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I am more than 6 months post-op and doing well. My weight, blood levels, etc., are all at the point that my surgeon hopes to see at a YEAR post-op; she and my Nut were both very impressed and supportive at my 6month visit. I am saying this just so people realize I AM following the program... mostly... It is school vacation week and I decided to treat myself; I went to the Chinese buffet for lunch. Nobody else in my family likes this kind of meal, so I usually take myself to lunch once or twice a year. I have been doing really well with portion control, so thought I was ready. I ate the filling from two crab rangoons, the meat from inside one dumpling, a small chicken meatball, most of a 3" piece of chicken teriyaki, a 2" piece of boneless rib, and part of the meat (no skin, no coating) from a piece of chicken wing. I'd been eating slowly and was feeling full, but not bad, so I decided to have some ice cream. I LOVE the soft serve at the buffet, and thought I'd be OK. Four slow, small bites of ice cream and I was hustling off to the bathroom, where most of my lunch came back up! You might wonder why I thought Chinese buffet would be an OK thing. Well, I have had eggs foo yung several times since surgery, successfully. I buy the quart-sized box, don't eat the rice or gravy, and one box gives me one or two dinners AND three or four lunches. I mean, it's mostly eggs and veg (and grease... but I scrape off as much of the gravy as humanly possible). I thought if I am OK with this, I should be OK with the appetizer-type foods- and a treat trip to the buffet is a vacation tradition for me! Looking at it now, I realize I ate way more than I'd usually eat in a meal; it looked like not much because of the parts I wasn't eating, and it's SO MUCH less than I used to eat, but when I think about the sheer quantity of the food, I can see what the problem was: TOO MUCH FOOD! You know what else, though? I didn't enjoy it like I used to enjoy it. I don't revel in the greasiness anymore- fat/grease makes me kind-of want to gag a little bit. However, my relationship to food has changed. I realize now that part of my food-affair was the sheer quantity of food that I could eat. I can't eat like that anymore, and I don't miss it. Don't get me wrong- some of that food yesterday tasted delicious- but it's not the same anymore, and I am fine with that. Honestly, remembering how I felt all afternoon and evening, I don't think I'll be tempted by the Chinese buffet again!

I'm not sure you'll have to give up all Chinese food unless you choose to. It sounds like you are a fan of the flavors, not necessarily turned on by the grease and quantity; my favorite part of the buffet was always the appetizer section, and I'd eat two platesful of that stuff before ever looking at the entrees! If I were you, I'd be looking for Chinese recipes you can cook at home, looking for flavors and spices you can eat/enjoy. I know that's what I will be doing... once I can actually think of Chinese food again, LOL! Honestly, I didn't have this surgery so I can eliminate large groups of foods from my diet. All along I have said that I am going to use my sleeve as a tool to help me with portion control and food choice, but I'd be lying to say I'm never again going to have an adult beverage, or some bites of pie, or a couple of fried clams. My goal is to stick to ONE or TWO small servings, bites, etc., of whatever I CHOOSE to eat. I was never good on either portion control or food choice, but now I am getting REALLY good at it (yesterday's fiasco not withstanding...)

You'll get the same answer here as all of the other sites you have previously mentioned. Of course it can stretch. It's impossible to stretch. Blah blah blah... However I will point out that the only people I have personally worried about it stretching are the ones that do not follow the post op diet nor do they make a lifestyle change. In your opinion, what is more likely to happen: The pylorus (sleeve) or pouch opening (bypass) becoming weakened and letting more food through OR a surgically altered stomach with the stretchy (fundus) part removed being stretched out to previous volumes? If that still is not convincing enough, ask your surgeon point blank for the facts and to not use lay terms. If they say that it can be stretched, live your life with that as your motivation to eat right.

They ended up accepting it via fax because supposedly it got lost. I was approved today so only took three days for my insurance to make a decision. I'm would be having surgery 2 weeks earlier if it wasn't for that, ugggg.

I finally got my date I am going for surgery may 10 I am excited but nervous all at the same time is it normal to feel all different emotions

I informed my medical staff at the hospital but I wasn't allowed to take them till after my swallow test the second day. I told them part of my nausea was from not taking my meds. I wasn't anxious for surgery but not having my meds, that withdrawal illness you can get, was real and it makes you anxious. I tell this to a nurse and she suggests I talk to the chaplain about my anxiety.[emoji849] Lol you can't explain to some people how psych meds work. Anyway I've been taking them the day after surgery and have had none changed to liquid and I've had zero issues even at the hospital.

It may be that you aren't getting enough calories eating one meal a day. Also, you probably hit on something with the crackers... they have a lot of carbs and you need to keep your carbs low. Also, are you getting in enough protein? Try to get it up to 100 grams a day. And you need to be drinking over 64 ounces of liquids a day as well. Doing all of those things should get the scale moving. As far as the nausea goes, why don't you let your doctor know. I have dealt with constant nausea and I take Zofran (generic) for it and it does the trick. Then you won't have to eat the high-carb crackers.

My insurance approved in about 1 week

The body needs carbs to regain weight (insulin is a building hormone). White sugar actually gets adrenaline going, which is counter productive since adrenaline is a weight loss hormone. (Ever see a skinny sugar junkie? I have!) So, concentrate on complex carbs, healthy fats, proteins, and vitamins so the body has everything it needs to start building again. Exercise should be moderate cardio (30 minutes, 3 times a week) OR walking 3-5 miles per day. AND weight lifting 2-3 times a week. I have no way of knowing how many carbs y'all should aim for, as it just depends on your own metabolisms. A good general starting point is 150g/day. If that seems high.. well it has to be to get you gaining. If it seems low, then add 50g a day to what you are currently consuming. Increase the carbs by 50g/day each week until you stop losing weight.

I wish I had stayed off because this is the story of my life. I've been going hard, meeting my protein requirements and exceeding my water. I abstain from sf beverages and spread my protein throughout the day. I just find it so unfair that I've been near perfect while other people are seeing great losses.