Vidalia

I could not take a deep breath because of the terrible gas pains in my chest. It only lasted a few days. Try Gax-X.

I woke up this morning to my TOM. For some reason I was hoping maybe it would never come back after my surgery. LOL. One good thing....I usually ALWAYS have a pre-menstrual migraine or at least a headache right before my TOM, I even take prescription meds for them, but this time I had no sign of a headache! Could it be possible that the surgery has already improved this? I know it has something to do with estrogen and estrogen has something to do with weight. Has anyone else been cured of menstrual migraines after their sleeve surgery? I hope so!!

Thought this was a good article. Is Ketosis a Good or Bad Thing? August 6, 2012 By Dian and Tom Griesel When it comes to health, wellness, diet and weight-loss, ketosis is probably one of the most misunderstood conditions. Today we will attempt to put ketosis in its proper perspective, as simply as possible, as it applies to losing your excess body fat and improving your body composition. According to Wikipedia, “Ketosis is a state of elevated levels of ketone bodies in the body.” Do you have any idea what a ketone is? Are they dangerous? Ketones are simply the end-product of fat metabolism in the body. Chemically a ketone body is an acid and there are three types, which are actually irrelevant to our discussion in understanding their role in your body. Just like a car engine, your body needs fuel to run. It can use fat, carbohydrate (glucose) and in some cases, Protein. When fat is used, the end product is ketones and when glucose is used the end product is lactic acid. Our bodies have the ability to store ample amounts of fat in reserve which will provide 9 calories per gram. This storage ability is a survival mechanism for times of scarce food availability. We have a limited ability to store carbohydrate which provides 4 calories per gram. There is more than twice the energy stored in a gram of fat and therefore it should be considered a premium or high-performance fuel. Almost every cell in our body has the ability to use fat for energy in one form or another and our bodies also have the ability to produce any glucose needed for those cells that require it. Think about this for a minute: If carbohydrates were actually our preferred fuel wouldn’t our bodies have evolved a way to store more of it for lean times? Fat is actually our body’s preferred fuel but it does work best when some dietary carbohydrates are also present. Ketones that form as a normal byproduct of fat burning (and weight-loss) are nothing for the majority of people to be concerned about (type 1 diabetics are another story) because they are efficiently used for energy and any excess is passed out in the urine. The more rapidly the body uses or loses body fat, the more ketones that are naturally produced. There are many times when the brain can and will use ketones for energy and your liver will even produce extra ketones when glucose reserves are low (such as during long-distance exercise, fasting and dieting). Low carbohydrate diets are often called ketogenic diets because the body produces more ketones which can readily be detected in the urine. However, it is important to understand that anyone who is losing body fat, on any kind of diet, will have trace ketones in their urine because anyone who is losing weight is most certainly burning some fat for energy. Remember, ketones are a normal byproduct of fat metabolism. Some people mistakenly believe (Atkins followers) that the presence of detectable ketones in the urine is evidence of weight-loss or loss of body fat. However, if you are eating enough calories on a low-carb, high-protein/high-fat diet, processing dietary fat will also result in ketone production without any loss of body fat. Again, ketones are a natural byproduct of fat metabolism whether it is from dietary fat or your own body fat. In order to use your body fat for fuel (and lose weight), you need a caloric deficit which will force your body to utilize it. The presence of ketones in the absence of a caloric deficit will not result in weight or fat loss. If you ate only 300 calories of table sugar per day (not recommended) you would most certainly produce a caloric deficit, burn excess body fat for energy, lose scale weight and produce detectable ketones in your urine. It is not a specific diet that produces ketones. If you are losing excess body fat and scale weight, you are producing ketones. Ketones are just a natural byproduct of fat metabolism. Some people question the safety of low-carbohydrate diets (any diet that results in a detectable amount of ketones in the urine) but there is no evidence to indicate that it is a harmful condition in normal people. In fact, it is most likely that during our evolution, it was the “normal” state due to a lack of available natural concentrated carbohydrates. A diet consistently rich in concentrated carbohydrates is relatively new and has only become common since the widespread development of farming and agriculture (the appearance of diabetes and many other modern chronic diseases also coincides with this dietary change). Ketogenic diets are often used and are effective in helping epileptic children to reduce/avoid seizures and are also being tested for treatment of Parkinson disease. Both fat and glucose are burned during exercise. The more efficient your body becomes at using fat for fuel (usually as a result of decreasing the intake of concentrated carbohydrates) the more it will favor fat metabolism. TurboChargers develop a very efficient fat-burning metabolism by avoiding all processed, concentrated carbs while focusing on more natural, moisture rich carbohydrate sources like fruits, vegetables, legumes and tubers. Once this metabolic shift is accomplished (3-5 days), a reduction in caloric intake, which results in an overall caloric deficit, will produce a rapid loss of excess body fat (and subsequent increased ketone production). So, in conclusion, ketones are not a magic bullet and they are not harmful or something to be afraid of. They are just a normal byproduct of a properly functioning human body.

I recommend Unjury shakes also in Chocolate Splendor and Vanilla. I tried the Strawberry Sorbet and did not care for it at all. It tasted like medicine to me. But the others are great. They also have an unflavored powder that mixed with my soup tonight.

The sleeve just makes more sense to me. I like the idea that the digestive system stays the same and less nutrient malabsorption. I know it is a very personal decision for everyone. Hope you find peace with your decision. I recently read a website Sleeve Guide at www.goodnightsurgical.com that points out some differences. You may find it helpful to read it to make you feel better about the sleeve.

I am on day 8 and feeling wonderful. I am even wearing blue jeans today...baggy blue jeans too! Congratulations on your surgery!

Yes, that is what my plan says, but I am taking it very slow and careful. As soon I came home from hospital on the 10th I was supposed to try to do 3 protein shakes a day and 2 snacks such as 2 oz. yogurt, cream of wheat or cream soups. This week I get to add moist turkey or chicken, cottage cheese and mashed canned fruit, eggs, canned vegetables (no corn, carrots or asparagus) and it even says Triscuit or Wheat Thin crackers, but I am afraid to try that. I can only try about 2 oz. at a time, very slowly, chewing well. I am excited to be trying new things.

Eight days out and feeling great. Bought some Dietz and Watson mesquite turkey breast from the deli today. I had them shave it as thin as possible. Came home and ate about 2oz.. I ate tiny bites and very slowly. So far so good! I have read that some people have trouble tolerating turkey so I am happy.

I have a crown on one of my molars. I have even noticed that it feels dirty all the time while it did not used to feel this way. It is like there is a film over it. I have to brush and brush it. I am dealing with the bad breath issue also.

That makes sense Fiddleman. Thanks

I am 1 week out and I just tried my first 1/2 scrambled egg tonight. I even put a tiny drop of ketchup on it because I like ketchup on my eggs. I took about 30 minutes to eat tiny bites of it and I chewed and chewed. I didn't have any problems so far! I am happy about that! Anyway, on my plan, I am allowed to start adding more solids in soon. Foods such as moist turkey and chicken, cottage cheese and canned fruits in own juice, eggs, etc. I am supposed to have 3 meals a day and 2 Snacks a day. I have been eating shakes for meals and something like yogurt or cream Soup for snacks. Now that I can have more solids I don't know how to manage my meals/snacks. Should I eat something like an egg for a meal and a shake for a snack or should shakes still be my primary meals? I go back to my NUT on Wednesday, but thought I would see what I could find out on here.

I have Bariatric Advantage which I hate. I also have Unjury and GNC Whey Protein.

I tried creamy tomato soup today and it was delicious and went down fine. Only problem is it burned when it came out the other end. At least I guess that's what it was....everything is so crazy....who knows??

I had the same feelings the first few days. I am on day 6 and feeling much better. The gas was so bad one night I could not sleep and it hurt bad to take a deep breath. I could envision poking myself with a pin to release that gas like popping a balloon! I kept walking...like 20 minutes at a time outside. It made me feel better to get out of the house and get fresh air. I bought some Gas-X chewable tablets and took one. It did seem to help. I bought the strips too but have not tried those yet. The chewable tablets have higher dose of ingredients so I hope it was okay. This morning when I got up I thought "I feel pretty darn good!"

I am 6 days post op and I didn't have one at all for 4 days after surgery. They are still not normal looking, but I think that is "normal".

At my pre-surgery appointment they recommended a product called Toppik if we experience hair loss. I have no idea if it works. I am only a week out.

Are you doing okay with tomato soup? I was afraid to try it because of the acid, but sounds good.

I have been having to use Bariatric Advantage shakes since I cam home from the hospital. They are sooo thick and slimy. There is some discomfort with each sip. I can barely tolerate them. I ordered a sample kit from Unjury and tried the chocolate tonight. It was so much easier to get down. I hope they are just as nutritious as the others because I think I can handle them.

I am 5 days out and feeling more gas pains than I did in the hospital. I am feeling the pain all through my chest and shoulders. It makes it hard to take a good, deep breath because it hurts. I have not passed much gas but I wish I could. I have not tried any Gas-X yet. Think I will get some today. Any suggestions fellow sleevers?

Well....I finally started going #2 about 3 days post-op. It is very strange looking...sort of like tea leaves or something very loose I have never experienced (sorry about the TMI). It is definitely not normal looking. I am going to get some Gas-x tonight.

My surgeon fixed a hiatal hernia when he did my sleeve that I didn't know I had. He said he fixes a hiatal hernia in about 80% of his sleevers.

I was sleeved yesterday and just got home today. Yesterday was a little rough, but feeling somewhat better today. I am anxious about started full liquid diet tomorrow. Anxious as in worried... not excited. I have a protein elixir I can use in place of shakes. I am just afraid I will not be able to get it down. Any advice or encouragement is welcome!

I am 5 days out and having some similar feelings. I think it is the fear of the unknown of the future that scares me the most. I just want to feel "normal" again, but starting to realize that my "normal" may have to change. I try to focus on how much better I will feel in six months. I also focus on the words of my surgeon at my discharge. He said, "You are doing great! When you come back to see me in a few weeks you will be feeling better. But, when you come back to see me in 3 months, you will be hugging me! You have done something for yourself to prevent a host of medical problems that were staring you in the face. You have done the right thing," I also compare it to when I brought my first baby home from the hospital. It was all so new and scary with lots of trial and error, but then it became very natural and normal. Hopefully, things will start feeling normal for us soon.

I was sleeved on the 9th and my dietician plan is to work my way up to 3 shakes/day by the end of the 1st week. The shakes are 24g protein/ 8oz. shake. I am also supposed to eat 2 small snack a day such as fat free cream soup, cream of wheat, sf pudding, smooth yogurt...about 2oz per snack. I am supposed to drink at least 48 oz of fluid but that can include the shakes. I was given a protein exlixer to take the first 2 days but I could not even stand to smell it. I have been tolerating the shakes okay, but only drink 2 a day so far.

VST Addict: Do you use EAS Advantage shakes pre-made or do you use the powder? Do you suggest any favorite flavors? I have got to try something new.