TheCurvyJones

The # 1 thing that brings me pain and nausea is drinking right after I eat. It takes at least a half hour to process whatever is in your stomach and have room for liquids. Give yourself plenty of time. I have to wait about 45 minutes, walk around and process before I feel like I can take in liquids. If you're feeling that pain on an empty stomach, only with Water, it could be that your sleeve just doesn't like it. It SHOULD pass... the sleeve can be an adjustment. Try something in it, hydrate with other liquids. Or slow down. Sip sip sip. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon. Pace yourself. There's no such thing as normal drinking, post op. It's frustrating but youre filling a balloon that doesn't stretch very far. As far as sliming... it's a sign of overfull or rejection. Sometimes a friend will eat a bite of chicken and the sleeve just does not like it... instant sliming and she has to throw up. Might have to do some experimenting and detective work. A word on Protein shakes: they suck. But there are fewer ways to get in a large amount of protein in one shot. Half my protein count every day was a shake or two. Even if you have to make them yourself, keep experimenting and exploring. For the first 18 months at least, we need them. My faves were from AboutTime. Great taste and 25 grams of carbs per serving. They mixed up well and for some flavors like banana, I added some extract to boost the flavor. THe Peanut Butter was my absolute fave.

As far as how long it will last, it varies per person, but these are things that resolve themselves with time. The "punched in the stomach" feeling sounds like your stomach may be too full. I get that feeling when I forget and gulp/guzzle Water. How are you drinking your water? My sleeve works best with ice cold. Some sleeves like room temp. You might try adding something to it... crystal light or Dasani flavor drops. It might soften the water a bit and not hit the stomach so hard. Are you drinking too soon after having something else, like a Protein shake or something else? Sliming is usually a sign of being overfull. It could be a sign that your sleeve is still very swollen and you just don't have capacity. If you do other liquids better (broth, tea, etc), make sure you're hydrating with them. Water can just be difficult for some. Like, I don't feel like water is a "soft" thing for our sleeves.

Another idea... you might try cutting it with some almond milk or skim milk... make it not so thick and dense. Not half and half but maybe 1/4th to 3/4th. Some people down the shakes with no problem but most of us have to do some experimenting and research and trying and testing to find something that works.

The Protein goal is something to work up to. Don't fret if you're not hitting it right out of the gate.. just keep pushing protein as best you can. As you heal and as time goes on, your capacity will increase (don't let this freak you out, it's normal!). You'll be hitting that protein number in no time! I actually never finish a Protein shake. I just cannot suck the stuff down after awhile.

Happy Holiday Season and a life-changing new year to all!

Absolutely this. Yesterday it was 64 degrees. I had on a sweater, a scarf and a wool coat. Someone asked if I was sick. Nope. Just a WLS patient.

YESSS. I love to shrink into things so when I buy something that should be too small and it fits... :/

Red flags all over the place. Most of us can't consume veggies early out-- the Fiber is a lot for a new sleeve. Fruits are too high in sugar to ingest a lot. And not counting Protein? HUH? I'm absolutely questioning this plan and this is one time where I would kick that doc's plan to the curb. Pasta? Rice? What in the ENTIRE F? My surgeon doesn't stress counting calories. Protein and carbs are my main focus.

I just had to find something else to obsess over. Four years ago I wanted to lose 100lbs and write a book. I'm writing book number 5 now. As far as plastics, you never know what might come up, what you might be able to do a few years from now so work on maintaining your weight, put away a little here a little there, keep your eyes and ears open for any opportunity to have skin removed. You've done a great thing for yourself and a wonderful job doing it... don't poo poo all that work just because you need some finishing touches.

Nope, you're' fine. You probably won't feel restriction until you start consuming more dense foods and drinks. right now your sleeve is like a sieve... it's going RIGHT through you. It just means that your sleeve is not impossibly swollen.

Thinking..... I find shredded chicken, beef, pork at the grocery store as well. Sometimes it's flavored for tacos, etc. Or those tubs of ground beef or pork... just look at the sugar, those tend to be kind of sweet but you gotta do what you gotta do. If you can find a way to keep it cold, I would warm up an ounce or two at a time, season it up and go to town. it dont gotta be fancy, just gotta be Protein.

At 8 weeks out, a pause (I call them pauses as a stall is a completely different animal) is completely normal. Your body is doing things... just let it do it and keep following your surgeon's rules. What stage are you? Are you on solid foods yet? I don't cook so I'm an expert at finding bariatric friendly foods to eat. For example, if you're on soft foods, get some Soup from your grocery store, yogurt, cottage cheese, string cheese if you can handle it. Grab a six pack of eggs and fry yourself up some eggs and cheese. I find hardboiled eggs to be more dense than I expect them to be, but if you just eat the whites and eat slowly, they could work. Swing by taco bell and get some refried Beans and cheese. (I'm suggesting fast food because if you buy a can of refried beans, you'll never eat the entire thing and you'll have to save some of it and you can't, unless you load up a cooler with some ice-- that's an idea.) If you can eat soft meats, you can get tuna salad or chicken salad in a can at the grocery store, or the tuna in a pouch. Don't forget all the ready to drink Protein shakes-- I liked Atkins shakes because they weren't too thick. Or again, roll by a mexican restaurant, get a soft taco or burrito and eat the insides. I did that for FOREVER. Or if you can get some ground beef, you can have a cheese burger in a bowl-- ground beef cheese, ketchup, maybe crumble some bacon (you can get cooked bacon at the grocery), stir it up. Wendy's has a great chili, but even their small was too much food for me at 8 weeks out. They will also serve any burger or sandwich without a bun. Might be a little tough for an 8 week old stomach-- it depends on how far out you are. I think the best way to manage this is to stick to the dollar menu... portions will be smaller (so less waste) and think about how to DE-carb whatever you're about to eat. Soups are also a great idea... it won't take much to fill you up. I also think ice in a cooler is a good idea to keep a few things in the house like shakes cold.

Bariatric pal has been the same for years and years. You aren't going to change it by complaining. Block some people, pick your battles, grow thick skin. Get what you need from this site and log off. There are some people here that are aggressive and you're not going to change that by complaining. Only saying this because I am a vet and there 10,000 threads about how mean people are here. And those threads haven't changed anything.

I had surgery to be pretty. I'm sure I am the only person that had surgery for vanity reasons... okay I mean, I was prediabetic and in a lot of pain and couldn't handle steps, yadda yadda. But me looking at myself in the mirror and hating what I saw was what pushed me over the edge. Being jealous of people who were living full and happy lives did it as well. I worried some about hair loss and loose skin, because I'm a self pay patient. Skin removal is not always covered by insurance-- in most cases, in fact, I don't believe it is. So I would be looking at an additional expense if I went through with it. So, yes... people will ask about loose skin because they're thinking ahead. Can I afford to have it removed? Do I want another surgery? Is this decision NOW worth what I will go through in a few years? i have a friend who had RNY who lost a ton of weight but can't afford skin removal, despite the fact that her pannus is beginning to be bothersome. It's a valid question that people ask, and asking here is research. A little something to remember while you're judging people for looking at the whole picture.

I told very few people at first. And no one wants to hear portion control and exercise so that's exactly what I said til they stopped asking. LOL. They want to hear that you're taking a magic pill or are doing some kind of easy weight loss yoga. After awhile I opened up about it. I just didn't want to hear horror stories and OH NO YOU LOOK FINE when I was fat as hell and unhappy.

I'm terrible at drinking Water. I used to need crystal light or Mio drops in it to drink it. I gradually worked my way down to just needing it ice cold. Some people drink more with a straw... some are better without. Some like it infused with Cucumber or lemon, some with apples or grapes. Do some experimenting and however it goes down... make it happen!

I have two scales because I am a nutjob. When I get on a scale and it gives me a low number, I need to verify that it's not broken. :/ Anyway. I have a tanita bodyfat scale and I have a Withings wifi scale that I LOOOVVEE. Because I get on it and it feeds my numbers to the Withings app and also to MyFitnessPal. I love reports and I get those GALORE. There is also the Withings Pulse, which is an activity tracker. That tracks your steps and your heartbeat and your sleep and all that. I had one but I lost it, dangit. Fitbit has a wifi scale that is a smidge cheaper than withings that connects with your fitibt.

Post surgery, many people develop an aversion to sweet things. My jaws clench at the thought of a cupcake. I just... cannot do it. It's like pouring a bunch of sugar in my mouth. Presurgery, some tactics like sugarfree gum, popsicles or candy (but be careful because a lot of sugar free stuff has maltitol in it which has a laxative effect).

For me, not so much before, but after, I need to wait at least a half hour or everything I ate will come back up. I try not to drink RIGHT before I am about to eat only because I don't have enough room for food. And I do so like food. I am quite a ways out and I still have to wait. I'd say it's a lifetime thang, baby. Welcome to your new habit. You get used to it, especially if you hate vomiting.

My friend Linda was in her 60's I think when she had her sleeve. She's SO active now!

As far as weight loss goes... it really varies per person. I only lost about 10lbs my first three weeks. To say I was disappointed was an understatement... but it kept coming off and kept coming off, 2lbs a week at a time. What WLS does best is NOT to drop a ton of weight in a short amount of time but alllow us to CONTINUE losing weight at a safe, steady pace long past when we would have given up while on a diet. It's pretty hard to mess this up unless youre explicitly trying to. At this point, it's fine to get in cals and eat every 2-4 hours. You'll need it for strength and brain function, plus it's liquid! That you have no restriction right now means there is little chance you'll dehydrate. You're doing fine... rest assured.

You're having one of those bothersome uneventful recoveries. Everything's great! Sail along... things may change once you start getting to thicker stuff. Just try to recognize your full signals before you get into trouble. They're hard to detect-- pressure in your back or sides, or even in your throat, pangs in your belly. I get the hiccups when I am full. VIOLENT hiccups if I am too full! Many people don't feel restriction until they start taking in dense Protein. Til then, enjoy this time of peace.

This. Unless I have something HIIIIGH in sugar and then about a half hour after I ate that.

Take some deep breaths, in and out. In and out. You are fine. Losing is losing is losing.... try not to compare yourself to others who might be osing more or less. All that matters is that you weigh less now than you did when you got on the table. Right? You're not even in the 260's anymore, almost out of the 250's! BUH BYE POUNDS! Keep your head up, keep following your surgeon's plan! I'll tell you that in the first two weeks I lost 11lbs. I lost like... 8 lbs week 1, then 3lbs week two. And then like 2-3 lbs a week for........forever. You won't (or shouldn't) drop a ton of weight all at once. You will have some weeks where you won't lose. You will have some weeks where you lose more, some where you'll lose less. It's not linear. It'll happen. The sleeve works! If you are cleared for light exercise, maybe a nice short walk would help clear your head?