Strectching sleeve

Question
Hello Karla.

I had my VSG done a month ago this friday. I am now on my pureed foods phase and i feel i can eat more. I feel sometimes i overeat my sleeve as i still cant really tell when im full or not till im realllly full and i feel stuffed. IM worried about streching and will overeating make my sleeve too big in the long term??

Answer
Hi Azra:

Congrats on your surgery and making it too purees.  Short answer, it's really hard to stretch your sleeve from purees.  It's also not unusual to overeat them, because they don't give you the same fullness feeling as real food.  So, a lot of times, new sleevesters don't realize they've overeaten a puree until they throw up a little.  If you slow down, sometimes you can find your stomach's own little way of telling you that you've hit fullness.  Some people hiccup.  Other feel a slight heavy sensation.  Still for others, it is something else.

Protein helps with satiety, so try to choose higher protein purees.  If you're having oatmeal, cook it in milk (lactose-reduced, soy, coconut, whatever).   Make a high protein custard using egg substitute, condensed milk, Splenda, and a dash of vanilla.  Etc.

Things will get a lot easier once you transition to real foods.

Your sleeve will stretch over time, that's natural.  But most studies have shown that extreme stretching is not an issue for most, mainly because your fundus (the stretchy bit) was the part that was removed.  Be more concerned of eating super frequently... say having a piece of pizza...and because that's all that fit...having another one 45 minutes later....and another one...etc.   If you stick to eating protein first, following by non starch fruits and veggies, and then starchy veggies and carbs for most of your meals, you'll do great. :)

Good luck,
Karla

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