barbmeow

I am 62 and sleeved on 8-21-13, have lost 30 pounds since being weighed in the hospital post op. I think that being in the 60's we are not going to lose as fast as the youngsters, but we are going to lose weight if we keep on the plan and do not sabatoge ourselves with eating things we should not. Wish I hade had the option of this surgery 40 years ago but can't look back . Here and now do the best we can.

I am 62 and really wish I had done this surgery when I was 24. Of course it was not available to us then, but I wish I hadn't spent so many years fighting this battle of the bulge and loosing. I am only a month out but I feel like this is the first time in my life that food has not ruled me. I think this is what normal thin people feel like. I have lost about 30 pounds from my highest weight after surgery, and I feel good. My Dr is a great guy who lets his pt's chew their food after 3 weeks, so I did not go nuts on liquids or soft foods, which many may find challenging. In answer to your question, yes people are noticing the weight loss, but I have to say, who cares if they do. This is all about me and my relationship to food. If I lose weight it is a good thing for me, not them. When I am back in a size 8, and compliments are flying it is due to my change of eating habits. Looking for validation from others is not what I want. I want a healthy view of food, and how I approach eating.Not meaning to be grouchy,but I do not want to rely on others for my motivation in any sense of the word.

I felt hungry all the time while I was on pureed foods and full liguids.Now that I am on soft food and able to chew I fill up and stay full easily. I honestly thought I did not have my stomach really sleeved, that the doctor had not done enough of a stomach pouch removal. Now I know it is for sure. I get full fast and I stay full longer.

I am 3 1/2 weeks out from surgery. Initially had bad gas for 6 days then it quieted down and all has been good until 3 days ago. I had my usual decaf chai tea with protein powder went walking, got into my car and went into the worst, painful gas attack I have had in a long time. I took gas ex and pepcid and went to sleep, felt better when I woke up, Was fine the next day but it happened again today, I burped and expelled gas anyway I could and it reduced where I could drive but then flared up again. I have been sick and exhausted all day, gas finally went away, with gas ex and zantac. I am still really gassy, burpy and farty, and have not had any desire to eat. I thought the gas was over after 6 days now it seems to have come back with a vengence.Anyone else had this bad of gas?

Gmanbat,You hit it right on the nail, all else fades, but getting relief. I woke up this morning with the same pain. I am going back to work,this coming week, and I am wondering if it is the stress. Will take an ativan and see if it goes away. My other thought is maybe I am forming a whey allergy. All I know is I want it go go away now.Thank you for helping me feel better, that nothing is seriously wrong with me. Congratulations on your 130 lb weight loss, I hope to follow in this footstep, just not the gas one.

I am of the mind that we are in Ketosis, and that makes our mouths nasty. Bad breath, fuzzy teeth, I don't know about the yellowing, but I will have to use my other brain (google) and see if I can find any medical literature on this phenomena. Are you brushing your teeth right after eating? I read an article that says if you brush right after you eat, the toothpaste and brush send what you eat into the enamel of your teeth. The article suggested rinsing your mouth with water and waiting 30 minutes to brush. Was so counter every thing we ever learned, but interesting..

I would talk with your Dr. How long has this been going on?

I use Unjury too. I tried others including the trader Joes, and all I got was sick of the smell and taste. I do not taste the Unjury changed my whole protein powder thinking. Before I could not stomach another taste of protein powder. Now I can not wait for my 2 protein drinks a day, one of which is Unjury chicken soup. Yum.

Sharon your story is all our story. You just hit it before some of us have. We will all find ourself at the crossroads of old eating behaviors, and I don't feel like exercising today. We all got overweight by doing that behavior for years. Your cautionary tale will help me. Thank you for your brave words and for taking hold of your weight gain, before you lose control completely. You just need to get back on the right way of eating and take a little walk from time to time.Find a place outside your home you like to be, go out and take in the beautiful sites, even if it is a mall.100 pounds amazing. Congratulations.

I tried the acid reducer and it did nothing for my hunger, I have tummy rumbling, hunger pains every 3 hours,which are better if I eat something like tuna and cottage cheese. I can go 4 hours with high protein foods, but with things like yogurt I become starving after 2-3. I am only 3 weeks out but that is what I have found. Hope it helps.

I am so fatigued, but I am only 2 1/2 weeks out. I catnap all the time.Then I sleep all night. I spoke to my Dr. and his wisdom has made me feel more comfortable. Why should we have energy? 1. We have just had major surgery, we are healing. If work did not get in the way he would have me out for 5-6 weeks. To heal you need rest. 2. WE are starving. 400 calories do not give us much to fuel our bodies. WE are using our bodies to fuel our lives, so we are going to feel tired. 3. Listen to our bodies, if it needs sleep sleep. 4. In 2 months we will feel like like we used to do. Except with less weight and more energy.

Lunaya, thank you for opening this stream of diologue. I think the majority of us sleevers have a problem with food or we would not be here. You are open about it and this is going to help us all. Since surgery I have been hiding in my den, I go out and exercise for 30 minutes every morning due to my dogs, otherwise I would not move. This morning my boyfriend said I think you are depressed. I looked at him and said, well my best friend has been limited/taken away from me.I can't stuff myself to numbness. Food has been my best friend, my solace,my reward,my emotional rescue.So now what do I do? Therapy came to me in a flash. But I have has over 18 years of therapy due to weight related issues, now it is time to use what I have learned. If you have not had therapy, please look at it as education, for that is all it is. Learning about yourself. Keep writing in this forum when you wnat to binge. I know we will all listen, it will help you, but also all of us. Losing 106 pounds is an amazing feat congratulations, and again thank you for addressing this concern.

Sleeved on Aug 21 so almost 3 weeks sleeved. It was rough the first week, very fatigued 1,2 week. I have been gettingup walking since day 6, 10 mins to start now up to 30 minutes 5-6 days a week. I start my protein at 6am vanilla protein powder in decafe chai tea, then I eat every 3-4 hours. I had my last meal at 10pm. I am getting in my 64-84 gms of protein, but with such small servings it is hard without having 2 protein drinks a day. I have not gone back to work yet as I work nights and my job can be very demanding. Weighed at my Dr's office 13 days after surgery and was down 11 pounds. I don't like weighing daily, it drives me crazy. I don't want to be that neurotic woman who screams if the scale doesn't budge. Been there done that. This is a way of life, not a diet. Thisis what I tell myself, if I say it enough it might come true.

What a great Birthday present to yourself. Happy Birthday.

If you are having diarrhea do not take the colace, or you will continue to have diarrhea, it is a stool softener and yours are soft enogh. Also try almond milk instead of dairy milk unless you have an allergy to nuts. If the diarrhea does not stop I would ask your Dr for help. Good luck .

I think you are pretty normal, Day 4 I was cussing at myself saying what the hell did you do this for? I was able to drink water cold water, but needed to take zofran to keep it down. Also had to take meds for the pain every 4 hours (Tylenol and Ibuprofen). Did this for 6 days then was able to stop. I had to eat lite vanilla greek yogurt 2-3 oz, every two hours to keep my stomach filled or the pain was unbelievable. It slides down well and you can barely feel it. I do not know where you live but the lite Kroger brand has 16 grams of protein.I would put a half a scoop of vanilla protein powder into my 3 oz of yogurt and that would give me 18 grams of protein a serving,90 calories, maybe 6- 8 spoonfulls. The headache was incredibly bad, went on for 6 days.Then stopped has not come back. I would drink 2 0z a water and hour, stop for a half hour eat, stop for a half hour drink for an hour then stop for a half hour, then eat, ...you get the picture. I hated it I felt like it was a full time job. After day 8 things started to turn around for me.I hope they will for you too.I was able to drink more and the pain in my abdomen stopped, the gas I was having stopped killing me and life was so much better. Except for the fatigue. I learned to listen to my body if it said sleep I did, and I think recovery was improved by sleep. I also started walking at day 6. 10 mins to start now 2.5 weeks out 30-40 mins a day. I did 3 hours of walking one day, but paid a price got nauseated, and sweaty. Way too much at 2 weeks. I am 62 and this surgery was way harder than the one I had at 42. But at 2.5 weeks post surgery I am feeling hopeful that this time I will lose weight and keep it off. I hope you will understand that this hard time you are having will pass and you will feel better soon. Just one day at a time. Start walking even if only for 5 mins to begin it seemed to really help me, and sleep when you can, even with little cat naps between eating and drinking, sleep is the great restorer of health.Feel better soon.

I am wondering if anyone feels full after protein shakes or if you get hungry shortly after drinking one. I can go about 2 hours after a protein drink then I start to get growling in my stomach, and I am hungry again. I am trying to differentiate between head hunger and real hunger, but in my world growling tummy equals hunger.

9 days post op and the gas pains are bad. I take the gasX strips 4 times a day, and they only relieve the pain a little. I feel raw and hungry most of the time and have bad waves of gas/Heartburn? about 25 times a day. I seem to have a growling stomach or gurgling stomach a good part of the day if I do not eat every 2-3 hour. I walk about 25 minutes every morning and even walking is not helping all that much. I have only had 2 days in 9 with very little gas,and am eating all the same things dailly no dietary changes. Any suggestions?

I have long had this burping ater meals problem. Now that I am sleeved it is no better but I had a surgeon friend who told me a lot of people suffer from gas due to swallowing air when they eat. Makes sense, air rises. I now try to expell air before I take a bite. Seems to help, along with eating slowly. If not, oh well, we burp. Worse could be said about us, at least we now have a great excuse.

If you do not like protein shakes, there is an alternative.Brand names if allowed, I use the Unjury chicken soup protein powder and it is really yummy, they also have unflavored protein powde, which can be used in anything. Might be a way to get your protein without having a protein shake. Me, myself and I like the protein shakes as long as the protein powder taste good. My nutritionist wants me between 64- 84 gms of protein,this is easy eating 3 meals and 2 snacks, which I think is better eating than only 3 times a day.

I am on pureed now and I have been having lite vanilla greek yogurt sometimes with 1/2 scoop of with protein powder, almond milk smoothies with protein powder and today I put in pureed frozen peaches,(heaven), Malto meal with vanilla protein. I try to get at least 8 gms of protein in the morning meal. Todays smoothie took me 40 mins to drink, due to the volume the blender added to my protein shake, but it was 24 gms of protein.

Gamergirl, You are a success, the scale is irrelevant. You are going to go home and throw it in a closet and pull that stupid thing out once a week. That wicked, horrible, evil thing called a scale causes us to doubt ourselves, not taking into consideration the myriad of variables that go into a digital or fluctuating needle value. What did you eat, how much salt did you ingest,where are you in your hormones cycle, what did you drink before you weighed in, what were you wearing, what is the barimetric pressure today.I could go on but you get my point. You follow your plan, you inspire me, and others to get out of our ruts and spice up our food in a healthy way, you work hard and well,you help other sleevers and encourage us in a way few other posters do, that is your success. The fact that you have lost 25 pounds is just a little diamond necklace on top of your success. Stall Schmall, numbers will do what they want. How is that skirt feeling, anymore room in that blouse? That is way better gage, than a lying cheating number on the scale.

I would give yourself a snack at that time. If you are truly gut rumbling, hunger pain hungry you should eat. Maybe go back to basics and eat like you did in the beginning, 1/2 cottage cheese, or protein of some kind to fill you up and keep you full all night.I have a theory if you are really hungry your body is needing to be fed and you keep your insulin and glucose balance in check so you continue to burn calories.You need to assess if you are really hungry or if it is head hunger, and if real hunger feed, if not have a sugar free popsicle.

I love this forum, I woke up this sunday with hip pain so bad I limped. I never have pain in my hips. I was so worried. Now I know what is going on and don't ahve to see my Dr. Thank you, everyone.

This is timely, I also am feeling that I am not seeing as well as I did pre op. I chalked it up to having anesthesia but reading the posts I was amazed, that I might not be loosing my mind. I will be going in to get new glasses, but I hope it stabilizes before I get my new glasses. I remember when I have had surgery in the past, that with the bigger surgeries, I did have a vision decrease. I wonder if there is any research to this phenomena?