COnative

Thanks for your response. I haven't changed my diet recently but it sounds like I need to go to my local doc to have a checkup.

Hey guys, I am at the 6 year post surgery mark and I have noticed the past few months to almost a year that I seem to have dumping syndrome almost after every meal. Anyone else experiencing this? I've been under more stress in life than usual but there is definitely a direct correlation to 15 minutes after I eat.

diarrhea within 15-20 minutes after eating

I had my surgery in Mexico - best decision I ever made. I think it's a great decision for those who have to self pay. One thing that helped me make the decision is I went down there to meet with the dr first before I made the appointment. Good luck to all of you going down there to have your surgery!

I wish I could just have a glass of wine per week! I have about 2 glasses per night. I know it's not healthy and I am drinking more calories than I should, but a girl has to do what a girl has to do! I think we all have our vices - just wish mine was a little healthier. Just be careful when you first start out - it was a little shocking for me because I could actually feel it hit the blood stream. LOL

I can only speak for my self but I don't think you will have any trouble. You will however, get drunk a little faster than without surgery. Which makes you a cheap date - not always a bad thing

But I could do gin and tonics 3 months post surgery

About 6 years

I am not a soda drinker but occasionally have a gin and tonic and never had an issue. I would definitely stick to diet soda if possible because it is easy to drink all your calories. But, kind of unfortunately, I didn't have any trouble with carbonation.

The sleeve would work perfectly if I didn't like to snack! OMG, it's tough. I am at my heaviest since surgery :-( I am thinking of doing a re-set of such even though it's a "fad" but sometimes you need to try whatever you think might work for you. I kept my weight off for the most part with a ten pound leeway for 5 years. I recently had to return to the bakery which my husband and I own and the snacking seems to be a little out of control (as I am sure many of you can imagine!) As I have said before, be strong if you would like to snack - that is what has sabotaged me. I think I can still go down to maybe 160/165, but aren't we all just tired of diets? The whole point to this surgery for me. But we can do it!

Just looked in to resetting my pouch. Interesting material online. The basis, if you don't want to look in to it, is following the exact nutritional regime as day one after your surgery. Remember those days, LOL, all liquids nothing solid, lots of broth and sugar free jello? Fun! Right? I think it's worth a try! Thanks for the info sleeved14! :-)

Wow, I have never heard of that before - reset? Sounds interesting!

I am definitely no mathematician so I am not sure about your calculations. But I lost ALL my weight within the first year of surgery and kept it pretty much off up until a couple months ago. So a little over 5 years. I think at 5 months post-op I was down 40lbs

I certainly understand the struggle. I would love to find my motivation to lose weight again. I am 180 and I definitely felt better around 160-165. My best suggestion is to fall in love with exercise or a particular workout. Mine is Jillian Michaels, Beachbody's Insanity and Hammer and Chisel. You just need to find what works best for you. I wish my cravings didn't return with a vengeance and I wish I didn't SNACK so much because I feel that is the single most thing sabotaging EVERYTHING. But I have what I have to work with. Hang in there and have fun exploring different ways to motivate your body to move! :-)

tinkerbell123 - I can totally relate. I am almost 6 years out and just now having a lot of difficulty keeping my weight off. I am actually higher than my ticker, I am 180 and totally bummed. If I could just NOT snack I'd be okay but it is really hard!!! Yes my hair fell out like crazy for the first FULL YEAR - NOTHING HELPED. This is so much harder than I would have thought. I would still do the sleeve that being said. I just wish there was a pill you could take that tells your body YOU ARE NOT HUNGRY! UGH!!!!

That seems unusual to postpone a surgery because of a vitamin deficiency. Hmmmm.... My vitamin D has been in the the teens and I started to take 10,000 IU's per week and it seems to be coming up. Sorry you have to wait for surgery - that is frustrating!!!

I am about six years out and I remember losing my hair for the first year. I was extremely lucky as I have really thick hair but it still sucked. The good news is, it GROWS BACK! Hang in there! It is part of the process for most of us.

I can certainly relate to the comments above. I am about 6 years out. I bounce from 10-15lbs heavier than my goal weight which I am kinda okay with. The only thing that makes it hard with having the sleeve is if you snack, you could sabotage your goals in the long run. I find with sticking to an "atkins like" eating regimen is the best for my body type. But let's be clear about one thing, the sleeve saved my life, literally. I didn't want to live anymore with the weight and was too tired to try my usual programs. I would do it all again! Can I eat as much as before? Hell no. But I can definitely feel that I have stretched my new tummy out a little but for the most part it's still small. I still have moments where I've pushed it and had to run to the bathroom to throw it up because I simply ate one too many bites. It happens less now but in the beginning it was a little challenging. Do the hunger feelings come back? For me, sadly yes. But sticking to I high protein diet really helps. I think you have realistic goals with the fact that you will have to exercise and have a healthy diet for the rest of your life. Just remember to be kind to yourself and don't beat yourself up too much if you do put on a little. I think any normal person does have a 10lb window of comfort. I wish you all the best!

I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your story. I think you are right in saying that we shouldn't expect the surgery to do all the work. It has been work for me, that is for sure. I wish you all the success you deserve. I have heard on here several times that people have gone back and actually get re-sleeved to a smaller sleeve. I don't know if that is even an option. I truly wish you the best and thanks again for sharing.

You know its interesting. I have read studies that say Agave is worse than high fructose corn syrup and others calling it the wonder sugar. Personally I love honey. If I reach for sugar, its usually that. There are some amazing honeys out there. I just found the article about agave if you are interested: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/30/beware-of-the-agave-nectar-health-food-fraud.aspx

Wow- sounds like you have a crazy schedule!!! Even eating 700-900 calories per day it is real common to hit plateaus as our bodies are getting used to all the weight loss. I burn from 400-600 calories per day exercising but have been at a plateau since January. But back when I was losing- I was losing two to three pounds per week for three weeks, then I would plateau for a week or two then start losing again. Chips are my guilty pleasure. Do you have a favorite?

myfitnesspal.com )a free app) was a life saver for me as far as tracking calories. There are MANY opinions and I certainly can only speak for me. I work out 6 days a week. If I eat 800-1100 calories per day I lose, if I eat 1200-1400 per day I gain. Its a fine line. Some others have more lee-way but I don't. It is my greatest down fall to snack. Really try hard to stick to 3 meals, 4 tops per day. I wish you only success- you can do this.

I think you look great also. But I know what you mean- I see the same when I look in the mirror too! Maybe it takes longer with our brains to catch up to our bodies than the other way around.

I have had panic attacks since I was a kid. The only word for them is they SUCK! If you've never experienced one you are blessed. I have never had problems with blood pressure, (I think that's your question) of course when I have a panic attack my blood pressure goes through the roof and yes I feel like I am either going to have a heart attack or a blood vessel is going to pop in my head. But with time, and experiencing 100's of them I realized I either need to take something before it gets out of control or wait it out. I think you are going to be so happy with the results from surgery and feeling good about yourself and being healthier really keeps the panic attacks to a MINIMUM. Hang in there. I really hope things get better for you.

Hi! Well I started at 220 and now I've been stuck at 165 since January. I would love to be 155 but I am actually perfectly happy at 165. Plus I haven't been 155 since high school and that is over 20 years ago! I have to admit that I am still really scared that the weight will come back because I have been fat and skinny, now, 5 times. But hopefully by having the surgery it will eliminate this.That is my hope.