How much willpower does it take?

[Estella 11]

Everyone keeps telling me that the operation will only have an effect on me if I participate in regular weight-loss support meetings, go to a dietician and exercise regularly. Well, if I could do those regularly for the rest of my life and persist on doing them, I wouldn't need the operation anyway, right? Will I regain all the weight I lose from VSGS a few years later?

Thing is I already tried weight-loss support groups and dieticians and I ever exercised 30 mins every day for two years. Whenever I quit I regained the weight I lost. I started the process towards a VSGS because I read it has such huge success rates compared to those other methods I tried. I guess what I want to hear is that while will power, persistence, exercise and healthy eating habits are important, the medical procedure will make the real difference. I know from past experience that if it depends on my willpower to fight the desire for a sandwich by 100%, the chances of success are slim.

I also read that VSGS is a relatively new procedure and that there are no statistics about the success rate after 5-6 years. Is that true?

(My BMI is almost 40 and I'm still battling against my insurance provider to get the operation.

[JamieLynn77 1]

I had horrible willpower. I could exercise and lose weight and go right back up again as soon as i even slacked a little bit. I just needed a little help to get me on the right track so i looked into the sleeve. My doc made me make some diet changes before my surgery, like cutting out soda. which now...i could care less about. The surgery has really made a difference. I still get those cravings...and i do give in. but only a bite or 2. cuz if you do try to eat more than you are supposed to, you are uncomfortable, you vomit, and there is just a subtle fear for me, that i may hurt myself. I am only 8 weeks out today, but i can tell a huge difference in myself. the foods that i choose by choice now. The way i look at labels and i know that not only am i doing this for myself, but i am making good choices for my family and we are all going to be healthier. I have lost 50 pounds...since i started this journey, and even tho i know i mess up from time to time, i am still a loser. I do stall...but i can get myself going again. looking in the mirror only makes me wanna be better. I am a firm believer in this surgery and i think we are only as successful as we want to be. I hope the best for you....good luck and I hope this helped. There are lots of great people here with all kinds of experiences. welcome and we look forward to hearing more from you!!!!!

[Rootman 1,101]

I have to agree with Jamie Lynn. it DOES still require some willpower but for the most part due to the physical restrictions and removal of a large part of the ghrelin producing part of the stomach the willpower is easier now. It's also a DIFFERENT type of willpower. One that is driven with a high likelihood of success since you now have the sleeve on your side. I am NOT constantly hungry now and don't have massive incredible cravings for food now. Things don't taste as good and I get very full very quickly.

It would be safe to say that you CAN fail this operation by forcing yourself to eat in constant small batches and bypassing the sleeves physical restriction, but this is YOU failing not the sleeve. If you have that unhealthy a relationship with food that you just CANNOT leave it alone - even after the physical and psychological benefits of the sleeve - then you are more than likely bound to fail.

Prior to the sleeve, I ate a LOT, till I was full and then some more. I did not exercise and to tell the truth barely got up off my fat ass to go take a piss till I just absolutely had to. I was depressed, high blood pressure, sugar out of whack and my adrenals were showing signs of failing. I was miserable and hated it. I tried a few diets would lose a few pounds and then gain the m back - for 20+ years! I could not stand being hungry all the time. I had no willpower. I ended up in the hospital with breathing problems due to dust exposure - mostly due to environmental issues but exacerbated by my great weight of 375+ pounds. I made a decision right then and there to do something. After learning that my insurance would take 6+ months to approve me I decided to go to Mexico and do self pay. I made arrangements and within the month was sleeved.

It's been hard, but a lot easier than starving and the constant brutal hunger pangs I used to get. At this writing I am down 91 pounds, almost 1/2 way to my goal in 3 months.

So YES, it takes willpower but with the sleeve it is easier. You and you alone can make the decision to use it or not.

I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

Hi there,

Yes you will need quite a bit of willpower to get to your goal and you will need won't power to keep it off. Won't gain it back! LOL :-) I'm getting closer to goal every day and I'm battling this more and more now. I won't gain it back!!! I won't let myself slide back into my old habits!!! I won't allow the old me to take back over and do whatever I want and then some... for that is how I got to over 300 Lbs in the first place.

Yeah, sure... you can do it without the surgery, but this tool is incredible as far as keeping your portions way down and helping with the hunger issue. Not everyone gets all the hunger taken away so that is something to think about. But... smaller portions will help you to lose weight. Diet is the main focus on any weight loss program. It far out carries workouts or anything like that. I do workout a lot, so I'm burning an additional set amount of calories per day which helps a lot. But... if I'm adding them back in, it doesn't help at all, right? Of course.

The truth is this tool will keep you in check in a lot of ways. You can cheat it though, as with any of the other WLS, I just find it quite a bit harder to with this one. I've had the band too, so I know it's way better at keeping me in line. For you, make sure you are 100% on board with it. It's a huge life changing event, and you will need to be as mentally ready as possible.

Good luck to you!

[Estella 11]

Thank you for the replies. For years I tried to get used to being overweight with no success, I'm glad I finally had the guts to do something about it. The three of you were very reassuring. I'm 100% sure I want to go through the surgery, I was and I still am. Unlike others, I have no other options but my healthcare provider, so it takes a lot of patience. I noticed yours tickers, and all of you had higher BMIs than my current number when you went under the knife - if you could do it I think I can too.

[thinoneday 445]

Everyone keeps telling me that the operation will only have an effect on me if I participate in regular weight-loss support meetings, go to a dietician and exercise regularly. Well, if I could do those regularly for the rest of my life and persist on doing them, I wouldn't need the operation anyway, right? Will I regain all the weight I lose from VSGS a few years later?

Thing is I already tried weight-loss support groups and dieticians and I ever exercised 30 mins every day for two years. Whenever I quit I regained the weight I lost. I started the process towards a VSGS because I read it has such huge success rates compared to those other methods I tried. I guess what I want to hear is that while will power, persistence, exercise and healthy eating habits are important, the medical procedure will make the real difference. I know from past experience that if it depends on my willpower to fight the desire for a sandwich by 100%, the chances of success are slim.

I also read that VSGS is a relatively new procedure and that there are no statistics about the success rate after 5-6 years. Is that true?

(My BMI is almost 40 and I'm still battling against my insurance provider to get the operation.

lets put it this way, since October 2010 I fell off the wagon and gained about 21 lbs . . . I quit exercising and watching what i was eating all together. . . so if you think this is a miracle surgery that will take care of all your weight problems without you working with it, well you may as well forget the surgery cause it takes work and alot of it. . . I have pulled up the big girl panties now and am back into the saddle, i watch what i'm eating and how much of it, back to exercising and am back to losing, but the second time around is really tough. . . the sleeve is just a tool, like a hammer, in order to hammer a nail you have to use it to bang the nail in, the hammer isn't going to get up and do it for you . . same with the sleeve, it will work only as hard as you do . . .if you don't well, yes you will gain weight . . . good luck

[snowfie9 6]

I haven't had surgery, but from what I understand, it doesn't tame "the beast" of our bad impuses, it just hobbles it or reduces it making it easier to overcome.

So you're not wrestling a tiger anymore, just a bobcat. It's much easier to pin down, but you still have to wrestle it.

[Jeff Loughridge 1]

I find it to be self enforcing. You can beat it if you want, but in my case even that is self enforcing and I love it. I loved sugar; cake, icing, the corner pieces with two sides of icing, ice cream; as well as fast food.

Since surgery I just don't tolerate sugars well. I don't like the way it makes me feel so I have no desire for it. I can still eat a piece of cake, but now it is a small piece from the middle, and that one piece is more than enough.

Overall, the portions I am comfortable with now are miniscule compared to pre-surgery. When I fall back and take an old size portion, my sleeve is there to say I've had enough before I cross the line.

This was the best decision I have ever made.

[dramagirl28 22]

lets put it this way, since October 2010 I fell off the wagon and gained about 21 lbs . . . I quit exercising and watching what i was eating all together. . . so if you think this is a miracle surgery that will take care of all your weight problems without you working with it, well you may as well forget the surgery cause it takes work and alot of it. . . I have pulled up the big girl panties now and am back into the saddle, i watch what i'm eating and how much of it, back to exercising and am back to losing, but the second time around is really tough. . . the sleeve is just a tool, like a hammer, in order to hammer a nail you have to use it to bang the nail in, the hammer isn't going to get up and do it for you . . same with the sleeve, it will work only as hard as you do . . .if you don't well, yes you will gain weight . . . good luck

Would you say that even after a slip, gaining 21lbs, is it easier to get it off with the sleeve than it was before the surgery? I understand it's not going to drop like it did in the honeymoon period, but is it easier to diet now having built-in Portion Control?

[Tiffykins 672]

I can say that the removal of my ravenous hunger, and ability to gorge myself with copious amounts of food and beverages has been the key to my success. However, this is a reply to another topic I posted a couple of days ago. This pretty much sums up my experience, and my mindset on long term success with VSG.

I have been maintaining my weight loss VERY EFFORTLESSLY at the age of 34 for almost a year. I have a 5lb bounce around on the scale any given week. I can tie it to my indulgences of high sodium foods, and my "girls nights out" with copious amounts of alcohol. I do not ever get in any formal exercise and have NOT for a solid year. I've had spurts here and there of working out at home for a week to 10 days, but nothing consistent at all. I honestly I do eat anything and everything I want. Here's the kicker, I don't want to eat a lot of junk food. Why? Because my body runs best, I feel best physically when I feed my body a nutrient dense, Protein full diet, BUT I eat Cookies, chips, pretzels, rice, bread, Pasta all in moderation. Of course, about 85% of the time, I eat Protein first, but sometimes all I want is some veggies. I do not count anything other than protein and calories now. I keep white carbs in moderation to some degree, but if I want mashed potatoes and gravy, guess what 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes and a little gravy didn't make me FAT, 4 cups of mashed potatoes with gravy on top of a 12oz ribeye with mac-n-cheese, 3 dinner rolls, and 3 glasses of sweet ice tea made me fat. Moderation is the key. I will add that I have zero metabolic issues, nor is my body sensitive to carbs. I do not get the "eat a carb, crave a carb" nor am I an emotional eater. Therefore, going into this, I feel I beat the curve quite a bit. I was a volume eater.

The sleeve will work just like any other weight loss surgery works. RNY and DS can be considered failures as well. Not one single weight loss surgery is bullet proof. So, a tool working long term is only as successful as the person using the tool. Just like a hammer to a nail. You can choose to keep your eyes open, steady your arm, and aim with precision as you go to drive that nail in with just a couple of dings, or you can wield that hammer blindfolded, with a swagger in your swing, and you'll more than likely miss the nail, hit your finger or dent the wood. Make sense? ? ?

I will add that I am eating the same amounts currently that I was eating a year ago, but that quantity is double what I could at 2-3 months. The sleeve matures over time. There is minimal stretching. When I say double amounts, I was able to eat 2oz dense protein at 2-3 months out, today I can get in about 4-5oz of dense protein with a couple bites of veggies. You can cheat any of the surgeries, and the sleeve can be eaten around. I know the tricks, I employ them on occasion. Drinking warm fluids or having a glass of wine with my meal relaxes my stomach, therefore I can fit a bit more in, a bit more = 1-2 ounces of mashed potatoes, or mac-n-cheese on top of my chicken. To this day, I can NOT eat an entire chicken breast without stretching my meal out over 40 minutes. I can barely eat 1.5-2 poached eggs. What I'm saying is that there is a max capacity to the sleeve, but the restriction you have the first 6 months will change, ENJOY that time, maximize your weight loss, and become diligent with changing your lifestyle.

Any weight loss surgery success is defined by either compliancy or complacency and with some mechanical failures on the other surgery types you can find that a specific tool "didn't work properly". It's a choice you make. No one else, the surgery doesn't fail UNLESS it's not performed properly because there is nothing mechanical to fail with the sleeve like there is with the band or RNY. The other issues can be metabolic issues, or carb sensitivity, or some people lose differently. Stoma and pouches stretch, malabsorption of calories, fats and carbs stop after the adaptation process occurs in the intestines, and then RNY patients are having to rely on restriction only with a stretchy pouch, a blind stomach left behind making ghrelin at a higher level vs. Sleeve patients. With the band, the list of issues with it are long, detailed, but the reasons the band can and does fail are numerous. Pouch stretching, not being able to get a decent fill, then there's the physical issues with the band itself.

I can go on and on. But, I know plenty of VSG'ers that are 2-4 years out (mainly on obesityhelp.com) that share my opinion on weight regain with VSG, their experiences are pretty similar to mine. There are several out there maintaining fairly effortlessly as well, and live a life of moderation. I've seen 20-40lb weight regain on a couple of patients that are 3-4 years out, and every time, they admit, I quit eating the proper foods, life happened and I turned to my old friend for comfort, or they just gave up and expected to eat ding dongs and hos hos without consequence. Most naturally thin women I know don't eat packages of hos hos on a regular basis. Most naturally thin women do watch what they eat, and do not shovel shitpots of craptastic food into their body without consequence. At least none of my naturally thin friends can eat like I did pre-op and not see weight gain.

[thinoneday 445]

Would you say that even after a slip, gaining 21lbs, is it easier to get it off with the sleeve than it was before the surgery? I understand it's not going to drop like it did in the honeymoon period, but is it easier to diet now having built-in Portion Control?

Nope, just a tough as before the sleeve, I lost 6 lbs in about 4 weeks WITH 700 -800 calories and exercise. . . now I'm stalled at the same weight for the past week. . . .oh well, I messed up so it's time to pay the piper I guess. . .

[Tiffykins 672]

Nope, just a tough as before the sleeve, I lost 6 lbs in about 4 weeks WITH 700 -800 calories and exercise. . . now I'm stalled at the same weight for the past week. . . .oh well, I messed up so it's time to pay the piper I guess. . .

I think from the research I've done once you get your Vitamin D levels back up, you'll see that losing may be a little easier. The connection between Vit D and obesity, inability to lose weight has been well-documented.

[libaba 4]

Tiff, what is this about the Vitamin D? My 5 week bloodwork looked good except for my Vitamin D was low. I have been a somewhat slow loser thus far. Now that I've read this I'm wondering if that could be the culprit.

[Tiffykins 672]

Tiff, what is this about the Vitamin D? My 5 week bloodwork looked good except for my Vitamin D was low. I have been a somewhat slow loser thus far. Now that I've read this I'm wondering if that could be the culprit.

Google Vitamin D deficiency and weight loss, there's article after article about it. Some are little more "hokey" than others, and are marketing a certain product, but if you read the medical journals, and more medically geared information, the correlation is pretty direct.

It can lead to insulin resistance, and other metabolic issues. Plus, it's a known culprit for causing sweet cravings.

[SouthernSleever 228]

I will say that the ways the VSG have helped me is that I don't constantly think about food. Before when I woke up it was "What to eat" now hours and hours go by and I feel a funny feeling in my tummy and relize it's hunger. It has made a huge difference. I am an emotion eater so when I get bored or tired I still go to food but eating 1/2 of a blt is a lot better than the 2 whole ones plus chips I would eat before. I try not to eat till "full full" I eat until I feel like I've had enough then stop. Doesn't his awalys work? No, sometimes I want more of whatever it is, I eat more and feel bad. I probably have something sweet once a day. I'm losing slow and its' because I choose to have treats here and there. I get that. I don't get in enough fluids or enough veggies. The point of my post is that you can still lose with the vsg by being middle of the road however don't expect to see these huge numbers like a few of the all stars unless you stick to the rules.