TamaraS

I also had a few days where I started being loose with my calories and not watching carbs and I gained 5 lbs. I started back on No carbs and eating tuna fish, eggs and salmon and lost the 5 lbs in two days. If I do have carbs I keep them under 15 and track everything on myfitnesspal.com. I promise you if you cut the carbs out and up the water intake you will reach your goals with little to no problem

I am not sure how to upload photos but I am 13 days out and my incisions have been closed for a week and are already fading!! There wont be much to see, maybe similiar to a cat scratch on the surface of the skin. I am so happy they arnt gnarley!!

My NUT said 6 months, totally bummed. I love salads.

I was sleeved September 27th and I have eaten egg, shrimp, salami, cream cheese and regular cheese, chicken, turkey, ham, pot roast, pepperchinis, olives... I didnt go on pureeds, I have tolerated everything too well except chicken 1 time. I gained five pounds eating this stuff after 4 days SO not worth it. I found that just because I cn tolerate it does NOT mean I should eat it. Now Im on strickly fish and eggs.

NaturallyCurious, I know exactly what you mean. My husband was behind me last week and I got this scent of vanilla and my mouth started watering instantly. I whipped around and inquired what the smell was and he laughed hystericly... He had a garbage bag in his hand, he accidently picked up vanilla scented bags! I was so embarressed :/ Lots of things trigger it but thankfully since the new stomach is SO small you can eat a little protein and the cravings go away lately. I really hope you do call the dr. I know about failure, I have dieted on and off for 20 years with no long term success. Everyone on this site has had the same problem in the past and its amazing how much people are losing! This surgery will help you learn new habits and would recommend it for anyone with a history of weight problems! Please keep me updated on your decisions. I really hope you get to a place where you feel this is a good option for you

Let me start with this; no matter how much knowledge you accumulate before this surgery, you can’t be fully prepared as to what will happen after surgery. I went through and read so many posting of people struggling with food, cheating, wondering why they hadn’t lost weight. I couldn't understand how someone could go through this surgery and do that to themselves. I knew I would NEVER jeopardize my health or my new little sleeve after surgery by cheating or going off the Dr.’s plan... Surgery went great, I lived through it and recovered quickly with the most pain being the first few hours after getting out. Within days I was able to take normal drinks of liquids and stayed on a liquid diet with no hunger until Monday morning (4 days out). Tuesday I ended up eating five saltines and boy did I beat myself up for it. I called my Dr. and begged for them to change my one week appointment to Wednesday instead of Friday because I physically felt like I could NOT wait all week to start full fluids and protein shakes. Appointment got changed. Wednesday morning I went and saw the PA and she said I was OK-ed for full liquids and soft foods. I was 16.8 lbs down at the first week visit. So that day I had two eggs and several bites of my husband’s country fried steak for breakfast. Two hours later I felt famished and had some more of his country fried steak. I continued eating eggs with cheese, slivers of crockpot roast, pan fried chicken w skin, lunch meat, cheese, turkey jerky bites, salami w cream cheese rolled with a pepperchini topped with green olives ( I ate around 25 of these over a five hour period, felt like I couldn’t stop eating them). My sleeve tolerated it with no problems. I realized the insane cravings for copious amounts of food came from me being on my period. Btw, weighed Monday morning and I GAINED 5lbs, not surprised in the least. Sunday Day 10 comes and it was a HUGE turning point. Went to my Grandpa's to celebrate a family birthday and He made tri tip, a whole ham, all the sides. So I put a slice of ham and tri tip w green beans on my plate. I start with the ham and green beans, I get an ounce of ham down and get a terrible fullness and gas in my stomach. Strange, I never had that before. I literally could not eat anymore and I felt sick. So I go home and my husband’s friends are over and they make chicken and mushrooms for a late dinner. I eat a small piece of slightly greasy chicken and 10 mins after I am in the bathroom puking. FINALLY!!!! I feel like my sleeve is working. I get totally full off 1-2oz instead of the 4-6oz I was consuming. I am shocked. The hunger is minimal and comes up around the 3 to 4 hrs after last meal. Insane! The last few days it’s been hard to get to 400 calories, are you kidding me?? I didn’t think it was possible judging from the four day binge I went on. I also switched back to softer food. I know I was justifying food as soft that was not in the soft category. Now I'm eating tuna salmon, baby shrimp and eggs. I lost 2 1/2 of the lbs I gained. I honestly do not know why there was such a delay in me feeling the effects of the sleeve. It took a long time for me to be able to pass gas, almost 6 days because my bowls were having problems "waking up" after surgery. Maybe my stomach did too? This is my husband's theory and it is the only one that makes sense as to how I was fitting so much food in and never feeling satisfied until Day 10. I did NOT plan on sharing this with anyone. It is embarrassing and shameful. I jeopardized my health because I didn’t get control over my hunger. But I decided to share because maybe someone else out there is new out of surgery with a ravenous appetite and might possibly be able to relate or learn from my mistakes. More importantly I would hate for anyone to feel as hopeless as I did, thinking that this surgery was a total mistake. During those few days I would not have trusted anyone had they told me things would get better and eventually my hunger would subside -- but it DID! Every person's body is so unique and will be different through this process. For some of us it takes longer to reap the benefits of this surgery. And trying to distinguish between real hunger and head hunger is no joke, I think this will take years for me to deal with. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. So keep jugging along... I think can! I think I can!

I had a huge craving out of nowhere for a soft taco from taco bell this morning! It passed quickly though. I have had a continuous craving for fat, specificly fatty protein. Really hard to resist, I wish it would go away!!!

Such a feel good post! I am incredibly happy for you !

WOW!! Amazing work!!!

How exciting to be in a size 16, I can't wait to get there!! Good for you!

Thanks Saved

I also started feeling a lot of hunger around day four. At my week check up my surgeons office said I could start soft foods and I gained 5 lbs in 3-4 days. I could fit 4-6 oz of food and was eating soft lunch meats with cream cheese, no carbs (or so I thought). TERRIBLE CHOICE. but since I wasnt consuming lots of carbs Im not sure how I gained so much weight; its not worth it. Even if your hungry try to ignore it. My hunger went away two days ago and I feel like my stomach finally "woke up" so to speak because now I can only fit 2 oz at the most. I cant believe I could fit 4 - 6 oz before. Now I get pain and nausia sometimes after 1 oz. Maybe it takes some time before we can really feel our stomachs due to all the trauma of surgery. Hang in there!!

I had the worst anxiety about getting the sleeve. I have always been nervous by nature and the last three months I spent in a complete state of stress and worry. I just got home from the hospital an hour ago and I feel great! My surgery was on the 27th and they kept me for two nights. Ill admit the first few hours out of surgery were the worst but still tolerable. I was up walking around 2 hours later. It was actually funny because I was walking so much my nurse had to ask me to go back to the room and rest lol! The first few things I tried to swallow hurt but i adjusted when I took smaller sips. I dont know if its a good or bad thing but today I found myself taking regualr drinks of water with no pain. I really wanted to post this because I was so worried about the pain and problems that can come along with this procedure. Reading others experiences gave me hope I really thought I would have a much harder time than I did!

Blood clots is all I know besides leaks. The surgeon said blood clots most likely the first month after surgery!

SO glad the surgery went well!! I hope your battle with food on this journey is much easier than mine has been !!

P.S. Are you drinking protein shakes? Mine still havent arrived (mail order). I wonder if the protein shakes helps with fullness? Also I dont know how many calories a day I should be comsuming at two weeks, its nowhere in the packet they gave me. I read people eat around 600 so I have been trying to stay around there but who knows!?!

Me to Jen, I actually gained 4lbs in three days after starting soft foods I was so bummed since I am only 10 days out. I track EVERYTHING now on myfitnesspal.com. Seriously sucks. I really hope things get better with you. Maybe since we are so new we are having more head hunger than anything but hopefully we will adjust quickly!

I just started soft foods two days ago and the scales not budging. I have a feeling if I dont tweak somethings I too will not be losing weight. Have you followed the eating plan exactly how your surgeon suggested as for as serving sizes and foods allowed? If so, are you weighing your food on a scale? Also are you tracking your food on myfitnesspal or some other calorie tracker that gives a daily total of the calories consumed and protein? Sorry for all the questions. Just hoping to learn from your experience. I haven't been weighing food just eye balling and I sometimes miss a day tracking what I eat, especially when I snack that day :/

If your going to cheat, thats the way to do it Roxy!!!

Hang in there! I have complete faith it WILL get better!!! I got some great advice while struggling with my hunger so I will share it with you, If your going to cheat, try and cheat on the healthy side! How did the pizza toppings and cheese burger set in your tummy? Was it heavy? Did the grease bother you?

I can not eat much in the AM either but come evening I can eat much more. I dont think are stomach has the capacity to grow and shrink with in a day but have you considered your eating habits before the sleeve? I never ate in the morning and then I would be so famished by the evening I'd binge eat.Or maybe its just because in the morning we are more intune with our tummies? Not as many distractions as mid day and evening?

Thank you so much Suusje for the encouragement! How has your hunger been (or lack there of)?

I ate 5 saltines and I am less than a week out of surgery :'( I cant believe I would do this to myself. I read about people who cheated and was in disbelief that they would have surgery and do that to themselves. I seriously couldnt fathom how any one could be the weak willed and viola, here I am 6 days out eating crackers... terrible. I could have injured my stomach. I dont know what the hell is wrong with me. I am so incredibly upset with myself. I was not at all prepared to have any hunger after this surgery. Boy was I wrong. the last three days I feel like I am starving. I obviously cant re do eating those crackers but I hope and pray with every bit in me I learned my lesson. I am so ashamed. I hope this isnt a preview of what is to come with me...

a week out and I am totally there with you. I have been doing google searches for "hunger after the sleeve" There are some other forums that have a lot of info on this very thing. It seems like it could be too much stomach acid and that a higher does of antacid can reduce the "hunger". Some even suggested using chewable antacids on top of the pill but definitely check out the search and dont do anything without talking to your doc first!