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You said it all yourself - You are stressed, eating badly and not sleeping. Your body has to cope with all this on top of the massive surgery you have just had. Your body just can not cope with this and is holding on to every last calorie. Give yourself a pause, even if its only a half hour every day, your body will thank you. Shop for some good foods, begin to eat well. You are an athlete and know how to do this. Buy a good book and read it for a short while before sleep. { well it works for me} Has your team cleared you to be lifting weights ? To this non surgical person this activity seems very strenuous this early in your recovery. In other words - put yourself first for a while until you have the hang of this new stomach. Sleep Eat Drink repeat

That’s correct, sleeve surgery removes around 75-80% of your tummy but gastric bypass creates a much smaller tummy from your tummy & attaches it to your rerouted intestines. Your remaining tummy is still there after bypass but no food can enter it. Further conversations with your surgeon may be needed to help you understand the differences in the surgeries, how they impact your body & which may be best for your needs. It may help ease some of your nerves too. (Nerves before surgery are very common - fear of the unknown, uncertainty, etc.) With both surgeries your ability to consume large portions is reduced. Initially after either surgery when you start consuming purées you will only be able to eat 1/4 - 1/3 cup of food. This slowly increases. (By 6 months I could eat about a cup of food & now I eat about the recommended serving size or a little less.) And it is possible for you to eventually eat around your smaller tummy which of course results in weight gain & something to be aware of. Changing your eating habits, your relationship with food, understanding the nutritional benefits of food, etc. are vital aspects of losing your weight & maintaining the loss. This is the work you have to do & has nothing to do with the surgery. Many find the temporary changes to our sense taste & sometimes smell after surgery is an opportunity to try different & healthier foods. I have some food sensitivities so I recognise you may as well but are they legitimate food sensitivities or just you don’t like to eat certain foods (taste, texture, etc.)? A dietician can help with this as well. Often working with a therapist is very helpful to work through your relationship ship with find & what is behind your eating habits., as well as your hunger (distinguishing between head hunger & real hunger). Focus on eating your protein first at every meal. Then eat your vegetables. Finally if you are able eat any carbs. This will be the same advice you will be given after surgery & when your able to eat solid foods. There were many meals I only ate my protein & couldn’t or didn’t want to eat anything else. ( I still have days like this almost 4 years out.) Start tracking your food (portion sizes, calories, protein & other macros). There are some great apps you can use. You can be successful with either surgery but after the honeymoon stage when things like your appetite returns, most of your success depends upon you. You have to be ready for the surgery & the changes it brings & the changes you have to make. Surgery was the best thing I ever did. All the best whatever you decide to do.

I love the Alani FitShakes (140 calories, 16g protein). They drink more like milk than a shake, and I hate the ones that are too thick. They're about the only ones I can stomach, and my husband HATES that kind of thing and even he likes them. They have a fruity cereal flavor that tastes like Froot Loops that is amazing!

I was going to write that six weeks was a long time for an early stall and to double-check your calories, etc - but then I noticed that you're about 35 lbs from your goal weight. Weight loss really slows the closer you get to your goal. When I was only about 20 or 30 lbs from goal, there were some months when I only lost like two pounds, despite really working at it. I would for sure double-check my food intake, though, and make sure you're following your plan to a "T". But aside from that, you may just be in that stretch when weight loss becomes harder and harder... you've probably read that weight loss is due to about 90% food intake and 10% exercise - so although exercise does make a difference, it's pretty slight. It's more effective at maintaining weight than at losing weight (since it takes A LOT of exercise to burn up a significant amount of calories). It's also great for your health, regardless of your weight.

My version of a healthy chicken parmesan. Boneless skinless chicken breast, pounded thin coated in shake -N- bake then topped with a slice of provalone cheese. A side of spaghetti squash with sauce. It was SO delish! 264 calories and 27g protein! I ate about half of the squash and all of the chicken but no after pic.

Have you tried the savory shake flavors? Unjury brand has a chicken soup and a southwest flavor. I personally did not like the chicken soup and didn't try the others but I see a lot of other people talking about liking them so it might be worth giving it a try. I know with Unjury you can go to their website and by single serving samples before jumping into a full bucket. Also, a little "hack" I found to break it up was to get creative. Mix flavor packets with shakes to change the flavor, for example a vanilla shake mixed with a little orange flavor could be like an orange creamsicle? Another option is to add more liquid to it to thin them out. For example one of my all time favorites is to take about 10-12 OZ of sugar free lemonade and mix it with strawberry protein powder and it is a delicious strawberry lemonade and thinner like a regular fruit drink because of the extra fluids. It is like having a drink rather than a thick shake. I still drink a shake every day for breakfast, I even did a lot of times before surgery. I am just not a morning eater so the shakes are easier for me. I am currently on a coffee shake kick, I take a caramel shake mixed with 6oz of black coffee and pour over ice. Also, thins it out because of the coffee so it is like having a coffee drink instead of a thick shake. I have tried adding the sugar free creamers but they didn't do enough for me to bother with it or to add the extra calories. Good luck! It gets easier, and you will find ways to change it up and make it less monotonous!

I also don’t even know which surgery is best for me, I heard that the sleeve takes most of your stomach, but I really have trouble just overeating kind of, not every meal but I do have my days. More so hungry again after just eating a meal! It’s not hard for me to reach my Water intake goal but Protein, Calories, or eating period some days? Very hard.

You mention that you're struggling financially to buy healthy groceries, so apply for food stamps if you can. With that said, bc your stomach is smaller and you're eating less calories, you can make more expensive nutrient dense foods last longer/more meals. It says you live in CA, so try Food 4 Less, the 99 cent stores, Aldi's and Trader Joe's, they all have good prices. You don't mention your age or height or level of activity or the amount of fluids you're drinking, but here's my experience: I'm 5'4 (female) and 35 years old. I had surgery on 1/11/23. started at 252 and I'm now 211.... 42 lbs down and down 6 inches on my waist. Fluids: at LEAST 32oz + 12oz protein shake, so 44... I try so hard to drink more water but cold & room temp liquids make me super nauseous since the surgery. Activity: Since and including the day after surgery I've strived to walk a MINIMUM of 5,000 steps a day. I live in a tiny apartment, and for the first 3 weeks after surgery I was still able to hit this goal simply by walking back and forth in my small apt for 5-10 minutes every hour. For the past 3-4 weeks, I've made it a priority to go to the gym and do cardio for 30-60 minutes 3-4/week. Some days I don't have time but will still force myself to do at least 10 minutes of incline walking on the treadmill. If you can't afford a gym, go walking, preferably somewhere with hills or stairs. (Walking flat is great but it doesn't get your heart rate up high enough). If you can't find/drive to hills, throw a backpack on and load it up with books (or weights) to add weight to your flat walks. Diet: 800-1300 calories (the 1300 end is if I workout really hard and my body needs to refuel) .. I am LAZY (I like cooking but hate dishes), but also a busy non-traditional college student with lots to do. So simple, quick, easy foods have been essential to my success thus far. I'm still basically eating the same as I was when I was on the soft foods diet but now I eat chicken and beef here and there. My go to food staples are: Cottage cheese 1%, OWYN - elite pro 32g protein shake, Simple Mills Almond flour crackers, soft/hard boiled eggs, small omelet, whole grain toast with avocado on it, refried beans, homemade turkey chili with beans, shrimp, turkey bacon, Sargento reduced fat string cheese (it had the lowest fat compared to the other string cheeses in my store). Example of my day: Every morning I have either 1-2 eggs, or 1/2 cup-1 cup of cottage cheese, then mid-morning/lunch I have the protein shake, then lunch/mid-afternoon I have 2-3 string cheese sticks, then for mid-afternoon/dinner I either have cottage cheese again, or 1 slice toast with tuna or chicken salad (I use either mayo or avocado mashed up), or shrimp and avocado slices, or rotisserie chicken and carrots/brussels/string beans. After dinner if I'm still hungry I have crackers. If I'm hitting my protein and still hungry, then I know I need more dense carbs and I'll have 1/4 cup-1/2 cup of sweet potatoes/mashed potatoes, etc. I don't SNACK anymore. I eat if I'm hungry. If I'm not hungry then I don't eat just to eat and have a snack bc I want to, that's what got me fat in the first place. If you're not physically hungry-don't eat. If you haven't already, learning the difference between physical hunger, thirst, and mental hunger/boredom/filling a void is essential to success. On Easter I had like 8 snack-sized kit-kat bars as a meal lol... I'm not advising it, but I've still lost weight since then. Don't beat yourself up over 1 day or 1 meal, it's not gonna completely kill your progress. Just make sure it's not every day or even every week. A lot of this journey is learning what YOUR body needs, not just what is written on a diet plan.

Do you track actual food intake? It’s easy to exceed calories and not knowing exactly what you put in when snacking can add up in a hurry. I weigh everything I eat, even at work, and use Baritastic app to log calories and this way you know exactly what goes in. I actually lose too much weight while working because the food they serve doesn’t fit into my new diet. 5 months and 3 weeks post surgery and I’m down 135lbs. Follow the plan and you’ll do great.

Hey! I haven't logged on in so long and was also curious how everyone is doing too. Here's an update on my life over a year post op. Here is a photo of me way before my bypass, I think I wasn't at my heaviest yet but definitely pushing 320 lbs vs me last month while on vacation. I've lost about 130 lbs so far and am working on losing the last 9-10 lbs. I am finding this is when things are getting real. The honeymoon phase everyone talked about it over and I didn't even realize it until it was gone haha! It's not a bad thing, it just means that you can never give up, even after weight loss. Half of the battle is over, now it's a new battle and I think it will last for the rest of my life because I have to work hard every day to fight my obesity. I can eat pretty normally now. I aim for 1600-1700 cals a day but some days I might even get 1900 depending on how calorie dense my food is, then I tend to eat less calories the next day if that does happen. I walk 3-4 miles most days, gym 1-2 times a week and try to do some kind of outdoor activity on the weekend, usually hiking. I have been going slowly but I'm not unhappy with my progress. I'm just trying to watch my weight and enjoy how far I've come because I feel like a completely different person I can't even explain it... I am also able to eat more than 60 grams of protein a day now which is great because I lost a lot of muscle mass while losing all the weight after surgery. I eat 80-100 grams of protein a day. I am working on building my muscles back up, especially the muscles around my knees to help with my mobility (my being 340 lbs wrecked my knees). I am in physical therapy for my knees and do strength training with my boyfriend twice a week now. The thing I struggle with the most is tracking water but now that the summer is coming, I think it'll be easier to get in enough fluids since it's so hot where I live. I don't get food stuck anymore, very rarely if I've eaten too fast or food that is too hot will get stuck. I can still eat naughty foods in moderation too, too much sugar and fat makes me dump. Dumping for me means rapid heartbeat, dizzy, frequent urination, yawning, and nausea. I have been out of therapy for a while and would like to go back, especially as my ability to eat larger portions returns. I still actively have to think and fight using food as a coping mechanism but I am pretty hopeful and just keep reminding myself not to give up. How is everyone's vitamin levels and blood work? Anyone deficient in anything/have advice on what to get checked? I have gotten colds way more frequently but it's only been in the last 3 months, could just be the seasons but historically I rarely got sick.

I started the pre-op diet on Friday and it's going better than I expected. My doctor requires three protein shakes and one from a selection of meals, like 3oz chicken and one cup of veggies, Bistro Salad, or Healthy Choice Cafe steamers meal, for example. 800 calories total per day. At my weight, I am expected to lose 20 pounds in two weeks. Fingers crossed!

I had sleeve surgery in southern Indiana on 04/18 (7 Days ago.) I started walking as soon as I got to my overnight room because I had terrible gas pain when I came out of anesthesia. That helped a lot! I haven't had any unbearable pain since and I also haven't had to take any of the pain meds that were prescribed! I guess right now I'm feeling a bit of anxiety about the full liquid diet.... Like, am I doing it right? I'm distributing the protein shakes throughout the day to get to 60 grams of protein, and mid-day I eat an Oikos Triple Zero Greek yogurt with 15 grams of protein - this gets me to the 75 grams of protein mark. I sip one 28 ounce Gatorade Zero throughout the day and I'm trying to get as much water down as I can. I'm walking about 2 miles a day..... But..... I STILL FEEL HUNGRY ALL DAY LONG!!! In my daydreams before the surgery, I thought I wouldn't feel hungry afterwards. Deep down, I know my body is still adjusting, but it's messing with my head a little bit... haha. With the intake above I'm already close to 400 calories a day, and as I understand it, we should try to stick around that marker. I'm not sure what else to add that would help me feel full that wouldn't make my calorie intake go up too high. They say expectations are just resentments in waiting, so I'm gonna do my best to go with the flow... haha. Overall, I'm still VERY happy that I am able to do this. Just sharing what's on my mind is all.

I wasn't allowed to have veggies and dressing, but everything else is the same - I was allowed 4-5 shakes a day, 1 C each of chicken broth and V8/tomato juice, and an unlimited amount of sugar free Jello, sugar free popsicles, and no- or very low calorie fluids.

I can have up to 1000 calories a day. Depending on the shake brand, it’s 5 or 6 shakes a day. I’m currently drink the premier protein shakes that are 160 calories a serving. 30 calories from snacks which can be sugar free jello or low sodium chicken broth. I’m also allowed 2 cups of non starchy veggies with 2 tbsp of fat free dressing or vinegar. Been fortunate that I’m at least allowed to eat some solid food versus full liquids

Good morning, I am 4 months post RNY. I can usually eat about 800-1000 calories a day. My mind and heart are fighting because I know I am not overeating (I also work out almost everyday) but my weight is fluctuating up and down with no real loss for a few weeks. Could I be stalling at 4 months? My head knows the answer but my heart needs confirmation. Thanks!

Boredom & eating can be a tough head hunger to break and because it’s happening at work the usual distraction techniques are difficult to implement. Knowing it’s boredom making you want to eat & not real hunger is half the battle so you’re on the right path already. Not knowing your actual job & responsibilities some of my suggestions may not be possible. Try a hot drink instead of a snack (snacking, even healthy ones, can be a gateway to establishing bad snacking habits & they all have calories which add to your daily intake). Green or herbal tea are great low calorie (green has none at all) or coffee (if you’re able but without the syrups, etc.) Go for a short (a few minutes) walk around the office or outside (good for mental health at work too). Do some desk stretches. Change the task you’re doing. You can come back to the original task later. Chat to a colleague for a couple of minutes about work or life. Get up & refill your water bottle.

And just another general catch-up post from me. 17 months post op, I have lost another 2lbs this month after a loooong stall when I thought I was done losing. Now 140lbs. If I lose 2 more I will have exactly halved my starting weight. What a thought!! Still eating around 1500 calories a day on average [1300-1400 on weekdays, 1800-1900 on weekends (alcohol!!)] 😁 All is good with me basically. I have started to run a leeeetle bit after many years of not being able to. It's my favourite kind of exercise - just am older than when I did it before and gonna be sensible if it doesn't work out for me (and my older hips!) Any other November 2021 people still around and, if so, can we hear how you're doing now?

Hi @MelbaT. thanks for your response! I can relate to everything you said...which is sad and comforting all at once. Haha A few responses to your questions: - I was the one who recommended the Vital Proteins...so glad it worked out! - Regarding shakes, I feel the exact same way. I just choked down one more this morning, the rest are getting thrown out. Everything is sickly sweet and texture too thick. I'm finding herbal tea and broth easier. Definitely prefer savory or salt right now. All of this is normal! The only shake I tolerate is Fairlife chocolate with 30 g of protein. Unfortunately, it's out of stock everywhere around here. I do have an Amazon shipment arriving Friday thank goodness. Regarding the constipation, it's also very common. My RD said I would probably only go every 3 or 4 days now, and she has been right. I take Colace and Benefiber every day and that seems to work. If not, my doctor recommends adding milk of magnesia. That should help! My RD definitely recommends eating a mini meal every 2.5 - 3 hours (5-6 meals per day). This prevents hunger and keeps us from making less than healthy choices later in the day (a problem I had pre-surgery). They don't want us skipping meals. So, RD said eat/drink every few hours, even if it's a 1/4 cup of shake. I too have noticed what I think are hot flashes, along with lots of cold shivers. Again. all normal considering how little calories we are taking in. I laughed about the bra situation 🤣. I feel the same issue and have been wearing a soft cotton athletic tank top type bra. Cheap for a 3 or 4 pack from Amazon. I also have a lot of left sided pain, again to be expected. However, it is finally starting to improve. I'm better able to walk upright without holding my sore stomach half the day. Lol I'm so excited for you that you're paying attention to the body changes. That's great progress, no matter what the scale says. I'm noticing something new everyday. It's mind blowing! I finally have boney elbows again!🤣 You're doing great, just keep going hour by hour if you need to. Stay in close touch with your team also - they have the suggestions that will help you most. Hang in there!

it's probably the carb withdrawal (and if you were a coffee drinker, caffeine withdrawal, too). The "Keto flu" is pretty common the first three or so days. Once your body goes into ketosis (around day 3 or 4), it does get a lot better. In addition to no- or very low calorie fluids (well, plus 4-5 protein shakes), I was allowed V8/tomato juice and clear broth (I think a cup of each) every day, so I always had those since the sodium in them made me retain water, which made me feel a little fuller, and I also ate sugar free popsicles and sugar free Jello with abandon since they were the only things I could have that somewhat resembled real food. There were some days I'd make the Jello that came in the larger-size boxes and eat the whole damn thing!!! Anyway, you'll get through it - and it should ease up a bit in another day or two. P.S. as others have said, the pre-op diet is the worst part of this whole thing. I was actually relieved the morning I was rolled into surgery because the godawful diet was OVER!! I found the progressive eating plan we go through after surgery (liquids, then purees, etc) way easier than that pre-op thing!!

I'm not sure how long it has been since your surgery. The challenge I found in the first couple of months when going out to dinner was getting enough protein with very limited capacity. As a result, I brought along my own protein when I traveled (powdered shakes) and had them in the hotel before going out to eat. I would then have just a small appetiser or something to drink at the restaurant while others were eating. You could do the same at family events, although I realize that's easier easier said than done. In my case, family and friends kept insisting I eat things because they were low-calorie, without understanding my need to prioritize protein and not fill up on other foods. It can be quite challenging to keep telling insistent relatives that you really don't want to eat more. For the road, there are some wonderful snacks in the Bariatric Pal store than you can bring along. None of this is ideal, but it's worth the effort!

Hey guys! I’ve been struggling again for a few months. And I was wondering if you could share some tips or inspirations to help me get my mind right. I still don’t get real hungry but my job has become real boring and desk centric so I find myself wanting little things to snack on. I keep healthy choices nearby or I just drink water but I can’t seem to get back on the losing side of life. I’ve been tracking my intake and some days I wonder if I’m taking in enough calories even if I’m hitting my protein and keeping my fats and carbs to a minimum. I have about 60 left to lose and I’m almost at my one year anniversary.

A little backstory: I had a sleeve back in 2015. I went from 450 to 190. I kept it off for 5 years. Enter pandemic, job loss, and alcohol abuse. I gained 130 of the 240 back. My little sleeved stomach also grew and I was eating full size meals again and I developed severe GERD and a hiatal hernia. My esophagus was constantly sitting in acid and was scarring and narrowing and the hernia was so bad, food and pills were constantly getting stuck. Fast forward to the present, I had a revision to a gastric bypass to fix the GERD and hernia. Those things have been 100% resolved (thank goodness), but the weight hasn’t been flying off like it did with my sleeve. I lost 40 pounds my first month with the sleeve. An average of 1-2 pounds per day. Right now, with the bypass I’ve slowed down after exiting the liquid diet stage to where I’m losing .3-.5 pounds per day and loosing about 3-4 per week. I know I should be happy that I’m losing, but I’m disappointed that it’s not flying off like before. Especially because my activity level and calories burned is much higher than it was with my sleeve at this stage. I’ve gone in circles trying to wrap my head around it. I know I’m 8 years older (36 now) and I have developed chronic insomnia over the last year, so I only get 3-5 hours per night. I’m absorbing less, so maybe I’m in starvation mode? I’m at a loss Anyone have any encouragement or experience with this?

How long is a piece of string? Only you know if it is too much & is restricting/limiting you in any way (health, lifestyle, etc.) or if the amount you’re doing is sustainable. Exercise only accounts for about 10% of any weight you’re to lose. Want to lose 50lbs - exercise will contribute to the loss of approx 5 of those pounds. Of course there are many other benefits to exercising: fitness, muscle strength, toning, flexibility, general well being (mental & physical), etc. So how much would benefit you best depends upon what you want to achieve. I’m a non exerciser & I lost all my weight & more. About a year ago I began doing some stretches, resistance bands & some sit-ups. I do them over 4 short sessions during the day for a total of 20-25minutes duration (exercise snacking). I do it more to support my back, flexibility & a little toning of my arms & legs. I’d only burn about 30 calories. Lol!

Often when you stall you do need to up your calories, for a day or two! I’d definitely follow your dietitians recommendations. I also get positional lightheadedness - I have not been doing weights for this reason but am able to tolerate stretching and cardio including walking and jogging. It might be something to consider!