Wheetsin

Let me do the math rq. You were 330 at surgery and you're now 275.9.
We have really similar stats. I started at 348, am currently 260, and am about 5 months out.
I still feel (and AM) fat, but I'm getting to a place where I can feel pretty again. I'm not "a looker" by any means (Looker, not Hooker, though I'm not that either), so maybe ANY feeling pretty is misplaced, but I'll take it. I'm starting to feel a little more normal. "Normal" fat instead of "Crazy" fat. I'll feel a lot better around the 210 mark.
Feel good about yourself, feel accepted, feel pretty -- I can't tell you that. I HOPE you can. And if you find that you cannot, I hope you can take a long, hard look at yourself and figure out why. Everyone has worth, regardless anything
"This isn't what I wanted it to do for me." I think the surgery is doing exactly what it's supposed to. Are you eating less than before? That's about all it can give us. The rest is on us. Maybe you had unrealistic expectations? What did you expect? Let us know, we might be able to help level set or troubleshoot.

I assume you mean post-op? No, I haven't. Haven't wanted any. Sleeved or not, they're pretty gross. I'm about 5 months out.
Truly not to tease you for the typo, but I'm seriously sitting here with "Maw-cho maw-cho cheeeeeese" (to the tune of the Village People) stuck in my head. Thanks, because that's so awesome.

I never threw up. I never had nausea in the hospital. I did once feel like I might chuck (the first time I tried something thick & sticky - cream cheese, of all things), because it didn't want to go down. It wasn't really a stomach thing, it was an esophagus thing. I was a revision from a band so my issues were a bit different. They had to do magic with my scar tissue. And this caused some swelling in areas that don't really swell. So yeah - you can assume the worst, but it's actually very very common for people to not have any problems (way more common than I thought it was when I went in).
You guys not pooping - unfortunately it happens. I'd say (not a Dr.) that as long as you aren't in discomfort, it's OK-ish. I mean, it's never great, but it's not horrible either. I pooped once or twice after surgery, then went either just under, or just over 2 weeks without pooping. Without having any urge to poop. Soluble Fiber + Miralax + as many fluids as you can manage. (You REALLY don't want to take additive Fiber without increasing your fluids). And when I did poop, it wasn't nice. I felt like I pooped a sandpaper brick. Actually it felt like a pooped a huge sandpaper brick. And in reality, it was like a walnut. Yes, I looked. I wanted to see what 2 week old poop looked like, I guess. Or how alien the thing I just birthed really was. I was like "OMG - no... that's SO SMALL!" How our butts distort things like that, I have no idea, but they do.
Wait until you have to poop, and it comes halfway out and gets stuck. Tell me what you do then.

On the most fundamental level - you KNOW it's not fat gain, right? Which means it's something else. And my bet is on Fluid. If it's Fluid weight, it doesn't matter.
I'm not saying any of these are the case, but consider things like:

You probably got more in IV fluids than what you would normally drink. And you have fluid retention - swelling, if nothing else.
Is TOM anywhere close? (don't answer that) I can gain about 13 lbs with TOM.
Have you pooped? Poop has weight.
If you're on your own with fluids now, there's probably been a marked decrease. Especially over the IV fluids. When your body stops getting fluids - even temporarily, it reacts by turning into a hoarder. Just plain Water weighs about 8 lbs per gallon.
Step away from the scale! Do you know you could have weighed yourself 3 hours earlier and been 6 or 7 pounds lighter? Our weights fluctuate so much, especially in your place of being in a fat burning mode.

On the most fundamental level - you KNOW it's not fat gain, right? Which means it's something else. And my bet is on Fluid. If it's Fluid weight, it doesn't matter.
I'm not saying any of these are the case, but consider things like:

You probably got more in IV fluids than what you would normally drink. And you have fluid retention - swelling, if nothing else.
Is TOM anywhere close? (don't answer that) I can gain about 13 lbs with TOM.
Have you pooped? Poop has weight.
If you're on your own with fluids now, there's probably been a marked decrease. Especially over the IV fluids. When your body stops getting fluids - even temporarily, it reacts by turning into a hoarder. Just plain Water weighs about 8 lbs per gallon.
Step away from the scale! Do you know you could have weighed yourself 3 hours earlier and been 6 or 7 pounds lighter? Our weights fluctuate so much, especially in your place of being in a fat burning mode.

"3 week stall" (which really isn't a stall) is almost something we need to expect... but no one tells us about.
Honestly, don't try to break it. It's not really a stall, it's your body trying to adjust. You're seeing what goes in to your body, but you aren't seeing what's happening on the inside. Your body's kind of freaking out right now, trying to survive this famine. Your body doesn't know it's supposed to be eating less, your body just knows how to survive. To it, there's not much food, so it must be starving. Reserve energy "troops" are being mobilized out of bunkers like your liver and into your bloodstream. Your metabolism may have been given the order to lay low and avoid enemy fire. Your body is pulling resources like Fluid away from more well-fed troops and giving it to the ones who aren't doing so hot. All of this fluctuation is behind most things we call "stalls" (it's also behind most unexplainable or quick weight losses/gains).
Your body is doing exactly what it should do. Don't have a knee jerk reaction and try to "fix" something, because there's nothing wrong and nothing to fix. If you try to fix, you're just going to throw things off even more.
After about 5 or 6 weeks of this, then you can start looking at what you're doing and what you night be able to change, but even then you can do everything right and see no results. It's just a fact of being alive.

"3 week stall" (which really isn't a stall) is almost something we need to expect... but no one tells us about.
Honestly, don't try to break it. It's not really a stall, it's your body trying to adjust. You're seeing what goes in to your body, but you aren't seeing what's happening on the inside. Your body's kind of freaking out right now, trying to survive this famine. Your body doesn't know it's supposed to be eating less, your body just knows how to survive. To it, there's not much food, so it must be starving. Reserve energy "troops" are being mobilized out of bunkers like your liver and into your bloodstream. Your metabolism may have been given the order to lay low and avoid enemy fire. Your body is pulling resources like Fluid away from more well-fed troops and giving it to the ones who aren't doing so hot. All of this fluctuation is behind most things we call "stalls" (it's also behind most unexplainable or quick weight losses/gains).
Your body is doing exactly what it should do. Don't have a knee jerk reaction and try to "fix" something, because there's nothing wrong and nothing to fix. If you try to fix, you're just going to throw things off even more.
After about 5 or 6 weeks of this, then you can start looking at what you're doing and what you night be able to change, but even then you can do everything right and see no results. It's just a fact of being alive.

I assume you mean post-op? No, I haven't. Haven't wanted any. Sleeved or not, they're pretty gross. I'm about 5 months out.
Truly not to tease you for the typo, but I'm seriously sitting here with "Maw-cho maw-cho cheeeeeese" (to the tune of the Village People) stuck in my head. Thanks, because that's so awesome.

I never threw up. I never had nausea in the hospital. I did once feel like I might chuck (the first time I tried something thick & sticky - cream cheese, of all things), because it didn't want to go down. It wasn't really a stomach thing, it was an esophagus thing. I was a revision from a band so my issues were a bit different. They had to do magic with my scar tissue. And this caused some swelling in areas that don't really swell. So yeah - you can assume the worst, but it's actually very very common for people to not have any problems (way more common than I thought it was when I went in).
You guys not pooping - unfortunately it happens. I'd say (not a Dr.) that as long as you aren't in discomfort, it's OK-ish. I mean, it's never great, but it's not horrible either. I pooped once or twice after surgery, then went either just under, or just over 2 weeks without pooping. Without having any urge to poop. Soluble Fiber + Miralax + as many fluids as you can manage. (You REALLY don't want to take additive Fiber without increasing your fluids). And when I did poop, it wasn't nice. I felt like I pooped a sandpaper brick. Actually it felt like a pooped a huge sandpaper brick. And in reality, it was like a walnut. Yes, I looked. I wanted to see what 2 week old poop looked like, I guess. Or how alien the thing I just birthed really was. I was like "OMG - no... that's SO SMALL!" How our butts distort things like that, I have no idea, but they do.
Wait until you have to poop, and it comes halfway out and gets stuck. Tell me what you do then.

I've gotten that before - shopping for a friend who's a perfect size 2. As if I didn't know I was too fat to wear the clothes where I was (Anne Taylor). I've also bought for myself for future sizes - if something is cute enough I'll want to keep wearing it, I'll buy it in a few sizes down. I've had some comments about that, too.
I've been dressed down in an upscale store before (I had to make an unplanned trip while I was actually just out to buy more stain since I'd taken the day off to stain my deck, so had all sorts of grime all over me), been looking for the item I was asked to pick up, and be redirected to the clearance area where things are "more affordable" and "deeply discounted, so more likely to be in your price range."
I get catty and/or confrontational when I'm offended. (Un)fortunately, I've never been great at just "taking it," especially when it's personal.
B***h please, go make your minimum wage over there, away from me. Shoo. I'm here to spend a lot of money, not be insulted by you.

Let's be fair. There's such a thing as skin lesions. Panniculectomies are generally covered by insurance, which means that like this "medically necessary" VSG, they too are considered "medically necessary." Granted - boob jobs and tummy tucks generally are not, but that doesn't mean they're any more comfortable to live with. The boob thing especially. I can vouch for the lesions that can occur there as well.
We can be happy we're healthy and are loved, and still want to try and get our bodies back to "normal." You do realize those two things aren't mutually exclusive...?
If your avatar is you, I'm guessing your hair is colored. Shouldn't you just love yourself for you, and be glad you aren't bald? If we break our leg, we don't just let it heal on its own and be happy that we still have it, we want to get it fixed and we want it as close to "how it should be" as possible. Do you think burn victims should forego the "optional" surgeries to repair function and form, outside of what's absolutely required, and just be glad that they have "some" skin, or that they have scar tissue instead of open wounds? She's wanted to repair damage done and get her "real" body back. Don't most people want to repair damage?
If someone has destroyed their body through obesity, but it's in their means to try and correct the damage, what's the harm? Is it like some kind of a sentence that we must live with the day-to-day discomfort of our stretched-out bodies? It's not like she's talking about body dysmorphic disorder.
I certainly don't wear my pannus like a badge of honor...

Cheating on a pre-op diet won't kill you. You know you shouldn't, chose to, and it's in the past. So let it go, and just do what you need to do going forward.
I say this from a good place, not waggling my finger at you. I do notice you're taking a lot of time to qualify/justify your "cheats" (I don't even like to call them that). That speaks to your regret, but don't regret. Just work toward change. I'm talking about the additions like: it was grilled, there wasn't a Protein option, no sugar added, etc. You might want to bring up the "cheats" with your surgeon, but it's your choice. Some do, most do not. It is what it is. Of anything, your "justification" concerns me the most. Only because it's truly one of the hardest shifts for us to make post-op (possibly the hardest, collectively speaking). Our brains are really good at getting what they want. When they want this "bad" thing, they will give us whatever we need to make us feel like it was "ok" or "not that bad" or "had no choice" or whatever. I've been there sooo many times I can't even count them, and I probably only win over bad brain about 60% of the time. The closer you can get pre-op, the easier it will be post-op. Best of luck!

Regardless of any other advice, the primary message here should be "follow your surgeon's instructions."

Cheating on a pre-op diet won't kill you. You know you shouldn't, chose to, and it's in the past. So let it go, and just do what you need to do going forward.
I say this from a good place, not waggling my finger at you. I do notice you're taking a lot of time to qualify/justify your "cheats" (I don't even like to call them that). That speaks to your regret, but don't regret. Just work toward change. I'm talking about the additions like: it was grilled, there wasn't a Protein option, no sugar added, etc. You might want to bring up the "cheats" with your surgeon, but it's your choice. Some do, most do not. It is what it is. Of anything, your "justification" concerns me the most. Only because it's truly one of the hardest shifts for us to make post-op (possibly the hardest, collectively speaking). Our brains are really good at getting what they want. When they want this "bad" thing, they will give us whatever we need to make us feel like it was "ok" or "not that bad" or "had no choice" or whatever. I've been there sooo many times I can't even count them, and I probably only win over bad brain about 60% of the time. The closer you can get pre-op, the easier it will be post-op. Best of luck!

I'm not going to read through every response so forgive any of these that are duplicates.
The things I didn't know about before are fairly personal - not as in "won't share" but as in "specific to my situation". I was a revision, and so the only things that have surprised me are relative to my previous WLS, or the things you have to be living it to know whether or not they even apply to you. But I'm a researcher, and started looking into VSG about 5 years ago. Not a lot will escape those two conditions.
However, I see a lot of new people "shocked" to learn lots of things, so here are some that I see come up a lot:
You will probably lose a good amount of your hair (I'd estimate 20% - 40%) starting about 2 or 3 months after surgery.
It's possible to dump with the sleeve. Most people seem surprised to learn this. In fact, there's already been a thread on it today.
It's possible to develop intolerances to foods with the sleeve. Not "sleeve doesn't like it" but actual intolerances.
Reflux is a fairly common side effect.
Reflux over time can lead to additional issues such as Barret's.
Reflux can be helped (I won't say controlled) by medications - PPIs and the like.
PPIs are currently under a lot of scrutiny for their long-term effects, i.e. bone density.
[*]Your tastes can change with this surgery. So can the foods that work for you. These aren't necessarily slow changes. You'll probably be eating low-carb, at least for a while, and that can bring its own complications:

"Ketosis" breath
Low potassium may result in muscular cramps particularly in the legs/feet
Pooping might totally change. In too many ways than I can list here, but let's just say there aren't really any good ways.
Etc.
[*]You may have to take Fiber supplements and/or laxatives for quite some time, maybe permanently. But maybe you'll never need one. Just gotta wait and see.
[*]Since this is not a malabsorptive procedure, it's still possible to gain weight. You're still accountable for the things you eat. I'm surprised to see others surprised by this.
[*]When food doesn't "sit well" it can be surprisingly painful, and can hurt in places that initially won't make sense (referred pains).
[*]You may or ay not have problems with nausea. I've had no nausea, and no vomiting -- but I've had my share of discomfort.
[*]Your body will probably start to make new noises. Gurgles, burps that aren't burps (I call them nurps), etc. They may or may not go away.
[*]Your hunger may significantly diminish, or go away completely. But it might also remain consistent. Our fundus is the primary place where Ghrelin is produced, but it's not the only place. Think this is only a good thing?

Lots of studies right now are pretty consistently linking Ghrelin to things like memory and cognitive function, is in - not enough Ghrelin, so in 50 years you may be skinny & have no idea why.
[*]Lots of aspects of general weightloss tend to be forgotten or overlooked: things like your feet get smaller, your fingers, etc.

Medication dosages may also need to be recalibrated
You will need to actively adjust your caloric intake (you won't have much say in it for a while, tho) to adjust for your shrinking body - needs can change by 1000 calories, easily. Don't get in a "rut" and assume things will be forever this way, or that.



There's more, but that's all I can think of off the top of my Ghrelin-starved brain.

Can I start with an I LOVE? I love that this is nothing like what I thought it would be. I really, really thought (as ink had resigned myself to accepting) that this would be fairly miserable: constant nausea or vomiting, virtually guaranteed food intolerances, etc. About 5 months in and I can eat anything, so far. That includes Pasta, rice, bread, dough, etc. Not that I eat it much or in large amounts, but I can get it down. I do still very much enjoy the freedom to eat whatever I want (though I really wouldn't complain if it were any other way).
The NSAIDS are indeed back and forth. Really, the only reason we can't take them is a "just in case". They aren't inherently bad for us, but IF you do have a reaction or complication that results in an ulcer, it could be harder to treat than if you had a regular stomach. Ok so that's super simplified, but the idea is there.
What I hate --
I hate not really knowing when to stop. As a general rule I under-eat my sleeve. This has also resulted in me never having hit above 650 calories in an entire day, 5 months out. I worry about that. It's no good. I'd hoped to be around 900 calories by now. My nutritionist wanted me at 900 calories 3 months ago. And from what I've been told, this may never change. I never thought I would _hate_ that I can't eat _enough_ calories.
Related to the above, I do hate the hairloss. I've been through it before (previous WLS) and I'm rather used to it now... but it still sucks. If nothing else, I hate having to clean my shower drain every day.
I hate what this has done to my poops. I take Fiber, and laxatives, and still have a hard time. A few times I've been able to go, only to have it "get stuck" halfway out and refuse to budge (either direction). That may be TMI for some, but it's the truth. What the heck are you supposed to do when that happens?
I hate that I have pretty bad reflux, and I hate that every time I reflux, I worry about complications. Mental note: call my surgeon and talk about this. My reflux is associated with a particular sensation, and it's a sensation I also had with my band - which makes little sense. I'm wondering if I have some dismotility, or a slight stricture. My "this may never change" above is related to the amount of scar tissue I had from my band & previous surgeries, which could also be exacerbating this sensation/reflux.
I hate that with my lapband I lost weight like a rockstar, and relatively 'm a total toirtoise this time around. Don't get me wrong, I think I'm going OK considering I stalled for the better part of my first 3 months post-op. But when I had lost weight so quickly before, I just had high expectations that it would happen again and accepting that it isn't going to sucks money butts.
I hate that I don't know what to do with my too-big clothes. So I'm hoarding them. Because I'm also a little afraid to get rid of them (if I'd gotten rid of them the first time, I'd have been screwed when that weight came back.)
I hate what my body is looking like. I'll take it over the fat -- don't get me wrong. And I'm not a vain person. But I look like a melty wax sculpture. I guess more generically, I hate that I've ALREADY destroyed my body. That I will never have my natural, tone bare skin again. That I've wrecked it, and that no matter how much weight I lose, I will never have my beautiful naked self again.
Ugh I could go on.

Regardless of any other advice, the primary message here should be "follow your surgeon's instructions."

Regardless of any other advice, the primary message here should be "follow your surgeon's instructions."

I've gotten that before - shopping for a friend who's a perfect size 2. As if I didn't know I was too fat to wear the clothes where I was (Anne Taylor). I've also bought for myself for future sizes - if something is cute enough I'll want to keep wearing it, I'll buy it in a few sizes down. I've had some comments about that, too.
I've been dressed down in an upscale store before (I had to make an unplanned trip while I was actually just out to buy more stain since I'd taken the day off to stain my deck, so had all sorts of grime all over me), been looking for the item I was asked to pick up, and be redirected to the clearance area where things are "more affordable" and "deeply discounted, so more likely to be in your price range."
I get catty and/or confrontational when I'm offended. (Un)fortunately, I've never been great at just "taking it," especially when it's personal.
B***h please, go make your minimum wage over there, away from me. Shoo. I'm here to spend a lot of money, not be insulted by you.

Regardless of any other advice, the primary message here should be "follow your surgeon's instructions."

I've gotten that before - shopping for a friend who's a perfect size 2. As if I didn't know I was too fat to wear the clothes where I was (Anne Taylor). I've also bought for myself for future sizes - if something is cute enough I'll want to keep wearing it, I'll buy it in a few sizes down. I've had some comments about that, too.
I've been dressed down in an upscale store before (I had to make an unplanned trip while I was actually just out to buy more stain since I'd taken the day off to stain my deck, so had all sorts of grime all over me), been looking for the item I was asked to pick up, and be redirected to the clearance area where things are "more affordable" and "deeply discounted, so more likely to be in your price range."
I get catty and/or confrontational when I'm offended. (Un)fortunately, I've never been great at just "taking it," especially when it's personal.
B***h please, go make your minimum wage over there, away from me. Shoo. I'm here to spend a lot of money, not be insulted by you.

Regardless of any other advice, the primary message here should be "follow your surgeon's instructions."

I've gotten that before - shopping for a friend who's a perfect size 2. As if I didn't know I was too fat to wear the clothes where I was (Anne Taylor). I've also bought for myself for future sizes - if something is cute enough I'll want to keep wearing it, I'll buy it in a few sizes down. I've had some comments about that, too.
I've been dressed down in an upscale store before (I had to make an unplanned trip while I was actually just out to buy more stain since I'd taken the day off to stain my deck, so had all sorts of grime all over me), been looking for the item I was asked to pick up, and be redirected to the clearance area where things are "more affordable" and "deeply discounted, so more likely to be in your price range."
I get catty and/or confrontational when I'm offended. (Un)fortunately, I've never been great at just "taking it," especially when it's personal.
B***h please, go make your minimum wage over there, away from me. Shoo. I'm here to spend a lot of money, not be insulted by you.

I've gotten that before - shopping for a friend who's a perfect size 2. As if I didn't know I was too fat to wear the clothes where I was (Anne Taylor). I've also bought for myself for future sizes - if something is cute enough I'll want to keep wearing it, I'll buy it in a few sizes down. I've had some comments about that, too.
I've been dressed down in an upscale store before (I had to make an unplanned trip while I was actually just out to buy more stain since I'd taken the day off to stain my deck, so had all sorts of grime all over me), been looking for the item I was asked to pick up, and be redirected to the clearance area where things are "more affordable" and "deeply discounted, so more likely to be in your price range."
I get catty and/or confrontational when I'm offended. (Un)fortunately, I've never been great at just "taking it," especially when it's personal.
B***h please, go make your minimum wage over there, away from me. Shoo. I'm here to spend a lot of money, not be insulted by you.

I would say don't trust that it's just surgery, and do whatever due diligence you need for peace of mind. That being said, I'm about 5 months out and my periods are still completely jacked up. Late, early, lasting almost twice as long as normal, acne breakouts, bleeding between periods, etc. I have issues with Constipation and I've even had vaginal bleeding after poops that make me work for them. (Yes, I'm sure it was vaginal blood and not a hemorrhoid or tear - I know which part of me I'm wiping, TYVM Gyno who thought I was just confusing the two.)
Our bodies go through a lot with surgery, and that doesn't stop. Weightloss is an extremely stressful thing for our bodies. It goes gainst everything our bodies do naturally. Until we reach goal, we're pretty much in body panic mode. Not to mention the hormones, switches in body priority (e.g. hairloss), etc.
I had my annual exam last week and told my gyno all of this. She basically agreed it's to be expected. And also brought up that, "You're no longer 20, and as you age..."
I can tell you my body is extremely out of whack. Has been for about 5 months now. In my case, it's "normal" but that doesn't mean someone else on here going through the same things is also "normal" so any concerns, make an appt!