tasherie

I can tell you I felt the same exact way (except for the back pain) at one week out. I am almost 4 1/2 months out and it gets better!! Day by day, week by week things will get better. Then one day you will feel totally normal, or at least what normal is now. I did horrible with my fluids the first month and a half..I had to find what was right for me. Gatorade that was kind of half frozen in the bottle (grape was my fav) from the freezer was the easiest for me. i still cant drink anything too much like water..just doesnt feel good. I also was horrible at my Protein because I hate Protein shakes. It wasn't until about week 11 that I got on track with that because I could eat my protein.

Thank you! You won't reget it!

In a jam I eat the grilled snack wraps all the time..I get mine with no lettuce. I have lost 42 pounds in 10 weeks so I have not been doing too bad. Do I eat all of the tortilla? NO..i peel most of it away but the chicken is really good

I was told I could have a salad at 6 weeks..but I was scared. Had one for the first time on sunday and I don't know what I was so afraid of. It was delicious, went down well and I could eat quite a bit

Yea we are. I didn't really expect to lose so fast because I was a lower bmi (41)..but its just coming off. Thank you so much btw!

I haven't really been on here as much as I used to mostly because I get so busy living my life now and being happy. Its the first time in my life I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Its not really about the weight loss that makes me so happy but the not having to worry about it as much anymore. I have 60 more pounds to lose to make it to my goal. My surgeon says I am ahead of schedule with weight loss. Sometimes protein is still a b***h LOL but I refuse to drink a shake (Ugh!) So I eat every bit of it that I can. I have finally just in the last two weeks worked out my fluid schedule to where I am getting 64 oz. Im not gonna lie..I don't always make the best choices but my main focus is my protein and I have been doing really well. I get sick of stuff very quickly so sometimes its a challenge to come up with different ways to eat. It really is a chore now. I get hungry from time to time..no where near what it used to be. I am satisfied with very little, and am a VERY cheap date LOL I have tried everything except raw veggies and fruits, but in two more weeks I should have the go ahead for those. I have no pain. Sometimes I overeat and get a sickly feeling that makes me miserable..lol but I learn from it and take my time. I do exercise but only 2 days a week. I try to be as active as possible in my free time so I hope that makes up for it. The great thing about losing inches and pounds is that you become more willing to do new things because you have the energy and the mobility and boost in confidence. If anyone has any questions I am more than willing to IM. I hope everyone is doing well!

Lissa already answered this for you, but I wanted to thank you for your congratulations lol

Your welcome. A lot of people are too hard on themselves after this surgery because I guess they feel pressure to 'succeed'. Sometimes you just have to look at the big picture. Try your best..that is all you can do.

LOL yes I know! Everybody says I look like I am shrinking but I haven't really gotten it through my head that I am the lightest I have been in 2 years!! LOL All of my old 'smaller' clothes are fitting and all of my 'bigger' clothes are too big! I am now in a size 14! yay!

What she said!

Your welcome! lol If you have any questions just IM me.

Hi all! I am officially 6 weeks tomorrow! Yay! So I thought I would pass on some advice to those of you that pre-sleeve or just newly sleeved (newer than mine lol). 1.) Take it slow after surgery. Don't push yourself because you WILL pay for it in PAIN. At 6 weeks I am just now getting back to my normal energy level. 2.)Relax!! I know that we want this to work so bad and so fast that we freak out when something goes awry. You are going to have stalls..BUT if you stay on plan (Protein first blah blah blah) you WILL lose the weight. Some lose faster than others and every body is different. Just try to have a little patience and don't tie yourself to a scale. Inches still come off in a stall! 3.) If you feel something isn't right. Call your nurse or doctor and ask. There is no harm in asking and I am sure they have heard anything you can throw at them. 4.) Don't beat yourself up! There is going to be a day that you are going to eat something that you aren't suppose to. My personal opinion (yours may be different) is that I did not do this to myself to be on a diet for the rest of my life. I stay on plan but I do treat myself to a bite or two of something I like sometimes. I have still lost weight. Not fast, or slow but somewhere in the middle...And YES I can eat a little more than most (My surgeon used a 40 sized bougie) but NOT so much that my loss has been different. I can still only eat about a 10th of what I used to at any given meal. When you feel yourself freaking out..take a step back and look at everything you have gained (ie..smaller clothing size, ease of movement)...and all that you have lost (ie inches and pounds). 5.) Keep up on your Vitamins. In the beginning there is absolutely NO WAY to eat the amount and variety of food to get the recommended amount of vitamins/minerals your body needs. You WILL feel it, and not in a good way if you don't. 6.) Keep up on your water/fluid. You WILL feel it, and not in a good way if you don't. 7.) Get active! Sitting around bored will not help with head hunger! Do other things! Get a hobby! LOL I am sure there is more that I could add, but I am leaving work and wanna go HOME! *whiney face lol and I am running out of time. Feel free to add what you would think is important to know. 33 pounds down and even though I am mad at myself that I had to do this and get here to lose weight it is the BEST thing I have ever done for myself. I can only see good things ahead. Good luck!

Don't stress yourself out about it. I can eat like that too. I can eat 2 whole hard boiled eggs at one time! lol I still lose weight, not slow or fast but moderately, and I am not even working out yet. I walk, but nothing other than that. (I get the go ahead for exercise this thursday). As long as you are following plan and doing what your suppose to do you will lose weight! Your gonna drive yourself crazy over-thinking everything lol

I third that. Just focus on your liquids for the first couple weeks. The most important thing is to stay hydrated. Dehydration can be AWFUL lol..seriously..don't stress yourself out about it. Things will get easier as you progress.

HI!! I am right around 5 1/2 weeks (surgery March 8). Doing very well. I feel very 'normal'. From my highest weight of 257 right before my pre-op diet I am down around 32 pounds. I feel so much better. The weight comes off at about 3-4 pounds a week now. I did have a stall the 2nd and 3rd week, but now I am back to losing pretty steadily. I eat pretty much what I want. I don't really have much room to go off of plan because I don't drink protein shakes. So I try to eat as much of my protein as I can. I don't have room for carbs and I am slowly but surely working on that 64 oz. goal of fluids per day, but not quite there yet. I take my vitamins everyday, and I have to say I am doing fairly well. Just enjoying life!

I can't stand protein shakes or drinks either! LOL As soon as I could start eating semi-solid and solid foods I try as hard as I can to eat all of my required protein. Sometimes that involves a protein bar. The atkins protein bars seem to sit with me the best. I can only usually get half of one done at a time, I kinda split it between snacks. (morning snack, and afternoon snack). The rest I get in with eggs, roast beef hash, shrimp (my sleeve loves shrimp), tilapia,tuna, canned chicken, chicken wings..etc. So to answer your question..I would say as soon as you can eat semi-solid or solid foods, but always ask your NUT or surgeon first. Me personally, I tried them at 3 1/2 - 4 weeks post op.

I just use Vitamin E capsules

I have learned from lurking in some plastic surgery forums that massage of your incision scars can help reduce the 'raised' appearance sometimes. So I have been doing this with scar cream after the shower, with gentle pressure in small circular motions. Sooo you can HEAR the scar tissue breaking up underneath and its similar to how bubble wrap sounds!! Can you say the wierdest feeling since drain removal??? LOL

My confession: I eat what i want, and don't count my calories. I usually go for protein first because that is what I crave but I have eaten pretty much everything that I have craved. Yes, I still lose weight. I don't mind that its slow. I can't get in much, and I try to enjoy every meal.

i want an olive garden ceasar salad soooooo bad LOL I can't wait!

They do contain them but the majority of the protein is collagen from my understanding and research. Thats why most of them recommend to take it with food, to aid absorption. It is very confusing..I asked my dietician and she said they were fine but to be aware of the amount of sugar. I have heard others say that they are crap but there are also people who came to the same conclusion as I did. *shrug I am not sure. I have been using them to subsidize the amount of protein I get, because I don't have the capacity to eat all of my protein and I have been fine. My first month labs will be done this week so I will let you know how the come out.

The protein shots can also be good once you start eating. The problem with the shots is that they are mostly the wrong types of proteins that can be absorbed on their own. They lack the amino acids whey or casien mixes have that are needed for the protein to be absorbed without actually eating the source. If you are going to do the shots even eating a little bit of 'real' protein (fish, chicken, eggs, pork) 30 mins before can aid that protein in absorption, because the meat carries the amino acids that are required for your body to absorb that type of protein.

Im not sure either. I think it depends on the surgeon and the technique or techniques he/she prefers.

I had a drain and kept it for about a week. At my first post-op appointment my surgeon removed it. Its not awesome but its not that bad either. The worst part about it was having to empty the contents myself and measure how much 'stuff' was in it and what color. I healed very quickly tho, so I like to think that the drain had a big part in that. Removal was easy, felt very uncomfortable but did not hurt. Kind of like exactly what you would think a tube being pulled from your abdomen would feel like.

My doc recommend no lifting over 15 lbs until after 6 weeks.