Butterthebean

Well....no. Some of us (a lot of us) have surgery and then start eating sensibly. Some don't.

My second week out of surgery I was suffering so bad from head hunger and carb withdrawal. I licked the seasoning off 5 sun dried Tomato basil wheat thins but didn't eat the crackers. My God that was so good at the time, and it satisfied my cravings.
Best part was my dog got to eat the licked crackers. She was thrilled to get such a treat. She did a little labrador happy dance. I probably did that 2 or 3 different days until I started on soft foods. By then my cravings were gone.

Got it. This thing is huge. You can see the roll of paper towels in the background. But it works. This thing would blend up a truck bumper. I made my first green shake this morning. I definitely need to fine tune my recipe. It tastes kinda like mixed berries and fresh mowed grass. Too much kale. I do feel better getting in more greens though. No way would I be able to eat this many greens.

Speaking for the men....if you women dumped us everytime we said or did something stupid or insensitive, you wouldn't have a man around very often. We need your understanding and forgiveness, and you need to give it or you will be lonely and frustrated looking for Mr. Perfect.....cause he's gay.
Now of course, there is a huge difference between just being a knucklehead...and being a jerk. If he's a jerk, you don't need him.

The standard sleeve has a 1 meatball limit. You have to upgrade to the multiple meatball deluxe version.

I started at 401. 8-1/2 months later I'm 229 and still losing. The sleeve will do the Job just fine if you're willing to make some lifestyle changes. If you think you will never be able to control your eating then the bypass might be a good alternative. The upside of the sleeve is less complications and a more normal life. It works with you but it does not do the work for you.

I love guacamole and chipotles guac is good. My wife makes it the same way except spicy.
If you don't wanna make it, Wholly Guacamole is some very good stuff and comes in 100 calorie packets. We buy it at Walmart.< /p>

Next was a bag of Cheetos puffs. 9.75 oz, 1500 calories, 100g fat, 130g carbs.

That's about 2.5 cups of Cheetos dust. A little lighter than the Doritos, but the same volume.

I remember being kinda surprised when my NUT told me that chips were off limits forever. She called them a slider food, but not in the traditional ice cream sense. But rather because they crunch up so small in your sleeve and have so many calories and no nutritional value, something we all know.
But I have way too much time on my hands so I decided to do some experiments just to see how small they would crunch up. Keep in mind my big blender died suddenly last night from unnatural causes so I had to use my wife's small pulse blender. I'm betting the big blender would have chomped these chips up even finer.
First victim....11.5 ounce bag of everybody's favorite "macho man" nacho cheese Doritos. 1680 total calories, 84g fat, 192g carbs.
From this...
To this....

That's about 2.5 cups of chips. Not a lot. I doubt I could hold that much volume right now but I could eat it over the course of a day or 2. Certainly before my sleeve I could eat 2.5 cups of food no problem.

Nurse B. I just wanna say.....I'm 19 months post op, and you just described me. I love my sleeve and I love my new life.
BUT....the road is not easy. Don't ever think you are the only one struggling with it. You're not alone. Sometimes I bite my tongue and try not to complain about the things that are hard....not because I'm so positive and optimistic, but because I'm trying to convince myself how much I'm loving it. But in reality, there are days I'd like to eat my weight in chocolate.

Everyone says their acid reflux felt just like hunger after surgery. I've read that over and over on these forums. So if your hungry and you don't think you should be, try an antacid. I've also been fooled a couple of times by thirst. It happens if I haven't had enough Water. I think I'm hungry even though I just ate.
Another tip, I'm a milk lover. I used to drink a gallon every 3 or 4 days. Now 1 sip completely fills me up, like I just ate the Thanksgiving turkey. Of course, that could also be acid reflux. Milk calms heartburn, at least for me.

It wasn't the final straw, but I was always a big fan of John candy. When he died at 44, that was scary. And it got scarier as I approached 44. I'm 43 now, and I kinda feel like I'm averting that tragedy for myself.

Now this is an idea I can get behind.
BTW....all this talk about cravings. I would never lick doritos. But I did lick wheat thins about 8 days after surgery....God they were good.

Neil, I would like to agree with your sentiment about not obsessing, but I disagree with alot of your other assertions. There seems to be a theme to this thread that eating healthy equates to being "terrified of food". That's just not true. Some of us have turned a corner and decided that we want to be healthier individuals. The sleeve will make us lighter, not healthier. Eating less of the same junk that got us here will only make us slimmer unhealthy individuals. And yes, I do believe that eating junk is what got us here, not failing at diets. That was just a bump on the road to surgery. You would have never had those failed diets had you not made poor food decisions in the first place (and by "you" I mean all of us, of course...not singling you out).
And also let me say for the record, I am no veteran, but neither are you (now I mean you, Neil). You're feeling good right now because the sleeve will not allow you to eat much. Down the line that will change. For some the increase in hunger and appetite is drastic. If you continue to oblige your every whim and craving you may end up right back where you started if the restriction relaxes. There are plenty of people here with food addictions, and the advice you're giving them is incredibly irresponsible. It borders on enabling.
You obviously "know yourself"....but you don't know everyone else here.
Just my opinion.

Why couldn't they have prayed for me when I was eating all those pepperoni pizzas?

Thanks for helping me to 'think about things logically', Alex. Honestly, is that helpful? I've not talked down to you at all. I will give you a chuckle for the shipping thing...I was trying to be funny and probably haven't paid a dime for shipping
I'm truly thrilled that this is a success for you. Ever since I signed on to BP, I've admired you for 2 things...one is that you're a band patient and a successful one. I don't know, IRL, a single person who was banded who has had any lasting success, let alone maintained as long as you have. And two, that you took your life experience and turned it into a successful business. It's one of my great regrets in life that I've never realized my desire to be an entrepreneur, and you've clearly done it quite well.
That said, I wonder if this event is in keeping with a desire to keep this a 'safe place' or if it was a knee-jerk reaction to fear that your reputation was being sullied. In my house, we talk about doing the 'hard, right thing' vs caving in to peer pressure and fear. And I also wonder WHO you're keeping this a 'safe place' for? A place where PMs are read by moderators, people are banned with no warning or the courtesy of an explanation, a place where the vast bulk of the participants are as clueless as I was when I arrived here 8-ish months ago? Who is that 'safe' for? That's a big old echo chamber, which isn't a great place for support or information. So, maybe I'm not all that logical, or all that smart, or even marginally valued here...but I'm not sure I'm 'safe', either.
I expect I'll soon see some snarky blacked-out name replacing Shelterdog64 in my profile...good luck to you.

@@WLSResources/ClothingExch I LOVE your ability to turn a phrase <3 I might stay around just for you...we can exchange salacious private messages to titillate our moderators

@@White Sale Or you could skip the thread and move along yourself. I'll have my say, thanks.

@whitesale you've been here what 3 days move along off this thread you don't even understand why people are upset your so new.

This is very important. That is NOT okay and should NOT be normalized.

I haven't been on this site in about six months. But after this latest idiocy, I'm finally ready to delete my account.
Yes, Alec, as the owner and operator of this message board you can do anything you want to do with this board.
However, your posts in this thread mischaracterize the ways in which this board's culture and the value it offers WLS patients have declined for some time.
But the blockbuster is your admission (long suspected by me) that you read BP members' private messages. IMO reading members' private messages is a significant ethical violation by any message board operator. Those who choose to remain here need to understand that clearly.
These days there are so many other social media options for support of WLS patients. I urge those leaving BP to explore them all.
I expect that my and some others' opinions will soon vanish when Alex heavily edits or deletes this thread, just as he has deleted other comments and BP threads where members have expressed their opinions about BP's culture and operational policies. But I've bothered to type them anyway.
In closing, I would like to thank the many WLS patients here who contributed to my WLS success (I've lost 100 pounds and have maintained my weight loss for longer than a year). I also thank those who invited my input and who appreciated the help I offered. Help is a two-way street.

Here. I'll just cut and paste.....
Weight Loss Stall or Plateau
A weight loss stall or plateau is an extended period of time during reducing efforts where is there is no weight loss according to the scale and no loss of inches according to the tape measure. This is why it is so important to take your body measurements before surgery, so you'll have a reference as your weight loss progresses post-op. We suggest you take measurements of your chest, waist and hip, neck, upper arm, thigh and calf.
Be aware it is very common for your weight loss to "stall" shortly after surgery. Diana explains the reason for this below.
The Inevitable Stall
By Diana C.
A "stall" a few weeks out is inevitable, and here's why.
Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of Water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet.
As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a saber tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.
Breathe, and fuggedaboudit for a few days.
What You Can Do About a Stall or Plateau
If you are experiencing a post-op weight loss stall or plateau further out there are a few possible causes. First, check that are you really in a stall. If the scale has stopped moving you may be losing inches, so check your measurements.
Too Many Carbs?
Carbohydrates can start sneaking into your foods without you being aware of how quickly they are adding up. For more information on carbs, see our section on Carbohydrates. If you are struggling with your weight loss you may want to examine your daily carb count. You can try to keep your carbs under 50g a day and see if that makes a difference in your weight loss. Do not eat carbs before bedtime as it triggers insulin and initiates fat storage. There are some great web site resources you can use to keep track of what you are eating.
Fit Day
Spark People - If you join Spark People also join the DS group.
The Daily Plate
Calorie King
For more tips on keeping a food journal see the Personal Nutrition Guide.
Eating Enough?
If you are under-eating or go more than 4-5 hours without eating, your body will shift into fasting mode, slow your metabolism and conserve your stored energy (fat). This can contribute to a weight loss stall or plateau. Make sure you are eating small meals or small Snacks throughout the day and also ensure you meet your daily Protein requirements. Try eating some Protein with every meal or snack. For more information on protein requirements see our section on Protein.
Drinking Enough?
An adequate level of water in your body aids in the effective breakdown of fat. The daily minimum recommendation is 64 Fluid oz of water a day. If you are in ketosis you will need to drink even more water to ensure the ketones are flushed out of your system. You may also need more than the minimum amount of water if you are exercising or live in a warmer or dry environment.
Exercising?
Exercise can increase your metabolism and burn fat. Strength training will build muscles and will boost fat burning. In a stall you can try increasing your volume of exercise or changing up your routine to overcome a weight loss stall or plateau. If you have been doing mainly aerobic activity, try doing a bit of strength training, and if you have been doing mainly strength training, try an aerobic work-out.
The High Fat - High Calorie Stall Buster
Many DSers swear by the fat/calorie shock as an effective weight loss stall or plateau buster. Having a day of higher fat and calorie eating followed by a returning to consistent low carb eating can sometimes "shock" your body back into weight loss mode.

I'd love to hear that story. That sounds like some conversion.
I do have some friends that went from being strict catholic to going to a UU church and they love it.

I see what your problem is now. You don't live in the real world. You are the type that believes there needs to be a scientific study to prove the earth is round and the Water is blue.....otherwise it just isn't true. Scientific studies are great, except they rarely have enough real world variability or significance due to lack of resources, time, money, controllability....so on. I married a doctor who does full time research so I hear about it all the time. You posted 3 links. 1 was a cartoon which said ALL sleevers get dumping. Haha...nice cartoon but from what orifice did they pull this information? The 2nd study has no results, therefore it has no value....none. The 3rd showed that 33% of 25 patients had dumping symptoms after 12 months. Not a much of a study. Certainly not enough to call it a golden fact, however even if it is the norm....dumping can easily be averted by compliance with post op eating protocols which is of course a requirement with all WLS.
Lastly, I have no scientific study showing may lack of sutures. Nor do I I have one showing my weight loss or the results of my TT or my bald head. But they are real just the same. But bless your heart you seem to need studies or else everyone is wrong. Why don't you instead go to the sleeve forum and do some inquiries? Ask for some real world experience. Or better yet....just quit spreading misinformation about the sleeve.