Eating whatever you want? Loving that super full feeling?

[CowgirlJane 14,260]

I will be 3 years out in December and have been posting on this and another sleeve forum for about 3 years. My perspective comes from my experiences, but also from gleaning much from others.

So, now I think I have a better grasp on your question too.

I absolutely could not have done this without the sleeve. IT has been an amazing "tool" for me. I went through a fairly long period of time when food lost all appeal. You will often see posts of people lamenting how food tastes bad now, it is such a bother to eat, will I ever love life again sort of thing. THAT is a golden opportunity time to change some habits, break some addictions and really think about the role that food should play in your life. The sleeve gives you a reprieve, a window of time where you physically cannot eat as much and for most of us, don't really even want to eat.

I had a few occasions during the first 6 months I was sleeved of vomiting (maybe 2-3 times) due to eating too fast. It happened because a certain "compulsion" to shovel food overtook me and it didn't take much for my tummy to toss it back...ha.

Don't rely on that though.

For most people - that all changes one day. Your appetite returns. Food starts tasting dang good again. If you aren't careful, you start to learn "how" to overeat again.

So, I hope this is a more thorough explanation. for me, the sleeve gave me a reprieve from that 24/7 DRIVE for food I used to have. I lost alot of weight. I liked it, i like how i feel, how I look, how athletic I have become, how my life has changed. Now, coming up on my 3 year anniverary in 4 months - I would say that maintenance is alot more about that motivation than the contrainsts my tummy puts on me. I still have very good restriction and am not going around starving all the time - but - I know how to overeat with the sleeve. If you read posts on the veterans forums, you will realize that MANY people know how to overeat with their sleeve.

Once you have been obese, it doesn't take "much" overeating to start regaining. That is our reality - we still have the disease of obesity and the weight would love to come back!

For now, I am doing good, very happy with my sleeve and maintaining well - cautiously optimistic about my long run results!