Stretching?

[MissAMcCoy 0]

I had surgery 10-18-11 and have only lost 32ish lbs. I lost 25lbs right off the bat and the rest has been verrryyyy slow. I am paranoid that I stretched my stomach out somehow, not sure how considering the amount of food I can take in, but hey, anythings possible right? I can eat and drink pretty much anything which I think is my own worst enemy. I keep resorting back to comfort foods. Does anyone have any advice on what to do, I could use all the help I can get!!

[sirensiren 67]

You're just 2 months out, and you've lost 32 lbs?! That is GREAT! It's very easy to get discouraged when you see other people losing more weight at a quicker pace, but you are an individual, and if you started out at a lower BMI than some, you are naturally going to be a slower loser pound per pound. If you do it by percentages, you'll likely be right on track.

32 lbs in 2 months is still 4 lbs a week on average. The general recommendation among doctors and weight loss experts is that ideal weight loss is 1-2 lbs a week, obviously with a sleeve you lose much more than that- but look at it that way!

My surgeon said it is virtually impossible to "stretch" out the area of stomach left after VSG. They remove the portion that is prone to stretching, and in addition to that if you follow people who have had VSG the longest, they all still have restriction similar to what they've had since they have healed.

How much can you eat? Have you eaten so much you felt uncomfortable or gad to vomit?

I manage to get through an egg I scramble up with a couple tablespoons of whole wheat flour, once I'm done I feel quite full. My meals are all about that size, I eat roughly that portion size each time. I don't measure out my food, I simply eat slowly until I feel the first signs of restriction. When I've taken it passed that point or eaten too fast, I get that "ughhh I'm fullllll" feeling.

[MissAMcCoy 0]

I don't measure my food either. A typical meal is about 3 bites of salad, half a hamburger patty and mayybbeee a few bites of a starch - roll/fries/baked potato. And I am full for a few hours. I have vomited once (ate a whole hamburger patty cause I thought I was starving) and it was horrible. I learned really quick and early how to notice the 'it's about time to stop eating' signs )

I think that my whole paranoia about stretching out my stomach is that is isn't something that I can visibly see and control. I hate to think that I have spent all that money and effort for something that I can't monitor. But thank goodness it is virtually impossible. There are always those 1%-ers and I hope I'm not one of them!

Thanks for the encouraging words. When you step back and look at everything we have been through and accomplished thus far it seems much better. 3-4 lbs a week is excellent and this time last year I only dreamed to be where I am today.

[sirensiren 67]

It does not sound like you're eating too much at all, I think it's fine!

In reality, if you are eating slowly and paying attention the first signs of restriction and backing off when they happen, you're doing all you can to avoid stretching.

I worry about this too, and VSG is still a fairly new procedure- the ability of the stomach to expand isn't impossible, but it seems unlikely. We have a fairly good understanding of the stomach, bariatric and stomach surgery has gone on for years and years now.

If your weight loss was only significant in the beginning, then slowed way down, perhaps look at what you are consuming now. Are you drinking sugary drinks at all? This was a huge downfall I had, I drank gatorade thinking it was my only option for electrolytes. How many times a day are you eating?

[smallgirlsxthree 23]

I'm right there with ya girl!! I was sleeved the 14th of October and I've been crawling at a snail's pace with my weight loss here lately. I did figure out the other day that I wasn't eating nearly enough each day though, even when I ate crappy stuff. Have you tracked your calories for a day? I was only eating about 500 calories a day, so hopefully I'll get more results if I bump my intake up a little bit. I feel guilty too, it's too easy to eat whatever you want. I almost wish that I had more problems with junky stuff so I wouldn't eat it. Good luck,and if you figure out a "secret" let me in on it!!

[MissAMcCoy 0]

I usually eat 2 meals a day and snack once or twice. I have been drinking mostly tea with Splenda and Water. I was hooked on crystal lite at first but really don't like it as much anymore. I think I burned myself out on it for a while! Does it matter if the tea is Decaf or not, because I drink both. I will drink decaf at home but caff when I am out (since it is basically the only option, other than water).

I have started trying to swap out snacking on string cheese and Peanut Butter pretzels with apples now that I can handle them better. It took a while for an apple to go down smoothly. I tried the greek yogurt but thought it was horrible lol. I have been craving sweets lately and have had a few bites here and there of ice cream which I have been trying to phase out. It's just harder some days that others.

I have thought about drinking a Protein drink between breakfast/lunch to get some more nutrients in since the weight loss has slowed down. Do you think it may help?

[MissAMcCoy 0]

Oh I know I wish I couldn't eat basically anything! I hadn't been keeping up with my calories but I just downloaded the my fitness pal earlier today. And according to it, I have been getting in around 400-500/day so I will try upping it as well!~ We can get this slow losing business figured out

[SC~Amanda 0]

"I think that my whole paranoia about stretching out my stomach is that is isn't something that I can visibly see and control"

Hello! I am about 6 weeks out so a little less than you but I would have to say there is a way to see and control how much you are eating and that would be to measure your food. Measuring is the only why to get an accurate calorie/protein count...eye balling never works unless you are VERY experienced in measurements.

I really like these 1 cup prep bowls from pampered chef. They have the measuring lines on the side and each has it's own lid so you can measure & store anything. My surgeon said I should never eat more than 1 cup at a sitting; I can not get nearly that much yet but eventually maybe....http://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=9792&catId=123&parentCatId=123&outletSubCat=

[sirensiren 67]

Those are a great thing for us Amanda!

Imagine yourself looking at those cute glass dishes pre-sleeve, those would never look like a "serving" of food to you then, right? Me either! I have to say I love my sleeve.

MissAMcCoy: A lot of people experience the dreaded "stall" in the beginning due to their bodies recognizing the severe calorie deficit and therefore shutting off the ability to burn stored fat as a survival mechanism. This is a long proven theory in the fitness world when it comes to metabolism stimulation- this is why fitness models and body builders insist you MUST eat every 3 hours and have the proper amount of calories each day to burn the fat while keeping the muscle. It's a very high Protein low carb diet.

The same rule applies here, calories in actually make your metabolism work harder- and too many calories in cause weight gain. It's a tricky game for people with normal sized stomachs, but we all have a sleeve advantage here- so don't be afraid you're eating too much, and get your Protein is my advice. At 500 calories a day, your body is bound to eventually recognize that it's starving and slow down on the weight loss.

I find the Protein shakes to be amazing for weight loss and getting my needed healthy calories in from protein. Nutritionally, I find iSatori's Eat Smart Protein powder to be the best out there- they do not promote on here like other brands, but if you read the nutrition on them vs. any other product, they win in the protein/fiber category and have virtually no sugar.

Your sleeve is pretty strong, I doubt you can stretch it with mere eating to fullness at this point. If that were the case, people would be "popping stitches" all over the place and this would be an incredibly risky procedure.

[MissAMcCoy 0]

Thank ya'll for your help! Those pampered chef bowels are a wonderful idea! Have you heard of anyone trying the Bendo/Bento boxes on Amazon that Eggface uses? It's basically a lunchbox with interchangeable compartments. She gives different recipes that are WLS friendly too on her website. I am starting back to school in January so the portioned out/storage cups will come in handy since I won't have the comforts of my kitchen close by!

I had a Protein shake for Breakfast so we will see how this works!