italianlady13

yes it's from the anesthesia it will go away

I was told it would depend on age as well and I have a loose belly as well as some lose skin on my arms....but i"m not complainin! I love my new body loose tummy and all:)

I'm wondering how you didn't repeat it up and get the slimes....slimes were the worst in the first few months....are you getting alot of thick saliva in the back of your throat? If so those are the slimes and and an indication you are eating too much. The bread is a slider food so it just slides right through your sleeve this could be why you are eating alot. And it is indeed too much i"m just wondering why you are not reacting. You might want to ask your doctor about that. Perhaps you have a longer sleeve....if your sleeve is longer you just might have a larger capacity for food....however even if the sleeve is longer you are still swollen from the surgery and def should not be able to get in that much food....

This thread is awesome. I have been sleeved almost two years now (in June) and I am eating like a monster lately. It's so scary. I went down to 58 kg but now am up to 60 so I gained like four pounds after a year of the scale never moving. I notice I can eat a whole bunch more and so I have begun doing regular 5 day pouch test and will begin doing one day of liquids like iegal above had spoken about. I'm terrified of gaining my weight back. At first I could not stop losing weight and at the suggestion of my surgeon to enjoy it and eat chocolate to stop the weight loss. Now I have completely cut the chocolate out! OUT OUT OUT! I'm back on Protein only diet and veg and monitoring like a hawk!!! Scared to death!!!

and one more thing....some people end up with a longer sleeve....depending on how your stomach is structured so if it's longer then the food will slide quicker and you can squeeze in a bit more....they say you won't know this until after six months but you might be one of those people who has a longer stomach:) Even still, however it should restrict you enough to give you the weight loss results you desire.

are you eating solids yet? When I was first sleeved I was super scared because I could eat boat loads of food. But I was only on liquids and soft solids. Once I got on solid protein.....wow forget it! I hit "slime city" slimes and tons of restriction and this lasted a good four months until I learned how to eat. You will never feel "full" like you felt before also, you will feel tightness and restriction but not "full" you have to pay attention to other stuff like running nose, hiccups and such. Your ghrelin was removed with your tummy so satiety and hunger messages to the brain do not get sent because ghrelin is responsible for sending those messages:) You very well might be full and not realize it. With time you will learn how to gauge everything correctly and understand your new eating habits. It took me a good six months to be fully adjusted. I hope that helps:)

I'm here til August 22nd....you tell me when and where and I will do my best to be there or be square:D

OMG look at this thread we are such food addicts! Ok ok it's better to talk about it then eat it right? LOL Best to get it off the chest than put into the mouth eh?

Guys...Poutine is CANADIAN!!!! yeah baby yeah:DDDD

To All, I really appreciate all the positive input from fellow sleeves!

The recipes and healthy tips to better eating...I know I need to eat small portions very slowly but frequently.

I get depressed when I see my family enjoying my cooking but it's bcs I want to eat as well. I am so happy today I went to the barrio where they make flavored drinks out of fruit. They made me cantloupe Water, watermelon Water, pineapple water...i got some nectar whey Protein isolate to add to my favored water..for protein..i also got some spanish Soup caldo de res but drank the broth...ohhhhhh it was so goooddddd....yummmmmm..I'm 10 days postoperative. The dr said I can try some yogurt, sugar free puddings.mushy mash potatoes, .I'm soooo happy.". But I eat very slowly n 1/2 tsp at a time..I know how to appreciate these lil baby steps...my tummy lets me know when enough is enough..

this is not forever just keep telling yourself that this is not forever it's just a small part of your life and soon you will enjoy small portions of your wonderful healthy cooking along with your family.....

cheese curds remind me of poutine......man I used to eat that but now if I go near it it's like a load of cement in my stomach...hard to believe the things you ate before the surgery....

the baby bel's are awesome! I eat the light ones all the time, even the full fat ones. I eat alot of mozzerella cheese sticks as well as the ones you mentioned. Can I also mention a cheese you might not know about called Bocconcini (I hope I spelled it correctly) anyway it's fresh mozzerella shaped into little balls and kept in Water. It has a mild flavour, is really really soft and easy to go down I might suggest this is you are afraid to try cheese first out

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bocconcini

Kudos to you for your success & I totally agree with your philosophy! I think that a lot of us chose VSG so that we wouldn't have a lot of food restrictions. This tool gave us a new outlook on life, but it's up to us to figure out our limitations. Thanks for sharing your experience!!!

Littlebits

No probs! Any time you need help you let me know I can help out

I forgot to add something: I cook with as many fresh herbs as I can to make the food tastier without adding any extra fat. for instance tonight I made my own salad dressing with lemon juice, fresh garlic crushed with salt, olive oil, pepper, whole grain mustard and dill (the kind that comes in the tube that's all ground and kind of like a paste) it was heavenly. I topped it with some chopped up egg and some fresh grilled steak it was awesome. I could only eat like four bites but I'm looking forward to my evening meal of it later on tonight after my walk:D

Italian lady--- thank you for your encouragement!!

Sent from my iPad using VST

No problem ANY time. I have been through this and if I can help anyone i'm there in a flash:D

Italianlady -- how much have you lost?

Sent from my iPad using VST

85 pounds in 9 months. I have been maintaining for three (although I lost a pound this week)

Italian lady, I would like some alternatives as well. I strongly dislike the shakes & powders that I tolerated pre-op.

Bmooney, I recently tried the Adkins Cafe Caramel shake & I love it. The problem is that it only has 15g of Protein. However, it is very tasty! I also have Bariatric Advantage's Protein elixir in white grape (haven't tried the berry). It's not too bad...better than the shakes & powders.< /p>

Littlebits

it it's relatively good for you, if it's tasty, then why would you not use it...although I found Protein Bars even better than adkins bars (which I find are too sweet for my changed taste buds). I LOVE the Pure Protein Bars. They have 20 gr of protein, 2 grams of sugar, 6 grams of fat (a bit high but we can't find the perfect product that tastes perfect either) 180 calories....I love them. Usually you can get them on sale for like 2 dollars per bar. They taste like a candy bar and they are relatively good for you too. I don't eat them often but when i'm having one of those 50 grams of protein a day then I get in one of these and I can get up to 70 grams which is the lowest we should take in. At my current weight (125) I should be taking in 100 grams of protein for optimal health but I can live with 70.... Whatever you do, don't beat yourself up, tomorrow is always a new day! It's all about attitude:)

I never did the shakes, I have to admit. They made me gag alot and they were sickeningly sweet. I got most of my Protein through my diet and it took alot of effort. Some days I could get it all in while others I did not and I did lose a fair bit of hair doing it this way, but vomiting and gaging everyday was not an option for me. I basically ate my five meals a day and at five meals a day if I had 10 grams of Protein then I was lucky....that gave me 50 grams, not quite enough but better than nothing. I ate things like scrambled eggs with cheese, refried Beans with cheese (all fat free cheese at that point) tuna with fat free/low fat mayo on protein bread. I never did the no carb thing because it just made me feel like I was missing out on something then i would binge later on those things feel guilty and start the cycle. That's why I don't believe in cutting anything out, because this is supposed to be about changing your relationship with food and I'm sorry but the foods i like are not going to be the black sheep in my family. If those things make me gain weight and we can't get along I do with them like I do with relatives I love but can't get on with....I take them in small doses! That being said. I eat like a normal person, I watch my intake, I used to write everything down religiously but don't do it anymore as I am almost a year out. I make sure I'm not over eating and I maintain my tummy by doing the 5 day pouch test every few months to get myself back on track, detox and shrink my tummy down. Here are some food ideas for you

refried Beans with cheese, quac, salsa and plain greek yogurt

meat balls with a quarter of a baby bello cheese placed in the center and baked (not friend) in the oven

beef jerkey (chewed chewed chewed)

look up my recipe for turkey meatloaf and stuffed mushrooms (yum yum yum) it's on the recipe forum.

I ate and still eat tons of hummus, lentils, pistachios, almonds (not the naked kind either the roasted tasty ones) and I eat two tons of sunflower seeds....I should be a bird by now. Instead of potato chips and Snacks high in carbs these items give me my snacky go tos instead of taking in tons of carbs...

I also eat tons of popcorn. I know they say no no no but as far as I can see, popcorn is FULL of Fiber, low in calories and if not loaded with butter low in calories as well. It helps me go to the bathroom because as time goes on and with the amount of protein you will take in moving your bowels becomes a challenge. SO I have to force myself to take in enough liquids that's my BIGGEST challenge. For me Water is not something I reach for so I will usually reach for my diet Decaf ice tea mix by liptons which I swear by....that's how I do it. I try to be realistic about this because living this kind of lifestyle is a big big challenge and for all of us who are living this life KUDOS to us, its very very hard:DDDD

BUT WE ARE DOING IT!!!!!

I wish we could change the living arrangemt but right now it's not doable...I was laid off april 2nd and she was laid off in feb. I I back to work July 10th. She had been back to work for 2 months now and her doctor just put her out on disability. So money is tight. We had both agreed on not having a child till we owned our own home...but someone didn't take her pill for over a week. Not pointing any fingers we both did it and have to take responsibility for it. But it's getting taxing on us...this pregnancy is tearing us apart.

doesn't sound like this is the surgery at all. Sounds like you feel trapped by an unwanted pregnancy....just remember.....God makes absolutely no mistakes. You don't have to own a home to have a baby, you don't have to have gobs of money either, you just have to accept that it's happening and deal with it. My husband flipped out when we got pregnant unplanned as well (we lost our baby) and it destroyed our marriage. Don't allow the feeling of being tied to a marriage spook you. Love is a feeling but marriage and commitment are decisions. You just have to step back (as someone else said) and take a look at the person who loved you no matter what. If you leave her eventually you will regret what you have done especially when you realize that those women who are giving you "attention" are skin deep when your wife knew you at your worst and loved you. Think about it:)

bread slides right on down for me....no problems with bread/carbs at all.....which is scary....

Sorry I'm not sure what you are talking about....the bad news bears was before my time....

go to www.5daypouchtest.com I do this every three months to keep myself on track. I just finished two days ago and feel nice and tight again. You can indeed stretch it but never back to it's original size. The good news is you still have your tool...so just make up your mind to use it. I'm sorry to hear you have only lost 40 pounds it must be very discouraging, have you had your hormones and thyroid tested?

assuming makes an ass out of you and me I am not northern italian....and i'm out of this conversation. Good day to you and best of luck with your weighloss.

I have a mastets in psychology and a phd I still believe if you don't change your mind set about food you will not be successful speaking about bobbie he is like 5 we are adults who hopefully made a responsible decision to change our lives to be healthy. Also she said she is addicted to cheetos and doritos food addiction is as real as drug and alcohol addiction would it be ok for one of them to have one drink or a little pot. Instead people need to be aware of their triggers and learn new healthy coping skills. Addicts cannot have just one of anything if that is their food or drug of choice

First of all, the slogan of AA is...."A Day At A time". ....just as this journey is a day at a time. Who said food addiction isn't real? You know what might drive someone over the edge? Nagging them and judging them, that just might do it.....now I'm putting this conversation to rest because fighting with the ignorant is a losing battle....good for you that you are Sicilian....I'm not.

Italian lady, what did u eat 7 days post op.?..I'm so tired of broth, Jello, muscle milks, G2...

I know you are so tired of it....and you will get so tired of it believe me. However in the long run, you are going to be better off sticking with your broths and jellos. I didn't do the cream Soups because they just tasted nasty to me. I'm not saying dont eat the cream Soups. Give them a try. Try a bit of Tomato Soup with a dollap of plain greek yougurt. Or how about cheese Soup with some mild salsa on top (then strained). I made lentil soup and then pureed it (I love lentils they are not everyone's fav). Try your local lebanese restaurant, they make a lentil soup that is to die for and it's usually pureed.....it's called shortet addas:) pea soup with some sour cream? whatever you do add a lil bit of fat to things. I was eating sugar free chocolate ice cream with Sugar Free Chocolate sauce and fat free sugar free whipped topping (now I can't stand to look at the stuff). it just really depends on what your doc has told you but this is how I was eating and it was like spoon here spoon there. There were alot of dishes in my fridge with a nibble here or there gone from it:) But my family understood!

Did you get headaches?

I didn't get headaches as much as dizzyness and shortness of breath. I think I didn't get alot of headaches because I really kept myself well hydrated. I drank drank drank....and strangely enough it's the one thing I have the hardest thing remembering now....I neglect my drinking now because I often don't have enough time to remember! I love liptons diet ice tea mix. It is decaffeinated, only has 1 carb and five calories. Prior to the surgery I loved my crystal light and sugar free koolaid but after the surgery, with the taste bud change I couldn't hack it and i'm not a big Water fan. So, the best thing for me is to drink this. It tastes good, it's easy just mix in with Water and voila I have my iced tea...