Originally Posted by Ann2

We have a lot of new folks around here lately asking a lot of new-folks questions as they are trying to navigate their brand new sleeves. Welcome, y'all.

I'm 7 months and nearly 3 weeks post-op. I've lost 81 pounds and have 4 more pounds to go before reaching goal. My sleeved life has, thus far, been a piece 'o cake. I had a great surgeon, no complications, and have amaze-balls support in the form of my husband who thinks I rock. Otherwise, I'm on the down low about having had WLS, so this forum has been a big source of support for me.

Here's my advice to folks who are newly sleeved. Others around here who've been sleeved for a while will surely have their own advice. I hope they'll weigh in on this thread, too.

Q: Please tell me I won't always feel this bad.
A: No you won't always feel this bad. Really. I promise.

Q: Why am I so tired?
A: 1. You're recovering from major surgery. 2. And/or you're not drinking nearly enough water. 3. And/or when you can eat more (after a month or two, at least 800 calories) you'll be able to get some actual energy from your food; be sure and include good carbs in your diet (Greek yogurt, skim milk, cheese, green and colored veggies and fruits), which will give your body and your brain energy. 4. Take all your vitamins and minerals every single day. For some weird reason, not everyone thinks they need to do this. But you really do, which is why your surgeon said to do so.

Q: I'm not getting enough water. How can I get more water?
A: 1. Put some non-calorie flavoring in it (Mio drops, Crystal Lite, diet cranberry juice with only 10 calories/12 ounces, etc. 2. Keep water with you at all times and sip it throughout the day. 3. Drink herbal tea throughout the day. 4. Buck up and just drink your damn water!

Q: When should I start exercising?
A: Now. Whatever you're doing, do more of it, even if it's just 10 more steps each day. Walking is great. If you can run, go for it. Ditto re bicycling. Basically, just move your ass. Strength training is also wonderful; it builds muscle, which burns up more calories than fat, which is a good thing. Moving more may be hard because, if you're like most of us, you haven't moved much for a long time. So just do a little more this week than you did last week and do more next week than you did this week. Eventually, you'll have a whole new lifestyle going on. You'll discover that when you're not 100 or more pounds overweight, exercise feels so good it's its own reward.

Q: Why am I losing so slowly? Everyone else is losing 30 pounds a month!
A: No, they're not. And if someone actually is, they were a lot heavier than you were to start with. And he's a guy. And he's 19 years old. I'm 69 years old, a woman, and weighed 235 two months before surgery when I put myself on a pre-op diet. In the last 10 months I've lost a total of 81 pounds. That's a little more than 8 pounds a month. I think I'm a freakin' weight-losing champ! This ain't gonna happen overnight.

Q: I'm afraid I've stretched my sleeve.
A: No, you haven't.

Q: I'm so hungry. Why don't I feel any restriction?
A: If you are still on a liquid diet you won't feel much restriction until you start eating actual food, because liquids just go right through your tummy fast. If you're already eating food and are still hungry, chances are you're not (a) eating enough protein or (b) eating protein first. Protein stays in your stomach longer than any other kind of food and makes you feel incredibly satisfied. One other possibility is that your stomach may be producing too much acid, which can mimic hunger sensations. If so, you will need an antacid Rx or a STRONGER antacid Rx than you're already taking. Talk to your surgeon who will fix you up.

Q: I crave carbs. What am I doing wrong?
A: You crave carbs because you're eating too many carbs and the wrong kind of carbs -- slider foods, we call 'em. Eating those kinds of highly processed slider foods (crackers, breads, chips, starchy veggies, pastas, sugars, desserts, etc.) just makes you crave more of them. You've got to cold turkey that crap and lay off of it while you're in weight-losing mode. Seriously ... you're going to waste this opportunity to get your life back because you can't quit eating Wheat Thins? Stop buying it. Keep it out of the house. Keep it off of your desk at work. Instead, eat protein.

Q: Oy vey! I've stalled. The scale hasn't moved in two weeks, one week, three days, the last two hours!
A: If you're freaking out because the scales haven't moved lately, stop weighing yourself. And keep doing what you're supposed to be doing. And if you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing, start doing what you're supposed to be doing.

I wish you all the best on your WLS journey. You really can do this. Thousands of others have had success. My two cents' worth is that you should just simply follow your surgeon's instructions. And keep it simple.