IcanMakeit

I am also 7 years out from my VSG. I had some significant regain for a couple of years but have since turned it around and am currently a couple of pounds from my lowest weight. Even with the weight regain, I am grateful for my surgery since most of my health issues have resolved or improved. I am also finding it easier to lose weight since I still have less stomach capacity and reduced appetite.

Different people, different ideas.
Take what info you deem useful for YOU and leave the rest.
Personally, i give kudos to you for questioning and researching and educating yourself. Too many people follow heaps of advice given to them because they believe these people surely must know better.
Sometimes they may, sometimes they may not.
For what its worth, i stopped drinking protein shakes around the time I reached goal. Since then, I’ve probably reached my protein goal (60g a day..NOTE: i am on the the small side: 5’2”, 115.9 lbs this morning, and exercise regularly) with just regular food maybe 75% of the time.
Im 3 years out now, have been maintaining my current weight (+/- 5lbs) for over 2 years; every single one of my labs have come back satisfactorily (last one in April, my next one is end of this month); my body fat percentage in April was 19% (so i have zero issues regarding muscle mass) ; and I feel fab.
Do you, boo. You’re doing great.

At 36 you might not have too much of a problem with loose skin over the long term, but even if you do, you can hide it with shapewear or remove it with surgery. Don’t let the fear of loose skin dissuade you.

I was also told by my surgeon that people typically lose more weight after bypass surgery than with the sleeve. It seems that the difference must be in adherence to the program post surgery. Maybe people with the bypass are more likely to follow the program strictly because so many of them suffer when they stray and that discomfort doesn’t diminish much over time. Whereas those with the sleeve have to form good habits with less of a threat of immediate consequences. I know that was the case for me. I lost more than 120 pounds post VSG and then gained back 60 over the next few years. That’s when I realized that I had to go back to strict adherence to the program. The reduction in the volume of daily food from pre-surgery days was not enough to keep me from regaining. Healthy food choices mattered just as much. I am now below my target weight by quite a bit and need to put on some muscle to look and feel better.

I'm sorry your husband isn't being supportive. I live alone and I chose not to tell anyone about my surgery other than medical professionals, so a ride to and from the hospital was an issue for me as well. I just took a taxi to the hospital, but the hospital told me I wasn't allowed to take a taxi/Uber/Lyft home and I had to give them the name and contact info of the person picking me up. I contacted a local home health care agency and they picked me up. The fee wasn't much more than the taxi ride and included a 4-hour shift of home health care, which was nice because the person who picked me up helped me bring my stuff in the house and picked up my prescriptions for me.

I was also told by my surgeon that people typically lose more weight after bypass surgery than with the sleeve. It seems that the difference must be in adherence to the program post surgery. Maybe people with the bypass are more likely to follow the program strictly because so many of them suffer when they stray and that discomfort doesn’t diminish much over time. Whereas those with the sleeve have to form good habits with less of a threat of immediate consequences. I know that was the case for me. I lost more than 120 pounds post VSG and then gained back 60 over the next few years. That’s when I realized that I had to go back to strict adherence to the program. The reduction in the volume of daily food from pre-surgery days was not enough to keep me from regaining. Healthy food choices mattered just as much. I am now below my target weight by quite a bit and need to put on some muscle to look and feel better.

What you are describing...(in my opinion) is a bariatric surgeon who uses his patients as advertisements to get business. People saw you shrink overnight and it made them believers...so now he's got more business.
Here's the problem... No one should ever be on a 600 calorie diet for any long period of time. It's unsustainable, unhealthy, and screws your metabolism to high heaven. It also exacerbates eating disorders and disordered thinking about food...which most of us have. (so says my bariatric therapist, dietician and surgeon)
My surgeon was part of a research project that examined post operative metabolic changes and diet long term. I'm still part of his study and will be ten years out.
We were encouraged to eat 1200 calories a day as soon as possible after surgery. I did this at three weeks post op. We were encouraged to eat lots of protien and few refined carbs. However...unrefined carbs with lots of fiber were encouraged. I ate oatmeal, potatoes, whole grain toast, nuts, brown rice, etc. The only carbs we actively avoided were sugar, white flour refined stuff, and fruit juice (much better to get it in whole fruit which we were encouraged to eat).
I lost slowly, but I lost to goal. Have been at goal 3 years with the occasional 5 pound backslide...that I promptly address with the bariatric therapist, and lose back to goal. Never takes long...and a little gain is usually a cue that something is stressing me out and I'm regressing to old habits. My program emphasised addressing disordered eating and working on food addiction behavior with new coping behaviors. A bariatric therapist is integral. Don't be without one. Fixing your stomach doesn't fix your head.
I eat 1400-1600 calories a day and maintain well. I walk 10,000+ steps each day and try to get 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day.
I can eat absolutely anything I want now. I do have to plan for indulgent foods and make sure to balance the calories in my day...but after a while, it's getting to be second nature. I eat at events and special occasions and cut back a little for a couple days before or after. It works.
I think my gut bugs have changed (another goal of my program....to change the gut microbiota to resemble the diversity of a healthy weight person). I prefer whole grains, lean protien (lots coming from plant sources), love beans, mushrooms and potatoes, I shop the produce section more than any other section of the store...love my fruits and veggies. One HUGE change....I pay attention to dietary fiber. I eat at least 25g of Dietary Fiber every day. Most of my fats are plant fats. I do eat meat, but not like most people on here. Meat for me is a special occasion thing, not a staple in my diet. Junk food doesn't taste like it used to. Very honestly. I don't like the taste as much as I used to. If anyone had told me that I would find french fries a turn-off...EVER...I'd have said they were a liar. Loved them. Have no interest in them now....go figure!
Everyone will have a hugely different experience and opinion....and that's ok. People should do what works for them. But my feeling is that my success is down to three things... Learning to balance and be aware of every damned calorie I eat. Eating a high fiber diet with tons of plant protien. Seeing my bariatric therapist PROMPTLY when I know I'm regressing to food addict behavior.
Wishing you the very best. I hope you find a sustainable diet you can tolerate and feel your best eating. Good Luck.

Seven years ago today I got a second chance at life. I had multiple comorbidities and 2 organs were quite literally failing. I would have died within a couple years for sure. Surgery saved my life. Literally.
I've had a great post op course. I had some regain, one of my health issues returned, I focused and got even more serious and have been on track since.
What an incredible seven years I've had. Without VSG I may have very well not seen my child graduate high school this year. Or been here to support my mom when my dad died very quickly from cancer. Finished Nurse Practitioner school. Helped my husband through a complete 180 in his career. Or a million other things.
What a massive gratitude I have for this surgery. I will always identify as a WLS patient. I'll never take it for granted. Yes, I'll always have to work at it (I'm unfortunately not a patient who reached goal easily and moved on) but it's worth it.
My life is worth it.

Weight loss is an important way to improve or maintain health, but it is not the only way. Can you forget about weight loss for a while and work on finding a healthy diet and regular exercise that you can stick to and even enjoy for the long term? Focusing on weight loss can be counterproductive since failure leads to giving up, when the ultimate goal is improved health and vitality, not dress size. For me walking, bicycling and dancing are so much more enjoyable than CrossFit, so I would be much more likely to continue them, even if I don’t lose weight. The same thing applies to your diet. Work with a nutritionist (if you can) to come up with a sustainable diet plan. It may be that your doctor’s weight goal won’t be attained, but if your health and happiness improves, you win anyway.

Weight loss is an important way to improve or maintain health, but it is not the only way. Can you forget about weight loss for a while and work on finding a healthy diet and regular exercise that you can stick to and even enjoy for the long term? Focusing on weight loss can be counterproductive since failure leads to giving up, when the ultimate goal is improved health and vitality, not dress size. For me walking, bicycling and dancing are so much more enjoyable than CrossFit, so I would be much more likely to continue them, even if I don’t lose weight. The same thing applies to your diet. Work with a nutritionist (if you can) to come up with a sustainable diet plan. It may be that your doctor’s weight goal won’t be attained, but if your health and happiness improves, you win anyway.

MyFitnessPal has a few quirks and inaccuracies (since some items in its database were contributed by regular users), but overall it’s very user friendly and helpful. I give it a lot of credit for my weight loss success.

I'm your same height and my goal was also 130. My surgeon was kind of the polar opposite of yours. He did not give me a calorie target at all. He asked me to keep carbs moderately low (I think it was 60-80g), eat protein first and then non-starchy veggies. My protein goal was 60g. He encouraged me to eat when hungry, but don't push my restriction. He said if I did that, calories would take care of themselves.
It did work out that way for me. Like a lot of us, I started with very low calories (eating was hard at first). Then I was at 600 for a while and it slowly rose to 800. I stayed there a long time. It took me almost two years to lose all my weight but I did reach (and then pass) my original goal.
I was one of the lucky ones in that I had very little appetite for the first year and when it started to return, it was still much lower than pre-surgery. Even so, the plan you were given seems pretty harsh and I'm not sure I could have stuck to that. 15g of carbs is lower than I can consistently do (and I'm an experienced low-carber!).
Now that I am in maintenance, I do enjoy a treat now and then but day to day, I avoid sugary foods, junk food, fast food, etc. I can't eat that stuff regularly without losing control. I can have a treat, but then it's right back on plan. Otherwise it wakes up cravings that are hard to deal with.
There are lots of less draconian eating plans that most people can lose weight on. I agree with the suggestion to consult a therapist and maybe also find a doctor or nutritionist who is willing to take a more moderate approach. I wish you the best!

I am about to pass the one year streak on MyFitnessPal. It has been the most crucial tool for weight loss, but I don’t enjoy being tied to a routine that feels unnatural and overly precise. I wrote initially hoping to find others who have transitioned out of a hyper aware diet into a natural, healthy eating style. That was one of my main goals when I chose weight loss surgery. The reality is less simple. Even though my appetite is much less, my ability to ignore consequences when I’m not paying strict attention has not really changed.

So the answer for me seems to be eternal vigilance. Onward to the second year of daily food logging. No more whining. My health is so much better now than it was pre-surgery, I really should just be grateful for that and not self sabotage by seeking an imagined nirvana.

I am about to pass the one year streak on MyFitnessPal. It has been the most crucial tool for weight loss, but I don’t enjoy being tied to a routine that feels unnatural and overly precise. I wrote initially hoping to find others who have transitioned out of a hyper aware diet into a natural, healthy eating style. That was one of my main goals when I chose weight loss surgery. The reality is less simple. Even though my appetite is much less, my ability to ignore consequences when I’m not paying strict attention has not really changed.

So the answer for me seems to be eternal vigilance. Onward to the second year of daily food logging. No more whining. My health is so much better now than it was pre-surgery, I really should just be grateful for that and not self sabotage by seeking an imagined nirvana.

My original surgery was 8/22/2006 and I had the RNY. Starting weight was 287 and I got down to 139 in about 14 months. I turned into a counting calorie and workout machine. I kept my weight off for the last 11 years and then BOOM my thyroid died. After a trip to the Mayo clinic in FL and seeing the top endo in the field I am now on an encapsulated pill but it just barely sustains the actual thyroid function. I started regaining weight about 4 years ago - mostly due to the thyroid issues but have to take personal responsibility for bad choices as well. I gained 87 pounds over the last 4 years even with counting calories and working out. When I say working out I was riding a bike 10-15 miles a night, hiking mountains (The Adirondacks in Upstate NY) running, weight lifting. I just couldn't get it under control anymore. I went back to my original surgeon who basically told me there was nothing he could do so I reached out to my primary and he sent a referral to another surgeon who did revisions. I started my new journey on July 17th 2020. I still had to jump through the 6 months of hoops, and lose 5% of my weight to qualify for an endoscopic revision (tightening of the pouch). My appointment was on January 8 2021 but on January 4 2021 our hospitals closed for the 2nd time due to Covid! I finally had my revision on March 8, 2021. Day of surgery weight was 214. I had to do the 2 week liquid diet prior to surgery and then follow all of the post op diets after surgery. Well today is June 16, 2021 ( 96 days post op) and I am down to 170 pounds. I was told that endoscopic revision surgery weight loss is usually between 20-25 pounds and the rest is up to me. Well I am at a loss of 44 pounds now. I still count all of my calories and walk everyday on my lunch break, take my dogs for a walk at night or get on the treadmill, hike mountains on the weekends and have just started weight training again. I am determined to reach my goal of 140 pounds. I take this 2nd chance very serious. So to all out there....there is hope - keeping pushing - keep moving forward. Life will get in the way but if this is what you want then you have to make the hard choices. For example: between the beginning of April 2021 and May 2021 (1 short month) we lost 1 of our dogs, my niece who was only 27 passed away and my best friend's son who was 24 passed away. I buried my niece on a Saturday and my friends son that Monday. I could have given into food and ate my emotions but I didn't because I cannot make excuses as to what I put in my mouth. I am in control of that. I hope you have enjoyed my story.

So the truth is you just have to stay vigilant and expect to go back to weight loss phase periodically when the regain reaches an unacceptable level. There’s no perfect equilibrium. My past mistake was waiting too long to go back to weight loss phase. I guess I knew that. I just want a different reality. ?

I’m struggling with maintenance. I have exceeded my weight loss goal and am currently at the bottom of the healthy BMI scale, but I’m very wary of weight gain because four years after my surgery I had regained almost half of the weight I lost. I’m currently adhering to the dietary recommendations given to me in the first year, but it has me losing slightly every week. I don’t seem to know how to maintain. I’m either gaining or losing.

@@charmia, that's my take on it, too. I think that since smoking marijuana lowers inhibitions, you could end up making bad food choices and/or overeating. I'm not a smoker but if I was, I would avoid it post surgery.
Just my $.02: Lets be careful how we use the term addiction. If it's applied indiscriminately to every behavior we don't approve of, it loses its meaning.

@@charmia, that's my take on it, too. I think that since smoking marijuana lowers inhibitions, you could end up making bad food choices and/or overeating. I'm not a smoker but if I was, I would avoid it post surgery.
Just my $.02: Lets be careful how we use the term addiction. If it's applied indiscriminately to every behavior we don't approve of, it loses its meaning.

@@charmia, that's my take on it, too. I think that since smoking marijuana lowers inhibitions, you could end up making bad food choices and/or overeating. I'm not a smoker but if I was, I would avoid it post surgery.
Just my $.02: Lets be careful how we use the term addiction. If it's applied indiscriminately to every behavior we don't approve of, it loses its meaning.

@@charmia, that's my take on it, too. I think that since smoking marijuana lowers inhibitions, you could end up making bad food choices and/or overeating. I'm not a smoker but if I was, I would avoid it post surgery.
Just my $.02: Lets be careful how we use the term addiction. If it's applied indiscriminately to every behavior we don't approve of, it loses its meaning.

@@charmia, that's my take on it, too. I think that since smoking marijuana lowers inhibitions, you could end up making bad food choices and/or overeating. I'm not a smoker but if I was, I would avoid it post surgery.
Just my $.02: Lets be careful how we use the term addiction. If it's applied indiscriminately to every behavior we don't approve of, it loses its meaning.

@@charmia, that's my take on it, too. I think that since smoking marijuana lowers inhibitions, you could end up making bad food choices and/or overeating. I'm not a smoker but if I was, I would avoid it post surgery.
Just my $.02: Lets be careful how we use the term addiction. If it's applied indiscriminately to every behavior we don't approve of, it loses its meaning.

@@charmia, that's my take on it, too. I think that since smoking marijuana lowers inhibitions, you could end up making bad food choices and/or overeating. I'm not a smoker but if I was, I would avoid it post surgery.
Just my $.02: Lets be careful how we use the term addiction. If it's applied indiscriminately to every behavior we don't approve of, it loses its meaning.

@@charmia, that's my take on it, too. I think that since smoking marijuana lowers inhibitions, you could end up making bad food choices and/or overeating. I'm not a smoker but if I was, I would avoid it post surgery.
Just my $.02: Lets be careful how we use the term addiction. If it's applied indiscriminately to every behavior we don't approve of, it loses its meaning.