Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

BariatricPal

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Stomach Stretching

  • Replies 32
  • Views 3.6k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Featured Replies

1. don't believe everything you read on the internet ;-)

2. I have never even tried to eat what I ate before. I keep my portions small and I am satisfied. so, if you don't try you won't need to worry over it.

How long have you been on your journey?

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

I had surgery 4 months ago. I went to the seminar about a year and a half ago and had to wait on a medical issue before I could have surgery.
When do you begin to feel stable or yourself again?

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

physically I felt pretty good right away. I am normally a pretty upbeat person - but at week 3 I was very angry all the time, and then I had some mild depression for a few weeks. so, I'd say its about 6 weeks before you begin to find your own new normal. I didn't have any complications,

If your surgery was done correctly then the part of your stomach that stretches is removed so it can't stretch. Some people might think theirs has stretched because they discover that they eat more than they used to. This is usually because it takes a while for the internal swelling to go down. For a few months post op you are swollen inside so you have extra restriction. Then it goes doen and you can eat a little more. But it didn't stretch, that's just the size it should be

  • Author

If your surgery was done correctly then the part of your stomach that stretches is removed so it can't stretch. Some people might think theirs has stretched because they discover that they eat more than they used to. This is usually because it takes a while for the internal swelling to go down. For a few months post op you are swollen inside so you have extra restriction. Then it goes doen and you can eat a little more. But it didn't stretch, that's just the size it should be

Thank you and how can I verify it was done right? I went through Kaiser.

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

  • Author

You will start to feel better after you can eat real food again. You are in the toughest part of recovery right now. I am currently a little over 10 month out now. I can pretty much eat what I want, but my restrictions are there. I can eat about 2 oz of Protein on average with a few bites of veggies. I am full. I am about 5 lb away from stretch goal of 145. Couldn't be happier with my new life.

Congratulations on being so close to your goal.

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

1. don't believe everything you read on the internet ;-)

2. I have never even tried to eat what I ate before. I keep my portions small and I am satisfied. so, if you don't try you won't need to worry over it.

How long have you been on your journey?

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

I had surgery 4 months ago. I went to the seminar about a year and a half ago and had to wait on a medical issue before I could have surgery.
When do you begin to feel stable or yourself again?

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

physically I felt pretty good right away. I am normally a pretty upbeat person - but at week 3 I was very angry all the time, and then I had some mild depression for a few weeks. so, I'd say its about 6 weeks before you begin to find your own new normal. I didn't have any complications,
What brought about the anger?

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

@@Fettchick83 - you don't really want to find out just how much you CAN eat trust me :/

If you eat TOO much, you will feel it. That's why it is SO important to measure out your food. Before you eat something make sure you are truly hungry (head hunger is a beotch) - drink some Water of and on for about 20-30 minutes. Wait. See if you are hungry and not thirsty.

good luck!

You will start to feel better after you can eat real food again. You are in the toughest part of recovery right now. I am currently a little over 10 month out now. I can pretty much eat what I want, but my restrictions are there. I can eat about 2 oz of Protein on average with a few bites of veggies. I am full. I am about 5 lb away from stretch goal of 145. Couldn't be happier with my new life.

Congratulations on being so close to your goal.

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

>

1. don't believe everything you read on the internet ;-)

2. I have never even tried to eat what I ate before. I keep my portions small and I am satisfied. so, if you don't try you won't need to worry over it.

How long have you been on your journey?

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

I had surgery 4 months ago. I went to the seminar about a year and a half ago and had to wait on a medical issue before I could have surgery.
When do you begin to feel stable or yourself again?

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

physically I felt pretty good right away. I am normally a pretty upbeat person - but at week 3 I was very angry all the time, and then I had some mild depression for a few weeks. so, I'd say its about 6 weeks before you begin to find your own new normal. I didn't have any complications,
What brought about the anger?

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

just hormone dump/ there were no other changes in my life. no reason at all for it. so, when I felt angry I reminded myself not to react without discussing the situation with one of two people I trusted to help me make good decisions.

I am an expert on no one but me.

I am over three years out and have had gastric sleeve. I lost all my weight in 9 months and have been maintaining since. My surgeon cut out the fundus (the stretchy part) of my stomach leaving behind the muscle so I have little to no stomach left to "stretch".

I drink carbonated beverages, I use straws, I consume alcohol, and I am fine. That said, I could easily "eat around" my sleeve if I wanted to. I choose to follow my surgeon's dietary recommendations 90% of the time. If instead, I chose to eat ice cream and Cookies, I would/could gain all my weight back.

If I make good choices, I can eat no more than 1/4-1/3 cup of food and I am full for hours. If I choose carbs, I can't eat much more than the above, but I can eat more sooner.

Again. MY stomach hasn't stretched nor will it, I am quite confident. I can't speak on anyone else's.

Fettchick83 I had my procedure Feb.1 and I was scared to over eat, terrified really. I have learned my body will make sure I'm done. If I have too much I throw up. Has happened twice and trust I won't let it happen again.

Trust your body... and in trusting that means you just have to pay attention to it. It will tell you when you are satisfied. ????

Is stomach strecthing real? I have read a lot about it, but has anyone experienced it? Can it happen within weeks of being post-op? Does it stop weight loss?

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

Not really, a properly formed sleeve does not stretch hardly at all. Honestly most of it is people being ignorant about how the surgery and their body works. People think the restriction they have at the beginning is the restriction they are supposed to have forever. The restriction at the beginning is from swelling and your body trying to heal. As you heal and as time goes on that restriction relaxes, to a normal rate.

People that depend on their restriction to tell them when to stop eating, instead of weighing and measuring their food and relying on proper portions. The restriction in the beginning is there to teach and train you that smaller portions, and make that a norm to you. The restriction exists to make the mental changes easier, but you aren't supposed to depend on the physical restriction forever, because it changes as you heal.

  • Author

Fettchick83 I had my procedure Feb.1 and I was scared to over eat, terrified really. I have learned my body will make sure I'm done. If I have too much I throw up. Has happened twice and trust I won't let it happen again.

Trust your body... and in trusting that means you just have to pay attention to it. It will tell you when you are satisfied. ????

I notice I don't have the hungry feeling anymore. Kinda odd.

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

@@Fettchick83

The not feeling hungry can be a challenge. You have to make sure you eat even when you don't feel like it. I struggled with that now even at 5 months out. It's best to put yourself on a time schedule and plan out what you're going to eat a head of time. :)

I often wondered about stomach "stretching" during my pre-op research as well. Then I came across this video and it explains a little better what actually happens, and how to prevent it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_aahPETzH0

According to my surgeon, with a properly performed gastric sleeve it is impossible to stretch a sleeved stomach back to a "normal" size. When people claim they have stretched it, they have actually either eaten around their sleeve or weakened the pylorus which is the valve leading to the small intestine. Or they have a drink with their food against Dr orders and that will/can wash the food out of the stomach sooner leaving one hungry sooner.

Of course there are the people that eat small portions of lard fried potatoes and whatnot that are incredible dense in calories and are able to gain weight that way. Or grazing on empty calories. The surgery is only one part of ones success. It truly does take a lifestyle change.

This information of course only applies to correctly performed surgeries. I hate to say it, but there are a small percentage of people that have had honest surgery failures. I cannot comment on those.

Fettchick83 I had my procedure Feb.1 and I was scared to over eat, terrified really. I have learned my body will make sure I'm done. If I have too much I throw up. Has happened twice and trust I won't let it happen again.

Trust your body... and in trusting that means you just have to pay attention to it. It will tell you when you are satisfied.

I notice I don't have the hungry feeling anymore. Kinda odd.

Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

You shouldn't feel the physical hunger. Head hunger isna different story. My surgeon explained to me that the part of the stomach that is removed contains the part that sends the hunger hormone. After 10 months I have never physically felt hungry

For me.. I'm only three weeks out.. but my sense of hunger has changed a lot.. I don't really feel hunger anymore.. (sometimes I do have head hunger and crave thing I used to eat before) but I can sense my body telling me that it needs food - for instance yesterday I did a really intense Water aerobic exercise for an hour. And a little while after I got an intense sense of needing to eat.. but it wasn't.. hunger really.. just a sense that my body needed some food rather than just liquids.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Trending Products

PatchAid Vitamin Patches

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.