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Just hitting 2 weeks post, constipation has set in and had some blood in stool I talked with my surgeon he said start to introduce stool softners only and try to increase more water anyone else run into this any other suggestions, tips or tricks ?? Just feel miserable right now

Not revision specific, but even in my (virgin) Sleeve & RNY group there were people in my pre-op program who got 2 days, 5 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, etc. Hopefully all surgeons decide on a case by case basis. If in doubt, maybe reach back out to them again and ask if there's any risk to you doing a longer pre-op diet voluntarily?

Hi y'all, I am new to this forum and just want to first acknowledge and commend the courage and strength y'all have in utilizing this fortunate tool in your journey to a healthier life. I am at a crossroads. I am a 6'2", 275lb, 39-year-old man with VSG scheduled for Jan. 16, 2025, and I am having serious doubts--some caused by my health practitioners (chiropractor and non-WSL-related psychiatrist). I am on five different maintenance pills for blood pressure and cholesterol. My highest weight was 330lb. I lost 50 lbs in 2022 for a wedding, gained 30 in 2023 and lost 25 lbs from October 31st, 2024 until now (extreme crash diet). The total down is 55. My ideal weight is 210-225, provided that weight encompasses an active lifestyle and dedicated weight training. Here is the rub: I am scared of the surgery, and that fear has really kicked my butt to get healthy. My liver no longer shows NAFLD or alcohol damage with enzymes in the normal range. That is surprising because I was (honestly) an incredible "alcoholic" from 2013-2023. It may be hubris, but I am in no way concerned about addiction transfer as I have fully recovered from alcoholism following a wegovy and booze and supplement mix that caused acute pancreatitis. Blood pressure and cholesterol are under control. Sleep apnea sucks. Mental health is good to great. Banned currently from GLP-1 ( aforementioned acute pancreatitis). I have kicked all the typical vices. Despite all that, I am cleared for surgery, and the surgeon thinks I am an ideal candidate because of the lower risk of chronic pancreatitis following the knife. My surgeon is located in America, and my insurance is on board. Meanwhile, I have had little trouble maintaining a 1600- to 1000-calorie fat-burning diet, especially since a surgery date made it a very, very real concept. My primary motivation for pursuing VSG was for my family and my 2-year-old daughter, coupled with a debilitating (but now manageable) back injury that left me sedentary for nearly 2 years, and, of course, to address my comorbidities. Now that my back is "okay," I can exercise 3 to 5 times weekly. But if I don't lose weight, spinal degradation and likely further stenosis around the sciatic nerve will continue. I was supposed to have surgery earlier in the Spring of 2024 but bailed because of a month-long family holiday to Asia and then a summer of the in-laws staying with us. Also, we are trying to get pregnant again, but my wife's self-imposed window is closing as she soon turns 40. So, what do I do? Given that my ideal weight is approximately 65 lbs away, would you pursue VSG? Would you delay it while trying to conceive (this is a big one)? Am I getting stuck on too many variables? Would VSG make global travel a different experience? Or do I buckle up and charge ahead? Should I try giving the "natural" way a shot for one more year? I have unflinching support from my family and parents to go for it, and I have little doubt that I would excel in a post-op life. But I am worried about travel, a change in taste, and, generally, pain. Pain makes me an unpleasant person at times. But I dread ballooning up to qualify for insurance if the "natural" way fails my goals. None of this was a concern until a surgery date made it real. I appreciate you reading this and thank you in advance for any comments, long or short. A simple "Go" or "No Go" would be appreciated. I am actively planning for the surgery and, regardless, look forward to the two-week pre-op diet challenge. However, I could see myself bailing like two days before. Digital prayers for all! Is anybody ever too young for a midlife crisis?

Even if those white ones are particulary high it's the advantage of my Cerebral Palsy ... my feet and legs are so twisted that heals are actually easier than flats, they straigten out my legs and make me more stable, I fall over my own feet in most trainers and flats (except birkenstocks that I find magical!) ... at school I got a special pass to be allowed to wear heels from about 7 years old ... all the other girls were so jealous! And there are worse disadvantages to be had. Well done on the 4 pound loss... thats massive! Enjoy it to the fullest. And how wonderful to slip into a old dress again and for cherry on the top it to be loose! I hope your daughters special event went well and that you felt amazing in your dress. I shocked a friend who saw me in jeans the other day... I pulled them out of my cellar, she hadn't seen me in jeans since pre pandemic (because I no longer had any jeans that fit ... and had resorted to wearing baggy dresses) and the jeans were tight and i had to wiggle wiggle jump into them and button them up lying flat on my back.. but I managed it. Hopefully they too will be loose one day. If I take the last 30 calendar days I've lost 7.5lbs - but since my three month "surgiversary" to now seven days short of 4 month surgiversary I've not even lost 2 lbs .... and most of that was in the last 24 hours! I really hope my stall has broken. I've arrived in Hungary and after a pretty chill Paris week have a very busy week planned so I just hope I'm able to make good choices food wise and that I get back to Paris to a loss on my scales! I wish I was that brave! I think if I tried that my team would have a field day and an intern would take a video and make it into a meme or a gif in minutes and I'd never live it down! I think it may be out but it is worth seeing a sports physio to ask and to "learn" how to run without putting too much strain on your knees, they may have tips and adaptations for you. Instead of regretting yesterday be proud of today and tomorrow if you can. Keep moving!

I keep a mental tally of protein each day but I haven't been writing it down. However, I have an appointment with my dietician on the 23rd so I think I will write everything down for at least a week before so I can bring it in with me to discuss. I always wear my Fitbit, so I have data for exercise and sleep, but obviously having the nutrition info is important. And it would help with accountability and resisting temptation, too. I haven't tried the cottage cheese flatbread but I've seen the videos and am intrigued!

Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry that happened to you! I can't even imagine how shocking that must have been to do through, and miserable to experience! I hope they will cover the cost of your replacement bridge! What an awful time to be without it, when you'll have to be chewing SO thoroughly here soon! I've had that on my mind a lot lately -- I never got my top denture to fit right and pretty much had given up on it; and never even tried to get a lower. In order to nail this diet I'm going to have to either settle on eating mainly mush for a LONG time or get on the ball and go back to the dentist. Mt dental anxiety is real so not looking forward to that Glad you finally made it home, though! I'm a week post surgery as of today, and I'm still sitting here with an ice pack. I feel fortunate that my recovery wasn't quite as painful as that of some of you folks out there, but I can definitely feel the pull of the staples and tenderness if I stand too long. Walking hurts less than standing for too long doing something - Maybe it's the slight side to side movement instead of the forward movement? Either way, hope you're starting to feel better and continue to do so swiftly!

No you are not wrong, we can enjoy food and drink eventually but realise we have to make sensible choices or we could go back to where we were pre-op. I think the way to think about it going forward is that you will still enjoy food just smaller portions, and depending on what your diet was like pre-op, maybe healthier choices. Some of your tastes may change from like to dislike or the opposite but you can enjoy and savour the smaller bites. Also during the liquid phase you are most certainly going to miss the thought of other food, I mean seriously who would prefer a bowl of flavoured dishwater soup vs something like a pizza or steak dinner? I am now a year out following my sleeve and cook the food I like but just eat in smaller portions and I go out about once a week for a lunch or dinner and enjoy the food - plus I enjoy it usually again the next day with the leftovers I bring home.

i was a 2-3 Diet Coke a day drinker pre-wls. stopped 2 weeks before surgery and pretty much stayed away for about 2-3 years. If I had to guess, i probably had maybe 10-15 over those 2-3 years (most of them consumed near the tail end of that period). around year 3 i started drinking Coke Zero and now i basically have at least one (or equivalent to one) a day...sometimes more depending on what environment i'm in (i.e., party, hot weather or whatever). I'll be 6 years post op in October and drinking it does not seem to affect my weight (i've stayed below goal weight all this time since reaching it at 7 months post op). but as with everything, YMMV. my experience may or may not be what you would experience. p.s. you specifically asked about diet drinks, but @summerseeker mentioned fizzy/carbonated drinks...so in case that is what you were also asking about, i started drinking carbonated drinks around month 3 or 4 and never stopped (i love me Perrier lol...i drink that stuff like water...oh wait, it is water, hahahhahahha).

My bites are about the amount given to a baby. I’ve learned(the hard way) to take very small bites and wait a minute before the next. Last night I was able to eat smoked chicken salad (homemade and pulverized with my Braun hand chopper) the amount that I ate was maybe 1/8th of a cup and 1 1/2 saltine crackers. Afterwards, I felt a little nausea so I think I had eaten too much. I’m leaning on my protein shakes a lot. Especially since it’s difficult to drink all the water I need. My fluid intake consists of water, shakes and popsicles. It’s hard to drink as much as I need at work due to the amount of calls that come in and the patient load. But, I’m down 25 lbs. and I feel good. My next hurdle is walking as I broke my tailbone about 3 weeks before my surgery. That’s a very difficult hurdle.

Ketosis actually makes sense. I have been on low Carb for two weeks and now no carb. Plus I was burning carbs for sure because I have been doing WAY more physical activity than I have done in years trying to get things in order. Finally, yes. I decided to trust my surgeon and I’m going with the SADI. He did ask if I wanted the bypasss if for some reason he gets in there and can’t do the SADI since he obviously can’t wake me up and ask. So I guess I won’t really know 100% until I wake up. I can’t believe after all that mental anguish that i am finally less than 24 hours out. About this time tomorrow I should in recovery or in my room. I am finally mentally prepared for all of this. And I haven’t recorded it because I remember my scale is different than my doctors and I forgot to weigh myself at home when I started the preop diet but I’m pretty sure I have lost 14 or 15 pounds already. Let the Journey begin!!

Definitely try and get some sleep! 😂 This is definitely the case! I know myself that I need to focus a little bit more on my water intake - then hopefully I shall feel a bit more energy! I have been back to the gym in the last week and started walking more, and I will be having a personal trainer come the 1st August so I know I am going to be putting my weight loss & health first! Which is surprisingly exciting haha.

haha! girl I gotchu!! From what I read you work out a lot so if your comfortable with weights then lift heavy! I do anymore from 40 to 110lbs depending on the workout. I workout lower body 3x a week! Here are some examples of workouts I do! Also you can totally ask, I am having so much fun seeing what transforms my body lol. I have more written down in another book, but if you want more lemme know!! I have great upper body ones too! Still working on the abs lol I haven't found anything that has helped a whole lot, but with the workouts I do now my core is pretty strong. This is my quick lunch workout paired with 30min of cardio 4 sets 8-10 reps Leg Press Seated Hamstrings Seated Leg Extensions This is my tried and true for a booty pump: Cardio: Treadmill 12+ incline 3+ mph 30 min (don't hold onto rails) Back Extensions 15 reps no weights, 15 reps with weights, 15 reps with the heaviest weights Bulgarian Split Squats Heavy Weights 4 sets of 8 each leg Walking lunges Heavy Weights 4 sets of 8 steps turn around and walk back 8 steps Hip Thrusts Heavy Weighted 4 sets of 8-12 reps This is a machine only: Start at highest weight for 2 sets then finish at last set with 10 reps at heaviest weight, 10 reps at medium weight finish with 10 reps at lighter weight Back extension Glute Kickback Machine Hip Adductor Hip Abductor Leg lift Leg curl

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Thank you all for your messages re my stall! I'm still stalled ... no suprise there. I'm going to try and track what I'm eating this week as I haven't really been tracking at all. Just trying to be sensible and go with the flow. I'm still being very conciencious about everything I put in my mouth and reckon I'm averaging about 1200-1300 calories a day max. I know I could eat more protein but as I eat so little meat its a bit complicated esp when I'm travelling. I hate protein shakes and anything with an artificial taste, I'm really not into processed foods. I do love carbs. I know what I'm eating is far from perfect but I'm also trying to "live" as normally as I can without getting ultra focused on food because 1) I just don't want to 2) I know that it won't be substainable for me to track/only eat specific things/100% certain avoid things long term 3) food is a real source of joy for me as is cooking. Cooking is my way of calming down and disconecting my brain after work but I'm an improvisation whats left on the fridge cook not a planning cook 4) I've very scared of being too "strict" on food and ending up with a transfer addiction as I have a very addition prone personality and I already smoke (cigarettes daily and weed probably 2/3 times a month) and drink (much much less than before the surgery when I was drinking too much) and even though I haven't touched a Benzodiazepine (xanax) in 3 years and 8 months (go me 😌) I had a big enough issue with benzo abuse to have to take a month of work to come off them. I'll try and track properly tomorrow and for a few days but for example today from memory I had ( I also had water) Breakfast : 1/4 bagel with butter, coffee with semi skim milk Mid Morning : 2x Coffee with semi skim milk Lunch : Palm sized bit of omelette with courgette, red peppers, kale, onions, cheese, about two tablespoons grated carrot salad Mid afternoon : Tea with semi skim milk and sweetener, bit of brie cheese about twice the size of my thumb Supper : Palm sized bit of omelette with courgette, red peppers, kale, onions, cheese Herbal tea Before bed : About 4/5 teaspoons of vegan pannacotta (soy milk, sweetener, orange flower water, cornstarch, pistachios, maple syrup) Herbal tea

Had my dietitian appointment this morning and it went really well 🥳 I’m a healthy fat person, which was good to hear. All my tests have come back good, no issues with diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease etc. We had a really good talk, told her about this forum and the ongoing support everyone receives, showed her my two food diaries - one pre-watching what I eat and one for now. She was very happy to read both, laughed at some of my comments regarding how I was feeling when I was eating, and congratulated me on the changes I have already made. She asked if I had a surgery in mind and why. I explained that I felt that a bypass would be more beneficial for me due to not feeling full, snacking etc, and she agreed. Thankfully she has no issues with me, and was happy to refer me to the surgeon, which was such a relief to hear. Honestly, I felt quite apprehensive and anxious this morning (thanks menopause 🤨) and was definitely snappy with hubby. I went in on my own as I didn’t want him to know what my weight was/is - does anyone else keep their weight secret from their other half? I know it’s just shame that makes me not want to tell him 😕 The dietitian thinks a reasonable target post-surgery for me is around 14stones (196lbs) but reckons I will sail past that as I am fully onboard with it all. I’m glad that she hasn’t given me an unrealistic expectation and I do feel it’s fully achievable. We discussed lowest adult weight plus weights my body had ‘stuck’ at previously. She also went through the post-surgery diet - will be 6 weeks on the purée diet due to having a bypass, and gave me the info for that. She also explained about the bounce back once the body has reached its lowest weight and that it did not signal a failure. Next steps: appointment with the surgeon, which should be September (eek, next month!!) After I’ve seen the surgeon it’s then the MDT weekly meeting for everyone to agree that I’m OK to go ahead. As long as they agree, I will get my surgery date which is looking to be either Jan or Feb next year. She’s put that I would like to see the surgeon ASAP and will take a cancellation for both his appointment and also for surgery as long as I have one day to get ready for the 3 week liver reduction diet. She warned me that I could be on the LRD over Christmas but I’ve said that it’s fine, I’m truly not bothered in the slightest. I asked about going away next September and she said everything will be done and settled down by then but not to buy holiday clothes until the last minute! Just to wait for the next stage now. I’m certainly glad I lost some weight pre-appointment though as the weight the Dr gave and the weight I was actually was a 5kg difference, and not in my favour 😮 I’m still 7kgs lower than the wrong weight given and it’s the initial referral weight they go off so I could coast now if I wanted to (but I won’t ) A relief all round!

What are safe foods at Mexican restaurants? 3 week post op

I did the do about 2 weeks after, it was gentle LOL no working it and reversing it you know what I mean. I have noticed sex is wayyyyyy better now that I am smaller, Also (might be TMI) now that I dont have as much fat, sex gets deeper and positions are more of a variety so soreness happens with me. Not a pain soreness but like "why am I sore? Oh ya I did the deed" I mean your partner and you can engage in oral if your into that, it helps with sexual desires.

My surgery is July 3. I'm on day 8 of my pre-op liquid diet. My entirely proud of how I've been doing it if Im being honest.. 😐but I am tightening up since I'm now less than a week away.

Hello everyone. I am a 63 year old grandmother from Indiana. I had RNY about 9 years ago and I've gotten way off track. Although I've lost 100 pounds I really need to lose way more. I lead a very inactive life due to arthritis in my lower back. I get short of breath very easy. My inability to follow the plan is my fault entirely because I just let things happen. I really had no support from the center that did my surgery which is surprising since they are a "Bariatric Center of Excellence". The dieticians don't follow up, my surgeon retired. I now suffer from low blood sugars to the point where I should really be calling EMS......I am talking in the 50's...once it got to 46. Needless to say I couldn't function and my husband had to take charge. Prior to surgery I had high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and some other stuff. My blood pressure and sleep apnea have gone away and my blood sugar has went the other direction where it runs too low sometimes. I go through days of it being way too low and then weeks of it being fantastic then we repeat the cycle. I need to get back on a routine and an eating plan that works for me. How does one get back on track at this point?

I will have to say that at my highest weight I ate fairly well, just when I did eat bad I REALLY ate bad and binged. so that's how I blew up to 300lbs lol however now I am with you, if hubby is eating his Ben and Jerrys ice cream I will eat a couple of bites as opposed to eating the whole pint to myself. I do eat all the low carb stuff too. I do fear that my little Bites, Licks and Tastes will add up and make make me blow up again, but I work out 6 days a week, 2 cardio days, 2 upper body strength days, and 2 lower body strength days. I know you said that you have always worked out...I am getting bored of my routine which is why I added a cardio day and added 1 day of F45. What do you do?

Before I had my hysterectomy, I noticed my PCOS sort of regulated a bit. Didn't do a whole lot for my hormonal imbalance, skin tags, insulin resistance, and it really made losing weight slower and more difficult, but it straightened out my periods a lot. I would go 2 or 3 months without one, then bleed like niagra falls for 2 weeks straight, then get a light one the next month, then start over. After I dropped my first 70ish pounds, I noticed they were coming in more regularly, and after my first 100ish pounds lost, they were proper length, proper frequency. And it stayed that way until about 4 months before my hysterectomy. Then they started getting wonky again. Skipped 2 months, needed progesterone to get it started the next month which caused HEEAAVY bleeding, then nothing the next month, then hysterectomy and I didn't care lol

I did feel anxiety and something that's grief-like in my early days post-op. I never did the liquid diet and was overwhelmed with how many things I thought I couldn't have. I have always enjoyed working out and always thought that not being to eat adequately will not allow me to workout intensely again. Those days are far behind me now. I eat everything and that includes sushi, burgers, tacos, rice, noodles and even dessert. I have been traveling to Europe for 2 weeks and I had gelato, pizza, pasta and bread every single day. I came back having lost weight. I walked 15k+ steps a day and enjoyed everything in moderation, I didn't eat big portions of anything, I rarely finished a whole scoop of gelato but I tasted everything and ate to satisfaction. I eat well 90-95% of the time, but I definitely don't deprive myself of anything. I eat out on weekends and I love trying new restaurants and cafes, it really doesn't have to be like that. It really comes down to how much you eat. Use your restriction to know how much to eat and when to stop. Of course I understand that the above might not be suitable for everyone, but the "all or nothing" mindset was something I struggled with pre WLS, but I find that adopting the "everything in moderation" OR "do I really want to eat that?" mindset now is really freeing and doesn't limit how I live my life. I love travel, I love food, I love culinary experiences and I am adamant to not let WLS get in the way of it. It is a tool that should be used to build good habits, which include portion control, daily movement and workouts but also freeing your mind of food fear and anxiety.

I was at probably 200 calories at the two month mark. I'm not sure how they expect you to be consuming 1000 calories a day! I'm almost 7 months post op and not able to get to even 900 calories a day (mind you I workout hard at least 4 days a week, I lift and do Pilates and run and all sorts of cardio). It's a struggle to eat enough, and what I learnt is that I will not force myself to eat any more than I can, I will get there eventually so what is the point of rushing? I would say eat what you can and don't force it, the whole point of surgery is to eat less 🤣

I am using miralax once a day post op and a week after have had only one bowel movement - my dr says bowel habits change and you identify constipation by an ‘urge to go but can’t’ Anything more specific bc post op honestly I am so apprehensive it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s me stressing Also any advise for constipation ? Was warned prevention better than cure and again apprehensive

@AndreaJD that actually sounds more like my LSD. There is this whole chart with portion sizes for different meals and there are a few more options but I don’t care for a lot of it. I have been doing the two shakes and a lean meat with one cup veggies for dinner and then I have the other 1/2 cup veggies and the fruit for snacks. I’m pretty board with it but at least I’m not starving. Do you think it matters if I do the meal for lunch and a shake for dinner? I am meeting a friend Saturday and I was bummed we can’t do lunch but I thought what if we go to outback and I do my shake for dinner. I can get a steak and veggies there. I just have to tell them no oil or anything. I may be torturing myself a little when I see and smell what she is having but I guess I gotta get used to it sometime. I think I have lost around 10 pounds. I didn’t think to weigh myself at home right before I started the diet but three days earlier I was 258 at the Dr. It seems like my home scale ran a little lower than his. I was 255 this morning on mine so I’m thinking that’s around 10 but I’m afraid to get too excited until that’s confirmed. i think I am back in a habit of doing all my vitamins now. I take the multi with my morning shake or proffee and then calcium at lunch and dinner. It takes a little longer to get moving in the morning because I sit and drink the shake right next to the multivitamin so I don’t forget but hopefully I won’t have to do that forever. I just finished a Walmart order for some more berries. I am eating so little that the others went bad before I could finish them. That’s okay I needed to add items to get to $35 so it helped me remember to get a small can of dry shampoo for the hospital bag and I need to pick up the nausea rx for the night before surgery anyways. I am also going to haul off some donations that have been collecting by the front door and I hope to finish the deep cleaning of my floors today. Fingers crossed that I don’t get dizzy again. I really would like to come home to a somewhat clean house after surgery. I know that it will be even harder to sit still and recover when I’m looking at all the things that need to get done. My husband is planning to finish some work on the bathroom while I’m in the hospital so we shall see if it’s still clean as I leave it 🤦‍♀️ Well, I guess it’s back to my never ending to do list. I hope everyone else is doing well and you all have a great day.

So as I’m looking at these healthy recipes I am thinking that my food choices will be more quality over quantity In the future. I know that some generic products are exactly the same but for those that aren’t I am splurging on the better brands and thinking of using fresh products more often. Instead of grated Parmesan cheese in a shaker I plan to get the chunk of Parmesan and grate it fresh for instance. I know that for my broccoli cheese soup I use fresh grated cheddar and it makes a huge difference so im hoping that’s the same with Parmesan. I’m going to try the cheese grater I already have to see if that works but if not the rotary ones are pretty inexpensive. I’m also going to do fresh vegetables and herbs. I may even experiment with making my own sauces and dressings eventually. Hopefully that will infuse better flavor to the healthy stuff. I also have a store near me that has a lot more healthy options and really good produce but I never go because it hasn’t been important enough to me in the past. I am like 10 minutes away once a week for my crochet group though so I figured I can at least go that often to start and more often if necessary. It’s ironic because I don’t want to go because it’s “too far” yet I wouldn’t think twice about driving that far for an unhealthy restaurant or just about anything else to be honest. My plan is to prioritize my health and that begins with the food I am putting into my body. Now I just have to figure out a plan for the exercise and actually follow through on all of it. . Anyone else have any ideas to get us on the right track?