2goldengirl

I do think some of the responses on this were unnecessarily rude, but that is just my opinion. It is an Internet forum, and people tend to talk much more bluntly than they would if they were in person.
Regardless, people always get shamed when they ask these types of questions, when all they wanted was an answer. In this case, I feel like the question was "is it normal I can eat this much, and did I do any damage?" But instead of others responding with things like "I couldn't eat that much, and maybe you did some damage" they act like the OP personally offended them somehow, and begin to attack.
If he wants to eat a flatbread, he can eat a flatbread! This is his journey, not yours! Maybe his doctor allows him to eat more carbs than yours?!
Anyway to answer the original question- some days it feels like I can eat more than others too. You did take a break in between, which means some food digested and you were able to eat more. A six inch flatbread from subway is made up of a flatbread (which is a "slider food") and probably three slices of turkey/ham or whatever you got on it. It is not Protein dense and therefore goes down easier. If you were to weigh it on a scale, it would probably only be 5-6 ounces. Think of it this way - before the surgery you would have been able to eat the whole footlong...at least your sleeve stopped you at half! Pre op, I know I would've eaten a footlong and a bag of chips and a sugary soda and not been full! Everyone makes mistakes, don't be discouraged because people on here act like they know everything about how much and what you should be eating :-)

Okay, enough with the whole Dr. Phil crap. We ask a lot of questions on this forum and get a lot of answers. I have yet to see anyway say "thanks" after being shamed. Yes, you can freely lecture others. You can also fart in a restaurant. Those around you generally feel the same in either case!
In terms of the OP's question:
1. I'm not sure how big a 6" flatbread is, but it sounds like less than a large slice of bread in terms of carb volume - I think many of us could eat one slice of bread 2 months post opt. We'd be full, but we could get it down.
2. No two sleeves are the same and men seem to have more capacity than women. I've been topping out at about 8 ounces of dense food since month 3.
3. You're volume capacity will change from day to day. One day, you find yourself eating a normal skinny girl meal. The next day, you'll feel full after a small yogurt.
4. I'm an old pizza fan and enjoy a slice or a flatbread every month or so. When I do, I know I'm ingesting a "forbidden fruit", so I savor and contemplate every bite.
To me, the key is logging everything and watching the carb to Protein ratio. I also find that bad days start with too many carbs too early in the day.
Good luck...

I don't have those guidelines either.. I'm allowed to have Pasta and rice and bread just was told not to make a habit of it to eat it everyday. I think it's normal that you took a break, I always do that and it's good you finished the meal. Because you train so severely, it's normal for you to have a higher calorie intake/eat more because you're working out all the time no?
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Then it would be a good idea to say that in your question, wouldn't it?
Speaking only for myself, the dealbreaker for me is the presence of sugar alcohols. My sleeve doesn't have a problem with them but my gut sure does. I've lost my taste for sweets, anyhow, so seeking out sugar-free, lactose free ice cream isn't on my radar.

they admitted me and gave me fluids and I'm gonna do an esophagram tomorrow to get a better look at my stomach and throat
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What does your surgeon say? Did they contact your surgeon when you were in the ER? If you haven't called your surgeon yet do it asap. You could have a stricture or something. This is not normal.

this is certainly not normal. if it isn't better on the medicine they gave you then you should call the doctors office and let them know.

If you are 10 days post-op, you aren't supposed to have energy. You are supposed to be exhausted. That's what happens after major surgery, often for weeks. Stop trying to exercise for 30 minutes and go for 20 minute walks instead. Take some naps and be kind to yourself. The energy will come back but right now your body needs all of its strength to focus on healing.

I waited to try anything salad-y until about 6-8 weeks out (I honestly don't remember exactly). I first tried some shredded iceberg lettuce under some taco chicken I'd made. Earlier that day, there was a caesar salad on a lunch buffet at a work event. I tried three little pieces or romaine, just to see how they went.
It was heaven. And I discovered, to my complete and utter delight, that romaine and iceberg, the crunchy lettuces, are sliders for me. Now I have salad several times a week and I am very, very happy to be able to do so.
That said, I know there are folks here on these boards who have trouble with leafy greens. I've got trouble getting my required calories in for a day, and a salad with avocado and real dressing is a huge help there.

Then it would be a good idea to say that in your question, wouldn't it?
Speaking only for myself, the dealbreaker for me is the presence of sugar alcohols. My sleeve doesn't have a problem with them but my gut sure does. I've lost my taste for sweets, anyhow, so seeking out sugar-free, lactose free ice cream isn't on my radar.

wow. plans vary so much it will blow your mind. I was told at 4 weeks to have veg, some fruit and some whole grains every day along with my Protein which is my focus.

@@duckydoom From what I've read - there's no sure fire way of preventing hair loss. I think it is either going to happen or not going to happen. I plan on doing everything possible to avoid it but not going to stress about it. My Mom has alopecia and has worn a wig for my entire life - so I've been researching this since day one. From what I've found - it does grow back at least.

A stall at three weeks out is very, very, VERY common. You are generally back to a typical activity level and your intake has been severely restricted. You are healing, and have not been taking in sufficient calories to met your basic needs at rest.
Just keep following your postop instructions. 8 kg. in three weeks is still a significant loss!

A stall at three weeks out is very, very, VERY common. You are generally back to a typical activity level and your intake has been severely restricted. You are healing, and have not been taking in sufficient calories to met your basic needs at rest.
Just keep following your postop instructions. 8 kg. in three weeks is still a significant loss!

I have anthem BC of Cali and used 4 months of visits with my endocrinologist for my diabetes, where she recorded my weight every visit, then I did two visits with the Nutritionist. Anthem approved within 5 days of receiving my medical records. Do you have any consecutive 6 month period in the last year where a medical professional (or a few) recorded your weight monthly? That should be all you need.

Blue Shield of CA has NO weight loss requirement. Here is a link to their medical policies: https://www.blueshieldca.com/provider/authorizations/clinical-policies/medical-procedures/policy.sp
Look under "B" for bariatric surgery. Patient selection criteria is on page two. Blue Shield also requires that its contracted medical groups (who do the authorizations for most of their members) follow Blue Shield's criteria - they can't superimpose their own criteria. I hope this helps, you appear to have been misinformed.

The three month period is SUGGESTED, not required, and no, not because you may not want the surgery - but for the surgeon to assure that you are sufficiently prepared for post-op life. If your surgeon is satisfied, no reason he or she can't get approval for surgery prior to three months after the initial consultation. As an example, my surgeon does required that I see an RD and have a psych eval - Blue Shield no longer does. And he wants those done before the initial consult. I did my orientation class in September and will have my initial consult in December, attending support group in the meantime. Depending on his schedule, I could be scheduled in January, and he will be able to document that I've been getting preparation and education for three months prior to initial consult even happens. Blue Shield's policy appears to be specifically written to take into account that different surgeons have different requirements. Believe me, if the three month period were required, rather than suggested, the policy would say so (I once wrote policies for a health plan).
I hope this helps.

I did attach a copy of the policy to my post - so that anyone can have give to their surgeons office that as proof.
The 5-day turnaround is a requirement by CA law for *** plans for routine (non urgent) requests when all necessary information is received at the time the request is submitted. That part isn't just Blue Shield.

Blue Shield changed their requirements effective July 31. Definitely call your surgeon's office and have them resubmit. I've attached a copy of the policy to this post. Your surgeon's office can always submit the first page of the policy along with your packet.
Blue Shield didn't share this change with their participating medical groups. It's actually your medical group who approves or denies your surgery. Blue Shield requires that all of their participating medical groups use Blue Shield policies for bariatric surgery. What the medical group is supposed to do is review the policy each time they approve or deny something. This is the biggest change I can remember in 20 years where we didn't get some kind of notice. Approving these surgeries is part of my job (I can't deny anything, an MD has to do that)
Anyone in California who is a member of an *** plan can get their health plan policy for any procedure, usually online. It's the law in CA.
I hope this helps, and good luck!
Bariatric_SurgeryBlueShieldPolicy2015.pdf

You're not even 2 weeks out. You're fine.
And how much you can eat is also dependent on the bougie size your doctor used, your tolerance and ability to eat once you start mushies. Also liquids are not subject to restrictions since they tend to flow through the stomach sleeve, and you aren't going to feel hunger (at least what you perceive as hunger) for quite some time. Just do what you can and try your best to get your Protein goals in each day.

What did your surgeon recommend to help? Try getting some Protein Powder and mixing with fluids and just continually sip all day long. It doesn't sound like you should be returning to work until you can get in your Protein and fluids.

I don't understand where some of these expectations come from. 30 lbs in a month??? When I was asked my expectations during my Psych Eval i said I'd be happy with 50lbs in 6 months. I can't even fathom 30 lbs in one month. That's completely unrealistic.

I had mine on the 16th of May and have been stalled since last Friday I lost 20 pounds . But in reality that is a lot of weight for a month and one thing I have learned is put the scale away!
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@@Lynne5767, I hear you - but the truth is, especially in the early months, we shrink out of our clothes at what can be an alarming rate. And we all know that the seasons and what is found in stores don't always coincide.
As a for instance, two months before my surgery, I ran into some end-of-season sales on some basics I knew I'd be needing - black trousers and dressy jeans for work, my favorite knit tops (Talbots). I got two pair each of black trousers and work jeans from Haute Look, and black and white tops from Talbots. They were in two consecutively smaller sizes. I'm in the smaller size of them all now, and so glad I did this, because I've had basics to wear.
I've gotta get busy, though, cause these won't last me forever. I just got rid of another two big bags of clothes that are hanging on me, including almost all of my summer capris and crops. I've just got time to get a few summer things in before everything is all fall and winter in the stores.
I live in northern CA, and we get some of our warmest days between September and mid-November. I have to plan ahead!

That's what I don't get. You completely wreck your metabolism with that kind of restriction. I pushed hard to get over 800 early on and then 1100 once I started exercising and was probably at 1400-1500 by the end of my weight loss phase. Now, in maintenance, I can eat 1900 on non-cardio days and 2400-2600 on cardio days. Had I been keeping under 800 through all of the weight loss, I'd probably be stuck around 1200-1400 in maintenance. I don't see the advantage of that at all.