Restriction

[momohime 121]

Not trying to be rude! Sorry you felt that way.. From what my surgeon tells me, a sleeved stomach is about the size of a 4 oz container. That doesn't mean it can't stretch like a non-sleeved stomach though! My NUT says 1 cup (8 oz) of anything at a time is a bad idea.. especially for the first 6 months, she told me not to do more than 4 ounces over a period of about 30 minutes or so. This is to give your stomach time to empty before adding more volume to it, which helps prevent stretching. For Protein shakes that are 8 ounces, it should take about an hour to finish.. no more than 2-3 ounces in a 20 minute period.

This early in, your stomach is just now healing and getting used to things. So are you! I know that none of us would be in this position if it were easy for us to control our portions and whatnot, but.. I just tell myself, ok. You just had surgery, that is a BIG deal. You did this for a reason. Do not mess this up! That's the best advice I can give you too.

[nikkisue 6]

First disclaimer: I haven't had surgery yet, so I have no personal experience to speak of. I don't think previous posters were intentionally trying to be judged....that can be the problem with written communication. Alot of inflection is lost and the tone we read with may not be the intended tone. To me, the posts read like this: just because you can gulp and can eat 8 oz doesn't mean you should. You wouldn't even know you could do those things unless you tried to do them. Anyway I hope your doctor can help out!

[nikkisue 6]

*judgey* not judged

[onajournee 20]

I am 2 wks post op and i also can now take normal sized gulps of Fluid. And by that i mean the same size swallow of liquid i would take pre op. This actually is a relief to me, i want to feel like i can drink a normal swallow and not baby sip all day long. I have started mushy/pureed foods and my NUT did not set a limit to how much to eat per meal, but said eat slowly, and pay attention to body as to when you are getting full which makes sense. My Dr said there is a certain amount sleeve will relax over many months as it completely heals, but won't stretch beyond that- according to him the stretchiest part of stomach is what's removed. I don't know what difference it can make it you are sipping a couple ounces of water/protein or taking a few larger swallows as long as there's no discomfort, it's all going to the same place:)

[GardenLady 9]

Funny you should have this question - it's the same one that I asked my surgeon on my one week follow-up since I didn't notice any difference at all in the amount I could eat (okay so actually drink). She said to remember two things - first is that if you are eating slow (taking that 20 minutes to a half hour to eat), you can eat more than you should and second, that you have to determine the portion before you eat so you don't overdo it. I think the second one is going to be the hardest for me. I have two kitchen scales and I think when I return to work is when I need to take the second scale into the office. I rarely, if ever actually take lunch (or breakfast) to work with me but I have no problem eating the exact same meal every single day for Breakfast. So it will be important for me to weigh it out before I eat or I may inadvertently overdo it. Good luck to us all!