Hey Man

Oh I know the food choices were always on us, but there is the "tool" there to help keep us in check. Not being able to eat as much as we did prior to surgery. For example, my wife had the bypass a few years ago and she is doing well still, but once in a blue moon - she will eat a little too much of something and she feels like she needs to throw up. Meaning that the "tool" is still there for her to help keep her in check and not just keep eating like she would prior to the surgery. Basically this portion of your comment: "We rely on the restriction and the small size of our pouches to tell us when to stop eating". I think we all hope to still be able to rely on this is what I was trying to say, but I know the food choices is ALL on me.

Yes, it has been a lot of slider foods, but even something like pizza or a burger - I am now finding within the two months of being off track, I can eat more pieces or eat the whole burger pretty quickly - when the months prior, I would sometimes not be able to finish the burger or just have two pieces of pizza max. I am not so much concerned about getting back on track from a food choice perspective. I know what I should be eating, but admittedly I screwed up and let my old habits take control. I was more concerned if I had ruined my sleeve and it wouldn't really work for me anymore. Granted I always understood that a year out - I was going to be able to eat more now that I could at 6 months out. Perhaps you are right - when I go back to eating what I should eat as I do my own reset so to speak - not slider foods, my stomach will be sort of activated again. Thank you very much. HM

Thanks for the feedback and understood on your points. However am I also right in that my stomach has probably adapted now and I am not going to get the same full feeling anymore ? That in a sense it is almost like I never had the surgery as it is not going to help me keep things in check. It is ALL on me now. I don't really have the "tool" anymore. Or will it kind of come back once i am back on track for a while? Thanks, HM

Greetings, So I really hit a low point with some financial stress that I went through with a small business I have and reverted back to my old ways of dealing with things - very poor food choices over a couple of months. I feel terrible, but I am ready to get back on track. However I have some concerns. I am able to eat anything and even drink at the same time now - a year and a bit out from surgery. I don't get the "foamies" if I eat too much, etc. I don't get the full feeling that I was still getting right before my crash. What I am saying is - I am worried that the "tool" that was supposed to help me is no longer there to help keep me in check. I know the stomach can't be stretched to what it used to be, so I am fine with that knowledge after doing some research. However I am wondering once I go back to eating properly, drinking more water and getting my protein - will things go back to how things were prior to my 2 months of screwing up or is that probably gone forever now with feeling full, etc. Like I never had the surgery. I looked into a pouch reset - but it seems there is a lot of misinformation out there. That this is not a real thing from what doctors have said - like drinking just shakes for a week again or whatever will NOT reset your pouch. I would appreciate feedback on the above and if anyone went through something similar - what was your experience to get your sleeve back on track. Thank you very much. HM

I assume my ferritin level is OK. It has been tested as part of the bariatric blood work required repeatedly over time. So I imagine he would tell me if it was low, but the next time I talk to him, I will specifically ask. My protein should be fine, but I am going to go back to ensuring it is daily. I haven't fallen off the wagon, but a year out now - I am not as focused on counting every little thing. I just eat well and proper portions and much of the food I enjoy in general is protein rich. Thanks!

He wasn't concerned in that it was just slightly low - so he didn't feel a need to pump me full of more iron with a new level of pills to take. He didn't specifically say that doesn't think the iron is the reason for the hair loss. That is still up in the air and up to the dermatologist. I think when a man tells a doctor they are losing their hair - it is often an assumption of age (I am 53) or male pattern baldness or some more common issue. My blood work has been good overall, so I guess nothing is jumping out at him. I will let you know what happens. Thanks!

Hey ShoppGirl, I haven't had Covid recently as far as I know, but I did have Covid in 2023 and there was no hair loss issue then and I got over it quickly. If it isn't the iron, then I would be even more concerned, because it could be a 100 other things. Just seemed to make the most sense given that I haven't had any other recent changes. I should say that I am low in vitamin D, but I always am. No matter how much I take - other medication I take for epilepsy diminishes the vitamin D in my system. I have been this way forever, but it hasn't caused hair issues as I know that vitamin D deficiency can be a factor with hair loss. So maybe the D in addition to the iron is a problem. Unless you are saying that you need to have extreme iron deficiency for it to impact hair and not just a slight deficiency. Yes, I am being referred to a dermatologist. I hope whatever it is - will just be temporary. Thanks for your response. HM

Hey Tek, Thanks for responding. I should have mentioned though that I had my surgery in May 2023. So any effects from the stress of just having surgery are long gone. I have been fine blood work wise and hair wise all this time. The hair loss has been sudden now thus why I am assuming that the slight iron deficiency is the factor here. As I said my family doctor isn't that concerned because it is a slight deficiency and a blood test a month later could be fine, so he isn't yet feeling the need to tell me to take more iron daily. For me, I was told the mutlivitamin, B12, vitamin D and calcium is for LIFE from the hospital/doctors where I had my surgery. Not a temporary thing. It seems random since that doesn't appear to be the case for you. Thanks again. HM

Greetings, I live in Canada, so things may be different from US recommendations - but after having the sleeve, I was told that 2 multivitamins a day with no less than 9mg of iron was all I need. I have a slight iron deficiency with blood work I had done and looking into it online - it seems some patients are required to take a separate iron supplement in addition to a multivitamin. It just seems to be random depending on where you have your surgery. My doctor isn't that concerned, but I have noticed some hair fall/thinning - so I am assuming it is the iron deficiency even if slight and so I am kind of freaking out about it. Going to a dermatologist to see what they have to say. So I was just curious to get some feedback here. Are you just taking multivitamins or additional iron on top of that? Thank you, HM

Greetings, So as most people do from time to time - I fell off the wagon for about two weeks while on vacation and in the process of that, I noticed that I was able to eat more without any discomfort. I wasn't gorging on food like I did to gain the weight that I had, but I was able to handle bigger portions or that 3rd slice of pizza. I screwed up and I know that. I actually feel guilty, especially considering all the weight I have lost. It was just the first time where it was harder to stay focused as I wanted to enjoy my vacation. I know next time I have to plan better. Now I am aware that the stomach does stretch again, but it is my understanding that it takes years for that to happen per what I have read from doctors - which is why some people who have bariatric surgery tend to gain some or all the weight again years later if they haven't maintained their better eating habits. I am only 5 months out from the sleeve, so I was just curious why I was able to eat more than usual at this early point. I am back on track now, but just wanted to ensure that this is normal - that the stomach can stretch temporarily in the short term and things should be back to normal now that I am eating smaller portions again/proper foods. That I haven't already stretched out my stomach a bit. I would appreciate any feedback here. Thanks, HM

No, I didn't think it was a magic solution and I entirely know it is a tool, but at the same time - bariatric surgery has been criticized by many for the supposed rapid weight that occurs that isn't normal, which is one of the reasons why people have a whole set of new problems with hanging skin. The body can't bounce back that fast. I think there has been some "marketing" in this industry that have contributed to the expectations that some may have too - especially with before and after photos of people who may be the exception to the rule. Like I said, I don't regret the surgery at all and I am never going back, but I expected more of a woosh of weight loss at least initially.

I was eating 5000 or 6000 calories a day. So even without the surgery, I would have lost the same amount of weight now if at the last minute after doing Optifast - I decided to cancel the surgery was my point. I have already learned how to eat better and detoxed from bad foods. I am not going to back to how I used to be. I don't regret the surgery at all, but it does give a perspective that I probably could have achieved the same result if I maintained the same discipline that I had to get the surgery. That is where I failed with past diets. When you are "forced" to drink shakes for 4 weeks that is different than just trying to diet for 4 weeks.

I have already reprogrammed my brain a bit just doing the Optifast for 4 weeks. I detoxed in a sense with all the foods I was addicted to and I don't really crave them now. What I crave is just eating solid foods and not liquids and soft foods. When I do have some of those "bad" foods again, it won't be in the huge amounts that I used to it - because A: I will feel full sooner due to my stomach size now and B: I am learning a whole new way of eating in general. I am never going back to what I used to be.

I saw my doctor today and got weighed just to see if the scale is different there than at home. I am 380, which of course I am happy about - but like I said, much of that was from the Optifast prior to surgery. I am not going to focus on the scale, but like I said before I was expecting a bit more of a woosh of weight loss since having the surgery. As I said before, I lost 20 ponds in two weeks just doing keto and moving a bit more - again I know that is water weight and also that wouldn't continue, but it was a great feeling nonetheless at the time. I agree with your points about nonscale victories and a month from now, I may be singing an entirely different tune on here. I was just thinking outloud and giving my initial thoughts per this thread. Thanks for the support. HM

I don't really think so, but I never said it was a magic procedure. I know it is a tool for long term. However they did warn me that after the 5 year mark, many do gain some or all the weight back - just so I am aware.