How is the sleeve still working after 3-5 years?

[Kym Preslar 21]

I am going to have the sleeve surgery in a few months. I'm wondering if you gain the weight back after 3-5 years. Do the old hungry feelings come back? Can you eat as much as you did before the surgery? I plan on following the eating plan and exercising the rest of my life but I don't want that really hungry feeling and be able to eat myself sick in one sitting EVER again.

Can anyone give me some insight or your experience with this?

[reree6898 1,164]

I'm right there with you and would love to see the answers on this thread. Good luck to you!

[Threetimesacharm 1,400]

okay so as someone who has had the sleeve for 3 years and going for the GB on Friday here is my opinion. Following the diet for me and losing weight in the beginning was very easy for me. I actually went way below my goal weight. Then I remember Christmas came around and it was then all down hill for me. I have been struggling for the last 1.5 years up and down. You will be able to eat anything, especially snack foods. I am hoping that the GB will help me not to have sugar and carbs, I really fear the dumping syndrome so I am not sure if I could eat sugar knowing this. I wish that I had just gotten the GB in the first place. Now I have lost weight and kept it off; 60 with the lapband and 50 with the sleeve hoping the remainder will stay off with the GB; I am just tired of being FAT!!!

[tinkerbell123 7]

I was sleeved 2011. Initially lost a Ton of weight the first year but have never reached my "goal" weight of 140. I Started at 276, today at 181. It's been tough, snacking has been a real problem for me and yes you do get the hunger feelings back, I don't care what they say.... My stomach rumbles if I don't eat for more than 3-4 hours. Doctor said it was most likely gas and not hunger pangs. Also really think about the psychological part of it, not being able to eat certain foods or large amounts of food gets to some people. Also I lost more than half my hair the first year and have never been able to get it all to grow back. I really need to just get back on track ???? but I still believe having VSG was the best decision I ever made & have no regrets! Hope this helps.

[Kym Preslar 21]

Thank you all for your information. So I guess if I stick to the program I will be ok. But I know life throws challenges at us sometimes and it might not be possible all the time. Good luck ladies!

[Thenewnic 139]

My mother has maintained a 150 pound weight loss following VSG five years ago. You can do it!! If she goes up five pounds she "diets" to get it off.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

VSG patients' weight losses three years out are all over the place. The more you lurk and read here, the more you'll see that some have regained a considerable amount and others are still at or below goal -- and everything in between.

There is no single outcome. It depends on your willingness to continue to follow a lot of eating rules that you learn when you have surgery, your nutritional knowledge and the food choices you make and the portions you eat, whether you exercise (and how consistently), your susceptibility to binge eating and grazing (not the same thing, but both awful for your maintenance dreams), the support system you have for creating a new lifestyle, and your own good or bad luck with regard to your metabolism.

I also think it depends on how badly you want to be healthy and slim long-term. The sleeve helps a lot. But if you're determined to eat (or compelled to eat by an eating disorder or stress or other forces), you can figure out how to eat around the sleeve.

That's my take on it.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

I'm almost three years out, and I am maintaining. I am working really hard right now to do that. I do get hungry now, though it is more manageable than before. One thing for sure, the sleeve does help, but you can still "eat yourself sick", it just takes less food to do it. But it's still the same problematic behavior - eating beyond need or hunger. That can only be controlled by your brain, and it gets harder to do over time. I was not prepared for that at all, but even knowing that, I wouldn't change my mind. I would have never been able to lose 145 pounds and keep it off more than 5 minutes.

[Dub 9,922]

My mother has maintained a 150 pound weight loss following VSG five years ago. You can do it!! If she goes up five pounds she "diets" to get it off.

This sounds exactly like how I plan to approach things.

[MississippiQueen 48]

I'm 3 years out VSG and the cravings were gone, like everyone else, at first. Weight loss happened so effortlessly, it seemed. But once you start eating poorly, it gets easier and easier to do. I still have restriction when eating Protein, but I can eat every junk food item with no problems. I know my sweet cravings came back really horribly strong when my ex and I split up. So I know I'm an emotional eater. I'm here for support. I never met my goal weight. Some days I feel like such a failure.

~MississippiQueen~

[Healthy_life2 8,324]

The veterans and my medical team have warned me about entering the third year after surgery. I appreciate the veterans 3+ years out sharing your struggles. Surgery is not all rainbows and unicorns.

[maryjo28 3]

I am 4 years out and have the same problem. I have gained about 10# back. I am starting shakes back tomorrow. I find that animal Protein is hard to digest. I get full quick and feel awful....chips and junk food go down so easy and are truly "easier" to eat. Weigh yourself every other day. If you see it going up go back to basics.

[tinkerbell123 7]

Maryjo28,

thanks for the encouragement. What kind of Protein Shakes do you drink? I've tried a few and do not like the taste of "whey" it also makes me feel really nauseated.

[tonyaportillo 0]

I had the Gastric Sleeve back in September and I still have not reached my goal weight it's really hard I'm always hungry all the time and it's really hard it does help though I've lost a lot of weight but I still need to lose more weight and I haven't been able to

[maryjo28 3]

15 hours ago, tinkerbell123 said:

Maryjo28,

thanks for the encouragement. What kind of Protein Shakes do you drink? I've tried a few and do not like the taste of "whey" it also makes me feel really nauseated.

I like the GNC remade weight loss shakes. 30 grams of Protein. They do have Sucralose though. I also like the Premier Protein premade shakes. When I lived in LA there was a powder I bought that was really good but I cannot remember the name of it. I would recommend going into a health food store...not a chain and ask for recommendations and sometimes they will let you sample or can buy a small single pack to try.