Berry78

I think virtually all of us have skewed self-perceptions. The easiest way to see your true self is actually video. See if you have any footage of yourself before and take some now. Even if you don't have the before, use photos, or even try on the old large size of clothes. Since most of us will never have perfectly smooth, flawless bodies, there will ALWAYS be lumps and bumps to focus on in the mirror... proving in our minds that we are still less than perfect. The video footage is far enough removed, that we can be more objective.

Well, I do have the sleeve instead of the pouch, but they work similar. Your pouch might hold 2 oz of solid food, but liquids will just pour right into the intestines. Soup, well chewed, is akin to milkshake consistency, so it just pours right through. (Potato soup in my case.. not beef vegetable.. that might be more filling, not sure). Umm... I've had my digital scale for a long time, but I imagine Amazon or even the store on this site might have a good scale. You might want to use a scale for years, so it's worth the investment. Your surgeon might recommend sticking to a 2 ounce portion longer than mine did. You could always ask

If you have a kitchen scale that will measure ounces (like 3.8oz), great! If you don't.. you need to get one. You need to weigh anything that is too thick to go through a straw. 4th week out I was eating things like cottage cheese and refried beans. Your plan may differ. Weigh out 3 oz. Eat slowly and stop at the first sign of fullness. You might only make it through half your portion. When 3 oz goes down easily and you're thinking another bite or two would be good, start going with 4oz. You will stick with 4 ounces for a long time (Forever with meats). You probably won't be putting 4 ounces of anything down until 7 or 8 weeks post op, except for soups. I hadn't been eating soup, and I tried a potato soup around 6 weeks post op. Was surprised when 8 ounces went down like nothing. Soup is like liquid at that point, and portion control is super important.

Ok, I'll be blunt. Your stomach nerves were cut during the surgery and so you really can't feel what is going on in your actual stomach. It takes weeks, if not months for those connections to be made again. In the meantime we feel fullness through pressure on the surrounding tissues. The esophagus, diaphram, intestines. The stomach is a muscular tube that contracts to push food on through. Liquids require almost no contracting to go through, so there is very little pressure on the staples when you drink. Usually doctors like to give the sleeve 2-3 weeks of liquids, so the swelling has a chance to go down and get the healing process started. The liquids can get a little thicker over time, and by 6-8 weeks we are allowed a normal diet. Advancing the diet can kill you. The staple line can pop open before the stomach is healed..which takes 6 months to complete. Leaks are rare after 8 weeks, so that is why we are on a normal diet after that.

I'm not sure how typical 600 calories at 9 months out is. It sounds really low. I'm 8.5 weeks out and can eat for a meal: 1. 4 oz of tuna salad Or 2. 3 oz refried beans and one egg Or 3. 4oz cottage cheese and 1 oz avacado Etc. I'm getting 1100-1200 calories a day.

I think I had this too. Not lego sized, maybe pea sized.. but still something odd. I'm 2 months out today and realized it has cleared up recently.

At only 9 days out, you are still on full liquids or purees, right? A lot of people don't start feeling restriction until they are on solid food. The hunger is likely acid. See if an antacid changes things. The scale will go up and down, that is part of the journey. The overall trend should be downward on a week to week or bimonthly basis. (Today is my 2 month surgiversary, and the scale has moved every week except one so far...touch wood). We did hear about a patient that went under the knife, but apparently the procedure actually hadn't been done. May or may not be actually true. But no worries! If it happened to you, you'll sue the pants off everyone and get your procedure later! Win/win. Just stick to your plan, testing your tummy can be dangerous these early days. Pretty soon you'll laugh about all these early concerns.

Prior to surgery I ate about 4000 calories a day. My weight held pretty steady, and I didn't exercise. My neighbor eats 1200 calories a day and exercises all the time. Her weight also holds steady. Bodies learn to cope with what they are given. They always strive for homeostasis despite the conditions. If the opportunity arises, the body will put on fat reserves, especially if it ever experienced a time that it didn't have enough. The anorexic will eventually starve to death. The body will live on 300 calories a day as long as possible, but eventually the stores run out. Let's say an anorexic's body can live on 800 calories indefinitely. The minute they eat 900 calories, their body WILL store the extra... and if their metabolism stays at the 800 calorie level, they could even become fat eating 900 calories! (It would take a while). There are some mystery mechanisms..like how eating more will help the body release its fat stores sometimes, but pack on the weight other times. Hmmm. Food for thought...

If that was the only measurement, you should be fine. Congrats!

I started 150lbs over a normal BMI, but I also am experiencing the loss of a bunch if weight that no one notices. In fact, I'm getting the, "I thought you'd be thinner by now!". How I look at it: Once the postop diet is completed at 8-9 weeks, I move into "the rest of my life". Whatever I envision doing forever is what I begin doing immediately. Some days there will be weight loss, others gain. Sometimes I'll need to buy new pants. Sometimes I need a new haircut. None if this is different from preop. My hope is once I establish a healthy routine, that I can go forward in that routine, and there won't be a distinction between honeymoon phase, maintenance, or any other terms. I just want to live. As for goals: it's easiest for me to create that healthy routine, and my goal for the day is to stick to it! I can control today so much better than "I want to be a size 8 in 16 months". I do weigh myself each day and keep a record. If my healthy routine isn't working, then I am willing to make changes. After all, I created the routine, and it could be wrong in some way. But I have to see a full month of unsatisfactory progress before I decide to switch things up. In the gym or exercise program, of course switching things up has to BE the routine.

I was going to say you need to drink more. I swell up when not drinking enough.

You will probably be down 4 sizes from your current. (So if you wear a size 18, you'll be in a 10). I would recommend waiting as long as possible to buy the dress, and see if it can be finished within 2-3 weeks of the wedding. Congrats! And good luck!

The surgeon probably won't know either. Can you find a nutritionist to work with? Ultimately your nutrition needs don't change from those of any pregnant woman. Whether you can meet those needs after surgery is the question. How far along in pregnancy are you? How long post op? What does your diet look like?

Looks like insurance companies will be deciding whether to pay for band installation. Once (if) insurances stop paying for the band, it will become a do do bird...

Just keep taking the antacids. Other than that, there isn't anything I know of. It's kinda a natural consequence of the healing/scarring process. The scar just pulls tight.

Sorry to hear it ended up being a complication. Glad you're getting sorted out!

Get a kitchen scale. 3 meals and 1 snack. 4oz protein + 4oz nonstarchy veg + 2 oz starchy veg at each meal + 1 teaspoon butter or oil on veggies Snack can be 1-2 oz nuts or seeds. Walk 3-5 miles a day, weightlifting 2-3 times a week.

When I arrived at the San Diego airport, and went out front to await the drive to the hospital, there was a van from another bariatric surgery company that arrived with postop patients. 2 patients were dropped off in order to fly home. They both moved so slowly and gingerly, hunched over, gripping their abdomens. They sat as soon as they could.. after walking about 20ft. I thought to myself Holy ****, what have I signed up for?! That will be me in 5 days. How wrong I was! No one would have been able to tell I had surgery when I flew home. My husband was shocked at how well I was doing when he picked me up from the airport. Everyone has a different journey, but some are lucky! I didn't even have trouble putting on my compression stockings for the flight home. (Was worried about that).

Juan is amazing! I didn't really catch the names from the guys at the hospital (problem of being discombobulated from surgery), but they are equally good!

5/19 259

Sorry, wasn't thinking about dumping. So true...

Preop things were 1000 times worse than postop with hunger of any sort (for me).

Well, as with everything, if you eat 1/2 of a large melon, not such a good choice, but if it is a small piece (4-6oz), I'm sure it's fine. You can CHOOSE to eat off the higher side. Because then you know it is a food that you need to be careful of. It's eating everything without awareness that gets you into trouble.

The swollen abdomen can last for quite a while. I'm 8 weeks out and my bruising has finally faded for the most part. The swelling went down a while ago. Maybe 4 weeks out.