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I'm finding it's just easier, generally, to keep eating the "full liquids." Lite/Greek Yogurt, Cottage cheese, etc, than some of the soft meats. Nothing's come up, but I generally feel it's easier to eat and stay comfortable, whereas eggs and other soft meats just take a lot more work to get down and even then, I'm uncomfortable; mostly because I want to "wash it down" with some Water after I'm done. So my question is, is this something I have to push through to be able to progress, or will that just come with time, and comfort is fine for now? Appreciate your thoughts...

According to my Nut it is important to progress through the stages so you can eventually handle solid foods again and so your digestive muscle do not become "lazy" I hope you feel better soon I'm 4 days out and will start full liquids tomorrow.

thank you guys xx everyday seems to be getting better but damn what I would do for some real food oh how I miss it so much. Like Chinese. But I guess that's why I'm here today lol

- How much volume can you eat at one sitting? I use my hand as sort of a measure. I stopped measuring my food. I eat a piece of meat that's about the size of my palm. My dr. wants us to eat 75% protein and 25 % veggies and fruit. Sometimes my eyes are bigger than my stomach. I will cut up the amount of meat I think I can eat, and I can't eat it all. - Do you count calories? Track food? I used to be very religious about counting calories. Now, I eat so many of the same foods all the time, I can do it in my head without logging in. I used to use sparkpeople.com - How often do eat per day? snacks? I eat 3 meals a day, and usually an evening snack of some sort. Usually it's a sugar free fudgesicle. -How long do you feel full for after meals? 3-4 hours, sometimes longer. Sometimes I actually forget that it's time to eat. In the evenings, it's definitely head hunger. I am not hungry, but I think I have a taste for something. I stay full from breakfast but I know I have to eat lunch before I go to work or I will be hungry at work. I only work part time, in the afternoons. I work out every morning. When I didn't have the right fill, I got full very fast but I was hungry again soon. Let me know if you have any other questions. I am happy to help.

Hey, i know what you mean...EXACTLY. Yesterday i got my second fill. My first fill was almost a month ago, so they gave me an aggressive 3.25cc fill in my 10cc band. I wasn't feeling as much restriction as i felt i should so i scheduled my second fill. This time i was given 2cc and was fine with the Water afterwards, heck i even ate a bit of cottage cheese later that afternoon, but something happened between then and dinner, because when i attempted a little egg salad, it hurt. Then even the liquids were hurting. I tried a little yogurt a while later, no go. More liquids...still that pressure. So i gave up for the night. Now this morning i'm still feeling that tightness and i'm wondering whether, like you, i just get swollen after my fills or whether i am, indeed too tight. Oh, i've since started avoiding spicy foods for that reason. I tried a bite of chicken curry after my first fill..like a day or two later, and it was misery! At least i now know what "sliming" means! hahaha Good luck, chica. As for me, i'm going to ATTEMPT to wait this out over the weekend and hope it's just a bit of swelling.

What does "perfect restriction" look like for you? - How much volume can you eat at one sitting? (i.e. 1/2 cup) - Do you count calories? Track food? - How often do eat per day? snacks? -How long do you feel full for after meals? That kind of stuff??? Thanks for sharing.

I, too, find it problematic that you're starving yourself and then eating only when you can't handle the hunger anymore, only eating once or twice a day. That's not a healthy weight loss strategy. Anyway, I'd talk to your surgeon about how you're feeling and let him decide whether or not you need another fill. I'm assuming you're seeing a NUT. Take your food journal to your next appointment and they can better advise you on how to eat properly to lose weight without wrecking your metabolism. I have a lap band and I eat several times a day because my stomach cannot hold much food. I'm not losing rapidly but I'm losing steadily. I expect my complete weight loss journey to take a couple years and I'm okay with that. I would love for this excess 130 pounds to fall off in a few months but that just ain't gonna happen. The lap band is not intended for rapid weight loss but it WILL work over time. Patience, my friend.

I think what you are experiencing is a bit of a stuck episode. When other get stuck they well and truly stuck. The food does not pass for a while, if at all and they need to see the Dr. to remove Fluid and sometimes they will PB or vomit and that is why they then go on liquids to allow the stoma some time to recover from any swelling that might have been caused while the food was stuck in it or above it. I have had minimal stuck issues similar to what you experience, but my hubby has gotten well and truly stuck and had to vomit to remove the offending bit of food. The pain I have is short lived and usually I am able to pass the bit of food after a minute or two, or after a drink of something warm like tea or coffee. If it takes too long for the food to pass, the next meal I will do a liquid Protein shake or something soft to allow the stoma to relax from the trauma but that's just me.

Amy421 - I was banded on the 19th and have been an emotional wreck since. My husband has been really supportive. I've gone through a rollercoaster of emotions. On another note, have you started mushy foods yet?

Hi LuvnLfe, I've been pretty emotional as well... I cried my head off a few times - including while I was at the hospital. I'm off clear liquids but I'm still on full liquids like cream based soups, protein shakes, etc. Thursday and then I go on mushy foods. How are you feeling? My stomach still hurts pretty badly at the incision and port. I thought it would be a lot better by now.

I've had no transfer addiction, but I learned quickly that the old demons are still there. Right around 10 months post op I started going to therapy with an eating disorder therapist and I have gone to her weekly since then and I'm now about 2.5 years post op. She connected me with the writings of Geneen Roth ("When food is Love" & "Women, Food, and God") and the therapy, along with these two books, have literally changed my life. I cannot recommend seeking out therapy or the writings of Roth highly enough!

Congrats on your sleeve! What you're experiencing is totally normal, your fundus is gone so the liquid/food is in closer contact with the other side of your stomach that wouldn't normally be unless you've absolutely stuffed yourself. I'm not sure that eating soup is a good idea yet unless it's just broth. Follow jatherley's advice, and space your sips apart. I used to set a timer to go off ever five minutes and take a sip. Don't stress out over it, you will adjust and feel semi-normal eventually. Hope this helps!

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to give a little update for some who might wonder how it is after being sleeved. I recall, not to long ago wondering how I might feel a month or two out. First let me say, I went to Mexico, had surgery with Dr. Kelly. I lost 12lbs preop (if I recall right lol). Since the time I was sleeved I have lost 25 more lbs. I am tickled. I was on liquids for 2 plus weeks and around the 3rd week I started mushies. About 4 weeks I started soft foods. So far this has been a blessing but my sleeve has tolerated EVERYTHING. I have not ate one thing that has bothered it. I must say that I do pretty much stay by the book. I eat protein first always. I have tried a lot of different foods. I even can eat not huge amounts but never have I ever felt like I was going to be ill. I do feel sometimes that I have had enough. I did take 4 weeks off from work. I am a server at a very high volume restaurant and also clean houses for a living. Very physical work. I have no problems with energy level being low. I get in all my vitimans, protein and liquids. Everything has went almost to smooth. If I did say I have had an issue it is that I continue to deal with constipation ( sorry if TMI). Some NSV's (non scale victories) that I am so happy about are 1) I measured before and then a month after surgery and had lost 14inches total. 2) I went from a 20 tight, probably 22 to a 16 wide easily 3) My husband is lean , no weight issues and now finally after many years I way less than him. YEahhh. He is tall but .... who cares I weigh less. 4) I have been walking atleast 3 miles aday, sometimes twice a day now and have started jogging also. ME JOGGING, CAN NOT BELIEVE IT!!! 5) I can sleep all nite now, I also can sleep lying down, not with a bunch of pillows sitting me up. 6) I can not believe I am going to say this but..... for the first time I feel attractive. It is not how I look but how I feel about myself. I can breath and not huff and puff when I walk. 7) Oh yeah, I can cross my legs...lol. I love this. 8) Okay... I am going to say it kinda.... lol , by choice I have not been getting a lot of sleep. Not only am I happy, my husband is a very happy man these days. Something woke up, my hormones have been screaming. ok I am done.

Hi everyone. Just wanted to put down my experience for that first week for those who need lifting up. =) My personal experience was hell. Now that doesn't mean yours will be. I see people on here all the time who have truly stellar experiences! But for those of us who didn't. Here I am! Firstly, if you've read my story, you know I"m a liver patient, more than a bariatric patient. In the hospital I had trouble with pain control, blown IV's and pretty much just existed on Water. I was there for two days. I had made my own bone broth and Jello and brought it with me. I didn't even use it I was sick. However, after I got home I felt somewhat better. I had to find a comfortable way to lay on my back. That never happened. In the OR while laying on my back something shifted. It still isn't quite right. I attribute that from my Spondylitis in my SI joint. Chiro hopefully and my massage therapist will be able to help. Anyway, I was nauseated quite a lot the first few days and in a drug induced stupor. I threw up the second night home. That was a horrible experience. I am not one of those people who "ralph" very well. I think it was s combination of taking my liquid pain meds too fast. THEN I did my incentive spirometer, but I think I sucked in air. And out everything came! So be careful with that. That was day two, at home. I pushed through day three with a vengeance, because my grandmother always told me day three of a surgery is always the worst. And it has been. Day four was better....everything seemed clearer and I was able to drink more effectively and even take a few liquid supplements. Not all, but some. Day five. I felt this burst of energy. It was crazy. Mind was willing, body was not! So I walked around the house. Did try to bend, not a good idea... LOL. I was able to get all my Vitamins down this day. I was really proud of myself. But I was still short on the liquids. Day six. Weakness.... I just felt like a wet noodle. I think it was from not getting in the requisite amounts of Protein and liquids for as many days. Day seven. One week post-op. Woo! I finally "felt" hungry. Liquids didn't seem to be cutting it and I started craving fish. Which is a big deal for me because my liver disease had taken all hunger pains away for the past two years. I called my doc's office and asked if I could tolerate the foods on Phase 3 if I could have them? They said yes. I was over the moon about that. Not knowing what I was getting myself into. LOL Day eight. I decided to order the fish. I got sea scallops. And mashed potatoes. I was able to eat the scallop and about a teaspoon of mashed potatoes. It was heaven, it was also hell... I felt way full. I can tell you what they say about "real" food protein staying with you longer, is the truth. These Protein shakes don't last long. I am still drinking two a day to get enough protein in. Day nine. Same weakness. I just feel so weak. All over. And thirsty all the time. Ate scallop and potatoes again for one meal. Still got in all the vitamins. And today, day ten. I still feel weak. I'm hoping this will pass when I am able to actually get in all the protein at least a week in a row. I'm thinking the body has gone into survival mode or something. Two things. I had a bowel movement without taking anything on the second day home, and then again on day five. So I'm not going to take anything unless I have to. Second thing. I found this protein supplement called Reserveage, they taste awesome! Mix very well. Come in vanilla and chocolate. So that has become my go to supplement for protein. I still get individual packets of different flavors to shake things up a bit. I have an order into unjury that hasn't shown up yet. I'll let you know how that tastes when it gets here. So I hope this helps someone. Keep pushing though those first days. It does get easier. I'm excited about the future. =) Have a great day!

Congrats to you! Wow, what an inspiring post. I know what you mean by "wanting" food. That is head hunger. It does lessen over time or it has for me. Great job!

I'm on day 4 and I'm the same way. I don't feel any restriction on liquids but from what I have read, that is pretty normal. The restriction starts when you get to actual food in the next few weeks. I'm just plugging along.

The question to postpone your trip is a difficult one to answer. I would definitely recommend that you ask your doctor and follow his/her advice. Three weeks post-op you're likely to still be pretty sore and probably will have very little or no appetite. Trips home also tend to be synonymous with food. Be warned that yielding to that temptation at three weeks out would almost certainly be something you would regret. As you can see from the responses you already have, weight loss will fly all over the place. The fact that your weight loss might be different from mine, or anyone else's, means absolutely nothing. Everyone is different. There are just too many variables. Setting your expectations to someone else's results can be self sabotaging and frustrating. You're much better off focusing your energy on trying to relax and letting your body find its own way in its own time. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery! You're gonna love the new you!!

After 3-4 months your clear to eat anything regular correct? Not stick to the Protein shakes and purees? I been eating fine. Watching protein calories and sugar intake. I haven't started the gym but will do so tonight or tmr. My job I have is very active so I have been doing great with weight loss. Believe it or not I kicked up my calorie intake and was losing more. Now I'm at a stall. I eat mainly veggies..... veggie subs (3" at a time) or veggie gluten free pizza 1 tiny piece to 2. raw veggies. Lean cuisines. Jello. pudding. Hummus. Powerade zero. Fruits. smoothies. Right now its my craving time of month. So its hard but I try to avoid food at this time of month. Any other healthy choices?

Great! I am on soft food, too and added fish this week. I was at a family cookout and had grilled salmon. I am sure I enjoyed my tiny bit of salmon and savored every bite much more than everyone else who had a full plate. Edited: because autocorrect is insane.

Hi guys, I'm 9 days out of surgery and I have two questions. The first is that I still have pain on the side where my port is. It's gotten less, but when I do too much it really starts to hurt again. (when I say do too much, i mean walk around target for an hour) Is this normal? Also, sorry to be gross, but I'm still on the liquid diet and everything that comes out of my butt is pure liquid. I go like 6 to 8 times a day, and it's nothing but pure liquid. Gross, I know, but is this what you guys experienced?

Hey. I got the sleeve done on 5/21/13. I am having moderate to severe pain when I swallow. It feels like pain when the food is entering my stomach. Anyone else having this issue?

I'm 5 days post op and had the Sleeve and fixed my hernia. I was very fortunate to not have any sore throat, Nausea, vomiting, or soreness after surgery. My problem is I feel very very weak, I don't know if this is normal. I'm getting in my protein drinks and drinking my water as much as possible. I have to stay on full liquids until Friday and then I can start the puree stage. Can I start this early? I'm wondering if this will help with my feeling exhausted?

I could only do refried beans at first. But my nut said if you use black beans and puree them like a hummus they were ok too at the stage that I could have yogurt, cottage cheese, etc...But no baked beans at that time. I think it had something to do with fiber.

Just curious, but are those your surgeon's instructions? I know all surgeons are different, but I will still be on pureed food at 3 1/2 weeks, and can't eat solid regular food for 7 weeks. Maybe your new pouch is telling you it is too soon for such heavy food. Now, if it is on your plan, maybe you ate too quickly or too much volume. Good luck, and I hope it doesnt happen again!

I am just starting on pureed and I tried scrambled eggs with some refried beans and guacamole this morning.... I could only take a few very small bites and it feels like a lump in my stomach. I will be finishing the day with more liquids. It sure did taste good though