Escape_Pod

Janine, What kind of junk foods do you have a hard time with? The reason I ask is, I recently found that the monster cravings I've been fighting a losing battle with are much relieved with a couple of amino acid supplements. I always thought my problem was emotional eating, and that's definitely something I have to watch and find better coping strategies for, but I felt like some kind of crazy person obsessing about sweets. Now that I'm on the supplements, it's 100 times easier to eat right. I guess sometimes our bodies are trying to tell us something!

Yes, it's super frustrating to see others on plans that progress towards food so much faster, especially if you're really struggling with your post-op diet. My feeling is that some surgeons are just a lot more cautious and less tolerant of the possibility of complications. Those first few weeks are the highest risk times for developing a leak, etc. Most of us don't but the more gentle you are on the healing stomach, the lower the risk, and digesting stuff is HARD WORK. I used to imagine my stomach in there, rockin' and rollin' after I'd given it a little bit of something to work on, even though I'd just had 80% of it cut off and sewn it back together, and felt a little sorry for it. And if you try something pureed and it doesn't go down well, think how hard vomiting is on your stomach! If you're really struggling, I'd give your surgeon's office a call and talk to them. They may be open to considering letting your add something to your diet. Meanwhile make sure what you are consuming is as high in Protein as possible, that will give you the best chance of feeling less hungry.

You're at the most difficult stage, hang in there! It does take time I've heard for the Ghrelin to work its way out of your system, but if you're still experiencing hunger at this point, it may be a sign you need to be taking a prescription antacid - are you on one? You're definitely going to need a few weeks to start to get your energy back, and it will get better once you start on food, but realize that for the next several weeks at least, a "meal" is going to be about 2 tablespoons of food - that's not so much about appeasing your appetite as gently getting your healing stomach accustomed to digesting food again - that's a lot of work for an organ that's been cut and stitched up! It took me about 6 weeks I think to really start to get my energy back. You've put your body through a lot, but there are exciting days ahead.

I know this is a really old topic, but I thought I'd share something for the benefit of those who come along after me. I've recently been reading The Diet Cure and books by Maria Emmerich, and both recommend L-Glutamine for sugar cravings. I started taking it this week, and I cannot believe the difference! Honestly, for me it's like night and day. I'm sure it all depends on what's at the root of your sugar issues, but if there's a chance there's a biochemical component, it might be worth a try. Suddenly I feel in control of my food choices again, sugar doesn't call to me, and my appetite is lower overall. Side effects are very rare - mostly constipation and that's only with very substantial doses. It's easy to find in health stores, or online via Amazon.com and other sites.

When I was pre-op I often blended protein shakes with ice to make something that was both more satisfying and higher volume. A chocolate shake might also blend well with ice and chilled coffee, or instant coffee. I had that with a green salad and it kept me really full at lunch. As far as the healthy choice type frozen meals go, they tend to be pretty low in protein, because protein's the most expensive ingredient. Do you have to use a preportioned meal, or could you have x ounces of grilled chicken breast and some veggies / green salad? It might be worth a call to your surgeon's office. Another adjustment I made on the shakes that you might try is making them warm and adding a bit of salt to cut the taste of the artificial sweetener. Sounds weird, but it enhances the flavor - if you're baking you put salt in cakes and cookies for much the same reason. So, I make a morning hot cocoa with heated almond milk, 2 T unsweetened cocoa powder, a generous dash of salt, and a scoop of chocolate protein powder. Sometimes I thin that with hot water or coffee. Hope that helps!!

I was on a PPI for GERD pre-op, and was advised that the sleeve would not be a good choice for me if the upper endoscopy found Barrett's, because the sleeve can exacerbate GERD and put you at higher risk for esophageal cancer down the road. I lost my mom to esophageal cancer a couple of years ago - just two months from diagnosis to her passing. So, you can imagine, I took this pretty seriously. Fortunately, they found no indication of Barrett's, and a substantial hiatal hernia which was considered to be the likely cause of my GERD, so I proceeded with VSG and the hernia was repaired when I had my sleeve surgery. I'm still on a PPI post-op and struggling to wean off of it. I'm able to take Omeprazole which I can get without a prescription at Costco very inexpensively. I'd like to get off it eventually because it interferes with calcium absorption and we have enough trouble with that as sleeve patients.

Like others who've posted here, I really struggle with emotional eating and sugar cravings. I surpassed my surgeon's goal and got within a pound of my personal goal, but I've gained more than 10 pounds since then and have struggled for months to get back to eating consistently the way I should. When I first started the pre-op diet, I was amazed at the difference a high-protein low-carb diet made in my cravings and hunger. It was like someone had flipped a switch and turned me into a different person. Suddenly, I could pass on the Cookies and cake in the break room without any difficulty. I didn't spend the day thinking about wanting to eat something every few minutes. It was like a miracle. Now, 18 months post-op, the cravings are back with a vengeance, and I struggle to stay on plan for even a week at a time without doing a face plant into the chocolate! I've been reading a ton of self-help books recently, and I've seen several that talk about the benefits of amino acid supplements. I started with 5-HTP because I am such a stress eater and have trouble staying on an even keel emotionally. Wow, what a difference it makes for me! I just feel a little more calm, a little less apt to fly off the handle. So, a couple of days ago I decided to try L-Glutamine which is supposed to help with sugar cravings. You probably won't believe me when I tell you I could feel a difference in under an hour. I wouldn't have believed it myself. It's like I found that switch to flip again, and making good food choices returned to being pretty easy, and my appetite in general is much lower. I'm taking it now a couple of times a day. I don't know how long this will help for me, but I'm happy to give this a try for awhile. I thought it might be worth sharing for others who are struggling with sugar cravings. I always thought with me it was a matter of habit and stress-eating, but now that I'm taking supplements I have to say I'm a believer that there's definitely a biochemical component! If you want more information, I'd recommend reading the Diet Cure by Julia Ross, or just about anything by Maria Emmerich (she has a great website too, mariahealth.blogspot.com I think). Or, see if you can find a nutritionist who's well versed in these sorts of supplements.

You didn't mention the details of your pre-op diet, but you might see what you can do to maximize satisfaction within the requirements of your plan. If you're on liquids only, see if you can't find a protein shake you can enjoy - protein will help keep your blood sugar level and reduce cravings. If you're just watching carbs, focus on dense protein (like chicken breast), and see if you can boost volume with a large salad. For in-between hunger, water's a great idea, try tea and other unsweetened beverages for variety. I make a sugar free "russian tea" kind of thing with crystal light orange, a sugar free tea/lemonade mixture, and cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, made with hot water. Can you have sugar free jello? Hang in there, the pre-op diet is really hard for all of us. You can do it!

I'll second the recommendation for the Celebrate chewable multi-vitamins - I really like their mandarin orange one. I take one twice daily For calcium and iron, I prefer Bariatric Advantage chewy bites, but their multi-vitamin was too harsh - tended to make me queasy if I didn't time it right with a meal. I order both online.

You're not going to really feel the restriction until you progress to more solid foods. And at this point, a lot of the nerves in your stomach have been cut, so it's hard for you to really "feel" fullness signals. I'd really strongly advise backing way off on portions to get back to what your surgeon advises - you need to be relying on measurements rather than feeling at this stage. If you're feeling hungry, it's likely one of two things. Stomach acid can mimic the sensation of hunger - a PPI is a proton pump inhibitor which reduces stomach acid production - there's another kind called an H2 blocker. Nexium, Prevacid, etc. are the common brands. You're better off with one that's not "time release" at this stage. Did your surgeon prescribe something like this? If not, you may need to be on one. The other possibility is that it's head hunger. You just turned your life upside down, and your body's under a lot of stress, and anesthesia and weight loss do a number on your hormone levels. It's not uncommon to want to eat to self-soothe. Either way, it would be a good idea to call your surgeon's office and get their help!

I prefer to take a bariatric vitamin because they're generally formulated with the most absorbable form of all the ingredients. That being said, any multivitamin is probably better than not taking one at all! I had a lot of trouble with the Bariatric Advantage chewable multivitamins - absolutely had to take them with meals, even 10 minutes prior to a meal and I'd end up with nausea. I find the Celebrate brand to taste much better and it's MUCH easier on my stomach. BA does awesome iron (chocolate raspberry chew!) and calcium chewy bites, but there's something in their multi that just didn't agree with me.

I think having your thyroid function tested is a really good idea. Do keep us posted!

Personally, I'm a fan of the Quest Protein bars - very low in digestible carbs, (high in fiber), high in protein, and come in great flavors. They're pretty chewy, which takes some getting used to if you're eating them on the run. I prefer them microwaved for a few seconds to soften them up, but I do take them on hikes. You can order them online from Amazon or direct from Quest. My local GNC has finally started carrying a good selection of their flavors too. I also really like the PowerCrunch bars, but they're a little too tasty - if I have one it leaves me wanting another. I can't have them in my desk at at work. You might also think about options that aren't sweet. I carry string cheese / Mini baby bel light cheeses, or Ostrim meat sticks.

Congratulations on your success - it sounds like you've made wonderful permanent changes, and have learned a lot about yourself in the process. Enjoy! (And hey - where are the photos, skinny girl?? )

I surpassed my surgeon's goal in about 7 months (had under 100 pounds to lose), but I'm still working to reach my personal goal (15 pounds lower) at 15 months. I believe I would have been there by now if I hadn't let too many "treats" back into my eating. I've spent quite a bit of time gaining and re-losing the same 5-10 pounds. In my defense, I've spent those months well within the "normal" BMI range, and I'm pretty darned happy in my size 6s and 8s. But I know I have it in me to get these last pounds off. I've learned a lot about myself in the last few months, about the mind game part of this, and how to best handle my ferocious sweet tooth. It's a journey, but I'm not giving up. As of this morning, 6.5 pounds to my personal goal. Honestly, don't worry about being a slow loser. There can be a bit of a "honeymoon" period to the sleeve, but in my experience it's all mental / emotional. Those early months are a whirlwind of weight loss and excitement and dedication. The closer you get to goal, the harder it can be for some of us to maintain the same level of enthusiasm, particularly as the pounds come off more slowly. I believe that's why some surgeons push us to lose as much as we can in the early months. But that doesn't mean you can't get to goal if you're not there after a year, or even after 2 years. It's more a matter of whether you're willing to maintain the balance of restricted eating and exercise it takes to get to and maintain your goal weight. Everybody's body is different, and only you know whether you're able to put in a certain level of exercise long-term, or whether you can be comfortable at a particular calorie level without feeling like you're hungry all the time. Some people's bodies just require fewer calories, and what it takes to get to goal may not feel sustainable to them, and then it's time to seriously think about whether your goal makes sense. Until you reach that point where your weight has stabilized for a long period of time (months) at a particular level of food and exercise, as long as you stick with it, you'll continue to lose, regardless of how long it's been since surgery!

How do you feel about hot beverages? I like Unjury's chocolate made with warmed unsweetened almond milk, a dash of salt (balances the sweet), and a tablespoon or two of unsweetened cocoa (so it actually tastes chocolatey) - mix well with a whisk, and you have protein hot cocoa. If you want to get a little fancy add instant coffee or espresso, or sf syrups like mint, or almond. Just don't get it too hot or the protein will clump. Lots of people like the Click mocha as well. I like that better as a frappuccino, but if you're not a blender shakes kind of gal, that may be too much work. I also love the fruity protein flavors stirred into plain greek yogurt - especially banana, or cherry - yum!

Tania, We all fear that we're going to fail at this, and that fear's probably a good thing. It means we remember the way life was before, and we don't want to go back there. It means we realize that it's possible to end up back there if we're not careful. (And yes, with a mature sleeve you can get pretty far off track, and with enough grazing and empty calories regain a lot of weight! I can consume a frightening amount of Peanut Butter, or chocolate, or slider foods.) But the good news is, whether you fail or not is completely up to you! You know what to do - get plenty of liquids, lots of dense Protein, protein first at meals, avoid carbs and sweets, no drinking with meals, get some exercise. I've learned a lot about myself and what works for me in the past 15 months, and I'm sure you have too. I've learned that for me, personally, a little bit of a "treat" can restart the carb/sugar craving spiral and drag me off track for weeks, so I have to really consider whether that treat is worth it, and be vigilant for an increase in cravings and snacking for a few days afterwards. I've learned that cottage cheese and greek yogurt may be yummy, and nutritionally fine choices, but they won't keep me full like cooked chicken breast. I've learned that I'm an eat everything on my plate kind of girl, and I tend to like to have seconds, so I'm stingy with my initial serving size. I've learned that if I log it before I eat it (or even better, log it before it ends up on my plate), I'm far more likely to make a good decision, and turn down that cookie, or at least limit myself to a very small serving. You can do this. Expect some hurdles along the way, but my advice is to take the opportunity to really learn from your struggles and mistakes, so you can develop good habits and success strategies. In my experience, this really does get harder the further out you get from surgery, but that doesn't mean you're not up to the challenge!

Oh, how I'd love to be one of you "everything in moderation" people. I'm sure it's lovely. But if I'm honest with myself, I'm just not. Sure, when I was only a few weeks or months post-op, I could have a couple of crackers, or a spoonful of Peanut Butter, or half a cookie, and that would be that. But now, with a mature sleeve, I start out having just a little, and I might get away with it once or twice. But, eventually it becomes just a little bit more, and then a little of this, and a little of that, and then I spend several weeks trying to drag myself back on track. I've found that I'm very susceptible to sugar and carbs. When I'm off of them, they're fairly easy to resist. When I've been eating them, I cannot walk away from the stupid cupcakes in the break room with canned frosting that don't even taste particularly good. And when you get to be a year or more post-op, I think you'll discover that a mature sleeve will NOT stop you from eating an entire bag of m&ms. So, I live a pretty strict life because it makes my life easier. I don't spend my days and nights fighting cravings. I didn't have this surgery so I could eat whatever I want. I had this surgery so I could DO whatever I want, GO wherever I want, have whatever ADVENTURES I want. I had this surgery to be healthy, and strong, and confident. That sure beats the heck out of chocolate cake (ok... most days.... ) By all means, forge your own path and find something that works for you. But be brutally honest with yourself about what REALLY WORKS for you, and what's just slipping back into old habits. Because in the early months the weight will come flying off just about regardless of what you do. Down the road, it gets a lot harder, and there's never an easier time to make a dramatic change in your life than right after surgery - it doesn't get more dramatic than that.

I like the Quest protein bars - great nutritional stats, and tastier than a lot of what's on the market. Light baby-bel cheese A protein "frappuccino" - almond milk, crushed ice, and protein powder blended in my bullet to the consistency of soft-serve. Current favorites are Click mocha protein, or peanut butter cookie. Cottage cheese mixed with tuna Plain greek yogurt with a fruity protein powder mixed in - banana, or Nectar twisted cherry.

I didn't realize there was a connection between dehydration and foot cramps - I get those occasionally, and it's such a miserable thing! I'll have to pay more attention and see if I can see a pattern. I'd heard potassium, but it seems like my Multivitamins should take care of that.... (And, by the way, I have to say, choir teachers ROCK! Three of my absolute favorite teachers when I was growing up were choir teachers.)

WOOOOHOOOO!! I made it through week 1 of staying totally on track! (Ok, the fact that that's exciting is totally sad, isn't it? ) You know, it wasn't until I decided to really dedicate myself to super clean eating, no unnecessary carbs, that I began to realize just how many Snacks had wormed their way into my life. Those bags of low carb, sugar free "healthy" biscotti? Yeah, at 15 calories apiece they seemed like a great choice for a treat, but not if I eat 6 .... or 9 (eek! And they have 3 grams of carbs each!!) And that's just the tip of the iceberg - low carb crackers, Sugar Free chocolate almonds. Sheesh, no wonder I've been stuck at this weight for so long. No wonder I'm carb craving. The good news is, I've been eating clean, feeling good, back to exercising. The bad news is, my plan to stay off the scale hasn't been going so well. It makes me panicky to think about it, but I might have to take my husband up on his offer to hide it.

I think you can probably find it at most health food stores, but I've bought online, and recently at Costco. As always, your mileage may vary, so use with caution. I'm NOT a medical professional, and these things always have risks. I first read about it on Maria Emmerich's blog - I think her posts are wonderful.

Ms Skinniness, I so hear you, this IS hard. But I try to remind myself that it's also hard going to bed with a stomach ache and a sugar hangover, feeling like crap physically, and feeling like I'm going to FAIL at this and gain a bunch of weight back. I SO wanted to be one of those people who gleefully called GOAL, and then kept losing. And if I'm perfectly honest with myself, I really think I could have been if I hadn't gotten so far off track. And that's hard too. I'm ready for a change in hard. And when I have a great day, on track and doing what I'm supposed to, I feel pretty awesome about myself. That's one of the reasons I've put the scale away - I'm letting it dictate my moods and be my whole measure of success. But eating right and getting my workouts in, and the pride that comes along with those habits, is pretty darned rewarding in itself. I've decided it's not worth the potential of letting myself get derailed if the scale isn't singing my praises when I want it to. For some reason, one of my biggest challenges is stopping eating. I try to manage portions so I don't end up overeating just because there's too much on my plate, but sometimes I do get to the point where I'm comfortably full before it's all gone, and I have the darnedest time not wanting to finish my portion anyway. Last night I had half a Protein bar after dinner as a sort of dessert (another bad habit I'm working on!), even though I wasn't really hungry, but I hadn't met my protein goals for the day and my calorie count was a bit on the low side. I'm not entirely sorry I did, because I woke up HUNGRY this morning, but I know it's a bad habit eating when I'm not really hungry. Sigh... I'm gonna rock this month and see where it takes me!

Heh... well, I'm flattered right back at 'ya, but you all STILL look skinnier than me! I have to admit, that's one of my biggest frustrations. I see some totally skinny chick in her "after" photo, and she's the same height as me, and weighs MORE than me. What the heck is that about?? Skinny jeans aren't EVER gonna fit this girl. Sigh... I'm definitely working on my Zen - stress / emotional eating is my biggest issue. Surprisingly, I'm finding 5-HTP actually helps (who knew? I never bought into that naturopathic supplements stuff... but one in the morning and one at night actually seems to make me a bit calmer, at least at the moment), and I'm reading Savor - it's sort of a combination Buddhism / nutrionist / mindful eating approach. Anything to keep me from stuffing my face any time I'm alone in the house for 5 minutes. Still figuring out how much of that is physical reaction to too many carbs, and how much of it is mind games. Unfortunately, when it comes to treats I can tolerate a whole lot, and at this point nothing stops me from eating past the point where it makes me feel like crap and still having trouble stopping. Yep, 100% confirmed binge eater here in the house. But I'd sure as heck rather be working on that issue without having to battle physical hunger on top of it. I knew sleeve surgery wouldn't be a magic wand for me, but it's worth every penny I paid for how far it's gotten me. If nothing else, the self confidence I have at this weight is a huge leg up in the battle against stress eating. I know I can conquer this, look what I've accomplished already! With all of you inspiring the heck out of me too, I've got goal in my sights!! Watch out Meg, I'm chasin' you! (And, by the way, when do we get to see a photo of gorgeous skinny you at GOAL?!? )

Coops, you're such an inspiration to me, I think you stay on track with your eating so much better than I do, and you have an awesome attitude! I'm going to add a goal for the coming week - no weigh-ins. Ugh, I hate to even think about it, but I know that I let the scale dictate my mood and my behavior way too much, and I don't want it nudging me off track this week. I've lost the easy "dropping carbs" pounds over the past few days, which is incredibly motivating when I get on the scale each morning, but that's about to come to an end I know. Next weigh-in, next Sunday. There, I've said it. Meg, if you've got the bad foods out of your house, you're doing so much better than I am. My husband can pretty much eat whatever, and when I get off track, I help myself to some of his goodies. And, I've got practically a year's supply of protein bars, protein pudding, low-carb rice crispy treats, and other "healthy" snacks that really have no place in my food plan at the moment. They've been a problem for me for some time now. One low-carb biscotti might be fine at 15 calories, but it's not so fine if you eat 6 ... or 8 ... or..... And then there's the peanut butter obsession.... Today's day 4 of being back on plan though, so I know I've gotten through the worst part. Now the goal is to keep myself on track for longer than a week!