Question For Vet Sleevers...

[Curvy Girl 140]

Just curious...

Will I ever feel normal eating? It seems like it is more of a chore to eat to where sometimes I feel like it takes longer to make the food than to eat the food...LOL

I guess I'm asking does the HURT full ever go away or will I feel this forever...

Don't get me wrong I LOVE my sleeve and the weight I've lost but just curious. I'm finding myself not eating as much as I should just cause I don't want to hassle with the pain. I know it is my fault (eating too fast or too much)

Hopefully I am making sense...

[FishingNurse 1,210]

Yes- I have felt completely normal since about 6 months out. I just eat about half as much :-)

[JMarshall 352]

i dont know if i can consider myself a vet but i am 11 months out and 200 pounds down. i have normal meals but i do have to take it slowly. I can eat about half of a burger and a few fries. i still have the pressure feeling sometimes when eating but it does not hurt. the pressure i feel is the new way that i know im full and its time to stop. i stopped getting the pain portion about 5 months out. so yes it does get better. hopefully this helps.

[Supersweetums 1,164]

I am almost 2 years post op, and yes, you can eat normal, and it feels normal. The only thing I would like to mention though is if you are eating to the point that you are feeling pain, you are either eating too fast (which it doesn't sound like you are) or you might be eating just a little too much. I am not sure how far out your are, but even 1 bite early out can be too much. I still experience pain if I eat too much (yes, it happens, I'm not perfect). But as your stomach heals and the swelling goes down, you will be able to eat a little more. Eating to me now feels no different than it did pre-surgery.

[Bubbaloo10 55]

I'm almost 6 months out and I've become good friends with the pain. As soon as I feel it I stop eating. It usually tapers off after about 15 minutes. Then I can eat a little more if I'm low on intake. I'm also looking forward to the day when I don't get that pain, but I wonder if it will ever go away. Good luck....

[Curvy Girl 140]

I am six weeks out today...

I think I do eat too fast and probably sometimes too much (1 extra bite)

I really hope someday the pain does go away...

I also get this pain in my shoulder/neck when I am full (like a sharp pain)

Does anyone get that?

[Willow216 91]

I am 6 months out and after 3 to 4 bits of anything I have to stop just when I am just starting to enjoy the food, its over, can't touch it no more. Well I guess this is why I got the surgery to stop me before I go to far. LOL. There a certain foods that are easier for me like eggs and soft fish (scallops flounder etc) and then there are foods that after a couple of bites (red meat some chicken depending how its cooked, pork) I can't touch Pasta, rice, potatoes etc cause it is very uncomfortable on my sleeve (except for a lil angel hair pasta, that okay) and its not really a pain I get, its more like one bite too much and it is coming back up. I try and drink a Protein Shake everyday since it is easy to go down and I make sure I get my Vitamins and Protein. Eating is not too much fun anymore, but I wouldn't change a thing, I haven't been this size in over 10 yrs.

[Pookeyism 1,143]

If you are looking for things to be "normal", let me remind you a normal tummy is not what you want!

The tummy (I call mine George) will always be a factor in your life. You will be able to eat a bit more, but you should always chew your food extremely well, always eat a bit less than full. The goal is to maintain your sleeve, thus allowing it to help you maintain the new you.

I have found I cannot rely on the pleasure of food anymore. It is just not worth it. I have NO fast food, NO trans fat, NO refined sugar. I don't treat myself with food. It just seems to encourage old habits. You may differ. I am 9 months out and for me, myself, this is what I have decided to do - because I want to be here two years out, 9 years out...

I really encourage the avoidance of liquids before and after a meal.

I have talked with other vets that are very confident that they can eat a bit more now, that it is not doing anything - but when you pin them down, they have unaccounted for pain and such that often follows a day where they had the "more" they are talking about, and I noticed it myself a couple of times during maintenence.

So for me:

measured portions

yes, still the baby spoon at home,

no refined sugar

no soda

no fast food

no fried food

no white Pasta

I just never put all of what I could on my tummy, I always leave a little room.

popcicles are good for my tummy aches

head hunger is less, but I always take caution, mind my triggers

I still burp

I find, 100% of the time, hunger that follows within 2 hours or so after eating, is resolved with antacids.

I can:

Have a bit of honey in my tea

eat anything reasonable, enough to enjoy the sensation of nurishment

run again

fight again (swords)

survive the zombie hoards (less than 2 months away)

climb trees

put off knee surgery indefinitely

throw away my type 2 diabeties meds

take way less ibuphrophin

see how that goes? lol, better than overeating ever was, for whatever reason.

[lyndynojo 140]

I'm 15 months post op and I feel like I eat completely normal. That being said when you feel a little full stop eating, that one last bite is usually what is gonna cause pain, at least that's how I am. I have found that when I just have to take one more bite I hurt, get nauseated, etc. So I guess I'm a slow learner if I'm still doing that huh. lol Sometimes it just feels so odd to be stuffed feeling after only a few bites of something and I think surely one more bite won't hurt... wrong. lol

[Supersweetums 1,164]

I am six weeks out today...

I think I do eat too fast and probably sometimes too much (1 extra bite)

I really hope someday the pain does go away...

I also get this pain in my shoulder/neck when I am full (like a sharp pain)

Does anyone get that?

I am wondering if you are having bad heartburn. That is pretty common after surgery. Do you take anything like a proton pump inhibitor (PPI)? Many people have to take them after surgery. A PPI stops your stomach from producing acid. I would talk to your doctor about it.

[DebInAZ 76]

What is a zombie hoard???

[Supersweetums 1,164]

I'm 15 months post op and I feel like I eat completely normal. That being said when you feel a little full stop eating, that one last bite is usually what is gonna cause pain, at least that's how I am. I have found that when I just have to take one more bite I hurt, get nauseated, etc. So I guess I'm a slow learner if I'm still doing that huh. lol Sometimes it just feels so odd to be stuffed feeling after only a few bites of something and I think surely one more bite won't hurt... wrong. lol

I am 22 months post op and still do it sometimes...I am a slow learner too!! It only happens when something tastes oh so good, and I think the same thing...one more bite can't hurt. Oh, then it hurts something terrible!

[Jenny881 5]

I am six weeks out today...

I think I do eat too fast and probably sometimes too much (1 extra bite)

I really hope someday the pain does go away...

I also get this pain in my shoulder/neck when I am full (like a sharp pain)

Does anyone get that?

My nutritionist said most people have that shoulder pain. It's part of the gas that's still inside. Something about the nerve that's by the stomach. I really wasn't paying too much attention because I was lucky not to have it but it's normal. Part of the healing process. Good luck!