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Shirl

14-Month Sleeversary: Reflections and Focus

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After being sleeved for a few months, and struggling with hunger (real and imagined, mostly imagined I imagine lol!), and slow weight loss I kinda questioned if I was even sleeved, I found my medical records and read that my surgeon used a 40 French bougie.

According to wlshelp.com "depending on the bougie size used by the surgeon, the new stomach size will be about 60-80% smaller after surgery. The average stomach holds 30-40 ounces, or roughly 4-6 cups per meal. After surgery, a small meal of 1/2 cup to 1-1/2 cups will fill the new stomach pouch. The sleeve will stretch somewhat from the surgery size, but will get no where near the size of the original stomach."

So it explained why I was able to heal so well, but also start eating more "regular" food at about 2.5-3.5 months post-op. So afraid that I would get my appetite back, I sought professional cognitive therapy which really helped establish a strong foundation for reflection and stress management which can be huge culprits to why so many of us use food as a band aid and coping mechanism. Not so good for me, good food and wine were always abundant whether I was up or down. So learning to make better choices has been a key anchor ⚓️ to my WLS journey.

Losing 3 or 2 and even .5lbs every month eventually adds up to a lot of weightloss. So I am happy that while I questioned my rationale for WLS I never lost hope, and haven't lost sight of the reason why I needed WLS.

I feel that at 14-months out I am barely learning to adjust to my sleeved life, learning that what worked last month or three months ago is no longer serving me a purpose. I am learning that with each pound I lose I have to adjust my eating habits, caloric intake and exercise routines.

I am learning that I cannot deprive my body of nutrients, or even treats once in a while. My caloric and nutrient needs are still adjusting or trying to keep up with all the changes still going on at one year and two months post surgery. There is no new normal to get used to because it changes from week to week still. And I am okay with the new discoveries I am making, with adapting to change!

New discoveries have allowed me to lose over three pounds in these last four weeks! Something I had not been able to do for the last five to six months!

I discovered that Intermittent Fasting isn't going to make me feel deprived or that it was complicated to follow. I learned that adding good fats to my diet weren't going to kill me. I learned that adding calories wasn't going to make gain the weight back, in fact, completely the opposite!

So here us to all of US, newly and veteran Sleevers!

Here is to continued discoveries and staying true to our WLS journeys!

OhMGoodness I almost forgot! I discovered that Intermittent Fasting keeps my restriction in tact! And there is no way to over eat in your feeding window!

Here is a picture of my lunch today! And probably my snack shortly!
I ate a few bites of my delicious 1/4lb. salmon burger, and half of my steam Broccoli and grilled tomatos! It's all bout food choices! And I am loving mine!

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Here is collage of pics of me feeling fabulous at 168-167lbs!
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Thanks for reading!

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Comments

  1. Ann2's Avatar
    Shirl, good stuff. Really good stuff. This WLS thing is all about paying attention, learning, applying our lessons, being willing to make changes based on things we learn / observe, and loving ourselves. You're doing so good at all of that. Good stuff!
  2. RehabNurse's Avatar
    I found my medical records and read that my surgeon used a 40 French bougie.
    I was also sleeved with a 40F bougie and lost all my excess weight. Yes, I can eat a greater volume of food than most sleevers, but I generally make decent food choices.

    The bougie size doesn't matter nearly as much as one's adherence (or lack thereof) to a healthier lifestyle with the sleeve.

    By the way, you're looking fabulous, Shirl.
  3. DesertGal's Avatar
    You LOOK Amazing! Congratulations!
  4. Sandra3's Avatar
    The bougie is an indication of our final stomach size indeed, but because each stomach can be different from an other (one will stretch more or less compare to an other one) at the end only "testing" after surgery can really show the difference from pre-op to post-op or at one year for example. Mine was a 36 or 38 since my BMI was so high(I have to ask my surgeon on Saturday, I forgot) and at almost 18 months out I can eat 1/4 of what I could eat before. This is such a relieve! I hope I won't be able to eat more...ever! My main issue was quantity...

    BTW I love your photos!!! the collage is darling and you look dang fantastic!! I know you want to lose more, but I would be more than happy to have your figure!!
    Well done!! XXX
  5. jerzeygirl's Avatar
    Great stuff, Shirl, and very informative. My surgeon is one of our 4 bariatric surgeons and is the one whom makes the "smallest sleeve." He likes them small and tight I am grateful each day but also agree it's how we use the tool not the size (oh my, I sound like a man talking)...lol
    My capacity is not very large and I'm coming up on 6 years on Friday! I also agree it's how "pristine" we keep our sleeve in the beginning. I took care of it as if it was gold to me, following all the rules whatever they were at the time of my surgery, and as I moved along; added what I needed to in order to enjoy life and "lean" into my sleeved life the most positive I could.
    You look divine in those pictures and I wish you continued success!
  6. Shirl's Avatar
    Thanks to you all!

    It is so true! how we choose to use our tool is what will determine our lifelong WLS success!

    Just last month, before I started trying Intermittent Fasting (IF), I was starting to worry about how much more I can eat and how much hungrier I seemed to be. I was shockingly suprised to not feel those hunger urges with IF, it is mind blowing and baffling to me still!!! but I am just going with it!

    Knowing that I can eat about anything during the 8 hour feeding window is kind of cool, I mean I still need to make the right food choices, which generally I do.

    I think the biggest challenge for me is staying true to the 16-hour intermittent fasting period, last night I didn't check the clock and ate a handfull of cherries at around 9:30pm.

    All the rules continue to apply no matter what.
  7. Sandra3's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Shirl
    ate a handful of cherries at around 9:30pm.
    Cherries are great, they have different properties if they are tart or sweet (tart contain melatonin, sweet potassium) but both reduce inflammation...so I'm sure your all good with IF, because it's like if you took a supplement and not actually food!