what size is your bougie?

my doctor said he uses only a 40 bougie. while im glad to have the surgery, im concerned that this size is not small enough! i feel a little hungry....advice?
thanks,
K

I also have a 40. Honestly I also wanted smaller but my doc only uses 40. They say its a minimal difference. Though I wouldn't know either way my relief is that my stomach is definitely much smaller then what it was before.

Hey,

I saw this post in a search about bougie sizes.  I made a similar post a month or so ago.  Can you tell me how it has gone with your size 40.  I initially had cancelled my surgery becuase of this concern but have had some follow-up conversations with the Dr.'s office that has made me reconsider.  Would be super helpful to find out how you, or others with a size 40 have done (just as a last minute reassurance--I hope).

Thanks,

Rae

I have a 36. It is what my surgeon prefers to use. The difference between a 32 and a 40 is teeny tiny. You will have plenty of restriction.

 
It will be VERY important for you both to under eat your selves capacity.

You should lose fine during WL....... It "May" be harder for you to maintain long term.

The key is going to be preserving your restriction by NOT constantly overeating and putting internal pressure in your sleeve.

NovascotiaDawn is a great example of someone who took care of her 42f sleeve and still has great restriction at 3 years out.......

Ya got what ya got.... work with it....

frisco

Its been shared with me that the bougies that are larger  ( and really if you google it, its
not much difference at all)  We will be able to live a more normal lifestyle of eating later on.  We just have to pick the right foods, be aware of our food intake,  very important not to stuff our sleeve sizes and watch the scale closely.  I cannot worry about how little the next sleever eats and compare myself to them because my head will go crazy. They have their journey and I have mine.

89 pounds for me is Great!!!  There were 3 occasions when I thought, "uh ooooo" I ate an extra meal and felt bad and yes wrote about it here on OH.  I normally eat 3 to 4 times a day. So what did I do?  I  got back to sleeve basics.  I had to do what I did to get where I am at!  I am grateful. I havent eaten Recreational Sugar since Jan 28th and I am going to keep it this way. This is My Abstinence.

I too have a larger sleeve and notice I can eat more and really have to watch it and dont stuff!
But I love how I eat, and I love all the nutrients I am able to get through food and not rely on pills!!
I have had so many compliments how my SKIN IS GLOWING!!!.  So as long as I dont increase what I am doing, for me I am beginning to become ok with it all. I am seeing I am still losing.
I believe FOOD got me Sick.... and I also believe that FOOD Can be HEALING!  I just have to pick the right foods. 

I am a sensitive person.  I was hearing over and over wait until
the honeymoon stage is over at 6 months... blah blah blah.... boy did i get the 6 month blues.
I questioned, how much support was that....  Watch out for this and that, but no solution or warning  that I may get the 6 month blues, in other words grieving the honeymoon stage....They were great at telling me about just wait...but  didnt go through solutions. 
It was almost liike, If I didnt eat like them, I was going to fail.  This is NOT the case!!!

I had to see for myself that I can still do this even if I am not eating as little some are, And I am still losing. Time will tell and I watch the scale closely in the mornings and will make adjustments when needed.   I may not get to goal as fast as some here. Frankly, I DONT CARE...  I just care that I am living a healthy lifestyle, and that I know I WILL GET TO GOAL!  If getting to goal takes me 6 more months with these last 21 pounds...
I am ok with it. 

My hair doesnt shed anymore,  My feet dont hurt when I walk, I am healthy, I enjoy what I eat, I am GLOWING, I have good bowels (lol) Life is Great...  I feel happier.... I am more spiritually connected, I dont judge or criticize others like I use to,  what more can I ask for?

As long as you get OK with your head about the 40 bougie you are on your way.
I see you had the surgery already.  Did you just find out about your size and what a bougie is?

For me I didnt know about the bougie until afterwards.  I didnt like my bougie size at all
the whole time, even at 6 months out.  Today 6 months and a few weeks out I am in acceptance
because I have no choice but to accept it.  Those are the cards I have been dealt with.
had I have known in the beginning,  I prolly would have taken a different route.  Now I have support groups and therapy to deal with this....am dealing with this and working through this...
I now think, I like how I eat. I love all the nutrients I get.  I really am at peace with my food!
That is growth!!!

Living Happy Joyous and Free is what I want.....  

Good Luck with your acceptance.  Its all ok....its your head that needs to be OK with it.

 
Hey Doc......

First..... You know I'm on your side and we are OH buddies and I care about you and that you do well and get everything out of WLS that you intended.

I just want to clear up a few things.......

- On another thread you questioned my honesty about how much I ate???? Explain please

- On this thread "We will be able to live a more normal lifestyle of eating later on." What does this mean?

- Exactly...Not all sleeves are created equal-"I cannot worry about how little the next sleever eats and compare myself to them because my head will go crazy. They have their journey and I have mine."

- You are doing great and I have told you so and I hope I have helped.

- I love your term "Recreational Sugar"

- I have always said the first six months is best.....but also say the second six months is pretty good if you use it..... and Jimbo will tell you he lost weight in his second year. I lost 100lbs. the first six months and about 70lbs. the second six months.

- You are correct.....you got what you got..... you have to accept it.

Now here is my question..... do you even want to hear what we have learned about larger sleeves and possibly learn how to live with it.....or will it drive you nuts?????

Since were buds.... I can do it with you publicly or privately or not at all...... up to you.....

frisco

Hey Frisco,
Take it private hun.
Not sure what your talking about.

Normal Lifesytle:. 

Please dont take it the wrong way.  I am just repeating what my doctor said.
I have to go with it.

email me.

PS:  thank you for your offer to learn about living with a larger sleeve.  I would just love to hear
what you have to say.  Not at all it wont drive me nuts hun....  I am still doing well with my sleeve completely in acceptance where I am at now.

I love the saying I take what I want and leave the rest behind. 

Edit:
PS...  i never questioned your honesty about what your eating hun.  Actually I really dont know
how much your eating.   I am sorry you took something I said the wrong way.  Please know this.

PPS:   Frisco, I just reread everything and came accross

- You are doing great and I have told you so and I hope I have helped.

Are you Kidding????   You are the reason why I dont eat over my sleeves capacity most of the time ... of Coarse you have been there for me!!!!!  Most everytime you post I read what you say.
I will NEVER forget that phone call.  you planted many seeds that I will cherish!! 

so much for going private...ey?   lol   PM me anyways...  I feel we need to chat hun.  x0

Excellent post... I have a 32 bougie and have pick up 5 lbs just eating junk food, I am not  even six mos out. I say this because it not the size it how you handle this new tool that we have been bless with. I KNOW without a doubt what I am doing wrong (too many carbs not enough excise) So thrill to under 200 many people telling me how great I look. So its back to basic for me protein shakes and exercise,clean eating. I wont let this weight creep back up. So don't sweat the size focus focus focus on your diet. I too don't care if takes me another 6 mos to get to goal.This is a lifetime commitment. Stay encourage

That hunger you are feeling can be a combination of many things. Acid overproduction, that hunger hormone is still swirling around your body, it's way too early to gauge hunger since you're probably on liquids still???

So, take it for what it's worth. I have a a 32fr stomach, AND I lost more stomach tissue during my revision, BUT guess what I can eat more than others because eating is habitual, I know how to cheat the sleeve and I didn't do it for the first year even though I knew all the tricks. If I stick to the sleeve rules, protein first I still have amazing restriction. I can pound down an entire 99cent Big Grab bag of Funyuns without feeling any restriction. I said I CAN, not that I should.

This is when the debate between bougie size gets tricky. The measured difference between a 32fr and 40fr is a mere 2.3 mm in diameter. HOWEVER, we don't know the specifics to your surgeon's technique or how "big/long" your unique little stomach is.

Every single one of us experience more capacity later on. NOT in huge amounts, but at 3 months, I could eat 2oz of dense protein, now at 26.5 months out I can get in about 3-5oz of dense protein with no other food added, no food lube. If I eat a little slower, chew a little more, I might be able to get in about 6oz.

No one is doomed to failure, but if you look at it from a statistical point, bigger sleeves showed a higher incidence of weight regain. WHAT the studies do not take into account are food choices, habitual behaviors of sleeve patients, nor does it take into account the fact that "LIFE EFFIN HAPPENS' divorce, death, unemployment, foreclosure, that **** adds up and what is a common occurrence, people use food to medicate and cope. The further out we get, the easier it to do this. I, personally, am not an emotional eater, and my stomach actually shuts down when I stress or freak out.

I promise undereating your sleeve, and measuring are keys to success for ALL of us. I could have gained ****pots of weight in this pregnancy, as of today at 30 weeks, I've gained now a total of 23lbs, and I'm telling you if I hadn't taken the time to establish some better habits, had I given into ALL of the crazy, bat**** psycho cravings I've had, all the head hunger that drives me into the pantry at 11pm, I would have easily gained 40lbs by this point. BUT, because of the "hard work" I put in during the losing stage, being mindful of portions, and knowing my limits, I have been able to keep my weight gain under what the doctors want from me. YES, I'm not willing to just gain 40lbs because they "think" that's what I need. No one needs to gain 40lbs during a pregnancy unless they are below a 18 BMI. 

There is a "honeymoon" period. There is an optimal "weight loss phase". There are people that don't care if it takes them a year to lose the weight, or if it takes them 18 months to do it. I, let's stress the "I" portion of this statement, was NOT one of those people. Maintenance is where the challenges come in, and it's nice in theory to not think it'll change, but then reality creeps in. Losing was/is easy, it's fun, it's super super super joyous to knock through the sizes, but maintenance is where the work comes in. Establish that foundation now, and build on it.

My advice don't worry about the bougie size at this point. Eat your measured portions, stay within your dietary guideline, and IF you are not getting the results you want in the losing stage, please tweak your intake to accommodate your needs/wants for your goals.