5 mo questions

[jmarie 71]

thats great but not what my doctor said. I hope you are right though!

My dr said you can stretch it back out again too, but have a feeling he was saying as a scare tactic. Dr say a lot of stuff that is not based on research just bc they are a dr and they can "practice" on you.

[MrsPierre 67]

this is exactly what happened to me. I recommend doing the 5 day pouch test since your so far out already. I started it sunday and was 192.5.. stepped on the scale yesterday evening and was 188.5... stepped on the scale this morning and was 186. I definitely think things are rebooting themselves. Especially with this new found hunger i have.

Princesstia what is the 5 day pouch test?

[Webchickadee 716]

Okay guys I'm 5 months post op & 63 lbs down. Lately though I noticing that I can eat a lot more & I'm hungrier than I use to be. Is this normal or have I stretched my sleeve out? The last month I've only lost 1 to 2 lbs per week. I'm starting to become very worried about blowing this great blessing. It's just hard to get past the mental sabotaging.

First things first...........congratulations on your 63 lbs loss! That is fantastic and works out to nearly 4 lbs per week! That is really good. It will slow down, especially as you get closer to your goal. My average weight loss now is about 2.3 lb/week over the course of my 13 month journey. But it was really fast at the beginning (over 4 lbs/week) and now is very slow (less than 1 lb/week).

Now about stretching your stomach. Yes, you can stretch it. But you would have to be eating an ENORMOUS amount of food consistently at every meal for weeks at at time to dilate your stomach to the point where it stays enlarged. It would be painful, probably make you vomit and have extreme stomach discomfort, nausea, etc. I don't know if you've overeaten to the point of extreme discomfort yet, but believe me, once you've been through that experience it isn't something you'll want to do again!

There are multiple reasons for your increased appetite and increased stomach capacity right now. The most obvious one is that your stomach is getting close to being fully healed. After surgery, your tiny little stomach was even smaller due to severe inflammation. All that swelling was taking up valuable space INSIDE your stomach, leaving little room for food and liquids. Even the smallest amount of food filled up that space, giving you that full sensation and artificially making you think your stomach was miniscule in size.

Your final stomach size is probably in the range of 5-8 oz once fully healed. It varies from surgeon to surgeon based on their technique, the bougie they use (a measuring tool to "set" the cut line), the length of your stomach (taller people have a longer, more roomy stomach), etc.

The healing process can take up to 6 months to be complete. At 4 months post-op you are probably getting close to fully healed (again, varies from person to person). So you are now approaching the "maximum" volume your stomach will have. And it feels like a lot compared to your immediate post-op volume!

But it's still really small compared to what it was pre-op! And it will stay really small, even with a bit of extra stretch and increase in your appetite.

The most important thing you can do now is stick to the basics. Focus on Protein first. Drink lots of fluids. Keep the carbs low (unless you are doing vigourous exercise, in which case a nutritionist can give you a better customized food plan to fuel your workouts). Exercise (sports, gym, swimming, walking, running, golf, whatever you like to do!).

Make nutritious choices, eat smaller more frequent meals (planned meals, not grazing). Track your food intake (I use MyFitnessPal) to keep you accountable.

You've got this.

[Evolving 973]

this is exactly what happened to me. I recommend doing the 5 day pouch test since your so far out already. I started it sunday and was 192.5.. stepped on the scale yesterday evening and was 188.5... stepped on the scale this morning and was 186. I definitely think things are rebooting themselves. Especially with this new found hunger i have.

Thought that was for the bypass? It seems like it worked for u- I've looked at it tho so what brand or what did u follow exactly!! ty

Sent from my iPhone using VST

[LovinMe2013 21]

I'm curious about this 5 day pouch test also. Thank you so much for the advice & that makes sense that I'm just now reaching my full capacity. I just remember a conversation I had prior to surgery with a nurse who was 1 yr vsg post op & she said she can eat 3 bites of steak & 2 bites of a baked potato & she is done. I can eat 1/2 of a steak easy & some veggies. I just have to remember that we are all different & I'm not going to be just like her experience.

[Amanda626 153]

Think about how much we could eat prior. U are doing great!

[LovinMe2013 21]

I wanted to post a pic. I haven't put any pics of my progress. This is Pre op weight 241 & around 4 mo post op & 50 lbs down.

[Evolving 973]

I wanted to post a pic. I haven't put any pics of my progress. This is Pre op weight 241 & around 4 mo post op & 50 lbs down.

Wow good job! U look great

Sent from my iPhone using VST

[lynndtt 21]

You look great! 50 pounds is a lot in four months. Keep up the good work!

[lynndtt 21]

First things first...........congratulations on your 63 lbs loss! That is fantastic and works out to nearly 4 lbs per week! That is really good. It will slow down, especially as you get closer to your goal. My average weight loss now is about 2.3 lb/week over the course of my 13 month journey. But it was really fast at the beginning (over 4 lbs/week) and now is very slow (less than 1 lb/week).

Now about stretching your stomach. Yes, you can stretch it. But you would have to be eating an ENORMOUS amount of food consistently at every meal for weeks at at time to dilate your stomach to the point where it stays enlarged. It would be painful, probably make you vomit and have extreme stomach discomfort, nausea, etc. I don't know if you've overeaten to the point of extreme discomfort yet, but believe me, once you've been through that experience it isn't something you'll want to do again!

There are multiple reasons for your increased appetite and increased stomach capacity right now. The most obvious one is that your stomach is getting close to being fully healed. After surgery, your tiny little stomach was even smaller due to severe inflammation. All that swelling was taking up valuable space INSIDE your stomach, leaving little room for food and liquids. Even the smallest amount of food filled up that space, giving you that full sensation and artificially making you think your stomach was miniscule in size.

Your final stomach size is probably in the range of 5-8 oz once fully healed. It varies from surgeon to surgeon based on their technique, the bougie they use (a measuring tool to "set" the cut line), the length of your stomach (taller people have a longer, more roomy stomach), etc.

The healing process can take up to 6 months to be complete. At 4 months post-op you are probably getting close to fully healed (again, varies from person to person). So you are now approaching the "maximum" volume your stomach will have. And it feels like a lot compared to your immediate post-op volume!

But it's still really small compared to what it was pre-op! And it will stay really small, even with a bit of extra stretch and increase in your appetite.

The most important thing you can do now is stick to the basics. Focus on Protein first. Drink lots of fluids. Keep the carbs low (unless you are doing vigourous exercise, in which case a nutritionist can give you a better customized food plan to fuel your workouts). Exercise (sports, gym, swimming, walking, running, golf, whatever you like to do!).

Make nutritious choices, eat smaller more frequent meals (planned meals, not grazing). Track your food intake (I use MyFitnessPal) to keep you accountable.

You've got this.

Thanks for the great information!