Any April Sleevers?

[KMLG135 27]

Today i hit Onederland! I'm 4 days short of 6 weeks. 44 pounds lost.

AWESOME - good for you..... Very motivating!

Congratulations to you! I just had gall bladder surgery on Fri. I was on a 2 week stall! I'm ready to get back in the swing of things!!!

[Alex Hudson 7]

2 Months Today! 56lbs down! Wish I had more time to go to the gym but with 14 hour work days it is kinda hard.

[Jescriba1970 7]

Was sleeved on 4/23. Six weeks yesterday down 39 pounds. Not been very good with Water, Protein or carbs. My typical meal is pb and Protein Shake tuna and crackers or hb egg and trying to eat what I make my family but with caution. Snacks laughing cow cheese Any ideas. I love sf Popsicles which is my staple before bed.

[redlove1446 42]

I had my surgery 4/29 too, and have lost about 30 pounds since starting my preop (18 since surgery). I'm still fatigued often like you folks, but am getting my 6000 steps in every day so far, and 5 to 7 flights of stairs. I'm not yet allowed to work out with any weights or machines (no rowing, spinning, etc) but walking is doing well for me so far. I would like to start weights though - tone feels like it'll be harder to get going on since all I can do now is walk.

I went back to work after two full weeks off, and am still really tired, so I was glad to hear one of you say what you did about 6 weeks or so. Something to look forward to!

I'm also on mushy/soft foods still - we have that for three weeks with my doc. Most of it is going okay, but I find I still need to add half a shake a day to get my Protein up to 60 grams, which is my goal. Had a bad experience with deli turkey - just sat like a stone! Also with thinking I could add my small amount of dairy or veggies after my 2 ounces of chicken - SO not a good idea! I was too full without realizing it, and it just wouldn't stay down. Uhg. Much as I have always loved to eat, the thought of something like 6 mini meals is making me NUTS! Hard to get the waiting time in AND all the Water in. Sigh. But hey, down thirty pounds means I"m not going to complain.

Kate

I wouldn't recommend anyone go against their doctor's recommendations, but I will tell you what works for me.

My doc says no drinking 30 min before and after meals. I read somewhere on this site that they drink right up until they eat, but wait 30 min after eating, and that has worked for me. Water goes through the sleeve very quickly; as my doc says, the sleeve is more like a funnel than a storage pouch at this point. I drink up until a few minutes before I eat, and I wait at least 30 minutes after, which is easy because my sleeve is so full after 1/3 C food I don't WANT to put anything else in it for awhile. I stay full for about 4 hours after eating, and this is what my doc wants, so this works for me as it's always a struggle for me to get my water in.

I, too, was told I can drink right up until I start eating. Then, I have to wait. All docs have their own methods.

[dsmith_rn 186]

Was sleeved on 4/23. Six weeks yesterday down 39 pounds. Not been very good with Water, Protein or carbs. My typical meal is pb and Protein shake tuna and crackers or hb egg and trying to eat what I make my family but with caution. Snacks laughing cow cheese Any ideas. I love sf Popsicles which is my staple before bed.

I'm not sure what sorts of ideas you are looking for, but I'll take a stab at it....

First of all, CUT THE CARBS. Don't eat crackers with your tuna, they are useless nutrition-wise, will make you crave more carbs, and takes up valuable space in your sleeve that is needed for food with nutritional value. Just eat the tuna salad alone, or if you must have something else, use slices of cucumbers as "crackers" or put your tuna salad on a slice of tomato--there's some GOOD carbs!

As to your fluids, try drinking things with different temperatures. I have had trouble with getting the fluids in myself, partly because I had some severe nausea the first several weeks. I drank so slowly that everything ended up room temperature. I have found that if I drink some hot coffee or tea, I drink MORE of it. I have a little heating plate that keeps it warm for me: http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-5569-Decorative-Cup-Warmer/dp/B000E3DTG0/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_d_5 Protein coffee is an excellent way to start the day! Great with a few low-carb protein "cookies": http://www.amazon.com/Kays-Naturals-Protein-Cookie-Cinnamon/dp/B0086UI36O/ref=sr_1_4?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402081459&sr=1-4&keywords=protein+cookies

Also, if something is ice cold I drink more of it, so a frosty chocolate banana Protein Shake from the local smoothie store not only helps with my protein goals, but also my fluid goals. If I put my Crystal Lite Water in the freezer and get it partially frozen, I drink more of it too. Experiment to find out what works for you.

As for your protein goals, just make sure that every meal and snack you have is protein-focused. For Breakfast I have greek yogurt 2-3 times/week. I'm really not a yogurt person, but the health benefits (protein, Calcium, and probiotic-wise) are enough to make me choke some down a few times a week. Be careful of the brand; some are full of sugar and some don't have many (or any) Probiotics, and it's not a good source of protein if it's not greek yogurt.

For Breakfast I will also have the aforementioned protein shake, cottage cheese, egg salad (I can't tolerate scrambled eggs yet), or some corned beef hash. This morning I had a scoop of chicken salad.

lunch is often last night's dinner leftovers, but sometimes I will have a deli roll-up (take a slice of lean deli meat--chicken, turkey, ham, roast beef--and wrap it around a slice of cheese). Eat it cold, or as I prefer, throw it in a hot pan for a few minutes to lightly brown the outside and melt the cheese. Yum! Tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, ham salad, all work for lunch--just stay away from the bread and crackers. You are establishing new healthy eating habits for life right now...do it while it's "easy," during the honeymoon period. Not later when you're struggling with weight re-gain. If you like crab, a crab salad would be great too. I know it's kinda pricey, but you're eating so little it will stretch a long way. Shrimp is an excellent protein source, with a 4-oz serving having 23 grams of protein! I always keep a bag of shrimp in my freezer. I grab about 4 of them, rinse them under cold water for a few minutes to thaw them, then either saute in a skillet, cook in boiling water, or if I'm really in a hurry, nuke them for 2 minutes in the microwave. Chill and serve with a lemon wedge and a dab of cocktail sauce, or chop them up and make shrimp salad.

dinner is something I make for my family and adapt for myself. If we're having tacos, I either eat mine wrapped in a lettuce leaf instead of tortilla, or I make myself a "taco bowl" with my favorite toppings, but heavy on the meat and Beans (protein sources). I'll make a homemade meat sauce and serve it over spaghetti squash instead of noodles (my family actually PREFERS it that way now! wow!). I'll bake or grill salmon and have a 3 oz slab of it with a few bites of veggies. Always the focus is on protein first. I made manicotti for the family, but I choose not to eat Pasta anymore (uselessly takes up valuable room in my sleeve, high carbs/calories, makes me crave more carbs), so I put a spoonful of homemade meat sauce in a ramekin, added a scoop of the cheese filling, more sauce and mozzarella on top, then bake it. Totally yummy! I just try to think and be a little creative; my family has had to make some changes on my behalf, but not big ones and they still get to eat stuff they like.

OK snacks.......I don't eat a snack every day; only if I'm hungry between meals and I really try to never snack after dinner. Some Snacks I use: unsweetened applesauce, half a small avocado, sugarfree pudding, half a frozen banana. Those are all low in protein, and most of the time I am protein-focused so those snacks include: dry roasted, crunchy, lightly-salted edamame (http://www.amazon.com/Seapoint-Farms-Roasted-Edamame-Lightly/dp/B0094IXKME/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1402080556&sr=1-1&keywords=edamame), greek yogurt, string cheese or other various cheeses, protein shake, a few tablespoons of nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios, etc.), a slice of deli meat, half a Protein Bar.

Most Protein Bars taste like dookey to me, so I had to sample a bunch of them to find ones I actually like. My #1 favorite is Premier Protein Crisp bar in mint chocolate...tastes just like a thin mint cookie! A totally guilt-free dessert! http://www.amazon.com/Premier-Nutrition-Protein-Crisp-Chocolate/dp/B00AINLC5G/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1402080929&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=premier+protein+bars

My other current favorite is the Quest bar in chocolate chip cookie dough (yes, it actually tastes like that!). These are great because they're not covered in chocolate so they keep well in your purse. I always have one of these in my purse for emergencies so that I'm never caught in a situation where I have to make a bad choice. My NUT says to ALWAYS be prepared so that you can make good choices! http://www.amazon.com/Quest-Nutrition-Protein-Chocolate-Cookie/dp/B00DLDH1N2/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402081110&sr=1-1&keywords=quest+protein+bars

Both companies offer several flavors of their bars, I'm just sharing with you what my current favorites are. I can only eat a half a bar at this point, but these are so good they definitely taste like I'm eating something sinful, only they are 100% guilt-free.

I hope that helps you some. Please come back and update us on how you are doing.

HUGS to you!

Edited June 6, 2014 by dsmith_rn

[KeeWee 470]

I'm not sure what sorts of ideas you are looking for, but I'll take a stab at it....

First of all, CUT THE CARBS. Don't eat crackers with your tuna, they are useless nutrition-wise, will make you crave more carbs, and takes up valuable space in your sleeve that is needed for food with nutritional value. Just eat the tuna salad alone, or if you must have something else, use slices of cucumbers as "crackers" or put your tuna salad on a slice of tomato--there's some GOOD carbs!

As to your fluids, try drinking things with different temperatures. I have had trouble with getting the fluids in myself, partly because I had some severe nausea the first several weeks. I drank so slowly that everything ended up room temperature. I have found that if I drink some hot coffee or tea, I drink MORE of it. I have a little heating plate that keeps it warm for me: http://www.amazon.com/Kays-Naturals-Protein-Cookie-Cinnamon/dp/B0086UI36O/ref=sr_1_4?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402081459&sr=1-4&keywords=protein+cookies

Also, if something is ice cold I drink more of it, so a frosty chocolate banana Protein shake from the local smoothie store not only helps with my Protein goals, but also my fluid goals. If I put my Crystal Lite Water in the freezer and get it partially frozen, I drink more of it too. Experiment to find out what works for you.

As for your protein goals, just make sure that every meal and snack you have is protein-focused. For breakfast I have greek yogurt 2-3 times/week. I'm really not a yogurt person, but the health benefits (protein, Calcium, and probiotic-wise) are enough to make me choke some down a few times a week. Be careful of the brand; some are full of sugar and some don't have many (or any) Probiotics, and it's not a good source of protein if it's not greek yogurt.

For breakfast I will also have the aforementioned Protein Shake, cottage cheese, egg salad (I can't tolerate scrambled eggs yet), or some corned beef hash. This morning I had a scoop of chicken salad.

lunch is often last night's dinner leftovers, but sometimes I will have a deli roll-up (take a slice of lean deli meat--chicken, turkey, ham, roast beef--and wrap it around a slice of cheese). Eat it cold, or as I prefer, throw it in a hot pan for a few minutes to lightly brown the outside and melt the cheese. Yum! Tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, ham salad, all work for lunch--just stay away from the bread and crackers. You are establishing new healthy eating habits for life right now...do it while it's "easy," during the honeymoon period. Not later when you're struggling with weight re-gain. If you like crab, a crab salad would be great too. I know it's kinda pricey, but you're eating so little it will stretch a long way. Shrimp is an excellent protein source, with a 4-oz serving having 23 grams of protein! I always keep a bag of shrimp in my freezer. I grab about 4 of them, rinse them under cold Water for a few minutes to thaw them, then either saute in a skillet, cook in boiling water, or if I'm really in a hurry, nuke them for 2 minutes in the microwave. Chill and serve with a lemon wedge and a dab of cocktail sauce, or chop them up and make shrimp salad.

dinner is something I make for my family and adapt for myself. If we're having tacos, I either eat mine wrapped in a lettuce leaf instead of tortilla, or I make myself a "taco bowl" with my favorite toppings, but heavy on the meat and Beans (protein sources). I'll make a homemade meat sauce and serve it over spaghetti squash instead of noodles (my family actually PREFERS it that way now! wow!). I'll bake or grill salmon and have a 3 oz slab of it with a few bites of veggies. Always the focus is on protein first. I made manicotti for the family, but I choose not to eat Pasta anymore (uselessly takes up valuable room in my sleeve, high carbs/calories, makes me crave more carbs), so I put a spoonful of homemade meat sauce in a ramekin, added a scoop of the cheese filling, more sauce and mozzarella on top, then bake it. Totally yummy! I just try to think and be a little creative; my family has had to make some changes on my behalf, but not big ones and they still get to eat stuff they like.

OK Snacks.......I don't eat a snack every day; only if I'm hungry between meals and I really try to never snack after dinner. Some Snacks I use: unsweetened applesauce, half a small avocado, sugarfree pudding, half a frozen banana. Those are all low in protein, and most of the time I am protein-focused so those snacks include: dry roasted, crunchy, lightly-salted edamame (http://www.amazon.com/Seapoint-Farms-Roasted-Edamame-Lightly/dp/B0094IXKME/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1402080556&sr=1-1&keywords=edamame), greek yogurt, string cheese or other various cheeses, protein shake, a few tablespoons of nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios, etc.), a slice of deli meat, half a Protein Bar.< /p>

Most Protein Bars taste like dookey to me, so I had to sample a bunch of them to find ones I actually like. My #1 favorite is Premier Protein Crisp bar in mint chocolate...tastes just like a thin mint cookie! A totally guilt-free dessert! http://www.amazon.com/Premier-Nutrition-Protein-Crisp-Chocolate/dp/B00AINLC5G/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1402080929&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=premier+protein+bars

My other current favorite is the Quest bar in chocolate chip cookie dough (yes, it actually tastes like that!). These are great because they're not covered in chocolate so they keep well in your purse. I always have one of these in my purse for emergencies so that I'm never caught in a situation where I have to make a bad choice. My NUT says to ALWAYS be prepared so that you can make good choices! http://www.amazon.com/Quest-Nutrition-Protein-Chocolate-Cookie/dp/B00DLDH1N2/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402081110&sr=1-1&keywords=quest+protein+bars

Both companies offer several flavors of their bars, I'm just sharing with you what my current favorites are. I can only eat a half a bar at this point, but these are so good they definitely taste like I'm eating something sinful, only they are 100% guilt-free.

I hope that helps you some. Please come back and update us on how you are doing.

HUGS to you!

How far out are you? I'm also sleeved on 4/23 and you gave some helpful info but right now I haven't been cleared for lettuce but can't wait to wrap everything in lettuce instead of wraps or bread. Great idea. That's going to be extremely helpful and still yummy.

[dsmith_rn 186]

How far out are you? I'm also sleeved on 4/23 and you gave some helpful info but right now I haven't been cleared for lettuce but can't wait to wrap everything in lettuce instead of wraps or bread. Great idea. That's going to be extremely helpful and still yummy.

My surgery was 4/25. I was cleared for salad at beginning of week 5, but I only eat a few bites because I'm protein-focused. I kinda miss my salads but eventually I'll be able to eat more. I'll just be putting a lot of Protein on it.

Glad you found something helpful in that. Had to type it out twice cause my phone battery died while I was proofreading before sending. Lol

[dsmith_rn 186]

How far out are you? I'm also sleeved on 4/23 and you gave some helpful info but right now I haven't been cleared for lettuce but can't wait to wrap everything in lettuce instead of wraps or bread. Great idea. That's going to be extremely helpful and still yummy.

One more thing.... I have found that Butter Lettuce leaves tend to work best for wrapping things in. They are sturdy and have a good shape to them. I made some Asian spicy stir fry chicken, the family had rice with theirs and I wrapped mine in a lettuce leaf instead. Yum!

[phatmom7 10]

Thanks for all the great ideas. I have been making shredded chicken with low fat ricotta and spaghetti sauce and it's my favorite. tuna salad too! I also like fat free refried Beans with non fat sour cream and shredded low fat cheddar and I add spicy taco sauce for a kick. Can only eat 1/2 cup of these favorites, but they sure taste great!!

[outsey 0]

I'm 7 weeks post op, things have been great so far. I ate watermelon too fast and threw up twice , should I be concerned?

[phatmom7 10]

I think you will,be fine. You probably ate too fast or too much. I did that once-- never again. If it continues , speak with your doctor.

[outsey 0]

Thanks, I'll never forget that feeling. Won't happen again

[Nicey2u 228]

I'm 7 weeks post op, things have been great so far. I ate watermelon too fast and threw up twice , should I be concerned?

I must have a cast Iron sleeve! I can eat unlimited watermelon! Haha

[warriorblue 2]

I'm April 29th started 311 down to 265

[dsmith_rn 186]

How is everyone doing?

I had a bumpy ride 3 weeks out but I'm much better now. I'm careful what I eat but I'm used to the small portions now and happy/satisfied with it. I've had a few people call me "skinny"! It's been decades since anyone called me that.