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I had that to deal with last week. One dose of gold bond powder cleared it up rather quickly.

I would only count things as a meal if it has protein. Popsicles would be considered fluid only. At four days post op, you really don't have to eat 3 meals a day, etc. You just have to sip constantly while you're awake in order to hit your protein and fluid goals until your tummy heals to the point that it can accept "normal bariatric portion meals" I would just focus on sipping every 15 minutes when you're not eating. The only thing that would count as a meal AND fluids would be something like a protein shake, protein water or broth with unflavored protein powder that was added to it, so anything that has proteins and is a fluid would count as both. I don't batch and freeze currently, so I'm not sure about containers. I'm not sure how freezing protein shakes would go. I have a feeling the texture would be different or they may separate. Have you tried the Fairlife protein shakes? They don't taste like a protein shake. They just taste like a lightly flavored milk to me. Strawberry reminds me of Strawberry Nesquick, but not as strongly flavored.

I've thrown up 2x since surgery and it was overeating or eating too fast not dumping. The first time I ate my scrambled egg to fast I had to make a mad dash to the toilet and yarfed up some egg and almost immediately felt better. The 2nd time I was at dinner with family I hadn't seen in years and I only had water. I was only about 6 weeks out from surgery. I was so busy enjoying myself that I drank water without checking myself and I thought I was going to be sick in the resteraunt but ended up being sick when I got back to the hotel. It's never a lot but once I do it I go from feeling miserable to feeling so much better. You definitely learn your limits fast. Sent from my SM-F926U using BariatricPal mobile app

I survived off protein Shakes 2-3 a day in liquid phase, filled with crystal lite generic flavored water and jello for something kinda solid to keep the crazy away. I have to admit when I was allowed to eat my first scrambled egg it was a game changer. I'm a creature of habit though and I'm fine with eating the same thing over and over and over. I think that has helped me the most through this process-I don't need variety. Sent from my SM-F926U using BariatricPal mobile app

A lot of people who have never struggled with their weight (or people who have only had to lose, like, 20 pounds) want to think of weight as a personal or moral attribute. They want to believe that their ability to control their weight is indicative of their personal superiority, so they feel threatened by the thought of some of us -- whom they view as inferior based solely on weight -- can "cheat" our way into their category. Many people who haven't looked into weight loss surgery also have no idea how hard it is. I think back to the first time I read about gastric bypass and thought it sounded like absolute magic -- the answer to all my problems! You get your stomach stapled and the weight just falls right off. And then I found out about all the risks and potential complications, dumping syndrome, and the fact that some people still regain the weight, and that was enough to turn me off from weight loss surgery for 15+ years. And even then, it wasn't until I actually started the process that I found out about the pre-op diet and all the post-op phases, having to constantly sip water all day just to avoid dehydration and go for weeks without solid food. I'd be willing to bet that most people have no clue how hard it is to get through all the pre-op requirements and post-op phases. Ironically, it's those people who have never had to think about weight loss surgery who really have the easy way out in that they don't have the propensity for weight gain in the first place. They have no idea how hard some of us have to work to lose weight and/or keep it off.

Sharing a blog post I wrote a few years ago that I thought might help some of you... On the face of it, losing weight seems so simple. How many times have we all heard statements like “just eat less and move more!” While that type of sentiment is factually true, it can be incredibly hard in practice. The reason is because we all are creatures of habit. Now when I say habit, I don’t want you to think of the negative connotation we sometimes give to the word habit. Habits can be and often are, good things. An example would be brushing your teeth before bed. If that’s a habit you have (may of us do), it would be hard to classify that as a bad thing. We do it partly because we know we should, but also because it’s just become a habit, and things would feel off if we didn’t do it. In fact, because so much of what we do on a day-to-day basis is routine, habits help us get those things done without having to exert much extra mental energy to them. It follows that if we want weight loss or other healthy behaviors to become habit, we have to “hack” our brains a little. We do that by replacing old behaviors with new behaviors. Over time, the new behavior become a habit that replaces the old behavior we want to get rid of. This again sound simple enough, but because we as humans are wired to seek out rewards, we sometimes do things we know we shouldn’t. This means we can’t just flip a switch and start working out, or ”eating better” (whatever that means). We first have to make sure the reward we get for the current behavior is minimized, and the reward we get for the new behavior is maximized. By doing that, we can slowly change behavior. To make this easier, I have grouped behavior change into six dimensions we need to focus on: We’ll start with the 3 dimensions of motivation. Motivation is often misunderstood, so I want you to think about it a little differently than you may think of it now. Motivation is simply the mental processes that drive your behavior. Thus when someone says “I have no motivation”, that’s actually incorrect. They do have motivation, they just have motivation to do something else. Personal Motivation – These are things that internally motivate you as an individual person to act in a particular way. There are several factors that make up personal motivation, but the most important factor is how a new behavior makes you feel vs. the current behavior. To change behavior, we need to minimize the negatives associated with the new, desired behavior and maximize the positive aspects of it. We also want to do the exact opposite for the bad behavior we want to replace. For a more personal example, I like fishing but am not a big fan of slow cardio (too boring to me). I can turn boring exercise into playing simply by using a row boat or kayak to fish from, rather than a motorized boat. If you have small children, you could play tag or hide and go seek with them, rather than walking on a treadmill. Social Motivation – This form of motivation is all based on the fact that at our core, people are social animals. In short, we crave acceptance by others. While this can be a negative if taken to the extreme, we can also make it work to our benefit. Examples would be having one or more accountability partners or using social pressure to ensure compliance. Structural Motivation – Also known as the “carrot & stick”. The goal is to find ways to add in additional punishments for bad behavior and rewards for good behavior. For example, many people find that meaningful financial rewards or punishments can drastically impact behavior. An example might be “placing a bet” with a family member that you will not eat any highly processed foods for the next month. If you succeed, you get the payout, but if you fail, you have to pay instead. Obviously the carrots & sticks don’t have to be financial at all, but for many people money is a big motivator. We move now from Motivation to Ability. I want you to think of ability as how prepared you are to replace bad behaviors with good ones. It does us no good to be super motivated to take on a new good habit if we don’t have the knowledge, skills, or ability to actually incorporate the that habit into our lives. Personal Ability – This is all about learning and developing the skills, tools & knowledge you’ll need to actively engage in the new behavior. For example, if my goal was to use horseback riding as exercise, I’d have to get a horse, find a place to board the horse, learn to ride, learn to care for the horse, etc. before that could become a reality. This is obviously an extreme case, but too many times we expect that simply having motivation will be sufficient to reach a goal. The fact is it’s not. No matter what the goal is, there is some level of knowledge or skill needed to make it happen. A more concrete example might be “wanting to eat more vegetables”. For many people, this is a challenge not because they don’t like vegetables, but because they have no idea how to prepare them. Learning to do so would be the TRUE first step to a better diet. Social Ability – Teamwork is the operative word here. Perhaps you really struggle to walk enough on a daily basis, but you also know if you have someone to walk with you, it would make it much more enjoyable for you. This can also refer to using a coach or expert to help. If you know you need to use strength training to reach your goals, but don’t have any idea where to start. Enlisting the help of a professional might be just the thing you need. Structural Ability – I like to think of this one as cheating to your advantage! So many times, we create environments where we’re almost bound to fail. Examples are things like keeping a bag of chocolate or saving your “fat clothes” just in case. Another classic example would be failing to plan meals ahead of time. Instead, we need to change everything we can about our environment to support us making good choices and eliminating anything that causes us to stumble. Taken together, these six sources of habit change can help you replace bad habits with good ones, but it’s not magic. You still have to work at it and you still have to make yourself more aware of when and why you are choosing bad habits over good ones. This awareness is really the first step to success.

I was curious if any of my fellow sleevers had been diagnosed with depression prior to or after surgery. Since about August 2021, (was sleeved on 7/27/22) I've been experiencing on and off symptoms of depression. It comes and goes on a daily/weekly basis. One day I'm fine, then the next week I'm just down in the dumps with seemingly no way out, then I'm fine for the next week or two. I've spoke with a psychologist in the previous months and obviously spoke with a psych to do my pre-surgery evaluation. If you are taking any anti-depressants, what are they and what kind of side effects have you had?

I have noticed more loose hair in the past couple weeks but nothing terrifying. If this is the worst it gets then I'm ok even if it got worse I'd be ok. The benefits of the surgery far outweigh any temporary hair loss. Not just the scale either, I'm moving better, I got strep and I didn't get a sick as I would've 75 pounds ago, I have SO much more energy, I care more about how I look and take better care of myself, I'm more active, I'm off so many meds, the list just goes on. So hair loss, possibly... but if you follow your plan you'll have so many other victories. You'll see some hair loss is a small thing and doesn't last. Your body will balance out and you'll regrow what you lost. Sent from my SM-F926U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello all! My name is Anne. I hope I'm in the right forum for this. I'm brand new here so please redirect me if necessary. I'm hoping for an accountability buddy, someone roughly a few years post op hopefully like myself, someone who needs some cheering on for keeping healthy eating habits... I had gastric roux en y back in 2019, lost 141lbs and 3 years out I've successfully kept it off - woo hoo! However, I have one BIG problem...for roughly a year now my diet has been AWFUL. I mean really bad. Lots of junk, lots of carbs, not remotely getting enough protein, you could say I've just gone off the rails. This coincides with one of the roughest times in my life with massive life challenges one after the other knocking me down, big ones, and just like life pre-surgery, I self medicate with junk food. Which is what landed me on that operating table in the first place. Believe me, I know how wrong this is. I know that the weight thing is a mind thing, that I should have self-soothing behaviors that are NOT food related. I know. But I'm 52 years old now and old (as in decades long) soothing behaviors seem to just be ingrained. I'm tired of making excuses for myself however. It's time for me to change that. It does not matter what life challenges I'm dealing with. It can only bring me harm to eat as awfully as I do. It's a miracle I haven't gained any weight back eating the way I do, and for that much I'm grateful. But nevertheless, it's downright wrong for me to treat my body so shabbily by eating this way. I just never feel good anymore, it's taking a toll, I have no energy, and it's my own doing. So I'm ready to turn this ship around. Is there anyone here who can relate to this? Anyone sliding into unhealthy eating habits? I'm hoping to connect with someone who could use an accountability buddy so to speak, so we can inspire each other to honor our bodies by treating it right by eating healthy and the way we were taught to eat following surgery. If anyone is interested, I'm assuming there's a private message feature here (again, I'm brand new, trying to navigate how all this works), shoot me a message. Regardless, best wishes to all who are in this journey together, no matter where you are on your road!

So I just started my liquid diet today and at 1st I was freaking out because I'm allowed 1 small meal a day plus the 2 protein shakes and a list of other approved things. But I thought I had to stay under 800 calories and I didn't realize how many calories are in everything including the protein shakes themselves (160). So I went through everything that is allowed on my list and was trying to figure out what I could even eat for dinner and leave me enough calories for lunch and it was not going well. Luckily I re read my diet sheet and the calorie restriction doesn't hit until my second week, yay! So for this 1st week I still only have liquids except for dinner so I'm sure my calories will be less that usual but I'll have time to adjust before I hit that 800 calorie limit next week. The exact wording for the dinner is one small, normal meal and we are having pork chops with asparagus so I think I will be ok. As a side question fueled by my stressful morning, how do I calculate the calories in the broth from a strained soup? Say I take a can of chicken noodle soup but strain it and only drink the broth, how do I figure out the calories in that broth?

I have my fiance and my mom who lives with me. I'm sure they will help alot. But they will have to work at too some nights and I'll be alone with her. 2 weeks? Maybe I can have my mother in law come stay with me?? I didn't even think about this until yall said something. I'm so used to my baby being petite I forget she's a whole turkey now [emoji1787]

That’s a tough one. You really shouldn’t be doing it though. Is there anyone who can help you?? It’s been a while but I think I was restricted to not lift anything over ten pounds for two weeks. I worry that you could really hurt yourself by lifting her.

Do you have anyone that can help you for a few weeks? My doctor's office said they don't even want us bending over to do things like load/unload the dishwasher or do laundry.

Post surgery all I did was walk around for a couple weeks. I am patient and didn’t want to risk forgetting and doing something to hurt myself. If you do more than that just be very mindful of the lifting restrictions (for me I know myself and I will forget and do it).

I'm a planner too, I don't have a date yet, but was told ud get a call in the next 2 weeks and my surgery would be set 3 weeks out .... but I've already bought stuff, I like the premier as well, I found fruit drinks by them on Amazon too, as well as protine soups and puddings and such, type in beriatric must haves, alot of stuff pops up that we might not need need, but some I think will be very helpful... Sent from my SM-G996U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi, I'm now 5 days post-op. First 3 days were ok but my large incision started feeling horrible after the 3rd day. If I lay a certain way I don't feel it at all but once I get up or start walking around it's such a painful pull. Was wondering how long it took for your pain to go away. Surgeon said same thing. Will get better with time but it's been a couple day an no relief. Just seeing how long this pain is for other people. Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

My surgeon flat out won't do surgery if your not 3 months without smoking and I don't know how long you have to commit to quitting. I quit 16 years ago with my daughter because I was making her sick. They test and I know people who's Surgeries were canceled. Sent from my SM-F926U using BariatricPal mobile app

I was on liquids a kind of long time from May 27th until 2 weeks after my June 7th surgery date. I never suffered or was outrageously hungry. I lived off crystal lite water, jello and protein Shakes. My surgeon had a very strict plan compared to some I've heard but I think it was good for me. I've learned I don't NEED food like I did pre-opp. I eat food too function. If I like it a lot that's a plus. I don't eat for entertainment anymore or reward or to fix emotional boo boo's, I eat too feed my body to function. Don't get me wrong when I had my first bite of scrambled egg with Salt my eyes rolled back in my head! It was the best thing I ever tasted but the time on liquids was easy for me. Just acknowledge it as a time that has to be. That helps. It's your first line in the sand for the new way your going to be eating for the rest of your life. Sent from my SM-F926U using BariatricPal mobile app

Oh thank you for this information! My current body fat according to my scale is about 50%. And you are right that is probably very unattainable. I have never been that low in my life. Except maybe when I was in THIRD GRADE. ha. If you could help me choose a new goal, that would be awesome. Thank you! I did quit soda a few weeks ago. Now I need to quit milk. That is like so hard for me for some reason. I drink up to 4 16 oz glasses a day. Not everyday. Some days is 1-2. But I know a lot of my weight comes from liquid calories. I am going to work hard on that this month. I am going to start my preop diet tomorrow of two shakes and 1 meal. Lots of koolaid with splenda to get me through lol

This forum should be open forever more! We will all need support in the coming days, weeks, months!!! My mother had the lap band as well with no results. Come to find out hers had been ruptured the entire time! We will all be here to support you through your journey!

I'm two years post-op, and my appetite has returned, but not nearly to the extent as before surgery. In the beginning, it was easy to lose weight because I wasn't hungry at all and physically couldn't eat much, but that has gradually changed. It feels upsetting at times to see the portions that I am able to eat because I think, "I shouldn't have room for this big of a salad," but I think my perception is skewed because I'm comparing my current portions to my initial post-op portions, not to what I used to eat pre-surgery. I remember pre-surgery often feeling like my stomach was a bottomless pit, and no matter how much I ate, I could still feel like I was starving. There are times now when I eat a reasonably-sized meal and still feel hungry, but even then, it doesn't take much to get all the way full. I'm probably doing it wrong because we're not supposed to eat to the point of getting really full, but I'm not perfect. And sometimes it's still hard to tell whether it's real hunger or head hunger. I can definitely see how people can regain a lot of weight after a few years, because I feel as though my stomach has stretched out quite a bit and I could over-eat if I'm not careful about what I eat. However, I have COMPLETLEY changed my eating habits and shifted toward low-calorie foods. I've been tracking everything I eat in MyFitnessPal for over two years, and I consider that the #1 key to my weight loss, other than surgery itself (in fact, I lost 70 pounds before surgery this way). I'm not stupid -- I know how to read a nutrition label -- but there's something about actually logging my food intake that makes me confront my choices and think about what is and isn't worth eating. I still track my calories in MyFitnessPal and I'm afraid to stop, but I suspect that I would probably be ok without tracking because I've gotten into good habits. I've also found that at times I've eaten more than I should (e.g., eating at a restaurant or getting hungry between meals and having a big snack) and think, "I need to limit my calories for the rest of the day," I actually end up not being hungry for the rest of the day, anyway. My tastes have also changed since surgery. I used to be kind of a picky eater, and I'm not sure if my actual tastes have changed or if I've just become more open-minded, but I eat all kinds of things now that I wouldn't have touched before surgery. I used to hate seafood and now I love it and eat fish almost every day. I used to hate a lot of vegetables, like squash, peppers, radishes, cauliflower, etc., and now I'll eat just about any vegetable. I consider cauliflower rice to be the greatest diet hack of all time because it simultaneously eliminates a high-carb food and sneaks a vegetable into the meal. Plus, if you buy the frozen stuff, it's faster and easier to prepare than actual rice. Before surgery, I turned my nose up at the idea of cauliflower rice, but now I eat it several times per week. I suspect that a lot of people who regain the weight rely too much on the restriction and don't change their eating habits, so when the restriction wears off, they're kind of back where they started.

I lived in Port Angeles for about 3 years. I loved it. I moved last October to the Spokane area.

So I have a few things to update on. I haven't been super active lately because things have been crazy. First, I finally got rid of my size 26/28 clothes!!! I had them bagged up for a good week and a half and I finally pulled the trigger and got rid of them. All of my work clothes, shoes, and size 10 jewelry was donated to Dress for Success. My casual clothes and pajamas were donated equally between a local homeless shelter and a local domestic violence shelter. I'm currently in size 22/24 clothes, but they're starting to get big on me (I'm in like a size 21 lol But there isn't a size 21, so...) Once I make it to a size 18/20, I'll do it all over again. Second, I'm in another stall. I have been for the last 8 days or so. I know because it's following the same pattern as the last 2 I had. I gain 3 pounds and then sit there for weeks, then drop like 5 pounds when it breaks (first stall lasted about a week and a half. Second one lasted 2 1/2 weeks. I figure I might be looking at 3 1/2 or 4 weeks now). I'm used to it now so I'm not freaking out. BUT, my size 9 rings are too big. I need size 8 1/2 and like I said, the size 22/24 clothes are starting to be too big. So even though the scale isn't moving, I'm still winning!!! Third, I FINALLY got my appointment for the scope. The GI cocktail has helped me be able to eat some food, but I still have to be careful. I'm now on 80mg of Nexium daily and I take the GI cocktail 10-15 minutes before eating anything. I can actually sleep in my bed again, so that's good. Looking forward to this scope to get to the bottom of everything once and for all. Fourth, been working my tail off finishing my last 2 classes for my degree!!! I'm a little over half way finished, and it's been exciting. I've been working on this degree for the last 11 years, so to finally be at the finish line is amazing. I had been putting it off and as my health and weight started getting better, I just became super motivated to finish and finally have my degree. My graduation is in December, and I FULLY intend to be below 300 when I go. That's my new goal. I have 3 months. I think I can do it. I'm at 322 right now (remember I gained 3 pounds before just sitting at this weight?) so if I can lose 23 pounds in 3 months, I'll hit multiple goals at once. So excited!!!!! Well, that's about it for now. Hope everyone is enjoying their 3 days weekend. My daughter's birthday is Tuesday, and we're letting her miss school and we're taking her out to lunch and then to do a little shopping (she's turning 16). Have a good one

Me too. 3-4 shakes a day and clear liquids only for 2 weeks.