jeaniebobeanie

Unless you're used to eating them, I'd avoid for now. If you haven't become accustomed to inulin, even if you have a normal-sized tummy, you might have (ahem) digestive issues with that volume of insoluble Fiber shooting through your GI track. With the surgery? You might as well be eating styrofoam packing peanuts.
If you decide in a few months that you're willing to brave them (because you need the bulk?) make absolutely sure that you rinse and rinse and rinse them, and then dry-fry them in a pan. Otherwise, they have a sort of unpleasant slimy texture and a weird fishy taste to them. They work OK with chilis or stir fries where you've got other strong flavors to mask them, but I dunno...I just can't imagine they'd be worth it.
If you're really hurting for that Pasta feel, I'd go with a Paderno spiralizer and a zucchini. Boil that in salted Water for 30-45 seconds, rinse, and then use right away. You can get really close on texture, and the taste is bland enough that whatever you're eating it with will be the dominant flavor. Also, easy nutrition!

Just chiming in with you...currently closing out 8 weeks since surgery with a grand total of 15 lbs loss. (Sigh.) The thing that's absolutely KILLING me isn't that is seems like everyone is losing faster than me (although it does seem like that but I was really, really, really hoping for my physical hunger to go away. It hasn't. So while I'm doing everything right (800-900 calories a day, 60-80 g of Protein, 70-80 oz Water, getting good sleep, lots of walking, rinse, repeat) I'm freaking HUNGRY ALL THE TIME. Not head hunger, not cravings, but real physiological hunger. My surgeon was actually HAPPY about this - he thinks it indicates that I'm healing very quickly. Well, that's great, but remind me why I did this again?
So, slow losers, tell me this - have any of you had hunger that got better months in? (Sorry to hijack!)

All right...I've just spent the last I-don't-know-how-long getting all caught up on this thread, and (ignoring the squabbling - what the HECK?) I keep having the same question.
What's the big deal with carbonation, anyway?
As a lifetime lover extraordinaire of fuzzy liquids, I went through the whole 5 stages of grief on the lifetime carbonation ban, eventually making my peace with it. But I'm wondering, if liquids won't do diddly squat to stretch out my sleeve, WHY is there a lifetime ban on them? Does the gas itself not get moved into the intestines along with the liquid? Does the carbonation somehow manage to expand itself like grains in Water once it's in your tummy? How on earth would that even happen? How would it "stress" the staple line if you're more than a month or two out from surgery? It's not like the total volume would actually change, so if you're drinking it at the same pace you'd drink other liquids, why would the carbonation be problematic?
I get that the good folks at my center don't want us drinking sugary sodas, or non-sugary diet sodas (something something fake sugars seem to affect weight loss so don't drink diet soda, but have all the fake sweeteners you want in sugar-free Jello, pudding, popsicles, or Protein shakes HUH?) BUT: I like plain carbonated Water. Used to make it myself with my beloved Sodastream. Wha??? What gives?

I've always loved JJill. looking forward to looking better in their clothes. but the truth is I am looking forward to making my own clothes again. I used to - but when I got heavy and I was always trying to loose it didn't seem right to take all that time to make something in a size I wasn't planning to stay at. not to mention I like high quality fabric, so it's not cheap.
When I get down to a size I think I'll be in a while, I am going to make dresses and skirts and pants for myself. I can't wait!

Just throwing this out there...
When I was getting close to my heaviest, couldn't seem to stop gaining, and HATED HATED HATED the way I looked in clothes, I bought a sewing machine and taught myself to sew. I won't say it was quick - lots of stuff to learn! machine basics, garment construction, fitting, learning to do CAD drafting and grading, then on to serging and other stuff - it took a good 2 years to get to the point where I can comfortably say that I sew my own clothes (and no one at my office would suspect.)
I won't lie. Sewing machine, serger, coverstitch, Craftsy classes, yards and yards of fabric, patterns, software, all this stuff isn't cheap. I've invested hundreds of hours and I feel like the more I learn the more I understand how very little I've mastered. I've run out of space in my living room because I've got way more projects and materials than I have free time to actually sew. HOWEVER: I feel like I have a superpower. Not only can I make pretty much anything I can think up, in exactly the cut and fabric I see in my head, but it will fit better than anything I could buy RTW. I can do quickie alterations at home (careful who you tell) and I've found about a billion applications for sewing I never thought were possible at home (SHOES! Swimsuits! Bras! Jeans! Upholstery! Stuffed animals! Insulated lunchbag! Curtains! Custom accordion trick or treat bag for the kid's Weird Al Halloween costume!)
I get that I found my passion kind of late in life, and sewing isn't everyone's bag...but it can absolutely be worth the time and money if you have the patience to work through being a beginner. Learning something new HAS to be good for your brain, right? The worst thing that can happen is you screw up an article of clothing that wasn't working for you anyway!
So...promised my mom a new swimsuit coverup for her birthday, need to get it done before we leave for vacay for spring break in two weeks.

It is logical to reach this conclusion but I know of no peer reviewed study to support this hypothesis,do you?
I had a two week liver shrinking diet - low carb. I did well in t he sense of the low carb but I only lost 8# and really struggled. I have been very successful post op. Of course that doesn't prove anything either... as one story does not research make.

As you continue to grow up, you will learn this marvelous lesson life teaches us all:
You are not required to answer any question anyone asks you -- even if it's asked by an FBI agent, in which case you can always ask to speak first to your attorney.

Another thing life teaches us is that if you want to keep a secret, do not tell anyone.

The issue is the impact long-term, massive calorie deficits have on the endocrine system. Think permanent thyroid hormone dysregulation...resistance to satiety hormones...super-efficient energy storage. Our bodies aren't stupid. If you starve them long enough, they fight back. They'll take energy from all kinds of places we don't want them taking it to preserve essential functions - like breaking down muscle tissue to preserve energy stores. Can be a pretty big deal when the muscle tissues that are left include important ones like the heart.

The issue is the impact long-term, massive calorie deficits have on the endocrine system. Think permanent thyroid hormone dysregulation...resistance to satiety hormones...super-efficient energy storage. Our bodies aren't stupid. If you starve them long enough, they fight back. They'll take energy from all kinds of places we don't want them taking it to preserve essential functions - like breaking down muscle tissue to preserve energy stores. Can be a pretty big deal when the muscle tissues that are left include important ones like the heart.

Unless you're used to eating them, I'd avoid for now. If you haven't become accustomed to inulin, even if you have a normal-sized tummy, you might have (ahem) digestive issues with that volume of insoluble Fiber shooting through your GI track. With the surgery? You might as well be eating styrofoam packing peanuts.
If you decide in a few months that you're willing to brave them (because you need the bulk?) make absolutely sure that you rinse and rinse and rinse them, and then dry-fry them in a pan. Otherwise, they have a sort of unpleasant slimy texture and a weird fishy taste to them. They work OK with chilis or stir fries where you've got other strong flavors to mask them, but I dunno...I just can't imagine they'd be worth it.
If you're really hurting for that Pasta feel, I'd go with a Paderno spiralizer and a zucchini. Boil that in salted Water for 30-45 seconds, rinse, and then use right away. You can get really close on texture, and the taste is bland enough that whatever you're eating it with will be the dominant flavor. Also, easy nutrition!

Unless you're used to eating them, I'd avoid for now. If you haven't become accustomed to inulin, even if you have a normal-sized tummy, you might have (ahem) digestive issues with that volume of insoluble Fiber shooting through your GI track. With the surgery? You might as well be eating styrofoam packing peanuts.
If you decide in a few months that you're willing to brave them (because you need the bulk?) make absolutely sure that you rinse and rinse and rinse them, and then dry-fry them in a pan. Otherwise, they have a sort of unpleasant slimy texture and a weird fishy taste to them. They work OK with chilis or stir fries where you've got other strong flavors to mask them, but I dunno...I just can't imagine they'd be worth it.
If you're really hurting for that Pasta feel, I'd go with a Paderno spiralizer and a zucchini. Boil that in salted Water for 30-45 seconds, rinse, and then use right away. You can get really close on texture, and the taste is bland enough that whatever you're eating it with will be the dominant flavor. Also, easy nutrition!

Unless you're used to eating them, I'd avoid for now. If you haven't become accustomed to inulin, even if you have a normal-sized tummy, you might have (ahem) digestive issues with that volume of insoluble Fiber shooting through your GI track. With the surgery? You might as well be eating styrofoam packing peanuts.
If you decide in a few months that you're willing to brave them (because you need the bulk?) make absolutely sure that you rinse and rinse and rinse them, and then dry-fry them in a pan. Otherwise, they have a sort of unpleasant slimy texture and a weird fishy taste to them. They work OK with chilis or stir fries where you've got other strong flavors to mask them, but I dunno...I just can't imagine they'd be worth it.
If you're really hurting for that Pasta feel, I'd go with a Paderno spiralizer and a zucchini. Boil that in salted Water for 30-45 seconds, rinse, and then use right away. You can get really close on texture, and the taste is bland enough that whatever you're eating it with will be the dominant flavor. Also, easy nutrition!

If you looked at the state of my boobs and inner thighs, you would definitely think the weight "melted" off.
HA!!

@@jeaniebobeanie This is one of the hotly debated issues of sleeve patients and surgeons. I was never told that carbonation would stretch my sleeve (I was never told a sleeve COULD stretch), but I was told to avoid carbonation because it can cause gas and discomfort. Probably some patients have more trouble with that than others. I also think it's because surgeons and nutritionists don't want us drinking our calories and most carbonated beverages have calories. Even if it's diet soda, artificial sweeteners have their own host of potential problems. So a blanket "no carbonation" rule is probably just the easiest way for surgeons and nutritionist to avoid the potential issues of gas, discomfort, liquid calories, and artificial sweeteners all at one time.
I suspect you're on to something here, and I totally agree with you re: artificial sweeteners - but seriously, every pre- and immediately post-op diet I've ever heard discussed here, and even the ones I was given, were stupidly heavy on artificial sweeteners delivered through every conceivable form factor. The lack of consistency from NUTs bugs me. If it's bad in Coke Zero, isn't it equally bad in Protein Shakes and popsicles? And the blanket recommendations - again, I get it. It's easier to just lay down sweeping laws. It's also patronizing - I mean, we're fat, we're not stupid. Give us some freakin' credit for being able to differentiate between high-calorie drinks and plain Water that's had pressurized CO2 added to it. Explain the difference for those who aren't aware, but please treat me like a grown-up.

@jeaniebobeanie http://www.provostbariatrics.com/weight-loss-surgery-success-life-after-carbonated-drinks/
Thank you for this center's perspective! It doesn't really address my questions, though. They say that sodas can increase hunger, and the carbonation expands in the stomach, potentially causing stretching. So, yeah. Sugary sodas could cause increased hunger in the same way that sugary anything can trigger carby cravings, and diet sodas use fake sugar, which in some people triggers insulin production. I get that! I also get that CO2 under pressure will increase in volume suddenly when the pressure is released. However, the basic physics of drinking carbonation includes releasing the pressure PRIOR to putting it in your body. Once you've taken the bottle off the Sodastream, poured it into a glass, poured a fraction of that into your mouth, increasing the surface area exposed; swallowed, and pushed it all the way from your mouth into your stomach, you've given the bubbles plenty of time to expand (otherwise, there wouldn't BE any bubbles.) And then, assuming you're not doing this during or immediately after you've eaten solid food, your stomach immediately passes it into your small intestine. Haven't heard any concern from anyone yet about stretching the small intestine.

I wonder if the "ban on carbonation" issue has to do with GBP mechanics. An awful lot of the diet guidelines for sleevers are adopted directly from guidelines for GBP. It's possible that gas/bloating are more an issue for GBP patients.
This is an interesting idea. More in the vein of what @@JamieLogical was referring to (albeit more tactfully than I would) that the messaging we're getting from the professionals tends to be a little lazy. SImplest message, applicable to the lowest common denominator, without doing the work to actually educate and allow patients to make appropriate decisions based on OUR understanding of how our own bodies work - including specifics for the actual surgery we had. Makes me also wonder what else I was given as post-op gospel that is in fact completely appropriate - for a different procedure.
Before anyone has a hissy fit, know that I did and do respect the training and knowledge of the many excellent people at the center where I had my surgery (except for the PA, he was a total ****** canoe.) I also know that I'm not a "typical" patient - I've spent years working with all kinds of specialists to figure out why my body wasn't responding to diet and exercise like everyone else's, and in the process, I've become pretty well-versed in all sorts of minutiae about nutrition, digestion, auto-immune conditions, the microbiome, micronutrient absorption, and a host of other things that bore the crap out of my husband but make for super-interesting conversations with my NUT. But it also makes me a lot more hair-trigger to react to out-of-date advice about things like artificial sweeteners (really, really bad for you, even if they come in Protein Shake form!) and what fats are healthy (don't eat saturated fat? in egg yolks and pastured lard and grassfed butter? replace them with freakin' bleached, HIGHLY processed, estrogenic, incredibly-inflammatory-omega-6-heavy SOYBEAN OIL? in 2016? SERIOUSLY?).
So, yeah. I'm thinking I'm going to dust off the old Sodastream and do my little N+1 on that sucker. Water is water and gas gets burped. If it feels weird, I'll put it back in the pantry. If not, I'm drinking it.

I have done well to just read through and keep my lips zipped, but someone stirring the pot to purposely cause hard feelings when people are having a discussion about their experiences is RIDICULOUS and I had to say so. How is discussing individual experiences the same as being a medical professional?? GEEZ LOUISE people!! GROW UP! That is all.

Or people who are just "living their lives post weight loss surgery" and "know what has worked for them".

There's nothing store-bought that you're gonna find that'll be chemical-free, at least in my experience. I ended up making my own stuff from scratch (I have all kinds of interesting food allergies and sensitivities.) You can make popsicles and Jello from Water, plain Gelatin, and fruit juice (which won't be sugar-free, just no sugar added, but you can control that.) I used beef collagen peptides and homemade broth instead of shakes, and ate cod and chicken liver to supplement my supplements, as it were. It did sort of amaze me that all these health professionals were telling me to subsist on things that were absolutely terrible for me! Soy Protein isolate...aspartame...gut-irritating gums like xanthan and arabic...gross!

I have said on these forums time and time again. While advice from surgeons and nutritionists should certainly be heeded during the healing stages, ultimately, we are the ones that have to live the rest of our lives and find the balance that works for us. I think it's very important to understand the guidelines and why they may be important and then make an educated decision about how you want to live the rest of your life. I have seen posters on these forums who drink carbonation, drink through a straw, eat and drink at the same time, etc. and have successfully lost and maintained their weight. The trick is figuring out if YOU are capable of doing that. I have made the CHOICE not to drink carbonated beverages, drink through a straw (most of the time), and not eat and drink at the same time. While those were all guidelines I was given in the beginning, it has been MY decision to continue following them based on my own priorities and experiences. We all ultimately have to find our own way to live this life long term.

I have no idea what fruit broth is but it doesn't sound like it has Protein or would be bariatric friendly.
Please make an appointment with your NUT to talk about your goals. In addition, you might want to talk with a therapist or counselor about your anxiety.

So, don't know if this will help or not...I also had a very, very slow metabolism. Diets that worked for everyone else just didn't work for me, no matter how religiously I weighed and logged every gram, or how hard or often I hit my Crossfit box. Low carb? Check. Weight training? Check. Massive calorie deficit? Check. Protein-sparing modified fast? Check. Moderate deficit? Check. Strict paleo? Check. Tried vegan? Check. Coaching? Cognitive behavioral therapy? Meal delivery? Integrative medical plan? Yes, yes, and yes. NOTHING WORKED.
I had the sleeve done in early December, and discovered a couple of things:
I have actually managed to lose some weight. More than I have in a long, long time. Enough to make my clothes fit better. I feel better. I'll be able to fit on roller coasters when King Island opens in a few months. Yay! I'm happy about this! HOWEVER: It's come off really, really slowly. Like, in two months, I've lost what a lot of people lose in the first 3-4 weeks. And my BMI was solidly over 40. I'm short. I had well over 100 lbs to lose. It's not like I was just on the edge of not qualifying. Weight stays put for a few days, bounces up, goes down a little, stops moving, rinse repeat. I didn't just hit a week three stall...I hit a two week stall, then a three week stall, then a four week stall, lost a little, lost a little, then another few days of stall. This is on 700 calories a day, walking 8000 - 10,000 steps, carbs below 30, drinking 60-70 ounces of Water, lots of Protein. ALSO: I have other medical crap going on. Shortly before surgery my new and brilliant GI specialist diagnosed me with a small intestine bacterial overgrowth. Short version, have probably had it for years, and it's wreaked havoc in my digestion and subsequently my endocrine system (hello thyroid!) Also, another specialist I've been seeing pointed out that my temperature has been dipping ever downward for the few months he's been looking at it. This means that my metabolism is screwed up. Apparently, my body, when presented with magnesium, has no clue what to do with it. So. To make a long story short, if you have metabolism issues, surgery MIGHT help resolve them. This, of course, depends on what they are. And even if you have metabolic problems and the surgery doesn't fix them (like my case), you CAN still lose weight. It won't be like everyone else's, and this is a huge, huge bummer. I'm also hungry on my tiny little portions. Yes, VSG gets rid of ghrelin production for the first few months. However, if your problem is leptin resistance, your brain will never get that message that you've had enough and you can stop eating. I don't know why everyone gets so fixated on ghrelin and think that that's the only hormone responsible for hunger. Makes me nuts...just like everyone who says that if you just follow the program or do X, Y, or Z (cut carbs, cut calories, drink more Water, exercise in a particular way, do interpretive dance under the full moon, WHATEVER) it will work for you, because it worked for them.
My advice...treat the weight like any other symptom of a disease state in your body. The surgery will help you manage that symptom, but if you're not looking for the root cause, it'll always be a THING you'll be dealing with. I don't know if I'll be able to correct whatever's causing my metabolism shutdown. It might be related to some MTHFR genetic mutations I tested for, in which case, we won't be able to fix it, but I will eventually figure out how to manage it. Or maybe once my intestine has healed from the SIBO (which appears to be gone, huzzah) things will get much better. Don't know. Weight MAY continue to be an issue post-sleeve...but I'm doing everything I can. I've got that going for me, even when I'm so frustrated I want to scream.
Don't know if that helps or not...I really wrote a long post, didn't I?

@@robbie&kaitlyn - so glad!
Just out of curiousity, where in Poland? I was in the Peace Corps, and my best friend there lived in a mountain town called Poprad that was just on the other side of the border from Zakopane, a ski resort town we used to go to all the time. We also went clubbing in Krakow and had the most amazing blowout weekends there...ah, to be young enough to stay awake past 10:00 pm...
Seriously, though - will you have time to sight see? The Tatry mountains are stunning, and some of those old cities have unbelievably beautiful medieval castles and churches. Beer's awesome, too (although you probably won't be doing a lot of that, what with the surgery and all.

So, who's the psychic genius who thinks they can tell who bariatric surgery will work and who it won't? I had very slow metabolism, too...and lost slowly..but I am losing and now in sight of my goal. Keep up hope and follow doctor's orders.

Unless the hospital is sending hair to a third world country for weaving, I can't think of a single reason why one would have to shave for WLS. I didn't have to shave for childbirth, spinal surgery or a hysterectomy.
You simple HAVE to ask and then PLEASE report the reasoning back to us.
We will be right here, keeping your place warm on "The Losers' Bench".
Bless,
Valentina

What the hell?!?
No, no shaving required. No shaving done.
Why in the world are you required to shave your pubic hair?
Out of curiosity, has any male patient ever been required to shave his pubic hair prior to laparoscopic surgery?

Very interested in knowing your surgical teams reason for being so adamant about a shaved vagina for an abdominal surgery. I am an RN and have never heard of or seen that.