Kindle

Well, once again, I am the freak in the crowd. For me, maintenance has been boring and wonderful! I reached goal around this time last year and continued to lose another 10 pounds. I've maintained my lowest weight (with a small bounce range) for almost 10 months. But besides rough counting my Protein and Water amounts in my head each day, I never tracked or measured anything, so the transition between losing and maintaining was no big deal. I'm also one of those "I had surgery so I would never have to diet again" loonies. I am committed 110% to being successful with my VSG, but I'm also not willing to go against what's in my nature to do. I know I would fail (and be unhappy) if I tried. Following a regimented diet plan, using MFP, going to the gym, running 5K's, etc. are just not "me". The main changes I made in conjunction with surgery were to simply make healthy food choices and drink a lot less alcohol. The other difference I've noticed with me compared to a lot of posts I read is that I never made that big of deal about my goal weight. I didn't really perceive of reaching it as an end point. I knew being a WLS patient was a forever thing, not just a losing thing. Maybe that's why I never felt the need to seek a new "goal" to stay motivated. I'm just happy to be the size I am, feel as great as I do, do all the physical activities that I can and simply eat like a "normal" thin person. That's all the motivation I need.....That and an occasional glance at my before pictures. I hope you all find what works for you for long term success. (And that my way continues to work for me)

Immediately postop I could not tolerate plain Water, lactose or artificial sweeteners. I drank decaf herbal teas, diluted fruit juice, diluted Vitamin water, diluted pedialyte, Protein smoothies and lactaid. I added unflavored Protein powder to every kind of broth and cream Soup I could find. I pureed and strained the thicker/chunkier soups. Everything tasted too sweet to me for about 6 months so I never did the Popsicle/jello thing. that's why I diluted all the sweeter drinks listed above and LOVED the savory soups and broths.

I'm definitely in the anti-scale camp. I only weighed like 6 times in the first 3 months. I feel sorry for all the people that make themselves miserable because they obsess over the stupid scale. (BTW, that's PC talk for I can't stand reading those posts anymore and have pretty much given up on trying to help them understand how meaningless those numbers are in the beginning) I do not own a scale, I am 18+ months out and still only weigh 2-3 times/month....on the dog scale at work, fully clothed and at random times. This has not prevented me from losing, and keeping off, over 100% of my excess wight.

Call your surgeon. Ask for a C diff PCR test (the ELISA test has a high false negative rate). @ I assume your doctor has already done this.....

At 18 months out I eat a quest bar and drink a large (24oz) protein smoothie every day. That's 50-60g protein right there. The steak, jerky, chicken, fish, pork, seafood, cheese, Greek yogurt, edamame, burger, elk, ham, beans, cottage cheese, eggs, sausage, turkey, tuna, etc. that I then eat easily shoots me over my protein goals. It also gives me the freedom to eat plenty of fruits, grains and veggies with my meals. Not JUST protein.

I ate a lot of peanut butter and almond butter once I was on regular solids, about 6 weeks out. I wasn't allowed whole nuts and seeds until 3 months post. Then I went gangbangers and have eaten mixed nuts pretty much every day since.

It's actually 100% up to you. Sure, you will lose some in the beginning no matter what you do because of your restriction, Protein requirements, etc. but it would be very easy to not reach goal and easier yet to gain it ALL back if you don't make healthy choices and lifestyle changes forever. That being said, I lost over 100% of my excess weight and have so far kept it all off for 10 months and counting. I could NEVER had done this without surgery. (Believe me I tried). But yes, it is all about my choices at this point and very little about the sleeve.

I never used anything and I can't even find two of the scars. But my uncle swears by coconut oil. It faded his knee surgery scars even years later when he started using it.

I started with a BMI of 40. I lost 22 pounds before surgery, so I count my time from the day I started preop, not surgery day. 6 months to surgeons goal (down 78 pounds); 7 months to personal goal (down 88); 8/9 months to lowest (down 100 pounds). Not sure of that last time frame because I only weigh a couple times a month and I noticed I finally quit shrinking out of my clothes sometime in August last year.

. Thanks for the info! That's exactly how I want to eat and I'm really looking forward to the day I can add fruits and nuts back into my diet. This surgery was exactly what I needed. I ate healthy for the most part but just ate huge portions. It was embarrassing but I always felt like I could eat more and the hunger was always ever present. I'm just going to have to learn how to manage the eating every couple of hours something small at work between classes. Me too. I swear I didn't have the trigger that told my brain to stop eating....I was NEVER full. Now my sleeve does that for me! Just FYI, today was a more typical work day for me.... Fried egg and turkey sausage, 20oz decaf coffee, quest bar, protein smoothie (24oz/35g protein), beef Jerky, 32oz lifewater, homemade chicken noodle Soup loaded with veggies (heavy on the chicken light on the noodles), cottage cheese with peaches, glass of white wine (OK, so this is a once or twice/month treat), edamame, 1/2 mint chocolate power crunch bar (tastes like a Girl Scout thin mint)

Well how I eat now is WAY different than at 8 weeks. Back then I still got stuffed on a couple tablespoons of food, so I was shooting for as much Protein as I could in every bite. I didn't feel "normal" until 4 months out. That's when I could eat a little more, started mixing in more veggies and fruit, and didn't have to struggle each day just to meet goals. At 6 months I could eat a small plate of whatever everyone else was eating ....heavy on the protein dishes, less of the carbs. At 10 months my restriction loosened even more and I found I could eat more and still maintain. Thats pretty much where I still am. Yesterday was a weekend so I did a lot of snacking. Here's what I had..... 1 egg omelet with cheese and sausage; 2 16oz cups of decaf coffee with 1/2 and 1/2. leftover Chinese BBQ pork, raw cauliflower, broccoli and carrots dipped in spinach dip, peanuts, blueberries, plain Greek yogurt flavored with vanilla Protein powder and flax seed added for Fiber, a slice of braunschweiger, 12oz can of V8 juice, elk sausage with a couple bagel crisps, 32oz Water, white chocolate raspberry Quest bar, cottage cheese and fresh peaches. I know it sounds like a lot, but the portions were small and that's typically how I eat on the weekends if I'm home. But in general I eat whatever I want whenever I'm hungry. On work days I don't get a lunch break but I always have a large protein smoothie and a quest bar at some point in the day so I'm free to eat veggies, fruit and grains at mealtimes, rather than just protein.

how'd that happen?! IV fluids, swelling, inflammation, etc. I became severely dehydrated about 3 months postop from diarrhea and had to get IV fluids. (4 liters before my HR came back down and BP came back up) I gained 11 pounds in 1 day. That's why daily weight fluctuations mean NOTHING. Water retention/hydration status plays a huge role in what the scale says. It has nothing to do with actual fat weight.

Day 1-3 mild cramping from the drain. That went away as soon as they pulled the drain. After that, zero pain. Still didn't need any narcotics before, during or after surgery. Was out shopping 18 hours postop. Like others said my ab muscles just felt fatigued...like I'd done a hundred sit-ups.

Well, I AM living my life. I eat what I want, when I want and how I want. In fact, had a killer bison tenderloin steak with steamed green beans and garlic mashed potatoes last night...mmmmm. I have been maintaining below goal for 10 months, my BP is normal, I'm off pain meds for my back and knees, I kayak, ride horse and I hiked over 20 miles in Yellowstone last weekend....it's a WONDERFUL life! I just happen to LOVE my smoothies. Nothing yucky about how I make them. Yesterday I had peach nectar with OJ, the day before was cherry nectar + lemonade nectar. Today was Quest vanilla with Torani caramel. Tomorrow I'll blend up whatever I'm in the mood for. I'm thinking muscle milk cake batter with fresh blueberries and raspberries. Premier chocolate with milk and pureed banana is also a long time favorite since it tastes like the milkshakes my dad used to make when I was a kid. Everyone's journey is their own and I wish you the best of luck with yours.

Isopure definitely came in second after the colon prep . And just an FYI, the colon prep works a whole lot faster post VSG!

So you got 60-80g protein every day from lentil Soup and chicken/fish congee? I'm impressed on how much you could consume! Even at 18 months out I drink a protein/fiber smoothie everyday to help meet goals. (My smoothies have 30-40g protein, 24-32oz Fluid and 10g fiber) And although I drank very dilute apple juice because I could not tolerate plain Water or artificial sweeteners, most surgeons would not encourage it because juice is all carbs, no protein.

I have a sleeve of steel and Isopure is one of two things thing that ever made me gag postop. The other thing was the colon cleanse I had to drink for a colonoscopy 4 months postop. If you want to stick with a koolaid/lemonade style Protein drink try the Syntrax nectar powders.

@@proudgrammy is right. They have been doing gastrectomies for cancer and ulcer patients for well over 100 years. I read dozens of research papers documenting the safety and long term nutritional issues in gastrectomy patients when looking at having a VSG. But since they weren't doing them as a WLS, the weight loss data is basically an afterthought in those long term studies. You can easily find 5 year data on VSG outcomes, but really not much in the 10+ year range. And I definitely agree with "life begins with maintenance"

VSG has not been around for decades, so the data you are looking for does not exist. But like EVERY WLS option, long term success is 100% on you. You can "eat around" or "cheat" your way around ANY surgery. Like WL WARRIOR said, there is no taking a break from maintenance. Once you reach goal, you have to work and make good choices every day forever. So while surgery will help you lose weight, there's nothing magical about keeping it off long term. I have friends and acquaintances that have had varying levels of success with bypass, sleeve and lap band. None of the outcomes are a reflection of the type of surgery, but rather a result of their choices and lifestyle changes.

Find a new doctor who isn't so arrogant and ignorant. The U.S. does not have a monopoly on quality health care. In fact, my Mexico surgeon had more experience, better credentials and a lower complication rate than the 6 U.S. surgeons I looked at. I had no complications postop and my surgeon's office was available for postop consult and questions 7 days/week. My PCP was fine with doing my followup bloodwork and would have supported me through any problems if they occurred. My OB/Gyn was also totally on board and volunteered to do bloodwork if I needed. She even got the name and contact info for my surgeon to pass on to other patients who's insurance doesn't cover WLS. I saw a gastroenterologist for an unrelated issue 2 months postop and he didn't have a problem with me having had surgery in Mexico, either. Routine follow up can be done by your PCP, but maybe ask her to check around with other bariatric specialists in case you do have any complications. Make sure you pick a surgeon that is available postop and willing to answer any questions your PCP may have.

I weighed exactly the same as surgery day on day 11 (that's the first time I weighed myself postop. I didn't step on the scale again until week 7 and I was down 17 pounds. Just concentrate on water, protein, healthy choices and learning new habits. Enjoy the NSVs and stay off the scale.

There are also a lot of non-dairy based protein powders out there.... Hemp, soy, pea, sprouted seeds, egg, rice, etc. just google them. brands I've tried include Garden of Life, Spirutein, Vega and Plant Fusion. I'm no longer lactose intolerant, but I still like to "mix things up."

You're right, there are many different variations of preop, postop and length of stay. Different doctors, different surgical techniques , different starting BMIs, different comorbidities, different pain tolerances, different anesthesiologists, different drugs given, really too many variables to list. Your personal experience will be different from everyone else's. As for me, I had a two week preop diet (3 Protein shakes/day plus leafy green veggies). Clear liquids the day before surgery. Fast 12 hours. Checked into surgical center at 9am, completed bloodwork and cardiac work up, surgery at 3:00. Back in room at 5. Watched TV and wandered the halls all night. Discharged next day at 9am and went shopping. No pain, no nausea. Went back to surgical center for drain removal and 2nd leak test day 3. Postop diet consisted of 6 weeks of detailed, specific transition through clear fluids, full liquids, purees, and soft food.

Pronghorn..... Most people mistakenly call them antelope. This one was grazing about 20 yards off the trail....

thank you for replying, i honestly want mine to shrink lol if u dont mind answering what size were u and what size are u now and is there anything u regret or wish u would of knew thank you for replying, i honestly want mine to shrink lol if u dont mind answering what size were u and what size are u now and is there anything u regret or wish u would of knewI was wearing 22W jeans and XL/XXL tops. Now I'm in size 5 or 7 jeans and M /sometimes S tops. Along with my boobs I lost my butt so my jeans are slim cut rather than relaxed fit. I included my 12 month before and after pics (still the same at 18 months) I am thrilled with my surgery and everything that came with it. I researched for months and read thousands of threads on this and other WLS boards, so nothing really came as a surprise (other than how easy it's all been). Never had one minute of regret.