Introversion

Since you posted this in the gastric sleeve forum, I assume you're interested in the sleeve... Weight loss with a sleeve tends to be somewhat slower than the other bariatric procedures such as the bypass and duodenal switch. Losing too much weight with a sleeve is a very rare occurrence. In fact, the majority of sleevers never achieve their goal weights unless they devote additional effort, so I think you have nothing to worry about. The typical sleever loses 65% to 70% of his/her excess body weight (EBW). Some people (like me) lose 100 percent, while others are nonresponders who lose less than 50 percent of their EBW. If you do nothing other than allow the sleeve to work its metabolic magic, you'll probably lose 70 percent of your EBW. If you work your sleeve to the max, watch what you eat, and exercise vigorously, you'll likely lose 100 percent of your EBW. If you eat a bunch of slider (slurry) foods and eat around your sleeve, you may lose less than 50 percent of your EBW. Again, losing too much weight with a sleeve is a rare phenomenon. The procedure simply doesn't have the malabsorptive component to produce that result in most people, especially individuals like you who have a weight problem for much of their adulthood. Good luck to you.

I had major food funerals during my pre-op phase that consisted of eating my favorite foods "one final time" before saying goodbye. As a result, I gained a whopping 25 pounds in the 6 months that I waited to have surgery. It's all water under the bridge for me. I'm nearly 3 years out, reached my goal weight last year, and have the most self-control I've ever had in my entire life with regards to food. Good luck to you.

Gastric bypass patients have pouches...whereas gastric sleeve patients have sleeves. A sleeve is not synonymous with a pouch. Anyhow, your sleeve will relax over time to accommodate a higher volume of food as it heals. This is the natural progression of things although it saddens some people. During the first few months postop I could tolerate about 3 ounces of food. Nowadays I'm almost 3 years out and can easily accommodate 8 to 10 ounces (more than half a pound). A fully matured sleeve's normal capacity is anywhere from 8 to 12 ounces. At this point I wouldn't worry about stretching your sleeve. Just focus on high protein foods and meeting your nutritional goals. Good luck to you.

Per her profile, the original poster is in Alabama. I'm going to be straightforward and brutally honest...a 27.5 BMI is not obese. In fact, someone with a 27.5 BMI is about 20 to 25 pounds overweight at the most. The original poster says she'll go crazy with food if she doesn't have a surgical weight loss tool, yet a sleeve won't stop anyone who is determined to overeat. You can eat a whole extra large pizza with a sleeve, one slice every 30 minutes. You can eat a dozen (12) donuts with a sleeve, one donut every 30 minutes. People have regained every single pound they've lost with a sleeve. If the self-control isn't there, nothing will stop you from overeating, not even a weight loss tool such as a sleeve. Meanwhile, back at the ranch...to answer her question, Dr. Almanza in Tijuana will probably convert her from band to sleeve. He has done low BMI people in the past.

I used Ultimate Bariatrics in Fort Worth. Their bariatric surgeons perform operations at Baylor Medical Center at Trophy Club. Regarding emotional overeating...bariatric surgery won't stop it. You'll lose a lot of weight at the start, then regain it all if the emotional overeating isn't totally nipped in the bud. You can eat an entire pizza with bariatric surgery...one slice every 45 minutes. You can eat 5 cheeseburgers with bariatric surgery...one burger every hour. I know you don't want to wait, but it is imperative to eliminate the emotional component of your eating so as to avoid wasting a perfectly good weight loss tool. Good luck to you. You can do this.

This is why a meticulous psychological evaluation is of the essence prior to surgery. If you underwent a psych eval, the psychologist who conducted it likely missed or downplayed a few important telltale signs in regards to coping skills and so forth. I wish you the very best of luck. Live in the moment and address each task one at a time to make the situation more bearable. There is light at the end of the tunnel. You can pull through this.

Since you have no thyroid, you'll probably be a slower loser than average. Thus, I suspect your surgeon formulated reasonable goals you can actually attain. Although I still have a thyroid, I've been hypothyroid for the past 12+ years. I take a daily dose of Levothyroxine for thyroid hormone replacement. I'm 5'1" and weighed 218 pounds on surgery day. With the exception of the first 2 months, my losses were in the single digit range of 1 to 7 pounds per month. It took 18 months for me to lose 100 pounds. My weight wanted to settle in the 140s, but I had to incorporate daily running and weightlifting to get the scale to keep moving.

I had BC/BS of Texas when I was sleeved and my pre-op requirements were almost identical. My first consultative appointment to inquire about the sleeve was on 10/23/2014. My packet was submitted to BC/BS in mid November 2014. Insurance approved payment for the sleeve on 12/26/2014, approximately 6 weeks later. Although I wasn't sleeved until April 2015, I could have gotten surgery as early as February. The moral of the story is there's light at the end of the tunnel. You can do this.

My vitamin B1 (thiamine) levels were normal during the first few post-op months, but had dropped to dangerously low levels by 12 months out. I had to receive a B1 injection at my 12-month follow-up appointment. My heavy coffee/iced tea drinking is the culprit. Coffee and tea contain tannins. Tannins interfere with the body's absorption of iron and vitamin B1. I drink about 1 quart of iced tea and at least 4 cups of coffee daily. Since I'm not giving up my habit, I now supplement with a super vitamin B complex. So far, so good.

Congratulations, FluffyChix! Also, vitamin B1 assists in the metabolism and breakdown of macronutrients such as carbohydrate (CHO) and lipids (fat), thereby facilitating enhanced weight control.

I feel hungry during the night hours...but after some investigation, I realized it wasn't true hunger. It was increased acid production that mimicked hunger. I started taking one Ranitidine (a.k.a. Zantac) 150mg pill every evening and it solved the problem. I no longer feel the late night hunger or stomach growling sensation. Ranitidine can be obtained at any Walmart, Target, grocery store or drugstore.

The original poster is not considering a sleeve gastrectomy...(s)he is deciding between the endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) and the gastric bypass. Since the ESG doesn't yet have a proven track record with regards to durable, persistent weight loss that is kept off over the years, I'd be leery. Remember the following tenet: obesity is not curable, ever. Obesity can be put into remission by attaining a normal weight, but the body typically fights to get back to where it once was. The bypass is noted for its ability to address the neurohormonal influences that drive the body to regain, whereas the ESG is still unproven.

When I mention tracking, I refer to the practice of recording caloric intake and macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat) via writing them down or using apps such as My Fitness Pal or Baritastic. I simply keep a running tally in my head regarding the amount of protein I obtain because I know how much of it is contained within common foods. For instance, a whole chicken breast has 36 to 40 grams of protein. An egg has 6 grams of protein. A cup of cottage cheese has 24 grams of protein.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, @FluffyChix, as well! Also, thank you for your sage contributions and commonsense posts. Although you haven't even had weight loss surgery yet, many of your posts carry the voice of reason.

Liquids are not capable of stretching the sleeved stomach. Ever... Liquids only remain in the stomach for a few minutes prior to crossing the pyloric valve and entering the small intestine.

The no-drinking rule is applicable primarily to those with lap bands and gastric bypasses, but bariatric programs teach it to all weight loss surgery patients out of convenience (or laziness). People with normal stomachs have a pyloric valve that controls the entry of foods/fluids into the small intestine. Also, people with sleeved stomachs have a pyloric valve that controls the entry of foods/fluids as they progress into the small intestine. Gastric bypass patients, however, no longer have the pyloric valve. Their stomach has been turned into a pouch with a simple stoma. If they drink with meals, food will be prematurely flushed into the small intestine. In short order, they become hungry. The 'no drinking with meals' rule is one that originally applied to gastric bypass patients and lap band folks before getting broadly applied to all bariatric surgery patients. Nonetheless, a sleever who drinks with meals won't flush the food into the small intestine any sooner because the intact pyloric valve prevents that. At the most, fluids might lessen the just-eaten meal's thickness into a liquid slurry that exits the stomach sooner.

You're feeling hopeless after a loss of 35 pounds in 8 weeks? Okay...you're actually losing at a much faster rate than I ever did. It took me a whopping 3 months to lose 33.5 pounds. With the exception of the first 2 months, all of my losses had been single digit (1 to 7 pounds per month), yet I eventually hit goal and lost 100 pounds in a little more than 17 months. Realistic expectations are crucial. You didn't become obese overnight, so it stands to reason that you won't lose the weight overnight. Also, since you weren't super morbidly obese, you'll never be one of the folks who loses 30+ pounds monthly. Ever. Once you accept the aforementioned realities, your weight loss journey should progress more smoothly. No one gives a rat's ass how rapidly you lose. It's your ability to maintain the weight loss for life that matters the most. Good luck to you.

I can somewhat relate since I'm also hypothyroid. You won't lose weight every single week. Sleeved life involves losing weight with occasional stalls and plateaus, then perhaps even gaining water weight before the pounds start dropping again. Accept the reality that you won't lose every week. Accept the reality that you won't lose 20 to 30 pounds monthly due to hypothyroidism combined with the fact that you weren't super morbidly obese on surgery day. Once you accept these realities, sleeved life will be more tolerable. It took me 17+ months to lose 100 pounds and reach my goal weight. With the exception of the first 2 months, all of my losses had been single digit (1 to 7 pounds lost each month). Keep plugging at it. The speed and rate of your weight loss doesn't matter in the long run. What matters is your ability to keep it off for life. Yes, it's the maintenance phase that carries all the weight (no pun intended). Good luck to you and be patient. You've got this.

When you say 'groups,' are you referring to bariatric support groups? If so, the bariatric surgery practice that sleeved me offers support group meetings every Tuesday evening.

Trophy Club, Texas (USA)...

Which surgery did you have? Your profile indicates you have a lap band.

Bingo...think of it in this manner: carbs are the preferential source of fuel for the human body to burn off as energy. So why would your body waste valuable effort burning stored body fat when it's getting all the energy it needs from a steady stream of starches and carbs?

Revision procedures are riskier than virgin sleeve gastrectomies due to the amount of scar tissue and erosion, especially in those who revise from lap band to sleeve. Since you aren't a revision, your chance of developing complications is less than 1 percent. However, remaining obese is a greater risk to your life than getting sleeved. Good luck with your decision. I hope your friend recuperates.

Sliders (a.k.a. slurry foods) are processed carb-laden foods such as popcorn, crackers, pretzels, chips, cookies, pastries, milk shakes, ice cream, and donuts. Sliders enter your sleeve as a liquid slurry and 'slide' effortlessly through your stomach past your pyloric valve into your intestines, enabling the sleeve to tolerate more food. Hence, they're called 'sliders.' Since sliders don't promote fullness or satiety in any meaningful way, our sleeves can continually accept these types of foods all day long. In sum, they promote rapid weight regain.

Yes, those of us who are bariatric surgery patients can eat popcorn if our plans allow it. Nonetheless, just because we can doesn't mean we should. Popcorn is a slider (a.k.a. slurry food) that lacks sufficient protein. Since it's a slider, one could graze on a 1-pound bag of popcorn, never feel full, and have consumed 2000 calories over the course of a few hours. In other words, tread carefully. Good luck to you.