Babbs

I specifically remember the OP asking the vets this question? Why do we have newer post ops answering? Look, no offense, but when we are newly post op, we have a tendency to be pretty rigid with the "rules" and like to see things in absolutes and 'nevers' sometimes. But something you'll learn as you hopefully get to your desired goal weight and then learn to live in maintenance is you find what works for YOU, not someone else. Is it important to adhere to the basic rules of WLS for long term success? Absolutely! But with those, you will find things along the way that will also fit into the equation of living a successful post bariatric surgery life. And 'nevers' and 'always' won't necessarily fit into that equation for everyone. The rest of our lives is a long time.

No, it won't. My sleeve isn't stretched. from what I've been told the carbonation is more the potential problem then anything....Also if you so compare it to crystal light, it really depends bc there's crystal light pure made with truvia which is stevia a natural sweet plant not artificial sweetener Although the truvia is combined with a tiny bit if sugar alcohol which I learned also makes me sick but that's another topic One thing to consider though is that research has illustrated that sugar vs sugar free drinks both stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin bc tge body takes it all as sugar period... It just seems ur doing urself a disservice by drinking si called chemical filled drinks, sodas etc but if nothing else is good enough or works.. idk...it is ur body You realize you're talking to a 3.5 year veteran of the surgery who has lost all of her excess weight AND kept it off? I think she's got this.

I have a tummy pooch! I started a 44DD, and ended up a 36D. I actually had a couple consults for plastics and even had a loan ready for a panniculectomy and a lift with implants, but ultimately decided I would rather spend the money on a vacation or remodeling my house. I may change my mind down the road, but we'll see.

Don't be sad! It's not real weight gain. That's impossible as early out as you are. It's just your body acting wacky because of the rapid weight loss and lack of food. Happens to ALL of us. Here's the scientific explanation why it happens: Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs. of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when a patient is not getting in enough food, the body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. Then when 2 lbs. of glycogen is used a patient will also lose 8 lbs. of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs. that most people lose in the first week of a diet. However, when the body stays in a caloric deficit state the body starts to realize that this is not a short-term problem. Then the body starts mobilizing fat from adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But the body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. As it puts back the 2 lbs. of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs. of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though the patient might still be losing energy content to their body, the weight will not go down or it might even gain for a while as the retention of water dissolves the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

I have a 12 Oz Coke Zero every day. I'm 2+ years out, and so far no adverse side effects. It's really one of my only vices. Well, besides coffee Edited to add: I didn't start drinking it until about a year and a half out. It hurt too much before that.

My surgeon told me he had gone to a seminar that showed the liver shrinking from the diet is so minimal, it doesn't really matter. Similar to what @@ShelterDog64 posted.

My insurance was Cigna. I was a 40 BMI and had surgery at a 39. It was explained to me that insurances go by the STARTING BMI.

Ha! Rosemary's Baby. Fitting.

I think it's a pretty normal phenomenon for your goals to change the closer you get to your goal weight. Once we get closer and realize it can be done, we like to push the envelope and see how far we can go with it sometimes. I wanted to get as far below my goal as possible for the simple reason that there is a "bounce" gain of 5-10% that statistically happens a couple to a few years out. I got to goal, and didn't do anything different, and my body continued to lose until I'd lost about 7 more. Now I've settled at a solid 5 below goal. I would have loved to lose a bit more, because I'm 145 at 5'5, and let's face it, I could easily be 15 pounds lighter and still be well within normal and healthy range, but ultimately I'm happy. I just think if I'd gotten down to 130 or 135 pounds, if I did gain that 5-10%, it wouldn't be as a big deal as it would be now where it would put me back in the 'overweight' category again. If that makes sense.

Awwwwww! I did need that. Thanks.

See this? This is what the staple line of your stomach looks like. If one of those ruptures or comes loose, you will have your stomach contents leaking into your abdominal cavity, causing possible sepsis. Your stomach's nerves have been cut and stapled, so the feeling isn't as sharp as it should be. Post op diet requirements aren't 'suggestions' like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig. It's a prescription so you heal properly and don't hurt yourself. It has nothing to do with weight loss early out. Follow your surgeons orders from here on out, please.

I'm 49, and I look younger now than before. Oh, and I miss NOTHING about being fat. Nada.

I drink a lot of hot herbal tea when the weather is cooler, too.

Dumping with the sleeve is rare. More common with the bypass. I'm 2+ years out, and have never dumped or thrown up. I also have a Sleeve of steel, I can and always have been able to tolerate anything. I do have GERD, but I had it before, so no surprise there. It's controlled with medication. Believe it or not, there are people who have breezed through this without any issues at all. You're mostly going to hear about the problems on these type of support forums, anyway. Even when some people DO have issues, the common theme seems to be they would still do it over again anyway. It's that life changing. And the good FAR outweighs the bad in most cases!

You can easily eat soon after a meal. At 2+ years out, I can eat 10 minutes after my last snack or meal. Doing that all day long is what's called "grazing". Early out, even up to a year and a half post op, I seemed to be satisfied between meals. Now it's getting harder for me to stay satisfied and not graze.

Yes it is, and obviously MDs have noticed that they might be causing harm by providing that kind of counseling they're doing right now. Did you even read the whole article? I did. I actually read it yesterday outside this forum. My point is if someone is being caused harm by an MD telling them they are unhealthy and need to lose weight to become healthy, then they've got bigger problems than their weight. Denial, maybe? Jeez. Can someone have a differing opinion anymore without people getting pissy about it?

In my opinion, I think the ONLY person who should bring up our weight problem is a doctor, because they are going about it from strictly a medical standpoint. Most people's motives to bring up a loved ones weight are not always pure or strictly out of concern for their health. It's an MD's job and Hyppocratic Oath to "First do no harm", and ignoring a health issue like obesity can potentially cause the patient harm. If someone can't handle open, honest medical advice from their doctor, well they've got much deeper problems than just thier weight. I smoked for 23 years before I quit right before my surgery. You don't think every single time I went into the doctor, I didn't hear "You really need to quit smoking"? But I still went to the doctor, even when I hadn't quit after 25 years, ready to take the next scolding about it. It's their job.

Wow, Applebee's. Livin' the dream.

My God! I can't believe what you went through?! That's inexcusable! Have you looked into medical malpractice? That being said, without more specifics it's hard to give you some guidance. And hell, for all we know he may have totally botched your sleeve surgery also. Have you looked into have an endoscopy just to see if the sleeve is as it should be? How much Protein are you getting a day? Calories? Carbs? Are you tracking, drinking lots of fluids and keeping simple carbs down? Are you able to move more? If your sleeve is working properly, you have to help it along by taking all those things into consideration.

@@elisa5150 Just no Swedish Fish the first week after surgery, okay? Good luck! Keep us posted!

Hey, good for you. Whatever keeps ya motivated! It's all about what works for YOU. I'm a numbers/goal driven person, so having an actual goal weight was what worked for me. Now in maintenence, I use fitness goals and numbers....ie "I'm going to work on running/walking xx miles, or "I'm going to climb xx levels on the Stair Climber". It was hard not having that weight loss number anymore to keep me motivated, so that worked for me. Oh, and clothes. Clothes keeps me motivated, too.

I had one PM me about being 'rude' to her after an "I'm hungry 5 days out from surgery tell me what I can eat AND ONLY SERIOUS ANSWERS" post and proceeded to tell me she was too busy worrying about passing her nicotine test to worry about what her post op diet was. She said she just wanted to "get on with the surgery". So there ya go. Gives you some idea of the mentality of people. In other words, this will magically work without me doing any of the preparation or having any knowledge about what I need to do.

This isn't Weight Watchers. It's major surgery. The post op diet isn't a suggestion. It's mandatory for your health and well being. Do you know what a leak is? I really wish some of these surgeons would read these forums. The would think twice about who they would operate on.

It's hard to say, because everyone is different. Some feel restriction well the first few weeks, even with liquids, and some feel they can drink and drink and never feel full. When the stomach is cut, so are the nerves the run the length of the stomach. It takes those healing up to start feeling sensation again. Also, liquids just flow right through the tiny tube like channel that's your very swollen stomach. I personally was one that had a fairly easy time drinking, but it still would take me well over an hour to finish an 11 Oz Protein shake. Water was a bit harder.