It has been a while since I have logged on... and I just had my 4th month post op visit with my doctor/nutritionist. I have lost 43 pounds in total and am so EXCITED! I feel great!!

Now, I am a little bit concerned because the NUT said that I am about 50%. He said most gastric sleeve patients lose 65% of their excess weight. So, that would mean, if I weighed 100 pounds over my IDEAL weight then I am expected to lose about 65 pounds and they consider that to be the norm. NOW, I want to lose the 100 pounds that I am over weight by -- but the NUT made me feel like that was not typical and went one to say that when one is heavy it takes more energy and therefore you lose more weight but once you have lost about 65% of the excess weight it is more difficult... So, is he trying to discourage me or, well, I don't know?

So, those of you who have had the surgery and are at the 1 year mark -- did you lose ALL your excess weight or was it the 65% of the EXCESS weight that my NUT was talking about?

I am having breast reduction surgery first, then planning to have the sleeve reduction a month after my BR has anyone had similar procedures done back to back?

Well, I had a breast reduction at 19, and just had my sleeve last week at 32, so not exactly close together, lol..

I would DEFINITELY reverse your planned order. As you lose weight, your breasts will change. You may end up not needing a reduction, but only a lift. Can I ask why you want the reduction first? If you are going through insurance, they may be required to take a certain percentage out, and then by the time you are done with your weight loss, you may end much smaller than you want.

Unless you have a specific reason for doing them in that order, and that close together, I would:

1. Have the sleeve first

2. Get to and maintain your goal weight for a while

3. Get the reduction/lift if you still need and want it.

Doing them so close together is going to put a lot of strain on your body. You need time to heal. Make sure BOTH surgeons know what your plans are.

Lillita I thin it's true what the dr is saying I'm almost at the year mark and I was at 243 when I had my procedure. On the 30th of this month I will have only lost 43 lbs and today I weigh and I have lost another 3. And my daughter who is shorter and weigh a whole lot more has lost 85lbs and is at her year mark? I was concerned our dr. Said we will loose differently because of our body types. But in my clothes I look a whole lot smaller than I actually am! So stay on your path and be patient!

Ozzie

I am about 9 months out and have lost all of my excess weight and more and more!!!!! I've never been so thin in my life. I wouldn't have done this if I wasn't willing to get to 100%.

I am about 9 months out and have lost all of my excess weight and more and more!!!!! I've never been so thin in my life. I wouldn't have done this if I wasn't willing to get to 100%.

Keep in mind Bella, EVERYONE wants to get to 100%.

I am about 9 months out and have lost all of my excess weight and more and more!!!!! I've never been so thin in my life. I wouldn't have done this if I wasn't willing to get to 100%.

Keep in mind Bella, EVERYONE wants to get to 100%.

True. What I'm trying to say is don't go in with the mindset of "I want to lose x amount, but statistically I'll probably only lose xx amount." Thats setting yourself up for only losing 65%! This game is mental more than anything and our minds can manifest outcomes!! Go in fully confident in yourself committed to doing what it takes to get to your goal weight.

I've seen many more people here achieving goal weight than not.

Pataroony,

Thank you for the details..

Did you have your surgery out of the country?

I am about 9 months out and have lost all of my excess weight and more and more!!!!! I've never been so thin in my life. I wouldn't have done this if I wasn't willing to get to 100%.

Keep in mind Bella, EVERYONE wants to get to 100%.

Hi @feedyoureye...you are one of the few posters still on here from when I was first sleeved. How are you doing; weight loss, length of time, skin excess, loss of muscle, complications?

Did those of you who have had successful weight loss use protein drinks or get all your protein through food?

I drank one protein shake/day and ate the rest of my protein. Dr's, nurses, NUTs, past sleevers, everyone will tell you protein is the most important thing...but if there's one thing this past sleever/bypass patient could share with you, it's that TAKING IN PROTEIN IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU'LL DO, trust me!!

I am about 9 months out and have lost all of my excess weight and more and more!!!!! I've never been so thin in my life. I wouldn't have done this if I wasn't willing to get to 100%.

Keep in mind Bella, EVERYONE wants to get to 100%.

Hi @feedyoureye...you are one of the few posters still on here from when I was first sleeved. How are you doing; weight loss, length of time, skin excess, loss of muscle, complications?

It took me 3 years to get to my goal weight. Felt fantastic! Had a very difficult year.... lost my mom, my husbands dad and my darling dog of 16 years.... among a list of other things... and ate the greif. Not a ton, I did keep many good habits. I exercised and still do 4-5 days a week, semi fast one or two days a week, still work on protein first and all those healthy habits, vitamins, doing things I love, learning new things and checking in to my support family right here. I have gained 20 pounds, the skin is pretty good, I was losing hair for around 4 of the last 5 years, but that has stopped and my hair looks different, but returned at last... waist length and pretty thick again. I am a different person in some ways, older but wiser. At this time I have kept off around 70% of my Excess weight.... higher than the average statistically which is around 58% or so I have read. Coming up on 5 years in January, I feel like a success.... sure I wish I was still at 100% but I have to tell you, maintenance is a lot harder than losing for me... and I am around 100% better off than I was before the surgery... I don't know about you, but I never lost all I wanted to before surgery, and NEVER kept it off for that long.... this is the very best I have ever managed with the sleeve, and really changing habits.... exercise and support and the other tricks of the trade.... I only make changes that I am pretty sure I can keep... no desperate diets or schemes... just back to basics, drink more water, reduce carbs a little, protein first.... and when I am doing the best, I am logging everything in MFP, using the fitbit and going to the Gym and/or other sporty activities that I enjoy. I have taken up kayaking, birdwatching (walking in nature a bunch) , kept up with Belly dance (I started this a couple of years before surgery) walk with a group of adults with developmental disabilities twice a week, and just took up motorcycle riding at age 62 with the intention of riding to the Arctic Circle next year. I always had a life, but now it is more active, and I can't eat as much in one sitting which helps quite a bit. Maybe one day I will be able to commit to enough changes that I might re-lose those 20 pounds, if not, I am now 20 pounds over weight, not 90.

Did those of you who have had successful weight loss use protein drinks or get all your protein through food?

I am 23 months out. I lost over 100% of my excess weight and have maintained for over a year. I still drink a 20-30g protein/fiber smoothie and eat a 20g Quest bar every day. This takes the guess work out of whether or not I'm getting enough protein. I also eat a lot of protein rich foods, but with my automatic 40-50g, I feel free to eat more fruits veggies and grains without worrying about protein goals.

I am about 9 months out and have lost all of my excess weight and more and more!!!!! I've never been so thin in my life. I wouldn't have done this if I wasn't willing to get to 100%.

Keep in mind Bella, EVERYONE wants to get to 100%.

Hi @@feedyoureye...you are one of the few posters still on here from when I was first sleeved. How are you doing; weight loss, length of time, skin excess, loss of muscle, complications?

It took me 3 years to get to my goal weight. Felt fantastic! Had a very difficult year.... lost my mom, my husbands dad and my darling dog of 16 years.... among a list of other things... and ate the greif. Not a ton, I did keep many good habits. I exercised and still do 4-5 days a week, semi fast one or two days a week, still work on protein first and all those healthy habits, vitamins, doing things I love, learning new things and checking in to my support family right here. I have gained 20 pounds, the skin is pretty good, I was losing hair for around 4 of the last 5 years, but that has stopped and my hair looks different, but returned at last... waist length and pretty thick again. I am a different person in some ways, older but wiser. At this time I have kept off around 70% of my Excess weight.... higher than the average statistically which is around 58% or so I have read. Coming up on 5 years in January, I feel like a success.... sure I wish I was still at 100% but I have to tell you, maintenance is a lot harder than losing for me... and I am around 100% better off than I was before the surgery... I don't know about you, but I never lost all I wanted to before surgery, and NEVER kept it off for that long.... this is the very best I have ever managed with the sleeve, and really changing habits.... exercise and support and the other tricks of the trade.... I only make changes that I am pretty sure I can keep... no desperate diets or schemes... just back to basics, drink more water, reduce carbs a little, protein first.... and when I am doing the best, I am logging everything in MFP, using the fitbit and going to the Gym and/or other sporty activities that I enjoy. I have taken up kayaking, birdwatching (walking in nature a bunch) , kept up with Belly dance (I started this a couple of years before surgery) walk with a group of adults with developmental disabilities twice a week, and just took up motorcycle riding at age 62 with the intention of riding to the Arctic Circle next year. I always had a life, but now it is more active, and I can't eat as much in one sitting which helps quite a bit. Maybe one day I will be able to commit to enough changes that I might re-lose those 20 pounds, if not, I am now 20 pounds over weight, not 90.

@@feedyoureye

Thank you so much for the update and response. Is the 20 you gained back part of your goal weight or your doctors'/standard goal weight (I.e., my personal goal weight is 125-130 but my doctor's goal weight for my age and stature is 140-145)? I've been both and I know exactly where I should be! My husband stands with my doc so we don't exactly see eye to eye! Lol! Anyway, I'm sure you already know my story/remember me from before, but the problems/complications continue. Lost 100% goal weight (mine AND theirs) and then some. On a feeding tube now which is yet another complication to add to the thousands I've already had. I'm proud to hear that you're doing great still (sorry about your losses this past year) and yes what a life at 62, riding motorcycles to the Arctic Circle...I can only imagine! I hope you continue to do well! Would love to see pics now...and then!!

Did those of you who have had successful weight loss use protein drinks or get all your protein through food?

Initially, when I was on liquids, I relied on protein shakes and supplements for a lot of my protein. As I was able to add foods and transition through the stages, most comes from food but I occasionally supplement with a shake.

The most important thing for me is that I get in my 100 grams of protein a day.

Hi All!

I am 4 weeks post -op tomorrow and 18 lbs lighter!

I have some questions and concerns I am wondering if someone you who have been on this journey awhile will help with. I am having some struggles with eating slower, not drinking while eating, dumping (yuck) finding a protein shake ( and other products ) that doesnt make me have so much gas.

There are times that I feel hunger what seems to be soon after I ate and was full. What is that? Is it just the body getting used to things or is it a mind game?

Sometimes after eating I feel so full and sick to my stomach , after what I feel like is a small amount of food.

I am using no butter, oils,or sugars in anything I consume but have had an issue with dumping. HAs anyone else had issues with sugar free products giving them gas or dumping ?

Thanks so much for your time and sharing your experiences with me!!

Hi All!

I am 4 weeks post -op tomorrow and 18 lbs lighter!

I have some questions and concerns I am wondering if someone you who have been on this journey awhile will help with. I am having some struggles with eating slower, not drinking while eating, dumping (yuck) finding a protein shake ( and other products ) that doesnt make me have so much gas.

There are times that I feel hunger what seems to be soon after I ate and was full. What is that? Is it just the body getting used to things or is it a mind game?

Sometimes after eating I feel so full and sick to my stomach , after what I feel like is a small amount of food.

I am using no butter, oils,or sugars in anything I consume but have had an issue with dumping. HAs anyone else had issues with sugar free products giving them gas or dumping ?

Thanks so much for your time and sharing your experiences with me!!

Hi Colleen! You may want to post your question as a new post, as it may be overlooked since this thread has so many responses already. But here are my thoughts:

For the first few weeks I had trouble slowing down to eat, and I actually used an app called "next bite" to help me. I'd set it for one minute, take a bite, chew the bejeezus out of it, and wait until the timer went off before taking my next bite. I also used a timer and set it for 30 minutes after I took my last bite to know when I could drink again. You don't realize how much it is second nature to want to drink while you eat until you can't. Don't keep any liquids nearby while you are eating, so you don't reach for it by mistake.

Are you sure you are dumping? While it can happen, dumping with the sleeve isn't overly common, and more often found on bypass patients. If you aren't eating much fat or sugar, I don't know what could even make you dump. Some people find they have trouble digesting dairy post op, and lactose intolerance could present as similar to dumping, and would also explain why your protein shakes (presumably whey) are making you gassy. I'd talk to your surgeon, but my suggestion would be to find a non-whey protein shake, and cut out other dairy from your diet for at least a few days or a week to see if this solves the problem. If you didn't have a problem with artificial sweeteners before surgery, I doubt that is the culprit (but could be way off on this).

If you are feeling super full, you likely either ate too much (at 4 weeks out, portions are still pretty tiny) or you ate too fast. I suspect the latter, since you said you've been having trouble with slowing down while you eat. If you eat too fast, and then get full to fast, you may be hungry again too soon because you simply didn't eat enough. If you are drinking while eating, that may also cause you to feel too full after not eating enough food.

Are you on any PPI for acid, like Prilosec? It sounds strange, but reflux often feels like hunger post-op. Lots of people report being frustrated because they are always hungry, but after starting a PPI, they don't feel that same hunger any more.

I hope this helps!! But again, you may want to start your own post to get more responses from people much smarter than me.

~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~