Showing Great Restraint !!!!

 
I still cruise the VSG Main forum just to follow a few people that I have a vested interest in........

I have shown great restraint to just read something and just say to myself....."What ever....good luck with that ....ain't gonna make it" Click.....buh by....on to the next !!!!

Sounds mean and believe me.....I don't like it.... but....can't save em all !!!

It makes me kinda sad, cause  I really want the VSG to be the "go to" WL solution......

There seems to be a big swing in whats posted now days than when I first joined here some 2 years ago. Seems back than most people were generally on the same page.... sure there were different plans, but people seemed to be a little more prepared for surgery as well as a bit more united with an over all level of commitment to a common goal.

Maybe I should just say there is a wider range of knowledge and commitment. There are a few that are way ahead of the curve and quite knowledgeable.....I guess all the pressure is on them....big job!!!

Also.... Are there some mega giant sleeves being made???? I mean have you seen what some people are eating at 4 weeks out???? Eating 2-4oz. of Protein right from the jump...plus salad???

Well....time for my feeding..... Shredded pork between 2 pieces of thin sliced grilled eggplant....

frisco

I've wondered about the size of some of those sleeves too!  I can rarely eat 3 oz at one sitting, and certainly nothing else along with it.  I'm happy for that of course!

I don't go to the main forum anymore myself. Same old same old.  I paid it forward for about 8 months, then grew weary of all of the uneducated people who are already sleeved or almost sleeved and still don't know (or follow) the basic rules.  It just doesn't make sense to me to have 80%+ of one's stomach removed and not want to follow program. 

It's hard enough at maintenance staying on program.  I can't imagine the fight they will have when (or IF) they ever reach goal.  They are also generally the ones who don't understand why their sleeve doesn't work.

I'm there with you Frisco. I'm trying to go with a "more gentle" approach, but for the love of everything holy, I can't fathom what is going on unless these people have enormous sleeves.

I remember writing to Marie (Mac) when I was around 2.5-3 months nearly at my breaking point because I could barely consumed 2oz of soft protein, and definitely no veggies were going in. I was still relying on pureeing foods, and super mushy stuff just get in the protein. I am seriously astonished at the amount of food people are shoveling in their sleeve. If I survive OH for the next 24 months, I'll be interested to come back and see the "failure rate" of the sleeve. I'll be super pissed when it's blame on the sleeve. It's not the same as mechanical failure with the band or a jacked up RNY pouch, it's about tossing back hoards of craptastic foods, and just eating to eat because they CAN.

I've always been an advocate of following your plan, your surgeon's advice, but back when we first got sleeved it seems like the plans were a lot more stringent and definitely goal-oriented. Now, it's just eat what is tolerated, no specific guide given, eat until full, you'll lose the weight since you're eating 1/3-1/2 of the calories you were. It's great in theory, but I can honestly say it's way easy for me to pack in over 2000 calories a day at this point. Those looking to "cheat' early out, are the ones who will get a big reality check in the future. I'm done trying to save them all too.

It's amazing the different levels of VSG education that surgeons provide.  Kaiser put us through a nutrition and vitamin class as well as some other required classes.  We did a 5 hour with the nut, case manager and surgeon before we were allowed into the program.

I have a friend that was recently scheduled for surgery with a good SF surgeon.  His surgery was on a Wednesday.  On Sunday I loaded him up with baggies of protein powders to be sampled post-op as well as chewable vitamins etc.  We took a trip to GNC to look at VSG friendly products.  Come to find out, he hadn't been to a support group, nor had he read his "binder" of info.

The good news is that he realized he wasn't prepared and cancelled his surgery.  The bad news is that he thinks he can diet on his own now without the surgery.  How well did THAT work for the rest of us.  NOT!  We all have to do what's right for us, but I'm grateful for the bi-monthly support groups and pre-op classes that Kaiser has.  I try to make it to other support groups as well.  I know that I need all the help I can get.

I'm one of those larger sleeves.  I was one of Kaiser's first sleeves and I can eat more than most of my VSG friends.  Means I just have to be more vigilant about what goes in.

Lee, I just wanted to tell you that I know a number of people that have had a larger sleeve and a few of them are just fine a few years out.  The thing almost all of them seem to have in common is their dedication to eating lean protein first followed by veggies.  One of them makes sure to eat large amounts of veggies every day.  I know that with your dedication and commitment to this process, you are going to stay successful.  If anyone can do it, it would be you. 

Elina, thanks for those kind words.  I find that I'm eating a lot more salad these days, along with my protein to keep me filled up.  My Sleeve empties a lot quicker than it used to and I find myself hungry around 2 hours later, even with dense protein.  That said, there's no reason to overeat and I find ways to stay full without having to go over 1000-1200 calories a day and that's on a big eating day.  I've really paid close attention to the posts about pyloric valve etc and now am including more things like cucumbers and apples.  There's such a fine line between actual hunger and head hunger to it takes really paying attention to what's going on when I'm hungry. 

I didn't come this far to backslide so it's careful eating and exercising 6-7 days a week.  I'm having plastics done two months from today and want to be sure I'm in the best possible health when I hit the table.

I learn so much from this group.  Thanks Diane for giving us this great place to share our recovery!

"Come to find out, he hadn't been to a support group, nor had he read his "binder" of info."

But that's not his program's fault. There's a guy on OH who comes on about every 6-12 months to bash my doc. He goes on and on about he wasn't told this and he wasn't told that. But EVERYTHING he complains about was in our post-op guide. He just didn't read it.

The post-op support for our program is fantastic, in fact. But you have to be willing to do *some* of the work. You can't expect the knowledge to just be funneled into your brain subliminally. LOL

 
Lee,

It goes without question that you got what it takes to make any size sleeve work......you have shown the the commitment all a long and have embraced the life changes.

Working with a larger sleeve is all about under eating your sleeves capacity and eating a few more veggies in place of calorie dense foods.

frisco

Thanks Frisco!  Brandilynn has always told me that my perseverence to get to goal is what will help me stay at goal.  I just trust that she's right and do the next right thing to see that happens.

All I can say is...I am glad I grew up with the old school sleevers!! Because, A lot of the information I was given was for the RNY. The hospital I had went to was just changing their program to the VSG. I read and followed a lot of info from here. Plus, I wasn't the most normal post-op patient. Had to learn how to eat again 3 times post-op. I just printed the Stage 5 diet from my hospital site where I had surgery and they are telling patients 3oz's of protein and 1 cup of veggies, then starches if the have room. Stage 5 starts at 8 weeks out!!!....I can't imagine!!...I still struggle to get veggies in. If I eat 3oz's of dense protein first. 

Shakes head!

Hugs

Donna