SlimDreams

I think the stretch of a gastric sleeve is different from the stretch of a gastric bypass. The part left on the sleeve is the muscular part, the gastric bypass, it is bypassed. So the stretch of a sleeve is not as easy as a gastric bypass which is just stomach tissue. I could be wrong but this is what I understand.
Muscles can stretch but they can also shorten. If you and I quit abusing our stomach I believe it will shrink and give us more restriction. I am already feeling different, I am paying attention more. I ate yesterday in dead silence, no TV on, something I haven't done in a while. It was amazing how soon the full signal showed up. Saving the rest for later is a good thing, that's why tupperware was invented...😀

Hi everyone. LOVE all the pics, beautiful women and families. Everyone looks happy. I have been struggling so bad. I am attending a new support group this week and hopeful that the people there will be really helpful to me. Ultimately, getting myself back on track is UP TO ME.
I have had so many life changes since my surgery. I have moved to a new area completely, changed jobs/career paths, went back to school, lost a parent, etc. These are not excuses, but definite clues into my struggle. I have used food as a crutch for so long. In addition, I am the breadwinner and during my graduate education I have worked all sorts of crazy hours. I do what I have to, and keeping the check coming in' is the most important so I do everything I can at my job. Normally I work an afternoon/night shift but currently on days for at least another month, so I'm really going to try and use these weeks to focus on my health and get my eating back under control.

Hello ladies.

I have been so busy with life that I have neglected to check in or keep up with posts on this thread. I found a group on Facebook called No Bariatric Regain, Back on Track that has helped me tremendously! It's such a great place for support and their plan works! There are so many people that have lost the regain and so many people on the path to do it. I encourage everyone to go find the group and become a part of it and I'm certain that you will find the support you're needing as I have. I am not the best thread admin as I don't check in often but on this group you will get so much support and responses within minutes!! Please check it out, that's where I will be, hope to see you guys there!

Great work! I like seeing everyone's plans laid out, it's inspiring I'll have to try that clear Protein drink- I'm having trouble getting all the protein in I need.... I got 1 lb off this past week... baby steps, but I will take it! Especially after a quincenera on Saturday and going to see lady antebellum on Sunday.... lots off bad food opportunities there... I did cave and had a beer at the concert and a glass of wine at dinner with the girls.... I knew I shouldn't but I did. All part of life, as long as everyday doesn't get treated as a special occasion I'll be ok... my total down since joining this thread is is 6lbs, so now I'm at 232 . This week I've scheduled a fitmill class on Tuesday/ Thursday/Sunday and spin classes on wed and Friday....my food intake is still hovering about 1600 calories (except last Sunday with the drinks at the concert)... I will say i am feeling better and my mood is generally improved... I hope that getting active this week and eating within my calories will help me get through the stall I expect will happen this week or next...keep you posted

I'm coming up on my 4 year surgiversary, but I still remember the moment on a date when I looked down at my legs only to realize I was sitting there with them crossed effortlessly AT THE KNEE!!!...in the passenger seat of a Prius!!
Side note: ended up marrying my date, and years later the memory of that simple act floods back to me every time I get into that Prius to go for a ride with my husband

Did everyone loose all restriction after pregnancy? Did restriction return for anyone? How was restriction during pregnancy?

Hello friends,

This past week has been one of breakthrough for me and learning so much about myself. I was asked to share some of my poetry with the Young Adults at my church last Friday and it was the first time that I felt truly confident and happy with who I was. I was happy with the person I was becoming and stepping in being- like really living. My identity was not wrapped around what I looked like, obsessing over a number on the scale or the "I'll be happy when" mindset. I am actually happy. Truly uncovering the depths of my being and who God created me to be has brought me freedom. I am done obsessing over my weight and letting it consume my life and shaping my whole life around if I am losing or not. I want to be healthy, I want to be alive, I want to truly enjoy my reality and I believe I am doing that! I still plan on controlling my weight but I am no longer allowing my weight to control me. This is an NSV for me, big time!

Try not to be frustrated and get down on stuff that is out of your control. Sometimes the waiting part of our process is where we grow most. Trust that in the right time, it will all come together. Praying for you

So I've been MIA for a couple weeks due to vacation and staying away from the internet.... I'm an aspiring novelist, so I REEEEAALLLY have to try to focus on my writing if I ever want to "get there." But I just read posts from the past couple of weeks and have seen the ups and downs... I had a couple myself. But as of today I'm 169.6.... within 10 lbs of my goal weight! I'm pretty excited about that. I had to give up 80% of the carbs I was eating, and I've been careful with sodium.... upped the Protein, and 'as for now' it seems to be working. I'm happy, but always scared.
This is the first 4th of July in YEARS that I haven't been embarrassed to take a picture with my family. So I'm sharing.

@fadstabora that is a win! Social situations can be a minefield. It must have felt really good to walk out of Wingers having made good choices@chiquitabananaz14 focus on little consistent steps...getting on the scale is up to you... don't feel defeated, you've reached out for support and it takes guts. Bravo! Not everyday is about the # on the scale we all have areas to work on to make ourselves stronger and more resilient...Just look at this thread...you started with honesty and openness and as a result we all found a place we can come for support and encouragement while we work towards our personal goals... your current choices have had a positive impact on others, that is an NSV if I've ever seen one!! Stay on your path:)

What was it about yesterday?? I had a hard one too… Our office has been doing potlucks every day this last week-- luckily I traveled on mon/ tues half days, so I was only really tempted on wed/ Thursday-- and I made it through Wed with flying colors. But then comes Thursday when one of my coworkers put a smuckers crustless pbj snack pack on my desk 1st thing in the morning—after I told her not to repeatedly the previous day-- she's a nice woman, means well, but I wish she had just not-- I put it in my lunch bag "away." But then kept thinking about it -- finally gave in and ate the 210 cal monstrosity and was not satisfied at all-- I had to remove some of my better and planned Snacks to compensate for those empty calories. Still the indulgence left me craving sliders the rest of the day, and I was mad at myself...Then I go to Fitmill class after work, which is this circuit low impact HIIT format where we have this fill in instructor who is pregnant… there I struggled through the whole class….all the ladies under 200lbs seemed to breeze through the class and I started to tear-up during abs thinking "How did I let myself backslide so far! I mean I was there I WAS IN ONEDERLAND!!" I could have caught it earlier, why did I let myself not care about my health- yes there were miscarriages, but I knew rationally those weren't my fault, and the doctors confirmed they could not be prevented, but that should have made me more focused on being healthy, not less, I knew it would make our future chances better not worse-- why did I go back to feeling worthless?!? Why did I punish myself in my grief? I knew better, I know better...ugh! I realize that I was already having a hard food day and beating myself up over that… and that having the class instructor announce her pregnancy probably hit me in a tender place when I was already feeling low… I can honestly say that I don’t begrudge successful pregnancies and I don’t start blubbering uncontrollably when I see or hold babies, I just pray that next time we will be the lucky ones, because this type of loss is hard, it was hard the first time and it feels compounded the second time. Logically I know as time goes by it will be less raw….logically…Anyway I made it through class, ate a healthy dinner of salmon to compensate more, although I was way over my carbs at 157 grams, my total calories came in at 1728, my net calories consumed came in at 1042 and I'm still here today….. Normally I try to be more uplifting and keep a positive outlook… Yesterday was hard… thanks for allowing me someplace to be honest and candid…

Great work! I like seeing everyone's plans laid out, it's inspiring I'll have to try that clear Protein drink- I'm having trouble getting all the protein in I need.... I got 1 lb off this past week... baby steps, but I will take it! Especially after a quincenera on Saturday and going to see lady antebellum on Sunday.... lots off bad food opportunities there... I did cave and had a beer at the concert and a glass of wine at dinner with the girls.... I knew I shouldn't but I did. All part of life, as long as everyday doesn't get treated as a special occasion I'll be ok... my total down since joining this thread is is 6lbs, so now I'm at 232 . This week I've scheduled a fitmill class on Tuesday/ Thursday/Sunday and spin classes on wed and Friday....my food intake is still hovering about 1600 calories (except last Sunday with the drinks at the concert)... I will say i am feeling better and my mood is generally improved... I hope that getting active this week and eating within my calories will help me get through the stall I expect will happen this week or next...keep you posted

I remember you gmanbat- you were an oldie when I was a newbie- welcome back you'll find the support you need here

I have been absent a long time. I got a sleeve in 2012.. It went great and before the next year I went from 340 to 225.
I did well for quite a while but began regressing to old habits a little at a time. I am now at 260 and I am determined to get back.
My moment of realization came when I was walking into the grocery store and saw this fat guy coming at me in the reflection on the door.
I am back on medications that I had shed before and have much less energy.
The downward spiral ends now.
i used to be a moderator here and gave many people advice. Now I need to take it myself.
I will get back!

I don't know if this is necessarily the place to post this, but I just got married!!!! This woman has been by my side through the last 2 and a half years in this journey. She met me when I weighed over 600 pounds. I am now back down to my playing weight for football in college, but I am much healthier and and in better shape than I was then. I still have a lot of work to get under 3 bills, but I am extremely happy to head down this new path in life.

lol, ah... the big newbie hormonal dump rage vs bored vet arguments. The same thing played out over & over every 6 months.
A piece of advice, but not for the newbies. Vets, your input is not really wanted. People only want a vet to reaffirm their choices, theories, and advice. I found that the ones that truly want advice are not the ones hoping to make a name, obtain popularity, or gain a reputation on the forum. More often than not, the ones that appear to take advice to heart are the ones that have PM'ed a vet for a private conversation. That allows a conversation without any posturing.

A thread that went to hell with hurt feelings and didn't involve me...
I came to see what all the status update crying was about (also pretty obvious someone is fresh from WLS because their feathers are so easily ruffled).
All I am going to say is when you are fresh from surgery, not even 6 months. It seems impossible you can eat xyz or do whatever. Most of us are guilty of thinking that is the way it will always be.
When you heal at 6 months it is almost like a switch flips. Boom you can eat more, well feel less restriction. 9 months again, 12 months again. Then by 24 months like Greenie said boredom has set in (I am completely bored with the whole thing) you feel totally normal and it is pretty easy to slip.
No one that is over a year out is going to take someone less than 3 months from surgery seriously. This is like some kid fresh outta college trying to lecture me about IT when I have had 2 successful businesses and a 20 plus year career.
The best thing someone freshly sleeved can do is learn the habits of people that fail. I can name off the top 2...
They don't track
They don't measure
WLS patient or not people who track are more successful period. My BFF lost more weight than 1/2 the people that post here in a shorter time, without any weight loss surgery, eating the same way and just tracking her food.

I don't think anyone on this forum 'hates' you. Personally, it isn't worth my energy to hate an individual with whom I'm not acquainted in real life.
Let me get one thing straight...I've never regained. I maintain a lowish body weight of 118 to 120 pounds via making decent food choices and maintaining high activity levels, yet you speak as if everyone who sounds the alarm has failed at their post-WLS maintenance efforts.
Also, sounding the alarm is not synonymous with excuses.

Bingo. You hit the nail on the head. People with brand new sleeves or fresh gastric bypass pouches often do not realize the stones that lie in the road ahead.
Initially, surgery alters a person's biochemistry favorably to promote weight loss through hormonal changes. This is known as the honeymoon period. In the beginning, the surgically altered person has a diminished appetite and can lose weight without a great deal of effort.
But over the years, the intestines become more efficient at caloric absorption, especially in those who have undergone gastric bypass. This phenomenon is known as intestinal adaptation. Intestinal villi adapt to being bypassed by enlarging and increasing their surface area to absorb more calories, priming people for weight regain.
The bariatric surgery patient is several years out and scratching his/her head, wondering why the number on the scale creeps upward rapidly even though eating habits are the same as before. They don't realize that the human body is a marvelous piece of art that will find any way to extract every last energy source (read: calories).
Sleeve and lap band patients usually regain by backsliding into bad habits. Gastric bypass patients often regain via the intestinal adaptation phenomenon discussed earlier, but backsliding into bad habits is also a noteworthy culprit.
Most obese and formerly obese persons have bodies that favor fat storage rather than fat burning. Hormonally, there are differences between us and our naturally thin counterparts.
Obesity is not curable, ever. Obesity can be forced into remission by achieving a normal body weight, but our bodies will always fight to get back to where they once were regardless of weight loss surgery.

It's SO easy to be cocky newly post op (1-2 years). I remember. You think you have the tiger by the tail.
Then the honeymoon period ends.
Suddenly, you're hungrier. You can eat more. You've settled into "boring" maintenance. You no longer have the thrill of the scale moving downward. People are used to how you look now, and you aren't getting the validation of constant compliments on how great you look. You're fully healed and feel as normal as you did before surgery, and sometimes you're alarmed by how much more you can eat and how much hungrier you are. Behavior fatigue sets in, and you push the limits of how much sugar or alcohol or carbs you can consume before you see a gain. After all, you pretty much could still lose early out even after the occasional splurge. And if you did gain a pound or two, a couple days of cutting back on carbs and some extra Water, it came right back off. Until you discover it doesn't work that way anymore. You gain much easier now for seemingly no reason, and no matter how hard you try, the weight won't come back off like it did before. You become complacent, almost accepting a 5, 10, or even 20 pound gain because it becomes so hard to lose it again. We won't even talk about the guilt and self loathing regain causes. You feel like a failure (even though you really aren't).
A fairly new post op has no idea the struggles people 3, 4, 5 years out and more have, so telling people to just suck it up and have more willpower is utter bullshit.

And thank you for reaching out for help. It takes a great deal of courage to admit there's a problem, and even more courage to ask for assistance in solving it.
In this day and age, too many people complain about problems but refuse to resolve them. It's as if they find comfort in the art of complaining. So it's refreshing that you want to tackle your issue.
I'll be rooting for you.

Don't be fooled...it is very much possible to overindulge with any type of weight loss surgery.
Look at Carnie Wilson, one of the most famous gastric bypass recipients...started at nearly 300 pounds, got down to 150 pounds, then regained two-thirds of the weight.
Anyone can regain with a lap band, sleeve or bypass through overindulgence. Those who are still in their honeymoon periods never envision it happening to them, but the slippery slope always looms.
Forewarned is forearmed. Never say never.

Personally, I started seeing a mental health counselor a few months prior to reaching my goal weight. Since I had a history of self-medicating my emotional traumas with food and other distractions prior to weight loss surgery, I wanted to slay the dragon before the dragon had a chance to slay me.
I know the feeling of sadness you speak of. It feels like a bottomless pit. Until you address the sadness (read: a telltale symptom of depression), I suspect you'll continue to self-medicate by overeating.
Perhaps some professional help is needed? It's okay to be weak in the moment and admit that we may need to mobilize help to solve a problem. I wish you the best of luck. You've got this.

Personally I think it is a combination of mindset, never changing their relationships with food, and laziness. Processed and fast food is easy.
My mindset is the changes I am making now must be for life. These changes are not a diet, they are a healthy lifestyle. I know plenty of people that eat healthy and don't indulge in junk food or sweets and they have never had a weight problem.
I don't understand why some people consider healthy food selections and portions as a restrictive diet mentality?

This is good.