BarefootDrummer

Yes! I was sleeved on 7/27. I am so thrilled with my weight loss and I'd do it all over again. BUT... I almost feel like there is a sadness and mourning I've experienced over food or the way I used to eat. Food does trigger chemicals that make you happy. Yes, I still eat "food". But my brain wishes I could eat a big plate full of food. When I have to stop after a few bites, my brain is not happy about that. Yes, I feel "full" but even that was a surprise to me. I thought I would feel the same feeling of fullness that I did before, it'd just happen on way less food. That's not how it works (for me). I don't feel this great satisfied feeling like, "ahhh, I'm stuffed, I'm full, I'm happy." When I am getting full, I start feeling a little burpy. If I push past that, I start feeling a painful reflux/heartburn type feeling. It's like my food is backing up because it doesn't have anywhere to go. Yet, I still haven't reached that old, big stretched stomach feeling of full. If I get to the refluxy feeling of full - it hurts and will hurt for awhile. It took me a little while when eating the solids to realize what full was. Burps! That's no where near as satisfying as it once was to feel this big stomach all stretched and full. My brain, as well as my stomach used to know it was full back then. Now my brain says - keep going! But if I do, I will be in great pain. I'm not saying any of this to scare anyone. I was just surprised how different this is than what I expected. I'm getting used to it. I have felt sadness that I won't be able to eat some of the foods in the ways that I once used to. Yet, I LOVE who I am. The real me that was buried beneath the fat is able to show herself now. And I don't mean body image wise either. I felt trapped in that fat body. I can finally run again. I can ride horses again. I can play with my kids, shop at normal stores, look at photos of myself without cringing! I think it's ok to feel sad about letting part of our past go. It makes it easier when we know we need to let it go to move into a new phase that will be so much better! You very well might miss the food or your old way of eating some, but...the new life that is coming your way is worth the trade off!

I admit, I did slouch for my height and am 1/2" shorter on their records. I also wore lots of heavy clothes. I have heard of people doing the quarters in the pockets too. I also did gain a bit before going in because I was borderline just like you. Then the doctor told me at the consult I'd probably qualify with a 35 BMI because of a few other issues. My surgery was 7/27 and I am down 53 pounds. Don't give up! If you're mentally ready for the surgery, then make it happen. Good luck.

I'm almost 2 months post op and I haven't had any taste bud changes. Although, I'm not really eating "all" the foods I used to. I have stayed away from the sweets, breads, etc, those foods I'm not supposed to have. Maybe if/when I try them I'll see something is different. However, overall, I really feel like nothing is different! I can't eat too much too fast, but I feel like other than that, I'm the same ole me and wouldn't know I had surgery.

@@Sajijoma - This really brought tears to my eyes! Congratulations!!!! I don't know you, but yet I'm really proud of you! What an awesome achievement. Keep up the good work!

I think everyone is different. I have always liked weighing myself daily, even when I was at my heaviest. I like knowing where I'm at. Then once a week I do my measurements. The measurements are interesting to watch. I'd suggest doing the measurements. Weeks when I've lost very little, you still see a measurement change somewhere.

Yesterday marked 1 month post op for me. Yippee. But I spent the day running around to doctors. The day before I'd gone on a hike. I do this often. I've always been very active and hiking isn't new for me. But that night I had a lot of blood in my urine, which I've never had in my life. The next morning, my urine was very concentrated and also filled with blood. I called my surgeon's office and they said I needed to be seen that day, but they couldn't see me, so go to an urgent care clinic. I called my primary care doc first but they also said - I should be seen but they couldn't see me, go to an urgent care clinic. They assumed it was probably a UTI since I wasn't having pain. The urine test showed lots of blood, but no infection. The PA there was really nice. She said I needed to have this looked into more and have some imaging done. She suggested either calling my doctor today or going to the ER (same building) last night. Since we were there, we went to ER. That doctor was totally useless though. You could tell she didn't want to deal with that. 3 hours there and she only did another urine test. The same thing they'd done an hour before, through the same lab, at the same hospital. Surprisingly, it showed the same results! She told me it could just be from the exercise, that I'd gone on a long hike. I told her that was not new. I've exercised a lot in the past and that hike was common. She told me maybe I just bleed regularly. I told her no I don't and she argued that how could she know that when she didn't have other urine tests to compare. Ugh. I could see we were getting nowhere, so I just agreed with her and got out of there. I called my surgeon's office back and am waiting to hear from him. Here is what I need some help with. I feel like I'm failing! It should not be rocket science to get in enough fluids and Protein, yet I fail at it all the time! I know what I need to do, but it seems like I can't make it happen. I go to bed feeling defeated because I'd intended on doing so good that day, but still have fallen short. I do seem to hit the minimum 60 grams of protein a day, but they said I should be doing more like 78. I seem to end my nights in the 50 oz range for Water. I bought a 30 oz tumbler that keeps my water cold all day. I carry it everywhere. I really do try. That's what's so frustrating. Yesterday the surgeon's nurse lectured me on the phone and it's not that I don't understand how important it is. I don't need to be scolded, I need some tips on how to make this work!!! What gets me is you can't drink before or after eating. So I don't get water because of that. Then it seems like if I forget my water for any reason for a little while, I just can't make up for it. Like I went on a walk and forgot it or went to the store and forgot it, but then I can't catch up on it even with continuous sipping. I'm not really getting enough calories in either, but jeepers if I try eating more often, it means I drink less often. I'm not doing as many shakes because I get such bad diarrhea from them, even lactose free ones or with taking Lactaid pills. Which, of course, then makes me even more dehydrated. I've been waking up with dehydration headaches, and it just makes me angry because I really am trying. Now the scare with blood in the urine, which I wonder if it's related. I just want to do this right, but I'm really struggling!!! Like I said, I wish my doctor's office had given me some tips to help me succeed, not just scolded me. She even was kind enough to tell me she thought I'd have a bigger problem with hair loss at 3 months because of how I'm doing. That really makes me feel great. So I'm hoping that some of you maybe struggled with this and figured out ways to do better. I know it doesn't seem like rocket science. I'm a smart person who usually does what she sets her mind to, so it really annoys me that I can't do this right!!!

Hello everyone. My surgery date is July 27th. I am having a hard time finding Vitamins and Protein shakes/powders that don't contain artificial sweeteners, and yet are palatable. I get awful migraine type headaches from artificial sweeteners. It happens every time with Aspartame and often with Sucralose. Yesterday I bought the Centrum chewable vitamins. My doctor says they can be used. I took one for the first time last night and BOOM! Migraine! I couldn't figure out why. Then I grabbed the bottom and it has Aspartame. I didn't even think about that being in a Vitamin, but it makes sense they want to sweeten a chewable. Does anyone have any suggestions for a quality chewable vitamin good for bariatric surgery patients that uses Stevia instead? The same goes for the protein shakes/powders. I found the Iconic premixed Protein shakes. I really like them. However, they are also $3 bottle and only come in premixed. Does anyone know of some protein powders that use Stevia AND taste good, while also having high protein and low carbs? I started reading the post op diet today and read about the sugar free jellos and sugar free puddings and other things like that and thought - I won't be able to have any of those. I don't think most of those are available with Stevia yet. If anyone else is in the same boat and has some suggestions for me, I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for the help!

@@melliecat - Have you found anything good without the artificial sweeteners that we can have? I ended up taking Bariatric fusion Vitamins. They do have some sucralose in them, but it seems like a small amount as it doesn't make me sick. Also, I discovered that Edy's makes a fruit and veggie frozen bar. It has 30 calories, but no artificial sweeteners in it. I love them! I couldn't do the sugar free popsicles because of the artificial sweeteners in them.

Hello everyone. My surgery was 7/27. I'm still on the pureed stage and will be transitioning to the soft foods soon. I have not gone out to dinner and have not had a lot of meals around outsiders during the pre op and post op liquid diet stages. When I first started the preop diet, we were on a big family camping trip. I told them I was doing a new high Protein liquid cleanse type diet. They've all seen me do so many diets over the years, they didn't question it much. (BTW, I'm not telling most people about my surgery, as many of my family will be negative about it and I don't need that.) Now I'm wondering how do you eat with others and look "normal" when you are on regular foods? I'm wondering if you take more on your plate than you are actually going to eat, so they don't really notice and push your leftovers around a bit and say how you'd just recently eaten or something? I know if I put a couple bites of each thing, it will definitely raise questions. I hate wasting food, and I also wonder if taking more than you can eat might push you to overeat. I don't want that either. I don't want to tell the world about my surgery. It's my business, but I'm seeing as I'm moving forward that it seems like people will question my tiny quantities of food. When I tried mashed potatoes one day and oatmeal another, I only ate a few spoonfuls. Scooping out those amounts at a gathering, looks a little odd. Any suggestions on how to blend in during those type situations?

I see this is an old thread, just being revisited, but I had heard mention of the "3 week stall." Now, I'm living it! I was steadily losing weight every single day and then at 3 weeks it stopped. The scale has remained the same for the whole week, despite me doing nothing different. I still have a long ways to go. It does make me nervous because I've done many very low calorie diets in the past and my body adjusts to the lower calories and then stops losing. I asked my surgeon about this before surgery to make sure the same wouldn't happen and he said he didn't think it would. I'm hoping this is just the 3 week stall that people have spoken about. Does anyone know WHY a lot of people stall at 3 weeks? Is there any way to help break it? How long does it typically last? Holly

@@OutsideMatchInside - I haven't done any of the research on this, but I'm surprised the sleeve and bypass have the same affect on the hormone. I wondered about this because the stomach is still in there with the bypass. They aren't removing it like with the sleeve, so I thought the sleeve might have the upper hand with this.

@@trekker954 - That is good to keep in mind about the 30gr of Protein at a time. I wonder how long it takes to digest before more can be added? Like is 15 minute wait before adding a bit more good, or is it like 4 hours?

I was excited to read your post. Thanks for sharing. I love how much less you have to use. I stopped at the Vitamin shoppe tonight to buy some but they don't carry it. I'll order online. I am a little bit leery about the amount of Protein they say is in it though. If you start researching it, I guess people do question whether their claim is really true. So I think I'll take it in to my nutritionist appointment in two weeks just to check with them too. If anyone else has done more research or asked their doctor about whether we can really count it as 30 gr, can you let me know. Thanks. I hope it's true. Thanks for sharing!

It is amazing how much the different plans vary. I was on a "high Protein low/no sugar liquid diet" for 2 weeks prior to surgery and 2+ weeks after. I was allowed to have no sugar added Greek yogurt as a "liquid" though. At almost 2.5 weeks on my post op followup, the doc just gave me the ok to start the pureed foods and scrambled egg is included in that. I ate it for the first time on Friday night and apparently overate and got sick too. I thought it was going down well, but when I got the full signal, it was actually an overfull signal. I'm learning. Like others have stated, the egg is probably too much at this stage. Also, I couldn't get hardly anything down for that first week. I think the stomach was quite swollen inside. I threw up from one bit of pudding. At one week post op, it seemed like it magically changed and I was suddenly able to get all my protein and liquid in that day. So give it a little more time and take care of that newly altered stomach of yours. Also in the hospital, the one nurse made me sit the bed up a bit and then wrote in big letters on my board that the bed had to be no lower than a 30 degree incline. She stressed it. (No one else mentioned it.) But at home, I propped pillows up, like you mentioned and it definitely helped. 2.5 weeks post op, I'm flat again. But don't lay down right after eating OR drinking. Like someone else mentioned, my doctor requires all meds be crushed or split (into nerd candy size pieces) for several months. I chop them up and put them in a bite of pudding and they go down well. You might want to try that. I bet your stomach is fighting to try to dissolve them. Good luck, dear. Hang in there. It gets easier. I'm not too many days ahead of you, but it does get easier. It all is a learning process though. BTW, today I ate another egg and stopped in time and didn't get sick. Yay! LOL.

Are you doing a ton of Water? Sometimes that can help fill you up too.

I'd be interested. I'm only 2+ weeks post op, but doing things like this with others always helps.

Hello. I'm 2 weeks post op and having trouble getting enough liquids. I know they say to carry a water bottle with you and sip all day. I want to find a really cool one that I'll love drinking out of so that it encourages me to drink more. I thought I'd ask what your favorites are? Have you found any really appealing ones?

Do you have a post op coming up soon? Talk to your doctor. I had a very hard time getting things down the first couple of days. I think my stomach was swollen from the surgery. Then I had to drink small sips of liquids, but now, two weeks out, I can drink the liquids fairly steadily, a few sips at a time. I can only have greek yogurt besides the shakes and liquids and I do feel a fullness with those. Sometimes two bites in and I have to stop and sit more upright for a couple minutes before proceeding. I'm usually able to finish a 5.3 oz yogurt cup in one sitting though. The doctor told me that liquids (and he included yogurt as a liquid) should be able to pass on through the sleeve fairly easily, so as you put more in, some comes out. I've also heard that once you start a bit more solid, chewable food, that's when you notice the difference. Congrats on the weight loss. That's awesome. How much was post op and how much was pre op?

It does seem to get better around day 3-4. Every dr requires a different plan. Mine called high Protein, no sugar Greek yogurt a liquid. Also, I found this Soup - ProtiDiet chicken. After a few days of shakes, this tasted like heaven. Make it a little light on Water and ... it kind of tastes like a gravy. Ha, ha. https://www.amazon.com/Protidiet-Creamy-Chicken-Soup-Pouches/dp/B001FUEY56/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1470962730&sr=8-3&keywords=protidiet+chicken Most diets will allow sugar free popsicles too. I didn't get them at first, but when I did try them, I was hooked! They also make it a bit easier to get some Fluid in right after surgery too. Hang in there. You can do it! Stay strong. A new you is headed your way!

My brother in law had gastric bypass almost two years ago now. I feel a bit guilty but I judge him all the time. I don't say things to him though! He doesn't know that I know as much as I do about WLS. I also didn't tell him about my VSG surgery 2 weeks ago. He eats things he shouldn't all the time and kind of acts like he's proud of when he's able to cheat the surgery. Like when he was able to drink his first beer, or eat chicken wings. You wouldn't know it by looking at what he eats anymore that he's had WLS. He eats a fairly normal amount. Sadly. He also stopped losing weight about a year ago and gained some back. He's still a lot smaller and probably healthier than he used to be, but I wish he had chosen to use his surgery to its full advantage.

@@finding_onederland - Your post says it well. I really do think that we were born with a disadvantage. We don't have the genetics or something in our makeup that makes it possible for us to lose and maintain a weight loss. I've done all those things you've done and I've gotten to a good weight many times and swore that I would NEVER go back. Then I swear I turned around one day and there was all the weight again. I'm 2 weeks post op. I really do pray this new sleeve works like the tool I hope it is! I hope this is the last time I have to lose this amount of weight ever again!

Hello. My doctor said he wanted me to have 64oz liquid minimally daily, but to work up to 96oz! I struggle too. I think the thing is, I used to go many hours throughout the day without drinking, then get a big glass of something and glug it down in a couple minutes, and that just doesn't work now. I got really dehydrated the one day and trying to catch up was extremely difficult. I was sleeved 7/27 and that first week I did awful with both my Fluid and Protein intake. I tried, but it just didn't work. It felt like it couldn't fit. I think my stomach was actually swollen inside from the surgery. At one week post op, I hit both my fluid and protein goal that day. I thought it would be easier from them on out. It is "easier" I guess, but it's still not easy. Like others have said, you have to consciously think about it all the time to make it happen. Do you track your food/protein/water? I hate writing stuff down (from all my former years of dieting) but I like using apps for it. I have a fitbit (step counter) and I use their app to track my food/protein/water as well. This way I can see how I'm doing throughout the day. I think myfitnesspal is another good one. I really need to start carrying a bottle of Water with me everywhere I go though. I'm not used to doing that and I know it's a habit that's highly recommended so we can sip continuously. My nutritionist suggested getting a big bottle that holds all the liquid and then putting marks on it with times, saying by 10am I need to have drank this much, 2pm this much, and so on. I haven't tried it, but that's another idea. Good luck. We'll eventually get into a good pattern with this.