Hi Weight Loss Community!

I have my gastric sleeve surgery scheduled with Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana on September 5th! So excited. I have been watching and reading everything I can get my hands and eyes on about WLS. This week I found this Bariatric Surgeon in Michigan - Dr. Weiner's - Youtube channel. He's legit - a keynote speaker at the WLSFA and has a thriving practice. You should check out his youtube channel; very informative. Anyway, this particular video caught my attention because he says that we don't need to worry about pouch stretching! (*Gasp!*) have already asked for my post-op diet paperwork and my nutritionist states clearly in the packet that we have to be careful not to stretch out the stomach. What are your doctor's saying about stomach/pouch stretching?

[mention=317167]Introversion[/mention] So for someone who isn't a volume eater--or who is keeping the volume eating under check for now, will the sleeve help long term? Cuz, I "could" theoretically eat the crap outta stuff like you could! I've eaten a Big Mac, Large Fries, Fish Sandwich, etc...at one meal. I've eaten 18-inches of sub at a meal. And now, it is a nail biter, but I am making myself be satisfied with the 6-8oz meal size. But in the back of my mind, I have been considering the VSG as a long term solution to the volume thing, thinking that it might take some of the nailbiting out of portion control. But it won't as long as down the road I will still be able to eat 8-10 fargin corksucking ounces of food! *insert annoyed smiley face here* le sigh.

one thing I was told is that pre op your stomach volume being larger means that you produce more ghrelin (hope spelled right) which causes more frequent hunger. Whereas post op with less stomach you will not feel as much hunger. I'm 3 mos post op and I feel hungry at meal times but not in between. I think making smart coffees is a big key. Even if you can eat 8 to 10 oz of food, think about calories, nutrition, and protein first. A chicken breast and broccoli would be a better choice than a big Mac and fries. That's where the difference comes into play.

My surgery was yesterday, my surgeon told me time and time again the the pouch can stretch - no more carbonated drinks (I held a ceremony for my last diet coke LOL). After what I have gone through to get here, the money spent, AND seeing people who have failed, I am following what my doctor has ordered!! I'm not going back. Thankfully, his office has a weekly support group too.

I wad told no carbonation bc the air bubbles in the smaller stomach may cause discomfort. I used to drink the flavored carbonated water but the ones in the can were so bubbly thatI could only drunk half a can or I'd get a stomach ache pre-op. Everyone would probably be different one this one.

My last pre-op visit, a week before my surgery, I was told the stretching was a myth. It doesn't get bigger in size.

My surgeon said he sees people go from 1/2 chicken breast to full chicken breast after a year. That is the answer he gave me to this question.

I respect introversion and his/her posts always seem very helpful and forthright to me. I am scared now that my surgeon might have been massaging the truth.

But going from half to a whole chicken breast doesn't necessarily mean stretching... it can mean the swelling has decreased, that the person is now drinking while eating (which washes the food down and allows you to eat more) or many other factors.

On 8/27/2017 at 0:05 PM, FluffyChix said:

8-10 ounces of food per meal terrifies me, cuz that's MAYBE what I eat per meal now...maybe less (pre-op)! I probably eat closer to 6-8oz of food. *sniff* *gulp* *hic* *sob*

I'm almost two years out and can still only eat half a chicken breast, I can't imagine being able to get much more than that. I'd explode I'd like to believe the "Myth" is true, it's another reason to keep me focused and to not do things that could "stretch", my pouch.

Maybe don't call it stomach stretching but something DOES change and we do gain after a few years. The surgery is not a permanent cure for whatever caused us to reach our highest weights. Anyone who tells you otherwise is not being truthful OR is the exception that proves the rule (which we all want to be). I wouldn't let that stop me from going for it, though.

44 minutes ago, reallyrosy said:

Maybe don't call it stomach stretching but something DOES change and we do gain after a few years. The surgery is not a permanent cure for whatever caused us to reach our highest weights. Anyone who tells you otherwise is not being truthful OR is the exception that proves the rule (which we all want to be). I wouldn't let that stop me from going for it, though.

if you actually took time to watch the video, you'd know that Dr. Weiner's message is NOT "hey, stomach stretching is a myth, so enjoy all the food you can handle!"

he repeatedly cautions that the surgery is not a lifetime cure and that it takes a life-long commitment to healthy eating to have success. he is simply trying to explain that people who regain weight after bariatric surgery do so because of their food CHOICES, not their food AMOUNTS. quality over quantity. if you continue to eat healthy, you don't even need to focus on amounts because your body will give you very clear and accurate "stop" signals. it's when you go back to eating processed food, junk food, and sugar that you can gain weight even at small portions.

I did read it and thanked you. I disagree about food choices being the only culprit. My experience is different. Ok?

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2 hours ago, reallyrosy said:

I did read it...

read what?

What do u mean when u ask what I read after you posted that link and I said i read it?

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What do u mean when u ask what I read after you posted that link and I said i read it?

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I think because it's a video not something to read so there's some confusion there

Oh...well, I'm deaf and the video is captioned, so I read it instead of watched it. Good point.

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Oh...well, I'm deaf and the video is captioned, so I read it instead of watched it. Good point.

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That makes sense! But you can understand the confusion!

I'll be 3 years post op I'm November, 170 lbs lost.

I still can *barely* eat 4 oz of food. Most of my meals are 3 oz and I'm stuffed. This is of anything - protein, veggies, salad...anything.

In the early days before my swelling fully went down, I could eat maybe 2-3 bites of anything at a time. Now it's more like 5-6 bites - and it has been 5-6 bites for over 2 years now. Call that "stretching," if ya want? Lol

I never push it. I made this a lifestyle. I've experienced zero regain and have been maintaining under goal since 16 months post op.