Need advice, I'm a newbie

[jenjenriley 0]

Hello everyone! This is my first post. I am waiting on my psyc eval results so I can move on to my pre op appointment for the sleeve procedure. I have been constantly reading posts and researching the sleeve. I have a few questions to all of you that have had the sleeve surgery. How is your hunger after you've been sleeved? Also, how much is a sip? How hard is it to take Vitamins? I've been trying to take sips and small bites to practice, omg.....it's not easy. Any advice for a newbie would be greatly appreciated.

[McButterpants 2,846]

I'm almost 7 months out...here are my answers from my perspective.

Hunger - I do feel hunger, but it's different than before surgery. Once I figured it out, I realized that sometimes what I think I'm feeling is hunger is actually acid. I can pop a Tums and that feeling goes away. I find that I'm more in tune with my body post surgery. I know when I should be hungry and when I shouldn't be. Hunger feels more like "empty".

Sipping - I still cannot "gulp" or take big drinks. I have to sip and any more than 3 sips in a short period of time hurts. I think of a "sip" as if you were drinking a hot cup of coffee - you wouldn't take a big drink, it would be a small amount. I have read some people can guzzle Water - that's not been my experience. Also, since surgery, I do not enjoy plain Water - since surgery, it's like liquid sandpaper for some reason. It's weird. I drink Propel Zero almost exclusively.

I hope this helps!

[jenjenriley 0]

Yes thank you. I just don't want to go through all of this and still constantly have food on my mind.

[marfar7 1,533]

About 50% of people lose their hunger for a long period of time (6-12 mths) and the other unlucky 50% get theirs back almost right away. Mine came back on day 10. I'm 46 and know the difference between acid and hunger - and it was truly hunger. Besides, I take 40mg of Prilosec 2x a day. Now, however, my hunger is taken away with literally a few bites. I usually "top it off" with a couple bites over my satiated feeling (about 10 bites) just so I can actually go 90 minutes before I'm hungry again. Seems like I'm always eating something. I feel like a pig when I announce to my husband that I'm hungry - AGAIN. Truth is, even tho I eat often, I don't eat much so that allows me to continue losing.

Water: The above poster was right about the sip. Pretend ur sipping coffee. The first few weeks, I was only able to take tiny, room temp sips of Water (and I'm a big ice cold fan). Felt like a fire in my stomach when I drank something iced cold. Now that I'm 11 mths out, I can guzzle liquids as I did pre op. I started this at about 3 mths. Alot of us still guzzle. My dr doesn't prohibit this. The only things he really says no to is drinking carbonation and drinking before/during meals. Drinking with a straw, eating carbs, etc are a personal preference for us. If it wasn't for a straw, not sure I could get in enuf Water a day. And I add Dasani drops (my current favs are strawberry kiwi and cherry pomegranite) just to flavor it a little, not too strong.

Good luck!

[marfar7 1,533]

Oh, and unless u have wls on ur brain (call me when they start offerring that) ull always have food on ur mind. Ur always deciding what to eat, how much to eat, when to eat. I think of my next meal at my current meal. It would help if u lose ur hunger but for many of us, that wasn't the case.

If ur obsessed with food now, u will still be obsessed. Ull need therapy or something other than altering ur anatomy. As I said above, when they come out with brain surgery for wls, sign me up!

Edited June 10, 2014 by marfar7

[jenjenriley 0]

Thanks for all your advice. This really helps. Good luck to you too.

Edited June 10, 2014 by jenjenriley