Search the Community

Zoe don’t be too hard on yourself. In a month I have managed to eat every single thing they have told me to avoid. I just do not eat much of it. While I used to destroy a carton of ice cream, I was completely fine with a few bites. One slice of pizza at my favorite restaurant doesn’t kill me. I am full and feel like I deserve the reward after a long week. I don’t look at these things as failing. I look at them as adjusting to my new life. It is not realistic to think that I am going to live the rest of my life avoiding everything on the very large naughty list. The naughty list is things that I eat less of. No longer an entire large pizza. Now a slice. No longer an entire box of Chips Ahoy. Now three with some skim fairlife milk. And I am still losing my 2 to 3 pounds a week which my doctor says is healthy weight loss. Some days I don’t get enough protein. Other days I get extra. There is nothing magic that happens at midnight that resets your nutritional needs. If I average out enough protein a week I am happy. There is a support group here in Miami which is helpful because you get to hear first hand from people a year and later post op how they eventually fell into a routine and now most people seem to not think of their surgery as a burden like I feel it is now. I keep reminding myself that this is a lifetime lifestyle surgery and not a quick fix. Losing 100 pounds in 2 months would be very satisfying but is not healthy for your organs or your healing. I do get jealous of the people who can eat whatever they want. Some of my favorite foods do not sit well at all with me. Eggs are still a no for me. Shrimp is death. My favorite chips and the spicy salsa at my Mexican restaurant had my drenched in sweat on the curb trying not to vomit in the gutter while my friends frantically went for the car. We never even got to order the meal. My surgeon for my 30 day follow up said that with time I will be able to enjoy small amounts of all these things again and to just continue to proceed cautiously. He is pleased with my weight loss and my healing and that is all you can ask for.

Does anyone else feel like they’re failing at this? I can’t seem to get enough fluids or protein. Nothing seems to be bothering me diet-wise (just started phase 3), but still can’t seem to get the hang of it. Then, tonight I had like a 1/5th piece of veggie pizza. Of course I feel super guilty and like I’ve ruined myself or something, which I doubt is the case, but still. I have eaten what feels like nothing but lunch meat and protein shakes, a few little bits of grilled chicken. Had a few little broccoli florets and nothing is kicking back. I keep waiting for some sort of recourse, and I guess I’m lucky??? But trying to make just healthier choices, chewing super well, etc. I think unflavored protein powder may have to become my new best friend over these next few weeks, maybe longer. I can’t eat very much at all, unsurprisingly, and that makes it difficult to get adequate protein. I actually don’t even know where I’m going with this. I just feel like I’m doing it wrong and ruining everything. First week post op I lost an obscene amount of weight, but I don’t feel like I look any different. I want to keep momentum and keep losing, but also do things sustainably so that I can stick with it. is anyone else struggling to find a good rhythm? I can’t be alone in this, right?

Several people have mentioned that at this point 800 cal/day is too low, your body is probably in starvation mode. Try to increase to 1000 cal/day, same type of food but slightly larger portions. This will help you feel fuller while hopefully kickstarting your metabolism again. Drink a LOT between meals to fill up your stomach too (but wait at least 30 minutes after eating before drinking anything). I personally hate drinking water so I drink lots and lots of crystal light lemonade. It has almost no calories and is still 99.99% water. Try supplementing your breakfast with a protein shake. That will help you reach your protein goals while also filling you up. I drink one Premier Protein every single morning after breakfast (Chocolate flavor!) It feels like I'm treating myself and I'm adding 30 grams of protein every day. That usually keeps me satisfied until lunch. You said you're logging now - are you also weighing your foods? If not, you are likely grossly underestimating your portion sizes. My wife made a chicken stir-fry for dinner tonight and I decided to have some - I weighed out 4.5 oz into a bowl and it looked like a VERY small portion - she was shocked when I told her how much it was, it was actually a little more than I've been eating lately (3-4 oz per meal). It was actually really filling though, but if I just eyeballed it I almost definitely would have eaten too much and not even realized it. The "surgery is a tool" can mean several things. For some (most?) it provides an automatic restriction so that you physically can't eat as much as you used to without getting sick. For those who had gastric bypass, it also provides an incentive for what you're eating to be healthy in order to avoid dumping syndrome. Bypass patients also get the benefit of malabsorption. For others, it's the knowledge that you underwent major permanent surgery as a last ditch effort to get healthy and that can help change your mindset about eating. I'm in the position to have gone through both major weight loss surgeries. I had the sleeve in December 2016 and lost about 120 pounds in about six months. I was a regular on the forums here, I tracked every single bite (my personal recommendation is My Fitness Pal - I also weighed myself every morning (which is not always recommended) and took a full body photo with the app once a week to see my progress), Then I had some personal/profession issues which screwed up my schedule and my mindset and slowly began to gain weight back. I stopped tracking, stopped eating healthy, and all of a sudden a few years later I realized I had regained almost all of the pre-surgery weight. I was depressed, upset, embarrassed, ashamed, but I decided to do something about it and I went back to my doctor (I had stopped going to appointments too) and he said I was a good candidate for revision surgery to gastric bypass. It's been just over 4 weeks since that surgery and I'm down 36 pounds so far - not losing as quickly as the first surgery, but still losing. I still track religiously, and follow the meal plan exactly the way it was given to me (first month, soft high-protein foods with no fruits and veggies, no sugar, no bread, pasta, etc.), just starting my second month by adding some veggies to every meal. I had a couple of brief stalls but I kept with the program and they went away. I've been slowly increasing my daily calories and that has helped as well (still below 1000 most days but I've gone as high as 1200). In order to feel like I'm not depriving myself of sweets, I have one or sometimes two containers of sugar-free chocolate and vanilla swirl Jello every day. Last time after a few months I added a small portion of Halo Top ice cream as a daily dessert - very low calories, low or no carbs, and delicious. It's important not to feel that you're depriving yourself. Another thing to look at is your sleep - are you getting enough sleep? When I get a good night's sleep I lose about a pound over night. The times when I don't get enough sleep are the days I notice a stall or even a slight increase in weight. Given your starting weight is there a chance you have sleep apnea? I was diagnosed with sleep apnea several years ago and started using a CPAP, my sleeping improved dramatically. Ultimately, the surgery is not a magic bullet, although when things are going well it can seem like magic, but that happens when you put in the work. It's not bullshit, or useless, it has helped many many people who have tried everything else (myself included). You said you lost 30 lbs so far, that's great! That's 30 lbs you probably wouldn't have lost without the surgery. Now you have to figure out how to kickstart the rest of your journey. To summarize, here's what I would do if I were in your place: 1 - Increase your calories - same healthy foods for larger portions 2 - Increase your protein - add a protein shake after breakfast if necessary (wait 30 minutes after eating first) 3 - Increase your liquid intake - drink water if you enjoy it, or mix up some crystal light lemonade or something similar, drink ALL THE TIME 4 - Get a good night's sleep 5 - Keep tracking everything - make sure you WEIGH everything you eat, never eyeball. You can get a basic food scale for 10 bucks 6 - Don't give up! I know it's frustrating but based on your posts you're in a tough headspace right now. If you keep going on about how the surgery is bullshit, useless, etc. it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Good luck!

Do you see a psychiatrist for your antidepressant medication? Finding the right medication is a trial and error process. Since you are still depressed (sad), the one you are on may not be the best one for you, especially if it is interfering with your desired weight loss. Psychiatrists know far more about psychotropic medication than general practitioners. Here is the food plan that I have been on pre-surgery. I'm just three days away from my scheduled revision surgery. When I can eat regular food again I intend to go back on it. It's been very successful for me. Part of the success has been my recognition of trigger foods. I have cut out all sugar, flour, rice, potatoes, and processed foods and have lost 67 lbs to date. If I indulge in these things, I have to go through withdrawal all over again. Then, if I avoid my trigger foods, I do not have cravings. A Pound of Cure by Matthew Weiner, MD, a bariatric surgeon. He's written two other books, has a website and YouTube videos.

You might need more than 800 calories. I was supposed to get a minimum of 1200 as soon as possible after surgery. I've found that hard to get to sometimes and when I can't get there my weight loss stalls. It's entirely possible you are eating too little and that is sabotaging your efforts.

I am so sorry you're going through this. It is so frustrating, and I agree with you about our corrupt healthcare system. From reading comments, some people are blaming unvaccinated for the shut down of elective surgeries. Both vaccinated and unvaccinated are getting covid, so let's (collectively) not get on our high horses about being vaccinated. (I'm vaccinated but don't give 1,000 flips whether a person is vaccinated or not - your body, your choice). I had my surgery in August 2021 right before the idiot governor stalled elective surgeries. I was on a recovery floor half full of covid patients, all of whom were homeless and put there by the state - such a sham. The only thing that got my surgery pushed through was that I was self pay. My insurance covered it, but I didn't want to jump through their stupid hoops and I wanted control over the timing of the surgery. My surgeon's office staff told me that it helped to be self pay, because after all costs were paid by Blue Cross Blue Shield (my insurance provider), the surgeon only made about $1,500 for my surgery. So they pushed to get me through the day before elective surgeries were shut down by the state. I pay about $800 a month for insurance. I had Stage 3 cancer in 2019 and still spent about $25k in out of pocket costs. I paid $1,700 for a PT scan myself because it was going to take the insurance company over a month to approve the scan, and since it was cancer I didn't want to wait that long. The healthcare system is broken, and insurance companies are evil. I 100% agree that politicians should stay TF out of healthcare. They came up with the BS food pyramid and look how great that has worked out for us. (Read Good Calories, Bad Calories, it's shocking how political corruption and food lobbyists in the corn industry and others led to the obesity epidemic in the U.S.). It's the insurance lobbyists and the politicians who suck up to them with their hands out who have screwed us. Sorry to hijack your post! I'm just very passionate about corruption across the board in the US, especially when it comes to how it negatively impacts us as citizens. Good luck and keep us posted about how things go for you. Hang in there, the surgery is worth it. Sent from my SM-N976V using BariatricPal mobile app

Yes, I would do it again. My husband was not in favor (although he supported what I decided). A family member who is a doctor cautioned me that some of his patients had gained back all the weight. However, three of my doctors at teaching hospitals recommended it, and showed me the research. It’s been such a blessing, as finally I am able to lose so much excess weight (I thought I would go to my grave obese). And I feel that as long as I follow the eating guidelines, it will stay off. This is my answer, even though from what I gather, I had a much harder recovery than most people on this forum. I vomited multiple times a day for two months before it stopped. I did have regrets at first, but my surgeon said it would stop. Once the nausea subsided, it has been sunny skies.

Hi all! Had my surgery on 22nd November so im almost 4 weeks post op. The last 2 weeks though, ive noticed ill become really nauseous about an hour after dinner. Ive noticed its around when i take my iron supplement and rabeprazole(only have 2 doses of that left) . Im just finding it weird, its only after dinner ill have the nausea. Not sure if its because of the pills? Or something else? I knew nausea would be a side effect i might experience but the same time each day? Im not usually the one to vomit either but have been quite close to it at times! Takes me about 5-10mins of like meditating to make sure i dont vomit and then all of a sudden its gone. Has anyone experiences anything similar? Of course ill be asking my surgeon at my next appointment.

So I'll soon be moving to soft/regular diet phase and I was wondering how did your average calories look like 1 month, 2 months, 3 months etc post-Op? I believe Sleeve vs Bypass folks may have different # of average calories given the different anatomy. I do have a dietician's appt next week so just wanted to get some numbers. Wanna be prepared with any concerns or questions I have may.

So my scale seems to be finally moving after almost 10 days of stall post the clear fluid phase. Let's see how it does by the end of this month. I try to stay away from the scale but I keep getting drawn to it every morning 😂 I don't get too bogged down with stalls after having heard of them here for months now. So I don't mind weighing myself daily. I'll be happy as long as scale moves after a certain point and I hit appropriate goal every month. Hope everyone is doing well with their diets. I still have 11 more days of full fluid diet phase.

On week 5 of liquid diet - thank goodness surgery is the 22nd because I am having such a hard time the past week sticking to this liquid diet and I have cheated a few times. I am starving still - have been the entire 5 weeks. My stomach is constantly growling and everyone in my family can hear it all day and all night. I am so excited to get this done and not feeling the hunger pains anymore lol I can’t wait to see us all start loosing the weight and being healthy!

I had my surgery a week before you and I have lost 16lbs so I think you're doing amazingly well! Keep up the good work 💪

I believe it was because I moved to include meats 2 weeks post op and mashed foods (FF refried beans and right rice) and cheese.

I just had VSG surgery on 12/10. I was so nervous the weeks leading up to my surgery. I had anxiety and trouble sleeping but you know what? I did it and I’d do it again. The decision was easy but the process is difficult. You just have to get through it. Remember why you decided to do this. Remember how good you are going to feel afterwards. Today makes a week. I’m home, moving around and tolerating liquids and some applesauce. It’s hard to predict how you will feel 6 weeks post op but imo, you get stronger everyday. Your body is going to go through a lot of changes after a surgery like this. I’m still early in mines, I’m sore, not as strong as I was but also had 85% of my stomach removed. I wish you all the best and know that any choice you make you YOUR choice. Take care 💜

First, congrats on your prior weight loss and sobriety!! Since altering your diet have you been tracking your food again? If not you may want to try that and go back to basics. Back to the way we're told to eat once we hit that "regular food" stage. Not sure what you were told but for me that means 800 cals a day, 50 grams or less of total carbs, 60-75 grams of protein, 64 oz of water and the carbs you do eat should be from things like fruits/veggies/whole grains. You don't know how many times I thought I was doing everything right until I actually started counting/using the food tracker app again. Since Oct 25th I've been in a stall. Thought I had my crap together and doing things right until I sent my nutritionist my food logs to ask for help and suggestions and she pointed out what I was doing wrong and where I was inconstant. So I made the corrections and things are already improving and it's only been a week. Anyway, I too suggest the therapist but maybe also the nutritionist to help you get on track again. She or he would have the best suggestion on how to help you get going again. Best of luck!!!

My only real pain came from the one incision spot where they pull your stomach through. And even then it wasn't a constant all day pain. Mostly just when I tried to lay back/flat/on my back or side. For the first 3-4 weeks I pretty much had to sleep semi reclined because that incision location felt like it was constantly tugging/pulling if I tried to sleep normally. Aside from what they gave me in the hospital, I think I took the pain killer at night only so that I could be as comfortable as possible when "trying" to sleep. And that was just for a few days, IIRC.

Weirdest NSV of the week: went back for a follow up with my PCP for something I went in for two weeks before surgery, and after the nurse entered in my weight she got an error because the drop was so large so quickly that she needed a supervisor to come make sure the numbers weren't added incorrectly, and flag my file. Once I caught on to why she was so confused and concerned, I explained about surgery and everyone was VERY relieved.

I started drinking coffee about 3 weeks post-op with no issues. BUT... I drink a tiny espresso, I don't and can't drink gallons of American sock water.

I'm not going to pee on your leg and tell you it's raining. You have to change your approach to food. It's vital. If you don't change your "old eating style", you will not succeed. It doesn't mean eliminate things, it means WAY smaller portions, sometimes to the point where it's not worth buying, say, separate steaks for you and your partner. At three months post-surgery, I literally could not finish a 28 ounce lobster tail before it went bad. If I'm REALLY lucky and my stomach is 100 percent empty, I can get 4-5 ounces of protein down before my restriction kicks in, and then it's hours before I want to eat again. Yesterday I made a pound of ground turkey breast into burgers, intending to eat half in one meal and half in another. I made it through four ounces of the stuff and was vaguely nauseated all day. You will have to eat your protein first, then your vegetables, then your starches. No exceptions. So if you get surf-n-turf, you might get two ounces of lobster and an ounce or so of wagyu down (I have trouble eating much steak, which is a shame given that steak is what I do), and you MIGHT have room for a few bites of vegetables, and MAYBE a bite or two of baked potato. And I mean little bites. If I get 2 oz. of rice or potato down, it's a lot. And I eat much more than your typical bariatric post-op patient because of how active I am. You also are going to have to give up, at least temporarily, drinking anything with dinner except maybe a sip or two of water to help drier proteins go down. That means no wine with dinner. Once you're used to how to eat, and once you're cleared for alcohol, a sip or two isn't going to kill you, but you simply won't have room for both wine and food even if you drink the wine first. I nursed a glass of Barolo for almost three hours in Vegas. tl;dr you can eat kind of whatever, but because you have so little room, you must prioritize your eating so you don't get sick, weak, or anæmic.

Some people are just slow losers. But everybody and every body is bound by the CICO (calories in calories out) equation. If you are eating in a caloric deficit, which literally every post-op bariatric patient (regardless of surgery) is, you are going to lose weight. It just may not be leaps and bounds. And for those who lost a ton of weight quickly, a lot of that is water weight and many of us stalled after our body recalculated its hydration needs, whereas many slow losers lose steadily. It. Will. Come. Off.

Hi, everyone seems to receive different advice from their NUT (post op). I started introducing meats back into my diet 2 weeks post op. I used my natural food processors (my chompers) so I wouldn't loose that natural texture. So, while shredding that rotisserie chicken is fine, your teeth should be doing the remaining work to make it puréed. The only advice my NUT gave me which was weird was to drink fluid while I ate.

I had three zoom meetings with my surgeon before the day, which was when I met him in person (though I don't remember him at all from that day!). I would be hesitant to not at least speak/zoom with the surgeon first, but that doesn't mean they're a bad doctor. Most surgeons have a terrible bedside manner, so maybe they're just trying to spare you that? Also, think about how the rest of the office is to work with, because they're the people you'll be in most contact with. The office I went through (recommended by my PCP and a top research hospital in the country) is a major pain to deal with. THEY tell you when your visits are; you can't schedule your own appointments at a time that works for you! Also, they took forever to get back to me prior to surgery. Now, they're better if it's a medical concern. I would ask to speak with her on the phone or in person, if either of those are an option. I almost went to another surgery center because the one I went to was so hard to deal with, but that was going to delay me a few more months... and I couldn't stand the idea of waiting another few months when I'd already waited 7 months!!! Best of luck whatever decision you make! And keep us posted.

Thanks! Me too. She told me that they already had canceled all of December surgeries - and there were only 4 for that month. So I am 5th in line. They are only canceling the first 2 weeks of Jan for now.. but who knows. Ugh Cue the emotional eating in retaliation of this news.

Do you mind sharing the location? since I am also worried about my 1/3 surgery getting canceled and I am starting my pre-op diet next week. Don't want to go on diet for nothing.