mmckimmey

I’m 5 weeks and 3 days out and 31.50 lbs down.

Yes delicious had it for lunch keeps me full & no problems. I added some Turkey meatballs & Parmesan cheese.

One more thing, this particular OP has made a lot of excuses for her actions and has a rebuttal for every offered piece of advice. It’s hard to help people who aren’t open minded, and who can’t admit they’ve messed up. She said she knows what to eat, but lists a days worth of crap. She says she has real hunger, but isn’t eating foods that will fill that void. She has excuses for not seeking help. I’m not a believer in helplessness. Everyone can help themselves. Even if you jog in place in the bathroom, that’s exercise. Even if you throw back a Protein Shake like it’s medicine, it’s still Protein.
This community isn’t just a big b*tch session, it’s about getting honest input from people who are going through or went through similar circumstances. I won’t ever sway from honesty. I didn’t ridicule anyone. And if it comes across that way, then the OP needs to take a good look in the mirror and see why that bothers them? Why does my advice bother you? Chances are because they know what they are doing is wrong and being wrong is a hard thing to swallow. And I will be there for you when you have these moments in the same way. Through the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I keep seeing those same words repeated in different ways, "You're not trying," or "You're deliberately failing," or "You're just not sticking to the right diet."
Do you know what this surgery does? ONE guaranteed thing - that's all: It removes 85% of your stomach. That means that temporarily, you can hardly eat. It means that in the long term, your capacity for dense protein is roughly a cup.
Here is the long list of what this surgery does NOT do, and what it will not help you address:
You will not feel better about yourself due to surgery
You will not stop loving food (not forever, perhaps temporarily)
You will not lose whatever food addiction made you fat
You will not instantaneously love exercise
You will not always make the right food choices
Whoever you are - whoever the real you is, under years of obesity, whatever issues you have - all of that? It's going to be there post op. It's going to be your job to shed as much of that as you can while shedding weight at the same time. And this surgery may not even remove your hunger. So you might have a tiny stomach, but still feel hungry all the time.
It's gotten to the point where these very flippant posts are starting to offend me. If you're less than six months out from surgery, let me tell you that you will eat your words about how easy this all is.
We do not have to support or validate poor choices here and I'm the first to jump in line and tell a person the lay of the land. But at the same time, making sweeping judgments of the success of other individuals is not only unfair, it discourages and disheartens people who need help the most. Because guess what?
This surgery is NOT going to be your magic cure all, and I say that as a woman in maintenance, staying near goal and more than a hundred pounds lighter than I was three years ago. I promise that I know what I'm talking about.
~Cheri

I'm 5 weeks out and so far so good. My recovery was exceptional even by my Dr's standards. Went back to my full time job after two weeks and my part time job after 4 days (i got scolded for that).
The only time I get bummed out is in social eating situations. I'm never really hungry and food isn't "fun" anymore when you have 2-4 bites and your pretty much done. No trying out everyone's plate. No craft beers...
But all in all, I don't regret it at this point.

We didn’t have to do mushy food for 3 months?? Check on that but it may be difficult for you. There are recipes on here too. Best of luck

i am glad to see you made it thru the first stage. that is hard on everyone even if you plan for it.
now as you add new foods it gets easier with each passing month. Acid reflux is a real issue with the sleeve so you may be taking that med for life.
good luck and stay positive

What a shock that must have been! You may want to go to a support group for Bariatric surgery and go see a bariatric surgeon too. They might be able to advise you through this because they deal with this surgery day in and day out. We do a lot of preparation and meet with nutritionists. It might be helpful.
I do think you probably could stretch out the stomach eventually.

And if not they would be at least help you find peace with the unexpected gastric remodeling.

Oh man so many things.
Iced passion tea with no classic (liquid sugar) and add your own (I prefer stevia)
Really any iced or hot tea obviously
For a few extra calories you could also do my favorite which is the iced passion tea lemonade. Goes down fine.
If you can drink milk and caffeine: any skinny latte (ex. Skinny vanilla latte, skinny hazelnut latte, skinny cinnamon dolce latte etc etc)
My favorite drink is as follows:
Grande vanilla roobios latte with only a quarter milk (versus half) steamed at kids temperature (after letting the tea steep for at least 2 minutes before adding milk) with no classic and 1 pump of sf hazelnut.
Ooo and I've never had a problem with the very berry hibiscus refresher or cool lime refresher.
AND their smoothies have 20g of Protein from whey. Ask for the chocolate banana smoothie made with SKINNY MOCHA and perhaps extra Protein like I do. It's just sf mocha, a banana and milk and protein. You can also sub nonfat milk if you prefer.
- Kaylee Ann ~ Surgerversary 6/11/2012

Wow, this is by far one of the more interesting threads I've read on this site. There are parts of many posts that I both agree and disagree with. One thing that I think has to be remembered is that each surgeon develops their own plan based on their experiences with patients and perhaps those of their peers - with whom they agree.
Much like classes in elementary school, the curriculum has to be developed to address the most common group of students. Just as teachers can't be expected to develop a curriculum for each student, no surgeon can be expected to develop a plan individualized for each and every patient. The surgeon must take into account the typical, average patient. Seeking to maximize the results for that group of patients. There will always be those above, and those below, the curve.
There is an issue of liability here as well. If a surgeon has a plan that pretty much allows for a "free-for-all" post-op diet, then if/when something happens to Patient X, who reacts poorly to eating a meatball or whatever, the surgeon has a certain culpability. Designing a post-op plan that is conservative and gradually introduces new food and new textures is the proper thing to do. That is proven to work best for the majority of patients. Yes, some will do OK with more aggressively adding foods and textures; others will take longer to adapt to that.
Speaking only for myself, I find the post-op plan (I refuse to call it a diet!) from my surgeon to be one of the more conservative out there. And for that I am grateful. I want to be successful and to give this new tool I've been given every chance at succeeding. If that means I go for another week or two or more without giving in to a craving or temptation, so be it. I have the rest of my life to have a few bites of pizza or to eat a turkey burger or nosh on a bit of birthday cake. For now, I want to concentrate on learning new habits that I can incorporate into a life-long lifestyle change. A lifestyle that will eventually include a margarita now and again, eating out with friends, etc. A lifestyle that will include a permanent weight loss, something I've not achieved previously.
I wish everyone luck on their individual journey. Discovering what works, and what doesn't, for each of us is part of the journey we are on. We just have to respect that each person's journey is down a slightly different path.
Sorry for the lengthy post - you can tell that like others I feel very passionate about this whole new experience

I am 6 months out and agree about 60 percent. While rules are difficult to follow, people should follow in the early stages. This is major, major surgery and you need to give your stomach and body a chance to heal. Protein helps you heal...Doritos do not. Once you are healed and experienced with the new stomach...of course figure out what works for you. This is my best advice looking back over the last 6 months.

Well, like a previous poster already said, soda is not going to stretch your stomach. Is it the healthiest of choices, probably not. But, if I quit eating and drinking everything they say is unhealthy, will cause cancer, blah, blah, blah then I probably wouldn't have needed the sleeve because I would be dead from malnutrition. I mean, seriously, you can google just about any food nowadays and find some kind of study saying why you should avoid it. It could drive a person crazy, lol.
I am an "everything in moderation" kind of girl. If I want something, I have it. Denying myself things are what lead me to eventually binge on them. So, instead, I have a normal serving size of what I am craving and then I am perfectly satisfied. But, because this works for me, doesn't mean it will work for you. Just like, just because some people are able to cut everything unhealthy out of their diets doesn't mean that will work for you. You have to figure out what you can and cannot do, you have to find your own personal balance in what you do, what makes you healthy and happy and what works for you. Everyone can offer their advice, insist their way is the only way, etc., but the bottom line is it is your body, your life and your road to map out and follow to get you to your destination.
And for the record, I was a former diet coke addict. I didn't have one for well over a year out from my surgery, simply because I wasn't interested in having one. Now, I usually drink one every couple of days without any problem.
Sent from my iPad using VST

I ate 1000 calories at three weeks, I eat 1200 per day now. Never feel hungry, tons of energy, and almost to goal. Have lost pretty steadily:)
Jess is right....ideas about diet among surgeons are all over the map. I'm part of a study with a major research hospital assessing the effect of higher calories sooner impacting sustained loss at five years post surgery. The theory is that eating closer to normal calories sooner gives you a better metabolic reset long-term. Previous small studies support this, and I'm part of a broader study hoping to confirm and support these findings with a bigger population of patients.
That said...I know plenty of people who have been VERY successful long term eating low calories through their loss phase.
Ultimately, it's so individual. People who are hell bent to make it work....make it work.
I really did not consider myself an "ideal" bariatric patient. I'm not overly type A. I refuse to be hungry. I hoped to improve my health conditions, but vanity wasn't a huge motivator. My biggest hope going into this was to get the average result....50-60% excess weight loss. I've done so much better than that, I'm just stunned. I'm not far from goal, and I've got a year of trickle loss left. It's pretty exciting:)
I really like my forever diet. It's healthy and balance with lots of good carbs. (lots of fruit, whole grains, beans...very little sugar or refined) I don't feel like I'm "dieting" and that's huge for me long term. I do get 75 naughty calories a day....I can use them or bank them, so nothing is forbidden. I don't crave anything I can't have....I plan for it...eat a legal amount...and am usually puzzled about why it sounded so good. My tastes have changed a lot.
My whole life I was either starving and obsessing like a maniac.... or throwing all concerns to the wind and overindulging. I don't want to live this way anymore....both extremes just suck for me. This is the first time in my life I've felt like I have a truly healthy relationship with food. It's been a crazy ride, but I feel like I've finally found a sane way to deal with food.

My surgeon that was on call in the hospital happened to be a bariatric surgeon. They also referred me to their NUT. The problem is 95% of the surgery is for weight loss so they told me they weren't sure how to advise me other than to follow they guidelines for weight loss. My doctor said he's only done a handful of surgeries for other than weight loss, none in the past few years! I'm just happy to be eating again and to have found this forum. It's really been a lifesaver for me. I'm grateful to be eating mushy food.

On the weekend of June 9th I had some serious back pain, By monday it had spread around my ribs. Tuesday morning the pain was so bad (8/10) that I had my brother take me to the ER. I got an ambulance ride to the nearest major hospital. I had air in my diaphram and they didn't know where it was coming from, so they did an exploratory surgery and found a hole in my stomach from an ulcer. So they did a gastic sleeve so he could cut out the diseased part. I woke up missing oart of my stomach with a HUGE AND TERRIFYING list of rules. I cried. A lot. I wasn't sure I could live this way. So I'm looking for support, product recommendations, pep talks and knowing that life will go on.
I didn't need to lose weight and the doctor took as litlle as he could, so I don't know how this changes things for me, but I just needed people who get what this is like.

I'm learning more an more

I too always had bad headaches with artificial sweeteners. Also learned years ago on the FDA website, that they're linked to causing symptoms of 90+ diseases..always hated putting that kind of thing in my body. Never liked the taste either. Tried stevia once, it's still up in my pantry. Call me an exception though, I don't do artificial. If I want sweet, I use honey or agave and regular Creamer for me coffees. Gasps! 😱 Lol

We had pizza last night, thin crust from a local pizzeria. I was able to eat 3/4 of a slice and that satisfied me. I had no issues with it but I seem to have a sleeve of steel because I have yet to find a food that bothers me. I'm 10wks out.

@@trekker954,
Good for you for sticking with the cottage cheese! It’s awfully nutritious!
You can go sweet or savory with cottage cheese. I know you mentioned that you cannot yet have fruits or vegetables, but does that include the super soft ones? Most weight loss surgery patients can have things like pureed well-cooked acorn squash, applesauce, and canned peaches. You could blend cottage cheese with pureed mashed potatoes and some chicken broth and/or a bit of parmesan cheese. You could make a smoothie with cottage cheese and ripe banana or even flavored yogurt.
Something else you can do with cottage cheese is cook it! You can make little “cheesecakes” or “cottage cheese muffins” by beating cottage cheese with egg whites, possibly some ricotta cheese, and a little bit of sweetener, along with a flavoring like lemon juice or cinnamon or pumpkin.
Good luck!

I want to swim in it like Scrooge McDuck...

I also wonder if naturally skinny people leave the house feeling as fly as I do right now. I feel like every eye is on me and my smokin' hot bod. Hahaha!

I think the sugar/carb cycle is part of it but it’s not all of it. At least not for me. I’m four and a half years out and I allow carbs and sugar in my diet now, but they don’t have the same appeal. I can eat a cookie but stop at one (or...can you believe it, a half!) not because I’m full (at this point I could eat a whole box of cheese its if I wanted) but just because it doesn’t have the hold. Do I like carbs and sugar? Damn straight I do. But not in the same way.
Also, it’s really good you are making those changes now and they are a way of life for you because you will be able to eat more than five bites again, for sure. But the habits you are creating now, the new relationship with food/flavors/etc will make it so you don’t do something you regret. And honestly, an occasional indulgence shouldn’t be regretted! That’s the cool “free” feeling! Sometimes, I eat three or four of those cookies! But it’s a choice and not out of control and I don’t regret it the next day! I just don’t make a habit of it.

wow, it must be a lot to take in now post sleeve, without the research and prep most of us have done before surgery. I hope you have recovered well and are tolerating liquid/puree foods well so far. I'm almost 8 weeks out and pretty much eating regular foods now, just small portions and focusing on Protein first. I made a lovely beef and red wine casserole in the slow cooker/crockpot today and thoroughly enjoyed my serving of it for dinner. I will be trying a few gourmet meals soon (I"m the only cook in the house so am enjoying sampling a few good protein-focused ready-made options now that I've been on full solids for nearly a month).

I eat anywhere from 60-100 grams of Protein a day. I do not eat added sugars. I eat very few things that have more than 10 grams of sugar in a serving unless it is fresh fruit. I fence (as in en garde) 5 hours a week. I spent another 2 - 3 hours doing strength training, agility and yoga or pilates. I drink at least 64 ounces of Water a day - probably double that on days I fence. Today, I did an hour of Pilates and 45 minutes of lower body/legs weights including squats with about 70 pounds on the bar. I can deadlift more than I weigh by about 20 or 25 pounds. Tomorrow, I will do an hour of core and upper body work. Sunday, I will fence a tournament for 3-4 hours. In 2 hours of fencing, I burn about 1000 calories. I don't eat what I burn. I work hard, but it has all been worth it. I'm trying to get my body fat down to about 26% - hoping to get close to that by the fall.