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Actually, because I was dealing with a lot of hunger, my surgical center said it would be okay for me to eat plain, non-starchy veggies between meals, but because of my travel (and also my dental issues!) I have had a lot of trouble doing that. It's been drilled into me so well not to graze, so I think I've just been eating a lot at meals (Not A LOT, just ... maybe 3 oz of meat, 3 oz of veg, but it still hurts, especially fruit and salad, which I love). I am going to try to slow down some more, see if that helps. The other thing I'm struggling with is how nauseous I get from my multivitamin. I would say about once a fortnight I will actually throw up. I've tried three different brands, and the best I've found is to take it with a heavy snack before bed. This week it's been low sugar trail mix, which I never ate before surgery, but seems to work well for me now.

Currently 4 days post op. I immediately began taking a stool softener once home from the hospital. I took one with each shake and had 2 BMs on day 2 post op and another one today on day 4. I'm also adding Benefiber to my morning water. I'm actually surprised I didn't have issues with constipation because historically I do. My gastro had me on Miralax daily before surgery which I plan to resume at the two week post op point unless I need it sooner.

When I'm hungry I eat. I eat to my plan which became my normal way of eating by about 6 months post-op. I eat my meals but rarely until I am full. Full is not comfortable so I try not to get there. The content of my meals are as they were 6 months post-op, but it's not as if I measure anything. I don't count calories or grams. I haven't done so since about 3 months post-op. All my choices and habits were built because of Gastric Bypass 18+ years ago, but it's the habits I pay attention to now, not the surgery then. When I am full it's because I am full. This is how full feels. I eat what and how I eat because it's what and how I eat. Ask a Non-op why they eat the way they do now. Ask them how full feels. Does it hurt? It's the way it is. For me the question was "Does eating ever feel normal again?" Yes. A new normal, but yes. Good luck, Tek

All the time. But honestly, i forgot about having “the surgery” not much after i stopped feeling the surgery recovery pains. After losing a bunch or weight and no longer hating food (around 3 months post), it just sort of became a new normal, you know? But at the same time, I will always identify as a WLS patient, its just not forefront in the mind. Time (and repetition) changes what is normal. Im not sure if i made any sense with all that, but it’s the best i can do and it makes sense to me, lol.

I just saw this comment. What is it that your surgeon says to start the week before surgery?

Slider foods are not directly linked to dumping foods. Dumping foods are easy to identify if you dump which I do. Sugars and fats are what can make me dump. Symptoms include palpitations, sweating, chills, fatigue, diarrhea. For me they also don't last that long, perhaps 30 minutes to 2 or 3 hours, usually an hour or two after eating / drinking the offending food. Dumping is not consistent in that I will be more likely to dump when I am fatigued, sick, or stressed. Even a change in medications can throw me off enough to make dumping easier. Dumping helped keep me on the straight and narrow. Candy, cookies, cakes, are just not appealing anymore. I can eat a bite if something does appeal, more than that and I risk dumping which is something not to be experienced eating out. Slider foods are as the name implies, foods that once you chew them just slide through easily making it easier to eat more and more. These types of foods were very much discouraged as they were generally empty nutritionally. Slider foods are dangerous as their nature is eating more and more. It's like the Lay's tag line "You can never eat just one... bag." and eating more and more of anything was contrary to what I was trying to achieve. Since slider foods are easy to eat and eat they can be a trap. I can't say I avoid slider foods completely, but I generally avoid them because I don't need them getting in my head. @Tomo you are indeed dumping on cereal. I also dump on cereal to about the same degree, so I generally avoid it. Good luck, Tek

My surgeon's office recommends to start the week before surgery because will not be able to take them the 1st week or 2 after surgery while our stomach's are healing.

I've been on my pre-op liquid diet for almost a week now and while it's not the easiest thing in the world I'm using this exact mindset. Glad to hear your surgery went well!

I started the Bariatric advantage calcium chews last week and I tried to start the Ultra solo with iron but it made me throw up. I ordered the chewable version which showed up yesterday and after reading on some reddit threads for Gastric Bypass I split it in half (it's a large tablet) I had half with my mid day shake and half with my 3rd shake of the day. My surgery is on the 12th, so just 2 days away

Honestly, there is nothing I have hated more than Plus Size clothing. It is ALL going to local thrift shops. Today I am exchanging 3 pair of linen summer pants for 3 pair that are one size smaller. I wear clothes but do not beat them to death so everything I give away will be excellent used condition.

I'm feeling very good. I never had gas which was surprising. My pain was managed very well. 1 week is plenty of time off (office) work. Being on full liquids really opened my food opportunity. I think I am an exception to the rule with how well I am doing.

I decided to try mostly liquid diet for this week to see how it feels and if i can do it. My doc gave me a 1200 - 1400 cal diet low carb high protein to follow, I started feeling like I was eating too much bulk. Hope I can do this !~!

I just took the normal one a day. I had to stop all vitamins and minerals 1 week before surgery. Make sure to get your protein drinks in.

I had a similar issue with some stewed beef about 6-8 weeks out from surgery. I could tell immediately that my body wanted nothing to do with it. I am sure that I could eat it now.

Sounds too risky for me. HAHA I had heard some serious horror stories. So far, I don't have any cravings so I am not too worried about it for now, it is easy to just not eat it. I am sure that will change though, I never really craved sugary things before surgery either. I have always been more of a salty/carb girl. I ate a TINY BITE of pit beef that didn't agree with me at all and I was sick for a solid 12 hrs. It was horrible, I couldn't imagine what dumping is like. My NUT just told me to continue to try new foods and watch sugar and fat. Try one at a time so you know what your body doesn't agree with and then I can try again in a few weeks or months. Sometimes some things take longer than others. So far, the pit beef was the only thing I have had an issue with.

I just think you are thinking that you are going to be incapacitated after the surgery which is most likely not going to be the case. Most people need a week or two at the most and are up and around. Should you be picking up small children? NO. But you are not going to be bed ridden and not be able to do most of the things you do now after a week or so.

I had bypass and I am kinda fresh at only 7 weeks post op but I will gladly answer any questions that I can.

I guess it depends on your BMI. I had to do the liver shrink diet for two weeks prior to my band removal. I know that my surgeon did an EGD and an UGI with 15 degree head tilt. It was to prove that I had reflux/esophagus issues related to the band, and it would support my case for revision to RNY. So I'm wondering what the process would be to get your revision covered if the surgeon didn't do the tests to prove you were having issues. Maybe it's something to ask the surgical coordinator. It may not be necessary for every insurance company.

Hello all! I want to get my lapband removed because of acid reflux issues. I had LB done in 2001. I saw a surgeon who listened to my complaints and agreed that I should have it removed & recommended getting a gastric bypass to help me lose weight. (I had hoped to get the revision done at the same time but he will only do two separate surgeries three months apart.) I have two concerns. He never did any tests to confirm problems with band and didn't even do a short physical exam when I met him for a consultation. (I thought he would want to feel where my port was and look at the scars from the past surgery). He told me that he'd have his insurance specialist work with my insurance. I didn't think my insurance would cover the removal but they have. The surgery scheduler called me yesterday and surprised me by saying that my insurance approved the procedure and did I want to schedule it in four days! I was shocked. I figured I would need to do the liver shrinking diet for at least a week. Am I being overly concerned? Is the lapband removal such a simple procedure that no prep is needed? The doctor has good reviews and was nice when I saw him. Thank you in advance for any insight/opinions anyone can give me. Holly Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

I had my gallbladder removed 12 weeks after having my Lap Band placed. It was already an issue before I even had my band placed tho. When it was removed we found out that it was porcelainized. It's rare for that to happen but it was precancerous, so I'm happy it was removed. No complications or issues afterwards. It was one of the easiest surgeries I've had tbh.

Wls is renowned for making infertile women, very, very fertile right after surgery. Even those with PCOS. So if you suspect pregnancy is a possibility, take a test. And what others have said, double up on birth control. As Arabesque said, wls changes our hormones and rarely it can even induce menopause in those women who are perimenopausal. This forum is full of threads of previously infertile women becoming pregnant in the weeks and months after wls because they weren't expecting to become fertile so quickly after surgery.

You can have more than 80g protein, but it is actually possible to get TOO much protein. At least for a "normal" person, Since bypass patients don't absorb everything it might be harder, I am not sure about that part. I would probably do protein shakes at work since you don't get breaks. You can't really eat fast enough to sneak a quick meal in. It would just be a bite or 2 at a time and take forever to eat which may classify as "grazing". I am about 7 weeks post op and it takes me about 30 minutes to eat 2oz of meat and a few bites of veggies.

Not every one develops gall stones after weight loss surgery. Many actually had them already. They are caused by high cholesterol or high bilirubin levels & can develop during menopause. As you lose weight cholesterol, which is stored in your fat, is released as you lose weight & can cause stones to form. They found a stone at about my 6/7 month mark after a ultra sound to check my liver function. Don’t know when mine formed as I was menopausal before my sleeve, my cholesterol had gone from a steady for years 5 to 5.6 as I lost weight (it’s 4.1 now) & I have high bilirubin. I won the lottery of causes. Never had symptoms before my first attack 25 months after my sleeve surgery. I had my gall removed about two weeks later. The gall removal surgery recovery was similar but different to my sleeve. After sleeve, I had no gas or pulled or strained abdominal muscles. I had a lot of gas pains & muscle strain affecting my movements for a good week after the gall surgery. But no restricted diet, constipation or diarrhoea, no swallowing issues of course so that was a plus. My surgeon used the same incision sites he’d made for my sleeve. I was home the next day. Same weight restrictions for lifting & same no driving for a week again. He sent me home with some opioid pain meds but I didn’t take them. Did take one nurofen, with his permission, on day 3 but no pain meds at all after that. Just put up with the gas & muscle pain. Haven’t heard about a potential for weight gain. I have gained 2kgs in the last five months but continued to maintain my weight for 6 months after the gall was removed. I attribute the weight gain to starting a higher dose HRT & working on increasing my protein in that same five months. Plus I’m at the 3 year mark & there is always a potential for weight gain during that 2 or 3 year mark. Since my gall removal I don’t absorb protein well anymore which was unexpected & is likely just me. We tried medication (creons) for 3 months which didn’t seem to help hence my increasing my protein intake. I’m back on creons to give them a longer go. I am noticing my hair is thinner (not shedding like after the sleeve) & my nails are weaker because of the protein issue. The other odd side effect of no gall is I have random diarrhoea attacks. Usually every 2 or 3 weeks. Almost like there’s a build up acid, which the gall used to regulate. It irritates the bowel & causes the diarrhoea. My sister in law is the same & she hasn’t had weight loss surgery. My aunt says if she eats anything fatty she gets nauseous. Not everyone is prescribed meds for gall stones after surgery. Personally, it seems odd to prescribe meds to dissolve gall stones before you have them. I did ask my surgeon about dissolving the stone after my attack but he said: if you grow one stone you will grow another so it’s best to remove the gall. I have three friends who have had sleeve surgeries too within the last 4 years. None of us were prescribed urisidiol or similar & I’m the only one to form a stone. But your surgeon must have their reasons for doing so.

I'd get mine every month but it would go on for a few weeks nonstop...

I am so very sorry for your loss, Star Wars & Cupcakes. I had gastric sleeve surgery on November 30th and very tragically lost my younger brother and only sibling on April 12th. The grief can be unbearable and I often feel so much anxiety that I want to crawl out of my skin. So I decided to join a running (for me, walk/run) group 5 Weeks to 5K training. I did it so that I could release some of this painful anxiety, sleep better, and be around a supportive group of people in beautiful nature (lucky me I get to run near the ocean and in redwood forests). I even got my 70 year old mom to join it with me! In addition to that I walk with both of my parents as much as I can. We are heartbroken, our lives changed forever so suddenly, and the exercise, nature, and supportive group of people has been very therapeutic. (((HUGS))) Star Wars & Cupcakes, and thanks for starting this thread for other people to refer to in the future.