You are only 8 days out. Did your doctor give you any directions? I am suppose to be on clear liquids for 2 weeks then when I get approval move to full liquids for a few weeks before I move to mushy food, then soft food then regular food. This should take close to 10 weeks.

Your sleeve is still healing, what kind of food are you putting in it? Are you just doing protein shakes or eating real food?

Also, the IV fluids cause weight gain, so if you had an IV for a few days that's going to take time to leave your system. Your stomach is still swollen and it takes well over a month for your stomach to full heal inside, so maybe someone else knows better than me, but I had several nutrition classes and they scared the heck out of me with the fact I should not be eating real food or solids because it could cause so many issues.

Good luck.

Hi Leaha, I also had the sleeve on the 22nd and understand what you are saying. I have haven't been over-eating or even snacking because I almost always get diarrhea after I do eat and sometimes even after the shakes. I hope this physical learning curve is over soon, it seems a bit different for us all.

One of the things I think you are describing is what I call Head Hungry, thinking about food, picturing it, tasting it, smelling it, the experience of it. Then the reality of food for us now, is nothing compared to our imagination. But that's why we are doing this, to learn new control, new habits. This sleeve tool will allow us to lose weight, while gaining time to make our new way of (eating)life so normal that we never gain the weight back. That's what I'm reminding myself today anyway, everyday seems hard so far, but there is no going back. Don't worry about the number of lbs lost yet or clothing size, just concentrate on nutrition intake, the rest will come. It just has too!

I'm on clear liquids for the time in the hospital and then come home to two weeks of full liquids followed by 6 weeks of pureed before hitting soft foods. At 8 days it sounds like you are progressing pretty quickly. Also, I have been told that they usually pump in about 10lbs of fluid during surgery and hospital stay so to lose 7 lbs at 8 days is awesome! That's what I'm hoping to lose per month!

It's actually 11 days out now and although I too am on liquids, my doctor did say I can have anything that will go through a straw (just not actually use the straw) so I have had some very thin cream of wheat and potato soup. I'm having some digestive issues so I stopped even that, but my doctor said that if I felt ok after then I could continue to progress from very thin to puree.

i was told to either go brush my teeth (Nobody wants to eat after that), chew on the end of a straw or munch soft ice when I wanted to snack from boredom and I'm already halfway thru a box of straws and I'm still PRE OP. but I'm down over 10 pounds

Liquids...I eat every couple of hours. Once you start real food, you can only eat a few bites, so I usually eat something every two to three hours...sometimes I only eat twice a day; sometimes 6 times a day. When you are just out of surgery, I mean, up to 3 weeks post op, the communication to your brain that you are full or hungry just isn't quite there. Once you start eating real food, it is heavy. I ate five grapes the other day and thought I was going to burst. I am one of those tasting cooks...so by the time I get food ready for everybody, I am full...I have to quit that. Just take it slow. The first few weeks are a little frustrating because of the limited selection. Remember, the inside of your stomach is having to heal over the staples, so be very careful about eating anything. Just stick to your liquids and mushies...or whatever your doctor told you...I was on mushies until 6 weeks out. I still occasionally do mushy days...Yesterday, I had one Jimmy Dean sausage biscuit(which was not at all good), and then I had one bite of tomato, about 2 ounces of turkey, one 3 oz bag of planters trail mix, 2 oz chicken poppyseed casserole (without the poppyseed and no rice in it...I also did my chicken in my food processor on the slice, so it is small pieces) 2 oz collards, and I was so full, but I felt like a pig...so it will get easier with time...and the weight will come off consistently. I will be eight weeks out Tuesday.

Somebody had mentioned the trail mix to me, and surprisingly, it sits very well, but yesterday was the first time I had tried it.

I am pre-op, but have read that the hunger can be stomach acid to be relieved by prilosec or something of that sort. Also, when you are hungry, drink water. It often is a signal that you are thirsty or dehydrated (that goes for pre-surgery hunger, too).

To avoid snacking, consider setting a schedule for consumption, i.e., your surgeon suggests 4 meals a day, so eat at 8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm (or whatever works for you, of course). If you feel hungry between those hours... drink water. Sometimes making rules to follow can help us follow our own guidelines, rather than being without boundaries.