are side by side photos, taking measurements and if you look on Amazon they have a replica of one or five pounds of fat. You can visualize SIX of them big five pounders and see that IS ALOT!! it’s great that you are evaluating your hungry feeling to see if they are from the actual need for nutrition. When the hunger came back for me post sleeve that’s when things started to go wrong for me. I started giving into those feelings and I hadn’t changed my diet enough so the larger portions and more frequent meals and snacks added up quicker than if it was healthy foods. That’s why this time every healthy meal I make and actually like is a huge win for me as something to put into my Arsenal for when I am feeling hunger again. it sounds like you are really starting to get back into your groove. I’m so glad to hear it. Keep allowing yourself to take them little naps if you need them. It takes a while to get back to 100%’ from any major surgery. Never mind on the reduced calories we are taking in.

First, congratulations on your surgery. No, it’s not uncommon to start having doubts, worries, be a bit emotional about things. This is a big thing. Something you have never gone edits so and have absolutely nothing to base these new experiences and emotional reactions you’re having upon. With a sleeve, about 75% of your tummy is removed. This differs person to person & depends upon the size of your tummy. Larger tummy, more is removed. I actually got an internal photo of my tummy being removed (it’s not framed up on my wall 😄). It is impossible for you to regain if you’re following your plan and the volume of food/calories you’re consuming. A very common occurrence, which almost every one experiences, is called the three week stall. Around the three week mark (could be earlier or later than then) your weight loss will stall. It may last from 1-3 weeks. It’s very normal & just your body taking a moment to adjust to the changes and reassess your new needs (metabolic rate, digestive hormones, etc.). You will start losing again. Because there is no hard and fast rule as to your rate of loss, surgeons don’t tend to set weight loss goals - interim or final. There are just lots of averages around how much you may lose and how long it may take. Your surgeon may have spoken to you about how much weight you may lose by a certain time but it’s no guarantee of what will happen but just an idea of what might happen. They may ask how much you’d like to lose and then advise if it is possible or not. Whether it is possible or not is based on stats (averages). Don’t worry about not meeting your fluid or protein goals in the first weeks. It’s not easy in the beginning. As long as you’re making an effort and aren’t too far off. You’ll notice you get closer and closer and some days will be easier & others will be a real struggle. A quarter cup of food seems like nothing to begin but is again not unusual. My advice was 1/4 - 1/3 cup from purée to about a cup at 6 months. If you’re struggling eating soft food you may need to go back a stage for a few days & that ‘s okay. Sometimes we’re ( our tummies) just aren’t ready & healed enough yet to tolerate the more & more dense food as you progress to each new stage. Often weeks 3 & 4 are purées and then soft foods in weeks 5 & 6 but plans do differ. Trust me, it does get better and easier in time.

Wholeheartedly with you on this. I was fit and in shape my whole adolescence, I had both my kids and stayed slim and never tracked anything. I worked out hard, ate well, prioritized protein and had fun on the weekends and that worked for me for over a decade and two pregnancies. My weight ballooned up all of a sudden and kept going up and never stopped, and no matter what I did I was never able to lose weight. I had a very bad ankle injury 2 years ago that caused even more weight gain (33 lbs) on top of what I had already gained and due to the injury my mobility was greatly affected and my weight was spiraling out of control. Even at my highest weight I worked out 5 days a week and ate well and Nothing! So I understand your frustration fully. The only thing that worked was the VSG, the pounds melted off like butter and I regained control. If I were to go back in time, I would track everything I ate to figure out where the issue lay, I would weigh myself multiple times a week and see what the scale is telling me. I would do this before jumping on the surgery wagon. I wish I did that, because no matter how much I worked out and how well I thought I was eating, I was doing something wrong, and the surgery outcome proves it. Now that is my own experience, I am all for living worry-free and being intuitive, however these tools can give us great insight until we are where we need to be. I never weighed myself regularly (went by how my clothes fit), now I do. I never tracked my calories, now I do a few times a week just so I don't go off track again. There are days where I don't track because I know roughly how much I'm eating, and some days I do just for QA. Again, calories from here and there add up, so it's good you're aware of that. Also, there are other tools out there (GLP-1s if you're willing) that can rev up your metabolism and help the weight loss start again. With all that being said, you are doing amazing and it is important you don't lose sight of that ♥️

I would agree that it’s wise to contact your doctor but while waiting for your appointment you may as well work to rule out a few things. How many carbs are you having? Could it be keto flu? Especially if you are burning all that you are eating you could be in ketosis on more carbs than someone who isn’t active. Less than 50g is what they say for ketosis for the average person but the more active you are the more carbs you can have and still achieve ketosis. Some very active people can be in ketosis on 200g of carbs, even. Maybe try adding some healthy carbs for a couple of exercise days and see if that helps alleviate your symptoms. Unless your team wants you in ketosis, in which case I guess you just have to kinda wait it out. My NP told me to increase my carbs because I am walking around 5-7 miles a day and I showed her my food log app and my activity app and she said you need to be eating more carbs and protein as long as you keep up this level of activity. It kinda tough. Seems counter productive but I increased mine and I am still losing. I usually get them from vegetables and fruits so I get a variety of nutrients but I will add a small amount of brown rice (1/3 cup) to my dinner if my carbs are too low for the day. My calories went up a bit too but she said that was okay.