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I really didn't do the puree stage..... Protein shakes for 3 weeks post op and then my surgeon put me on soft foods like soft baked salmon, flounder, tuna and stewed chicken, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and etc. Chewed very, very carefully of course. I'm glad it was like this. Much of the stuff that I see commonly eaten during the puree stage don't really support high protein and weight loss.

Today marks my 2 week mark since surgery... I must admit this has been a rough week. My sleeve has gotten fed up with all the sweets (sweet protein drinks, pudding, jello, fudgesicle, popsicles etc). To eat anyone of them anymore caused my stomach to be upset and I threatened throwing up several times...Top that all of with heartburn and finally getting to the point where I truly miss food...I am not at all hungry but I just want to chew. Some say chew gum but last time I did, I actually swallowed it so I am staying away from gum. I am on fluids for another week and then I moved to soft foods...Boy am I looking for to some salmon. I want sushi but not sure my sleeve will tolerate it. On the flip side, I did introduce foods that I did not like pre-surgery as I thought my taste buds would appreciate them now since they hadnt had much. Both cottage cheese and yogurt are on my full liquids list. I could not stomach either one before surgery but now I am loving both of them and given they are both high in protein that is a good thing... I also got into some pants I could not wear pre-surgery...My skin is clearing up because it doesnt have all the greasy fatty foods running through me...I love water now...and my pee is so clear and lady like... My incisions are healing quite well. I had glue and steri strips on my incisions and only two of the incisions (one being the largest one) still have on the strips. The tenderness is mainly gone but if I make a wrong move, I am reminded that I did get cut on recently. I also starting walking on the treadmill. I am doing 2.5 miles or 50 minutes...so a slow place...but did not want to push it too much. I plan on adding the other half mile next week...Get the walking on down so that at month one, I can begin to alternate walking and jogging...I even managed to mow a portion of my lawn on Wednesday. I left the hills to my ex boyfriend but I felt good I was able to do that without any pain. So while I had a rough week, I am not going to complain because this surgery is truly life changing. Sure the firsts few weeks are tough and everyday represents another day to stay committed to our new lifestyle but in exchange I get the body I have wanted a long time. I also get to participate in all the fun and crazy atheletic events (i.e. Tough Mudder) without fear of being the fat girl that gets stucks as the wall. So again I cannot be a complainer. I have such a wonderful future ahead of me thanks this tool. I have no regrets...no complaints... And for the numbers VSG 08/17/12 HT 5'8 HW 232 (08/13/12) SW 227 CW 212.8 Total Weight loss 19.2

I remember you from the forums, I had my surgery 10/1/12. I lost about 53lbs pre and post op. My weight loss was SUPER slow!!! I got pregnant a year post surgery and gained 40lbs. After the baby, I started experiencing horrible GERD. I also was not losing weight at all. Slider foods like crackers much easier(not good I know) but something didn't seem right. So I consulted a new bariatric dr. as my first surgery was in S. America. He told me he has seen stretched sleeve post-pregnancy. Now mind you I was very diligent when pregnant. So he sent me for a barium swallow. It was discovered I did have GERD and a hiatal hernia. I went for an endoscopy last week. My sleeve is angulated (twisted) and has a bit if a pouch so food does not exit the way it should backs up in sleeve which can cause stretching and GERD. I am in the process of a revision. Get checked. I do not believe there is enough data about pregnancy and the sleeve IMO. I think there is still a lot they do not know.

You may not see any loss for a few days after surgery, because you have been pumped full of Fluid. I started losing about two days after surgery and averaged a lb per day for about three weeks. I then stalled for about a week then lost about another 5 lbs and at a complete stall now. Going to have to have nothing but Protein, no carbs to get it moving again. I'm not really one to be compared to as I only had 60 lbs to lose to start with as I was banded until I had to have it removed and had to have bypass.

Yes. Only I didn't know that's what it was until my EGD as I didn't have typical heartburn symptoms, but a chronic nighttime cough that had been incorrectly diagnosed and treated (unsuccessfully) as asthma. They found GERD evidence and a hernia in my EGD and put me on Omeprazole immediately which helped. Then I had surgery, it got worse for about 30 days before it got better, but I'm mostly symptom free at this point, (goal for the last year and 1/2) as long as I take the Omeprazole 2x day. I think it depends on the patient. I was warned that the sleeve is a reflux inducing surgery, but the doc was confident that with hernia repair, weight loss and medication I'd do okay.

Wow way to go!!!! I'm not losing nearly thy kind I weight but I am gaining muscle so maybe that is accounting for some of the non weight loss. Keep up the great work!!

I went through something very similar at about 1 year post banding. I was doing everything right (so I thought) and following all the rules, but I'd feel nauseous after eating small amounts of nearly anything. There were days when even liquids made me feel sick. It took months of very fast weight loss but also some trial and error (and talking to my doctor) to figure out that it was all in my head. It's almost like I had become so addicted to the weight loss that I didn't want to eat. I still struggle with it sometimes (long recovered anorexic, so makes sense). Yes, obviously you need to talk to your doctor and make sure there is nothing wrong physically, but it very well could be "all in your head." I would never think that possible if I hadn't gone through it. If it helps at all, a strategy that worked for me was to give up the 3 meals a day plan and focus on getting in just 1 or 2 bites at a time and keeping that in for a few hours and trying again. I counted calories and not meals and still eat more that way on a daily basis. Hope you feel better and good luck!

It's been 10 weeks since my surgery. I've lost a few pounds (I weighed 221.6 at the time of surgery and I weigh 209.2 right now), but I'm eating way too much. I'm also making poor food choices. As a rule, I do fine during the day, but in the evening is when I falter. I had fill #1 on 6/12 (.5). I had to go back 2 weeks later and have .25 cc's removed as I was pb'ing too much. Then my second fill date was 7/9. When I went in I just knew the scales would either show I'd gained (horrors!) or that I hadn't lost anything! Actually, they showed an almost 7 pound loss! I had weighed on my scales at home before I left and typically, they run 4-5 pounds lighter than Dr. Schmitt's do. However, that day they were 6.3 pounds heavier! I even told the nurse I didn't think that was right. So I came home and ordered some new scales. When those came, they read almost identical to my old scales, so I feel certain those at the doc's office are wrong. I don't feel any restriction right now, but hope that changes as the month goes on (which I've read does happen). I'm eating like a horse and making poor food choices, at least at night. My next fill date isn't until August 7th; not soon enough if I don't tighten up! :help:

The truth hurts, but when provided through love, I find it hurts a bit less. Your daughters are brave and I love that they had no qualms about telling you that you own your own weight loss destiny. Makes me think about my current situation and owning what I'm not doing that is contributing to my personal disappointment. Thank you for the encouragement.

Welcome Laurie! I joined just yesterday, and am already loving it! I think you've probably done well with weight loss since you've only had it done for two weeks! At least based on everything I've read. Congratulations! I know you're going to like it here! kelly

In my case, I am going about half as much. Since I'm taking in less than half of the food I used to eat, it only follows that I'd be going less. Although it does make for some anxiety moments on the scale. I won't lose weight for a day or two and think I'm in a stall. Then I'll go to the bathroom and POOF! I'm down a pound and the weight loss resumes.

Leila if you have a little time, I do a lot of taste test videos on my blog I taste quite a lot of Protein drinks and mixes, I am adding a few more today. They are flash based so they may not run open an I-pad or i-phone but I can always post them to youtube so every one can watch them there. if you want to check them out , they are at http://cuttingthefatwithaknife.blogspot.com thank you. there are a lot of flavors you can try that might meet your needs. just be careful not to use protein powders made for weight lifters these are weight gainers not for weight loss. keep your spirit up!

I just wanted to give everyone here a head's up on this! A friend on the RNY boards once mentioned this show so I went over to youtube to check it out. It's an awesome weight loss show from England and sort of like "my 600 lb life" but the patients tend to be more around 250-400 lbs. The shows offer some really good insight into lifestyle post op, eating, and shows the entire surgeries. it is fairly graphic but also VERY educational into the entire WLS industry. It doesn't hurt that the dr on the show is also easy on the eyes and very down to earth with a true passion to help people! there are only a couple VSG patients that I have seen, and a few lap-band, but mostly RNY but still a really good show. hope you enjoy!

It is happening and you are doing great! Congratulations on your loss!

I'm only two weeks out, but a salad sure sounds amazing! Congrats on the weight loss too!

Roughly two months out now, and my weight loss looks like this: 8/19/13 - 343 8/26/13 - 336 9/2/13 - 327 9/9/13 - 319 9/16/13 - 312 9/23/13 - 306 9/30/13 - 302 10/7/13 - 296 10/14/13 - 293 10/21/13 - 293 So, of course, I'm freaking out now. Granted, I had a rough week (drank beer at my college homecoming, didn't eat the best food), but I also started cardio again this past week, so I expected at least... 1lb or something. Even though the food I ate was bad, it was like 5 bites. You can see the trend - each week is less and less. Is this a "stall" that I keep hearing about? Should I be freaking out? Help me put my mind at ease. I mean, I am still like 50-60lbs overweight. I better not be done already!

It's a journey.....it's a bummer when there is a week with no loss, but you will catch up. You may have just caught your weighing at a time when you were holding Water or needed to have a BM or whatever. I found throughout the journey that I would have a no loss week (but no gain) or lose just a pound and the next week I would lose double my normal loss, it was usually just catching the scale and the wrong time. Before you know it you will be 6 - 8 months out and be like, "Wow, when did I lose all this weight." Keep at it, enjoy the journey along the way. I special event is SPECIAL, don't beat yourself up for it. Get back on your normal routine again and keep on keepin' on!

I reached my doctor's goal a couple weeks ago and am still losing. My personal goal is only 6 pounds away, so I want to start to slow my loss, too. Like you, I can't really eat anymore than I already am. I even tried cheating this weekend at a picnic...had 1/4 burger, baked beans with bacon, taco dip with Doritos and even some vodka and a shot of apple pie moonshine! But I still lost 2 pounds (this is NOT a complaint,). So I am going to switch from skim milk to 1% in my shakes and eat real PB instead of PB2 and maybe start adding some noodles or rice into my meals a couple times/weeks to see what happens.

Thanks for the advise. A lot of the problem foods for me now are proteins. And that's not good since protein is supposed to be our staple. I will keep plugging along. The thing that helps is the big weight loss.

A Course in Weight Loss: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever by Marianne Williamson. She really dives a lot into the psychology of why we hold onto weight and puts it into a real healing perspective from a spiritual (meaning non religious) point of view.

My husband thought it was another hair brain idea. I went to the seminar anyway . I came back very educated and very excited. He read the material I recieved very carefully .... and here I am his "new on the outside wife" off 10 pills and 2 shots of insulin a day. edie

Lil sister this is a great NSV. I am so proud of you and your loss already. WOW you are rocking that sleeve SIS, Don't forget to get those pics on the gallery so we can see the skinny you in transformation. I am so psyched for you. You are doing great!!!!!!:rockon: :whoo: :clap2:

Looking for experienced lap Band to sleeve conversions. I had my Lap band removed 11/2015, Sleeved Sept 8,2016! I’ve lost maybe 1 pound or 2 lbs, since being home this week/ 8days post op. I’m starting to think-this sleeve will not be a rapid weight loss for folks like me who had a band for (2006-15!!), so WOW 9 years. My weightless was low, at 45 lbs, in the beginning , but I Know it kept me for gaining. Then once removed back to my original weight of 250. Do you Ex-banders have as much success as the other newbies? Thanks all! I’ve been creeping here for months, glad I finally signed in.

I dreaded telling my husband because he would think the same way I did when I first contemplated this ...it just seemed so extreme, it doesn't now the more I educate myself about it and here all these success stories. He actually found out on his own when he got on our shared computer and kept seeing this web site narrowed down at the bottom. He laughes and doesn't think I'll actually go through with it and of course gave me the lecture about starting today ...eat right exercise etc. and I'll see in a few weeks I'll lose the weight....I kept my 10 year intense weight loss battle mostly to myself I guess. I felt like this last weight gain after a stellar 4 month effort of marathon training and healthy eating just did me in....it was the straw!!!!!

You have very good reasons for having the surgery & questions & doubts about progressing are common. It’s surgery. It changes your digestive system. There is a period of healing & recovery. To be successful for the long term, you will have to make changes to how, what & why you eat & your relationship with food. The months post surgery give you time to work through all of this & certainly therapy, as @SleeverSk suggested, can be very helpful. The surgery also gives you time to develop better eating habits & routines like being more mindful. Will you forget & take a too big sip or bite or eat too quickly? Yes it will happen but your body soon tells you & you’re usually extra careful after the experience. Often all you’ll experience is just discomfort but occasionally foamies or vomiting. Complications after surgery aren’t common and many are related to pre existing conditions or predispositions. The risks are lower for bariatric surgeries than many other common surgeries. I used to control almost all my reflux with dietary choices before surgery (no spicy, fatty or rich food, little carbonation & reduced caffeine) which is why I had sleeve. I still have reflux but it is different & I need meds every day which I didn’t before. I hate taking tablets & often forget. Multi vitamins always make me nauseous but my bloods are good & I don’t need to take them anymore though some sleevers still do. Just depends on your diet & absorption for us. But it is a necessity after bypass as malabsorption of calories (& therefore nutrients) is how it contributes to your weight loss. Dumping can occur with bypass (about 40% chance I think) but if you discover you have it it is simply a matter of avoiding fats or sugars as they are the usual culprits. Some even find they can eat small amounts as time passes. You can also have it with a sleeve but it is less common (30%??). The average weight loss with sleeve & bypass is about the same 65% +/- of the weight you have to lose to put you in a healthier weight range. Some lose more some lose less. Make a list of your questions to discuss with your surgeon. They’re best placed to answer them in relation to your specific needs, health status/issues & weight loss/gain history. All the best whichever surgery you have.