Lizardlady

I can't really chime in on the weight gain thing because I really didn't gain much at all with my last pregnancy (he's 4 months old now). I gained a total of 8lbs but it fluctuated up and down consistently. Some weeks I would gain 5-6 lbs and others I would lose it all. The baby was 7lbs 6oz at birth so technically I actually lost weight during the pregnancy when you consider water, blood and placenta weight on top of baby weight. I really wasn't able to eat a whole lot because of my sleeve and I was sick the entire way through (was similar in my first pregnancy prior to my surgery but this one was way worse). However, I can tell you that if you can breastfeed and pump, you should TOTALLY do it.... I'm still losing weight and I'm sure it's from breastfeeding because my appetite is fine now. Keep in mind that being pregnant doesn't mean you have to eat a lot more. In fact, I ate a lot less because most of what I did manage to eat... didn't stay down!

I actually lost weight in both of my pregnancies (one being prior to my surgery) and this last one I lost at first and only gained 8 lbs total for the entire pregnancy which fluctuated up and down. The baby was 7lbs 6oz at birth..... and after I had him I lost over 25 lbs within a few weeks. I think it really depends on your weight going in on how much you will actually gain or lose (if any). If you are overweight then you aren't supposed to gain much and the more overweight you are, the less you are supposed to gain if that makes sense. I was sick the entire way through but the Drs were not concerned as I was still overweight and the baby was absolutely fine. Just stay hydrated is what they will most likely tell you and if need be then get on some nausea meds to help keep some kind of food down. However, I wouldn't worry about it as long as the baby is healthy at ultrasounds and is kicking, I think you'll be just fine.

I had the same issue throughout my entire pregnancy. I'm not sure if it was just me because my first pregnancy (prior to my gastric sleeve), I was also sick throughout the whole pregnancy and not just "morning" sickness. HOWEVER, this was on a whole new level! I felt like I was full ALL DAY after only eating a small amount of food and like maybe it wasn't digesting. I was told even in people without gastric sleeve that this is completely normal and one of the most common complaints from pregnant women. While you are pregnant, your digestive system changes from the hormones. I was put on ranitidine as well as a nausea medication for pregnant women but honestly it didn't help much. I also tried Preggy Pops which didn't do anything either. The farther along I got, the less room I had for food but the good news is that it is only temporary! 😃

My breasts were actually MORE sore with my pregnancy after weight loss. My first son I had at 19 and didn't notice much breast tenderness or soreness or even sensitivity but THIS time it happened early and very noticeable.

I've used Isopure but I didn't even know Premier had clear ones. I guess I'll have to try those as well! Isopure is kind of hit and miss for me. Some flavors I could tolerate and others I couldn't but it definitely got me through the times that I just COULD NOT stomach another shake so maybe the Premier is the same?

I have PCOS and I'm almost 2 years post op. Although I am having issues right now with regaining weight, it's not all because of PCOS. I'm 5'6" and started at 369 as my highest weight. Surgery day I was around 325 and after surgery my lowest was 235lbs (up until September when hurricane Irma came through Florida). So I lost quite a lot (134lbs total) but I would say that PCOS definitely played a role it keeping the weight loss slower and maybe not as much as most people would have. I did have several long stalls even in the early honeymoon phase that I think I would attribute to PCOS. I was pre diabetic before my surgery and I was on both Metformin and Spironolactone to control the symptoms of my PCOS. After surgery I am no longer on those medications and MOST of my symptoms seem to be somewhat under control. HOWEVER, there were/are some issues for me. Many women with PCOS have issues with hair growth (in places you really don't want hair) as well as issues with hair loss on your head. If you are one of these people then I will warn you that the hair growth has gotten worse as it grows much faster and the hair loss although it is finally starting to get better for me now, my hair was VERY VERY thin for quite a long time after surgery. I always had hair that would fall out a lot in the shower but I always had thick hair even still and that part of PCOS never bothered me because it wasn't really noticeable. My hair was able to keep up and replace the hair that I lost fast enough that it didn't cause thin hair issues. After surgery it fell out pretty dramatically and the backs of my shirts and pillows were always covered in hair that had fallen out and the hair itself seemed to get frizzy and a lot less healthy. It is only now STARTING to come back but it has a long way to go still before I would say it's back to normal. Obviously the surgery doesn't cure PCOS because there is no cure, you will always have it, but it does help with many of the symptoms. I will say that I would do the surgery all over again though so don't let what I say dissuade you. It helped to give me my life back and I have NO regrets about having it done.

Well, it happened, I am completely off the wagon and I need a reset. After Hurricane Irma, we had no choice but to eat some MRE food that was given out for free (we had no power for 2 weeks where I live). This was our first hurricane and we didn't quite plan accordingly. Know better next time but regardless, I have no excuse NOW and I am wayyyyyy off on what I should be eating and my portions. I'm not really sure what kept me going with eating garbage and too much of it but it seemed like the more I ate, the less I cared about what I was eating and had cravings more often and snacking between "meals" even though it was more like just constant snacking with the MREs. Now I'd like to fix it and get back on track. I have gained back a huge amount of weight from went from 235 to 267 and although I did lose some last week and dropped down to 250 (I was super sick and couldn't eat anything), I'm back up to 267 in a matter of a week of being able to eat again. I think my biggest problem is eating way too much and too often. While it's true I have been eating some things I shouldn't be eating, this week I have actually tried cutting way back on carbs but I'm still ravenously hungry even if it is for steak or a protein shake! I could drink a shake and then 20 mins later I'll be hungry again and it's head hunger as there is no possible way I could actually be hungry with how often I am eating. I have heard of the 5 Day Pouch Test and was wondering if anyone on this forum has used it and if they had any luck "resetting" themselves? I need my post surgery stomach and appetite right now and it's just not there! I am still eating less than pre surgery but if I'm being honest, not by much! The portions may be smaller but I'm eating much more often. Anyone have any tips/tricks? I am in definite need of some support. It's already gotten out of hand.

I had my surgery almost 9 months ago. I can only tell you my own personal experience but everyone seems to have a unique experience so I'm not sure if it will help you or not but here it goes: 1. I've had several surgeries done in the past. Back surgeries for ruptured disc and also to widen my spinal canal as well as a C section. This was by far the easiest as far as pain goes. I even had some issues with the dry heaves and vomiting the same night of surgery and it wasn't nearly as bad as what I thought it was going to be. I thought if I vomited I might rip something open or at least be extremely painful and that just wasn't the case. Sure it wasn't the most pleasant experience but it's not nearly as bad as one might think. 2. Again the pain wasn't anywhere near being as bad as the other surgeries. Actually, I didn't even take any of the prescribed pain meds once I got home except later in the week and that was only because I had a pretty bad migraine so I more or less took it for the headache pain. The pain from the surgery itself was there but more of a tenderness and stiffness. The only sharp pains I had was if I turned or tried to move suddenly. Once relaxed, the pain is pretty bearable. As far as the other things you listed goes: Yes, I did throw up some things for the first few months and honestly, even now sometimes something just doesn't sit well but it's usually when I eat something that I really should not have eaten and early on it may have been from just trying to eat too much. Certain things just turn my stomach but not very often now. I can pretty much eat anything I want (if the mood strikes me or there is a special occasion) and if it doesn't sit well then it just doesn't. I should mention, it's hard to explain but for me, it is a much different experience than your normal "sickly" vomit. It's not nearly as big of a deal and I throw up and feel fine after. Constipation was another issue I had and it was unexpected as I had NEVER had issues like that before. However, it was more than likely from the vitamins I was taking (too much iron) combined with protein shakes and peanut butter powder as well as lots of cheese (it was about the only thing I really wanted to eat). it was only really bad up to about month 5. I can still have some minor issues with it now but nothing some Milk of Magnesia or an Enema can't fix. No issues swallowing. As a matter of fact, I asked my surgeon about that since it was a concern for me since I had issues with my swallowing sometimes pre-sleeve. I no longer have issues at all which is a bonus I suppose. Gerd is a common issue, yes. Especially if you had issues with acid stomach before surgery. My surgeon gave me a prescription for it which I did take for the first few months. Now I can usually pop a tums if I need one and be good to go. 3. Follow your surgeon's instructions to a T to minimize your risks. Also, there is never any harm in asking your surgeon about his history with potential issues. Ask how many times he has done the procedure and how many issues he's had. I did and it certainly made me feel better! Make sure you have a great surgeon! I was also extremely nervous about the risks of surgery but mine was mostly worries about waking up after anesthesia. Honestly, I shouldn't have worried so much. 4. That seems to be a pretty common question on here. I can say with all honesty, the only real regret I had was when I was having major constipation issues and I worried it would last forever (which it didn't). Here are a few other posts that I had replied to that had a similar question. Maybe reading all of the replies on these will put you more at ease (or not?): 5. When you eat it might feel funny. I remember feeling my food move through when I swallowed which was pretty weird. Almost like I could put my finger on the exact spot my food was as it went down and it would make funny noises (sometimes still does). Other than that, it feels pretty normal. You don't feel like you are missing a piece of yourself if that's what you mean lol. 6. Can't really answer this honestly since I'm not THAT far out yet but so far so good. 7. It's tough at first but your surgeon's team probably expects that. Stay hydrated and treat every day as a new one. Don't dwell if you don't make your goal for the day. You won't want to eat much at first but if you're anything like me, just give it some time. I know this was a lot to read, but I wanted to cover all the questions as much as possible and hopefully it helped you some in your decision. Having the surgery done is a very personal decision that nobody else can make for you or tell you what you "should" do. For me, I don't have any regrets. I'm down 123 lbs from my heaviest weight and I would not have been able to do it without this surgery. Other than a few very minor issues here and there I feel back to my normal self only much healthier and happier, a lot less pain (from being overwight) and I'm able to do things I never thought I'd be able to do again. The trade off was more than worth it for me. I would wish the same for anyone else!

I have been away for awhile due to remodeling and a move and I just noticed the update to the site today. I went to enter my new weight and look at my "chart view" but it is showing starting at the date of 1970 and not from the date I had used for my starting weight. It's pretty weird. Anyway, thought I would post it here since it was not like this before the update and also it's kind of hard to read the chart now lol.

Wow, my surgeon actually let me keep vaping. I specifically asked him and he said it's fine. I asked because there was a part on one of the papers I had to sign for surgery where I had to agree not to smoke and I didn't sign it. I vaped right up till I walked in the hospital for surgery. No issues but maybe there is a reason for it?

Honestly, going through the pre-surgery and post-surgery liquid diets should help to cleanse your pallet if you do them properly. I drank A LOT of soda and really 0 Water pre-surgery but now most things taste way too sweet and I just don't like them anymore. Cake at a birthday party I can eat a few bites of and I'm done. Same for carbs. I LOVED carbs pre-surgery and sometimes my nose thinks it wants them still but if I do decide to have a bite of something, it's not nearly as satisfying as it used to be. As a matter of fact, it just simply doesn't taste good anymore and it's not worth the extra lbs to me. However, there are some things that I loved before that I still love now. One of them being sea food! I can't eat as much of it of course but I actually enjoy my food more now since I only get a little bit of it and seafood is something I don't need to feel guilty about eating. It is hard to explain, but the best I can say is that the voice inside my head that used to tell me "You love the taste of this food so eat it!" is almost entirely gone. Some explain it as a scream has become a whisper and that is pretty darn accurate. I would definitely say your tastes will most likely change but not all of them so pay attention to what your body tells you and if you know you have a weakness, use caution if you decide to give in to it because you CAN go back to craving things over time if you let it get away from you.

My fiance is a thin guy and really he can eat whatever he wants. I didn't do this surgery to make him change his lifestyle, I did it for my own. I just have to learn to respect that and he has to learn to respect what I am able to eat. If I say "no, we're not eating that crap tonight" then no.... we are not eating that crap tonight! There are times on occasion where I let my boys (fiance and son) have a pizza (they are pizza crazy) and I'll eat the toppings of one slice or find something else on the menu that is agreeable. If my boys want to go out and grab something then that's fine, but the menu HAS to have something edible for me as well. Most of the time it ends up being a salad with some chicken in it and they get pizza/burgers which honestly doesn't bother me anymore although, it definitely would have pre-surgery! I really feel in situations like that, there has to be some give because I personally couldn't stand eating tuna and eggs every day for the rest of my life either and I'm the one that actually had the surgery done! This is just MY opinion of course and I'm sure not everyone will agree. Also, keep in mind, If your relationship has been long then he has probably gotten used to asking you if you want him to pick something up. Sudden change, especially change that he doesn't want to make himself, can be very difficult to get used to. Pre-surgery I would have had a royal fit if he would have gotten himself something to eat and didn't ask me if I wanted anything.

Not sure about other people but I am a little over 2 months out and my new stomach doesn't tolerate potatoes in any form very well. I'm not sure why since I have heard that others are allowed mashed potatoes very early on but it doesn't sit right with me. I get a full feeling after a few bites and then it just refuses to stay down. Cottage cheese I do fine with but I know that you can become lactose intolerant after sleeve so maybe that's a possibility? How are you doing with other dairy products?

I had extremely poor eating habits pre-op. Most of my food was carbs. I ate tons of Pasta and most meat was breaded and a lot of the times it was deep fried. We also ate fast food quite often (multiple times a week). Not only were the things I ate extremely bad, but I usually only ate 1 - 2 times a day but in huge portions (you'd be surprised how much you can fit in when you wait too long to eat something!). I also ate very few if any veggies. Today (2 months and almost 2 weeks out), I start my day off with a Protein shake, I may have a salad (with lots of added protein) for my lunch and then some kind of protein with a small side of veggies for my dinner. If I feel the need to have a snack then I'll grab some cheese or something acceptable that will help with my protein intake for the day. None of these meals are large meals. About child sized or less I would say and I don't have any regrets. I never would have been able to make these changes on my own because I would have given up and went back to my old ways by now. Over 80 lbs lost in a matter of a few months so it is definitely working for me which makes me want to keep pushing forward. I would love to say that I changed on my own but my sleeve deserves a lot of that credit. If I can change my terrible eating habits then you can do it too! I'm not sure what the lady your mom met with was doing but I really don't see HOW you could keep your bad eating habits and still get the nutrition you need. With a little bit of willpower, I'm sure you will succeed if you really want to!

I use milk of mag in the morn after my protein shake if I haven't gone in a few days but that really only helps me if I take it BEFORE something gets "stuck" then I have to resort to a Fleet enema (cuz it's an emergency at that point!). They do work quickly so be prepared but when you are that uncomfortable, it is a lifesaver.