M2G

Great job and congrats on your loss! I'm sure the last year has been a journey of change, which is not always easy. Hang in there, stay the course and keep working your tool. You are doing a great job!

I know this topic has been posted about in other forums, but I'm wondering about how the vets handle this. My short answer is NO. I typically burn 300-700 calories in a workout depending on what it is. 1 hour of spin class of pretty intense cardio where I'm dripping sweat and there is NO stopping for the entire hour probably nets me around -700 calories burned. And I just don't see the sense in eating an extra +700 calories on my sleevers diet of 1,200 cals/day. I know there are are LOTS of theories on this topic and everyone is different, so your mileage may vary. I'm also *still* trying to lose weight so in my mind, burning extra calories just to eat them back seems like it would be counter-productive to losing weight. What are your thoughts, ideas, examples, and experiences? I would love to hear from other vets...

Toy27 - thank you, I didn't realize how that statement could be mis-interpreted. NO, I did NOT have any complications whatsoever, in fact, I breezed through recovery and felt pretty much normal about 10 days post-op. What I meant by saying that it's harder to stay the course the further out you are is in reference to how easy it would be to overeat and not suffer any consquences. I can eat sugar, Cookies, pie, cake, ice cream, candy, etc. and the ONLY thing that is stopping me from doing that is ME. I chose to have the sleeve so that I wouldn't get the death penalty (ie. RNYs can suffer from dumping syndrome, etc. when eating foods with sugar) because I wanted to be in control of what I eat. But sometimes it can be exhuasting to be so on-top of what I eat. So that is where the further out you are the harder it is to be on-top of your eating habits. I should say though that in some ways it's easier because eating smaller amounts of food seems completely normal to me now (at first it didn't) but now it's just 100% normal for me to portion out a small amount of food and that is what I plan to eat. So thanks again for asking for clarification on that!

Thanks Lynda...It's nice when those of us who are farther out stick around. I was my surgeon's 15th sleeve, (even though he has done thousands of bands/RNYs) so there wasn't a lot of "living proof" out there when I got sleeved. I'm glad we can be here and let others know that it's not that scary.

Olivia23 - great question. I absolutely STILL have restriction when it comes to dense Protein (chicken, especially, but beef, pork, salmon, even meatless protein, like veggie/soy burgers/sausage, etc.) I have never been one to "test" my limits when it comes to post-sleeve eating. I have an *almost* un-natural fear of throwing up and I can say that in the last 2.5 years I have NOT thrown up. Not even once. Not even in the post-anethesia fog that sometimes can make people regurg. So I'm in the camp that tends to underfill my sleeve. When it comes to meals I generally do NOT eat any more than 3-4 oz of meat. I don't care what kind of meat it is (4oz of meat is my high limit.) If it is a meal (vs. a snack) I will include an oz of veggies and maybe an oz or less of carbs (I try to choose whole grain, brown rice, sweet potato, etc.) but overall I do restrict most carbs from my daily diet. If I'm really trying to lose I need >30g carbs, and if I'm "generous" with my carbs I will average >100g daily. So a typical meal for me never more than 5-6 oz of food TOTAL. I eat about 1,200 calories a day. I definitely find that I have to MEASURE and ACCOUNT for my calories or it's incredibly easy to EAT MORE than what I need. I didn't go and have 80% of my stomach removed so that I could end up eating the same amount of food that I did BEFORE surgery, so I have to remember that, otherwise yes, it would be easy to eat more. You can out-eat any WLS any day any time. Sure, probably not in the first few months after surgery when your stomach is swollen, pissed off and you are terrified of a leak, but after you heal, you could graze your way through the day and eat probably every 20 minutes or so and get in enough calories to equal a pretty big eating day. I have to say that for the most part I feel so lucky to eat small amounts of food. I do not feel like I'm starving all the time or that I NEED to eat more. I sometimes sit around and get angry that I can't eat more than 1,200-1,400 calories a day WITHOUT gaining, but then again this was the trade off for having surgery. Learning to live with less was an ultimate goal. So then I realize that I'm doing just fine and get over it and move on. I hope that answers your question and if not please holler!

Well, I wish I could say that I'm not in that club with you but I am. I have fallen off the wagon (and I can sit here and say BUT it took me 9 months to put on 15-19lbs...) but the fact remains that this IS a tool and it is only helpful when we decide to use it. I wish I have never let ANY weight come back on as it is a S L O W ride taking it back off. So while I can appreciate and share in your disappointment and frustration I also have chosen to move on. It doesn't make me any less of a success, it just makes me human, AND it makes me appreciate where I've been and where I'm going more. I'm 2.5 years post-op and I *still* need support for this never-ending journey. One foot in front of the other: one day at a time, one meal at a time and one bite at a time.

You sound VERY prepared and that will help so much. I always gain a few when I go visit my mom or she comes here. It's annoying, like I can't stay ON TRACK when she is around. Ugh. I see her about once a month or every 2 months. The one bedroom house might be more trouble than keeping on your eating plan....ha! Good luck with that one FYE...

Ah, thanks my wonderful friend! We both have come such a long way and I treasure our friendship so much because you have always been there for me! I truly appreciate it!! Hugs back atcha...

Congrats to you both. WOW you guys are brave being a week apart and that is awesome that you guys have come so far in such a short amount of time. We are each other's biggest supporters, can't imagine doing this any other way!

Thanks Diane...The farther out you get from surgery, the harder it is to stay the course. But we both knew this would take a life long commitment and we are in it for the long haul. The goal = being healthier.

Ha ha both the sassy pose and the bigger smile are due to my 10 year old daughter taking the picture. "C'mon mom, give me more sass!!!" which in turn made me smile. But truly I didn't look very happy in the before did I? lol

So today is exactly 2.5 years since I was sleeved on October 22, 2010. It's hard to believe that 2.5 years have passed. I used to have a ticker but since they took away external tickers I've been too lazy to go and make a new one here. I originally lost -100lbs at the 18 month mark, (all since surgery, I wasn't required to lose weight before surgery) and then I spent about 9 months regaining about 15-20lbs. In January of this year I rededicated myself to this journey and now have lost -9lbs of my regain. Hoping to lose the next -10-12lbs and then keep going towards goal (when all is said and done I would like to lose another -20lbs from where I am right now.) Not much to say, except this is the best thing I have ever done for myself and my health. My husband is also sleeved and is just a little over 2 years post-op. He has lost around 65-70lbs and has maintained that weight for over a year now. We work out, we eat right (most of the time) and yep we work at it. Not a free ride, not the "easy way out" but a chance for us to have a do-over. We make daily choices to keep, maintain, or improve our health. Here is my story in photos.

You look amazing! And your hair is absolutely goregous! If you lost any, we can't tell...

Coops glad to hear it's going well, and I'm sure even though you would probably like more time off, it might be good to get back to a "schedule" ...don't worry about the eating right now. You can always refocus on that later. Like you said at least it's not quantity. AND you KNOW what you need to do. Maybe after a week or so back at work you can refocus on the eating habits. I have NO doubt in my mind that you will see the 150's when all the swelling and healing is done! Hugs my sleeve-sister!

NannieG THANK YOU so much for posting this link. GREAT article, and I really needed to read that.

I typically don't eat back the calories I've burned through exercise. I'm 2.5 years out, and usually eat around 1,200 calories a day. Depending on what exercise I do I burn between 200-800 calories a day.

That is totally awesome! My hubby and I are both sleeved and it truly is one of the best things we have ever done for ourselves and can't imagine doing it any other way. Thank goodness we didn't have any pre-op diet, just liquids 48 before surg. Best of luck to you BOTH!!!

Oh and it turns out I can speak for one more individual. My husband. He is also sleeved. He was 2 years post op in March this year. So he only lost about 65-70lbs and he says he would like to lose -15 more but the honest truth is he looks great where he is (he has a low % of body fat and is very muscular.) We both work out (me probably more so than him) but he DOES NOT have to be as vigalent about what he puts in his mouth. He can eat more carbs than I can and is NOT as sensitive to calorie intake (grrr!) haha, really I'm happy for him. His weight loss quit about 9 months post-op and he has maintained within a +/-6lb range since he was 9 months. So everyone really IS different.

Well I can only speak for me and from my experience, but most long-term sleevers have indeed battled a regain (I'm 2.5 years out) and while the hunger is NEVER (for me) what it was pre-op, it's definitely a battle. I told myself I would NEVER regain ANY weight, but the truth is most people do. In my 2nd year I gained about 10-12lbs from April-Nov., then added another +5 for the holidays. I'm working it off but it is coming of VERY slow. I've lost -9lbs since Jan 1 of this year and it's already mid-April. So that is how quick it can fly on and how slow it can come off. I think at some point everyone gets tired of being hypervigalent about their diet and that is when the extra pounds creep in. I originally lost -100lbs and would like to get back there. So sometimes I have to remind myself of how far I've come and that an extra 10-12lbs doesn't make me a WLS failure. Best advice - when the scale goes up, take care of it immediately, don't wait months or the extra lbs can turn into more.

Linda that is awesome. Your tummy has fared quite well...YAY! Funny thing about scars is that they do tend to fade after a few years. I had my gall bladder removed laproscropically (I think there were 4 incisions) about 14 years ago and once I had "new" scars from the VSG I can't even FIND the old ones from the GB removal.

Here is where I got the idea for granola that incorporates Protein powder (I actually used Click...yum) http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2011/04/clickn-granola.html Shelly's CLICK'n Granola 1/3 cup oatmeal, dry 1/3 cup Sliced Almonds 1/4 cup Pecans, chopped 1 scoop CLICK Espresso Protein Powder (your favorite flavor, I used vanilla Latte) 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon 3 Tablespoons sugar free Torani Syrup (your favorite flavor, I used Sugar Free Vanilla) 2 Tablespoons Almond Butter 1 Tablespoon Butter Mix together with a fork till clumps form. Sprinkle clumps of the topping onto a baking sheet (I lined it with foil for ease of clean-up) and bake for 20 minutes at 350. Allow to cool. When cool store in sealed container for several days.

So good to hear from you! Congrats on your loss and maintenance! I'm sorry about your dad's passing and the legal troubles. It sounds like you have a handle on the drinking now, and you know it's not going to make life any better. It's funny how we have to find other ways to cope instead of turning to food. Good luck on the new baby project, sounds like an adventure! I also went back to school (already have my bachelor's but really needed some new skills to stay competitive in the job market) and it is HARD work so my hat is off to you on that. Thanks for the update, I think we all like hearing from others who have been sleeved for quite some time.

For granola you would. The only time I leave almonds whole is when I'm planning to count them out and just eat them plain. You can also add Protein powder to your homemade granola. But it is definitely something I can eat too much of and most granola is a high-calorie (good calories tho) food. So I have to watch it around granola.

Marci you are welcome! I hope Jacqui has some good advice for you. One thing that I wanted to mention from your very first post about being scared of the sleeve because it's permanent. Don't be. It's a GOOD thing. Once you are through the surgery and subsequent recovery and healing, you are good to go. You get to keep this tool for LIFE and no more 6 hour trips for a tune-up.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20622654 Intersting this article is the first one I've seen that has mentioned a resleeve. I know someone who once wanted a resleeve because she didn't feel like she ever lost her hunger. She woke up from the OR table starving and thus has battled it since (she will be 3 years post-op next month) But I have not heard of this being common. I wonder what it entails. I imagine that first your sleeved tummy would have to be at a greater size bougie perhaps than "normal or average" to work a resleeve. But then again I've heard of cancer patients who survive with little to no stomach at all. Swizzly you are SO lucky! YAY! I have read on VST about people who have gone about RESETTING their metabolism but I'm not ready to tackle that yet. I would LOVE to eat 2,000 calories a day and maintain...