Hello Everyone, I wonder if you can help please? I am being sleeved in 3 days time - am so excited! But, I have spent a lot of time doing my research and looking through this web site (so helpful!), and I cant actually believe that this is really going to work - does anyone out there know of any people who have had the sleeve and for any reason they have not suceeded in loosing either all or most of the weight they wanted to loose? And if so, do they know why this might have happened? Just wondering, thanks so much for any info, either way. x

I have never met personally anyone who had the sleeve and gained it all back, I have heard of people who did and this goes for every procedure out there. I am excited for you, this is the greatest tool I have ever had in my life to help me control what goes into my mouth. People who gain or do not lose have probably not been addressing the psychological aspect between them and food, so why does this matter? Well, if you don't forgive yourself and except that you are a food addict, that food is or was your drug of choice and that you are vulnerable to it being used the wrong way any procedure that you do I don't care how "mal-absorbative" or "restrictive" will not help. The surgery does not erase your psychological cravings, your old habits can creep up even at only 3oz at a time. The important thing to do is to be aware of these so that post-op when they try creeping back you can say: "Stay back! You are no longer welcomed into my life". You have to develop a respect for food because that allows you to be conscious and knowing it has the power to nourish you or eventually kill you. Post-op a long way down the road you'll be able to eat the very same things that got you to the weight you are at now, people who gain back find ways to slide foods the example I see the most are with "milkshakes". Pre-op you have to begin changing your relationship with food, you have to become strong and develop healthier habits as soon as you can. For example if you hated exercising find something that you do love to do even if it's dusting your home, this surgery without a total lifestyle makeover can have a lesser affect. Some people have journals, blogs, videos, etc that allows them to find a therapeutic outlet that helps them and others as well, find what works for you. Once you have this surgery you will go out to a restaurant and look around you at how and how much people are eating and for the first time in your life you will have an epiphany as I did and realize that as a society something is very very wrong, people are literally stuffing their emotions with food. This will help make you stronger, and remember one thing, this is YOUR OWN personal project, post-op you might have help but you are the manager of this project and you alone determines your success. No matter how supportive other people are of your surgery they cannot fully understand unless they've been there so be ready to develop a thick skin, to make new choices, to take responsibility for what goes in. You will succeed and do great and achieve all of your goals-if you want it bad enough, if you need a visual of what's in my pantry I have pictures up and also some of the meals I eat now. Good luck to you and see you over the rainbow!

Well said...... I don't regret my op one bit - it has literally changed my life and also helped me deal with my mental issues with food. As mentioned in the post above, I am now in awe of portion sizes that other people eat... and yet I used to eat more.... I find it hard to sit with a plate with any food left in front of me now.... as it just makes me feel ill - whereas before I would just keep picking at it.

My husband can't believe the changes I have gone thru since my op....but loves the new me. I never thought I would be rid of the dieting... but I am... I can still eat everything, I just know now when to stop. I do still feel hunger but it is more a knowing I need something to eat, a little something to fuel my body, than the empty rattling hunger I used to feel.

Good luck with your surgery, it will change your life for the better.

Hi there, thank you so much for your detailed response, it was so kind of you to take the trouble to write such a long post. Well, I had my surgery last Tuesday, today is my first day back at home and on VST (I have missed you!) and just wanted to let you know that I am 13 llbs lost in the first week, how exciting!

Thank you again and I look forward to hearing from you x

Well said...... I don't regret my op one bit - it has literally changed my life and also helped me deal with my mental issues with food. As mentioned in the post above, I am now in awe of portion sizes that other people eat... and yet I used to eat more.... I find it hard to sit with a plate with any food left in front of me now.... as it just makes me feel ill - whereas before I would just keep picking at it.

My husband can't believe the changes I have gone thru since my op....but loves the new me. I never thought I would be rid of the dieting... but I am... I can still eat everything, I just know now when to stop. I do still feel hunger but it is more a knowing I need something to eat, a little something to fuel my body, than the empty rattling hunger I used to feel.

Good luck with your surgery, it will change your life for the better.

Hi Sparkle, thanks for your lovely reply, it gives me so so so much hope . I am one week out of surgery today, and have lost 13 llb! Cant belive it! I feel so so much better already.

Hope you are having lovely weather in Spain, we love Spain and come every year to Almeria, cant wait to get on those gorgeous beaches again with my new bod!

Keep in touch

Imogen xxxxx

When I was having my sleeve done a gal was there having plication done AFTER a sleeve about 1 year prior. She readily admitted that she ate too much from the start and it had only gotten worse as she healed and was able to eat with less pressure from the sleeve restriction. If I remember correctly, she had lost maybe 40 pounds and put most of it back on in a years time.

She was positive that she was going to fail again for her because she was hopelessly addicted to food.

I did not keep track of her but often wonder how it turned out for her.

Gosh, thanks for this Rootman, this is really useful to bear in mind, the worst thing to happen would be for the sleeve to fail. I do wonder what happened to her in the long term....

Take care and again, thanks x