I'm sorry if you've been asked this already but has anyone regretted their surgery, with no complications? I have a bit of a love affair with food, it's such a part of my social life with my family and friends, we eat out a lot, we gather round the table for family meals every day, we celebrate with food, we comfort with food, we make up with food... jeez it's all about food. How do you deal with this and did any of you regret it or miss that side of things?

Is there any reason why they wouldn't let you protein? I started it as soon as I got home, protein speeds up the recovery.

Iam sorry that you are going thru so much pain, when I was sipping and sipping on the couch i would start nodding out from the pain meds I caught myself phantom chewing!iam not sure if I was hungry or just missed chewing. Once you get thru this stage trust me it will be worth it , hang in there, stay strong.

Thanks for the positive thoughts! Not sure about the protein restriction. My surgeon is very very conservative (with amazing outcomes), so I'm sure there is a reason for it, but I didn't think to ask.

I had the same question about regrets. I'm booked in for the 7th May and scared and excited at the same time.

But what really gets my mind ticking is the thought of how hungry I'll get after the op. I know when I was banded I was still hungry all the time and had absolutely no success with weight loss.

I'm worried that when I have the VGS that ill still be hungry and won't lose weight.

How does everyone cope with hunger?

I am hungry more often than I was presurgery, but a small snack of something will stop the feeling. Some on here will says it's impossible to be hungry after surgery, that's simply not true. Some will say you're not hungry, it's just acid, that's simply not true either. Ghrelin isn't the only thing that makes you hungry! And empty stomach will! Also, the part of the stomach they remove isn't the only part of the body that produces ghrelin. Also, if you drink too soon after eating you will wash the food out of your sleeve and be hungry again sooner than if you set a timer and do not drink! Hope that helps a little

My first instinct to the sleeve was staples really? Restriction alone didn't sell me. It was the reduction of the hunger hormone. But that didn't happen for me. I'm Really disappointed.

How do you know with utter certainty that the hunger you're feeling isn't head hunger? Your lack of restriction aside, how do you know?

I think it is near impossible to tell the difference. I even dream about food.

I am hungry more often than I was presurgery, but a small snack of something will stop the feeling. Some on here will says it's impossible to be hungry after surgery, that's simply not true. Some will say you're not hungry, it's just acid, that's simply not true either. Ghrelin isn't the only thing that makes you hungry! And empty stomach will! Also, the part of the stomach they remove isn't the only part of the body that produces ghrelin. Also, if you drink too soon after eating you will wash the food out of your sleeve and be hungry again sooner than if you set a timer and do not drink! Hope that helps a little

Very, very well said, MM! I am exactly the same way. I do still feel hunger and it is more frequent...and how do I put this--more urgent--than pre-surgery. But I agree, I get full so much more quickly when I do eat, and also now think that old advice to drink a bottle of water when you feel hungry actually holds true. I do this if I'm hungry between meals and snacks. As long as we maximize the power of our sleeves by not eating junk, focusing on protein, getting in our fluids, following the rules about not eating and drinking together or near each other, and not drinking liquid calories, this still works even when we do feel hungry (I am already on a PPI btw and it's definitely not stomach acid that I'm feeling--it's more of a lightheaded "I need to eat now" feeling). Really, when the surgeons tell us we won't feel hunger after surgery, they don't know this for sure unless they've had the surgery and experienced what we are experiencing, and very few of them have.

How do you know with utter certainty that the hunger you're feeling isn't head hunger? Your lack of restriction aside, how do you know?

I think it is near impossible to tell the difference. I even dream about food.

I think this is a great point, though in my case, what I feel is definitely physiological hunger--lightheaded, can't concentrate, a little weak. It comes on quickly and passes quickly when I eat a little bit. My RD said that adding a few smart carbs, like sweet potato, might help here. I just want to stay as high protein low carb as I can though. I think when you have head hunger, it's more like a feeling of--I'm stressed or bored or just craving a specific food or type of food. Not an actual physiological feeling. I agree that it can be difficult to differentiate sometimes though, especially if you have only felt the head hunger post op and don't have the physiological hunger to compare it to.

Other possibilities that can contribute to that besides lack of carbs is where some of your vitamin levels are. Might want to have that checked out. I think for me, I am going to have some labs done every 3 months for the first couple of years.

Just a thought.

Other possibilities that can contribute to that besides lack of carbs is where some of your vitamin levels are. Might want to have that checked out. I think for me, I am going to have some labs done every 3 months for the first couple of years.

Just a thought.

Thanks, that is a good suggestion too. I do have my vitamins checked regularly. My B12 is normal, for which I'm thankful, since I've been a vegetarian most of my adult life (I'm middle-aged). I take a supplement daily. Also, my vit D was low and I'm taking a supplement, though my RD said basically everyone's is low. Mine was really, really low, so I'm hoping I feel better with the supplementation. I started it pre-op and it came up a little.

Thanks' date=' that is a good suggestion too. I do have my vitamins checked regularly. My B12 is normal, for which I'm thankful, since I've been a vegetarian most of my adult life (I'm middle-aged). I take a supplement daily. Also, my vit D was low and I'm taking a supplement, though my RD said basically everyone's is low. Mine was really, really low, so I'm hoping I feel better with the supplementation. I started it pre-op and it came up a little.[/quote']

Just because everyone's is low doesn't mean it shouldn't be normal!!! I think nuts and RDs say silly things sometimes! We don't spend the time outdoors as we used to and that's the main source of d other than a kit of supplemented foods. It's important to have plenty of vitamin D, period! SMH

I'm sorry if you've been asked this already but has anyone regretted their surgery' date=' with no complications? I have a bit of a love affair with food, it's such a part of my social life with my family and friends, we eat out a lot, we gather round the table for family meals every day, we celebrate with food, we comfort with food, we make up with food... jeez it's all about food. How do you deal with this and did any of you regret it or miss that side of things?[/quote']

I dnt regret it one bit but one thing I can say its more emotional and mental thang anything! I love that I got the sleeved it has truly saved my life I was diabetic and I weighed 286lbs what they called morbidly obese! I have surgery Jan 8th and I can say I know longer take meds for diabetes I am now 228lbs and Im am happy that I took a huge step to change my life in such a major way! If I have not learned anything else from this experience I have learned life is way to short to have doubts and you have to love you enough to know you deserve to live life healthy and happy! Goodluck on your surgery you will do fine! God Bless

Just because everyone's is low doesn't mean it shouldn't be normal!!! I think nuts and RDs say silly things sometimes! We don't spend the time outdoors as we used to and that's the main source of d other than a kit of supplemented foods. It's important to have plenty of vitamin D, period! SMH

I never said that it wasn't an issue just bc most other people have low Vit D, and neither did my RD/LD. In fact, my RD is absolutely amazing. She has been the most pivotal person in my journey--I give her as much credit as my surgeon. I love that my surgeon's office and RD are so great that they check your Vit D when you first start seeing them...in my case, 6 months before surgery. As I mentioned, my levels are coming up, but they are still too low. I'm confident they will continue to come up, but it doesn't happen overnight. I mentioned that most people's are low in part to increase others' awareness about Vit D if they haven't already been tested. I'm a medical writer/editor and low Vit D is increasingly being tied to many medical conditions. It's not as major of a factor as once was believed based on many of the recent trials, but it is still very important.

I never said that it wasn't an issue just bc most other people have low Vit D' date=' and neither did my RD/LD. In fact, my RD is absolutely amazing. She has been the most pivotal person in my journey--I give her as much credit as my surgeon. I love that my surgeon's office and RD are so great that they check your Vit D when you first start seeing them...in my case, 6 months before surgery. As I mentioned, my levels are coming up, but they are still too low. I'm confident they will continue to come up, but it doesn't happen overnight. I mentioned that most people's are low in part to increase others' awareness about Vit D if they haven't already been tested. I'm a medical writer/editor and low Vit D is increasingly being tied to many medical conditions. It's not as major of a factor as once was believed based on many of the recent trials, but it is still very important.[/quote']

Perhaps you need to lounge in the sun with a good book and sip some water? :-)

I never said that it wasn't an issue just bc most other people have low Vit D' date=' and neither did my RD/LD. In fact, my RD is absolutely amazing. She has been the most pivotal person in my journey--I give her as much credit as my surgeon. I love that my surgeon's office and RD are so great that they check your Vit D when you first start seeing them...in my case, 6 months before surgery. As I mentioned, my levels are coming up, but they are still too low. I'm confident they will continue to come up, but it doesn't happen overnight. I mentioned that most people's are low in part to increase others' awareness about Vit D if they haven't already been tested. I'm a medical writer/editor and low Vit D is increasingly being tied to many medical conditions. It's not as major of a factor as once was believed based on many of the recent trials, but it is still very important.[/quote']

Perhaps you need to lounge in the sun with a good book and sip some water? :-)

Perhaps you need to lounge in the sun with a good book and sip some water? :-)

LOL Amanda Rae, good idea, but I get a sunburn just thinking about the sun, and two of my family members are now fighting skin cancer, including our (formerly) sun-worshipping 25-yr-old niece who just had her fourth recurrence of melanoma. So even when I go on a walk in the winter, I wear City Block, and in the warmer weather or on vacations, I really slather on the sun block. The supplements have found to be just as effective and my numbers are coming up. No one at the medical practice seemed alarmed and they have me on the evidence-based protocol to increase my Vit D levels.

LOL Amanda Rae' date=' good idea, but I get a sunburn just thinking about the sun, and two of my family members are now fighting skin cancer, including our (formerly) sun-worshipping 25-yr-old niece who just had her fourth recurrence of melanoma. So even when I go on a walk in the winter, I wear City Block, and in the warmer weather or on vacations, I really slather on the sun block. The supplements have found to be just as effective and my numbers are coming up. No one at the medical practice seemed alarmed and they have me on the evidence-based protocol to increase my Vit D levels.[/quote']

I do love the sun but I make sure to use sunblock too. I'm glad your levels are coming up and you're healthy.

One way to get more natural VitD in your diet is expose fresh mushrooms (the kind you get at the store)to the sun, gill side up for 6 hours... before you eat them.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02935/Four-Unexpected-Food-Facts.html