TheCurvyJones

Are you 'going' regularly? I still fight Constipation, 21 months out. See what your surgeon has to say but it may not even be surgery related.

4lbs a week is 2-3 lbs above the recommended amount a person should lose a week. 4lbs a week isn't slow. I know it seems like a lot of people drop SERIOUS weight in the first few weeks but not all of us do. You CANNOT make your body do what it isn't going to do so, in order to NOT go insane, keep your eyes on your own paper. Look at your own history, your own journey, your own success. You're down 13lbs from your surgery date and that's fantastic. I NEVER more than 2 or 3 lbs a week after my first week post op. NEV. ER. But now I am down 102lbs. You will keep losing!

You are right on track. Keep your thoughts positive, follow the rules, do the work. your sleeve is WORKING. Also keep in mind you may be dropping inches, and probably from places you don't even realize like ankles, wrists, knees. One of the first things I noticed, 4 days post op is that it no longer hurt like hell to climb the stairs. Start counting your NSV's and relax. It's working.

Lol. this doesn't go away. My Sleeve is the noisiest thing ever, especially after I eat or drink. I just tell everyone it loves food and is having a party. Sometimes it sounds like I'm hungry but I just ate.

One day I was recording a Youtube video and my sleeve was SO LOUD for no reason. I stopped and I was like........DID YOU GUYS JUST HEAR THAT? lol.

I really only changed bras twice during my weight loss phase. I didn't lose much volume (I'm still a G cup), and I just made what I had work until I just couldn't stand it anymore. Now that I have reached my goal, I invested in new bras that I'll wear for awhile.

one of my friends said something pretty profound a few weeks ago. "Sometimes people just liked you better when you were fat. When you didn't speak up for yourself and didn't have self confidence and your world revolved around them, not around you."

And that's not to say anything BAD about people who have something to say... it's just to say... change is hard for everyone, especially people who might feel like they don't know you anymore. Hang in there. They have no choice but to adjust.

Whereabouts in MX are you going? For most of the CA/TX facilities, you're minutes over the border. I had my surgery in Piedras Negras MX, just over the Texas/Mexico Border. Like, in five minutes I was at the hospital. Great facility, very clean. The staff is attentive-- you're the whole reason they're there. They escort you from poiint to point and you're well taken care of while on site.

I didn't tell a lot of people because I didn't want anyone to try to talk me out of it. i couldn't be swayed but I didn't want to listen to anyone's long diatribe, blah blah blah, I don't care, I am going.

It was a great experience.

This is probably bad advice but.........pre oppers that are not already on your pre surgery eating plan... drink it while you can. I'm not saying go wild and drink a six pack a day.... I'm just saying that after surgery, you physically will not be able to ingest carbonation for at least 8-12 weeks. After that, it'll be very limited and it really depends on your sleeve.

My surgeon says it is PERMITTED but not RECOMMENDED.

I hope it tastes like beer after surgery. That'll make it easy to never drink it again.

haha! I find it to be really sweet, even diet.

One thing you should realize is that after surgery your tastes will change. You may not even like or crave soda post surgery so don't reach for it on day two. Your sleeve will hate you if you try it before it has healed.

I do. I was a diet Pepsi freak. I have probably about one soda a week. My surgeon Dr A rolls his eyes but he says, "do me a favor. Pour it over lots of ice, let's the ice melt in it and let the carbonation die down some."

Most sleeves become very irritated at the sensation of carbonation. I get a sharp pain if I don't de-fizz. I have to let it sit for a wild so that it's not so strong. And most of the time if I get a soda at a restaurant or buy one at the store, I don't finish it. After a few sips it's very sweet and the carbonation doesn't like my stomach very much.

He prefers that we don't, but he also knows that people are going to go the rest of their lives without having a soda.

What about making Protein shakes with fruit post-op? Nobody really seems to talk about fruit, and I think adding a whey Protein Powder to greek yogurt with some fruit might be good?

Depends on your body and your food issues. Fruit makes me crave and gives me a sugar rush. I may as well eat a Snickers!

At just about 20 months out, I drink a shake a day, sometimes two. I just cannot ingest enough food to hit my Protein goals and I got tired of being lightheaded and listless. I tried to dump them, but it was nearly impossible to eat enough food. I hope the OP is able to find a shake that works in the long term. I did recently decide to dump the bars.... there's too much sugar/carbs in them for me to feel comfortable eating them. I usually eat the special K bars. Atkins bars have lower sugar but my stomach just doesn't like them, so... no bars, just shakes for me!

I do pretty well with food. I hate the uncomfy overfull feeling so I stop when I'm satisfied. Jelly the Sleeve is not very tolerant of being overfull, so I just stop when I'm done. As far as what I eat... while I try to maintain Protein first, it doesn't always happen. I can murder a bag of doritos, so now I get an invididual bag, eat three or four and give the rest away. All I need is a taste and I am done.

I am 19 months out and still losing, but I know I don't lose a lb or an inch if I don't move my butt. If I plateau it is because I have not been working out. That said, I FINALLY hit 100lbs down over the weekend! Very exciting. My personal goal is 169 and I am just a few lbs from that number. My surgeon would like to see me around 145............I laugh every time I think of that because uh.... I'd like to see that too. It's taken me FOREVER to get to where I am, so I'm bound and determined to be happy with the loss I've achieved and keep working toward my non scale goals.

Hang in there, Dec Sleevers! We are all still on this journey!

I would do it again. I do mourn foods, not so much what KINDS of foods I can eat because I CAN eat anything I want. Mostly HOW MUCH OF IT I used to eat and still want to eat is what I mourn. My rule, pretty much, is 'I only need a taste'. And if I am honest with myself, after a bite or two I am done with whatever that was and there is no real impact on my weight.

Thanks for the responses. I remember now that omeprazole is generic Pepcid. Forgot.

I'm not sure if I should call my doc or not. I had my surgery in another state. They did call in some carafate (? Does that sound right) but it was very expensive under my insurance so I didn't get it.

Suggestions for another ok that works? I tried Prevacid years ago when I was pregnant and it helped then.

Is it normal at just over 3 months to still be adjusting to acid production? All I know is yesterday I felt like I just couldn't get full so I was eating every hour. I still only had about 1500 calories but I absolutely can't do that every day. Plus the stupid cough.... I don't want it to keep me from going to church because I would hate to sit there and cough the entire time.

I totally appreciate and respect all responses!! Y'all are great!

I am over a year and a half out and if I don't take my PPI, there is hell to pay. For some, it goes away. For some it's a new friend.

First of all it's not up to them. Not at all so they can want until the cows come home... it's not up to them. Second of all your body is going to keep losing until it hits it's set point. That might be 170, or 150 or 137.5.

Their opinions are moot and void. They can want whatever... and I guess you could work to stay where you are, but.....why?

Yes I went from Zantac to Prilosec and now Nexium.

A few people have weird reactions to eating/being full. I hiccup, some people sneeze, some people's nose runs. It's something to do with the VAGUS nerve. It is somehow irritated by food in your belly. I don't know if there is anything to cure it, but that's how my surgeon explains it. If you research VAGUS NERVE and WLS or VSG you'll find tons of people with weird symptoms like yours.

Not really. The idea that we can only metabolize X grams of Protein at a time has been pretty much debunked. Just know that post surgery, you will have to really work up to and exceed your Protein goals. You won't come out of surgery chunking down 60-100 grams of protein.

ETA in answer to your question, just focus on protein. All I EVER Counted was protein, since the rule is PROTEIN FIRST, that should not be a problem. As your sleeve heals, you will realize more capacity and you'll be able to eat more things, but your sleeve only holds 4-6 oz of food at a time. It'll take you a while to build up to eating a lot of protein a day. At 18 months out I honestly just barely make my protein count everyday and some days I can only make it if I drink two shakes.

it doesnt hurt to start now...the more you can square away before surgery, the better. right now Isopure is at the top of my list...but i have others to try. i will try to order the sample packets...where can i get more forum information on that from??

Here's a great list someone started of companies that offer sample packets.

whey Protein is best but many people become lactose intolerant post surgery and have to switch to soy. You can get Protein drinks that are coffee flavored. I like the Peanut Butter or the banana from About Time. You can also get Isopure, it comes in different flavors. Some love it. Some despise it. I'm in the despise group!

She seems to be projecting. Not sure what your surgery has to do with her and her life. Her posts are very ME ME ME, this is how YOU doing something affects ME. Who the eff cares? If she was an actual friend, she would be supportive even if she didn't agree with the route you're taking. She was clearly only hanging around so long as she had someone to be 'better than'. The minute you started making decisions and doing things FOR YOU, ABOUT YOU, she turned tail.

Ex friend is right. Ignore that bitter, projecting person and focus on your new life. It's gonna be awesome and soon you won't remember her name.

I was never into fat acceptance. I wanted to accept myself so I made the changes I need to make so that I'd smile when I looked in the mirror. I'm into self acceptance, fat or thin, tall or short. IMO (many) Fat Acceptance advocates don't support anyone making changes to better themselves. I never thought I was totally fabulous and hot to trot when I was fat. I hated myself. I changed it. I now accept myself.

I am two weeks before a surgery and scared to death about my quality of life after a surgery. Sleevers with some experience, please share your experience: All my questions are about the steady-state phase, not the first few weeks:

1) when you eat and get full, is it the same feelling as today, just without the big food quantities? Or is it a different feeling?

2) are you handicapped for life? Like the need to avoid certain foods and certain drinks.

3) can u ever drink a whole cup of Water, or will you need to sip slowly for life (sounds lile a torture).

4) just tell me about ur day to day life. I dont know if u had the same feeling, but I sometimes think to myself that I might be crazy to be cutting an organ that functions 100% right.

Would love to get your input.

1. Yes! I feel full, like I ate a house, after just a few bites (depending on what I eat, of course). The further out I am, the more bites I can eat before I feel full, but full feels the same. STUFFED, ATE TOO MUCH is uncomfortable. I try to avoid that feeling.

2. Handicapped... not at all. I mean, this is a Your Mileage May Vary thing.. some of us become lactose intolerant. Some of us can't digest bread or breading or anything wheat based. Some of us have a hard time with dry meats, like chicken breast. One of my friends can no longer eat any form of potato, sweet or otherwise. Strange, since she had zero issues before now and she is over 2 yrs out. Then there are people like me who have zero issues, sleeve wise. I watch my carbs and sugar because I am pre-diabetic, just like before surgery. I have no food or drink issues. I drink coffee and soda, some sweets on occasion, though my taste for them has completely changed! I have loved discovering the nuances of my sleeve. It's like a whole new being with a personality all it's own, so much so that I named mine. Her name is Jelly and Jelly is the boss of me! ;D

3. I can drink a glass of water... it takes some time. I have never been much of a Water drinker. In the beginning you want to sip because your sleeve is swollen and you don't know your capacity. Too much and you'll be very uncomfortable. As time passes, our capacity grows. You probably won't be able to chug down a bottle/glass of water any time soon. But a glass of water should be no problem, months out. Though, I normally have to wait 30 mins to an hour to drink anything after eating.

4. Awhile back, I was thinking about my surgery and what type of mind I had to be in to think that this would be the answer for me. I concluded that I was absolutely positively NUTS. I went to Mexico and had a surgeon stab me five times and amputate an organ. And you know what? I'd do it again 100 times. Quality of life? BETTER THAN NORMAL. Life isn't perfect-- weight loss doesn't solve all of our problems, of course-- but I LOVE seeing the changes my body has made. I love wearing sizes I have NEVER worn before... I went from kid sizes to plus sizes in the blink of an eye. I did my 2nd 5K yesterday and it was no big thing. I have fitness goals and I STILL LOVE FOOD... I just get to be really choosy about what I eat now.

Life is fantastic post surgery. Look forward to the New You, your New Normal... it's BETTER THAN NORMAL.

Yes because the trend is to bounce up a bit once you hit a low... I want to be able to scale within a healthy range for me, so if I get lower than goal, I have a bit of a window that I can fluctuate within and still remain in compliance with myself.