To Be Thin 2011

Hello!!! Congrats~!!! I had a similiar question a week or so ago about the "honeymoon" stage... I hear people refer to it, but wondered what exactly is it>?? From what I gathered it is the first six months after surgery.. hopefully others on the board can join in!

Hi! Two things jumped out to me when reading your post... water intake and carbs... How are you doing on each? I recently started having to increase my water intake because I get hungry b/4 its time for me to eat, so I down flavored water or a vitiman water... so far it does the trick! Also, I have read so much on carbs and taking in pasta, potato, breads, etc... how that will make the cravings kick in. My surgery was only 5 months ago, I have not yet ate pasta, potato or bread since my surgery... I did just have a slice & 1/2 of pizza last weekend... I had it in my head to stay away from these foods as much as possible because I dont want the food demon or cravings to get to me... Just thinking...possibly... these have entered into your diet and that is what is making your cravings worse... Good luck, hope you can refocus and be back on track...

Everyone is different...and most people say no your skin lose's the elastictisity.. However, I lost 95 lbs when I was 28 (after having 3 kids too!) and my skin went back wonderfully... no problem. Now,.. I am 51 and have 155 lbs to lose... and no, I totally know now that my skin will not go back. Its o.k.. I wont the weight loss and my life back more!

Great Feed back on this one!!!! It got me thinking and yes, everything above that people above posted and described, the gas pain right out of surgery is tough, but it quickly pass',, not being able to pick things up - yep that totally stunk... the different food phases - yuck!... getting in out of a chair or the bed at night - wow pain, yes! .... But whats the worse for me is dealing with people... some that are negative towards my choice, some that feel it is their personal goal to watch every morsel I put in my mouth, the jealous ones that have nothing better to do or say to me... the people that do not understand this was my choice and I will do it!!! Yep,,, dealing with people is the worse for me...

WOW... never thought of this happening! Thank you for sharing this info!!

Congratulations!!!! I do not know if this is a "complication" but... I had a problem that my "head" was thinking I needed to eat, eat, eat - get my protien in. And my tummy was telling me "no, no more please!" and I didnt always listen to my tummy... I was over the top about protien level and getting in food & water that I over did it and made myself sick, which is totally no fun to just have this surgery and then be laying on the bathroom floor in terrible pain waiting to vomit... ugh.... When I went for my 4 week check up and told my doc how I had been sick 3-4 times now, and explained it, he was not happy... He told me in the first 6 weeks we are in the healing stage, do not force the food, only eat when you are hungry... and the protien levels are a guideline, once I am healed then I need to make sure to hit the protien level. Once the doc told me this, oh wow, things for me went 100% better! Good luck

Hi Lisa! First, Congrats on the sleeve!!! Second,, and I do not mean this rude at all, just being honest... I think it takes more time for our heads to catch up to our sleeve... You do need to eat, but.... you are eating.. your just not "over" eating! Hope that makes sense... I was like you, concerned about eating, getting my protien,,, (i could not do eggs..yuck).. I was forcing myself to eat ,, such an idiot. I wish I could go back to day 1 of surgery and I would so that all over.. I took everything so litterally, eating every 3 hours, making myself eat, it would take 45 minutes to get something down and I would start planning what I would eat next. I was actually making myself sick and had a few bouts of being on the bathroom floor in serious pain being sick from forcing the food. I went for my 1 month check up and told the doctor about this and he was NOT happy with me! He told me eating 6 small meals is a guideline, protien levels are guidlines, but in the first 6 weeks we are in healing mode, and its o/k. to not hit the protein mark, or not eat 6 times a day... He looked at me and said "please stop forcing food!". He told me for the next two weeks to only eat when I am hungry, and to calm down on the protien levels.... It really, really helped.. like I said, I later felt like an idiot because I had the sleeve for weight loss and there I was trying to shove down food in me every 2-3 hours! UGH.. big mistake, lesson learned and I have been fine ever since. Point of all this, is I truly think it takes time for hour heads to realize we do not need the food like we did prior to surgery. It sounds simple, but it isnt.. those first few weeks after surgery are hard, you 2nd guess everything...or at least I did... Good luck to you... make good choices and happy losing!!!

Wow, congratulations to both of you new sleevers on June 1st!!! Wishing you both much sucess, Congrats

Wow,, a protien pill with higher grams would be awesome! So, as we all know everyone is different, our tastes our different, weight loss is different, etc.. you get the picture! I for one LOVE the liquid protein shots. The big difference here is I am reading other posts that say they drink the shot straight down in 2-3 gulps, I cant do that either. I mix mine with crystal light and water. It is totally an awesome drink for me, by far my favorite! I buy "body choice" concentrated weight loss shot at Costco... 25 grams of protien in 2.9 oz shot! I mix up a bottled water with crystal light, pour in a glass with ice, add my protein shot and I could drink 3-4 of these a day! I dont, I only do one, but they are by far my favorite... Any GNC store has the protien shots as well as pharmacies. These are sooooo conveient...I always have one in the compartment of my car, if I should get running late or caught without having something to eat, I buy a flavored bottle water from gas station and add my protein shot! I also have had some days that I just could not get in all my protien so I will drink one at night just to make sure I hit my protein level. So for me, thesetubes of liquid protein help tremendously - and to me, mixing it with water and cyrstal light... it is great! Good luck in finding what works for you..

Congratulations! I think you are doing GREAT! Surgery May 4th and you are walking and swimming... You are going to totally rock that sleeve! Good For YOU!!!

Aww... gosh, I remember that stage and it is so lousy... especially if you have tv on and it seems like all there is are food commercials... Hang in there, drink, drink, drink,,, it does help keep something in your tummy and I totally lived on sugar free popcycles, kept my hands busy and I was actually eating something! I went through a whole box in two days! I still eat them almost every night!! Good luck, hang in there,, it will get better!

WOW, I guess everyone's bodies are truly different... a month or so ago I tried one week of calories 600 or less, Carbs under 35 and I kicked in more excersise. I lost .08 of a pound,.. not even a full pound in one week... I had several people on the forum and the nut at my doc office tell me that I goofed up by kicking in excersise and reducing my calories so low that my body went into "starvation" mode... I was not providing enough calories to keep my metobolism up.... I only tried it that one week, I had hoped I would see this 5-6 pound loss and was so extremely disapointed to not even lose one single pound... Ever since then, I have been around the 1200 - 1000 calorie mark, I keep my carbs under 50 and I am always consuming some kind of protien every 3 hours during the day,,, It is working great for me! Maybe you could talk to your nut again about too low of calories, you need fuel for your body to burn ... few calories is not giving you the fuel... Good Luck..

Kelly, I use "EAS" AdvantEdge Carb Control - I have seen this brand elsewhere, I buy it at Meijers, Wal-mart and Wal-Greens pharmacies. I use to be a faithful Adkins protien drink user and switched to EAS - more protien, less calories and less expensive. 110 Calories - 17 grams of protien 3 carbs - beats Atkins.. try it!

My experience was exactly like yours... !

I cant think of any questions that I missed with my doc, but there are like everyday things that I had wished I would have been a tad more prepared for. Like I was overkill on trying to meet the protien goals, to the point I made myself sick and had to go back to doc... finally I had like 10 people tell me the first few weeks you are in the healing stage, do not try to overkill on hitting the protien level. Once I calmed down on that, I felt so much better! By my 4 week mark I was fine hitting the protien level. I also was overkill on buying the "phase" foods,, puree foods, mushy foods, I bought a bunch of stuff ahead of time so I would have it in the house and I did not eat 1/4 of what I bought! Old habits!!! I think I would have borrowed a handicap shower chair that my mom has. I was not prepared for the soreness of the abdomin muscles.. yes, I know very stupid on my part after all it is stomach surgery! Getting up or down from a chair and in & out of bed, really pulls on the tender tummy... It heals quickly and i was fine about a week & 1/2 out.... It truly is an amazing surgery! In such a short time you heal, you start gaining your stregnth back, you go down a clothing size, people are really noticing how much weight you are losing.... its a wild ride!! Good luck!

How true!!! I love your outlook on people!!! Good luck.. hey, have you set a goal for hitting 100 loss yet? I was hoping to hit the 100 lbs loss by August 1st. It's going to be very, very tough... but most goals are!!!!

WOW... That is a huge number in only 6 months!!! You probably look and feel incredible! Congratulations!!!

Yep, your nutrionist should cover all this with you when you go for pre-surgery testing. I was on clear liquids for first week - totally clear which protien shakes are not,,, but... protien tube shots are! I did crystal light with protien tube shot a couple times a day during my first week. I still do one a day now just to make sure I get in all my daily protien. You can purchase them at any pharmacy, Wal-Mart, Sams Club, costco, etc... good luck!!!

Hello & Congrats on your sleeve and first week of weight loss!!! I do not recall any sharp pain....there would be soreness in the area where my stomach was removed, there would be pain if I tried to use my abdominal muscles like to stand up out of a chair or getting in and out of bed, but a sharp pain .. I would call the doctor. Take care & good luck..

Hi Debby, Have you met with any doctors yet or visited any clinics? Read, read, read up on all the choices and doctors,,, good luck!!

Awesome!!! Good for you!! It is a great feeling isnt it!!! Very happy for you!

Awesome and loved the pics! Thank you for sharing.... my secret goal is to do a 5k... I have heard once you do it, you become an addict and will do more and more!!! Congrats to you!

My stats are below!

I am here!!!

Just curious why you cant drink de-caf coffee? My surgeon said no caffine/no alcohol for 6 months. So far I have been good!