Hi all,

I had my sleeve surgery 8/15/11 by Dr. Chae @ Skyridge Medical in CO. Pre-Op weight was 265lb. I'm currently at 248lb. I have had no issues at all. I feel great & have been eating a pureed diet since thursday! I'm trying to get enough Water & Protein in every day. I'm excited for this journey & like many of you worried about the emotional part. I also was an emotional eater & a

volume eater--didn't seem to know when to say enough:)

How did you all keep from pushing the envelope & eating things in the next level?

I'm so grateful that I haven't had any problems, but almost wish I had a few issues as I've been tolerating everything without any problems....I don't want to fail at this.

Thanks!

i had my VSG on 8/17/11, am 37 yrs old w/kids and was 277lbs, down to 255lbs. i'm having the same concerns, no issues, but can't decide if i'm normal full, too full, maybe just gas or what? i've started deli meat, ckn from ckn noodle Soup super chewed up, cooked/mushy veggies & quite a few pretty solid foods. i know that raw veggies, nuts & chips are out for a while as well as caffeine & carbonated things but i feel like i'm maybe not on the right track.

just joined this website & you are the first person i've replied to. hopefully we both find what we're looking for lol!

There is a very good resource here on the forum - a wonderful woman whose screen name is Tiffykins. She has been sleeved for around a year and a half to two years and has been very successful. She posted yesterday in response to a topic titled "how much should I be eating?" I am going to quote from her response:

" Measured portions, specifically 2-4oz should be your target meal size. That's by volume for the most part, you could do probably 6oz yogurt and other super soft/liquidy type foods.

Personally, I would not be eating hashbrowns or any type of white carb during the losing stage, but that's just how I chose to lose weight.

You might not get a full signal until it's too late, then you'll be puking or hurting.

I didn't get a "full signal" for months post-op so measuring was my key to not overeating.

I was prescribed 600-800 calories, 60+gr of Protein and no more than 30-40gr of carbs per day.

Measuring foods gives you a few things;

1) Staying within a set dietary guideline

2) Won't leave you hurting or puking

3) Will teach you to undereat your sleeve

Eating until full or stuffed helped get me fat. I was specifically told to undereat my sleeve, to measure, and to stop looking for that full signal because if you constantly overeat it is not changing any of the habits that led to us having surgery."

Look for her on the site, and check out her content. She is a great source of good data from a person who has "walked the walk" and lost her weight.

Good luck on your journey!

I am out 10 weeks now. I too have not had any complications and I can tolerate pretty much anything. For me because I was a band to sleeve revision I had to stay on Clear liquids 15 days, full liquids 15 days, then pureeds for 15 days. I followed those instructions to the T. That is important to follow especially while your stomach is healing and to protect your staple line. As times passes you can tolerate more food than in the beginning but you will get to a point where you feel very uncomfortable if you eat too much. You won't want to feel like this every time you eat which should teach you to learn when to stop. Now, even though you are eating less, you also should make smart choices. My doctor told me that 50% of this is the surgery working for me but the other 50% I have to do on my own. I can fill up my small stomach with a milkshake that has 1200 calories or I can stick with my Protein like a small piece of chicken and some steamed veggies. I will definitely have a higer success rate if I make better choices with food. If you are still on the liquid/mushy phases you may get down quite a bit without that super full feeling because the liquids go down very easy. When you get to the solid foods, you will notice the restriction much quicker. Important thing is to make sure you are taking your Nexium or Priolsec to avoid the acids from making you feel hungry. Try to stay away from the carbs, they make you feel sluggish and tired and make you hungry faster. High protein keeps you fuller longer and keeps you up and you feel better all around. I really thought this was a crock of crap but now that I haven't had coffee or a soda in 3 months I see the difference it has made. I used to depend on the caffeine to make it through the day and now I feel even more alert, awake, and energetic than ever because I am having hardly no carbs and I am getting about 80-90 grams of protein a day. I would say that if you think that you might "push the envelope" or if you find yourself to be a snacker just make sure it is healthy foods you are having. Also, don't get discouraged if you hit stalls along the way. I have hit so many in just 10 weeks that I thought I would not lose any more weight, lol. Sometimes I go 2-3 weeks and don't lose a single pound. Then next thing you know, I lose 3 lbs in 1 day. It is very strange but all of our bodies are different. Keep up the good work and you guys will do fine. Take care and feel free to message with any questions. I am happy to help!

Take Care!

Sounds like we're on the same road at the same time. I'm 52, my daughter just turned 30--on Aug 17th! I wish this surgery had been around when I was 30! but I'm grateful for it now. I haven't done the lunch meat, but I have had cooked veggies & tuna. I think I'm going to try to be better at measuring my food instead of eyeballing it. My nutritionist also suggested using a baby spoon to eat slower...I do seem to feel the fullness easier when I measure & eat slower. It will be fun tracking our success. I know we'll have fun sharing our success stories!

thanks for the great suggestions! I appreciate it & will follow them. I am still on the mushy foods--I try & do scrambled eggs for the Proteins, but mashed potatoes sure taste good I'm really going to focus on measuring my portions...I do think that will be an important step & I think I have to step up my Protein intake. I'll keep you posted. thanks for the encouragement

I am out 10 weeks now. I too have not had any complications and I can tolerate pretty much anything. For me because I was a band to sleeve revision I had to stay on clear liquids 15 days, full liquids 15 days, then pureeds for 15 days. I followed those instructions to the T. That is important to follow especially while your stomach is healing and to protect your staple line. As times passes you can tolerate more food than in the beginning but you will get to a point where you feel very uncomfortable if you eat too much. You won't want to feel like this every time you eat which should teach you to learn when to stop. Now, even though you are eating less, you also should make smart choices. My doctor told me that 50% of this is the surgery working for me but the other 50% I have to do on my own. I can fill up my small stomach with a milkshake that has 1200 calories or I can stick with my protein like a small piece of chicken and some steamed veggies. I will definitely have a higer success rate if I make better choices with food. If you are still on the liquid/mushy phases you may get down quite a bit without that super full feeling because the liquids go down very easy. When you get to the solid foods, you will notice the restriction much quicker. Important thing is to make sure you are taking your Nexium or Priolsec to avoid the acids from making you feel hungry. Try to stay away from the carbs, they make you feel sluggish and tired and make you hungry faster. High protein keeps you fuller longer and keeps you up and you feel better all around. I really thought this was a crock of crap but now that I haven't had coffee or a soda in 3 months I see the difference it has made. I used to depend on the caffeine to make it through the day and now I feel even more alert, awake, and energetic than ever because I am having hardly no carbs and I am getting about 80-90 grams of protein a day. I would say that if you think that you might "push the envelope" or if you find yourself to be a snacker just make sure it is healthy foods you are having. Also, don't get discouraged if you hit stalls along the way. I have hit so many in just 10 weeks that I thought I would not lose any more weight, lol. Sometimes I go 2-3 weeks and don't lose a single pound. Then next thing you know, I lose 3 lbs in 1 day. It is very strange but all of our bodies are different. Keep up the good work and you guys will do fine. Take care and feel free to message with any questions. I am happy to help!

Take Care!

Thank you! I will check out Tiffykins! Thanks for the great suggestions!

There is a very good resource here on the forum - a wonderful woman whose screen name is Tiffykins. She has been sleeved for around a year and a half to two years and has been very successful. She posted yesterday in response to a topic titled "how much should I be eating?" I am going to quote from her response:

" Measured portions, specifically 2-4oz should be your target meal size. That's by volume for the most part, you could do probably 6oz yogurt and other super soft/liquidy type foods.

Personally, I would not be eating hashbrowns or any type of white carb during the losing stage, but that's just how I chose to lose weight.

You might not get a full signal until it's too late, then you'll be puking or hurting.

I didn't get a "full signal" for months post-op so measuring was my key to not overeating.

I was prescribed 600-800 calories, 60+gr of Protein and no more than 30-40gr of carbs per day.

Measuring foods gives you a few things;

1) Staying within a set dietary guideline

2) Won't leave you hurting or puking

3) Will teach you to undereat your sleeve

Eating until full or stuffed helped get me fat. I was specifically told to undereat my sleeve, to measure, and to stop looking for that full signal because if you constantly overeat it is not changing any of the habits that led to us having surgery."

Look for her on the site, and check out her content. She is a great source of good data from a person who has "walked the walk" and lost her weight.

Good luck on your journey!