IncredibleShrinkingMan

I am eight weeks now, but at the one month mark earlier this month (incidentally, the day I was best man at a wedding and had nothing but food surrounding me all day), I could take about three bites of a steak filet or chicken breast, totaling probably 1 oz, and be stuffed. I wasn't supposed to be having that stuff that soon, so I wasn't surprised. I could have more of softer meats...for instance, I could have about two golf ball sized chicken or beef meatballs, as well as the insides of pork or chicken dumplings. I don't believe I was quite capable of 1000 calories at that point, though I am now, and still losing pretty well. I did not, however, have room for ANYTHING, and I mean anything, but my Protein. I can eat some salad now which makes me feel healthier.

It's not only that you risk getting your surgery cancelled, but I assure you that not training yourself for life after surgery with the liver shrinking diet is blowing a golden opportunity. It really does serve a dual purpose. If you weren't told to do clear liquids, I would say do them anyway, because that's truly the way to prepare and jump-start weight loss. I wish you well.

Perfectly normal...I think we all may have gotten psyched out by the somewhat morbid descriptions of life after surgery given to us by various folks, including some on this site. I had no pain (except at the drain site), and I had to use extra discipline to avoid advancing my diet too quickly, as I felt ready for solids while not even cleared past full liquids. I think you will start to feel some restriction and fullness. On the plus side, it doesn't seem like you are experiencing debilitating hunger, which is something to take with you and run. So many people don't get that lucky. And I have no doubt that you received a proper surgery. What your description tells me is that you learned the rules well and are following them faithfully...those do not sound like portion sizes characteristic of pre-surgery. You should not be surprised that you are flourishing and experiencing a smooth recovery. It is a reward.

@@VSGAnn2014 @@sleevenv Points well taken, and certainly it will not grow back to prior levels. However, I wasn't actually suggesting that the sleeve can stretch out again, although to a certain extent it definitely can and will. The declining effectiveness of the sleeve refers to the fact that the existing tissue is simply sturdier and better able to handle larger quantities, even with a permanently decreased volume, at a year or two out as opposed to in the first couple of months. The threat is real...and I can already tolerate things I couldn't tolerate even earlier this month.

@@MrsKarenC2008 That's definitely the way to do it...protein first, then veggies, then if you really really must, a healthy whole grain carb. I think at this point the rules on veggies are relaxed save for those foods that have really tiny seeds that can get stuck in any residual healing lines. The big leafy vegetables should be fine for us now. And honestly, I have been feeling pretty gross the last few weeks being able to have my Protein but not being able to have anything green. Also, maybe your surgeon has a different opinion, but I don't see the problem with getting your protein from the shakes, and your fullness sensation from some raw veggies. Hopefully they don't make you nauseated. After all, there are vegetarians out there, and they need their protein from somewhere too, so it has to be fairly common.

They can be entertaining, and people can begin arguing with one another, and a fight broke out at one of mine. Usually when people broach the subject of willpower, God, determination, and destiny, people get riled up and take sides and start to take things personally. However, that is still only a minor portion of what goes on, and since they are generally loosely moderated by a surgeon from the bariatric program at whatever institution is holding it, they stay on track and people give useful anecdotes and information relevant to your surgery. I didn't want to go to the one required for my pre-op, but once I did, I enjoyed it and I will be attending some post-op ones that are completely voluntary.

Get back on track, and get some workouts in, because that's what really determines how large your liver is. Fatty liver is one thing that takes time to correct, but excess glycogen storage in your liver makes it extremely cumbersome, and it looks like the carbs you let slip through would've done just that. First and foremost, though, please don't let this destroy your morale. You made mistakes before surgery, and you will make some after surgery. They will not cut you down. Just learn from them and make yourself better because of them. P.S...if your liver is a problem, there's nothing a couple of days can do, and if your liver is not a problem, one messy day won't make it one. It's all about how you do in general, and the surgeon's requirements are designed to keep you in the acceptable range. Best wishes!

I take both B12 and D3 available at the Vitamin Shoppe in chewable tablet form. They are really the only kind of chewable vitamins I have ever been able to tolerate, before or after surgery. Sublingual is optional...you can chew them the traditional way if you wish.

It looks like we are both far enough out that Protein shakes should no longer be used as a primary source. If I really don't want food at a particular time and just want a clear liquid, Isopure works perfectly fine for me, and for some reason even continues to provide some satiety. If you are still feeling satisfied after the Protein shake and are not getting cravings later, then more power to you, but I would imagine that at some point you will need to resort to solid, dense protein to get the true feelings of fullness. It's great that you have found them tolerable and even preferable. So many people here can't stand them.

Doing what's best for yourself is not cheating. They are in business, and you are in business as customers. You go with the one that gets what you need done. There is no crying in business, but there sure as hell is an "I." You can't begin to have Stockholm Syndrome and treat it like ditching your lifelong friend, your spouse, or an ailing parent. When they no longer get you what you need, kick them to the curb, because that's what they wish they could still do to you pre-Obamacare...denying you because obesity is a pre-existing condition.

Some people have said, and it makes perfect sense, that the sleeve is a temporary tool. Eventually, it will not be the sleeve working, but you. What it does in the very beginning is provides you a window of opportunity in which to work out all of your eating issues, which won't all be resolved right away in anybody's case. A binge beforehand might have involved a dozen donuts, and while your brain may still want you to do that (as well as resume all of your bad habits in defense of your set point), your sleeve appears to have limited you to two, which is not bad. However, if you don't solve the internal issue, those two will grow back into a half dozen or so (you are very unlikely to ever even approach your former capacity, so there is that good news). A year or two from now, it will have to be your brain that tells you that no more than two donuts is acceptable, and succeeds in limiting you to that. Your weight loss will not be jeopardized from now, but it is crucial that you go seek out some treatment with a highly experienced professional. I don't mean talk therapy. I mean an acutely specialized doctor that can treat BED. In the meantime, use this opportunity to go explore some new foods and new activities, and try to hit the reset button. That is the central thrust of this surgery...an opportunity to start again by temporarily arresting your body's ability to defend the status quo. Stay strong!

I hope you get approved soon. Congratulations on your decision. However long the whole rigmarole takes, it's never too early to start living in the future! Having made the decision is the toughest part. Now start living like you mean it, and don't shy away from anything in life. It's yours to live.

Are you still taking any pain meds? They are typically the biggest culprits. Drinking water too quickly can also exacerbate any nauseous feelings. The morphine in the hospital made me more miserable, and they kept prodding me to hit the button even though I was feeling no pain. However, you may in fact be one of the lucky people whose taste buds may be completely changing!

Awesome sauce!

...recent pictures of you look heavier and heavier each day ...used three different belts in the last two weeks ...your car has been getting suspiciously good mileage ...you have to look harder to find yourself on a surveillance camera

Sorry, I didn't mean smiley face there, I meant letter B!

@@sshawk69 That's pretty damn impressive. I think if you were losing much more than that you would a) be losing the wrong stuff (i.e., muscle), and setting yourself up for failure later on by damaging your metabolism. Just Celebrate the victories.

My hierarchy goes something like this, from worst to best: negative influences from family negative influences from friends positive influences from family positive influences from friends NO INFLUENCE AT ALL Seriously, do not tell anybody that you aren't 100% sure would support you. Even if they do, it's none of their business, but it's good to have somebody in your camp in all endeavors. This takes up a lot of mental energy, and it's best to have your brain clear of any other things to juggle. Good luck.

I can't say my experience represents the norm, and I also can't say it doesn't, but aside from dramatically reduced portion sizes everywhere, life is remarkably identical to the way it was before surgery. I was nauseated in the hospital, but snapped out of it by the time I was discharged. I had to take a week away from work, but I was really ready to go at it again by the Monday after my Thursday surgery. I can tell you that before my surgery I was quite anxious and thinking that life as I knew it would be over. I last suppered obsessively, and placed calls and messages to my acquaintances lest the worst should happen. I thought I would always hate food going forward, but I still like everything I liked before, and it's not a bad thing, because I can no longer have unhealthy quantities of it. I would look forward with enthusiasm, and then, look at life the same way you did before, just more positively and more confidently. It's not over, it's just beginning, and that is true for your relationship with food as well.

Be sure you take some antibiotics and the usual cold medicines, and you should be fine. You still have 72 hours. I'd be more concerned with what you pick up down in Mexico, TBH. Drink plenty of Water to hydrate your system, both to fight the cold and because you will have a difficult time getting sufficient water in the period immediately after the surgery. Good luck!

63 lbs since beginning of pre-op and just starting to hear a few words, and that's from people who last saw me at my original weight. Anybody who's seen me at any point in the interim is still mum. It takes a while. We have to get used to the fact that this is not the main topic on most people's mind. Unfortunately, even after we're all thin, I don't generally foresee it being a dormant topic, especially given the work required for maintenance. However, by that time, and especially for people you haven't seen since surgery, you'll be getting the remarks. P.S...part of the reason I haven't gotten too many remarks is that I haven't really changed out any clothes yet.

The instrument he uses to measure the size of your sleeve is called a bougie, and it's size is measured in FR. The typical bougie size is 36 fr, but they generally fall between 32-40 fr. Personally, I had a 38. My surgeon said that he has seen the best results with a 38, despite the fact that that is not the smallest available. There are very good reasons to want a bigger sleeve, as long it is small enough to eliminate most of your ghrelin cells and to create the satiety benefit after a small meal. After that, the differences are negligible, and indigestion is more likely than additional weight loss. Anything higher than 40, however, runs the risk of not getting the full benefit of ghrelin elimination, which is the key benefit of this surgery (restriction can be had at similar levels by all the other surgeries). Be sure to ask him how your diet progression will go afterwards, as I have seen some variation. I only had to do Clear liquids for 3 days, but some need to do it for 3-4 weeks before moving onto purees. I am now seven weeks out and I am able to eat everything (with nutritionists' approval).

You are typically given a very detailed set of instructions by your surgeon. The most common instruction is 2 weeks of a 1000 calorie diet. However, there are all kinds of variations on this. Some are required to do clear liquids only, usually with a lower calorie quota, and the length of time ranges from the day before surgery to several months before surgery. Call your surgeon's office to make sure you are in compliance with what they want.

Welcome! Congratulations on your decision. Be sure all your kids and grandkids are supportive of you and will show that with actions as well as words. It's never too early to start getting accustomed to your post-op diet. If you are able to exercise and set up a program, the earlier you commit to it the more likely you are to stick with it. Best wishes!

You are lucky in one sense...you have landed in that cohort whose taste buds appear to have completely changed. I have had no change whatsoever in my inclinations towards food. I just have to eat some dense Protein to kill the hunger. I agree with the poster above...ISOPURE is amazing, and is no-fat and 1g-carb for...40g PROTEIN per 20 oz bottle. I used them until just about a week ago when I was still struggling to get my protein requirement. They are available as single bottles or as 12-packs at the Vitamin Shoppe. Are you still taking any pain meds? Anything I took gave me horrible nausea, so I stopped taking them altogether while I was still in the hospital. Also, drinking Water more quickly than you are prepared to can generate this sick feeling as well. Best of luck!