Galaxy Girl

@@LipstickLady, of course I know sleevers do not have a pouch! I am referring to the stomach as a pouch! I know the difference between a sleeve and bypass. I am a well informed sleeved person. Thanks!

My NUT said the sleeve will stretch if you constantly overeat at a sitting, the stomach can stretch because the pouch is too small to hold a large amount of food. However, if you eat and wait about 30+ minutes and eat again, then the pouch should not stretch.

I am three months post op and my scars are not visible. I did not use anything for them either! I am happy about it.

I started wearing shape wear 1 month post op. I started with a large and now wear a medium. I got good DKNY from Burlington Coat Factory and Marshalls. Good luck!

@@RareGold3000, congrats!!! You are an inspiration.

I was taking Protonix before surgery and still do. It is best to take PPI's first thing in the morning; it neutralizes the acid in the tummy.

@@VSGAnn2014, you can also buy clothes made of stretchy material so you can wear them till you reach your goal. I plan on wearing my clothes till I reach a size 10 lol... . I wore my 18-20 till I could fit size 14. So far I have not bought new clothes. Just shopping from my closet. I bought a size 10 jeans on black Friday. People at my job are telling me I need new uniforms. I told them I have more weight to lose...hahaa...Good luck!

So I had my 3 months post op last week, and I must say I am doing great. My doctor's scale measures lean muscles, body fat, fat mass etc. All the numbers are going down. I most impressed with my degree of obesity. It was 90.3% when I started this journey and now it is 51.6%. My visceral fat rating also went from 15 to 10! I am pleased I am getting healthy. I do not have an ideal goal weight. I am interested in BMI, Body fat, and building lean muscle. Oh...my goal is to be a size 10; however, because I have wide hips, I may settle with 12 for pants. I currently wear 14 in both dress & pants. So for the next 3 months, I will be doing strength training 3x a week, cardio 5x a week. My nut said to increase intake to 1000 calories. I am increasing fluids to 72oz and protein to minimum 100g. Good luck to everyone!

@@Freebird14, good job on being disciplined!

@@Timmy2shirts, as others have said it depends on your insurance. I did not have specified weight to lose. I lost about 10lbs from my 1st weigh in and the insurance approved. Good luck!

@@crystalmaries, it all depends on your journey. I was in the hospital for 2 days. I started walking the first day of surgery. I was okay at home. I walked around the house every hour and I think that helped with my recovery. I walked about 5 - 10 minutes at a time. My husband did not take time off work. I took showers when he was home as a precaution. Inform your kids when you will take showers and ask them to check on you if you are not out by a certain time. That worked for me. Good luck on your journey!

My program does not encourage carbs until goal is met. I am 3 months out and I have had carbs on occasions. My NUT said the carbs slow down the weight loss.

Congrats to everyone. I think am down about 30lbs since surgery. I have my 3 months visit this coming Monday. I am down from size 18 surgery date to size 14 in pants and dresses. My goal is to be a size 10 in clothes. That is what I used to be. I bought myself a size 10 jeans online yesterday. Lol.... My weight loss is noticeable and everyone is asking what I am doing. I feel very, very good with everything. I will post on Monday after my visit. Good luck to all

I started taking it 3 weeks post op. I bought the tables that dissolve.

@@audefacere, I had dizziness the first 2 weeks after my surgery. I went to the ER and nothing was wrong with me. At my 2 weeks post op, after discussing my food intake with the surgeon, he asked me to increase it to 800-1000 calories. I was eating 450-550 calories. When I increased my intake, the dizziness stopped. Keep track of how many calories you are consuming.

@@Unhappysleever, I traveled overseas 6 weeks post op and everything was fine. I bought protein shakes once I got to my destination. I also bought canned tuna and salmon. Safe travels and enjoy your trip!

@@ngoycoanaya, I mix the unflavored powder with 1% milk and I enjoy it.

@@Grandma2tweeties, I went back to work after 2 weeks but felt dizzy throughout the two weeks. At my 2 weeks post op, the doctor said I was taking in too little calories hence the dizziness. I got better when I increased my intake. A co-worker was out for a month. Good luck with everything! By the way, you did not say if you are doing laparoscopic or open surgery. Laparoscopic surgeries heal faster than open surgeries.

@@Dianne A, you will be fine. Even after surgery, there are sometimes one will cheat. Keep your head up and pray. I do not have support from my husband either, but I am staying my course and losing weight. Good luck!

According to webmd "If you continually overeat, the stomach may stretch. If your stomach stretches, you will not benefit from your surgery." http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/restrictive-operations-stomach-stapling-or-gastric-banding another link http://obesitycoverage.com/weight-loss-surgeries/gastric-sleeve/gastric-sleeve-will-my-stomach-stretch Hope this answers your question.

@@April4, although the bypass people lose weight faster in the beginning, after 5 years, both sleeve and bypass patients lost about the same amount of weight. Besides losing slow is better. Less excess skin. I am loving my sleeve.

@@bluesclues, to add to the others, do cardio 3-5 times a week and weights 2-3 times a week. A trick to prevent muscle loss is to drink or eat protein within 1 hour after exercising. It has worked for me. I exercise in the morning on an empty stomach and drink my protein shake after my workouts. In the past, my trainer told me to do cardio for 10 - 15 minutes to warm up the muscles, then do the weights and finish off with cardio. Apparently, the muscles stretch/work better when they are warmed up. I do elliptical at home 3-4 times a week. I am starting the gym on Monday to take group classes and work on my muscles. Good luck!

@@penman53, hope this info from the cdc website is helpful. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/calories/

@@motherof5, I would not stress about it too. My NUT has not set any timelines for me. She was sleeved herself and was a very slow loser. She has maintained her weight four years later. I would just keep eating right and living healthy. You are doing great! 77lbs lost yaay!

@@snowkitten, you are doing great! Losing 31lbs in about 10 weeks is not something that you would have done in the past. The surgery is helping. I am a slow loser too. I suspect I have lost about 25lbs since surgery on 8/28/14. I guess I am different, but I am not worried... I know the weight will eventually fall off.