shaferb

I am 30 months out. I went from 346 to 203. At 346, when I made my decision, I told my friends that my life was changing due to my weight so I decided to take control and have a VSG. They understood and were mostly supportive. A few doubters of course. Weight has hardly changed in the last year. I enjoy exercise. Support from my friends was only a minor part of my choice. Hang tough and be the man you really want to be regardless of "friends" comments. Good luck.

Liliana, My date was 5/10/2010 so I am about 18 months out. I have lost 138lbs 347 to 209. 209 has been there for 3 or 4 months. While I'd be happy to lose say another 10lbs, I feel great at my current weight. I believe I eat about the same amount now as I did 6 months out. I'd not claim to be the 'poster boy' for vsg, but without a doubt VSG was the best choice I could have made. For me, I believe eating habits have been the biggest adjustments I have needed to make. Not so much to please dieticians, but to understand that eating when I was no longer hungry caused problem for me. It's a psychological adjustment more than a physical one. Favorite foods still taste good even when I got full. I had to give myself permission in advance to go back 2 hours later and have a little more if I really wanted to then...no not plan to do so, but rather use that motivation to stop eating when satisfied...it's a fine line. Today, I am confident that I will not gain back because I am able to control my appetite and I also really enjoy living an active lifestyle. Bill Shafer

I am/was diabetic before my surgery 5/10/10. I can't speak to the "stomach pain" hunger, but I sometimes found that no matter how much I ate, I still felt hungry. It would take the pain of being overstuffed before I felt like I didn't want to eat any more. With diabetes I found that I needed to keep a close eye on glucose levels especially at night. My weight was 347, bmi 51. I was asked at a pre-op session if the foods were too filling. My answer was "Heck no, I've been hungry since I started this." With that said the vsg was the best choice I ever made. I don't know why I didn't do this sooner. I've lost 93lbs, have more energy and it's fun to "go backwards" through my closet. My wife asks about my "new shirt" because she hasn't see me wear it for 5 years or more. My advice - Struggle as best as you can until your date, then things just continue to get better.