PdxMan

I assume you are pre-surgery. The purpose of the sleeve for me, is a tool which restricts the portion sizes. That's it. Nothing more. Nothing less. I can eat any and every food. It is up to me to make healthy decisions and my success with the sleeve is based on those decisions. Not everyone gets WLS to become skinny. They may just want to lose enough weight to get off of their myriad of medications. They are not wanting to make dietary changes ... just eat less of the crap they currently eat. The sleeve will help them do that. Other people are looking to change their relationship with food. Not just eating less, but eating well balanced, nutritious meals and maybe even start exercising.

That is the journey I choose. My stomach has a capacity of about 8 oz, so I must choose the best bang for my buck nutritionally. I have a salad with all sort of good stuff in it every couple days. I love them. But know that you have to progress slowly up to having something like a spinach and kale salad. Lettuces are very fibrous and difficult to digest. Even with a normal stomach, so, with having 85% of the stomach removed, it's mechanical ability is impaired for a while, so don't push it.

4 days post op here. My surgeon told me as long as I felt comfortable it was fine. Just no acrobatics.

4 days ... scissors. Yup. All good.

Losing the weight is going to result in less compression on the cartilage, therefore, you should be a bit taller. Less cartilage comression, the spongier it can be. Think about all the cartilage in your spine.

We are all taller in the morning than we are at night just for this reason. Lose weight and the result is apparent always.

Check THIS out.

Not sure if you realize this, but you posted this to your personal blog, not as a question to the forum, so you won't get the same exposure. But, to answer your question, you need some perspective.

Pre-sleeve, your stomach could hold, let's say 80 oz fully distended. You just had most of your stomach removed and it now has a capacity of around 6 oz and can't distend. So, before, you would take an 8 oz bottle and chug it down, no problem. 8 oz into an 80 oz container ... you used 10% of the space. Now, fast forward to post-sleeve. 8 oz into a 6 oz container ... hmmm ... it's not going to be the same result.

I'm over 18 months out and no, I cannot guzzle water the way I used to. I can't eat food the way I used to, either. But that is the way I wanted it and needed it. Once you get used to it, it is no big deal. I actually appreciate the fact I can't inhale food and/or drink now. That is part of what got me into trouble.

I'm glad you found something that you like. As the GNC guy said, casein is a slow release protein and with our new system, protein absorption is one of our challenges. Confirm with the nutritionist on your medical team, but I would suggest you have this before bedtime, so it can be in your system while you sleep.

When you first wake and after your exercise, your body really needs a quicker source of protein to prevent the body from cannibalising itself. Whey is suggested for that.

I believe you can lose as much weight as you need to ... but with a twist.

It really is up to you, how compliant with the rules you are willing to be and the exercise regimen you are committed to. I am 15 months out and been at goal since last March. I have lost 120 pounds and still have excellent restriction. I know that if I wanted to, I could lose more, but at this point, I am afraid that would mostly be muscle.

If you read the boards, you will see posts from many folks who will complain about not losing weight, but will also say that they are not exercising or they are not eating the right foods. As far as the foods go, I think we all probably started out with a poor relationship with food and the sleeve doesn't really address that. So, unless you are willing to confront and correct that, this may be an issue for you, too.

Exercise can also be a challenge for us as it may have never been a part of our lives and starting it now is difficult.

Bottom line is, you will get out of the sleeve exactly what you put into it. If you can be compliant and do the right thing, I don't believe there is any limit to the amount of weight a sleever can lose.

So, 1 pound = 3,500 calories. If the scale says you are two pounds heavier than yesterday, does it mean you ate 7,000 calories more than you expended?

No.

There are other forces at work here. Water weight being one of them that can fluctuate so quickly. If your glycogen stores were depleted when you weighed yesterday i i, and are fuller when you weigh next, that alone can account for several pounds.

Weighing less and burning fat are two different things. Know this and don't let the scale get you down. A continual defecit will result in fat being burned and permanent weight loss with the sleeve.

Just keep doing the right thing and you will be fine.

Wow!

Nice job. I'm so jealous. I've been down with IT Band issues, going to PT twice a week. I'll have to live vicariously through you.

Congratulations!

I had lasik surgery a few years ago ... I guess I CHEATED!

Man ... some people.

2 pounds? OMG, that could be almost anything, but I can pretty much guarantee you it is NOT 2 pounds of fat. Think about it. 3,500 calories = 1 pound. That means you would have had to consume 7,000 calories more than you burned exercising and well ... just breathing. With the sleeve at 2 months out ... I don't think that is possible.

So, what is it? Most likely it is water. At 2 months out, you are able to consume a little more than a month ago. You are also exercising. Calories get converted to glycogen for the body to use later for energy. They first get stored in the liver, then in the muscles. To be stored in the muscles, glycogen must bond with water with a 4-to-1 ratio. Meaning, if your body was able to store 1 pound of glycogen in your muscles, it would also need 4 pounds of water for a net amount of 5 pounds. This is a good thing.

You're doing nothing wrong. Just keep doing the right thing. You are not gaining fat. How do your clothes feel?

You might be surprised that post-op, you don't want the slurpee. I have changed my eating habits dramatically. I question myself as to whether I really want to put something that contains that much sugar into my body. Getting the sleeve has brought about a total change in my relationship with food, which is what I needed. Why get the sleeve if I am just going to do the same old thing. It just didn't make sense to me. Do I always make good food choices ... no. But compared to my choices pre-op, it is night and day.

Have you searched the site about stalls? It is quite normal and common. Your body is going through a major adjustment. Just keep doing what you are doing. Don't get discouraged and don't weigh yourself very often. Once a week at a minimum. Best if every two weeks.

My wife and her family eat anything and everything and are skinny as rails. They have no idea what or why I did what I did and I can't really expect them to. In a way, I'm happy they don't understand as I would not wish an obese life on anybody knowing the struggles internal and external I have dealt with my entire life. It has been an independent journey, but now that I have lost so much weight, they are seeing the person I have always wanted to be and they are now understanding. It's one of those things, I think, that they can't see until you are on the other side. But until then, you just need to push through it and know the rewards will be coming.

They have been supportive because they love me, but that doesn't mean they understand, and that is OK.

I always order soup as an entree at these things. If anyone asks, depending on the time, I tell them either I had a huge/late breakfast and not really that hungry or that I am going out tonight to some fancy place and don't want to spoil it. I'll also throw in some comment about how I am trying not to eat when I am not hungry, which gets them thinking about their eating habits and all questions immediately end!

I had the same problem and talked to my NUT. She said my carb intake was too low for me and suggested I add more cooked veggies in my diet, even if it meant sacrificing protein intake. I did and about a week later ... YOWSERS! It worked. My energy was back. Give it a try, but know it does take a bit for your glycogen stores to refill and be available. Talk to your NUT and see what they say.

Restaurants are going to have high fat soups. Made with butter, butter and then they add more butter. Needless to say, my guess is you are going to naturally stay away from cream soups for awhile. Like longer-life, I enjoyed the french onion with the croutons and cheese pulled off, which also sucks off the grease, which would also cause you issues. I enjoyed the vegetable soups and even a beef barley out at restaurants. I explained that I just had stomach surgery (didn't say VSG) and asked them to puree it, which they did, no problem. For the most part, though, I made my soups at home and ate them. My favs:

Lentil/ham/veggie

Turkey Chili

Chicken Veggie

Again, pureed.

Yes, I was drinking them a couple hours post-op, per my Dr's direction. Follow your own Dr's advice.

Until you can find an alternative, give the Premier protein shakes a try. You can get them at Costco and I see there is one in Aurora. They have 30 g in each one and are really easy to drink. At my Costco in Portland, they have Chocolate and Vanilla, but I have heard they have Strawberry, too. I think I pay like $22 for a case of 18, and they are ready to go. Grab a case. If you don't like them, I'll send you $30 and you can ship them to me. Seriously. I've tried several powders and shakes and these are by far the best.

I was not able to handle the protein shakes I used pre-op after surgery. I was able to find Premier Chocolate shakes from Costco. Very good.

If you do a search on Protein Shakes here on the forum, you'll find it is a highly discussed topic.

You really need to sample several and see what works for you. Talk to your NUT. Tell them what you have tried, and what you don't like about them. They may be able to steer you in the direction you need.

I think I love you.

You have no idea the battles I have fought on this forum regarding the scale. Yes, put it away. Great decision.

Now, my other battle is Protein shakes ... one at a time.

Well, I don't know if I would do the strict liquid thing. It isn't what you need to be doing long term and killing yourself for a couple days so you can see the scale drop a pound or two doesn't really serve you well in the long run. You can't maintain that. So, do what you can maintain which is what was prescribed when you started this whole thing. Get back to basics as Dorrie said.

• Start with protein first
  
• Don't drink with your meals, but do get your liquids in
  
• Exercise
  
• Get the %$#@ out of your house. Not in a cupboard up high. Those things can climb down on their own in my house.
  

Don't talk about it, do it. Not first thing tomorrow, right now. It only works if you work it!

Good luck!

You're doing fine. What a lot of people don't understand is that you actually want stalls. Yes, I typed that correctly. You want to stall. It tells you that your body is progressing through this process. Let's take a look at what your body has gone through lately:

5 incisions in your belly

Removal of 85% of your stomach

Hiatal hernia repair ... ?

Reduction of calories by about 2/3rds

Reduction of liquids by about 1/2

How should the body react? It is going, "WOA! I just lost a lot of incoming resources! I need to remap how I am going to deal with this and start using some local reserves."

Everyone goes through this. It is a good thing. You want your body to figure this out. This will not be your last stall, either, and again, it is a good thing. This is part of the natural progression.

Have you researched or asked your Dr/surgeon about the possibility of stretching your sleeve? From what I have been told from my surgeon, your new stomach is akin to a wallet. Yes, you can stuff it and it will stretch a tiny bit, but really not much at all.

The fundus has been removed and that is the stretchy part what distends when we used to gorge ourselves. That is gone now, so ...

It was explained to me the reason not to drink carbonated bevs was that it takes up space that should be saved for "real" liquids and food. There are dozens of reasons for gassyness. Too much sugar or other fermentable foods. I wouldn't worry about stretching your stomach, but I would discontinue carbonated bevs. Stick to your surgeon's program and all will be well.

I weigh once a month otherwise I would drive myself crazy with things like this. Our bodies are in a state of vast changes right now. You have to know this. Just be confident that if you do what you are supposed to do: get your protein, carbs, liquids ... excercise, sleep ... the weight will come off. It has to. You don't need less calories, you need more. Otherwise your body will go into starvation mode. I eat as often as I can getting about 1,000 calories a day and I am losing. I weigh myself on the 20th of each month and I see change on the scale and how my clothes fit. Women, I think, especially should weigh themselves monthly. Because of exactly what you are going through. Women have far more factors for retention issues.

You will lose weight. Don't drive yourself crazy. It will happen. 800 calories in, 2,000 calories out. Do you really think your body can sustain that? What about if you add exercise and get that up to 3,000 calories out? What do you think will happen then? Just don't drop your calories in.