What's your advice to sleeve newbies?

I was just writing an email to someone and it dawned on me that this might be the start of a good thread.

My advice is to take FULL advantage of the first six months. That is the easiest time to lose weight. Your stomach is the size of a cigar, finger, it's small and round. It won't stretch out to a banana size/shape for a few months and this time frame it is easy to lose weight. Since it is easy to lose weight a lot of people just sit around watching pounds melt. If you put forth effort during this time frame you lose faster and get to goal sooner.

If you are a band to sleeve and your port site hurts the first two weeks... yeah, I got nothing. It hurts. Consider it initiation to the revision club? HA! :thumbup:

Anyone else?

Hopefully, I will lose well during the post op diet.

I hope I am not in too much pain at the port site. I haven't even told work about the band, let alone revision. Plus I get really moody if I can't exercise.

I liked that someone said they lost their sweet tooth when they got the sleeve. That would be a dream come true!

Hopefully, I will lose well during the post op diet.

I hope I am not in too much pain at the port site. I haven't even told work about the band, let alone revision. Plus I get really moody if I can't exercise.

I liked that someone said they lost their sweet tooth when they got the sleeve. That would be a dream come true!

Hi Oregon daisy,

I responded to you on another post about the loss of my sweet tooth, so I won't elaborate here. You will be able to exercise. It sounds like you were active pre sleeve, as was I, so it has been no problem going for long walks. I look forward to it because it is so beautiful outside, and since I am not hungry, I need something to do. I haven't gone back to work yet. My incision sites have also healed, 14 days out. I am just trucking along, going through the diet stages as prescribed.

My advice is to practice chewing well and slowly as soon as you decide to get WLS. You can't practice that enough, as far as I'm concerned.

I completely agree about making the most of the first 6 months too. This is particularly important if you have a lot to lose.

I've lost 70 bands and plan to "pimp" those first 6 months to the max! I had a lot of pain at the port site from the banding and am hoping the sleeve revision is not as hard to recover from.

My advice is to practice chewing well and slowly as soon as you decide to get WLS. You can't practice that enough, as far as I'm concerned.

I completely agree about making the most of the first 6 months too. This is particularly important if you have a lot to lose.

I went out to eat with a friend a few months ago. I still had my band which as you all know prevented me from eating too fast. My friend is contemplating weight loss surgery. The way he inhaled his food was disgusting. I of course didn't say that, but I did say, "Slow down, noone is going to take your food away." I mean he had ordered soft shell crabs, fries, and he literally wolfed it down, barely chewing. His poor esophagus must be stretched out trying to accommodate all that solid food coming down.

I remember thinking, did I used to eat like that? It is not pretty to witness.

I am 5 weeks post op and have lost 30#'s. The first 3 weeks were hard for me but since then I have been breezing through. It is so easy to lose weight right now but will there be a big change coming in six months? I love getting rid of clothes every week b/c I assume this weight is gone forever! What changes at 6 months? Is it the amount of food you can eat or your hunger increases or both?

I am 5 weeks post op and have lost 30#'s. The first 3 weeks were hard for me but since then I have been breezing through. It is so easy to lose weight right now but will there be a big change coming in six months? I love getting rid of clothes every week b/c I assume this weight is gone forever! What changes at 6 months? Is it the amount of food you can eat or your hunger increases or both?

Your stomach was made extra small knowing it is going to stretch out a bit by 4-6 months. In a few months it should be the size and shape of a small banana. Right now it's about half that. So if you take full advantage of the itty bitty sleeve you have now it just gets you to goal faster. It's not going to get easier to lose weight, it's going to get harder. Your metabolism will naturally slow down a bit. You WILL lose muscle mass, it's a natural part of losing a massive amount of weight. They key is to maintain as much muscle mass as possible and you do that through Protein and weight training.

You'll be able to eat a little more at 6 months. It's not like bypass that things kinda come to a dead stop at 18 months but with us it slows down at about 6 months and it isn't the breeze it is today. You'll have to put a bit more effort into it just like any WLS type.

Take FULL advantage of the easy weight loss and depending on how much you have to lose you might get to goal by 6 months. Exercise, do it every single day. Limit white carbs to 20gms daily. Not all carbs, just WHITE carbs.

Thank you for that advice. I'm going to take full advantage of the first 6 months and will continue with the resistance training ASAP post-op. I am guessing that weight training is restricted for a few weeks post-op?

Thank you for that advice. I'm going to take full advantage of the first 6 months and will continue with the resistance training ASAP post-op. I am guessing that weight training is restricted for a few weeks post-op?

Yes, you are restricted for weight training but I don't remember for how long because it was a non issue for me, I never did weight training. ;o) I did hard cardio and lots of it but never weights.

I definitely plan to take advantage of those first six months as well. I do cardio and weight training. I am curious to see how long Dr. Aceves says I have to wait before I can resume them.

I am liking the jump start this liquid diet has given me. I started Thursday, today is Sunday and I have already lost six pounds!!

I definitely plan to take advantage of those first six months as well. I do cardio and weight training. I am curious to see how long Dr. Aceves says I have to wait before I can resume them.

I am liking the jump start this liquid diet has given me. I started Thursday, today is Sunday and I have already lost six pounds!!

That's fantastic!

You know, the 10 days of clears really isn't bad after surgery. You'll struggle to get your 64oz in. We all struggle to get that much Fluid in. You won't want it and you'll put off sipping. So honestly, as well as you are doing with liquids now you'll find it is even easier to "not" want it after surgery.

Congrats to you!

I definitely plan to take advantage of those first six months as well. I do cardio and weight training. I am curious to see how long Dr. Aceves says I have to wait before I can resume them.

I am liking the jump start this liquid diet has given me. I started Thursday, today is Sunday and I have already lost six pounds!!

Susan,

Just wait until after your surgery when you're doing the 10 days of clears and the 10 days of full liquids. I stepped on the scale this morning and I now weigh 175#. That is down from a high of 193# pre surgery. It took me a solid year to lose from 191# to 171# with the lapband.

Susan,

Just wait until after your surgery when you're doing the 10 days of clears and the 10 days of full liquids. I stepped on the scale this morning and I now weigh 175#. That is down from a high of 193# pre surgery. It took me a solid year to lose from 191# to 171# with the lapband.

Congratulations! Have you picked out your summer bikini? LOL. Seriously, you'll be looking great this summer. I am hoping for the same success you're getting.

Speaking of a bikini, I was at the grocery store dressed in my bike outfit -- i.e., lycra, tight short -- and feeling like "ooh I'm pretty hot for a 51 year old mom of two". Then I see Valerie Bertinelli, only 3 years younger than me, also with two kids, on the cover of some magazine in a bikini.

I hate her. :thumbup:

Speaking of a bikini, I was at the grocery store dressed in my bike outfit -- i.e., lycra, tight short -- and feeling like "ooh I'm pretty hot for a 51 year old mom of two". Then I see Valerie Bertinelli, only 3 years younger than me, also with two kids, on the cover of some magazine in a bikini.

I hate her. :thumbup:

Take comfort in knowing her photos are airbrushed. ;o)