Katie713

For most people there is a fair amount of swelling in the stomach after surgery, after all at least 75% of your stomach has been removed and to the body, this is a substantial injury. Once the swelling subsides it should get easier to eat, hence the stages of eating to allow nourishment, clears, solids, mushy, soft then solid over time. I am nearly 6 months out, and I feel the restriction even at this point especially with dense solids (firm protein) so I go slow, but I am able to eat about 8 oz or 1 cup of food, maybe 3 oz of firm Protein and some vegetable or fruit, and a little whole grain starch. There is a video somewhere on this site that answers the question how big is my sleeved stomach? The doctor shows models of a larger and smaller stomach and then indicates how it looks after surgery. There is a bend near the top just below the esophagus, and it seems, this is the area that can be very narrow after surgery, and so the food and drink needs to make this bend before descending into the new smaller sleeved stomach, but as you can imagine if it is swollen, there is not much room in the early stages....so slow and steady is the only way you can proceed. I know it is somewhat alarming in the beginning, you're thinking what the heck did I do here? But it does get better, and over eating becomes difficult and therein lies the beauty of the tool, it really helps us lose the weight!!! Of course some people do have complications, including strictures that need to be dealt with, if you feel you cannot get your hydration in, you will need to follow up with your doctor promptly. Good luck!!

From looking at an illustration, the pouch is created near the top of the stomach and an opening is created (stoma) that leads directly to the intestine that is routed up to meet it. The rest of the stomach, or sleeved stomach (even if it is a twisted mess) is left in the body unattached. The pouch is up high just below the esophagus.

I had the same thing, at almost two weeks out, thought I tore something. Had my follow up with surgeon and he said the same thing, that the area was the largest/deepest incision going through multiple layers, he asked that I rest more and take it easy, use the pain meds, and that helped, after a few days, I started feeling better and the pain went away and did not return.

Sleevesister....full fluids are not clear that's the only difference. By now you will probably almost be ready to move to mushy or very soft foods. That feeling of being full changes over time, but it takes awhile. Just slowly take in what you can, and later you will be able to tolerate a little more. After you get to full solids, be ready to feel the real restriction of your sleeve. It stops you from overeating like nothing you have ever felt. It takes time to get used to it.

Me too - I upped my Biotin to 4000 daily - just keeping my Protein and Vitamins up, eating good nutritious food. I do see alot of new growth too though, so hopefully that will be enough to keep it filled in as time marches forward. I believe after we normalize our weight andincrease calorie intake for maintenance, the hair loss finally stops. Thats what I've heard from people who've met goal and can increase calories up to nearly 2000 daily. Under 1200 and we experience hair loss - this is normal and not permanent.

Perhaps you have the flu or ate something bad? Just as before surgery, when you might get sick with the flu, drink plenty of fluids and rest, but be mindful if this feels like something else. Keep an eye on your symptoms, if you don't get better, check in with your doctor to make sure its not related to your surgery.

You may need to try a few different types of sweeteners to find something that is well tolerated, perhaps stevia? Otherwise, you may have to lean toward savory flavors with unflavored Protein powder added. That's the one thing you have to focus on for health and healing is a lot of protein. In the beginning that can be hard to get without solids. You can get chicken broth with protein added, or make your own broths and other Soups and add the unflavored protein. Some people do drink diluted juice after surgery, but avoiding sugar is a primary way we lose all those unwanted calories (hence weight loss) and if you can't give up real sugar, you may find it very hard to lose the weight because you have to drink a lot of fluids every single day and drinking protein is challenging because something has to make it palatable. Once you are on full solids it is much easier to get your protein from regular foods and you won't have to rely on artificially sweetened Protein drinks or Protein Bars. But your Fluid will more thank likely have to be Water or unsweetened drinks. It really is something to think about and I am not judging you, as we are all different. Artificial sweeteners don't bother me at all, but that's just me. Good luck, whatever you decide!

You're lookin great OTR, handsome and your expression reveals that pride in knowing you've accomplished something really great. Way to go!!!

I had to cut way back on Protein bars, especially those delicious Power Crunch bars because they are so tasty but high in calories. I have an Atkins almond crunch day break bar for Breakfast some mornings and that gives me 10 grams of protein at 150 calories and 3 net carbs. Crackers became a slider food for me. If I could limit myself to a handful with lunch that would be one thing, but they would be calling me from the cupboard....and I could eat them all day long without feeling full, so I just stopped buying them. Anything that is a "munchie" food like chips/crackers/sweets is probably a slider, goes down easy and you start eating them compulsively. I replaced my snacking with olives & string cheese and it fills me up, so I am giving my body the food it needs and it stops the cravings. Good luck on your journey!!

I am 5 months out and consuming about 1000 calories, 50 grams of carbs or less, 65-70 grams of protein.

Hi April sleevers...looks like many of us have hit Onederland, and it is a sweet victory just to do that for me!! It has been about 20 years since I had a "1" before my weight. No more big girl stores, wahoo!! I feel great and looking forward to losing that last 40 pounds!! Cheers to you all !!

missmachine...I had to increase my calories a bit as I think I got into starvation mode or something, and it helped me break a long stall, and trying to eat more veggies/good fats (salmon/avocado/nuts) a bit more protein and I am also taking 4,000 mgs of biotin to help with the hair loss. I also added fruit at least once a day, hoping that having better nutrition will help somewhat and give me more energy. It is harder and harder to lose weight getting closer to goal, but giving up is not an option for me, I love feeling healthier!!

Ok, it might be prudent to order a book from amazon.com, as there are books that will give you so much information on how to live with your sleeve. Here's one I saw today: The Sleeved Life: A Patient-to-Patient Guide on Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Weight Loss Surgery [Paperback] Pennie Nicola (Author) But for a quick overview here is some info I think might be helpful: From 4-6 weeks you should probably still be eating soft foods. Aim for 65 or more grams of protein a day, and 64 oz of fluids and that includes all fluids which should be sugar free. Sample soft menu, high protein foods: Breakfast Softly cooked eggs Cottage Cheese Yogurt Hot Cereal Soft Fruit Lunch Soups are perfect Fish - tuna is a great choice Refried beans with melted cheese/sour cream Chili Beans Soft cooked meats and poultry (crock pot is great for this) Soft cooked veggies Dinner Again, soft cooked meats and poultry or fish Soft cooked veggies Snacks Yogurt SF jello or pudding You will probably need to have at least one high protein shake per day to be able to meet your protein needs. I use Pure Protein powder for 25 grams of protein. Take a multi-vitamin everyday, and calcium citrate, a B12 sublingual 2 days a week, and a B-complex 50 with thiamin daily. After 6 weeks, start adding regular meats, chicken and fish, salads and a more normal diet, but start slow and see if you can tolerate. You can probably eat about 4 ounces or half a cup per meal and eventually 6-8 ounces. Good luck...and no drinking with meals, wait 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after your meals!!

I think there is a balance to having some healthy carbs that will help level you out post-op. What you experienced is more than likely a type of withdrawal from years of consuming a lot of carbs. Do some research into low glycemic carb values so you can have some healthy carbs, perhaps in yogurt, fruit, nuts and Beans. This is sort of a gradual process withdrawing from carb addiction, and boy don't I know it since I was on that wagon a long time. Now, I watch my carb intake at less than 50 most days, but some days I do eat more. I enjoy cottage cheese with canned fruit. Strawberries and plums are naturally lower carb, or I have a Oikos yogurt with fruit to start my day off. lunch might be a small salad with grilled chicken or shrimp, fruit or nuts & cheese for a snack, a Protein shake, protein & veggies for dinner and an evening snack. I have lots of small meals to stay on an even keel - but the meals are very small and not heavy in carbs. Your body will adapt.

I was just responding to another poster, 3 months out and starting to slip a bit, trying to give good sound advice...and this was the next thread up and I appreciate hearing all that you have posted, especially since many have met goal or are very close, because in truth, getting there takes time and I think we all struggle with head hunger and making the wrong choices at times, but I really saw wisdom in your posts. I really do see this as a lifestyle change and am so happy to have the restriction to help me with portion control. I know that prior to surgery I was a volume eater, and it would take me a lot to get full, and my world was filled with cravings. Keeping the cravings at bay is work for me, but I am able to for the most part stay away from the worst of the evils, I don't even buy crackers anymore because they became my favorite slider food and they would call out to me from the kitchen, anyway I was starting to consume too many calories and could never eat enough of them. So I switched over to black olives and string cheese as my little go to snack. I loved the jerky idea as an appetizer of sorts, but to just keep that hunger in check and take the edge off. Evenings are harder for me, and I do keep low cal frozen Desserts in the freezer when I need a sweet and account for calories on myfitnesspal. I am losing slowly but steadily, and at 5 months out, I know I have a ways to go, and I am embracing this new life and no longer dream of passing thru In-N-Out for a double-double with fries and a coke. If I have a burger craving, a patty with cheese and pickles does the trick, and if I really want the traditional burger fix, I make a little slider with a small whole wheat dinner roll, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickes and low fat mayo. It is the tiniest thing, but fills me up and satisfies the craving. You are all a great support!

You have to set yourself up for success, and positive thinking is a HUGE part of staying focused and committed. The first year after surgery is the time to buckle down and get your body burning off that fat. I am sure you have heard over and over that overloading carbs keeps the cravings active, and you need to turn off that craving. Get your home, work place, whatever stocked with healthy food. Try and stay away from bread, crackers, Pasta, rice, potatoes and sugar. I also get hungry every few hours, but I have Snacks that get me through. My latest between meal snack are some olives and a cheese stick, or perhaps a handfull of mixed nuts. If you eat solid Protein FIRST it will give you that sense of being full. If you eat soft foods, you may not get that sense of fullness as quickly. If you need to, have a big cup of low fat Soup before dinner, wait the 2 hours and have dinner. I am a slow loser, but I am losing. I am not perfect and sometimes I do slip up, but I always go back to my healthy eating, a nice salad at lunch with grilled chicken and low fat dressing is a good choice. A grilled piece of meat or poultry or fish with a veggie for dinner is a no brainer, cottage cheese with fruit or yogurt, or a Protein Bar for Breakfast will give you the protein you need without all the calories and carbs. You can do this. You are leaning toward self sabotage and you have to nip it in the bud before you un-do the great weight loss you've had so far. Make up your mind, and take control. Good Luck. I was not trying to sound harsh, but sometimes we all need a dose of reality.

I love sushi and at 5 months out I can now tolerate most foods, but I order differently, usually starting with baked mussles that I share, and a roll without rice, there are different kinds including the cucumber roll. If I want to taste a specialty roll, I usually break it down a little and eat the inside and the toppings, but leave behind the rice and nori. I still love it and do what I have to do to enjoy it - and it is super high in protein, low in fat and good for us sleevers!

Ash, glad to hear you're doing better now. You've been thru so much, and yes, now you can eat already!! Sorry to hear about the breakup, but hopefully this will give you time to focus on yourself as you get accustomed to this new lifestyle. Take care.

tigerbelle...my beginning stats were very close to yours, I am 5 feet and at the same time last year, Sept 2011 I was at 276. That was so much weight to be carrying on my small frame and it was simply no longer tolerable for me, I prayed for the strength and the options available to me to be able to lose this excess weight that has been holding me down. I re-joined Weight Watchers and got back on plan. Shortly thereafter I heard from someone that my ***, Kaiser Permanente covered WLS. I had always thought that only PPO insurance covered this kind of elective surgery, and had never thought to even ask my primary about my options for weight management, other than doing the approved, but expensive medi-fast program. I was hoping for the lap-band at this point, not RNY which I felt was too drastic. I scheduled my annual physical with my primary as I usually do with the intent of asking if I would qualify for the lap-band. At the conclusion of my visit, I brought it up, and she quickly agreed that this would be an excellent option for me and with a BMI over 50 and high blood pressure and high cholesterol, I easily met the criteria for acceptance into the bariatric program. She referred me to the program that afternoon. Kaiser's program called "Options" is a mandatory 12 week program with weekly classes and structured weight management obligations. The group classes were held in the evenings once a week, back and forth, one week with a behavioral therapist, the next with a nutritional counselor. We were asked to participate in a calorie controlled diet and exercise program with a mandatory weight loss expectation of 10% before being scheduled for surgery. This included daily food and exercise journaling and weekly weigh ins so there was definately the accountability factor. I got a huge notebook of information, learned so much about nutrition and handling the emotions that come with a life change like this, and I am so glad that I had the time to study up on the surgery and really ready myself. I started the program 9/27 and finished up just before Christmas, and mind you, I had to be on a diet all Fall, through Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years, but once I was committed, I found the strength I needed to stay on course. I was referred to the surgeon in early January and met the criteria of pre-op loss at 27 pounds lost and completion of the 12 week program with all logs completed and adherence to the process. I knew that I had some things pending early in the year, I had to move on March 1st and I had a huge conference commitment at work on 4/4 and 4/5, so when I saw the surgeon for my consultation, he asked if I would like the surgery in late January or early February and I elected to delay the surgery for 3 months knowing that I might not have the strength to get through my move and work commitments if I ran into complications, or not knowing if I would be extremely weak. The doctor said no problem, with the directive to not gain any weight, and in fact lose a bit more if I could to shrink my liver even more before the surgery. I had VSG (the best option I chose for ME) surgery the day after the conference 4/6/12 and I truly believe this was the perfect timing for MY life. I felt comfortable with changes to my diet, I was already on board with exercise and my move went without a hitch. I was ready. 5 months post-op and in total I have lost 86 pounds and my petite but curvy body is coming back, I've gone from a 3X-4X down to a 14 and I feel so much better. My surgery went well without complications and I feel happier than I have in decades. This was the best decision I ever made for myself!! You decide when the time is right, but if you opt to delay, use that time to study up and start eating in a manner that is closer to what your post-op diet will be like, you can easily start by limiting your calorie intake to 1600 for about 4 weeks, then 1400 for 4 weeks, then 1200 for the remainder, but of course allow for your holiday splurges...we all have them, as long as you get right back on program. Try to lose what ever you can before surgery, and walk, walk, walk and drink at least 64 oz of water/sugar free drinks and take a multi-Vitamin as well. Good luck on your journey...I hope it works out well and feel free to contact me if you have any questions!!

Don't knock the Richard Simmon's DVD's. They give a good 50 minute workout that burns hundreds of calories in the privacy of your own home, and most of the participants are overweight, and it really helps to see them be able to get through the dance workout, and know you probably can too. They are a fun way to dance away the pounds. (Pre-zumba generation)

nicci1228....sweetheart it is alot of work and isn't the "easy way out" - but tell you what, it is effective. I wish I had done it in my 20's or 30's after my kids were born. I'm 57 now and I had my surgery 4/6/12. I am barely 5 feet tall...and having 80 pounds off this body is fantastic. I feel better than I have in decades and you will too, and since you are young, you still have alot of elasticity in your skin, so loose skin will not be as big of an issue. You can do this. Be proud of yourself for being proactive. You are already beautiful, just imagine when you are shopping for size 4-6 !! Good luck!!

I used to love mashed potatoes with chicken gravy - I bought canned light and dark chicken and mixed it in chicken gravy which is very low calorie, the chicken itself is high Protein. For this stage of eating, it definately works. Crock pot meals are great for this stage so you can get all kinds of cuts of meats and poultry really tender with veggies. Good Luck!!

You've achieved what you dreamed of. Bravo! Gorgeous pictures, you should be proud of yourself!!

You need time to heal, your body uses fluid in the healing process. Stick to your program and trust that it will come off. Be kind to yourself and get some well needed rest. No heavy lifting no vacuuming...your internal and external wounds need to heal.

Iggy...hope to soon hear you can tolerate real food. You must already be at your goal weight at this rate! Do you think you might be able to tolerate a little soup? Do you have a little kitchen set up upstairs? I enjoyed mashed potatoes and gravy in the early stages and later added some canned chicken which is very soft.