Last Chance Lil

I'm almost four years out from surgery and have stretched my sleeve. I can eat about six times what I should eat and first ate after surgery. The things I did wrong (which probably helped stretch the sleeve): * Ate too fast, not chewing properly * Ate a lot of junk food and especially simple carbs like chips, fries, cake * Drank soda * Drank while eating * Ate large amounts over a long period of time (grazing) * Continued to comfort eat and binge eat after surgery * Not enough exercise Although I've tried, I can't shrink the sleeve back. As long as people follow their surgeon's or NUT's food plan, they'll be fine. Protein first!! And exercise!!

I did Optifast for six weeks before my surgery and lost about 30 pounds. I did three Meal Replacement shakes/bars a day and two cups of low starch vegies. It's a good way to kickstart your weight loss surgery journey and it also helps shrink the liver if you have a fatty liver, which makes the surgery easier. I have recently done Optifast again as my weight loss has stalled, and I've lost another 25 pounds. I think it's a great programme and after the first few days (which are tough, you can have headaches, fatigue) I found it easy. Good luck!!

This is exactly what happened to me, or more correctly WHAT I DID!! I regained 50 lbs of the 100lbs I lost, and have stretched my sleeve so that I can eat six or seven times what I should be able to. And NO I wasn't eating til I threw up. I ate fast, and over time (taking an hour for a large meal - eating then pausing to wait til my stomach emptied then eating again straight away to finish the meal). The overeating was a gradual process, and like Tiffykins says the more you eat junk the more your body craves junk. Glad you are getting back on track - do it now cause it only gets harder!!

I am a binge eater, comfort eater, stress eater, emotional eater, you name it. For a while after surgery I was fine but gradually I started to eat more and more, and eat the wrong foods (junk, too many carbs) and since surgery 4 years ago I have regained 50lbs of the 100lbs I lost. I stretched my sleeve and became addicted to carbs and soda again and now I am having to restart my journey with a stretched sleeve. I will probably have to have a bypass revision next year. I don't tell you this to scare you, but I think it's a really really good idea to have counselling and try to fix your binge eating asap. The sleeve won't necessarily "cure" it. If you try, you can cheat and work around the sleeve. My advice is, stay right away from junk food, don't eat simple carbohydrates, don't drink soda even diet, esp when eating. And get professional help (which I am now doing). Good luck!! I am a RARE case of failure, so don't panic, just be sensible and follow your food plan ALWAYS.

Technically I am a "failure" as almost 4 yrs after surgery I haven't lost 50-60% of my excess weight. My surgeon has done over 500 sleeves and only has 3 "failures". He said it's rare for a sleever to not lose at least 60% of their excess weight. I've lost almost 100 pounds now (some of it for the 2nd time LOL) so I don't really think I'm that much of a failure! And some day I hope to get to my goal. it might just take me a little longer.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!! :lol:

I really recommend staying away from carbonated beverages altogether. I blame my Coke Zero addiction partly for my weight regain, especially drinking it around meal time. It makes food pass through my stomach faster, and I have heard that caffeine can make you feel hungry.

I'm one of the extremely rare "failures" of the sleeve and even I would say YES, it ALWAYS works! It worked for me, I lost over 100 lbs in six months. But then I deviated from my plan, and the advice of my surgeon, and I started to have problems. You have the right attitude, so if you maintain that you will be FINE !! I've been sleeved nearly four years and I've seen SO MANY sleevers get to goal weight or very close. Your chances are extremely good of being one of them so don't worry.

I'm one of the sleevers you hear about that never lose their hunger feeling. Whether it's to do with other hunger hormones, or the fact that ghrelin is still produced in the intenstines, I don't know! But it's frustrating! Anyway, I try and work WITH the hunger by having six little meals throughout the day. Always eat your Protein first, this seems to make my hunger go away quicker. Drink as much Water as you are able, half an hour before and after meals. It's also important to work out whether you are feeling head hunger or stomach hunger. Sometimes I can distract myself from head hunger with exercise or a hobby. Sometimes! Good luck!

In October 2007 I was sleeved in Perth Western Australia by a surgeon named Jon Armstrong (aka Gorgeous Jon). I had a textbook recovery and without really trying or exercising I lost 50kg (over 100 lbs) in the first six months. I went down from 380 lbs to 260lbs and was feeling great. Then I separated from my husband, and ended up having a nervous breakdown and leaving my job. I was diagnosed with major depression, Binge ating Disorder and anxiety. During this time I turned to my old friend food for comfort and started eating junk food and binge eating. I discovered I could eat a lot more than I had before and fairly soon was back to regaining weight. Bad food choices, snacking and overeating led me to stretch my sleeve and now I've regained half of the weight I had lost. Most surgeons consider less than 50% excess weight lost as a VSG "failure". My surgeon has suggested I think about having a gastric bypass as I am still morbidly obese. He's refused a revision or a lapband on the sleeve. I am trying the pre-op liquid diet to kick start my weight loss and will then go on to counting calories and exercising to try and shift some of the weight as I think the bypass is a last resort. More surgery?! I don't know. It's already cost me $20,000 to get this far and I will be out of pocket another $8,000 if I have the bypass. My surgeon has done over 500 procedures and only has three "failures". He suggested my stomach may be overly efficient and empties very quickly, enabling me to eat almost as much now as I did before surgery. Examples: 250g steak, fries and salad or six slices of pizza. I am seeing a therapist to help with my emotional eating and binge eating issues. i really wish I had seen a counsellor before and after my surgery to address these problems early on. I don't regret having the VSG, because I am still lighter now than before the surgery. But I wish things had turned out differently... I now weigh 137kg (about 300 lbs) and need to get down to 80kg to be almost healthy weight range. I'm desperately hoping my stomach will shrink back a little now I'm doing a 12 week liquid and vegetables diet.

I posted this link on another thread but it's worth putting here as well. For anyone who's not sure why drinking with our food is a bad idea. Although we sleevers don't have a "pouch" as such, the logic still applies I think! Drink and Eating Demo I definitely regained 50lbs partly because I felt so hungry, which could have been because I started drinking while eating...

Hi everyone I turned 41 in June and have loved every minute of my 40s!! Met the most wonderful man and finally got my weight loss journey back on track after three years of backsliding and regaining :P Glad to meet others with FORTY TUDE! Lil xx

I would avoid soda if you can. I blame diet coke at least partly for my regain and sleeve stretch. Should I say, I blame MY CONSUMPTION of diet coke!! My first year I was fine, but after that I even drank it with meals, which is a HUGE no no.

I've heard, and experienced, that liquid calories like a Protein shake, make you hungrier faster because the stomach empties faster with liquids. Here is a great video that shows why it's not good to drink before, after or during meals, and why liquid calories leave you hungrier earlier Eating and Drinking Demo I've also found that eating protein first fills me up faster and lasts longer, especially if I exercise after eating.

I'm the one who wrote the above story. I definitely blame myself for the problems I've had, and did not want to scare any newbies. But you need to know that the procedure will not keep the weight off, only your own attention and perseverance will do that. The sleeve is just a tool. My main issues were over eating due to emotional/comfort reasons, drinking while eating (esp soda), continuing to eat junk food, eating too many empty carbs and not exercising enough. I only walked for about 20-30 mins a day, and this wasn't enough after the first 100lbs just came off on its own. I needed to step up and finish the journey but psychological and personal issues just derailed me. I regained over 50lbs, in three years. I wish I had stopped my backwards journey at 5 pounds gained instead of over 50. I'm now back on track and have lost 22lbs. Still a long way to go, but I am trying to shrink my stomach back to its post-surgery size and am being restrictive about my eating. I still feel hungry, and am still addicted to carbs. As long as you stick to your post surgery plan - eating Protein first, not drinking before, during or after a meal, exercising as much as you can, avoiding carbs, avoiding soda and caffeine, sticking to small amounts of food per meal you'll be fine. :D The other thing to be aware of is that I am DEFINITELY IN THE MINORITY. My surgeon has done over 500 procedures and I am one of just THREE failures. Failure is a technical desription meaning failed to lose 50-60% of excess weight. I hope one day to NOT be a failure

Hi everyone Thank you all SO MUCH for your feedback and support. I'm really feeling so much better since I "came clean" and posted my story on this board. It's difficult, I didn't want to put anyone off or make any newbies feel nervous, but I thought it was important to share both sides of the sleeve story. In answer to your questions - Yes, I do feel hungry like I did before the sleeve. I'm not sure if my body is still producing grehlin (I read that it is produced in the intestines as well as the stomach so it's not all removed after the surgery) or whether it's just "head hunger". No, I don't regret having the surgery at all. I just wish I had been more aware of my binge eating issues and had got counselling before things got out of control. My surgeon didn't get me to have any counselling at all, not even a consult with a psychologist, even though he knew I was on anti depressants. My surgeon hasn't mentioned the DS at all. I don't know whether he means the DS or the RNY when he says "gastric bypass". I think the system is slightly different here in Australia. For instance, I know there are a couple of restrictive procedures done in the US via endoscopy which can reduce the sleeve size but my surgeon refused to even discuss them. My bougie was a 32, so there shouldn't have been any extra "room" in my sleeve for all the junk I forced in there. I definitely missed soda, and quickly after my surgery I started drinking it with meals which was (and still is) a major concern. I am trying to break that habit now. As for pizza...well before my surgery I could (and regularly DID) eat one and a half whole pizzas. So I should be (and am!!) happy I am still restricted. Any more questions, please ask away. I really appreciate having this forum as a safe place to vent and share :D

Your sleeve will only work for you as much as you let it. I worked AGAINST mine, through overeating and loading up on carbs and junk, and have regained half of the weight I'd lost. I'd definitely recommend, as others have said, working on your mental and emotional relationship with food. Because it is possible you will still feel hungry (I do) and it's possible you will stretch out your sleeve (I did). Things like chili, cottage pie, you are better off just eating the meat part with vegies and leaving the potato or rice alone. Someone somewhere wrote "no white foods", which is great advice. I was a self-payer too, in Australia, and don't regret my decision to have the sleeve, just some of my decisions afterwards. Don't make my mistakes and you'll do great!

Thanks guys! I really like the look of this forum and it'll be great to get back into the habit of being accountable and asking for support. Tipsy, I like your idea of adding protein to my eating plan. So far I've lost 15lbs (in three weeks) so I'm hopeful!

I'm one of the overeaters/regainers. And yes, four years out from surgery I can eat a hamburger meal or half a pizza. My bougie was a 32 and my surgeon says I am just one of a small percentage for whom the VSG doesn't work. I lost 100lbs and have regained half of that. Now I am faced with revision to a gastric bypass or losing weight conventionally (which I failed at for many years, hence having the VSG!). I wouldn't get too obsessed with the size of the bougie and weight regain. I know of people who had larger than me and have lost all their weight and kept it off. My surgeon says I may have an over-active stomach which empties faster than normal. But I also have made terrible food choices (lots of junk and sodas with meals) and have problems with binge eating and depression. If you stay focused on the sleeve's needs and how to make it work, you'll be fine. It's so successful for most people. I just wasn't one of them.

I've had a few colonics since my surgery with no problems. I think the colonic is focused on your colon/intenstines and doesn't reach the stomach so you're okay!

I'll be four years out in October and let me tell you - the stomach CAN stretch and if you're not careful you will regain weight. I'm living proof . So my advice is: Exercise as much as you can, from as early as you can. Don't drink soft drink (even diet). Watch portion control even when you're losing weight easily. If you have emotional eating issues, binge eating, etc GET COUNSELLING. I discovered too late that I could still overeat and comfort eat and 50lbs regain later I am trying to fix things. Good luck to all the newbies!!! This surgery can work, just be careful and never get complacent!!