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The nurse practitioner put me on Sucralfate the pill one because my insurance would not pay for the liquid. I take it three times a day I have to crush it and mix it with yogurt. I’m still struggling with eating because I don’t know what to eat. I’m thinking about going back to the liquid phrase. I go to the doctor next month for my 6 month follow up. Hopefully I can get some answers. Thank You for reaching out to me and welcoming me to the group.

I avoided spicy food early on for that very reason. I still kinda do that (I'm 5.5 years out) - or I'll put a dollop of plain yogurt on it (esp if it's something like Indian or Thai food) to kill the heat

13 days out from my surgery, have had ups and downs with the biggest challenge be 1) energy and 2) hunger at the end of the day. I've fixed the hunger by making sure I'm sticking to high protein liquids. Here are some tips and tricks I've learned to help me keep moving forward: Food tips: Perfect treat: Pre-mixed Premier Protein, Vanilla. Warm in microwave then sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Such a treat, and fulfilling! Making sure to get my protein drinks in late in the day so I don't have that late night hunger. I've been using Gatorade Zero to fill in between meals, since plain water is hard on my stomach. I tried a recipe from a cookbook, but it really grossed me out - using plain greek yogurt, mixing it up with my chocolate whey protein. Gagged! That memory has kept me going on liquids alone. Use bone broth as a meal, adding my own salt and spices, nice an warm, and comforting. Exercise Tips: Set little goals, and then if you can keep going, keep going. If you need to take a break in between, take a small break. Listen to your body, and if you need to rest, or take a break in between, do it! For me, I started with walking laps around my pool / patio at night, and use my FitBit to keep me motivated. One day I had 10 laps, then I challenged myself to do 5 more, then 5 more, etc. Started at 5,000 steps then challenged myself each day until I got up to 12,000. However, if I didn't have the energy, I listened to my body and didn't push it. After I was comfortable walking, I started on my Bowflex Max 5 - not at the interval training level, but just at my own pace. First days were hard. I skipped two days, but then hopped up on it again and found I was able to go several additional minutes without needing a break. Just like any exercise, keep your water or Gatorade Zero or other non-calorie hydration close by, small sips are all you need. Setbacks: Some days the hunger was really strong - I found myself tasting Kosher salt & spices in between meals, which kicked any feelings of being deprived to the curb. (I don't know if this is allowed, or healthy - but just a taste did the trick). I've gotten over those cravings from the first week. After losing 12 pounds the first week, I stalled for about 2 days. I was discouraged, but kept moving and the weight loss kicked in quickly. I am now down 16 pounds since 12 days since my surgery. Keeping my energy levels high enough to put in the walking and/or Bowflex. I have to push myself at times, but I do it and feel better after knowing that I am increasing my metabolism and strength with each cycle. I also let myself rest when I need. Hope sharing this helps as you approach your post-surgery healing and journey.

I hadn't thought about adding vanilla protein to my yogurt but will now! I add an unflavored to some soups and don't taste it but it doesn't blend completely. Do you mind sharing what type of pea protein you use? Thank you!

Protein powders can be helpful. The vanilla ones are nice in yogurt, and the pea protein ones work well in soups. It's an easy way to add protein without drinking a shake. Yes, 60 gm/day is required, but as the previous poster said, you may need to work up to it. I cannot emphasize enough, however, that fluids are your #1 priority. All the protein in the world does not help you if you get dehydrated.

Same thing with the protein water here. Can't stomach it or shakes post surgery. Lived on Greek yogurt and protein soups for first month. Unjury Chicken soup (20g/protein/serving) and BariatricPal Cream of Tomato (15g/protein) are delicious- at least to me... I think 50g/protein at 3 days out is good but I'm obviously not your medical team. Mine wants me at 60/daily but expected me to work up to it. I'm almost 2 months out and just getting energy back. The first month I got exhausted very easily and was in a lot of pain but on Thanksgiving Day found I had an infection. After a couple of days in hospital- felt like a new person. I still haven't experienced the heightened energy that many describe but am definitely more energetic. I didn't go anywhere for a week (only to have my drain removed) so sounds like you're doing great! Wishing you energy and much success!

I easily transitioned with ground beef but everything else was/is a struggle. The trick with not over eating is eating slow. I am terrible at it. But the times I do I notice a huge difference. Really though everyone is different see what works for you and use it as a staple then slowly work in other things. I am 2.5 months post op and my diet is pretty much the same from 6 weeks post op. It works for me so I am sticking with it for now. Yogurt, protein shake, ground beef with taco season or tomato sauce, protein shake, ground beef with tacon season or tomato sauce. Sounds boring but it fills me up, makes me feel like I am eating gives me my protein requirements and gives a lot of flavor. Sent from my SM-N981U using BariatricPal mobile app

Avocado with a dash of tahin and everything bagel, yogurt with berries, oatmeal with berries, cottage cheese with a dash of balsamic vinegerette, spoonful of fresh ground peanut butter, 1/2 protein shake...depends on the day and how much time I have. I left off all my egg options lol Sent from my SM-N975U using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm not a huge fan of breakfast foods, so I usually eat plain Greek yogurt with fruit. Although there are a people on another site I'm on who eat things like deli turkey slices with cheese for breakfast (or any other thing that's more lunch or dinner fare...)

I’m looking for some breakfast ideas that are NOT sweet (ie. shakes, yogurt). I also have an egg allergy. It’s making it very tough to find anything to eat for breakfast :/ What’s your favorite go to breakfast??

I have noticed a tremendous amount of energy since having my surgery just over a week ago. I am not trying to push it because I do not want any complications. I know that it is extremely early to even have this cross my mind, but to be honest with all of you I feel like I am having the smoothest possible recovery. I have just started having a little bit of yogurt today, and want to be able to jump start some sort of fitness regime while I have this good feeling. I have not been doing much except taking the dogs out for an hour walk around the block. Does any one else have new found energy? Want to work out but know they cant? When is the safest time to start something?

Whoever started the Loser club here it still to this day cracks me up and it is such a Oxy Moran statement. As we loose we become winners! Now that's a fact Jack. So for all you new people less then say 8 Months and who are freaked out about the holidays and what is going on! Read below Veterans feel free to add to this thread Lets start with you are in the same journey all of us did or are doing, My Journey was rough the first few months, the head games, the body fighting back, educating myself, etc. So all I can say is ride out the wave of aggravation, it does end. For me it was about the one year mark when I really realized how to run my body and stay healthy and happy. Not saying it will take everyone the same amount of time, but be patient you will get there. I crashed big time 2 months out, I have tossed up food many times, I fully agree there are some speed bumps in the journey! Today is my second X mas and as a chef (professionally trained but run a engineering firm, thought it would be a good double major) I cook for many. This year is a private cook for families who are in need. I am Blown away by how many families I will be feeding this holiday, actually so many I have to do half today and the other half tommorrow. No big deal I have a huge outdoor kitchen and indoor kitchen and lost of help from some of my employees. The amount of gifts for those in need filled up two pickup trucks Never seen anything like this especially where I live in one of the wealthiest places in the world - Naples Florida..... So Will this bother me since I can not eat, NOPE! Now not going to say last x mas did piss me off a little but now I look at food as just a thing, Not a obsession that dang nearly killed me! You will get there also so once again if you are struggling ride out the wave it will pass. Reach out to friends and family or even here if you are having issues, ITS JUST FOOD! I know easier said at my stage then yours. Wow while typing this a buddy called and said Steve had to go to the ICU for Covid, Can you go disinfect his house and dog. Part of my company is a remediation/Disinfectant company for mold and Now Covid. That puts things in perspective, he has been battling it all week from home. Back on subject. To wrap it up all I can say is the Holidays are about family and friends, Food is just a thing that in the USA gets abused. Focus on the good things this year and how good next year will be, WTF Knows it can not be any more insane then this year. But i have great kids and friends and great employees, that's what matters to me, Not food! So stay strong - Stay healthy- help those in need if you can - ask for help if you need it. By the way I did call the North Pole and Santa is not a big fan of protean bars and yogurt. Screw him he should learn to eat healthier. No cookies in this house for him! Enjoy and Happy Holidays Please stay safe!

I just had gastric sleeve December 15th . So far so good. My only issue is I’m hungry and it’s the holidays. When can I eat? I’m depressed for texture in my mouth anything soft. I’m tired of protein shakes and broth. I don’t like yogurt, cottage cheese or jello. It’s been 9 days. Can I have eggs, soft fish?

Hi. 3 days post op. Had RNY on 21st. Went home on 23rd (today). I'm on 7 days of full liquids right now. So far I only had protein shakes, yogurt, clear broth, and Gatorade (G2 in the hospital and Zero at home). I'm still very gassy from the surgery. Pain is manageable. I'm not getting even close to 48oz daily but tolerating well what I do drink. When can I expect first bowel movement? Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk

I appreciate your suggestion about the popsicles and yes, I have. It’s not that I want to bite things, though I’m sure I miss that too. My stomach is growling when empty and I feel lightheaded until I drink a shake or have thinned out yogurt with protein powder mixed in. It’s real hunger. I recognize this is uncommon post-op, but it’s genuinely my experience, and there is enough research that supports it. It’s not that I want to eat everything possible in the quantities I did before, I just want more than liquids - a few teaspoons of mushy something. One thing I’m really learning, each doctor has a slightly different regimen that they adhere to for their patients - I was told jello but no pudding, though when I called my nutritionist we “negotiated” to watered down yogurt and pudding too. I had a whole list of other things I tried to get her to say yes to and she was like nope. My taste has changed overnight also to not like sweet things, which is also causing issues. I do miss all the Christmas things definitely, though. My girls and I would always bake and plan out our holiday menus together and I’m sad at not having that this year - I’m just too tired to cook anyway. They’ve been great, it’s just that I’m grieving over old things. I should also mention that I had a hysterectomy in September and then with the sleeve, they had to do a hernia repair. The doctor said that this is exacerbating my whole experience because my lung collapsed (“just a little”, he said). I’m like surgeried out at this point, really tired and tired of the tired. Anyway, today is better than yesterday and hopefully it’ll keep getting better.

I had sugar free Gatorade, protein shakes, sugar free or fat free versions of pudding, Jell-O, popsicles (Monster brand - slushed), soup broth, Gatorade, yogurt, milk. There is also Isopure protein punch. I found protein shakes much more pleasing than the punch.

I think it's BS when programs push specific brands of protein drinks. Unjury is recommended by a lot of programs, but there are tons of other options for whey protein isolate. Premier Protein ready-to-drink shakes use milk protein concentrate, which is not as easily absorbed as protein isolates, but I would think they're still better than nothing, especially since you are past the liquid stage and you're consuming protein from meat as well. I've tried a bunch of samples of protein powder and my favorite is IdealLean (I love the birthday cake flavor mixed in my yogurt), but again, it's a matter of personal taste. I found that once I started shopping for protein powders, Facebook started advertising them to me nonstop, and I've discovered different brands that way. Syntrax Nectar is also whey protein isolate, and they have lots of flavors (including a lot of fruit flavors that are more like juice than protein shakes). Do you drink coffee? A lot of people use protein shakes instead of creamer in their coffee, which is an easy way to add a little protein. I don't drink coffee, but I love protein hot cocoa. I make it with Fairlife milk instead of water for even more protein. Unfortunately, you may have to cut back on the veggies for a while to give you more room for protein. I know that seems weird since it's been drilled into us that veggies are good for you, but right now, since you are so limited in the volume you can eat, you have to reserve most of it for protein. You can add a little protein to your meals by incorporating protein soups, plain Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese into toppings or sauces. You can mix unflavored protein powder into anything liquid or pureed like soup or refried beans. I prefer flavored protein powder to mix with sweet foods like yogurt, pudding, and protein oatmeal. As for the stall, it may or may not have anything to do with what you are or aren't eating. Even if you are following your program perfectly, stalls still happen to everyone. You've done really well with your weight loss, so your weight loss is going to slow down and you might just need to give your body time to adjust. If you're working out, you might be building some muscle as well, which can increase your weight even as you are losing fat.

I second the Built Bars! I've tried a lot of protein bars, and Built Bars are the best by far! (But taste is a very individual thing, and it seems like most people either love Built Bars or hate them, so I would suggest starting with one box to see if you like them.) Nature Valley protein bars only have 10 grams of protein. There are a lot of bars with higher protein. Built Bars have 17-19 grams. Quest Bars (which are available in most grocery stores) have about 20 grams. I mix protein powder into food to boost my protein intake. My go-to breakfast is half a container of Triple Zero Greek yogurt with half a scoop of protein powder, which is 19 grams of protein. Or protein oatmeal with additional protein powder mixed in. Quest protein chips are also high in protein and I often incorporate them into my meals to add a little protein (for example, crushed as a salad topping, or topped with taco meat for nachos). Can you give some more examples of things you eat and maybe we can suggest ways to add protein? What are your program's criteria for protein shakes? There are A LOT of protein shakes on the market, and if you don't like the brand you have, you can try some others to find something you like better.

Hello, Jori! 990ml isn't too bad to start out with, but really try to get in more so you don't become (if you're not already) dehydrated. Try room temperature, a little colder, and ice cold... see which you tolerate best. In the VERY beginning, I could only tolerate absolutely ice cold water, otherwise I would get terrible hiccups. That has changed and I can have all temperatures now with no problems. You definitely need more protein than what you're getting from one container of FF Greek yogurt, though. Have you tried protein shakes (that would help get in more liquid as well!) or adding some unflavored protein powder to your yogurt? If walking is really bothering you, I would maybe suggest holding off on that for now, until you are getting in more calories per day. I don't think your weight loss in the first month is *too* extreme for having had the surgery. It will slow down All the best to you, and keep us posted!

Hi I’m Jori and I’m only 17 years old. I had my gastric sleeve surgery on nov 23 this year and on December 23 I complete 1 month after my surgery. my problem is that I can’t eat 3 meals in one day and I can’t drink 48oz of water in a day. I get dizzy each time I get out of bed or when I normally get up from my couch and I hate it. I only drink 990 ml of water a day and the only thing I eat is fat free Greek yogurt in a day just one box. my weight before the surgery was 115kgs and now it’s 99kgs. My mother told me it’s crazy how I lost 16kgs in one month and told me that I have to lose weight slower, I do go for walks 4 times a week and when I rest my body hurts me and I feel really sick out of nowhere. I told my mom to schedule my first appointment with my Nut and I’m so scared of what she’s going to say to me. I just know that she’s going to be disappointed in me because the way I’m treating myself, and yes I know what I’m doing is wrong but I really need help from you guys to tell me what to do and what not to do.

My doctors allow yogurt and jello and sugar free popsicles during my liquid diet phase. See if they’ll do the same for you?

Things taste really different to me. I had surgery almost a year ago, and I cannot STAND the smell of tuna anymore. Yogurt makes me gag. I used to love those things before. Changes in sense of smell and taste are apparently pretty common, according to my surgeon. I do, however, enjoy the way some healthier foods taste and smell now. It just takes some getting used to to figure out what you can handle now. ❤️

140 pounds at 5'4" gives you a BMI of 24.0 which is in the normal range, so I wouldn't say you did badly with the surgery. It's good that you're trying to turn your regain around before it's gotten too large. Why not go back to eating the way you did soon after surgery? For me that was protein first, then veggies, no carby foods like rice, potatoes or bread and of course no sweets. My doctor's eating plan is moderately low carb, so I limited starchy veggies like sweet potatoes, carrots and corn. Although I can eat more than I could in year 1, I still don't eat nearly as much as I did before surgery (either in amount or variety), so I do still take a bariatric multivitamin. As far as types of protein, I eat lots of different things: yogurt, chicken, beef, a pork chop, Italian sausage, firm cheese like cheddar or jack, soft cheese like Ricotta, cottage cheese (I like large curd), lunch meat if I'm on the go and can't get anything else, turkey (whatever parts you like), beans of various kinds and on and on. I used to eat protein bars but they slowed my weightloss so I stopped, but you might not have that issue. When eating out I usually order a Cobb salad or Chef salad and focus on the protein (I generally can't eat much of the greens). Because you've lost 50 pounds, you might need to track your calories closely. I've lost 120 and I definitely eat fewer calories to maintain that than I did at my top weight. It's kind of trial and error to find the sweet spot where you don't gain or lose. As far as motivation, everyone has different ways of coping with the COVID-19 blues. I'm high risk for COVID-19 so I'm pretty much stuck in the house. It helps me to go for a walk every day. I get fresh air, exercise and sunlight that way and it's helped me keep my mood stable. I've also bought a few new clothing items that I really like. I'd hate to get too big for them so that motivates me to weigh myself regularly and adjust as necessary. I inherited a BEAUTIFUL dress from my Mom and if I gain any significant weight I won't be able to fit in it. Sometimes I just take it out and try it on again to remind myself of how awesome it is that I can wear it now. Maintaining the habit of weighing helps because you'll see any gain early on. I've set myself a "break the glass" weight of 135 and if I get to that weight, I will cut back immediately. At one point I did get to 133 so I cut back and lost 5 pounds to get to 128. I just find it so much easier to deal with a few pounds rather than a lot. You're in good shape since you've only gained 15. Go back to basics, get your protein, stay hydrated, try to find a physical activity you can do regularly and those pounds will be gone in no time. Hugs. 🤗

I don't know if anyone else is experiencing something really strange happening. But I am experiencing things smelling and tasting really strange. It seems to be shredded cheeses, my yogurt, and my decaf coffee. All these things I ate before having my bypass revision but now they all have this strange smell and taste which is kind of nauseating. When did I mention it was Greek yogurt that has this smell. I also found that I order a salad from Wendy's and the dressing smell the same way and taste the same way. Can explain what the smell or taste is but it's weird that all of these different things have this smell and taste. Has anyone experienced anything like this? Sent from my SM-G781U using BariatricPal mobile app