Sleeved 5/25/12- Weak Moment, Cheated A Bit :(

[Izzy0525 14]

Hello all, my name is Isabel but people call me Izzy. I was sleeved on 5/25 and for the first week I followed every set of instructions given to me, unfortunately two days ago I had a bit of a breakdown while cooking dinner for my family and I had a small piece of meat (really small) and a bit of cottage cheese. Terrible I know, I got sick to my stomach and learned a pretty valuable lesson. But since then I've been terrified I've caused damage to my sleeve. I've developed the worst kind of acid reflux to the point that I can't sleep well at night (didn't have that problem prior to cheating) and for the last two days I've gotten headaches. Has anyone out there cheated during the first two weeks of being sleeved?

[Peaceful 5]

I had some cottage cheese and small steak bites- went great- now I've gotten brave and dealing with alot of heart burn- going back to being on schedule- its there for a reason !!

[Izzy0525 14]

During your first two weeks?

Funny how we both cheated with the same exact thing lol

[deekaspor 89]

we all learn the valuable lesson when it hurts. Don't beat yourself up. That small amount you ate will not hurt your sleeve. Just think to yourself, lesson learned. Keep up the good work.

[Izzy0525 14]

Thanks Deekaspor!

[borntothewind 9]

I had my surgery on the 9th of May, and on the 23rd, I started eating soft foods. I had avacado, and even had a TINY slice of pizza with thin, crackery crust. The next night I had (gasp) liver and mashed potatoes with gravy. I just ate very carefully, and picked out all of the fibrous bits, chewing to an almost liquid pulp. This made me feel SOO much better, physically, as well as emotionally. I had my surgery in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and the instructions were a little sketchy. I was worried about everything I did until I found a great set of post-op instructions online with EXPLANATIONS about what to do and WHY. Things like the 'no drinking' rule. I was told to NEVER drink with my meals, or for 30 minutes before or after. I read in a few places that this was because I would stretch my stomach out and render my surgery pointless. Harsh. The PDF I downloaded explained that this was not the reason, but the purpose for not drinking before was so your meal would comfortably fit, and not drinking after was to hold the 'full' feeling as long as possible. Makes sense, now. This made my life so much easier, as I stopped feeling guilty about everything I put in my mouth. And if I REALLY need to wash my mouth out with a little Water to clear lingering taste, I can take a sip and swallow without blowing a gasket. I also learned the importance of Protein and fluids, and that (THANK HEAVEN) i don't necessarily have to combine the two. I purchased a Protein Powder that I sprinkle on my food, and can actually enjoy the taste of the 2 liters!! of Fluid a day I need to drink. I LOVE my 1liter smartwater bottle, filled 2x/day with sugar free hawaiian punch! I take 3 Flintstones gummies and 2 Viactive chocolate chews for dessert and skip the nasty liquid vitamins, protein drinks/shakes... I am a wild child and eat a scrambled egg for Breakfast with 1/2 slice of 2% American cheese melted wickedly on it. For lunch, I even ate garlic mashed potatoes with protein powder sprinkled on them! When my family had a cookout this weekend, I grilled a portobello mushroom beside their hamburgers and dipped it in (gasp) cheese dip with a few slices of avacado! I have a few basic rules I follow.

1. keep it low/no fat.

2. no more than 1/2 cup

3. drink the 64 oz. of fluid

4. 60 grams protein powder

5. keep meats tender, and don't eat the kind that swell as you chew. This will continue once you swallow, and that ain't good.

6. move your butt

7. avoid skins, seeds, and fibrous bits... spice is ok in moderation, just no pepper seeds!

8. Don't do it if it hurts! (food) I don't eat lettuce or uncooked veggies, either. But a little cooked spinach is great.

9. ONLY EAT IT IF IT TASTES GOOD!

This pirate attitude toward the rules has helped me achieve a 30lb loss in less than a month, the ability to be happy with my decision and NOT feel deprived when eating with family and friends, the descent from a size 20 to a 14/16 in less than a month, and a perma-grin plastered to my face!

BOTTOM LINE. Don't sweat the small stuff. And don't be miserable. Lose the guilt and find a way to enjoy living your new life.

[Izzy0525 14]

Thanks for your response, I've moved on from it. Most people who turn to this surgery have had lots of experience with falling off the wagon when it comes to diet routines. But at the same time, we become pros at trying again....I am determined to reach a healthy weight. I wholeheartedly believe this was the best decision I've ever made for myself.

[lunabella007 37]

I had my surgery on the 9th of May, and on the 23rd, I started eating soft foods. I had avacado, and even had a TINY slice of pizza with thin, crackery crust. The next night I had (gasp) liver and mashed potatoes with gravy. I just ate very carefully, and picked out all of the fibrous bits, chewing to an almost liquid pulp. This made me feel SOO much better, physically, as well as emotionally. I had my surgery in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and the instructions were a little sketchy. I was worried about everything I did until I found a great set of post-op instructions online with EXPLANATIONS about what to do and WHY. Things like the 'no drinking' rule. I was told to NEVER drink with my meals, or for 30 minutes before or after. I read in a few places that this was because I would stretch my stomach out and render my surgery pointless. Harsh. The PDF I downloaded explained that this was not the reason, but the purpose for not drinking before was so your meal would comfortably fit, and not drinking after was to hold the 'full' feeling as long as possible. Makes sense, now. This made my life so much easier, as I stopped feeling guilty about everything I put in my mouth. And if I REALLY need to wash my mouth out with a little Water to clear lingering taste, I can take a sip and swallow without blowing a gasket. I also learned the importance of Protein and fluids, and that (THANK HEAVEN) i don't necessarily have to combine the two. I purchased a Protein Powder that I sprinkle on my food, and can actually enjoy the taste of the 2 liters!! of Fluid a day I need to drink. I LOVE my 1liter smartwater bottle, filled 2x/day with sugar free hawaiian punch! I take 3 Flintstones gummies and 2 Viactive chocolate chews for dessert and skip the nasty liquid Vitamins, Protein drinks/shakes... I am a wild child and eat a scrambled egg for Breakfast with 1/2 slice of 2% American cheese melted wickedly on it. For lunch, I even ate garlic mashed potatoes with protein powder sprinkled on them! When my family had a cookout this weekend, I grilled a portobello mushroom beside their hamburgers and dipped it in (gasp) cheese dip with a few slices of avacado! I have a few basic rules I follow.

1. keep it low/no fat.

2. no more than 1/2 cup

3. drink the 64 oz. of Fluid

4. 60 grams protein powder

5. keep meats tender, and don't eat the kind that swell as you chew. This will continue once you swallow, and that ain't good.

6. move your butt

7. avoid skins, seeds, and fibrous bits... spice is ok in moderation, just no pepper seeds!

8. Don't do it if it hurts! (food) I don't eat lettuce or uncooked veggies, either. But a little cooked spinach is great.

9. ONLY EAT IT IF IT TASTES GOOD!

This pirate attitude toward the rules has helped me achieve a 30lb loss in less than a month, the ability to be happy with my decision and NOT feel deprived when eating with family and friends, the descent from a size 20 to a 14/16 in less than a month, and a perma-grin plastered to my face!

BOTTOM LINE. Don't sweat the small stuff. And don't be miserable. Lose the guilt and find a way to enjoy living your new life.

Thanks for that post! You should be a full time blogger! You're hilarious and SO informative! I love your wickedly melted cheese, especially

Pretty much nothing can keep me away from pizza--I ate pizza two hours after I had all four impacted wisdom teeth taken out! It's fun to know that I may be able to get away with a tiny bit of cheese, or a smidge of Tomato sauce from time to time!

[fluffylibra30 323]

I would steer clear of the meat. That's the hardest thing on your sleeve when it is new.

[Izzy0525 14]

Thanks for your response, I've moved on from it. Most people who turn to this surgery have had lots of experience with falling off the wagon when it comes to diet routines. But at the same time, we become pros at trying again....I am determined to reach a healthy weight. I wholeheartedly believe this was the best decision I've ever made for myself.

[quietcougar 29]

Just my opinion - every plan is different, and every surgeon/bariatric program is different. Some focus on carb balancing, introducing cereals and such quickly to keep your energy up. Some (many) focus on high Protein and low carb. Personally, I believe that's the best route. We need a lot of protein for the rest of our lives; the sooner we get used to eating it, the better we'll be. Also, for a lot of us, carbs are what got us to where we are. Carbs aren't evil, but we need to put them last in our diet.

[newfmom 7]

I was also sleeved on the 25th. About 4 days out I broke down and tried some cottage cheese. I did this because for some reason that day, I could not tolerate any more Protein Shakes or broth. The thought of them made me sick. Those small few bites made all the difference in the world! The next day I felt much better!

[borntothewind 9]

Thanks for that post! You should be a full time blogger! You're hilarious and SO informative! I love your wickedly melted cheese, especially

Pretty much nothing can keep me away from pizza--I ate pizza two hours after I had all four impacted wisdom teeth taken out! It's fun to know that I may be able to get away with a tiny bit of cheese, or a smidge of Tomato sauce from time to time!

I'm blushing

[Georgia 2,908]

HeyGuys, the only thing I can add is that so early out from surgery your stomach and esophagus is still very swollen. Need to be extremely careful with dense Protein. And the other thing is the longer you follow a strict routine the less likely you are to fall into habits later that will add pounds BACK on. Trust me! They DO come back. 2 years out yesterday and once you hit that timeframe you have to be very careful that your routine diet is a good one. Only long term approach is moderation with exercise. The weight FELL off me very quickly with little or no effort and within a fee months I was at goal. Then I got cocky and started snacking too much. Yep! Bam! 10 lbs right back like that. STILL have lots of restriction and if I follow the rules I will be good. (lost 4 lbs since). Best to you both! It is a great, great tool!

[Izzy0525 14]

Thank you all so much for your responses....I love this site!