Hopscotch

It's definitely proven from what I've found - my surgeon sleeves us patients to about skinny banana size, aiming for a meal-sized small plate" as he likes to say once it stretches normally over time.

Sleeved April 27 and I lost 20 pounds in my first week post-op. Now down approx. 43 since surgery.

I don't know about the leaking, but I had the smell issue - my surgeon said it was ketones because our bodies are shedding weight so fast it choses every avenue to do it. Sweat, breath, pee, and everything else. No matter how much water I drank my pee was so dark, so I'd asked him about it. I'd definitely have yourself checked for a UTI though, the leaking sounds serious.

Welcome to the site! Everyone is pretty nice here and really helpful. In 1 week I will be 3 months out, for some perspective; my recovery was TERRIBLE. I was nauseous, SO nauseous for a very long time, I was incredibly, feebly weak for weeks post-op, I got a horridly hideous rash on my stomach that my surgeon, GP, nor nurses could help me with, it is just now going away... You know what though, I don't regret a single THING. I cried sometimes in the beginning because I wanted so badly to eat "regular" food, and it passed quickly. When I stall, I get bummed sometimes but by now you realize it's a pattern, normal, and will pass. Keep doing what you're doing and it'll start going down again. Until about 2 months and a week post-op, I was able to drink while eating. I can't do it anymore. I take small sips if I'm super thirsty when eating, and that's fine. It's not difficult to separate drinking and eating once you're used to it. I started using a straw at 4 weeks post-op, and I drink almost a gallon of water a day so I started drinking caffeine coffee at 5/6 weeks. I have not found a food my sleeve doesn't like, I drank something that was made incorrectly (with too much sugar) and just had to go number 2 for a while after and was fine. I can eat bread (small nibbles) and I can have carbonation with no issues. Your life is really not restricted in any way, you just have to get into the groove of knowing how to eat/what to order. We eat out a lot and I have gotten restaurant smart on what and how to order. My surgeon also gave me a card to carry for discounts/or permission to order off the kids menu, I've only been to one place that said no. I have eaten out with people that have no knowledge of my procedure, and they still don't know. The way you're feeling is completely and totally normal. Everyones post-op experience is wildly different, so there's no comparison. You just have to be prepared to have your goals in a reasonable place, and your mind open and you'll be fine!

I use Premier Protein drinks to get my protein in daily - otherwise I'd be well below my needed daily amount. I don't know about free samples but I get cases of 12 for just shy of $12 at Sam's Club. Here's the website for the Premier Protein page: http://www.premierprotein.com/tasty-shake-recipes/ I do the chocolate and the strawberries & cream. Both are delicious! Only 1g of sugar, 30g of protein and only 2 net carbs. I'm so glad I found them because I was having so much trouble getting my protein in. I take them sometimes and put fruit pieces in an ice pop mold and pour the Protein Drink in it and freeze. So yummy.

It's so awesome to find people that were sleeved the same day! I searched for a thread in place for us but I didn't find any

It's finally going away! You can barely see it now. I started putting Bio Oil on it about two weeks ago when I started applying it to my incisions. One day I was like, hmm... maybe if I just rub this all over.... and it worked! I'm so relieved. It was so ugly and took confidence I'd gained from weight loss away. Thank you for checking in on me Dyros

I am 5'4" and unlike many I've seen on BP, my surgeon did not give me goals other than "healthy" I'm already healthy medically, just not with weight mass. I picked my goal weight by military standards. My bf is a veteran and he's been a wonderful help with all of this BMI shenanigans. Which is crap, by the way. But I'd still like to be 140 ultimately. Possibly 130.

I was able to do a Shirley Temple with ease. The Sprite sat very well. Too well, I wish my sleeve had hated it. That's all I have tried, and I drank slowly and burped a lot. No pain though

I suffered once when I tried a skinny caramel macchiato drink from Starbuck's grocery store coffees. Immediate running to the bathroom. Ever since, no. Usually when something is too sweet or made incorrectly, I can tell right away and stop eating/drinking it. This one snuck up on me. But that was all I stick with unsweetened iced Starbuck's grocery store coffees and SF syrups now.

I'm a little over two months out and still use my scale religiously. I got one from Target during my 6 month mando nutrition training so I already had it for post-op. I do this because when I eyeball it, even a small bite more HURTS so bad. Not worth the minor inconvenience of weighing. It helps my peace of mind too - lets me know I'm not overeating.

I'm sorry hon, I really hope you find a solution. I wish I could think of something.

Girl, don't worry! I lost just below 20 pounds my first week. It freaks you out but it's normal. It made me feel better while I cussed and whined because my weakness lasted a lonnnnggg time lol

I wasn't super athletic, but I was in shape, could keep up with the "guys". As I got heavier my back issues were exacerbated and I couldn't anymore. Even standing for 5 minutes hurt so bad. I'm a little over 2 months post-op and I'm already able to do 2 miles of a brisk walk without legitimate pain (not including muscle pain afterward from a good workout) and I strength train. My surgeon stresses strength training every time I see him (boy he's annoying lol) and he's got a point - it strengthens you. Your core muscles keep you standing straight and there isn't so much stress on your legs; leg training strengthens your muscles there too. There is really no bad you can do strength training... it's all connected somehow. That may help with your splints. It could also be you are in need of new sneakers. The ones you fit before will likely not be appropriate for your feet as they thin while you drop weight.

I actually don't know. My surgeon says calories aren't super important right now, I need to concentrate on getting no less than 100g of protein a day, and no more than 50g carbs. I find myself wanting to count calories from a lifetime of being overweight and yoyo dieting, but I'm breaking myself of it. Obsessively a protein and carbs reader.

I've been having coffee since around week 5. My surgeon insists it's fine for his patients as long as we're getting our water intake. I have unsweetened Starbucks iced coffee in the jug from the store, 2 tbps of half n half, and 2 tbps each of french vanilla and caramel sugar free syrups. I find it aids in my weight loss personally because it energizes me and revs up my system, when I'm in a stall I have an extra cup and I drop a few ounces... I wasn't a coffee drinker before because it upset my stomach, but I can handle it now. I was big on tea, still am. If your surgeon said no caffeine, I wouldn't do it until you've spoken with him or her again. Maybe if you are getting your water intake in daily, they'll compromise with you.

I can't get enough raw salmon now. I already liked it before, now it's an obsession. I guess it works for me positively, there's approx. 40g of protein in 2 Oz of it

Rhonda, you could always try a high waist bikini or the long line topped bikinis I hope one day to put myself in one of those lol!

You're not alone in the empty feeling, I posted something similar about this in the General forums of the Sleeve section. I am 3 days shy of 2 months post-op and I still don't get hungry, I get empty when I forget to eat. Premier Protein is a fantastic choice, definitely a good pick. I still drink those to this day. You can totally do this, be strong and let that weight fall off of you. Looking at your stats, we're about the same starting weight after I lost for day of and started at 256; not too much more than you. Stick to your diet restrictions until you're given the go ahead to experiment, and you'll be so happy for the amount you drop because of it.

Some things are way too sweet for me that I used to enjoy before. I also have a higher tolerance for spicy foods now. My sense of smell has always been spectacularly good to the point of being uncomfortable, and that hasn't changed lol

That's true they do. I wasn't given a goal weight by my nutritionist, nor my surgeon. There's no pressure of a set goal thank goodness, just encouragement to reach personal goals. I carry my weight evenly, I've just got an hour glass and I'm hippy. I can't change that, even without fat on those hips lol. I've got a goal weight personally that's right in the BMI spectrum for my height, as I have specific goals with my life after this and I need to be that weight. I'm sure it'll all work out. My body is weird, I'm excited to see where it goes next.

Hey guys, I'm just shy of two months post-op and I still never feel hunger. I feel what I've termed "empty". I get super nauseous and start to fight my gag reflex and watering eyes when my sleeve is empty. I've learned as soon as I feel empty I need to eat - if I wait I gag and I hate that feeling. "I feel empty" is a common sentence to my boyfriend, he thinks it's weird and it amuses him lol. Anyone else experience anything like this at all?

Haha I love that! Now that you mentioned it, I start to be a B word when I go a certain amount of time without food. My nutritionist actually recommended I graze, but in a responsible way. It's been working so far, but only if I remember. Otherwise the emptiness comes over me

That's so interesting I think, not bothersome but just weird. I've seen people be a size 4 after this and I'm like holy crap that's never happening for me, I don't think I want it to, I'd be sickly looking and underweight to get down that far lol

CatLu, yea I had to set an alarm every 3 hours at the recommendation of my nutritionist. It seems to be working I just forget sometimes because I'm a busy bachelor student in my last semester "ain't nobody got time to eat" lol that was my problem that started this journey, overweight because I wasn't eating enough and my metabolism was sluggish. Itsanot99, it will probably help you hon, my surgeon prescribed pepcid twice a day for 3 months or so after surgery along with my Vitamin ADK. If I didn't have it, I'd be absolutely miserable as I had GERD before surgery and it's been exacerbated by the sleeve. I'm so happy to know I'm not alone. Every time I post on here I seem to get advice but never anyone with the same experience, it made me feel like some alien who the sleeve surgery epic failed on lol