ladiJ

wow i could have written this post! I also started back with low carb and higher protein this week and the scale is moving again..I was sleeved in dec 2012 and still have 40 lbs to get off.

just had mine out monday, what I read and what I plan on doing is sticking with healthy fats and low fat dairy and adding it all very slowly..

This is a topic I am stil struggling with. Part of me says hey I had surgery because I have spent 50 years dieting and did not want to spend the next 50 doing the same thing. Thus I am hopeful that portion control will lead to results. However I also am aware that now a year out and still 45 lbs away from where I want to be that I would have made faster progress if I had been more vigilant. I also know for me eating higher carbs leads to a craving for more and more carbs. This year I went on vacation and lost 3 lbs, never would have happened in the past. This holiday I told myself I have dieted and denied and shamed myself through the last 30 years of holidays and I was not going to do it this year. I ate, I ate high carbs, I ate some stuff for the first time in a year, It for sure increased my hunger and my cravings, sometimes I woke up and went to fridge when I knew I could not be hungry....I gained 3 lbs..during thanksgiving and christmas ..then 2 days ago I said ok the holidays are over, I am back low carb and I feel good. Maybe this is how normal people eat, they realize they are less stringent during holidays or special times and then they get right back on track..maybe my relationship with food is normalizing......or maybe I am just a true fatty and lying to myself...dunno.....think I will go eat a string cheese

I am 8 months out now and I am happy I had the surgery. However for the first 3-4 months I questioned wether I had made the right decision. With each day it seemed my eating and drinking became easier and more normal and the regrets began to dissipate. I am a slow loser but I am losing and I feel more energetic and happy than I have in a very long time.

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! I am so making these!

I also had this reaction, my mom explained it was due to the anesthesia, I had never heard of this and I am a nurse. It seemed to take about 8 weeks to resolve.

it is difficult in healthcare to stay hydrated. Like Nurse Claudia, I too, keep a small bottle of water in my scrub jacket, also drink on the way to work and on the way home. If i waited until I could make it to the lounge I would be dehydrated for sure;).

Just my two cents worth, I would not panic yet as I swear my sleeve feels like it changes size according to the food, the time of day, the stars etc.....I may have trouble choking down an egg in the am but can eat 3oz turkey burger at noon without pause. I have been a slow loser, average around 2.5 pounds a week these last almost 11 weeks BUT it has been without hunger or feeling deprived....it is almost effortless (other than to keep healthy foods stocked rather than junk, and I have had some of that too) Now I ask you, when have you been able to effortlessly lose weight like that before? Don't worry about the size of your sleeve, just follow the rules of Protein first, then veggie, then starch,drink that Water and you will lose.

Welcome to the club! How wonderful you and your wife will be able to support each other!

Welcome to sleevedom!!!!!

You are probably still numb. I am 8 weeks out and how much I can eat seems to differ depending on food, time of day, the alignment of the stars...blah blah blah. Since you say you are always hungry what may help is to measure out your food and eat more often. So instead of eating 8oz of beans at once split it into two meals, 2 hours apart. My doctor told me to try to limit self to 2 oz of protein at a time but to eat 6 times a day. Now that I am back at work I don't have time to eat 6 times a day but I do notice I seem to to better if I try and eat less more often.

i hope your feeling better by now. I promise each day gets easier. Concentrate on getting in your fluids right now.

welcome and luck to all !

Drink lots of fluids! I am sorry you have gad a horrible two weeks, once you get dehydrated it causes nausea, constipation, weakness etc..so its a good thing you went back to hospital. Forget about protein and all that for a few days and just concentrate on taking an ounce of fluid every 15 minutes. For some people water is ok in the first few days for me I tolerated other liquids (G2) easier at first. I know you have read on the forum but trust me it is true, every day will get better!

sugar free popsicles are a life saver! Also the first few days I brought home medicine cups from the hospital and the goal was to try and drink one every 15 minutes. wait a few days on protein drinks if you need to as they feel heavier. I also found that the low calorie gatoraide was easier on my sleeve than water, so experiment with fluids. Weight gain is fluid and normal. Welcome to sleevedom!

diazwoman feel free to add me, I don't understand all the ins and outs of it yet, I need accountability and sharing food plans would be awesome too!

I am glad you posted this. I am 8 weeks today and only down 21 pounds. Worried about making goal.

I am really disheartened to see how many posts in this thread are focused on the veracity of the OP or fighting with each other rather than trying to address the problem she asked for help with. As far as the ability consume more than the average sleever: According to the research I have done in prep for my sleeve although most doctors use a bougie (with really small differences in size between each one) for width, someone who has a longer stomach will have a greater capacity. Further I was able to drink my juice and jello and the only reason I left the broth was because of the taste 24 hours after my sleeve. I had my surgery at a center of excellence by a well-known and respected surgeon, No leak tests done. I was on full liquids including cream soups as soon as I came home from hospital. I never took any pain medicine after the first 24 hours when the pump came out. I think the the posters who mentioned excess calories and protein may be on to something. In addition if the OP went on a no carb liquid diet pre surgery and dropped weight ..then it is very likely when she started eating those excess calories and protein (and probably carbs) her body started hanging onto water. Think Atkins diet. Yesterday when I added up my calories I was in shock, I even remarked to my daughter that it was hard to believe I was sleeved. I also have have a almost month stall and am refiguring calories, carbs etc..because of it. I come here because you all are the experts on VSG...if we cannot get advice, support and understanding here I don't know where else one should go. I assume everyone is honest and reaching out for help, if I am wrong, so what? It has cost me nothing. OP I hope you keep posting and many people will try and help you work through this.

lots of cheese, grilled chicken, chicken salads, yogurt, fish, eggs

I had the same problem food tasted off or blah to me. My mother suggested it may be due to the anesthesia. I don't know if she was right but I am at the end of week 7 now and my taste buds seem to be coming back alive a bit.

i go back next week so have been thinking about this too. I plan on string cheese, greek yogurt, protein drink (ready made, i use pure protein from walmart) and either some rolled up thin sliced deli meat or chicken salad....thats enough food for breakfast, lunch and snacks.......

you know I was really stressed over this but then started thinking, I use to be a big time coffee drinker and did not drink any the first moth, 2 weeks ago I added in 2 cups a day. It takes me a couple pf hours to drink it and since I have been drinking the coffee I have been drinking less water. As of tomorrow I am going to limit the coffee to one cup and make sure I get in at least 48 oz of water

ok first 6 weeks lost 20 lbs and was ok with that, even a slow loss is ok.....but no move ment on scale for almost 3 weeks..........I have played around with calories, carbs, proteins I just am so disappointed and worried its not going to work.........

I say if you have the time take 6 weeks. I figured I would need to recover not only physically but get on a schedule as far as fluids and proteins. However I have heard of people returning much sooner.