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You actually cannot stretch your pouch however as the swelling goes down you have more room in there. also down the road, there is something that happens in which your brain allows you to eat more as well, so it is important that what you are eating is healthy and that you keep portion control in mind. I am 10.5 months post op and I can eat about a cup of food total. When you think of a cup of food, you think of it all chewed up. So if you are eating a salad you can actually eat more than will fit in a cup before chewing. As long as you are not eating longer than 30 minutes and sticking to your plan you should be just fine. There has been several studies done on whether the pouch stretches. The consensus is that it does not but we tend to get more comfortable eating more than we should. Listen to your stomach and stop when you are full, don't eat beyond that. Also watch for slider foods that make you hungry again too soon. This becomes important when the hunger hormones come back for us RNY folks. Slider foods for me are things like Soup, yogurt, pudding.....

The emotional swings really do get better and it is different for everyone. The head hunger we deal with is always a battle. I have learned to simply change whatever I am doing at that moment to get my mind off of it.

Syntrax Grab and go Nectars. Sorry for the type error!

You might try some of the other Protein supplements that are far tastier. At 2 weeks post op I changed to Premier Protein brand ready made shakes which are delicious with no protein smell. Each has 30grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar and 160 calories. There are tons of recipes out there to add things to them. The beauty of these shakes is so many grams in one shake. In the beginning I only had to drink 2 a day and I was at 60 grams, I then had to get 10 grams from food. You can get then at Sam's or costco and sometimes Walgreens. Make sure they are very cold. Also, Syntrax has grab and go hectares that you add to Water or milk, they are actually delicious. Fuzzy naval, vanilla bean torte and Caribbean cooler are among my favorites. I also don't notice that horrible Protein Powder taste with these. It is way too soon for you to be sick of protein so you need to find one that works for you. Good luck!

Yes, it is normal. I gained 11lbs and lost it and then some within 2 weeks.

How long before your doctor ok'd you to have alcohol? Mine is very strict, no booze what so ever for the first year. I had to sign a contract.

are you tracking what you eat at this point? The most important thing is for you to get Protein and fluids, which it sounds like you are. Do you feel like you are eating too much or too often or the wrong things? If you are basing your concern solely because you are not losing as fast as you would like then you have to get in the right mindset. Some people lose slower in the beginning but it all evens out over time. I was a fast loser in the first 2 months and now I average between 8/10 lbs per month. But if you know you are eating things that are high in carbs, low in protein or grazing throughout the day then you may need to adjust those behaviors. The best way to know this is to track what you put in your mouth, even if it's bad. It will provide insight, my fitness pal is an excellent app for tracking if you are not already. If all is well with what you are eating and drinking, then stick to your plan, you are doing fantastic! Good luck!

I am a no coffee girl. It can be dehydrating early on and since I broke the habit I am just going to keep it that way. Good luck!

For me it was a very long list of comorbitities with the final straw being diagnosed with stage 3 kidney disease. By the way, I waited way to long and have serious damage to my spine. I should have done it 15 years ago. I am 52.

@@Chelsea Marshall I was in the same boat. Had planned to have sleeve but had reflux. After doing a lot of research it was very clear to me that I wanted to go through 1 surgery 1 time. I went with the bypass and never regretted it. If I were you I would start looking at the revision statistics before ultimately deciding. If you already have reflux, there is a very good chance it will get worse with the sleeve. With bypass, your chances of reflux completely going a way is very very good. I had it bad prior to surgery, since surgery I have not had reflux at all. They took me off reflux mess 30 days post surgery and I no longer have that expense.

Wow! You look fantastic! Congratulations on you success.

@@choosehope Honestly I don't worry about that for myself anymore. I know that I can only eat a small amount at a time and I only do it very occasionally. If I were to abstain completely then I would worry about it more. I have to try things in moderation.

that if you try foods that did not work out in the beginning of your post op or even before surgery, they might work out for you down the road. For me the incredible edible egg was an item that I absolutely loved before surgery. Then I did something stupid, I puréed a hard boiled egg with some light mayo in the puréed stage. First, I think the smell of that purred egg salad made me gag, then I ate a tiny bit of it and that was it. I could stand the smell of eggs or even the sight of them unless they were used in cooking. I tried every couple of weeks in all different ways, omelettes, fried, poached, scrambled and every time that smell and taste gagged me and the egg felt like lead in my pouch. So I have avoided them for about 4 months now. Yesterday I had a CRAVING for eggs! I was terrified to try them but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted them. I started by making cottage cheese pancakes which has 3 eggs, a cup of cottage cheese and 1/3 c. Of flour. They are very eggie. I loved them! Today I decided I would try a Mexican omelet for lunch. I figured if I used taco meat which I love, cheese and tomatoes. It just might work. Guess what they smelled fabulous and they feel great in my tummy. Now, I made a 2 egg omelet and split it with my hubby and still could not eat my half. I felt short by a few bites. I am looking forward to poached eggs next! Woo how! I got my incredible edible egg back! More Protein options! The moral of the story is, don't give up on those things that you did not like in the beginning. Your system may come around yet!

@@Daisee68 This is what it is all about! Congratulations!!! When your health starts improving like this all the other stuff is just added benefits. You are doing so fantastic with your weight loss!

I am still here too! 52 and feeling more alive than ever!

@@leroy mann Congratulations! You are so close now. Soon you won't care about those liquids any longer. One of my best memories was going to the hospital in the morning. For the first time in my life I was actually excited for a surgery instead of nervous. It felt like it was Christmas morning. I woke up with the same positive attitude and have been doing great ever since. I wish you all the best for a safe surgery and speedy recovery.

Not sure about this one. The veggies are a great idea but it could be very early for you to use those. Even when I was allowed, it was months before I tolerated it well. Probably the best thing to use it on right now is a Mexican omelet or scrambled eggs. That does not solve the crunchy issue, only time will take care of that. Sorry

I was having a craving for pancakes. Normally I would just make a tiny batch have one and call it a day but they actually make me feel bad. They are just too heavy and of course don't stay with you too long. I saw a Pinterest recipe for cottage cheese pancakes. There was someone talking about how light and fluffy they are and let's face it LOVE cottage cheese! I made them for lunch today and I swear I went to heaven! I had sugar free syrup and 1/4 slice of a banana sliced on top. I also added 1/4 t cinnamon knowing I was slicing a banana. The cinnamon made them even more delicious. Cottage Cheese Pancakes 1cup cottage cheese (I used 1percent) 3 eggs 2T canola oil 1/3 cup flour Best the 3 eggs in a small bowl and set aside. In a med. bowl add cottage cheese, oil and flour and mix well. If you want to add cinnamon now is the time. Once combined, add egg and mix until well combined. Heat griddle and spray with cooking spray or use butter. I made smaller cakes. I cooked them very slowly until one side was browned. You do have to be careful when you flip them as the melted cottage cheese likes to stick to your spatula. I sprayed my spatula with cooking spray before turning them. They seem a tiny bit troublesome but my goodness they are delicious. I could only eat one and a half. Next time I will cut the recipe in half. By the way, my tummy feels great! They are light, fluffy, eggy and cheesy but they work! Enjoy!

hi there and welcome! I am glad you are taking steps now to get healthy! My weight also came on after my second child. I gained 60lbs in that pregnancy and never lost it after. I just keep gaining. Unfortunately I waited another 32 years to do something about it. I will do my best to answer your questions. 1) My insurance requires a 6 month diet. I just had a baby this past December. I'm a diabetic so I had to follow a strict diet my while pregnancy. I saw my endo once a month. My question is, do you think this will count as my 6 months or will I need to start over? My insurance company was pretty strict about the 6 month supervised diet. They had a specific form that had to be completed by a physician or nutritionist. I did not have to lose weight. I started the process at the end of December and had surgery at the end of September. The good news is I was able to begin building good habits during that time in preparation for post surgery. 2) After my baby was born I ballooned in weight and it hasn't stopped. I've gained 60 lbs since then. I want to stop gaining and hopefully lose before my surgery. What kind of diets did people follow pre-op? (Not the 2 week liver shrink one) I used a high Protein low carb diet. I started drinking 64 oz. of Water immediately. No alcohol, soda or sugary drinks. No caffeine. For me this was fairly easy as I didn't drink, smoke, drink soda or caffeine. The biggest change was getting my liquids in. Sounds easy, it is not if you normally don't do it. So many times hunger pangs are actually signs of dehydration. 3) After your insurance approved the surgery how long did it take for you to get the operation? I got my approval back the same day it was submitted. I was in the operating room 3 weeks later. 4) Last one! I'll need to pay 30% of the surgery plus my deductible. I'm getting the RNY. How much was your surgery cost (before insurance)? Did you need to pay it all upfront? And how did you afford the part insurance won't pay? I had met my $6000 deductible prior to my surgery so I cannot help you with this one. I had so many medical issues that just my meds alone helped to meet this. This is what happens when you wait too long to lose weight and get healthy. I went from 8 very expensive medications to 2. I wish you all the best moving forward and I truly am thrilled that you are doing something about it while you are young and hopefully before you do damage to your body. We only get one body, and I have learned the hard way that you must take care of it.

I can only speak from my current experience and share what I have learned from some of the veterans. My hunger returned right around 5 months post op. It is not the same as that gnawing hunger I used to get and it literally only takes a few bites full of food and I am full. If I eat Protein and fats, I stay full longer. If I eat foods like yogurt, pudding, salads without those fats or Proteins I get hungry again within a couple of hours. It is very easy for me to get full and stay full. It is not as easy to deal with head hunger. I have to do other things to get my mind off of it. Head hunger is much worse than real hunger for me. I have learned that when I do feel hungry the first thing I try is drinking 8 oz. of Water. Sometimes dehydration can make it feel as if you are hungry. If that doesn't take care of it, I will then grab a snack of cheese, nuts, Jerkey, apple with Peanut Butter. This is if it is between meals. You asked why people gain their weight back. From everything I have been told, the number 1 reason is grazing. Instead of eating 3 meals and a snack. They simply eat small bites all day long. You can eat around your surgery by doing this and pretty soon you are back to eating too many calories. You cannot stretch your pouch but after a period of time your brain allows you to tolerate larger portions of food. If you have the wrong foods on your plate you will gain weight. I have done a lot of reading about this. This is why bypass is not a miracle cure at all. I feel like I fight every single day for every pound I have lost. You have to educate yourself so that you understand the things that can help you or hurt you. I know when I have had too many bad carbs in a day that I am going to get on the scale and be disappointed. Some days I choose to indulge in something and I am ok with it but most days I make better choices for myself. The reality is you are in control of how well you do and ultimately how you maintain it. The surgery is a phenomenal tool that will make it much easier for you to control but you have to do your part. If you do, you will be successful. I am so glad I did it, I am close to my goal and I have vowed to never be as sick as I was ever again. I now have the tools in my toolbox to ensure that does not happen.

Yes, I experienced this and realized it have everything to do with the fact that I was not getting nearly enough Water. As soon as I started truly sipping constantly and was able to get a minimum of 48 ounces in, that pain went away. I remember it being scary but after talking with a bariatric nurse who herself had bypass she knew exactly what was happening and how to resolve it.

Wow! What a scary situation. I am so glad you made it through and are now looking at a whole new life. Congratulations on your weight loss so far! You are doing fantastic! Your story really struck home with me. I too suffered from type 2 diabetes and was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney disease. It was the catalyst for my decision. I was terrified of having what happened to you, happen to me, kidney disease and diabetes are both in remission along with several other comirbitities. They were in remission 60 days post op for me and have stayed that way. Having WLS was the best decision I have ever made for myself. I wish you all the best on your journey, you deserve to be happy and healthy and are taking the right steps to get there! Good luck!

Woot woot! I had BCBS. My surgeons office faxed in the paperwork at 9am and I got a call back at 3pm from the doctors office scheduling me for surgery. Seriously! I could not believe it because they told me it would take a couple weeks. Good luck and I hope you hear soon!

Every surgeon is different. I would follow the plan and if you start to have trouble back off for a few days. My surgeon was very conservative. Clear liquids for one week Full liquids for one week Puréed foods for 2 weeks Soft foods for one month At 8 weeks I was released to introduce new foods one at a time. I followed the plan to a tee. The worst week for me was the first week of clear liquids. I was very weak until they allowed me Protein shakes, yogurt, creamed Soups, very thin cream of wheat. Funny thing was 2 tablespoons make me feel so full and I never felt hungry. I had to set an alarm to get my meals and protein in. Oh what I wouldn't give to have that feeling again. As time goes on, hunger comes back and you do have to work very hard to lose every pound. Take advantage of this time for as long as you can..... Good luck!

@@ericaacire I had the exact same experience as you. I had my heart set on the sleeve and was told and shown all the data on revisions because of redux/Gerd. I had a little more time than you so I ended up going to see another gastroenterologist for a second opinion. My fear had everything to do with the idea that bypass might be more invasive and the malabsorption concerns. Everyone tried scaring me out of moving forward. My bariatric specialist asked me the following questions: 1. Why do you have the opinion that bypass is more invasive that sleeve. I responded be caused of the rerouting. She reminded me that to remove 85 percent is very invasive. Bypass is the gold standard of WLS. People who go thru the sleeve and suffer from Gerd after usually end up revising to bypass. Bypass is in fact reversible. Once your stomach is gone, you cannot get it back. 2. What about the malabsorption scares you, after all it is designed to help you lose more weight. I responded with some of the horror stories about people who didn't get their proper Vitamins. She educated me about why malabsorption is a good thing and as long as I take my supplements: multi Vitamin, Calcium, Vitamin D and B12 and follow up with labs to check progress, I won't have any problems. By the way, with the band and the sleeve you have to take supplements and go have labs regularly as well. After that one session with her and lots of time on line, I was feeling so much better about having WLS overall. I got excited, I was not scared any longer and I knew my success was completely up to me. By the way, I have not had 1 episode of reflux nor have I had to take any meds for it since 30 days post op, no more type 2 diabetes, no more high cholesterol, no more high blood pressure, no more sleep apnea, and last but the most important, no more stage 3 kidney disease. Don't be afraid, do some research if you need to. See if you can get in sooner and talk to a bariatrician if you are worried. You have worked way too hard to get to this place and you have to already know that the diet yo yo thing will only cost you more time lost down the road. Haven't you been there already?