Tiffykins

Refried Beans with cheese and greek yogurt Chicken/tuna/egg salad super mushed up no veggies usually mixed with greek yogurt and Ranch (dry) dressing Poached eggs with cheese (I couldn't do scrambled) Ground turkey/chili meat/ground beef with some kind of Pasta sauce be it tomato or cream based Ground meat with taco seasoning and greek yogurt These foods were all "okay'd" because you can mash them all up to mush, or I would pulverize them with a stick blender if necessary Deli meat with cream cheese was authorized on my mush/soft stage so I ate a bunch of that as well. I also made lots of "crock pot" meats. I would look at recipes online, remove the starch/carb (like potatoes, rice or pasta) from the recipe and just put it in the crock pot on low for several hours because low and slow with meats and I could eat a decent amount in one meal. Usually if you have esophageal spasm they can prescribe medication to help you get through the healing phase. Something else I did to help aid in digestion early out was use papaya enzyme. It helps with digestion and meat breakdown.

Everyone heals differently and at a different rate. Also, learning to chew everything to literal mush is recommended when introducing new foods. You need to check with your surgeon, and advise them that you are struggling. You could be having esophageal spasms which can lead to that discomfort in your chest. I can tell you that I stayed on mushies/super soft solids until I was well into my 3rd month post-op. Not because food hurt, but because soft foods worked best to get in Protein without the use of shakes that I could not tolerate. I had zero issue getting in my protein from soft foods, and was able to get in the proper calories/protein/carbs. I'd have 1 meals of regular solid protein, but I wasn't able to eat more than 1-2oz at a time, and that left me deficient in my protein goal. If you had a hiatal hernia repair simultaneously with the sleeve, your healing will definitely be different than a normal VSG'er.

Completely normal. I can eat almost an entire sandwich minus the crust on uber thin bread, but it depends on what's on the inside. Bread is pretty much a slider for me, and heaven forbid I mix bread with Protein because I can actually fit more food in with bread. Foods that used to fill me up have now become sliders, and there are different foods that react each other differently now. I used to never be able to eat bread, and now it goes down easier than any other food next to starches. Don't panic, and honestly even at 22 months out, things are still changing for me. If I adhere to the prescribed "sleeve way of eating", I'm still eating the same amounts I was last year at this time. But, in maintenance, I've tweaked things, adjusted my thinking with food, and eating what I need to live that life of moderation that eluded me pre-op. I stretch my meals out longer than 20-30 minutes, I mix my protein with other food, to allow a couple more ounces in per meal.

Bagels for me are the one bread item that does not work well for me at all. Most other breads are sliders for me. The coolest thing I've found are the Thomas Bagel Thins, and I got pretty obsessed with them once I started adding breads into my food choices after I got into maintenance. My husband loves them, and toast them for a quick grilled cheese, my kiddo loves them as mini-pizzas, and they've replaced loaves of bread in our home. We actually eat the "everything flavor" which has all the seeds, flavored onion stuff, and they are the yummiest treat for me.

I had 2 weeks clears (actually did 17 days), and 1 week of full liquids then onto mushy/purees. This was after my leak repair, and not being able to have anything by mouth for over 20 days. I was fed via a central line and a TPN bag of 1800 calories with nutrients/vitamins/protein via IV to allow my stomach to heal after the leak repair. So, I went almost 3 weeks with NOTHING by mouth. No ice chips, no hard cardy, nothing more than my own spit. It was hell, but I survived, and if I can go that long with nothing, a couple of weeks of liquids seemed so trivial once I was able to have anything in my mouth ! ! ! My program normal guidelines are 2 weeks clear, 2 weeks full, 2 weeks mushy/purees then introduce regular solids as tolerated. No raw veggies, fruit or nuts until 3 months post-op.

The regain stats on RNY are much higher than what they are reporting with the sleeve especially since the malabsorption of calories/fat/sugars only lasts max 2 years, and then it's all about the restriction of the stretchy pouch that RNY offers to keep your portions small. It's called "intestinal adaptation after intestinal resection". The body adjusts, and the villi of the intestine grow back, but that part of the intestines that absorb specific Vitamins and nutrients do not ever grow back because that entire portion of the intestines have been bypassed and are just hanging out in the body. I would recommend checking out the revision, food issues, failure after wls on obesityhelp.com so you can get as much information as you can. You can see the day in and day out issues of RNY especially with people that are several years out. This is my standard reply when the question pops up for RNY vs. VSG: Here's a diagram, and information on adaptation: http://pamtremble.bl...s-absorbed.html

That would be me that stated the 22 month thing about a chicken breast, and I'm being honest, I still to this very day can not sit down and eat an entire chicken breast in the prescribed 20-30 minutes meal timeframe. I can tell you the difference with my sleeve vs. my band. With my sleeve at 22 months post revision from the band: I am never hungry. No physical hunger, my stomach never growls and I have gone up to 16 hours without eating before thinking "holy crap, I need to eat". Early out I could only manage to get 2oz of Protein in per meal, but that amount increased over time. My max on dense protein is about 4-6oz depending on what type of meat, soft fish-6oz, chicken 3-4oz, these measurements are by volume not weight so there is some differences. If I throw bread in the mix with meat, I can eat an ounce or 2 more, not much, but bread is a slider for me. Plus consistency, and food lube changes everything. Chicken salad, I can eat 3/4 cup of chicken salad, no problem. Chili is the same. Throw some sauce/condiment/gravy in with my protein and I can eat more. I do literally eat anything and everything I want. I eat bread, rice, potato, steak, chicken, scallops, Pasta, all veggies (raw and cooked), salad (oh how I love salad) With the band: I had hunger the second the food slipped from the pouch Food got stuck, some days it was chicken the next day it could be a couple of apple slices, and then there were the days I'd puke on Water I relied on sliders for nutrition because dense protein was pretty much a no go 75-85% of the time Lettuce was a complete NO NO with my band, wasn't having it, if I tried, I puked violently I had chronic pain from my port I would recommend checking out my blog and look for the post that is marked VSG links, it's full of information on the sleeve. Look for a good revision surgeon. You can also check out http://vsgfaq.wordpress.com/ at the bottom are research links, there's links of discussion from obesityhelp.com on there for personal stories as well. Best wishes in your research.

I think the definition of failure is different for everyone. Losing was easy, maintenance and lifelong change in behavior and strategies to battle weight regain is the challenge for me. All weight loss surgeries can fail. I have compared it to a hammer to nail. The sleeve is the tool, you are the user of said tool. Just like with a hammer, you can focus, aim, and swing with precision with the hammer, and hit the nail, or you can close your eyes, wield the hammer aimlessly, and end up hitting your finger or denting the wood. Same with the sleeve, follow the guidelines, change your eating behaviors, find coping skill/mechanism to deal with emotional food issues and be successful, or get surgery, never focus on the program, eat smaller portions but nutrient lacking foods, load up on sliders, binge on junk, and not lose your weight. I don't think anyone can tell you with certainty that the sleeve is right for you. I know it was right for me, and it gave me a fighting chance at maintenance. BUT, I put in the effort to make those changes permanent. It's something I work at every day.

A carb is a carb. For me it was/is a patience thing, plus I'm not sure I can fully trust manufacturers on fiber counts that would negate the carb intake(Mac on OH posted this back when I was in my losing stage, and it made sense then and now). I think it boils down to protein to carb ratio. My protein to carb ratio had to be a minimum of 4:1 meaning if the protein count didn't have at least 4 times the amount of carbs, it never went past my lips. I was especially cautious with carbs in protein bars/drinks. I'd see some protein bars had 15gr of protein, but had 25-40grams of carbs. Those carbs, plus the usual sugar alcohols in protein bars were my carb allowance for an entire day. I'd rather grab some beef jerky or cheese over those kind of bars.

Ulcers are extremely rare with VSG. What type of problems are you having?

I know surgery sucks, but I can honestly tell you that gb removal was the easiest surgery I've had, and it was my 4th abdominal surgery (6th abdominal procedure) in 16 months. I felt immediately better when I woke up from anesthesia. I had to change my diet for a few months after, but it returned to normal. Essentially, I had to cut out fat or I'd get that phantom pain again.

Yep, same symptoms, and it got worse the longer I waited, and began to hurt when I would eat anything.

Honestly, I never worried about fat content in my losing stage. Not that I was shoveling in loads of fat, but I didn't count fat grams. The chicken is fab, the Beans are full of Fiber and Protein, the avocado (in my opinion) is the best option because of the high potassium and high healthy fats. Personally, I think it's a great option. I mushed all kinds of foods, and think if it satisfied you, and your taste then eat the measured portions for the next couple of days. Freeze the rest for to be eaten in a month's time. I not a fan of eating leftovers for more than 2 consecutive days. Foods lose their luster far too fast in my opinion if I eat them too often so I have to take a break or I'll get burned out on a fave.

I hate to say it, but only time is going to help. Your internal wounds still haven't healed completely, and your body is still super pissed off at you. I know we all want to feel better faster, but some of us have extended recoveries while others feel great. I think if you change your perspective and really think about your body is enduring, maybe you won't feel like a failure. I wasn't even allowed mushies until 4 weeks out, and couldn't even tolerate them well until 6 weeks out then had to stay on them to get my Protein in since solid foods just filled me up so fast. I know it is draining and exhausting, but believe me, it does get better. I would recommend trying some yogurt, and Probiotics to help with the gas. Everything is just kind of going crazy in there, and it's going to take time. I know it sucks to struggle, believe me I do, but don't give up.

I experienced it early out, I called it fuzz brain. But, I can tell you (for me) that it is temporary since Ghrelin is produced in other areas of the body. The fundus of the stomach is just the largest producer. I read other stories on the gastrectomy patients and they reported similar experiences, but also noted that it didn't last forever. Kind of like the whole body temp regulating thing. . . I'm no more cold/hot than my naturally skinny friends. I figure when it's 30 degrees outside, I'm supposed to be cold now instead of sweating because I'm lugging around 140lbs of extra body weight.

You'll poop it out just like everything else.

I went through the same thing Brian as I realized night-time snacking was my lover of choice. The only thing I can tell you is to stock your house with "better options". I keep ice cream, Cookies, and everything else in the house that my naturally thin, lean, husband and son eat, but they eat it rarely where I could eat it every day if I wanted. I like those little fruit Snacks, and really dig the 100 calorie pack thingies. Yes, it's 100 calories, but it's better than the 250 calories that 4 measily white powdered donuts offer, right? ? ? I'm not justifying my eating choices. I'm being rational, and know/knew going in that I was going to have obstacles. I make the best of them by doing what is best for me. I figured out a long, long time ago that if I deprive myself, I'll binge. So, I'll take the 100 calorie pack over the 400 calorie Snickers king size bar that goes down just as easy as liquids.

I don't believe there such a thing as being over-prepared, and YES, I nested big time before my revision. My in-laws were coming to stay with me since my husband was deployed so not only did I have to prepare for surgery, I had to prepare for in-laws staying with me for 2 weeks. Talk about cleaning and organizing obsessively. My biggest suggestion for packing for the hospital is pack LIGHTLY. For me, lip balm/chapstick/lip moisturizer and smelly good body lotion was essential. I also have to have my make-up. I don't care what anyone says being able to put on my face made me immediately feel better. Honestly, I could have skipped the shower as long as I had on my mascara LOL. Okay so maybe not skip the shower, but make-up and body lotion makes a world of difference in how I feel.

Are you taking the Nexium on an empty stomach and waiting 1 hour before eating, or 2-3 hours after eating? This is vital in the efficacy of PPI. Maybe you can talk to your doc about using gaviscon to help calm your tummy. How about some yogurt with some good Probiotics? I stuck to a lot of warm stuff, and stayed on mushies for much longer so I could get in my Protein. I swear I lived on chicken/tuna/egg salads, deli meat rolled up with flavored cream cheese, and other uber soft stuff just so I could eat not because of pain, but because I couldn't use Protein drinks so protein from food was vital. Hang in there, it does get way better, I promise ! ! !

I stuck with sugar free foods, but drank regular gatorade and tea sweetened with splenda too. I also drank 100% juice on occasion when I needed calories/fluids. I hated sugar free popsicles after awhile so I switched to fruit bars. The only thing I add SF syrup to is the Torani coffee flavors to greek yogurt, and sugar free pudding powder to greek yogurt. If you have a dietary guideline from your surgeon, and it says sugar free, ask them. I wouldn't add a lot of sugar to the diet especially so early out because it's extra calories, wasted calories at that, and can slow weight loss. Plus, sugar can cause more cravings. Those all the reasons I avoided sugary stuff during my losing stage.

Are you on an acid reducer/PPI? Crackers are carby, but one won't hurt you, but snacking and grazing are commonly not recommended because it becomes habit and you never really get satisfied with set meals, or a schedule. Are you having issues eating? I have never seen any post-op guideline eating every hour on the hour to prevent getting empty. It sounds like something else is going on in there if you're still having trouble eating. Acid overproduction, or something. I couldn't have raw veggies for 3 months. I ate pickles, and then a few hours later after another meal, I was burping up pickle skin. I was repulsed, disgusted, utterly appalled and didn't touch pickles for months. When I did eat them again, I skinned them, and didn't have issues. I did drink pickle juice because I craved it.

I'll keep ya in my thoughts chickee ! ! ! Hormones definitely have metabolic effects on weight loss.

Coops- I never ate over 800 calories in my losing. NEVER. Even when I started lifting weights, and doing one hard day of cardio and ab/core workouts, I did not ever go over 800 calories a day. Starvation mode is a complete myth and has been debunked by several hundred dieticians, medical professionals, fitness experts. Now, if you're burning 3000 calories a day by working out, yes you need more calories for energy, but if if you're only 100-300 calorie deficient by burning 1500 calories, you aren't going to lose as much fat. It's just what worked for me.

Estrogen is stored in fat cells. When we lose weight rapidly, all the estrogen is released into our bodies causing major hormonal fluxes. It can throw off your period, it can intensify PMS, cause insane food cravings. For me, it all came in ebbs and waves. I would be happy as a lark then 10 minutes later I was ready to throat punch strangers for breathing in my direction and taking up MY oxygen LOL. My PMS is worse now than it ever was when I was fat. I would get moody, sad, cranky, carby foods needed to be within arm's reach, and heaven forbid my husband want to have sex. My worse mood swing and craving week is actually the week I ovulated, then it would mellow out for a week then BAM my period would hit and I would be a little moody/short-tempered the day before I started. I was only able to recognize this pattern because we were TTC, I was charting, temping, and all the other crap we had to do to get pregnant. I can say during my rapid weight loss stage (the first 6 months) were emotional ups and downs.

I agree with Lily 100%. I eat out several times a week with friends. The one thing that was really awesome, even early out, I could order whatever I really wanted or whatever sounded good, eat what I could, and bring home the rest. I remember my fridge looking like a take-out box haven early out. I did order more Protein based appetizers, or protein items a la carte to keep my leftover counts down. I remember ordering lots of pot stickers (eating just the insides), nachos(eating just the Beans, cheese and meat), and tacos with no shell. My point is that after I got to regular food, eating out seemed pretty awesome and I never felt deprived while I watched all my friend chow down on unhealthy portions of every decadent food that got me fat in the first place