CONFESSION: Surg 12/22 with stretched stomach?

[nburton5 11]

First, you can't really 'stretch' your sleeve. The surgery we had removes the fundus of the stomach, which is the stretchy part, leaving just thick, muscular tissue that the sleeve is formed from. So it's unlikely to stretch...however, putting food that needs to be digested in the stomach into a new sleeve CAN cause issues with the staple line and you need to be on the lookout for signs of leaks: fever, abdominal pain and bloating. Again, not likely but possible.

No hate from me, we've all felt the urge to eat things we shouldn't...my concern is that you need to develop some kind of coping mechanism to keep you from giving in to the urges. In my experience, just keeping it all out of the house isn't enough. You're going to encounter foods you shouldn't eat all the time...what is your plan for the future so that you don't indulge? It's definitely worth spending some serious time planning how to avoid/evade all the food challenges that are present in our everyday lives. I'm 6 months out and attend many social functions centered around food, so I had to come up with a plan that kept me from eating inappropriately at buffets and cocktail parties. Your challenges may be different but won't be any less difficult, so make a plan and use it. Good luck!

I appreciate your reply and your honesty. You make me feel human. I realize Ive got to find a better way to handle boredom. Do you mind me asking what you do in situations such as events and cocktail parties?

Boredom, for me, is MUCH more dangerous than being around food I shouldn't eat...I learned after this surgery just how often I'm sitting around, working at my desk or on my computer and suddenly, I'm like 'hey, let's EAT something!!'. I have to be physically busy to keep that at bay, so I get up and DO something. I work from home, so I clean or organize or walk my pups or whatever I need to do to get past the urge to eat. Drink some Water (which we all pretty much need to do at any given moment anyway!) and wait 15 minutes. If my stomach is still screaming 'hunger' I'll have a bite of Protein, and do the water/wait thing again. It's mostly about your head, not truly needing food, so the trick is to trick your brain, not your stomach.

When we're going to a social function, I make sure I put some Protein in my stomach before we ever leave home, then I visualize what amount/types of food will be appropriate for me to eat. Shrimp, meatballs, grilled meat skewers, cheeses, etc....all things I can have. Crackers, breads, sweets...all NOs. Cocktail parties are easier, because I can just forgo the food altogether and nurse a glass of wine or a vodka tonic, or maybe just grab a small bit of cheese or a meatball and I'm good to go. When you're milling around in a crowd, talking to numerous people, it's less tempting to eat and less likely that someone will notice and/or comment on what you're not eating. If it's a buffet meal, I look at those starches like they're the most disgusting food I've ever seen. I think about my teeny, tiny pouch and how little I can put in it, and what on earth are mashed potatoes or tortellini going to do to help me feel better and lose weight? Again, it's SO MUCH a mind game. Your body can absolutely survive without all the crap we used to feed ourselves, it's convincing your mind that you don't need it that's the hardest.

Once you start losing weight, looking and feeling great because of the weight loss, it becomes much easier to stick to the prescribed food plan. You'll SEE the results of doing the right thing, and you'll like it (at least I've liked it a LOT so far!). Then it's easier to tell your brain to shut the hell up and eat properly. The proper eating becomes more of a habit...I don't really even crave carbs much any more, and when I do, it's vegetables and fruits that I want.

This is all a long, wordy way of saying that you have to give your body the mental support it needs to do this thing. You got help in the form of a greatly reduced food capacity, now your part is to use that tiny capacity to it's fullest. Crappy carby food isn't the answer, dense Proteins, healthy fats and high-quality complex carbs are the way forward. Don't cheat yourself out of this fantastic opportunity! Good luck to you and stick around...the support here is amazing and has gotten me through many tough days

You are amazing!!! Thank you for this.

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[Coco76 32]

I'm in therapy for this. I had my sleeve 1/9/2017. It's hard to make better decisions. I broke down last week because I miss pizza. Talk to your doctor. They have seen it all. The feelings of shame and guilt are a vicious cycle.

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