Band to sleeve 2 months ago. Almost no weight loss. Very frustrated.
I am starting to think that the lap band messed with my mind and my sense of what it means to be hungry. I lost 20 pounds by 2 weeks postop. I've gained back 10 since then.
I rarely feel any restriction when I eat.
Yes, - yes - I admit I do sometimes cheat with slider foods and water - but even if I don't do that and I eat nothing for 30-60 minutes before eating - I can eat a whole 9 inch cheesesteak and not feel full.
When (for that very narrow windows) the band worked for me - I couldn't even THINK about eating that much food. Now it is like there is no restriction at all.
Sometimes, however, I do feel it. I can't figure it out.
I'm in contact with my surgeon and a dietition. I would really like to have an upper GI scope to see what the stomach looks like, but I did the surgery in Mexico and I can't afford to pay for a GI in the US. (Last one cost me over $800).
The nerves in your stomach were cut during surgery and are still healing! Please weigh and measure your food and stick to just that. Eat what you should not what you can, that is what gets us in trouble to begin with. You won't feel anything until the nerves heal. Follow the rules and a low carb diet and you should see the weight start to come off again. I/m told the restriction also feels totally different from the band so don't expect the same feeling. Also if you feel hungry you probably are experiencing acid and need an acid reducer. I would say you don't need a scope but to learn more about how your sleeve works, go to the sleeve forum and read about the pyloric valve.
on 8/11/13 2:10 pm
As you well know the sleeve is just a tool. Right? One of the things WE have to learn is that we aren't supposed to eat to feel full, we are supposed to eat to feel satisfied. Take two bites, are you still hungry? Eat two more bites. Satisfied? Stop eating. Full? You ate too much.
With that said, I don't know of any newbie that can eat a 9" sub without popping. ;o) I agree you need to see your doc. You need an upper GI and you must must must do the following!!! Get the barium swallow, have the radiology dept scan a copy for YOU to CD and YOU keep it. If your surgeon doesn't see a problem with your sleeve there are 10 doctors I can refer you to that you can email the films to for a free opinion. Quite frankly, most doctors will do that for people. They are hoping if there is a problem they can have your business. But it's a free way to get more opinions.
Another question for you. when you say "Eat what you should, not what you can, that is what gets us in the trouble to begin with." I make up in my head that "restrictive" type WLS is for just that - I restriction on what we "can" eat. If I was able to just "eat what I should" I wouldn't have needed the surgery in the first place. Perhaps you intended something else with that statement. Can you elaborate?
The trick to losing with a band to sleeve revision is to eat your dense protein first, then veggies if you have room. Usually that means measuring out 2 oz. of protein and just a couple of tablespoons of veg. remember not to drink with or for an hour after a meal. That should get you losing. You will find that the solid protein rreally fills you up.
Good Luck,
Kim
Hi,
The sleeve restriction is really different from a lap-band for me anyway. Are you taking an anti-acid? Sometimes the acid can feel like hunger.
Have you thrown up at all? Are you getting any soft stop signals, like hiccups, sneezing, watering eyes/nose?
I find the feeling of restriction with the sleeve is really different from when I had the band. I measure my food before eating and try to eat dense protein mostly. With the band, I just ate whatever I wanted in small quantities. For sleeve, I really have to watch my diet content (maybe a side effect of menopause as well).
Try measuring out 2 ounces of steak, eat that and then fill up the rest of the way with vegetables.
Before you spend money on an upper GI, try the cottage cheese test. Get a big container of 1% cottage cheese and eat as much as you can in 5-10 minutes. Measure out the volume of what you ate. That's roughly the capacity of your sleeve. If it's less than 8 ounces, you're fine.
I can eat bread with a sleeve and a lot of it. With the band I couldn't eat bread. So now I have to choose not to eat it or if I do eat something make sure it's good stuff and in a measured portion.
on 8/17/13 3:54 am
Hi,
The sleeve restriction is really different from a lap-band for me anyway. Are you taking an anti-acid? Sometimes the acid can feel like hunger.
Have you thrown up at all? Are you getting any soft stop signals, like hiccups, sneezing, watering eyes/nose?
I find the feeling of restriction with the sleeve is really different from when I had the band. I measure my food before eating and try to eat dense protein mostly. With the band, I just ate whatever I wanted in small quantities. For sleeve, I really have to watch my diet content (maybe a side effect of menopause as well).
Try measuring out 2 ounces of steak, eat that and then fill up the rest of the way with vegetables.
Before you spend money on an upper GI, try the cottage cheese test. Get a big container of 1% cottage cheese and eat as much as you can in 5-10 minutes. Measure out the volume of what you ate. That's roughly the capacity of your sleeve. If it's less than 8 ounces, you're fine.
I can eat bread with a sleeve and a lot of it. With the band I couldn't eat bread. So now I have to choose not to eat it or if I do eat something make sure it's good stuff and in a measured portion.
I beg to differ. The OP can already eat a 9" sub, what good does eating cottage cheese do? And no 2 month post op sleeve person should be able to eat 8oz in 5-10 minutes of anything including sliders.
