ToddG

When I was doing my pre-op diet, I wrote something down in my journal that I was keeping on my weight loss journey. It said, "NOTE TO SELF: If you get off track at some point after this surgery, remember how well the pre-op diet worked and DO IT!" The pre-op diet was not a lot of fun, but it did effectively clear my system of sugar and carbs. Once that happened it was much easier to stay on track with the plan. I think now that you are sleeved, it will not be nearly as hard as doing it pre-op but it will help you wash any carbs and sugar from your system that are causing you to crave more and go off track. Then commit yourself to eating good protein, good carbs like veggies and stay away from the bad stuff. Track your eating in a food diary. It will keep you honest! Good luck!

Wow, your story is close to mine. I too weighed 320 at surgery and now I'm stuck at 205. I got down to 198 but I've been fluctuating between 200 and 205 for about a month now. I contribute it to a couple of things. One, I graze too much. I work the midnight shift and I have snacks at work like almonds, pretzel sticks, and greek yogurt and if I have nothing going on and I'm bored I keep pulling then out of my locker and munching on them. I need to keep it to a small amount every night. Second, I'm close to goal, like 20 lbs, and I think my body just wants to hang onto these last few lbs. It's going to take some serious exercise to get to goal I think. The good thing is that I've had no trouble maintaining this weight so if I can just get to goal I believe I can stay there. Good luck to you and me both in kicking 205!

O,and what is your goal weight?You cannot be to far away from it!

Hi,
I dont think stretched yet,but it might if you keep up with the fizzy drinks.
Sometimes I think it is because we feel so much better that we start becoming complacent and indifferent to what we eat.On the other hand life is back to normal and we get use to the sleeve.
You know what the problem is.Those nature valley bars taste great but lots of sugar.one has 190 calories in them (ok,the 2 in the wrapper)I know,I have looked at them plenty of times already..lol
Just sit down,decide what is important.Just because we can eat more doesnt mean we have to.
Get carrot sticks,cucumber sticks...you will not be able to eat to much of those,it fills up very quickly.Cut some of the snacking, have an extra cup of tea.
Just make a few good choices again and your weight will start moving again.
NO FIZZY DRINKS!
Good luck and look at how far you have come.You can finish this!

Your sleeve is not stretched, it is simply healed.
As far as it working, it never has, you were working it. Your sleeve is just a tool, if you don't use the tool it can't help you.
It looks to me like you already know why you are not losing, it's completely up to you. You can use your tool and your self dicipline to lose more. Or you can eat around the sleeves limitations and fall back into the old way of life.

Wow. We were sleeved on the exact same day. I thought 86 lbs was doing pretty good. You've done GREAT!
Start logging your food and try to get that exercise in! Sodas are toxic waste. Even if there was no controversy over sodas and sleeve stretching...just read the ingredients. You can clean car batteries with that stuff! BLECH! (former DC addict speaking;) ) I honestly think they kept me fat somehow.
I get really thirsty and try to chug drinks and just can't do it. I take a few swallows and then wait a bit then a few more. Then I have to wait a longer time or I'll feel sick. Everyone's drinking returns at different rates I guess.

I had sugery on 2/10 and I have had the same knawing feeling in my stomach. I am taking 3 prilosec per day (total of 60 MG) and a zantac at night and have been good the last couple of days. My GI dr gave me a prescription for Nexium to try but my surgeon suggested 60 mg of prilosec first.

Sounds like you may have an allergy to the glue or adhesive in the tape or bandaids. You can try and use paper tape as that is usually more gentle on the skin. We used that a lot in the doctors office and it seemed to work great.

I don't think that a tape/latex allergy is related to reflux. I've had mine since some minor surgery to remove a mole on my back years ago. They taped bandages to me and the pain from that tape was worse than anything I had from the surgery! On my surgery day, I was the first surgery because it requires special cleaning of the OR for a latex allergy patient, plus everything that contains latex must be removed from the operating theater. You need to be sure your doctor and any future surgeons know that you are allergic to latex. It's pretty common these days.

Take your time man. At six week its no wonder that soup and yogurt is what feels good because that is what your stomach can handle right now. You are trying to rush it. You put chicken and other dense foods into it....its saying...WTF...stop. Listen to your body.

Hi Todd,
Don't worry, you will once again be able to enjoy eating and food again. Whoa... I wish this was me!! I love to eat, even though I can't eat a lot - regardless I do once again love it.
Anyhow, take your time with all of this. Be patient, and if you must slow down the progress of how and what you are eating then do that. I would do Protein shakes for a few meals per day and only eat one or two other meals. I also had to make sure my meats were puree'd and moist or it would sit like a ton of bricks on my chest.
Not everything will work either right off the bat. If you notice something is not working well, don't eat it again for a week or so.
Well wishes to you! Again, you are not healing or progressing any differently than most others, rest assured.

I was in the same boat. Ate Soups mainly as anything solid hurt and didn't feel good at all. It does take time, but it will be better. Like Dorrie, it was at least 3 months before more solid foods were comfortable. Red meat, breads and Pasta ... 6 months. At 8 months, there isn't anything that I can't eat. I still feel restriction, so if I eat too much of just about anything, it is uncomfortables, so ...
It will get better.

Being a Coonass and all, lol I am going be a good captain and cook a crawfish ettoufe' right now for my crew. I will see if I can handle just the crawfish n gravy. No rice for me. I dont even want to experiment with it lol. Hopefully this will be a pallette "sp?" change. I might like it. Me n eating 5 crawfish tails haha i used to eat about 3 cups full of tails. But heres a thought. 5/8 cup, 4 grams fat no carbs and 19 protein. Not bad for a mudbug.

At 6 weeks out i was eating mushies. I didn't start eating meats until around 3 months post op and it had to be very moist chicken. I'm 5.5 months post op and yesterday I went to Chipole and the chicken felt too dry and was rather uncomfortable. I try to eat moist things. Hope this helps.