KristinaRN

I am one year out, and there is nothing that I CAN'T eat, just things I choose not to (at least not often). I have little to no soda, Pasta, rice, and bread. They sit heavy in my sleeve and I don't enjoy them like I used to (and I was a CARB QUEEN before surgery!) Potatoes sit fine, but fill me up after 2-3 small bites, so I don't bother with them much. I choose to focus my meals on the Protein, with a small veggie or whole grain cracker on the side possibly. I eat Peanut Butter every single day, without fail- 1 tbsp creamy PB on a whole grain cracker is my evening snack. I have found that I feel much better, with more even energy throughout the day, if I eat 5 small meals per day and include some good carbs. I tried the extremely low carb thing and I felt lousy, my lifestyle is too busy, I needed the energy. Hope this helps!

I am ONE YEAR out today, and have lost 95.3 lbs to date. I am still steadily losing, although slower than I was the first 6 months, and see no reason why I won't hit my goal of losing 111 lbs total (15.7 lbs to go!) I suffered from SEVERE acid reflux before my surgery, to the point that I would frequently vomit pure stomach acid, and no meds helped. I have not experienced any acid reflux at all since surgery, NONE!!! In fact, I have never felt better! Hope this helps, and good luck making your decision! I am so so so glad I chose the sleeve! Kristina

EXACTLY! Thank you for so eloquently saying what I was thinking. I have taken the same approach, have had a nice steady loss (still losing), and most importantly I have enjoyed the journey without feeling deprived. Kudos to you!

Use the search function, there is a great post about what products people like from Costco, with too many replies to list here!

Sounds delicious, I will have to try it. Thanks!

I like an egg scrambled with ham and onions. Or half a bagel thin with a tbsp of peanut butter and a few banana slices (this one isn't terribly low carb, but I love it). I struggle with breakfast as well, because I don't like yogurt, cheese, or cottage cheese and these seem to be staples for some. Most days I have coffee with skim milk when I get up, then a protein bar a few hours later. Good luck!

So proud of you! As a fellow August 2011 sleever, I am amazed at your results, you have truly rocked your sleeve. I still have 19.4 lbs until goal, and I'll keep plugging away until I get there. This has been such an amazing journey, I camnot believe how much our lives have changed in one year!!!

I have a grande skinny mocha about 2-3 times a week, they go down great. I usually have it as my "1st breakfast" on my way to work, at about 6:00 am. Then at about 9-10:00 am I eat a protein bar. Works for me!

I definitely get the full feeling, and after a very small amount of food, but my issue is I never lost my hunger (and no, it is not acid, which is what everyone likes to blame it on). I am hungry again anywhere from 2-4 hours after eating, so I eat small frequent meals. As for what you can eat, the sleeve was never a promise to control WHAT you're eating, only how much. You have a fully functioning stomach and pyloric valce, so dumping is usually not an issue. It is still up to you to choose what you put in your mouth. And since it's such a small amount, it's best to make it count nutritionally.

Check out skinnytaste.com. She has lots of great recipes, everything I have made from there has been delicious. Plus she includes all of the nutritional info, including weight watchers points value, for each recipe. Good luck!

Sounds like WAY too much to me. You are only 3 days out! At this point I was on liquids only, so no banana or yogurt. I was lucky to get in one protein shake, sipped on throughout the day, sips of water, and maybe 1/2 cup of broth total split into about 3 servings. Your stomach has just undergone a MAJOR trauma, and you have a very fresh staple and suture line; please do not overdue it and risk tearing it! I say this out of pure concern and not to be rude, but how can you be already mourning over food and wanting a chicken strip? You are only 3 days out, you have a very long road ahead of you. I can honestly say that I did not mind being on the liquid and mushy phases, I knew it was all temporary and part of the process. I think it is a little concerning that you are already, at this early stage, thinking about what you can't have. Enjoy the process, it does work. I hope you do not take offense to this, I truly do mean it out of support. I think a positive attitude has everything to do with our success. Good luck to you, and remember we are all here to help when we can

Sorry, for some reason I thought you said you were 5'7. At your height, I think 130 is a very normal, realistic goal and not too low at all. Again, just my opinion!

I am 5'7 as well, and personally I think 130 sounds a little too low. I am shooting for 150, which should put me at about a size 8. I think 150 would be easier to maintain, I think you would have to work awfully hard to maintain a weight of 130 at your height. Just my opinion. Good luck!

LOVE the chocolate truffle!

LIBBE! I didn't realize we were so close to each other, I am in St. Louis, just over the river from IL

Same thing happened to me, something they claimed was missing was in fact there; my insurance coordinator from the surgeon's office called them and it was straightened out later that same day. Good luck!

I started out close to where you are, 5'7 and 266 lbs. My goal is 150 lbs. I am 10 months out and have lost 90 lbs; I weigh 176 today, so 26 lbs to go! I am not the fastest loser by any means, but I am still losing, albeit slower than I was in the first 6 months. In fact I have not yet had a stall, I have lost consistently every week, even if only a small amount. I have been pretty lax in the exercise department I'm sorry to say, so that is what I am working on now; I think it will help me lose this last bit and also tone up some. Good luck to you, you'll do great!

I buy mine at Cost Plus World Market

My favorites are the salted caramel, the chocolate, and the white chocolate (all sugar free). I use them in my coffee.

I measure once a month, on the 24th (the day I had surgery and did my first set of measurements). I measure my neck, bust, waist, hips, thighs, calves, upper arms, and lower arms. I have lost 72 inches total in the past 10 months!!! Good luck to you!

Quest bars are a little more expensive, about $2.00 per bar, but they are a great meal replacement when on the go. They have a ton of protein and fiber, so they keep me full and satisfied more than any other protein bar I have tried.

I think you have done amazingly well, and should be so proud of yourself! My advice: you really need to hit that 1200 calorie per day goal, especially if you are working out that much. Taking in too few calories can halt your weight loss; sometimes you actually need to increase your calories to lose weight, especially when exercising. Otherwise, your body will hold onto everything, thinking it is in starvation mode. I know it can be hard to get more calories in without eating junk, but there are a few things you can do. Try a handful of almonds or cashews, a tablespoon of peanut butter, protein bars, an extra protein shake after a workout. Also, make sure you are getting a minimum of 64 oz of water per day, more on days you exercise. Good luck to you! I for one think you are a rockstar!

VSG has been around for awhile, but back when it first originated they used much larger bougies, resulting in less optimal results. Welcome to the forum, we are here to support and encourage you in any way we can!

Quest in Vanilla Almond, and Power Crunch in Triple Chocolate or Peanut Butter Creme. Soooo good! I buy both at the Vitamin Shoppe. Hope this helps!

Hey All Stars! You all are doing so well, congrats! I am down 88 lbs, weighing 178 lbs. I have 12 lbs to go, to reach my surgeon's goal for me of 100 lbs lost. I ideally would like to get down to 150 lbs, so another 28 to go. We'll see how it goes! I've never been this small as an adult, so not exactly sure where I would like to settle. I am not losing as quickly as some of you have, but I am really okay with it. It is still steadily coming off, albeit slower, and that's all that matters. I do love my sleeve!!! Hope you all are enjoying your summer! Kristina