MegInNOLA

You won't have to worry about any of this pretty soon--clothing options multiply innumerably! And I also love Third Day and am excited for you to have gotten to hear them/meet and greet!!

Take your time. It took me a lot longer to tolerate food than a lot of folks, but it's all okay now. Just do what you can, when you can. No hurry, and no pressure to stick to someone else's timeline. It's your body; listen to it and do what's right for you. Congratulations on your surgery! :-)

Nope. I couldn't feel anything different at all and still can't--just can't eat as much. :-) Oh happy day!!

Y'all hang in there. There are ups and downs in the speed of weight loss, especially at the points where you add different types of food. And there's the infamous 3-week stall that might happen at any point in the first couple of months and last for a LONG time! Trust your sleeves.

I understand about food being a central point around which your social activities revolve--same here. Now, almost 9 months out, I still enjoy gatherings and social activities--I've just learned how to do it within the new restrictions. I eat snack-sized meals, slowly, and enjoy the conversation and visiting with people I don't see every day. At business functions, I chat with different groups while holding the exact same plate of stuff the whole time--nobody knows (or cares, really) that you're not eating.

Check in with the scale but don't let it ruin your mood! It's all going to come out okay.

I also still cannot tolerate eggs in any form (scrambled, boiled, egg salad, whatever)--and I ate them practically daily before being sleeved. You will probably need to try different types of protein as you go and see what works for you. It might be that chicken is great shredded, or maybe tuna, or cottage cheese--my point is, you will find your "go-to" foods with trial and error, and you will also find some foods that your sleeve just doesn't like any more. Mine hates grilled chicken but tolerates boiled chicken in tiny bits in soup--so I can have soup if it's "smushy." I can eat Wendy's chili but not a hamburger patty. My sleeve LOVES dairy and veggie sources (beans, peas, lentils), so I'm okay with protein variety, but it took me a while to realize that eggs, grilled chicken, tuna weren't working any more.

You're also eating kind of early, I think--- maybe start out with some yogurt (Greek has extra protein), but watch out for excess sugar--that's another thing that makes my sleeve freak out. You can make some sugar-free pudding and stir in some protein, too, and if you zap up some cottage cheese in your blender with a little sweetener, it makes a nice protein-rich topping for jello or pudding or melon (when your doc says you can eat that).

Keep portions small and undereat--try to eat until you're not hungry, not until you're full. HUGS to you, and best wishes! You've got a great tool--now you are in the learning-to-use-it-to-best-advantage period.

I'm kind of the odd one out, I guess. I was very open about it from the beginning with my family, friends, and coworkers. I didn't broadcast it, but I did mention it when it was appropriate. I received nothing but support and positive attitudes; this may be because I teach at a university and people are fairly open-minded, but I think it's also that folks realized that if I was taking this drastic step, it must be because I needed to do it, had thought it through, and was doing it for my health and longevity.

Different people are in different situations. I have a friend who had the sleeve, and she did not feel comfortable telling anyone other than her immediate family. There's no right or wrong in deciding who to tell; there's only what's right for you in your situation.

On the back side, I have been amazed and grateful for the hundreds of positive comments regarding the success of my surgery. My colleagues and students are so thoughtful and supportive; it's been a real kick to be complimented and teased (in a pleasant way!) about my weight loss--one of my colleagues now calls me "Slim," which makes me laugh out loud!!

I haven't heard any negative comments; if someone has them, they're keeping them to themselves, which is a good thing. :-)