clk

Not everyone loses the hunger, unfortunately. So long as it's easily satisfied with a reasonable portion of food, I don't think it's anything to be concerned about.

I had that all day hunger and desire to eat pre-op, where even massive portions of food would leave me digging in the fridge for more food an hour later. If you experienced the same or similar, and now you're happy with some string cheese and some lunchmeat, that's significant.

I wouldn't worry about it at all. I'm pretty sure Tiffykins has said that she never lost the hunger but was able to satisfy it easily - and we all know what success she's had with her sleeve.

Stay on track and don't induldge in "bad" foods too often and you should be fine! I actually wish I did have at least a little hunger because there are days when I don't want to eat at all. Hunger is the normal and healthy way your body tells you to eat - setting a timer to eat the way I do isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Great job so far, by the way!

~Cheri

Thanks for sharing! It's incredibly close to the recipe I've used for years, only I add a teeny bit of liquid smoke to mine. I grew up eating TX style BBQ, and I'm used to a little smoky flavor.

There are some really simple to make low-carb barbeque recipes online for those that are still trying to get to goal. I use one that calls for Tomato paste, diet soda and splenda as well as a variety of spices. It's not Sweet Baby Ray's but it's passable.

~Cheri

I do this almost every morning! I brew my tea and add in two scoops of my vanilla Protein powder (mostly for extra calories since it's super low carb), a splash of milk and some spices. There are two or three varieties of plain chai tea at my local commissary, so I lucked out. If you have a Keurig, Gloria Jean's Chai Tea K-Cups work really well, too.

I do the same thing with coffee on the days I want a coffee. I blend it up with my Protein Powder, some milk and a splash of french vanilla Creamer.< /p>

It's a great way to boost my calories and Protein for the day. It's especially great because I find that I don't really feel like eating until after ten in the morning. Now I sip my "breakfast" and it's so much better!

If you search all of the stores in your area and still can't find any plain chai there are several options to buy in bulk from Amazon.com.< /p>

~Cheri

Sounds like a definite NSV!

I've noticed the same thing - I'm "only" down 38 pounds but I have a lot more energy and no longer need to nap when my kids nap.

Congrats, and I'm sure things will only get better as you continue to drop those pounds!

~Cheri

I also gained. It took me a good week to get below my starting weight. The IV fluids and my long flights really helped me retain Water weight.

Also, it takes a short while for the ghrelin to work it's way out of your system. It could be actual hunger, head hunger or acid. If I miss my Nexium for one day that night I'll feel like I'm starving and my stomach is rumbling - but it's only acid. Head hunger can be anything from a simple craving for a particular food, grieving large portions, or just being frustrated by the post op liquid diet and wanting to eat. I've never felt hunger post op, but I have had cravings around my monthly cycle, and about 8 days into the post op liquid diet I just had an overwhelming desire to CHEW food.< /p>

Everyone loses at their own pace. If you expect to lose everything quickly with no bumps in the road you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Very few people on here never experienced a real stall - lots of us have at least mini-stalls once a month.

You just had a surgery that makes it next to impossible not to lose weight. So long as you stick to the program, the weight is going to come off, but don't expect things to be a pound a day for the next six months. I felt like I was a slow loser until I realized that I'm less than three months out and more than one third of the way to my goal. That's pretty awesome.

I'm not trying to be negative or anything. I just experienced a LOT of disappointment early on because I really expected the weight to keep falling off at the pound a day rate I had early on. When I stalled out for two weeks around week three, I was horribly disappointed and depressed. But it's a normal part of the process for most people. Now I realize that I gain and stall during my cycle and likely will every month.

It sounds like you're doing a great job. Just focus on those liquids and stick to your plan - you'll be losing weight in no time.

~Cheri

I've enjoyed reading your posts. You've done such a great job so far, and I know you're going to reach your goal. Thank you for writing about the very real issues that people have post op. In my case it's easier than living on the diets I used to attempt, but it's by no means the easy way out. I think to some extent most of us have some idea that it will be almost effortless, and it's not. Thanks for being real about the whole thing.

Congrats on your success so far - you look wonderful!

~Cheri

If you have a juicer or a super high powered blender, make your own juices at home, peels and all. That will help a little. So will the addition of oats, which someone else mentioned. But I can hardly eat enough oats to make much of a difference anyway! For some people strong coffee does the trick. You have to find what works for you.

I've had this issue my whole life and it's only worsened with the VSG. I now take Miralax every day in my tea and it's helped me a lot. If you think this is a more temporary issue the Benefiber packets work well, and so does the clear and tasteless Metamucil powder.

You'll do great! I'm so glad that with support from this site and a little perseverance you were able to get insurance approval.

You have the right mindset - this is definitely a new journey. Enjoy it! Life post-op is pretty awesome, I must say, and it gets better with every pound that takes me closer to goal.

Best of luck and a smooth recovery to you,

~Cheri

I did Medifast a few years ago. I had to doctor up almost everything with either Torani SF syrups, Capella flavor drops or bouillon cubes.

There were also recipes online to do things like make a muffin, pancakes or pudding out of the mixes. I'm not sure how well that would adhere to your nutritional plan right now, but it's worth a shot.

Sorry, I hope it gets better.

~Cheri

Coops: But where else would you vent about these frustrations if not here? At least the rest of the folks that are sleeved understand! If you suspect you aren't eating enough, you likely aren't. I was AMAZED by how much effort it took me to consume my calorie goals. I would have to track out my menu at the start of the day and force myself to eat four meals so that I could get it all in. For a time there, I felt as though I was eating sunup to sundown and I was definitely sick of it.

It's not the best or healthiest method, but I've since switched to two real meals a day and a high calorie coffee drink, tea drink or Protein smoothie every morning. It helps me consume a lot of protein and a bunch of calories all at once. This way, I feel less pressure to eat and I don't hit ten pm with only four hundred calories in my system.

You really should track your intake for a day or two, just to see where you're at.

I do love my sleeve, though. I've never complained about having to eat or reach calorie goals before, that's for sure!

~Cheri

Glad to hear everyone is still doing well. I'm finally wrapping my head around the fact that this surgery is really, truly working. It's amazing to me. While it's not effortless, it almost feels that way, especially when I consider the extremes I used to go to just to lose a bit of weight (only to ultimately be sabotaged by endless, insatiable hunger).

I'm now 1/3 of the way to my goal - in just over nine weeks. Once I lose seven more pounds, I'll be saying goodbye to the 200s for the very last time. I'm down from a very snug size 20 to a very comfortable 16, and I'm pretty sure I'll be down another size over the course of this month. Or at least into the "snug" 16s, since I have a pile of 16s that fit great and a pile of 16s that give me muffin top. Stupid women's sizing.

I will say to the women that YES our monthly cycles suck heinously. I gained three pounds last month and it took until about two days after I was done to get back to my pre-period weight. This month I only gained 1.8 pounds and midway through I was back to normal. Now, at the end of my time (TMI, sorry), I'm already DOWN two pounds. I hope it gets to be less and less of an issue each month, though I'll admit the PMS and cravings still kick my butt. I hope for my husband's sake that I'm more human as time goes on, because I was a major beast this month, too.

I start exercising (real exercising, beyond my current long walks and our weekend hikes) next week and I'm very excited. I'm focusing on strength training and building muscle because I have no doubt the fat is going to burn away - I want to build up the muscle before heading into a super fat burning type workout. My arms are already showing a teeny bit of sag and there's no way I'm going to let them turn into batwings! I can see my chest is going to be an issue as time goes on and I'm pretty sure that if I opt for a tummy fix once I hit goal (I did have twins, after all, and that is already a trouble zone) I'll be adding in some lifting and possibly augmentation for my upper half. I think that for every pound I lose my face looks a tiny bit younger and my breasts age a year. Ugh.

Coops: You have had a heck of a time the entire time since surgery, haven't you? Your body just does not want to let go of your weight. Maybe tracking would help, though I admit it's a pain and I hardly do it myself anymore. I'd say fatsecret is fairly easy to use and I love that they let you count net carbs. None of them are exactly fun to use but it might help you out. I hope it gets easier for you and you get a surprise drop in weight soon.

La: You sound like you'd hit the exact same mindset as I've hit. I no longer freak out about every calorie or carb. I still watch what I eat, but I've found that the more calories I take in (never getting more than 800, though) the more consisently I lose. The less I focus on food, food, food, the less stressed I feel and the more weight I lose. There has to be a connection. If I start to head the wrong way on the scale I'll go back to basics, of course, but for now I'm just enjoying the ride.

Everyone, keep up the great work. I'm so glad I made the choice to get my sleeve!

~Cheri

It's normal. Relax and search for threads about stalls. I stalled from about 3-5 weeks, but then I dropped seven pounds the following week.

Most folks go through it, just keep following your surgeon's plan and you'll be fine. Your body needs to adjust.

~Cheri

Everyone reacts differently, but here's what I've experienced.

Prior to surgery, I would eat until absolutely bursting. I loved that feeling of being full and I almost always ate dinner until the point of discomfort. About thirty minutes after that massive meal, I'd have my head in the fridge again, looking for more. I felt hungry all the time - all day, every day. If I thought I was hungry, I couldn't sit still, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't function or stop thinking about food until I ate something.

Post op, I'm one of the lucky people that isn't hungry at all - ever. I have to remember to eat, or I'll eventually feel a very empty feeling in my tummy that reminds me I need to eat. Some people do feel hunger. I do not. The only time I ever experience the urge to eat is when I'm suffering PMS - an issue you won't have to worry about.

Not only am I not hungry, but most food is unappetizing. I might cook all day because I want a specific dish, and then I'll eat two bites and be done. Most foods only taste good to me for one or two bites. They're wonderful for those two bites, don't get me wrong. But after that, I have to force myself to finish my food or I won't get enough calories or Protein for the day. I think I'm also in the minority on this one.

Mason is absolutely right and seems to completely have his head ready for surgery. The more of this type of "head work" you do pre-op, the easier your post op experience is going to be.

I started out weighing EVERYTHING. I made my day's menu first thing in the morning and recorded it in a calorie tracker. I then made sure I ate all of my food for the day. I couldn't eat it all in three meals, so I did four. I did not snack or graze between meals.

Now that I'm more confident about my ability to guess my food, I track my calories maybe two days a week. I have a tendency to not eat enough, so if I stall out on the scale the first thing I do is go back to weighing and tracking food. That seems to fix the problem every time. Sometimes I graze a little, but it's amazing how little I can actually eat. I try not to make a habit of it though, because it really isn't healthy.

There is no way on this earth I can eat six ounces of anything at once. NO WAY. I'd find myself running to the bathroom, because it would come right back up. I can eat about 2-3 ounces of dense Protein and maybe a bite or two of potatoes or vegetables after that's done. I can drink a 12 ounce Protein Drink over the course of an hour. I have trouble getting in my protein because my stomach is very small and I'm never in the mood to eat. It's easiest for me to make a protein coffee or chai latte every morning for extra calories and a big shot of protein.

You will not be able to overeat, and if you're a stubborn learner and eat too much you'll learn not to quickly. It's not really vomiting. The term "productive burp" or "PB" like a lapband patient would use is really more accurate. But I promise, you'll be uncomfortable and you'll only do it a few times. Have you ever swallowed a huge gulp of Water and felt your esophagus expand painfully? It's just like that, only it lasts until the food goes down or comes back up.

Your new full signal could be anything from hiccups to a runny nose to sneezes. But you'll learn what it is quickly, because unlike your old tummy, your sleeved tummy doesn't have any real "give" and it will be painful to eat just one bite too many.

A lot of my eating issues were mental. Once the ability to eat endless amounts of food was taken care of, my mental desire to do so went away. Because overeating is uncomfortable, the joy in it is gone and I no longer overindulge.

But you have to understand that everyone is different. There are some people who aren't as happy with their sleeve because their hunger DIDN'T disappear, so they're still hungry without the ability to eat those massive portions.

Good luck whatever you decide. I think the sleeve is an awesome tool, but you have to really understand that your life is going to change and you have to be willing to learn how to eat properly.

~Cheri

Like the others said, hang in there.

I'd definitely track my food for just one week. See where you are, because it sounds like yes, you do eat more carbs than some (on some days, not all, of course) but that you also don't eat a lot of calories. If you're active, you need to feed your body or it will hang on to every pound for dear life.

Challenge yourself. Make it your goal to record everything you eat for just one week. Get in your calories, Proteins and Water. Instead of guesstimating your food, weigh everything for that brief time.

I bet you'll be suprised and find that you're either eating way more than you think, or that you're hardly eating enough at all.

Then's the time to mix it up a bit - add more carbs and calories for a few days then drop them back to normal and see if that jump starts your metabolism.

Good luck, and great job on your success so far. I'm sure you'll get down to your goal if you keep trying.

~Cheri

Get online and order some samples. I bought a sample pack of one brand and then hit Vitalady's site for just about every low carb Protein powder she had listed. I saved a bundle - because for every powder I found that I liked, I found two I couldn't tolerate. I only found a few that were really good.

I used powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury unflavored, chicken Soup, and chocolate at first and was fine with them for a few weeks, but by the end of full liquids couldn't do them anymore.

I like most of the nectar flavors, but many hate them. I don't like the Muscle Milk Light - for me, it had too many carbs for too little Protein and the taste wasn't appealing. Right now I LOVE Allmax IsoFlex Peanut Butter chocolate, Chocolate Mint Supreme and vanilla powders. The PB and CM flavors have 2 grams of carbs and 27 grams of protein per scoop and the vanilla has half a gram of carbs and 27 grams of protein per scoop. I have trouble getting in calories, so I often use two scoops at a time.

For me, Protein Powder always tastes best mixed with milk, but I can't afford the carbs if I use a protein powder packed with them. I prefer low carb Proteins so I can mix in some extras to make it tastier. What I love about the IsoFlex powders is that they even taste great with Water if I can't do milk.

My recommendation is to buy a bunch of what sounds good, or is recommended by folks here and try them all to see what you like and what fits into your particular nutritional plan.

~Cheri

I second the idea of getting Protein samples. I did do this, and it saved me a small fortune. I used Vitalady's site and sampled a bit of every low carb Protein powder she had, and found several I liked but even more that were horrid. Save your money and do the samples until you know what you like!

I wish I'd known about stalls - that they happen for almost everyone. I had this unrealistic expection that I'd just drop weight like crazy and that it would keep up until about six months out. WRONG! I'm losing in stops and starts, and while I'm thrilled about my loss so far it's not what I had in mind.

Expect your body to lose at it's own pace. Yeah, the weight IS going to come off, but not at a regular rate of a pound a day for the first six months! I went through a lot of frustration because I had unreasonable expectations.

I also wasn't 100% on the supplements I would need to feel like functioning human. I take Iron, Calcium citrate, nexium, B12, 2 multis and Biotin every day. I also drink a dandelion or milk thistle tea (I have both), because someone recommended them to reduce gallbladder inflammation. The gallbladder IS a big issue for a lot of folks post WLS. Be aware that these teas cause a small increase in blood sugar for me (I'm a type 2 diabetic), so if you're diabetic be mindful of this.

Good luck! Trust me, you're going to love your sleeve once you start to see the scale moving. It's been a pretty easy ride for me, and I have nothing to complain about.

~Cheri

Great job! Keep up the great work. You are so incredibly close to goal!

~Cheri

Yeah, what she said!

I'd also add that right around 3 weeks post op most folks stall out for a bit. It could be just the body adjusting or it could be the transition to soft foods, but it's very common.

Hang in there. Small bites, slow meals, and back up a stage if you continue to have pain or discomfort. Move slowly into each stage - if eating causes you pain and therefore you can't eat or meet your calorie and Protein requirements, make one meal a shake instead so that it's easier on your body.

This too shall pass! Before you know it you'll eat "normal" food, and forget you even have a sleeve. That is, until you eat one bite too many or forget to chew!

~Cheri

I didn't have the same complications or the same issues with sipping, but I wanted to say I'm sorry you're struggling. I would also think that it's related to your other complications - I'm sure you're healing a bit more slowly. I'd get in touch with my surgeon if you continue to have such problems, especially because you run the risk of dehydration. I'd hate to see you wind up in the hospital with more issues!

Take it easy, and I hope that it gets better. I wish I could help.

~Cheri

I've started having a Protein coffee or chai latte every morning. I have a low carb Protein powder (IsoFlex vanilla - half a gram of carbs per scoop) and I take two scoops and mix it with half a cup of lowfat milk. Then I brew either a cup of coffee or a cup of chai tea and mix them together. Sometimes I pour the mixture over ice, sometimes I don't.

With the milk and Protein I use, this is about 282 calories, 8 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fat and 60 grams of protein. If I have calories to spare or if I just plain feel like it, I'll add a Tbs. of french vanilla coffee creamer for a bit more vanilla boost. If I wanted to have less calories I'd only use one scoop of protein, which would make it 171 calories, 8 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fat and 33 grams of protein.

This helps boost my calories and the carbs are low enough that I still stay within my personal goals for the day. If I don't start my day with this Protein Drink, I have trouble hitting even 500 calories for the day. I still have no desire to eat, and I still only eat miniscule portions. I find myself getting "stopped up" very frequently with any type of meat unless it's (disgustingly) coated with gravy, so I find myself gravitating to "easy" sources of protein like cheese, cottage cheese, greek yogurt and protein powders.

Good luck, La. You're doing great on the weight loss, by the way!

~Cheri

I have the SAME issue when it's my time, too. It's the only time I want to eat everything in sight. Thankfully, there isn't much crap in the house and I couldn't eat more than a few bites, anyway.

Globetrotter, we have the same nuts at the commissary and they're awesome. I have four different tins of them sitting on the shelf, and when I feel the urge to snack mindlessly three or four nuts make the urge go away. It's a great idea.

~Cheri

First of all, 95 pounds in five months is truly awesome. It's a huge accomplishment.

You haven't ruined anything. It sounds like what you've done is reawaken the carb monster.

I'm not saying that we all need super low carb diets to lose weight. Everyone is different.

But I know that there's a common theme you'll find on ANY weight loss board for any diet or surgery: the carb monster, once awakened, rules your life.

If you're eating junk - and I group all white flour, white sugar, craptastic carbs into that category - then your body is going to want MORE JUNK. That's how the cycle works. When I ate crap all day long (white bread, white sugars, etc.) I was hungry all day long, no matter how many calories I consumed. I'd wake up starving and go to bed starving but I'd be eating thousands of calories a day.

Take back control. Rid your house of all tempting junk. Do the five day pouch test, or go back to shakes for a few days while you detox from the carbs. If you want more carbs in your diet, try doubling what you used to get and make them quality carbs - 100% whole grains, fresh fruit and fresh veggies. Then, after a month of that, if you are doing well and still want more variety, slowly add in more QUALITY carbs. That's the key - the quality. I also use a food tracker that calculates my net carbs, and I use that figure to see how many carbs I'm getting.

You don't have too far to go to reach your goals, I'm sure. You're more than halfway there. If you really want this, you have to take it.

Good luck to you! You haven't failed anything, you've just let the food start controlling you instead of the other way around.

~Cheri

Browse the threads on this forum for a while and you'll see one theme: regardless of the changes, regardless of any complications, almost everyone LOVES their sleeve.

I've been reading on this forum for more than a year and while people get grouchy or down a bit if they stall out for a while (which is a normal part of the process), they always come out on the other side glowing and gushing about how much they love their sleeve.

I'm only eight weeks out, but I can tell you that there are changes you have to learn to live with, but I think they're all GOOD changes.

I cannot sit down and eat an entire king size Snickers followed by half a pint of ice cream followed by a few handfuls of chips when I'm expecting my period. And boy, I used to. Like, every day for the entire week before my cycle.

I cannot sit down in my favorite German restaurant and eat several brotchen, followed by a huge Jagerschnitzel, spaetzle and a huge helping of rotkohl. Oh, and who could forget the hazelnut cake and coffee when that was done?

I cannot eat a dozen chicken wings and half a pizza like I used to, either.

Do I miss being able to eat large quantities? Not in the way you'd think. Overindulging like I used to do in the past made me fat and unhappy. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED that overstuffed, rebellious feeling that overinduling gave me.

But these days, I'd just like to be able to fit in a full half cup of eggbeaters. Not because I want to eat more, because with the exception of PMS, the desire to eat is GONE. But mainly because I'd just like to be able to get in my calories and Protein for the day, without feeling like all I do is eat.

Yeah...I'm complaining because I feel like I'm eating all the time.

Your life will change post op. You will not eat the way you used to eat. Yes, you might feel a few parting pangs when you realize it's simply not possible.

But I think your happiness at being in control of your food demons, the ability to control your portions without feeling deprived and the resulting weight loss will FAR outweigh any disappointment you might feel because you can't eat until you're bloated.

I can have one slice of pizza made on a super thin crust and it's completely satisfying. Actually...it's not. It was a bit of a letdown. I took the first bite and actually asked my husband, "You like this pizza?" because all I could taste was processed cheese and grease. I can't belive I used to eat half a pizza. Foods do not taste the same to me, and I far prefer fresh foods over processed ones these days.

You don't have as much weight to lose as some folks, but there are lightweights on this board. I'd check with them before you opt to have surgery, so that you can draw on their experiences as well.

Sorry to ramble on. Good luck to you no matter what you decide.

~Cheri

My stall is also officially broken. I've lost four pounds in the last week, which does wonders for my moods! I'm still not weighing every day, and it really helps me not focus so much on weight.

So far I'm down 30 pounds and I'll be eight weeks out tomorrow. That's not as much as I wanted to be down by now, but 30 pounds is the most I ever lost on any "diet" in the past. I did Nutrisystem in 2006 and lost 30 pounds in almost four months. So, to drop that amount in half the time is a definite success, and I can't be too displeased.

I hope to lose another 13 pounds over the next month - that will bring me to 199 pounds. We'll see if it's possible.

La: I am SO happy to read your stall is broken. I know how relieved I was when the scale moved again! I hope you're doing well.

WildIris: It sounds like you're doing awesome! And you seem very happy with your success so far. I'm sure you'll be hitting that goal in no time.

Coops: I've only had one cycle but I expect one in the next week. I can tell you that it DID affect my weight. I gained three pounds! It didn't drop off again until a few days after the cycle ended. I also experienced the first (and only) food cravings and "hunger" I've felt since surgery. I wanted to eat everything in sight, especially bread, chips, candy, etc. It was awful. Now that I'm due in a few days, I have the same huge desire to eat, eat, eat. It's GOT to be hormone related. I'm munching on cheese sticks and very ripe fresh fruit when the urge to much hits me. It's not great, but it's not a Snickers, either!

Dickson and Kathy: You guys are doing awesome. Why is it the men lose so much more quickly? Unfair!

Ellisa: I just did the same thing with my clothes! I have two huge totes of clothing to send to my mom and sister because they're winter clothes and they will never fit me again. Isn't it wonderful? I have a GoWear Fit (like a Body Bugg) and it does the same thing for me as your new shoes - it makes me want to move around and get active. Whatever it takes, right?

Lou: You are kickin' butt, buddy! I still get envious when I see how quickly the men lose, though. I'd be happy to have a way to fit a bit more food in - sometimes I still can't meet my calorie goals for the day, so being able to make some extra room with a good belch would help me finish those eggs or fit in a few extra bites of chicken. Keep up the good work, you're doing a great job!

Possumtrot: Great job! Huge, HUGE congrats for making it halfway to goal (and in such a short time!) and for losing 50 pounds. Before you know it you won't be shopping in the plus section any longer. That's got to be a great feeling. I bet everyone is noticing, huh? I can't wait until I hit that point.

Well, everyone, I'm off. I don't have a tremendous amount of time to post since we're gearing up for a month of visitors and then we're moving in November. I'm busy, busy, busy!

~Cheri

I just wanted to add this, and I hope you don't think it's rude or anything.

My husband and I had infertility and wound up doing IVF with ICSI. For four years my doctors wouldn't help me, telling me that if I'd just lose weight we'd conceive. Well, I lost a big chunk of weight and we still couldn't get pregnant. Finally, they tested my husband. They assumed that because he's healthy and had other children with his first wife that the issue must be my weight. They were WRONG. He's infertile - he's actually clinically sterile. Once they finally did the analysis on him they said we had a better chance of winning the lottery than we had of getting pregnant on our own.

So, all of this to tell you that just because you have to wait a year to have them help you (and that's after you lose the weight) that doesn't mean he can't get checked out now. If the issue is there, then you'll have an easier time getting approved for fertility treatments once you hit your goal weight.

Good luck to you!

~Cheri