Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve Surgery

priskar

So glad you made it through with no complications! Welcome to "the other side"! It's almost impossible to get all protein and required proteins in at the very beginning but before long you'll be getting it all in with no problem. As you increase your protein you'll feel stronger and stronger. Just don't forget that you just had major surgery. Follow your surgeon's instructions to a "T" and you should have no problems!

Don't forget to take your vitamins and sip, sip, sip! Gone are the days of gulping down large portions of anything including water.

Am excited for you MLS1979! Congrats!

angelintx

Is anyone experiencing the ability to pretty much eat a large quantity of food again? I had surgery on 9/15/10 and for the last month really, I have found that I could eat almost the same quantity of food as I did prior to surgery, although I am eating differently (protein first, etc.). Also, I would have to say that in the beginning (first 45 days) I didn't really feel all that hungry, but since then, if I don't eat every 2-3 hours, I am physically weak, belly aches from growling and emptiness and I get a headache. Not fun! My fluoroscopy showed that my stomach empties really fast which is a contributing factor to these issues, but I was curious if anyone else out there is experiencing the same thing and how they are coping with it. I've lost 41 pounds, but really that was lost within the first 2 months and I've been at a plateau since. Thanks for your responses!

priskar

Hi Angel! Also in TX here.

I was "sleeved" just a month after you had your surgery. BTW, what kind of WLS did you have? I haven't had any of the issues that you seem to be having. There is still good restriction, no hunger, etc. Are you keeping up with you recommended fluids? As for the plateau, I think that is probably normal but others may be able to help answer that question better than I can. There is a motivational and support group on MFP which you can find here:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/107774-wls-support-and-inspirational-information

Perhaps some of the others might have similar issues.

Best of luck to you!

angelintx

Thanks for the link Priskar! I will check that out. I also had the sleeve. Fluids are definitely not a problem for me, so yes, I'm doing the recommended daily amount plus a bit more (I'm just thirsty I guess). I do watch my fluid intake before and after meals and never drink during eating as well. I was terribly frustrated with the plateau at first but after talking with the PA/nutritionist, they both said it was normal. They both thought I should eat until I get the "full sensation" and increase my activity to break the plateau because they thought I was restricting myself to the point of going into starvation mode, even though my intake was about 1,200 cals per day which was sometimes double that of other patients. I just pray I'm not one of those 1% that the surgery didn't work for.

Katz85340

Is anyone experiencing the ability to pretty much eat a large quantity of food again? I had surgery on 9/15/10 and for the last month really, I have found that I could eat almost the same quantity of food as I did prior to surgery, although I am eating differently (protein first, etc.). Also, I would have to say that in the beginning (first 45 days) I didn't really feel all that hungry, but since then, if I don't eat every 2-3 hours, I am physically weak, belly aches from growling and emptiness and I get a headache. Not fun! My fluoroscopy showed that my stomach empties really fast which is a contributing factor to these issues, but I was curious if anyone else out there is experiencing the same thing and how they are coping with it. I've lost 41 pounds, but really that was lost within the first 2 months and I've been at a plateau since. Thanks for your responses!

Hmmm...I've experienced the same thing. I have to be really careful or I'll over eat! I've stayed under my calories so far but I'm worried. I also get hungry and that wasn't supposed to happen. I told the doc about it and he seemed puzzled.

Katz85340

Surgery went well. It was little rough day 1 and 2 post op. Today is day 7, and I feel good. Just have to take it slow. I HAVE LOST 13 LBS in the first week, effortlessly. I love this! I just need to work on drinking more fluids and getting 60-80 grams protein daily.

Yes, the water and protein were the hardest part for me in the beginning and I guess they still are. I'm glad to hear you are doing well. I'm plateauing right now, so not really happy.

Katz85340

I'm a little late joining the convo here but I had Verticle Gastric Sleeve 10/21/10 and have lost just over 20 lbs. over the past 5 weeks. While it took me some time to fall in love with my sleeve, it's the best thing I could have done. I can finally see myself at a normal weight sometime within the not too distant future. I've joined a fitness center and hired a trainer. I also see a nutritionist one-on-one whenever I run into problems with food. I'm trying to set myself up for success the best I know how.

Was glad to come across this post and others who have had WLS and the Sleeve in particular.

Best wishes to you all!

Priska

I haven't heard from you in a while. How are you doing? Any new pics?

MacMadame

Hey, I didn't know there was a sleeve thread!

I had my sleeve about 2.5 years ago and I love it.

As for no liquid protein, I hate that recommendation. I think it's dumb. I have a protein shake every morning for breakfast and it works great for me. Now, it doesn't work well for everyone, but it's one thing for a program to say "if you do this, watch out for that" vs. just saying no one can do it because it doesn't work for everyone.

The things to watch out for with liquid protein are:

Some people don't get full enough on the shakes so they are hungry right after. But I take an hour to finish mine and make it rather thick with ice and I don't have that problem. The great thing about starting every day with a shake is that I've gotten in 16 oz. of fluid and 42-44 g of protein by 10 am. On days the blender is dirty and I don't have a shake, I find it much harder to get in my protein and my fluids.

Some people drink protein drinks instead of water and that causes them to get too many calories in a day. The body doesn't regulate liquid calories as well as a solid ones.

But, I feel like, if you track your food, and you are not going over your calories and you aren't overly hungry, what does it matter whether your protein comes from a shake or food?

I also think that the protein recommendations that a lot of groups have are too low. When we're first out of surgery, we're on a limited calorie diet *and* we're healing, and both of those mean our protein requirements are greater than the average bear. My program (and a lot of programs) recommends 70-90 during the losing phase and to really limit carbs. They've found that patients who do that tend to lose better than the ones that don't.

priskar

Hey, I didn't know there was a sleeve thread!

I had my sleeve about 2.5 years ago and I love it.


I also think that the protein recommendations that a lot of groups have are too low. When we're first out of surgery, we're on a limited calorie diet *and* we're healing, and both of those mean our protein requirements are greater than the average bear. My program (and a lot of programs) recommends 70-90 during the losing phase and to really limit carbs. They've found that patients who do that tend to lose better than the ones that don't.

I JUST posted about protein in the WLS motivation & support forum after Mollie's post on protein/kidneys/recommended protein per body weight. Would love your take on it as you're 2.5 years out and I am just 3 months out and having trouble.

I'm amazed at how many people on MFP have had WLS and, especially, the sleeve. I try to steer them to the WLS thread and a few come but then there are a few who just mail to chat about it but don't really want it out in the public which I understand.

FK1983

Thanks for all your advice. I've seen the doc since my last update and they said it was normal to plateau a bit after going to solids. I'm losing weight again and hoping to reach my next goal of 200 lbs. by tomorrow. That will put me at a total weight loss of 68 lbs. (42 pre-surgery and 26 post-surgery). The pain has gone away but they said if it continues, it could be a hernia. I hope the pain stays away. You are all so amazing! Having this surgery is the best thing I've ever done!

I am just curious as to why you had the surgery done if you had already lost 42lbs on your own?

Exactly what I was thinking,
If you can lose 42lbs without surgery there really is no reason to have surgery as it shows you can do it without.

I thought about surgery a few times before I started losing weight but am SOOO glad I didn't go for any of it, it feels amazing knowing i've lost weight (92lbs) without going down the surgery or medication routes, learning to eat better and exercise more is the way to do it!

MacMadame

Exactly what I was thinking,
If you can lose 42lbs without surgery there really is no reason to have surgery as it shows you can do it without.

I thought about surgery a few times before I started losing weight but am SOOO glad I didn't go for any of it, it feels amazing knowing i've lost weight (92lbs) without going down the surgery or medication routes, learning to eat better and exercise more is the way to do it!

BULL****. We've all lost weight before. Some of us many, many times. But we gain it back. 95-99% of us gain it back every time. Because learning to eat better and exercise more isn't enough if your body is full of ghrelin and you are hungry all the time.

The reason to have surgery is to get hunger control so we DON'T GAIN IT BACK.

Maybe you will be one of the 1-5% of people who can lose 50 pounds or more and keep it off. If so :flowerforyou:. But until you do, you have no credibility.

bluemagic33

I wish you well on your continued success and hope you have continued health throughout your journey.

FK1983

Exactly what I was thinking,
If you can lose 42lbs without surgery there really is no reason to have surgery as it shows you can do it without.

I thought about surgery a few times before I started losing weight but am SOOO glad I didn't go for any of it, it feels amazing knowing i've lost weight (92lbs) without going down the surgery or medication routes, learning to eat better and exercise more is the way to do it!

BULL****. We've all lost weight before. Some of us many, many times. But we gain it back. 95-99% of us gain it back every time.

I stopped reading right there lol......

shannygoat

I didn't know there was a sleeve thread either! I just posted because I was looking for some info on the surgery!

I'm scheduled to have my surgery on February 10th and I'm just looking for some real life info on what to expect in terms of recovery, pain, the ability to keep anything down. I'm a little nervous because I dont' know who I'm supposed to get all that protein in. I can't stomach the shakes now, and after the surgery I have to drink them. I'm thinking I'll have to do the unflavored one and add it to applesauce or something.

I'm going to make this work, no matter what. I'm ready to start this next chapter in my life!

MacMadame

I stopped reading right there lol......

Thus proving you are not only ignorant, but willfully so.

MacMadame

I can't stomach the shakes now, and after the surgery I have to drink them.

Most peoples tastes change after surgery. So don't worry about finding a shake you like now.

Also, there are probably 50 different brands of protein shakes that are appropriate for bariatric patients. So just keep trying. (After surgery anyway. :laugh:) There are a lot of brands that you can only get online as well as stuff you can only get at Costco.

What I did before my surgery was order about 40 samples from vitalady.com. She will send you a sample of every protein powder she sells for $2 each even if that company doesn't normally make samples. You can also get samples from Nectar, Chike Nutrition and a few other places. With the samples, if you don't like one, just throw it out and try another. You aren't out a lot of money like you are when you buy a big tub. Jay Rob and Unjury also make single serving packets you can get so you can try it out first.

Also, if you buy from places like GNC and Vitamin Shoppe, they will take back an opened tub if you try it and don't like it.

Immediately pre-op, Isopure saved me. I can't stand it now, but it worked then. Now I like Chike and Whey Gourmet PB and Chocolate (haven't tried any of their other flavors). I also drink a lot of Healthsmart Protein Hot Chocolate. It's only 15g of protein, but every little bit helps.

plt55

Great

Katz85340

Thanks for all your advice. I've seen the doc since my last update and they said it was normal to plateau a bit after going to solids. I'm losing weight again and hoping to reach my next goal of 200 lbs. by tomorrow. That will put me at a total weight loss of 68 lbs. (42 pre-surgery and 26 post-surgery). The pain has gone away but they said if it continues, it could be a hernia. I hope the pain stays away. You are all so amazing! Having this surgery is the best thing I've ever done!

I am just curious as to why you had the surgery done if you had already lost 42lbs on your own?

Exactly what I was thinking,
If you can lose 42lbs without surgery there really is no reason to have surgery as it shows you can do it without.

I thought about surgery a few times before I started losing weight but am SOOO glad I didn't go for any of it, it feels amazing knowing i've lost weight (92lbs) without going down the surgery or medication routes, learning to eat better and exercise more is the way to do it!

That's great! I wish I could have done it on my own, and for some of it I did. I've lost over 40 on my own before but gained it all back. I didn't want to do that again, so I opted for the sleeve.

Katz85340

Hey, I didn't know there was a sleeve thread!

I had my sleeve about 2.5 years ago and I love it.

As for no liquid protein, I hate that recommendation. I think it's dumb. I have a protein shake every morning for breakfast and it works great for me. Now, it doesn't work well for everyone, but it's one thing for a program to say "if you do this, watch out for that" vs. just saying no one can do it because it doesn't work for everyone.

The things to watch out for with liquid protein are:

Some people don't get full enough on the shakes so they are hungry right after. But I take an hour to finish mine and make it rather thick with ice and I don't have that problem. The great thing about starting every day with a shake is that I've gotten in 16 oz. of fluid and 42-44 g of protein by 10 am. On days the blender is dirty and I don't have a shake, I find it much harder to get in my protein and my fluids.

Some people drink protein drinks instead of water and that causes them to get too many calories in a day. The body doesn't regulate liquid calories as well as a solid ones.

But, I feel like, if you track your food, and you are not going over your calories and you aren't overly hungry, what does it matter whether your protein comes from a shake or food?

I also think that the protein recommendations that a lot of groups have are too low. When we're first out of surgery, we're on a limited calorie diet *and* we're healing, and both of those mean our protein requirements are greater than the average bear. My program (and a lot of programs) recommends 70-90 during the losing phase and to really limit carbs. They've found that patients who do that tend to lose better than the ones that don't.

I'm so glad you found the sleeve thread! It would be nice to get others input on their progress! Spread the word!

Katz85340

Exactly what I was thinking,
If you can lose 42lbs without surgery there really is no reason to have surgery as it shows you can do it without.

I thought about surgery a few times before I started losing weight but am SOOO glad I didn't go for any of it, it feels amazing knowing i've lost weight (92lbs) without going down the surgery or medication routes, learning to eat better and exercise more is the way to do it!

BULL****. We've all lost weight before. Some of us many, many times. But we gain it back. 95-99% of us gain it back every time. Because learning to eat better and exercise more isn't enough if your body is full of ghrelin and you are hungry all the time.

The reason to have surgery is to get hunger control so we DON'T GAIN IT BACK.

Maybe you will be one of the 1-5% of people who can lose 50 pounds or more and keep it off. If so :flowerforyou:. But until you do, you have no credibility.

I happy to have everyone's input... I'm glad to know some people can do it on their own. I just couldn't knowing I'd failed before. Couldn't trust myself.

Katz85340

I wish you well on your continued success and hope you have continued health throughout your journey.

Thank you! You also!

Katz85340

I didn't know there was a sleeve thread either! I just posted because I was looking for some info on the surgery!

I'm scheduled to have my surgery on February 10th and I'm just looking for some real life info on what to expect in terms of recovery, pain, the ability to keep anything down. I'm a little nervous because I dont' know who I'm supposed to get all that protein in. I can't stomach the shakes now, and after the surgery I have to drink them. I'm thinking I'll have to do the unflavored one and add it to applesauce or something.

I'm going to make this work, no matter what. I'm ready to start this next chapter in my life!

I'm glad you found the thread. Please, if you do anything at all, research the surgery first and always, always follow 'your' physicians orders. I found these things to be the most valuable before and after surgery. You will hear many different things but everyone is different. You have to listen to your physician.

You will not be hungry (maybe thirsty) after surgery the first couple days. Drink slowly and drink what they tell you 'only'! Do not add anything to your shakes! Believe me, the shakes will be enough in the beginning. You will hurt if you do otherwise.

Katz85340

I stopped reading right there lol......

Thus proving you are not only ignorant, but willfully so.

Please lets be kind to each other...;)

Katz85340

I can't stomach the shakes now, and after the surgery I have to drink them.

Most peoples tastes change after surgery. So don't worry about finding a shake you like now.

Also, there are probably 50 different brands of protein shakes that are appropriate for bariatric patients. So just keep trying. (After surgery anyway. :laugh:) There are a lot of brands that you can only get online as well as stuff you can only get at Costco.

What I did before my surgery was order about 40 samples from vitalady.com. She will send you a sample of every protein powder she sells for $2 each even if that company doesn't normally make samples. You can also get samples from Nectar, Chike Nutrition and a few other places. With the samples, if you don't like one, just throw it out and try another. You aren't out a lot of money like you are when you buy a big tub. Jay Rob and Unjury also make single serving packets you can get so you can try it out first.

Also, if you buy from places like GNC and Vitamin Shoppe, they will take back an opened tub if you try it and don't like it.

Immediately pre-op, Isopure saved me. I can't stand it now, but it worked then. Now I like Chike and Whey Gourmet PB and Chocolate (haven't tried any of their other flavors). I also drink a lot of Healthsmart Protein Hot Chocolate. It's only 15g of protein, but every little bit helps.

Post surgery my physician had me on Glucerna for two weeks. Now I use Boost High Protein as a supplement...usually only about 2 oz. since they are high in calories.

FK1983

I stopped reading right there lol......

Thus proving you are not only ignorant, but willfully so.

Not at all but considering I have lost pretty much the same amount of weight as you WITHOUT resorting to extreme (and risky) surgery I think it says a LOT.

I'm not arrogant at all, all I was saying is if you can lose over 40lbs without surgery I see no reason why ANY doctor would even offer an operation (I know in the UK they wouldn't on the NHS if you are able to lose that much weight yourself), I was only asking what most readers of this thread was thinking!

I know it can be VERY difficult to keep the weight off once you have lost it but actually losing it was the hardest part surely?

FK1983

oops, double post...

priskar

I can't speak for everyone here but, for myself, I've lost over 100 lbs more than once. Until I reached my post-menopausal 50's, losing weight was easy - keeping it off was impossible. Even with exercise and 1100 cals (as my physicians instructed) the weight gradually came back PLUS some.

WLS was my best choice for losing my weight AND maintaining. Its not for everyone and apparently it's something you don't need or approve of. That doesn't mean it isn't the best "tool" out there for some of us who now have trouble losing and/or maintaining a certain weight.

Sometimes it's better to walk a mile in someone else's shoes than to criticize their choices.

Katz85340

I can't speak for everyone here but, for myself, I've lost over 100 lbs more than once. Until I reached my post-menopausal 50's, losing weight was easy - keeping it off was impossible. Even with exercise and 1100 cals (as my physicians instructed) the weight gradually came back PLUS some.

WLS was my best choice for losing my weight AND maintaining. Its not for everyone and apparently it's something you don't need or approve of. That doesn't mean it isn't the best "tool" out there for some of us who now have trouble losing and/or maintaining a certain weight.

Sometimes it's better to walk a mile in someone else's shoes than to criticize their choices.

Well said! I forgot all about the age thing! I'm gonna be 51 in a couple weeks and I can tell you, once you hit your 30s, it's harder to lose weight and keep it off as you get older! Thanks for posting this!

valj77

hi all
i had a lap band done in march 2008, in 2010 developed a slip and was revised to a sleeve. i was nervous about getting the sleeve at first, but i love it now. i started out at 254 when i was banded and was at 183 when i got the sleeve and today im at 150 lbs. i was glad to find this thread

runs4zen

I had a VSG on 1/19/10. It's the best decision I ever made. I chronicled the first 9 months or so post op on my blog.

As for people that want to give WLS patients a hard time, they need to rethink why they are on this website or any other. There are many paths to weight loss, everyone needs to make their own decision and choose what's best for them and if you don't like their choice...well, tough beans. I don't let other people tell me how to style my hair, what clothes to wear or how to raise my kids so why would I let a stranger on a chat board denigrate my choice to have WLS based on their prejudices?

Like someone before said, let's just be nice, please. That's what makes this site so great.