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p.s. tracking my calories is proving to be extra challenging with the amount of eating out im doing. i need to take the ridiculous amount of time to input all my food at these restaurants, or stop eating so much at said restaurants. neither if which i am willing to do. arg.

I had two strictures - at 4 weeks out and again at 8 weeks out. But I was told that they almost always occur during the first three months after surgery, so it's not very likely that that's what's going on with you. If it is, though, it's a super easy fix. Both times I felt like I had acid reflux. The first time I was puzzled since bypass usually cures that. After a couple of days of that, I suddenly couldn't keep food down, so I called my surgeon's office and they told me it was probably a stricture and they set up an appt, but they said if it got to the point where I couldn't even keep fluids down, to go to the ER (it never got to that point). The second time I knew what was going on because I had that acid reflux feeling again, so I made an appt to have the stricture "fixed". I never had any pain either time, though. It was an acid reflux feeling (which progressed to not being able to keep food down when I had the first stricture)

Some theatres in the US you are allowed to bring food in as well. The ones in malls especially. It supposed to be food from the malls food court but I have never had them say anything about bringing In my own food at those theatres. I think it’s just about money honestly. The snacks are astronomically more expensive than they cost in stores. The exact box of candy that you can buy for $1 in the store is $6. A regular popcorn is $9 and regular drink is $8. You get a little discount if you get a rewards card and go often or go on special days but it’s upwards of $10 for a small popcorn and drink on the cheapest day. You can get a popcorn/ drink combo at a food court in a store for $2 just for reference. I almost always bring my drink from home at minimum to save money. Post surgery I bring my snack. Usually a little bag of skinny pop and I make sure to eat food food before I go.

Celebrated my birthday last weekend and took an impromptu trip which consisted of visiting an obscene number of restaurants and trying different yummy foods. The highlight was this dessert platter the hubby ordered as my birthday cake: It had an insane amount of desserts. Guess what, I had a sever dumping episode after ingesting some of this monstrosity. A few of the desserts that were offered: Molten lava cake (had around half because it was effin delicious) Banana green tea cake (also yummy, only took one bite) A coconut custard topped with tropical fruits and passion fruit foam (two bites) 2 scoops of regular vanilla and vanilla bean ice cream Pistachio Mochi (ate half) Mango and passion fruit sorbets An endless amount of fruit Man I was so so stuffed. I need to post what normal food I ate soon Lol.

The Nurse ordered me in for a STAT CT for today and then told me to stay in town for results, but I can't get in anywhere until Tuesday Morning. She told me I should do a liquid diet but to add in cottage cheese and other soft foods. I wonder if she even heard me that it hurts when I eat? She mentioned a hernia or a bowel twist as a possibility but then told me to eat a soft diet and take laxatives. I am not constipated! UGH

@SpartanMaker okay I have all my food prepped and ready for this week so I am going to follow up with you next week, once I figure out my foods for the week! Thank you for all the advice and taking the time to go through this with me!

@ShoppGirl I have never tried the plain ones! I am so not a plain girl....I need a little razzle dazzle on all my foods. So far this one and the I Southwest salsa are good.

Hi! I was wondering if anyone who is 5+ years since surgery is still experiencing any issues? I find that when I eat certain foods, much like when I was about a year or so out, that I have a feeling of being too full and can’t keep the food down. It isnt all the time. And it isnt really if I eat too much or too fast. I still eat pretty small meals at any given time and typically just eat 6 or so very small meals. An example would be if I eat pasta, maybe 1/3 to 1/2 a cup may feel unbearable and too full and can’t keep the pasta down. It could be something random like a handful of jelly belly jelly beans. I would say it happens maybe 1 a week? Just curious if anyone else has this issue. I have done well at keeping the weight off since the surgery and have hovered around 130-140 for the past 2 years. I am fairly active 50’s, 5’5 female. Thanks!!

I'm 5 weeks out from surgery and the gas is what they used to "blow up" your abdomen like a balloon so that they can see everything while rearranging things in there. That goes away with time and I found that walking did the best. I also tried to move a lot, not just walking but raising my arms and doing tow pointing while sitting and things like that to move the air out of my abdomen. Also, try and use an abdominal binder, did they give you one to use on discharge? Sometimes that helps. I splinted my tummy with a pillow when I coughed. I had a tough time doing the sipping but got better over time, and even eating real food was a blessing. But as others have said, dehydration is the worst complication so keep sipping. The continued desire for food is called "head hunger". The brain is telling you that you are hungry, but how can you be, there is very little room in your stomach now, it is mind over matter. Time to find a hobby to keep your hands busy and out of the fridge. If you continue to have "head hunger" I would recommend BariNation that you can become a member of and join the support groups and member meet-ups to ask questions or get some group therapy where your people are. I'm a member and am in groups all the time, I started with them before surgery so I knew what to expect, and thankful for the wonderful support from my new friends. It is forty bucks for a month, and to me it is worth it, I spend less now in food. Just a thought to help you through the rough patches that are surely to come, especially the time when you are eating and having rapid weight loss, and hormone changes that cause your emotions to fly about. I find the support groups and meet ups to be so helpful.

I would probably hold off a bit. I mean if you strain everything out I guess it would still have a bit of the flavor but I don’t remember the broth being super flavorful. I confess it’s not a fave though so it’s been a while. I found a soup at Walmart that had a pretty flavorful broth. It was their Marketside brand chicken tortilla. It’s over near the deli where they have the Panera soups. Of course you need to strain with a very fine strainer. Their tomato bisque wasn’t bad either for purée stage. It’s pretty high in fat though. Not sure if that’s true of all tomato soups. You can just search deli soup or panara soup and see the options and view the nutrition labels. I spent a lot of time viewing labels and adding stuff to my cart that I could have on puree and added to my saved for later for the soft food stage while I was just laid up in bed. I bought WAY too much food but when I got to soft food I cooked every night and I froze a ton of food so it was nice when I started to exercise because when I get home late from a class I had stuff I pulled out of the freezer and put in fridge the night before. Now I intentionally Cook double batches of stuff so I don’t have to cook as often but I always have home cooked nutritious food.

I had mine 2 weeks ago tomorrow. Trying to adjust in a world that throws TV adverts for food at you non stop.

You are definitely not alone in all of this lovely. I have gone through that (still am) feeling of missing foods, and missing eating like I did! I think it was the familiarity and comfort that came with eating whatever I wanted, often to excess. It was my coping mechanism! It can feel very lonely and disorientating after surgery when that crutch is gone. My experience now where I can eat more, is that I still allow myself a 'treat', with is often some form of food that I am craving in terms of flavour if that makes sense! Like I will have a hot dog for dinner one evening, because I know that is isn't something I do with any kind of frequency! You can and will find new things you enjoy, and honestly, not having that control that food had over me previously has been a blessing. You're still early doors, but you will get there ❤️

Not 5+ years post op but I also have foods that definitely sit badly in my new stomach, 3.5 years on, mainly (but not only) carbs. Pasta, bread, crisps (chips for some of you) but also lettuce, seeds, and some meat products (offal especially). I get full quickly and stay uncomfortably full for a long time. I don't eat white carbs often - my usual diet is fairly low carb these days - but sometimes nothing else is on offer.

Hi all, This hit for me, I follow this guy on Youtube and he's great! He is not about the diet culture, he really focuses on the relationship with food and exercise. Check him out!

Hi there!! I have a vacation food photo build up. Here are some of the things I have eaten over the course of 8 days - of which all were shared with the hubby and my 2 kids - , the goal was to put on some of the weight I've lost in the past one and a half months, but came back to see that I lost even more weight, Boohoo.

My food choices lately have been questionable at best but, SALAD! A huge salad. Probably like 600 calories for the whole thing (won’t finish it in one go) but I just wanted all the briny pickled things with lettuce, feta, and eggs.

The first week of the pre surgical diet is hard @Skewiff especially when it’s as restricted as yours. Much of what you’re experiencing is withdrawals from carbs, sugar, caffeine (though you said you’re drinking coffee which is unusual). Not being able to eat solid food adds to the challenge as your cravings (for textures like crunch, flavours like salty or sweet and for specific foods) are still there. The second week is always easier. And after the surgery when you’re still on the liquid diet, you won’t be all that interested in eating or food. All the best with your surgery.

Thanks for all the comments. At least I know it's not just me going through this. And all the info you shared is good to know! I guess I'll up the protein in my food intake! Sounds like that's the best thing I can do. Oh. One more question! Does protein powder have amino acids?? Not that I can get a lot of that in, especially if it's filling! Thanks again!!

I think it may be too much volume too. I was advised 1/4 - 1/3 of a cup from purée. Also try thinning the purée more so it’s more liquid like for a coupe of days & see if that helps. But yes, going back to liquids for a couple of days or so won’t hurt either. Maybe try one meal puree, the other two liquids? I found tinned fish pureed disgusting and survived a lot on thicker soups & yoghurt. Luckily I could have thin scrambled eggs and thin instant oatmeal as well.

@Lilia_90 damn you guys ate very well love this! It's great you can share food with your husband my poor restrictive pouch. It keeps me from wanting to eat out. I also miss those experiences. I eat four or five bites on for this damn restrictive pouch, but I'm grateful. My mouth is watering that good looks good!

First of all, great job so far. You're doing fantastic! My understanding is the same as @catwoman7 regarding insurance companies. They typically don't want to pay for anything they don't absolutely have to and that definitely includes anything they consider purely cosmetic. Aetna may be different, but I doubt it. Up front, I wanted to mention that not everyone actually even needs plastic surgery. The younger you are and the less weight you had to lose, the more likely it is that eventually your body will adjust to the weight loss. Yes, it can take a few years, but you may find in the long run you're better off not going down that route. I also wanted to comment on your timeline. I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding that we somehow stop losing at 1 year, 2 years, or some other defined date. That's rarely true, so I would suggest not thinking that your weight will stabilize at 12 months. You may get to 12 months and decide you'd like to go lower. Heck, I'm 2.5 years out and still losing (albeit really slowly). I'd suggest waiting until you you feel like you want to start maintaining, rather than just going by an arbitrary date. If your weight stays stable for a while (I personally would go longer than 6 months, but that's me), then looking to plastics may be appropriate. I mention this because I think it would be awful to have plastic surgery, especially if self-pay, then lose even more weight and still end up with sagging skin that you dislike.

I find the Bariatric diet and keto pretty similar. More fat typically in keto. It was my go to diet for food craving control. If I lick sugar… I can’t stop. So, it helps. As with all restrictive diets many times micronutrients are lost and need supplemented. Kinda lucky we are always testing ours to tailor replacement :). I can’t do carnivore, I just end up wanting to throw up.

I am year out and I still struggle with this. We have to think that we did not get obese by eating till we were satisfied. We overate for the taste, or craving. I do give into cravings and there are days where I blow it, but its life and its not going to be linear- lots of ups and downs. I don't think its something It will ever stop. I track as well, and it keeps me accountable. I just am working on my relationship with food, where I will enjoy the foods I love but in moderation. Also, having that 80/20 mentality is good too. Make sure to get movement in and make good choices. Remember this is a lifetime change not just for a moment change My best advice is to really take this time when your really restricted to work on that food relationship, work on small goals food or exercise. Your doing great on protein but maybe a goal is to come up with a delicious recipe that fits in your day? Or walking around the block. Starting small has really really helped me

I feel like you may be overthinking the malabsorption component of RNYGB? Yes, this does elevate the risk of nutritional deficiencies for some vitamins & minerals since absorption sites are somewhat bypassed. You've got to keep in mind though that ALL bariatric surgery patients are going to be nutritionally deficient, at least during the weight loss phase when you'll be eating a very low calorie diet. Very low calorie also means very low amounts of most vitamins and minerals. Even if your diet were perfect (virtually no one has a perfect diet), you just can't consume sufficient food to make up for your nutritional needs. Yes, you'll eventually get back to eating more normal amounts, but until then, bariatric multivitamins have been formulated to make sure you don't suffer from nutritional deficiencies. Keep in mind too that the supplementation recommendations are all based on averages and in reality very few of us are average. The volume of food and the nutritional quality of said food, as well as genetic and epigenetic factors all influence what you'll be able to get from diet alone, as well as how well supplementation works for you. As a result, ALL supplementation recommendations are set up to ensure ~95% of patients will have no nutritional issues. Bariatric multivitamin manufacturers also tend to over-rotate on anything that does not have an established upper limit since they know that their consumers will be having frequent labs done. If someone were to be deficient in a particular vitamin, then they're likely to seek out a different product. You can see this pretty clearly by simply looking at something like the ASMBS recommendations vs the massive amounts of many vitamins found in bariatric multivitamins. Know too that it's entirely likely your bariatric team will have you adjust your supplementation after your labs are done post operatively. Many will want to do labs around 90 days, 180 days, then annually thereafter to monitor for nutritional deficiencies (or sometimes even excesses). I for example had to modify what multivitamin I took because my B12 level was sky high. I get the cost concern, and you may be fine with just a regular multivitamin, but keep in mind your overall food bill should drop since you'll be eating so little. This should more than cover the cost difference, so personally I'd err on the side of caution and take a bariatric specific multivitamin at least while you're in the fat loss stage. Once you're in maintenance, you might be able to adjust that (with your doctor's blessing).

I did keto a lot before surgery, it was vogue as we’ve all done a million diets in our lives... It works, but cravings. The preop and post diet are similar. Just way more liquids. For the fatigue and headaches, broth was the key. You would dehydrate rapidly and would suffer without the salt. The sugar detox is real, often once it passes you are a ton less Hungery. For those like me, and sugar can start the cravings. 100% agree with others who posted. It takes me about a full week for those to stop. Distractions help, exercise helps, just going to bed helps. I am always less hungry after mild exercise, mostly sweaty and thirsty. It helped stopped the food focus more than plain distractions. Heavy exercise increased the hunger the next day. This might sound crazy, but I had to constantly know when my next meal was. Lunch done, wait 2 hours then sugar free jello, then 1 hour and sugar free popsicle, then start to prep dinner, etc. knowing I was eating something in 1-2 hours helped. I tend to panic eat. Food was scarce as a kid and I tend to stuff myself if it’s not readily at hand and I’m hungry… my next meal is 3 bananas as fast a I can shove them in and I remain food panic triggered and have to talk myself down. I’m working through my hunger panic. I’m 100% not super thin now, I’m huge and need help… it’s why we are all here. :). To give and get support. And trying to not be a clean your plate club, eat any meal you are offered, all meals need a dessert, eat till you have pain and call that “full” kinda gal. I’d also make sure I got all of my sleep. I’m a 10 hour person. Plan a small exercise before you know your mega Hunger hits (I’m lunch). A 15 min walk helps divert my blood to my limbs and gets me craving fluids. Call your food what it is. A popsicle is a dessert. A pudding is a dessert. Sometimes reframing these help, ok in 2 hours I’m having protein pudding as a dessert, followed in 2 hours by a dessert popsicle. We are all different, so need different things. If after dinner I have a popsicle every night before bed, I call it dessert and I always know it’s coming and I will be getting more food… and I’m ok not being as full at dinner. This.. might have been too personal, but… helps me.