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My Dr. told me he didn't want me weghing only at his office. He said that way I wouldn' get discouraged if I had a weight gain.

You really have to do what you think is right for you. I know my weight issues started in my early 20's, when I got married and stop being active and that roller coaster ride with the weight is awful. I am "slightly older" than you :-), but serioulsy I felt the same way just so drained from my weight being a constant issue on my mind every single day. I did this too be healthy now, wish they would have had it when I was younger because I missed a lot of years just living, because of my weight. In your heart and head you know what is going to make you happy. It is a risk, life is full of them. I pray and leave it God's hands, but I wanted off the roller coaster of weight gain. Good luck I hope everything works out. My BMI was 34 and it was way lower post baby, but I gained the weight back and didn't want to start that all over again.

One last comment. I think that using 0 calorie beverages as a substitute for Water is workable to an extent but should be done in moderation. However, I have read quite a few articles regarding consumption of a high level of artificial sweeteners having a negative effect on health. Some people get headaches and start to feel achy or lethargic. If you are drinking a lot of 0 calorie "sweetened" beverages during the day but have not been feeling 100%, you might want to switch to primarily water for a couple of days to see if it helps. There have also been articles stating that artificial sweeteners are sometimes linked with weight gains in that it causes the body to crave more sugar. Anecdotally, most people I know that are significantly overweight are also diet pop-aholics (and that included me before banding and the pop restriction). I have actually started drinking things like mint tea completely unsweetened with a spot of creamer. It is hot, tasty, 0 calorie and there are no chemicals involved.

I totally relate to the frustration of stalls and even periods of weight gain that this graph shows. I found something that helped me deal with it the last time I was losing weight. There’s an app called a Happy Scale that uses statistical averaging to show you what your weight loss would be if you factored out the bloated days, etc. It gives you a smooth curve on the graph. It helped me a lot.

Before I got banded, I resolved to weigh myself once a month. In the past, I have weighed myself daily and if I didn't lose or if I (gasp!) gained, I would be so depressed I'd binge. I was terrified that it would happen again, so I didn't want to weigh myself too often and get obsessed. But then I got my band - and started weighing myself every day. It was addictive, because every single day, the number was lower than the day before. It was so thrilling to see the weight coming off so steadily. It gave me confidence that I am going to succeed in this. As the honeymoon phase came to an end, and the weight loss slowed down, I decided to weigh myself weekly, so I wouldn't be disappointed by not losing every single day. I have since learned my lesson. Now that I couldn't binge even if I wanted to, the scale has become a valuable tool for me. One of the reasons why I weighed 266 pounds is because I stopped paying attention to my weight and the poundage just kept creeping up and up. I'm never going to be "surprised" like that again, so not weighing myself isn't an option. Also, weighing myself weekly built up so much anticipation, that if I didn't lose weight, or lost a tiny amount like 0.2 lbs, I would be really disappointed and feel like all of my hard work was for nothing - which lead to skipping exercise and eating junk food for the next couple of days. Now I weigh myself in the mornings, when I've got too much restriction to drown my sorrows in vast quantities of food. Weighing myself daily rather than weekly keeps me from convincing myself it's ok to eat an entire box of graham crackers on Monday because I can diet for the rest of the week and still lose weight by Sunday's weigh-in. Monday always lead to Tuesday which lead to Wednesday, and then I'd have to fast for the rest of the week, which I could never pull off. Now, if I eat too much on one day, I see it on the scale and correct it the very next day. The cause and effect relationship between eating and weight gain is much clearer to me now. In a strange way, I find the daily fluctuations in my weight sort of comforting. Given the way I'm eating now, It is physically impossible for me to gain two pounds in one day. So if I'm 248 today and 250 tomorrow, I know that it's just a normal fluctuation and not actual weight gain. I know that not only will I succeed, but even if I do gain some weight back after reaching goal, I will be able to catch myself before it goes too far and becomes 20, 50, or 100 pounds. It's a good thing.

This surgery isn't new, it is the first part of a duodenal switch which has been around for a long time. A couple of facts about weight - Men generally have male pattern weight gain which gives them a spare tyre rather than an hour glass shape. After menopause women don't have as much oestogen so they accumulate weight around the middle whearas previously they may have gained it more around the hips. You can't predict or influence where you lose weight - the flat belly diet etc are all a load of hype for the purpose of selling books. It will come off where it wants too. You can influence your shape by targeting muscles in certain areas You can also reshape your body with plastic surgery if you can afford to Most people that are obese or morbidly obese have large stomachs to start with so even after weight has been lost it stands to reason that there will be an accumulation of fat and or loose skin in that area.

Oh man! What a night! My Mom came & spent the night with me last night. She was started on Ambien CR 2 weeks ago. Despite saying that she was sleeping great, she was still complaining of being tired & also complaining of having a unexplained weight gain. When my Dad dropped her off last night he chuckled & told me that Mom had gotten up yesterday morning & chewed him out for eating her piece of cake (she likes the middle pieces). He proceeded to tell me that he watched her get up at 1am & eat a huge piece of chocolate cake. She is sleep walking & eating in her sleep!!!!! How scarey is that? :der: It doesn't end there. I had about 8 hours sleep in the past 2 previous nights. We went to bed at midnight. At 1:30am she woke me up asking where my chocolate & Cookies were. I said, "MOM. I don't have any chocolate or cookies." She insisted that I had to have something in the house. She ended up making cinnamon toast in the microwave! (I have a oven & a toaster oven). :help: So after she eats she calms down. I went back to bed. 2:15 - She wakes me up & says, "Here's the flashlight." At this point I know what's going on so I just say thanks. I layed it on my night stand & fell back asleep. 2:30 - She wakes me up & asks for the flashlight. :censored: sometime between 2:30 & 2:45 - She climbs into bed with me (Lonnie's out of town). I wake up to her talking to someone. She has the phone. I hear her say, "HI! What are you doing? Are you ready to get up & go to work?" (she thinks she is talking to my Dad). She dialed the wrong number :bored . She hangs up & says, " I don't know who that was! It was some woman!" I explained that she dialed the wrong number. She insists that I dial her number so she can talk to my Dad & find out what's going on! I did. I hand her the phone & hear her say, "May I speak to Reggie!?" Then she says, "Who was that woman!?" I hear the callwaiting beep - the woman she woke up has caller ID & has called me back. I don't know what Dad said, but she handed the phone to me. I explained what was going on & he just dies laughing. He tells me that she called him at 10:00, 2:00 & @ 2:30-2:45. I found out today that she also called him at 4:00 & 6:00.:eek: My Mother also has a unique gift. She can make a clicking noise with her mouth while it is closed. She did this ALL NIGHT LONG!!! She sounded like she had F***ING CRICKETS IN HER MOUTH!! I even asked her if she had crickets in her mouth. She just smiled & proceeded to click. We call her & my Grandma "Clickin' & Lickin' ". Grandma has a annoying habit of licking her lips loudly. CONSTANTLY! We named them this after riding with them in our backseat for 10 hours to & from Illinois. But I digress............ After that she stayed in bed & EVERY TIME I TURNED OVER SHE ASKED ME IF I WAS READY TO GET UP!!!!!! I finally told her that I wasn't getting up until 10:00am. At 8:30am she asked me if I was ready to get up. I asked her what time it was. She replied, "10:00." :puke: I got up. I'm out of cigarettes. I get dressed & tell her where I'm going. She decides she wants doughnuts & coffee. We get home & she eats a half of EACH of the doughnuts in the box. I bought her one of every kind that they had ( I didn't want that arguement if I had gotten the wrong kind - 12 total). She was saving the other half of each for me.:puke: After this she passed out for about 4 hours. She got up & got ready just as happy as can be. I told her what happened last night & she threw the Ambiens down the toilet. Beware of Ambien CR!!!! It's funny now, but I was ready to choke her.

Hi, I need help! I had the sleeve in March of 2015. About a year ago I started gaining weight back. I've gained about 25 lbs back. I recently got a personal trainer and have been working out consistently for 2 months. The problem is the scale hasn't moved. My trainer focuses on strength training. So 4 of the 5 days we workout we are lifting and 1 day is cardio for about 30 minutes. He wants me to eat more because of this but physically I can't ( you guys can relate). He wants me to eat more than 1200 calories a day but I'm only getting in about 600. Maybe 700 or 800 on a good day. I just need advice. I don't know if I should cut back on the strength training or revamp my eating (which I don't know what I should do with my eating). I just want to lose the weight I gained so that I can feel better in my body like I did year 1 and 2 after surgery. Any advise who would! Thanks in advanced.

I'm also 3 weeks post-op (5/16). While I'm not cleared for lifting, I know that walking is just fine. That's probably a great type of exercise to start with. Don't dwell over that 3lb weight gain just yet. And remember that losing weight, 80% is diet, 20% exercise. There are some that get to goal with very little exercise. And I know telling you now to dwell on that 3 lbs is crazy to actually do! Also, remember that at 3 weeks, it's the time when most have their first stall... the body is catching up with all of the loss. Could that time of the month be playing into the weight gain? Have you been drinking enough Water? How long has the 3 lbs been around?

Jaime “Pandora” Williams has not had anything handed to her. She has worked hard for everything she has, including every pound of her 250-lb weight loss. From weight loss surgery and overcoming food addiction to figuring out how to deal with her father’s death to paying for training for a new career, Pandora has kept moving forward and earned her spot as one of our weight loss surgery heroes. Throughout it all, she has kept her determination to help others. She has shared every step of her journey on her Desperately Seeking Slender blog, and has made a career as a weight loss and wellness coach. Find out how Pandora Williams, who was “Desperately Seeking Slender,” turned her life around and is helping others do the same! Struggling with Weight from Childhood to Early Adulthood Pandora comes from a family that did not eat healthy. They ate fast food often, and home cooked meals were likely to be tacos, pot roast and potatoes, and other high-calorie foods. She remembers father loving his sweets, and her mother struggled with weight gain and obesity after quitting smoking. With a diet of cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets, not surprisingly, Pandora had been overweight since childhood. She hit the 400-lb. mark 4 years after graduating high school, and also had chronic depression, diabetes, and sleep apnea. Atkins and intense exercise helped her get down to 225 lbs. before getting married, but the weight came back after marriage. Weight Loss Surgery and a New Lifestyle Pandora wanted weight loss surgery, but put it off for a few years because she couldn’t afford it. She got serious when her health insurance began to cover it, and got the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in 2010. She chronicled her entire weight loss journey on her blog. She lost 100 pounds by December of 2010, 200 pounds six months later in June of 2011, and entered “Onederland” (under 200 pounds) in October of 2011. Now, she maintains a weight of 165 lb. – quite a difference from her highest BMI of 69.9! Needless to say, she threw away the old habits of eating a half-gallon of ice cream or a dozen tacos. She worked hard to overcome her food addiction. Portion control and measuring were new behaviors she had to follow. Now, five years post-op, she is able to get away without writing down every bite when things are going right. Still, she keeps herself on track by food journaling and calorie counting the second she is unsure of herself, whether because of a jump on the scale or a high-sodium day. Pandora follows a carb cycling plan where she eats higher and lower amounts of carbs on alternating days. She’s an exercise addict, and that also helps her keep her weight in check. Body Image and Reconstructive Surgery Despite maintaining a healthy weight and feeling more confident in overcoming her food addiction, Pandora says her body image is a bit of a struggle. She has had 6 rounds of reconstructive surgery, and still has trouble accepting the mistakes she made in the past with her body and health. A Life-Changing Letter to Chris Powell! By August of 2012, Pandora’s weight was well under control, but she was not satisfied with that. She wanted to help others do the same. She knew she had the “the passion, desire to help, and love” for people who were struggling with their weight, because she knew exactly what they were struggling with. What she needed was help figuring out how to help them, and she just couldn’t get in touch with someone who could guide her. Then, in August of 2012, Pandora wrote a letter to Chris Powell, the celebrity trainer on “Extreme Makeover.” After some persistence, she managed to get her letter to him, and she received a reply! He posted an encouraging message on Facebook, and that was enough to keep her motivated. Since then, she has had a couple more interactions with him on social media – including an encouraging message when she was feeling down – and was able to meet him in Hollywood at the Extreme Makeover Finale. She considers him and his wife Heidi an inspiration. A Day in the Life Between taking care of herself and helping others be the best they can be, Pandora is very busy! Here is a typical day in her life. 8:00 a.m. Wake up, food prep, get ready for work. Coffee, coffee, coffee! 9:30 a.m. Arrive at the gym. May do a 4 to 5-mile run or take a group exercise class like yoga before work. 10:30 a.m. Breakfast: Quest protein bar. 11:00 a.m. Start work - working the front desk and doing either one-on-one training or weight loss/wellness coaching sessions. 12:30 p.m. Lunch: Veggies (cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots): about five of each and either some low-sodium turkey breast with low-fat Swiss cheese or some hard-boiled egg whites filled with chicken salad made with a Greek yogurt base and green onions. 2:30 p.m. Snack: Usually a container of Greek yogurt or some homemade steel cut oats from home. 3:00 p.m. Leads a weight loss boot camp group training session with light weights and cardio – usually works out with the group. 5:00 p.m. Snack: Usually a piece of fruit like an apple or an orange, or a banana on higher-mileage days. 7:00 p.m. Leads a weight loss boot camp group training session with light weights and cardio – usually works out with the group. 8:30 p.m. Finishes running for the day if she didn’t get in an early morning run or get more than 5 miles already that day. 10:00 p.m. Home/Shower/Dinner: usually a lean protein like baked chicken or turkey and steamed veggies. Uses spices and changes the vegetables a lot for variety. Includes a serving of brown rice, couscous, quinoa or whole wheat pasta on days she eats carbs. 11:00 p.m. Snack: Usually Greek yogurt, no sugar added ice cream sandwich, a frozen protein bar, or an extra-thick protein shake. 12:00 a.m. Bedtime Pandora tries to run longer distances after work if she doesn’t get to work out during her weight loss boot camp classes. Her days off on Sundays and some Thursdays may include an extra kickboxing class, a spin class, or a run over 10 miles. New Lifestyle, New Career, and Paying It Forward. As a morbidly obese high school graduate, Pandora had been limited in her career options. She made a living working from home at jobs such as customer support and data entry. Since losing weight and getting healthy, she has thrown herself into something she is passionate about – helping others get and stay healthy through lifestyle. Now, Pandora works as a weight loss and wellness coach at a ladies-only fitness facility gym, and has earned multiple certifications in the fitness and coaching industry. She also pays it forward as a weight loss surgery advocate. She has spoken at the Obesity Action Coalition and Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America (WLSFA), as well as at other bariatric support clinics and groups. She publishes articles regularly, including here on BariatricPal! You can follow Pandora on Desperately Seeking Slender and on Facebook and Twitter @SeekingSlender.

That's interesting that you both brought up Thyroid issues. I actually have a condition called Hoshimotos Thyroiditis which is basically a disease where my thyroid gets attacked by antibodies until the thyroid doesn't function at anymore. And they won't treat me for it unless they catch it when it's low. It's described as a lightbulb going out sometime it flickers on and off but eventually it goes off. Anyway all of the doctor's I've talked to seem to think that an underactive thyroid maybe causes 15 pounds weight gain at the most. I'm not sure I believe it but at the same time it never had any bearing as to whether I'd get the surgery or not. Regardless of my thyroid, I know that 4 pregnancies and eating too much are the culprits for my weight gain.The problem is is that I NEVER feel full and when I have tried to restrict portion sizes I feel like I'm starving, then I'm just cranky and mean, so I'm excited to finally have it done and feel full for once. My husband and my step mom have both had it done. My husband lost about 100 pounds in the first year. He hasn't lost much since but he's not good about getting his fiils, doesn't exercize and drinks soda and water with his meals. I know he would have lost more if he'd continued doing it. Anyway, Dr. Alldredge said that on average patients that he's seen lose about 50% percent of their extra weight. I decided that even if that was the case with me I'd be happy with that. Also, I think that if someone has an underactive thyroid and they think that it is the only reason they are overweight then I can see why they wouldn't get the surgery. But if someone also has clear food issues and it's possible thats the main reason that they are overweight then I don't see how having a low thyroid would make a difference. Anyway, thanks for your responses. It's great to see the progress you are all making!

For blue shield I had to go once a month for 6 months to the surgery doc office and meet with someone to satisfy the requirements for the insurance company to approve the surgery, and show no weight gain. After the 6 months and I had all the testing done they required, stress echo, endoscopy, it was only about 2-4 weeks before all was approved and scheduled a date. i am sure some are quicker and some may be longer. Good luck

I have just been approved by Aetna for the Realize Band. I read our policy closely and saw that I needed to have 5 years worth of medical records showing how much I weighed and blood pressure, and so on. I went to the doctor all the time and all they want to see is that you have had a constant weight gain, loss, and so on. My weight only fluctuated by a few pounds. I obtained a copy of my chart back to 5 years. I checked that off my list. Next, I had to show that I had other issues and that I was being treated for it. I am being treated by the following: high blood pressure, sleep apnea (I use CPAP); if you have not had a sleep study, the surgeon may order that; reflux; and joint issues. The surgeon I went to has a nutritionist, exercise physiologist, RN, and psyc nurse on his staff. I went once a month for 3 months because my insurance requested it. I only had to see the psych person one time initially. Make a list or if your surgeon's office has one, get the list and work your way down the list. Surely, your surgeon's office has a staff that can help you successfully make this happen. Donna

I used to be a size 8 then with weight gain I went up to a 9 1/2 and now back to an 8

I haven't been to the doctor for about a 2 months i haven't lost any weight. I was on all kinds of depression medication and stopped taking everything. I know that weight gain is a side effect of stopping medication like that, however I'm scared my doctor is going to get mad that I haven't lost any weight. I have an appointment today to get a fill, I just don't want the doctor to get at me or deny me a full... Has anyone else went through this?

I'm having surgery next Monday (4/11) with Dr. Almanza. I know that if my lap-band is eroded that he won't do the sleeve. So what are the symptoms of an eroded band? I am super nervous because I will be driving all the way from Arkansas to San Diego to do the surgery. I don't want to get down there and be super disappointed because I can't have the sleeve done... I have had weight regain in the past few months. I have regained about 35 lbs in 3 months! It started when I went in for a fill and the doctor dug around and dug around before taking me to x-ray to see why he couldn't access my port. He informed me it was turned around backwards and he sent me home. That was on a Friday. By Sunday I realized I could eat absolutely anything and everything in huge amounts. I've also had minor port pain ever since this happened. So can anyone tell me what might have happened? Could this weight gain be erosion or did my dr do something?

Have you gals read Alex's book about the Lapband? I know I did, I proudly can say that 11 pages in the book are from me. They have me as Ilene from Ny and Florida. I never had a support group to go to as other gals do. After almost five years with the Lapband, I just live my life. I used to dwell on food all the time and even got chewed out by someone with a history like mine. I was so mad that I un friended her. But she was right. I now think of exercise every day, the food is secondary to me. I am 66 years old now and it took me 15 months to lose 86 lbs. at this time, I gained 27 lbs because. Last year I had 8 surgeries on my legs. And I was unable to exercise or walk much. Then 7 months ago my brother died, and I have been depressed and sad. A combo of stress, lack of sleep, no exercise and a band that needed some un filling created a weight gain for me. I now have a new doc and I am in the green zone . I am on my way. I am telling you this because sometimes life pops in and all the planning you might have done can mess things up. Rome was not built in a day. Hugs to all.

Miralax was a no for me, which is weird because people sing it's praises. I took it in my AM coffee for almost a month, thinking the extreme stomach expansion and weight gain it caused would get better - but it never did. I gained 6 lbs of water and looked pregnant while I was on it - it was insane. My pants didn't fit, haha. I think most people's systems respond fine to it, but mine did not - came back off of it and bam, everything was normal again. I drink a TON of water every day (120 oz), and still need bathroom help - so I put fiber in my coffee, these days. It helps really well, as long as I get my water in, as well!

Fedz, We need to talk ASAP!! You and I almost have the same exact story!! Dr. Geiss banded me in July 2007 and I have lost 56 lbs. He implanted the 4cc band at that time. That 56 lb weight loss came with exercise, weight watchers, weight gain and loss, etc. I'm not going to give up so I decided to have a revision done in November because my band is maxxed out to 4cc. I got fill after the fill with some restriction but I never got that "sweet spot" feeling that many banders talk about. There's no room for anymore fills with my current band. We REALLY need to talk. I want to give you my phone number.

I'm 4 years out and I am just now starting to feel a lot of hunger again. I hate it. Like everyone else, weight gain really freaks me out. I have clothes that don't fit me anymore and it really makes me very sad. I think it would be a little bit easier if I were younger. I am just plain tired. I can't do the amount of exercise I used to be able to do. My neck and spine hurt all the time. I do go to a support group, once a month. The nutritionist comes to the meetings, and he says exercise is not the key. Eating right is the key. It's very hard to eat tiny portions now. I am trying to eat more vegetables and salads but I am so tired of all of this. I have been dieting all my life. It's really difficult to order a salad while friends and family are eating pizza. I'll keep plugging along though. I still have my tool and I know the basics. I just hope that's enough to keep maintaining.

Thank you Vicki! Ya my BMI is 39.5 or something so I am definitely in the range, I have just read what seems to be horror stories with Kaiser doctors, because seriously, when I went through my PCOS diagnosis and they couldnt explain the pains I was having and it took them about 3 months to finally diagnose me with it. I just dont want to have to do a round about with this doctor! Hopefully he will agree with my decision to want this procedure! I am definitely willing and definitiely ready! I do have a great deal of depression since my weight gain, and have struggled with maintaining weight since Hs! So hopefully it will be an easy process for me! Thanks for replying I really appreciate it!

Hi everyone, I've been reading for a while but never posted. I am currently 3 appointments away from completing all my pre-surgery requirements. My Dr. says I need to drop 14lbs before surgery. I was wondering if any of you have had their thyroid removed? I had mine taken out about 7 years ago and my weight gain just escalated from there. My concern was the 14lbs but so far I'm doing great. I don't have a surgery date yet and have started seriously cutting back. No sodas, very minimal carbs, Protein drinks during the day and a very light high Protein meal for dinner. I've lost 8lbs in 6 days. I worry about how I'll do after surgery and if anyone has heard how those with no thyroid do after surgery. Its typically extremely hard for me to lose even a few pounds. Thanks for any feedback and good luck to everyone.

Sure you can eat them, but in the interest of health and weight loss (as well as maintenance), it's always best to rely on real, whole foods: snacks like tuna, avocado, nuts, eggs, lightly roasted chickpeas, plain Greek yoghurt (or pudding made from plain Greek yoghurt mixed with protein powder), etc. Most protein bars are essentially candy bars: they're ultra processed, high in calories, low in vitamins and minerals, often high in sugars and/or fats and salt, and most are full of sugar alcohols that can cause stalls and even weight gain for people trying to lose weight. If you read around this forum and on other weight loss and WLS forums, you'll find that they're also a "slippery slope" for some in that they can lead to pretty intense cravings for bad carbs. The only thing that really separates them from candy bars is protein content. If you're craving a treat but would like to combine it with a quick hit of protein, it's very easy to make your own protein bars or balls. There are loads of recipes online; just search around for the healthier ones that don’t contain added fats and oils, added sugars including dates or dried fruits, etc. They take only a few minutes to make, and the nutritional profile is far healthier than any of the commercially made ones.

You are far, far from alone. You've found a great place to hang out and bounce thoughts and ideas around with folks that have been where you are. It absolutely sucks to not have family support. That is something that is beyond your span of control. Right now it's time to rally and focus. Don't worry about things that you have no direct control over. Simply take care of the details that you can.....such as getting all your ducks in a row leading up to surgery.....following your eating plan and getting your mind wrapped firmly about the changes that you're making to claim your health. Any type of surgery has risks. I've heard the spiel each time I went under for repairs to my knees, ankle, hernia repairs and etc. Each time I woke up feeling relieved that it was over and all that was left was to heal and recover. I'm a special kind of stupid, though, in that I'm always tearing something up in some misadventure or another. Oh well......having fun has it's risks, too. Nothing is as risky as living at the weight I was last year, though. The Grim Reaper's shadow was creeping over me. Stroke, heart attack or worse was a real threat. Now......nothing could be further from my mind. The sleeve was a gift. The benefits it has delivered have been rolling in ever since. It starts with small things....scale moving in a great direction, clothes getting loose, aches and pains subsiding.......then it leads to other events.......having blood pressure go into normal range, after falling into "low" range briefly....lol at those low bp feels....never before had I experienced it. I was at Best Buy reaching down to get a CD from the lower shelf and I almost.....almost blacked out. It took a huge effort to get upright and breathing. Turns out my bp meds and the 3 week post-sleeve weight loss had joined forces bigtime. Funny stuff. I will wager this for you...........Those unsupportive folks will change their tune once they see your resolve. They will see that you aren't waiting around for a miracle, but taking steps and applying your effort and focus to make this happen. They can't help but be impressed by your dedication and work. It takes dedication and effort on your part of the sleeve to work. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The stuff about being able to eat anything the first year and still lose lots of weight is bullcrap. It may apply to some.....but not to everyone. Eating the right foods is the crucial part for me. Sugars and starches will cause my losing to stop and weight gain to occur. I know this because I've had it happen last month. No.....losing weight takes effort on your part.....with or without wls. Once your family sees you putting forth this effort every single day.....and your weight coming off......they will most likely come around to supporting you. Don't hold your breath, though......just do your thing. Get healthy and reap the benefits of getting there. You'll find your stride and never look back. I have nothing but respect for you making this change. You are young and have a great life waiting for you. Don't sweat the pre-op diet and post-op first weeks......simply stick with the plan and work through it. It's a brief phase and you'll get on to losing very quickly if you stick with it. Go buy a full length mirror and get ready to see the progress....take lots of pictures along the way so you'll never forget what happens if you don't stay with the plan......and then look back and see how far you came and how good you feel. You've got this. Your new life is waiting......

Nobody has been tracking the results of the sleeve as a WLS that long yet. Give it a bit more time. I'm not certain but when I was researching I think someone posted a five year study - you might do some searching and see if you can find anything on VST about it. Regain is possible with any surgery. The big benefit the sleeve has over bypass (what most people are probably thinking of when they talk about regain) is that there isn't a honeymoon phase or window where loss is easiest. Once you're sleeved and healed, your capacity only increases a small amount. Unlike a short window where malabsoption is guaranteed, or a pouch that is likely to stretch (or a band that requires fills and unfills, for that matter), your sleeve is going to restrict you immediately after surgery and for the rest of your life. I am two years out and maintaining beautifully. I'm currently pregnant and while I have hormone bloat and the start of a rounded tummy, I'm not having a problem with weight gain (nothing more than I'd expect at this point) despite the fact that my capacity is increased now that I'm pregnant. All surgeries come with the risk of regain. Using the sleeve like a diet that will someday end is the biggest cause of regain I've seen - people just stop being diligent at goal and fall into denial about bad habits, ones they didn't fix while losing in the first place. That said, I have seen very few regain posts in the three years I've been here. I've seen plenty of "I got out of control over the holidays and gained a few but took it off quickly" posts, though. If you weigh daily in maintenance and actually learn how to eat like a healthy, normal person during the first few months post surgery, there is no reason you can't reach goal and maintain for life. ~Cheri