Sleeved&Hopeful

Hey there. You've lost 72 lbs which is awesome! How far are you from goal is the BIG question? Do you have much more weight to lose or are you pretty close to goal? If you are close to goal, it may be time to kick the carbs to the curb as low as you can get them. That seems to help a lot of people get to goal.

I had a 32 and I like the amount of restriction. I don't think it's too much especially being 7 months out. I can eat around 2.5-3 ounces of Protein and a few bites of veggies. I personally do think that the way the surgeon does it is important. Also. Dr. Cirangle did a study that the larger sleeves (over 40F I believe) resulted in the same excess weight loss but resulted in a bigger weight regain. So he started doing 32F sleeves and the weight regain is less than with the larger bougies. However, I think anything between a 32F and a 40F should be absolutely fine for long term weight loss and maintenance.

I have seen a few people only lose 25-30 lbs in 5-6 months but the majority of those people only had 60-70 lbs to lose to get to goal and it usually takes them 9 month to a year to lose it all (not always though--some of them lose it in the first 6 months). One lady I know had 80 lbs to lose and it took her almost the full 2 years after surgery to lose it all. If you look at the sleeve studies that are available online--they usually show best excess weight loss at 18 months post op. If you don't lose most of the weight in 6 months--that still leaves a good 12 more months for weight loss. It doesn't have to come off in 6 months--especially if you have less than 100 lbs to lose. There is a good 18 month window for weight loss. Even some gastric bypass people take over a year to lose most or all of the weight. It just really depends on how much you have to lose and how your metabolism is and also a big part of it is how compliant you are in the high protein diet. One big key I've seen is not drinking and eating at the same time. There is a video on youtube where a gentleman shows why you shouldn't eat and drink at the same time after weight loss surgery. It really DOES just flush the food down and you won't feel full as fast. Also if you feel hungry frequently make sure you try an acid reducer like Prilosec. Our tummies sometimes produce just as much acid as our regular stomachs and you can see how that might be a problem. Excess acid causes hunger and it also causes acid reflux.

I had to start taking 40MG of prilosec because sometimes our little tummies still produce the same amount of acid as our big tummy. I have no hunger hardly at all taking 40 MG prilosec per day. If I forget to take it, I get hungry and I also have really bad reflux. I was worried about the side effects but one lady I talked to said she has to take 80 MG of prilosec a day and she has been taking that much for 15 years and she is ok! So who knows? I just make sure I take my vitamins.

I like underhunder too!

I am SO happy for you girl! You are brave & beautiful and strong! Good for you for keeping your head up. Be proud!

The DS is highly effective just please stay on top of your vitamins and doctor's visits! I guess you already know the malabsorption is really hardcore on that surgery but that is the trade off because you can lose a LOT of weight :-).

I have noticed this alot. It is definitely weird. Some days I can't eat much but there have been a few times I have been very surprised by the amount I could eat. I think this is why measuring is important. I had my first cheeseburger since surgery about 7 months ago last week and it was probably a 4 ounce burger with patty, bun, and cheese without veggies nd I was able to eat 3.25-3.5 ounces of it before feeling full. I was a bit shocked but i think the bread slid on by lol and the protein was probably only 2 oz of beef. Then today I had a bun less burger patty about 2 ounces of meat and I was stuffed. Weird!

I have eaten bread a few times since surgery. It is the really thick rolls you get at restaurants. I can only eat about half of one!! They are VERY filling. Now I've tried a regular piece of bread (like a hamburger bun or regular piece of Mrs. Baird's) and that is an entirely different story. That goes down way easily. I guess even bread can be dense but obviously it is a not a protein--lol--that's why I've only had it a few time.

Ok, this reminds me of a post I read on a low carb forum I belong to. Of course you haven't regained weight yet and that is a blessing. You can prevent that weight regain before it actually happens by acknowledging you have been making bad choices. The post I read today on the low carb forum was about a lady who had RNY gastric bypass. She lost 120 lbs and by 3 years out she had gained 80 lbs back. She went back on a protein first/low carb program and lost the regain PLUS an extra 30 lbs! She has kept it off for 5 years!!! She started using her tool appropriately and has done very well It CAN be done. It just requires a lot of diligence in saying no to the easy sliders and sweets. IT CAN BE DONE

And I just remembered I started eating it at about 3 months out but I bet some people can tolerate it sooner if they can tolerate steak. For some reason I just didn't try it before then.

I absolutely love beef jerky. I buy different brands and the ones I usually buy are 15g of protein per serving, low fat, and very low carb. Almost perfect for a sleever really.

Yes, I hear about people getting hernia repaired during VSG all the time. Some of them even chimed in here. I'm surprised he said that. I think it should be up to you and weighing the pros and cons. My sister did really well with the gastric bypass but for some reason the potential side effects scared me too much so I chose the VSG. However, I have developed reflux since surgery and never really had it before. My case must not be that severe because if I take a Prilosec first thing in the morning, I don't experience any reflux symptoms.

73 lbs is a LOT of weight and I am sorry you are not getting the positive feedback you desire. You will get it from us here! I am sorry your family isn't being more supportive. Keep your head up because you are losing VERY WELL

And Crystal I have to ask--how many calories a day were you on average eating the last 6 months? And you DID win the lottery! You have lost almost a hundred pounds in six months which is UBER AWESOME for a "lightweight" in the bariatric circles.

Woo hoo Crystal! You must be really short to want to lose another 21 lbs!

Haha that's freaking awesome! I watched a surgical video and it showed them taking out the stomach. They put it in some kind of "medical bag" that is clear and then pull it out through the hole in your tummy. It was amazing how easily the tummy fit through the hole! I was like whoa!

I am almost 7 months out and I still have to take Prilosec every day or I get bad acid reflux. I don't know what I would do without Prilosec.

My "hungrier" times definitely happen when I am about to have my period LOL

I gotta tell you---I know someone who told the military that they had a partial gastrectomy when in fact they had the sleeve and got in. Not saying it's right--just saying they did it. A partial gastrectomy is where they remove part of the stomach due to ulcers or cancer so it's sort of like the sleeve. He told them it was from ulcers lol.

Wow want to talk about amazing! You have done a great job!

I only get weighed at the doctor during weight loss. I hate the scale too and could care less what it says. I worry about my size and how I feel in my own skin. HOWEVER--when I get into maintenance--I'm going to break down and get a scale and monitor at least weekly. Getting too complacent could cause me to gain weight without realizing it and when I am in maintenance I can never be complacent. It would probably be too easy to gain weight back.

I started drinking coffee in moderation about 2 months after surgery. I know they say no caffeine but I really felt like I needed some. I've been drinking it ever since just fine. A lot of people do. I still, however, will not drink anything carbonated and probably never will.

So interesting that people's taste buds change after surgery! I must be an anomaly because my taste buds are exactly the same as before surgery!! The only thing really weird I've had since surgery is the hiccups when I'm full but a lot of other people seem to also so that's cool. I haven't ever burped from being full since being sleeved. I HAVE had the slimies a few times and they sucked. That will teach you not to take that one extra bite for sure. My BM's are not regular so I have to take miralax to help things along haha. I also have some really bad acid reflux since surgery that I never experienced before. That's my only negative side effect. If I take Prilosec once a day, i don't experience it all. So weird that we are all so different but that's just the way people are--all different and unique!

Some people experience zero hunger and feel forced to eat and I'm glad I never had that feeling. I have experienced hunger since my surgery but in a much more mild way. I guess the best way to explain it is that my hunger is a light whisper compared to the annoying ravenous hunger before surgery. It's so much easier to deal with cravings that way! I am grateful for that. My taste buds are still the same and I am only able to eat a small amount and feel satisfied. I can't explain to you how freeing that is! I too was a volume eater and really just needed a way to get my portions under control and feel satisfied with it.