MegaBob

My goal is to have my sleeve restrict my calories as long as possible. The amount of calories is misleading because liquids are easier to get more volume and depending on what you are drinking can really jack up the calories. for instance, if I drink a muscle milk for Breakfast it is 180 calories, but if I have 1/2 cup get beaters it is 60 calories. Also if I eat just lean Protein for meals and Snacks I struggle to get over 600 calories and 75 g protein. I chose the sleeve because I really hope that it will give me the life long tool to keep my calories in check.

I was sleeved in December, not a revision. I take Prilosec everyday and have no problems with heart burn or acid reflux. I have no hunger at all, no stomach spasms, or any other pain. Love the sleeve so far. I have not heard anything good about the band.

Brothamike, these forums are a great source of information but be careful. I read a ton of posts and many people write that they are having great results and the temptation is to have their experience become your expectation. I catch myself comparing my results to theirs and end up wondering what I am doing "wrong". In reality I am not doing anything wrong. I have been losing 5-6# a week which I have to remind myself is awesome. I will not lose 100# in three months, but I know I will get there. You have heard it over and over but if you want great results exercise, Water, and Protein are the keys. A good way to manage your expectations is to figure out your basil metabolic rate, your Dr may have given bit to you as part of the body composition scale. Next figure out what calories you burn through the day and what you consume. The difference is how many calories you burn a day. Your calorie deficit divided by 3,500 is the number of pounds you could lose a day or week. Long story short, don't set your expectation too high and end up being disappointed.

Layla, others have addressed the emotional side of putting you and your health first so I will address the money issue. I think the surgery will pay for itself. I'm my case before surgery I was drinking at least 5 20 oz diet cokes a day at $1.50 each. The saving on diet coke alone is 2,000-2,500. Then I figured I went out for lunch 5 days a week at $7 including tip which is about 1,750 a year. Our family entertainment was going out for dinner, several times a week again costing thousands a year. Take away your out of pocket for medications and doctor visits, the savings keep going up. I keep downsizing the grocery shopping because I don't eat much at all, more savings. But the real question is what is the cost of happiness, health, quality of a long life? The psychological question is a why don't you think you are worth it? That same issue may be able why you put on the weight in the first place.

I still sleep in my recliner after four weeks, I found it was much easier to get up and around on my own. It hurt to lay on my side in bed and to engage my core muscles to scootch to the edge. I also had a pillow to squeeze if I had to cough or laugh,

It takes a while for your body to burn your stored fat for fuel, it thinks you are starving. I found the weight loss kicked in when I hit 700 calories. I drink an 11 oz muscle milk for Breakfast (180 cal 20 protein) a chobani greek yogurt mid morning (140 cals 14 g protein) a small lunch deli meat or fake crab, about 70 calories and 4-8 Protein, a snack like string cheese or cottage cheese 45 cals 14 protein mid afternoon, a light dinner and maybe another muscle milk or Protein shake if I have room. If I get the calories up I am not hungry and lose weight, a perfect combo.

I am getting 600-700 and am four weeks out. Some days are more like 400 if I get busy and miss snack. I think I lose quicker if I am closer to the 700 calories and if I don't miss any Vitamins.

I am still on soft Proteins, no carbs yet, so I rely on sauces to spice things up. Franks red hot on egg beaters, BBQ on chicken, a little mayo and curry for crab salad, refried Beans with enchilada sauce and cheese, broiled fish with Cajun seasoning, imitation crab with cocktail sauce are a few examples.

Stay positive. You knew or were warned that surgery would not be easy, but you are ready for it. I had an easy recovery, but with whatever challenge I face ie wanting to snack, or eat out, or disapproval from skinny a$$s that never had to diet, I keep my eye on the prize. Short term pain and nausea sucks, but it is a small price to pay for guaranteed weight loss. Remember you will lose weight from the surgery, whether you keep it off it up to you. Get strength to make it through from all the times you cried or wanted to cry because of your weight, all the times you were embarrassed because you could not sit in a booth at a restaurant, the times when you had to wedge yourself into a plane seat or a seat at a theater, or all the times you stayed home and missed out on something because OF YOUR WEIGHT. Those are the things that make you strong, you can do it. A positive outlook is a key to a great recovery.

I kept my smaller clothes from when I lost before and as I regained. I hope to just wear the old stuff for awhile because it is way too expensive to replace dress clothes every month and tailoring only looks good one time.

I had surgery at 7:30 a.m. and was ready by 4 the next day. my Dr. Wants his patients to have bowel movement before they leave. That is difficult after the colon cleanse before surgery and only liquids once there, so I was introduced to THE SUPPOSITORY. Not bad really, I would have done worse to get out of the hospital. LOL. Anyway, someone posted they had 32 pz of water by noon, wow! I was told I had to sip water 1/2 oz every 15 minutes for 2 days.

I had surgery at 7:30 a.m. and was ready by 4 the next day. my Dr. Wants his patients to have bowel movement before they leave. That is difficult after the colon cleanse before surgery and only liquids once there, so I was introduced to THE SUPPOSITORY. Not bad really, I would have done worse to get out of the hospital. LOL. Anyway, someone posted they had 32 pz of water by noon, wow! I was told I had to sip water 1/2 oz every 15 minutes for 2 days.

My back/shoulder pain was related to the gas they use to inflate your abdomen. I found that walking until I had to burb was the best cure. I did not have to walk far. As soon as your bowels start working normally it will go away quickly.

I was unusually calm on my way to the hospital and waiting to start the procedure, I was ready to have sustained weight loss. I had no pain or nausea post surgery. I waked, and walked , and walked at the hospital. It was very helpful with the shoulder pain. It also helps the recovery. Do exactly what they tell you to do post op and you will do great. I look at my sleeve date as a birthday.

I found a timer and a counter app for my phone and set the timer for 15 minutes. My Dr said to get start with 1/2 ounce every 15 minutes and progress to 1 once as tolerated. I sipped the liquid, taking 10-15 second to finish the portion. During the week after surgery I chose liquids that gave the most Protein with the smallest volume ie proti fruit drink and premium whey protein from Sam's club. Don't overload your system, slow and steady wins the nausea, dehydration, and protein race. Now is not the time for regrets. Be excited for the body you will have, the new found health and all the possibilities your new future holds.

my loss is slower than what some people are posting. My surgeon warned that with all the IV fluids and swelling etc the loss would not be much the first week, I did lose some. The next three weeks have been ok but my stomach still feels a bit swollen. Another factor for me is that I think my body is thinking it is starving due to several weeks with minimal calories. I found that doing some cardio has got my system burning fat again. I keep reminding myself that this is a life style change, not an instant fix. I am less worried about the weight loss than I am about the maintenance. The sleeve will work for you, be patient, follow the rules, be honest with yourself about what you are consuming, Even thought my NUT told us not to, I do track my calories, my workouts, Protein. My thought process is that if i don't see the loss over time I can show them honestly what my calories in and out are and they can figure out a remedy if one is needed.

I was planning on a RNY 6 years ago. I did the diet and exercise thing and had great success (179# loss). I kept it off plus or minus 10 pounds for a year. Then next year I put 65# back on, then lost it again plus an additional 15. I hurt myself training for a marathon and used that as an excuse to work out less and started eating more. I ate my way back up to almost where I was, which brought me back to the surgery option. I wanted the weight to come off as fast as possible and to have as long lasting effects as possible, so I was thinking RNY. I know people who have had both procedures, including my family doctor, and see that the sleevers are having a better time keeping the weight off. My Dr. chose the sleeve for himself and his wife because he was more comfortable with still having an intact stomach and being able to more naturally digest food. Another consideration is that there seem to be fewer complications with the sleeve. My bariatric surgeon's data, and national data shows that the RNY v. the sleeve has pateints lose faster, but just a few percent. The long term numbers for keeping the weight off are also within a few percent. I only know two people that has kept the weight off with RNY and a dozen who have not.. The sleeve people I know have all kept the weight off over 3 years. My surgeon is doing almost all sleeves now because the percentage of excess weight loss is close with the two procedures, and the sleeve has fewer complications. I did the sleeve because you are less likely to have reflux and dumping. I think the biggest advantage of the sleeve is that most people do not feel hungry. In the 3 weeks since surgery I have never felt hungry and only consume 500-700 calories. I still have to remind myself not to eat just because I am board, but even if I do the amount I can take is limited. I am losing about 6# a week and that is fast enough for me. I see others on the forum are losing faster, good for them. The bottom line is which procedure is going to give you the best long term results and best fits your lifestyle? For me the sleeve was the obvious choice. I want to be able to eat normal foods but just be forced to limit the portions. The sleeve will be perfect for me.

Sleeved 12-23-13. I had no pain except when I had to lay on my side for the suppository. each day post surgery I waited and thought "today is the day I will feel like I was hit by a bus", but it never came. I hit the gym hard leading up to surgery trying to get the heart working good. I also knew I would use my arms and shoulders frequently to stand up and adjust my position, so I worked on those muscle groups. At the hospital I walked as much as I could tolerate. The nurses all said I walked more than anyone else. I think it really helped with recovery and for expelling the gas so my shoulder/back would not hurt. Once I got home I kept moving every hour. three weeks post surgery I feel great. I did not need any pain pills at home. the issues with surgery and coping with the liquids pre and post surgery are just short term hurdles to long term health. the time will fly!

I am 5'10" and started at 365. I my mind I was big but not huge. It is amazing what we can convince ourselves to believe. You will do great, you will be at your goal weight super fast! Get excited! The prospect of looking good and feeling great should carry you through the second thoughts and nervousness. The smaller you are the easier the surgery and recovery will be. My recovery has been a piece of cake. I think all of us that have trouble with our weight just want to get off the roller coaster and maintain. the sleeve will do that for you if you let it.

I am three weeks post op and just started soft foods. I have read that sleevers struggle to even get 2 oz of Protein in or that it takes a really long time to eat. I had no pain after surgery. I have yet to have that overly full feeling. I have not had any nausea. I never struggled with liquids and the food seems like it is going down too easily. I followed my Dr's post op to the letter and continue to follow the dietician's plan on soft foods. I stop at 2 oz of food protein and sip Water all day. I have had the feeling a couple of times that I took too big of a drink, but the feeling passes in a couple of minutes. I don't feel hungry but eat to keep some calories going in and to get the protein I need. Am I crazy to be concerned that things are going too well? In a strange way I was really hoping that I would be full instantaneously because then it would be more likely I can keep the weight off for years to come.

I feel the same way but will add that I have the same feelings now about my skinny pictures. I was keeping one visible on my desk as motivation. It was after I ran a personal best at a marathon, I was in the best shape of my life and happy. What I learned is that instead of motivating me it made me sad, triggered feelings of failure, and I would beat myself up over gaining the weight back. I am working on getting to a state of mind where I accept that is who I was at the time and stop having such an emotional response. It is getting better.

The Bad: 1. Three weeks out still have some soreness around the major incision so I feel better sleeping in a chair. I really miss sleeping with my wife. 2. I am cold most of the time. 3. Because I am never really hungry, it is hard to tell when I am full. 4. I have never had that "too full" feeling and can eat 2 oz of meat without a problem, so it makes me wonder if the sleeve is going to be the long term answer. I really thought I would struggle to get my Protein etc but I haven't, and I am not sure that is a good thing. The good: 1. I am losing weight. Not as fast as some say they are, but faster than other. I am OK with being in the middle. 2. Back to the gym, I like to work out and maybe that will speed the weight loss. 3. I love smaller clothes. 4. The best is that all the second guessing about how fast I lose, and is it working, the logical part of me says I know I will lose the weight, whereas with diet alone the possibility was always there that I would fail. 5. I am much better prepared this time to keep the weight off. I try to learn from past mistakes, and because I have had many, I am smarter for it. LOL

I never had any surgery before the sleeve. I thought I was going to be nervous wreck the day of the surgery but I was surprisingly calm. I knew it was something I needed to do for me and my family. I just told myself that although it is a major surgery many people have gone through much more and are fine ie hip replacements, C-sections, heart surgery. My surgeon was highly rated, I knew several people he had done surgery on, and that had a calming effect too. Perhaps the thing that helped the most is I got excited about my future weight lost and visualized myself thin and staying thin. My recovery was pain free! I did exactly what they told me to and I had no problems at all. This is my third week post op and I am very tired of liquids, but sunday I get soft foods. The best thing about the sleeve is that you will lose weight, no doubt about it. You will have to have discipline to keep it off but at least you will be in the position of having lost weight.

Pre surgery I did triathlons (longest was 1/2 ironman), ran a few marathons, many 1/2 marathons, and rode tribike and mountain bike extensively. I was about 230# then. I am on my way back down to hopefully under 2003, and was sleeved 12-23-13. when I was doing this I really has to push the fluids and take GU every 30 minutes or else I would "bonk". My concern is that I won't be able to stay hydrated and keep the calories coming in post surgery. Will my ability to take more fluids improve in the next 6 months? I am considering keeping workouts to an hour, but loved doing the century rides and running 1/2 marathons with friends. That being said I gained 20# training for each marathon and don't want to gain weight again post surgery.

My experience has been that the people who found out or I told after surgery were very supportive. I lost a bunch of weight 3 years ago with diet and exercise. My friends, family and associates were very proud/supportive. Then they watched me put the weight back on over the next years, struggle with eating right, and slowly quit going to the gym. The most common response has been "good for you, don't give up, keep fighting". Which honestly surprised me. People that are close to you or care about you will support you, and rest don't matter. I only told a select few before surgery because I just didn't want to answer the same questions over and over, and was afraid people would try to talk me out of it. I spend more time explaining it to people I think are in need of doing something about their weight and are showing interest. I was also shocked how many friends had family members that had some sort of WLS so it really was not a big deal to them.