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It's likely that you'll regain a little weight after you hit your target. This is sort of a natural physiological thing with age. You can fight it by watching what you eat and exercising more. In some ways, this is no different from the old diet and exercise routine; the big difference is that with the sleeve, it is much, much easier to be "good." You just can't shovel food in like you used to. If you try that, you'll be in a world of pain, and probably puke. Also, you don't get really hungry, despite not eating much. Admittedly I'm in the "honeymoon" phase (11 days post-op) but I can tell you that despite eating less than one-third or less of the calories I used to eat, I have not once, since surgery, been hungry. Period. This makes it much, much easier to do the right thing and eat only healthy stuff. Let's face it, that's the problem with diets, right? We can all lose weight through a massive effort, but keeping it off is so hard because if you're like me, you're hungry all the time! But after VSG, you're almost never really "hungry" -- in fact most sleevers apparently have to re-learn how to be "hungry." For my girlfriend, it's a sort of run-down feeling that lets her know she needs to "fuel the machine." For me, it's kinda getting sleepy. Either way, it's NOT the old constant stomach-growling starving wolf feeling! So no, the VSG isn't a magic bullet. What it DOES do is let you lose lots and lots of weight fast, and (most important) give you a tool that makes it much easier to KEEP it off!

Great info! Thanks! I'm especially going to look into the flaxseed; I have diverticulosis and need lots of fiber. If it doesn't taste fishy (I LIKE nutty!) then it sounds perfect.

So, this morning I've been having short, sharp pains on what feel like the surface of my stomach a little while after eating. The pains are (to my) right of center. They are not high enough or intense enough to be gall bladder issues (and besides, it's likely too soon). I've got a little rapid heartbeat and flushing, but honestly that's likely due to anxiety more than anything else. The pain is... minor, just worrying. It feels about like a bee sting or less. I guess I'm worried about a pinhole leak. However, the fact that it's right of center would militate against it being a leak, right? Or is the leak pain one of those "phantom" pains that you don't feel where it happens? Also, the pain is very minor and localized. Finally, it's not radiating. My stomach is gurgling a lot this morning, and it feels like my incisions are a little sore (for whatever reason). I'm just being silly, right?

Good to know they have O3 chewables! Could you PM me or post back here when you have an update? If they're not disgusting, I might want to get some!

Yeah... I'm really sorry to hear about all the trouble she's been having, by the way. Me, I'm just a hypochondriac.

Actually, are you straining to go, or just no need? I was straining for a few days before I had my first solid BM. I didn't strain too hard because I didn't know what that would do to my sleeve, but I was pretty bound up. I got really constipated on my low-carb pre-op diet.

It's pretty normal to not have much going on for a while after the sleeve, according to my surgeon. It took me almost a good week to have a solid BM after my surgery. Now at 11 days out, my bowel movements are about every other day. I'm sure that as I eat more, and more solid food, it'll become even more regular. So, I wouldn't worry, but definitely ask your doctor if you're concerned.

I'm a CHAMPION worrier! But I also know the odds and have techniques to combat anxiety.

I just went through the fever. It's normal. As long as it doesn't spike up and stay over 101, and as long as Tylenol controls it, don't worry Also, do your deep breathing exercises -- they'll help with anxiety as well as fever, and they keep your lungs clear

I just realized that my last meal pre-sleeve (which I'm going to cook up in about an hour or so in order to be inside my 12 hour no food window) will be a big plate of scrambled eggs. It's low carbs and it will give me a big chunk of Protein to tide me through a few days of almost no nutrients, but it seems sort of... anticlimactic, doesn't it? I'll add some cayenne pepper and lots of cheese to make it less bland, but still... I feel like it should be a giant steak and mashed potatoes, a big frosty mug of beer, and a dessert of cherry pie a la mode. Instead... scrambled eggs and cheese. Oh well, I'm not doing this for the "last meals" I'm doing it for long-term health!

Okay never mind, it's just incision pain. I took a walk and that calmed my mind. Exercise is the best thing ever for anxiety. It's even better than Xanax! Edit: part of the reason that I got worried was (a) the pain happened a few minutes after eating, and (:thumbup: my incisions felt fine (just a little itchy) yesterday, so I thought it was weird that they'd hurt today. But, they do -- oh well!

Oh yeah, I second the heating pad idea. It's been better than the narcotics for me for minor pain! I swear there's a psycho-somatic component too; sometimes I would feel better just knowing the heating pad was on me, even if it wasn't warmed up yet!

I'm still not cleared for weight lifting (oh happy day...) but I'm rocking my walk. I'm walking further and further (about 2 miles in a single walk now) and what I'm noticing is that I'm walking FAST. It's not intentional, I just move at a natural pace, but I'm ZIPPING. I guess 30 pounds of flab lost makes a difference in my stamina, eh? What's really surprising me is that I'm starting to ENJOY my walks. I've always, at best, tolerated them. But suddenly I'm looking forward to them. Huzzah! I'm sure that partially the beautiful, beautiful premature summer weather we're having here in Seattle is helping. And I get a little stir crazy sitting here all day -- I'm working from home. But still... me? LIKING exercise? Who'da thunk it?!

I'd go, but I know that I'd be too tempted to lift weights and probably hurt myself. I can wait for a couple more weeks rather than run the risk of injuring myself and being out of commission for a month or longer!

Thanks! I SO can't wait to get back to the gym...

Yeah I had some pureed potato soup yesterday (and have leftovers today) and I swear, after a nonstop diet of yogurt, jello, and water, it was the most delicious thing I've ever tasted...

First, STOP. Eat ONLY what your doctor clears you to eat. You will NOT be happy if you stretch or damage your sleeve just to have a Freeto! Second, if you're having hunger and growling, it might be false hunger due to acid. Make sure your doc has you on an appropriate dose of acid blocker. Finally, make sure that you follow the sleeve guidelines: no beverages with your meals, chew, chew, chew, Protein first, then veggies, then carbs -- etc.

This is a very good point, and very important... carbs are useful to give you a little "boost" before physical activity. The whole Atkins "carbs are evil" thing has gone too far. Moderation in all things. Unsustainable weight loss is what got most of us here in the first place. Make sure that you're treating your sleeve as a lifelong change, not just a quick-fix diet. We all know how those turn out.

Folks, our bodies are NOT machines. It's not as simple as calories in/calories out. There are hormonal issues, environmental issues, stress, TYPE of food, Water retention, and so many other things that can make the scale fluctuate from day to day. Your best bet is to STOP watching the scale. Weigh yourself once every couple weeks, or once a week TOPS. By doing this, you'll stop torturing yourself over every little blip, and learn how to be free of the tyranny of the scale. It may be hart to break the addiction, but once you stop treating your body like a machine and start treating it like the complex living organism that it is, and give up on constantly watching the scale every day, you'll be SO much happier. Eat healthy, exercise, know you're doing the right thing, and stop obsessing about the scale. Live your life!

Yeah, I've had some bouts of hiccups that were unpleasant. I think it's some kind of reaction by the nerve clusters in the stomach area. Some sleevers like my girlfriend get a single hiccup when they're full.

Yes, you CAN ask your doctor this, and you should. Doctors are trained to deal with discussions of recreational drugs, and are in fact going to be better at giving you "just the facts" minus the judgment. I have recreationally used marijuana and believe it should be legalized. I don't use it anymore because I've grown out of it, but I think what you do to your body is your choice. It may be a foolish choice, but it's your choice. I am NOT A DOCTOR, but from what I know, this surgery shouldn't interact with marijuana consumption at all, unless you're eating it (rather than smoking it). I would highly recommend waiting a good 6 months after surgery before you partake, however, because god only knows how the marijuana and other meds might interact. I would definitely not smoke anything (including cigarettes, but also marijuana) for a couple months after surgery, because compromised lung function & pneumonia is already a concern. Also, I agree with others -- why on earth would you want to sabotage a perfectly good weight loss surgery with a drug that's best known for giving people the munchies?

I've seen a few people who had significant complications, but even so most of those are glad they had the surgery in the long run. The few "regrets" posts I've seen are usually folks with significant food addictions who didn't really take the time to mourn the loss of their drug of choice.

Since my sleeve, I'm actually continually amazed at just how LITTLE food I need to survive (and thrive!) I think my conception of how much food I needed was way, way out of whack!

I guarantee you that you cannot put on anywhere near 2 lbs of muscle in anything short of a couple of weeks. If you're fluctuating by 2 lbs, it's water weight or other factors. Make sure you're staying adequately hydrated & with good nutrition, and only weigh yourself once a week or so.

Yeah, I'm wondering just how much it is even possible to "stretch" the sleeve. I'm thinking that weight regain with the sleeve will mostly be due to too many "slider" foods and soft calories. That doesn't make it impossible, but much less likely than with the band or the bypass. Plus the hormone thing shouldn't be underestimated. My girlfriend, at 6 months out, says that to this day she still just never feels hungry. That's not trivial at all.