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is sleeve healthy or starvation?



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So I am 5 days away from consult appointment to b sleeved n it seems like everyone is trying to talk me out of it..friend today who is licensed nutritionist told me that ppl lose weight w sleeve because they are starving themselves and its not healthy..any feedback? I'm still stuck on getting it but want to make my point w him..

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Hello, I would not say the sleeve is starvation. Yes you have to do a liquid diet for awhile, but by a year out you are able to eat a regular meal. You are to eat Protein first to help keep your muscle, then veggies for nutrients, and by then you'll be too full for carbs/sugar. It is a change that you have to commit to, because it is just a tool. Personally, I think it's the safest tool of all the WLS just because your stomach will work the same as it always has, just be smaller. There is no rerouting of the intestines, which can cause malnutrition. And always take your Vitamins. I love my sleeve, and I don't feel like I'm starving at all, cause I'm never hungry. :D

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I'm newly sleeved but I don't believe that. You definitely can't eat the amounts you used to eat. I think it allows you to eat a sensible sized meal. There is no reason for anyone to be eating multi burger, fries, lrg coke, etc at one meal. That's a lot of food and calories. I think by a year out (I could be wrong) but most people are eating around 1200 or more a day. Doesn't sound like starvation to me. At the beginning maybe a smidge as you are only taking in about 600 a day, but it's short term and yiu work up to more.

So no I don't think it's starvation at all. But that's my opinion.

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I'm 9 months post op, and I can honestly tell you the first month or two I ate very little. Little by little I've been able to increase my food amounts. What the sleeve does for me is now at 9 months out is it gives me the capacity to eat like a skinny person. I can eat only a sandwich and that is satisfying for me. I don't eat McDonald's, but if I did I would imagine that a happy meal would fill me up. When I go to Wendy's a small chili is sufficient. I love my sleeve. I feel normal again.

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And within a really short time lots of people are-

* feeling heathier than they have in ages / ever.

* Are starting to come off medications for co morbidities.

* Relived of undiagnosed depression and are starting to enjoy life.

* Don't feel hunger or don't feel hunger like they used to.

* Are having blood tests to ensure their nutrient levels are ok.

* Are doing more physical activity than they have in a long time.

I dunno, sometimes I really think that other people that make general negative comments don't know enough about the proceedure and outcomes, even if they work in health care.

Good luck at your meeting :)

Deano

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And within a really short time lots of people are-

* feeling heathier than they have in ages / ever.

* Are starting to come off medications for co morbidities.

* Relived of undiagnosed depression and are starting to enjoy life.

* Don't feel hunger or don't feel hunger like they used to.

* Are having blood tests to ensure their nutrient levels are ok.

* Are doing more physical activity than they have in a long time.

I dunno' date=' sometimes I really think that other people that make general negative comments don't know enough about the proceedure and outcomes, even if they work in health care.

Good luck at your meeting :)

Deano[/quote']

I agree! I reversed Type 2 diabetes, cured severe sleep apnea and I feel like I did 20 years ago! This all since August 2012...70 pounds ago! Sure, learning to eat in a new way is a challenge, but reversing potential life-threatening conditions was worth it! I can't wait for summer for the first time in years, too. Not being hot and sweaty, fitting comfortably in my beach chair (last year at 278 lbs. I broke my chair-sure, it happens, but oh so embarrassing!), swimming in the ocean, dancing at the beach parties! A whole new me...a whole new life! Doesn't that sound like it's worth it?

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At two months out, I'm already up to 1000 calories a day. I make smart choices and only eat nutrient rich foods. The sleeve doesn't give me room for empty calories. It prevents you from over eating. Soon I hope to get to 1200 calories which is normal for a woman trying to lose weight. Without the sleeve, I could eat 1200 calories a day for a while and then crazy binge on empty calories. I can't do that now. Which is healthier?

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It could be considered starvation for someone beginning with a BMI of 20 ... but let's face it - we all have a lot of fat to be eaten up.

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I eat every two hours small mini meals. I am a diagnoes binge eater, i used to eat one calorie dense meal daily and starve myself, which would make me gain weight. Now, the mini meals, restriction and excersise have helped me lose 35 lbs in less then two months. Plusmy tool, the sleeve prevents me from binging the way i used to. I keep a food diary and see a therapist once a week. I also keep my carb and sugar intake at a bare minimum. Good luck in your decision. This was the best thing i have ever done for mysf

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I can honestly say that I eat more now than I did pre-sleeve. I'd eat sporadically (lazy eater) and empty calories.

I have 5 severe (Type 2) auto-immune diseases. My body was basically in self-destruct mode. Last month (4 months postop) my blood work showed that I am in remission. Even the docs are scratching their heads and unable to figure out why.

So, with my story and all the others on here, i hope you tell your 'friends' to butt out. ;-)

Good luck!

Judy

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I can honestly say that I eat more now than I did pre-sleeve. I'd eat sporadically (lazy eater) and empty calories.

I have 5 severe (Type 2) auto-immune diseases. My body was basically in self-destruct mode. Last month (4 months postop) my blood work showed that I am in remission. Even the docs are scratching their heads and unable to figure out why.

So' date=' with my story and all the others on here, i hope you tell your 'friends' to butt out. ;-)

Good luck!

Judy[/quote']

Gotta agree here! It's not starving at all! In fact I eat more. , I skipped meals then binged. I eat healthy and at 3 mths down 62 lbs feel amazing! I agree also w dean most people don't get it.

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Binge eater here as well eat a ton skip for days yeah that was my life for 20 years. Now I have to eat 6 times a day I do eat more now then I did before my sleeve.i have went from 244 to 212 in 15 weeks :) a lot if huge stalls but I'm getting there.

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Technically, I'd agree that it's a starvation diet from the perspective that it's an unnatural calorie deficit that would not be achievable without this tool.

Whether the extreme deficit will permanently damage the metabolism is probably the bigger question. Meaning, by forcing the body to survive on such few calories, does it "learn" to maintain the body on less, thus permanently requiring us to take in less than we did before?

I don't know the long term answer to this. But like others have said, in time the calorie count goes up. I started around 650 per day and now (8 mo post op) I'm about 1500. If I cut back, I lose. Otherwise, I maintain. (still have a little under 10 lbs to lose)

Hmmm... Not sure I actually answered anything!

I absolutely agree with others that say the benefits outweigh (pardon the pun) the costs.

Best of luck!!

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Thank all of u for the info I told him the same thing but at least now I got facts from the horses mouth (ppl who been there)... love u guys thx for the Support

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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