Need encouragement that not everybody gains back all of the weight they lost after gastric sleeve

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

1 hour ago, hopeful333 said:

are you saying that after 2 1/2 years you felt no restriction at all?

@hopeful333

in my case, i don't feel i have any restriction anymore. (6+ years) Can't speak for OP.

OP's restriction are all different. Follow allll the good health habits you've learned,

for the rest of your healthier, happier, longer life. Doing this, you should maintain

your weight. Butttt, after awhile, it will not continue to give you restriction forever.

when you hear about problems on the board - good or bad, the bad is remembered frequently. You do hear many good stories - but problems (restrictions, etc) are spoken about more often

they will then stick out in your mind.

good luck

kathy

[Joann troupe 5]

[mention=334417]hopeful333[/mention]
in my case, i don't feel i have any restriction anymore. (6+ years) Can't speak for OP.
OP's restriction are all different. Follow allll the good health habits you've learned,
for the rest of your healthier, happier, longer life. Doing this, you should maintain
your weight. Butttt, after awhile, it will not continue to give you restriction forever.
when you hear about problems on the board - good or bad, the bad is remembered frequently. You do hear many good stories - but problems (restrictions, etc) are spoken about more often
they will then stick out in your mind.
good luck
kathy

Still drinking your Water eatting right is key to long term weightloss.

Sent from my SM-S727VL using BariatricPal mobile app

[mandmom 31]

On 6/6/2018 at 2:06 PM, allwet said:

This line alone could burn down the forums with the fires it starts.

MY opinion - people didnt work out a system that worked with their lives everyday

so when they got tired of doing the WL thing just like the diet thing they slowly added in tiny little reasons why they could just eat this once or a little and slowly over many many months followed by years the weight came back on.

The Sleeve restriction will decrease with time

You must develop habits that will take the place of the restriction when that time comes

They must be fit your life and be easy to continue and not feel like a punishment

You get 18-24 months to figure it out -if your lucky

What do you mean by sleeve restriction? What does that mean? Does that mean that only for up to two years will the sleeve work for me? And then it's back to what I have been fighting all my life? Confused

[allwet 868]

6 hours ago, mandmom said:

What do you mean by sleeve restriction? What does that mean?

no what i mean is that in the early months the very small amounts of food you can actually eat helps keep you on track. you can't eat enough to do real bad things to yourself even if you wanted to.

Each month out it gets easier to eat and you move up from 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup then up to 1/2 and beyond.

If you don't build coping strategies for whatever your food issues are and we all have them or we would not be here then as the restriction from the sleeve decreases you can fall back on poor food choices and the restriction will not be there to stop you.

Use the early months to work on this.

If at any time you thought the sleeve would save you from yourself you were mistaken.

you can make bad choices and gain the weight back. The sleeve is a tool nothing more.

[CalGuy64 66]

I'm starting to understand that surgery is just a temporary fix. It helps get your weight down which makes exercise so much easier. However, if you don't adopt a healthy lifestyle the weight will eventually soon or later come back.

[SGirl35 165]

On 06/13/2018 at 09:02, proudgrammy said:

@hopeful333

sure there is hope and success of keeping weight loss off permanently!!

Six (6)+ years ago i was sleeved. Lost 105 lbs by years end. GOAL

DOS 235 lbs - 130 lbs GOAL 135 lbs CW

around 2.5 years, i felt good restriction. After that, it's "all in my head"

WLS helped me reach GOAL - but then i was pretty much on my own.

(mentally i had stay on the straight and arrow) NOT easy, but i'm still

around to talk about it!!

i periodically have fluctuated a few lbs - but i consider myself at maintenance

some OP gain weight PO, they were successful, reached GOAL or close.

Felt over confident, lax off and start eating wrong, grazing all the time, grazing

- that is how many gained weight.

After losing your extra weight, you must stick with the program ALWAYS

Continue your good habits you learned. You are NOT done when that "number"

is achieved. NOT easy, but you can do it. It aint over til the fat lady sings!!

good luck

kathy

Thanks for the tips! I graze a lot too! But that’s mostly because I can’t digest most real foods yet. However! I do count every single calories and stay under 1200 even when I eat junk foods. So that way I don’t feel deprived and can still lose my weight. Seems to work for me. I change my calories and workouts and then I see another drop. 9 months post op. 20lbs left! I need to work hard for this last 20 though! Snail slow! Having “ stall “ type going on for the first time. Still thankful. I’m bypass so I can’t eat too much anyhow. Making sure I don’t stretch the pouch .

[AtlantaRed 651]

I lost 115 lbs and never got below 200. Once I started eating more carbs (no snacking, no soda, no eating and drinking at the same time) I started gaining. I've gained 50 pounds and am waiting for my date to convert to bypass. Should have considered that in my whole life of being overweight, I have certainly tried "eating less" which is basically what the sleeve does. My nutritionist says my portions are as they should be at 4.5 years out.

[New1 201]

I do think that some regain all of their weight back. I am positive you can lose regain, but it is harder. There are some promising studies coming out about assistive aids for post-sleevers which may not require another surgery. In my opinion, the obese brain is much like other addictive brains. Just like some have an easier time kicking other bad habits, some have an easier time creating and maintaining a successful lifetime regimen of healthier eating. It is really important to build a supportive team and an encouraging network of people who can help. I got so wrapped up in looking better that I forgot why I needed the surgery. I got pregnant and lost my father and I spiraled from that point forward. For anything this hard a routine is key. I thought I had stopped feeling much restriction- until a colleague that works with me (in an adolescent eating disorder clinic- go figure) asked me why I never finish my food and why I always have to take most of it to go. What I had been doing is eating til I was full and then grazing at home. I'm trying to be more vigilant. I'll let you know how that goes lol.

Edited June 23, 2018 by New1

[Candygyrl 637]

Your concerns are most certainly not uncommon. I am just 2 years shy of my surgiversary and I will say although I have reached my goals, I'm far from safe. I've had set backs, gotten a little too comfortable at times and I had to have a hard look at myself and say "this" is how it all began. Now lets get back on track. Its about constantly being aware, and mindful about we eat, our activity and forming healthy habits that allow us to make the right choices.

Make it fun! I'm going to Jamaica in a week. I am looking forward to wearing swimsuits all day. Because I know we indulge on vacation, I started a cabbage Soup detox.. 2 weeks ago and I love it! I lost a few lbs and now that Its over, I am still eating lots of the foods allowed on the plan. I've regained control of my appetite and I feel less inclined to make bad choices even when I know I can. My husband literally put 2 pints of Ben and Jerrys cheesecake icecream in our cart to make sure I indulge a little sometimes lol. I haven't touched it yet!

Understanding that I had a issue with food at some point and I may always struggle with those issues keeps me aware at all times that each day is a new opportunity to change my life for the better. The choice is yours. Don't let food control you.

[disa12 2]

My mother regained her weight, so I have the benefit of learning from her mistakes. She told me that her first regret is that she added in grains at 6 months , she wished she had waited longer. Her stomach restrictions stayed, but she made the biggest error ever... snacking!!! She told me , you may not be able to eat a lot at once, but you can eat a lot over a long time.
That’s why I’m sticking with designated eating areas and eating for no longer than 20 mins.
If you follow the rules, you will be successful!

[ShelterDog64 2,364]

I just had the 2-year anniversary of my VSG and I'm maintaining my 100 lb weight loss. It IS harder at this point, my restriction has relaxed a bit and it's not as insistent...I now rely on proper portioning and good eating habits vs letting the restriction keep me from overeating. I had very strong restriction for a year, slightly less until 18 mos, a small lessening after that and I expect it'll continue to lessen as time goes by.

You have to discontinue any old, bad habits: grazing, eating crap carbs, soda, overindulging in alcohol, not exercising. Use the first year wisely and you can and should maintain, but if you waste that first year by eating what you want and thinking you can do that long term, you might find yourself in the 'regain' group. Your sleeve is a tool, a helper...it's not a solution.

[Creekimp13 5,840]

The American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons says the following:

As many as 50 percent of patients may regain a small amount of weight (approximately 5 percent) two years or more following their surgery. However, longitudinal studies find that most bariatric surgery patients maintain successful weight-loss long-term. ‘Successful’ weight-loss is arbitrarily defined as weight-loss equal to or greater than 50 percent of excess body weight. Often, successful results are determined by the patient, by their perceived improvement in quality of life. In such cases, the total retained weight-loss may be more, or less, than this arbitrary definition. Such massive and sustained weight reduction with surgery is in sharp contrast to the experience most patients have previously had with non-surgical therapies.

[CalGuy64 66]

I'm eight months out now. I think I could easily regain the weight I've lost if I don't watch what I eat and/or stop exercising. I can eat most things and its not really that hard to eat around the restriction (i.e. graze). Loosing weight has made it much easier to exercise and easier to be active in general -- but if I want to keep the weight off its on me to take advantage of this.

[Elizabeth21 176]

Hi there. First of all, I think the regain stories are much more about the lap band than the sleeve. The lap band does nothing to change your hunger signals or metabolism regulation like the sleeve does. So all it does is restrict amounts.

I'm sleeved and about 4 years out. I've kept most of it off. The amount restriction is still there. As for weight, I've had some fluctuations, but, so do my "normal" weight friends. I find it best if I do not weigh myself and get caught up in a number. I just stick to my same basic plan that I had post op and enjoy occasional deviations. And get some exercise. My weight does fine.

I think one of the keys here is the experience of sustained good eating habits practice during the first year especially. That and the improved quality of life leads to finding additional enjoyment in life besides food.

So, bottom line, I believe your premise is flawed. I doubt seriously most regain all weight. Maybe some of it but not all. I think (barring some unusual medical situation) it would be difficult to regain it all without making a purposeful decision to do so by consciously completely blowing your plan.

I have absolutely no regrets with my choice. It has completely changed my life for the better.

Best wishes!

Liz

Edited June 28, 2018 by Elizabeth21

[Wendyfm 494]

I’m almost four years out from a sleeve and have kept almost all of the hundred pounds that I lost off. I gained sevenish pounds over the winter lost four pounds of that and am struggling with the last three. I know that doesn’t sound bad, but I could visualize that seven becoming twenty etc. so I upped my exercise and am paying better attention to what I eat. You can keep it off once you lose it. You just can’t stop working at it.