Stretching Sleeve

jlswbes

I was sleeved on May 2014. I weighed 241. For the last 4 months I have stalled at 180-182. Losing 60 pounds is great. I eat way to much and not always healthy foods. I know this but I still keep doing it. My surgeon is no longer practicing near me. I'm scared I stretched my sleeve. Any thoughts, comments, ideas, suggestions?

skattersIA

I am 2.5 yrs out and had similar concerns. I can eat junk foods with no restriction. But, if I eat meat, I certainly can't eat very much. How much steak, chicken or pork can you eat in a meal? If you try that test, it may reassure you that you haven't stretched your sleeve.

5BeautifulDays

You haven't stretched your sleeve--you've stretched your plan. I know I can easily "fit" 2000 calories of ice cream and chips and donuts during the day into the same sleeve that is "stuffed" with 1000 calories of lean meat, yogurt, and vegetables per day. If you want to continue losing weight you need to burn more calories than you eat--either change what you eat to fit the plan (which keeps you satisfied without so many calories), or work out more to burn the extra you're eating, or both (this is what I choose--some treats in moderation, plus exercise that allows me to eat just a little more than I would be able to otherwise).

(That said--the *feeling* of being stuffed does change as the months go by, as does the sensation of hunger. My tummy even rumbles with hunger now at a year out, which it never did the first six months or so. This is a sign that your stomach is healing, though, and not a sign that something is wrong).

pawoodhull

I am aware that there are different views on this subject and it does depend on if your surgeon removed all the stretchy part or left a little. So what I'm saying here may or may not apply to every sleeve patient.

This was my biggest fear and finally my doctor sat me down about a year out and told me he removed all the stretchy part of the stomach and there was nothing to "restretch". He also said we can out eat our sleeves and regain, so sticking to the program was the key to loss and keeping it off. He reminded me that protein rich and dense foods like steak, pork, chicken, tend to make you feel full quickly. BUT, carbs and junk (think cookies, crackers, chips, etc.) break down differently as we chew, they almost liquify, so don't make us feel full and are very easy to over eat with. One of my friends on here refer to them as "slider foods". I would really doubt if you had restretched your sleeve. It's probably more that the "slider foods" go down easier and don't make you feel full.

There is something I've heard of called the "5 day pouch test". This was designed more for gastric bypass patients as they have a small section of the stretchy part left forming a pouch. We can do it too though to help us get back on track and "reset" our sleeve. You start just like you did at the beginning with all liquids, then add back in pureed food, soft food and by the end of the 5 days regular food again. I've seen posts on here where sleeved folks say they seem to have more restriction at the end of it. At the very least, it helps get your head back into the game. I haven't tried it but if you are worried about being able to consume more at one time, give it a try. It certainly can't hurt.

paul87920

pawoodhull wrote: »

He reminded me that protein rich and dense foods like steak, pork, chicken, tend to make you feel full quickly. BUT, carbs and junk (think cookies, crackers, chips, etc.) break down differently as we chew, they almost liquify, so don't make us feel full and are very easy to over eat with. One of my friends on here refer to them as "slider foods". I would really doubt if you had restretched your sleeve. It's probably more that the "slider foods" go down easier and don't make you feel full.

I can absolutely relate to this right now. I made a clean break with carbs. I feel fuller longer now. I feel like I eat less, and I'm losing again. I know I'm consuming less calories. I'm quite curious about this stretchy pouch thing though. I had never heard of it. I'm going to have to ask my surgeon how mine was done. I naturally assumed they could stretch because I met gastric bypass patients that were going in for round two.

KyriaCathy

Thank you for posting this question! I've wondered about this too!

imboswell

paul87920 wrote: »

I can absolutely relate to this right now. I made a clean break with carbs. I feel fuller longer now. I feel like I eat less, and I'm losing again.

This is me right now. I had to make a clean break and now I have started losing. I have been stalled for 3 months losing and gaining the same 3 lbs. I have a month and a half to my 1 year surgery anniversary. I would like to be at my goal weight. I know that that the only way I can make it is to stop cheating myself.

pawoodhull

paul87920 wrote: »

pawoodhull wrote: »

quote]

I can absolutely relate to this right now. I made a clean break with carbs. I feel fuller longer now. I feel like I eat less, and I'm losing again. I know I'm consuming less calories. I'm quite curious about this stretchy pouch thing though. I had never heard of it. I'm going to have to ask my surgeon how mine was done. I naturally assumed they could stretch because I met gastric bypass patients that were going in for round two.

Gastric Bypass and Gastric Sleeve are different in that Bypass disconnects a majority of the stomach and reroutes the digestive tract to the new, smaller stomach; where the Sleeve removes most if not all the stretchy part and nothing is rerouted. My mentally impaired sister had Bypass and this information is per her surgeon because this is what she did. Bypass leaves a small portion of the hard, muscle part of the stomach as well as a small amount for the stretchy part. That stretchy part can be stretched out close to presurgery size if the patient consistently overeats. Assuming, because my sister's doctor wants to go in and reduce the "pouch", that's what "round two" is for a Bypass patient. Now again, every WLS surgery is nothing more than a tool, we can out eat any of them and regain, and the only way to keep the weight off whether we had Bypass or the Sleeve is to make permanent lifestyle changes and continue to follow the plan for the rest of our lives.

denicejo

I would recommend the 5 day pouch test. Also, you can use cottage cheese to test your sleeve capacity. Measure out a cup of cottage cheese, on an empty stomach, eat till you feel full. Measure what you have left minus from 8 oz and that's your capacity. I was very worried that I had broke my sleeve bc around the holidays last year I gained 15lbs and was ALWAYS hungry and eating like I was always starving. I tried the cottage cheese trick with yogurt btw and I could only eat 6oz. But I went to a nutritionist and that helped me get back on track. Like someone said before I can easily eat 2000 cals of junk but only 800 cals of quality protein and veg.

janet0513

I think it would be pretty hard to stretch your pouch. Some days I can eat like crazy and others not so much. On average I am eating over 1400 cals a day and still losing. Sounds like you just need to get back on track. Like some have said, there are slider foods that you need to watch out for because you can eat way more than you should (chips, crackers, popcorn etc). It is hard to eat too much of things like meat. Get back to basics. Weigh, measure and stick to no more than a cup of food at one time.