Just posing a question, not looking for an argument

[toler48 120]

Yes, correcting a lifetime of bad eating habits needs to be addressed. I do mean a lifetime. I was never taught how to create menus for good health eating when I was growing up. Then after getting married, I didn't create healthy meals, but I was able to keep my weight down running after two little ones, housework and an outside job. No energy to eat LOL

My son and daughter, both, are healthy eaters now (both in their mid 40's), but they learned by themselves. Neither has ever had a weight problem, thank goodness.

Anywho, back to the subject, I am slowly learning, pre-surgery, to cut some bad stuff. Like no more carbonated beverages, no buying a loaf of french bread and eating the whole darn thing myself. Oh yes, I am a carbo-holic big time. I can pass up the sweets, but oh my, bread and Pasta are demons!!

[Threetimesacharm 1,400]

It is soooo easy to gain weight back! If you are a carb holic you might want to consider the GB. I can easily eat a bag of potato chips, bread and yes pasta! I think the GB prevents eating of too many sugars and carbs to some degree you still do need to exercise willpower.

Ok, now I haven't had my surgery yet, but, I have a question.

How can one regain the weight lost after sleeve surgery? I can see where, after the band, gaining the weight back. After all, the stomach is still there.

With sleeve surgery, about 85% of the stomach is removed, taken out, no longer there.

The remaining stomach, if surgery was done correctly, cannot stretch back out to the size of the original stomach.

It seems to me, IMHO, that in order to regain say 100 lbs, one would have to consume nothing but empty calories, and eat all day long.

Can someone explain it to me? How, after sleeve surgery, the weight is regained? Am I missing something?

[laguerr13 993]

It is not about consumption amount post surgery, it becomes a matter of what you start putting in your mouth months or years later, my dietician uses the term "New Normal" and I plan to move this as soon as I'm educated enough to learn to balance carbs, Protein, fats, and I want that to include meat, vegetables, grains and fresh fruit, but it doesn't mean I wanna go back to fries, cake, chips, sodas etc..... Think about where I'm going with this, my mistake was never bothering to learn the healthy right foods to eat and moderation, I have the tools I need now but just like any good craftsman I don't want to build anything shabby again....... I'm not ready to go outside my new normal yet, but I'm getting there

[toler48 120]

@@laguerr13

You said it! The New Normal. Re-learning, re-thinking. I think the thinking is maybe the most important part.

We need to think before we eat.

[Igastric 9]

One also need to keep busy

[Graciesmom04 184]

I was intially same way. I had planned all along to get the band. But then after the originally meeting we are required to attend before meeting Dr, it discussed all of the plans. I didn't want monthly Dr mtgs (I'm over an hour away) and I didn't want the chance of issues occurring. I went with the sleeve and am absolutely so happy I did!

[2babutterfly 483]

I've had my band for 7 years now with success and very few problems. They weren't really doing sleeves when I got mine but my doc said if I would have walked in to his office today he would do a sleeve. That's what he mostly does now. I am thankful that I haven't had probs and had success!

[Pinkgirl1234 761]

I have had the band since 2004... Miserable and fat again...want a revision to bypass.This band is awful.

[toler48 120]

@@Pinkgirl1234

Could I ask why bypass and not the sleeve? Just wondering.

[Bndtoslv 292]

My friend had the band 6 years ago. She never quite got down to ideal weight. She was about 25 pounds away according to the charts at her lowest. She is now more like 30 pounds. She looks fine. I think she would have preferred more weight loss but she did lose 80 pounds and 80% of her excess weight.

When I was considering bariatric surgery she really discouraged me from getting the band due to the issues she has. She still gets things "stuck". She still vomits periodically. She will make a batch of chicken on Sunday night for her lunch for the week. On Monday she is fine to eat it. Tues it just won't go down, Weds it is fine again. It isn't consistently the same things that will cause problems. It can be things she has eaten fine for weeks.

On one of her follow-ups with her surgeon he said his practice no longer will install bands and they are removing so many due to complications, many of these get revised to sleeve.

My surgeon recently retired from bariatric surgery and he was still performing bands but only if the patient really did not want the sleeve or bypass. The other surgeon at that facility no longer does bands.

I think over time you will see fewer and fewer bands performed and I think there will be insurance companies that will approve sleeve or bypass but exclude band coverage.

I think that the band appealed to some people because if you have complications it can be removed. The sleeve isn't exactly reversible. However, an aquaintence had so much scar tissue from her band she still has a stricture where the band used to be.

I remember one of the selling points from when I had looked at bariatric surgery about 7 years ago was that for young women they could have some or all of the fill taken out while they were pregnant and breastfeeding when they had higher nutritional needs. They could then get the fill added back once they delivered.

When I got my band 8 years ago it was rny or band. I was planning to have kids so the decision was easy. If I were making the decision now I would choose the sleeve.

[Pinkgirl1234 761]

Hey toler48

Up until last week I was all set in pursuing a revision to a sleeve.Its new I saw a couple of celebrities Graham Elliot,Lisa Lampanelli and Rosie O Donnell to note.All are first time procedures for them.

Ok I felt the same way back in 2004 when I saw Sharon Osbourne and a few other stars opt for the "newest"surgery in WLS at the time the lapband.I was approved for both but decided that the less invasive.Lapband was the way to go.Had the best surgeon who performed bypasses on Al Roker,Star Jones etc...,she and Dr.Roslyn are pioneers of WLS in NY.She offered me the Up until last week I was all set in pursuing a revision to a sleeve.Its new I saw a couple of celebrities Graham Elliot,Lisa Lampanelli and Rosie O Donnell to note.All are first time procedures for them.Back in 2004 I had the option between bypass and the lapband.I immediately opted for the lapband ....not taking into account the fills/u fills and slippage.The procedure was new and long term data was not available such as RNY.

Big mistake!!!!I lost about 40 pounds initially and the fills and unfills were not wonderful and I never achieved the right fill.I started to not be able to handle several types of foods so I developed involuntary bulimia.One day I could eat a salad the next day I would violently throw up.Going to restaurants were a nightmare...a secret nightmare ...I would have dinner and have to go to the ladies room because I would need to throw up.Years of acid reflux and just fighting with my weight was a losing battle.....I developed PCOS,insulin resistance...pre diabetic...gall bladder attacks,had it removed,high cholesterol returned,developed breast cancer in 2012 And the chemo had steroids and oh boy ...gained all the weight back.Indigestion and chronic acid reflux plus port pain and stomach aches and bloating.I am miserable.

My friend who is extremely obese just had sleeve surgery as well as her daughter.It is there first WLS.it seems to be working for them.She has lost a good amount of weight but has a long way to go.She feels great so I was all in...I spoke to her last week and she told me that one day she wasn't able to eat one of her small scheduled meals because she was very busy at work....she got home famished and had egg salad she ate a bit to quickly and felt like throwing up but said that slime and bile came up.AHHHHHH....by the way she doesn't know I have the band....she experienced what I go through almost every day.

My stomach is lap band abused I have all kind of gastro tests because my esophagus and stomach is a mess...The acid reflux and damage it caused to my esophagus rules out the sleeve for me.I would hate to make that mistake of not choosing the right procedure for me.The sleev is not reversible,long term data is not available and on a lot of other sites I am seeing People who have had the sleeve complain of acid reflux....worse with revisions,Ulcerative sleeves,leakage which can cause infections and inadequate weight loss.Some are seeking yet another revision to RNY.I am not going to put myself through this with my lapband abused stomach.Cutting out 85% of my stomach which can't be reversed is not appealing to me.I will opt for the Gold Standard once and for all the bypass....the data is there and it is the Gold Standard.No more fad procedures for me.

[Pinkgirl1234 761]

It used to be band or RNY no other option.

[toler48 120]

WooHoo, got my surgery date!! Sept 16th. Can't wait. It's seemed like forever, now time is zooming!

[FocusOnMeNow 599]

When I first heard about it years back I thought the band was a good idea then starting hearing about the sleeve. Turns out all of the top surgeons in my area only take them out, they no longer put them in. Both said that they stopped when they started taking out more than they were putting in. I'm sure that the balloon will also work great for some folks but personally the foreign object thing does not sound all the palatable after seeing what happened with the band. I am only 10 days out with the sleeve and only time will tell but I'm pretty glad with my decision thus far:-)

[toler48 120]

To me, the important thing about the sleeve is that the part of the stomach that pumps out all those hungry hormones is removed. With the band, the bypass, the balloon, the stomach remains. I don't know how they stop the hunger pangs. That's why I am having the sleeve surgery. I want control back and feel I will get that with this surgery.

Plus, no foreign objects in my body, and the natural openings to and from my stomach are there.