PdxMan

What is your pre-op diet? Changes in foods will cause your whole system to shift, so ... how's your liquid intake? Fiber?

Have you contacted your medical team? What are you trying to eat? Does it happen after the 1st bite or after several? How much time are you taking between bites? Some folks end up lactose intolerant for a bit, so avoid anything milk based and see if it resolves.

Oh, I know you weren't looking to inhale. The sleeve isn't going to let you do that, anyway! But, as Atlanta pointed out, the main function of your stomach is to mechanically break down the food. When we had 100% of our stomach, we didn't need to chew as well as we had this 1HP garbage disposer in our chest. Now, we have a 1/6th HP unit. We need to shore up the missing effort with our teeth. When I said I don't want to inhale my food anymore, I am referring to the time from one bite to the next. If I am spending more time chewing, that is lengthening the amount of time until the next bite. This also gives me more time to feel the "full" feeling. Otherwise, I may consume more than I should and get the uncomfortable feeling. It is also important if you are not making up that difference with your teeth, and drinking with your meal to release that uncomfortable feeling, you may get that uncomfortable feeling in your intestines as the food was not digested enough before passing through the pyloric valve. Just one of the reasons why we try not to drink before, during or immediately after eating. I know it is tedious to be making everything you eat into baby food, but, as time goes, you will find the consistency you need to avoid an upset stomach and intestines. Just listen to your body and do what it needs. Don't push yourself past what it needs you to do.

Low BP can be attributed to dehydration. Be vigilant today with your water intake. Set a reminder on your phone every hour. Have that be your #1 priority today. In the morning, drink more water, then, an hour after waking, take your BP again.

It's funny, I saved all my size 38 pants and XL shirts and sweaters ... for years they sat in plastic storage bins. My wife wanted to get rid of them, but I would always deny her saying, "No! I will get back into those! DON'T TOUCH THEM!" It was one of the motivating factors for getting the surgery. After about the 3rd time where she wanted to get rid of them, I was able to realize I needed help and turned to VSG. Funny thing, after saving these clothes for years, I was only able to wear them for about 3 weeks! Oh, well. Goodwill was my best friend until I stabilized.

For me, chewing better than I did pre-sleeve became a new habit which I carry with me today at over 2 years post-op. Especially fibrous foods or meats as if I don't my tummy will complain or not feel as comfortable if I would have chewed more. This all falls into the new habits of taking smaller bites and eating slower. Not chewing well was just one part of the way I inhaled food in the past. I don't want to do that ever again.

Wait an hour and take it again. It is always lower right after waking. Has this been a trend? How is your water intake? How for out from surgery are you? Do you have a history of high or low BP? Are you on any meds or changed meds/dosages? Have you contacted your medical team with these concerns?

They should have shown you the "tuck and roll" method for getting in and out of bed, which makes things easier. If you have a woman around who had a c-section, they can show you. Basically, roll yourself up like a rollie-pollie with your butt close to the edge (tuck), then roll off while still tucked extending your feet to the floor. Reverse for getting into bed. It gets better soon, don't worry. ** edit ** Forgot to add ... Holding a pillow tightly whilst doing this helps.

Well ... that is quite the question as everybody has different experiences. I was outpatient, in at 7 and out by noon. As you can imagine, there is no possible way I could have driven myself. I was still quite drugged. Other folks are in for anywhere from one night to a week. So, I think it all depends on how long you stay at the hospital, if you have any complications and how well you have responded to surgery in the past. Just because one person was able to drive home after one night in the hospital doesn't mean you will be able to ...

I had 5 scars, 4 for the laproscopic instruments and one to remove the excised stomach. Just over 2 years post, you would have to look really hard and close to see the scars. They are very small.

Quite normal. If you think about it ... you can only gain fat by consuming more calories than you burn. At the low end, you resting metabolic rate would be, again, at a minimum, 1,200 calories. So, have you eaten more than 1,200 calories each day since surgery? If you are anything like me and the other folk I have read about over the years here, you intake has been closer to the 400 to 600 a day range. So, what that means is while you may weigh more, that weight is not contributed to fat, so ... For me, that was the bottom line. I didn't care so much about my weight as I did my ability to lose fat. Happy Birthday!

I was down 40 pounds before I was able to change sizes. Then I was changing every couple weeks. Crazy.

Do a search on this site for the 3 week stall. It isn't a stall that lasts 3 weeks, but one that occurs approximately 3 weeks post op. Extremely common. Just keep following your guidelines and weigh yourself only once a week. Once a month is what I did, but I'm a little crazy.

What were your directions from your medical team? Most pre-op diets want you to avoid carbs as the point is to shrink your liver. Goldfish are going to be very high in carbs, so, I would guess that they would be way off the menu. I was also told that if I was ever hungry during pre-op diet, to have another shake. I would consume 5 or 6 a day the first few days. Just know that after about 4 days, my body found it's groove and it got easier. Just try to stick tight to your pre-op guidelines. They are there for a reason. It is also good training for post-op life. Good luck. When is your surgery date?

Over 2 years out and maintaining 120 pounds down. My digestion tract and absorption works pretty much exactly as God intended. Good luck finding GBP folks who can say the same.

When were you sleeved? You gotta know your diet has changed since being sleeved ... right? Change what goes in, things change going out. If you are in ketosis, acetone is being secreted and that is just nasty stuff. It is going to be a couple months before you stomach's swelling goes down and you are able to find your dietary groove. Until then ...

I had read about this on this forum before getting sleeved and I asked my surgeon about it. To summarize what he told me: With the fundus pretty much being removed along with the major part of the gherlin production, the "normal" hunger feelings are going to change. Your body will learn it's signals when nutritionally, you are running short. Take time to learn your body's signals and try to learn what it is you need. Focus on nutritionally balanced meals once your capacity goes up, and the hunger cravings will balance and you will know when to eat. For the first couple months, I had to set a reminder on my phone as I was always forgetting to eat lunch. But once I found my groove, breakfast, lunch and dinner no longer became chores.

You are most likely drinking too much, too quick or a combination. The first few weeks, you basically have to change how you eat. You cannot drink like you used to. If you swell big time, like I do, then your stomach is going to be swollen even more and you will need to take even smaller sips. Ice chips and popsicles are a good option now.

Oh, I don't think I was a (fill in the blank), I just don't want them to think I was a (fill in the blank). The few times I have been honest with folks who aren't on this board, the reactions have been like, "Wow! No wonder you had surgery." Or, "Wow, if I was that big, I probably would have had surgery, too!" Or, "Really, you didn't look like that big of a fat ass!" It's funny because now that I have lost the weight, I think people who thought negatively of me or my weight now feel they have license to say something like this and it won't hurt my feelings. Perhaps I'm oversensitive, or maybe not. I don't know. At times, when I have talked to people about the sleeve, they catch me still referring to myself as an overweight person. This whole journey is quite vast and revealing of some very deep personal things. At least, it has been for me. Quite unexpected the depths to which it has reached.

Well ... of course, everyone is going to be different, but I am well over 2 years post and my stomach still makes the gurgling, dishwasher sound at times. Far louder than pre-op. Makes my wife laugh at times ... but it isn't as drastic or regular as it was the first 3 months post-op.

How far out are you? Your stomach is going to be swollen for many weeks post-op. As the swelling goes down, it is going to be moving, shifting and doing all sorts of crazy things whenever you eat/drink.

And as per the many threads on this topic, post-op poking is sooooo much better. And my wife is more than happy to come along for the ride. Pun intended!

Oy, 1,200 ... Of course, they are going to give you the pie-in-the-sky numbers. The reality is closer to what you are doing which is about half that number. As far as your carbs, what are the wrong carbs you are eating? This could be contributing to your sugar cravings. Also, Protein is not going to satiate sugar cravings. Since most sugars are quickly (compared to proteins) converted to glycogen, I would estimate it is your issue with carbs causing you the greatest issues, but know that I am not a Dr nor a nutritionist, but I have been researching nutrition pretty extensively over the last 3 years since my VSG research began. It doesn't hurt to experiment, but do monitor everything you are putting in your mouth. I used MyFitnessPal. Great resource. Again, now is not the time to be doing a low carb diet. You need to get yourself balanced first. Remember to try to eat what I call nutritionally relevant foods. After you reach your daily goals, then eat the fluff, but until you meet your body's basic needs to function on a daily basis, you may get to feeling funky from time to time.

I usually tell them on the low side ... I don't want them to know how big of a (fill in the blank) I was.

Now there's something healthy ... never did like spotted d**k, but I know there are those who do. Too close to fruit cake, for my likes.