MegInNOLA

I developed thiamine deficiency postop and I suspect also an iron one--I realized last month that none of my vitamins had iron, and I was experiencing some shortness of breath and funky feeling. I put myself on an iron supplement, and my symptoms resolved. So now, I take a gummy multivitamin, gummy vitamin C, chewable calcium/vitamin D, iron pill, and super B complex liquigel. And I feel fantastic, so I'm going to keep taking them. :-)

Don't panic. I can't eat meat postop, either. My sleeve doesn't tolerate it. At 3 months, I was eating pretty much exactly what you are eating now. At almost 10 months, I still don't eat meat very often (I can tolerate taco-style hamburger meat but not roast-type meat or lunch meat). There are plenty of alternate Protein sources--beans/legumes, dairy, nuts, soy--that you can enjoy. Just take your time and try new things occasionally, and don't worry. Do what works for you. I ate protein bars a lot in the first few months postop (probably for the first 6 months, until I could tolerate enough "real" food to get enough protein). I would suggest that you ask your doctor about Iron, B Vitamins, and Vitamin D supplementation. :-) Hugs to you!

Hi everybody! Sorry I missed this thread before--I'm a veteran around here and would be happy to answer questions, provide support, or whatever. :-) I'm just "this close" to goal, kind of bouncing between 1 and 2 pounds off goal depending on my salt intake--I need to get off my fanny, exercise, and get these last couple of pounds GONE. So hi to everyone!!

Oh, Coops, I'm so sorry. I've also lost students before, and it is terribly difficult for everyone concerned. Take care of you-- HUGS!

Happy surgiversary! You do look amazing. Congratulations!

I don't know about others, but I still eat too fast and pay with pain. I do wish I was a faster learner!! LOL

I can't handle most meat--hamburger cooked "loose" like taco meat is okay in very small amounts (probably around a tablespoon per meal, tops)--and other meat doesn't work at all with my sleeve. Yay for shrimp!! And yeah, Lissa, beans have been my saving grace. I loved them pre-op, and I eat them almost every day now. Post-op, most of my protein is from dairy, nuts, and beans--there's always a way to make something work, right? So even if your sleeve doesn't particularly appreciate meat, there are other options. Oh, and let's not forget soy products--my sleeve loves tofu.

I used to weigh every day, but I confess that at this point, it's only occasional. :-) Part of that is that I used to NEVER see any sort of "bounce"--I had an unusual loss in that I lost until I didn't lose, if that makes sense. I never went up, not even a little, on a daily basis until recently, and I mostly am hanging around 191-193, depending on the salt content of my diet and the amount of liquid I consume. It's crazy but okay. I agree that weighing less often is sort of less stress-inducing, but I couldn't wait to hop on the scale every day during my fast losing phases.

I have a problem with eggs.... I agree with the above poster--do an "elimination diet" kind of thing. Try eggs without veggies, and veggies without eggs and see how you are. It might just be the amount you ate, too, not necessarily the type of food. :-)

Hey Forensikchic: I, too, drink coffee--numerous cups a day--and do not find it stimulates my appetite. But it may be one of those things that's individual and might be enough of a possibility that your surgeon just has a thing about it. Sounds like you're doing great--congratulations on your success so far, and I have absolutely no doubt that you'll hit your goals on your timeline! Keep rocking that sleeve!!!

Ooh, Kelly, I'm with you in hoping you're not allergic to dairy! I'm a cheese girl, too, even more than ever now, since sleevie doesn't like most meats or eggs. Globe, I really think you should contact your doctor. Something's off, and it's not something you're doing, as far as I can read. Sounds like you're doing exactly what you should with your diet, and you exercise a LOT, in my opinion. Seems like you're burning more calories than you take in, so I'm really puzzled about the weight gain. So strange! But definitely check with your doc and keep us posted! So the last few days I've been kind of overdoing the carbs, even for me (I've never really restricted carbs because of the pickiness of my sleeve). I'm going to get back on a more "normal" diet for me--I'm thinking I'm going to up my salad veggies, lower my chips/crackers and cheese, and up my shrimp. I'm also going to try chicken again--maybe a bite or two with some salad, just to see. I tried turkey on Monday and it was rather emphatically rejected by my sleeve, but I really want to find a good animal Protein source that I can rely on besides shrimp. Need the Iron and protein!

How fun to see this post! Because I was in 18's when I posted, and now I'm in 14's with a few 12's!! Yay sleeve!!

When you have the sleeve, you have a lifelong tool to help you control your weight.... very different from pre-op. And seriously, if you get thin, gain 5 pounds, and someone says something snarky, okay. There's really nothing you can do to stop anyone from saying anything. :-) You'll still be thinner and healthier than you are now. It's like the old story of someone who doesn't want to go back to school as an adult because they'll "be 45 when they graduate." Well, yeah, but they'll be 45 at that point in time anyway--why not do what's good for you? I'm also petrified of regaining weight, but I'm just going to trust my sleeve and my due diligence (keeping on top of what I weigh every couple of weeks), and I know if/when I need to drop weight, I can do that.

Yes, sip some water. Don't overdo. You may not be through "getting rid" of the turkey--sometimes my sleeve rejects things in stages (sorry if TMI, but I figure those of us with this issue should probably have as much information as possible). Did you eat too fast/too much or is your sleeve just not fond of turkey? I had the same issue with turkey today at lunch--first time I've gotten sick in almost 2 months and first time at school. Not pleasant. Hope your sleeve calms quickly!

Egads, Globetrotter--I can't even imagine you're gaining "fat" pounds with that kind of workout/eating discipline. Have you been paying attention to your sodium intake? I know when I get dehydrated, I drop a quick few pounds, and then when I rehydrate, it comes right back, all overnight!!! ICK. I know it's not "real" gain, but the scale goes up just the same. Also, have you had blood work done lately for a thyroid check? Something to schedule, if not. I can definitely feel your frustration, but it's simply not physically possible to gain that kind of weight as fat or "real weight" on your exercise and food plan. More importantly, are you measuring? You work out like a fiend, so you may just be gaining muscle as your body slims down. If you don't have a set of current measurements, take them ASAP and keep a record--you may see that your body gets slightly heavier with muscle at the same time that your inches drop. Today I am at 192--so I'm up a pound from my lowest and now 2 away from goal instead of 1. I know it's because I was dehydrated and I've been paying close attention to getting enough fluids in the last couple of days. I'm tempted to just say that I'm at maintenance, because for all intents and purposes, I kind of am, although I would like to reach 190 just to be able to say that I got there. LOL--you would think this translates into my doing something different in order to get there, but no. I'm just doing more of the same. I have felt a lot more energetic since starting the Iron tablets, so we'll see if that translates into some EXERCISE.

I SO AGREE! I did this after losing around 50 pounds, and it was the best thing ever. It really makes a big difference in both look and comfort.

Oh, sweetie, don't be so hard on yourself! I'm pretty impressed that at a week out, you're getting in all your Water and protein--I NEVER got my water all in, and I couldn't tolerate the Protein drinks/shakes, either. You're going to feel so much better so much faster. You realize that you've already lost 10 pounds in this first week, right? If you came home 8 pounds heavier and are now 2 pounds less than pre-surgery, that's a 10-pound loss so far. That's flipping fantastic!! I say just keep doing what you're doing, because it's obviously working. :-) Congratulations!!

I was about at six months before I could tolerate lettuce. Tomato was earlier. Really, this all depends on your own body's tolerance. A lot of folks start eating salad at a few weeks out with no problems; it just takes some of us longer, and some of us never quite make it there. You'll figure out pretty quickly if your body is ready for it--stick with your doc's guidelines and give it a try--if it causes pain, stop, and try it again in a few weeks. Best wishes!!

It's definitely the Iron, or let me say that iron is definitely a huge part of the issue, since I feel fantastic now---I'm kind of kicking myself for not thinking of that sooner, honestly, since I post so often about what I eat/don't eat and I do read my Multivitamin label!! Can I confess something here? I have never tracked anything except during the first few weeks post-op--I tracked my Fluid intake, for no apparent reason, anyway, since I never met my Water goals! I stopped tracking when it became clear that I tend to use unmet goals as clubs against myself--the voice that says, "Yeah, so you know you're supposed to get in 64 ounces of water, and you only drank 32 today. You're such a failure." I refuse to give myself that kind of negative ammunition. I'm thinking along the lines of the "days off" in the above posts. I had this surgery in order to be able to enjoy a "normal" amount of "normal" food like a "normal" thin person would--much like Coops' thin friend. I wanted to have the freedom from my "fat suit," but more than that, my goal was to eat in a "normal" (which to me meant healthy, adult, sane, logical, not-what-I-was-doing-preop) way. I knew I couldn't continue to eat like a kid or like nothing I put in my mouth had consequences. That's why I had the sleeve--to hopefully find the key to freedom from whatever mindset that was, from the physical cravings, from the overwhelming sense that I was eating myself to death. I just typed a huge, long ending to this post, but decided to just say that I think taking days off from tracking seems like a great way to transition out of strict eating and into maintenance, and as a non-tracker, I say welcome to the dark side. :-) Just because you stop tracking doesn't mean you start going crazy with what you eat. Trust. Live. Enjoy!!

Hey y'all: I think I may have accidentally discovered the source of my shortness of breath. My husband and I were talking about our vitamins--we got new ones and were figuring out what wasn't in the multi that we might need to get separately, and lo and behold, NO Iron in our multi. And those of you who have read my numerous posts about how picky my sleeve is know that I eat mainly dairy and vegetable protein--minimal iron intake, maybe 1 serving of legumes a day, and not even that most days--no red meat, no eggs, and I don't eat spinach or kale or a dark leafy green every day, either. I realized that in October, my iron level on my 6-month blood work was "low normal." Now, I imagine it's quite low--I haven't had blood work done since October, so I don't know for sure, but with the type of diet I typically eat and my symptoms of shortness of breath, I figured I might be iron deficient and decided I would try a supplement to see how it felt. I got the Bifera (two kinds of iron in one tablet) and have taken it for the last three days. Guess what's gone? YES--no more shortness of breath, and no more trouble swallowing. My energy level is higher, my sense of fatigue is gone--I am tired after work, but it's a good tired, not a feeling of utter fatigue and being totally wiped out. Along with the shortness of breath, I used to get additional symptoms that made me think it was some kind of asthma--my ears would block up, my nose would run, etc. After only three days of iron supplementation, all of that is gone. I've had some intense rehearsals and lots of physical activity at work (stairs, conducting, vigorous singing, etc.), and if the symptoms were going to show up, they would have. They didn't. So Swizzly, have your iron level checked. I'm going to have mine done in a couple of weeks just to verify that it's okay, but in the meantime, I'm going to keep taking my iron supplement daily. I'm thrilled to feel better--and iron supplements are relatively inexpensive and don't require a prescription!

Aw, hey, now... I have a beautiful whirlpool tub in my bathroom that I have NEVER used, for many of the same reasons, Sharon--too many mirrors, too much me.... I think I might just have to revisit that tub!! Thanks for the reminder of a very pleasant possibility!

Congratulations on your loss! Sounds like everything's going well for you!

Wow, congratulations! You've really rocked your sleeve!! Yay you!!!

Hey y'all: Beanitos are "chips" made of Beans instead of corn. They are higher in Protein and wow are they good! I like the pinto bean and flax (don't knock 'em--they really are good!), and I like the cheddar flavor, too. I haven't tried the chipotle bbq, but the regular black bean ones are delicious, too. My favs are the plain pinto and flax, though. They taste like a regular chip with a very, very mild taco flavor. Yum! Here's their website: http://www.beanitos.com.

Christin, hang in there. I never, ever met my Water or Protein goals in the early stages--couldn't get enough in there! And it's all turned out okay. Do what you can and be gentle to yourself in this early phase. I understand completely about the mental adjustment--and it does happen, I promise. At this point, eating the amount that pre-surgery wouldn't have even made up a decent snack has become second nature. I eat 2 pieces of sushi (3 if I take off some of the rice). I eat 3 boiled shrimp. 3 shrimp!!!! I mean, that's a meal! It's just surreal to compare, but honestly, at this point, it's just what normal life is. At first, I had to really be careful to measure by volume to avoid overeating, and it's only been in the last month or so that I've relaxed a bit and been able to "eyeball" the correct volume of food--mostly I've now gotten a repertoire of things that I eat frequently and I know how much I can tolerate. You'll learn as you go, and I promise that feeling of strangeness will disappear. I even go out to eat frequently with friends, and I feel perfectly "normal" ordering my usual appetizer-sized thing and also taking stuff home. No big deal now--at first it felt really strange. Congrats on your recent sleeve!!