So what exactly is this honeymoon period?

[crosswind 134]

I've often read people who were concerned that their loss was not quite as much as they expected and they're worried because they're nine months out: they want to take advantage of the "honeymoon period."

I'm just not sure about this honeymoon period thing. It seems to me that if you're eating under a thousand calories a day, eventually, somehow, the stuff is going to come off whether it takes you six months or eighteen. Is this a guaranteed experience, did you have it yourself, are you bummed at your sleeve after a year because you got to 170 but not 160?

Also; WHY is it so hard for weight to come off once you start gaining it after the sleeve? It would seem to be easier: at least easier than it was before the sleeve.

Thoughts?

[ybnormal 21]

Most Drs call the honeymoon period the first 4 - 6 months. That's when the weight just melts away almost effortlessly. You absolutely will keep losing if you're doing the right things and from what I've read it sounds like you have been, it just slows down. Did you read the bottom of Dr. Aceves' page where it says approx. 96% of excess weight will be lost during the first 12 months? Don't worry, you'll do it. About it being harder to lose weight after a weight gain, I was just talking about this with Gabby this morning and she said it's mostly because people are the most diligent right after the surgery and then as time goes on, they slip up. They always will have the tool though, but they have to make the decision to get back to the basics and kick start it in again and thats hard for some people to to, get back in that mindset.

Renee`

[swizzly 901]

I have had the same questions, crosswind. I thought the 'honeymoon period' was really mostly applicable to GBS, as it has the special calorie-malabsorption factor that diminishes over time, and is most active in the first year (as far as I know). The only 'honeymoon period' I could think of re: a sleeve is just that it's smaller/tighter when it's first done due to swelling, so one might be on lower calories for a few weeks in the beginning? (Though I was on 800 fairly quickly and now try for 1000 each day.) But there isn't, AFAIK, a magical element to the first months of VSG like there is with GBS.

A sleeve doesn't stretch out like a pouch does, at least that's what my doctors and surgeon told me, so it's always going to be a much lower capacity than a normal stomach, and most likely a smaller capacity than a lot of pouches as well. So it seems to me like it will have a longterm effect.

I think, as with any of these WLS tools, you can learn to eat around the stomach you have, regardless of its shape/size. And that maybe over time, this tendency gets worse and worse if you aren't quite careful? I don't think it's anything like inevitable, though.

[Tiffykins 672]

Hormones, and metabolism play a big role in that "honeymoon" phase. The first 6 months, the sleeve hasn't typically matured to full capacity, so weight loss is hell of a lot easier because there just isn't room for mush of anything except Protein. Of course, if you continue to make all the "right" decisions, you continue to follow all the rules for the first 12-18 months, you'll continue to lose weight, but more often than not, sleeve size changes, more food goes in, old habits creep back in, and poor food choices seem to be the culprit. Also, metabolic changes occur once the weight comes off.

As for losing weight after goal, I've found it to be pretty easy. That might not always be the case, but I can pinpoint a solid gain(not Water weight) to my indulgences typically with alcohol and social eating which I do a lot. . For me, I have yet to have trouble losing weight. Even in the pregnancy, I've lost a few pounds when I was concerned about the rate of gain I was seeing on the scale.

Just my $0.02 worth on the "honeymoon phase" of WLS.

[crosswind 134]

Thanks. I was curious about the honeymoon thing. If there was a huge risk that this surgery resulted in either an inability to lose weight after twelve months or a regain after normal social indulgences....well that's not much of a bariatric solution is it? If the surgery is permanent but the weight loss isn't -- kind of a waste of good anesthesia then.

I think it's kind of inevitable too that we're going to expand our eating capacity and get better at eating around our sleeves to get what we want. If you put that plus some biological reason you can't lose the weight again what you've got is a huge weight loss followed by a creep right back up to 300 again.

. Good to know it's more a guideline than a rule. Can't fault anyone for wanting to a piece of cake every once in a while.

[ybnormal 21]

True. In this case though, lucky you, that piece of cake will be enough for a weeks worth of Desserts. SCORE!

Renee`

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

A lot to me has to do with the excitement of having surgery and wanting to do your best to get the weight off in the beginning. Just like a marriage in the beginning - Love Is Blind as they say. Everything is seen through rose colored glasses and life is better than you ever imagined.

Well once the newness wears off you're left with reality. In my case now, I love my hubby more today than I ever have! I hope this is the case with my sleeve too. Not only is my sleeve beautiful to me now but with many years and experience and good and bad times with us - that would only make our relationship stronger.

I went to a seminar held by Dr. Cirangle and he has some of the best long term data out there. He did say that "average" weight gain with the sleeve is excellent. It usually comes out to about 10% weight regain for about 10% of patients. So... one out of every ten patients who lose 100 Lbs of exces weight will gain back about 10 Lbs. Sounds good to me!

That's news I can use...

[crosswind 134]

I went to a seminar held by Dr. Cirangle and he has some of the best long term data out there. He did say that "average" weight gain with the sleeve is excellent. It usually comes out to about 10% weight regain for about 10% of patients. So... one out of every ten patients who lose 100 Lbs of exces weight will gain back about 10 Lbs. Sounds good to me!

That's news I can use...

LMD that makes sense. I don't have access to long term data but it's what I would have expected logically. Usually with major weightloss there's a "bounce up" of some percentage, sort of no matter what you do. Rebound weight gain usually has something to do with people riding the bounce way too far for way too long. But with the sleeve you just really can't get those whole pepperoni pizza binges and triple sundaes packed in fast enough-- or that's what I kind of figured.

Otherwise...if there was a danger of a huge regain, why do it?

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

LMD that makes sense. I don't have access to long term data but it's what I would have expected logically. Usually with major weightloss there's a "bounce up" of some percentage, sort of no matter what you do. Rebound weight gain usually has something to do with people riding the bounce way too far for way too long. But with the sleeve you just really can't get those whole pepperoni pizza binges and triple sundaes packed in fast enough-- or that's what I kind of figured.

Otherwise...if there was a danger of a huge regain, why do it?

Agreed, and I think that is the major reason why I chose the sleeve above all others. I had the lap band and I found out it is incredibly easy to gain weight back with it. One of my deciding factors on how I was going to choose my next WLS had to be one that was the most effective with keeping off the weight lost. I read and studied a lot - and it seemed the sleeve had excellent results where this is concerned.

I imagine it's possible to get back up to 300 Lbs with it. I also imagine it would be more work than it's worth though! One would have to go on a full on food binge for at least 5 years and eat all the worst things possible, almost with a purpose. I haven't been perfect at all in my journey so far. I'm good most of the time but sometimes I'm not. In those cases I never really gained any weight back. I pretty much would just bounce up and down a few pounds until I get back to being right.

So far the sleeve rates A+++ for me.

[mb20mom 9]

I believe there might be some truth to this honeymoon period idea. I had great results at losing weight up to about 80 lbs lost (at around 11 mos post op). Then the holidays hit and I became disconnected with all efforts at dieting and felt that I was "taking a break" for awhile to enjoy all the holiday feasting. The holidays ended but I kept eating whatever I wanted and after 3 mos realized I had gained 5lbs. Fortunately I'm now back to very strict Protein style eating and have cut out all the crap, and the weight is coming off again. So yes, we stll have to make an effort to practice healthy eating and use our tool as it was intended, especially after a year.

[swizzly 901]

I believe there might be some truth to this honeymoon period idea. I had great results at losing weight up to about 80 lbs lost (at around 11 mos post op). Then the holidays hit and I became disconnected with all efforts at dieting and felt that I was "taking a break" for awhile to enjoy all the holiday feasting. The holidays ended but I kept eating whatever I wanted and after 3 mos realized I had gained 5lbs. Fortunately I'm now back to very strict Protein style eating and have cut out all the crap, and the weight is coming off again. So yes, we stll have to make an effort to practice healthy eating and use our tool as it was intended, especially after a year.

Oh my god -- that just totally still seems like a honeymoon to me!! You took a three-month break that included the holidays and eating 'whatever you wanted' and you only gained five pounds? I don't know about you, but back in the pre-sleeve years, if I went off the rails for three months + holiday season, I could easily have packed on 20. I would say five pounds is still a freakin miracle, compared to what it was like pre-sleeve.

Sorry for my, um, quite energetic post, lol -- I'm just blown away by that. Good on you for doing so well.

[crosswind 134]

Oh my god -- that just totally still seems like a honeymoon to me!! You took a three-month break that included the holidays and eating 'whatever you wanted' and you only gained five pounds? I don't know about you, but back in the pre-sleeve years, if I went off the rails for three months + holiday season, I could easily have packed on 20. I would say five pounds is still a freakin miracle, compared to what it was like pre-sleeve.

Sorry for my, um, quite energetic post, lol -- I'm just blown away by that. Good on you for doing so well.

. Right, you know how celebrities will admit they gained say two pounds over the holidays? I'd be sitting there thinking, chee poor thing, that's quite a tragedy for you. The only thing left in my house after the Christmas party were four boxes of leftover croutons and a bottle of vodka, they're gone now and somehow I gained 25...

[Rainydayz 27]

But why is it that RNYers sometimes gain almost if not all their weight back? Even though they have lost the malabsorption part after a while don't they still have a tiny pouch?

[Tiffykins 672]

But why is it that RNYers sometimes gain almost if not all their weight back? Even though they have lost the malabsorption part after a while don't they still have a tiny pouch?

No, pouches and stomas stretch tremendously over time. I have one friend with RNY, she is 7 years out, and can eat 1/2 medium pizza by herself, that's 4-5 slices of pizza on average at most pizza places. She's never suffered with dumping so she eats all the "bad foods" and has zero ill effect from them.

That pouch is made of the stretchy part of the stomach, and also once the malabsorption wears off, their relying strictly on what restriction they've protected because most end up metabolically challenged due to the bypasses portion of the intestine.