Soon2BMiniMommy

Yah, this one cracks me up. I also used a straw in the hospital and my doctor/nut never said to not use a straw. I have used a straw faithfully since day one with my Tervis Tumbler and it's the only way I can get in enough water! I drink both ways and notice no more air either way. Think it's one of the silly guidelines myself. Most I can behind, but not this one!!

Here's something that will blow your minds.....SB will ADD a Protein scoop (or 2) to your coffee if you request it!!!! I get it in all my drinks....stats are:

A single shot will add 30 calories, about 6 grams of Protein, 1 gram of soluble Fiber, and zero sugar or artificial sweeteners.

So drink up, all, and add even more protein!!!!

Yay, Kris! Thank you soooooooo much!! I need to look for those! I am right up the road from you, so hopefully I can find them up here. I was reading your post thinking you're probably in Ohio or something and my costco wouldn't have them, but then I saw where you are from!! I'm SOOOO excited now,....I love Jerky and meaty snacks....these will be perfect!!!!! Thanks for the tip!

It's so great to see how everyone is doing! I've lost 8.8 lbs so far and I just started on 11/8. Like Shae, I'm not sure if I should revise? I'm only 4 wks from surgery and this is my first goal, so I'm not sure what to guess.....I'm afraid to overestimate then be all mad at myself for not reaching my goal What if I hit a big stall? My old weightloss failure demons are still haunting me.....I think I'm overthinking it, lol! I guess I'll just trend what I have been doing....so I'll change my ticker and goal to lose 20 more lbs by Christmas. Man, that seems like a lot, 30 lbs in 6 weeks. Oh, well......we'll see! What have I to lose but weight!! Keep up the hard work, everyone! So excited to see where we will all end up!

CW - 284 275

GW - 265 254

NEW lbs to goal - 19 30 total

11/8 - 284

11/14 - 281

11/21 - 275

Oh I'm so excited, I get to join my first challenge!!! I'm so in! I've been watching these for months and now I get to play, too! I'm starting late, so I don't know how I'll do, but I'm only 2.5 weeks out from surgery so maybe I'll be lucky? We'll see!! I'll also start a Christmas ticker! Sheesh....I will have too many tickers, lol!

SN - soon2bminimommy

CW - 284

GW - 265

lbs to goal - 19

My surgeon said that if a leak occurs, it's almost immediate, although you can create one by not following guidelines for up to two or three weeks. He says the staple line is pretty well sealed by end of week three. He also says most that are found after that (6 weeks - months out) have been there all along and were so small it took that long for them to be discovered (build up of Fluid, abscess, etc). Most who have leaks and they are found months out, look back and see symptoms they weren't aware of (constant shoulder pain, weakness) but not the usual strong symptoms of high fever, pain, etc,.

Hey, Veda....I'm 4.5 weeks out and I was, and am, the same. I can't down fluids all at once, but I could handle what you're describing. My surgeon used a 32 Fr bougie, one of the smallest, and now I can eat two scrambled eggs for Breakfast. I could also sleep on my side right away, go shopping on day three, cook for my family, went back to work fairly quickly. I did pull my tummy muscles a couple of times, but nothing serious, healed in a day or two, just like I overdid it while working out or something.

I too felt (and feel) odd since I don' seem to have the same challenges everyone else has. I feel like it's 'not right' since my recovery has been so different, I figure I am either extremely blessed, or maybe I will have restriction problems later and maybe not lose as fast. That doesn't seem to be the case....I've lost 28 lbs since 10/20 - surgery- and I have tons of restriction now when I eat, can't do more than the standard 1/2 cup, so I guess I'll be thankful!

I honestly do sometimes forget I have even had this done.....weird. But again, I am probably one of the lucky ones. I have experienced no pain, have not vomited or slimed once, have not overeaten to the point of discomfort, no issues with weakness or fatigue - I had more energy almost from the first.

Hopefully it will always be this way! Only time will tell. Keep up the good work, do be careful, don't overdo it, and just enjoy the ride!

Ah, Shae. You are SO wonderful and I love reading your posts. You could have written the above about me!! All of that is so true! It's amazing the stages of change, grief over food, etc, I have gone through in just 4 weeks! Even more amazing I truly feel I already have a pretty good handle on it - like you said, I will always have food issues,but now I know I'll be okay! It was touch and go for a couple of weeks there I am going to mark your post as a favorite and read it quite a bit for a while. Thank you so very much...

But I do have to admit, since you mentioned it....I am missing my Doritos!!! I may have to have a few in a couple of weeks. Like I said before, I had this surgery to be normal and not feel guilty about every morsel that goes in my mouth. I love your quote "I am no longer controlled by my addiction because I control what I eat and my sleeve controls how much." I know I can have four of five Doritos and be satisfied now where before it would have been the whole bag. That is a VERY empowering feeling of freedom :dance:

MIne's a 32. My surgeon said that at the infancy of the sleeve surgery advent, most docs used 40-46, but quickly found that was too large for most to keep the weight off for years (based on research done for DS conversion pts and other country's stats, since ours are too new to tell long-term). Since your stomach eventually loosens (don't want to say stretch, but that can also be used), the 40-46 was allowed too much room and not enough restriction years out and patients started gaining their weight back. They started dropping the bougie size to see what was the 'best' size for restriction, overall complications, and long-term restriction (over 5 years). Much of the research at the beginning showed that the 32 size can have issues with complications, but that is based on the surgeon and is now very rare as they have all have more experience and the sleeve is becoming much more common. In the beginning, using a thinner 32 Fr bougie tube could create a somewhat 'hourglass' shape in the middle of the new stomach, where the inner curve lies. But he also said that most surgeons know that now, and avoid that complication by leaving extra room at the opposite side of the curvature, which will prevent the possible stricture issue. And using a smaller Fr size, it keeps the stomach from stretching too much, or reaching a higher level of fill capacity years down the road.

So, hope that helps....he really explained this to me thoroughly and it makes so much sense! I'm so happy with my 32. I am 4 weeks out and can eat two scrambled eggs for breakfast! But that's not the bougie size, as everyone is soooo different in what they can eat and tolerate. Some after a year can't even eat a whole scrambled egg!

But to be completely honest? I think the 15cc size is way too small - that's only 3 teaspoons, or a tablespoon!. Most sleeves, after surgery and after the swelling goes down, can hold up to two-four ounces. Later on, maybe 6 ounces once you hit your year mark and your own 'normal'.

I would ask your surgeon some more questions, just to be on the safe side and to be sure the size you need and want are adequate to live with :hug:

Oh, Sandy......stay strong and get healthy! Just a setback...in a month you'll look back and be grateful you're on the other side of this!! Sending tons of healing hugs your way...

I am laughing so hard....I don't think it's TMI. My hubby is a little overweight, and I am a lot...we figure he can gain about 1-2" of 'closeness' and I can gain quite a bit more....so we'll be a lot 'closer' very soon! Funny how there is so much fat there on our little 'fat pads'......thanks for sharing!!

Wow. Wow, Trixie. You have been through many, many trials in such a short time. I am very sorry about your Mother. I am so glad you are here with us and we are waiting for you with open arms on the Loser's Bench! :grouphug:

Look at this way......you have gone through so much this past year, most of it negative, you have used up all your negative karma and now only have good karma coming, which means you will SAIL through this surgery with no complications and you will be a star patient!

I look forward to hearing about your experience and your progress! Good luck and keep us posted!

I'm four weeks out, and I pretty much just ate or drank when I felt like it. I was (and am) also like you where I could tolerate pretty much anything. Now, at four weeks, I can eat two scrambled eggs comfortably....many on here still can't do one and they're 4 or 6 months out! And, yes, my surgeon used a 32 Fr bougie, a little one

But, I have to tell you, I eventually got into trouble just eating whenever I felt it was time. I eventually starting grazing, bad. But I called it 'topping off'. Because I can only eat 1/3-1/2 cup of whatever at a time, I would wait a while till it settled and started to move through my little tummy, then would go back and have a couple more bites out of the fridge, or whatever. Mostly with seafood or egg salad. I'd heat up some pureed Soup, drink/eat it, have some more an hour later. I was getting into trouble since the main reason people fail at bariatric surgery is because they graze, or eat constantly, to overcome the loss of binging, or eating large amounts at a time. We still want our food till we mentally adjust!! And then, because of this constant topping off I was doing, my stomach never really emptied so I couldn't drink my fluids like I was supposed to. Vicious cycle. Didn't help that I was eating fine and not having any issues....felt almost normal.

So, needless to say, I had to pull myself together and at about 2 and a half weeks out, I started a routine. Breakfast around 8, drink lots, snack around 10, drink lots, lunch around 12, drink, snack at 2 or 3, drink, dinner around 6. Drink lots more, maybe an evening snack. Now sounds like a lot of eating, but I'm almost always under 800 calories a day...snacks are a Laughing Cow soft cheese wedge or a string cheese, meals are a little under 1/2 cup of something soft. It was a lot easier when I was back at work with a regular routine and schedule.

So, I guess to answer your question, right now it's important to hydrate and nourish yourself as much as you can, so I wouldn't worry too much about three square meals a day, etc, but be aware that you will need to probably set a schedule for yourself as you advance and are able to take in more volume and calories. You don't want the "I'll eat whenever" to become a habit, or you may regret it later and find it really hard to break. I had a hard time breaking it just after a couple weeks!!

Good luck!!

I am only 4 weeks out, but my hardest is eating slow, and to not graze after a while to get in more food. The mental part of being done with so little food has hard for me - getting much easier lately, though. But I am lucky (unlucky?) that everything I eat goes down just fine. I can eat two scrambled eggs for Breakfast just fine, I can eat 1/2 cup of food in 15 minutes. I did not have any struggles like a lot of others have, so I think it's harder because I feel so normal, if that makes sense. I don't have to baby my sleeve (oh, I did at first, and I am still following the rules with soft foods) but I don't have any pain or discomfort. The only way I know I've eaten too much is if I feel food in my upper tummy/esophagus juncture so I've learned to stop way before I feel full. No pain or pressure, though, just a weird feeling for a while. I almost wish I had some kind of physical thing to remind me (shock collar, lol!!)

So, yeah...eating slow, and not going back for more. Getting over the portion adjustment.....

I don't do fat-free, either. I figure we don't eat near enough to worry about a teaspoon of real butter or real mayo in our tuna salad. And all the cheese I eat is full fat. I did this so I could be normal and eat normal and not count every calorie or carb or gram of sugar that I ingest. Honestly, I think all of would lose weight no matter what we ate at this point (unless you survive on Doritos, cheeseburgers, nachos, and slider foods!). I think after a year with maintenance it matters more, but not to the point of cutting out all fat and sugar...just doing what you are doing, eating Protein first, veggies, etc, and if you want to, have a few bites of chocolate! I also don't do sugar free, but I'm not a 'sweet' person, so I'm lucky that way, but I do use sugared Creamers in my coffee, sometimes I'll have a few bites of cookie. I DON'T FEEL GUILTY ANYMORE AND I NEVER WILL AGAIN! At least not for what I put in my mouth That is my mantra. I've spent too many years punishing myself for my eating habits and now I don't have to. I can enjoy a piece of pie (or a few bites) or some fish and chips without gaining any weight. Anything in moderation, right?

I also know I do lose faster when I eat more calories - it takes by body out of homeostasis, or starvation/store/stay-the-same mode.

Welcome, Ian! So glad you're here with us. Keep us posted...we will be here when you need us :grouphug:

Hey, Sleevie...I am almost four weeks out, too. I tolerate scrambled eggs really well, especially with cheese melted in it (laughing cow wedges make it even more soft). I also do egg salad, chicken salad (costco has a fantastic canned breast which is tender, but any store carries it next to the tuna). Do you like tuna? Tuna salad has a ton of Protein....I mix tuna and egg together for my salad with mayo. Cottage cheese if you like it...but being lactose intolerant....hmmm...maybe not. I love to mix cottage cheese with some cheddar and ranch seasoning, or in a blender with canned peaches. There is a wonderful recipe for ricotta bake from Egg Face on this link...she has many, many wonderful recipes! http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html

Have you tried blending your wonderful chicken Soup? So the chunks aren't so prominent? I know we're tired of pureeds/mushies, but if you can't do chunks, your body may not be ready to progress yet.

Oh, Foster Farms turkey meatballs. They are wonderful if you can tolerate/swallow them. And for fish, tilapia is extremely mild and soft if cooked right...never stringy. Salted cod is very tough due to the salt, and strong too. Place some tilapia fillets (or just one) in a small baking dish, cover with some butter, maybe lemon, seasoning salt, and cover with foil and bake for about 15 minutes at 375 (if thawed). So easy and soft....throw some tartar sauce with it and you are good to go!! Or dredge the tilapia in a bit of flour and seasoning and pan fry in a little bit of butter or olive oil. Oh, I know...really soft meatloaf! I made some just two nights ago with extra moisture with my breadcrumbs...can use ground turkey or ground beef. I made a half loaf and made the rest into meatballs and baked them. Have lots of meatloaf and balls ready to go! Refried Beans with cheese? More carbs and not really high Protein, but oh so good!!

Hope some of these ideas help! I know I can't stand protein shakes or powder either....liked them before, not after!! Good luck, sweets.....

Oh, that was WONDERFUL! I would keep that and pull it out and look at it again and again while on your journey.....there may be times you need it

Good luck and can't wait to have you on the Loser's Bench beside us!!

Oh, man, I sure hope so!!! That would be a dream of mine! I was always an 11W - big, huge feet anyway....then I got preggo and had my beautiful boy, now I have a hard time squeezing into an 11!!! But 12's are a little too big (don't make 1/2 sizes up in the big sizes )

I would give ANYTHING to just fit comfortably into an 11 again!!

So proud of you! Keep us posted, and welcome to the official Loser's Club!!! Good luck and easy recovery, honey.....

There was a death by a highly respected Mexican surgeon a couple of months ago....I think maybe Kelly? It was through absolutely no fault of his, or the type of surgery. The female patient had a pulmonary emboli while in surgery, which can happen to anyone, in ANY surgery, without any warning.

I don't know if she was from Calgary, but this was a tragic event and does happen, even with a tonsillectomy. There was a member on here who asked the surgeon about it when it happened as she was scheduled for surgery with him the following week and he was extremely upset about it but was honest with her. It was his only death out of thousands of VSG surgeries.

Like I said, don't know if this is the same incidence you may have heard about, but if it was, it really had nothing to do with VSG specifically......

I can't remember who said it on here....but he said when people would ask him "Why can't you just stay on the preop diet and keep losing weight?", his response was "Can you hold your breath for a minute? Yes? Well, can you hold it for an hour?" In other words, yes, we can ALL lose weight on a liquid, crash diet for 2 weeks, but really? You certainly can't maintain it and eat that way forever! NO one can....not even someone who's naturally thin!

That's why diets don't really work. ALl the research proves it. People who lose a substantial amount of of weight through diet and exercise almost always gain it back, plus some. Less than 5% of these individuals keep it off for long periods of time, and there hasn't been enough research done to see if it would stay gone for 10 years or so.

I am three weeks out and am sooooooo glad I did this. You are in the worst time right now...sore, tired, swollen, sick. It will, and does, get better!!

I notice that, too, but I think it's just because at that time, I am finally quiet, the house is quiet, I am not working or have my mind on other things so I think I just notice it more since I'm not doing anything and it's quiet.

Way to go, Buddy! Congrats! That's amazing weight loss in under 2 months! How has your recovery gone? Better than expected, worse? Easier? Harder? What are you able to eat now 2 months out?

For me, I have absolutely no shame at all. Unlike others, I do not struggle that I needed this to be healthy. I don't have perfectionist issues and don't feel as if I've let myself down that I didn't do the 'hard' or 'right' way. I do not feel like a failure. And I am very open and outgoing, to the point of shocking people sometimes . All who know me know that TMI does not apply to me! You want info, I'll give you info!! Lol. I am not a private person.

That being said, I've told no one but my closest friends and my hubby and my parents - those who I KNOW will support me. I've learned through years of research with weight loss surgery and being on boards like this for years on the Band, GB, etc, that people are, and can be, very negative. Yes, some are supportive and helpful, but there is, unfortunately, a stigma attached with is unfair and wrong. And I did/do not want to deal with people's biases and opinions. I have a co-worker out of another office down south and we all went to the company holiday party last year and she had lost about 100 lbs in a year. A group of us were standing in a circle telling her she looked amazing and she was just glowing. She was so proud and happy. One person asked her, of course, how she did it and before she could open her mouth, one of her close co-workers said derisively, 'Oh, she had weight loss surgery'. Like she had contracted herpes or something. Well, obviously, her face fell, her glow went away, and in one simple statement, that one person completely minimized everything she had done, everything she had struggled with, every work out, every salad vs. doughnut decision we still have to make. It was so wrong and unfair. And yes, we can tell ourselves that those things won't bother us, and that what we know is what matters, but sorry, it's such bullsh*t. It still hurts and it still minimizes our success and what we have done.

So I decided I wouldn't give people's ignorance, or jealously, or nay-saying (the one that always says, "oh, so-and-so had that done and GAINED IT ALL BACK") a chance to piss on my parade, or negate my accomplishments.

But, I did decide, that if someone overweight asked me, I would completely open and honest with them. To be able to share with them all this wonderful opportunity really is. It's like having the cure for cancer, and when another cancer patient asks you how, you have to tell them! Not quite as extreme, but you know what I mean. You truly WANT to share with someone who knows what struggles and pain you have lived with your whole life.

That was my decision....in a nutshell, lol. I can get a little wordy!!

I have to agree SO much. I have been using My Fitness Pal for years, long before this journey! It's a lot different now eating 700-800 calories a day when some of my old bad days I could get upward of 4,000!!! Even though I was shoving crap in my mouth, I still tracked. Was obvious why I was obese, lol!! :embaressed_smile: I use it every day religiously, customize it just how I want to....and I also agree it's the BEST one out there, I've used them all, also. My screen name is shadowdlady so come and friend me if you haven't already!!!