Search the Community

I was expected to start the vitamins from day 1 post op. They were disgusting chewable ones and I couldn't keep them down (due to complications from my surgery) so I had to wait a month, then started different capsule ones which were fine but two weeks later had to stop when I had to go back into hospital and was put on a feeding tube. Have been back on the capsule ones since finally discharged from hospital.

How soon after surgery did everyone start vitamins? I’m a week post op and am still dealing with antibiotics and other things the drs gave me. I was under the impression, that starting vitamins was good when you hit stage 2; yes or no? Also, what are everyone’s must have vitamins?

I don’t know if you are still interested or searching but I just had my sleeve done a week ago in Tijuana at LIMARP and they were amazingly wonderful! I’m happy to provide more info if still interested.

I have tons of respect and empathy for those that have went through WLS and had complications. I am not one of them. My procedure, recovery, and stages were textbook. I was very lucky. That doesn't mean that every day was rainbows and puppy dogs, but it was typical. I was sore for days post-surgery, but back to work one week after the procedure. I immediately began to force myself to walk after the surgery. Short distances, then adding more as I started to feel better. March of 2023 my steps were 48299. August of 2024 my steps were 206084. Not going to break any records, but a nice improvement for me. To this point being active with life has been my only real exercise, so it is definitely an opportunity for me in the future to develop a better gym routine. I struggled with fluids and protein for months. Slowly, focusing on it and sticking to the plan I eventually got there. I never let it worry me, and just let me body adjust. I am not a scale watcher, so that was never a problem for me. At checkups I got weight updates, so I was never stressed about the scale. Now I weigh weekly, to make sure than I not gaining. I have had all the NSV that many have seen and shared. Less pain in my knees is my personal favorite NSV. I have arthritic knees, so they will never be great, but the less weight has helped a lot. Honestly, some of my NSV's also came along with some shame, that I had let myself get so big that these were NSV's, if that makes any sense. My worst times since the procedure were dealing with constipation (for the first time in my life). Took me several painful months to figure out a system for me. It is different for everyone, but I encourage everyone be aggressive with your plan to deal with it. For me, I take MiraLAX every third day and stool softener every other day. I am now better equipped if I notice I am not as regular, then I adjust the timing. The other problem I have now is seeing a big spread of food and wanting it all! It's just not possible now! Always protein first, but I try to have a few bites of everything I want, then cut it off. I eat healthier than I ever have. Staying focused on lean protein and vegetables. Working in fruits to help with my sweet tooth and provide some variety. In general, I am low carb, but I am not no carb. No more fast food for lunch or on the ride home from work. We meal plan, but nothing overboard, but I always pack healthy for work. Last week was salad week, so I had a salad with fat free dressing every day for lunch. Today, I had boneless skinless chicken breast, peanuts, blueberry, apple with peanut butter, and my protein shake spread out from 6a to 2p. I have also got down 48-ounces of water with a plan to get another 32-ounces of water in by the end of the day. Carbonated drinks bother me slightly, which is one of the few things. When I overdo it, my new overfilled feeling isn't in my stomach, it much higher, almost like in my throat. Not comfortable, and a good reminder to slow down, chew more, smaller bites, and stop eating! I hope this long overshare is helpful to someone and gives everyone a better idea of how my journey has been. Lastly, I have mention how great my wife and kids have been over the last few years. By my side the whole way and always supportive.

I am one week post op and I am struggling to sleep. I am normally a side sleeper so I think a lot of it is having to sleep on my back… and in socks, which I hate! Im doing good getting the fluids I need but I nervous to go back to work next week, because I feel like it will decrease. My biggest issues is that I’m so tired of the after taste of protein drinks! It makes me not want to drink any!

today's win: i pooped!!! i left for vacay Aug 23 (13 days ago), came back 2 days ago and finally pooped this morning!!!!!! (aside: i ALWAYS have vacay constipation, so this was expected ) some fun statistics cuz statistics are FUN: - 115.0 lbs morning we left (Aug 23) - 119.2 lbs the night we came home (Sept 3) - 114.8 lbs after my poop this morning (Sept 5) which means i've been carrying around AT LEAST 4.4 lbs of poop in my colon for at least 2 days. that in itself if a win, if u ask me 😂😂😂

@Hiddenroses I also struggle with getting enough fluids in a day. I sometimes feel sick as if I am too full of liquid. I have found that chicken gets me to my protein goal bette than beef. Not sure why but it does. I am also still on eating 1/4-1/3 cup at a meal. Be careful with drinking so much Gatorade, it causes water retention. It may seem as if you are not losing weight as quickly. My doctor said to limit to 12 ounces in a day. As for sleep, I always sleep badly. I am very restless and wake multiple times a night. Been married 22 years and my hubby says I have always been like that. I am just happy now that I can sleep without being propped up with pillows to keep me comfy. Looking forward to when I can sleep on my stomach again. lol

Some nights I definitely struggle. I have been pretty low on energy; I'm usually getting my protein and am taking all of my vitamins. I know that my goal of 64 oz a day of fluids has been flagging, though, honestly. I'm drinking a lot of Gatorade zero but plain water has not been tasting good, even filtered, unless it is REALLY cold. I mean, from a bottle in the fridge then poured over ice. I feel like it got harder as I moved into phase 3 of trying to eat more real food as opposed to drinking most of my meals. I do know that I was told to expect different back pain as I lost weight, and I feel like maybe the magnesium has activated my digestion so much that it sometimes keeps me awake? It isn't really pain, but more like gas pressure. Not sure if that part is SADI exclusive. Sorry I've been so silent lately, I have been skimming and still hope to respond to a few more posts.

1. Iron Deficiency and Anemia 10 Years After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass for Severe Obesity 2. Iron Deficiency After Gastric Bypass Surgery 3. Risks of Bariatric Surgery: Anemia 4. Anemia After Bariatric Surgery: More than Just Iron Deficiency 5. Hematological Disorders following Gastric Bypass Surgery: Emerging Concepts of the Interplay between Nutritional Deficiency and Inflammation

Hey there, I know exactly how you feel! But before I forget, happy birthday mine was a few weeks ago and pretty much did the same thing with the cake lol. I can only eat about 2 to 3 ounces. And I’m not gonna force my stomach to eat more. I used to love MyFitnessPal, but my nutritionist has recommended an app called ate. So I’ve been using that for now.

I had a gastric bypass about 6 years old. Fast forward to today. I was recently hospitalized with severe anemia (hemoglobin 5.2). I had to have emergency blood transfusions. I'm still receiving weekly IV-iron infusions (8 weeks). I am also deficient in several nutrients despite taking my bariatric vitamins. My bariatric surgeon figured out the reason for the anemia. Two ulcers detected by an EGD (upper scope). I was slowly bleeding out. At one point, my family thought I was falling asleep... when I was really passing out. Anemia hurts. Your whole body aches. Recovery is slow... the fatigue is unreal but I'll get there.

Hello there!! I had my SADI on August 5th, I chose to start with the SADI for multiple reasons. You will need to take a couple of vitamins - the Bariatric multi I chose is actually called Barimelts, it dissolves easily and doesn't taste bad at all, just turns to powder in your mouth. I also get my ADEK from Barimelts - both are on Amazon and quite affordable. For Calcium I use the Bariatric Fusion Calcium, it is soft and chews easily, the texture is like a soft caramel (they come in fruity flavors, chocolate, and caramel I believe). Have to take the Calcium at least 3 hrs from the multi with iron though or it can cause stomach upset. My main issues at a month out are fatigue and an icky feeling when a bowel movement is coming on. Not dumping syndrome, just kind of a gassy, mild cramping feeling. I'm on what they call mechanical soft at this point, and have noticed that chicken and fish are definitely the best for getting protein - plus an unflavored protein powder called Genepro my nutritionist suggested. Read the package on it closely, it tells you to consider a scoop like 30g of protein instead of the nutrient fact 11g (or 9g, can't remember). I haven't had any nausea or negative effects from basing my macros off of that, but I also only use it once per day and try to get as much protein from my actual food as I can. I use Baritastic to track all of my food - keeping on top of hydration has been tricky but is working so far for me. I'm eager to get my energy level back up. I do time 30 mins of no drinking before a meal, at least 20-30 minutes for the meal itself, and 30 minutes after before drinking anything! I max out at 1/2-3/4 of a cup per meal, sometimes less. There is the SADI is lonely thread and also a lot of information shared on the August Surgery Buddy thread. I'm overdue to post there, been busy prepping for a friend's wedding I am in on the 8th. @ShoppGirl - I see you!! Will try to update elsewhere soon 👋🏻

My book for soft foods say 1/2 to 3/4 cups of food but to stop when you feel full. Which I’m guessing you guys are getting sick of my saying but they didn’t operate on my stomach so I don’t feel full on these small servings. I made an omelette though with 3 eggs, 1/2 cup veggies and 1/3 cup shredded reduced fat cheese and I put it in the measuring cup to see and half fit in the cup. That is actually a lot more food than I thought and I’m kinda scared to eat that much before I’m healed.

My first drink was 6 months post op but that was because I was only 6 weeks out of hospital. I had red wine which I love on Christmas Day and the first two sips tasted rancid to me so I couldn't have more. I then had a Baileys later which I sipped and it was bliss. I had another couple of Baileys over the Christmas holidays back home. Since then I have tried red wine again and it has been fine, as have the margaritas, Hugo's

my first sip of wine (red) was 3 weeks post op and i swear i felt it travelling through my intestines. i didnt get affected as i only had maybe 3-4 sips of it. my next drink was about a month later (xmas) and it was again 3-4 sips, but this time it was a sugary sake/soju cocktail and i experienced my first dumpling episode. im talking laying on the bathroom floor type of dumping. so yeah, not good. by 4 months (where u are now) i probably had 2 more partial drinks of vodka sodas (like ½ a glass each time), and while no dumpling, i discovered i morphed into a cheap drunk. ½ a glass was more than enough to make me feel i had 2 full ones. on the flip side, i sobered up completely in like 30-40 mins, which was different. im six years out and my quick-sobering super power is still in tact. i also still (mostly) stay away from sugary cocktails (i don't like the sweet anymore anyway). i generally stick to dry red wine and vodka/gin with soda or tonic water. i do also love me espresso martinis but with just a teeeeeeny bit of kahlua cuz its sweet. p.s. it is my understanding that, on average, red wine has less sugar content than white. so the driest red wine will ultimately have less sugar than the dryest white....correct me if im wrong, all ye wine connoisseurs...?

Well I showed the NP (nurse practitioner) last week and she said she isn’t concerned yet because I still have swelling but the steri strip was still on it and it didn’t look as bad as it does now (to me at least). I have another appointment Monday so I will show her again. It is on my right side and that’s where I get pain when I get it. It’s not really bad pain it’s just not like the left side where I have no pain. So I really don’t know. I am hoping that maybe the stitches are just too tight and when they dissolve it may go back to normal.

Yet another holiday post 😅 My bariatric nurse has given me the go-ahead to try a small amount of alcohol whilst I am on holiday next week - I will be 4 months post-op on the 14th when I fly out! She has suggested trying a white wine as they tend to be dry and therefore low in sugar. Any other recommendations - such as type of alcohol, and how to go about trying it again etc ❤️

I took up cycling 2 years ago just as my daily commute. I just wanted to save money and time on transport costs. I wasn't even wanting to lose weight 3 miles away so I did about 6 miles a day. Turned out I really enjoyed it and since I git an ebike, it was easier for my joints. Cycling helped me maintain some of my weight (I was still eating too much garbage so I wasn't expecting a miracle). I now just really like it. The ebike aspect makes it not feel like work either.

I did not exercise while I was losing. No gym membership. No walking miles. No cycling. Nothing. Didn’t hinder my weight loss. However I did up my everyday activity. Parked further away from where I was going. Walked up escalators. Made multiple trips up & down my stairs instead of making one or two trips to bring up the groceries, etc. Or go down to take or the rubbish and then go back down to get the mail instead of doing it in one trip. Saw a program by the late Dr Michael Mosley that compared the benefits of doing a block of 30 mins of exercise a day vs doing 3 or 4 bursts of 5 -10 minutes totalling 30mins of exercise a day. The difference was minimal. They called it exercise snacking and it’s what I started doing about 20months ago. I incorporate a number of yoga based stretches, resistance band exercises and exercises to improve flexibility across my day. Honestly I wouldn’t burn 30 calories but I have more defined & toned muscles in my arms and legs and my flexibility has improved which is what I wanted. I don’t find it a chore and I sort of enjoy it (something I never really down with any other exercise except yoga). I do it, or a modified version if I’m away, every day bar the odd day once or twice a month. Exercise contributes only about 10% of any weight you’re to lose. However, there are other benefits to your health and well being. You just have to find something you enjoy doing & doesn’t feel like a chore or a punishment.

Hi all. I am six weeks post-op from VSG and met with my doctor's team today. I have lost 22 pounds since surgery, which the team is very happy with. There was no concern about my progress at all and they said due to my weight on surgery date being 231, that I should put my expectations at 170 for my final maintenance goal. I was asked the usual questions and asked if I am hungry between meals and I said yes. I am finding myself hungry about 2.5 hours after (some) meals. When I said I was getting hungry, I was told it was gastritis, not hunger. I said "do they feel the same?" because it sure feels like hunger to me. It's my stomach making noises, and feeling hungry in my actual stomach. It's not head-hunger because I KNOW what that is. I do understand that eating can get rid of gastritis discomfort just like it can obviously make you feel like you are no longer hungry. I do acknowledge that it's possible this is gastritis, but wondering if it really is. (?) Per my doctor's orders: My current meals are 1 oz protein and 2 tbsp veg or fruit for 3 meals per day. Absolutely No Snacks are allowed. Today I was told I can move down to just one protein shake per day. Up until today, the only "snacks" that I was permitted were protein shakes. I am trying to follow the rules here, but got home and I feel so confused and even though I asked questions in the office, I have all kinds of things swirling in my head. I want to be successful, but feeling a little lost here. I know everyone's program is a little different, but wondering about the following: 1. How the heck do we know this is gastritis and NOT hunger? And, if it was hunger, do we just ignore it? (They have increased my PPI medications for now to see if it solves the "gastritis". ) If it's hunger and the increase in acid reducing medications doesn't help, am I just living with being hungry all the time? (YES I am seriously asking this because I honestly don't know what the expectation is). Unfortunately I am not one of the lucky ones who lost their feelings of hunger. I have not had any heartburn at all. 2. I don't know if any of this matters, but I swim laps pretty intensely 5 days per week for 1-1.5 hours. I suspect that part of the reason I am feeling hungry is due to the swimming. I could be wrong, but curious if anyone else thinks it has something to do with it. Prior to surgery, I was always hungrier on days that I swim. 3. My protein goal is 80 grams per day. With one single shake @ 33 grams of protein and a total of 3 oz of protein during the day with 6 tbsp of veggies, how am I supposed to meet this protein goal? My calculations tell me it's not possible. I'm still early as I just transitioned today to "regular diet" from soft diet. So, I am still trying to figure things out and how everything will work moving forward. Your kind replies are appreciated.

Adding another voice to the chorus that you don’t have to go to the gym if it’s not your thing… Diet plays a much bigger role in weight loss than exercise, so that should be your focus. Depending on where you are with your diet progression, this may not be the time to be doing intense workouts, anyway, since you may not be able to eat enough to fuel a serious gym session. Exercise is definitely beneficial to your health and important for maintaining weight loss, so the instinct to start now is a good one, but it doesn’t have to be miserable. Try to find something you don’t hate. Just walking is great exercise. Start an episode of your favorite podcast and walk until it’s over. Check out some YouTube videos that you can do for free in the privacy of your home. Someone on this very forum recommended Leslie Sansone videos and now I pass that recommendation along to anyone who hates “going to the gym” and/or doesn’t know where to start. FWIW, I didn’t go to the gym even once for over 3 years after my surgery. I lost the weight working out at home, walking and doing free workout videos. It’s only been in the past year that I started taking fitness classes, and although I am a self-proclaimed exercise hater, I must admit that I’ve come around. By the way, although I’ve discovered that a lot of stereotypes about gym members being mean to people who are overweight and/or out of shape are wrong, it is a heck of a lot easier to work up the will to go to the gym when you are already in decent shape from, say, home workouts, so maybe put the idea of going to the gym on hold for a while and see how you feel once you’ve gotten some results from working out at home.

Thanks for those. I don't have kindle unlimited as I don't use my kindle enough to warrant it. I have a kindle and the kindle app on my phone and my ipad but I only use it when travelling as I love having a physical book to read. When I am in the US in a couple of weeks I might look in the bookstores there as there may be more choice and I can take a peak first before possibly purchasing. I did get this one earlier today when looking. Haven't downloaded it yet though as left my ipad at work.

I didn't know there were different sizes and no idea what % of mine is gone. After a year I can still feel the restriction, unable to eat too much and rarely hungry though I can take larger sips now. Have gulped a few times totally forgetting there isn't space 😂 Eating now is more of a habit than needing to, had to force myself today to eat some lunch as just wasn't hungry at all but managed 50g cauliflower and 30g hummus. Example of what I can manage; Breakfast is a 125g or 150g yoghurt 99% of the time or sometimes a couple of small protein or banana pancakes as a treat. Lunch is usually homemade soup (150ml) or homemade dinner leftovers or half a shop bought salad (with falafal or chicken) My dinners are again 99% of the time homemade and would still be about 150ml in liquid dishes such as soup/dhals or 4 to 5oz for a bean stew/chicken dish. A while after dinner I will then have something for dessert such as two squares of 85% dark chocolate or a yogurt or a handful of nuts. In between if I can, I try to have a snack mid morning and mid afternoon. like some cottage cheese banana bread, nuts, protein bar etc. Eating out can be super annoying now when I see lots of things on a menu I would like and then realise that in all reality all I can manage is a starter but it does mean my food and dining out bills have dropped so much and if I don't finish it I usually ask to bring it home and it does another meal or three. When I go on holidays in a couple of weeks I have booked dinners out at three Michelin restaurants that have a menu you can chose from so it means for me just one course in each and it will be a bargain compared to having to usually order the 6 or 10 courses.

I am in a similar boat as @ms.sss and @Lilia_90 I still enjoy all the foods, desserts, Mexican food, Chinese, ice cream. Everything in moderation for sure, and I stay very active, I do track all my food and stay within my macros during the week for the most part. But I do eat ice cream every night LOL mostly my protein ice cream made with my ninja creami but sometimes I will eat off my hubbys Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. My relationship with food has changed and I worked/ am working really hard to not abuse food like I have before. In my mind this is a life long journey and my life long journey does not look like salads and chicken till I die LOL I am in the same bought with how food brought me and hubs together, getting fast food after the kids went to bed and stuffing ourselves while watching a movie, he is slightly jaded by that and make comments "well you cant eat that anyways, or your going to have bite and waste it" But we have our own thing going on since I have lost all this weight. Anywho! yea! it doesn't have to be so strict forever, but slider foods are a thing and making sure to stay active is important I think.

Weight loss success is roughly 80% or more about your nutrition and 20% or less about exercise. No gym required! So if you don't like the gym or can't fit it into your schedule, really hone in on the nutrition for now and add whatever body movement you CAN manage every day. Meet yourself where you are, not where you think you should be. If you only walk 1500 steps a day, set a goal for 5,000 a day and don't expect yourself to be running a marathon next month. If you're already good about walking, kick it up by putting on some ankle and wrist weights while you do a 15 minute dance video on YouTube to get your heart rate up and build some strength. Or buy a set of resistance bands and do those a few times per week. Culturally, I think we've become convinced you have to "go to the gym" to see results, and it's really not true. And if you only have the energy to focus on one thing in these early days, start with nutrition because that's where you will see the most lasting results. You're still healing right now and your body is not ready for grueling workouts at this stage.