leebick

Your surgeon will probably limit the weight you can pick up. I think I was limited to less than 10 pounds for the first few weeks. How heavy is that vacuum?

Absolutely!! Also, it might go against the grain for some, but I didn't have this surgery so I could diet for the rest of my life. I intend to have the occasional adult beverage, dessert, pizza, etc. The difference is NOW I only have a couple of bites/sips and I'm done... not an entire pizza, 6 pints of beer, 2 slices of pie (with ice cream). My real dietary issue was always large portions of "real" food- steak, baked potatoes, bowls full of macaroni-and-cheese, giant burritos, 20 chicken wings, etc. I will never again be able to eat foods in the portions I used to consume, and that's fine with me. I NEVER want to weigh that much again, and can't eat that much anyhow. However, I do not intend to live my life eating just chicken and salad all the time. I will enjoy foods that I choose to eat, in portions I know I can handle. As you said, it won't be excessive, and it WON"T be every day! (Actually, I'd kill for a real salad. I can't handle it... fills me up almost immediately and I'm in the bathroom within 2 hours. Who knew I'd crave lettuce, tomatoes, onions, beets, carrots, olives, green peppers, and bleu cheese dressing... with croutons!)

My victory is that I lost weight over the past 3 months. This will sound odd, but let me explain. My husband had bone surgery on his tibia on 12/9/16. Only one night in the hospital, and while it was painful, he recovered nicely and was right on track for the first three weeks. Then... on 12/31, he was back at the hospital for a massive infection in his leg. They put him on clindamycin for 10 days, and while it helped keep the infection from spreading, the infection still got worse. On 1/13/17 they put him back in the hospital. He had a debridement that afternoon, again on 1/16, and then reconstructive surgery on 1/17, moving a flap from his calf muscle into the hole they'd excavated in his leg when removing the rotted, gangrenous muscle that had developed there, and then did skin grafts. This is when the surgeon broke the news that if this recon and grafting didn't "take," they'd have to amputate. Husband went on IV antibiotics... one of them was a 1 hour infusion a day, the other was a 3.5 hour infusion, 3 times a day, as well as 2 oral antibiotics each day. When he was discharged from the hospital on 1/20, he went into a nursing home for FIVE WEEKS. Five weeks of antibiotic therapy, and keeping his leg horizontal and elevated, 24/7. This was extremely stressful for both of us, along with the knowledge that if this didn't work, they'd amputate his leg. My long story has a happy ending; things went well and he's been home for almost a month now, went back to work part-time this week. He has PT three times a week and cannot drive, so I am doing all the schlepping around, taking care of the house, shoveling the snow, etc. BUT GUESS WHAT??? I have lost 15 pounds during all this! Believe me, I did not expect this! I've slacked off on my exercise, not always made smart food choices (I spent lots of nights sleeping on the recliner in the nursing home room), and have ALWAYS been a stress-eater, but somehow, I made it work during all this and still lost weight. I am so proud of myself for being able to manage this... and incredibly proud of my husband, who somehow spent six long weeks in bed, healing. It's been an incredibly stressful 2017, but I have confidence that we are going to sail through the rest of the year, and that I can manage my new eating plan/habit and maintain my weight loss. I am just so shocked that I didn't GAIN weight during all this!!!

I think you need more food, mostly protein, and less fruit. For starters, eat breakfast! Have a protein shake, or a slice of cheese, or a 1/4 cup of cottage cheese, or SOMETHING with protein in it! For lunch, eat a 1/4 to 1/3 cup of protein first, THEN have the veggies. If you have to have fruit, stick to the blackberries and raspberries- strawberries if you must- but skip the grapes. Find what fruits are lowest on the glycemic index and stick to those (but honestly, for my metabolism, eating fruit is just like eating cake). Do the same thing for dinner- eat a good serving of protein FIRST. THEN fill yourself with cooked veg or salads. I really think you are filling yourself up with too many things other than protein, not getting enough calories, so you always feel hungry and unsatisfied- and your body won't lose weight because it thinks it's starving. I'm not an expert, but I am doing pretty well with my sleeve. I just had my 6 month visit and my surgeon says I am where they like to see people at a year; I've lost about 80% of my extra weight. Here's what I eat every day; maybe it'll help you get some new ideas of what and how to eat. Breakfast: Either a slice of cheese, a protein shake, or 1/4 to 1/3 cup of cottage cheese, and coffee (with half-n-half). I take a cup of coffee in the car, too. For morning snack, I have a slice of cheese, or a low calorie greek yogurt (sometimes made into a smoothie with unsweetened almond milk- maybe 12 oz), or maybe 1T of peanut butter (not on anything, just the PB). Lunch is usually dinner leftovers, but I always make sure I have about 1/4 cup of protein, then the veggies. I usually cannot finish this, but I try to get the protein in first. If I don't have dinner leftovers, I'll make egg salad (I try to keep hard-boiled eggs in the fridge), or grab some of those pre-cooked chicken strips (try to keep on hand) or make tuna or chicken salad (I have cans of both proteins) and take about 1/4-1/3 cup of this. For a mid-afternoon snack, I'll make a mini-salad with some shredded cheese, or have about 20 peanuts, or maybe 3 green olives. Other snacks might be about 4" of celery with either PB or cream cheese, or maybe a slice of deli meat. (We eat supper late, so I often need a snack around 4pm or I'll just graze and eat crap.) Supper is more of the same... protein first, then salad or veggies. I eat almost anything for protein... chicken, fish, pork, ground beef, meatballs (I can eat 2 or 3 one-ounce meatballs), shrimp, steak (I buy a very small "good" steak and cut it into pieces that are about 2"x3" and freeze them), lamb, eggs... just about anything. If I've made the protein in a casserole or sauce, I just scrape off as much of the sauce as possible. It tastes great, but I need to get that protein in first. SOMETIMES for supper, we go out for wings... I can eat about 3 pieces... or pizza, where I eat the toppings from one or 2 pieces. I don't usually snack at night, as dinner ends around 8 and I go to bed around 11, but if I do want an evening snack, I'll have sugar free popsicles, SF jello, SF pudding (although not often), sometimes a cookie, about 2 tablespoons of ice cream, a little popcorn... something that is treat-like but I'm not eating enough of it, and not eating it regularly, so I don't really worry about it. I don't eat bread, rice, noodles, pasta, potato, junk food (mostly... ), etc. Not too many grains, either, although Trader Joe's makes a terrific mixed grain hot cereal that I like! I know I should eat more veggies, but I am usually just too full on the protein, and protein is most important. Good luck- I think you can get yourself on track and feeling like you are really eating, not dieting (which is what your meal plans sound like to me!).

Everyone is different. Carbonation doesn't "hurt" me anymore than anything else does when I drink it, but honestly, I've had sips of soda three times, and 3 or 4 beers, in the six months since I had my surgery. I can never finish a beer- I can't finish a 4oz. taster. I am a cheap date these days! Also... I know it's said a LOT, but the carbonation in a few sips of beer or soda will NOT stretch anything. Your insides are made of WAY stronger stuff!! The real issue here is addressing why people want to resume old, bad habits (sugary-drinks, empty calories, etc.) and eat around their surgery. It's one thing to decide to have a small drink occasionally to be sociable, sip at it slowly, stop when you can and not finish it, as opposed to longing for your old favorites and wondering how soon you can start drinking again.

You don't have a pouch, you have a sleeve, and air and carbonation aren't going to stretch your sleeve. The part of your stomach that is made of tissue that can stretch is gone, and air/carbonation aren't anywhere near strong enough to stretch a pouch of a bypass patient. You aren't supposed to have carbonation because it'll fill you up and it can be painful. You need to remember that the small capacity you now have in your sleeve needs to be dedicated to the nutrients that will maintain your health. Regular soda is just liquid sugar... liquid that fills your pouch, carbonation that fills your pouch, sugar that is empty calories... so drinking soda is really counterintuitive if you have a sleeve (or pouch). Also... there is no evidence that straws are bad for you. Some surgeons think that you are going to swallow more air if you use a straw, which will (a) be painful, and (b) fill you up so there's not as much space in there for the nutrients you need to stay healthy. That's the logic on the straw prohibition. I drink soda occasionally, and beer. I ONLY drink diet soda- I can't remember when I started, but it's been decades. I'll occasionally have a little diet Mountain Dew, or diet root beer (maybe once a month or less). I can't drink much of anything without getting overly full, so it's a balance. I also have trouble drinking water. One liquid that's worked for me is diet root beer, but I pour a can into a glass and let it sit overnight to get flat. THEN I drink it!

I thought I was going to skip this, but nope. My hair started thinning badly about 4 months post-op. I've been taking biotin- not sure if it'll help, but it can't hurt, right? I think I'm finally losing less (or is there just less to lose, hahaha!), but it's hard to tell. I stayed with my regular shampoo and conditioner (for damaged hair, because I blow dry and use a curling iron), hit my protein goals, take my vitamins, take the biotin. I figure it'll grow back eventually- I just need to treat it as gently as possible until then!

You aren't a horrible WLS patient; you are a human being who is hitting a glitch. Get back on the food plan recommended by your Nut/Surgeon and follow it! If you have to, go back and do several days to a week of just protein shakes, like immediately following surgery. There is no magic to WLS- you have still have to do the hard work of sticking to a food plan, of going against the eating habits you spent a lifetime learning and reinforcing. However, this time you have your sleeve to help you. You might have lost weight on your own before having the surgery, but were you able to keep it off? It's one thing to fluctuate by a couple of pounds... but is your weight continuing to climb, endlessly? Have you gained back all you lost, and more, which is what most of us experienced when trying to lose weight pre-surgery? You can do this... just start following the meal plans to a T; weigh/measure/record what you eat; stick to high protein, low/no carbs, plenty of water; small bites, chew chew chew. You can do this!

I get the hiccups when my tummy's had enough; it's like a signal that says "We're done here!" I'll hiccup consecutively, about 7-10 times.

Nothing. I didn't drastically alter my anatomy and physiology to see how much I can cheat. Eating poorly was how I got fat. Why would I have surgery and still do the things that made me fat in the first place? Besides... there's nothing I am forbidden- but I know how not to eat!

Sorry if that's TMI, but that's what it feels like. I am 6 months post-op and am having trouble with food after eating. About an hour or so after eating, sometimes if feels like liquid food is rolling into my esophagus. It tastes acidy but reminiscent of whatever I'd just eaten. It's hard to describe, it doesn't happen all the time, and it can happen while I am sitting or lying down (like when lounging around watching TV or reading). Once it starts, it takes about 20-30 minutes to go away. Tums or sipping something doesn't seem to make any difference. Any idea of what it could be? I have my 6 month follow up with my surgeon in a week and will definitely talk to her about it then.

That sounds like what I experienced with a gall bladder attack. I just found this description online: "One of the most common and evident symptoms of gallstones is pain that begins in the upper right portion of the stomach, under the ribs. This belly pain will radiate outwards, moving gradually to the center of the belly or upper back." Not to scare you, but it might be something to consider. I think you should call your doctor; if it's a gall bladder attack, they can diagnose it by doing blood work/testing within about 12 hours of the pains.

Remember that your stomach has just been grossly insulted via surgery! You have a long internal scar with staples and stitches, and what's left of your tummy is very swollen, irritable, and angry. Try to keep up with your liquid intake, even if it tastes icky. I found that liquids just tasted odd, almost metallic. I think that's from a combination of anesthesia and pain meds; it should go away after a week or two. You mention gas... I will assume you mean tummy gas that's making you burp. You might be swallowing air when you drink- try smaller sips. Get a pile of pillows and sit/rest/sleep propped up. If you are having gas pains from the surgery (gas trapped inside you, not in your stomach), moving around and walking will help that... and it should reabsorb fairly soon. Right now, it's most important that you keep up your fluid intake. It seems stupid to constantly sip, but it's important. Your stomach capacity is almost nonexistent right now, between what's been removed and the amount of internal swelling you are experiencing. If you don't keep sipping, you are going to get thirsty and then dehydrated, and because of your small capacity you won't be able to drink enough fluid fast enough to rehydrate. You really don't want to have to go to the ER for fluids- that's just SO not fun- so keep trying to drink little bits, all the time. Good luck... it really does get better. Sometimes we just have to push forward, do whatever it takes, and trust those that are further along when we say it WILL get better.

Huh... I think I'll try the PPI. I have some that I bought pre-surgery, but then my doc didn't suggest taking it, so I didn't. The feeling/activity is hard to explain, but it sounds like you went through it also. I'm going to try the PPI- thanks!

I do much better with the protein powders than with the ready-to-drink shakes. The processing that the RTD shakes undergo kind-of cooks the protein, and I can't stand the smell or taste, unless the shake is a strong chocolate and freezing cold. With the powders, those using whey protein isolate will have the least off-flavor and off-smell. Syntrax Nectars are made fro WPI and are all protein- no carb or fat, except that which comes from whatever you are using as liquid. I prefer to mix shakes with unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead of skim milk; I can't stand the smell/flavor of the skim milk, which I can detect even when it's mixed with shake powders.

I don't think I'm over eating. I don't weigh, but I measure. I still struggle with getting down 1/3rd of a cup of food in any one meal- I'm really better with 1/4 cup. I've never taken a PPI. I asked my surgeon about it at my 6 week visit and she said it wasn't anything that she routinely recommends, and I wasn't having reflux, so I've never taken one. Is this reflux, do you think? It seems so odd that it just started at 5+ months post-op.

About 3 months post-op, I had a small glass of white wine at my Cousins' Reunion. I've also had beer a couple of times. We drink at local microbreweries, so I can order brews that have low carbonation. I can't drink a whole beer, so usually order a 4oz. "taster." One taster is enough- then I'm full. I used to drink a lot- maybe 3 or 4 pints, once a week- so this is a big difference for me! I have been out more frequently than this, but usually don't choose to have anything alcoholic to drink. I don't find the alcohol hits me any differently, but I'm not drinking very much when I do choose to imbibe, which I am sure makes a difference.

I had gastric sleeve surgery in Sept. 2016. I took 3 weeks off, but only because I had piles of sick time and wanted to stay out for a little "vacation" time. I easily could have gone back at the end of 2 weeks, and even after a week if I'd had to. My surgery was laparoscopic, done robotically, and I had no stitches or staples, just tape to close the wounds (none of them were longer than an inch). I never experienced any post-op pain once I was home. I was pretty tired the first week, but managed to walk a mile every day. I found the hardest part was keeping up with consumption; it was just hard to get it all in, but I didnt' really experience any pain from it. I really can't imagine needing to take 6 weeks off after this surgery!

si03.com This is Syntrex's website. $16.99 for 15 packets of nectar including shipping- pretty decent price and you get to decide what flavors you like without a major $$$ investment. Hover your mouse over the "Special Offers" quadrant and you'll find the phone number and details. Luckyvitamin.com is the cheapest source I've found for the 2.2lb bottles.

Get the Sampler Pack (Variety Pack?) and try it out. Go to the webpage (si03.com) and hover your mouse over the upper right quadrant where is says "Special Offer" or something like that. For $16.99 you'll get 15 samples, all different flavors, so you can try them out before making a major purchase. Syntrax Nectars are the only powders I drink. Some I mix with water (juicy ones, tea) and some with unsweetened almond milk (regular or vanilla) as I can't tolerate skim milk. I mix them in a shaker bottle I bought at Walmart for about $10; it has a coiled wire ball inside and it mixes the protein powder very well/easily! Luckyvitamin.com is the cheapest source I've found for the 2.2 bottles of Syntrax Nectars.

We had pizza for supper tonight. It was a frozen DiGiorno Supreme Pizza, bought in a 3 pack at BJ's. We cut it into 6 slices and I ate the toppings from 2 pieces. It was delicious! I can't do the crust, but I've nibbled at the very crusty edge a little bit. It, too, was delicious, but I know that if I have even a couple of bites of pizza crust I will be uncomfortably full- and uncomfortable for several hours afterward, so I just don't eat it!

I had sleeve surgery in Sept 2016, so I am about 6 months post-surgery. I eat pretty much what I want, within reason, but I don't eat much; I just can't. I try to keep my meals high protein, low/no carb, and don't worry too much about the fat. I still eat many of the things I used to eat, but in such a different quantity, and far more infrequently. Last week on chicken wing night (50 cents each for buffalo wings) I at 3 wings (sections, not whole chicken wings) instead of the 15-20 I used to consume. Tonight we had pizza for dinner; I had 2 pieces, but ate only the toppings. I used to eat at least a half of a large pizza, if not more, toppings, crust, and all. If I wanted a taco (and sometimes I do!), I'd break a shell into pieces and use the pieces as a scoop to eat the meat and toppings- or skip the shell entirely and just have some meat, cheese, lettuce/tomato/onion, with maybe a little sour cream and salsa. However, I can only eat about 1/3 of a cup of food at one time, so I'd be really careful to eat slowly. My daily meals look something like this: For breakfast, I usually have a protein shake made with unsweetened almond milk, and a cup of coffee with about 2T half-n-half. Snack time at school (around 10:15) I'll have a slice of cheese. For lunch I have dinner leftovers- something like some roasted veggies with chicken (about 1/3 cup total), or 2-3 mini-meatballs (1" in diameter maybe, the frozen ones) with some shredded mozzarella. If I'm hungry when I get home from school (around 4), I'll have a glass of almond milk or maybe a 4oz yogurt, or 1/4 cup of cottage cheese. Dinner (around 7:30, after my husband gets home) is protein with roasted veggies (about 1/3 cup total). I don't usually have dessert, but if my husband is having ice cream (my big weakness), I might have 1/4 cup. If I'm hungry before bedtime (usually go to sleep around midnight) and haven't had dessert, I'll have a tablespoon of peanut butter. Dinner proteins include fish, chicken (1/2 to 1 thigh is all I can eat), or deli roll-ups (1-2 slices of ham or deli roast beef with some shredded cheese melted on it). I can eat pork if it's not too dry (or cooked in a sauce), lamb (which we only have 1-2 times a year), and eggs (omelet or fried, not scrambled). Burger doesn't go down too easily, and sausage is hard to digest (but I love sausage so it's a struggle!). Haven't tried hot dogs but I'm sure I'll get there! Steak also doesn't go down easily, which is heartbreaking for me, but I'm optimistic it'll happen- I LOVE STEAK!!! I miss salad, but if I have a salad I can't eat anything else- fills me up too much. Same with raw veggies or fruit; if I eat them, I can't get my protein in. I still have to avoid drinking 30 mins prior to or after meals, which makes it hard to drink enough as I eat 5-6 times a day. I feel like I am definitely still a work in progress, but I'm still losing weight, so I guess it's all good!

They aren't free samples, but you can get samples of Syntrax Nectars. Go to their website (si03.com) and hover your mouse over the upper right quadrant where it says "Special Offer." You can order a Variety Sampler, which is one single serving of each of the 15 flavors of Syntrax Nectar. Cost is $15 plus $1.99 for shipping, or $16.99 for 15 servings of protein shake powder. I like Syntrax Nectars better than any other of the protein powders or RTD shakes, and at $1 a serving, it's a great way to try things out and discover what flavors you like. I purchase the 2.2lb containers of Nectars at luckyvitamin.com, which has the cheapest prices I've found for Syntrax Nectars.

I agree with your Nut; I think you are not eating enough, especially with your high level of exercise. BWLS or not, if you are losing burning too many calories while not eating enough calories, metabolism will slow down. It's the body's way of preventing death by starvation. You may not necessarily feel hungry, but your body may think it's starving on 800-1000 calories a day, especially with your workout routine. Seriously consider eating 5-6 small meals a day, increase your protein as much as possible, and don't drink 30 mins before or 30 mins after eating (drinking before will fill you up on fluids, drinking after will make you feel gross if you are already full).

Since OCTOBER? That's incredible! Can I just say, I'm a tad jealous? I've only lost 85 pounds since September! (nah, I'm GREAT with it!!) Congratulations on your success!