longer-life

Goodness people. Kelly thank You for your advice. I will have to try that a little bit later out. And Texas, I'm more than a week out. 15 days=2 weeks and 1 day. I hope they're not letting You teach children lol....

I think more than the fact that it might not make you feel well is the point that we're supposed to be changing our eating habits after surgery and if you go right back to your old eating ways then the future doesn't look too bright, sorry to say. There are many healthy things you can eat during the liquid/mushy phase that are much better for you than an ice cream sundae. Just my opinion.

Really? You asked about the wisdom of eating a sundae on a weight loss board, a week after having 90% of your stomach removed. If you feel chastised why not ask your surgeon? Perhaps he'll tell you what you want to hear!

I agree that everyone should decide whether they want to tell or not.
However since most of us can't maintain weight loss by cutting carbs, exercising and increasing Water intake alone, people will eventually figure out they were not told the whole truth.
I am not trying to convince anyone to tell or not or insult Autumn Lily. Each person should do whatever they want. My point here is to state that in my opinion people will know, will talk and will think they were lied to.

The sleeve really does help keep portions in control. I promise I did not diet during my maintenance time, but I was conscious of my food choices. I eat anything and everything I want. Grant it, about 85-90% of the time I still eat Protein first, but I enjoy all foods. I drink soda, alcohol(not in pregnancy), enjoy a lot of social gatherings which revolve around food. So, I do feel I live a pretty normal little life with food. BUT, I put in the work early out when really didn't have room for a lot of other foods. I remember even getting into maintenance, and being perfectly content with a few chips/crackers. Now, I can sit around mindlessly eat an entire "Big Grab" (those 99cent) bags of Funyuns.or half a sleeve of crackers without restriction. Those are the habits that I was talking about in my first reply. The sleeve really does help us not gain the weight back, but the sleeve doesn't stop ice cream, Cookies, carby/fat/fried foods from sliding right through. None of the WLS options stop carbs and sliders. So, we still have to be mindful and diligent in our food choices.
My weight gain was over the holiday season last year. From Halloween to New Years, we attended a bunch of parties, social events, get togethers, etc etc and they all involved alcohol in copious amounts, party foods, Snacks. Seriously, every other weekend, I had somewhere to be and had food and booze in hand. Over those 3 months, I had a solid 7lb gain. I saw the scale gradually go up, and thought "oh it's Water weight from the booze". Low and behold, the new year came and those pounds were still there. I went back to just my normal eating habits, not dieting, just Protein first for my meals, and I dropped those pounds in a little over a week. I admittedly hate working out. It's no different than scrubbing toilets. I could probably have more laxity in my food intake if I worked out more. However, I don't want to work out, I don't want to go to a gym, I really just hate exercising. That is a big part of my pregnancy weight gain. I'm eating 1700-1800( about 400-500 more calories than what I ate in maintenance) calories a day with a minimum of 100-200gr of carbs, and 80-100gr of protein per day. The sweet/junk food cravings are unbelievably difficult to fight at this point. I've never dealt with this level of head hunger, or cravings in my life. So, I know that it's pregnancy, and the fact that my eating habits have changed in pregnancy.
The lack of physical hunger really is my #1 contributor to my success. I know my sleeve limits, I also know how to cheat the sleeve so it is still all on me to make the best decision on what goes in my mouth for every meal, every day. I can still go several hours without eating. I still never get a stomach growl, or any physical sign that I need to eat. But, I can eat every hour on the hour if I choose. That's the part that is very hard to overcome for me. I know I can eat a meal, and then an hour later I can wander into the pantry and eat more. I wanted to just put it out there that losing was easy, and maintenance is where I (and many others) struggle. That was my issue before surgery as well. I could lose on WW, or any other "diet attempt", but life would happen and I'd gain back what I lost and then some. For me, the most successful sleeve patients out there are the ones who made major behavioral modifications, and really adhered to a solid plan post-op. I have read 100s of topics from people who experience several stalls, slow weight loss, and/or their weight loss comes to a complete halt because they think that the sleeve will do all the work. Sadly, those same patients post how they don't want to diet, how they want normalcy. Well, I hate to say it, but most of us are NOT normal. If we were, none of us would have sought surgical intervention. Pretty much if you are diligent with food choices, and allow indulgences in moderation, the sleeve works. I can still suck down a milkshake, or eat an ice cream without issue. I really do live by the mantra of "just because I can; doesn't mean I should". It's not always easy, but the sleeve helps tremendously.

For me, my issues, and my goals, I had to change some behaviors. It's a nice thought process that eating small amounts throughout the day will work forever, but your stomach capacity will change. I can easily consume way more calories today than I could say at 2-5 months. Actually, I can and do consume triple the amounts of calories I ate during my losing stage. Mainly, it's because of the pregnancy, but I can eat way more than I could early out. It happens. Most people who are 2-4 years out report the same issues. We can eat more, but that doesn't mean we should. I can tell you that snacking and grazing is dangerous especially in maintenance. Losing was easy, keeping it off, staying in maintenance is not as easy as just eating small portions. If that were the case, none of us would have had to have 85% of our stomachs removed. Certain foods that just didn't work early out, essentially just slide right on through my stomach and allow me to eat way more than I should be eating.
So, for me, I stuck with what my surgeon prescribed for me during my losing stage and then tweaked my maintenance intake to ensure that I was able to keep the weight off without dieting. I promise I do not diet nor deprive myself of any foods in maintenance, but I sure do not need or want to pick up the bad habits that helped me reach my surgery day weight. I ate 4 meals a day (each meal consisted of 15gr of Protein per meal and this gave me the necessary Protein grams per day, it isn't "that" hard to eat enough protein), no Snacks, didn't use protein drinks/shakes, and it worked for me. I continue the same program in maintenance for the most part. As for the pregnancy stuff, I have to snack to eat 1700-1800 calories a day. I have horrific head hunger and cravings that I never dealt with when I had a set meal plan and schedule.
There are plenty of sleeve patients out here who report a real gain of 40-60lbs because of habits/behaviors were never addressed, and life takes over, and BAM here they are back to real dieting trying to get back to their goal weight all while battling the mental/emotional aspect of weight regain and trying to lose it again. Those stories are what made me realize it "just winging it" wasn't going to work for me until I changed some behaviors with food.
We all have issues with food, and no 2 patients will be the exact same, but I do know what I was trying to do before surgery didn't work, and I wasn't willing to just "do it my way" to see if it would work. That didn't work in the past. I wasn't naive enough to believe it work now.
Plus, I never really felt like I was dieting in my losing stage. I just didn't have much room for anything else other than protein. I was satisfied on my small meals, and that kept me on track. So, getting out of "diet mode" is again nice in theory, but long term, we still have to be mindful of what/how much we eat for the rest of our lives. I surely do not know one single 30something year old naturally skinny woman that can just eat whatever and how much of those foods that she wants without seeing some weight gain. All of my naturally skinny girlfriends are not constantly dieting, but they do not have issues with food, and quantity. It's a fine line between not dieting and intuitive eating. I've had a true gain, it was scary, but I know what caused it and resolved the issues. I agree that it's confusing, and you have to do what works best for you, but realize that if you are not getting the results you want from your way of doing it, don't be afraid to change it up and go on the prescribed post-op losing plan from your surgeon.

It is certainly something to discuss with your surgeon (and maybe the psych, too,) and get their views on the pros and cons of it. Sleeves are not made the same size- there is some controversy amongst the surgeons as to how big to make the sleeves - too big and weight loss may be insufficient and regain may be more problematic, while too small and reflux can be a bigger issue. They're waiting for more 5 year data to provide more guidance. As is often the case in this world, this may not be a simple case of more (restriction) is better. You may not actually need the smallest sleeve, which may be more appropriate for someone in the 50-60 or more BMI range; a somewhat larger sleeve will probably allow you to lose all that you need to lose if you eat reasonably well with it, and a smaller sleeve may not help you if you don't. Also, the sleeve may not be the right procedure for you. The duodenal switch, for instance, often provides better loss (which you don't really need at your moderate condition) and also better resistance to regain. It tends to allow one to eat more normally and somewhat larger quantities (it uses a larger version of the sleeve as its basis) while still keeping the weight off. As always, there are tradeoffs to consider carefully. Of course your surgeon may not make such a suggestion if he doesn't do them. I chose the sleeve because I have not had major regain or yo-yo issues and had already made substantial lifestyle changes which helped keep my weight fairly stable, but volume was still an issue keeping me from losing more than I was able to "the old fashioned way". YMMV
The major "cure" that comes from any of these surgeries comes from the lifestyle changes that you make, which the surgery helps you make. At your moderate size, most any size sleeve will likely provide enough restriction for you to be successful - even the smallest sleeves can be defeated if you drink your calories. The RNY typically leaves a smaller stomach and more nominal restriction, but regain is still a problem with many RNYers.
It can be a tough decision deciding which procedure is right for you, as none of them are a silver bullet that will cure all. They all take commitment and a willingness to make changes, though these are somewhat different for each procedure.

Yeah, ya kinda are!
This was my first post, I am less than two weeks post-op, I am scared, I am sad, I have concerns and you post on here comparing apple to oranges- stomach cancer vs. VSG?
I am sorry, but someone needs to change the wheels on your "welcome wagon."

*hugs* I had my sleeve done in Mexicali on 8/12. I'm 23 and never had to deal with any comorbities either. At 3 weeks post-op, I still feel like I made a mistake by permanently altering my body. I try to remind myself why I opted to have this surgery.
We're healthy now, but for how long? Half my family is obese and they suffer with hypertension, diabetes, and joint problems from carrying so much weight. I'd like to dodge that bullet. No matter how much I tried to monitor what I ate, I still gained roughly 10 lbs a year from slipping and indulging a little bit here and there. I wanted to nip this problem in the bud; at the rate I was going, I was destined to weigh hundreds of pounds more and almost certainly have hypertension and/or diabetes.
At my highest weight of 225 lbs, I tired easily from walking too much or standing too long. I used to sweat at the drop of a hat. In college I barely fit into those tiny lecture hall seats, and couldn't get those little flip-over tables to fit over my lap. I had to cross my legs with my notebook on my knee to "comfortably" take notes. Most of the time I was the fattest person (or at least the fattest female) in the room/class.
People here often say the first month/few weeks are the hardest, and that things will get better once we can comfortably eat normal foods. We had major surgery and need time to heal. We're just experiencing some buyer's remorse at the moment

On Saturday or Sunday, get a notebook or do it at the computer - plan everything you are going to eat the next week, and when. Plan all your meals, your Snacks, your Fluid intake, etc. Make it work with your schedule (work, whatever). Make it total the calories, Protein, carbs - whatever you are counting. Work in things that fit with what you should be eating but enjoy (think of them as allowed treats). Then, buy what you need to execute the plan. Don't buy what you shouldn't be eating. Every day - follow the plan. It will eliminate you making a choice or thinking about what you eat. Make a bargain with yourself - you get a gold start for each day you follow the plan. When you get ten gold stars, give yourself a reward (non food related). Get a massage, a manicure - something to pamper yourself. Do this for a few weeks to build your habits. I've heard it takes 30 days to build a habit. You might think this is childish - the gold stars and rewards - but we are all children in the respect we are having to learn good eating habits.

You have confirmed what I said. Why would you make a comment about a personal relationship when you don't know me?:noidea: Our opinions have NOTHING to do with my personal life and you have no business commenting on my personal life.:crazy: I have not sought a personal relationship with you!! IGNORANT!!!!:frusty:
:focus:

:dance::dance: Pictures please! :dance::dance: