Long time Sleevers, the Experts

[yecats 109]

Hi, I have hesitated sharing this for it is hard to put in words.

I plan on being sleeved at the beginning of the year. My mind is completely made up.

I realize that the sleeve is a tool, you have to work it. I believe it is pretty common, (pre sleeve) to mostly consider the end result, which is weight loss, the ultimate goal and of course, hopefully for the majority, to be healthier.

I wonder how many consider before hand that you have to mentally, physically and emotionally prepare for the entire experience to get the best results. I assume the ones that rush in just looking for the end result are inevitably confronted with this post -op.

I have several little questions that are a result of the same weird issue I have been stuck on, which hopefully I will be able to convey.

Is working the sleeve just like being on another diet? Do you always still have to have tremendous will power? This might sound rediculous but I hear some say they are craving foods and are some really hungry and others full, are you ever hungry and full at the same time? What does that feel like?

I am ambaressed to say this but being heavy my entire life, I do not think I have ever been so full that I can not eat. I can not fathem that one. I have thought a lot about this and have come to realize (over many failed attempts at losing weight) that I have always been a grazer, a chip here, some nuts, ice cream, lots of this, a little of that through out a day. Then I hear of people still doing that. I am so confused and don't understand. I know the sleeve is different for everyone.

I am scared for what I can not rap my head around!

I have will power, I have lost tons of weight, just did not keep it off. I can handle pain & being uncomfortable. I am having a hard time trying to explain what I mean. Sorry I am all over the place.

Okay... how bout this scenerio...

You see an island( not being fat any longer) far away in the distance, you want to be on that island . There is a boat ( the sleeve) to bring you there. Your excited, you can not wait. How do you row the boat, will I be able to ? I have never driven a boat, and matter of fact, the sea is different (my stomach) not at all what I am used to. Does that make any sense?

Maybe I am just overthinking but I can not wrap my head around this. I am not asking if I can do it or what is it like but what does it feel like. Not the sleeve it self but the difference in our eating habits pre surgery vs post op.

My husband always comments on how in tune I am with my senses, like knowing when I am getting sick or an infection or whatever. Yet I am worried about not being able to be in tune with my "newness".

It's like not knowing what it's like to be pregnant for you have'nt experienced having any children. I did have "mothers instincts" once I gave birth, is it like that?

Will I have a sleeve instinct? I hope I do. I do not fear the surgery, I fear my sleeve- nancy (preg nancy)

Writing this, I am starting to feel like it is a control issue of some sort.

Does anyone understand or have felt like this? I would like to ignore this nervousness and push on but I think that would be totally unhealthy going into it, without acknowledging it.

I am going to Mexico, I have no health insurance, so I do not have a Nut Dr. so I turn to you wonderful informative compassionate sleevsters. I want it so bad. I see the island!!!!

I have read a lot where people regret for a while and I think it is because of this I fear, when the unknown becomes reality. I have a panicy feeling about it, so I pray!

For someone supposably being so "in tune" with thier senses, I sure can not explain them very well.

I sound like a crazy woman lol.

thanks so much for any input.

[Thomas CPA 496]

It is a lifestyle change. You can eat your way out of surgery and it can be easy to revert to emotional eating like the old days. I have had nights that I had to stop and think as I started nibbling on things for an hour out of being bored or getting upset by wife setting me off. Yes, you will still likely have cravings and go on grazing sprees especially after you do it for a couple of months and you can start to eat more.

In some respects by a diet you need consciousness not to overdo junk food especially sliders like ice cream.

You know it is coming so you should start changing eating habits now by eating smaller meals over a 45 minute period, not drinking with meals.

I have no regrets about the surgery, I just get mad at myself when I go on a grazing spree. Tonight I had a handful of jelly Beans and way to much orange juice. My tummy is reminding me not to be so stupid to cave into emotional eating.

After a couple of months you will eat most all normal foods. If you are used to a lot of eating out lunches and stuff then you will changes to make like ordering smaller portions or do a lot of doggie bagging.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

Its normal to be nervous, and you really can't understand how you will feel until you feel it! I have seen a few people here who really abuse the sleeve early on... but not many. People who drink, stuff them selves, eat the wrong foods early on. I think if you can get past doing that... you will probably be ok. I would say most/all of us have had dysfunctional relationships with food or we wouldn't be here, and yet most/many of us are getting to goal, and are extremely happy with how things are turning out. I think its sane to think about the future, but over thinking will not give you the answers you are looking for. Only experience will do that. Want to get thin, fit and healthy? Then jump in and follow Drs orders. Come here and rummage through the files... we have talked about just about everything here one time or another.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Honestly, in the beginning it's pretty easy to lose weight. You can barely eat a few bites and you're full. Some people get mad about this because they want to eat more.

After a couple of months, you're able to eat more and you try to eat more and it's extremely painful . You feel like your stomach is going to explode. It's easy not to graze then, because you're so full, you don't want more food.

After about a year, you're eating pretty normally, You eat small meals and a variety of foods, and you're satisfied. Head hunger can be another story. In the evenings for me, my head starts asking me what there is in the house I can snack on. So yes, it does take some will power. It's nothing like not having the sleeve though.

I really feel that this surgery is the only hope for most people who lose weight and also want to keep it off. We all now how to lose weight. It's living life after you've lost most of your weight that gets a little tricky.

It's important to learn new habits that first year.

This board is so valuable all the steps along the way.

[ismini9 3]

To answer some of your questions:

Is working the sleeve just like being on another diet? No - when sleeved: (1) you do not feel hunger as you do when on a diet (you may feel hunger after 3-4 hours have passed since your last meal, but then you eat again), (2) small quantities of food are more than satisfactory, (3) as time passes you will realize that you do not need the same foods as previously to be satisfied - basically you will be eating lighter food because it will be easier for your stomach to digest and taste will not be that important to you any more... You will be eating just because you have to... And, mind you, having small meals every 3-4 hours is the best thing for your body as it will constantly be burning fat - will lead to a healthier life.

Do you always still have to have tremendous will power? No. You will not have any other choice than to eat small (healthy) portions. Even if you do have to have tremendous will power in the beginning, it will get better as time passes - remember, your body's needs will change. I admit, i have cravings some time, which I always satisfy, for example i went and got myself a double cheesburger from McDonalds, however i was only able to eat a very small portion of the burger as the sleeve couldn't handle it. It is not healthy enought for smooth digestion. Now, I don't even crave it any more. I now crave foods which will not mess up my digestive system...

This might sound rediculous but I hear some say they are craving foods and are some really hungry and others full, are you ever hungry and full at the same time? What does that feel like? Never

What you have to keep in mind is that being sleeved is a life-changing decision. It will be difficult at first to get used to a new lifestyle, but it will become easier as time passes.

Hope my reply helped you a bit.

[Eureka-C 20]

I ditto the answers on the other posts. Its nothing like I could ever imagine.

2 points - First, I refuse to ever be on a diet again. I try to make healthy choices, but I eat what I feel is normal. That being said, the sleeve made it possible for me to not be at war with food for the first time in my life. Second, I am a slow loser, because I don't work my sleeve. I also don't sabotage my sleeve by drinking shakes, high calorie drinks etc. So I lose slowly but steadily. at 10 months out I am losing about 3 pounds a month. I have lost 90 pounds since I was sleeved (started at almost 300).

You asked the question about being full and still hungry. I have been under a lot of stress lately and my coping mechanism has been to binge eat. I have found myself fixing food, ordering food, buying food and being unable to eat it. In the moment, it makes me angry, because I am full and cannot eat my way out of my stress. Afterward, I am glad because I don't have to feel guilty about anything except throwing away uneaten food. Up to this stressful time in my life, I have been totally happy with my small portions, the loss of obsessing over food, and the new healthy relationship I have with food. It hurts if I eat too much or too fast. I get the slimies and throw up if I go past "that point." I have learned to just stop. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband and family. I am able to turn to them for support and comfort.

This has been the best choice I could have ever made. I don't regret it one iota.

[KellyL 173]

Hi Yecats,

It's not like a diet to me at all, but like you said, we are all different. I have seen a couple of people complain that it feels like a diet to them. In the sense that you need to track your Protein to make sure you get in the minimum, and keep up with your water/fluids to make sure you get it all in, then I guess that part could seem like a diet to some. Especially if they didn't read/research a long time before making their decision to have surgery. Because it doesn't take a lot of reading/researching on these forums to realize that there are many lifestyle changes and the sleeve is just a tool. We are still responsible for making the right choices, tracking to make sure we get the correct nutrition, and even though the tool does most of the work for us on the Portion Control part of things, a lot of us do restrict carbs. I've seen some people say they don't really restrict the carbs, but some of us who have had Type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance still have to watch those things to lose any amount of weight. Another thing is the exercise. There are a few who say they lost weight and got to goal with little to no exercise, but in general, most people do have to form a habit of some kind of exercise into their lives to really kick in the weight loss, and help get them to their goal quicker, and even maintain their weight loss. But on the will power part, things are much easier for me on that and feeling more in control where food is concerned. I am not ravenously hungry all the time and want to eat only certain things that I crave. And with the sleeve, no I've never been full but still be hungry. You are completely satisfied after eating a tiny amount. It's not like a diet, where you only get to eat certain things and small amounts, but you feel like you're still hungry or deprived. Now, I am not hungry a lot but I eat because I know i have to fuel my body and keep my protein up. I won't say that things don't look or smell good or that I don't ever want things I shouldn't have, I still choose not to bring things into my house because it still makes it easier if things aren't so convenient. So if it's not in my house, I don't really think about it or want it.. Generally I actually want and have the taste for the Proteins that I know I am suppose to eat. I have taken 1 bite of a dessert to taste once or twice, but was completely satisfied with just that one bite. I didn't have the desire to have a whole piece of pie/cake or whatever. Having said all this, I feel I was pretty well prepared for the lifestyle changes. I had been researching and reading for 7 yrs and knew I wanted surgery so I saw people post constantly about tracking foods, having to restrict carbs, so none of the changes were a shock to me. I have not yet for one second regretted my decision to get the Sleeve. A lot of people have buyers remorse sometimes immediately post op or for the first month or so, and I understand why. Cause no matter how prepared and how happy you are to be sleeved, it is STILL a big adjustment to your eating and lifestyle, because it isn't just changing how or what you eat. It completely changes your relation with food, and changes your familys relationship with eating and socializing and a lot of family activities that may have revolved around food, can't happen as much, or as easy. You just always have to keep in mind what you're eating or snacking on everyday, plan it, take stuff with you everywhere you go so you don't get stuck in a situation where you have nothing good for you to eat. So it still is kinda like your life still revolves around food to a certain extent, but only because you are planning, preparing, tracking healthier food instead of like before where our lives might of revolved around food cuz we were always hungry, craving, planning on eating out, etc. It's just we're trying to become healthier now and get skinny rather than be out of control and keep getting fatter and our self esteem suffering, our health suffering etc. The thing for me was, I had been diagnosed Type 2 Diabetic(this was AFTER I started researching WLS too), and I knew if I didn't do this, my health would only get worse and I would die from some form of obesity related disease. So I did it more for the health benefits than anything. Type 2 Diabetes was the final deciding factor that I finally put my foot down and said, come hell or high Water, without insurance, despite money struggles, I AM going to have this surgery, even if it's self pay in MX, despite how others felt about it. I had researched enough that I was completely comfortable with it and and had learned thru research that the Drs had done a lot more Sleeves anyway. I was more afraid to NOT have the surgery than to have it, if that makes sense. Oh, and I know I have mentioned a couple of times about all my research, but I read about Hair loss, stalls, and all the things that freak us out post-op. And even though I KNEW those things were common and would most probably or likely happen to me, It is STILL difficult to go thru these things when it's happening to you. I still freak out about both even though my hair loss really only got bad for a wk, my hair was already thinning before. And I'm afraid it's not over and I'll still have more fall out. And the stalls, I swore I would not let get to me and I wasn't going to stress or whine about it everyday on the forum lol. Well I may not have started topics on it, but yes the stalls bother me, really bad. I am like many people that I think, omg, am I gonna be the only person that this surgery doesn't work for? I know it's not a good idea to compare my weight loss to anyone elses, but it's really hard NOT to. But I know I'm not finished losing weight. I know I am much healthier and will continue to improve even more. And I am VERY happy with my sleeve and the choice to have it, because I have NEVER lost this much weight in this amount of time or kept it off. It's changed my life for the better in so many ways, and I am excited and looking forward to more improvements and changes. As someone else said, it's natural to worry about having surgery, and it's also natural to worry about post-op life. But most peoples biggest regret is not having it sooner, whether it was because it's only been offered for a few yrs, or they couldn't make up their mind, or because insurance wouldn't cover it. And even most of the people that have a rough start or complications, still say they don't regret it and would do it all over again, even with the complications. Good luck to you and I'm sorry I got long winded!! haha And I hope I didn't miss a question. Shoot me a msg if anything I said was confusing or didn't make sense.