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I don't forbid anything because of nutrition - so there's nothing I say I can't eat that would go down well if I wasn't restricting. Make sense? I avoid foods because they hurt me in some way. Rice Pasta Tortillas (the worst!) Iceberg lettuce Dairy sauces Milk Ice cream Since surgery I developed lactose intolerance. Or should I say, after surgery the dairy issues I was gradually developing rushed ahead into full blown intolerance. So for a long time anything but hard cheeses was off my list. Now I just avoid creamy sauces, ice cream and milk. They make me very ill. VERY ill. Iceberg lettuce is a no-no. I can tolerate other lettuces in small quantities but iceberg just causes pain and digestive issues. Rice, tortillas and pasta all swell in my tummy and I go from feeling great to feeling horrible with just one bite. I avoid these foods for the most part. I also watch my intake of potatoes and bread. I don't scratch them from my diet entirely, but they cause me to feel full faster, which prevents me from eating more nutritious foods that I actually need to eat. ~Cheri

Another yes. Quick to buzz, quick to sober up. I don't ever have more than two drinks while out these days. More often one is plenty sufficient and will hold me over all night if I sip. I hate the taste of beer since surgery, though. I used to love it. Now I'm all for those fruity mixed drinks I used to mock. ~Cheri

Congrats on both your success and your engagement! You've done a great job! ~Cheri

After two years, I still start almost every day with a Protein coffee or tea mixed with vanilla bean torte or chocolate truffle from Syntrax nectar. I use a shaker cup and the only time I have lumps is when my liquid is too cold. It mixes great with hot, warm, room temp or cool liquids - not icy cold ones. I have an entire sample pack of the About Time shakes and I hate them. I was excited at first because of the healthier ingredients but I find the taste lacking. I am not a fan of the fruity shakes - not even the nectar ones. Keep trying things until you like them! I changed "favorite" Protein Shakes about four times since surgery, but the one constant are the Nectars. I love them, even mixed with Water or homemade unsweetened soy milk. Oh, and a shaker cup will keep the foam down more than blending, so try that if you want to avoid the foam. Good luck! ~Cheri

Everyone is different. At about four months out I started eating little half sandwiches on those thin rounds and it was an awesome way to up my carb intake and help me have more energy. I am two years out and cannot eat more than one or two bites of tortilla without feeling sick. I can eat tortilla chips but the corn or flour tortillas themselves get stuck and refuse to move. Same with Pasta and rice - I can only do a few bites of each. Bread isn't an issue but it's very filling. Toast seems to go down easier, so if you have trouble with the rounds as they are, try toasting them first. ~Cheri

Those of you feeling heartburn and reflux need a PPI such as Prilosec or Nexium, not Tums! Get on one and watch your life change. You will feel better and it might help with any "hunger" you might be feeling. Even now, two years out, the feeling of acid churning in my belly is EXACTLY like a rumbling hungry tummy. I only needed my PPI initially for about 3-4 months but some people need them longer. Due to my currently stressful life, I'm on them again, but only one every other day to keep it under control. You need something to fix the acid problem and treat the symptoms, not only something to treat the symptoms. As for hunger, set a timer and eat regularly. I'm two years out and attribute my easy maintenance to a high Protein, reasonable carb diet. In loss, you shouldn't avoid carbs entirely. They aren't your enemy - they give you energy and help your moods. Overeating the wrong carbs (junk food!) is your enemy while you're trying to lose. How your body reacts to them is very individual so play around with your diet until you find what helps you feel better and have energy while also losing weight. ~Cheri

The permanence is reassuring to me. It comes without the worry of malabsorption, too. Yes, I worked on a lot of my food issues while losing, but knowing that if I slip up, or fall into a rough patch (and bad habits) I have this tool that never stops working to help me reach goal again is so incredibly reassuring. It also meant while I was slowly losing that I didn't have to stress about not meeting goal before a certain time limit. There is no honeymoon. Simply put - if I pack on twenty pounds over the next three years, my sleeve is STILL there, STILL working and will get me back to goal if I do the right things. However, with this permanent solution I've chosen, regain is unlikely. I've had a mixture of eating habits in maintenance and unlike someone whose band has been unfilled, my sleeve still controls my portions. When hormones make me want to eat everything including the paint chips off the wall, my sleeve keeps it mostly under control. And if I DO happen to put on two or three pounds? Taking it off again is EASY because that sleeve is still working. Coming to terms with the surgery is a challenge. I was all for the band until I did enough research to see it wasn't what I wanted for me. I wanted permanent. Now that I'm at goal and trying to get pregnant again I'm incredibly happy with my choice. I know my sleeve will relax enough during pregnancy and nursing so I can get the nutrition I need, but that it will go right back to restricting me when I need that again. All you can do is talk to him and share your feelings about this. The sleeve is a great surgery for people that need a lifelong tool that doesn't cause nutritional deficiencies or come with the risk of needing multiple surgeries to fix issues with a port or slippage. Best, ~Cheri

My BMI to start was 45 and is now 25, but I self-paid. If you have co-morbids you have a better chance of having insurance cover the surgery. Each company is different as far as what they'll cover, and each doctor is different as far as what they'll do. I think it's silly to want us to be heavier so that we can have surgery to be smaller, but sometimes that's how it goes. Search for "lightweights" or the phrase "low BMI" and see what you find. There are many lightweights here, so perhaps you can get advice from one of them before your appointment. ~Cheri

Hidin'. Three of my stepkids are in for the summer so I've got five kids to corral - I pretty much spend my day cooking and nagging, with no time for VST. ~Cheri

For the first year or so, when I still had a VERY limited capacity the shakes were definitely a meal replacement. Nowadays it depends on what I've got going on. If I need it to be a meal replacement, I make it high calorie - adding in two scoops of protein, some cream or soymilk - anything to actually make it substantial enough to serve as a replacement. Remember, I'm not trying to shave calories anymore and I want to maintain my weight. But more often, I just add in a scoop of protein to my morning coffee for a little protein boost. I don't like to eat a large meal in the morning and this helps me reach my nutritional goals. I still aim for 90+ grams of protein a day. Hope that helps! ~Cheri

Oh, heck, you could bring your dinner but why not try to find something that will suit your diet and enjoy a night out with your family? Don't veer from your surgeon's guidelines, though! Why not have the kitchen puree you some boneless wings, if you think you can handle them? If you're going to bring your own food in, nothing will quiet any complaints faster than the words "food allergy." Enjoy your night out! Honestly, I hope they have a great dinner but your family couldn't have picked a worse place for you to eat. I can't believe they don't even have a single soup on the menu! ~Cheri

Yes, in the loss phase weighing every third day or less is a good idea, because weight fluctuates daily and it's NORMAL - for everyone, not just sleevers! In maintenance, I find it very helpful to weigh daily to keep myself accountable and it works quite well for me. Now that I'm not expecting a loss, I don't hate the scale as much. Keep in mind that fluctuations in weight can be caused by anything - barometric pressure, too much sodium, not enough water, ladies on their cycle, muscle tears, etc...the list goes on and on. So if the scale is making you nuts, put the darn thing away and don't let it ruin your day. You've just removed 85% of your stomach, so you're going to lose weight - end of story. Our bodies do some annoying things while we're on the journey, though, so just hang in there. ~Cheri

I didn't start to feel "hungry" until close to a year out. I felt "empty" or had low blood sugar, and would realize once that set in that I hadn't eaten in hours. I am now close to two years out and if I'm not paying attention can go the entire day on my morning Protein only to realize when I'm shaky hours later that I've forgotten to eat. It's not a good habit, so your best bet is to watch the clock or set an alarm in the early days, and keep a Protein shake handy so you can sip on something with nutritional value all day long. ~Cheri

Welcome! Head hunger is something you'll work on throughout your journey. It's a challenge but once you're able to clearly recognize it (something I think surgery does make easier) you will have the opportunity to stop indulging it - which is the first and most important step. Yes, I'd buy a number of Protein samples and keep them around until post op. I'm two years from surgery in two weeks and I still try to drink a shake daily. My tastes have changed a few times since surgery and I've changed "favorite" Proteins two or three times. One constant: Syntrax nectar Sweets in chocolate truffle and vanilla bean torte. I mix them in with coffee or tea each morning. Yum - they're the only shakes I've never gotten sick of drinking and they mix into cold or warm liquids without clumping. As for Pasta, HA! Everyone is different but I'm two years out and still can't eat more than a few bites of rice, tortilla or pasta - they gum up and make me overfull and uncomfortable. Controlling your food choices gets easy if the hunger goes away post op. Once you realize you can eat real food again but only two or three bites at a time, food loses some of it's interest. It took me nearly a year to really enjoy food again. Not everyone goes through this, but for me, eating was a chore and it was hard to force myself to eat enough each day. I hated it, actually. I never really regretted surgery, but I did have a rough patch where I felt like food was still controlling my life because I had to eat around the clock to reach my nutritional goals. That passed once I got to the point where I could eat a decent amount of food in a sitting, though, and while I'm still sometimes frustrated (I'd like to eat the whole sandwich instead of just half once in a while!) I'm very happy for the most part. Best of luck to you. I hope you find support and answers to your questions on these boards. ~Cheri

Welcome, and thanks for sharing your story. The months until your surgery will pass more quickly than you think. ~Cheri

I'm at goal (2 years out next month) and maintaining the weight fairly well. It's the exercise I can't get into! I've hated it from day one and it's a struggle to make myself do any kind of workout more than two days in a row. I'm horrible about it. I feel better because I'm smaller but I know I'd benefit from exercise. I just hate it. I only do it when I can be slightly competitive about it and I have nobody to work out with here. If I have a buddy to work out with, where I'll know that person worked out today I'll feel that motivation to get in there and compete. Not ruthlessly or anything...I'm just not a solitary workout person. If I'm alone, I'd rather do anything BUT exercise! I also admit that despite the fact that the scale usually shows the same range of numbers, I am not the best eater anymore. Oh yeah, I have great days where I drink my coffee Protein first thing and follow a reasonable, healthy diet the rest of the day. But I also have that occasional day where I skip meals, eat pure crap and snack on a cookie before bedtime. I feel guilty about it but am walking that fine line, you know? It's not impacting my weight (yet) so it must not be a problem...but I know it's part of what made me overweight in the first place. I bake for everyone and lately the baked goods are more tempting than usual. I used to have no problem baking five dozen Cookies and sampling only one. Now I have to get them out of the house quickly. It's gotten worse now that we're trying to get pregnant - I'm on hormones and they're causing me to feel hungry all day long. My go-to Snacks right now are nuts - roasted pistachios, sunflower seeds or almonds. It's not the greatest snack but if I'm careful to count them out before I snack they're satisfying and have a bit of fat and protein. I love jerky and eat that almost every day - I wish I could find my favorite variety of turkey jerky here but I can't. I also miss string cheese. I can't wait to get back to America this summer! If anything, the last few months have kind of been a wake up call. I worked really hard to overcome bad habits during my losing phase but I didn't realize that in times of stress (like now) I'd still find myself wanting to revert to those old habits and having to fight the urge to nibble when feeling frustrated. I just thought I was past all this. ~Cheri

I couldn't do even Lactaid, so introduce it slowly if you use it, and Immodium only made me feel worse (horrible gas pains), so whatever you try do it in moderation and be careful until you know how you'll react. I do soy milk and it's great. I was fine for a few weeks post op, or at least I didn't put two and two together until I was on purees and soft foods. Then it hit me and I had to cut out all of my dairy for a while. For the longest time I could only tolerate hard cheeses in very small portions. For me the symptoms were very painful (and TMI, but horribly stinky) gas, all-day nausea if I consumed dairy, a rumbling belly and of course, the diarrhea. I had to switch Protein shakes, cut out all dairy except small portions of hard cheeses and move to soy milk. Around one year out I started trying dairy again and found that cheese wasn't much of a problem. I'll be two years out in a few weeks and I can now eat most dairy in moderation. I can have one or two servings a day but I still cannot drink any milk. So, I can have a splash of cream in my coffee and be okay, and have one serving of yogurt but if I have any more dairy that day I'll be sick. I live somewhere I can't find cottage cheese but I'm definitely trying that again as soon as I'm stateside. So even if it is lactose intolerance there's a good chance you'll won't be saying goodbye to all dairy forever. ~Cheri

It varies by person - how active you are, how much you have to lose, and most importantly, how your body reacts. I started out with super low carbs (20-30 or so a day) and gradually brought it up until around 9 months out when I was getting somewhere between 40-60 a day. More carbs had no impact on my loss so I was comfortable eating them and giving myself some "flex" in my diet. I've never really watched my fat but due to the high Protein diet (I shoot for 90+ grams a day) I eat about 45% protein, 30% carbs and 25% fat. I try to make those fats as "good" as possible and I do limit my red meat and fried foods to help that. I am only able to keep the ratio I do because I still drink at least one Protein shake daily. I was a "slow" loser - it took me 17 months to lose 107 pounds. I now maintain between 133-137 on any given day, with very little effort. If you're looking for ways to mix things up, you can post what you're typically consuming and we'll give suggestions. You could be eating too little, or too much. Your body could need more carbs (mine did!) or less carbs. You might just be a slower loser no matter what you do, too. Nothing I did to mix up my diet to make things move more quickly had any real impact on my weight loss pattern. Sometimes we just get lucky. If nothing you do helps, don't get too discouraged. Slow loss is still loss and there aren't prizes for getting to goal more quickly. Do the right things and you can reach goal, even if it's more slowly than you'd like. ~Cheri

Popcorn for sure! I expected to have an easy time with things like ice cream, yogurt or cream Soups but popcorn, chips and cookie surprised me. Anything you can chew up into tiny, crunchy bits seems to go down much more easily than the chicken breast you should be eating. ~Cheri

There's a pregnancy specific forum here, but not too many people posting about pregnancy. I know Tiffykins had a successful pregnancy and didn't gain too much and is currently expecting again. I've seen several people post that they're expecting but very few come back and do a follow up to say what they're gaining. ~Cheri

I don't have one on my ankle but I do have my neck, upper back and arms tattooed. Despite losing more than 100 pounds none of them have shifted or changed significantly. Unless it's in a place likely to sag or bag, you'll be fine. I'd be a sad girl if I had a breast tattoo or one on my stomach, that's for sure. ~Cheri

No, I don't think so. I had no pre-op and a pretty easy recovery. I was off pain pills as soon as I got back home from Mexico. I think a lot of it is simply personal - it's up to your pain tolerance. I do think people that have had major surgery before tend to bounce back more easily, just because they know what to expect. ~Cheri

Yes, people refer to "dumping" all the time but I think they're using the wrong term in most cases. For the first several weeks it's liquids in, liquids out as Oregondaisy said. After that, if you're eating the right foods you shouldn't have a problem. I developed lactose intolerance and the digestive issues that accompany that, but once I started avoiding foods that caused an issue I was fine. If you aren't used to artificial sweeteners and drink/eat a lot of them post op you might experience a problem, so take it easy on them until you're sure how they affect you. If you suddenly eat a ton of fat or sugar in your diet, you might experience an issue. Not because your body is rejecting a food but because it's simply not used to those things. The biggest time this happens seems to be when transitioning to "regular" food again. Someone will go out and eat ice cream or fried chicken and have a rough time because they've been on Protein shakes and cottage cheese for a month! Your body simply isn't used to the same foods as before surgery and the same thing could happen if you hopped off a diet into junk food without a sleeve. I don't think you have anything to really worry about. Staying positive and calm is the best thing you can do with this type of problem. ~Cheri

Hugs for dealing with that. And I'm probably totally out of line but that's what happens when we talk about personal things in an open forum - sometimes someone volunteers things you don't want to hear or don't agree with. So before I start, please forgive me if I give offense. I personally feel that our weight problems (in almost every case) start with our heads and emotions, not our stomachs. There's a reason we abuse food like a drug, that we overeat, that we hide from things with it and continue to do it even when we start to hate our external appearance and know food is to blame. I would evaluate your relationship with your mother and see if there are any triggers there that have caused you to feel badly about yourself or that have contributed to whatever you've got going on that helped you gain weight in the first place. If you can pinpoint it you can confront her and talk it out, or at least be aware of it so it doesn't set you into an emotional tizzy. I never considered that I had a lot of problems with my mother because we were finally on good terms before surgery, but I did have some poor habits I learned from her to deal with post op. And I didn't realize that she was perhaps unintentionally lashing out at me because as a woman that is very overweight herself, she was jealous that I was leaving her behind and finally losing the weight. This conflicted with her happiness that I was doing what she wasn't able to do and left me with a mom that was sometimes very supportive and sometimes very hurtful. Once I could talk to her about it, we were able to move forward, and we're trying to find a way to fund her surgery now. Don't just get mad and brush it off, think about it and what it says. I have no doubt your mother loves you. But if this is an opportunity to learn more about who you are and why, and change it, and possibly help her to see things your way, why pass it up? Congrats to you for coming here to vent instead of doing something to set your progress back. ~Cheri

You would have to eat to the point of sickness and discomfort REPEATEDLY to stretch the stomach even the small amount it has to stretch. That said, a sleeve doesn't need to stretch if the person chooses to graze all day, eat slider foods and not adhere to a healthier diet. For the most part unhealthy foods go down easily so you can eat more of them. ~Cheri