Heather13

I got these at Costco. I wrap them around lunch meat. Really good and super filling. There are so many great suggestions on this tread. I can't wait to try them.

Awesome that you lost all of that weight! And that you feel more comfortable about the surgery now. I had it a few months ago and am very happy that I did. Will you post again when you feel up to it and let us know how the surgery and experience went for you?

I'm super interested to see how others reply to your post. And I appreciate how honest it is. I'm three months out, and I'm at the point where I can pretty much eat anything. Certain I'm not supposed to, but everything feels tolerable to me. The problem is now that I can eat anything I've really slipped back into some of my bad habits. I'm a big stress eater and I've had a lot of stress the past couple of weeks. That's when I really find myself eating mindlessly, late at night, and just feeling so sick. It takes a lot less "bad" food to make me feel ill now, but I'm frustrated with myself that I'm even doing this kind of thing again. So, I guess my feeling would be that getting used to a new normal is the better choice. And somehow finding a way to be really happy with the new normal. I've lost about 40 lbs and that has made me extremely happy. But not using food as a coping skill is not something I've learned yet. Oh, and lastly, you will definitely be able to eat two ribs in the not too distant future. I think that is really when I'm feeling on top of things. When I have a small portion of something delicious and it satisfies me, and doesn't make me sick, and I don't throw the whole day away because of it.

I am only 3 weeks out and not drinking any soda at this time. But I have read conflicting thoughts on drinking soda. I'm wondering if it's possible that people who have the sleeve can drink soda, but with other bariatric surgeries you cannot. It seems that bypass, duodenal, and lap band, which are more involved surgeries which have stricter limitations on what you can eat and drink. I feel like these limitation get applied to sleeve patients as well, even when there's a little more flexibility with the sleeve. Then again, that could just be wishful thinking on my part because I really, really miss diet coke. Curious what others think. Thank you!

I'm curious to see what responses you get. I'm only a few months out but what you're describing is what I fear. I already feel like I can eat a lot. I hope you get some good feedback. That's what I really like about this site.

Did you ever get any answers on this? I've been trying Metamucil in the morning, but it's really disgusting.

I'm really glad you asked the question and happy/relieved to hear the responses. I've been nervous about this too. I'm 6+ weeks out. I'm really starting to be able to eat more now and I worry about maintenance at some point too. I think I would be heartbroken if I made such a huge commitment and wasn't able to keep the weight off.

That's how I felt!

Arabesque, thank you for sharing that. Your perspective is helpful. You had your sleeve surgery about a year before I had mine, so it's nice to be able to read what you and others have done. This site has been extremely helpful.

I felt like I'd read that, too, but someone posted here that it couldn't stretch your stomach.

The nutritionist at my doctor's office told us we're not allowed to have Crystal Light because of the artificial sweeteners. I still drink it because it helps me get my water in. Has anyone else been told not to drink it?

I struggled with lack of energy too, so am kind of relieved to read that it's common. I'm 5+ weeks out and it's starting to get better.

What type of surgery did you have? I had the sleeve surgery, and I was allowed to start soft food after 1 week: eggs, cottage cheese, beans, chicken. I couldn't get much of that down so I'd have something like that during the day, and the rest of the day would be protein drinks. I'm now on week 5 and still doing soft foods, but more of that and less of the protein drinks. It really does seem to vary from doctor to doctor. But, for my doctor, you didn't go wrong with the beans. I think the potatoes aren't as good because they'll fill you up, and you won't be getting protein.

I'm impressed that you're writing here only a day out. I didn't feel terrible, but definitely didn't feel like I could put together a sentence. I think the anesthesia really made me tired. The IV fluid, I think, is the reason for the "weight gain" and it will come off fast. I don't know if this will make it even more unpalatable, but could you mix the pain med into your protein shake? I didn't need it after the first night at home. Hopefully that will be the same for you and you won't have to worry about how bad it tastes soon.

Thank you for this information. I've been reading his book, but didn't know he had videos. And thanks to the others who have cautioned against his later videos. I'll stick to the information he shares that's helpful to me.

I wasn't covered by my insurance company and had to pay for my surgery too. It's disappointing, but I think that it shows your/our commitment to our health to not let that deter us. Also, I feel very fortunate that I was able to pay for it myself, because while it wasn't easy, it was possible and I know not everyone has this choice.

I love this idea! BTW, I was able to have soft food after my first week. So you having a little salmon, I think, is not bad. But I get what you're saying about wanting to follow the rules and your surgeon has different rules than mine. They really vary quite a bit I've noticed from dr to dr. My high is going on a long car trip yesterday and planning for it by packing two protein drinks and a hard-boiled egg. I didn't even eat/drink all of it - but I was prepared. My low is not walking 30+ minutes every day. Next week I plan on writing down everything I eat. I haven't done this yet, and realized that I really have no idea how many calories I've had in a day and specifically how much protein/fiber/etc. Also, congratulations on all the walking you did! I love that you weren't feeling fatigued when you did such a long walk. That's promising for all of us.

Thank you! This website and forum have been incredibly helpful. Just so nice to be able to know other's experiences. I know what you mean about exercising. I'm eager to start, but also get dizzy when I stand up quickly. I thought that might be low iron, but I've been taking iron. I'm a little concerned about losing the muscle that I have, but don't feel particularly strong to take on exercise. I did start a 30-day plank challenge two days ago and found that even the incline planks at 15 seconds were a struggle. I have an appointment with my surgeon on the 30th so I'm going to ask him about all of this. Are you able to do 20-30 minute walks per day?

Oh! I'm so happy!! I look forward to finding out how it all goes for you. I'm only a month out myself and very happy I did it.

This is interesting. I'm sleeve too, but I'm not allowed to have any fruit until after 6 weeks out. But I was allowed to have chicken in week two. It's odd how different the phases are.

I totally agree that it's no one's business and that you don't have to tell anyone. There are people in my life who I would never tell because I know them and I suspect that their response would not be supportive, even if it was jabs cloaked in supportive statements. But, I am lucky enough that there were a few people I could tell. One was extremely supportive from the minute I said "I'm thinking of getting sleeve surgery." The others were surprised, but not judgmental - just curious and wanted to make sure it was all safe and I'd done my homework. In the month since the surgery, having those people to talk to, even joke with, has made things easier. And they are excited about the weight I've lost already. They are impressed with how I've adapted and the commitment that is required to do this. I do believe this has made the process easier, better, and less lonely. So, if you have anyone in your life like that, I would encourage you to tell that one person or couple of people because it will be a benefit IMO.

BTW, I came to this page a little late. I actually had my surgery on May 28th, but feel like I fit in this group because it was so close to June. It's super helpful to read the other posts where everyone is roughly at the same part of their journey as I am. Would love it if this thread kept going because I feel like I'd love to know how everyone's progress goes and what pros and cons people are experiencing. I've been reading a lot about the sleeve specifically. And even though I'm only a month out, I'm already anxious reading about people who have plateaued or gained weight a couple of years out. The weight loss struggle has been part of my life since I was a kid, and I felt like getting the sleeve was a really big step and would finally put an end to this life-long struggle, so finding out that that is not always the case really shook me. This is such a unique experience, it would be great to continue to hear all of your thoughts and experiences for months and years to come. For those of you who were dealing with gas pain and nausea - how are you doing now? I was very lucky and had almost no nausea. I had a little bit of gas pain, but it was mostly gone by the end of the first week.

So funny. I experienced the exact opposite. I used to wake up in the morning hungry and the first thing I would do is make coffee and eat something. Now, one month post-op, when I wake up I'm not hungry at all and not interested in eating for the first few hours. Unfortunately, I'm always hungry at night. Around 9:00 or 10:00 pm I just feel like I really want something and usually wind up drinking a protein shake or eating some soft cheese. I really want to break this habit tho because late night eating was something I did a lot before surgery and I know it's a bad habit.

I totally understand not wanting to tell anyone. When I spoke to the psychologist in my surgeon's office she said not telling people gave it a sense of shame and instead I should feel proud of what I was doing. She understood not telling people who would not be supportive, but encouraged telling those who would be. I still only told four people that I really trust and who are supper supportive. If you have anyone in your life like that that you can count on, I would tell them. There are so many things you feel or experience that it's really nice to be able to talk about it with someone post surgery. And if you don't feel that way, then keep using the forum so you have people to talk to. And hopefully you're proud of yourself for making this big, positive change in your life. You should be! You deserve this!

Jennifer, I felt this same way. I cried when I was having my psychological consult about that very thing. But the doctor told me that I should be proud of myself and not feel shame. She said this is not going to be easy, you are making a commitment. Luckily, my sister (also named Jennifer) had the same advice and is incredibly supportive. I'm happy you're excited. You should be. I'm three weeks out and it's been very interesting adjusting to limited foods, not being particularly hungry, and not being able to eat the way I use to when I feel emotional. I watch videos on YouTube of a woman who had the surgery a couple of years ago and has posted since the beginning. She has a nice presence and covers so many topics including what she eats now, recipes, etc. It's called My Level 10 Life on YouTube.