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

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.

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!

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 stuckFor 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).

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!

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.

I asked my doctor this same question, and he had said that I could do abdominal exercises after 6 weeks post-op and I shouldn't have any problems. I would go with how your body feels. If it makes you sore, then hold off a little longer.

Hi Just Fran I am in the same boat as you. I am 5 weeks out and have lost 21.5 lbs. In a normal situation, I would think that it was great, but after having gone through so much with this surgery, I am disappointed. I lost the first 17lbs in my second week, and in the last 3 weeks, I have only lost 4.5 lbs. I have had to work so hard my whole life, and I was hoping that this would be different. I did post something a week ago or so, and got alot of good feedback, especially that our bodies are in shock and have to adjust. I am hoping that is right, and the weight will start dropping off. I am struggling to get in the minimum 600 calories in my diet, and the 70 g of protein that I am suppose to have. I am hoping that as I can eat a little more, it will help the weight loss. Best of luck to you and keep me posted on what your nurse says.

I am 5 weeks out, and I was really hungry too when I was just on liquids. I think there is just not enough in your tummy for long enough as liquids just go right through...but that is the point, right? The liquids are so your tummy heals. I have just started solids and I am not as hungry as I was, but I do still feel hungry at times, but not like before surgery. As you can eat more solid foods, you won't be as hungry, don't worry!!

Thanks for all the information and encouragement everyone! I am new to the boards, and I love how everyone is so supportive. I am cleared for exercise now, and I definitely am going to start. I am trying to up my protein by drinking 2 protein shakes a day. I still am in the early stages of solids, so I haven't been eating very much in a day. The diet I was given is for 70g protein and 40 g carbs in a day. I think I might start jotting down what I eat and see how I am doing for calories and carbs. The weight loss is still painfully slow at the moment, so I am hoping if I up my protein and start exercising, that it will pick up again.

I was sleeved on November 29th, and I am feeling a little frustrated with the weight loss. In my second week, I lost 17 lbs, which is amazing! But since then, I have only lost a total of 4 more pounds. So in the last 3 weeks, I have only lost 4 lbs. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy to have lost 21 lbs in the last 5 weeks, but I thought I would lose more. I was hoping for 2-3 lbs a week, and so far I am lucky if I lose 1 lb a week. I have just started solids, I think I getting in my fluids fairly well. I know I am a little short on my protein, maybe 40g a day instead of the 70g that I am suppose to be getting. Anyone else have this experience?? I paid for my surgery myself, and part of me feels that I made a mistake and put my family $10K into debt.

Don't worry about the weight gain. I had my sleeve on November 29th and initially gained probably 10 pounds from the surgery and fluids. I was a little stressed too when I got home and weighed more than when I left. However, the second week out I lost 17lbs!! It will come off, trust me!!