joatsaint

It will be a few months, but you will get adjusted to the new normal. It was 6 months before "most" foods stopped making Frankensleeve complain, at 9 I could eat anything I wanted. I think it took me months to get used to not drinking with meals and learn to eat slowly. But now it's just a built in habit. I can fill my plate or bowl and know, without measuring, if I have too much for Frankensleeve to hold. I have learned how many big swallows of water are safe to drink. It all becomes a habit eventually. Hang in there it will get better.

You might examine the things your eating. Are you sticking with Protein and vegetables? I know that if I eat carbs from starch, sugar or fruit, I get and stay hungry. I've noticed that I get hungrier as I eat things like Pasta, rice, potatoes, sugar or chips. I stay full for about 2 hours then come crashing down and feel hungry all over again. I have to limit my intake of those items. Now I try eating protein first when I get a craving for sweets - doesn't always work , but it leaves less room in my stomach for the thing I'm craving.

Congrats on the loss. (sounds kinda morbid doesn't it - congratulating someone on a loss???? ) I too have been stalled for the past few months but Frankensleeve gave in this week and I hit a new low tonight.

Good luck, got my fingers crossed for you too.

I've done it to, 2 or 3 times. Definitely not a good feeling. It will pass eventually.

Thanks for the tip, they sound pretty good.

My doc never got that specific. I've always just followed the 30 minute rule - no drinking 30 minutes before or after eating anything. The 30 minute rule is meant to keep food in your stomach longer. You might experiment and see how long you stay satisfied after a snack with and without drinking.

I've only tried the chocolate flavor, but I highly recommend the Premier Protein shakes at Wal-Mart and Sam's club. EAS carb control chocolate comes in a close 2nd. Both cost about $ 1.50 per shake.

I know how disheartening it can be when you work hard and then have someone disapprove and tell you that you didn't do good enough. I had to learn to set my own goals and as long as I'm happy with my progress, the rest of the world can go jump off a bridge! It's tough to stop wanting the approval of others, but it's something I had to teach myself after being used once too often. So what if your doc isn't happy? What's he gonna do? Put your old stomach back in?

My taste buds were screwy for about a month post-op. I pretty much lived on refried beans, Cream of Mushroom soup, creamy peanut butter, sugar free popsicles and Crystal Light Lemonade.

Congrats, keep working at it. You only fail when you stop trying.

I agree with Maltese gal, check those jars for the carb count and read the ingredients list to see if there is any added High Fructose/ regular sugar added. You're going to be eating such small portions that you have to get the most nutrition you can per bite. Any added sugars are going to have little nutrition value.

I have a few rules I follow when I have the overwhelming urge to eat bad stuff. We have lots of birthdays and conferences in my office, so there are almost always leftover cake, donuts, kolaches.... 1. I always eat whatever I've brought for my meals first. 2. If I still have to have a piece of whatever, I use a small coffee cup (6 oz cup, no cheating using a Starbucks Grande cup! :-P) as a measuring device. I let myself have 1/2 coffee cup of whatever the goodie is. Those 2 rules have done me well when it comes to snacking on things I can't resist.

I had surgery on 12-27-13 and I was experiencing fatigue long before that. I too though that my energy levels would increase as I lost the weight. But it's still the same. I have waves of energy then come crashing down. I've been taking Vitamins, Calcium and B12 - I'll feel really good for a few hours afterwards, but then lose all my energy. I guess I need to go and have my blood tested, but I keep putting it off. The only way I've found to keep my energy levels kinda even is to drink coffee with a little real sugar in it. I think the combination of caffeine and sugar being slowly released into my system stabilizes my energy levels.

I've dropped 145lbs and I started at 372lbs. The one thing you have to remember is, the Sleeve doesn't stop working at a certain point. It is a tool to help you control your eating habits, the same as with the D.S.. And you'll have to make healthy eating choices even with your new smaller stomach for the rest of your life. During the 1st year post-op, the weight will seem to fall off on its own, but eventually the body is going to become acclimated to the new caloric intake. And there are going to be some factors that will slow your weight loss - you won't need as many calories to maintain your new weight, you're not burning as many calories because you weigh less and the body will adjust the metabolism down unless you exercise. So you can lose as much weight as you'd like, it will take some effort on your part once the, "Honeymoon" period is over. Good luck.

Glad to hear you are okay. But I have to say, that's the most extreme thing I've ever heard someone do to brake a stall! I've changed up my eating and exercise, but never thought to try scaring the crap out of myself to kick-start my weight loss.

I'm 16 months post-op and I was eating some chicken fajitas tonight and could feel it all the way down! Not painful or anything. Depending on how "tough" the food is, I can sometimes feel it sliding down or feel air bubbles working their way around the food in my stomach.

Congrats on your NSV! I bought my 1st new shirts this month - 15 months post-op. I was so surprised that I'm able to buy stuff that isn't "big and tall". :-) I used to buy all black stuff - pants, shirts. Now I can't stay away from bright colors - reds, blues, greens, and the brighter the better!

Glad to hear you're doing well. Now don't get too frisky and try doing one of those "Insanity" workouts!

Well, you didn't say anything about your diet or exercise, but here's what I do when I think I'm stalled. I vary my diet by increasing the amount of Protein to carbs (from vegetables and beans) and try to stay completely away (I know, wishful thinking :-P) from sugar and salt. I change up my exercise (walking) by increasing the intensity. I wear a weighted vest, go up and down hilly trails and at work I try to best my time for climbing 5 floors of stairs. I try to keep my body from getting acclimated to a certain level of effort and use my muscles in a different way. But mostly, I think it's a waiting game. If my eating program was working before the stall, I know it will continue to work. I just have to wait it out. Sometimes the body just needs to take a time out and adjust to the new way of doing things. Once it realizes that you're not starving yourself, it quits hanging onto everything you eat. My longest stall lasted a month. I started adjusting my eating and exercise after 2 weeks of waiting. But there's nothing I can really point at and say, "Yep, that's what started my weight loss again."

This is a really exciting/stressful time - I remember it clearly. If you have good pain meds, you shouldn't really experience extreme pain. I remember feeling lots of pressure in my chest and some aches in my shoulder - all from the gas. But nothing painful from my new stomach or the stitches. If I hadn't gotten the hiccups the day after surgery and stretched my new sleeve, I don't think I would have been more than a little uncomfortable.

Eggs were one of the toughest things to digest after surgery. I was allowed anything soft/mushy/pureed starting day 8. But something about eggs made my stomach seize up with just the smallest bite. If you are going to try scrambled eggs, don't over cook them or it will be even tougher to digest. I did try some creamy peanut butter as well, it was much easier to digest.

I can't remember how much I lost in the 1st few weeks, but I do remember not eating more than 1/2 can of Soup per day for weeks and weeks. I was slowly able to eat more as the days went past. It'll be the same for you. I took the list of recommended daily Protein and carb intake as goals to shoot for once I was well past the surgery, not something I should be taking in starting the 1st day post-op. I was supposed to be eating at least 600 calories a day, but I know I was eating less than 200/day for the 1st 2 weeks.

I was able to eat anything (except Taco Bell taco sauce) at 6 months post-op. It was just a matter of how much grumbling I was willing to put up with from Frankensleeve. At 9 months, everything was easy to eat (except Taco Bell taco sauce!). Although I have to add, on occasion, fibrous stuff like whole wheat bread and pineapple still cause stomach grumbling.

During my puree stage, I primarily ate Cream of Mushroom soup, creamy peanut butter and soft scrambled eggs. My diet was very varied. :-)