Supersweetums

I find this thread very interesting, especially for all those who are judgmental about getting the occasional fast food meal. I did not get this surgery so that I could be on a diet for the rest of my life. And the reality is, I have to small children who love playing at Mcdonald's, especially in the winter because where I live, it sometimes gets to be -35 degrees celcius! I usually have a McMini with no mayo, or a regular hamburger. I will eat maybe 3 or 4 french fries and a sip or 2 of my husband's pop (and we always get our kids apples and apple juice, no pop if anyone has anything to say about that). We might go there 2 or 3 times a month. I have still lost over 60 lbs and feel great. Thanks for posting this, as this is the reality of our world, you just have to make it work for you!!

Totally Normal. In my support group meetings, they have told us approximately 85% of patients have Hair loss. I am almost 8 months out, and started having significant hair loss at 3 months. It has slowed down now, but I was pulling out a lot of hair in the shower. Even though I knew it could happen, it still freaked me out. Some things I was told that might help are extra Zinc and Biotin supplements. I haven't been faithful at taking them. Some people have had success taking them, others, nothing worked. Don't worry, it will stop and start to grow back. Once your weight loss slows a little is when the hair loss usually begins to slow. Be proud of your accomplishment, and remember (I think anyway), it is a small price to pay for a lifetime of health and happiness in your new skin!

you just have to search. She does have some of her stuff in groups if you look along the left hand side, like ice creams and cakes.

I am going through the exact same thing. I am down almost 50 lbs (sleeved Nov 29th) and about 35lbs from my goal. I have gone from a size 20 to a size 12, but still feel like a size 20. I still look in the mirror and feel fat. I even had my husband take some pictures of me the other day so I could maybe see what other people were seeing, and I all I saw was how fat I was. I think it is a very difficult transition and our brains have a hard time catching up. I am hoping mine does because it isn't healthy to keep feeling that way even though we are not fat anymore!

Oh, I like that idea, and the sugar free jello...I never thought of that one....definitely have to try those both out!!

You are pretty early out, I would not try to take them all at once again. If you can get them in, spread them out for sure! In the beginning, I rarely took my Vitamins because they made me so sick. I had a chewable Multi-Vitamin which I tried to take twice a day, but even that sometimes made me sick. Now I am almost 5 months out and I can take 5-6 pills at once (I swallow them in groups of 2 or so at a time). I have to make sure that I have eaten though, or I feel like I am going to throw up. It will get easier!!

I am 5 months out, and I do not drink with my meals. It makes my stomach upset, plus it was in my guidelines...no drinking with meals. It was for 2 reasons...it can make you sick and even make you throw up. Also, fluids help things digest faster, so to stay feeling fuller longer, don't drink.

As for your other question, I am almost 5 months out, and in the last few weeks, by weight loss has slowed right down. I am hoping it will pick back up again, but I will have to see. I have been lucky so far and have not had a real stall and I am over half way to my goal in 4.5 months.

I agree with the other posts. For a male and the amount you are working out, I do not think you are eating enough. Also, have you had a blood workup done?? Maybe there is an underlying medical reason such as a thyroid problem or insulin problem. Also, is there any medications that you started in this time period?? Some medications can make you gain weight as well (or stall losing).

And I also agree with checking your measurements/clothing sizes. Even though you haven't lost anything, I am sure your clothes are fitting better.

Good luck, and congratulations on staying motivated. It is hard to keep going when you have such a long stall.

I have never heard that. I can't chew gun because I get too much air in my tummy and it hurts.

I had my surgery on November 29, 2010 with Dr. Liza Maria Pompa at LIMARP in Tijuana, Mexico. The staff were wonderful, almost all of them were Doctors (even the staff that changed the catheter bags). Dr. Pompa was very caring and a great surgeon. I would highly recommend her and her clinic.

The ones that I have tried are the President's Choice Plain Greek yogurt, and Liberte Plain Greek yogurt and the Liberte Vanilla Greek. They are all 0% (made with Skim milk). The Vanilla flavor though had a lot of sugar, that I didn't realize until I got it home. I like the Liberte better, but the PC brand wasn't bad. I have also seen Astro brand greek, but I haven't tried that one.

Which brand have you found to be best? I almost bought some Krema yogurt today, but then I read the label and it's loaded with fat - 11 grams of fat per 7 grams Protein. Might as well have some chicken wings!

Plain, greek yogurt is not very good. But, like others mentioned, I mix sugar free Torani syrups and Slenda in with it. I live in Canada, so I don't have access to some of the brands mentioned. The ones I have tried though are very good. I like that they are thick and creamy. I'll add raspberry Syrup, splenda, and some Kashi Honey Almond Flax cereal....YUMMO!

I was 224.5lbs when I had my surgery, no pre-op diet. At 2 months out I was down 32 pounds, and now I am almost 3.5 months out and down 43.5 lbs, which is over 50% of the way to my goal! Good Luck!

I am 4 weeks out and would like to start taking my medication in pill from again...like a big girl! lol i want to take my omeprozole and wellbutrin...think its been long enough? totally forgot to ask the doc at my follow up appt today

thanks tracy

My antibiotic right after surgery was in pill form. It was huge, and I could swallow it (easier then breaking it...tried that and it hurt...and way better than crushing it). I am 3 months out now and take call pills, and can swallow a few at a time. Sometimes I get an upset stomach, but it only last a little while. I would try taking just one and see how it feels...

I am 3 months out, and I haven't really noticed a complete slider food. I have had popcorn, and although I can eat more of it than other foods, I still get full....it is not like I have a never ending feeling of emptiness and never get full. Same with ice cream. I can eat a little more of it then something denser, but I still get full. I am not sure what others experiences are, but those are mine. Oh, and Cookies make me really, really full...I mean one cookie and I am done! I think it is going to be different for everyone.

I was never told I couldn't chew gum, however, when I did try it, I got terrible stomach pains from swallowing air while chewing. I had to spit it out about 5 minutes after putting in my mouth. That being said, everyone is different, so just try it and see how you feel.

It was my son's birthday a couple of weeks ago, and I was 2 months out, and I had a piece of cake (a very tiny piece), with icing. This is a huge day in your daughter's life, and you are not going to hurt your sleeve, it is well healed already. I would just try a tiny bite, you will be full fast and never consume enough to feel guilty. I go to support group meetings on a regular basis, and one of the biggest things they are trying to teach us is to lose the guilt around food. Skinny people do not feel guilt for eating a little cake, so why should we. I got my sleeve to help with exactly that. I watch my diet most of the time, but I do indulge occasionally, and do not feel guilty about it. Have fun and enjoy the time with your daughter!

I might not be able to answer all your questions, but I will try. I am only 8 weeks, but I had my sleeve through a facilitator (self-pay) and they give a package of information, plus support group meetings that provide tons of resources.

• Why do (some Sleeve) people eat so slowly, chew so slow? That was a turn off for the Band, so how is the Sleeve different in that way? I understand that if you eat too fast, just like before you will be overfull and feel sick, but why else, is there something different about the *new & improved stomach* that makes it hard to eat? What would happen if you ate some bites too big/fast (I read about the horrible coconut story)? I guess I don't want to spend so much of my day trying to just get in normal nutrients.

Because the tummy is so small, you can get overfull very quickly, which can cause pain or vomiting. If I eat a bite that is too big, it hurts going down, especially if I don't chew enough. It is getting easier as my stomach heals, but I still have to be careful. Sometimes things just taste so good, and I eat too fast, and then feel sick afterward. It is a learning curve and I am slowly figuring it out.

• Why is it so hard to get in fluids? One person had said they normally drink a Protein shake in the morning and it takes a hour and a half to get it down, and other 30 minutes for a egg. Why so long? Why can't fluids be drank faster or in *normal* quantities? I worry about long-term dehydration, as I tend to not drink much, then drink 2 full glasses of Water at one time to catch up.

There is no way you could gulp down 2 glasses of Water after the sleeve. At fully healed, your tummy can only hold 4-6oz. In the beginning it is hard because your stomach is swollen and can only hold 2-3 oz at a time. Also, the restriction after surgery is such that you cannot have big swallows as it is very painful. As you heal, it does get better. I can have fairly normal swallows of water now, just not too much at once or I feel sick to my stomach. Protein shakes for me are heavy, so they take me a long time to drink. Too fast, and I feel like throwing up. You have to learn to carry around a sport bottle and sip through out the day.

• Why should we avoid to eat and drink at the same time. If fluids travel thru so fast, then what is that so? (I understand that soda/beer bubbles tend to inflate.

2 reasons. First, especially in the beginning, mixing the 2 can make you vomit. Also, liquids help you digest your food faster. Thus, but not drinking with your meals, it takes longer to digest and you feel full longer.

• I wonder about the focus on Protein. I guess since the stomach is so small that we have to ensure that we get enough protein in first before everything else, but is that at the expense of fruits and veggies? Those are important too. Protein gets lame..

Protein is vital for your body to function. It also helps you feel full for longer. I don't think it should be at the expense of everything else, and I try to eat a balance diet with veggies and fruit as well, as I am sure most people try to do. It is just harder in the beginning as your tummy is still healing and you cannot eat a lot.

• What will happen 10 years down the line. I know the Sleeve as stand alone is only a few years, but will I be a old woman who can't get her Ensure in? LOL actually that might be helpful, since our metabolism slows down as we age, being able to eat less might help!

From friends that have had the sleeve for a few years now, you can eat about as much as you do at 6 months out. One friend can eat an egg and a piece of toast for Breakfast. You will never be able to eat like you ate before, but you are not doomed to a life of eating so little that you struggle to get anything in. That is just in the beginning.

• I have seen a few of you have trouble maintaining weight, as in losing too much. That worries me a bit as I might be trading one problem for another. Those of you who don't have that issue (are above goal, slow losers) are you in that boat from *bad* choices or that you can eat more?

Can't answer this one, sorry.

• Why do many have issues with bread? Smaller stomach, not Band, so how does it get so stuck

For me, really starchy stuff does not sit well. It is heavy and sticky, and just doesn't agree with me. I can't really eat Pasta either. I think everyone is different. Remember, well it is not the band, your tummy is tiny, and it is a long tube, not a round pouch, so there is not a lot of room for things to slide through.

Alot of your concerns and what you are reading are especially true in the beginning, not years after surgery. It is a big adjustment, but you relearn everything as you go, what works for you and what doesn't.

I had my surgery with Dr. Pompa in Mexico. I went through a facilitator here in Canada, and it cost just under $10,000. My flight alone was almost $800. That covered my stay at the clinic, and 3 nights in the Grand Hotel Tijuana. There is also other things included in the price as I went with a facilitator company (clothing exchange, support groups, photos, etc).

Supersweet I think that is whats going on with me. My Protein shakes just don't sit well in my tummy if they have milk in them. But thats the only thing so far that I'm having problems with but then again I'm not on full foods yet

My husband is lactose intolerant, and he takes Lactaid pills when he eats anything with dairy. They really seem to help. You can also buy drops to add to milk or lactose free milk, but it does taste a little sweeter than regular milk. You could also try soy milk, or rice milk. I would try some different things and see how you feel.

I was just at a support group meeting in my area and learned that we can gain up to 10lbs in Water weight! Yikes! And it can be for varying reasons, hormones, stress, sodium. Your body has just been through a lot and still recovering too! It happened to me too...I lost 2lbs and then gained back 1.5lbs. But it came back off and then some. I know it is hard, I have been struggling too, but it will come back off!

thats an excellent idea! where were you when I was newly sleeved? great idea cause you don't want those little seeds anywhere near the incision line!

Thanks! I am getting tired of vanilla or chocolate everyday already, so I thought I would try it. I felt good afterward, and I didn't have to worry about the tiny seeds!

I am 6 weeks out and added strawberries to my shake the other day. However, I strained it before I drank it to get rid of the little seeds as I was told they are not good for your stomach early out.

You can become lactose intolerant after surgery. Luckily, this did not happen to me, but I know someone personally who it did happen to. The enzyme that you need to digest lactose sugar is in your stomach, so I am assuming that when they remove a large portion of your stomach, some of that enzyme is also removed...hence some people can no longer digest milk properly. I am not sure what the percentage is of people that it happens to though.

I am almost 6 weeks out. I started taking Benefiber because I was having problems, except it seems to have done a 180 and I am going too much, so I think I will stop. What the other poster said about magnesium is good too. I haven't started, but I am going. Not only can Vitamin D cause Constipation, but a lot of Calcium. I am not sure about your diet, but my consists of trying to get 1500mg of calcium a day. You can buy supplements that have Calcium and Magnesium in them, and that is what I was taking before surgery. Now that I am much more healed and can swallow pills well, I think I will start taking them again.