bewell

@@Zzzombrie
Thank you for the info and encouragement. I continue to eat 5 small meals where one meal might be some yogurt and cottage cheese. I am in a stall at 200 pounds. I keep wondering if my body is on hold or I'm having a mental fear of being below 200. It's the weight I've reach before and then gone back up.
In any event, I'm going going up and listening to what I need. My downfall is rice crackers---I eat a few at a meal to get some crunch. I may have to give them up. I like them to much. Not a lot of calories but I eat too many.
Best to everyone! I appreciate the support from this group! And need it.

Not the fattest person on the island!!!
Just got back from 9 day retirement vacation, on a small island in the Indian Ocean and I WASN'T the biggest persons there. Pre-WLS I was always the biggest one on the bus it seemed.
And I swam every day, even went scuba diving, jumped from moving boats to go snorkeling, swam with whale sharks, turtles, octopus and zillions of fish and amazing coral. It was fabulous. I didn't sweat as much and had lots of energy. I felt normal even tho at 204 I am still a big girl.
AND I lost 4 pounds and once again my hubby gained 4 pounds. Our accommodations included all you can eat buffet Breakfast and dinner and the food was fabulous. The first few days I took way too much and of course couldn't eat it all. Not even close. Then I got my buffet-legs and cut way back. My plate looked so meager compared to what I would have done before. (and most others around me, it felt SO GOOD) I did try a few carbs that I hadn't eaten before (a little bread, rice and potatoes) and even tasted deserts. I hadn't had sugar in 6 months so it didn't taste so good and my tiny tummy (and intestinal track) let me know it didn't like the sugar at all, so I stopped. (after racing to the bathroom a few times either vomiting or diarrhea) An experienced sleever told me she could just taste desert and not eat any more. It still seems like a very SLIPPERY SLOPE to me. But I did eat just a taste. I am back off the sugar and deserts.
What is your experience with sugar???

@@Veronica Page
We all have those moments. We can do this! Congrats to you!

Not the fattest person on the island!!!
Just got back from 9 day retirement vacation, on a small island in the Indian Ocean and I WASN'T the biggest persons there. Pre-WLS I was always the biggest one on the bus it seemed.
And I swam every day, even went scuba diving, jumped from moving boats to go snorkeling, swam with whale sharks, turtles, octopus and zillions of fish and amazing coral. It was fabulous. I didn't sweat as much and had lots of energy. I felt normal even tho at 204 I am still a big girl.
AND I lost 4 pounds and once again my hubby gained 4 pounds. Our accommodations included all you can eat buffet Breakfast and dinner and the food was fabulous. The first few days I took way too much and of course couldn't eat it all. Not even close. Then I got my buffet-legs and cut way back. My plate looked so meager compared to what I would have done before. (and most others around me, it felt SO GOOD) I did try a few carbs that I hadn't eaten before (a little bread, rice and potatoes) and even tasted deserts. I hadn't had sugar in 6 months so it didn't taste so good and my tiny tummy (and intestinal track) let me know it didn't like the sugar at all, so I stopped. (after racing to the bathroom a few times either vomiting or diarrhea) An experienced sleever told me she could just taste desert and not eat any more. It still seems like a very SLIPPERY SLOPE to me. But I did eat just a taste. I am back off the sugar and deserts.
What is your experience with sugar???

@@Veronica Page
We all have those moments. We can do this! Congrats to you!

I have been eating fast. I can't seem to take 30 min with half a cup of food. Today I had "Turkey Albondigas" its like a turkey meat balls Soup with vegetables. I had about like 3oz. of meat balls. I put my spoon down between bites. But I am still eating fast. Does anyone have some suggestions.

@@bunnybunny626
From my understanding, YES your sleeve can stretch just like our stomach used to.
For me, I try to be careful not to eat too much or drink Water with a meal. I don't want to go thru all of this to lose my restriction. Also eating too much can cause me to vomit of get serious acid reflux.

Try and compare your Sleeve Gastrectomy operation to a sink. Think of your new small stomach as a very small sink. Imagine pouring liquid into such a sink – if you pour the liquid too fast it will overflow, but if you pour it slower or wait for a minute the liquid will eventually drain thru the sink hole. Now imagine putting thick, dense sludge into such a sink – the sludge may never make it down the sink hole unless we add Water and stir.
Once you start eating, no drinking with your meal – do not liquefy the food you are eating. You will be able to eat more, and you will be hungry sooner if you are drinking while eating. Never put a glass of any liquid next to your meal – the habit to eat and drink at the same time is very strong. You may not realize that you are even doing it till it is too late. Do not help mother nature – your pouch can liquefy the food on its own without your help. Your pouch will take longer on its own, thus giving you prolonged satisfaction and hunger control.
The point is that you DON'T want to add Water once there is food in your stomach so that you can stay full longer. Will it stretch your stomach? I don't think so, but everyone seems to have their own opinion on this one.

It was similar for me. Only my husband and my niece who took care of me the first week post-op knew about my surgery. 6 months later I've only added 4 people and of course my doctors.
I told one person I wish I could un-do. I keep thinking of what an old timer sleever told me, you can't undo who you tell so I'm very careful.
It's no ones business. It's personal. When someone asks me about my weight loss, I just say "ask me again in a year" and I'll let you know how it's going". No one has probed any further.

From what I understand we can't drink anything with fizzle.
And it's not worth messing around with your recent surgery. The worst thing that could happen is you drink the fizzle and stress your new tummy that is healing. A leak would put you back in the hospital with possibly horrible complications.

You've come too far to mess around with the doctors instructions. Especially during the initial 0-4 months of healing.
In time that craving for fizzle will go away and all the effort not to drink fizzle will be worth every ounce.
Listen to the Doc, they know what they are doing.

If you have a fever and pain you might want to call your Doc.
I know I had many hard days where I had no energy at all and soft foods made me nauseous. tuna and mashed potatoes weren't on my list for months. I did blended Soups for weeks. Maybe you need to stay with the softer foods. Blended Soups, Cream of wheat or yogurt, I was way behind most for starting puree and solid foods. You might be too.
Keep the liquids going. I got dehydrated and ended up in the ER which isn't a big deal. They just gave me IV fluids and I perked right up.
It takes a while to feel good again.
I called my Doc all the time. Mostly got the nurse but they were great at answering my calls and calming me down.
Be gentle with yourself.

It was similar for me. Only my husband and my niece who took care of me the first week post-op knew about my surgery. 6 months later I've only added 4 people and of course my doctors.
I told one person I wish I could un-do. I keep thinking of what an old timer sleever told me, you can't undo who you tell so I'm very careful.
It's no ones business. It's personal. When someone asks me about my weight loss, I just say "ask me again in a year" and I'll let you know how it's going". No one has probed any further.

Lauraellen80- keep posting. We all need this site to support our success and we need it even more when we stumble. We will all have moments when we titter into our disease of obesity, no matter what we weight.
We need to be supportive of everyone, wherever they are in their journey. This is a lifetime challenge for all of us. And like life, there are all kinds of people with their own opinions. Makes it all that much more interesting.
Best to you You can do this!

Congrats! I'm so glad you made it to Onderland: the land of merely overweight, not obese, and -gasp! even normal BMIs! The land of normal size clothing and shopping in any store- not just the ones with Plus-size departments. The land of theme park rides, airplane seats, and restaurant booths. The land of happy knee joints, normal blood pressure, and feet that can walk for miles without screaming for mercy. Onderland - it was the land of my dreams for more than 10 years. I'm happy to say I'm with you and looking forward to the 180s!!
Lynda

There but for the grace of life and a lot of hard work go I........
It's so easy to judge and be righteous and push some else to the bottom of the heap. The harder way is to try to understand and relate.
Maybe we can choose to remember that we all reached a point where we would do ANYTHING not to feel the pain of being obese. And my guess is that for all of us we tried many times and many ways to lose weight before we were successful. Even with success, every day I know that I can fall off the wagon and once more be humbled, pick my self up and try again.
For me food obsession and addiction is always waiting for me. My mind can always try to fool me into taking that bite of something that starts the downward spiral.
This blog is a way for us to remember that we were once there too. Let's be honest.....we could be there again!

There but for the grace of life and a lot of hard work go I........
It's so easy to judge and be righteous and push some else to the bottom of the heap. The harder way is to try to understand and relate.
Maybe we can choose to remember that we all reached a point where we would do ANYTHING not to feel the pain of being obese. And my guess is that for all of us we tried many times and many ways to lose weight before we were successful. Even with success, every day I know that I can fall off the wagon and once more be humbled, pick my self up and try again.
For me food obsession and addiction is always waiting for me. My mind can always try to fool me into taking that bite of something that starts the downward spiral.
This blog is a way for us to remember that we were once there too. Let's be honest.....we could be there again!

There but for the grace of life and a lot of hard work go I........
It's so easy to judge and be righteous and push some else to the bottom of the heap. The harder way is to try to understand and relate.
Maybe we can choose to remember that we all reached a point where we would do ANYTHING not to feel the pain of being obese. And my guess is that for all of us we tried many times and many ways to lose weight before we were successful. Even with success, every day I know that I can fall off the wagon and once more be humbled, pick my self up and try again.
For me food obsession and addiction is always waiting for me. My mind can always try to fool me into taking that bite of something that starts the downward spiral.
This blog is a way for us to remember that we were once there too. Let's be honest.....we could be there again!

From what I understand we can't drink anything with fizzle.
And it's not worth messing around with your recent surgery. The worst thing that could happen is you drink the fizzle and stress your new tummy that is healing. A leak would put you back in the hospital with possibly horrible complications.

You've come too far to mess around with the doctors instructions. Especially during the initial 0-4 months of healing.
In time that craving for fizzle will go away and all the effort not to drink fizzle will be worth every ounce.
Listen to the Doc, they know what they are doing.

My experience is, I don't feel full until it's too late! I had a lot of problems with vomiting and it was because I didn't STOP before I was full. The doc said STOP before you feel full and I just kept eating looking for that familiar full feeling.
I had to let that go and now I just know how much I can eat before I am satiated. (The satiated kind of full feeling comes 30-40 minutes AFTER I stop eating.)
Having said all that, I have learned to recognize a very subtle feeling while I'm eating that I've had enough. BUT it isn't like the pre-surgery eating till I had a stuffed feeling. It is much more subtle. A sense of feeling kind of full even when my crazy head is saying eat more. I think it's what normal eaters feel knowing it's enough and in 30 minutes the body will tell them, yep that was enough food.
It took me a long time to get rid of the OLD head habits associated with eating.
The first 3 weeks I just about jumped out of my skin. I was so used to thinking about eating, eating, and then hating myself for overeating I didn't know what to do with my self and my feelings. The emotional part of the weight loss was very hard for me. I did start seeing an experienced therapist early on and it really helped get me through the first 3 months.
So my suggestion to you.......don't make my mistake and when they say you can only eat a few tablespoons, well that's it. The amount I could eat post-op and still if VERY SMALL! Just follow your docs instructions and let your body get used to it. Recognize you may have a lot of HEAD-games going on from the drastic change in eating.
Best to you!

I had serious PF and I do feel it's better with WLS but I still have it. I do the exercises (mentioned by others) before I get out of bed in the AM.
I have great orthopedics that cost a lot but worth it.
The good news I go barefoot much more often with 60+ lbs down. I love it. I could never have done that before.
Crocs didn't do a thing for me. OOfos are amazing sandals with nice high soft arch. Had to get them online. I wear them around the house all the time now. Not too expensive. Made in Korea. Also Keen have been good for my PF. Also expensive but hey, it's my feet. Can't get around without them puppies.

I stay away from Pasta and any white flour based products just because of the empty calories. I surveyed the successful long time sleevers and they pretty much stick to Protein and vegetables with some fruit.< /p>
At 6 months I do eat some rice crackers for a crunch with a meal but I have to watch it cuz they taste pretty good. One hard boiled egg or cooked egg keeps me full for up to 4 hours.
I had a lot of vomiting early on and even at 5 months and it was because I just couldn't get it through my thick scull that 1/4 cup of food was all I needed and all my tiny tummy would hold. Once I got that, I stopped vomiting. My Doc said vomiting was from eating too or too much and he was RIGHT ON!
Having said that my 'Tiny Tummy" is a diva. Some days I can eat more than others.
Best wishes to you. Stick to what the Doc says and you'll do fine. Try not to mess around with foods that are too tempting especially at this early stage. Start your lifetime good eating habits now.

My experience is, I don't feel full until it's too late! I had a lot of problems with vomiting and it was because I didn't STOP before I was full. The doc said STOP before you feel full and I just kept eating looking for that familiar full feeling.
I had to let that go and now I just know how much I can eat before I am satiated. (The satiated kind of full feeling comes 30-40 minutes AFTER I stop eating.)
Having said all that, I have learned to recognize a very subtle feeling while I'm eating that I've had enough. BUT it isn't like the pre-surgery eating till I had a stuffed feeling. It is much more subtle. A sense of feeling kind of full even when my crazy head is saying eat more. I think it's what normal eaters feel knowing it's enough and in 30 minutes the body will tell them, yep that was enough food.
It took me a long time to get rid of the OLD head habits associated with eating.
The first 3 weeks I just about jumped out of my skin. I was so used to thinking about eating, eating, and then hating myself for overeating I didn't know what to do with my self and my feelings. The emotional part of the weight loss was very hard for me. I did start seeing an experienced therapist early on and it really helped get me through the first 3 months.
So my suggestion to you.......don't make my mistake and when they say you can only eat a few tablespoons, well that's it. The amount I could eat post-op and still if VERY SMALL! Just follow your docs instructions and let your body get used to it. Recognize you may have a lot of HEAD-games going on from the drastic change in eating.
Best to you!

Sorry to keep writing but I wanted to be sure you knew my 1/4 to 1/3 cup of food was not until 2 months out or more. And 1/3 cup depends on if it's just meat or cottage cheese. If it's beef I might only eat 15 SMALL bites. I also just started beef at 5 months out.
Also when others started eating solids and regular food I couldn't. I didn't start eating a few soft vegetables until 12 weeks. Salads maybe at 4 months. Everyone is different, so when you read someone is eating meat or whatever, you may or may not be ready for that food
Vomiting is the LAST thing you want to do, so I suggest to be on the safe side, take it slow and listen to your body. Be gentle with yourself, it is a huge change in life and takes time to learn and adjust.
Again, you'll do great and congratulations on a new life!

One more thing.....it turned out for me I need to eat 4-5 small meals a day. That worked best for my body and how I can get enough calories in. I just couldn't eat enough 3 times a day to get the nutrition I needed. I worked with my doc and my NUT and that's how it worked for me.
And today, just ONE hard boiled egg is perfect. That keeps me feeling full for 4 hours. It's amazing. If someone told me ONE hard boiled egg would be enough food for me, I'd have said they were crazy! But it is. So 3 eggs a day isn't enough food so that's why I need to eat more small meals. Small meaning 1/4 to 1/3 cup of food. Sometimes it's just one small yogurt. Or a few nuts and little fruit. Or 3 oz of meat. If I eat out, I eat an appetizer.
It's hard to get used to eating a small amount of food. Especially when my head wants that OLD very FULL feeling.

From what I understand we can't drink anything with fizzle.
And it's not worth messing around with your recent surgery. The worst thing that could happen is you drink the fizzle and stress your new tummy that is healing. A leak would put you back in the hospital with possibly horrible complications.

You've come too far to mess around with the doctors instructions. Especially during the initial 0-4 months of healing.
In time that craving for fizzle will go away and all the effort not to drink fizzle will be worth every ounce.
Listen to the Doc, they know what they are doing.