Hello all!

I am 3 years post op and I have lost about 200 pounds after having the gastric sleeve. I was maintaining my weight well, I always followed the rules besides not drinking enough Water. I got all my Protein from food eating no more than 1 cup or obviously stopping when I was full. I don't exceed more than 800-1000 calories a day. I basically played it by the book.

Well recently I had gained around 30 pounds in like 4 months...I did fall off the wagon for a bit but once again I never over ate, it was more my choice of food that was the problem. I quickly got back on track and have lost a few pounds. I have always been in contact with my dietitian. Recently I decided to contact my surgeon to make sure all was well. This morning I had an upper GI done and the radiologist said my sleeve has stretched...i am so upset and sick to my stomach...I dont understand how it stretched...I know my doctor wont believe me when I tell him that I never over ate...What do you guys think?

From day one of my sleeve I could knock down 4oz of water easily every hour. By the time I got to the soup stage I was drowning out 6oz of soup per meal before restriction started. I've always been able to eat larger portions of food. It may be why my weight loss is so much slower than others. Either way, I've never heard of the sleeve stretching...how large can it possibly stretch to??

Kaila312,

I’m sorry to hear the worrying news. Keep us posted on how it progresses.

In the meantime, it sounds like you are back on track. Since you have gotten back on track and lost a few pounds, I hope you can still stay focused and continue to lose the weight again, whether or not your sleeve is stretched. You were losing weight before you found out about the stretch, so hopefully you can continue to do so.

Stretched sleeve or not, you have the power to make the healthy choices and stick to the smaller portions, even though it isn't easy.

Good luck!

@@HushxPuppyx that is a huge amount of food! I am 25 months out and I just did the cottage cheese test on my sleeve. I can eat about 7oz before I'm stuffed. When did you notice you could eat so much more food?

...I noticed about 6 months ago...I still can get that sick, tight feeling after a slice of pizza, but it doesn't last and I can return 2 hrs later for a little bit more...I have no hunger pangs after I've eaten like that...but the old way that I used to eat is starting to slip back in.

Sounds more like grazing behavior than a stretched sleeve to me.

I hope it is just that...I had a little tuna and 4 small crackers for lunch yesterday then for my mom's bday dinner...a small slice of pizza hut meat lovers, 2 boneless wings, a small slice of cake and a little scoop of ice cream...full but not sick...

I've got to say hush puppy, and I'm not trying to be mean or jump down your throat. I don't know how you eat every meal. But eating pizza, cake, boneless wings, ice cream, scalloped potatoes, Cookies, truffles??

The calories for your moms birthday meal alone was likely around 900. Pizza-280, small cake 300, 2 boneless wings 200, ice cream -200.

????

That would be almost your entire intake depending on your metabolism. Plus those types of foods lead to huge cravings.

If this was a fluke meal I apologize, but if it's happening With any regularity, you must buckle down and get back to eating right or the gain will continue. I would say an absolute no to any Desserts until your back at goal. Sugar is a gateway drug!!

That calorie estimate is just a guess at best- could have been way more. Restaurant foods are evil!!

And I agree that stretched sleeve or no- if your tracking your calories and they are on point, then you shouldn't be gaining.

I feel for you, I do. I know how hard this is. I hope you get the support you need and don't feel attacked. I'm sure everyone on here, myself included, just wants to see you happy and successful.

I'm operating with the idea that yes, my sleeve is temporary. One day it will stretch. But it won't matter because my good habits and portions will still be in place and I will ALWAYS track my calories and stay on top of ANY weight gain. I did this once, never going to have to do it again!!

Edited January 31, 201610 yr by bellabloom

This truly makes me so scared! This is my biggest fear!!

I didn't know this was a fear of mine until I read this thread. Can't even imagine.

But my surgeon made it clear going in that the surgery is just a tool and that we all have to train ourselves to adapt to the good habits that we keep to during our early stages in order to keep the weight off forever.

Edited February 1, 201610 yr by Afrikanaaa

Can you stretch it by over drinking?

From my surgeon...

Stomach Dilatation

We believe that if we create a small enough stomach it will be very difficult for the stomach to dilate. The thickness of the musculature of the stomach near the lesser curvature and the antrum is the highest of anywhere else in the stomach. Thus, by staying very close to this area, using a 36 french bougie creating a small gastric tube with a small antral remnant, we feel that stomach dilatation will be very difficult.

@@VDLT posted:

From my surgeon...

Stomach Dilatation

We believe that if we create a small enough stomach it will be very difficult for the stomach to dilate. The thickness of the musculature of the stomach near the lesser curvature and the antrum is the highest of anywhere else in the stomach. Thus, by staying very close to this area, using a 36 french bougie creating a small gastric tube with a small antral remnant, we feel that stomach dilatation will be very difficult.

There! 'Nuf said.

And no, you cannot stretch a sleeve by drinking anything.

@@HushxPuppyx that is a huge amount of food! I am 25 months out and I just did the cottage cheese test on my sleeve. I can eat about 7oz before I'm stuffed. When did you notice you could eat so much more food?

...I noticed about 6 months ago...I still can get that sick, tight feeling after a slice of pizza, but it doesn't last and I can return 2 hrs later for a little bit more...I have no hunger pangs after I've eaten like that...but the old way that I used to eat is starting to slip back in.

Sounds more like grazing behavior than a stretched sleeve to me.

I hope it is just that...I had a little tuna and 4 small crackers for lunch yesterday then for my mom's bday dinner...a small slice of pizza hut meat lovers, 2 boneless wings, a small slice of cake and a little scoop of ice cream...full but not sick...

I've got to say hush puppy, and I'm not trying to be mean or jump down your throat. I don't know how you eat every meal. But eating pizza, cake, boneless wings, ice cream, scalloped potatoes, Cookies, truffles??

The calories for your moms birthday meal alone was likely around 900. Pizza-280, small cake 300, 2 boneless wings 200, ice cream -200.

????

That would be almost your entire intake depending on your metabolism. Plus those types of foods lead to huge cravings.

If this was a fluke meal I apologize, but if it's happening With any regularity, you must buckle down and get back to eating right or the gain will continue. I would say an absolute no to any desserts until your back at goal. Sugar is a gateway drug!!

That calorie estimate is just a guess at best- could have been way more. Restaurant foods are evil!!

And I agree that stretched sleeve or no- if your tracking your calories and they are on point, then you shouldn't be gaining.

I feel for you, I do. I know how hard this is. I hope you get the support you need and don't feel attacked. I'm sure everyone on here, myself included, just wants to see you happy and successful.

I'm operating with the idea that yes, my sleeve is temporary. One day it will stretch. But it won't matter because my good habits and portions will still be in place and I will ALWAYS track my calories and stay on top of ANY weight gain. I did this once, never going to have to do it again!!

I understand the foods that I've listed are bad...I'm keeping it real on here by being honest with myself and this online community. Thank you for the breakdown of the caloric intake that was that meal...I'm very well aware of the content though. I wouldn't say 'attacked' but there's no reason for the judgemental b.s. and condescending stupidity from others- I thought that this was a place to come to for help and lifting up...to me, when others throw that garbage out there, it just shows that they may have their eating priorities in place but not their attitudes. Good for you for coming at this with that wonderful attitude...sometimes myself and probably others on here (I may be wrong) need to regroup and get back to that mode of thinking.

Even if your sleeve is stretched and to the best if knowledge, the issue isn't stretching, the sleeve was never formed properly by the surgeon. It shouldn't matter. We can't rely on the sleeve to control our portions forever. We have to learn and follow proper eating habits.

My sleeve is not stretched and i couls eat what you had at the party if i did it over the legnth of thr party. I could grave my way thtough a full meal with enough time and determination. This is why i weigh all my food, so I have proper portions. At parties, I have one low carb appetizer like shrimp cocktail, then i just sip Water with lime or lemon all night. I learned over the holidays it is too easy graze at social functions.

I work from home and i could easily graze all day at home also, especially on stressful days. When i feel the urge for a snack that is not in line with my needs for the day, I take a walk. Head hunger and grazing is boredom or emotional. I stop it by changing what I am doing at the time.

Can you stretch it by over drinking?

liquid passes through your stomach within a matter of seconds, so I don't think it would be possible to get enough in there to stretch, it would just move into your intestines faster than you could drink it. Now, if you eat and drink at the same time, it's a different story, because the food WILL stay in your stomach longer and even though sleeve patients still have their pyloric valve, which can tell the difference between liquids and solids, the liquid will definitely sit in your stomach a little longer because of the food that's in there.

To piggy back on what @@JamieLogical said, when I had my swallow test after surgery it was live and I was standing up watching it on screen as i took sips. Liquids empty instantly into your intestines. I could see the liquid sliding through my sleeve into my intestines right on screen as I took sips, and it was instant. It doesn't empty as fast as you drink but pretty close.

This is why drinking Water all day, even when you are freshly sleeved works and doesn't stretch or strain your sleeve, is passes right through.

To piggy back on what @@JamieLogical said, when I had my swallow test after surgery it was live and I was standing up watching it on screen as i took sips. Liquids empty instantly into your intestines. I could see the liquid sliding through my sleeve into my intestines right on screen as I took sips, and it was instant. It doesn't empty as fast as you drink but pretty close.

This is why drinking Water all day, even when you are freshly sleeved works and doesn't stretch or strain your sleeve, is passes right through.

Yeah, I got to watch my barium swallow test too. It was so cool!

Haha! Some people crack me up.

So defensive and indignant.

"I know I'm eating like sh*t and grazing, but it's my SLEEVE!!"

Comedy gold.

Haha! Some people crack me up.

So defensive and indignant.

"I know I'm eating like sh*t and grazing, but it's my SLEEVE!!"

Comedy gold.

People can shift their not taking responsibility and blame it on me. I have strong shoulders.

(Gaining Weight By Over Eating High Caloric Foods/Not Exercising): "It's 4MRB4PHOTO's fault!".

(Feeling Lousy/Poor Blood Chemistry Because You Don't Take Your Recommended Supplements): "It's 4MRB4PHOTO's fault!".

(Become Dehydrated Because You Only Drink A Quart Or Less Of Liquids Every Day): "It's 4MRB4PHOTO's fault!".

(The Toilet Lid Wasn't Lowered And Your Wife Complained): "It's 4MRB4PHOTO's fault!"; Well actually, I'll take the blame on that one in my home.