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CG is right. I've been at my current weight since January and have gone down as much as two clothing sizes. Somehow the body does get smaller even if it doesn't show on the scale. In fact, the only reason I weigh myself at all is because I'm on steroids and need to watch for Water weight gain as that can indicate kidney issues.

I agree it is a lifetime project, but I would also like to point out that for many normal weight people it is also a life time project....people who have NEVER had weight problems also gain weight, they notice it, they cut back, they get to the gym, they pay attention to how their clothes fit, they take care of that 2 or 3 or 5 lb weight gain that happens when you live your life! They may not have had to lose 50-100 or more lbs like we all did, but the fact is, WE DID and we are right there with them now because this surgery gave us that opportunity. So now, with the support of everyone here, we can say, OK then....I'm up a few lbs and I have lots of choices of how to get rid of those (5:2, th3 5 Day Pouch Test, more exercise, cutting out eating at night for a week or so, fill in the blank for the right choice for YOU. And remind yourself that what ever you decide to do, it isn't for a full month, or a full year, that finally this is NOT overwhelming and at least for me, before this surgery, whatever the diet choice of the month was, I just knew I would fail....now I know I won't!!!! I also have old habits creep in, so you know what? I indulge them, but in small amounts and I also do the 5:2. And when I'm not perfect on the 5:2, I at least always have two days a week that are NO WINE/NO COOKIE days...(because those are my two downfalls). And at 3.5 years post of and 61 years old, I am at goal and I feel great. Just say NO to pity parties because we have all come way too far and we are closer to our healthier selves than we are to our old selves....

Hey @juno5 As far as your question about the doctor, I think it is a really good idea to go with someone you are comfortable with. If you are not comfortable with the newer doctor that is replacing the one you were originally going to go with, then you should pick a different doctor. I personally would not want to have to worry about my doctor on top of all the other stuff you have to do.To me though a newer doctor doesn't mean he is any less qualified. Also, he might be even more careful than a doctor that has been doing them for years. Thats just my opinion though. You should definitely do what makes you feel comfortable. Now whethere your ob/gyn counts toward documented weight gain or just being obese as a whole my insurance did NOT say it had to be a pcp. So if your insurance does not say specifically pcp and it says something like physician documented or must be in medical records then any doctor will do. I am personally using my ob/gyn's weight and height to submit as proof. Something else to check for is if your insurance allows.... If say you don't go to a doctor in a 1 year time span and you have a picture of yourself during that time that shows your overweight AND you get your current pcp to sign off saying yes she was obese then with a date. My insurance will accept the picture. But that is my particular insurance I would suggest getting your policy and looking at it. If you have any more questions or something just let me know. I am no expert by any means, but I might can help.

People who have undergone bariatric surgery know the weight loss battle does not end in the operating room. Months and even years after surgery, some weight can slowly creep back on. But this isn't a time to panic because now you have the tools to overcome a little setback and regain control of your weight. This time, you are in charge. One of the lessons you learn after weight loss surgery is that you are in charge of your health, diet and exercise program. The food no longer rules the roost--you do. The truth of the matter is no matter what the scale says, 110 or 310, everyone puts on a few pounds now and then. As a bariatric surgeon in New Jersey for more than 10 years, one of the biggest anxiety triggers for patients is weight gain. "That's it--it's over--I'm going to gain all the weight back." Of course that's not true. To get back on pace, I’ve listed a few essential steps to help get you back on track to dropping the pounds once again: • Go back to the beginning Post-surgery, you probably followed your healthcare team’s advice to the letter. But as time passed, and you looked and felt healthier, you may have started to deviate from those dietary and exercise guidelines. Pull out your notes and review the program guidelines that brought you this far. Get back on the scale once a week and fire up your food journal again. • Get thyself to the nearest support group ─ STAT Weight loss is a personal journey, but it doesn’t have to be a lonely one. Online support groups on BariatricPal.com are great secondary resources to live weekly or monthly groups with your bariatric doctor or hospital. There is support all-around you, reach out and take it. • Work it out Are you using the ‘too tired’ reason for missing a trip to the gym or 30 minute fast walk around the neighborhood? If you need energy, you know how to get it—get up, get out and get moving. “Too busy,” you say? Remember, only you can prioritize your health and wellness. You matter—make time for your health every single day. • Come to terms with the weight gain This doesn’t mean blaming yourself. Rather, be forthright about how and why it happened and pat yourself on the back that you’ve recognized it now—not later. There’s no need to beat yourself up. You have already done the hard part by recognizing some weight has crept back on. That in itself shows you are going to battle back. We encourage our patients at Sterling Surgicare to call us if they feel frustrated or defeated--everyone needs a pep talk now and then. Remember there are many people supporting you 24/7 in this effort. Life is filled with occasional side-steps and set-backs. It is part of making us who we are. Make a plan, regroup, recommit. You can do this.

One of the lessons you learn after weight loss surgery is that you are in charge of your health, diet and exercise program. The food no longer rules the roost--you do. The truth of the matter is no matter what the scale says, 110 or 310, everyone puts on a few pounds now and then. As a bariatric surgeon in New Jersey for more than 10 years, one of the biggest anxiety triggers for patients is weight gain. "That's it--it's over--I'm going to gain all the weight back." Of course that's not true. To get back on pace, I’ve listed a few essential steps to help get you back on track to dropping the pounds once again: • Go back to the beginning Post-surgery, you probably followed your healthcare team’s advice to the letter. But as time passed, and you looked and felt healthier, you may have started to deviate from those dietary and exercise guidelines. Pull out your notes and review the program guidelines that brought you this far. Get back on the scale once a week and fire up your food journal again. • Get thyself to the nearest support group ─ STAT Weight loss is a personal journey, but it doesn’t have to be a lonely one. Online support groups on BariatricPal.com are great secondary resources to live weekly or monthly groups with your bariatric doctor or hospital. There is support all-around you, reach out and take it. • Work it out Are you using the ‘too tired’ reason for missing a trip to the gym or 30 minute fast walk around the neighborhood? If you need energy, you know how to get it—get up, get out and get moving. “Too busy,” you say? Remember, only you can prioritize your health and wellness. You matter—make time for your health every single day. • Come to terms with the weight gain This doesn’t mean blaming yourself. Rather, be forthright about how and why it happened and pat yourself on the back that you’ve recognized it now—not later. There’s no need to beat yourself up. You have already done the hard part by recognizing some weight has crept back on. That in itself shows you are going to battle back. We encourage our patients at Sterling Surgicare to call us if they feel frustrated or defeated--everyone needs a pep talk now and then. Remember there are many people supporting you 24/7 in this effort. Life is filled with occasional side-steps and set-backs. It is part of making us who we are. Make a plan, regroup, recommit. You can do this.

Hi.... My name is Yelitza and I'm a type 1 diabetic. I have been a diabetic for 29 years. I've been on the insulin pump for 7 years. My weight prior to the pump ranged between 170-190 lbs. I'm 5'8". Ever since I've been on the pump my weight has been creeping up on me slowly. My highest weight was 258 on April 2 which was my first office visit with the bariatric surgeon. I'm currently at 242 with the help of trulicity. My endo has been talking to me about my weight gain for the past three years. I was on victoza prior and lost 30 pounds. I stopped taking it because I felt it wasn't having the same affect on me gained the weight that i had lost plus 15 lbs more. Now I have decided to take control of this addiction I have to food. I'm on my second of four visits that's mandated of my insurance for the surgery. I decided to get the sleeve because I feel I need restriction of how much I'm eating. My third visit is set for june 30. Then I'll have my last visit some time in july and then I will be on my way to get scheduled for a date for surgery. Hopefully by the end of August...fingers crossed!!! I'm excited yet scared...excuse me petrified...lol I have been carrying this extra weight and a burden along with it. I'm depressed, moody, exhausted and miserable. I WANT TO LIVE LIFE AGAIN... A HEALTHY ONE. My A1C is currently at 11. Before the pump I was at a 14. Then a year with the pump I got down to an 8 but it along with the weight has been creeping up. Well just gave you my whole life story... Lol.. Just wanna say thank you to all who post. I've been reading these forums for a couple of months now helping me make my decision.

Hi I had my gastric bypass 2 years in nov and i lost 9 stone. Recently ive noticed that i put back on a stone. ???? In the last year ive had half my kidney removed due to cancer and then my hubby of 24 years leaves me for someone else. I sold the house and brought myself a little flat but i think i may have slipped back to my old ways of eating as im eating more and starting to eat the wrong food and not eat it probably. Please can you help. Debs x

Hi, I am new here and was looking for someone to talk with. I had my surgery on Nov. 20, 2014. The first month i had real problems, I couldn't eat or drink with out bring it back up. I went for 36 days with out eating or drinking alot, finally drs did a EGD and opened up the bottom of my pouch, sorry for got to tell you I had the Rou - Y bypass surgery. After that I seem to do better I have lost 40 pounds before surgery on my own and have lost the rest after everything got fixed. My weight now is 195 pounds and i started out at 279. But as of now I have been on a two week stall no weight gained or losted and I am really upset about it because I don't have anyone to help me or talk to around here where i live. There isn't any support groups and when i call the hospital to talk to someone there isn't anyone I can talk to. I have to leave messages everywhere and it is getting to me i have been crying all the time and my husband don't know what to say to me. I walk about two miles a day and Water excercise twice a week. I am not good getting my water in or my Protein, it just seems so hard to do. I eat what I am to eat and don't eat in between and have my snack at night. I really need some help. Thanks for listening to me, if any one can help please tell me .

I agree with everyone I've read so far - definitely do your research. Like ShrinkingPeach & Miss Mac, I wanted the fewest complications and the least rerouting. I also suck at taking pills, and I haven't had to increase my Vitamins after the sleeve - my Protein shake has most of them in there. Five and a half months after surgery, I have lost 115 from my high weight and 72 from my surgery day.... my loss was very fast at first and has slowed to about 10 pounds per month because of crappy food choices and the fact that I was recently diagnosed with MS and now take a medication (Tecfidera) that is much less horrible when you eat it with 200 calories of fatty food twice a day. The Lyrica that was added to my routine at the same time has a side effect of weight gain - but it is worth slow loss not to hurt. I last weighed today's weight when I graduated from college the first time. I've been so busy and so stressed out that I haven't been smart in my food choices and my exercise has been pretty much walking to the car, to class, to work, to bed, to the bathroom, and repeat. I finish classes in one month, at which time my routine will totally change, and I anticipate making my goal well before the one year mark. I am so grateful that I had the sleeve, and glad that I chose it when I did.

I have been 150.4 all week... Then went on a 17 mile hike two days ago and since then my weight has been up to 153-154! I know better to freak out as I have had plenty of BP support reassuring me its my muscles repairing themselves and the weight gain is temporary. I didn't make goal... But I'm hiking 17 mile hikes!!!! Living life at goal! Loving life at goal! Now on to the next challenge to get me to my stretch goal! I just want to see the 140's... Even if it's just for one day!!!!

(I poated this on the pregnancy page as well in case youve seen it.) Im on depo birthcontrol and I think its causeing me from loosing weight. Im 196lbs ive lost 63lbs since October 30, 2014. So im about 7 months post op. My goal is 160 and I know i shouldnt compare to others but i feel like i should have lost more by now and be much closer to goal. Could it be my Depo? I know some side effects were always being hungry and i know people experianced weight gain (non WLS patients) and im always hungry! Thoughts?

Hi there. This is the time that you need patience and lots of work with your dr. I learned from reading these forums that weight gain after band surgery is normal! If your band isn't properly adjusted, then it's not dimming your appetite yet. I gained weight for the first couple of months after surgery, then I stopped gaining and maintained, and finally after about 5 months of getting fills (and a couple of unfills) every 3-4 weeks I finally found a comfortable spot where I was losing weight consistently. Good luck on your journey and do NOT be discouraged. It takes some time and work to get the band in the right spot. But for me, that flexibility and personalization was one of the reasons I chose the band.

So, it is said that some people who lose a lot of weight gain the self security and corresponding attitude within themselves to be more open to others of the opposite sex. Has anyone left their spouse or significant other because of their new weight loss?

My straw was a triple whammy. 1. Took my daughter to Alberta to play in the mountains and show her the trails I used to guide trips on when I was professional outdoor educator there. A hike I used to be able to do in 2 hours took me 5. I could barely make it up the steep inclines, the switchbacks - - my knees were screaming, I was out of breathe... I was very, very sad. And to think just 15 years before I had conquered these mountains effortlessly at 140 pounds. Here I was, 259 pounds. I felt nothing but shame and frustration as my weight gain was 100% my own fault. 2. Flew back to Ontario from that lovely but sad Alberta trip and really, truly needed a seatbelt extender, but BLOODY WELL REFUSED to get one, so I punished myself nicely for the 5 hour flight. Was tired and sore and uncomfortable for the duration, mentally beating myself up for letting myself get to that point. 3. Got home from the airport, put the laundry on, sat on a lawn chair in our lovely backyard... and it collapsed under my weight. I burst into tears and yelled obscenities for about a full minute. THAT WAS IT. First the hike, then the airplane, then this. I was DONE. I called a weight loss centre the next day and had a consult. The rest is history. Today, 5 months post-surgery (lap-band) I am down 45 pounds. My skin is clear, my eyes are bright. I walked 4 kms into town with my husband and it was EASY. No screaming knees, no shortness of breath. And as I write this I am sitting in another lawn chair - - - and it is holding up just fine, thank you!

Great advice, @djmohr...Hang in there, @pollywolly--you are definitely fighting a beast with the prednisone-hunger and weight gain are know side effects.

I've heard of the 3rd week stall! And guess how many weeks post op am I? Yep three weeks, but now my scale is saying am up a pound or two. And it's messing with my head! Is it because am on soft foods? Am feeling confused.

It does matter. They want to see no net weight gain.

HI! SOrry to hear about this incident. The band can definitely be quirky..filled or not. My band can get tighter when I am sick, when I go up in altitude..though the doc and his nurse thinkI am crazy because it is a "closed pressure" system..blah blah..but yeah whatever..I know what I feel!! WHen I got unfilled, I didnt know what to expect really. I had a really bad painful experience the first weekend..felt like air pressure was releasing and it sent me to ER. Turned out to be nothing..could have just been a release of pressure or air between the two parts of my stomach and the band..who knows. It was pretty scary how quick the weight piled on. The dietician just assumed I decided to go out and binge on all the things I could not eat beore like pizza and bread and yummy carbs! NOPE! I actually craved salad because that was always hard to get down. I didn't gorge..I am sure I was able to get in more calories than before...but I was not pigging out. It just piled on no matter what I did. I think our bodies hit a set point and when it can..it will try and get back to where it was before.. It is super easy to pile in calories..even if you are careful. I switched to water only..no calorie drinks other than milk in my Meal Replacement shake in the morning. Even counting calories and eating only what I SHOULD lose on I was gaining. The weight gain has stopped with an additional 45lbs on my body. Most of that was gained in the first few months! Yeah quick!! Right now I am bouncing up and down between a few lbs. That would be GREAT if I just wanted to maintain where I was! The worse part for me during the unfill period was having a normal person appetite again. The hunger pangs..I missed my loss of appetite from the band being filled. As I got refilled that finally has gotten back down to where I can forget about food for quite awhile. I am considering doing a pure liquid diet like HMR to control the calories I am taking in and get this weight off. It is not as easy as 48 as it was in my 30's when I was first banded. I would suggest REALLY watching your calories. Eliminate ALL caloric drinks and go to water only. No diet drinks either. I never liked fake sugars anyway..but stay as "pure" as you can without adding chemical crap to your body. Go to my fitness pal and enter your daily calories. Don't go off your maintenance weight calories..go off of calories for your body that you would need to LOSE on. If you see the scale going up rapidly, cut down further! It can be tempting to eat stuff that may have been hard while filled properly but don't tempt fate!!! So not worth it! I don't even want to think about how many hundreds of dollars I have spent on having to quickly replace an entire wardrobe in a few short months including expensive motorcycle gear! Sigh.. Best of luck with the band..praying for you that it is not anything serious and you can get refilled! Hang in there!!

you are just precious but the vicious cycle of depression/ weight gain/ fractured hip... loss of income.... im just too weak. I need surgical help

I too have a lap band. My band slipped last year and I am having it removed and converted to a sleeve. I have never regretted having my band even though I am having problems with it now. My only regret is I didn't make myself maintain my weight loss when all the saline had to be removed from my band so next week I begin this journey all over again. I am so afraid of weight gain again once I get the weight back off with the sleeve. I am wondering should I have went for the bypass?

After being overweight my entire life I decided to get the lap band in dec. 2012. I really wanted gastric sleeve surgery at the time, but my insurance didn't cover it and I felt bypass was "too extreme". My band never could get in the "green zone" and because I traveled for work, often times would be in horrible pain because due to cabin pressure the saline in my band would get tighter. I was miserable! After continually vomiting, uncontrollable acid reflux and weight gain I decided to switch surgical programs and seek new advice. My new doctor advised me on having a revision done and now my insurance approves the sleeve surgery. I thought about it a few months as I was hesitant with feeling like such a failure with the band. In fact I was quite open with my first surgery but people would say later "I thought you were supposed to lose lots of weight?". It just added to my feelings of failure and this round I'm being much more protective of who I talk to about it. I've not gotten a lot of support for my choice but hope by joining this group others will be able to understand my journey and share their own. I'm now going through the approval process and hope to get my sleeve at the end of June.

I am 2 1/2 years out. Weight loss was fast, relatively easy, and for two years was always down. Then something happened and I am now gaining weight - up 20lbs. Yes I am not eating perfectly, but the really scary thing is that I feel like something major has switched. Before if I strayed my weight would go sideways and then easily return its downward direction if I got back to eating right. Plus, my old, life time struggle with cravings and "needs" to eat and deprivation that was so beautifully on hold after surgery, seems to be back and like it was my whole life before surgery. Now no matter how little or much I eat, my weight will at best be flat but more than likely go up... That whole pattern of starting every day with the promise that I am going to eat right today, followed by uncontrollable craving and eventual snacking, and then feelings of hating myself and actual weight gain is back, like I never had surgery. I am really sad and discouraged. Two things that have changed that could be a factor but not really consolation are (i) I have been having insomnia for months which I hear (sleep deprivation) can effect hunger hormones, and (ii) I have been having regular abdomen pains, like hunger pain, gnawing feelings that docs say is acid - yet I am on tons of acid blockers (double dose prevacid, have tried tons of prilosec and others)...docs don't know what this is or what else to do - for me it is not normal heartburn, actually only thing that helps is eating...? I am seeing docs about this for past year, but they don't seem to have a clue. I exercise every day, a lot. I have cut all alcohol out since before surgery. What is happening? Is this just the way it goes after a few years? I have tried restarting everything, going back to basics, doing food diary and then with no improvements after days and uncontrollable cravings (like pre-surgery), I go back to snacking. I am getting into a very bad pattern and worry if I am just doomed to go back to where I was all my life. Plus - for the 1st time, I have gone up a notch on my belt and my cloths are getting tight....YUK! HELP....

Hello Lisa’s Hope! I was one of your caring supporters during your darkest days when you first lost your husband. It is so good to see your post today! Most importantly—although it might not feel like it to you, you HAVE made tremendous progress in clawing your way back from your devastating loss. I know sometimes I get so tired of people telling me how “resilient” I am. Do you ever feel that way too? But, I personally believe that our lost loved ones want us to honor them in the best way there is, and that is to live out our lives joyfully in peace, and in the present day, not stuck in the past or in what could have been. OK--about your weight regain. YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! Thousands upon thousands of people who go through far less traumatic experiences than you have REGAIN much more than 38 lbs. Some people LOSE a lot of weight during major emotional trauma. That’s who we are. Emotional humans. It doesn’t make us failures. I just want to share some of my thoughts with you because you've been through so much and I just wish you future happiness and contentment in your WLS life. Your post was really just venting and you didn't really ask for this advice, so I hope you don't find my post offensive. Have you thought about paying more attention to the negative talk you are telling yourself? It can really keep us weighed down (no pun intended) emotionally. Just a couple thoughts as you try to get yourself "Back to Basics:" The FIRST step to reclaim control of your eating habits is to BE KIND TO YOURSELF. The SECOND step is to focus on TODAY’s eating only. Not what happened yesterday. The THIRD step might be to actually sit down and make a written list of the exact foods that you KNOW are the biggest culprits that are most contributing to your weight gain. (This is a tough get-real moment for a lot of us). It might be that you need to go “cold turkey” and totally eliminate these foods until you reach your desired weight. Get them out of the house. Meanwhile, you find some acceptable substitutes for these foods so you don’t feel deprived. (Write the healthy substitute next to the culprit food.) For instance, you mentioned Fudgesicles—maybe find a recipe for frozen Greek yogurt drops. If you are near a Sams Club or Sprouts market, Fresh N Easy, check out Enlightened frozen bars—a satisfying 3.5 oz bar for Cal=80, Fat=2.5g,Carb=15g, Fib=5g, Sug=3g, Pro=9g. The FOURTH step is to be ready to commit to doing what it takes to consume your healthy 3 meals/2 Snacks per day, within your calorie/protein allotment. Do you have good bari recipes? Maybe visit www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com for starters. Yep, preparing 3 meals and 2 snacks is a lot of work, but we learn to be smart about it by planning ahead, cooking ahead, freezing portions, etc. Makes it almost painless! It is never too late to get rid of your old unhealthy eating habits and create the new, healthy habits and lifestyle that the long-term WLS patients use to maintain their weight. You most likely did not have the time and dedication to establish those good, solid habits back then because you were in the throes of dealing with your husband’s illness. So, now is YOUR time. (Fad) DIETS don’t work! (No disrespect to those who post on here who use the 5:2. I know many of you find it very useful—I’m not calling it “fad”). We had WLS so we don’t have to be on DIETS for the rest of our lives. I've found that the formula for WLS eating is really pretty simple: Use food as fuel and medicine for the body. Our bodys' cells and systems know how to process real, whole foods to keep our health and weight in balance. It does not know what to do with all the processed junk food that we feed it, and the results are very predictable (weight gain; potential for disease). You mentioned that you thought the sleeve would help you for the rest of your life. It does and it will always, and it is sitting there ready to help you. But you have to hold up your end of the bargain for the rest of your life. I’m four years out, and like you, I can definitely eat as much as I could before surgery. Yes, I am surprised about that. Yes, I get hungrier than I thought I would. No, I didn’t think that’s how it would be. But I also know that if I eat junky carbs (sugar), my appetite goes way out of control immediately for days after. So, it’s just plain not worth it to me. It IS a CHOICE that we all ultimately must make for ourselves. Do we want to consciously control our food choices for the rest of our lives—or—don’t we? You can replace your fear, Lisa, with your POWER, and you can begin to practice removing “I can’t” and “if only” from your vocabulary! YOU CAN. Period. I know there are so many people here for you...

I had surgery April 2014. At 5'7", my highest weight was 245 and I was 226 on the day I was sleeved. My surgeon's goal weight for me was 160 and today i am around 150-152. I started in a size 20 and I'm now in a size 6/8. My recovery was a breeze! I didn't have one single complication after my surgery. Trapped gas pain? Nope. Acid reflux? 14 months out, never had it or a reason to ever take the prescription medications. Heart burn? Nope. Throwing up? Nope. Dumping? Nope. Aversions to food? Nope. The only "real" issues were things you really can't avoid which are hair thinning between months 3-8 BUT by one year it all grew back in. I also had a hard time with vitamins, but found some awesome melt away kind and the problem was quickly resolved. The first 24 hours in the hospital I was cursing the BP community for not warning me. Coming out of surgery wasn't fun as I was nauseous from the medicine. Once it was out of my system, I was fine. I didn't need much in the hospital except my cell phone, charger, long extension cord, my own pillow and toiletries. The first 3 days at home were the hardest and after that I didn't feel like I had surgery at all. I was back at work by the end of two weeks. I could have gone back earlier (I sit for a living, it's not very active.) and honestly, I found the process harder having so much unstructured time at home and the ability to wander into the kitchen. The supplies you will need post-op are minimal. I went overboard and bought stuff I still have never used 14 months post-op (example: those sugar free torani syrups.) Don't laugh, but one of the most handy things I found to have was Dixie paper cups. They are the perfect size to measure a few ounces of cottage cheese and other food and then you don't have to wash endless dishes! Keep in mind that everyone's process is different. The scary thing for me is I couldn't imagine what it would feel like to have my stomach removed post surgery. You just feel full quicker at first after you eat. Some people get into trouble when they push their new tummies limits. I'm not sure why, but adjusting to a new lifestyle was easy for me. It's not to say it didn't have challenges. I didn't go out much to eat in public at first. Now 14 months out I can eat whatever I want. It's both a blessing and a curse. I was able to reach my goal weight within a year without issue and am now maintaining. For the first time in my life, I'm not really worried about weight gain. I love the fact that I never feel hungry. I love that I feel satisfied after a small amount of food. 14 months out I still have a great amount of restriction. I've never pushed this. I know my tummies capacity and stop eating well before then. It probably helped that I ate a pretty clean diet pre-surgery. I wasn't one to binge on Big Macs and never drank regular soda or any drinks with calories in them. Many of the "rules" this surgery requires I was already doing. Other rules I couldn't do before surgery, but after surgery it's really easy to do. For example, I had difficulty not eating/drinking at the same time before surgery. Now my tummy is so tiny that I can't drink while eating! I do still take tiny sips though! Do I follow the rules 100%? No way! I log everything into my lositapp on my phone and for me, having that accountability has been key. I pretty much eat whatever I want (in smaller quantity) BUT I find myself typically making healthy choices. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy dessert on occasion or other treat that I want. For me that's what makes this a lifestyle change vs. a diet. Good luck!