Healthy_life2

I understand how weight gain can mess with your head. You are not alone. Many are here working a weight gain off on their own or having revisions. Surgery is only a tool. I think @round2wi explained things better than I ever could. Counseling is a good option to address your overeating issues. As for stretching, get it diagnosed by a surgeon to see if its due to complications, a botched surgery or overeating. If its overeating, get counseling so that you don’t stretch a second surgery. What I wish sleeve patients would know before surgery. (this might not be your situation) The sleeve might not be the right choice for some people. Your restriction will become less over time. It’s not back to full size but, you can hold more food volume. This is common experience with the sleeve. Just because you we hold more food does not mean we have to eat over our calories and macros and gain weight. It’s easy to graze/ eat around any type of bariatric surgery. Eating several smaller meals of healthy and non-healthy foods that total over your daily calories/macros. You don’t feel any surgery restriction with small meals. It’s as if you never had surgery. You will gain weight.

Get it diagnosed if your surgery is stretched. I am hearing it can be from the procedure performed wrong, complications or overeating. If it’s overeating, get counseling so you don’t stretch a second surgery. (I'm hoping @JamesL73 is opening a revision thread. I would like to understand more about this topic) I'm five years out. My situation may be different than yours. I had weight gain in my third year and worked it back off. Did your Dr's let you know that you would feel less restriction as you progress out from sleeve surgery? This is a common experience. Mine is not back to full size but it is larger. Just because I have extra stomach compacity does not mean I have to eat over my weight loss/maintenance calories/macros. Some things that help me satisfy the extra room: I eat dense protein and foods allowed on my plan. I eat as much veggies until the sensation of full. (ditch shakes, bars and soft foods. They won’t keep you full years out) I eat five to six small meals. It helps to keep my blood sugars level. I log to make sure I’m staying within my calories/macros Keep healthy sweet and salty options on hand to satisfy cravings. Once you add extra carbs and sugar you crave them more and they cause hunger. Detox off them. know you will feel crappy for a while. It will pass. The main killer of weight loss is grazing. Eating several small meals healthy and unhealthy options that total over your daily calories and macros. When you eat small meals, you don’t feel any surgery restriction. The sensation as if you never had surgery. You will gain weight.

Ultimately. Choose the type of surgery you want. Research take your Drs suggestion into consideration. Ask your insurance what types of surgery they cover. Have your friend go to an information seminar. I know what the statistics say on each surgery. There are no absolute stats/results with any type of bariatric procedure. Some of lose slow and others lose fast. Sex, age, hormones, complications, medical issues, medications, genetics are factors on the rate you lose and how much you lose. The only part of Weight loss surgery that is in our control is how you work your plan. We are all more than the statistics. I guess you can say I don’t fit the statistics/norm of a sleeve procedure. I lost fast. starting 254 to 140 in six months. I had no complications. I bounced back from surgery quickly. Five years out I maintain in the 130’s. Most people that are maintaining and doing well don’t stay on this site. Not many vets hang around. I’m not sure if people are getting a balanced look at WLS outcomes. Revisions are done on all types of surgery for many reasons. I’m hoping to see an official revision thread. I would like to know why we are seeing so many revisions. I’m now talking to people that have had three surgeries. For me absolutely no regret.

Awe. You have a great husband.

My half marathon is on the 18th. I’m carb loading this week. Sweet potatoes are my go to. Spaghetti the night before. I get runners stomach on long runs. (It happens to runners that haven’t had surgery) I do liquid carbs day of and on my route. Its trial and error to find what works. I cant wait to see your photos. I hope its a great day for you.

Congrats on your upcoming surgery.

Hunger does not go away with surgery. I’m 5 years out. Hunger is much more manageable for me with real food stage. I eat five to six small meals and stay within my calories and macros I keep healthy sweet and salty items on hand to stop cravings I eat dense proteins and foods allowed on my plan. I eat as much veggies until I feel full.

Many of us have done the pouch reset to get back on track. The other option is to go back to your bariatric diet plan. (Log stay within calories/macros, hydrate and exercise) For motivation join the May weight loss challenge. https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/424941-❤-may-2019-challenge❤/

Let’s talk weight gain if you are researching. This thread is not to discourage you. Many people lose weight, have no complications and keep weight off long term. It’s a good idea to understand weight regain and reasons for revisions. Information is power. The work does not end after goal. This may help you get in a mindset that this is lifelong work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7zBjwtL51M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKBfkTqcwVo

Many use cottage cheese to find the sensation of full and how much volume you can hold. Measure a cup of cottage cheese and eat until full. This will be your pouch food volume size Knowing you can hold more food, you have to find ways to satisfy the extra volume and not go over your calories and macros

it’s true! many of us bounce back from surgery, had no complications, lose weight and keep it off. It seems that new people are not getting a balance look at weight loss surgery. I would love to hear all the positive stories. People with no complications. Many people gravitate to the negative experiences. It will fuel your surgery anxiety. Your surgeon gave you the statistics and risk facts about weight loss surgery. Read some positives to give yourself perspective. Before and afters https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/297668-i-want-to-see-before-after-pics-contd/ Success Stories https://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/1298-weight-loss-surgery-success-stories/ NSV's https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=nsv SIDE NOTE: This site is not an accurate representation. Many are maintaining and have not had a weight gain. They no longer need this site. The people here are, Looking into WLS, in weight loss mode, had a gain, had complications and a handful of vets.

@Panda333 Positive WLS stories https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/423992-what-you-had-no-surgery-complications/?tab=comments#comment-4758950

@Panda333 I’m a sleeve five years out maintaining in the 130’s. I am type one diabetic. My surgeon suggested the sleeve because there are times, I need to eat sugar to raise my blood sugars. WIth the sleeve, my intestines are not altered, I don’t have dumping syndrome with sugar. I am now well controlled and hardly use insulin. I want people that are researching weight loss surgery to know, many of us have had no complications and have maintained years out. Weight gain or need for a revision does not happen to all of us. Do your research, trust your surgeon’s advice do what’s best for you. Any type of bariatric surgery may need a revision due to complications, surgery not performed correctly, eating to the point of stretching your surgery (big debate on this issue) Grazing/eating around your surgery, eating disorders, or simply not following your surgeons plan. Only my opinion: For some, the sleeve is the wrong choice for them. Things I wish people knew about the sleeve. Your sleeve restriction will become less over time. you can hold more food. (it’s not back to full size) Long term success will be diet and behavior change. Just because you have more space does not mean you have to eat over your calories and macros to gain weight. If your surgeon has diagnosed that you stretched your surgery. Get counseling before a revision to make sure you don’t stretch a second surgery. Your intestines are not altered with the sleeve. Most of us can tolerate sugar without dumping. If sugar is an issue for you, investigate surgeries that give you dumping syndrome. You will feel real and head hunger at times (true with any surgery type) Hunger is more manageable after surgery. age 45 day of surgery 2014 - age 50 2019

My husband’s idea of weight loss meal prepping.

Stunning photo.Love it.

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Do you have a local support group? It may help. Emotions and pre surgery anxiety can make this seem overwhelming. We are also here. Ask anything. Take this one food stage at a time. Look at your information and find your first stage right after surgery. It should be liquids. Look for the start and end date - follow the foods on the list. Only think about the food stage you’re in. Next phases should be puree, soft foods. and real food stages, - Look for the start and end dates. Follow the foods on your list/plan.

this seems to be a common experience. Use the search bar at the top of the page and you will see how many people have pre surgery anxiety. Here are a few on this topic. https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/423607-getting-cold-feet/?tab=comments#comment-4754212 https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/423992-what-you-had-no-surgery-complications/

I felt the same way. I had failed at so many diet attempts. I felt my weight loss was too good to be true. You are doing fantastic. Hold on to the “wow” moments. You have many good things coming your way.

Ask your dietician if its on your plan and how much you can eat. Popcorn is a weakness for me. *laughing* I didn’t try it until a year out and after goal. (slider food for me) It breaks down in your stomach easily and you would think you never had surgery by the amount you can eat. For me its nutrition bang for your buck. I’m not above bringing my heathy snack in my purse to a movie. (make sure any examples are on your plan and fit your calories/macros for the day) $6.25 theater small popcorn 6 cups calories 370 fat 20 carbs 40 protein 0 - No nutritional value to hit your protein goal for the day. $2.99 Walmart quest nacho cheese protein chips – 140 calories 18 protein 5 carbs 1 sugar. or $2.99 Walmart. Quest protein ranch tortilla chips 190 calories 9 protein 4 carbs 1 sugar. (at home I have topped the chips with ground turkey with taco seasoning, green and red peppers, onion, salsa and an ounce of cheese. (nachos with a great protein count) Sweet snack: Walmart quest cholate chip cookie dough protein bar 200 calories 21 carb 21 protein and 1 sugar.

Congrats! I'm so excited for you. Please post some photos after your run. Can I ask when you had surgery? How has your training been? What distance have you ran prior? Have you had any issues fueling pre race or during running? The running community is a fantastic, positive supporting group of people. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Enjoy the day. If you’re not comfortable around the crowd. Wear ear buds in one ear and listen to your play list. Keep one ear bud off to listen for runners around you while on the route. Sometimes its like herding cattle until people get though the start line. Check online for the following: Packet pick up is fun. Usually the day before or day of the race. Go the day before. You will get an idea of the people you will be running with. It’s nice to have your shirt and race number pre-race. Look up you race route. Take note of water, food and porta potty stations along your route. Take your own food that you can tolerate. Many stations have Gatorade with sugar. Avoid it. The last thing you want is an upset stomach on the run. Race day: Parking can be an issue. Check to see if they provide a shuttle to get you to the start and take you back to your car and the end of your run. If your race start and finish lines are different locations.: Check to see if the run provides a bag drop off. It may be cold in the morning. You can place warm clothing/coat in a bag. Put your race number name etc. on it. There will be an information booth at the start line. Ask where to load your bag. They will bring it to the finish line at end of the race for pick up. Head to the start line: Woohoo! Get pumped up. Many races have recovery food and after party at the end. If you feel comfortable hang out and take in your accomplishment.

looking great! I'm a sleeve. Being able to tolerate and eat anything is a double-edged sword for me. It’s great that I don’t have dumping syndrome but, my surgery restriction is less years out. I can gain in a heartbeat and its slow to come off. We all work this differently. I wish you the best in the months and years to come. Jennifer

Surprised that hitting goal was not as exciting as onderland. Weight loss phase was exciting. No more sex and sizzle of seeing the scale move and compliments after goal. It left me questioning what now? I loved being goal oriented.