Hi all,

I got sleeved with a hiatal hernia repair on 9/9. I am having an OK time getting fluids down- water, tea, etc. I am having an impossible time stomaching protein shakes or even getting yogurt down. Is this normal? When does it get easier? I find myself thinking about food all the time.. when does all this get easier?

I am there with you Maureen; I am drinking ISOPure with water. I was sleeved the same day as you. I have yet to try a protein shake - I am sticking with the ISOPure (20 g of Protean); I feel like crap today, but it may be because I didn't sleep at all last night. I don't think about food. Give ISOpure a look see.

Short answer: yes, it does get better.

Long answer: From a sample of one (me)…i had a challenging time drinking those effing protein shakes the first couple weeks. No joke, I couldn’t even finish 1 serving in 3 days…i would end up tossing it and make a new one…which I also could not finish.

What helped was switching to a less sweet brand (i ended up settling on Isopure Dutch Chocolate). I used water instead of milk, added a tsp of decaf instant coffee crystals, and blended it with ice…so much more palatable (for me).

I also went through about 2-3 weeks of a serious case of total food aversion and just wanted to gag at even just the thought of eating.

It slowly got better.

Am almost 3 yrs out now and I can eat basically anything (if I wanted to, and yes, in much, much smaller amounts than pre-op)

Hang in there, this is all temporary. This time next year, your rockin’ bod in a bikini will make all the current annoyances a distant memory.

Good Luck! ❤️

thank you both! Ordered some isopure. Hoping that does the trick

Hey - Totally normal. The goals of how much to consume in terms of liquids are very optimistic. First week, I probably couldn't get more than 25-30 OZ down for an entire day, forget anything more thick than water/broth/tea.

If it makes you feel any better, when you get on the scale in a week or two, youll see your body has been having a grand ol' time eating itself - the numbers are shockingly awesome.

First few days/weeks are scary. Nothing feels normal, digesting anything feels damn near impossible. It'll all settle. Weird pains will come up (not to suggest you shouldn't reach out to your doc, but dont freak) they too shall pass.

Recovery takes time, and adjusting to a strange diet plan, a new digestive system, and relearning every food/drink rule that youve spent years getting accustomed to is really hard. And totally worth it - Hang in there!

Also, I had great luck with sugar free fat free free pudding and jello. Make with fairlife milk or add protein powder. For whatever reason, I thought this was tastier and easier to get down (in one bite increments).

They can be made in a blender and ready to eat after sitting for 5 minutes. Seriously 1-2 bites an hour max, but helps a lot with protein goals.

4 hours ago, BillyHalleck said:

If it makes you feel any better, when you get on the scale in a week or two, youll see your body has been having a grand ol' time eating itself - the numbers are shockingly awesome.

This made me snort. I'm on day 9 pre-op liquid diet and this is exactly how it feels. Not jazzed about this stretching on post-op, but the thought of little fat eating Pac Man style weight loss makes it a little easier to manage.