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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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don't come around much, I had surgery July 2010.

@@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

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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.

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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 suppose I'm in the very lucky minority. I do not feel hunger. I'll feel empty or my stomach will growl or I'll get dizzy before I feel that old hunger feeling.

In every single instance where I say "I feel hungry" I'm using the wrong words. It's always hormones, not real genuine hunger, that has me peeking my head in the fridge. And I still sometimes have a problem with acid. Quite often I'll go a few days and realize I feel very hungry...but if I start taking my PPI for a while that feeling immediately disappears.

Unfortunately, disordered eating habits mean that I don't need to feel hungry to stuff my face. I'll do it just because I can, just because I'm bored or just because something sounds good. I didn't realize that was the case prior to surgery. I honestly thought that I was only eating because I was hungry and I was only fat because I ate too much. It's so much more complicated than that, and it definitely makes maintenance trickier to navigate successfully.

~Cheri

Yes, the trials are so much greater in maintenance. And as a slow loser anyway, it can seem like an insurmountable challenge when I need to lose a "mere" five pounds. I have said it over and over again but it will never sink in to a newbie until they're there themselves. The real struggle is not losing the weight. It's keeping the weight off. Maintenance requires so much more diligence than loss.

I forget this myself at times but the very most important thing a person can do is WEIGH.

Do not avoid the scale. Weigh every single day in maintenance, or every few days at the least. If you avoid the scale, it's easy to "forget" your weight or dismiss poor eating habits until your pants get tight. And with those stretchy jeans for women nowadays, that can mean you've packed on ten pounds before you realize it!

Tracking calories and planning meals comes secondary. It's that scale (or your measurements, or how your clothes fit, or whatever you use to measure yourself at goal) that tips you off to a problem immediately. I'm not saying expect to see the same number every day. But find that happy range and stay within it, and make adjustments when overdo it and step over the line. This way you catch issues immediately and don't have a ten, fifteen or twenty pound regain to tackle.

~Cheri