JeanZ_RN

The sleeve will keep us from overeating almost anything at a single sitting, but it does NOT keep us from grazing. That we have to manage on our own. As someone said elsewhere on this site - it's a tool, not a cure. I agree with the poster above who advised to get all trigger foods out of the house. And I also agree with the one who said don't beat yourself up. Just learn from the experience and Sleeve On! Best wishes.

My surgery was 11/13/13. My 6 mos surgiversary is next week.

I understand why you would wonder that - it's an excellent question. The way being sleeved helps me is that I now have a short list of very simple rules that I have to follow if I want to get to my goal weight and stay healthy. They go into effect when one is released from the post op liquids/pureed/soft foods restrictions. They are: Consume 60-80 gm Protein per day and 60-80 oz of Clear liquids per day. Every day. Do not drink anything for at least 30 minutes before a meal or snack. If you forget and do drink, re-set the timer and wait another 30 minutes before you eat. Eat dense protein first at every meal. Eat a very few bites of non-starchy veggie in addition if you have room. Decide how many meals and/or protein Snacks you're going to have per day, and stick to it. Do not eat between meals. Wait at least 30 minutes after every meal or snack before drinking anything. If your mouth gets really dry you could rinse after eating or brush your teeth. I avoid alcohol because I'm concerned it would decrease my ability to resist bad food choices. Follow those rules at least 90% of the time, and you will succeed. For the other 10%, do not beat yourself up - just get back on the wagon immediately and Sleeve On! I was very fortunate in that I was not hungry at all for 2-3 months post op. I ate because I knew I should. When my hunger returned it wasn't as intense as before, and by then I had established my new eating habits which helped a LOT. Now I eat every 4 hours (8a, 12n, 4p and 8p), and I keep my carb intake as low as humanly possible. Both factors contribute to my never being hungry for very long at a time. What keeps me on track when I could never stick to a diet before: The feeling of satisfaction / fullness after each meal, plus the decreased hunger, is the main thing that makes it possible for me to stick to the plan. I do get head hunger sometimes, and when I can't ignore it I have a big glass of Water, a SF popsicle or some SF Crystal Light. I've lost a significant amount of weight doing this, so I KNOW it works. I will be da**ed if I'm going to throw away the $12,500 I paid out of my pocket to have this done, not to mention all the work I've done (and the goodies I've resisted eating) to get to this point. Sometimes I just repeat to myself, as many times as necessary "I'm not going to eat that. Not gonna do it. There will be goodies available when I'm at my goal." The support available on this site and on the Facebook group I belong to is PHENOMINAL. It helps SO much, especially at those times when family/friends would probably beat me to death if I mention one more thing about the trials and tribulations -- or the NSVs -- related to being sleeved. The above have kept me going even through a 6-week stall, and I am deTERmined to get to my goal. Hope that helps. Best wishes.

I like your idea, so I revised my signature to include % of excess weight lost. Someone else suggested it's useful to see each person's height, and that I already had included.

You did great! I haven't had any critical remarks, and if I ever do I hope I handle it half as well as you did. Way to go!

Congratulations on taking a very important step toward success - coming back to this site, where you can get answers and support. There are 2 things you must do to start feeling the restriction again: (1) Focus on eating dense Protein, and eating it FIRST at every meal. Carbs and sweets, and other slider foods, are guaranteed to leave you feeling less restriction than dense protein. (2) If you have gotten away from the rule about no drinking from 30 min before to at least 30 min after each meal, you have to get back on track with that in order to feel the restriction. The best way to get rid of the craving for carbs and sweets is to stop eating them. I realize that is much easier said than done, but keep in mind that the cravings will be totally gone after 3 days. You can do it!! Best wishes!

You said "...just diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, with climbing blood pressure..." I was diagnosed with the same years ago, and now I'm off insulin and all BP meds. I was able to cut way back on the insulin immediately after surgery, and took the last dose of it 6 weeks after surgery. For several months I did not take any oral meds for my diabetes, but my blood sugars were just a little higher than my PCP wanted (like 140, fasting, consistently) so now I'm taking metformin extended release 500 mg, 1 tab per day. The thing I found weird is that my need for insulin went WAY down as of the FIRST post-op day! Before I'd had time to lose any weight. But I'll take it! Best wishes!

I was self-pay, and like McButterpants, I had no complications. Like she said, the likelihood of complications is very low. I knew it is still possible I could have some... but I went ahead without even a hesitation. Best decision I ever made!

I disagree with WorkInProgress01, who said she wishes she'd known she wouldn't enjoy food. The only time I didn't enjoy food was during the liquid-only and pureed-only stages. Ever since I've been allowed solid foods again I've been enjoying food - just in smaller amounts.

Wow, you look fanTAStic! Congratulations!

I've had more than one stall / plateau since surgery - see my signature area. One thing I think helped me break the most recent stall was to "change it up." I've been following the Atkins diet ever since I resumed solid food a few weeks post-op so I started eating some carbs and increased my calorie intake for a couple of weeks. I eat 4 times a day - 8a, noon, 4p and 8p. I love Quest bars, and I was eating one of those for 2-3 of the 4 meals each day. Someone on this site said she had to cut back on Quest bars to get the wt loss going again, so for the past week I've limited myself to just one bar per day - I eat real food the other 3 times each day now -- but just Protein and fat, keeping the carbs as low as humanly possible. Also I was eating several sugar free hard candies each day, and someone on here said she had to stop eating sugar alcohols for Atkins to work for her, so for the past week I've cut out the hard candies too. I had not been exercising at all since surgery, so now I've started wearing a pedometer to count my steps each day, with a goal of 10,000 steps a day eventually, and I've started taking my dogs for walks several times a week. And sure enough, the pounds have started to come off again, albeit v-e-r-y slowly. I'll TAKE it! The important thing is ... SLEEVE ON!! Best wishes!

I agree about the cheddar biscuits! But here's a NSV... when I allow myself to have any of them, I am now able to eat just one. Not sayin' it's easy, but I've done it several times.

I just looked up Caltrate chewables on the Walmart web site, and found that they are Calcium carbonate, not citrate. Rats!

CowGirlJane: I would love to hear details of your "whip off" technique. I'm not down to the last few pounds yet, but I would like to get a head start....

There are MANY of us on BP who say "My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner."

The time spacing rule applies to meals of solid food. Waiting is intended to keep the dense Protein in your stomach longer, so you will feel satisfied longer.

Gamer Girl, it's so good to see you post again! I have missed you! And you look WONderful! Congratulations on your progress - I know how hard it is. So sorry to hear your RA is back.

Where are you located? I'll go with you if you're within driving distance of Dallas, TX.

YES, absolutely! The risk of complications is there, but the probability is very low. Best wishes!

I don't cook (because I don't enjoy it and all that buying, storing and cleaning up is a hassle), so if I'm not eating a Quest bar I'm eating out or eating leftovers. I eat 4 times a day, and earlier this week I cut back from 2-3 bars a day to just 1, in hopes that will get my weight loss going again. So now I'm eating real food* 3 times a day, and I'm staying with as few carbs as humanly possible (Atkins). So obviously, I have no problem eating out. I can find Protein at just about any establishment that serves food. Sometimes I have a veggie on the side or a salad, but mostly I just eat protein - beef, chicken, salmon, tuna, or eggs. And when I want extra flavor I order bacon in addition. I'm not at all adventurous about trying new foods or flavorings, and I don't like spicy food at all, so I stick to a few restaurants where I know the menu. * Eating real food is a hassle too. I would be very happy going back to 3 bars a day and one real food meal - but my slow weight loss is frustrating! Someone on this site said when they cut back on the bars it helped them lose again, so I'm giving this plan 2 weeks to see if it helps me.

As I understand it, everything we eat that has any calories at all is either used immediately by the body for energy or is stored as glycogen for later use. And if there's enough glycogen already stored, the body stores the excess as fat. The body burns simple carbohydrates first because they are the most easily converted for immediate use. If there aren't any of those available then the body burns stored glycogen, and once that is depleted the body burns stored fat. So the short answer is Yes, when you're working out you are burning carbs if you have eaten any. Personally I'm keeping my carb intake as low as humanly possible so that I will burn FAT for my day-to-day energy needs. All: If I've stated anything incorrectly please tell me. Gently.

For the heartburn, try a preventive medication like Pepcid or Prilosec if your physician says it's ok. Those work a LOT better than just putting out the fire with Tums.

You might want to search for "always cold" on this site - you'll find you have a LOT of company.

I totally agree with MissME. Tell at least 1-2 people, and be firm that you have made your decision. That said, be aware that it may take some time for them to accept your decision. Allow -- no, encourage them to ask you questions, read up on the procedure, etc. It's ok if they are scared for you, and they should understand you may be scared too -- but that doesn't mean you're going to change your mind. Go for it! You will find that this site is WONderful for finding information, opinions and support. Best wishes.