New start

I'll take being cold to sweating all the time! Mind, with these hot flushes I am freezing one minute. boiling the next... repeat unti; I'm 60...lol

I was sleeved 10-13-11 so we are on the same track. Sounds like you are doing fabulous! Keep up the good work!

I don't chew my food as well as I did when I started out....
Thanks for sharing everyone! It's good to have a realistic view of ones behavior... NO MORE HIDING! In the past I never told anyone how much I weighed, when I hid food or ate alone, or how many servings... Its good to get it out in the open and go from there.
....And to see how much success there is here even with the bad habits!

I have heard that when we are in "stalls" often we are loosing inches during that time. Anyone heard of a good explaination of the physiology behind this? What is happening? Has it been your experience? Thought this might be an encouragement to those of us who are doing everything we've been told, and the # just aren't budging.

Welcome to Onderland! I gotta admit, I love it here. All those holiday songs about Winter Onderland have a special meaning this year :-)
Lynda

I am only in my mid-30s, and am also a slow loser. I am 4 weeks out, and have lost 13 pounds since surgery. Yeah, it's slower than many on here, but I accept that every single body is different and that every journey is individual. And, let's be honest. I have no right to be upset. I would have never lost 13 pounds in 4 weeks without the sleeve. So let's celebrate the trend and not the pace. Here's to trending downward!

Hey NewKat,
I was sleeved 8 weeks ago today and have lost 18 pounds since surgery (plus 20 pre-op). I can fluctuate as much as 3 pounds a day and that messes with my mind. I've found that eating plenty of Protein and getting my Water in help curtail the snacking. I track everything on myfitnesspal.com and that helps too(I'm bosslady1001 on there if you want to send me a friend request - there are several sleevers on there). And of course, exercise makes everything better - but I'm not as good in that department as I should be.
I'm 50 years old and I know I won't lose as fast as a 20 year old, but at least my weight is trending downward instead of upward. Hang in there - we can do this.

First off, sorry for the long post. I had my surgery 10/20. Am one of the very, very lucky ones and had no complications, almost no pain, eating just fine, healed fast, etc, etc. So I'm only two and a half weeks out. But I'm already finding I'm having food issues. Big surprise...none of would be obese if we didn't :wink1: But there's a couple things going on and I need your input....please! I really didn't think I would have this issue since I was so freakin' prepared for so long and did so much reading and research about this. I honestly thought I would happy and free from food and wouldn't want it anymore and would savor and enjoy my little sleevie amounts and be satisfied. Pshaw.....yeah right.
First off, whenever I eat, I notice a feeling of pressure in my lower esophagus. I thought at first it was cause I was really tight. My leak/swallow test showed that the contrast wasn't going anywhere and it was just sitting in my esophagus right after surgery. I had to sit, walk around, sit, etc, for 20 minutes before some of it moved through. But my surgeon wasn't concerned....normal swelling, etc, etc. Was sent home with no problems, drinking got easier, etc, but the pureeds thing always felt pressure, tight and thought it was that. But now I think I'm just overeating. In fact, I'm sure of it.
The main problem is that my actual tummy never feels ’full’. I don’t know if, since they cut out the stretchy part of the stomach (fundus), that they cut out the ‘stretch receptors’ that tell you when you’re full, but my tummy itself doesn’t feel full, but I know I’m full when there is food in the lower part of my esophagus. This is not good since I’m now using this as a guide to feel full.
Now, bring in the emotional, head hunger part of it. It is hard to stop eating at only a 1/3 or ½ cup of food, especially when it tastes good. We all know that, we all overeat when food is really good and poke it in till we are full, that’s why the obese get obese! But in a way this is worse, because I only get a couple of nibbles in and then I HAVE to be done. Which means I MENTALLY feel unsatisfied and incomplete. My head's like, "Yah, really? So where's the rest of it? That was over way too fast. I'm waiting!!!" I really, really need to get a grip on this because I have started ‘grazing’, or what I call ‘topping off’. Like, I’ll eat a scrambled egg for Breakfast, and I’ll have that full feeling (up top, not in my tummy), then in about 15 – 20 minutes, the pressure feeling goes away, then I’ll go take a couple more bites of something, seafood or chicken salad, or refried Beans, till that pressure feeling comes back, etc, etc, all day!! This is DISASTROUS!! It’s been proven time and again that bariatric patients fail and gain back weight because they learn to graze to overcome the loss of bingeing. They can’t eat huge amounts, so they eat little amounts constantly. The other downside of this, is that because I’m always topping off, I can’t drink my fluids like I’m supposed to. You’re not supposed to drink until ½ hour, 45 minutes after a meal, but I never let my little pouch empty like it should. So, I’m not getting in enough Water, either. *SIGH* This really is a transition and you really, really have to get over the fact that you will not feel mentally satisfied or replete at first, for a while, until this becomes the new normal. At least, I HOPE it’s temporary. I’m also hoping it will get better when I can eat more substantial food, then food will stay in my tummy longer and hopefully I’ll feel fuller longer. But again, most of it is mental and I need to overcome that full feeling with satisfaction and overall well-being. I just need to eat to nourish myself and not for pleasure or comfort. I will be able to enjoy wonderful food again, just not a lot, and I need to be okay with that. I know I will be, but it’s tough right now! Like an alcoholic with just a couple of drops of wine three times a day
So, I know I need to get on track with a routine and a schedule, and drink my water, and I've pretty much done that the last day or two. I don't really need advice on what to do (although it's always welcome!), since I know what I'm supposed to do, and I will do it.....but my questions are this:
1. Does the dissatisfied feeling ever really go away? Do you start to feel satisfied and complete mentally once you get used to your new 'normal'? I know everyone's different, but this really is mental for me since I just WANT more food, the taste, the texture, but my body is satisfied. I know this a huge adjustment - I'm just wondering if this is something I will always struggle with, or if it gets better. Did most of you feel this way at first? After your tummy healed, anyway, and you were on your way to regular food? Was your head a little messed up cause it was waiting for more?
2. Will I feel more satisfied when I eat more solid food? Deli meats, harder cheeses, etc. I seem happy now with what I'm eating (chicken salad, scrambled eggs, tuna fish, refried beans) I'm not missing food, but maybe I don't feel full as long because I'm eating mushies? But that really doesn't make sense cause chicken salad is pretty dense and Protein packed.
3. Does your actual tummy start to feel full, or is this just me who can't feel it because I've done so much damage and overeating over the years, lol?? I don't want to keep using the pressure/esophagus litmus test to know when I'm full.....
Thanks so much, everyone. I hope you all know how important you are to all of us....I am so grateful I have my sleevie family on here!

1) I have no regrets! Down 40lbs so far!!
2) Learning what our bodies and sleeves our capable of is a learning process. Taking the time to listen to them is important. Overeating by one bite is painful!
3) I do not miss soda...I thought I would.
4) Evreryone has their own journey. No one is the same and that is a good thing.
5) life changes after the sleeve. The way you think, feel, eat, everything. But it is all for the good.
6) I sometimes miss being able to eat a normal amount and miss drinking alcohol. Still worth it though.
I LOVE MY SLEEVE!

I, frankly would not have considered any program without that designation, and here's why. I am a nurse, and I have worked through the center of excellence process from a professional standpoint. They are tough, and very thorough. If there is incomplete/ poor record keeping, or high % of poor outcomes, or the program tries to cut corners, they note it and move on. There's alot of money available to highly competitive hospitals to have a bariatric program, and many would like to say they do, but there are only a few I would trust with my body, my future with this major surgery.
You are worth it.

Hey, welcome aboard! I am new too, as my surgery is in 2 weeks, though I started this journey 11 months ago. As our nurse navigator said at our support group last night, enjoy the journey, as it is a once in a lifetime life changing experience. Savor the process, not just the destination!