Hi. I asked my dietician about this issue as I have seen lots of people here have 600 calories and 80+ grams of protein per day. My program recommends considerably less in the beginning in order to limit calories and get the weight loss process going. She said that right now the calorie limitation is much more important than the protein. My program has the following guidelines for after surgery. 1st Week: clear liquids with no specific guidelines 2nd week: 150-200 cals, 20-30g protein, 5 meals per day 3rd-5th Week: 250-300 cals, 40+g protein, 3 meals per day 6+ weeks: 350-400 cals, 60+g protein, 3 meals per day We also take multivitamins, vitamin B12 and drink 64+ ounces of water per day. Remember that it takes 3500 calories not eaten or burned in order to lose 1 lb, so focusing on the reduction of calories is what will contribute best to your weight loss until you can really increase your exercise after surgery. You definately need to find a weight management specialist/dietician/nutritionist to help you through this post-op process. As part of my program we are required to attend monthly post-op meetings for the first year after surgery, so it's very importat to meet with someone who can monitor your progress and meet regularly with others also going through the same changes. We also had to attend classes for 10 weeks before we could even be scheduled for surgery, so it's too bad if they didn't have you do that prior to surgery and give you clear guidelines. Good luck! Sherry

Hi. I also have PCOS and was wondering about the Metformin as I was also taken off of it when I had surgery. At my 2 week post-op check up, the nurse explained that taking Metformin after surgery while on a sugar free diet could drop blood sugars too low and create problems. She didn't feel that I needed it, but she said that I can talk to my pcp about it if my weight loss slows down too much. I would suggest the same for you. Remember that everyone stalls out for a week or so after surgery as the body fights the diet and tries to hold onto the fat. I would give it more time and start up the exercise as soon as you have permission so that will increase your metabolism. I have only lost 4 lbs in the last week and feel frustrated as well, but I am going to give myself a full month or two to see what happens before I call my PCP. Another good place to ask about this is the PCOS forum as there are several women on there with PCOS who have had RNY gastric bypass also. Maybe they will have a different perspective. Good luck! Sherry

Robin, Sorry to jump into the conversation so late. Glad to hear you are again seeing some weight drops. I had about a week where I didn't drop any weight, then about a week ago it slowly started again. I just started an exercise regiment yesterday, and am hoping to kick into another weight loss run. For me, after seeing losses of 3-6 pounds per day in the first couple weeks, it was tough to see the scale barely move. With the frustration of not losing, I decided to not step on the scales for a few days and I just focused on going by the food rules. I finally have lost a few more pounds. One final note: 20 pounds lost is not chump change. My wife Jodell had her surgery on 3-27 and she is about at the 20 pound lost mark. Any other option that could help you drop 20 pounds in a few weeks would have people lining up along the street to sign up. The way I see it, if you are burning more calories than you eat, your body will eventually catch up. --Dave 337/288/205

We have tried about 7 different flavors of crystal light, and have found we like some better than others. We have big mugs that measure the ounces on the side. They also have a big straw, which helps me get in more liquids. The advantage is that it is easy to tell how much we've actually drank. My mug is about 32 ounces, and so I know I need to drink at least 2 a day. Sometimes I use water, but I found for me the liquids go down easier with crystal light in a flavor I like. --Best of luck on the liquids --Dave 337/288/205

Unfortunately, I'm in AZ, but have to assume Paramus is in NJ. Needless to say, I haven't been to any support group meetings there. I do have two ideas for helping you find a support meeting. First, try the support groups link on this site, they do a pretty good job of listing key contacts for the meetings. Second, try the state forum and submit the same post there. They will be more familiar with your area. I have found the support groups to be very welcoming, even if they are sponsored by a surgery group to which your physician doesn't belong. --Dave 337/288/205