Hey all

I'm struggling to eat 3 meals a day most days I have 2 as I am simply not Hungary , I can eat 2 meals and don't get sick but I am still worried about turning to skinny , how does your weight pan out after GS and what happens if you turn skinny from GS

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It might not be an issue, but then again it might be. It really depends on if you're getting enough nutrients and the only way you'll be able to tell is if you bring this up with your Bariatric team.

Bariatric surgery makes it very hard for us to get the nutrients we need for our bodies to function, things like serious deficiencies might happen which can lead to a whole bunch of health issues which can be very hard to fix, once they take hold. Getting back on track is A LOT harder than if you hadn't had the surgery, which is why we're given vitamins for the rest of our lives and we have blood tests to keep this all in check, so please chat with your provider ASAP!

I have a work friend who is a little over 6 months ahead of me and she wanted to lose weight as fast as possible and she didn't take the proteins goals seriously, cut corners and a lot of her hair has fallen out to the point she's just decided to shave it all off... And that's not the worst thing that can happen from deficiencies. She's really not healthy and she hasn't sped up her loss progress that much, she's just given herself a bunch of medical issues.

Being "Skinny" shouldn't really be a concern 3 months in, unless you're finding that your losses are too drastic and you're near goal, in that case, yet again, talk to your provider. Losing weight is one of the goals but you want to really do this correctly, learning why we eat, when we should eat and how much of each thing we need to eat and learning to eat for health. That's the main goal of all of this, so that once we reach 12months, 18months post op, we don't develop unrealistic diets or want to go back to our old ways and gain it all back. We want to maintain our weight losses with the new knowledge we have learnt from doing this with the help of our providers.

Chat with your surgeon, chat with a dietician, if you're getting your nutrients, it's probably not going to be an issue, but the only way to really know is by reaching out and chatting to them. Usually they will do blood tests to make sure everything is okay, but if you're worried that you're not eating enough or that you're losing too fast, you really need to chat to them

All the best, take each day as it comes, and don't be afraid to talk to your healthcare team, they will be able to help you with any issues you're concerned about. it's what they're there for, to make sure you reach all of your goals, safely and realistically

Edited December 3, 20223 yr by SmolGojira

most people do lose their hunger for a few months after bariatric surgery. Mine came roaring back at five months out. Enjoy it while it lasts....I wish mine had never come back. It is SO much easier to lose weight when you're never hungry and don't give a flip about food! Things get a lot harder once your hunger comes back. Again, there are days I wish mine had never come back - I found it very liberating, on top of making it easy to lose weight (I'm 7.5 years out now)

I wouldn't worry about getting too skinny. For one thing, only about 10-15% of patients make it to a normal BMI, let alone get too skinny. There are a lot more people who never make it all the way to their goal than there are people who get too thin. Plus if you DO get too thin, you can always increase your calories to either stabilize your weight - or gain some back. I wouldn't let that worry me AT ALL.

Hey all
I'm struggling to eat 3 meals a day most days I have 2 as I am simply not Hungary , I can eat 2 meals and don't get sick but I am still worried about turning to skinny , how does your weight pan out after GS and what happens if you turn skinny from GS
Sent from my LE2123 using BariatricPal mobile app

Are you able to add a protein shake to make sure you are getting your protein?

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I also lost my interest in food & wasn’t really hungry so I get how you feel. I also was only eating two ‘meals’ a day to begin but then I realised I needed to eat for my body to function properly. So I started to eat more regularly. I found eating to the clock helpful. It actually changed a lot of my relationship with food. That adage of eating to live not living to eat became true for me. (I still very much enjoy food but I consider what & why I’m eating it.)

As a place to begin, try adding a third meal of a smaller portion & eat it even more slowly than you normally would just to get into the routine. Or add a yogurt drink or shake at sometime during the day & look at them as a drink not a meal with the bonus of necessary nutrients.

Have you had a chat with your dietician to review your diet, nutrient & calorie intake. They may have some suggestions re nutrient dense meal suggestions.

The lack of hunger & interest in eating doesn’t last. It’s a temporary bonus of the surgery. Though my lack of hunger lasted into my second year, most find it starts to return in their first year from about 6 months. Actually you’ll get to a time in the future when you wish you still experienced them.

i was notoriously un-hungry during weight loss phase. the discomfort of eating more than my stomach would allow was also a factor...the potential annoyance of the "full feelings" (which was a given) always trumped the desire to eat (which didn't happen often anyway). I was definitely Pavlov'ed (still in am a way)

Eventually, my stomach allowed more stuff in (we're talking like 1 cup in volume here, which i realize still isn't much in the grand scheme of things), AND i was able to digest a little faster, so I could eat again in a few hours. As a result, I am a grazer. I was a grazer pre-wls, but that was more all-day snacking, just wanna eat type of deal. Now its sort of necessity. I have small "eating sessions" many times throughout the day, lol. I'm 4 years out now, so the portions are a little bigger and less spaced apart, but comparatively, volume-wise, its still a lot less than "normal" people.

RE: turning skinny. I'm assuming you are referring to becoming TOO skinny? Everyone is different, and has different ideas of what "too skinny" is, so it would be difficult to get a baseline on this. Regardless, lots of people worried about this (myself included), but based on the anecdotal evidence of many, many members posts on this forum, as well as personal experience, the idea of being too skinny is fleeting. The entire time i've been on this forum, I have yet to come across someone who is 2-3+ years out (AND otherwise healthy/doesn't suffer from medical condition) who lament being too skinny. There was ONE a couple years back who was 2 years out and had a BMI of 18 and was indeed concerned about her ever-shrinking frame, but I have not seen/heard from her in a couple years, so not sure how she is faring today (hopefully she achieved some peace, though).

In short, the fear of becoming too skinny during weight loss phase is a normal feeling, but mostly unfounded. Ask anyone 2-3 years out if they are worried about being too skinny, and I'm willing to bet that you will be hard-pressed to find one who still is (and who isn't suffering from a medical condition).

Good Luck! ❤️

Many thanks for your replys , I actually hate the taste of protein shakes and was wondering if there is tablet form of any sort ?

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3 hours ago, skinny44 said:

Many thanks for your replys , I actually hate the taste of Protein Shakes and was wondering if there is tablet form of any sort ?

I detested them too which is why I turned to drinking yoghurt. Shop around as some don’t have a lot of protein or have a lot of sugar (real or artificial). The one I drank had about 25g of protein per 200mls if I remember correctly. Unfortunately they don’t make it anymore. ? You can make your own- just add milk to your favourite yoghurt to thin it out. Add some fruit & extra protein powder if you want.

I tried several brands and found Fairlite chocolate the best. There were brands and flavors: Carmel, Cinnamon Swirl, strawberry, and vanilla ( which I added extracts).

13 hours ago, skinny44 said:

Many thanks for your replys , I actually hate the taste of Protein Shakes and was wondering if there is tablet form of any sort ?

Sent from my LE2123 using BariatricPal mobile app

If only there were tablets life would be easier for a lot of people. However, there isn't.

There is "protein shots" which I believe they sell on this site. I have never had them so I don't know anything about them.

There is also "clear protein" such as gatorade zero with protein, or protein 2.0, premier clear. They are basically all the same but some prefer some over others. I drank the gatorade daily early out as I worked towards my protein and fluid goals.

While not eating is ok, it's certainly NOT ok at the same time. Overweight people can become malnutritioned just as someone with an eating disorder on the other side of the spectrum. (bulimia,anorexia). While eating isn't the most important factor, being sure you are getting your nutrition is. Getting your protein and nutrients in is so important. For anyone, not just WLS patients.

When you eat your meals, eat super lean high protein foods and maybe some veggies. I usually hit my minimum protein goals by lunch and dinner then becomes a bonus. I do however drink a protein shake for breakfast, so at 30g protein it is a big jump to the days goal. However, lunch is lean meat that is high in protein. White meats, tuna, fish, chicken breast all have 20g protein or more per serving.

I am 8 months out now, still wouldn't say I am rally hungry. Now, I seem to have just trained my mind to eat 3 times a day. I am experienced true hunger maybe a handful of times in those 8 months and it usually shows itself at a belly ache. Took me some time to realize it.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. But in short, get your nutrition before you end up in a detrimental situation. Call your team for help!

Best wishes to you!

Edited December 5, 20223 yr by kcuster83

it gets better with time… you adjust .. and if you start getting too small you can adjust your macros to slow the weight loss

most people do lose their hunger for a few months after bariatric surgery. Mine came roaring back at five months out. Enjoy it while it lasts....I wish mine had never come back. It is SO much easier to lose weight when you're never hungry and don't give a flip about food! Things get a lot harder once your hunger comes back. Again, there are days I wish mine had never come back - I found it very liberating, on top of making it easy to lose weight (I'm 7.5 years out now)
I wouldn't worry about getting too skinny. For one thing, only about 10-15% of patients make it to a normal BMI, let alone get too skinny. There are a lot more people who never make it all the way to their goal than there are people who get too thin. Plus if you DO get too thin, you can always increase your calories to either stabilize your weight - or gain some back. I wouldn't let that worry me AT ALL.

100%

Very few get too skinny, the majority is the opposite. They have to work hard just to maintain their goal weight or lose the last 20 lbs. Our bodies are smart and they adjust (i.e. hunger comes back.)