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brittu

Gastric Sleeve Patients
  • Content Count

    443
  • Joined

  • Last visited

About brittu

  • Rank
    Bariatric Guru
  • Birthday 09/07/1967

About Me

  • Gender
    Female
  • City
    Mill Creek
  • State
    WA
  • Zip Code
    98012
  1. brittu

    Regain Realization

    I lost all my excess weight after being sleeved in 2010 and got 20 pounds below my original goal: 256 >> 155 >> 132. A few years later I settled in at 155ish and maintained there until menopause when I had to work with my doctor fight back to 155 from about 170. I stayed 155ish until injury + anti-depressents followed by Covid and I ballooned up to 195. Yikes! Like others have said, getting back to the basics with protein first and no slider foods reminded me what a great tool a sleeve is. I also decided to do intermittent fasting which works great for me since I have very little hunger. Since I can't eat much, only eating during a 4-6 hour window every day motivates me to eat healthy and keeps my calories low. It also keeps my insulin low so I burn fat well and my metabolism and energy are high. I wasn't happy about all the regain but I'm so glad I had my sleeve to lean on to get me back to eating well and losing. A very good reminder to not let things go more than 5-10 pounds. Hopefully I've learned my lesson!
  2. I'm 10 years out. Two eggs scrambled with just is just slightly more than I can fit. But chips, popcorn and icecream? Space seems unlimited. Basically if I stick to the first advice my doctor gave to always eat protein first I'm very full and can't eat again for quite awhile. My capacity hasn't changed in years.
  3. brittu

    Revision

    I’m considering a revision but am doing intermittent fasting for a few months and returning to the eat Protein first basics before I decide. Fasting worked well with my sleeve until Covid, antidepressants and menopause did a triple wammy regain-wise. Very frustrating since I’m 10 years out. I plan to use fasting for maintenance regardless, just thinking that greater restriction would be nice to have. Interesting to hear what others are considering.
  4. Maybe he's not the right surgeon if he's doing a revision he's not positive about? My sleeve revision was about 2x as effective as my bad. I lost weight twice as fast and got an additional 30 pounds lower than my lowest band weight. For me, the sleeve was a miracle and night and day to the band both in how I felt and how it has worked.
  5. brittu

    Band mentality, sleeve tummy

    I was a band to sleeve revision. I lost weight quickly with the sleeve, quicker than the band and I got much lower. What I noticed is that I did have to make an effort to switch to sleeve eating, to eat protein first. That's really key to weight loss and mine always slowed when I didn't do that. 2-4 oz of meat fills that little tummy and stays there for a long time. I'm immediately full. If you graze or eat other types of foods first you won't get the sleeve working the way you want. It works great but just tell yourself protein and every meal, protein first.
  6. brittu

    2nd Surgery

    I've been considering having the bypass part so that I'd officially be a DS. However... after doing some reasearch, talking to my weight management doctor, and listening to the podcasts of the LCHF conference I'm holding off. One of the doctors at the conference said something that made total sense to me. Surgery helps you lose weight but a eating plan helps you keep it off. Sure, having the surgery would send me back toward goal but it won't be a lot more effective at helping me maintain if I don't get my eating in check. I still have plenty of restriction at 6 years out but have been eating the wrong things. I'm finding by going back to Protein first eating and by adding low carb and intermittent fasting (which is super easy for me since I'm not hungry in the mornings) I'd doing well. Add the support from my doctor with a visit every two weeks and I've been willing to hold off for a few months and see. I'd bounced around about 15lbs above goal for awhile and then menopause hit. I gained 20lbs in a heartbeat and got really scared. I'm not 40lbs up and felt like I needed to take action. I may have added the bypass if insurance would cover it. But having to research it gave me a little space to research my options for getting back on track. We'll see how it goes.
  7. I revised from a band to a sleeve and it was night and day. I was successful with the band but had many issues. The sleeve is what I'd hoped the band would be - eat a small amount, get very full, stop eating. I lost 30 more pounds with the sleeve. I also don't get hungry so it makes watching my intake strictly about changing my habits and not about hunger. Well worth switching. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App
  8. You can have your metabolism tested. It's a breathing test with a computerized monitor. My doctor does it to calculate caloric needs as well as improvement in metabolism related to exercise and carb reduction. Also, the DS is a sleeve plus a different type of bypass. It's the most effective of the surgeries but can have complications related to malnutrition. There are fewer surgeons who do it. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App
  9. brittu

    Over a year out: How much can you eat?

    I'm 5 years out. 4-6 ounces of meat is my limit. Although I'm not as miserable if I overeat as I was for the first 18 months, I don't like the feeling and try to stop before the one bite too many. My problems come if I graze, snack, take too long to eat or eat carb or slider foods. Funny how it all comes back to protein first. If I do that I don't eat much. I don't have hunger. The lactose intolerance and dumping I had the first couple years is gone. I've regained in the last year and am working w my doctor on relosing.
  10. brittu

    Here I am...again...starting anew.

    My story is the same as yours. I revised to a sleeve and went from 256 to 132. I'm currently working on getting off the regain I put on in the last year. If I can't get back to goal I may consider a DS but think I can do it and would prefer to avoid mal absorption. I'm seeing my doctor, who had a bypass and works on maintenance herself, for the regain. She requires protein shakes and low carb in her program.
  11. I'm five years out and working with my doctor on losing some regain. No to very little processed carbs, 30 grams from non veggie carbs per day. Two Premier shakes per day, at least 90 grams protein per day. More fat. This is both the loss and maintenance plan.
  12. brittu

    Surgery in Mexico

    I had surgery five years ago with Dr Aceves in Mexicali. It was a great experience, excellent care. My surgeon here checked it two years ago and says it was done perfectly. Dr Aceves recently passed away in a plane crash but his partners still perform the surgery.
  13. It feels like it did before the band that is to say normal with no pain. I'm full quickly and have to remember to stop early or I get too full and uncomfortable. I don't get hungry at all, more like empty. I still battle head hunger. The band was horrible for me, the sleeve is what I thought weight loss surgery would be. I'm five years out.
  14. I lost weight faster after revision than I had with the band.
  15. brittu

    I Don't Know What to Eat! Help!

    My doctor has a food program for sleeve patients. She says it's critical to reduce carbs to stop gaining weight via insulin and increase Protein to up your metabolism and lose weight (protein in 20-30 gram doses acts like a log on your metabolic fire). She requires patients to drink 2 Premier Protein drinks every take and a third if you exercise within 30 minutes of completing. She also has you reduce non veggie carbs to 30 or less. This works well. My loss slows down if I miss a Protein shake and is on track even if my calories exceed 1200 as long as I get them both in. It's easy to do and doesn't feel too restrictive. Today for example I wanted a piece of bread that was 28 carbs so I made that the only non meat, veggie or shake intake of my day. I also track my intake on the Atkins app and check off every day that I journal, drink shakes, keep my carbs under 30 and excercize. I note that on my calendar w my weight every day so I can see what impacts my rate of loss. You can do it!

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