Miriam

I DON'T manage everything, to be honest. I only eat 4 meals a day (my NUT wants 5, but can't manage it) but sometimes I need to wait 60-90 minutes after eating to drink (especially after dense proteins) because otherwise it all comes up. So, yeah, I'm having some trouble getting it all in. But I'm trying to get as much fluid in as possible because yeah, dehydration is a much more immediate concern than not always getting in my multivitamins. Good luck with that!

Wait a bit longer - I was like this more or less the the whole first two months post-op (with odd moments where I suddenly did have head hunger), but at some point the food dreams did start. So you never know what might still happen...

Very possible - and I hope so, too. She's had so many ups and down - diagnosed with Stage 4 of one of the worst cancers out there, chemo + remission + return of cancer + chemo + remission + return of cancer + chemo + remission + return of cancer, etc. etc. - you get the picture. I think she's had chemo (each time lasting several months) 6 or 7 times in the last 7 or 8 years, as well as one period where she got radiation as well. She's still doing her best to beat it, and believe me that I doubt I'd be as optimistic and cheerful at this stage as she is - I had a much easier form of cancer to deal with around 12 years ago, and that one time was WAY more than enough for me. So yeah, I can only sympathize and pray for her recovery.

I'm 5'2" but with very light bones (as is my mother) so as low as my goal weight might seem, I'm pretty sure that's the right (albeit slightly optimistic) weight for my body. Highest weight (which is pretty much what it was the day of surgery): 225 lbs. Goal weight: 105 lbs. Am around 2/3 of the way there, but still have lots of negative thoughts as to whether I will make it and be able to maintain it or not.

It's possible. But we're actually really close and she's been through a LOT the past few years (multiple rounds of chemo, etc.) so I can cut her lots of slack that I wouldn't do for others.

Yeah, get the smaller size. You'll get there soon enough. I was lucky enough to have clothes all the way down to a size 14s, but now I've gone on a shopping spree and bought clothes for the next few sizes (I didn't want to go past a certain size because no idea if I'll get there, but I thought that 8 was a reasonable size to aim for - I hope!).

Wow, that's really poor. Makes my doctor look great, and I'm not that thrilled with him (but where I am, my options are extremely limited so I made the choice to stick with him for better or for worse). If I were you, I would send the doctor a registered letter with bulleted points about all the issues you've been having. He may never read it, but maybe his staff will actually take note and change their ways (probably being overly optimistic here, but never mind...).

Yeah, it's already happened a few times - I FELT like I was already ready for the next size, but my body told me differently, and sometimes it seemed like forever till I got down that half size. But it DOES eventually happen, it's just very annoying till it does. It's funny, though, this thing with perception of what size we are. I'm currently on vacation in another country and the people who are seeing me now haven't seen me since last summer (pre-op and at my heaviest then). Anyway, I've gotten some really flattering reactions, but the relative whom I staying with has been really funny about the whole thing. I was talking about going shopping at a bunch of different stores (for clothes, what else?) and when someone mentions a specific store, she says, "Oh, you won't find anything your size there, don't bother." I'm like, "But I told you I'm almost fitting into a size 12" (which the store definitely does carry), and she says, "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to insult you." Okay, fast forward ten days or so and today she hands me a discount coupon for a large size clothing website - technically I could still order their smallest size (12W) and it would probably still fit me for the next 2 weeks or so, but really, I was a little annoyed because at this point I think it's pretty clear that I'm shopping in the regular departments now (such a lovely experience, I must say). I'm going to put it down to a faulty memory because her memory really is quite bad, but still, her eyesight isn't as far as I know But I digress. I can't wait to REALLY fit into the size 12s since my 14s are all really baggy on me, so yes, I do feel your pain - but as I said, this happened when I went from 18 to 16 and from 16 to 14, so trust me, you WILL get there.

Wow, wishing you luck in maintaing a healthy weight for you. I've still got around 35 lbs. to lose to my goal weight (which I don't think will make me look gaunt, but I guess I won't know till I hit it because I've never been there before, to the best of my knowledge) but I do see why you are concerned about this issue. Good luck and let us know how things go with the Carnation and Ensures.

Thanks - very cool! Some of the questions were indeed tricky, but somehow I managed an 18/20, so not too bad

Thanks so much for this, Suzanne. I'm almost 6 months post-op, and it's so good to hear the perspective of an "old-timer."

I've been trying out lots of different drink powders and unfortunately I'm not really crazy about most of the flavors. I've decided to give away the ones I particularly don't like and hope there's someone out there who does like them - the flavors are listed below. Just PM me and I'll respond to the first person / people - I'll be happy to cover the postage within the U.S. (I'll be sending whatever packets I have without the boxes to reduce shipping costs), but I'd prefer to do it ASAP as I'm leaving the country in a few days. Crystal Light to Go - Cherry Pomegranate, Fruit Punch 4C Light to Go - Lemonade Target house brand - grape Lipton Light to Go - strawberry-acai

I can't get that down almost 6 months out! So yeah, I think you're eating enough

I'm in the same boat as you - six months out but still not usually eating more than I was eating two or three months ago, which is maybe 1/4 cup of food at a time, never more than 4 times a day (if I try to get in more, I get very, very sick and miserable). I don't have a problem eating supper, but my Breakfast is usually super-small. As PdxMan said, this IS a challenge - for me it's probably the biggest challenge as I'm still having a hard time mentally coping with these amounts - I have always been a volume eater, naturally blessed with a big appetite and also having that increased by meds, but most of all just enjoying the taste of food. So now, having just a few bites and feeling full, I always feel like "but I didn't have a chance to enjoy it at all," not to mention that I always have to be super-alert to that full feeling (because as I said, I get very sick very quickly) which also takes away from the enjoyment. But I'm slowly getting there. On the one hand, I keep telling myself that I should be happy because this super-restriction is surely part of the reason why I'm losing weight so quickly. On the other hand, I really long for the day that I can just have double the capacity that I do now. K also worry about nutrition, as you do. And a teeny-tiny part of me (very teeny, because despite all the weight I lost, I still can't picture myself at goal) worries - and simultaneously hopes - that I'll hit goal and keep losing because the way I am now, there is no way I can up my calories to the number needed for maintenance. If this sounds all messed up, well, hey, it is, but I'd venture to say that most of us have had to cope or are still coping with all kinds of issues related to food and weight loss. Just my two cents worth...

How do you even GET IN 200 grams of protein and 300 grams of carbs a day? I'm not quite six months post-op, so a bit behind you, but I still can't get in 60 grams of protein a day, let alone 200! I know I should sympathize with you more, but I'm still trying to get over my jealousy at your problem - no offense, but all my life I've dreamed of having a metabolism where I couldn't put on weight no matter what I did! Seriously, as others have posted, you should definitely speak to your doctor and have bloodwork done. There may even be medical reasons for weight loss or lack of weight gain unrelated to the sleeve, which I once found out in a not so pleasant way. So this should be checked out ASAP.