LT1002

I was sleeved 4 weeks ago. Within the last few weeks, I've been getting what I imagine feel like hot flashes... I'll be perfectly fine, then break out into a sweat. I'm only 42 and don't think I'm going through menopause. I do have stage IV endometriosis and that has always screwed up my period, so I'm not concerned that it's late right now. And as a monogamous lesbian with a pregnant wife, I'm definitely not pregnant! Anyone else get these weird hot flashes from the hormonal changes with the sleeve?

No one can say or do anything to make me feel worse about my weight than I already do. I beat myself up about it every single day. At least I did something about it. I do feel an immense amount of guilt, though, for humiliating someone else. My mom was the most incredible woman I'd ever met, but as a kid, I was always embarrassed by her weight and made no secret of it. I'm sure it hurt her so much. I don't believe in god, but clearly Karma has bitten me in my fat a$$. Now she's gone and it's too late to say how sorry I am. She was my inspiration, though - I want to be thin and healthy for my own daughter.

I've been tracking on Myfitnesspal and keep getting those "eat more calories or you'll go into starvation mode" messages. I hate eating because it will inevitably be uncomfortable - just changed PPIs, so hope that will help. I'm only getting in about 400-500 calories a day with few carbs, and am in a mini-stall - lost, stuck, gained a lb, lost again, stuck again. Thinking it's probably because I'm taking in too few calories.

I'm only down about 17 lbs (surgery was 7/17). I have to wear suits to work and noticed that my blazers actually close again, though my pants still fit (maybe a bit baggy in the thighs, though). All depends on where you're losing the weight. I can tell my stomach has gone down, even with just those 17 lbs, probably from eating low carb. Suits are the only plus sized clothes I've worn - between Gap and Old Navy, 18s have been fine - so I'm looking forward to wearing suits that aren't made of stretchy poly!

Lettuce can be hard to digest and some docs say no lettuce for a while post-op. To the OP, hummus can sometimes be sticky also, so the combo of bread + hummus might be difficult to get down. Maybe try substituting some light mayo instead of hummus if you really want the bread. Bread was a problem for me with the band, so I'm almost positive it will be a problem with the sleeve, even though I would kill for just a bite of a bagel!

Only thing I have trouble remembering is to eat and drink. Otherwise, I actually feel a bit sharper post-op.

I had the same problem post-op. I think it was my body adjusting to the lack of food - from 2000+ calories a day to 400 a day, your body will react. A friend who had the rny said three weeks out and you'll start feeling better and she was right on target - went back to work at 3 weeks and really started to feel myself again, just a little more tired than usual.

Same here - 4 weeks Tuesday. Started the stall last week at about 2 1/2 weeks post-op and finally saw some scale movement this morning. Don't know if it'll keep moving, but if I saw the same number AGAIN I was going to go mental.

I know that some restaurants are opposed to letting adults order off the kid's menu, so a lot of our food goes to waste when we eat out (my doc says no heating up meat because it gets too tough). Went out to dinner today at Houlihans and they have a small plates menu that included a couple of "mini me" meals. They had a 4 oz filet mignon that came with a side of veggies and fries, which I subbed out for mashed potato (they also have a cauliflower mash, but I'm not a fan). Get it without the butter on it. I ate 1/2 the filet and a couple bites of potato and was full. A great meal for $10.99 and the dog got the leftovers. Best part is it's trackable on MyFitnessPal.

You're me too! Band to sleeve revision, lost about the same amount with the band then stopped. Gained weight back. Got the sleeve. Lost 16 lbs. Stalled at about 2 1/2 weeks and have been stuck here. I'm three weeks out today and am on softs, getting in a good amount of protein, tracking everything carefully on MyFitnessPal, getting in my fluids, staying away from carbs, etc. I'm stuck, frustrated, pissed off and am miserable because I wonder why I put myself through this for nothing. Closest I've ever followed a diet and I'm not getting anywhere. This sucks.

I had tried Centrum chewables but they made me queasy, so I switched to an adult gummy from Target and an adult B-12 gummy. No nausea and they go down fine.

Today is my first day back too. Brought a big bottle of water to sip on and packed my lunch. Made sure my schedule was easy so if I'm not feeling well, I can just sit at my desk or even leave early. My biggest fear is having to run to the bathroom a lot!

You'll be fine! My doc/nut moved me to softs at my two week post-op because I was doing so well (no vomiting or nausea, no problems swallowing). The only thing they said was to make sure I chewed really well. After purées and liquids, you'll be relieved to finally be able to chew something! Oh, and just make sure things are moist - with deli turkey, I use some light mayo, I got some thinly sliced deli roast beef and use some gravy. And definitely the string cheese - a great snack and goes down easy.

My NUT suggested Smart Water, something about the way it's filtered that makes it easier to drink. Don't know if that's true - need to pick some up still - but it's worth a try.

Part of the problem is how some people resort to hyperbole in criticizing how others are eating. I had started a thread last week about how I drank a little bit of flat, watered down, caffeine free Diet Coke and you'd have thought I had eaten live babies. People were outraged and all I did was say how I was amazed how it made me feel better to be just a little normal again. But I was told I was going to cause a leak, ruin my weight loss, etc., all over a few ounces of soda. Yet when I started another thread asking if anyone had actually gotten a leak from making poor eating choices, you could hear crickets chirping. It's become the equivalent of "your face is going to freeze that way." People need to stop acting like they know everything and know what's right for strangers on an Internet message board. They don't. Only your doctor and nutritionist know what's best for you. The lesson to be learned is, if you have a question, call the doctor, don't look for a reasonable dialogue here because it's not going to happen. I'm almost 3 weeks out and spoke with my doc and nut about how I've had no problems getting anything down, no vomiting, no reflux, but I'm having trouble dealing with puréed food because it's just too gross. They said to move on to softs and just chew well. If I had asked people about that here, my head would have been chewed, rather puréed, off. People should just say, "if you have a question, call your doctor, but I did ____ when I was in your situation." I'm not sure why that's so hard to do.

The first couple of weeks are miserable, a fact that, time and time again, people here forget. I went for my two week post-op with my doctor and NUT yesterday and was telling them about some of the stuff that goes on here. They both read some of these boards and basically said to ignore people, that it seems like people get sleeved, lose a little weight, and suddenly become experts who have nothing better to do than be on the Internet all day criticizing people. I wanted to hug them both for that. Some of the people here can make you feel even worse than you already do, it was nice to get some validation from people who really matter.

The nutritionist at the hospital said it would be sugar entering the intestines too quickly without being digested properly that would cause dumping. Doesn't sound like you ate anything that would fit that bill.

I'm two weeks post-op. I tried drinking a cup of hot coffee about a week ago and it immediately made me kind of queasy. Tried it again yesterday but iced from McDonald's with the sugar free vanilla syrup. I'm so sick of protein shakes, that I used it as a treat -- a couple sips of protein shake, a quick sip of coffee to cleanse my palate! Coffee went down okay (even though I only drank about an ounce or two over the course of hours), and it got me to drink more protein shake than I've been able to lately.

I always thought the hair loss was from the rapid weight loss, not from the surgery itself. If that's the case, them I'm guessing it's on a person-by-person basis. I've had 4 other surgeries over the years and have never experienced post-op hair loss. Hoping (praying, begging, bartering to the gods) that I don't lose any now!

Have any of you guys had your metabolism tested? I've had mine done a couple of times pre-VSG because no matter what I did, it was impossible to lose weight. To lose, I would need to keep my calories between 800-1000 per day, which is why VSG seemed to be a good fit for me. Metabolic endocrinologists can do the testing in office, and it's as easy as relaxing and breathing into a tube. Really opened my eyes as to what was going on with my ridiculously slow metabolism and made me readjust my weight loss expectations.

I was just reviewing the post-op diet I was given upon discharge in the hospital (I'm two weeks out today, so I'm anticipating changes this week). The paperwork clearly says "Gastric Sleeve Diet" but yet makes reference to a stoma (as in, "don't eat ____ it will block your stoma"). What gives? I thought our openings remained in tact and nothing was rerouted, just our stomachs were made smaller. Disconcerting when even the hospital paperwork is wrong!

Same problem here. I'm two weeks out today and can finally take a deep breath without discomfort. My doctor said the pain was from irritation to the diaphragm. I also had a lot of throat pain, which I'm guessing was from the tubes during surgery.

I'm sure most of us here are petrified of having a leak. My doctor, at least, never really discussed the possibility of it, and it wasn't until I started reading these boards post-op (doh!) that I realized how real the threat of it is. In a number of threads (including one in which I was a total poop-stirrer ), people always threaten the idea of a leak due to not following the post-op diet to a T, but then always add in the caveat "that's not what my leak was from." So I'm wondering, has anyone here who has had a leak, actually gotten one from not following the post-op diet religiously? Also, why do the doctors wait and see if it will just heal on its own over the course of months, rather than go in and fix the leak? I'm sure there must be a medical reason for that, I'm just not sure what it is. Anyone know? Thanks!