mi75

Ok so don't laugh. I'm 4.5 years post VSG. I lost about 90 lbs, had some regain, had some health issues, had a doctor put me on LCHF eating (keto) and have lost all of that regain. But I never made my initial goal so I have about 25 lbs to go before I'm there. That same doctor who gave me some ugly health news has ORDERED me to start an exercise regimen. I have a cushy membership to my local Y, which is PLUSH. seriously, very very nice, clean and a huge facility. Bottom line? I'm absolutely scared to death to go. I've talked with a couple of the trainers, There is only one female, and I need to work with a female for sure. She is decently versed in exercise and fitness but not at all in the metabolic needs of bariatric patents nor anything about LCHF. I have this really bad fear of being watched, laughed at, etc. Don't know why. Used to be a gym nut many years ago in college. How do I conquer this?? Any suggestions for the gym-phobic??

I started walking as soon as I got home. I started slow and short distances, but within a few weeks I was walking several miles a day (all ok'ed by my doc). It took a lot longer for me to get back into a gym or formal program but I finally did that too.

Ok seriously it sometimes takes having a 'come to Jesus meeting' with yourself... I've been there. For REAL. I had the regain. I had the 'I can eat everything just in small amounts' self talk. I had the people come up to me 2.5 years post VSG and ask me if I was pregnant!!! Now at 4.5 years post, I've lost my regain, lost even more and am getting ready (finally) for my skin surgery. For ME, it took an ugly health issue to get my act straight. It's different for everyone but you have GOT to find your "WHY". Once you do that, then you need to just get back to the VERY BASICS. attend some bariatric support groups. track your water, activity and intake. empty ALL the junk food out. start taking your own food to EVERYTHING so there is no temptation. Go back to your surgeon office. talk to them. seek out EVERY form of support you can find. attend an Overeaters Anonymous group in your area, or a Food Addicts meeting. Do WHATEVER it takes. Sadly, statistically the regain odds are not in our favor. Let's all prove those odds wrong.

by the way, I was also diagnosed with Barrett's Esophagus about 3.5 years pre-VSG....this is a pre-cancerous change in the lining of the esophagus and is a result of untreated GERD and the erosion that stomach acid causes from constant washing up into the esophagus. Take your GERD seriously, people. As it has been researched and studied, most people with esophageal cancer NEVER even knew that they even had Barrett's.

I have had GERD for about 30 years, literally. I have been on some old school meds, and then on a PPI for about 19 years now. Even post VSG, and losing all my regain, my GERD persists. yes I am still taking a PPI. I've been on them all: Protonix, Nexium, Prevacid, Aciphex, etc. I was told that after all my loss if it still persists then yes, RNY revision is my only option. I'm now 4.5 years post VSG and STILL hoping it will clear up...

I had some major regain too and struggled with it for about 18 months. I literally was doing online searches to try and figure out 'how' to lose the regain. I was to the point of desperation. BUT, I was also eating and drinking everything- just in small amounts because, HEY, after all, my sleeve would control the amount I eat right??? After about 40 lbs of regain I got a serious reality check by a doctor who gave me some really sobering health news after having some invasive health tests done. It was THE MOMENT of truth for me. I had to just get OUT of my own head. I KNEW how to do this. I knew what to do. I had to STOP all the nonsense and just get back to what I knew would work. For me, I went strict keto well over 17 months ago and successfully lost all of my regain. I also reversed the health issue. For me, this is what worked. I remain eating <20 carbs a day and will probably do so indefinitely. NOT necessarily because I don't think I can keep my weight down, but more so because of the health issue which responded beautifully (and research supports nutritional ketosis for the problem).

Update- found my tribe/vibe- decided to try CrossFit and love it. Hubs did it on/off for several years and now has decided to build our own 'home box'. So I'm getting the best of both worlds!

It's really THIS topic that most newbies don't realize is going to be the issue. Losing is easy. The surgery does a lot of the work. BUT...several years out is when the work needs to be done by you and your choices. Yes this is a lifelong thing. For me, I chose an eating style that was very easy to follow, lost all of my regain and committed to staying the course. The weight doesn't just automatically stay off. And yes, the further out your are the more likely you are to struggle. If you've fallen off track the best thing is to just see the doc, see the Nut, attend a support group, etc. This helps get you back on track. And start logging food, water, movement, etc. You got this!

I'm almost 5 years post op, I will tell you that you're right around the point where most of the inflammation is gone, it likely isn't stretch it's just that the inflammation is gone down. This is when most people realize they are eating more. Eating until you puke doesn't necessarily mean something is WRONG, you're just pushing yourself beyond what is now your capacity. Now it's a matter of self-control more than anything. I met this point right around 10 months post op as well. It gets hard now, but you can do it. Definitely start seeing the NUT regularly and attend support groups, etc. You got this!

not necessarily- I have no gallbladder and eat 95-110g fat daily, my husband has none and eats 150g fat daily. no problems at all for us once we were fat adapted.

Thank you for clarifying for the newer folks here! I am so used to a very specific macro mix. Our family has been dealing with nutritional ketosis (having used this approach to manage our daughter's epilepsy ) for the past 15 years, THANKFULLY working with the Johns Hopkins Neuro/Ketosis clinic. It's all so auto-pilot for me now because of her, but I've only focused on it for myself for the last year or so. yes it has changed somewhat for us, but most of the macro approach has been the same with our experience since about 2005.

Ketosis by definition is pretty much HIGH fat, MOD protein and VERY LOW carbs. It goes against much what we are told as bariatric patients. That said... YES I LOVE KETO!!! I have been strict keto for over a year and maintain these daily macros: 85% fat, 5% carb and protein takes care of itself. Keto can be a little tricky if you 'dump' from fat- it takes a little while for your system to adjust- but once you're there, it's great. I had a 40 lb regain from my lowest and used Keto to lose the regain successfully in about 6 months time. I am 4.5 years post VSG and did the whole 'bariatric' type low carb, low fat thing for the first year. I have found that for the regain, Keto worked really awesome and my body LOVES being in ketosis. I have boundless energy, seriously clear brain function, etc. There are SO MANY metabolic benefits that can be researched in the NIH database. You will get mixed reviews, but for someone who is longterm post op, it is a great option. I'm all about following your surgeon's guidelines during loss phase, but after a couple years most of us are 'done' with our surgeons. Keto is such an awesome tool to use along with bariatric surgery. Feel free to PM if you have questions!

Thanks everyone. Just mustering up the nerve to walk in tomorrow afternoon. Wish my luck! I ABSOLUTELY KNOW that this is the missing link in the final success of my weight loss

Absolutely back to basics. I lost a 40 lb regain in about 6 months, but my eating style isn't for everyone. Get back to what you did in the first few months post op. Log it ALL. Drink that water. Move. You got this!!!!

A stall 3-5 weeks post op is completely normal and expected. It is your metabolism's way of slamming on the breaks and catching up with what is happening in your body metabolically. I'm 4.5 years post op, trust me that 'stalls' are normal, and generally most surgeons aren't concerned unless the scale doesn't move for a couple MONTHS!! Hang in there

Chrys- how are you doing now? I try to keep up in the forums every couple weeks. I hope you are doing better. it IS possible to get back in focus of yourself and lose the regain. There's lots of threads in the vet's forum.

Caressa, EXACTLY. the tool is still there, and as far as I can tell it's still working exactly the same. For me, the difference was I got lazy, stopped tracking and started eating every couple hours PLUS drinking sugary sodas again. That made the difference. Getting back on track in my head was my ultimate tool and I still have about 15 pounds to go but not bad overall!

4 cm is actually pretty small. however, it it is a sliding hiatal hernia then that causes more of an issue and it may have to do with the actual location of where it is in the esophagus vs the size. Bypass is going to lessen your risks of it reoccurring. As a rule if they reoccur they cause some serious GERD which in and of itself can be a big issue post VSG. I think your surgeon is erring on the side of caution. Good luck with the RNY!

I had it for 2 decades pre-op and my surgery was 4 years ago. I have been taking a PPI since immediately post op, but when I had some regain I REALLY had it return BAD. I've since lost the regain but have also had an EGD that shows another hiatal hernia so my GERD is still there. I've been in nutritional ketosis for about a year which has helped some. I'm hoping after another 20 lbs or so it will totally resolve. If not, I'm seriously considering a revision to RNY because I don't want to take a PPI any longer.

I'm 4 years post VSG and also struggled with some regain about 2 years post op. I really struggled and gained back about 40 lbs. It took a doctor giving me some sobering health news (an issue that I originally had VSG to help combat was creeping back into play) to kick my butt into gear. I realized that it was only going to be ME doing the work, and that rather than look at a revision, I had to just get it together and DO IT. I've successfully lost all my regain and still have about 20 to go. I think many people who regain consider a revision because YES it s super easy to lose initially post op and I think there's a thought process that a revision will result in that easy, fast weight loss again, but my surgeon reminded me that a revision is NOT a reset button and that the body doesn't usually respond the same way after a revision.

Body weight exercises are going to be the cheapest- no equipment required. There is a good YouTube channel "You are your own gym". Resistance bands are super cheap at Wal-Mart and can give good workout too. I made my post-surgery lifestyle a baseline expectation for our household budget because I knew that eventually the surgery DOES stop working and it is ONLY my choices at that point that will amount to longterm success. Good luck!

Just wondering OP, how things are going? Yes it's super frustrating to have regain but definitely possible to conquer it with the right mindset. We would love an update to see how things are doing for you !!

I asked for a 34 French, because I'm a nurse and had talked with a lot of the surgical nurses from the OR. Funny thing- my surgeon had been using 34F the whole time. Right from the start, I had and STILL have great restriction 4 years out.

What a journey it has been. I am 4 years post VSG. When I decided to have surgery it was out of medical necessity. I was at a point where I was almost non-functional. Although I work in a busy industry, I would spend most of my work days parked behind a desk because I could hardly move or breathe. I had multiple health co-morbidities including PCOS, insulin resistance, weight-induced asthma, heart valve prolapse, GERD, Barrett's, fatty liver, hypertension, and more. I always SWORE I 'wouldn't be that patient that regained'. In fact, I was actually one of my surgeon's most successful patients for some time. I was the prized patient, I followed every rule, instruction and diet point to the T. I lost a lot of my initial weight very quickly. After my initial weight loss I was feeling good, changed careers, moved and set about having a new life. But then I had a devastating loss in my life, and several life changes followed. I had some significant regain and had health problems again start to surface. I spent a lot of time online asking for help and researching all of the ''reset' options. What it took me a while to realize was this: I KNEW what to do. I just had not come to the place where I was 100% committed to doing it. Thankfully, last fall I got some really unfortunate health news. I say thankfully because it was THE thing I needed to kick me in the pants and get me back on track. I have been completely focused since that day and have successfully lost all of my regain and am now within 20 lbs of my ultimate goal. I am looking forward to having my plastics done at that point and will feel like my long 4 year journey has been fulfilled. I will always identify as a WLS patient, that part never goes away. I still have great restriction with my sleeve and since getting back on track, I find that my restriction is improved. I feel great and wanted to offer my story because I know that most of the members on the forum are newer than me, and hopefully my story will inspire you or spark some questions.

You've got this! For me, I had to get extreme but found that pure Keto works great for me. Hubs and I have tried cycling up on our carbs and we both feel miserable AND find a lot of our health issues quickly creep back. So for us both, it's pretty much long-term ketosis. I feel very blessed to have had the surgery, and would do it again for SURE. People ask me "don't you regret the surgery? don't you wish you had just done keto in the first place?". And I answer them, "NO". my surgery was the first step, maintenance via Keto is the long haul