Why Getting Sleeved was the Biggest Mistake of My Life

[LipstickLady 25,682]

Let's start with some stats about me: Female, age = 27, height = 5'3", was sleeved 3 years ago when I was 24. Highest weight ever = 210 and weighted 198 on surgery day, reached 147 pounds eight months post-surgery and for the past year have been gradually gaining weight, currently at 172.

Now why the title of the post?

I wasn't that heavy to begin with: If you're not that overweight (below 250 pounds or so, for someone with my stats, for example), I highly do not recommend getting sleeved or having any other gastric surgery for that matter. It seriously is not worth it because you can probably lose the weight gradually without the aid of such a drastic permanent surgery and have better results maintaining your success in the long run - I will explain why shortly.

On a side note, please realize that this surgery is permanent. Going in, I was so fixated on losing weight that I didn't have the wisdom or foresight to really understand that fact. After losing weight and even looking like you were never obese, guess what? You will forever eat restricted portions and have acid reflux (which many people develop after surgery and have to be on medication), along with any other side effects/complications the surgery caused.

I was/am young: If you're in your 20s or somewhere below 45, I also do not recommend this surgery since our bodies can lose weight easier when we are at a young age. So please reconsider. And now for the grand finale and the biggest reason that enticed this post, and I'm quoting this article to effectively get the point across:

We all know that there are 3,500 calories in one pound of fat. That means that by reducing your food by 500 calories per day, you should lose one pound of fat per week, right? Wrong! Actually, much of the weight you'll lose will come from muscle tissue, not fat! Why? Because your body tends to use ("excess") muscle tissue for needed energy before it reclaims fat deposits.

For example, starting at 198 pounds post-sleeve, I lost 18 pounds the first month after surgery - Do you think that was all fat? Definitely not!

The answer to long term success is to take your time with fat loss, and either preserve or build muscle tissue by integrating scientific weight training, mild aerobics, dietary manipulation, supplementation and other technologies into your lifestyle.

Here is an example from the article linked above: Let's say a person cuts calories without exercise for 6 weeks - Their starting weight is 200 pounds with 30% body fat. Their lean muscle mass is at 140 pounds and they have 60 pounds of fat. Now after dieting for those 6 weeks by cutting calories and not engaging in exercise/weight training, the person's end weight is 170 pounds, losing 30 pounds; a great accomplishment in 6 weeks, right? No, it's not, because the person is still at 30% body fat - now having 51 pounds of fat (leaving them with 119 pounds of muscle). The general idea here is that if a person cuts 500 calories per day from their diet, but fails to exercise, they may lose 30 pounds in 6 weeks, but their body fat remains at 30%. They lose 21 pounds of muscle and only 9 pounds of fat. That's 70% of the weight coming from your lean muscle mass! They will yo-yo back up to 200 in no time (within 1-2 years according to information compiled during the Congressional investigation into the fat loss industry). However, in doing so, they will be 35% body fat instead of their original 30%. Why? They never regained all of the lean tissue they lost as a result of their crash dieting earlier.

We all know that as we age, we lose muscle mass, and that muscle mass (though it weighs more) looks much better on our body than fat. So 2 people can be the same height and have similar body shapes and weigh the same, but because of their different body compositions, one can look significantly thinner (and ultimately enjoy better health) vs. the other.

I feel so sad realizing how big of a mistake it was to get sleeved - especially 3 years later and when it's way too late. I know exactly how it feels to be desperate, to have tried every diet out there and failed, to be so done with counting calories and not losing enough, then failing to maintain and gaining all of the weight back with interest. But the truth is, I am happy I realize my mistake and I am willing to admit it. In a society that is so poor on nutritional knowledge and a corrupt food industry, it is incredibly difficult to manage our nutrition and fitness alongside our busy schedules. But guess what? There are no shortcuts to being successful in life, and that's what the sleeve harshly taught me. You want to live with only 15-20% of your stomach and eat 4-6 ounces of food at a time? Forever? Sure, that's how I am living currently and will forever unfortunately, but is it truly a permanent solution? You'll never need to diet again? Obviously not, I lost 51 pounds after getting sleeved, then gained 25!

Rules are rules and when you go over your caloric intake, sleeved or not, you will gain weight, especially when you have an extensive past history of yo-yo dieting (most of us gastric patients fall under this category) and you have ruined your body's normal/healthy muscle-to-fat ratio. I've seen some people who are sleeved go from 210 pounds to 120 pounds in 10 months - Is that great? I don't know... Think about it. Their body composition is probably terrible! So many people on here (including myself) say things like, well, at least I look good in clothes… You’re thin on the scale but you will have loose skin and won't look or feel good about yourself. It's like you always put your life on hold because you're obese and now you are doing the same because your body is ugly (I’m talking about myself before anyone else here).

You're in your 20s but people who are 40 look way better than you! Why? Because it's not about LOSING, it's about GAINING muscle mass. It's what will help you burn more calories, even in your sleep. Lose weight by controlling your calories (increasing your Protein intake, adding complex carbs, and limiting fat) - and maintain your success in the long run. Muscle looks better and will carry you through old age - You don't want to look frail with loose skin when you're only 30 or so. It may be the difficult way and it may be hard to accept because you're frustrated and desperate - I WAS THERE! And sadly, I am still there now. But maybe the natural way is the best in the long run. I know how it feels to be desperate and just wanting to live a normal life - I decided to have the surgery and 2 weeks later, I was in Mexico and sleeved - Stupidest and most stubborn decision I ever made.

What I am pleading here as advice to you is to think twice about what's right for you and your body - the only place you will ever have to live and the greatest instrument you will ever possess... Develop the right habits and gain muscle because if you don't and you get sleeved, you will eventually gain all of the weight back. 2/3 of your arms for example are your triceps - so many sleeved women complain about this area - well guess what? Getting sleeved didn't help - probably lost 70% muscle of whatever total weight you lost in your arm, resulting in loose skin and a terribly fat-looking arm. Weight training and developing good nutritional habits truly is the answer. Don't eat out or have any junk. Start with tips and tricks from websites like eatthis.com - and cook simple meals and eat freely without pain or embarrassment (I can't even burp, I do this weird whooshing sound - awkward) and trust me, you will be successful and you will look better than anyone who got sleeved and did just that. I understand some people on here did this whole sleeve thing the right way and worked out as early as they were able to - I am not attacking you - Good for you! This is just my humble opinion and advice for those considering and thinking like me, that this is an easy way out or they won't ever need to diet again, or they don't need to workout, etc. If I can help one person visiting this forum realize what’s in this post before getting sleeved, then that would bring me so much happiness. I wish I would have run into a similar post, truly thought about it and gave the dream of a healthy life one last sober try remembering the sad story of that person – but I will redeem myself – for once and for all.

Since we are editing and deleting posts, saving for posterity.

[laguerr13 993]

I don't care

, let me call it what it is bull****!!!!! First of your post is very misleading and you chose to omit certain parts of how you gained the weight back, but more detrimental is the fact that your sources about "muscle loss" are misleading and down right wrong, there are variables as to why people lose muscle mass, age, sex, genetics etc..... I have lifted weights for over 25 years, and when I had my sleeve done I chose to research about keeping muscle and taking Proteins, I can pull stats all day to counter what you are saying, but how bout this instead, you are in no way qualified and in fact may cause someone wanting to have the surgery to see your post and say no, when you light a match make sure your not in the middle of a gas station, one of the last people I spoke to had her surgery 2 years prior and had gained 75lbs back and had complications, when she told me I shouldn't have it I had already spoken to her sister at work and her truth was totally different, she NEVER intended to do anything past having her surgery, and had been back to many of her old habits before 1 year was even over!!!!!!

Maybe the surgery never worked for you, but you had no right to throw that crap on here, we will never know what really happened will we????

Only you and God really know, how's this for stats, when I wanted this I researched for two years and found this remarkable

90% of people who claimed complications and failure, never followed through with post surgery regimens

5% due to incompetent surgeons

5% due to complications from surgery

Hhhmmmm??????

As for me Since June 10th I've lost over 48lbs, my BMI is at 47.8, down from 59, and I've gained 4lbs of muscle mass, if your stats were a boat it would sink....... Too any holes in your story!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll sit back and relax cause I love to leave It to Karma!

Edited July 31, 2015 by laguerr13

[laguerr13 993]

I am deeply saddened that this has brought down the IQ of us as a whole by at least 3 points...........sheesh I have to go outside I'm still smelling it in here.....

Edited July 31, 2015 by laguerr13

[Rovobay 920]

[p1Sz 52]

I don't understand why the response to the original post is so vitriolic. I for one can't agree or disagree with much of the post because it's her personal experience. She thinks she rushed into this? Maybe she did. That's for her to decide and own and seems like she is.

What I do disagree with is the factual assertions. I don't think they are supported by any medical evidence. I'm not aware of any studies, for example, that support the idea of extreme muscle loss caused by WLS.

There may be a time in the future when WLS is not needed. There may be a time when the food industry is reined in. There may be a time when children aren't set on the path of obesity by sugar, sugar everywhere. Maybe the magic pill will be developed next year that melts fat. For now, the outcome-based evidence is clear that for severe and morbid obesity, WLS is the only long-term successful treatment. This doesn't mean a minority won't have complications or inadequate weight loss. But for most people it works, and it's the only thing that works.

[Jovie62 135]

Wow! Maybe as you get older you'll gain a little more wisdom. I do agree w you on one point, you shouldn't have had the surgery. Definitely wasn't ready for it or the responsibility or discipline

[MarceMonster 161]

I don't understand why the option is to be sleeved and lose muscle or lose weight on your own and be successful or better off. Why isn't the option to get sleeved and exercise intensively so you do not lose muscle mass. Also the entire reason we are given Protein goals is to prevent muscle loss. Also you don't actually know the science. You can lose plenty of fat from calorie restriction/ diet. Please, please, please, anyone who is reading this post because you are on the fence about getting WLS ignore this women; she clearly didn't follow the her program.

[MarceMonster 161]

I am sorry, but there is one more thing I need to add: if you are so sure about the right way to lose weight, why aren't you losing weight? You are three years out, if you followed those simple rules you laid out, why have you gained 25 lbs?

[ylluz 151]

Wtf .....

[Guest deleted_user]

You can say whatever you want and copy my post so it's kept on here as many times as you'd like. And oh, don't forget the short posts where you personally attack me and contribute nothing to the original post, so you can inflate your post count. Truth is... You don't know my identity and reading your negative remarks, I don't think I ever would want to associate with you.

I realize how pointless it was to post on here after receiving such feedback, except for those of you who were positive and encouraging - thank you!!! I've reported several posts hoping that this website is monitored somehow and that my account is deleted.

This doesn't need to turn into a go-back-and-forth thread... I don't know about your life noticing how much you post on here, but I lead a very busy professional life and would never stoop down to the level of your trivial arguments - that have little to do with the original post/point. So, I'm only going to say one last thing and will ignore all future responses: You became obese and I became obese because of our eating habits - for example, "emotional eating"... You were abused as a child, you weren't loved enough or the way you wanted, you eat out of depression/boredom - whatever the cause may be. Something went wrong - could be psychological or physical (disease, disability, etc.) Now, did you become obese because of the size of your stomach? Uh, probably not, because it wasn't initially huge. I think you're looking at the end of the thread here - which is not very intelligent. Our sleeves target our obesity by altering our stomachs, not the original cause of the problem, and I think that's were surgical approaches are flawed. And if you've really had time to develop good nutritional habits and a workout plan (like some people mentioned they have and I didn't), then you seriously don't need surgery, especially since as mentioned in my original post, there is no way losing 18 lbs in 1 month off of a 198 body is all fat. If you believe that, then I really don't know what can help you. All I'm saying is that we should be targeting the issue by looking at its cause - help people have a mental shift to develop good habits. Am I a nutritional expert, obviously not - I'm a sleeved failure as you've indirectly mentioned and it's a good and serious question why I'm still overweight... What you don't know is that I have a history of self abuse and lately due to certain circumstances in my life mimicking a dark past that the self abuse originated from, it all has gotten worse. So I have been pretty much eating extremely poorly - starving myself and then having all junk and forcing my body to have DS because I know how to trigger it - pathetic, right? I don't need you to make fun or feel sorry for me. All I want out of that post - which I now regret because of the hurtful comments and how you said I victimize myself, is for people to think about the root cause before doing something that may make them hate themselves more - having complications, losing so much muscle and having bad/loose skin/poor body composition, low energy, becoming anemic, needing Iron transfusions (which I have gone through) etc... I am now seeking pscothepray and a personal weight trainer who has been kind enough to listen to my story and is touched to help me on a personal and a fitness level. I am an all or none person in everything I do so I've been tracking my calories for the past week - meticulously (macros and all) and reporting to my coach and eating super clean. Walking 8,000 steps during my 3 work breaks and feeling much better - psychologically if not anything else!

I just hope you realize that there is no need to personally attack me. Maybe my journey was a little more complicated than most people's on here and like you said, it's all subjective/opinion and there is not one reason why you should heed my advice. I am an INFJ personality so I kind of expected for most people to not relate, but I thought maybe if one person did and gave it a second thought, I would be helping someone like me out there. End of story.

[ylluz 151]

Surgery is a tool to help you》》》 not a miracle!!!! That sounds like a personal problem and if you gained weight you must be doing something wrong and if healthy eating and working out is what you advice maybe you should start working on yourself!!!!!!!!!!!. And remember this surgery is in your stomach not in your brain if you dont work on your habits nothing will work and that goes with any WEIGHTLOSS PLAN!!!!!..

[AngelaE 104]

The reality is WLS surgery is a tool, whether someone diets or have weight surgery they can still can put on weight if they don't manage their food intake and exercise. Yes people do rush into having the surgery without thinking the long term. It took me 7 years before deciding to have surgery because I wanted to try other diets and see if I could lose weight myself.

The person who started this thread I'm sadden by your weight gain, only because the problem is not the weight surgery the problem is that you have not manage or learnt how to maintain and adjust to the new lifestyle 3 years on. The thing is you will see have make changes if you dieted on something else. You should take strength in the comments from this thread and start with a fresh. No point in being angry with regrets, live with it, learn from your experience and move on.

Everyone one experience is different thank god!

[joatsaint 2,814]

He pops open that chair....LIKE A BOSS!!! :-p

[SleeveandRNYchica 1,155]

All I can say is, if and I mean a big IF it was that easy to lose weight people would. I am sure a lot of forum members gave good efforts in losing weigh, I know I did. I have work with nutritionists and personal trainers. I have been obese since the age of 6. Back then we were not eating the way our society eats today. My brother is not obese and we grew up in the same house. Not all obese people are binge eaters. I don't think it is as simple as cutting back and exercising . If it was, I'd be skinny.

Anyways, I have had issues with my sleeve. I have regained and am currently experiencing complications that require me to have revision surgery. I do not regret taking a chance on me! I have been FAT my entire life. I am not convinced that surgery is a mistake. I am sorry you have had a difficult time. I do believe you need to go into surgery having done your research. Asking questions and building a support system.

If anyone new reads your post, I hope the take away is the importance of not making a rash decision.

[Babbs 14,681]

@

Like I said, the real travesty here is that you rushed into this surgery like so many others thinking it was going to be the miracle cure for your obesity. If you would have done your homework, you would have understood the good, the bad, and the ugly before hand, and it would have helped you make a better decision. This is why I truly believe there should be mandatory waiting period (aside from insurance requirements) for WLS to educate and then evaluate whether the person is ready for this life changing surgery. I suspect there would be a lot less surgeries performed, because I see people who flat out weren't ready to make the changes needed after the surgery every day on here.

Oh, and yes I'm on this site every day. Your little dig about how you're a busy "professional" and don't have time to be on this site all the time is just another example of how you have no idea how to use the tool given to you properly. Studies show that people who find support (wherever it may be) are more likely to be successful with the surgery. This site is a touchstone and source of support for many, many people, including me. And I too am a busy working professional.

I have absolutely nothing against you personally. What I do have an issue with is you coming onto a site that offers support to so many who are reaching out and spewing falsehoods and flat out lies about WLS and claiming it to be gospel. If you would have just said "Look guys, I screwed up. I didn't know what I was getting into and now I'm over my head and think I've made a huge mistake", you would have gotten a completely different response.

But you coming on here and basically telling people who have had or are going to have WLS that they too have made or are going to make a mistake is where I draw the line.

Good luck to you.