brittu

I lost all my excess weight after being sleeved in 2010 and got 20 pounds below my original goal: 256 >> 155 >> 132. A few years later I settled in at 155ish and maintained there until menopause when I had to work with my doctor fight back to 155 from about 170. I stayed 155ish until injury + anti-depressents followed by Covid and I ballooned up to 195. Yikes! Like others have said, getting back to the basics with protein first and no slider foods reminded me what a great tool a sleeve is. I also decided to do intermittent fasting which works great for me since I have very little hunger. Since I can't eat much, only eating during a 4-6 hour window every day motivates me to eat healthy and keeps my calories low. It also keeps my insulin low so I burn fat well and my metabolism and energy are high. I wasn't happy about all the regain but I'm so glad I had my sleeve to lean on to get me back to eating well and losing. A very good reminder to not let things go more than 5-10 pounds. Hopefully I've learned my lesson!

I'm 10 years out. Two eggs scrambled with just is just slightly more than I can fit. But chips, popcorn and icecream? Space seems unlimited. Basically if I stick to the first advice my doctor gave to always eat protein first I'm very full and can't eat again for quite awhile. My capacity hasn't changed in years.

I’m considering a revision but am doing intermittent fasting for a few months and returning to the eat Protein first basics before I decide. Fasting worked well with my sleeve until Covid, antidepressants and menopause did a triple wammy regain-wise. Very frustrating since I’m 10 years out. I plan to use fasting for maintenance regardless, just thinking that greater restriction would be nice to have. Interesting to hear what others are considering.

Maybe he's not the right surgeon if he's doing a revision he's not positive about? My sleeve revision was about 2x as effective as my bad. I lost weight twice as fast and got an additional 30 pounds lower than my lowest band weight. For me, the sleeve was a miracle and night and day to the band both in how I felt and how it has worked.

I was a band to sleeve revision. I lost weight quickly with the sleeve, quicker than the band and I got much lower. What I noticed is that I did have to make an effort to switch to sleeve eating, to eat protein first. That's really key to weight loss and mine always slowed when I didn't do that. 2-4 oz of meat fills that little tummy and stays there for a long time. I'm immediately full. If you graze or eat other types of foods first you won't get the sleeve working the way you want. It works great but just tell yourself protein and every meal, protein first.

I've been considering having the bypass part so that I'd officially be a DS. However... after doing some reasearch, talking to my weight management doctor, and listening to the podcasts of the LCHF conference I'm holding off. One of the doctors at the conference said something that made total sense to me. Surgery helps you lose weight but a eating plan helps you keep it off. Sure, having the surgery would send me back toward goal but it won't be a lot more effective at helping me maintain if I don't get my eating in check. I still have plenty of restriction at 6 years out but have been eating the wrong things. I'm finding by going back to Protein first eating and by adding low carb and intermittent fasting (which is super easy for me since I'm not hungry in the mornings) I'd doing well. Add the support from my doctor with a visit every two weeks and I've been willing to hold off for a few months and see. I'd bounced around about 15lbs above goal for awhile and then menopause hit. I gained 20lbs in a heartbeat and got really scared. I'm not 40lbs up and felt like I needed to take action. I may have added the bypass if insurance would cover it. But having to research it gave me a little space to research my options for getting back on track. We'll see how it goes.

I revised from a band to a sleeve and it was night and day. I was successful with the band but had many issues. The sleeve is what I'd hoped the band would be - eat a small amount, get very full, stop eating. I lost 30 more pounds with the sleeve. I also don't get hungry so it makes watching my intake strictly about changing my habits and not about hunger. Well worth switching. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

You can have your metabolism tested. It's a breathing test with a computerized monitor. My doctor does it to calculate caloric needs as well as improvement in metabolism related to exercise and carb reduction. Also, the DS is a sleeve plus a different type of bypass. It's the most effective of the surgeries but can have complications related to malnutrition. There are fewer surgeons who do it. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I'm 5 years out. 4-6 ounces of meat is my limit. Although I'm not as miserable if I overeat as I was for the first 18 months, I don't like the feeling and try to stop before the one bite too many. My problems come if I graze, snack, take too long to eat or eat carb or slider foods. Funny how it all comes back to protein first. If I do that I don't eat much. I don't have hunger. The lactose intolerance and dumping I had the first couple years is gone. I've regained in the last year and am working w my doctor on relosing.

My story is the same as yours. I revised to a sleeve and went from 256 to 132. I'm currently working on getting off the regain I put on in the last year. If I can't get back to goal I may consider a DS but think I can do it and would prefer to avoid mal absorption. I'm seeing my doctor, who had a bypass and works on maintenance herself, for the regain. She requires protein shakes and low carb in her program.

I'm five years out and working with my doctor on losing some regain. No to very little processed carbs, 30 grams from non veggie carbs per day. Two Premier shakes per day, at least 90 grams protein per day. More fat. This is both the loss and maintenance plan.

I'm 5 years out from my band to sleeve revision. I lost 120lbs and ended up at a goal weight I never imagined. In the last 18 months regain has become a problem. I'm now 40lbs above goal. I'm considering revising to a DS but am working w my doctor to lose weight via upping Protein and reducing carbs. Has anyone successfully battled regain and gotten back to goal? Care to share what worked for you?

I had surgery five years ago with Dr Aceves in Mexicali. It was a great experience, excellent care. My surgeon here checked it two years ago and says it was done perfectly. Dr Aceves recently passed away in a plane crash but his partners still perform the surgery.

It feels like it did before the band that is to say normal with no pain. I'm full quickly and have to remember to stop early or I get too full and uncomfortable. I don't get hungry at all, more like empty. I still battle head hunger. The band was horrible for me, the sleeve is what I thought weight loss surgery would be. I'm five years out.

I lost weight faster after revision than I had with the band.

My doctor has a food program for sleeve patients. She says it's critical to reduce carbs to stop gaining weight via insulin and increase Protein to up your metabolism and lose weight (protein in 20-30 gram doses acts like a log on your metabolic fire). She requires patients to drink 2 Premier Protein drinks every take and a third if you exercise within 30 minutes of completing. She also has you reduce non veggie carbs to 30 or less. This works well. My loss slows down if I miss a Protein shake and is on track even if my calories exceed 1200 as long as I get them both in. It's easy to do and doesn't feel too restrictive. Today for example I wanted a piece of bread that was 28 carbs so I made that the only non meat, veggie or shake intake of my day. I also track my intake on the Atkins app and check off every day that I journal, drink shakes, keep my carbs under 30 and excercize. I note that on my calendar w my weight every day so I can see what impacts my rate of loss. You can do it!

Dr Aceves? Love him, he did my revision in 2010. My surgeon here did follow up and said my sleeve was beautifully done. Great care in Mexicali.

In Seattle you might want to check into Dr Brogren at Revitalize. She does support for bariatric patients and is one herself. She partners with Dr Billing who is a sleeve surgeon. He has no problem seeing me even though my sleeve was done in Mexico. Just saw him last month and he gave me a big hug. He took out my band but we couldn't get coverage for the revision.

My husband and sons find it funny too. My husband finds extra humor in the fact that sometimes I unexpectedly do it while walking.

I really like it. Great blended with ice. It has more than 10 grams of protein, I think it's more like 24. I lost my weight with the Costco 30 gram Premier ready mix though. I'm back on them as I ramp up my exercise.

I'm 5'6" and started at 256. My goal was 150, then I thought 145 would be great judging by a friend with a similar build and same height. I blew past that down to 132 and had to work at not losing more. I was getting gaunt on top but still had thick thighs. I had lipo before some reconstructive surgery I'd planned and it messed up my metabolism so I bounced up to 145. In the course of trying to diet to get it off I kept gaining on up to 155. So I've got back to the Protein first eating basics, exercising, and am going to see my surgeon today to make sure everything is ok. I looked good at 130-135. Once I get back down there and have my thighlift I'm guessing I'll stay around 130. I am very narrow with a light frame. Everyone has a weight that's going to look good on them, I think the range is pretty wide even at 5'6".

I'm almost 4 years out. Full feels exactly like it did pre surgery. My stomach is warm and I can feel the sensation of food there. In the first year full also felt uncomfortable and sometimes it made me nauseaus. Like the other poster, if I go a bit over my full signal, particularly with Protein foods, I feel very uncomfortable and I can no longer concentrate on anything but the discomfort, can't listen to the conversation or talk. I learned early on not to let myself go that far. Although I don't have much in the way of hunger, I do get head hunger and want to eat for taste, entertainment, or texture. I have to watch out for that. I also sometimes want food when I'm full.

Good point, scarlett333. I track my Protein with JC and add extra in place of milk and fruit to target 80 per day. I figured out which JC foods don't have enough (like the cereal) and have replaced those with either the higher protein options or a Wonderslim replacement.

Today's my first day for the 2 in the 5:2 plan. I started Jenny Craig last week so I could kickstart my plan to get back down to my goal weight with a minimal amount of distractions. So far, so good, it's a considerable amount of food for a sleever. So much so that it feels a lot more like planned eating than a diet. Since JC supports 5 days on program and 2 days "on your own" I figured the on my own would be 500 calories or less between noon and 9 on Mondays and Thursdays. I'm actually going to restrict to liquids with the bariatric liquids/mushies I ate post surgery and some fasting support products. I have a couple of friends who sell products for a company that also promotes 2 days of fasting per week. So today I drank the clear fasting liquid I got from them (with electorlytes, b Vitamins, etc.) and then had a liquid Protein Soup for lunch. I'll have their shake and some WonderSlim stuff for the rest of my food today. I'm thinking that going to liquids will work for my head and keep me off the snacking train plus I'm thinking it will also be good for feeling my restriction on the days after. I'm also terrible at getting enough liquids in and I think focusing on that 2 days a week will get me on a good habit for the other 5. So far, so good. I felt a little weird and then realized it was not having my morning coffee which I'd passed on because I add half and half. Had a coffee this afternoon and with the calories of the soup I'm feeling like my normal self. Excited to see where this takes me. 5:2 seems like such a manageable way to go for the long term even after I get back to goal.

I'm not sure that I noticed a difference between maintaining at a 4 (where I was happiest with my body) and an 8 (where I'm at now and working back down from) or pre-sleeve when I had a band at a size 10. In a way, the smaller size was easier to maintain because I loved how I looked and felt so I was more motivated to eat well and exercise. I could also see the results of exercise more clearly on my body. And I was less likely to just give up and eat poorly for a day or a weekend. I have to put effort into maintaining my weight regardless of what weight I'm trying to maintain. If I don't, it starts creeping back up. I'd rather maintain at my real goal than settle at a higher weight. I settled for much too long.