Official Ongoing Gastric Sleeve Maintenance Thread

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

While your advice would be welcomed, it is really not needed. I know what I need to do. What I need to find is the same resolve that I had to hit goal. My life cannot be spent taking advantage of this beautiful sleeve. Therefore my battle and demons remain before me and beside me. My battle is not with food, but with me.

Thank you for allowing me to be honest with myself.

Of course... I just want you to know I deal with a lot of the same demons, and you are not alone. Hugs and thank you for being so open and honest. I know you'll figure it out, and the rest of us who deal with the same will also figure it out. For me, its a daily struggle but I'm able to do the right thing most of the time.

My brain often tricks me as well. Like, I won't want to eat a good healthy bowl of oatmeal because I'm automatically seeing a big red sign in my head saying "Full of Carbs!!!" yet, I'll indulge in some chips without even thinking about it. Strange huh? I have to literally go out of my way to avoid junk food. *sigh*

However, I've been a really good girl for the last week and I'm finally dropping my PS swelling and hopefully more weight now.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

Diva-your pics are just amazing! I have a friend who is miserable with complications after a gastric bypass which she instead of a sleeve because "she had so much to lose!" You had more to lose and did it all with the sleeve! From now on I'm going to be singing the praises of the sleeve and steering people this way.

Thanks!!! Though I did lose around 50 pre op, getting to my goal was all from the sleeve and a little hard work. Anyone can lose any amount of weight they want with the sleeve. Heck, there's many folks here who've lost far more with it than I did!!

Telling others about it is a great idea. I do all the time and I've gotten a few to go this route instead of the bypass. The sole reason of "I have so much weight to lose" should not be a reason to pick one over the other. There are some good reasons mind you to pick the bypass over the sleeve, but those reasons aren't that many IMO.

[Georgia 2,908]

Okay, iegal! You are RIGHT ON! I have got to be completely honest with myself and understand that the MIND over MATTER thing really does still apply! I, too, can sit at a meal and think of what I'd like to snack on in a few minutes! NEVER did that during losing. I really don't understand completely why that is happening now but I understand the "enough protein" thing too! BUT, I've tested it to see and for me, doesn't make much difference. If I have a Protein rich snack instead of an empty carb/junk one such as nuts, etc. I don't feel hungry longer so I KNOW my head is screwing with me.

I WILL NOT let this defeat me, though. Just got to wrap my head around the truth of "life ever after" and adhere to guidelines. Something that we all had problems with before! lol

I love having all of you to talk to! How many of you go to any support group "in person?"

[sleeve 4 me 910]

Okay, iegal! You are RIGHT ON! I have got to be completely honest with myself and understand that the MIND over MATTER thing really does still apply! I, too, can sit at a meal and think of what I'd like to snack on in a few minutes! NEVER did that during losing. I really don't understand completely why that is happening now but I understand the "enough protein" thing too! BUT, I've tested it to see and for me, doesn't make much difference. If I have a Protein rich snack instead of an empty carb/junk one such as nuts, etc. I don't feel hungry longer so I KNOW my head is screwing with me.

I WILL NOT let this defeat me, though. Just got to wrap my head around the truth of "life ever after" and adhere to guidelines. Something that we all had problems with before! lol

I love having all of you to talk to! How many of you go to any support group "in person?"

I am in a support group here in Southern CA that meets once a month. With others from this very site (iegal is in the group as well). I am so thankful for this group and the support, encouragement (and occasional kick in the butt as needed) I receive from them. It has been vital for me personally during my sleeve journey.

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

It's a lot harder for me these days. I wish I got full from the bad foods as quickly as I do from dense Protein like steak. It takes a lot of willpower to not eat everything that everyone else around me is eating. If I gain 2 -4 lbs from over indulging, now it's a lot harder to take it off .

Thank God for the sleeve. I know I would have gained all of it back without it, but now I have to really concentrate on not letting a few extra lbs back on because next year at this time, I could add on a few more and pretty soon I'd be fighting 25 instead of 5 all the time.

[pumpkin07 32]

Well, it definitely gets easier to fall into bad habits over time. I fall in and out of them, but at least it is a tool to manage your weight. Part of the health issue is simply weight. supplements for me are best taken at night, because they don't seem to give me any problems then. beverages, well I can't get much Water down but do pretty well with iced tea and so I do that or my koolaid. Few cokes, some coffee which I LOVE now but dehydrates me terribly if I drink too much. I don't exercise although I know I will start sometime. When I walk I lose a few extra lbs. I take my thyroid in the morning and my Vitamins at night. I know it isn't enough vitamins, but seems to help. I do the best I can. That is all we can do is find what does work. We are food addicts for the most part, we love food and we are not going to be perfect. You sound a bit compulsive like perfectionist vs. falling off the wagon. Extremes. No forgiveness, no grace. Enjoyment? I am imperfect, but grace is extended if I am at least managing my weight.

The best advice I ever got is Protein first, then veggies, then carbs. But I do eat candy more than I did before, like Hot Tamales and also I eat a lot of Sunflower Seeds. I could be better, but I know I'm just me. I've ALWAYS liked candy. Not chocolate just sugary stuff. But whatever, I just try not to buy it and that helps sometimes but not others.

Lighten up on yourself, you are doing fine. Don't sweat every little thing you do. ENJOY YOUR LIFE!!!

I will use this thread as a confessional. I do need to change my habits for a better me at goal. Being skinny was the secondary goal of VSG. Being healthy was a primary goal. The things I struggled with before VSG is the same thing I struggle with now. I have not posted about my 1 year anniversary back in mid September since I have not had my one year check up. Hoping to provide a full picture, not just before and after pictures. I know what report will say about my health.

Here is my partial list of sins.

• I eat way too fast again. Figured out that if I shove in food fast, I can trick my full signal and get more food in. Friday evening I almost got sick...ARGH
• I often neglect to take my supplements’.
• Not enough protein - back on the carbs for the main staple of my diet
• Still not drinking enough water. Need to drag that cup around. Often mistake thirst for "hunger" and shove in food, usually junk food.
• I snack often and now since I have had the sleeve - sweets are my thing. Now I have dessert which I could pass on all the time before surgery.

So, today I use my sleeve as a reason why I can eat this or that. I can eat junk most of the time and not gain the weight back since it is in limited amounts. In comparision to a drug addict or smoker whose goal is to get away from the addiction completely, I am not able to do this with food. I can not walk away from food forever. Can you imagine telling an alcoholic that you can only have three drinks a day to survive - so choose your drinks well? Or a drug addict that you can get hopped up upon occasion? I still plan my life around food, hoping I make healthy choices most of the time.

While your advice would be welcomed, it is really not needed. I know what I need to do. What I need to find is the same resolve that I had to hit goal. My life cannot be spent taking advantage of this beautiful sleeve. Therefore my battle and demons remain before me and beside me. My battle is not with food, but with me.

Thank you for allowing me to be honest with myself.

[NtvTxn 1,262]

I attend a support group here in Dallas every month. Love it!!!

Okay, iegal! You are RIGHT ON! I have got to be completely honest with myself and understand that the MIND over MATTER thing really does still apply! I, too, can sit at a meal and think of what I'd like to snack on in a few minutes! NEVER did that during losing. I really don't understand completely why that is happening now but I understand the "enough protein" thing too! BUT, I've tested it to see and for me, doesn't make much difference. If I have a Protein rich snack instead of an empty carb/junk one such as nuts, etc. I don't feel hungry longer so I KNOW my head is screwing with me.

I WILL NOT let this defeat me, though. Just got to wrap my head around the truth of "life ever after" and adhere to guidelines. Something that we all had problems with before! lol

I love having all of you to talk to! How many of you go to any support group "in person?"

[feedyoureye 3,087]

thanks legal and others for your honesty. It helps me to shine some light on my own behavior.

[youknowit 11]

I've been away from VST for quite some time, but due to recent issues with maintenance and backsliding a bit, having gained a few pounds (and thus, the mental freak out associated with it), I'm back here. I'm very thankful for this thread, because I'm having a hard time right now.

At one point, I was way below the goal my doc set, which was 120 lbs. I hit 114 on the scale twice, without even trying, and that actually freaked me out too. Now, I'm over 120, and I don't know how that happened. I'm hoping, like some others have stated, that I will be able to chill for a week, drop back to between 115-120, and feel normal again. I was really stable at about 116-119 for months and months. I had my surgery on Feb 1, 2010, so I'm over 2 years in, and am super happy with my sleeve, having had no problems or anything troublesome (unlike the band).

Anyways, I guess what I'm wondering is, does this happen to everyone when they get to "goal" and are in the actual "maintenance" phase? Has anyone actually bounced back severely and regained a lot of weight? Does the sleeve actually "stretch" because I have read conflicting thoughts on that here, and really need some clear answers.

Maybe I'm over-thinking this, and I should just chill out, or maybe I'm not focusing enough, and need to start from square one with reworking my diet, etc? I've been off the Protein Shakes in the morning for a really long time, but I usually do some high-protein, non-fat Greek yogurt in the morning instead. I also (usually) have a cup of coffee. After that, my day is pretty much downhill, I have days where I feel like I'm starving, all day, and some days where I don't feel like eating at all (the hunger is much more prevalent as of late). I guess I'm just scared s***less of the possibility of regaining or sliding. Any advice? Does anyone else here in maintenance feel "hungry" or stomach growls/pangs like I have? I went through a similar situation about a year or so back, when I started to freak because I was "hungry" and could eat pretty much whatever, but that passed, and I kept losing.

Help!? Thoughts? Advice? Cheerleading? Anyone? Please feel free to throw your input at me. I need some focus, but I also need some facts. Thanks, thanks, thanks!

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

Are you on a PPI? Acid can cause the sensation of being hungry.

I can definitely eat way more than I used to be able to. It scares me a lot at times, but I try not to eat as much as I am able to and stick to the smaller portions. I would definitely say it stretches.

They say 10 lbs is the normal regain after 2 years. I really have to watch what i eat now, because it's very easy for me to put on a few lbs if I am not careful.

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

Where did all the people who were posting in this thread go?

I really need the support of people who have been sleeved awhile and are past the "honeymoon" phase. I remember how easy it was at first. I remember being so happy that I was really full, very fast. I would love to have those days back again.

I am sick of dieting. I will be grateful forever for the sleeve, but it takes a lot of effort to not gain weight.

I am going to be 60 this fall, and it worries me that I won't always be able to work out as hard as I do now, to keep the weight off.

It really helped me to read this thread over again, to know that I am not alone in this struggle and the same battle I have been fighting all my life.

[Nanna509 1]

Hi, Oregon. I haven't been on here in a long time. I'll be 3 years out in Aug. It has been a struggle for me to maintain. I depended a lot on exercise and had a few injuries in last 6 months. I've gained about 12 pounds back in the last year. Definately thankful for the sleeve but at this point it's as hard to loose weight as it was before the surgery...for me. Trying to come back on here as I have a hard time getting to a support group. i think my biggest issue is grazing all day. My job is very sedetary and stressful and i've slipped back into the mind set of using food to comfort. Ugh! The head stuff!!!

[Georgia 2,908]

I agree with Nanna09. It is MUCH harder to lose any regained weight. I can way too easily eat junk and want to graze Also. I think it will be a struggle from here on out. I know I have to really get to some kind of exercise as a last resort to control the regain! But we can do this!! And will!!

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

I am glad both of you posted. We're all right about at the same place, about 3 yrs from surgery. We're all struggling.

We are in this together!!

[MINI-Me 196]

Totally agree at 2.5 years out. I have been unable to lose the weight I gained between Oct and January. I used to bounce 125 - 130. I am now 130 - 135. But it takes effort and focus not to gain more (snacking is my downfall - amazing how many calories you can put in if you aren't careful!) Would love to be back in the 120's again.