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Yasso bars are really good, with a little protein boost and the benefit of a single-serving portion size for control. I also love making "nice cream" using frozen fruit and a Yonana machine. So amazing! You don't even have to use bananas (I'm not a huge fan). I have done just frozen mango, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, you name it. My kids love it too. I buy the big bags of frozen fruit and it's a huge treat all summer that I feel good about. But I have also had a few bites of real ice cream as it is now ice cream season in New England and our dairies have the most amazing choices and quality ingredients. But it's very rich, so I can only eat a small bit at a time. I don't keep ice cream in the house (store bought doesn't compare, anyway), so I have to go out for it, and I won't order my own but always share with a friend so I can just have a few bites. My feeling is you need to find a balance between health and happiness, so I don't think any food is off limits forever. You just have to be sensible and listen to your body to find the right balance.

Protein water is really nice, or drinkable yogurts, Fairlife milk mixed with some decaf coffee, or something like sugar free pudding mix in a favorite flavor made with Fairlife milk. Blended cottage cheese if it's allowed (when you put it in the blender, you get rid of the chunks and it turns the consistency of a thick sour cream, so it might be okay). Oh, PB2 peanut butter powder mixed into plain yogurt is also good. The only protein shake I can stand these days is Syntrax Nectar Natural in orange flavor. It reminds me of Tang, sort of, and it looks like orange juice, so I can pretend I'm having an orange juice instead of a shake. All the rest of them are going to be going in the trash soon because after surgery I lost my taste for them completely. But basically, focus your energy on hydration. You're only a week out. If you are low on protein and barely eat anything, it'll sort itself out in the coming weeks. Try your best, but don't worry if you come up short. Your body can handle a few weeks of not getting much nutrition. If you have to choose, choose to hit your fluid goal first and don't force yourself to eat foods if you aren't feeling it. And stop with the broth. Sounds like you don't like it, and it's not required for healing. After buying a ton of really expensive bone broth, I disliked it on its own and never had it at all during the liquid phase. Now I use it to make bean soup.

Have you tried clear protein drinks? They have several brands out there. I liked the premiere protein fruit punch. I suggest trying a larger convenience store to see what they have so you can buy just one of things to try.

Hey Yall. Very very new to this but I need some help. I had gastric sleeve surgery on May 10th. The liquid diet leading up to it, and afterwards was absolutely torture for me (I know it's really hard on everyone) but I could barely get broth down, especially post op. When I say that, I mean the idea of drinking more and more broth, no matter what kind or flavor, made me feel absolutely nauseous. And I literally gagged trying to get it down. Needless to say, I didn't get much broth down, but I tried to stay as consistent as I could with protein shakes, which also had a similar effect on me. So when today came around, I was so excited because finally I could slowly try to incorporate foods that didn't make me want to vomit when I thought about them. I started slow with just a yogurt for breakfast, taking tiny bites, with 2 minutes in between bites. That went down pretty well. For lunch, I tried an applesauce, repeating the same process as with the yogurt. Again, that went down fine. Throughout the day, I also timed taking my vitamins, so as not to push a bunch of pills down my throat at once, I was afraid of the effect it would have on my stomach. My plan for dinner was to have some tomato soup, and maybe even put in a little extra flavorless protein, because I hadn't gotten in as much protein as I should of during the day. But before I could make the soup, I started feeling disgusting. And the thought of eating anything else makes me feel nauseous. But I know if I go back to the clear liquid stage for a bit longer, I'm going to be struggling to get more broth down. I just don't know what to do. I feel like I'm completely undernourishing myself and it would be even worse if I went back to the clear liquid stage. I've talked to my nutritionist about it, and she only told me to try drinking other types of broth. Which I have. I've tried every kind you can think of. And she said if that doesn't work, to try to drink Gatorade zero to at least make sure I'm staying hydrated. I have just reached a point of such regret. I feel like I'm just going to get sick before I can get better. I'm at a point where I would rather live my life the way it was, than to feel like this for months. I know it's too late for that, but man, never let anyone tell you this is the easy way out.

I eat Yasso bars.. I highly recommend them. They're Greek yogurt, decent protein and have 100 calories and taste just like ice cream - mint chip and fudge brownie are delicious. I also have a iCreami and make "ice cream" protein shakes. But if all else fails - fudgcicles at 40 calories low sugar.

I completely understand your frustration, in the last 8 weeks I've lost and regained the same two pounds. I'm 9 months in..so very close to your timeframe. I read in my bariatric clinic handbook to contact the clinic if weight loss stops longer than 4-5 weeks. I have an appointment next week at which time I will be asking for answers. Like you, I am always at a calorie deficit, I watch every single calorie, fat, sugar and carb gram sticking to my 800 calories a day, 80 protein grams, 50 net carbs a day. My labs are "perfect"... So yeah I do understand, I'm sorry you're going through this, especially for longer than I have. What did your doctor recommend/say? As far as being cold, there are numerous posts here on the forum with other WLS patients discussing being cold all the time - do a search to find them. In fact, as I type this I have a heating pad on my back and an electric blanket on in front - its 56°F here too cold!!! Before surgery I would have been fine, I kept my heat on during the winter at 55° and was comfortable where as everyone else was chilly. So, its completely normal. I was wearing a long sleeve shirt in 76° sunshine the other day and was still chilly. So rest assured your being cold is completely normal! Let us know what your doctor said and keep us updated!

I’m 8 day out post op and have lost 20 pounds. It’s incredible, I feel great and I am ready to get back to life. I am also getting tired of protein shakes. I have been having some soup(strained) to help break up some of monotonous of just the protein drinks.

I had my surgery May 14, 2024. I am just trying to get all the water in that I can. It is hard to believe that I got my surgery. It doesn't seem real. Tomorrow, I introduce protein shakes back into my diet. I really hope it goes well.

Congrats!!! The first 2-3 weeks seriously suck. After that, it gets easier and you really start to learn your new body. Just prioritize walking, getting in your fluids, and getting in your protein. Don't rush things, stick to your meal plan, and trust the process. Weight loss stalls are NORMAL and to be expected. Watch for NSVs (Non Scale Victories) when the scale isn't moving. You got this!!

100% with you! I mean technically, there's no "normal" weight loss in the sense that all our bodies are different to begin with, all of us have different health complications or diet restrictions, etc -- but I think you're doing really well if it helps! I'm 2 months post-op myself and have had two 'short' stalls of about a week each time. I think at the time, one of the members in the forums mentioned that the stalls are basically your body doing a bit of a reset/reboot to find a new equilibrium before moving forwards again. Don't get discouraged! Keep at it, or maybe juggle a few of your meals/proteins around to see if a small change can kick you out of the stall. (For example, I was really reliant on greek yogurt and lowfat cottage cheese well past my puree stage. I avoided them for a few days after I noticed a stall, and ate more plant based protein and fish in the meantime -- and I honestly feel like my body responded like "oh, some new puzzle to figure out!" and shocked me out of my stall. I'm not saying change everything up but if there's a meal or a protein that you're really leaning on right now, maybe switch it up a bit and see what happens.)

I want to echo Nickel, and also point out that this is why many care teams warn you not to drink for at least 30 minutes post meal -- because the liquid will flush that meal down faster than you want it to in order to be able to absorb all those nutrients. I'm 2 months post-op, and even though I usually try to take my time with a protein shake and spread it over 30-40 minutes, sometimes at work I'll realized I downed it in 15-20 and am feeling no troubles. (But heaven forbid should I try to eat anything chewable in under 35 minutes, my body will punish me immediately lol)

All I can say is that I am honestly baffled by your response. I know that sometimes tone is not there in written communication and perhaps that’s where the problem lies but I did not intend in anyway to give you ridicule or be impolite. I was genuinely trying to be helpful by sharing my experience with you in case you didn’t realize that the medication really does work. I presented it as another option that would hopefully result in your not having to deal with the pain or bloat at all. This community has been very helpful and supportive for me over the past three years and I try my very best to do the same for others. I wish you the best of luck in your journey and hope that you give others the benefit of the doubt that they are indeed trying to be helpful In the future because I have found nothing but kindness and support here and believe you will as well.

Another question I would personally ask is about NSAIDS post surgery. I know they are okay on occasion with sleeve and pretty much a definite no after bypass but I wonder about the mini bypass if they are okay. After running into a few occasions that I was advised to take NSAIDS and having doctors flat out refuse to give me prescription pain meds because I am not supposed to take them I would prefer to have the option to take them on rare occasion if necessary.

I had gastric sleeve in Mexico in 2008. It was a good experience and I lost over 80 pounds in less than a year and reached my goal weight. My sleeve was wonderful and it was a good decision for me. I kept the weight off with ease until 2014 when I tore my right rotator cuff at work, was put on steroid treatments for almost a year until the insurance would allow surgery. While on steroids and following the first rotator cuff surgery, I tore the left rotator cuff in 2 places ( starting a powerwasher) which required an additional year of steroid treatments and more surgery. In the process or healing the left side, I tore the right rotator cuff again which caused more steroids and physical therapy and another surgery. In physical therapy they caused damage to the nerve in my left elbow which required the nerve in my elbow to be moved into the muscle. This was a very painful surgery and was difficult to overcome, hence more steroids, Gabapentin and pain meds for nerve pain. Needless to say, 2015 thru 2018 was difficult and I began to put on weight ten pounds here and there that I could not take off. No matter what I did, the weight sticks to my mid section and thighs. After trying for several years, I had just given up the battle. I had regained all of my weight by 2020 and am now able to eat just as much as always. I developed a cough in 2012 that my doctors said was asthma. Meds rarely help it. The heavier I get the worse it gets. I am starting to developed sleep apnea and rather than being put on a breathing machine at night, I am determined to get the weight off and then see where I am with sleeping issues. I contacted my doctor in Mexico and requested information on the sleeve revision and they also discussed the Bypass with me. I was accepted to have either one and due to an out of state job I am on at the time, I am tentatively scheduled for revision surgery in mid August. I have until the end of July to pay the difference and elect to have the bypass if that is what I choose to do. I am looking for information on both and looking for surgery buddies that may be having bypass or sleeve revision surgery in August that may want to share information or may have suggestions to help me decide which surgery to elect to have. My surgeon recommended the bypass or the min-bypass as the best option for me at my age and indicated that I would lose more weight with the bypass than the revision. I was recommended to visit this site to see others experiences and suggestions. Anyone out here have any information they want to share?

I had surgery 3/22/2024 and have only been able to drink a few ounces an hour. This morning I woke up hungry and drank a 12 oz Protein Drink with 35 minutes, I have NOT been able to do that since before surgery. Have I inadvertently stretched my stomach? My eating yesterday was still only 3-4 oz per meal and Water in between. I really don’t want to mess up this surgery. I am 8 weeks post op and I thought my stomach could only hold 4 oz - but the drink is 12 oz.

@BlueParis I think you should try rocking the Queen Elizabeth look! I'm glad you've gotten to the bottom of the anemia and blood pressure concerns, and hopefully addressing that will help with your temperature regulation. I'm still losing so slowly, which is frustrating. But at least it's going the right direction again. I weighed in at 201 lbs this morning, which I also had hit a week ago but then bounced up for several days. I think the scale is just teasing me because I'm so close to being under 200. I'm trying not to let it bother me but it's hard. I'm only down 4 lbs in the past month, and only 22 since surgery, despite hitting protein, water, and exercise goals daily. I look forward to talking to my surgeon's office about it next week.

I’m with you on not wanting to spend much on clothes right now. I’m going over to raid my daughter’s closet because I had just given her a bunch of my jeans a few months back. I am down to a US waist size 29 in jeans right now and I had held on to a few of my favorites but given her most of them. I can’t sew at all so I have resorted to posting my bigger clothes online to try and get bit of money out of them that I can turn around and put into some new clothes. I do still have quite a few smaller clothes I never let go of though. I get my post op blood work done next week and I’m pretty sure it will show I’m anemic also. I’m covered in huge bruises. I started to have a small amount of hair loss the past week so I’m bummed out and I have started watching what I eat much better. I was slacking so now I chart everything and get my exercise in everyday. I’m getting my 100gms of protein, 64 oz of water, cut out any soda and sweet tea again and went back to zero sugar. I was on my second stall but I have started slowly moving again. I’m currently at 170lbs so 37lbs total lost so far and 25lbs to go. I don’t have much support. My best friend and my mother were totally against this surgery when I said I was going to do it. My mother passed away before I made it through all the hoops. It took me a year to meet all their requirements. My best friend still can not show any support but I am already 100% happier with myself and I feel so much better already even with the challenges I know we have all faced. This group has been a lifesaver even though I don’t always post I do follow. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories and all the support. ❤️

I second the protein coffee. I had sleeve three years ago and heard all about it but never tried. Now I’m pending revision and decided to give it a try and I love it. To the point I have to be sure I don’t get too much protein because it’s so good. I got out of the swing of taking my vitamins as well and I’m working on a routine now. I take my multivitamin right after my morning coffee (just be sure it’s a whole protein shake or it may not be enough in your stomach to keep the vitamin down). I keep my multivitamin in the kitchen cabinet with the cups I use for coffee now to remind me to grab them. I sit them right next to my iced “proffee” as I’m drinking it so I don’t forget (I’m pretty bad so yes it does take that many reminders). Then I return the empty cup and the vitamins to the kitchen. As far as the calcium I haven’t gotten back into the swing of that yet but I intend to take it with lunch and dinner to make things easy. I think maybe alarms on my phone may be necessary untill I get back into a routine.

I also drink multiple coffees per day, but I include a 30g protein shake in each one (it serves both as a creamer and as a sugar, so I just add it to dark roast black coffee). My biggest piece of advice is to create a workable routine that hits all of your goals. There is nothing wrong with having a protein shake+coffee for breakfast (I do it every morning). I have two of them before noon, which gets me to 60g protein before lunch. I take my vitamins with the morning coffee. If you need to move your vitamins and supplements next to your coffee maker to remember to take them each morning, do that. As much as possible, try to put your protein/water/vitamins/supplements on autopilot.

Blueberry vanilla (Semi scratch made) protein waffle. With the added yogurt and blueberries it was a little tart but still good. I think pre WLS I would eat 2 of these, or 1 with sides but I can’t remember anymore. I think the biggest change is that I prioritize protein in meals now and pre WLS I didn’t even think about it. How does everyone feel about breakfast? Skip or no? What about “breakfast foods”?

I‘m so sorry you’re struggling with the cold. I’m afraid I’m one that also goes out in the winter with no coat, but mine is due to adrenal insufficiency. I’m always running hot which is a curse in itself. As RonHall said they do have the heated jackets etc here that a battery goes in the pocket. I bought one for my husband a few years ago and he loves it. They do come in black so you wouldn’t be stuck in camo or bright orange and I believe some of the women’s jackets are even fitted so it might be an option for you to stay comfortable. I bought one on Amazon. I hope you get some sunshine and warmer weather soon. Here in Kansas we’ve had several days of clouds and rain. I don’t suffer from being cold but it sure doesn’t motivate me to do much.

Day 2 post op gastric bypass. Staying hydrated and living on yogurt. Now i have diarrhea…so hydration is gonna be tough. On the plus side all the pressure i was feeling is gone. Nurse said i need more protein and it will help the diarrhea. Anyone else have this issue postop?

you're in the infamous three-week stall. Happens to most of us. It's not ALWAYS the third week, but that's the most common (hence, the name), but most of us experience our first major stall within the first month or so after surgery. Best way to deal with it is to make sure you're following your clinic's plan to a "T", and stay off the scale for a few days. As long as you're following your program, the stall WILL break, and you'll be on your way again. It usually takes 1-3 weeks. It's basically your system recalibrating - and this will likely be the first of many stalls. re: bowel movements - constipation is a common issue after WLS. It's because of the high protein diet and supplements some of us take (iron and calcium are particularly notorious for this). It should improve once you start eating fiber again, but many of us have to take things like Miralax, magnesium tablets, or stool softeners daily to keep on top of it.

thanks I’m drinking my liquids, and eating all low carb, high protein food (limited to soft proteins, so chicken, yogurt, etc). I think since I’m not eating veggies right now, I don’t have regular bowel movements ( or as usual as before).

If all you're eating is protein, the weight will come off. Don't worry about a quick stall! Sent from my SM-G981U1 using Tapatalk