Bob2013

4ozs or 1/4 cup max. I am almost 7 months out and 4ozs is still just the right amount. Get use to weighing out your portions right away. It is really easy to eat too much before you realize it. Whenever I eye out my meals I always prepare too much. Our stomachs may be small but our eyes are still bigger.

No restriction except for clear diet phase. I was actually given coffee with my Breakfast tray the morning after surgery. and since then I use splenda and fat free half and half.

I technically didn't have to lose any weight during the 6 month supervised diet, just had to make the doctors apoitments. The only requirement was the last 2 weeks prior to surgery. The surgeon gave me 2 weeks to lose 10lbs which was pretty easy on the pre op mostly liquid diet

I would stay away from anything other than the frozen Protein shakes for the first few months. Build on creating better habits while the restriction is at its strongest.

I also am with Suncoast Bariatrics and I cannot express how satisfied I am with them. They are fully involved with the whole process and provide everything you will need to be successful.

I had a fairly large Hiatal hernia repaired during sleeve surgery. It shouldn't cause any added length in recovery time. The hernia repair is just stitches, tightening the opening where your esophagus passes through the abdominal wall. There is no cutting or anything like that. As for the heartburn/gerd/acid reflux.. I had severe problems with it prior to surgery. If I ate the wrong foods, heartburn. If I ate within 4 hours of bedtime I would be woken up from aspirating on my stomach acid. I actually had to go to the hospital once in the middle of the night because I inhaled a good amount and had trouble breathing. After the sleeve surgery which the hernia was also repaired. I have had 0 instances of any sort of heartburn/acid reflux. None at all.

You guys have to realize, that the excess skin looks no where near as bad as the excess fat. I still look in the mirror and get a little disappointed as the skin gets looser but then I think about what I looked like with all the fat. I am 47 so I doubt I will ever consider having the skin removed, so I am going to be happy that I look awesome with clothes on and better than fat with them off.

I wanted to add, "Dumping Syndrom" is when food passes undigested into your small bowels, causing nausea and diarrhea. I believe it is more common with bypass than it is with sleeve. What the original poster described sounds more like a sugar issue.

When me and my wife go out we order 1 meal and split it. Usually 70/30. And if the waitress looks puzzled I have no problem explaining why.

I think this is something that most of us will share after surgery. While our sex life has improved tenfold. The biggest thrill I get is when we get dressed to go out and my wifes eyes light up when she sees me in my "almost skinny" clothes. She gets the look like she wants to take them back off LOL.. and this is after 26 years of marriage.

Exactly. And going by your comment, try to get out of the thinking that you have to have a "companion" aka side dish with every meal. If you do its only going to be a spoonful. Like 2oz chicken and a tablespoon of green Beans. I personally just go with the 3ozs of chicken. Much more satisfying and filling. Remember with the help of the sleeve we are eating to live not living to eat.

I thought the same thing. How are protein shakes coming out to 32ozs? Most mixes only require 8ozs of milk or water. And how at 11 days are you managing to consume 32ozs of anything in 30 minutes?

Don't eat foods that you shouldn't be eating.

After surgery, your stomach is going to be swollen. That plus the small pathway to the pouch at the bottom, with every sip or bite the air in the stomach has to escape. Thats why they stress on very very small sips and bites. For the most part the grumbling and gurgling will slowly go away over the next week or two. But for me it still happens when I eat any kind of liquidy foods. (Chile, soups)

I agree with this statement 100%. The soft food stage is usually a little more lenient. Many times allowing mashed potatoes and similar starches. But do yourself a favor and dont do it. You really need to get out of old habits. There are so many other high Protein options. Down the road when you hit your goal, you can have an occasional treat of a starch. But right now get into the habit of staying away.

Just about everyone gets pre surgery jitters. Try not to worry. Its not that bad for most people. a majority of sleeve patients don't really have much pain, especially if they get up and walk, walk walk. Walking as much as possible alleviates gas and bloating from the surgery which is the main cause for most post-op pain. Even on the plane, get up and walk the aisle at least once and hour or more. If you let people coddle you and bring you everything, you will pay for it with pain. Get up and get anything you need yourself. Also bring a pillow with you to hold against your belly while traveling. It will help during any turbulence or bumps. As far as the hair loss, I cant really give any advice as I have not let my hair grow out in years so I really dont know if I had any loss. But for the most part, keep your Protein and supplements up and it shouldn't be to much of a problem.

It absolutely does help. And as you lose more and feel better you can pick up the speed and it helps that much more. Keep up the great work!! Looking Great!!

A recliner when I wasn't in bed and when in bed I slept with a pillow under my knees to keep me on my back. I couldn't sleep on my side for at least 2 months.

Same here, was able to and allowed to take pills from day 1

I personally moved away from creative cooking when starting my preop diet. Just try sticking to the basics. It helps when you get to the post op diet because there isnt much room to be creative. The less fun you make eating the easier it is not to crave things.

4 ozs or 1/4 cup has been the magic number for me from the start. Even now 6 months out. I still weigh 4 ozs on just about everything I eat. In the beginning, take real small bites and take your time eating so the full feeling can catch up. The first month, I didnt always finish 4 ozs.

It is probably because they are seeing the statistics about the success of VSG surgery. Spending 15K now will save them 10X that amount in the long run. 15K now for sleeve surgery or 100k later heart surgery

Just about all of these should probably be avoided for awhile. But as the post above, you can modify things to help fit with what your family is eating..Remember, you need to modify your habits. Just going for smaller portions of the same things you ate before is a recipe for failure, Later after you hit your goal weight, you can add small portions of them back into your diet. I personally would just find a replacement meal for yourself for each item you listed. 1. Baked Beans- a bite or two wont kill you but making a whole meal out of them will give an un-necessary amount of sugar. Not sure what to say with this one 2. Kraft Mac/Cheese- As said above. Make a small 2-3 oz patty with the hamburger and top it with a small spoon of the cheese sauce. I would avoid the Pasta til you hit goal, 3. Peanut Butter toast- Bread is your enemy. Just stay away from it. If you want peanut butter, try PB2. Its a powdered peanut butter that you mix with Water. Its low calorie, high Protein and can satisfy a craving. If you mix two portion sizes to replace a meal its only 90 calories with 10 grams of protein. The same serving of peanut butter contains just under 400 calories. 4. Spaghetti- Here is a good replacement for you. Baked ricotta. There are a lot of recipes online for this but its basically just ricotta, grated cheese and egg. Top it with the sauce and it really gives the impression of baked Ziti. The kids will probably love it along with their spaghetti.

I was just a little above 40 bmi pre op. 6 months later over 90lbs lost

I was the opposite. Before surgery I had severe Gerd/Acid Re-flux. And even worse than constant heartburn, If I ate anything within 4 or so hours of going to bed I would be woken up aspirating on stomach acid.. It was terrible. Since surgery, its gone. 6 months and not one bout of heartburn. I really think the hiatal hernia repair done at the same time as the sleeve contributed.