Now that VST has been around awhile, there are a lot of us at goal who are learning to maintain.

I would like to discuss maintenance. Is it easy for you? It is not easy for me.

I fight it every day. I can eat so much more than I could when I first had surgery. I don't feel really full all the time the way I did a year ago.

I used to be able to eat a meal and feel so full for hours that I had no desire to eat again until it was meal time again.

I would say that Head hunger is more than 75% of hunger for me. I can eat a meal and thoughts of junk food enter my mind an hour later.

I am so thankful that I do have this tool to help me maintain, but it will always be a battle for me to not eat chips, candy and all the rest of the stuff that could easily pack on 20 lbs in a short time if I gave into my head hunger.

How are the rest of you at goal doing? Is eating healthy such a habit now that you have no desire to snack?

I do take my PPI every other day. It works fine for me to do it that way. I'd like to get off of it completely, but I know GERD and acid reflux are bad.

I've heard of some people who take a PPI and still have problems with acid, so I'm really glad it's controlled if I take it.

I went on vacation and ate basically anything I wanted, and gained 7 lbs. 7 lbs in one week. incredible.

Back to watching every bite I put in my mouth, and hitting up the gym as often as I can get in there.

Interesting how we define slider differently. I went to Breakfast yesterday and had 2 scrambled eggs w spinach. I ate all but a bite or so, but I don't consider eggs a slider food for me. Before I had this surgery, I could've eaten a 4 egg omelet with cheese, so 2 w/o cheese seems reasonable. Carbs, especially sweets, are true sliders for me because I can easily eat a couple servings at one sitting if I let myself.

I too will eat like crazy w/o my PPI.

LisaLu - I don't consider eggs a slider food either. Sometimes I can eat two, but "one feels better" and will fill me up. I'm almost 27 months out and eggs still fill me up. I've heard it said that they are THE best Protein, I don't know why that is. I don't always start my day out with an egg or cottage cheese, which I call, the breakfast of champions.....today I had cinnamon toast, but that is rare. I feel better about everything when I know I'm starting off with protein. If I'm going to eat ONE egg, then I'll preceed it with a cup of skim milk. That's what, about 15 gr of protein!!?? Good stuff.

For those who still take the PPI what kind of symptoms do you have when you stop taking it?

My 3 year anniversary will be August 13 so my goal is to drop 10 pounds. I've been reading on here again here and there and it's been an encouragement. Makes you remember what it was like in the beginning. Our family is headed to the beach in another week and it hit me that 4 years ago I would have NEVER taken a vacation at the beach. Now I'm so excited.

Have an awesome day everyone!!!

Three years out!!!!! Yay!!! Give us details on YOUR maintenence and anything special you do or don't do. I feel like I finally am living and eating like a naturally thin person. I still don't experience real hunger, more of an empty feeling, nothing that is at all severe.

We went to Galveston this year, twice. I bought a new bathing suit that I actually wore without a t-shirt or something OVER IT!!!! It was a very strange feeling!!! Have a great time!!!

Anybody still here? Lol. I'm telling you me and my maintenance are going round and round. Ha! I went for two year surgeon appt a month ago and was feeling good about it all. Was satisfied at where I was after seriously cutting and watching carbs for the previous month or so. Dr. Happy too. Since then if I don't watch every BITE of what goes in my mouth carb wise I gain. Since July 13th I have put on 7 lbs and it is seeming easier and easier to gain. Now this is UpAnother 7 from regain already! I am once again watching my carbs and can lose a few quickly but I really had hoped I would just be able to live normal. I admit that if I would exercise regularly I would most likely be somewhat better but to be truthful, I don't have the energy many days todo it. My daughter and two "grands" live with me right now while she is in Nursing school and I have pretty much most of the "wear and tear" of a 7 and 9 yr olds plus a stressful job. At almost 59, I honestly, drag myself to bed a lot of times. Oh yeah, I'm whining, Susan, (private joke) but..... I know I will persevere and truly don't want to let this get out of hand. Anybody else like me? I just loved the way my clothes felt but now that spare tire around the middle is crewing up since I carry my weight from the waist up

Oh and als, I AM experiencing heartburn symptoms in my stomach more now and worry that over time I will have problems health wise. My Dr did not prescribe anything from the beginning but I do feel like I could eat non stop sometimes and even low carb is causing me burning in my gut. What's the best to take?

There are lots of over-the-counter options now, both for H2 blockers and PPIs (two different mechanisms for controlling heartburn), but none of them are really a good idea to take for more than a few weeks if you can avoid it - studies show they interfere with calcium absorbtion, and can cause other health issues. I'd say it's best to get a recommendation from your doctor - either your surgeon or your primary care physician. Whatever they prescribe you can likely get over the counter cheaper, but you do want them to be aware you're taking it. I've been on a PPI for a couple of years now and am trying hard to get off of it, but the rebound acid is a real problem - they can make the problem worse long-term unless you're willing to be on them for life.

Oh NannieG, do I ever hear you. I am 2 years plus out and it's HARD. I can eat a fair amount and boy can I gain. I haven't gotten on the scale in a month. I will September 1st. Like you, I don't exercise enough. The sleeve is certainly a tool and not a silver bullet. It will always be a struggle. Right now (for the past 3 months) I'm not eating sweets and it does seem to help.

Thanks, both Lisalu and Escape! I know it all comes down to me and my Sleevie as one of our VST friends calls hers! Gonna take something for a few weeks and see what happens. I do feel the symptoms and don't want to cause more serious problems down the roadso will check with Primary Dr too

I know exactly what you mean, Nannie. It's soo easy to gain. I too have to watch every bite and sometimes I just over indulge and gain a few and have to be really careful. I refuse to gain anymore so sometimes I just do Protein shakes for dinner.

It really helps that I am not really hungry. It's just that food always looks so good, and everyone else around me eats junk. It's so hard to say No!

Right there with you ladies! Gained around 8-9 pounds in the last 4 months, eating and exercise habits disrupted for sure... it is a day to day struggle... I try to get on the scale every day, and write the intake down...(got out of the habit of doing that for a few weeks) It really helps to keep on top of the reality of whats going in the pie hole!!! (They don't call it that for nothing!)

Anybody ever done the special k challenge? 2wks - 6lbs. Well I started my own today and right off the bat I left my entire sack of food sitting on my counter at home! Lol. But! Never fear there was a box of special k cereal at work! Ha! I had almonds and fruit already and some progresso soup for lunch. Whole wheat pasta w marinara sauce for dinner and I LOGGED IT ALL ON MY FITNESS PAL! So proud. Lol. Was hungry today which tellse I've been eating too much and too often. Yaay to healthy living and losing my excess gain! We are only failures if we aren't trying according to Mark Batterson author of The Circle Maker book!( great book if you believe in faith, prayer and the miraculous!). Happy week to all my VSGbies!

The special k thing wouldn't work for me. The only thing that works consistently for me is low carb. I don't love it but it's probably better for me as I had borderline high blood sugar before my sleeve. I love me some carbs, though, LOL.

I got on the scale September 1. 123lbs. I haven't gained beyond the 2-3 lbs I gained in the past year. Go figure. I'm continuing w the no sugar thing since I have a giant sweettooth and I don't graze, but to be honest, I'm surprised my weight hasn't gone up. I can eat so much more than I could 1 year ago. I'm very very grateful though.

I'm envious of those of you who don't get hungry. Hunger was less after the sleeve but it never went away for me. Sometimes the hunger was actually reflux but even w a PPI, I still get hungry. Oh well, things are SOOO much better than pre-sleeve.

I'm envious of those of you who don't get hungry. Hunger was less after the sleeve but it never went away for me. Sometimes the hunger was actually reflux but even w a PPI' date=' I still get hungry. Oh well, things are SOOO much better than pre-sleeve.[/quote']

Me too! :0(

It doesn't really matter if I'm hungry or not. :-( My head gets me in trouble.

Right now my bf left ice cream in the fridge and it's calling to me. I love him to death but it was so much easier when I was alone, and didn't cook for anyone but myself.

Most of the time he's good, and eats his candy bars in the car, but he certainly can't do it with ice cream. I wish ice cream still made me sick.