Sleevefornellie

I'm three weeks post op. It's been amazing to me how much hunger is in my head!!! Even when I'm completely full, my head is saying just take one more bite... try to distract yourself, get up, move around, find something to do. When your head is focused on something else you'll forget about it BC you really aren't hungry. Hardest thing for me has been grocery shopping!!! Although I am on a hugely restricted diet, I still have a family that has to eat! Either I want to buy everything, (BC it's in my head) or I want to buy nothing. It's def a struggle but it's getting better every day. Good luck!!

Today I weighed myself and for the first time since surgery, my breath was taken away from what I saw on that scale. Less than 2 months ago (March 3rd) I weighed 270 pounds. Today, I weighed 220 pounds. Im almost to the weight that I weighed the day I married my husband. That's 50 pounds gone forever! I am so grateful for this journey no matter what I had to go through! I don't do pics...but here is my before and after face shots.  

Hello everyone I had my sleeve gastrectomy on January 26. The first picture is of me before the surgery and the rest is me after the surgery. I still have a long way to go but I'm getting there. If anyone has any questions. Please feel free to ask.

hi lili hi lili hi lo
i'm 3 months+ and this is a great list for newbies, veterans, and in between. nice of you to take your time and put it together. your aces.
kathy

DISCLAIMER: This FAQ is in no way intended to replace or undermine the advice of your physician. Every person is different, every surgeon has different guidelines, and no two situations are identical. Therefore if any of the answers below are unclear or contradict your physicians’ instructions, always follow your physicians’ instructions. The responses given are a compilation from multiple sources and references.
How do I embed the weight loss ticker? Click on the liquid stage? During your clear liquid stage you can have anything that you can sip through a straw that is translucent, meaning see through. For instance: Water, juice, broth, sugar free popsicles, sugar free Jello, Isopure Protein Drinks, Gatorade, Powerade, Decaf tea just to name a few. Once you move on to full liquids you may add liquids that are not translucent. For instance: creamed Soups, soups with the chunks strained out, milk, Protein shakes etc…
When do I start mushies/purees? Every surgeon has different guidelines for the progression of your post-op diet. The majority of post-op diets progress as follows:
Day 1-7 Clear Liquids
Day 8-14 Full liquids
Day 15-21 Purees
Day 22-50 Mushies
What’s the difference between mushies and purees? The major difference is that purees are anything that has been blenderized/pureed to a baby food consistency and has no chunks. These should not be watery, but instead a thicker pudding like consistency. Mushies are soft foods that have not been pureed.< /p>
Should I be counting calories or carbs or both? Both. Again, every surgeon is different, but the majority of sleevers will be on a 600-1000 calorie/day diet with carbs kept at 60-80g or less. The general guideline is this: When eating, protein is always first, veggies are second, and if you have room carbs/starch last. The majority will rarely have room for the carbs.
How much protein should I be getting per day? The recommended protein intake may vary from 55 to 100g per day, depending on your individual needs and the bariatric diet provided by your surgeon or dietitian. The generally accepted minimum protein requirement for women is about 50 to 60g per day and men need at least 60 to 70g of protein per day.
How much liquid do i need for the day? About 60-80oz
When can I eat salad? Once you reach the point where you’re on normal solids you can try salad. Start with a small amount and see how your sleeve tolerates it as it can be difficult to digest.
Best Protein Shakes? This one depends on your particular tastes, however most seem to enjoy powders? utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury.

What else counts as a liquid? Anything that can be sipped through a straw or that will reduce back to a liquid. For example: Jello, sugar free popsicles, frozen yogurt/ice cream (these are generally no no foods)
How long will my surgery last? Typically about 45mins assuming there are no complications or other procedures (ie: hernia repairs) being done at the time of your surgery. Every surgeon is different so for a more accurate answer you should consult your respective surgeon.
Why can't I tolerate plain water, is this normal? It’s called water nausea and it is completely normal. This is very common during the first few weeks following surgery and should eventually subside.
What is sliming/slimes? Sliming or slimes occur when you eat or drink something and then regurgitate a slimy, foamy, saliva like substance, usually when belching.
What is grazing? Grazing is when instead of consuming your standard 3 small meals and 2 small Snacks per day, you simply munch all day grabbing a handful here or a bite there. The rule is that your meals should take you 20-30 minutes to eat and should be about 3 hours apart with only fluids in between.
What do all these acronyms mean?
In no particular order:
WLS – Weight Loss Surgery
NSV – Non scale Victory (ie: smaller clothes, compliments, climbing a flight of stairs etc…)
NUT – Nutritionist
PCP – Primary Care Physician
VSG – Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
TOM – Time of the Month
SF – Sugar Free
WFL/WFD – What’s for Lunch/Dinner
How much did you lose at 1 month etc.? How much can I expect to lose in what time frame? Everyone’s body is different and so is everyone’s journey. There is no set amount you should expect lose in a set amount of time, and you should never compare your journey or your progress to someone elses. As long as you’re sticking with the program and following your surgeons guidelines, the weight will come off.
What is a stall? How long does it last and how do I break it? A stall is a point at which the scale stops moving for a period of time. The length of the stall varies from a few days to a few weeks and sometimes a few months. Non VSG’ers typically call it a plateau. Stalls are perfectly normal and to be expected. As we lose weight so dramatically, our bodies need time to catch up physically - this typically happens during a stall. While the scale may not be moving, you may notice an increase in compliments. This is because while the number on the scale isn’t getting any smaller, you are physically getting smaller. There are many tips and tricks for breaking a stall (increase your fluids and protein, increase your activity, up your calories…) but the reality is it will break on its own.
When can I have sex? When you’re ready. Keep it simple for the first few weeks post-op and don’t attempt any tricky positions. Be careful until you’ve been cleared by your surgeon for strenuous activity.
When can I start exercising? Typically right away, though the types of exercises you can do will be limited. Most surgeons restrict weight training/resistance training for about 3-4 weeks after surgery, but you should be walking/speed walking at least 30-45min daily starting from the day you get home.
What do I do with flabby skin? What's the best exercise etc.? The severity of the flab will vary based on many different factors. While there’s no way to tell how bad it will be or whether it will even be bad, there are a couple of proactive measures you can take. Make sure you’re using a moisturizing lotion with Vitamin E and Keratin several times daily. The vitamin E will help add elasticity back to your skin and the keratin will add moisture, both of which may help your skin bounce back as the weight falls off. The best exercises to target your problem areas are resistance and strength training in order to tone and build muscle to replace the fat. Lastly, be patient. Just as your weight stalls while your waist catches up to it, your skin will sag until it gets the signal to shrink. While it probably won’t ever be as tight as you’d like, it will shrink.
Will I lose hair? How much? What causes it? When does it return? Do Vitamins help? The truth is, yes, you probably will lose hair. Because of the drastic changes going on that are caused by the extreme reduction in protein and vitamins coming in as well as the hormonal fluctuations caused by the rapid weight loss, it takes our bodies a while to adjust. Don’t worry, as our hormones level out and our bodies get used to the new us, it will come back. There is no set time frame for it to do so however.
I’m constipated - what is it okay to take, especially in the beginning when newly sleeved? Will it get better? Worse? In the beginning a simple stool softener like Colace should do the trick. You don’t want to take a laxative or anything that may irritate your new sleeve. While you’re in the liquid/puree stage, Constipation shouldn’t be an issue, but as you reintroduce solids you may have to go back to your stool softeners. If you do find that stool softners are only offering temporary relief, try increasing your fluids and Fiber and decreasing your cheeses.
I’m having very loose bowel movements, is this normal? Totally. You do need to monitor stools of this consistency to ensure they contain no blood, but very loose stools, even watery stools, are completely normal for a few weeks post-op. When in doubt – ask your surgeon.
Will I feel fatigue? Will fatigue go away? Yes and yes. Your body has just undergone major surgery and it needs to heal. While it’s healing you will feel more fatigued than normal. Subsequent to having such a large portion of your stomach removed is the fact that you can no longer take in as much food (read: fuel) and therefore your body has to adjust and find a new fuel source. Your body will eventually begin to burn fat for fuel and some of the fatigue will subside. Your surgeon should also prescribe a B12 supplement which will also help with energy.
When can I go back to work? How much time should I take off? That will be entirely up to your surgeon. Most return to work within 2-3 weeks.
How many days in the hospital? Your hospital stay will depend on your recovery. When you are able to keep down liquids, are up and about and walking as directed, and your surgeon and nursing staff are confident there are no complications, you’ll be released. Your surgeon should be able to give you an expectation of the length of your stay.
Do the staples dissolve? No. The staples used to close the stomach are titanium and do not dissolve. The stomach tissue will eventually grow over the staple line. Your staples do not make metal detectors go off or make you ineligible for an MRI. They are completely benign.
Why am I always hungry? The most likely culprit is either head hunger or reflux/heartburn. Head hunger is a false sense of hunger triggered by boredom/emotions/the clock or any number of things which make you think you’re hungry when you’re really not. Heartburn is the most common culprit of constant hunger. Even though you may not feel as though you have heartburn, you may find that a simple antacid will eliminate that constant hungry feeling.
What is a stricture? A stricture is what happens when scar tissue builds up in your esophagus (sometimes caused by reflux) that causes your esophagus to narrow and makes swallowing difficult.
What is a leak and what are the symptoms? A leak is an opening along the suture line of your sleeve that allows bile and other digestive fluids to leak into your abdominal cavity. The symptoms of a leak vary but the most common symptoms are pain radiating across the abdomen, fever, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, dizziness, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, and abdominal cramping. It is important to note that leaks are rare and only occur in about 1 out of every 100 cases.
Can you get a leak any time after surgery? Or is it just immediate? Most leaks happen very soon after surgery, but there is still a risk for about 4-6 weeks after. Again, it is important to note that leaks are rare and only occur in about 1 out of every 100 cases.
Some of my incisions are oozing - is this normal? If they’re oozing a green or yellowish Fluid, absolutely not. Green and yellow are the colors of infection and should be reported to your surgeon immediately. If your incisions are oozing a pinkish or clear watery fluid it’s your body’s way of keeping your incisions clean and isn’t usually a concern. When in doubt, ask your surgeon.

Hello everyone!!!! My name is Nellie!!!! Although I'm new here I've been lurking for quite sometime.... I wanna thank everyone here for being so incredibly loving and supportive I truly feel welcomed... I don't have much support from family with my decision to have weightloss surgery... Everyone feels I should just go to the gym and starve myself to see results... I even got embarrassed by one of my co- workers today during a meeting.... She said incredibly loud and in front of everyone: Oh my god Nellie what happened???? You put on even more weight than when I saw u before!!!" Everyone turn around and stared at me as I hurried to take my seat in the back of the room... I didn't answer her I just kept it moving.....But I felt hurt and highly embarrassed... How can people be so mean???? And u no what she's heavy too!!!! I'm like seriously???? What hurt the most is that I'm such a loving caring person who judges no one!!!! I don't care if young, my senior, heavy, slim and I absolutely don't see color!!!! I give respect where respect due... If you love me, I love you too!!! If your kind to me, I'll be kind to you....and if you need me I'll always be there for you!!!!

My biggest problem in that area has been portion distortion. When I quit weighing and measuring what I know my capacity to be, it was easy to push my sleeve into accepting more by grazing. I was fooling myself into thinking that my snack was just two tablespoons of Peanut Butter. It measure out to be 1/2 cup, plus I was eating 1/2 cup of artificial whip cream (corn Syrup and chemicals) with it. That's a big diffence in calories, carbs and fat.

Earlier today I posted a link to an article suggesting that brushing your teeth right after you eat will help slay a sweet tooth. I have been doing this for a few days and it works. And...the scale is moving again after a six month stall.

Don't let yourself become part of the couch. Your daughter can take walks with you or even work out with a DVD with you. I know my Richard Simmons Sweating to the Oldies set is kinda corny, but I got it out the other and decided to go with the flow. It was actually fun. The other think I found out about exercise is that if I change the TV channel and put on music instead, I diddly bop while doing my housework.

My other thought was: Who is bringing your temptations home to tease you? Control starts at the grocery store. If you make this one change, it would help: Don't buy any groceries made in a factory.

Yes, you could probably do with a visit to a therapist. But in the meantime, it seems to me, from all that you have written, you already KNOW what to do, it's just a matter of doing it. So DO it. It takes alot of self-discipline, which sounds like you need to work on (and who doesn't?!). What would you do if your child didn't do the things they need to do, you would get after them. So, GET AFTER yourself! Write things down: schedule meals, Snacks, exercises. Write down what you eat and when. Find a hobby to keep yourself from eating - do IT instead of grazing. Find a gym that allows kids or has a child-care facility built in.
There are millions of excuses, there are millions of reasons NOT to use them. None of us is perfect, but we all endeavor to try and find the "perfect" person we can live with. If you can be happy with what you are/have been doing since your surgery, that is great. If not, CHANGE IT. Only you can do that. But you have to want it bad enough to change. Start with the basics, from when you were first post-op. Blossom from there. As you see yourself going in the wrong direction, change your path. Lots of work, and you have to think you're worth it. I think you ARE! Go for it!

I have to start this out by saying I am absolutely a success. I have lost 100lbs, weight I would have NEVER lost had I not had the VSG surgery. I do not regret for one minute making that decision. What I am regretting is where I have put myself right now. I did not use my tool to the best of it's ability early on. I used the sleeve to lose the weight for the first 10 months. I didn't even try to exercise. I was more active, yes. But I was losing and I was happy so I didn't put much effort in. My eating was under control for the most part during that time too. As time passed and weight loss slowed then stopped I did start to go to the gym. I figured I rode the sleeve as far as it would take me and now it was up to me. Except I stopped that too after a short while. I wasn't seeing many results and my schedule got in the way. Yes, I made excuses. Now I am in a horrible head space and I am trying desperately to figure out how to change it. My weight stays within a 5-7lbs zone, but that is still over 70lbs from my weight loss goal. I am still clinically obese. I have a friend who had surgery two months after mine and he is within 20lbs of his goal weight, and has lost over 200lbs! Of course there are differences in our lifestyles that attribute to that. First he is a male. He is also a gay male that does not have children. He gets up at 4am every day and goes to the gym to work out for 2.5 hours. I cannot do that, period. I have a six year old daughter that deserves time with me, not being bounced from daytime daycare to the daycare at the Y each and every day. ( and I would have to go AFTER work, not before) My friend struggles to with his eating, but his extreme exercise routine has made the difference for him.
I am feeling sort of depressed because I am coming to terms with my food addiction. I have to admit I totally shammed myself and the doctor in my psych eval pre op. I honestly didn't know the depths of my addiction until recently. I said all the right things and, at the time, believed I had a handle on it all. But if I was so truly self aware then how the HECK did I get to 316lbs?? Anyway, my eating has been off the charts of late. I eat entirely too big of portions. I eat a lot of wrong choices. I graze. All the things we learn not to do, and cannot do early after surgery, I have fallen back into. My very first inclination that I was going to have problems was hunger. Mine did not go away. Yes, for some time it seemed to have taken a back seat. I had a lot of swelling during my healing process, so my early restriction was crazy tight. I thought I had won a lottery because I never wanted anything and , if I did happen to get hungry, one or two bites and I was done. Well that all went away as soon as the swelling did. I felt hunger, real hunger. I tried to play it off as head hunger. I did all the tricks, drank more. Made myself wait to be sure I was really hungry and not just thinking so. I tried to distract myself. But it was real. I was hungry, too much. Then about two months or so out I made my first major misstep, I ate carbs. I just wanted to see if I could, what would happen. I will tell you what happened. The carbs went down very easy and created no issue. I didn't get sick. They didn't make me feel over full or bloated. What they did do though was end my ketosis phase and make my carb addiction kick right back in. I have battled now for over a year to try to stay away from those bad carbs with varying success. Some days I got it and some days they got me. Recently I have been trying to be mindful of my eating. I have connected with a group of old high school friends who have either already had WLS or are in the process. It has, at least, made me more conscience of what I am doing. Even though having this surgery is major and effects the rest of your life, it is also easy to go about living your life to the point you sort of forget you have done it. You go from the early days/ weeks/ months where it consumes your life to a place where it is in the back of your mind. Anyway, I am trying really hard to pay closer attention to my self sabotage. ( I am the QUEEN of that apparently!) Today I decided to log my intake. For those early out that probably seems obvious. But honestly I wasn't much of a logger, I didn't have the time. I just used my head, made wise choices and relied on the sleeve to keep me in line on portions. That was all well in good until it stopped working! Anyway today I have made a very conscience effort to be aware of exactly what I am putting in my mouth, and to tell you I am shocked is an understatement. After eating lunch I decided to tally things up so far. Being as honest as I could ( ok- I left off my coffee with a bit of Creamer in it but that was all) I figured up what I have put in my mouth today. At this point I have consumed 980 calories and 26.6 grams of fat, and I haven't even had dinner yet. I didn't tally carbs because I know they are high. These numbers are not through the roof or anything but....Given the fact I still have weight to lose they are too high. And the fact that I have really tried to be good today, and this is how bad I have done, it just boggles my mind. What the heck happened to me? Where is all the excitement I had early on? Why am I having such a hard time getting back to where I need to be?
As I write this I already figure some responses are that I should seek a therapist, and I really probably should. But given my finances that isn't in the cards. I am not looking for justification or anyone to say it is ok to be this way. I am just being as open and honest as I can because that is who I am. Maybe my struggle is not as uncommon as I think and maybe someone else out there can relate. I would love to hear from those folks. And if someone knows a magic switch I can flip to get my head back on right, PLEASE tell me!!!! LOL

You've lost 23 lbs in 3 weeks! How is that discouraging?? I'm still pre-op so maybe I don't get it but that sounds pretty awesome to me! I am just baffled when I see posts like this. I will be thrilled to lose 20 lbs in my first month post-op.

Thanks.
I also started binge watching two tv shows to motivate me
Biggest Loser: On the days that I don't want to walk I just think about how the trainers push those people. I know the show has an anti-WLS stance but whatever, if those folks can run a marathon after a few months, I can walk around the block.
My 600 Lb Life: I think I like watching the disasters like Penny and Pauline as examples of what NOT to do. If I walk past pizza at work, I just think Penny saying "I can't function without won tons" and it totally turns my stomach.
And one thing I noticed is that right after eating, laying down on the couch is a big no no as it seems like the food has nowhere to go.

I had my sleeve on March 3 at Northwestern in Chicago and am down 60 pounds already (357 to 297). This surgery has done wonders and I've had such an easy time of it I kick myself for not doing it sooner. My post-op pain was minimal, I had no problems sticking to the post-op diet phase changes, I've hadn't had any cravings or junk food slip ups yet.
My energy level has been remarkable, I'm walking around 6 miles every day (I walk to/from work, I walk during my morning break, during lunch , afternoon break). It is starting to get to be a bit old, so I'm going to start step aerobics next week to ratchet up the intensity.
I was diagnosed prediabetic a few months before the surgery and they put me on metformin. At the hospital they took me off it.
I had high blood pressure and that's been dropping steadily, I was on Linisipril-HCTZ and Amlodipine. Now I'm just on plain Lisinopril. I'm glad I'm off the Amlodipine since that was causing some ankle/calf swelling which stopped right after I stopped taking it.
I hope to be off the Simvastatin soon. Next week I have my first post-op full blood test since being discharged so we'll see how well blood has cleaned out.
The sleep apnea is getting better too since I can tell my machine is definitely over-powered now, but I know from taking a nap without it that I still need it.
So all in all, I feel like this has been going perfectly and totally glad I did it.

size zero almost danced around dressing room.
@@AvaFern
did you say size zero???
i can't even pronounce that word!!!!
you have done great!!!
110 lbs down!!!
keep up the good work for the rest of your healthier, longer, life
i know you will
kathy
congrats

Today I went to the mall, which I tend to not do very often because it is SO much easier to just order things online, however I don't fit into some of my size 4's and 6's any more and I needed at least one new pair of dress pants and a new pair of jeans. So, I went into banana Republic, where a size 2 petite was just a smidge loose on me (YAY!). Then I went into Express, where I could really do some damage to my credit card, and the size 2 dress pants I have been ogling online actually fit perfectly (DOUBLE YAY!). Sadly enough I couldn't find a dress jacket because my arms and shoulders fit into the 2, except the button wouldn't close until I tried on the 8, which was then too big everywhere else (thank-you boobs). Yes, woe is me, I'd have been grateful to be in an 8 2 years ago when I couldn't even shop in that store.
The best part of my day though was in American Eagle, where yes I am probably too old to still be wearing their jeans, I tried on a size 0, just for kicks and giggles, and holy cow it fit!!! (TRIPLE YAY) In my entire life I have never fit into a size 0 and I am beyond ecstatic. I seriously almost danced around the dressing room.
So...thank-you to whoever came up with the brilliant idea to cut out 80% of our stomachs. Much as I have days where I don't feel like I look that great or I see my plastic surgery scars and feel ashamed....today is not one of those days. Days like today make all the misery of the sleeve surgery and the plastics recovery and the frequent puking my stomach causes so completely worth it.
Thanks for listening, y'all.

Welcome, so sorry you have a disrespectful co worker. But good news is soon we'll all be smaller and you can laugh it off soon. I am very sensitive to my weight, and would be so embarrassed if it happened to me. We are all here together!! Keep your chin up.

Just got approved today!!!!Surgery date was switch from june 22nd to the 24th!!!! Feeling excited!!!! Good luck to everyone!!!!

Hello everyone!!!! My name is Nellie!!!! Although I'm new here I've been lurking for quite sometime.... I wanna thank everyone here for being so incredibly loving and supportive I truly feel welcomed... I don't have much support from family with my decision to have weightloss surgery... Everyone feels I should just go to the gym and starve myself to see results... I even got embarrassed by one of my co- workers today during a meeting.... She said incredibly loud and in front of everyone: Oh my god Nellie what happened???? You put on even more weight than when I saw u before!!!" Everyone turn around and stared at me as I hurried to take my seat in the back of the room... I didn't answer her I just kept it moving.....But I felt hurt and highly embarrassed... How can people be so mean???? And u no what she's heavy too!!!! I'm like seriously???? What hurt the most is that I'm such a loving caring person who judges no one!!!! I don't care if young, my senior, heavy, slim and I absolutely don't see color!!!! I give respect where respect due... If you love me, I love you too!!! If your kind to me, I'll be kind to you....and if you need me I'll always be there for you!!!!

Just got approved today!!!!Surgery date was switch from june 22nd to the 24th!!!! Feeling excited!!!! Good luck to everyone!!!!

Congrats and good luck to you Sutter Phoenix!!!!!! I'm praying you have a speedy recovery!!!!

I have been approved for the sleeve. No surgery date yet, but just getting the approval feels good. I am very excited and can't wait to start this journey. I have contemplated this option for several years now, but it was not an option on our insurance until this year. I am feeling very blessed. I love bariatric pal and plan to use it alot through this journey to learn from others and find support.

Hi and welcome some ppl feel the need to point out things about others to feel superior it's a cowardly childish way to behave I think so ppl don't figure out what their shortcomings are perhaps next time reply... Yes Nancy I see we are in the same club we should chat I'll tell u what I'm considering doing to change that it would surely benefit you as well that should shut her up

Congrats!!!! wishing you all the best!!!!

Morning.
Yes, you can gain it back and plus more.
Reasoning: You were given a second chance. This means that you now have a "Baby's" tummy.
Think of this, when your new baby starts life, you feed it every two hours of liquids to fill their "tiny" tummies. Well, this is you. As your child gets more months older, you start feeding it more softer type foods, but still every two hours. Again, this is you. Now your child is 6 months old and you start feeding him/her the stage 2 foods, which have some texture into it. This is when your child starts to really grow, their stomach stretch so that you do not have to feed them every 2 hours, maybe every 4. This is you.
Right now I still after 6 months, eat every two hours so my stomach does not stretch. I still eat healthy, every now and then, yes I will have an ice-cream or something sweet. But not as much as I did. Reason why, I do not want to be 310 pounds every again. Right now I am 222 and enjoying the weight loss and more energy I have.
I always say: My surgeon performed surgery on my stomach, not my brain. My brain is mine to teach to eat right.
If those demons are in your brain telling you to eat the way you did, then it is YOUR job to get rid of them. Drink more Water, eat a small snack. It is just your body telling you that something is needed. Don't give into that feeling, channel it to something better. Go for a walk, this helps me a lot.
Hope this helps. This is a tool, it is your responsibility to keep yourself healthy and work towards your goals.
HAVE A SPARKLING DAY
Annamarie.........

I bought the Syntrax Nectar fuzzy navel this evening. It's a clear fruit drink mixed with Water. I think it's pretty good. Also the premier already made shakes are pretty good.

Welcome!!!!! And congratulations!!!!!