MegInNOLA

Yeah, that phrase "gnawing hunger" is what I felt with excess acid--are you on an antacid like Prilosec? If not, give that a try and see if that feeling goes away.

Yeah, at almost 8 months out, I still use my 1/2-cup containers! I just heated up some leftover lentils and rice, and I ate one bite too many--I had it in a "normal" bowl, and I guess my "eyeballing" skill isn't really very good. So after 15 minutes of pain (I HATE that feeling of being too full!!), I decided that I was going to have to measure, even if I'm going to serve the food in a nicer bowl--I'm just going to have to measure first, then heat it up and go from there. It's not worth the pain! Although happily, a bite or two extra of veggie food is a lot easier on my sleeve than an extra bite or two of dense Protein food (after which the pain lasts around an hour if I can keep everything down). So yeah, I'm evidently a slow, slow learner---!! I tend to eat too fast, also, so I may take myself back to using just my small spoon and making do with that for a while longer.

Are you on an antacid? I had the same issues for the first 2 months post-surgery, and it was because I had excess acid. If you're on Prilosec or some other antacid, then I would suggest just slowing down and trying many different types of food until you find something that a couple of bites will stay down. If you're not on Prilosec or something like that, start it! After I started it, it took about three days until I didn't throw up any more, and it was such a relief!! Best wishes to you!!

Oh, you're about to have so many of these great moments! Congratulations!

Wow! You look amazing! Congratulations on your loss so far!

For me, "likes" means I can eat it comfortably--as in, after I eat it, I am not hungry any more and there's no feeling of pain, nausea, or anything really. "Doesn't like" means that after I eat it, even if I have done all the right things--small bites, chewed thoroughly, no liquid while eating, eating slowly--if I've done all that but I can "feel" the food--as in, something hurts, I feel a little nauseous, I feel the food in my stomach--that's what "doesn't like" means for me. Sometimes I can eat foods that make me feel that way (for instance, I might try something new or try something again that didn't work the time before)--and they don't come back up, but it hurts for 15-20 minutes or longer. Sometimes when I eat foods that my sleeve doesn't like they really do come right back up, but that was mostly in the beginning. So, "doesn't like" might mean that it just doesn't agree with you, that you "can" eat it, but you're going to pay for it with pain of varying degrees for a time, or some nausea, or feeling icky, or whatever. Very few foods will trigger an immediate throw-up for me (thank goodness), but plenty of them trigger the "oh, I shouldn't have eaten that" response, even healthy foods, so it's just a matter of trial, error, and learning your sleeve! It's a lot harder in the beginning and gets MUCH easier as you go.

Cheese slice, tuna salad, egg salad (if you're over the "gotta scramble my eggs" thing) or a deviled egg, yogurt, and for us die-hard Mexican food lovers--refried beans with cheese melted over--YUM. I might be daring and add a spoon of sour cream, too!

I live in the deep south--men have always opened doors, even for my 6'2" self (which always makes me smile). But wow, does that happen much more now! I have never felt or heard anything that is not supportive; other members of my family have had WLS, and my family and friends were happy I made a change. My students say nice things and compliment my outfits, etc. My friends are still my friends and seem genuinely happy for me--they gently tease me, but it's always nice stuff without any bitter undertone--and we still hang out and do the things we used to do. All in all, I feel blessed and very fortunate!

My favorite post-sleeve meal is a few small pieces of cheese and some soup or white or pinto beans. Warm and yummy!!

Congratulations on your sleeve-aversary! Seems like it's been a great tool for you. Best wishes in your journey!!

Congratulations to you!!

I like the Think Thin, both the white chocolate (tastes like a Zero bar) and the peanut butter flavors--well, also the chocolate-covered strawberry flavor. I get mine at Whole Foods, but they have them at Rouse's and Albertson's stores, as well--don't know if you have those chains where you are.

Girl, you look great--you must have started with three times the normal amount of hair, because I sure can't tell it's thin!! My hair stopped falling out when I started my B Vitamin regimen--I take a B complex and a separate thiamine (because I don't eat a lot of flour products--they're enriched with thiamine, but if you're not eating them, supplementation is a good thing). It took about 2 weeks of supplements before I really noticed that it wasn't coming out any more, but it really isn't. Keep up the great work!

I have a couple--First, I can rehearse and perform with my choir without getting all hot and sweaty. I'm a conductor, and let's just say that pre-surgery, the after-concert congratulations were HORRIBLE for me, as I was completely soaking wet, felt dreadfully unfeminine, and just was embarrassed by the whole thing. Now, not only can I work in comfort, I can wear cute conductor clothes (yay!) and dressy heels without any problem! It's wonderful to be able to project a professional, calm, feminine appearance while working, especially since I am in a high people-intense profession, what with large groups of people onstage and in the audience. Second, I don't feel like I take up all the room in a hallway or a crowded space. Before, I felt so "in the way," always feeling like I was HUGE (because I'm really tall AND I was really fat)--I tended to avoid parties, avoid gatherings where people would be standing or sitting in close spaces, and I just self-isolated socially because I hated feeling like I was taking up all the available space. I still tend to stay to the sides of rooms out of habit, but I'm not always conscious of it any more like I used to be. Like someone above said, I feel like my outside is finally starting to match my inside--and I like it!!!! I caught sight of my reflection in a window yesterday and was PLEASED with how I look. It's been DECADES since that happened. I'm wearing high-school-size clothing (14's, thank you very much, from a tight 26/28!) and enjoy dressing now. I think that's the deal--bottom line, I'm just happier with how I look and I'm less stressed out about it. What a relief!!! LOVE MY SLEEVE!!

I recently had bloodwork that showed a low thiamine (B1) level--when I checked my vitamin labels, none of them contained B1!! After starting supplementation about 3 weeks ago, I can tell my energy is perking back up. Check your vitamin labels and definitely get some bloodwork done. If it's a deficiency of some sort, it will be easily remedied with supplements! Hang in there!!

Wow, congratulations! You look great, and it seems like you're past the most difficult parts of the transition into thinner living! Way to go!!

I knew I liked you! Texas girl here, too (originally, now "exiled" one state to the east!). My sleeve hates brisket, too, and my brother-in-law runs a BBQ restaurant!!! Aack! Well, at least my sleeve really loves smoked turkey, and he does a mean smoked turkey breast. So, my sleeve loves Beans, nuts, and dairy. My sleeve hates eggs and grilled chicken (and brisket). He also loves shrimp and hates tuna. Go figure. Silly sleeve!!

Congratulations to you! You look wonderful!!

Hey y'all: Just got the results of my 6-month blood work (it was really more like 6-1/2 months, but whatever), and it turns out that because of my altered diet (relatively few flour/grain products) and a Multivitamin that doesn't have Vitamin B1 (thiamine), I have a thiamine shortage. I re-read my vitamin labels and my husband's vitamin labels, and none of the multis in our house--we have four different kinds--have thiamine. My doc says most people eat enough flour and grain products to get thiamine through dietary sources, but because I'm avoiding those kinds of foods since my sleeve doesn't like them, I need to supplement. I checked B vitamin mixtures at the drug store a few minutes ago, and some of them didn't contain thiamine, either! It's vitamin B1, so you may want to check your multi to see that it contains thiamine if you're not eating many whole-grain or flour-containing foods. The deficiency is easily remedied by taking a supplement, so it's not dreadful, but you might want to give your vitamin label a quick glance. Everything else looks fabulous! Low cholesterol, low triglycerides, perfect Protein and Iron scores (despite my not ever meeting my protein goals and not eating red meat very often), great levels of other Vitamins and minerals. So yay!

It is exactly what I was hoping for, too, and actually more--the volume restriction forces me to think about what I eat, quality-wise as well as quantity-wise, and that helps me make good decisions. I know I don't have room for junk, and I know my sleeve doesn't really tolerate junk food very comfortably, so I avoid it. What I was not expecting was the freedom from worrying about dropping dead of a heart attack, the benefit of the feeling of being in control, the lack of self-consciousness because I'm not the biggest person in the room any more--I didn't really consider how much being sleeved would positively affect my mental health and outlook on life. Happy bonus!

Happy sleeve-aversary! You've really made the most of yours, congratulations!!

Nurse Clueless doesn't get it at all. You're doing great. Period. I'm not sure how she would be the expert on your body or your particular circumstances. And I'm at 8 months out and still losing--granted, it's slower now, but I'm really close to goal, so that's to be expected. Breathe, trust yourself, and just keep doing what you're doing. You're 94 pounds lighter than before, have a longer life expectancy than before, and are only getting started with your new post-sleeve life. It will continue to get better as you go. HUGS to you.

Are other nuts okay? You can go with almond or cashew butter... and they're delicious! If other nuts won't work, try popping in a small cube or two of soft tofu--you won't taste it, and it will provide a bit more Protein and a nice texture.

I might respectfully suggest that your mother go to another doctor for a complete physical. If your mom is indeed operating at a calorie deficit, weight loss should be happening. Is she dropping sizes at all, or just nothing? I wouldn't panic, but I would suggest to her that she see another doctor, report all her information, and see what that doctor can help her discover. Low thyroid can, indeed, keep weight loss from occurring as quickly by slowing the body's metabolism (my doctor said my very underactive thyroid would have meant absolutely no weight loss with even bare minimum caloric intake, for example), but after a year, I believe I'd be looking for other answers. Best wishes to y'all. A complete physical exam, plus knowing if she's losing sizes but not losing weight, would help in figuring out the mystery, I think.

WOW--how did I miss this the first time around?? Couldn't let it go by again without adding my congratulations to the rest--you seriously ROCK!!! I bet you're feeling awesome--thanks so much for posting, because you are an inspiration!!