Saved By The Sleeve

I'm so glad to hear that everything went good and that you are feeling GrrrrREAT! LOL I was the same as you 3 days post op, walking fine and sipping tons of baby sips. I'm almost a month out now and I can handle mushies, tuna and seafood meats like scallops and snow crab very well (they have lots of protein too by the way), which is especially good if you have a hard time choking down any type of protein drink on the planet like me! I wish you the best of luck and success with your weight loss. I lost 20lbs the first two weeks and had the dreaded third week stall everybody talks about, but right after dropped another 7lbs in three days. So, don't fret if or when the scale doesn't move on or about the 3rd or 4th week because it is normal. I too wish I had went to Dr. Almanza a few years back when I didn't have as much to lose :-( Oh well better later than never right! I take a One a Day Women's Active Metabolism vitamin, a vitamin B-6 high potency for energy and metabolism and a hair/skin/nails vitamin from Wal-mart. Even with such a little amount of food I feel FANTASTIC!!!! Take Care. You are going to do really well and lose all of your weight :-)

WOOHOO!!! Fabulous sweetie :-) I can't wait to be able to just squeeze into a darn size 14 LOL and to be able to have the success you've had in 7 months would be the best feeling I've had about "myself" in like FOREVER!!! Congratulations, those other 40lbs will drop off sooner than you think :-)

I know that everyone else has already said it, but IT WILL get better soon and don't forget the (3)'s sip, walk, and plenty of rest! Congratulations on a successful surgery :-) :sleep::couch2:

:waytogo: :welldone2::success1:

Congrats girl :-) Now you are gonna feel like crap for a few days, but not too long! So just be prepared for that. Dr. Almanza rocks! I had my sleeve with him 03/18/11 and everything has been going good and getting better each day. My story was the same as yours except I couldn't blame my initial weight gain on birth control LOL. I gained a significant amount of weight soon out of high school and once I gained some more with the birth of my first son......it has been a roller coaster ever since. Struggling in the 200's for so long and with my third son who is 3 months old, I got way up into the 300's!!! After that, I'd had enough!! Schedule my surgery when my son was one month old and went when he was two months......I mean I wasn't wasting anymore time or life for that matter. So I know how much of a nightmare it can be. Good luck and keep us posted. :-)

JUST WONDERING HOW LONG DID OTHERS WAIT BEFORE BEGINNING TO DO CARDIO AND STRENGTH TRAINING??? MY POST OP INSTRUCTIONS SAY TO WAIT 6 WEEKS. I AM SO AFRAID OF NOT BEING ABLE TO LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT EXERCISING. MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT WORKING OUT AND WALKING HAS NEVER DONE ANYTHING FOR "ME", ONLY CARDIO AND STRENGTH TRAINING SUCH AS (TAEBO) AND TOTAL GYM WORKOUTS.

Ever since I got my VSG on 03/18/2011, I have received so many compliments on my skin and complexion (especially my face).. My cheeks have been rosy and my face just acquired a radiant healthy glow ever since about 2 days post op! Has anyone else experience healthier clearer looking skin and complexion since having VSG done? I wonder why this is???? Whatever the reason, I'm not complaining. I don't need as much make up anymore and with summer approaching that is a plus!

I have been trying soooo hard to get my protein in. I love eating protein bc I love chicken, seafood, steak, beans, (YOU NAME IT)! However, I can barely eat a 1/2 can of tuna at a time if that much, not even a half of a 5 oz tilapia fillet, nor a half of a small order of pintos and cheese. My restriction is really restricted with the thicker foods. I tolerate them just fine as long as they aren't spicy (get severe heartburn/nausea), but I can't eat enough of them. I have tried tons of protein powders and wasted so much money because I start gagging on them too and almost barf up my tiny amount of food.....so NO CAN DO! And I have honestly been trying all flavors, flavorless, Isopure is like Isopuke! (in my opinion). I am even disgusted with the ready made shakes in the cans. I wish that they made a protein pill!!!!I I have been taking vitamins and biotin to try to help keep my hair and skin healthier while going through this. Oh and I also tried hiding the protein powder in various foods and soups etc. and still can't choke it down! It is by far one of the most disgusting things I've ever tasted and it has such a strong taste at that. The only think I have been able to stomach is Special K's protein bars but they only have 10 grams per bar and it takes me a long time to eat a full bar, so it doesn't help too much. Once I am able to eat more, I won't have a problem at all getting protein in because fortunately I love chicken and fish and seafood like I stated earlier. So, hopefully I will be able to eat more before it starts to really effect me being that right now I am only 3 weeks post op. Good luck to you with your struggle and rest assured you aren't the only one going through this!

I am really glad that you posted this too! I am on my week 3 stall right now and I have lost and gained the same 3 lbs all week! I too was trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. I can only eat about 1/2 a cup of mushies also and have a hard time getting all of my protein and fluids in, as I have a lot of restriction right now. At least I know that I am not the only one not losing anything on week 3 LOL. Hopefully, we both will see some numbers drop on the scale very soon :-)

I think that you shouldn't deprive yourself when you have a craving for sweets. Eat a couple of Oreo cookies. Just buy the small size in the convenient store or something and eat two or three. I bet you will be satisfied with just that and the calories, carbs and fats won't be too bad with a serving size. If I don't satisfy my craving when I have one, I end up going way over board when I finally do eat something good. It is so much easier to eat a little bit with the sleeve. You are doing a GREAT job by the way. Go ahead and allow yourself a treat from time to time.

What a blessing! That has got to be a wonderful feeling. I hope and pray that I get great results 6 months out!!

I am in the same boat as you it seems. I had my surgery 03/18/2011 and I can only eat 4 to 5 bites of mushies before i am totally stuffed. And even though I take an acid reducer every day......as soon as I am done eating my little 4 to 5 bites of food, I get heartburn and sometimes a watery mouth like I've just eaten a ton of food! My best friend on the other hand, who had surgery the same day as me, can eat more and doesn't have the bad heartburn afterward. I was beginning to think that something was wrong with me as compared to others who are eating 5 and 6 times a day. What shake are you drinking that has 56 grams of protein by the way? I am having a hard time getting protein in with only a few bites of food about twice a day ........three times at the most because I stay feeling full for soooooo long!

OMG yes! Honey I could have eaten a rag doll I was sooooooo hungry on my 2 week liquid pre-surgery diet!!!!

The previous post by Newly Sleeved is accurate and right on point. Nina was GREAT!!!!!! If you decide to use Dr. Almanza you should definitely go through Nina for coordinating your surgery!!!!

I had my surgery done by Dr. Almanza at Jerusalem Hospital also. I had no complaints and the staff was wonderful. Dr. Betancourt and Dr. Almanza were both very informative and thorough with all of my care and instructions. Don't be afraid to ask any and all questions because they will spend the time talking with you about everything! Also I had to come home to a 12lb two month old son WITH NO HELP! I pretty much did everything as far as he was concerned (lifting, bathing, changing etc....). The only thing I didn't do was lift him while he was in his carrier or tote it for the first week or so. I had my oldest son put it in the vehicle and take it out for me. But sometimes I didn't have any help at all so I had to just use my head and think before I did something to strenuous. Usually, I could do anything I needed to I just had to make extra trips to make my load lighter (take the baby bag, then take the car seat, then take the baby to the car.....where as any other time we grab all of these things at once). It has been aggravating, but you will learn ways to do what you gotta do to make it work :-) Good luck with your surgery! :-)

WOW your year sounds like it has been GREAT! I cant wait until I can feel the way that you do now!!!!!! Congrats and God Bless :-)

I don't think that the SF reduced fat or fat free is a bad choice. I purchased a SF 1/2 the fat Neapolitan flavor by Edy's to mix in a little protein powder. First of all it is the type you should be eating from here on out with a healthier way of eating and it has some protein plus it is great to add some protein to. So, considering that.... it isn't a bad idea at all by me :-)

I am worried also. I am 3 weeks post op and I can not get enough protein in through fluids or foods! I am taking a multivitamin and a hair skin and nails vitamin with 833% Biotin to try and prevent hair loss as well. I sure hope that it helps because I can basically eat thin soups, Popsicles and a very very very small amount of mushies like 6 bites at the most and I am extremely full. I also have bad gas and heartburn whenever I eat unless it is liquids. The protein shakes in the can agree with me but I am only able to drink about a half of a can before I am too full. ALL of the powders make me gag and throw up!!! I've heard that the Isopure fruit punch bottled drinks from GNC are pretty tasty and pack a lot of protein. However they are $50 for 12 (20 ounce) bottles, which for me is high for only a weeks supply if you consume two a day to get your protein in! Yet still I am thinking of investing in a twelve pack this month to see how well they work with me. Good Luck to you!!!! I hope that everything goes well with your surgery :-)

That is what I was thinking that some of us would lose a lot of muscle mass without the strength and toning workouts. You are doing soooooo GREAT though!! :-)

Thanks a lot everybody :-) It seems like most of you waited at least one month, which isn't much longer. Guess I will start to do a Walk Away the Pounds dvd or something along those lines until that time.

I too get a feeling as If I have to burp, but can't and know that I should stop then and there! Another thing I've done is count my bites up until I get that type of feeling and whether or not my food is exactly measured .......I still know when I've had enough for my stomach. This can come in handy (the # of bites) when eating away from home. :-)

I am happy for you!!!!! I just got back from Mexico getting my sleeve by Dr. Almanza two weeks ago and I am 22lbs down and 22 inches smaller with a smile on my face :-) Everything went really good in Mexico and everyone was very friendly and nice. I had NO COMPLAINTS whatsoever. This first month has been tough and different than anything I've ever experienced before as far as getting used to food and drink consumption, but everyday it gets a little easier and better. This is a great site for support and encouragement too!!! Good Luck!!!!!!!!

12 days post op and feeling great about my weight loss. I am already tired of liquids and mushies, but when I weighed and measured today i was down 22lbs and 21 inches since my surgery date. Suddenly, mushies didn't seem TOO bad! :cheer2: