Babbs

On the flip side, my surgeon told me he had gone to a seminar that explained that the liver shrinking was so minimal from the pre op diets, it didn't make much of a difference in size at all. So much to my pleasure and surprise, I had no pre op diet. Just clear liquids the day before and nothing after midnight.

Well, good for you. Like I said, my one Coke Zero a day isn't hurting me, either physically or maintenance wise (for now). If it starts having an adverse effect on me, then I'll rethink it. I've got the rest of my life to figure this whole 'living with bariatric surgery' thing out and find what works and what doesn't as I start living life and move away from just being a WLS patient. My husband, who is 10 years out RNY, can drink a soda once in a while with no issues. He has also kept his weight off going on 9 years. What works for him may not work for you, as what works for you may not work for me. See how that works?

In my opinion, bread has no business being a part of your diet at all until you hit your goal weight and proceed to maintenence. Then it should primarily be whole grains, no "white" stuff. Protein first, then veggie if you have room. Most don't have room for even a veggie many months after surgery. So with the little real estate we have in our tummies where protein is the priority, there should be no room for bread.

I totally see what you are saying. And I'll go back to what I said before, a few deviations are probably fine. This is a big deal and scary and sometimes those fears drive us back to bad behaviors. This **** is hard. My comment about asking if she's ready for it is more if she didn't stick to the diet at all. Agreed.

I respectfully disagree. I know that "food funerals" are never a good idea and show a lack of discipline in some respects, but I've seen lots of people who have had them and still become really successful with the surgery. I've also seen people who were perfect with the pre op diet and struggle with the surgery. Goes both ways.

If you can tolerate it, I see no problem. What I DO see an issue with is drinking carbonated drinks with sugar in them. Drinking empty calories post op (or anytime) is never a good idea. Oh, and in before the "Carbonation will stretch your sleeve" people. That is a myth.

You need to talk to your surgeon about this. It's never wise to withhold information from the person who will be cutting into major organs in a few days. Please call and talk to them about your worries.

This is exactly right. I was (and am) proud of my weight loss and my "normal" BMI---until I had my body fat % tested. Even though I'm pretty physically fit, do a nice mixture of cardio AND resistance/strength training, my body fat % is 31. Kind of blew me away. To be fair, I started at a 50%. Now my primary wants me to lose 5 pounds BUT work on building more muscle at the same time. It never ends :/

@@MaryCatherine Great advice. I love seeing longer term vets chime in!

@@Daisee68 I lost weight up to 15 months out. If it's really bothering you, up your calories a bit with an extra snack of cheese or nuts or even treat yourself with some nice dark chocolate Sometimes it's a balancing act to find that sweet spot to maintain your weight.

Smart girl. Someone who knows she may stall early out and is not overly concerned about it Enjoy the quick losses. Like you said, it will even out.

I agree. It's a weird conundrum that diet soda is not recommended by most because of artificial sweeteners but drinks' like Crystal Light are. Another argument is the acidity in soda, but it's OK in coffee'? The carbonation argument is phooey. Air won't stretch a sleeve. I consider my Coke Zero my "cup of coffee'". Same color, same caffeine, same calories. It's just cold instead of hot and I drink it through a straw instead of a mug. Soda is one of those "no no" words that can trigger bariatric patients. There are so many old wives tales about carbonation and sleeve stretching, it's always going to be a controversial subject. I made it perfectly clear I think it's bad for me. But I also drink ONE small can a day. And the other 95% of the time I'm a good girl. That balances things out

I think the issue is more the empty calories from regualr sodas. Like I said, I know the artificial crap in Coke Zero or diet soda isn't ideal, either. I also know that there seems to be some studies saying that artifical sweeteners can cause weight gain (the jury is still out on that). I like my little can of Coke Zero a day. So far I've maintained my weight for a year up or down 5 pounds, so for now it's working for me. When and if it's not, I'll figure it out. @@LipstickLady has maintained her weight for like 2 years, so it's obviously working for her, too. What works for me may not work for you. In the mean time, you'll pry my Coke Zero from my cold, dead hands.

I always say I have a sleeve of steel, but now that you mention it, I recall having that issue with beef at about your stage. I just avoided it for a while and tried again later. I think I could only do ground beef for quite a while. Could it be a size issue? Like are your peices cut small enough?

It will get better! As each month passes, it gets easier and easier until you almost feel like a normal person, not a "patient". It just takes a while to figure things out.

"She definitely was not eating the right things. Went back to her old habits" Unfortunately, new post ops don't understand that as capacity naturally increases (the reason why it happens aside), the more important it becomes to eat healthy, nutritious foods or we will be right back to where we started. It's really such a shame when I see this amazing tool squandered. I think we all know someone who has gained most of their weight back after a surgery.

@@Daisee68 I got rid of all my other clothes except one size up, just in case I'm not one that feels "too thin". At 5'5", 145-150 is a pretty healthy weight, but right on the border of "overweight" according to BMI. I sometimes wish I could have gotten down to 135, but my body said NOPE and in the 140's I stayed. It's just kind of a bummer, because if I do end up bouncing that 10 or 20, I will technically be overweight again. That's why I always advise people to go as low as they can (within comfort level of course). But I'm happy as a pig in mud, so no complaints here

My doc said our "pouches" cannot be stretched because the elastic portion of the stomach had been removed. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Really? That's completely opposite from what my surgeon told me. I have a friend who had the sleeve and after a year or so her pouched stretched due to over eating and she gained all of her weight back. I guess different surgeons have their own views on the pouch topic. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App As things in the stomach heal and relax, you can naturally eat more over time. A tiny bit of stretching may be involved, but as a rule sleeves do not stretch. Your friend gained her weight back because she found a way to eat around the sleeve and was probably not eating the right things.

Sleeve patients don't have a pouch. Bypass patients do. And that's correct, it's very hard to stretch a sleeve because the fundus is removed. A little Water won't stretch it. It really takes years of systematic overeating to the point of sickness to stretch a sleeve. I'm 2+ years out, and I still adhere to the no drinking rule pretty well. It's hard sometimes, but you do actually get used to it. I also drink right up until I eat, but never during (except maybe a sip if something is super dry) and always wait 15-30 minutes after. It's served me well, as I've been maintaining my weight within 4 pounds for a year now.

You're going to be okay. I didn't even have a pre op diet. My surgeon felt that the liver shrinking was so minimal that it wasn't even necessary. That being said, your surgeon wants you to do one, so try to stick to it the absolute best you can from here on out. I know that's easier said than done, but you'll be proud you did because if you can get through this, you can get through anything!

I suggest letting your body go as low as it will let you (and you're comfortable with) to compensate for the 10-20 pound "bounce" that seems to happen to a lot of people a couple to a few years out. That way like @@jess9395, you're still in a comfortable weight range for yourself and it doesn't feel catastrophic if it does happen. My two cents.

The title of this post could honestly be the title of my biography. Even still at 2 years out, it doesn't seem to get any better

At 2 years out, I have 1 7.5 Oz can of Coke Zero every day. By the time I finish it, it's pretty much flat, lol. Carbonation does not stretch your sleeve, just may irritate it immensely if consumed too early out. I know the artificial crap is terrible, but so is the crap they put in Gatorade and all the other artificially sweetened stuff we are often encouraged to drink in place of Water. I gave up smoking, stay away from sweets (besides fruit), and eat clean 95% of the time. A girl needs some vices!

@@OutsideMatchInside Exactly.

With all due respect, I wouldn't advise whole grains that early out. Protein should be priority, and usually after you finish the necessary amount of protein, there is no room for anything else. Sure, as time goes on and you can eat more, whole grains are a healthy part of a diet, but I feel they are not appropriate up to the first year of WLS. If there's room for anything else after protein, it should be a non starchy veggie.* *This is MY opinion and what worked for ME to get down to my goal weight.