Band > Sleeve now what?

[NeedaBreak4Me 1,755]

Well wait and see what your doctor says... but i would strongly suggest going back to basics.... measure your food, cut way down on carbs, eliminate sugar etc till you see the surgeon and see what happens...

A bmi of 30 is no where near as bad as having one of 40... with some sacrifice and determine o believe you can do it... i understand what its like... the further out we are the less complacent we are without even realising... a bite here.. a snack there.. it all adds up

[Fredbear 397]

If you're not compliant with a sleeve, what's the point of moving to a bypass (where you'll probably also be non-compliant).

If you're not going to control what you're eating first and foremost, even sewing your mouth shut would be a pointless operation.

"When all is said and done, usually more has been said than done. "

[Debaria 6]

If you're not compliant with a sleeve, what's the point of moving to a bypass (where you'll probably also be non-compliant).

If you're not going to control what you're eating first and foremost, even sewing your mouth shut would be a pointless operation.

"When all is said and done, usually more has been said than done. "

Harsh - is all I have to say about your comments. If I could control what I am eating - I would not of bothered with surgery. All I am doing is looking into my options. Perhaps you should of practiced what you preach and not had surgery!

[Debaria 6]

If you're not compliant with a sleeve, what's the point of moving to a bypass (where you'll probably also be non-compliant).

If you're not going to control what you're eating first and foremost, even sewing your mouth shut would be a pointless operation.

"When all is said and done, usually more has been said than done. "

Harsh - is all I have to say about your comments. If I could control what I am eating - I would not of bothered with surgery. All I am doing is looking into my options. Perhaps you should of practiced what you preach and not had surgery!

*shrug* I've never had bariatric surgery; I'm preparing for it now, and looking forward to being able to use the tool to re-learn how to interface with food, and obtain a healthy weight.

You, however, have had it twice and seemingly haven't put two and two together and continue to eat sweets, even though you admit you shouldn't. I'd hardly call looking to have yet another surgery to lose what amounts to a trivial amount of weight to be a vast over-reaction and would question your mental state to even consider it.

How do I say this nicely? Please don't comment as you have "never had bariatric surgery" Having WLS surgery is a difficult decision and not to be made lightly. I myself had the 2nd surgery as my band had eroded into my stomach! People who have not had WLS love to comment, however I suggest respectfully that you are not in a position to comment. Deciding to have a revision is a difficult as having the very first operation so having feedback from people in similar situations or at least have had WLS is appreciated. No back seat drivers please:)

[stacyrg2 350]

@@FrankiesGirl is right, weight loss is 80-90% diet related. @ Gave you the right tips about getting back to basics.

If you are eating carbs and sugar, and snacking, a 3rd surgery is useless for you. You can do all of that with bypass too.

I'm not even sure you can revise from the sleeve to bypass, the revision from the sleeve is DS and no reputable surgeon would do that surgery on you with so little to lose.

Work on your diet, if you gave up carbs/sugar/snacking you could lose. A surgery can't do all the work for you, you have to contribute.

@@deekel8 The sleeve is the first step of the DS, not bypass. The sleeve was used for people that were too heavy for the long surgery that bypass requires.

You can absolutely revise from sleeve to bypass. I revised on 7/1 to control out of control acid, not to aid in additional weight loss but it can definitely be done.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@FrankiesGirl is right, weight loss is 80-90% diet related. @ Gave you the right tips about getting back to basics.

If you are eating carbs and sugar, and snacking, a 3rd surgery is useless for you. You can do all of that with bypass too.

I'm not even sure you can revise from the sleeve to bypass, the revision from the sleeve is DS and no reputable surgeon would do that surgery on you with so little to lose.

Work on your diet, if you gave up carbs/sugar/snacking you could lose. A surgery can't do all the work for you, you have to contribute.

@@deekel8 The sleeve is the first step of the DS, not bypass. The sleeve was used for people that were too heavy for the long surgery that bypass requires.

You can absolutely revise from sleeve to bypass. I revised on 7/1 to control out of control acid, not to aid in additional weight loss but it can definitely be done.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[Fredbear 397]

If you're not compliant with a sleeve, what's the point of moving to a bypass (where you'll probably also be non-compliant).

If you're not going to control what you're eating first and foremost, even sewing your mouth shut would be a pointless operation.

"When all is said and done, usually more has been said than done. "

Harsh - is all I have to say about your comments. If I could control what I am eating - I would not of bothered with surgery. All I am doing is looking into my options. Perhaps you should of practiced what you preach and not had surgery!

*shrug* I've never had bariatric surgery; I'm preparing for it now, and looking forward to being able to use the tool to re-learn how to interface with food, and obtain a healthy weight.

You, however, have had it twice and seemingly haven't put two and two together and continue to eat sweets, even though you admit you shouldn't. I'd hardly call looking to have yet another surgery to lose what amounts to a trivial amount of weight to be a vast over-reaction and would question your mental state to even consider it.

How do I say this nicely? Please don't comment as you have "never had bariatric surgery" Having WLS surgery is a difficult decision and not to be made lightly. I myself had the 2nd surgery as my band had eroded into my stomach! People who have not had WLS love to comment, however I suggest respectfully that you are not in a position to comment. Deciding to have a revision is a difficult as having the very first operation so having feedback from people in similar situations or at least have had WLS is appreciated. No back seat drivers please:)

Well bless your heart.

If you don't want opinions (or really, _truthful_ opinions) you shouldn't ask for them.

But by all means, go for additional surgery even though it is apparent from your own statements that it's your behavior that is the problem.

"When all is said and done, usually more has been said than done. "

[SilentBotts 138]

A little bounce back is normal. It looks like the issue is more likely your eating habits, another surgery wont change those. I would recommend make an appointment with a nutritionist and to start tracking what you are eating. You definitely want to minimize carbs and sugars. Also make sure you're hitting Protein goals and getting all your Vitamins.

[summerset 5,265]

Deciding to have a revision is a difficult as having the very first operation so having feedback from people in similar situations or at least have had WLS is appreciated.

True. The decision is difficult. I postponed for almost a year. First just the fill of the band was removed (I had terrible volume reflux and hiatal hernia) and I tried lets wait and see. Then the band was removed and the reflux got even worse.

I got revision to MGB a whole year later after I considered revision for the first time. I had problems for years and maybe should have gotten revision way earlier but as you said yourself: the decision is a difficult one.

ETA: when the band was removed it already had started to migrate into the stomach wall. Gastroscopies (and I had plenty of them) didn't show the migration and I was lucky that the band was removed in time.

Edited July 25, 2016 by summerset

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

@@FrankiesGirl is right, weight loss is 80-90% diet related. @ Gave you the right tips about getting back to basics.

If you are eating carbs and sugar, and snacking, a 3rd surgery is useless for you. You can do all of that with bypass too.

I'm not even sure you can revise from the sleeve to bypass, the revision from the sleeve is DS and no reputable surgeon would do that surgery on you with so little to lose.

Work on your diet, if you gave up carbs/sugar/snacking you could lose. A surgery can't do all the work for you, you have to contribute.

@@deekel8 The sleeve is the first step of the DS, not bypass. The sleeve was used for people that were too heavy for the long surgery that bypass requires.

You can absolutely revise from sleeve to bypass. I revised on 7/1 to control out of control acid, not to aid in additional weight loss but it can definitely be done.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

>@@FrankiesGirl is right, weight loss is 80-90% diet related. @ Gave you the right tips about getting back to basics.

If you are eating carbs and sugar, and snacking, a 3rd surgery is useless for you. You can do all of that with bypass too.

I'm not even sure you can revise from the sleeve to bypass, the revision from the sleeve is DS and no reputable surgeon would do that surgery on you with so little to lose.

Work on your diet, if you gave up carbs/sugar/snacking you could lose. A surgery can't do all the work for you, you have to contribute.

@@deekel8 The sleeve is the first step of the DS, not bypass. The sleeve was used for people that were too heavy for the long surgery that bypass requires.

You can absolutely revise from sleeve to bypass. I revised on 7/1 to control out of control acid, not to aid in additional weight loss but it can definitely be done.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I didn't say you couldn't but that isn't the normal route, and it definitely isn't how the sleeve became a WLS surgery instead of just one for cancer and ulcers.

[MrsSugarbabe 727]

None of the following is meant to sound mean or critical (please don't read it that way - just being honest and trying to hit points you may not have considered or might be in denial about).

It's great that you're exercising because it's going to make you feel better overall, but weight gain/loss is 90% food and diet related.

My doc said that all people will lose even eating absolute crap for the first year, but they will regain if they don't take the time to throw out all they know about food/eating and relearn how to properly eat healthy and figure out correct (small) portion sizing.

Your problem seems to be that you're eating things you shouldn't (simple carbs/sugar) and possibly eating too many calories, and that is causing you to regain (simple carbs and sugar are usually high calorie, low nutrition slider foods that make it really easy to overeat).

Are you tracking every bite and sip of food/drink? You probably should be measuring and tracking all of it, especially since you're regaining. You likely are overeating and eating foods low in nutrition as well. It would give you a much better idea of whether the failure is your sleeve or more likely - a disconnect with what and how much you you actually eat. I imagine even consulting another surgeon, they'd like to see how many calories you're consuming and what those calories are made up from to make a truly honest opinion about whether another surgery is a good step for you or not.

Simple carbs and sugar are known to cause you to crave them all the more once you start eating them regularly, so that would explain the feelings of hunger. (you're not really hungry if you are eating good protein/complex carbs and getting enough calories - it's cravings or head hunger)

I would think the answer is counseling with a therapist familiar with food addictions, and a serious mental reset regarding your relationship with food, not more surgery.

I'd suggest you go back to the beginning of a sleeve diet - do a week of Protein liquids, then mushies, then onto solids. Get your Water and Protein and eat good veggies and healthy complex carbs in moderation. You need to research healthy meals and throw out the crap foods and seriously dedicate yourself to resetting your whole food relationship.

That's what we are supposed to do during the honeymoon phase of the sleeve (roughly the first year). If you didn't get your diet stuff down cold, then you won't do well over the long term. It's a sad fact, but most surgeons aren't really driving that point home. The weight loss effects won't last if you regularly eat crap foods. The surgeries allow you a measure of control for you to get back to basics without the gnawing hunger and drastically reduce the portion sizes in the beginning... so you can lose weight and relearn how to eat properly.

Maybe once you've got that stuff down well, you can add back in some sugar treats for very special occasions, but they should never, ever be something you eat regularly again. But maybe, if you can't control yourself, it might come down to eliminating them completely if you want to stay healthy.

I know it's sucky that you aren't doing so well right now, but you can get stuff figured out if you're willing to do the hard work. It might be worth it rather than going to another surgery and hoping that it does all the work; because it won't. You have to do it, the surgery(ies) are just a tool, but they won't work if you don't commit to using them properly.

Good luck!!

Excellent advice, @@FrankiesGirl!! And exactly what I needed to hear, too. Thank you!

[MrsSugarbabe 727]

Check out this article. It has some tips that you might find helpful. I did. I plan to go back to the article and read more via the links included in the article.

Every little bit of information helps.

http://www.bariatricpal.com/page/articles.html/_/support/weight-loss-surgery-success-habits-r623

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I don't have anything new to add, except to say I can relate. I was banded in 2001 at about 272 pounds. I lost 30# in the first month, another 40 by dieting over the next 11 months, never got under 200# at 5'5".... and then I couldnt take the reflux so had to get unfilled and gained gained. I revised to sleeve in 2011 when I weighed 308#. I lost pretty well with the sleeve; hit goal of losing 150# in 14 months.

Now, nearly 5 years post sleeve, I have a good appetite, it is easy for me to graze and drink too many calories. Sadly, it's real life. I need to eat less than many people around me. I don't feel like my sleeve is broken, doesn't work, what i feel like is I am living the battle that many many many middle aged women are fighting.

I don't have scientific proof, but I genuinely believe that even though I am no longer fat, I still have the disease of obesity and that weight ALWAYS wants to come back, so maybe my struggle is worse than a typical middle aged woman.

I am very active, and I agree with everyone that 90% is the consumption, exercise helps in many ways, but I can't lose weight through exercise alone.

My hunger is best controlled by going low carb. Intermittant fasting such as 5:2 (google it, or search these forums as it has been discussed many times). right now, I am having too much summer fun and need to lose about 15# to get back down to my "hot" weight and am making zero progress toward it, but i know it is because the consumption...

[cybershank 1]

I had the band too and im now looking to have the bypass. I also have an out of control seewt tooth. I am being weighed monthly by my dietitian andI have been loosing about 8 to 10lbs a visit. I'm doing a low carb diet, but I can't kick the sweet tooth. I have found taking a quick shot of ready whip helps. It's low on carbs and calms the cravings a little. My mother has the bypass and has gained some of the weight back do to snacking on sweets. She doesn't have dumping syndrome in the least. You're doing fine with the sleeve you just need to find healthier options if you're going to cheat. Hang in there.

[Hiraeth 515]

You only lost 50 pounds in 3 years? That's like 1.5 pounds per month. That seems awfully slow with the sleeve. If you're still eating carbs, then you will not lose weight. You will gain weight if you continue to eat fattening food. Try to focus on things other than food. Eat Fiber to feel fuller.

Edited July 28, 2016 by Hiraeth

[Djmohr 6,965]

In the long term no surgery will solve the issue of eating what we crave. The surgery regardless of which one provides a tool to help control quantity. It does not control what we choose to put in our stomachs.

I have had an addiction to sugar ever since I went on the Atkins diet nearly 20 years ago. As soon as I went off plan, I began to crave sweets. I know for me the reality is I will always have this addiction and I also know that I am the only person that can control it.

For me, occassionly I will have some chocolate. But I know that if I have it everyday, I am going to want it the next day and the day after that.

In the last 22 months I have been training myself to leverage fruit instead of sugar and simple carbs and to truly keep the sweets only for times when I just need a taste. For the most part that is working for me.

I read about so many people who have this surgery and think they can continue to indulge daily and not gain weight. I am sorry, I just don't think that can be done. Maybe just maybe in the first year but history has shown that it just doesn't work that way.

I have talked to nutritionists about this as well as physcologists. You have to get real with yourself about whether or not surgery will truly help unless you change.

And those folks that have RNY thinking the surgery will ensure you don't eat sweets. I say POOH......that does not work. For one thing after the first year your body gets used to its new system and dumping in most cases becomes a thing of the past and you are right back where you started. Oh, and the number of people that actually get dumping is something like only 30%. I am not one of them. I can literally eat anything I want with the exception of eggs. eggs still make me feel so uncomfortable that I just don't eat them.

you have received some honest feedback from previous posters and it may not be what you want to hear but it truly is the truth. You have to really look at your eating behaviors and get some help. and a support system. Many of us leverage each other when our hands are dipping in the bad of Dove Dark chocolate. (That is my own personal demon right there......)

I think about it and I crave it. So, I have fruit instead....LOL