Hi. Not sleeved yet but just wondering if there are any long term sleevers out there that have regrets after 10-15 years post surgery?

Bites the size of a pencil eraser ... forever? Chewing 30-40 times a bite? Seriously?

Yes, my bites re smaller. And yes, I chew more (but not that much). And yes, I do wait between bites.

But even at nearly 5 months post-op and even though I consider that I'm a compliant sheep my eating behavior sounds nothing like your nutritionist describes.

Did I mention I've lost 66 pounds?

I swear. I don't know where some of these so-called nutritionists are coming from. Mine was certainly better than your NUT was. So sorry you got the scare treatment.

Bottom line -- you have to take responsibility for feeding your body good food. You just have a smaller stomach. You'll just have to eat like a French woman from now on, not like an obese American woman. Not that bad, eh?

I think sometimes the NUTs do that to scare people out of the surgery. I know of one that would tell people that she wished they had come to her for private treatment so that they could have avoided surgery, instead of through the weightloss program. Backhanded patient poaching.

I am only 6 weeks out, so take this for what it is today. I think some of the nutritionists that counsel have not gone thru the surgery so they really have no idea as to what is really going on. Yes, you will eat smaller portions, but, you can order an appetizer to be brought when everyone else is eating a full entree and you probably will finish at the same time as them, AND enjoy your food just as much AND feel full when you are done. I go out to eat and do the above. If I don't make a big deal out of it, no one else will either. I love the food I am eating now. I actually taste it and enjoy it. I savor it, not just wolf it down mindlessly. Getting the junk out of my diet has made me feel so much better, much more energetic. In my mind, there is nothing I cannot eat, and I just pick whatever I want. I have gone from a lifelong junk food junkie to this person who makes wise choices without even thinking about it. Gone is the Pasta alfredo, in with the shrimp scampi with a side of broccoli. So weird to me, that this person I am now could care less about chocolate or gooey Desserts. I was always of the mindset that I should eat dessert first and if there is room, I would go for actual food. Not any more. And honestly, it isn't because I am struggling to make good choices. It is because I truly crave good, healthy stuff now. Believe me, no one is more amazed than I am at this transformation. I was so skeptical that this surgery would ever work for me, but I was desperate to get this weight off. I have no answers as to why I don't crave junk any more. I don't even want to question it. I just know that I don't want it to go away. I never want to be addicted to sugar again and I now wake up healthier, lighter and feeling like I have been given a gift, every single day.

To xmaleengyx..... I was extremely nervous and anxious about getting the sleeve done. I thought "why do I have to take such a drastic measure to lose weight..... OMG, I'm having 80% of my perfectly healthy stomach removed.... why why why ???". I found the reason.... my stomach was NOT making me healthy..... it had become my enemy during my life-long battle with the bulge. It had to go ! I was so tired of yo-yo dieting.... I wanted to put a stop to it once and for all. That's why I chose the sleeve.... because it was permanent.... no going back..... weight loss gone forever !!!

So I bit the bullet and had it done on Oct 7th, 2014. I had a difficult time in hospital after the op, because the hospital staff would bring me food (only chicken broth, apple juice, cup of tea) and I thought "if they gave it to me, I can eat it all". How wrong I was !! Only have a few sips of the broth and STOP ! Only have a few sips of the juice and STOP. Forget about drinking the tea. You will NOT starve.... Don't eat all the food they place in front of you..... you WILL feel excruciating pain !! For a few weeks post op... only consume about a quarter cup of liquid food until you heal.

I am now 3 months post op and can eat anything I like, but in extremely smaller portions. I can now eat and drink socially without too many problems. People know that I am "on a diet" and they respect my choices to eat only small amounts.

I do sometimes feel as though I'm missing out. I went to a Chinese restaurant with a group of friends last week.... while everyone else tucked into the banquet, I just ordered Satay Chicken and placed 3/4 of it into my tupperware container (which I always carry with me now). I felt sad because I could no longer eat what everyone else was eating and trying all the different dishes.... but had to remember.... that's why I was so FAT !!

I would also think it's not fair.... all these other people can eat like horses and they're not fat, so why can't I ?? Probably because my metabolism isn't like theirs, and I hate exercise and therefore don't exercise.

I hate seeing people waste food.... when I see left-over food, I want to eat it. But I can stop myself now and try not to look at it. I take all my left-overs home, so I feel good knowing that I'm not being wasteful.

I don't miss being ABLE to eat, because I CAN still eat.... and eat anything.... even chocolate !! However, my portion sizes are extremely small, but that's okay, because when your sleeve tells you you're full, you don't want anymore anyway.

I'm now extremely grateful that I've had the sleeve done. I have so far lost 28 kilos. I can now get out of my chair much easier... my clothes fit me better.... my friends compliment me all the time..... I have more energy..... I no longer take blood pressure medication.... and I'm feeling more "normal".

I still have about another 20 kilos to lose and it's coming off much slower now (about half a kilo a week), which is okay. Sometimes I still go the fridge and want to pig-out, but I know I'll feel sick afterwards and wonder "why did I do that", so I try not to go there now.

I still struggle with "head hunger", but I'm sure that will ease with time.

I no longer think "why me... it's not fair".... because I feel so good now, it doesn't matter.

Oh by the way... the monetary savings are great.... no more big food bills.

On a funnier note.... you'll also save on toilet paper, because you don't to the toilet half as much after the having the sleeve. And I love NOT having to get up in the middle of the night now to go to the loo.... which means more sleep... fantastic !!

So, I say... "go for it.... have the sleeve.... have no regrets.... learn to love life again and forget about food ruling your life and dominating every thought in your head like it did before.... food is an addictive habit that's well worth kicking !!"

I wish you all the very best with your new zest for life !!

Cheers.

@Aprile3211 Great post, I completely agree.

@xmaleengyx - I did have a catheter but they put it in after I was under anesthesia and removed it before I woke up. And ask your doctor about it if it makes you that nervous. Also, if you are really anxious about surgery, there's no shame in asking your doctor to prescribe something to help calm your nerves that you can take even up to the morning of surgery. Surgery and recovery is such a brief part of this that you forget about it very quickly.

As for the alcohol and such, my psych said there is nothing we can't have (once we're healed) but there are things we shouldn't have. You will not explode if you have alcohol within a year of surgery. I am choosing not to drink alcohol because I don't really like it and it's not worth the calories but that's just my personal choice. You will not die if you drink diet soda after surgery. Doctor's generally say we should stay away from it but some people choose to have it again once they are healed. Same with caffeine.

I think taking tiny bites is important early on but I think they get a little bigger than a eraser size as time goes on. It is important to chew well and I'm trying to break myself from a lifetime habit of not chewing my food up well. When I don't, I do get sick because the food gets stuck and it's a little painful. Some people never have a problem with this but I am a slow learner so I'm still working on it.

I take one Multivitamin a day and my 3 month labs came back with everything completely in the normal range. It's something I really should have been doing before so I don't look at it as difficult.

Hang in there and do a lot of reading on this site. It really helped calm my nerves about a lot of things.

Who was your doctor?...if I may ask