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What you’re experiencing is very common. It annoys me that surgeons & support teams don’t explain these things to their patients. It would save so much angst, frustration & fear like you are experiencing. The change your tastebuds (& often sense of smell too) is temporary - up to a couple of months. It’s pretty common after surgery. I embraced mine which included an oversensitivity to anything sweet & never introduced it back into my eating. For others it’s an opportunity to try different foods. And others discover foods they didn’t enjoy before are delicious & become a regular part of their eating. The metallic taste & often strong body odour is a result of ketosis - fat burning. We want this to happen but it too passes - I think about 2 months for me I carried breath mints, tooth paste & brush, mouth wash, deodorant, body wipes,etc. with me to help combat the odour & foul taste. The drop in energy is a result of the lower calories & what is a pretty major surgery. It too passes. You may find it happens at random times while you are losing too - just your body getting used to the changes. Try adding an electrolyte drink to your daily fluid rotation for an extra boost of energy especially before you do any exercising. You’ll be okay. All the best.

I have crazy hormones but did not experience a stall for that long. I dont think it is just hormones. Your thyroid could be a culprit. I would look more into that. My longest stall was 2 weeks. I would talk to a different nutritionist who is also specializing in post weight loss eating. I am almost 5 months post op and only eat about 700 calories a day. I'm not a Dr so i cant give you medical advice, but i can give you support and say what i believe is true, stick with the program, get your thyroid right and im sure you will start losing again. Good luck, i know it is super frustrating but the surgery was not for nothing. Do you log what you eat? I use the Baritastic app and i love it. Are you eating a variety of veggies, fruits etc? Believe it or not but my dietician said i was not eating enough carbs. When i stalled, i cheated eating in a bad way (only for about a week) at the suggestion of someone else on this forum and I think it broke the stall! I also started taking a pre/probiotic by Celebrate brand. It is called Celebrate Balance. It is specially formulated for weight loss. I hope you can figure this out but until then keep your head up and keep fighting. You are bound to start losing weight again.

Today was the 3 month anniversary of my bypass/hiatal hernia repair. I've done ok on the calorie restricted diet--still can't eat certain meats (I've stayed away from steak which I love, haven't eaten lamb and even a moist pork chop is a little tough for me- instead, I'm eating. lot of fish). My portions are small-- -protein say three tablespoons, veggies, two tablespoons, mashed or sweet potato- 1/2 a small sized one. Today I weighed myself- I went from over 271 to 221 which is kind of crazy! (I am around 6 feet, used to be taller but I'm a geezer so I'm shrinking). Hooked up at a new gym that I can walk to from my house, so I will go more frequently and won't need to spend money on ride shares (I prefer not driving in town). I was shocked at how weak I was--It is going to take some time to strengthen and I'm being very cautious about torquing my gut given the surgery (even though the surgeon cleared me for weight lifting). I'm doing my supplements. I guess this is a good news/bad news thing- not that I live by the scale but I was amazed at how much I've lost so quickly. And a little disappointed in how weak I am. My wife said, "dude, you went through major surgery, take your time." She's probably right. There is no question that the surgery + pretty strict adherence to the post-op diet does work. Now I just have to rebuild my strength over time.

FORGIVE THE LENGTHY MESSAGE. NEED TO GIVE CONTEXT I am wondering if any one experienced this my starting weight was 139kg before surgery on the 15th of January 2023 on day of surgery it was 131kg 2 weeks post-op i was stalled for 8weeks which was not a bother to me at the time i healed quite quickly with no complications and was moved to solids within 3 weeks by the dietitian too. between January and April i lost some weight down to 111kg Since april i have not lost anything. I have gained and lost 3-4 kg since April till date which is September 6th 2023 I do everything many people say on every platform which had never been a challenge namely Monitor what i eat: I eat between 88 - 1200 calories I have more protein than anything eggs, lean meat, chicken, fish, shrimps carbs are mostly bulgur wheat. which i have sparingly 2ce a month. Plantain i have daily to balance my protein intake but not as much as protein. I prob have more grams of protein a day and that includes protein water. I work out 4-5 days a week for up to 1:30 - 2:00 hours each day In April i worked out more 4 days a week 2ce a day 2day time cardio 1:30 hours night time strength training. no weights heavier than 25kg i take my vitamins biotin and all recommended as well as powdered collagen Recent bloods shows everything within normal range. I am going into my 5th month and i am still 111kg Since April. My dietitian is numb on what is going on, the nurse recommended liquid collagen ( which makes no sense) and have said hormones.... but hormones cannot affect this 5months straight. I did bloods to check my thyroids and it showed elevated parathyroid (no idea what that means)..... not gotten an explanation as my vitamin levels and calcium levels are normal my nails are very soft and brittle and my hair falls like the weather ( only blessed to have a full head of hair but cant say it is helpful soon) No ...... the clothes i wore in April are still the same September. measurements are the same..... the only win i am getting from this is that my knee and ankle dont hurt as much when i workout. i dont burn out as i used to and i work out more than i used to before which was walking up to 50k-70ksteps a day. I have never been one who drank alcohol and havent started post surgery. I have never been one who ate junk food like crisps, tacos, burgers. I have not been diagnosed diabetic nor with PCOS i noticed when i had no carbs in my diet i lost fast but when i introduced carbs as suggested by the dietitian everything came on hold I NEED SOME SIGN THAT I AM NOT IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE OR A LONG DREAM!!! Cos it feels pointless having done the surgery not to be an effective tool Anyone in a similar predicament before

FORGIVE THE LENGTHY MESSAGE. NEED TO GIVE CONTEXT I am wondering if any one experienceD this my starting weight was 139kg before surgery on the 15th of January 2023 on day of surgery it was 131kg 2 weeks post-op i was stalled for 8weeks which was not a bother to me at the time i healed quite quickly with no complications and was moved to solids within 3 weeks by the dietitian too. between January and April i lost some weight down to 111kg Since april i have not lost anything. I have gained and lost 3-4 kg since April till date which is September 6th 2023 I do everything many people say on every platform which had never been a challenge namely Monitor what i eat: I eat between 88 - 1200 calories I have more protein than anything eggs, lean meat, chicken, fish, shrimps carbs are mostly bulgur wheat. which i have sparingly 2ce a month. Plantain i have daily to balance my protein intake but not as much as protein. I prob have more grams of protein a day and that includes protein water. I work out 4-5 days a week for up to 1:30 - 2:00 hours each day In April i worked out more 4 days a week 2ce a day 2day time cardio 1:30 hours night time strength training. no weights heavier than 25kg I take 2-3 liters of water throughout the day no compared to 3 months ago. Up to 1liter during my work out and the rest throughout the day. mostly sips. I do get hungry but try to drink water to quench or use the plantain (carb for the day) to satisfy myself i take my vitamins biotin and all recommended as well as powdered collagen Recent bloods shows everything within normal range. I am going into my 5th month and i am still 111kg Since April. My dietitian is numb on what is going on, the nurse recommended liquid collagen ( which makes no sense) and have said hormones.... but hormones cannot affect this 5months straight. I did bloods to check my thyroids and it showed elevated parathyroid (no idea what that means)..... not gotten an explanation as my vitamin levels and calcium levels are normal my nails are very soft and brittle and my hair falls like the weather ( only blessed to have a full head of hair but cant say it is helpful soon) No ...... the clothes i wore in April are still the same September. measurements are the same..... the only win i am getting from this is that my knee and ankle dont hurt as much when i workout. i dont burn out as i used to and i work out more than i used to before which was walking up to 50k-70ksteps a day. I have never been one who drank alcohol and haven't started post surgery. I have never been one who ate junk food like crisps, tacos, burgers. I have not been diagnosed diabetic nor with PCOS i noticed when i had no carbs in my diet i lost fast but when i introduced carbs as suggested by the dietitian everything came on hold I NEED SOME SIGN THAT I AM NOT IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE OR A LONG DREAM!!! Cos it feels pointless having done the surgery not to be an effective tool Anyone in a similar predicament before

My stall finally broke! I’m 4.5 months out of GSV surgery and have lost 62 lbs. Someone on here once mentioned to cheat and eat a few more carbs. I did that and I started consuming more calories and my 2 week stall finally broke. Don’t know how much the carbs had to do with it but I think I was consuming so few calories that my body was in starvation mode. Upped the calories to about 700/day and that worked! I know we are all afraid to overeat or consume too many calories, but make sure you are consuming enough!!

We wondered the same thing, as drinking protein shakes in between our puree meals (2 oz), like suggested, were putting us higher calories (800). Our NUT never responded to neither of us. So we never got an answer. 19 days post op...still losing tho.

Yeah, I haven't much been going to restaurants...we live in a rural area and only have 2 restaurants in our little town, both close at 2 pm, well there is a Mexican restaurant but I'm not much of a fan of Mexican food in general. I have a well stocked pantry, freezers and kitchen and actually enjoy cooking (this butt didn't get this big by itself) and Lord help me, I enjoy eating way too much. That said, I'm 33 days post op and it was awesome to find a "snack" I CAN HAVE...well I think I can have it? My list is so vague...I'll try to share this pic of my instructions. It says "Protein, Protein, Protein" suggests ground turkey....and I'm like with WHAT? As you all moved into your 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th weeks, What do you eat? I had a LOT of Cod this week, made an Alfredo shrimp/crab sauce to serve over it and some canned turnips on the side. I have Chicken thighs, breasts, wings, 3 kinds of Fish, Ground Beef & Turkey & Turkey burgers, Cooked red beans, 15 beans & Lima & Cream Peas and can't figure out a darn thing to make for dinner because I don't know how to pair or prepare it....I am seriously thinking of Buffalo Wings or thighs with sauce? Fortunately, I lost another pound (all that damned fish, lol) but maybe just because nothing seems to taste right or I don't have a taste for anything...rambling here, but does anyone else have that feeling? Like nothing is suiting you or you just don't feel like bothering for the whopping 3 or 4 oz you're going to be able to eat out of the pan after you do all that work? And What Veggies are acceptable at this point? Last night I had boneless ckn breast over a salad mix with a little dressing, green onions, bacon bits...and when I'm eating hubby asks if I can eat that. I had only considered the chicken, hadn't thought of if salad is allowed? I remembered someone saying they eat salads all the time but they are like an old timer. I have several containers of fresh mushrooms I was going to prep, some for now and freeze for later but then started wondering IF I can have??? Turkey burger with no bread sounds sucky... I'm not sure if food is "not allowed" bc of the calories/fat intake or if food isn't allowed bc of a possible adverse reaction with the bypass. Like if I make a turkey burger and eat a slice of whole wheat, is that OK? What about serving something with a sauce along side something like Quinoa? SMH...done with my rant, please share your rants and tell me I am NOT alone with all these things running around in my little A.D.D. brain

Great job, that's quite the accomplishment. As far as the protein snacks, just be careful of the calories, fat and carbs. Chips for me are a slider food; meaning I can just keep eating and don't really fill up on them and end up consuming too much. For example, we went out for Mexican food last night for my birthday and I ate about a third of the chips and salsa and still had my portion of dinner. Not great in the calorie arena. With that said, if you pre portion your chips it should be fine, same with the cookies. My thoughts are to limit the foods that got us to where we are and only consume them once and awhile as a special treat; even if they appear to be good. It's easy to fall back into old habits.

What are these 'calories' of which you speak? Good luck, Tek

I wasn’t ever given calories either just portion sizes: 1/4-1/3 cup from purée to a cup at 6 months. Check with your dietician for guidance because plans are different & we have different needs.

we were told not to count calories the first few months...just to focus on getting protein and fluids. You're not going to be able to eat enough for awhile to worry about calories.

Hey guys! I'm currently nearing the end of my first week of the pureed stage and I was wondering how many calories I'm supposed to be consuming? My doctor never really talked about it. Any suggestions from your surgeons? Thanks!

I have never heard of the golden time being only 3 months. I lost a great deal up till 14 months or so. I am still in a calorie deficit, I eat about 1200 cals a day and on a hungry day maybe 1500 cals. My loses are tiny now but still going down. I am 21 months out, ancient and the only exercise I get is walking and housework. We are so used to having failed diets in the past that it's hard to break the diet mentality. Your body will loose what it needs to. Eat good calories, stick to your teams diet and sit back and watch yourself shrink. In 12 months you will not believe who is staring back at you in the mirror. Have patience. Sent from my Lenovo TB-J606F using BariatricPal mobile app

I have never heard of the golden time being only 3 months. I lost a great deal up till 14 months or so. I am still in a calorie deficit, I eat about 1200 cals a day and on a hungry day maybe 1500 cals. My loses are tiny now but still going down. I am 21 months out, ancient and the only exercise I get is walking and housework. We are so used to having failed diets in the past that it's hard to break the diet mentality. Your body will loose what it needs to. Eat good calories, stick to your teams diet and sit back and watch yourself shrink. In 12 months you will not believe who is staring back at you in the mirror. Have patience. Sent from my Lenovo TB-J606F using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi Peggy Anne, I just couldn’t do puréed meats or much of anything puréed, thankfully it was my 4th week and I survived on the eggs then cream soups and ground sausage. having meatballs with a brown gravy and mash potatoes for dinner. I’m happy to say that it was my first full day away from home for dr appointments and I left at 9 and got back at 9 pm and I had breakfast was 1/2 small Wendy’s chili lunch Popeyes 1 chicken strip with red beans no rice small Early snack dinner Jacks chicken finger and a small mash w gravy Having a very light dinner so it was fairly easy and happy no problem with the chicken. about to see where my calorie count is at I’m happily retired for six years now. what kinds of crafts? I like to do some crafts I see on YouTube videos and am threatening to turn one of the spare rooms that I have a bunch of craft items in into my craft room but haven’t had time since we bought this house in February. wishing you great success with your show!!!

There are sweet biscuits in my pantry 😱. First time in four years. My five younger nieces & nephew (almost 6-13) are having a sleepover this weekend so I bought the biscuits as an afternoon snack. Can’t expect them to eat my snacks - lol! Though I did buy frozen edamame we could also share … if they like it. 😁 Supermarket brand: 82 calories & 1g of protein. They’ll be taking them home on Sunday if there are any left (probably won’t be).

1/2 a cheese quesadilla and an espresso martini beforehand, 411 calories. Ate/drank it all!

So I got my surgery on June 22nd - about nine weeks ago. I am 5'8", 35F, and started out at 320, I'm currently 288 for a loss of 32 pounds over about two months. Is that okay? For the last week or so, I've had a really rough stall and barely been losing anything. Some days I'll even gain a pound. This is my second stall. I normally eat between 600 and 1000 calories (mostly about 800) and almost entirely protein really. Is there an issue with me? Is my weight loss rate okay or is it too slow? I feel like I should have lost like 50 pounds by now. What about this stall?

I’ll be 5 years post op in October, and I was (and still am) an avid tracker so I log everything I eat, and my app figures out the cals and macros. During weight loss phase I focused on being ultra-low carb (under 25g NET carbs a day). I also went low-calorie but this sorta happened on its own cuz I didn’t really want to eat much anyway…I.e., by the time I got to goal, I was consuming sub-800 cals a day. lost all the weight I wanted plus a bit more, and looked like death’s older sister lolzzzzz. i eventually got over my fear of carbs during maintenance and by around 2-3 years post-op, was eating whatever carbs I want (not just good carbs, but the not-so-great ones as well…I’m looking at dessert and chips!) BUT I still make sure to stay within my maintenance calorie range1800-ish cals a day normally, 2300+ cals when I’m in an exercising phase. Its worth noting that I actually weigh LESS today (119 lbs) than I did when I was death’s sibling after reaching goal (127 lbs) yet I look waaaaaaay healthier (not so gaunt) now. I think it’s the carbs. While I really liked how my body looked back then when I was low-carbing, my face really suffered. Now, though my body looks less fit and “softer”, my face is also looking “softer” and is quite pleasing to look at in the mirror lolololzzzzzz. long story short, weight loss is ultimately down to calories in and calories out, however way those calories are comprised (carb, fat, or proteins). Stay under your maintenance calories and you WILL lose weight. The trick is finding out what your maintenance calories are at ANY GIVEN POINT IN TIME because it isn’t static and changes with age, activity level, health status, sleep patterns, stress levels, etc….which is why I’m a big proponent of food/body weight/activity tracking cuz all that data helps to figure out patterns and stuff. i get it’s not for everybody though. But I totally credit tracking to me staying under goal weight this entire time (5 years post in October). Good Luck!❤️

If you count carbs you still have to be mindful of how many calories you consume. And if you count calories you have to be mindful of how many of those are from carbs. Fruits and veggies I don't worry so much about. I used the Baritastic app during my 3-month pre-op diet basically to show my nutritionist what I was eating and to make sure I was staying within my limits to lose the weight needed for surgery. Afterwards I don't use it. Logging and thinking about food 24/7 drives me nuts. But I do practice mindful eating and if using it helps keep you on track, then do it. I did like the recipe feature. Just add all ingredients and then your serving size. It does all the math for you. I pretty much know what foods to eat and which to avoid and the WLS restricts my amounts anyway. Portion control, I think is most important. By now I've gotten pretty good at eyeballing what I put on my plate. Some days I can finish it and others I push it away. As long as my weight continues to go down, I know I am on the right track. I'm hoping by the time the honeymoon phase is over and normal hunger returns, I will have formed new habits to maintain my losses and continue losing weight to goal.

I didn’t have to count carbs or calories either. Just told to keep my carbs (sugar, fat) low & given a list of carbs to avoid (bread, pasta, rice, etc. - anything low processed). Portion size was what I had to focus on (& protein & fluids of course). 1/4-1/3 cup from purée increasing to a cup at about 6 months. I still watch my portion sizes. I used to randomly check calories just out of my own interest while I was losing & I still do this. Simply because if you are consuming more calories than your body needs to function effectively you will gain weight. (An additional 100 calories a day equates to 10lbs over a year 😱 yikes!) But yes working out calories for complex meals like salads, soups, stews, etc. you cook yourself can be challenging & never completely accurate. I tend to focus on the protein content only then. I check the weight of the protein in the soup, casserole, etc. & work out about how many portions that would be of the finished meal. Hard to weigh meats with bones to work out the calories too. I go to recommended serving sizes then to help guide my portion. To eat carbs or not in the long term is really up to you and what works for you in regard to what types, how often, how much. I only ate rolled oats while losing and then could start adding other whole or multi grains carbs from maintenance. The carbs in vegetables & fruit were always okay & were a free pass. I only eat two serves of multi/whole grain carbs a day & still don’t eat bread & similar products, pasta, rice. They sit heavily. Don’t miss them & I do feel better without them - no bloating, less wind, etc. but that’s me. There’s nothing stopping you counting your own carbs & keeping them at a level you’re happy with while you’re losing if you want. As long as you monitor, the best you can, the calories your team is asking for. Remember once you work out the calories for a specific salad, soup, etc, you don’t have to do it every time you eat those recipes. As long as your portion remains the same (adjusting for the increase in portions as you progress) the calories will be pretty accurate.

Oh I love labneh. It’s a middle eastern soft cheese made from yoghurt. It’s easy to make your own though a little messy. Mix a good pinch of salt in a tub of Greek yoghurt (500g/2cups full fat) & then tip into cheesecloth (I use a large chux cloth). Knot over the handle of a large spoon & suspend over a bowl in the fridge for 24hrs or so. Use it as a spread or a dip, in salads, etc. https://www.loveandlemons.com/labneh-recipe/ Yes, peanut paste is peanut butter. I buy my roasted fava beans or chick peas but it’s an Australian company. There are likely US companies as others have mentioned them too. My nieces & nephews are staying over this weekend so they’ll probably eat all the ones I have at the moment - they love them. 😁 You can make them yourself too & add your favourite flavours. I’d do them in an air fryer if you have one so less oil. The ones I buy are salted & 110 calories per 25g (0.8oz) & 6.8g protein. https://www.fearlessdining.com/roasted-fava-beans-recipe/

I've never counted carbs. I track calories. The dietitians at my clinic don't like us doing either, but counting calories works for me. I think a lot of it is personal preference and what works for you.