JoiaRox

I just giggle at the MFP recommendations . I use it to track my protein, more than anything, and watching calories is just an interesting, daily observation!

Post-op I've continued to track my caloric intake with MyFitnessPal, primarily because I need to track my Protein so that I can ensure I'm meeting the 70g/day minimum my NUT set for me. I'm still giggling each night when I "complete" the day's entry - MFP tells me each night: *Based on your total calories consumed for today, you are eating too few calories. Not only is it difficult to receive adequate nutrition at these calorie levels, but you could also be putting your body into starvation mode. Starvation mode lowers your metabolism and makes weight loss more difficult. We suggest increasing your calorie consumption to 1200 calories per day minimum. Sorry MFP - it's just gonna have to be this way for awhile! I giggle because I don't think I'd ever seen this warning prior to having my sleeve! At least, not consistently each day!

I resumed a normal sleeping pattern 9 days post op - primarily because I forced myself not to take a nap that day because I was returning to work the next day.

Yayayayayay!

I went back to work today and worked longer than I had planned (8.5 hours) because I was so slammed with catchup work - and that's on top of a 3+ hour total commute. Surprisingly, being back in "the game" and drinking water all day kept me less exhausted than I had anticipated being. I was sleepy on my drive home tonight, but I feel good about making it through the day. I drank a double scoop protein shake with milk on my drive in this morning - perhaps the early surge of 50g of protein helped as well? Good luck!

I'll hope for the best for you as well! As a general rule, my doctor won't do a conversion surgery. I had my irreparable band out in March and had to wait 11 weeks for my sleeve. Gained weight in the meantime (ahhh - the freedom of being able to keep down solid food again!!), but my stomach had morphed into something huge and swollen because of the 2+ years I dealt with the slip (the insurance I had then wouldn't cover removal). They said that my stomach was the largest, and most awkwardly shaped, they'd ever removed from a sleeve patient

I'm on "full liquids" on the other side - for three more days! The difference on the post-op side is that your hunger has dissipated, making it easier to avoid those fast food commercials and your boyfriend chowing down on chicken nuggets next to you (oh...that was me tonight). There is a greater purpose for all of this, and we chose to do it! Stay strong, woman - YOU ARE WORTH IT! P.S. Post-op? Protein shakes are still no fun to get down. But, you do it. Cuz your NUT said so.

I'd definitely ask for more clarification from your surgeon - I had a pre-op diet and very strict instructions post-op (I'm on "full liquids" right now). As a former LapBand patient (mine had slipped to the bottom of my stomach - ugh!), I'm also very careful to follow every direction to a "tee" this time around - definitely a worse outcome if you try to go faster than your sleeve needs you to go! My NUT gave me a full binder of material to read with their recommendations and protocols. I've since made my own tabs in the thing to help me as I move through recovery

And then there are those of us reading this and hating you (kidding!) because we have the opposite problem...lol. Just took some Miralax tonight to see if that will help!

6dpo was the first one I had post-op. If you feel like you have to go and can't, that's when you should intervene - although my doctor did suggest Miralax to help things smooth themselves over . Listen to your body - remember, you aren't necessarily eating enough to "create" a BM, so you're not necessarily going to go every day. Some people get the runs - I haven't.

Brought up my Day 6po on MyFitnessPal...I had a cup of coffee with creamer, Cream of Chicken soup with a scoop of Chicken Soup Flavor protein, SF pudding with a scoop of Chocolate protein powder and a protein blended ice smoothie with almond milk, vanilla protein powder and unsweetened cocoa powder. Oh - and vitamins and lots of water!

Ditto - my doc would say no to the noodles and yes to the broth. I'm on "full liquids" from Day 4 post-op to Day 13. If it can't pass easily through a straw, or requires any kind of chewing to break down, the answer's no.

I don't know about "most" people, but the rate of removal and/or conversion to sleeve is rapidly growing. It was the "it" surgery a few years ago, but now that data has caught up to it's usefulness, it's proving not to be "all that." Again, I'm slightly biased because of my own, horrible experience with it - although I will say that my doctor is preferential to the sleeve now because of current research. He'll perform either surgery at the request of the patient, but recognizes the higher efficacy and lower complication rate of the sleeve.

I'm a failed LapBander. Go sleeve! My personal opinions (not to be taken for medical fact or for normal comparisons - I have many LapBand friends through blogging that have been quite successful): BAND Requires active maintenance to get to and stay at "green zone" for optimal weight loss Body fights foreign object in your body Complication rate relatively high (much higher than when I got it in January 2010) High incidence of acid reflux Stretching of pouch Intolerance of many foods (for me - lettuce & bread were the big ones...but nachos went down easy?!) SLEEVE Virtually maintenance free Permanent alteration Lower incidence of complications than LapBand Forced behavior modification from the word "go" - no fill/unfill drama of LapBand Currently the top, and best rated, WLS on the market - being used in higher percentages now vs. LapBand because of complications Long story short, my LapBand slipped in early 2011 because of the fill/unfill game my horrible doctor played without ever doing a barium swallow to see what was going on. I lost 120 pounds initially, but when I developed a solid food intolerance (had to force myself to throw up daily) because of the severe slippage (now being treated by a phenomenal doctor), I regained all but 30 pounds I had lost because I developed "soft food syndrome" - in essence, I drank high calorie liquids to soothe my pain. Finally had the LapBand removed in March 2013 and was sleeved 9 days ago. I learned great lessons through my LapBand ordeal and have gone into the Sleeve surgery with my eyes wide open and my brain in a better space. I'm eager for my new life!

Time to find a new PCP? I'm not overly attached to mine, but, thankfully, she had nothing to do with my sleeve approval - heck, she doesn't even know I had one! Guess she'll find out eventually!

Any thoughts as to why? Did you have complications? Do you get all your fluids/protein on a daily basis? Taking vitamins? Have you talked to your doctor about your lethargy? It's not a fun way to live, so I can imagine you're frustrated!

I'm in Northern VA at the moment (and had my surgery there), but work in Rockville, MD. Moving up to Montgomery County, MD later this summer to get hours of my life back from commuting!

Dude - Molly - we're sleeve sisters! Just realized that we have the same surgery date! 9 days post-op whut whut!!

I'm a fan of

My problem is that I have always *been* a fast food person - heck, I even worked in two different fast food restaurants through college! I wouldn't put it past me to throw a Nachos Bel Grande or Quarter Pounder w/Cheese in a blender by the time next weekend gets here...lol. P.S. I'm totally kidding...but the chili from Wendy's isn't too bad, nutritionally, for ya!

Sounds like you're progressing normally! Keep working on your fluid/protein intake and I'm sure your doctor will be happy! The gurgling is absolutely normal - I'm gurgling as I type (sipping on tomato Soup at the moment). Our bellies are healing and working on letting things get through . As for the cramping pain, I'm sure that's normal as well - random cramps and pains have been part of recovery thus far for me as well. If it gets more serious, definitely consult with your doctor!

Congratulations on your decision, and best of luck to you! Going into the pre-op diet, surgery and life changing post-op with your head being in the right space is key! Way to go!

Seriously - the crackers are essential.

Back when I was a LapBander, one of my FAVE purees was this: buy an order of chili at Wendy's...it will come with crackers. Go home and dump both the chili and crackers into a blender and puree the heck out of it. SO GOOD. I get to start purees next weekend and I guarantee I'll be stopping at Wendy's!

LOL @VSGKirk - I, too, am a rotisserie and found I had no problem sleeping in my bed immediately after surgery. If I noticed discomfort, I slept atop one of my European (large square) pillows to cushion my tummy.