Will the sleeve really help me?

[sweetie022972 44]

Hi everyone-

I have my first consultation appointment in a month and I had a question for all of the post sleevers;

I am one of those people who eat when something looks good even if I'm not really hungry. I also tend to eat until I'm stuffed. Of course I love my fast food too. Will getting sleeved help me to lose weight and curb my eating? Obviously no fast food, but I'm thinking that the restriction won't enable me to eat until I'm stuffed.

[ibehere10 163]

Hi Sweetie, the sleeve has certainly provided me with great restriction! I am 5 months out today and still can only eat about 3 to 4 ounces of food. I stuck pretty much to eating Protein for mist meals and Snacks and have lost about 63 lbs so far! Good luck

[vonnegutk 9]

Remember, the Sleeve is a "tool" to help you change your eating habits/lifestyle.

The first 3 months after surgery, you are training yourself to eat small bites from small portions that include Protein, vegetables, carbs, and starch. I eat 3 meals per day. Each meal is no more than 1 ½ cups of food. You will be full.

You have to make sure you never drink with your meals and never eat anything 1 or 2 hours before you go to bed. One of the things you have to understand is that your body will not produce Gherlin. Gherlin is a hunger-stimulating peptide and hormone that is produced mainly in the lining of the fundus. Since you will be having surgery that removes more than 60% of your fundus, Gherlin will not be produced or will be produced in smaller quantities. You will not feel hungry.

The bottom line is this – the Sleeve is a tool. Follow your surgeon’s medical advice and you will change your eating habits and lifestyle.

[tigerbelle 328]

sweetie, I am pre-op, too, and have some of your same concerns...I know what you are asking, and this is what I am expecting from my months of reading this forum about the experiences of others...I know the feeling of eating when you aren't even hungry to the point of a big discomfort of feeling stuffed--still even when I am miserably stuffed now, my stomach is obviously stretched to the point that I will eventually digest the food and it won't make me throw up...I think once I have the sleeve that I will very quickly be able to eat to the point of being miserably stuffed-feeling, but with the sleeve it will probably all come up instead of digesting...I am not sure yet if this is an effect that is long-lasting or maybe just a year or two out...some people say that eventually you can eat anything just in "smaller" quantities--I've heard of people gaining back weight even after having the sleeve, so it must be possible...some people who've had the sleeve for a few years say that they still can't eat much food at a time and not enough to gain back weight, so I guess it just varies with the person

[sweetie022972 44]

Thank you! I'm thinking along the same lines, but just wanted some confirmation!

[newat52 1,612]

Hi Sweetie, the sleeve has certainly provided me with great restriction! I am 5 months out today and still can only eat about 3 to 4 ounces of food. I stuck pretty much to eating Protein for mist meals and Snacks and have lost about 63 lbs so far! Good luck

Wow! That is fantastic! Keep it up! An inspiration for sure!

[TheGamer 406]

The "stuffed" feeling comes VERY quickly, which is why we need to eat slowly. A couple bites (for me) means the difference between full and part of my meal coming back to haunt me.

As others have said, this is a tool. If you continue to have a poor diet or eat every time you can, then the sleeve will either not work or not work as well. The sleeve provides great restriction with solid foods. With mush and liquid, not so much. You still have choices to make, but having the sleeve has made making those choices much easier than it was before.

[Spatters3 315]

I will be 1 year post op in a couple of days and I'm still only able to eat a fraction of the amount of food I used to eat pre-sleeve. And yes, you can still eat around your sleeve by eating constantly and eating high calorie less-than-nutritious foods. You and me have to definitely change our eating preferences from quantity to quality. The VSG is the best decision I have ever made.

[sweetie022972 44]

Yes, I am definitely a quantity eater- that will have to change to quality

[cmw10000 35]

My doc said buy the best because quuality is the only thing to count on I'm almost one year and 3 to 4 oz is all I can get down I'v had no problems with things coming back up. But believe me you will know when you've haad enough. You will find out very quickly what is easy to eat and then there are some things you will stay away from.

[Sassygirl06 962]

I am a year and a half out. I was over 300 pounds when I started. Never thought anything could help me. I was addicted to food. Never ate because of hunger...just because I couldn't think about anything but food. It took me about six full months post op to figure out when to stop eating. I was throwing up a lot because I was stubborn and didn't want to stop eating. Needless to say, it is a very good way to stop wanting food all the time when you are throwing up. I can honestly say that food doesn't constantly haunt me anymore. I am able to function without always thinking about what's going to be my next meal! It is so freeing! I still have major restriction. I am only able to eat about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food at a sitting, depending on what the food is. I still enjoy food, but it makes me sick to think about all the food I used to shove down my throat when I see someone eating a big meal. As for my favorite foods... I can still enjoy, but some things like chocolate make me feel icky if I eat to much, so just a bite or two and I am over that craving. Good luck guys!

[kyllfalcon 768]

Just to add a different perspective...

I am still hungry at 11 months out and have been since surgery. Not everyone is so blessed as to be rid of hunger. However, the hunger is far from the intensity it was.

And I do feel restriction, especially with dense foods, but I can hold more than most. For lunch today I am having 4 ounces of cottage cheese and 12 pepperoni slices. I can eat a whole sandwich if the filling is "saladized" rather than sliced meat. Tonight I'll have a whole pimento cheese sandwich, with about half cup of pimento cheese on two large slices of toasted rye bread. Then in an hour or so, I'll have two small scoops of ice cream. I'll have a couple of small Snacks between lunch and dinner. Life is good!!

In spite of the hunger and holding more, I've reached goal and am having no trouble maintaining.

YOU CAN DO IT!!

[sweetie022972 44]

Thanks everyone! I think I'm kinda like sassygirl was- I think about food way to much! It will be nice not to obsess about it!

[simplejaxgirl 135]

I think gamer said it best at least in my scenario, you will still get that stuffed feeling just on much less food. For me I'm learning when to be ok with satisfied and not to take more bites and be stuffed....

Sent from my iPhone using VST

[tigerbelle 328]

thanks to sassygirl and others for some inspiring posts