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I'm not sure what that person meant by "listening to your sleeve" but this is how I would interpret it. The restriction in your tummy will tell you when to stop eating. The feeling of being "full" can be very different post-op, so you have to learn the signals that indicate you are approaching being full. One time, shortly after surgery, I overate because I didn't recognize that I was full. It was a miserable experience, I was in severe distress until finally I threw up. After that, I learned how to identify when I've had enough to eat (and honestly, I rarely eat enough now to test my restriction). Also, your sleeve can educate you in terms of WHAT you are eating. My new tummy does not do well with red meat. Regardless of how prepared, red meat is uncomfortable for my body to digest. I could keep trying to force it but I've chosen to "listen to my sleeve" and just leave red meat out of my diet. Your body will give you signals about what it does and doesn't like and they are worth paying attention to.

Over time you’ll get to recognise your signals & what you can & can’t eat easily. Some say they sneeze or get a runny nose when they’ve eaten enough. I don’t. If I eat too quickly or eat when stressed my restriction kicks in. If I eat food that’s too dry I’ll get the foamies or if really dry or coarse I’ll bring it up (not vomit but regurgitate). Dairy makes me gurgle more. I’ve discovered my ‘I’m full’ message sometimes seems to take a lot longer to come through. This morning I ate my milky rolled oats over about 35 mins then some 30 mins later I started to feel full, then fuller & fuller. Groan! Felt like I’d bring it up but didn’t (I was driving so probably a good thing). To counter my sometimes slow full message I eat slowly: 30-60 minutes depending upon what I’m eating - it works most times. I ask myself do I need this next bite or do I just want it - this was a big thing for me. I also try not to eat until I’m full but until I’ve had enough - another big learning. Never be afraid to put your cutlery down & sit back from the table. Use the pause to examine how you’re feeling & what you really need versus just want. Good luck.

It can be a challenge to increase your calories to stop losing & maintain. It took me about 11 months after I reached goal to stop losing. I understand just not being able to eat any more. I slowly added more snacks as I was able. I also noticed over the months my portion sizes for meals started getting larger. By the time I stabilised I was eating 4 or 5 snacks a day plus 3 about recommended portion sized meals. My snacks were combinations of whole & multi grain crackers, hummus, fruit, liverwurst, string cheese, nuts, protein bar, chia pudding & yoghurt. I used full fat salad dressings & added a seed mix to my rolled oats. So I upped carbs (no over processed carbs) & fats but still ensured everything I ate was nutritious (liverwurst & salad dressing aren’t good but yummy) & included 5-10g protein (except no protein in fruit). My dietician suggested I add powdered milk to my milk to make it richer but I found it too sweet. Honestly, I did feel like I was eating all day long. My lowest weight was 48.2kg & I’ve been maintaining at 49 (48.5-49.5) for 14 months now. My BMI is around 18.7 so on the low end too but I’ve got a smaller frame so it’s ok. Initially my surgeon & doctor wanted me to put on a couple of kg too. I said I didn’t want too because of the possibility of 5kg bounce back in the future. Now they’re fine with my weight & tell me I look great & have done well (& I’m actually a couple of kgs less then when they wanted me to gain). I eat about 1300 calories a day & only 3 or 4 snacks to maintain my weight. I’m not very active. I still have days or times when I don’t feel hungry but I always try to meet or be close to my protein goal. So if I don’t feel hungry say for lunch or dinner I’ll graze on a high protein yoghurt. I was a little worried I wouldn’t stop losing &/or I’d get too thin & I had some ‘well intentioned’ family & friends saying it too. But I really like how I look now. Yep, I still get surprIsed when I see my skinny legs & thigh gap or buy size 4 (US 0) clothing but it’s a good feeling. It does take a while for your body to resettle too. I initially thought I’d got so slim I’d lost my hourglass shape but it came back (still don’t have much of a butt though 😉). I should mention I haven’t had any plastic surgery. Have a chat with your surgeon & medical team & tell them honestly about how you feel about your current weight, the possibility of a reversal, etc. Do you still have access to a therapist to talk through how you’re feeling. I hope you can reach a point soon that your weight settles so you can fully embrace what you’ve achieved. All the best.

I agree with what Jaelzion said. The cues for being full vary greatly and are highly individualistic. For me, it is a fullness that tells me “one more bite’s going to be really uncomfortable”.

pain is all across the board, but the majority of us seem to experience very little (or none - just discomfort). Sorry to hear that you are one of the unfortunate minority - although I wonder if some of the pain is coming from the hernia repair (??). Did they send you home with pain meds? If so, take those to stay on top of it. It shouldn't last more than a few days.

I am also hungry - properly hungry - since my op 16 days ago so I guess I might be one of the unlucky 20%. Sticking to my volume restriction of 1/3 cup pureed whatever per meal and also taking 2 protein shakes. And a tiny cube of cheese every day. Cannot wait for soft foods, also keen to see whether solids will allow me to feel my restriction and to finally feel FULL!

Welcome to the Medically Modified Human Club! I can tell food for you is definitely emotional (for me it is!) and you will definitely be right there enjoying consuming healthy food for you amongst your family and friends in due time. For me... I pay attention to those who have sharp emotional cravings for all of the foods that got us (lets face it... ALL of us) where we are pre surgery. Congratulations on making taking the necessary steps so that A... you can be on this earth longer and living healthier. Take your time (as you are) and know that if you follow your NUT's advice you will do well. I found it a heck of a lot easier to not eat (as much or as per the instructions) while I was on pain medication. Now that I am off of the good stuff... here comes the retraining. Drink water, wait, realize why I want to eat... boredom, the time seams right, I just witnessed or inhaled wonderful smells, or AM I TRULY HUNGRY? Arghhhh... Best Wishes, Will

My obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was well controlled with CPAP for several years. Some months after my VSG surgery, my events got crazy high. My sleep doctor ordered another sleep study (yuck) and determined I now have central sleep apnea (CSA), which isn’t affected, apparently, by one’s weight. So, I now use an adapto- servo unit and I’m doing fine.

What about the fresh ready meal companies if you have access to them? Most have menu plans for various eating plans but you still will have to be vigilant on the nutritional & caloric content of each meal & portion control. One of the ready meals may last you for two meals at the moment. Like many frozen meals & supermarket ready meals, many of the fresh ready meals are pasta or rice based so remember to avoid those. When you say you don’t cook, will you cook/reheat/microwave/prep simple things? You don’t have to be a cordon Bleu chef to toss a salad together (throw in some tinned beans for a protein boost) or microwave some fresh or frozen vegetables then add meat from a grocery store bbq chicken or roast meat, or some deli meats, smoked salmon, tinned salmon or tuna, etc. I ate rolled oats made on milk with some seeds (oats are a good carb which many plans allow from early stages) - couple of mins in the microwave & ready. Find a good high protein yoghurt & a low fat cheese. Eggs are also easy & barely cooking: boiled or fried in a non stick pan. Would you try some frozen oven bake fish in the oven? (Just scrape off the batter & crumbs once cooked.)

We're here to support each other. The fact is, Goodmange's outcome is a real possibility for anyone. Preaching and lecturing is counterproductive: nonjudgmental tips and strategies are helpful & productive.