Hi everyone, I am new to the post-op board. I spent a lot of time on the pre-op even after my surgery. I was sleeved Jan. 21st, and am excited that I am on my 3 month sleeve-versary! I am getting about 90-100 grams of Protein per day. A Protein shake in the morning sometimes with Peanut Butter, and Isopure protein Water (40grams) in the afternoon. I barely get food in, because I'm focused on my protein, I might have a small salad, or 1/4 of a half of sandwich at lunch time, but by 3:30pm I start sipping on the Isopure and it normally takes me until about 8:00pm or 9:00pm to get it all day. I have yet mastered the art of sipping slowly because I'm always thirsty, but I take large sips...not gulps. And chewing...am I the only one that hasn't mastered the art of chewing slow and taking 45 minutes to eat? Am I the only one that doesn't take 30-45 minutes eating?

I often have nightmares that my stomach is stretching. I am steadily loosing, and have lost about 32lbs since surgery.

I've been told by post op patients, and others that your stomach will stretch eventually, but my fear is will is stretch this soon.

Does anyone else have the same concern? How would you know if it is stretching? Would it stretch this soon? Would I feel it? These are the questions that haunt me!

A couple of points:

1. FYI, right now I'm eating on average 100 grams of Protein daily. I'm also eating about 100 grams of healthy carbs (colored veggies, fruits, whole grains -- not lots of starches or sugars) daily. So at my daily 1,200 calorie budget, that means I'm eating about 400 calories each of protein, carbohydrates and fat. That's "a balanced diet," right?

2. The only trouble with "common sense" is that it may be common, but it may not make sense. After all, we only need to eat less and exercise more to lose weight and maintain our weight, right? That's only common sense, right? Uh, yes. But apparently it doesn't work that neatly.

Research / science helps us learn which of our instincts / common sense are correct.

If this the recommendations from your surgeon then that is good thing but it certainly not mine. I will stick with what the experts told me so.

@@bellabill ... what kind of nutrition / eating program has your surgeon recommended for you?

Here are the instructions I got ... and didn't get ...

Initially, my surgeon / nutritionist said merely to eat 60-80 grams of Protein daily.

Then four months post-op (when I was averaging 800 cals/day and 60-80 grams of protein), my bariatric R.N. (who's very up on all research of a bariatric nature) suggested I raise my daily cals from 800 to 1,000 by the time I was 6 months out. The reason she said to do this was to avoid getting my body used to a lower calorie budget / lower metabolic rate. So in months 5 and 6 I averaged 1,000 cals/day.

She also said that her calories goal at maintenance for me (at my current level of exercise) is 1,500-1,700 calories/day.

So during months 7-8 I decided on my own to raise my daily cals to 1,200. During those 2 months I've lost 6.2 and 4.4 pounds, respectively.

I'm now in my 9th month post-op and 1 pound from goal, having lost a total of 84 pounds.

Given all the good carbs (mostly colored veggies, fruits, whole grains) I'm eating, I have plenty of energy -- both mental and physical.

Several weeks ago, my exercise consultant measured my body fat / lean body mass. She reported that of all the weight I've lost on this journey only 12% of it was muscle and the rest was fat. Although I'm certainly not musclebound, these numbers show that my body isn't eating up its all its muscles to keep my body organs healthy. I think that's what higher levels of protein during rapid weight loss are expected to avoid.

P.S. All my protein comes from multiple sources -- meat, fowl, fish, dairy, Beans, legumes, other veggies.

@@bellabill ... what kind of nutrition / eating program has your surgeon recommended for you?

Here are the instructions I got ... and didn't get ...

Initially, my surgeon / nutritionist said merely to eat 60-80 grams of Protein daily.

Then four months post-op (when I was averaging 800 cals/day and 60-80 grams of protein), my bariatric R.N. (who's very up on all research of a bariatric nature) suggested I raise my daily cals from 800 to 1,000 by the time I was 6 months out. The reason she said to do this was to avoid getting my body used to a lower calorie budget / lower metabolic rate. So in months 5 and 6 I averaged 1,000 cals/day.

She also said that her calories goal at maintenance for me (at my current level of exercise) is 1,500-1,700 calories/day.

So during months 7-8 I decided on my own to raise my daily cals to 1,200. During those 2 months I've lost 6.2 and 4.4 pounds, respectively.

I'm now in my 9th month post-op and 1 pound from goal, having lost a total of 84 pounds.

Given all the good carbs (mostly colored veggies, fruits, whole grains) I'm eating, I have plenty of energy -- both mental and physical.

Several weeks ago, my exercise consultant measured my body fat / lean body mass. She reported that of all the weight I've lost on this journey only 12% of it was muscle and the rest was fat. Although I'm certainly not musclebound, these numbers show that my body isn't eating up its all its muscles to keep my body organs healthy. I think that's what higher levels of protein during rapid weight loss are expected to avoid.

P.S. All my protein comes from multiple sources -- meat, fowl, fish, dairy, Beans, legumes, other veggies.

Obviously, you are further along. My recommendations are similar to yours, 800 calories and 60-80 grams of protein. I do know one thing, everybody's body is made differently so who knows when I go to my 6 month check up they will tell me something different. I am glad this regimen is working well for you. Congratulations to your weight loss, 84 lbs. is amazing. I have lost 52 lbs and I am 4.5 months out.

Lipstick Lady, I absolutely LOVE your Lessons from your Sleevilla!!!

well i am going to jump in on this one....my surgeon told me that i could stretch mine back out -- buuuuttttt.....(that is a biig but there - almost as big as mine) that it would take me longer than i have years left to live to do it. He said that i could eat around it and get fat again...but that in order for me to get fat again from stretching it back out that it would take a verry long time and as long as i follow my plan i should be good. (i am 43 by the way) so...that being said...i feel pretty good about my little monster...(what i call my tum since it makes some of the most horrible noises ever nowadays - and at some of the most embarassing moments)

@@Fatdiva14 I was wondering how you were doing!! I can't believe we're celebrating 3 months from our mutual surgery date on Tuesday!!!

I worry too about stretching, but I am learning to stop eating when I'm content and immediately push the plate away. My old habit would be to finish, heck, my old ways food never filled me! I was always hungry so the feeling of being full is still such a shock to me, but a good one!! I just keep thinking, I've never had this feeling. That was one of the major things I was worried about before the surgery - that I'd still be hungry.

I have had a Protein Cereal that my nutrionist recommended and I think I'm a bit lactose intolerant. I'm hoping it goes away eventually. I don't eat the cereal a lot, but just wanted an option to occassionally have in stead of Egg Beaters every day and being a bit (not too bad - just gurgling, bit crampy stomach) is a bit of a bummer.

I know that I sometimes have hunger pangs, but have realized that it could be due to not having all of my liquids. I am hitting my protein with the help of a shake that has 30 grams and so far, but need to be a bit better w/the liquids.

I still weigh, measure and write everything down.

Good Luck & Happy Sleeveversary!

Hunger pains and lack of liquids.... That makes since. I'm only getting about 31 oz of liquid per day. I need more liquids!!!!!!

I was told by my surgeon that I stretched my sleeve very slightly after he took an upper GI x-ray but I'm not letting it bother me, I'm eight months out and I still feel restriction. I eat very, very little but I do feel I can drink my liquids with little to no restriction. I still drop weight with hardly any problems so I'm not letting the little bug in the back of my head about my "slightly stretched sleeve" bother me. A good portion of any WLS is psychological battles, if you have your head in the right place the weight seems to come off all by itself.

Edited April 25, 201511 yr by JustinSane1991

So, this is my first time in the post-op section I think. And I'm reading a lot in here about "restriction". What is that? Like that feeling you get when you feel full? I'm only a week post-op and I feel like I could drink a gallon of liquid at a time. I'm hungry a lot, so I fear I'm not getting enough Protein in. This counting crap is for the birds. Sorry! But am I the only one who hates it??? I wasn't counting anything before surgery because I didn't like it then either. I'm still on liquids, so there's not a lot I can do, I don't feel any of this restriction right now. Maybe the first day or so I did, but not now, or at least not that I can tell. Let me know what you think!

So, this is my first time in the post-op section I think. And I'm reading a lot in here about "restriction". What is that? Like that feeling you get when you feel full? I'm only a week post-op and I feel like I could drink a gallon of liquid at a time. I'm hungry a lot, so I fear I'm not getting enough Protein in. This counting crap is for the birds. Sorry! But am I the only one who hates it??? I wasn't counting anything before surgery because I didn't like it then either. I'm still on liquids, so there's not a lot I can do, I don't feel any of this restriction right now. Maybe the first day or so I did, but not now, or at least not that I can tell. Let me know what you think!

Many people don't feel restriction in the early phases. Liquid passes right through your sleeve. If you got to watch your barium swallow test post-op, you got to see that first hand. The restriction kicks in when you move on to more solid foods. That is when your new sleeve will actually have a chance to fill up and you will feel full very quickly. Through the liquid and puree stages, though, you might not feel it at all and if you do, it's likely due to the swelling more than the actual sleeve.

the only things that i count on the daily are my water intake and my protein intake - becasue they are both so very impotant - if you don't drink enough water you will not lose very well and if you don't get your protein in you will have more problems than just being hungry - you will have hair loss and memory issues and trouble regulating body heat and your skin will be really dry and itchy all the time and the list goes on and on and on...when your protein level is low it gets serious. I don't count calories or carbs or any of that mess but i do get 64 oz+ a day of water and i get 80-100 of protein a day or as close as i can each day. The restriction is your tummy telling you that it is full - i measure my portions and usually i can get most of my 1/4 cup portion in before i hit my full point - not always - but for the most part. Good luck to you on your new life!

Oh, ok! Thanks! Makes sense now. I guess I'll be able to tell a little later on!

So, this is my first time in the post-op section I think. And I'm reading a lot in here about "restriction". What is that? Like that feeling you get when you feel full? I'm only a week post-op and I feel like I could drink a gallon of liquid at a time. I'm hungry a lot, so I fear I'm not getting enough Protein in. This counting crap is for the birds. Sorry! But am I the only one who hates it??? I wasn't counting anything before surgery because I didn't like it then either. I'm still on liquids, so there's not a lot I can do, I don't feel any of this restriction right now. Maybe the first day or so I did, but not now, or at least not that I can tell. Let me know what you think!

Many people don't feel restriction in the early phases. Liquid passes right through your sleeve. If you got to watch your barium swallow test post-op, you got to see that first hand. The restriction kicks in when you move on to more solid foods. That is when your new sleeve will actually have a chance to fill up and you will feel full very quickly. Through the liquid and puree stages, though, you might not feel it at all and if you do, it's likely due to the swelling more than the actual sleeve.

Oh gosh, @JaimieLogical you just made me feel 100 times better!! I am just a few days past my 3 week mark and this whole time I have felt the same as crazyffhfan! Water goes rite through and I'm ALWAYS hungry!! I was starting to worry. I did start my semi-solids yesterday night and I did feel that restriction at the end, I think, almost like "if I put another bite in my mouth I'm going to vomit" feeling?

@@Loss78 Sounds about right. I never threw up, but when I had a feeling like I was going to burst.

Jfc all, you all wrong, some doctor good, some bad, he'll- they don't even know what causes cholesterol, are we really giving them the credit they deserve?

Jfc all, you all wrong, some doctor good, some bad, he'll- they don't even know what causes cholesterol, are we really giving them the credit they deserve?

Huh?