clk

As soon as my insanely strict post op diet let me. 10 days clears, then I think another week full liquids. Coffee was allowed after. I made coffee protein drinks for several years; they were my lifesaver because I didn't have much appetite for breakfast and needed to boost my protein counts.

Everything. Yes, I'm smaller. I eat differently. My diabetes is gone, as is my high blood pressure and cholesterol. I can run, take stairs, chase my kids. All of that. It seems secondary, almost, compared to the ripple effects. For instance, I'm treated differently. I'm used to it now. It's not just my behavior, it's societal. Other than sometimes being told I'm too skinny, backhanded compliments or odd behaviors that were commonplace are gone from my social interactions. I'm "normal." Above and beyond the biggest impact has been my mental health. Losing weight made me acknowledge clearly for the first time in my life that I was not unhappy because I was fat; I was fat because I was deeply unhappy. Eliminating all of the weight left a woman forced to get help. It's immensely improved my life. Almost seven years later, I'm healthy in body and mind. There's nothing better. I will always be grateful I made this choice for myself. I wish you the best. Cheri

I just wanted to chime in here. I don't come around much anymore. There's probably an old buried thread I started years ago about slow loss success stories somewhere around here. I'm 7 years out next month. I lost about six pounds a month. I had months where I lost just two pounds. I had six week stalls followed by nine pounds off, then I'd bounce back up a few pounds. It took me 17 months to lose 107 pounds. I got pregnant six months later (on purpose) and in the year after I had my daughter, I lost that weight and went below my initial goal weight by another 17 pounds, bringing me to my final weight of 118 pounds today. I've been steady for 2.5 years. Slow loss is frustrating but it's still loss. At times. Let's not lie - the stalls are agonizing. My body loved every bit of the weight and didn't want to give any up. I tried every trick in the book. The only thing that worked was being consistent. My body eventually gave in. I needed less calories than most people, I needed to eat some carbs, but I mostly needed to just keep plugging away. The good thing is that I can promise you there is no expiration date on your sleeve. So it doesn't matter if you lose in a year or three. Just lose it. And live a better life for it. You guys get the struggle. I never liked the whining bit, because it was always harder for me. Good luck to you. Cheri

I'm almost seven years out. Nothing is forever forbidden. Some foods I eat in smaller quantities, like rice, flour tortillas or pasta. Those are foods you'll mostly avoid until maintenance. And beef and iceberg lettuce took me months to tolerate. The only time I experienced genuine dumping syndrome was during my gestational diabetes test, when they made me drink the glucose solution. As you've read, moderation is the key to long term success. Unfortunately, many high calorie foods slide so being diligent about our choices matters. I'm not trying to preach. The sleeve makes it pretty easy the first year. And honestly, pretty darn easy to go back to basics and lose regain later or to keep losing even beyond a year (it took me 17 months to reach 1st goal, more than 2.5 years to get here). Just don't count on your sleeve telling you no when it comes to bad choices. On the flip side, it will definitely tell you no if you eat too much of a food that swells. Go figure. Cheri

Yep, basics. Protein and lots of it. Healthy snacks between meals if you're grazing. How far off your goal are you? Is this a matter of accepting your body doesn't want to go farther or can you go farther? No judgment here - real talk. We've all been there. I've gone up a bit and down over the years. It happens. The sure course to taking it off is always lots of liquids, protein, salads, good carbs and no junk. I hate it for a few days but quickly get over my cravings and see results on the scale. I'm a terribly slow loser, so 20 pounds of regain can take me six months to shed. You know the drill. Good luck. Lately I find green smoothies help me, as does curbing sugar, but personally I advise against going full liquids at our stage as I think it's too drastic. Just my opinion. Cheri

Wow, coops and UK Cathy and MichiganChic - like a tiny reunion! I saw this and had to say hello. Sorry to hear about the regain struggles. I think over the years (I'm coming up on 7) we've all gone up or down a bit. It's whether or not we let it slide into 50, 60, back to where we started. We don't. It's times of stress that get me, like when my father passed years back. I put on 20. Took a bit to take it off. No exercise, I'm still rotten on that, kudos to you that do it, you're better than me. I'm actually quite small now. Partly due to medication. It's odd, what becomes normal. Just being a little person and people assuming you've always been that way. I had my gallbladder out earlier this year. My husband retired after 23 years in the military. That about sums up my eventful life. Hope you're all well. You were a great support early on, truly. Cheri

I didn't gain any weight after my gallbladder was removed. I just changed the way I eat my protein until my gallbladder-free body accepted things. Dairy, which had been an issue since my sleeve is now an absolute no-go except hard cheese. But shifting to baked protein, away from sauces and to more fish for two months did the trick. Now I only have an issue if I eat a rich sauce or very fatty meat. And I'm sensible - I knew, at nearly 7 years out, that just because I can't eat certain meats that I can't go stuffing myself with pasta and bread instead. Balance. Have the surgery. A few gallbladder attacks writhing on the floor in agony like I had with stones lodged in your duct (which precipitated my surgery) aren't worth the fear of bad choices we can avoid. Good luck, and good health. Sent from my SM-G935V using BariatricPal mobile app

I waited two years post op. I'd definitely wait at least that long. I understand the desire to rush, but your body needs to find it's balance and adjust. Your weight needs to stabilize, and you need to get to a point where food, not supplements, keeps your labs up. It passes quickly! I got pregnant easily and had a very healthy pregnancy because I was in such a good place. Even my prior diabetes (gone) and high blood pressure (gone) didn't impact the pregnancy. I'd waited long enough that my sleeve could accommodate the needs of the eating for two. And I gained a healthy amount of weight that I lost a few months afterward. Be patient. One life change at a time! Sent from my SM-G935V using BariatricPal mobile app

Too much food too fast, and it's coming back up. Eat more slowly. It's easy to overdo it while we learn our new limits. Remember foods that swell, like bread, rice, Pasta, etc. will fool you so you have to stop early, before you think you're done. I had the worst time when I was pregnant post sleeve, because I kept overdoing it. Slow pace, small bites and tiny portions. My nose starts to run when I'm full. You'll learn your signals soon enough. Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

meat took a while, especially beef. It made me uncomfortably full. I could only handle a bite or two for several months post op, and it was more than six months before I could eat any form of beef. Fish wasn't a problem, though. Good luck. Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

Quest bars are great. And don't swear off shakes. I supplemented my Protein for the first two or three years with a Protein shake or coffee a day. It helps! Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

I'm more than six years out. My sleeve is the same size it was a year out. I've had a child (got pregnant two years post op) and I lost weight past my goal in my fifth year post op. The sleeve does not expire. I still have a huge amount of restriction. For example, we had our rare junk food dinner last night and all I could eat was one taco. I'm still not hungry and I'm easily maintaining between 114-118 pounds when I started at 242 on surgery day. The sleeve works. Don't panic, or listen to people that don't have one. Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

Lactose intolerance is the worst. I got hit with it, too. Do you handle eggs well? Eggs were something I started early. They helped me tremendously. I mixed other fishes in so I didn't get bored. Herring, salmon, tilapia etc make nice salads or are nice and soft and keep you from getting bored. I mashed chickpeas with spices so it wasn't boringly pasty like hummus. More texture. I made salads out of them, too, with lemon and spices. Yes to beans, of all varieties. I love black beans. This won't last long. And if it helps, my lactose intolerance faded. Now the only things I can't tolerate are milk and ice cream. Good luck. Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

Dairy? I developed lactose intolerance and the first sign was nausea. My Protein shakes were the culprit. Make sure it's nothing serious, but you might be one of the ones that got hit with lactose intolerance. In my case, it faded over time. I can tolerate everything but milk and ice cream now. Good luck. Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

It took me eighteen months to lose 107 pounds and more than two years to reach my actual goal. Slow and steady. My sleeve works forever, no expiration date! I was pretty sure I'd never hit my actual goal, but I've gone below it in the years of maintenance. My advice as a seasoned vet is to focus on a goal you're happy with, but not stress about the numbers. Your body will settle where it's happy. Mine is way smaller than I ever imagined, honestly. Good luck! Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

I hated eating for several months post op. It was a necessary chore to get my nutrients in for MFP. A nice change from the overeating pre-op, right? This is when you make those bites count. Good, flavorful, food. I swear, I appreciate food so much more now. Six years and I have no taste for junk. It's crap to my taste buds. Just a few bites of something wonderful and I'm happy. If nothing else, consider this the groundwork to healthy habits later. It'll pass, I promise. Congrats on your surgery. Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

I'm six years out. It took me a year and a half to lose 107 pounds, now I'm down 124 pounds from my surgery weight. I was a slow loser, and it was a frustrating process at times. I had a child post op, and lost that weight, too. I do not fear regain. I'm so small now that I work to keep weight on. I'm still not hungry. Emotionally, it was a difficult adjustment. It took a few years to realize I was normal. I've been in therapy for a long time. I had a lot of issues to work on, and depression set in when I had to acknowledge that it wasn't my weight that had been making me unhappy - my weight was a sign of my unhappiness. But I'm in a much, much better place now than I've ever been, mentally and physically. I was finally diagnosed with mental problems I'd been suffering from my whole life. I never would have gotten help, because I'd been medicating with food and alcohol. When my sleeve took the ability to do that away, I had no choice but to reach out. As for what I wish I'd known? I'm on B12 and a PPI. No biggie, but I had no idea they'd be forever. My diabetes is gone, so I consider it a win! I just turned 36, and I feel like I got a chance to live a life due to my surgery. I'd never, ever take it back. Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

I know that you want advice on how to get your revision. But have you really sat down and done the test on your sleeve - solid Protein only - to see how strong your restriction still is? I'm not judging you. I've seen a lot of people here over the years who say they never lost hunger, or who struggled immensely because they underestimated the head vs. stomach side of the game. It's no joke. We all know how damn hard this is, what a challenge life is post op, and the surgery really is only a tool. You hear that pre-op but don't understand until after. I'm more than six years out and can still lose weight. Without knowing specifics, it's my guess that most likely, you don't need a revision. You probably could still lose. If you still have restriction enough on a few ounces of solid protein to feel full, your sleeve works. That means it's a head and willpower game. And that's hard. But you know that, and you already know the rules. I wish you luck. I had a child post op. I've gained and lost. Now, if you're NOT feeling restriction, go get a barium swallow/upper gi. Quickest way to see what's up. Cheri I wanted to add that regain freaking happens, hon. Don't feel bad. Don't. I'm not trying to beat you up. I just don't want you to assume that you need another surgery to fix it. Pursue it if you feel you need to, but remember that you already had one. You can do this. You're tough and recovered once, lost weight once. You CAN do it again. Good luck. Really. Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

I'm more than six years out. I still have a huge amount of restriction. I eat a few ounces of Protein, my veggies, and some carbs at a meal. I still can't drink when I eat. I still forget to eat because I don't feel hungry. If I ate utter crap, I could gain. We all could. But last year I lost fourteen pounds. Five years out, I lost more weight, effortlessly. My sleeve works. Because it's the same size it was roughly a year out. So my ability to work it is what it comes down to, and I've done it all, including having a child post op. The stats also say a lot of us will only lose 50% of our excess weight, but we prove that wrong all the time. Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

I don't come around much, but at more than six years out and successfully maintaining, I can say that the article is a good find. I'm not hyper-vigilant but I still follow my original food rules more often than not. Food is a slippery slope, and I will always need to be a mindful eater, for fear of sliding into regain. Period. People in denial about their habits, or expecting their surgery to endlessly do the work for them will be disappointed, because there does come a tipping point. Again, solid article. Thanks for sharing. Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

@@CLK eeeeekkkkk look at you!!! you are a site for sore eyes i am running out the door i saw you and had to say hi i'm still kickin" always loved to see you and your posts thanx for starting my day with a big smile continued success take care bud hope all is well to you and yours - best wishes huggggggs Kathy 5 years sleeved I'm sill standing Hey! Glad to see you're still around, and doing well. Keep smiling! Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

I don't come around much, but I had my surgery in July 2010. I actually lost more weight in year 5 post op. My sleeve is just as effective now as it was 18 months post op, when it "settled" to my new normal. I'm 5'1" and 118 pounds; I was 242 on surgery day. I'm down 160 or so from my heaviest ever weight. I still have a ton of restriction. I could gain if I ate like crap, I've put on ten or fifteen pounds in the past. It's easy to take off if I go back to basics, though. Your sleeve works if you do, and always will. I'm grateful every day. Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

It's been a long time since I needed WLS support. I've needed all sorts of OTHER support in the last nearly two years, but this hasn't been the place for me. How's everyone been? I miss some voices here, I won't lie. After five years and after my last year and a half of tumultuous "real world" struggles the weight loss thing seems like easy stuff compared, which probably won't sit well with some people. But remember, the weight is a symptom of the head crap and I've been working on the head crap, right? So the more you work on you the less likely you are to struggle with the weight (IMO, anyway, for what that's worth) so it all kind of falls in line after a while. Last time I was here I'd had my youngest daughter and was struggling to lose weight, my dad had just passed away and we'd gotten surprise custody of two teenage stepdaughters while one of my stepdaughters was missing out on a drug bender, I think. Life is INSANITY over here in my lane. In the past while life has adjusted into something else much more do-able and peaceful for sure. But here were care about the weight, right? I'm doing well. Definitely a success. No plastic surgery - still just don't have the time or money put back for that. But still okay. I have far exceeded what I ever thought my sleeve would do for me. I will not lie - this surgery works no matter what - if I go back to doing what I'm supposed to do it never fails me. It's ME that does the wrong things, it's ME that doesn't work the things I need to do. It's my head that doesn't get in the game, my emotions that get out of whack, my spirit that gets me down, my life that spirals out of control, my habits that take over my life, my laziness that keeps me from being physical, my lack of motivation that keeps me from wanting to change my focus or meditate or read something that will help me progress - it's ME. It's not this sleeve. It's what I do to my body and my mind and how I choose to live each day that makes the difference. This was never about my weight, it was about the whole picture. I was a completely unhealthy lump of sadness and depression and misery seven years ago, no lie. I lost so much more than weight, and it's so much more than being skinny that's freeing, that's for darn sure. I'm currently between 124 and 128 pounds (I'm 5'1" tall) but I didn't even know that until I went to the doctor a week ago. Because I put the scale away. Screw that scale. I don't need it. Because my pants fit. And if they get a little snug and it's not my cycle, I already know that I need to adjust something. More Water, less sodium, more exercise, less junk - I'm in tune with my body and what I'm doing every day. I refuse to be in denial about my lifestyle and my body any more. I am not passively living in this body. I am present. I am here. Because this is a GIFT. I gave myself a second chance and I'll be damned if I'm wasting it. It's not about vanity or skinny jeans or a tight stomach. It's about living my life to the fullest and feeling like I want to feel. I eat what I want and enjoy every bit of it, but I will not allow that indulgence slide out of control. I'm in XS, S - size 4 - size FOUR, sometimes TWO. It's insanity. I can share clothes with my teenagers. I turn 35 next week. I feel young and vibrant and peaceful and happy and it's more than my size it's my everything. I've put so much away that there just no reason to hide in food and anger and sadness anymore. Life is good. How are the rest of you? How is life treating you on your amazing, wonderful paths? Ups, downs, twists, turns, all of it - I don't regret a minute. I really don't. I've learned so much and I've had so much joy. It's a beautiful day. ~Cheri

I'm in a remote location and getting medical treatment here is an absolute nightmare. They have to med-evac us to London for care and will only do it for an emergency. So I figure I'd ask here for suggestions or experiences so that I can approach the nurse we have here with some ideas of what to get tested. I've experienced some weirdness in the last two months (totally unrelated to VSG or weight loss, I think) and was hoping someone could tell me if they had a similar experience or if they've heard of anything like this. Two months ago I had a wacky cycle. I've always been clockwork: 28 days with ovulation right in the middle. I am NEVER late, not even when I'm stressed or sick or traveling. I was two weeks late and scared half to death I was pregnant (which should not be possible as my husband is for all intents and purposes, just about sterile). Then, out of nowhere, my period shows up. I get a short, spotty cycle and then it's back to normal. For all of four days! Then I immediately go into what feels like ovulation for me, complete with sore breasts and a breakout. But the soreness doesn't last one or two days like usual - it lasts two and a half weeks...complete with more pimples, dang it. And right when it ends I get my period again. This one was more normal but still very, very light compared to usual and only 3 days instead of my usual 4-5 days. In addition to my massive three weeks' long breakout (something that again, NEVER happens) I've gained weight. Steadily, despite the fact that I've maintained with virtually no effort in the past. I've been tracking my food and nothing is out of line. I've been gaining about half a pound a day and I'm up five pounds in just the last two weeks. This is not a matter of stress, Water intake or sodium intake. Something is just not right and I can't figure it out. I really, sincerely doubt I am pregnant - I've always "known" when I was pregnant within days of it happening, long before I could test. This doesn't feel the same way, not at all. When I went into the clinic here I was told that unless I can name specific tests I want done there isn't much they can do. Additionally, they send our bloodwork out to Almaty and can't even do something locally, so the test I request might not even be available. I had my annual exam done last September so I could ask for one but all it would be is the usual swab and I don't know that they'd find anything that way. I'll be back stateside in August, but would obviously like to figure out what's going on before five more months pass. Women in my family do go into menopause earlier (my mom was totally done at age 35 and I'm 31) but wouldn't I expect my cycles to get farther apart with that, not closer together? I'm not sure where to go with this one. Anyone have similar experience and willing to share? I'm not even sure what to look for, honestly. Thanks for your time, I hope someone can help. ~Cheri

Lately I've seen a TON of posts about lucky sleevers that drop 100 pounds in six months. Congrats to them and to their loss. And I would never, ever begrudge anyone the right to crow about a fantastic success. It's part of why we're all here, to share the ups and downs of this surgery! But frequently, these posts are followed by folks that feel frustrated because they aren't losing at the same pace. All too often, we forget that everyone loses at a different pace. It's easy to lose sight of the real goal (long term maintenance) in the face of the scale goals we set for ourselves. And it's also easy to forget that this isn't a race and that there's no special prize waiting at the end for reaching goal more quickly. I would like to contribute my loss pattern so that people can see that there is more than one way to achieve a goal. Being successful is about reaching your personal goals, overcoming your personal food demons and maintaining your weight loss for life. It's not about hitting goal in nine months. I encourage everyone else with a slow loss story to contribute their successes here as well. It's hard to research this surgery and find only the stories about extremes - people completely thrilled with surgery or people that regret every minute of life post op. The same goes for loss. When people search out stories on this, it's too easy to only find rapid loss or stall posts but nothing showing the more realistic and moderate journey many of us take. The sleeve is a permanent tool that does not have a special window of easy weight loss. There is no reason to feel discouraged when you haven't reached goal at one year out, or even two. There is nothing preventing you (short of your own body's natural stopping point) from achieving or re-achieving goal at any point post op. I lost 60 pounds in the first five months after my surgery. And I slowly lost 32 pounds over the next seven months. It took me another five months to shed the final 15 pounds to my goal. I lost 107 pounds over the course of 17 months. I stalled twice for nine weeks each time. I had months where I only lost one pound. I regularly experienced a gain of three pounds around my cycle, and often only lost weight in the last week to ten days of the month, after sitting at the same weight for nearly three weeks. I am a success, and at 2.5 years out (and currently pregnant) I still have good, healthy eating habits and maintained my weight loss quite easily. Even 30 weeks pregnant, I am still wearing a size 6/small (in maternity clothes, of course) regardless of how I feel about my expanding body! I learned what was important on this journey and am in better health today (not just physically, but mentally and emotionally), than I have ever experienced as an adult. Good luck to those currently on their journey, and I encourage everyone to share their stories here so that newly sleeved folks can see that slow vs. fast loss doesn't really matter in the end. ~Cheri