Thinking about a sleeve

[sgc 538]

I think I have made the decision to get a sleeve. I was leaning toward a Lap Band because I don't like the thought of making permanent changes to my stomach. After reading into it, I'm not sure that will work for me and am leaning towards the sleeve. I have my first appointment with a surgeon set up for April 25th.

In high school I started to gain weight and by my early 20's was 350 pounds. I lost over 100 pounds and was down to 240 by age 22. My gallbladder gave out and I had that removed. The weight gain started slowly there after. By the time I was 30, I weighed 470 pounds. Not only did I gain the 100 back, I gained an additional 100. I started to lose again but it seemed much harder at 30 than it was at 20. The weight didn't come off as fast as it did and it seemed like I had a harder time controlling my appetite. I did lose 50 pounds and was down to 420 but gained 30 back and am at 450. Now 31, I'm already developing high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and gout. No sense putting it off.

I'm wondering how the sleeve will work for me. I can eat a meal, a fairly large meal, and feel full but in about 30 minutes I'm ready to go again. It's my understand that the sleeve will simply not allow you to overeat or else it will cause you to vomit. Does the full feeling last more than 30 minutes? How many calories does one typically eat? I at times struggled to stay at 2,000 calories because I didn't feel full or sustained. I have made some lifestyle changes. The problem is, I can eat a piece of fruit and that isn't enough. I eat a Protein Bar but then go back for another one or a 3rd. I would love to be able to eat one Protein Bar or a banana and feel satisfied.

Edited March 18, 2016 by sgc

[Foxy_lady 22]

I had the same problem and it was my appetite, I would eat a full plate of food then about an hour later and be hungry again. That's why I choose to do the sleeve because I knew it would help with my appetite and slow down my food intake. The thing about overeating is true, I feel nauseous if I try to overeat, but honestly your body will give you signs telling you you're full. Later on it does increase, but by this time you know how much to eat. And with my insurance I had to wait 6 months in order to have the surgery, which at first I didn't like but it was helpful. I got to see a nutritionist and I told her what my eating habits were and she made a diet plan that worked for me. I got to make different Protein shakes that I like and of course taste good.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

The sleeve will seriously limit how much you can eat in one sitting. For the first six months to a year, for the vast majority of people, it also limits how much they even want to eat, by greatly reducing the production of ghrelin by your stomach.

I think you are right to want a permanent modification rather than a temporary one -- obesity is not a temporary disease, you will have it all your life, and having a permanent tool is, in my opinion, the strongest method to put it into permanent remission.

That said, you need to be 100% committed to eating carefully and on plan for the rest of your life. There will be a point when grazing, snacking, liquid calories, carb-heavy foods (like bananas and even Protein Bars, I suggest you stop thinking about those as something that will be big parts of your life post-op) and slider foods will make it quite possible for you to stop losing and even regain. There is no surgery in the world that will keep obesity in remission without real commitment and compliance for life from the patient.

Bariatric surgery is definitely your best shot -- it was the best decision I ever made and I'm so glad I did it. I never, ever could have gotten to my normal and healthy state without it, and the surgery itself was not particularly traumatizing or hard for me. I'd do it again a couple of times each year if I had to!

[JamieLogical 8,684]

Whether or not you stay "full feeling" with the sleeve, depends a lot on what you eat. If you eat high Protein meals and Snacks, they will make you feel fuller longer. If you eat "slider" foods, like chips, ice cream, Cookies, cake, or anything that is easily digested, it will pass through your stomach more quickly and you won't feel full. Imagine anything that is liquidy or anything that would start dissolving on its own in a glass of Water. Those are the sorts of foods that you can eat a lot of without feeling full.

How many calories you can/will eat depend on a lot of factors. Immediately post-op, you will only be able to eat maybe 450 calories a day, because you you be subsisting primarily on Protein shakes. Once you are able to move onto more solid foods, you will likely be able to get your calories up over 1000 in the first 3-4 months. As you increase your activity level, you are going to want to try to get your calories up higher. During most of my weight loss months I was doing cardio 5 days a week and eating about 1200-1400 calories a day.

Now I am in maintenance and training for a half marathon. I have to eat about 2300 calories a day to not lose weight. But that's because I am burning a lot of calories with my half marathon training. On a "rest" day, I only need about 1900 calories.

[JamieLogical 8,684]

@@Bufflehead Protein bars can definitely be a part of your successful post-op life as long as you choose low carb options. For some people they are a "trigger" food and cause cravings for sweets or people abuse them by eating too many thinking they are fine to eat in excess because they are so high in protein. But if you are rational and smart about it, there is no reason you can't incorporate them into your daily routine post-op. I have one for Breakfast every day and often have them as snacks.I prefer them to shakes, because they make me feel fuller longer. They haven't caused me any issues at all. They are just one more option for me to get my 16-20 grams of protein in per "feeding".

[sgc 538]

My insurance does not require six months of supervised diet since my BMI is over 50. I do exercise about 60 minutes a day. It's light bike riding but as I have lost in the past, I can increase the intensity. I do try to eat good foods. I like fruit and eat a lot of fruit. Last night I had some boneless skinless chicken thighs. Just baked them plain. I ate four of them and could still keep going. I can eat a whole chicken breast and still keep going. I'll have to research more diets for sleepers, but I read Protein and low carbs fill you up but I never get to that point unless I over indulge. Realistically I need to lose at least 250 pounds. I don't think that can be done without surgery.

[Proud2BMe 1,016]

The sleeve is just a tool. It's not a magic cure. You must get your eating addiction under control or else you will not be successful. All the sleeve does is restrict how much food you can eat at one sitting. There are ways to get passed this restriction, such as eating "slider foods", foods which pass right through your stomach and don't cause restriction as well as eating multiple times a day. So make sure you are committed to this before proceeding. Good luck to you.

I personally would never do the lap band because there are too many risks of complications and the results are not that good for really heavy people. Now, many doctors won't do the sleeve on people who are excess of 400 lbs. So be aware that your doctor may recommend gastric bypass instead, or may make you lose weight until you are under 400 before approving you for the sleeve.

[sgc 538]

The sleeve is just a tool. It's not a magic cure. You must get your eating addiction under control or else you will not be successful. All the sleeve does is restrict how much food you can eat at one sitting. There are ways to get passed this restriction, such as eating "slider foods", foods which pass right through your stomach and don't cause restriction as well as eating multiple times a day. So make sure you are committed to this before proceeding. Good luck to you.

I personally would never do the lap band because there are too many risks of complications and the results are not that good for really heavy people. Now, many doctors won't do the sleeve on people who are excess of 400 lbs. So be aware that your doctor may recommend gastric bypass instead, or may make you lose weight until you are under 400 before approving you for the sleeve.

My question is, how long does it restrict how much you can eat? Is it 30 minutes? An hour? Getting under 400 pounds will get me close to a BMI of 50 and then my insurance will require me to pay for weight watchers which I know will be a farce. I think around 380 is when I start to hit 50 BMI.

[JamieLogical 8,684]

The sleeve is just a tool. It's not a magic cure. You must get your eating addiction under control or else you will not be successful. All the sleeve does is restrict how much food you can eat at one sitting. There are ways to get passed this restriction, such as eating "slider foods", foods which pass right through your stomach and don't cause restriction as well as eating multiple times a day. So make sure you are committed to this before proceeding. Good luck to you.

I personally would never do the lap band because there are too many risks of complications and the results are not that good for really heavy people. Now, many doctors won't do the sleeve on people who are excess of 400 lbs. So be aware that your doctor may recommend gastric bypass instead, or may make you lose weight until you are under 400 before approving you for the sleeve.

My question is, how long does it restrict how much you can eat? Is it 30 minutes? An hour? Getting under 400 pounds will get me close to a BMI of 50 and then my insurance will require me to pay for weight watchers which I know will be a farce. I think around 380 is when I start to hit 50 BMI.

As I said, the restriction is very dependent on WHAT you eat. Post-sleeve Protein will fill your sleeve longer than slider foods. If you eat slider foods, you can continue eating or eat again right away, because they pass into your intestines quickly. If you eat dense Protein, it takes a long time for your stomach to break down and pass into your intestines, so you feel fuller longer. After I eat a high protein "meal" post-sleeve, it's usually a good 45 minutes before I can even drink Water I feel so full still.

[sgc 538]

The sleeve is just a tool. It's not a magic cure. You must get your eating addiction under control or else you will not be successful. All the sleeve does is restrict how much food you can eat at one sitting. There are ways to get passed this restriction, such as eating "slider foods", foods which pass right through your stomach and don't cause restriction as well as eating multiple times a day. So make sure you are committed to this before proceeding. Good luck to you.

I personally would never do the lap band because there are too many risks of complications and the results are not that good for really heavy people. Now, many doctors won't do the sleeve on people who are excess of 400 lbs. So be aware that your doctor may recommend gastric bypass instead, or may make you lose weight until you are under 400 before approving you for the sleeve.

My question is, how long does it restrict how much you can eat? Is it 30 minutes? An hour? Getting under 400 pounds will get me close to a BMI of 50 and then my insurance will require me to pay for weight watchers which I know will be a farce. I think around 380 is when I start to hit 50 BMI.

As I said, the restriction is very dependent on WHAT you eat. Post-sleeve Protein will fill your sleeve longer than slider foods. If you eat slider foods, you can continue eating or eat again right away, because they pass into your intestines quickly. If you eat dense Protein, it takes a long time for your stomach to break down and pass into your intestines, so you feel fuller longer. After I eat a high protein "meal" post-sleeve, it's usually a good 45 minutes before I can even drink Water I feel so full still.

This is what I was looking for. I can eat Proteins now and don't feel full. I have moved off is slider foods. I used to eat a lot of chips and Pasta. Trying for more lean meats. Also tried some high protein and low carb/sugar bars.

[stacyrg2 350]

Just my opinion but in order to keep the "full" feeling as long as possible, you're going to have to severely curtail your fruit consumption during the active weight loss period. Your body processes the fruit as pure sugar and will NOT provide satiety. You will need to focus on (I did almost exclusively) dense Protein in order for the full feeling to last. As an example, I don't really get s hungry feeling but I stay satisfied for at least 3 hours when my meal focuses on dense Protein like beef or chicken.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

The sleeve is just a tool. It's not a magic cure. You must get your eating addiction under control or else you will not be successful. All the sleeve does is restrict how much food you can eat at one sitting. There are ways to get passed this restriction, such as eating "slider foods", foods which pass right through your stomach and don't cause restriction as well as eating multiple times a day. So make sure you are committed to this before proceeding. Good luck to you.

I personally would never do the lap band because there are too many risks of complications and the results are not that good for really heavy people. Now, many doctors won't do the sleeve on people who are excess of 400 lbs. So be aware that your doctor may recommend gastric bypass instead, or may make you lose weight until you are under 400 before approving you for the sleeve.

My question is, how long does it restrict how much you can eat? Is it 30 minutes? An hour? Getting under 400 pounds will get me close to a BMI of 50 and then my insurance will require me to pay for weight watchers which I know will be a farce. I think around 380 is when I start to hit 50 BMI.

As others have noted it depends on what you eat. Also, I don't judge by feeling "full" but by being satisfied.

If I eat a healthy, high Protein meal, slowly and mindfully, I am satisfied with that meal and don't get hungry for several hours. I usually have to remind myself to eat a snack or next meal before I feel hungry. Especially since I am always drinking Water or other fluids between meals.

It is really hard to describe the difference between pre-op and post-op.

I THINK the issues you are most concerned about are really non-issues post-op.

The biggest issues post-op are more related to relearning new food behaviors and how to live life without the benefits of using food for self-medication (mood regulation, stress relief, etc.).

The biggest lesson is learning the difference between head hunger and real hunger.

A good therapist and/or support group (like OA) can be invaluable.

[Proud2BMe 1,016]

The sleeve is just a tool. It's not a magic cure. You must get your eating addiction under control or else you will not be successful. All the sleeve does is restrict how much food you can eat at one sitting. There are ways to get passed this restriction, such as eating "slider foods", foods which pass right through your stomach and don't cause restriction as well as eating multiple times a day. So make sure you are committed to this before proceeding. Good luck to you.

I personally would never do the lap band because there are too many risks of complications and the results are not that good for really heavy people. Now, many doctors won't do the sleeve on people who are excess of 400 lbs. So be aware that your doctor may recommend gastric bypass instead, or may make you lose weight until you are under 400 before approving you for the sleeve.

My question is, how long does it restrict how much you can eat? Is it 30 minutes? An hour? Getting under 400 pounds will get me close to a BMI of 50 and then my insurance will require me to pay for weight watchers which I know will be a farce. I think around 380 is when I start to hit 50 BMI.

Around an hour. The only difference with having a sleeve or gastric bypass is that it only takes a small amount of food before you feel full. It still takes the normal time for that food to pass into your bowels before your stomach is empty again. But it's easy for people who want to cheat to eat almost all day long or eat food that quickly passes through the stomach. For example, ice cream is a big no-no because you can eat a ton of it since it melts and become liquid. Crackers, chips, popcorn, all become very mushy and easily pass through the stomach so people can eat a great deal of them as well. Your will get the most restriction from meat and non-starchy vegetables.

[IrishGermanRN 151]

@@Bufflehead Protein bars can definitely be a part of your successful post-op life as long as you choose low carb options. For some people they are a "trigger" food and cause cravings for sweets or people abuse them by eating too many thinking they are fine to eat in excess because they are so high in protein. But if you are rational and smart about it, there is no reason you can't incorporate them into your daily routine post-op. I have one for breakfast every day and often have them as snacks.I prefer them to shakes, because they make me feel fuller longer. They haven't caused me any issues at all. They are just one more option for me to get my 16-20 grams of protein in per "feeding".

Absolutely! Protein bars especially Quest with the high Fiber are amazing. I also like crunch protein as well.

[JamieLogical 8,684]

This is what I was looking for. I can eat Proteins now and don't feel full. I have moved off is slider foods. I used to eat a lot of chips and Pasta. Trying for more lean meats. Also tried some high Protein and low carb/sugar bars.

I don't think it would be nearly effective pre-sleeve as it is post-sleeve. When you have 100% of your stomach, you would have to eat A LOT of Protein to physically fill it. Post-sleeve you can only eat maybe 3-4 oz. of dense protein at a time once you are fully healed and your stomach will be physically full and stay that was for a long while.

Edit: A full-sized adult stomach can expand to hold 32 ounces! With sleeve 75-90% of your stomach is removed, including the fundus, which is the part that stretches when you eat.