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Idk why it doesn’t feel as bad but I can tell you that just a little applesauce wouldn’t be enough for me to take my vitamin either. The best thing I found to take it until several months out when I could eat a little more was a protein shake. Just be sure to take it AFTER you have consumed the ENTIRE shake. I took it after half and even 2/3 and it came right back up. Also, it’s usually the iron in the vitamin that causes the issue so some people have to get one without iron and take their iron separate.

Well, last night was.... bad. My dog came out of nowhere and jumped on me, his paw hitting right over a set of staples. 85lbs of "I just want to love you!" turned into absolute misery. It was 7am before I could finally fall asleep between that and suddenly having diarrhea, which I don't know if they were related or what. I didn't have anything that I wasn't supposed to have, so I'm not sure what caused the latter symptom. Anyway, it's been a day of sleeping on and off to catch up on last night. My cuddlebug of a dog doesn't understand why he can't be on mama currently. I don't know if it's because of the pain or the diarrhea, but I definitely did not feel as good today as I had been. Walking even five minutes at a time felt like I had run a marathon, whereas before I was able to easily walk in ten minute increments. (I probably could have easily gone fifteen minutes, but I didn't want to overdo it.) Tonight, I came up with the idea of thinning my vanilla pudding with half of a premade vanilla protein shake. It worked! I'm still eating on it slowly, but I'm glad to find that my random idea was actually good for something. LOL ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @ShoppGirl Glad to hear your adventurous egg salad seems to have gone well! I'm looking forward to having even just plain tuna at this point. 7 more days to go on the liquid diet for me, though I may personally extend it a little longer. I know I'm doing my best, but I am concerned that I'm not already meeting goals. (Yes, I know, I had surgery on Friday and the goal is to build up to it.) I'm really glad the doc doesn't think the cramping is a blood clot. It is definitely something for all of us to keep an eye on and definitely be annoying about. I tend to err on the side of "if it gets worse, I'll call" but I know that won't work with the RYGB recovery. Your potential dumping with teriyaki sauce makes me extremely sad. Oriental foods of all kinds are literally my favorite things ever. I knew I would have to really moderate them a whole lot after surgery, but I was sure hoping they wouldn't cause dumping. Maybe if we make our own teriyaki sauce, we can avoid it? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @Hiddenroses I may try to take an actual shower on Thursday after what you said about warm water. I want to make sure my husband is available to help me, just in case. He works as a 911 dispatcher, so he wasn't actually able to take off work to help me at home. But he's being as supportive as he can and helping as much as he can when he is here. So that's just my own personal precaution - waiting for him to be around. I wasn't given a special soap for washing post-op. Just told to let the water and soap run over the incisions and such without actually scrubbing at them. Did they give you another round of hibicleans? I'm sorry the oatmeal sat wrong with your tummy this morning. I hope you got relief over the course of the day. But I definitely feel you on the eyeballing my protein goals. I know my stomach is still recovering, but part of me feels like I have to have those goals met NOW. I am glad that the ice chip thing helped you out! Kudos to you for creating a routine. I should with my autism and ADHD just so I have less things to screw up on lol. But I've really just been trying to relax and take it one day at a time, each day. Your routine sounds really nice and doable. Might have to borrow a few steps of that when I'm feeling less bleh. I do totally agree with what you are saying about remaining upright. I have to stay that way even with water. Any other liquid? I'm fine. Water and food? Yep, no incline for at least fifteen minutes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @Pepper_No_Salt I was actually surprised that my doctor didn't send me home with Lovenox injections. I kind of thought that was standard procedure for most post-op situations now. But I guess that is how he emphasizes to make sure I'm moving around. The only flavor of Protein20 in this city is a berry flavor, or a cotton candy with caffeine in it. And my doc is very strict - no caffeine until six months post-op. I didn't realize they had caffeine when I bought them. So I guess I'll just leave them on my pantry shelf until that time rolls around. They seem to have a decently long shelf life. Did you get other flavors from Amazon? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @RRenaeL23 Welcome to the forums and to your new life! I hope you are recovering well from your sleeve surgery. Good on you for choosing a walk instead of falling into temptation. It's been hard on me, but I've managed to not stumble so far. And I know what could happen if I do, so that should be enough to keep me on the straight and narrow.

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.

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.

Wonderful suggestions thank you Will try the Panera cream of chicken soup in a few days to see how it goes. Concerned about constipation since mainly on seeq protein water

I was sleeved in 2017. Highest weight was 275. Lowest was 159. My 'settled' weight was around 165 and it was perfect. I gained weight after menopause and couldn't move it with resets or diets. I just had GSRe or Overstitch a few days ago, which is a noninvasive revision that allows you to keep your sleeve--- it's just tightened up again. The size of mine had expanded quite a bit. The restriction I have now mimics what I had immediately after my original wls. This might be an option for you too if you're not wanting to revise to bypass.

Hello! I had the sleeve gastrectomy 9.5 months ago. I've been working on exercising and eating right, but I've been in a bit of a stall these past 5 weeks. I went down from 290 to 170 pounds, but I've been stuck at 170 for 5 weeks. I've been eating 1200-1500 calories a day and still not losing weight. I've done some research, and apparently, your body adjusts to low calories after a while of eating at that rate. At the beginning of my post-op phase, there were some complications on my end. I didn't eat ANYTHING for two months straight, not even protein shakes, and I was only hitting about 20oz of water daily (which landed me in the ER, but I'm fine now lol). I've looked online, and it says for my height, age, and weight, a good maintenance level would be 2100 calories. I'm eating well under that in a deficit and heavy weight lifting, so I don't know why my body won't drop anything. I'm worried that my body adjusted to the 0-calorie few months I had, then the 500-1000 calories three months after that. I've only started hitting my 1200-1500 calories in March when I joined the gym. I know the stall is not due to "muscle gain" because I'm not eating in a surplus, and I'm only eating 65-80 grams of protein in hopes of simply maintaining while I drop fat. I also read online that apparently people who go through rapid weight loss have even lower calorie maintenance than the average person, and that makes sense, but surely it cannot be under 1200, right? The majority of bodies need 1500 to operate. I'm so confused! When I ask my surgeon about calories, he says not to worry about them and eat healthy, which I'm doing. It's just frustrating because I want to work on building muscle, but I want to lose some more fat before that. I guess my question is, does anyone know anything about calories after surgery, and/or how many calories are you eating after surgery to help lose weight?

Doing okay here, too! Today is officially 4 months post-op and I'm feeling pretty good, although I've been very tired lately. I'm wondering if it's the heat, or if I need to get better about eating on a regular schedule. I'm prepping for vacation right now and I know the next week is going to be a little crazy when it comes to food and exercise being off track. I've stocked up on easy sources of protein for the trip, including single serve packs of roasted edamame, beef jerky, and nuts, plus protein bars. My doctor's office called today and said I could stop taking omeprazole since I have completed the 90-day prescription they gave me. Now I just have another 2 months left of the ursudiol. I can't wait for that one to be finished because it is so hard to swallow. It's too light and basically floats instead of wanting to go down. I need to remember to take my 4-month progress photos. I think I will try to take them in the morning tomorrow as I'm feeling kind of bloated with the heat today.

Don’t stock up too much on protein drinks if you can help it. Your tastes may change a little post up and tastes for sweets is a common change. I suggest going to a convenience store to get a variety of flavors in singles serves or the four packs they have at Walmart. Enough to get you through a week would probably be safe. Then you can place a grocery order for pickup on your way home from your post op appt for the ones you actually do like or order them from Amazon. (Make certain they have your brand ahead of time of course). If you do get some that are too sweet post surgery don’t toss Them right away though. Once you can have caffeine they may not be so bad mixed with coffee. Either a little as creamer in a hot coffee or more mixed with iced coffee for a “proffee” If you don’t have anyone that can get them for you if your recovery takes longer Maybe buy ahead just in case but save your receipt You may also want to be sure you have something on hand for constipation if your team didn’t tell you to already.

Week 3 Puree diet sucks. I may need to seek counseling as I didn't realize my relationship with food, or lack thereof, is this out of control. Maybe it's not a food addiction? Maybe I don't try hard enough? I lack control and I know it will affect me long-term. I convince myself that I'm trying, but am I really? I'm supposed to be eating/drinking plenty of protein. 64oz of fluids per day, but I'm not. I have absolutely NO motivation to get out of bed or the control to not snack on foods I'm not even ready to properly digest. I keep telling myself I'm chewing enough so it's "basically pureed" before I swallow. I could literally be furthest from the truth. Wth is wrong with me? I did SO good for my pre-op diet. I was very militant, even drank more fluids than I was supposed to. I also lost more weight than my doctor asked me to. What happened? I'm hungry, what seems like, all the time. I was warned I may not like sweet things and even salty foods could throw me off. If anything, I'm craving those two like never before. I've been cheating with food already...drinking around 35oz of fluids per day, on a good day. I'm so tired all day all the time. End rant... I hope I'm not the only one here who is suffering from stagnancy and lack of control. I will become stronger. I have faith in myself. It's just right now I'm at a loss.

Thank you @SleeveToBypass2023 @Bypass2Freedom and @JennyBeez for your kind, supportive comments. All are very much appreciated 😄 @SleeveToBypass2023 I know my carbs are a little high but they are around half of what they were a couple of weeks ago! I’m trying to reduce the amount slowly but surely. I have to be careful as I did high protein/low carb around 12 years ago and lost 8.5 stones. Unfortunately this wasn’t sustainable for me which resulted in gaining back the loss and a couple of extra stones, just because I could 🙄 I need to try and find a balance between carbs and protein so it’s a constant work in progress at the moment. @Bypass2Freedom 💜 @JennyBeez oh, it’s definitely a learning experience! I’m happy that I didn’t end up sabotaging myself by listening to that little voice saying ‘it’s not working, have a pizza/chocolate bar/bag of crisps to make you feel better’. These small wins will all add up to something more substantial, I know they will. Salt is a sneaky little thing but it will remind me to be more aware. I will be glad to have my dietitian appointment in August, just to discuss everything. I’m weighing and recording everything that goes in my mouth on the Nutracheck app. I’ve changed how my nutrient choices are recorded so it shows my salt intake now, as well as carb, protein and calories so I can make adjustments as and when I need to. I would love to be someone who doesn’t have to think about food!

I’ve used MyProtein for the flavour drops and some protein bars I’m waiting on for delivery (also good when you find some discount codes 😉) Not a fan of peach but I love watermelon so will have a look at that. Do you have any suggestions for unflavoured protein powder? I want something I can put in such as scrambled eggs, soups etc but I’m struggling to find anything!

Don't overthink it. We tend to want to over-prepare, pack too much, stock up way too much, read every single thing we see online and then obsess about any negative thing we see. You're ready. You've finished all the hurdles, you've been approved, you have the date. There's not a lot you can do 2 months before your surgery. Maybe start looking at different food tracking apps to see which feels the most user friendly to you. Look through youtube to find some good GENTLE workouts for the first 6 weeks post op and save them to a private playlist for yourself. Make sure you have some loose clothing for after surgery. I bought one of those big, cure jugs that is 64fl oz so it would be easy to measure how much water and fluids I was taking in (admittedly, at first I was barely getting in 3-4oz at a time, but I quickly worked my way up and was glad I had that because it was cute and convenient). Make sure you have plenty of Miralax on hand and possibly, if things are really plugged up, a laxative/stool softener combo. And I made sure when I was drinking broth, it was bone broth because it has more protein. That's really it.

all good comments thank you! I am on plan 90% if not 95%. I do eat the alternatives but sometimes they aren't the option (such as this restaurant) and I wasn't sure If I was alone but it seems like everyone has a different perspective. My hubs even asked if it was okay that he could eat it another time without me or something (he has no weight problems). I am proud of myself that the meal didn't end up being going into an uphill battle to get back on track. I felt guilty eating them and felt like I messed up, but just continued the next day. I feel as though that mindset is getting me out of the "diet" mentality and allowing me to live this way forever.

Thankfully I had only a couple dumping episodes over the course of a year. Both involved sugar. A small piece of birthday cake. It tasted wonderful but I paid the price with stomach cramping and spent the entire night running to the bathroom. I never had heart palps or nausea with it. I think we all have varying degrees of symptoms. It was miserable enough not to test it again. I can eat a piece of cake now on special occasions if I forego the frosting or make a sugar free cake/frosting. Nausea was more of a problem for me post-op. It wasn't from eating stuff not allowed or eating or drinking too fast. For me it was a texture thing. When I got to the whole food phase my tummy wasn't having it. Meat and raw veggies were the worst for me sadly enough. I was craving a cold crisp salad so badly by that point. But just because I could now have it, didn't mean that I was going to eat it. I backed off and waited by drinking and eating my softer foods for awhile longer, then reintroduced the denser foods later on. Ground beef, beans and protein drinks became my go to for a long time. I guess my tummy just needed more healing time. I still struggle with certain meats and veggies. But over time it's gotten easier to consume without the nausea and happens way less often. I still keep a supply of barf bags with me wherever I go though. Just in case. 🤢

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.

read as much as you can (hanging out on this forum should be very helpful!) and start trying to eat a really healthy diet - lean proteins, fruits & veggies, whole grains. You may or may not be required to lose weight before the surgery, but I was - I think 20 lbs or something (it's been over nine years for me, so I can't remember the exact number). I worked with a dietitian for six months (actually required by my issurance) and she had me eating 2300 calories/day in addition to focusing on types of food (same ones I mentioned - lean proteins, fruits & veggies, whole grains). I ended up losing more like 50 lbs rather than just the 20! Also, some programs (but not all) require you to give up caffeine for the for the first few weeks or months after surgery, so she also had me gradually wean myself off of it (replacing regular coffee with decaf a little at a time until I was on total decaf). She also got me exercising - slowly at first (I think I started with walking - but I eventually added swimming, too). All this really prepared me for post-surgery life, and I think made it all much easier.

Aww-gee-thanks! I just took what my surgeon said would make me successful, made myself a plan, and did it! For anyone who has a brain that works like mine (MORE details, please!!!), this makes life easy, post-op! At my 1-week appointment, everyone was telling me I didn’t look or move like I had just had major surgery, my color was great, I looked so energized and happy - and I did! I felt so great, and this was even BEFORE I started my multi. He told me “exceeding expectations” at every follow-up appointment I’ve had, to date. All I did was what my surgeon said was the formula for success. FLUIDS, PROTEIN, MOVEMENT. It’s that easy! AND, I have lost HALF of my extra weight, as of yesterday! I’m so happy! And I haven’t done anything besides what my surgeon said would make me successful. I had lost 19 pounds on my own, before my first surgeon visit. I lost 16 lbs from my consultation to surgery date. The rest of my losses have been post-op, which has been 38 lbs, as of yesterday. Yesterday, I started Week Ten Post-Op (my surgery was April 2nd). The full long term list is: Water, Protein, Movement, Supplements, Whole Foods, Go To All Your Appointments & Participate In Any Extras Your Surgeon Offers (My surgeon does monthly group webinars with post-op patients! It’s so great!) Also, I hope nobody takes this as bragging. I just want to show if you do what they ask of you, there’s no other option besides being a success! You can’t lose! Keep it simple by remembering your basic job right now: Fluids, Protein, Movement. You CAN and WILL do it! There’s no way to fail, this time! Even if “movement” for you means walking a circle around your couch and then sitting down, that’s a start! Just move your body, drink water, get protein.

I can handle toast, but not bread. I only eat one or two slices per week and keep the rest in the freezer. I'm in Canada so our grocery store options might be different, but I've had luck with: * Dempsters ZeroZero Protein bread (per slice: 1.5g fat, 13.5g carbs, 0.5g sugar, 5.5g protein) *Country Harvest Whole Grain & Protein Blend (per slice: 2g fat, 16g carbs, 2.5g sugar, 6.5g protein) Really though, any sourdough or whole wheat / whole grain bread is probably the best bet. Wonder bread does a thin-sliced whole wheat that my brother (and his kids, lol) swear by. EDITED TO ADD: If you're specifically looking for non-bread alternatives, there seem to be a lot of protein-added wraps and tortillas on the market these days -- and I love crackers, I feel like you never go wrong with crackers. Everything from the Ryvita brand is delicious with a great crunch, and whole wheat saltines are really satisfying topped with NSA peanut butter, or cheese and apple slices.

Okay, so it's very common to have a stall, and they can last several weeks. It's not because of anything you're doing, and aside from just stopping to assess that you are still following your plan in a reasonable way, there's nothing you can do to change it. Are you hitting your protein goals? Getting your hydration? Eating on a regular schedule and prioritizing your protein and non-starchy veggies? Sticking to a reasonable portion size by using a small saucer or luncheon plate? Avoiding empty calories in the form of sugary drinks, simple carbs, and snacking or grazing? Getting some basic movement every day, like going for a walk or using resistance bands? If no to any of these, focus on changing that issue. If yes, try not to panic. You will likely start losing again soon, but possibly slower than before because that's just how it works. In the meantime, take your measurements or try on some clothing to see if it fits differently. I recently had a month of very slow loss, just 2.8 lbs in 4 weeks with so much up and down. But my clothing fit differently and my measurements were getting smaller. All of a sudden, I lost 10 lbs in 3 weeks. I did nothing differently.

Well that alone is a HUGE NSV!! whoop whoop!! 2lbs down yasss!!! killing it! How many calories are you eating? I had my surgery 1/24 I eat around 1000-1100 but I work out like crazy. I'm a bit coo coo LOL I started with walking on my lunches for 20min, worked up to 30min, now I still walk on my lunches for 30 min, go to the gym or work out at home, 30min weight lifting, and i take my pup for a run for 20-30min. Movement really helps! Just giving you a run down of what I eat and you can take it or leave it lol but I wake up make my protein coffee- Decaf cold brew with 2tbls of collagen and a café late premier protein shake (i know I know no caffeine allowed but I haven't had adverse effects) I make these crustless quiches for my bfast: eggs whites, spinach, 1 slice of ham (deli meat kind) top with thin sargento sharp cheddar cheese on top of it. I make like little mini loaves for the week, Lunches are always a protein and a veggie. One week I did Just Bare chicken bites and carrots lol- own little take on a Wing place- This week I am doing a bento box with grapes, strawberries, celery, cucumber, cracker or quinoa chips, turkey roll up with a laughing cow cheese and nuts. snacks are a Greek yogurt. I weight and measure everything. Input everything into my netdiary tracking app and stick to it for the week. I am not perfect at all, Ill come home and grab a popsicle or fruit and might go over my calories for the day, but hey this is a lifestyle change and this is life long. Its hard to remember that when we all have so much weight to lose and we want that immediate satisfaction, but we got this!

Thank you for this. I will update my progress and decision. I have an appointment tomorrow to discuss my options. At a minimum, I am going to get an EGD to see what's going on. I've also been trying to go back to the rules. Not drinking during meals, protein first, etc. It does help. I just need to get my focus back to thinking that way.

The one protein shake flavor I've personally been able to tolerate beyond the first few days post-op is orange. I know a lot of folks like chocolate or vanilla, but I found the orange (specifically I bought Synrtax Nectar Naturals) reminded me enough of orange juice (or, more like TANG, actually) that I was willing to accept it as part of my breakfast routine without getting too cranky. If I liked sweetened coffee, I would try adding chocolate protein shakes to my coffee, but I am not a sugary coffee drink person. For a while I added a scoop of unflavored protein to hot tea with some Fairlife skim milk. My other piece of advice is don't expect to be perfect. Just do your best today and try to do even better tomorrow.

That's wonderful!! You did it!! How is it going? Still keeping up with the vitamins and hydration? How frequently would you say you use the protein shakes as opposed to eating mechanical soft foods, etc? I'm trying to figure out how many I ought to plan on needing for the weeks up to and after my surgery at the beginning of August.

I had to order my plate from Amazon US because it was the only place that had the portions in the right proportion (1/2 protein, 1/4 each veg and carbs) It arrived in the UK quickly though so that was 👍