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I am 4 months out. I had sleeve into bypass. I can’t figure had to change weight yet on this site. I lost 50 pounds. I can’t believe the hair I am losing. I’m freaking going bald. Taking vitamins but 65 grams of protein a bit difficult for me. I get around 55. I can’t force the food. I talked with doc and they said it’s common to lose hair but he said it’s a lot. Try more protein. Ugh! So frustrated!

Relieved to hear that. Any tips for meeting nutritional guidelines - I am not very good at cooking. So my post op soft food day looks like protein water chicken mince (2-3oz) hummus or some Greek yogurt and a bite or canned peach so far

Ohhh I hear you. Even at my lowest and highest weight, heat has always drained me. All I want is ice water and to munch cold grapes and for everything else to recede. My boss is the sweetest older Korean man. I speak a little Korean, he speaks a bit more English -- so we have language barriers but over the years we've found ways to understand each other pretty well. But the week I came back to work, I ended up having to take a sick day near the end of the week. I had eaten something that caused my first bout of dumping syndrome and it caused my healing body a fair amount of muscle / tissue / inner pain for the next couple days. When I came back I made the mistake of telling him that I'd eaten something that didn't agree with m, whether because it was to dry or I ate too much too fast. Well he heard "ate too much" and now everytime I'm not feeling my best / looking high-energied -- or he catches me having a shake for lunch because I'm feeling nauseated at the idea of food -- he starts questioning me if I've been eating too much. In his case I know he means it from a place of caring and concern, but it roughs up the ragged edges of my old eating-disorders in my psyche. I immediately feel judged for being overweight to begin with, and like I'm being watched/judged now, etc. And I know they're my issues, but I could certainly do with not being reminded of them so often.

I had gastric sleeve 3.5 years ago and It went really smoothly. I remember being so super anxious but the best thing I did was to just tell the staff so they were all patient with me and did an excellent job of distracting me throughout the process of getting me prepped. When I got there the first thing they asked me to do was a pregnancy test (urine sample). Turns out I couldn’t pee so they rushed a blood test so no big deal. Then they had me change into a gown and hospital socks and put an iv into my hand. They asked me a bunch of questions about allergies and when I last ate and drank and all that stuff and the anesthesiologist came in and asked some questions about medical history. The surgeon popped in to say hi and then I was off to the operating room. Last thing I remember is them saying to take a couple deep breaths and then I woke up in recovery. I did freak out a bit then because no one told me I would have a nerve block in my stomach which makes it feel impossible to sit up and I wasn’t expecting that when I woke up. Of course the nurses are sitting right there and one explained what was going on right away and I was fine. They had to wait for a room for me so I was in recovery a little longer than normal so they had me up walking while I was still in there. After that I drifted off to sleep again and woke up in my room. Honestly I felt fine. Other than my stomach felt like I had done a bunch of crunches. Not pain, just sore when I tried to sit up. I didn’t have any of the gas pain that some people describe. They were a little concerned that my bladder didn’t wake up quite as quick as they expected so they put a basin in the toilet to measure it and when I did go and said they may have to put in a catheter if I didn’t go soon but I went shortly after and my output was normal So that wasn’t an issue. They gave me little medicine cups to drink water out of and again I was lucky and had no issues drinking small amounts. Then I think it was dinner time they brought a tray with broth and jello if I remember correctly. And crystal light. They brought in my daily meds and I asked them to take me off the pain meds because I didn’t feel I needed them. My husband showed up after work and we took a couple walks and then I went back to sleep. The next day I went home shortly after lunch. The whole time I was there they were pumping me full of fluids via IV. as far as the liver shrink diet mine was pretty lenient. Basically low carb it was a shake for breakfast and lunch and then lean meat and veggies for dinner. One thing I did to make it a little easier was to stop all carbs the week before so I could go through all them carb cravings while I could at least have as much of the other stuff as I wanted. I was also allowed some “free foods” like pickles, lettuce and jello which helped me feel like I was getting something. The dr did tell me afterwards that he could tell that I did a really good job on the liver shrink diet so I guess it really does make a difference for them to make the surgery safer.

Not exactly the same but yesterday I was told by my (well intentioned I guess) boss that he was concerned I wasn't eating enough as I looked a bit unwell and didn't seem to have much energy yesterday! Sorry but it was 30c / 86f in our office, no air con, no air circulating and I HATE the heat so I felt exhausted plus I hadn't had great sleeps the last few nights. I wasn't the only one struggling in the office yet he seemed to put my struggle down to the fact that he said he didn't think I was getting in enough calories and he had been watching how little I eat! I just said I was suffering from the heat and he had nothing to worry about on the food/calorie intake side of things as I am eating the right portion amounts, was hitting my protein goals most days, had good blood results and if anything I was probably snacking a bit too much on nuts! Then when I repeated this conversation to my Mum last night she then became concerned I wasn't eating enough and that I should look at maybe starting to try to maintain now or even put on a lb or two. Seriously, I have not even got to the goal weight my surgeon set for me (70kg , well it had been 75kg but then when I reached that he brought it to 70kg) and I am still off what I want (66kg). For my Mum though I know her concern comes from me living overseas and not seeing me a lot so she based her comments on the fear (to her) of what my boss said.

Mashed potatoes and pepper salmon I was super busy all day and didn’t get to eat until 6pm plusI had to cook (at least the food was good)

TW: mental health issues, suicide, infertility I've gotten those comments already (only 3 months in, and nowhere near my goal weight), and in the past during other diet-based weight loss. I used to try to convince myself that these people mean well, that they're trying to show they care, or trying to give backhanded compliments. 2024 me? Nah. They're being petty, they're being bullies, they're jealous, they feel like your success highlights any issues they fault with their own body, etc. The only time I successfully lost weight 'on my own' through diet and exercise, I ended up gaining it all back and more -- and while I logically know it was my own choices that led to it, there was also my 'best friend' telling me that I looked like I was dying, that I looked like a cancer patient, etc, and then inviting me over and peer pressuring me into the most unhealthy foods. I was young and I had always been easily intimated / manipulated by her; I had always had **** self esteem and found my own value only through what others said they valued of me, etc. I know I was in a bad mental place to begin with. But it was absolutely brutal. But nobody, nobody, should be saying these kinds of things to another. Whether you're close to each other or barely know each other. Whether they're 'teasing' or not. It would be absolutely awesome if the world / society could normalize not making un-asked for comments about other people's looks. How about we apply 'consent' when it comes to these sorts of conversations? FFS. I'm sure I'm not the only one whom has had comments made while they were overweight. People, strangers, asking if you're pregnant, if you're female presenting. ((Afterwards, I always wished I could go back in time and cause a scene -- cause no, asshat, I'm actually unable to have children and it ruined several relationships and led to depression and suicidal ideation. But thanks for giving me that extra scoop of pasta sauce since it looks like I'm "eating for two.")) So many people have body issues, weight related or otherwise. Body dysmorphia. Mental health issues. Triggers. And what right does any person have to comment on someone else's appearance? If someone wants to go to the grocery store in their pjs, what's it to you? If someone got a new hair cut and you really don't like it, stfu. If someone lost over half their body weight, why do you feel entitled to question them about it or tell them you liked them better with a little more meat on their bones? (Not... you. You know. Societal 'You'.) There's a big difference between saying "Wow, you're looking good today" or "Is that a new shirt? It looks great on you" and letting the compliment receiver decide if they want to open the conversation up from there, and saying things like "Oh god, you're losing so much you're gonna disappear" or "ugh, you're losing so much weight, enough already." ... anyway. I'll end my venting-vomit with: I'm trying so hard these days to have the confidence in setting my own boundaries and actually enforcing them. I'm starting to figure out lines I can say when people cross them. I'm trying not to let my inner rage at a world full of entitled bullies make me someone who bullies back, but yeah, maybe next time someone seems fit to complain about my looks I'll find something they probably don't want to talk about either. If I'm fair game, so are they. Eat some karma. 😈

According to my post of instructions, we weren’t allowed to eat regular foods until 8 weeks post op. Maybe try to go back on pureed/soft. Then once you get to 8 weeks introduce regular food.

I was allowed regular coffee afterwards, not restricted to decacf, so once I could have it I made a frappe version with cold brewed coffee, dark chocolate almond milk, a scoop of protein powder and ice cubes. Sometimes I include a syrup - Da Vinci Caramel Syrup Light. For the soft food stage I had a lot of bolognese or lentil curry/dahl - good amounts of protein and flavour for the small portions.

The only time I vomited post revision was when I had a stricture. It was after every meal and I wasn’t over eating so that was a big clue that something was not right. Are you over capacity when this happens, just certain foods or every time?

everything i've eaten today! 1579 calories from food + 2 espresso martinis (282 cals, not shown) so 1861 cals today if i don't eat or drink anything else. and now...my food day in pictures!

I had some similar phases -- I'm in one right now, I just have no appetite and I've yet to feel hunger post-op so it's been a struggle. Part of it is mindset. Try to remind yourself that you're eating for nutrition now, and to recalibrate your body into accepting food again. You don't have to eat any full meal -- even if you just get a few bites down and then follow up with a shake half an hour later to make sure you're getting your protein in. I'm 3 months in and there are days where breakfast is a soft protein bar, lunch is a protein shake (and dinner is one of the thousands of frozen cups of pureed sweet potato with bone broth powder that I made back in week 3, LOL) . Or whatever I manage to convince myself to eat for the sake of it. Dp whatever you have to do to get through. Keep in mind, your body is still healing. You may be free of pain, but your innards can take 6-8 months to heal, move back into place, etc. Your hormones and body chemicals are all over the place right now. Cut yourself lots of slack. Survive this until it gets better for you.

Oooh love how you describe it - I start day after tomorrow and am excited although a little apprehensive too on how it goes down stuff like would I throw up? Can my stomach digest it ok and a gazillion other what ifs which SF syrup brand do you use? I like caramel and hazelnut but haven’t tried any so any suggestions would be very welcome my prog has a post op liquid diet inc cream based soups and then goes straight to soft so no puree stage per se no crackers bread pasta rice in soft food otherwise the faux toast sounds yum

I love proffee. I find more protein shakes too sweet, so I tend to mix decaf coffee with part protein shake, part fairlife milk. I've tried unflavoured protein powder into coffee with milk as well and it's not bad but never quite as good, lol. If you like flavoured coffees, sugar free syrups and extracts are great to change things up -- I like bourbon, almond or rum extract in my proffee, but can only handle the sweetness of the sugar free syrups if I'm using unflavoured protein powder in place of a shake, otherwise it's too overpowering. My program had me wean off shakes and into purees (not soft food), so I had a much slower reintegration into 'actual food'. But I remember being absolutely in love my first day of purees (cottage cheese and pureed sweet potato seemed like heaven) -- and progressing to soft foods, I had chicken noodle soup my first day and not having to strain all the delicious things out of it made a world of difference. It's like a light shining down on you from above that there's an end to what you're going through, confirmation that you will be able to eat 'real food' again, all that reassuring stuff. For soft food, definitely recommend ricotta bakes -- but since you're allowed lean ground meats too, you could adapt it into an even more lasagne (sans noodle) experience by making the tomato-sauce a meat sauce. If you're allowed crackers yet (my program allowed melba toast and saltines early on), 'avocado toast' with a bit of cream cheese is a nice texture, or pseudo-eggs benedict: crackers/toast with goats cheese and a poached egg. I loved making chili with ground turkey and random veg, add a bit of refried beans to thicken it up and serve with a dollop of greek yogurt on top in place of sour cream.

At 3 months out, I'm still between 1/2 cup to a cup per meal, depending on what it is. Thinner and wetter dishes are better tolerated for me; if I have a 2oz turkey burger patty, I can eat one or two bites of cooked vegetables -- but if I have that same amount of patty with gravy or ground up in a stew/chili/etc, I can stomach a bit more veg. At 2 months -- and even now at 3 -- the texture of food seems to affect me more than the quantity. Anything too dry (including both white and dark poultry for some reason) induces vomiting and/or dumping syndrome. Egg whites. Even when I think it's moist, often my body argues back and proves me wrong. I've heard from so many people -- on this forum, in my program support group, from my care team -- and it will get easier and better as time goes by, both in terms of portions and foods becoming less irritating, usually around the 1 to 2 year mark. Some people can never go back to a few certain foods, others can eat pretty normally. Bear through it. Cater to your tummy's tantrums when you need to -- move into soft food as slowly as you need to. Make your meal half puree and half soft if it helps (pureed sweet potato or really well mashed cauliflower/potato is a great side dish to help your protein get down).

I was the same. Nothing tasted good and I'm so not into sweet foods, protein shakes were a nightmare to drink and half a smoothie took me a whole day to finish (and they were gross no matter what I put in them). It gets better, I found that after the pureed stage I lost my interest in eating, it was only after I started consistent weight lifting and exercise (around 4 months) that my hunger returned. Hang in there!

I can literally smell this through my screen! The look amazing. Do you struggle with who eats the food you make?

@BlueParis Frustrating as it is, I think it takes most people about a year to reach their lowest weight. Those lucky few who drop the weight really fast are unusual. I know it's hard! But you're a healthy weight and looking great, so it's worth being proud of how much you've accomplished, especially with such a difficult travel schedule. At least your stall has broken! As for scars, mine are similarly dark purple. This is not a surprise to me as I get very dark scars, even from spider bites. Those pajama pictures reminded me that I had to get rid of an old favorite pair of pajamas as they were much too large. I look forward to buying a cozy new pair when the cold weather rolls around! I honestly don't know how anyone stays on track while traveling, especially on vacation. It is so hard when eating at restaurants non-stop, not to mention being surrounded by snack foods and temptations like ice cream and candy, which are much too easy to eat. I dread what my weight will be at the end of the week when I get home from my family trip. This will be the most days in a row I've missed weighing myself since surgery. But now that I've had a day of indulging in some treats, and realizing that eating junk isn't as appealing as I remember and kind of makes me feel blah, I'm hoping I'll be better about limiting myself to the healthiest options I can find.

The issues I have with foods aren't so much about quantity as texture or bite size and/or speed of eating. I'm 4 months post-op and have averaged one vomiting incident a week, usually from a new culprit each time. Often, the same food will be something I've been fine with in the past and will have again in the future without problems. Reheating is a big issue as it dries out food, but so is swallowing too much at one time, even when well-chewed. A normal portion size for me right now might be 4 oz meat or fish and a small serving of vegetables, or a small hamburger without the bun. Today I ordered a bowl of short rib chili at a restaurant and ate about half of it, plus a bite of the cornbread. From what I hear, yes, the restriction will be less over time. But don't expect that for the first year or two.

Hi, sorry if this question has already been posted. I'm now 2 months post op following a revision from mini gastric bypass to RNY. The surgeon kept the original pouch from the mini. When I eat, despite chewing well, I often vomit up the food. From those who have had RNY, did the restriction of food get any easier over time? I'm hoping I'll be able to eat a normal sized meal at some point without running to the bathroom.

Thanks much i was having profess before and some of these sound amazing more soft food ideas would be very welcome - basically am allowed eggs, soft cheese, all seafood except shrimp and ground meat plus non starchy veggies

I make a decaf cold brew and add the Caffe Latte Premier Protein shake (I know I know no caffeine, but I have tolerated it well and its the only caffeine I have all day). I found recipes for some for "shakes", 1 cookies and cream premier with 3 tbls of sugar free fat free cheesecake jello powder mix for an Oreo cheesecake mix. Caramel premier with decaf cold brew and there is a zero everything caramel sauce my Jordan Mims Skinny Syrup that you can top onto your shakes with a drizzle. PB Chocolate Premier shake with 1tbls of pb2 and ice. You can also make protein pudding with 1 package of the sugar free fat free jello mix and one shake. Anywho! I drink a profee every single day because I love them and my first bite of food was eggs and it was HEAVY. just go slow and find foods you enjoy! Okay I'm done with my tangent LOL

Starting 26 and can’t wait - allowed decaf tea and coffee as tolerated - what’s your experience with coffee? How did you make profee? What was a days eating like to wean off shakes and switch to food like? How was the first bite?

As long as you are getting your protein and vitamins you should be fine. I didn’t experience that with my first surgery but mine didn’t work and I’m pending revision. My never been obese husband eats like that though. He thinks of eating as a chore and always has. I tell him all that time that he needs to be studied. I can only imagine it’s an adjustment but I feel like it would be ideal for food to not be the center of my thoughts anymore. Maybe just set a couple alarms to remind you when you get busy to get the necessities in. I do think it will get a little easier though based on what I have seen on here over the past few years.

I had my surgery on the 19th of June and I'm having the same issue. I have been following the full liquid diet religiously but doesn't seem like enough. I go to my first follow up this Wednesday, the 26th, and I definitely will be asking the doctor what are my options. I do feel I'm ready to advance to soft foods but I'll wait to see what the doctor says.