NMJG

Good luck to you. Unfortunately, not all Type II are resolved with weight loss, although it certainly helps a lot. My husband is Type II and skinny.

I think a lot of us make the decision for health reasons. One thing that is so awesome is that the health benefits of losing the weight start showing up pretty quickly. It's like our bodies breathe a sigh of relief. Then we can start focusing on other fun stuff in our lives.

Great story, so glad you shared with us. You are adorable, and I don't think you'll be back in the corner again after this

Plumb, people do feel like that early on, but don't do it. Your stomach is not healed and if you go too quickly and eat solid foods you could seriously damage yourself and end up in the hospital. Stick with the plan. It's hard, but you can do it. Ask your doctor about when you can hit the gym, you don't want to pull stitches. Walking you can certainly do, but get your doctor's clearance before trying anything else this early on. Good luck

Wonderful achievement! Best wishes to you and congratulations. Your hard work really paid off.

MizNola, You can do it, really. While you certainly have to be aware (no magic wand here) you have a great tool now that will really help you. It won't be like it was before. If you have cravings, eat a piece of Jerky and you'll be stuffed - no room for bad stuff (once you are one regular foods, that is, not during liquid phase). Now, Liquids - they slide right through. That is what you are seeing now. When you get to solids you will see the difference. Be patient and don't stress. You are doing well, just keep at it. The first month is really sucky. You'll get through. Be nice to yourself this month, get a pedicure or facial

You can ask your doctor and they will tell you. Really, it makes no difference unless it's size 60 French LOL. Don't obsess over it. The doctor makes the decision based on your individual size, etc. too small and you can have stricture complications. Too large and your restriction is not as tight. However, this is pretty rare with modern sleeves done today. Most range from 30 to 40 french. It is pronounced "boo-zhee" as another poster noted.

I'm a slow loser. It is not so bad. You get used to it. Just don't compare yourself and you'll be fine. Being a slow loser is a mental thing. Good things about losing slow: People don't think you've had WLS, so fewer questions to answer. Loose skin has more time to shrink back. Less stress on the body. You don't go through clothes as fast. I'm sure there are others.

Most stores have ginger tea, even walmart. Watch out for mint early on. It can relax the valve from your stomach into the esophagus and make you more uncomfortable. I had that early but it is fine now.

Unfortunately for me, sliders happen on occasion. I have to really watch it. Red vines (addictive) Tortilla chips

I agree with Buffle. Could well be low blood pressure or other medical issue. If you are getting your 8 cups of water in, it shouldn't be dehydration, unless you are laying roof tile in Phoenix in the summertime, or other activity that requires a lot more fluids. Go see your primary doc so they can check you out. Let us know what happens.

Third week stall, folks. Chin up, most people hit this. You'll get through just fine. just your body readjusting itself. Stick to your plan and don't despair.

Keekee, I'm sorry to hear it hasn't been going well for you. What sort of eating plan are you on? If you haven't tried it already, give Atkins a shot. A lot of people get really good results with that. And going full liquid will do it, too. And don't forget your 8 oz of Water...even before surgery water is important for losing weight. Congrats on quitting smoking. That's a huge accomplishment.

Just a heads up: When you are early on you need to avoid seeds (like strawberry seeds) because they can get stuck in your healing stitched area. Most doctors prohibit seeds for a certain number of months. Just be careful. Also, many sleevers can't tolerate fresh and frozen fruit early on, so folks should check their plans to make sure those foods are OK during puree phase. Apple sauce and cooked fruit is typically OK.

Harlem, I know you are busy and need quick meals, but those frozen diet entrees are not going to keep you satisfied. You need 3-5 oz of firm protein, like chicken or beef or pork or fish. After you've eaten that, then try some vegs and after the vegs, then a couple of bites of carbs. I think you will be a lot happier if you try this. There are lots of frozen quick meats, like meatballs, grilled chicken, shrimp, etc. give it a try and let us know how you do. You've done so well, but i just get the feeling that you are not feeling satisfied with your meals. If you aren't happy with what you are eating, it's easy to slide back into old habits.

No soda at all. No beer. I have had a small glass of champagne twice, which takes an hour to get down. Carbonation is very unpleasant now. No desire to drink it. Used to adore sparkling waters, beer, diet coke.

The sweet stuff can really become a drag. I like unjury chicken broth flavor. Mix it with warm Water. When you mix with warm fluids, remember to keep it under 140 degrees or it will clump and get nasty. Also, early on, Protein isolates are usually preferred by doctors because it is much more available to your body, which you need right after surgery.

Great info, folks, keep it coming!

Thanks for the clarifying, CGJ, great insight

Agreed with everyone here - 4-5 hours is certainly long enough to get hungry. I eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. I will say I lost my hunger they way it used to be. Now when I'm "hungry" I'm really grouchy and when I get my food I have a really hard time eating slowly with small bites. I try to not let myself get that hungry.

Oh dear, thank you for sharing and I know you meant well to share an app that works for you, but comparing yourself to others during WLS is so not a good idea. Everyone is different. While that app will certainly cheer up some people, it's bound to be a downer to others. There are just way too many variables in individual weight loss. If you know you are following your plan, getting in your Water, exercising, etc. then be happy and enjoy your trip, even if it is a slow stroll instead of a freeway. The idea of what is a slow loser is so interesting. I consider myself a slow loser, but some people (not many!) lose slower than I do, so I guess it is all relative.

Howdy folks. I've noticed a lot of newbies coming onboard recently (welcome!) and some misinformation getting posted. As I learned a lot from vets who posted wise words when I was pre-surgery and early in my journey, I wanted to share the knowledge and dispel some of the inaccurate info I'm seeing posted. Please feel free to add your own info, and as always, there will be exceptions to the info below - there always are! I'm sure I will be flamed by someone who eats McDonalds and pizza day in and day out, never gets their Protein in and drinks vente vanilla lattes every morning and still loses 4 lbs. a week. For the rest of us, this is written to help folks set appropriate expectations about their sleeve. Good luck to all of us on this amazing journey. Myth #1: The sleeve will do it for you and you have to work at making it fail. Nope, not true. Even though you will have restriction, you still have to deal with some increase in sleeve capacity that happens over time and the effect of sliders (foods that reduce in your stomach and don't fill you up, like popcorn and chips....) and the calories in liquids (ah Brownie Frappucinos...). So, while the sleeve is an amazing tool and the restriction will help you sooo much, you still have to follow basic rules of sleeve eating in order to have continued success in the long run. The stats for VSG are around 60% excess weight loss. Think of that as an average of some people losing 100% of excess weight, some losing little or none, some only losing half before they stop, and some losing great and then gaining it back. Myth #2: When you have the sleeve you can eat "whatever you want" or "like a normal person," (whatever that is). Nope. Unless "whatever you want" includes lots of protein and vegetables and other healthy foods, it's unlikely you will be able to eat whatever you want with no limitations and have the sleeve do it all for you. While we all have exceptional days here and there where we don't eat what's best for us, overall you will be following protein first, vegs second, and carbs third forever. Are there exceptions to this rule? Sure, there are some people who are exceptions and go back to eating fast food, junk food, and sodas every day and keep the weight off, but not many and they certainly are not the majority on this board, at least. Why set yourself up for failure? Learn good habits early on. Myth #3: Everyone must follow 1200 calories a day (or whatever amount) or they will go into "starvation" mode. You are not on a regular diet. You are on a medically supervised plan that works in conjunction with major surgery, and most plans utilze VLC (very low calorie) eating plans. I see people here think they can't do on 500 calories a day and use "starvation mode" as an excuse to eat more, then before you know it they are writing in asking for help because they haven't lost in 5 months. Does "starvation mode" exist? I don't know, and some people do drop weight after adding an extra 100 calories a day, but don't go hogwild with the concept of starvation mode. Trust in your nutritionist or find a nutritionist that you can trust. And remember that many people (especially older, postmenapausal or sedentary people) can only maintain on 1200 or 1000 calories a day and will stop losing if they take this advice to eat more. On the other hand, if you are 22 years old and very active, you will probably do just fine with a higher calorie count, but again, everyone is different. Myth #4: You have to eat X amount of protein, carbs, fats, etc. Nope. The nutritional guidelines vary from doctor to doctor. Everyone wishes they were the same and it would sure make it easier, but doctors and nutritionists differ. Those in Centers of Excellence have a long track record that they base their recommendations on, and others use published research. Sometimes it seems like our nuts just pull stuff out of the air. Some doctors are very strict and others give vague guidelines with few or no limitations. What to do? If you trust your doctor and nutritionist, then stick with their plan. If you are getting results, stick with your plan. You hired them for their expertise, so trust what they say. If you don't trust your doctor/nut, then move to a different practice if you can and find someone you can trust. Almost everyone agrees that protein is very important for sleeve patients (one thing to agree on!) but what that magic number is ...open to debate. You will see everything from 60 grams of protein a day to 100 or more. And you will see people who can't get it all in and get by on 40 grams a day with no problems. That's why it is important to stick to the plan you trust and works for you. Many people here vary on how many grams of protein, fat, carbs, Fiber, 5:2, Atkins, yadayadayada. What is right for you may not be right for someone else. Myth #5: You can stop your hair from falling out with Vitamins, protein, etc. Not really. You can probably help it with vitamins and Biotin and making sure you get in all your protein, but many people do all this and still lose hair. It is the body's natural response to the extreme stress you have put it in with surgery and severely limited calories. A few people don't lose their hair, others lose anywhere from a little to a lot and some resort to wigs. Eventually it grows back, but even that timetable varies from person to person. Myth #6: Once the honeymoon (6 months) is over you will stop losing. Not really. As vets can attest to, your first 6 months are your best window of opportunity and your doctor will expect you to lose a significant portion of weight in that time. However, if you stick with (or return to) your basic plan of firm protein first, vegs second, carbs third and lots of Water, you can get back to losing (and it's still easier than if you did not have the sleeve). You may not lose like you did in Month Two, but you will still lose. Some doctors say your window of opportunity is 18 months out from surgery. They vary on this, too. Myth #7: You have to exercise. Not really. Lots of people don't and still lose. However, exercise will give you much better results and most importantly, you will be much healthier. Also, if you start building good exercise habits now it will make keeping the weight off much easier in the long run. So, even if it's just a walk around the block, start moving your body around. Myth #8: You will need plastic surgery when it's over. Maybe, maybe not. Depends on your age (a lot), how much you had to lose, where you carry your weight, how much you exercise and type of exercise, genetics, if you've born children, etc. A lot of people do need plastic surgery, but a surprising number don't. Myth #9: If you eat "bad" food it will make you sick. Nope. While there are some folks who have very delicate tummies (and in the early months there are lots of delicate tummies), in the long run most people can get pretty much anything down. Myth #10: Sleevers don't dump. Nope. Sleevers can dump, it just isn't nearly as common as RnY folks. Dumping (aka Gastric Emptying) is just food hitting your intestines too quickly, causing really yucky stomach discomfort, weakness, lightheadedness, flushing, cramps, nausea, explosive diarrhea, and other fun symptoms. It can hit immediately or several hours after eating. Most sleevers never get it, but some do. You'll know it if you do.

Did all my protein and vits. Still lost half my hair starting around 5 months out. Biotin didn't help. Sigh.

Thanks everyone. I got through with my water bottle today and fought the cookies. Will take a snack next time, good idea.

Sending good thoughts your way!