When I was talking to Nina before my surgery, I started asking her all these questions about things I could have afterwards. I specifically wanted to know about supplements; fish oil, mega-nutrition shakes, whole food Vitamin tablets. She went into kind of a long, charming answer and I finally interrupted and her and said, well. It sounds like what you're saying is that after the healing period, it's just a stomach.

And she said yes! That's right, it's just a stomach!

The first weeks -- say up to a couple days ago -- I did not feel like what I had in me was just a stomach. What it felt like was a shredded, cranky pinata so surly that *it* had to be blindfolded. Now I feel like I might have a stomach, or something that plans to be one soon.

I had pizza about five days ago, very slowly, the real kind .I ate maybe a slice total, pulling at the thin crust and leaving the back end. I had a Taco Bell crunchwrap supreme that went down almost okay about a sixth at a time; but at the end there was a very alarming, deep-core, kind of gravelly pain in the very middle of my body that got me worried so I went back to full liquids for a day.

I'm not sure but I think this is around the time that SBM ( Sleevers Before Me) begin to radio the board, saying, um. I can eat a *lot*. I've had the same phenomena lately. I ate a whole Lean Pocket. It took me about an hour but it all slid down happily. I've been eating greek yogurt, cottage cheese, Protein bars, mozzarella, protein shots and Lean Pockets. My calories are going up, from about 500 last week to nearer to 800 this week. Most food is really going down pretty well.

I appear to have a working digestive tract, putting me right on a competitive evolutionary level with, say, everything other living organism with a spine so I consider that a plus.

The downside is that I was starting to think that careful 500 was the new normal. Nope. 800 a day for two days made me nervous. It's a still a serious caloric deficit but major anorexia just doesn't last forever. You can call it a blessing and a curse. And a successful surgery, so far.

One week left and I'm at two months. About 42 pounds down. Amazing. Mostly amazing because two months, two months ago, seemed like five presidential administrations and a line at Disneyworld in June away.

You know, I don't even have a clue how many carbs is too many? I count calories and Protein just to keep track that I'm getting enough of both, but the program automatically counts carbs too. I have zero bloody idea what is meant to be low? What is high?

I love cake sooo much. Luckily there is NO good cake here. Seriously. Also no Chipotle or Taco Bell or aisles of yummy junk food at the shops. I am perhaps doomed if I ever move back to the US.

I like this post a lot. The line a sleeve stomach is just a stomach really struck home for me.

You know, I don't even have a clue how many carbs is too many? I count calories and Protein just to keep track that I'm getting enough of both, but the program automatically counts carbs too. I have zero bloody idea what is meant to be low? What is high?

I love cake sooo much. Luckily there is NO good cake here. Seriously. Also no Chipotle or Taco Bell or aisles of yummy junk food at the shops. I am perhaps doomed if I ever move back to the US.

I think the same thing. If you're eating 800 calories a day and seventy of them should be protein -- even if you go under that like I do and are at 65 or 60 or so; and your fats are reasonable -- say 20 or less, that only leaves enough room for 90 carbs. That would be high for a lowcarb diet but people who eat lowcarb who exercise can get up that high. It's pretty hard to overdo it on any edible molecule at 800 a day.

It's pretty hard to overdo it on any edible molecule at 800 a day.

I know!! This dumb little thumb-size tummy of mine makes me lose all sense of proportion!! An over-attended organ has taken over the driver's seat from my brain...makes me feel a bit of sympathy for men if I'm honest.

LOL.. i feel the same way!! I'm wondering what is going to happen to my diet when i move back to Texas in December very scary!!!!

You know, I don't even have a clue how many carbs is too many? I count calories and Protein just to keep track that I'm getting enough of both, but the program automatically counts carbs too. I have zero bloody idea what is meant to be low? What is high?

I love cake sooo much. Luckily there is NO good cake here. Seriously. Also no Chipotle or Taco Bell or aisles of yummy junk food at the shops. I am perhaps doomed if I ever move back to the US.

I know!! This dumb little thumb-size tummy of mine makes me lose all sense of proportion!! An over-attended organ has taken over the driver's seat from my brain...makes me feel a bit of sympathy for men if I'm honest.

hahahahaha!