Dairymary

That's what I'm worried about though, I can't even tolerate puréed food. I'm still on clear liquids cause even the most sloppy purées cause so much pain and dumping, I've actually only tried three times and it's happened every time. Surgeon is sending me for a barium scan to see what's going on and to make sure there isn't a leak happening, which I'm sure isn't the case and I'm just taking a bit more time to heal How much are you trying to eat? I'd say no more than a teaspoon every 4-5 hours (that's all I could tolerate) But even so, the pain and dumping you are experiencing doesn't sound right. The most discomfort I ever felt was bloating and fullness. Glad your surgeon is addressing your issues.

Like trekker said, just work on protein and fluids. If ketosis is not part of your WLC program, don't worry about it. You will lose weight whether you are or aren't. They only time I ever used the sticks was back in my failed Atkins diet days. I'm sure I was never in ketosis after my VSG because I was still consuming carbs in the form of milk, juice, beans, soft fruits and pureed veggies.

My plan had me on liquids for three weeks, then purees for another couple weeks. Didn't try soft foods till 6 weeks out. Even then it was just couple tablespoons/day. I can't imagine transitioning any faster than that. There's no way I could have done soft food at 18 days out. Maybe your sleeve just isn't ready. Go as slow as you need to and stick with what you can tolerate for now. And when you do advance, only add one new thing every few days. That way if you have a bad reaction you know exactly what caused it. you don't feed a new baby formula one day and then stage 2 peas, beef and noodles the next day. Think of your sleeve as a newborn baby.

I ate peanut butter starting in the pureed stage. Started eating nuts at 6 months. There are always mixed nuts in my house for snacking. Those 2/$1 Planters peanut packs in every single gas station are the number one thing I turn to when I'm on the road and need a snack. Met goal weight (160 pounds down) and have maintained at 6 years out, So yes, I have had immense weightloss success while still eating nuts. Like everything else, irs all about moderation.

Yes, I gained a few pounds along the way. Several times. But eventually lost 160 of them....forever! It's just the way it goes. Stay on your program and stay OFF the scale.

You won't know until you wake up. Everyone's tolerance is different and surgical techniques differ, and perioperative medications and anesthesia protocols are different. These all influence pain. Some people experience severe pain and are on IV pumps in the hospital for 2-3 days and go home on narcotics and are in pain for days (or weeks). I woke up with zero surgical pain. Zero gas pain. Zero nausea. I was never given pain meds postop and didn't go home with any. I was out sightseeing in sunny Tijuana the day after my surgery.

Summerset, you are right, there is a difference between revisions due to complications vs regain (or failure to lose). The surgeon I mentioned would certainly not withhold treatment if surgical intervention was medically necessary. He did remove several bands and dId revisions after the damage from the band was healed. Sometimes it was bypass, sometimes it was sleeve, depending on the safest alternative. However, he still insisted on psychiatric intervention. And this only helped patients in the long run. Any obese person that doesn't think they got that way because of an unhealthy relationship with food is seriously in denial. The support group I participated in was a strong advocate for addressing both the physical and mental aspects of WLS. I believe that's why I have been so successful. And yes, any revision that corrects a complication and relieves the patients discomfort and restores their wellbeing is a success from a medical standpoint. But when it comes to successful weightloss, regardless of the reason and type of revision, it is still the psychological changes that determined their success or failure. Sure, some people can have the surgery, go home, lose all their weight and keep it off forever. But most can't. The statistics show that. And I saw it for myself in group. Not to mention on this forum.

Why do you want to feel full? Full is what made us fat. I haven't felt full in years. Haven't been obese in years, either.

I saw more than just a handful of revisions in my support group. A LOT of band revisions due to complications, and some sleeve to bypass due to GERD or regain. The former banders were generally more successful the second time around. But bottom line with any of them was if the patient didn't drastically change their lifestyle, the revision was just as much of a failure as the first time around. It was very frustrating for me to watch so many make the same mistakes and come to group with all the same complaints, never really holding themselves accountable for the failures. Or worse yet, knowing what the problem was but not taking the steps to correct it. There was one surgeon in my area that refused to do revisions unless the patient first went through six months of psychiatric therapy to address their food addictions and/or eating disorders. The psych had to give two thumbs up before surgery was approved. A lot of patients were pissed and looked for another surgeon. But for those that didn't, they were very happy with the help they got and were quite successful the second time around.

I had VSG surgery with Dr. Ariel Ortiz at Obesity Control Center 6 years ago. Specifically recommended by several US bariatric surgeons. No middle man.....you deal directly with Dr. Ortiz and his staff. Easy, pain free recovery, no complications, great postop communication and holding steady 160 pounds down.

You will never feel full on fluids...they don't stay in your sleeve long enough. Regardless, even when you transition to solids, you should not be using "full" as a guideline of how much to eat. It's a nasty habit that made us all fat in the first place. Measure and track your food according to your program's plan. Meet your protein and fluid requirements and don't eat more than the ounces recommended for each meal/snack.

If you can find a bariatric program willing to work with you, you may look into submitting for revision due to medical complications, not "failure" to lose weight. I have seen dozens of patients revise from band to bypass or sleeve because of erosion of the stomach, slipped band, hernias, infections, etc. In your case you have port pain. It's typically a matter of documentation and coding. Also seen insurance approval of sleeve to bypass due to GERD. The patient's weight loss or lack thereof didn't factor in if there was a medical problem associated with the surgery. But if all else fails, you can try Mexico. That's where I had my VSG 6 years ago because it was still considered experimental in the US and insurance wouldn't pay for it. In fact, my surgeon specializes in revisions. Good luck with your knee replacements! Ugh!

Of course professional psychiatric therapy would be my first suggestion. You may check with your insurance to see if it is covered. If not, there are self help books out there, free support groups through local bariatric programs, etc. Look for books or programs that deal with addiction and cognitive behavior therapy. Do whatever you have to to find the help you need. You need to uncover the reasons you turn to food and work to develop new outlets for your emotions. Another addiction recovery program mentioned in my support group was Smart Recovery. It appealed to people who weren't comfortable with the 12 step process of OA. They offer online, personal and group support. Food addiction is hard. I know I would not have been successful postop without the psychological support. 1/2 dozen books, 3+ years of personal therapy (which was more valuable than surgery itself), 5+ years of group therapy (free) and now free online forum support.

I agree with curveyjones. Look for Protein on the menus and order that. Or pick the protein out of whatever and just eat that. I'm 6 years out and this is still how I eat when I Go out. Leftovers will be hard on the road, so as much as you may hate to waste food, don't feel obligated to clean your plate. Bring some Protein Bars or tuna packets or string cheese to nibble on if you need to. Take lots of Water (or whatever you like to drink) and sip every chance you get. Vacations are fun and distracting, so it's often too easy to forget to drink. Good luck, you will do fine if you just remember these six rules....sip, sip, sip, protein, protein, protein.

There is absolutely nothing I can't eat and nothing I don't eat. But this wasn't always true. What you feel like and can eat the first month is nothing like what it will be like 6 months out and again nothing like it will be like 1 year out, or 5 years out......

I absolutely could not have lost 160 pounds without the help of my sleeve. But more importantly, I could not have kept it off without the help of my therapist. I was in the OR for about an hour, but spent 3+ years with my therapist. The combination has resulted in going from a BMI of 50 to 23 and holding strong at 6 years postop, Like others mentioned, all surgery does is restrict your portions... And even that is just for healthy, dense foods, it does nothing for sliders and liquids which you can easily consume in quantities to totally derail your weight loss. It does nothing for cravings or emotional eating. It's the psychological aspect that will make or break your ultimate outcome. If you can't afford or are unwilling to try professional therapy, there are dozens of good books available, addiction recovery programs, support groups, online forums, etc. Your concerns about what happens after that first year are very well founded. That's when it gets hard and hopefully you will have found a way to conquer your food demons by then.

I started the day I came home. Logged everything that went in my mouth for three years. (Reached goal about 18 months postop). Then one day my kitchen scale went caput and I was stressing over it. My husband pointed out that if I didn't know what 2oz or 4oz of something looked like by then I must have a serious learning disability. LOL he was right. I had been eating the same way for so long I didn't even realized I could do it without the scale and tracking app. Haven't logged anything since. But it was an excellent tool when I needed it.

Most people's rate of loss is not constant so this could just be the normal thing. I know my weight loss stalled many times, heck I even gained weight here and there. I had to take steroids on more than one occasion and they are definitely known to cause weight gain. I broke my pelvis and femur and was hospitalized for weeks then disabled for several more months. I still didn't let any of that keep me from reaching and maintaining my goal weight. Just keep doing what you're doing. Don't get frustrated. Even if it is the medication, 3-6 months is a very short time compared to the rest of your life....and that's how long you will have your sleeve to help you. Good luck!

I'm 6 years out and No complications. Like others mentioned, GERD and Vitamin deficiencies are the most common long term complications of VSG I saw in my support group. GERD can usually be controlled with medication and diet, but sometimes requires revision to bypass. I have yet to meet anyone that developed vitamin deficiencies that were taking the required supplements and having bloodwork done regularly. Much less common long term complications that I've seen in my support group through the years were dumping (although much more common with bypass and usually controllable with diet) and reactive hypoglycemia. There were far more long term complications in my group for people with Lapband or any of the bypasses.

Yes, all the doctors and published side effects of Coumadin will proclaim that it does not cause weight gain. It can cause boating, which may account for some Water weight, but not "real" weight. However, as a retired nurse, I have heard dozens upon dozens of patients complaint of weight gain after starting Coumadin. Anything from 10 to 40 pounds. And they couldn't lose the weight. Nobody (that I know of) ever did any sort of body composition studies to confirm if it was fat gain or Fluid gain, but there were too many complaints to ignore the fact that the numbers on the scale went up for a lot of Coumadin patients. Well, that's wrong, the doctors had no problems ignoring it. As a new WLS patient you could just be experiencing a normal stall, but some of it could be due to the Coumadin. In any case, all you can do is stick on plan and maybe stay off the scale for awhile. Take measurements and pay attention to NSVs and how your clothes fit. Do they know how long you will have to take the medication?

Thank you! I think I got carried away with a craving and the fact that I'm watching football. What did u eat ur avocado with? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App A spoon Aww thanks Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App See my modified post

Thank you! I think I got carried away with a craving and the fact that I'm watching football. What did u eat ur avocado with? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App A spoon . No, really it's totally yummy all on its own. I have used it as a topping on eggs, too. Oh, yeah, and Quest chips (which don't taste great, but work great as a guacamole or salsa transport media)

I ate lots of homemade guacamole (avocado, tomatoes, garlic, onion, cilantro....very well pureed so no chunks) starting in the puréed stage, but chips weren't allowed until 3 months. I actually didn't eat chips until at least a year postop....empty calories, no nutrition.

I don't know what kind of clamp would be used for VSG, either. Typically the sleeve is made with a tool that cuts, cauterizes and staples both sides all in one step. Just curious what it is if you get anymore info from your surgeon.

Yes, losing weight is certainly not a one size fits all. I've discovered it's a never ending process of finding what works for ME. With my restriction it was very difficult to get enough protein from solid foods and still leave room for the other food groups in the beginning. I've always gotten close to 80g protein, but I did It with a lot of protein shakes for the first year or so. And while I still eat a lot of dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt) animal protein has been my main source of protein for the last 4+ years. The satiety that dense protein provides and the restriction my sleeve has when I eat it has been crucial for me throughout maintenance Good luck finding the formula that works for you. And don't be afraid to experiment and change things up from time to time If you need to.