Bougie Size...

Capacity matters, it matters a great deal.  Boughie size is just one (important) element in the construction of a tight sleeve.  Technique is also very important, as it the length of the patient's stomach.  All of these factors go into eventual capacity and they all matter.  My doctor makes a tighter sleeve for SMO patients and for people with longer stomachs.  (He will not tell you he does this, but I really believe that he does based on my observation of his patients for the past four years).  In the end, how much you can eat will be a huge part of your maintenance. 

Elina is right! Amen Elina! You've been there, done that, and seen it when it comes to capacity differences. If you've read any of her past posts, you know she's eaten with sleevers who can eat almost like a person who never had surgery.  Frisco has got it right on too in my humble opinion. I will say I've seen a few VSG'ers on here who have a 40 bougie but their surgeon cut the sleeve in such a way that they have the restriction of a tightly done 32. So obviously some surgeons techniques are way better than others! But most of the time the capacity difference is pretty  significant.  I've been reading OH for years and I used to think that they bougie sizes would range ONLY about 1 OUNCE difference in the long term due to the pen size photo thread that has been passed around on here for like eons I was like "Oh, there's hardly any difference, maybe an ounce capacity!" because of that stupid pen comparison thread! It's very misleading and wrong! So sure, you can lose weight and keep it off with a big sleeve. But who is going to have an easier time of it and a better chance of maintaining? The person who can eat an 8 ounce steak and half a baked potato or the person who can eat 2 ounces of steak and a few bites of a potato? I wish everyone great success with their surgery regardless of bougie size. I just know at 19 months op and having tight restriction it is making it much easier for me to maintain than someone who has a much larger sleeve. I still think you can keep off your weight with a larger stomach with the proper food choices, it's been proven on here, but I sure as hell wouldn't give up my tight sleeve for a larger one when in maintenance.  Maintenance is when you need it the most imho.

I would interject that people who eat around their sleeve can do so at any size.  I am in the 40's and loosely sewn- pretty darn big by any definition in this discussion.  That coupled with my height and thus naturally longer pathway would indicate according to the anti larger sleeve mindset that  I would be able to put down a large meal similar to one who did not have surgery.  That is absurd.  Here is what I ate today...

Breakfast- 1 scrambled egg, 1 piece of bacon, 1/2 piece of toast, a tablespoon of hashbrowns... filling breakfast

Snack- 1 bag of fibergourmet crackers... I think it is an ounce?

Lunch- stuck in class all day, went out to eat and ended up hating the salad I received, but didn't have time to reorder.  Ended up eating 2 small bites of the chicken (it came out deep fried and I don't do deep fry) and a couple bits of oily salad.  Quantity wise a very, very small amount.

Dinner- ready to eat given the lack of a decent lunch hours before.  Ordered the steak and shrimp dinner from Applebees (the under 550 calorie meal version) and it was one of those rare times I actually experienced hunger before eating.  I ate half the steak and the shrimp (I think 5?) and tried to eat some of the veggies but didn't have room.  That was A LOT of protein given the steak tends to be the one variety I eat less of because the restriction kick in quicker than say chicken or fish.  So this was a big, big, and I mean big meal for me that is not typical of my maintenance level over 20 months post op.  But it was big for me, and not even close to what a "normie" would eat for dinner. 

I had no problem making it to goal, continue to have splendid restriction unless I choose to eat around the sleeve (think very, very carb heavy to do this) and no problems at all with side effects. 

Wouldn't trade my size for a smaller one in a hundred years!

Sorry I am just now replying, I didn't see this at first. I agree that anyone with any size bougie can eat around the sleeve. I can eat quite a few sliders if I want to even though I have a small sleeve. I just choose not to because I like my diabetes being in remission and my weight being healthy. . Honestly, your restriction sounds like it's pretty good and perfectly doable. Not everyone gets so lucky. I don't think it's JUST bougie size either. I think surgeon technique is a big part of it too. How much fundus is left etc, how far from the pylorus. I've talked to a few sleevers who say they can eat 8-10 ounces  protein at a sitting and are hungry 2 hours later  and we are talking less than a year out. That is not the restriction they were personally looking for. If that is what someone else is looking for, cool. But some people aren't. Just sayin'. I see your point though.