Search the Community

I made this post in another thread as a response to someone else, and then I realized it's something that might help others after they've had their surgery and find themselves struggling. Maybe you're seeing an increase in hormones all of a sudden...maybe you're discovering there's a lot more work involved in getting and keeping the results you need after having the surgery. Maybe you're struggling to change your relationship with food. Whatever the case is, maybe this will help "I never really had the emotional ups and downs, mostly because at the time I had PCOS, and the influx of estrogen from both my surgeries actually normalized my hormones for a few months each time lol What I DID have, however, is the emotional issues that came with changing my relationship with food. I had NO IDEA that would be a thing lol Changing what you eat, how you eat, when and why you eat, how often you eat is like breaking up with a toxic partner. You've been together for a REALLY long time, and even though you KNOW it's a terrible, unhealthy relationship, it's really all you know and you're so dependent on it you don't think you can function without it. And now you have to figure out how to. You have to completely retrain your brain, learn the difference between true hunger and head hunger (there is an actual, real difference), and you have to learn to read the nutrition labels, track your calories and Protein and carbs, work out, don't cheat (and don't make excuse after excuse and justification after justification for why you went back to the toxic relationship even after you knew it was bad for you, yet still gave in), measure food, track fluids, take HONEST accountability for your actions (which isn't something most of us had been particularly good at) and make adjustments as needed to stay as compliant as possible for the long haul. Contrary to what so many think, there's actually a LOT of work that has to happen after the surgery. The surgery itself is just a tool. It's not a miracle cure. It won't fix all the issues if you don't put in the actual work. Just eating smaller amounts without making any of the necessary changes isn't enough, and that's a hard lesson many learn later on. All of this is such a mind eff, and takes a toll on a person. It's a lot of changes, and a lot of work, thrown at a person all at once. And no matter how ready you think you are, it can still cause so much emotional turmoil, and understandably so. What I, and so many, don't realize is that we all have ED (eating disorders) in order to get to being obese and morbidly obese (or in some cases, super morbidly obese). It's not just anorexia or bulimia. I genuinely didn't know that. We have to retrain our brains to get out of that, and sometimes that requires help, and we have to be ok with getting that help. And because we have to do that, we then get incredibly frustrated and defeated feeling when the weight comes off slower than we thought it would, or we hit stalls (or in my case, stall after stall after stall - which is COMPLETELY normal, by the way, and should be expected). I said all of this to say there's SO many different reasons we can have emotions all over the place. Influx of hormones all at once, changes in relationship with food, changes in routines and increase in the things we don't particularly like doing (or not doing anymore), learning we have to do a lot of work to get and maintain the results we want after the surgery, learning PATIENCE with the rate of weight loss and trusting the process (easier said than done, believe me, I know), realizing that body dysmorphia is REAL and we can and do struggle with seeing ourselves as anything other than our formerly obese selves (I'm 182 pounds and I still see 421 pounds sometimes when I look in the mirror), and of course, hair loss (also COMPLETELY normal, and will eventually stop). You won't go bald, there's nothing to prevent it or stop it, you need to increase your protein, biotin doesn't slow it down, and it's a COMPLETELY normal part of the process that many of us don't know about until it happens and then we freak out. So give yourself some grace and just know this is normal. You're doing great, and we're all here for you, just like everyone was here for me "

I never really had the emotional ups and downs, mostly because at the time I had PCOS, and the influx of estrogen from both my surgeries actually normalized my hormones for a few months each time lol What I DID have, however, is the emotional issues that came with changing my relationship with food. I had NO IDEA that would be a thing lol Changing what you eat, how you eat, when and why you eat, how often you eat is like breaking up with a toxic partner. You've been together for a REALLY long time, and even though you KNOW it's a terrible, unhealthy relationship, it's really all you know and you're so dependent on it you don't think you can function without it. And now you have to figure out how to. You have to completely retrain your brain, learn the difference between true hunger and head hunger (there is an actual, real difference), and you have to learn to read the nutrition labels, track your calories and Protein and carbs, work out, don't cheat (and don't make excuse after excuse and justification after justification for why you went back to the toxic relationship even after you knew it was bad for you, yet still gave in), measure food, track fluids, take HONEST accountability for your actions (which isn't something most of us had been particularly good at) and make adjustments as needed to stay as compliant as possible for the long haul. Contrary to what so many think, there's actually a LOT of work that has to happen after the surgery. The surgery itself is just a tool. It's not a miracle cure. It won't fix all the issues if you don't put in the actual work. Just eating smaller amounts without making any of the necessary changes isn't enough, and that's a hard lesson many learn later on. All of this is such a mind eff, and takes a toll on a person. It's a lot of changes, and a lot of work, thrown at a person all at once. And no matter how ready you think you are, it can still cause so much emotional turmoil, and understandably so. What I, and so many, don't realize is that we all have ED (eating disorders) in order to get to being obese and morbidly obese (or in some cases, super morbidly obese). It's not just anorexia or bulimia. I genuinely didn't know that. We have to retrain our brains to get out of that, and sometimes that requires help, and we have to be ok with getting that help. And because we have to do that, we then get incredibly frustrated and defeated feeling when the weight comes off slower than we thought it would, or we hit stalls (or in my case, stall after stall after stall - which is COMPLETELY normal, by the way, and should be expected). I said all of this to say there's SO many different reasons we can have emotions all over the place. Influx of hormones all at once, changes in relationship with food, changes in routines and increase in the things we don't particularly like doing (or not doing anymore), learning we have to do a lot of work to get and maintain the results we want after the surgery, learning PATIENCE with the rate of weight loss and trusting the process (easier said than done, believe me, I know), realizing that body dysmorphia is REAL and we can and do struggle with seeing ourselves as anything other than our formerly obese selves (I'm 182 pounds and I still see 421 pounds sometimes when I look in the mirror), and of course, hair loss (also COMPLETELY normal, and will eventually stop). You won't go bald, there's nothing to prevent it or stop it, you need to increase your Protein, Biotin doesn't slow it down, and it's a COMPLETELY normal part of the process that many of us don't know about until it happens and then we freak out. So give yourself some grace and just know this is normal. You're doing great, and we're all here for you, just like everyone was here for me

I’m the same way. I am just seriously not much of a cook and im a picky eater so my menu options are limited. But I’m limited even further because my husband won’t eat what I eat so I’m cooking for one.

I feel like I am stuck in a repetitive loop with food at the moment - I find one thing I like and it is all I eat 😂 My current obsession is a mix of things in a bowl, including: beetroot, small balls of mozzarella, chicken pieces, cucumber, crème fraîche, olives, sundried tomatoes, and a protein popped corn and pea mix. Sounds gross but for some reason I really can't stop eating it 😂

Not everyone gets to their protein goal right away and that’s not the end of the world so long as you are trying Your protein shakes count as both fluid and protein though and they usually have 25-30g each so it shouldn’t be as hard as you think with the shakes. Fluids are the mist important thing immediately afterwards. For most of us, drinking gets easier by the hour as swelling goes down. I actually had no issue drinking from day one. I also wasn’t in any pain and was off all pain meds before I left the hospital. I did need a little more sleep than usual but it wasn’t like other surgeries where I needed pain meds and I was more groggy constantly. With those surgeries I woke up to my alarm to take meds or whatever and had no problem going right back to sleep though so you should be fine either way. As far as hunger your hunger hormone is reduced. Most of us do not feel hungry at all. But as you should see on the pre op diet. The protein in them shakes is surprisingly filling anyways. Also, if you were not getting a little bit nervous by now you would be the exception and not The rule. Just try to keep your eyes on your goals. If you haven’t set one check out the “weirdest non scale victories” thread. There are some pretty good ones that you may not have even thought of yet.

Great advice from the others. I’ll add track what you are eating now, how much, what & how often. It can help identify where you’re veering off course. It can also help to note your emotions or why you may be eating when you do. (Why do I want this snack? Am I bored, angry, sad, happy, frustrated, etc.) Then start making changes. Make one or two changes every two weeks or so. For example, cut back on portion sizes & up your fluids, then reduce how often you eat (drop a snack) & meet your protein goal, then try switching up your ingredients & cooking styles, etc. It’s easier to adopt & adapt to one or two small changes at a time than making huge changes all at once. Also find a therapist who can support you as you work through your relationship with food. If you didn’t see someone before your surgery, your team should be able to recommend someone who deals with bariatric patients & disordered eating.

If you are one the majority of us who lose our appetite & interest in eating, you won’t care about drinking the shakes, soups, bone broths, etc. or not think you’re eating g enough. I only drank two ‘meals’ a day during that stage , consuming about 200 calories. Remember your body has a lot of stored energy to keep it functioning effectively. The shakes, soups, etc. also count towards your fluid intake so that makes it easier to get your fluids in. I did things like diluted my soup & shakes, so more fluid & just sipped until they were finished. Drink during the night too. I still drink every time I get in or out of bed (which is often because you know you drink you pee 😁) If you do feel hungry, it may be head hunger not real hunger coming from the stress & emotional effects of the surgery especially if you ate to comfort or sooth yourself. Find something to distract yourself: read, contact a friend or family member, craft, play a game, do a puzzle, check your socials, go for a little walk, sip a warm drink like herbal or green tea. Don’t worry if you don’t hit your fluid & protein goals straight away or even every day. It’s not easy at first. As long as you’re close to your goals & making an effort you’ll be okay. The first 24-48 hours after surgery, I slept a lot. After that not much. Slept pretty well at night & then maybe a little nana nap in the afternoon was all. Really just rested with my water, shake, etc, beside me. Many people are back are work after a week or two. Write down why you decided to have this surgery & what you hope to achieve. Create a list of small wins you can achieve a long the way (each time you need a smaller clothing size, first time you can walk up stairs without puffing or discomfort, not needing an extender on a seat belt, etc. what ever is applicable to you). Put these in prominent places around your home - on the fridge, pantry, bathroom, etc. and read them whenever you need a reminder to stay on track. You’ve got this.

Good evening I am 4 nights away from my gastric sleeve surgery. I am most nervous about the 3 weeks of liquids after surgery. I’m worried that I may get dehydrated or that I won’t get enough protein in while I’m recovering. I know everyone says use a timer but I still feel like I am going to need to rest during the day time from the anesthesia. 1. How do I keep up with the fluids and get in enough sleep/rest? 2. How do people tolerate liquids for so long without feeling like they are starving? 3. Provide 1 inspirational phrase or a positive statement

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I will be having hernia repair and vertical gastric sleeve on 8/6/24. SW 295.9 CW 270 GW 150 My food education class is this coming week, and I hope to learn a lot more about what I will be allowed to eat. I do know that I will be on a 2-week pre-op and 2-week post-op liquid diet. I will actually get all my vitamins and protein powders during my class. I am fortunate that my insurance covers the surgery at 100% and I only had a 4 month waiting period from my first doctor visit. I stopped all caffeine, carbonated, and high calorie drinks back in April. My daily water goal of 64oz is pretty hard to reach sometimes, but I do my best. Ironically, I do better on the days I am at work as opposed to at home. Best of luck to those of you giving up smoking.

I’m 4 months post op from my sleeve and I can barely eat. Everything puts me off but especially meats and veg. After 2 bites I’m totally put off, not super nauseous just completely disinterested and I have a lot of indigestion with gas belching, hiccups, and a dull ache in my stomach. It’s not getting better and my surgery team is stumped. Soups, shakes everything is ick. I dread eating at this point and barely get any protein and my calories are around 400/day making me feel like a walking zombie. Has anyone else had issues like this? I dont know if the sleeve is too tight or too small or what.

I can only reiterate what others before have said, they have great advice. You did great and you can do it again. My advice for what its worth is try and find a few minutes to plan your food for the coming week, buy it and stick to your purchases. I know its tougher if you are feeding a family who eat foods you are trying not to eat. Use a good food tracker, track and eat your protein. It fills you and does wonders for your body. Find an exercise you can stick with. Keep coming back to this site and update us. We all struggle at some point.

I was just coming back on over here to say maybe try non dairy. Maybe try protein shakes that aren't whey (or if you're not using whey, try them). Try something different than what you're using now. When I had my surgeries, I developed weird allergies that I've never had before. I'm not lactose intolerant, allergic to peanuts, allergic to shellfish (deathly allergic), and allergic to surgical glue. It's really crazy what these surgeries can do to our bodies.

I have been making protein drinks at home. I add berries and Greek yogurt, peanut butter. My bariatric surgeon is doing everything. I had an endoscopy done and an upper gi and everything looked good. He just ordered bloodwork to check for malnutrition but even that was in range. I have tried different anti-nausea medications and none seem to work. He thinks the next step is a feeding tube.

95 pounds in 3 months??? That's very alarming. That's roughly 32 pounds per month. That's not ok, no matter how you look at it. Your tests have all come back normal? If you can't eat, that's a real problem. I guess try having as many protein shakes as you can. If you make them at home, add things to them like greens powder, frozen fruit, avocado, maybe peanut or almond butter....whatever you can to get as much in you as possible. You need protein and calories and healthy fats right now. You also need fluids. Protein shakes will count as protein, calories, and fluids. See if you can get some zofran for the nausea. Which doctor is doing your tests, your primary or your bariatric? You should definitely be seeing your bariatric surgeon for this.

It's not that you need hard truth, you just need to face some truths for yourself. There's nothing we can tell you that you don't already know. You know what the bariatric diet is. You know what to eat and what not to. You know how much to eat, how often, and when to stop. You need to get back to basics. Maybe start the bariatric diet over. Do a week on each step of the diet to retrain your stomach and brain on what to do and not do. There's no "pouch shrinking diet" but there's a "retrain yourself how to eat properly again" diet, and it's essentially to start back over with the basics and go from there. Reach back out to the nutritionist from your surgeon's office if you need help or new meal ideas. Go back to using calorie/carb/protein/fat counting apps. Measure out your food again. Log your meals and meal plan. Make sure you're moving your body at least a little every day. Cut out sugar and salt as much as you can. Do all the things you did when you lost the 70 pounds. Do the things you already know to do. There's not really any new tips and tricks. It's lifestyle changes you need to make and stick with. If you didn't do it before, do it now.

I am just over 3 months post op and I am struggling with feeling sick all day long. I’ve lost 95lbs already. My dr has done different tests and everything comes back normal. I struggle to eat when I feel so sick. Try to get protein in but struggle to get anywhere close to what it needs to be. Has anyone else experienced this.

Thank you so much! The pre op diet they have me on is 2 protein shakes and 1 meal 3-4 oz protein and non starchy vegetables. I hear other people are on a all liquid diet for 2 weeks.

Don’t think the small amounts you eat in the beginning is how much you’ll eat forever. After surgery your stomach muscle is very tight so it can’t tolerate much. But as it heals, and you start to introduce more foods, it slowly starts to soften (not stretch) & is able to tolerate more. I was told, though I began with 1/4 - 1/3 cup from the puree stage, by about 6 months I’d be up to about a cup. Which was pretty accurate for me. I’m 5 years out & from about 2 years, I was pretty much eating a recommended portion size. Check the nutrition panel of processed pre prepared foods and google recommended portions of other foods or ingredients to give you an idea. Generally about 3-4ozs of protein & a cup of vegetables, 2 eggs, a small apple, etc. Some days I can’t/not interested in eating that much, other days it’s the perfect portion. The liver shrink diet is not to actually shrink the liver but the fat around the liver. This is to allow your surgeon to have better vision of & access to your tummy during the surgery. This diet does differ surgeon to surgeon, patient to patient. Generally it’s two weeks of a shake three times a day. However, some are four shakes, others two shakes & one lean protein & steamed vegetables meal. Others are only for a week or a couple of days. Mine was keto for two weeks (I started a couple of days earlier). Some people lose seemingly a lot of weight, others only a few pounds. It’s one of those things linked to how much weight you carry. It can be tough as you may experience withdrawal like symptoms (from stopping/reducing sugar, carbs, caffeine) for about 5 days. Apparently my surgeon’s patients who did the two week all shakes called the first week hell week. While tough, remember it is only for two weeks and the big picture benefits & wins makes it so worth it. All the best with your surgery.

July 11th here. This is a revision. I had sleeve done in 2014 and immediately knew it wouldn’t be a long term solve. I eat very little anyway and needed something that was more malabsorptive. We are doing Duodenal Switch. 🎊🥳 Current weight is 241. I start full liquid on 7/9 but currently on high protein, low fat regimen. Excited to actually start this journey with a procedure I felt like I should’ve had done the first time. 🫶🏻

I would avoid the V8 juice because of its low protein content. You need to get your protein in even before surgery (it’s good practice for after surgery too). Why waste those calories on something that won’t benefit your protein intake? You are consuming a lot of fluids which can be adding to any water retention you are experiencing too. Are you peeing a lot more? Give it a few more days for your body to get used to the low calorie, all fluid diet before worrying about the scales. All the best with your surgery. Exciting!!

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.

Have you tried Protein water? I use one here that’s 10g per 500ml and is easy to get down. I’m sure there will be something similar where you live. Can you mix some protein powder with your milk? That would be protein from milk and also from the powder. Can you get low salt bouillon? I know it’s difficult but hopefully the next few days flyby for you and Monday will be here soon enough. Good luck!

I have been on the liquid diet for 6 days and have lost only one pound. I have been using premier protein shakes and bone broth. Is this about cutting sugar or what ? I am frustrated and confused and it is July 4 and I cannot call and ask anyone. My surgery is Monday

Be careful with chips as when you can eat a little more they are a slider food that can get you in trouble. Quest makes some protein chips that are pretty good. I like the ranch ones and my husband loves the loaded taco. They have them at Walmart or target and Amazon.not that I am recommending them this early out but everyone’s plan is different.