I made to the 1 month mark! I lost 23#'s!!! The first 3 weeks were hard and I was hungry often but since I have added solids, (even though they are soft solids) I get full after a few bites. But be careful, if I don't chew it very well I will vomit. Sorry but that is the truth of the matter. I can't believe that I am not hungry, it is a wonderful feeling. I strongly urge anyone uncertain of the sleeve to check it out. It is a great tool. Thanks for the support that I have received from everyone here.

Edited March 19, 200917 yr by neworleanslady

I can't wait to get my revision surgery.

I thought you weren't supposed to get hungry with the sleeve though. You said you were hungry at first.

Yes, I was hungry at first. Liquids just don't keep you full b/c the stomach dumps them so fast. Once I started on full liquids it was better, and then on solids it is great. Seriously, two or three bites and I am done. That has never happened to me before. So just prepare yourself for a hard couple of weeks and then much much better! I would eat potato soup nearly every day and that helped a lot. Then smoothies (high protein) and that helped. You can do it. I thought I wouldn't make it through but here I am and I am so glad I did it. Not much longer for you, good luck.

I made to the 1 month mark! I lost 23#'s!!! The first 3 weeks were hard and I was hungry often but since I have added solids, (even though they are soft solids) I get full after a few bites. But be careful, if I don't chew it very well I will vomit. Sorry but that is the truth of the matter. I can't believe that I am not hungry, it is a wonderful feeling. I strongly urge anyone uncertain of the sleeve to check it out. It is a great tool. Thanks for the support that I have received from everyone here.

Congrats on getting sleeved! I hope you continue to like it. I sure do. I am sitting here sharing my burger with the dog. Isn't it weird? A 12# Shih Tzu eats more than I do! ;o)

You know you scare me when you say things like that. I was just thinking about how depressed I am going to be if I can only eat 3 bites.

If you chew well, you should be able to eat more. I can eat anywhere from 2 to 6 oz. depending on what the food is. 6 oz. of yogurt, 2 oz. of pork.

You know you scare me when you say things like that. I was just thinking about how depressed I am going to be if I can only eat 3 bites.

You probably will only be able to eat 3 bites when you start on solids but eventually you'll be able to eat your whole 2oz of solid protein! HA

I made to the 1 month mark! I lost 23#'s!!! The first 3 weeks were hard and I was hungry often but since I have added solids, (even though they are soft solids) I get full after a few bites. But be careful, if I don't chew it very well I will vomit. Sorry but that is the truth of the matter. I can't believe that I am not hungry, it is a wonderful feeling. I strongly urge anyone uncertain of the sleeve to check it out. It is a great tool. Thanks for the support that I have received from everyone here.

Is it head hunger or real hunger?

I think I was really hungry those first couple weeks. Once I was able to start full liquids I stayed full longer. And then on solids a few bites and I was full. I get less calories now eating solids and being full all day then when I had liquids and was hungry. I am almost at 40 pounds and it hasn't been 2 months yet. My Dr told me to be sure I get 50 to 70grams of protein in everyday and I will lose weight. so far he has been right. I can't wait to get to 100#'s!!!

Okay, this may be a dumb question, but I keep reading about a gastric sleeve and peope converting from band to sleeve. Can somebody give me the basics about what it is and why people are switching (or direct me somewhere where I can find the information.) Thanks!

The band can have a lot of complications. Just go to forums and go to the complications section and start reading.

With the sleeve, you have the surgery, and you are done. No fills, no unfills, you just have a smaller stomach and you're good to go.

I am sure someone will come on here and explain it much better than I did !

I have not had a band so I will let others answer about the difference.

about hunger, I did have what I believe to be real hunger and also real thirst at one week post-op. I would take one or two sips of broth and then the hunger was gone.

it's been like that ever since: I get hungry and eat and it goes away. the amount it took when up very slowly over time.

head hunger,on the other hand, came back a maybe one month post-op. wanting to eat for reasons other than hunger is now back in my life just like when I was a pre-op. so you have to deal with it.

it seems to really vary how post-ops experience (real) hunger. some say that months later eating is actually a chore! I wouldn't like that myself!

what I'm saying is, your milage may vary! :wub:

I definitely get real hunger and have from pretty much the beginning. But I work out a lot and my surgeon pointed out to me that real hunger means your body needs fuel. So he had me up my Protein again and that has helped tremendously.

Head hunger I do get sometimes, but not like before. Before I was always ravenously hungry as soon as there was even the least bit of room in my stomach. So when I had head hunger, it was almost impossible to resist. Now when I get it, I just leave the source of the food and I forget all about it.

I definitely get real hunger and have from pretty much the beginning. But I work out a lot and my surgeon pointed out to me that real hunger means your body needs fuel. So he had me up my Protein again and that has helped tremendously.

Head hunger I do get sometimes, but not like before. Before I was always ravenously hungry as soon as there was even the least bit of room in my stomach. So when I had head hunger, it was almost impossible to resist. Now when I get it, I just leave the source of the food and I forget all about it.

I totally agree with this.

I feel like at this point with 20 pounds left to lose, it is totally up to me. I can eat almost anything and sometimes can 'fit' up to 8oz at a time. With the band, I would just 'pb' it..I could do that almost at will and that was how I got down to 150 lbs... not very healthy. Now I fight my evening 'head hunger' with a cup of tea and it works. Sometimes I treat myself with a caramel or two, but can stop at a reasonable amount, whereas before....well you know how that used to go. Also, I have stopped all the daytime 'snacking' which was a major contributor to my weight gain after the band was removed. When I get hungry I look for protein first. Again YMMV.

I can relate to fluid filling you up. My breakfast is an 8 oz soy slender drink and a cup of coffee. If I drink the soy, I am too full to drink all the coffee.

I was just talking to a lady at my grandson's 1st birthday party. She had the sleeve 2 years ago and is very depressed.

She likes being thin, but she gets depressed because it was so much fun to go to dinner or lunch with friends and even though she is enjoying wearing smaller clothes, she says she wants to cry when she goes out with anyone

knowing she can't eat more than a half a cup of anything.

She had a couple of bites of pizza and a couple of bites of birthday cake and looked like she was about to cry.