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I have two main go-to foods in this past year. First, I meal prep a tamarind based vegetable soup. Loaded with all kinds of vegetables. Low calorie, nutritious. Then when I reheat a bowl, I will sometimes add protein to it. Like you, it is mainly seafood but sometimes I add beef or pork. One of my favorite ways to eat fish is airfried. I will eat that on the side with my soup. My second go to I make every week is a greek yogurt dip (high protein type) that varies with ingredients but usually with dill, parsley, cucumbers, garlic, red onions, pickle juice...etc. I eat it with air popped rice crackers. My snacks are almost always fresh fruit. Plums, strawberries, cherries... Etc.

I buy a tub of pulled white meat rotisserie chicken at walmart almost every week, it lasts quite a while when it's being portioned out two ounces at a time, and you can do so much with it. I eat a lot of spinach salads, with 2 oz of chicken, 1/4 of an ounce of walnuts or pumpkin seeds, and a handful of blueberries or other low glycemic fruit. Toss it in half a serving of salad dressing (I am hooked on poppyseed which is kind of sugary but I don't use that much and it's encouraging me to eat all those veggies, so I just factor it in). I literally ate one of these salads for all 3 meals the other day, which I know isn't great but it's healthy, tasty, and the numbers work out right. I also make "pizza melts" which are a low carb tortilla with mozzarella, turkey pepperoni, and whatever "pizza topping" veggies I have on hand (olives, onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc). I heat it on my george forman grill and then dip the pieces into pizza sauce. If you use the La Banderita street tacos the whole thing ends up being about 200 calories (with 1/2 serving of mozzarella and 1/2 serving of turkey pepperoni). They're very filling. One of my favorite dinners recently is cubed boneless/skinless chicken thighs cooked in the air fryer, which gives them a nice crust on the outside and makes it taste like takeout Chinese without the breading, and then add some sauteed broccoli and some green onion, with just enough teriyaki sauce to cover it (usually about half the amount the bottle says is a serving.). No rice, just broccoli and chicken. I usually sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

I had super bad constipation with my sleeve back in 2018! I had three horrible hemorrhoids! and yes like others said its worse than having the actual surgery. I would wake up and scream at my fiance that I needed to go to the ER, but he would tell me to relax and put cream on for me. I went to a rectal doctor once and they prescribed me pain medication and told me the next day the inflammation should go down and that I had a chance of it coming back which it did. Calcium chews is what made me constipated. I switched to pills.

I had a very long timeline. LOL. I started orientation in January 2020, started a 10 week class March 2020 (which got cancelled) Classes resumed July 2020 (online). Finished my classes in August 2020 but had to wait because my A1C levels were still too high with a retest in January 2021. Again levels too high, August 2021 my levels were good so I was referred to the surgeon. Had orientation with the Bariatric clinic in October 2021 and met with surgeon November 2021. Appointment with Internal medicine was December 2021 and meeting with Psychologist January 2022. It took a couple of weeks for them to schedule me due to having to take care of patients who got their surgery cancelled and needed rescheduled. I got my surgery date late February 2022 for surgery April 2022.

I didn’t feel hunger for more than a year so I ate to a routine because I wanted to ensure I got in all the nutrients I needed. I didn’t want to rely in shakes, vitamins or supplements. Doing this didn’t affect my weight loss at all and it helped me refocus how I looked at food. Three years out & I still have times I’m not hungry. Actually been going through a hungry but not hungry stage for a good month now. I’m not eating all my usual portions &/or dropping snacks (I snack to add to my protein &/or calories). I always try to be close to my protein goal though during these times so eat protein first & will reduce vegetables, etc. If I’m not hungry at lunch I’ll have a high protein yoghurt which isn’t as heavy to digest as meat. I should explain I’m a do I need this next bite or want it eater. So I don’t eat until I feel full but until I’ve had enough & don’t need anymore. I don’t feel too full to eat but more I don’t want to eat but I know I have to have something. I also still eat slowly - like a tub of yoghurt takes about 45-60mins. As @The Greater Fool said it comes down to habits & these were the ones I established which carry me through.

You can develop gallstones for many reasons including high cholesterol, menopause, high bilirubin levels, diabetes, losing weight quickly. For many of us, losing weight also releases extra cholesterol into our bloodstream causing our levels to temporarily rise. Some also have gallstones before surgery which were never picked up. I had to have my gallbladder removed 25 months after my surgery. I had high bilirubin levels, am menopausal, & saw my cholesterol go up while I was losing & of course had lost weight. I had one stone which was discovered about 6 months after surgery during a liver scan. We don’t know how long it had been there. The stone never caused me a problem until one night & oh boy! I was maintaining when my gall was removed. After it was removed I stopped absorbing protein as well as I had been - it can happen. My nails became weak, started losing hair again, things were taking longer to heal, etc. & my three monthly blood test showed why. I had to up my protein intake (from 50-60g to 60-70g) which did result in a small gain of 2kgs in a month but I’ve maintained that for a good 7 months. (Also upped my HRT meds at the exact same time so both contributed to the gain.) I was also prescribed Creons, pancreatic enzymes, to help with protein absorption.

I had to get another blood draw and they told me I was lacking in potassium and my blood pressure was super low. I was also recommended to drink a bottle of Gatorade Zero as well. Right after surgery every time I would shower the steam would make me want to faint/vomit and standing up in general was an absolute nightmare. I am about 4 weeks post-op and am still struggling to eat anything besides greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and tuna lol. My starting weight was 278 and now I am down to 241. It is very exciting! Keep up the great work.

I am glad I am not the only one! I would watch any cooking show that Netflix or Hulu had to offer haha. Now that I am almost 4 weeks post-op I don't feel the urge. I do still find it hard that what I used to be able to eat, I can now only eat a quarter of it at a time. It's definitely a mind trick.

OK, you're smart, you work it out. Why do you think your goals are your goals? Your medical team getting it's jollies at your expense, or do they believe they serve an honest purpose? What purpose might that be? [Snark not intended] Let's consider some facts: 60g of Protein is considered a healthy amount of protein for non-ops and post-ops alike. Same with minerals and vitamins that are often supplemented to ensure minimum values, op and non-op alike. Similarly for liquids, again for op and non-op alike. Missing these goals one day, or even a few, may not impact overall heath in the long-run. But missing them too frequently for too long may be a different story. So, knowing these facts you should be able to make your choice. Were it me, I wouldn't fret about the occasional lapse. But that's me. But, knowing these facts, when I'm ill I can't even force myself to eat for days or weeks at a time, which has caused problems to compound. It comes down to the habits you choose to build. Under normal circumstances I push myself to eat even when I don't feel like it as preparation for those times when I simply can't. Your mileage may vary. Good luck, Tek

Very good to hear you're feeling better! Just remember you've had major surgery and even though your feeling on the mend 1 week out is not the time to push your limits. Still take it easy for 2-3 more weeks minimum.

I managed mine in just over 3 months. My insurance demanded a 6 months medically supervised diet, but I had that proven via two different paths of two different programs in the previous 12 months, so they had no gripe there. They also wanted 5 years of proven morbid obesity and and I had that proven medically and with pictures so again, they were beaten. All that remained were all the tests proving I could live through the procedure, which I managed quicker than usual, since I made frequent calls pestering for any appointment cancellations. When the doc's office submitted for approval Friday afternoon, I was surprised to learn I was already approved Monday morning. My surgery, originally scheduled for 4 weeks later was 2 weeks later. I suspect a lot has changed in the subsequent years. Good Luck, Tek

My insurance covered nothing. Also I work in the school system so once the decision was made I was anxious to get my surgery done as close to the beginning of summer as possible so I would have the summer to heal and miss as little work as possible. I am taking on a new position in the 2022-2023 School Year and was told that frequent absences would not be good. I'm leaving a situation where I was part of a team and easily covered, to a position where I am alone and have to have a substitute. I saw my surgeon for the first time on April 29, 2022. He explained the sleeve and the bypass and ask if I had a preference. I had done some research of my own and wanted the gastric bypass RNY. He agreed that was the best choice for my case with my co-morbidities. I was given the tests that I would need to take but he used a lot of my existing tests because I was self pay and I already had a Psychologist that was ready and willing to write a letter, so I didn't have to wait for that. I went back May 27th with all my clearances and tests done and he made it my pre-opp appointment, knowing I was anxious to get it done soon. We scheduled my surgery for June 7,2022. I went in on June 7, 2022 and had a routine surgery with no hiccups. I was released from the hospital June 9, 2022. Follow- up with my surgeons PA (Just as awesome) was a week later and I saw the dietician then to. I talked to the dietician 5 weeks after that and she checked to see how I was progressing into soft food. I will get to start slowly adding solid food on August 4th but I will hold off until the weekend in case it doesn't go well. My next appointment with the PA and the dietician is in the office on September 15. I was able to return to light duty on July 11th. No heavy lifting but lots of walking (4000-7000 steps a day). I actually ran a couple times and didn't die!!! I hope this helped😊

I know you mentioned that you don't see your team for a month yet, but are you able to call or email your program nutritionist or dietitian? I'm still a few weeks out from surgery but we were told to reach out if we had any issues at any point. They stressed hydration and of course protein needed to be met to help our body heal. I would agree with @ShoppGirl that an occasional substitution would probably be ok , but they probably would want you to stick to the plan as much as you are able. After you talk to them they might be able to suggest a modification that might better suit your needs if you are having issues, like smaller portions more often or adding a supplement to help meet the nutritional needs, while not making you feel like you are forcing food down. Good luck! Let us know how you are doing!

Mine was pretty fast, shorter than I expected for insurance - from what I am hearing from my friends who went through this already. My insurance did not have any weight loss or education requirements. I met the criteria of BMI which was enough to move forward. My first class, informational & weigh-in was May 16th 2022. I was put on a 3 month program - since I didn't have insurance requirements, that is the shortest duration the program I am in does (mainly because of medical clearance testing & scheduling). In June I had 2 virtual zoom classes (they were spaced about every two weeks) My second one I was the only person on her schedule - so I got a private class with the nutritionist. It is normally a group class it just worked out that way. If I was in a 6 month program or longer - they would have covered the same information - they just would have been more classes of a shorter duration. During June I was able to schedule my psych evaluation, PT evaluation, upper endoscopy, labs and cardiac clearance. Unfortunately there was a miscommunication about wanting an echo done along with my cardiac appointment - so I had to go back for that on July 1st. My final weigh-in and class was July 7th. Unfortunately they had not reviewed and signed off on my cardiac echo yet, so I couldn't schedule my surgical consult appointment that day, as planned. A few days later they called and were able to get me in on July 21st. The surgeons do their own scheduling - so I was able to schedule directly with her, and her first available opening was August 16th I have an 8 day liquid fast starting the 8th... and a covid test on the 13th yet. So from first appointment to surgery day will be exactly 3 months to the day. I got very lucky with scheduling to get everything in as quickly as I did. I had the flexibility of taking what ever was available (I am not working) and I asked to be put on cancelation lists for anything that scheduled out further than June 30th and was lucky to have get called for availability. I was in a little of a time crunch because I have driving restrictions, my program and hospital are about an our away and my husband was trying to be at as many appointments as he could. He is a teacher so he is off for the summer - so we were trying to get the surgery done before he starts back to school. He actually starts back in-service on the 15th but thankfully school is willing to work with him and he shouldn't miss anything more than possibly the morning of the 16th (if I am scheduled first possibly not even that).

My insurance (Highmark Blue-shield, I am in Pennsylvania) has no program specific requirements for education/classes or pre-op weight-loss requirement. My program put me on a 3 month schedule - the shortest duration they offer… because of getting pre-op clearances. I had the intro meeting plus three classes where we went over their program material & requirements. My first intro class was May 16th. Classes were spaced about every two weeks. I had two in June and a final appointment and weigh in on July 7th (my program required I not gain weight after my initial weigh-in). I managed to get all my pre-op testing in fairly quickly, but it was not all reviewed and signed off on by the July 7th class, so I had to wait a few more days to schedule to meet the surgeon. First available appointment to meet the surgeon was July 21st. She scheduled me for her first available surgery for August 16th, 2022. So my whole program from first appointment to surgery will be exactly 3 months … that is not typical from what I understand. Most of the people in my intro class were on 6 month schedules or longer, which was dictated by their insurance.

So this question really depends if you have insurance. Typically with insurance most have to do like 6 months of supervised weight loss attempts and such. I had no insurance.. So i saw my surgeon for the first time on December 14th. This is where he ordered all the testing like EKG, Chest Xray, Bloodwork, psychological exam. I did the testing pretty quickly. The psychological exam took 2-3 months to book. There were no openings before that so that was on March 1st. One of my test came back abnormal which was the EKG. So i had to visit my cardiologist to get clearance for surgery. This is when they ordered a nuclear stress test. after that i was cleared for surgery. Once everything came back normal my surgery was scheduled for 3 weeks later. So if it wasnt for that stupid psyc exam i could have had the surgery months ago.

Good morning July 2022 Peeps. Sounds like there's a lot of the group doing well. Hope to hear from the ones that just had surgery in the last couple days. I am at 10 days post-op. After losing 12.5 lbs in the first week, I stalled out for a couple days. Instead of losing my normal 2-4 lbs, I lost 0.0 and 0.4. This was a bit frustrating since I am only taking in about 500 calories per day. But it is what it is. From what I read, this is how this is going to go. I am happy that my plateau or whatever, may have been a small one and this morning I showed a 2.2 lbs loss. For those that believe a person shouldn't weigh themselves daily, I normally don't, but I wanted to record my first 4 weeks in a journal on my laptop.

When my spouse and I were getting serious about walking Post-op and after a fair chunk of research, we chose New Balance. We found them very comfortable. My wife chooses them to this day. They are typically reasonably priced. After I established to myself that binge running was going to be a thing in my life, I eventually changed to Nike Free, which has much less support, but still more than you'd expect. It felt close to running barefoot. They aren't cheap, and now are harder to find. When I was doing 90+ mile weeks, I went through a pair about every 6 weeks. Even though I can't run any longer, I still buy Nike Free exclusively because they are so light. They last a lot longer now. Good luck, Tek

I was lower BMI and I had several stalls. They get more frequent the closer you get to a healthy weight.

I feel your pain, there. I'm a teacher as well, but fortunately, my surgery is scheduled for 8/4, so I have a couple of weeks to recover before having to head off and start herding the squirrels again. Hopefully you can have your room ready to go before surgery so you don't have to worry about too much heavy lifting before you actually have to go back. Good luck!

I am a serious coffee drinker every morning at work, however I shouldn't be having withdrawals because I have protein shakes that have caffeine in them. So I'm getting a small amount of caffeine in my body still. Yes I guess I ate a moderate amount of carbohydrates and sugar. I had something similar happen to me when I was low carb program through my doctor's office. I was on very low carb intake and I began to have aching joints to the point where I would lay in bed and almost cry at night. The doctor said it was lack of carbs, calcium and magnesium. Which is why I went and took one of those vitamins right away last night. I feel so much better today. It's probably just carbohydrate withdrawal, sugar, caffeine. I've also been making sure I stay hydrated. Thank you so much for all of your comments. 4 days left! I've waited a year and a half for this and although I'm excited I have been very emotional for the last week. Probably just nerves, scared and a little nervous to go into the OR. Sent from my LM-G710VM using BariatricPal mobile app

Surgery is next Friday. I'm excited and nervous... I'm trying to get ready around the house and my to do list is below. Anything I'm missing? - Nurse will be with me for the first 24 hours - Meal prep for 1+ weeks following surgery - Clean house (including new sheets on bed) - Dog walker booked - Meds picked up and put within easy reach - Everyday items put out on counters so I don't need to reach (in bathroom and kitchen) - Garment and scar tape ordered

I'm on day 16 of my stall and it's really bothering me. I hate stalls. But the worst thing is my daughter woke up really sick yesterday and now I'm sick today. Fever, achy, super tired, sick to my stomach, bad headache, runny/stuffy nose. I'm drinking the Fairlife protein shake (with caffeine) and eating fruit because honestly, that's all I can do. I normally get my protein from my food but I have a feeling that while I'm sick I'll be getting half or a little more from my shakes and protein drinks. Nothing is sitting right in my stomach besides fruit. Not sure how that's going to affect my weight, but I'll worry about it later. I hate being sick. Blah....

Hey guys! I hit a week from surgery Thursday. I think I may be the prodigal child and I feel bad about raving about how little pain I was in, how little the gas was a problem etc. But at the same time I want to let others know, it's not always negative! Also, consider about 3 years ago I had my gallbladder removed, so I am fresh to a lot of things these surgeries deal with. Incisions, pre op diet, gas, pneumonia potental, etc. Sorry in advance for the novel. My surgery was supposed to be at 1030am on the 14th, but I think I went under something after lunch. I think they were running a little bit behind lol. I remember coming to and going out many times that first day. I was able to drink from the small medicine cups of water they gave me. I expected there to be pain ... but there wasn't. Granted I had dilaudid at first and then just tramadol. I was up peeing (they keep track of that for kidney function) and walking around the nurses station. Later in the evening/night. I literally just wanted to sleep. But honestly, as annoying as they were waking me up every hour for vitals and asking if I felt up for walking, I really did feel better at least getting one trip around the station every so often. I was discharged around lunchtime the next day. I never touched the prescribed oxycodone nor tylenol for that matter. I never took anything other than my normal pills and the Prilosec except one zofran because the day after I got home (that saturday) the nausea took hold something fierce for some reason. After that though, I never had a problem. I didn't have to use the little spirometer they give you. I just took deep breaths and coughed. Very little phlegm came up overall, but I have no trace of pneumonia. Saturday I also decided to weigh, as I have read others did. I was also up about 3 lbs from day of surgery weight. They put like 3 or 4 bags of fluids in me while I was there, so I don't doubt that was 100% the reason. I decided then that I would just wait for the next appointment before weighing. Sunday, my first day on full liquids, was the worst. You would think that graduating to the next stage would be the last day that would be bad, but when you realize that doesn't really open you up to much more than tomato soup and protein shakes (which you are already sick of by now) - when I tell you mentally I was so done. I regretted the surgery, I regretted becoming fat enough to need it in the first place, I hated everyone and everything. I was hungry ALL THE TIME. I was not one of the lucky ones that lost the hunger hormone and have to "force" themselves to eat and drink. Monday rolled around. I just started taking things day by day. Hour by hour and slowly time started to pass. Thursday was my week post-op appointment. Incisions are healing well, bruising is starting to clear up. Also, the uvula (the dangly thingie in the back of your throat) was irritated and elongated from the breathing tube while I was under. IT WAS DRIVING ME F**KING BONKERS. I can't stand that thing hitting the back of my tongue and making me feel like I have something caught in my throat 24/7. It is just now starting to get back to normal. When I started this journey, beginning with the nutritionist visits in December I was 371.2. On the day of surgery, I was 345. Weight one week post-op was 336.8. Overall, since December down 34.4 and almost 10 since surgery. Granted I could be down less as it is now Saturday, but I refuse to weigh for a while. Maybe not until my 1mth appointment. Just stay the course and see what happens! I'm already seeing little NSVs. Tiny ones, but none-the-less they are there. They are just little reminders that this is a process and I can and will be successful. It's been a while since I've been around so I wanted to touch base. Also to provide info for those still waiting for surgery and those that are fresh out. It DOES get better! Even as soon as a week after. Best wishes to everyone no matter where they are in their journey!

Hello everyone! I am 6 weeks post sleeve - I got sleeved July 8th, and I'm thrilled to report that I have now joined the great 100s Club! I have lost 42 pounds so far - I did not lose any pre op, in fact, I gained! I can't say that all has been perfect because I do have my days when I miss and crave foods that I shouldn't be eating and I do sneak a little in here and there, but I keep it all down! No stomach issues! I can't wait to start eating salads - week 8, I think! Happy journey, all!