Gonna Get To Goal. Wanna Join Me?

[Georgia 2,908]

Well, Girls, it is definitely eye opening. I, like both of you, don't really see how I can eat much LESS calories or Protein and still be able to walk upright! Lol. And Feedyoureye, it is hard to believe that only 1350 calories AND exercise won't get the weight loss it should. That's why I am concerned for the long haul. Reading about having to be rigidly strict for the rest of your life is not appealing to me at all! I love the fact that at 3 years out I have been able to somewhat maintain but sure want to get back down to my original goal weight and maintain. Coops, if you find anything out about the leptin reset let is know. Well, since I had a dinner tonight with lasagna and bread along with homemade pie I'm side the scale will reflect tomorrow morning. ????Maybe ill try the Fastdiet. A month of Atkins doesn't seem to be much better although I think I have lost some inches because clothes feel looser even if the scales don't quite reflect what I would like them to be.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

Well, Girls, it is definitely eye opening. I, like both of you, don't really see how I can eat much LESS calories or Protein and still be able to walk upright! Lol. And Feedyoureye, it is hard to believe that only 1350 calories AND exercise won't get the weight loss it should.

Just to be clear, I eat 1350 plus the calories I burn during exercise... which may be from 100-450 more a day... So I may eat from 1350 If I do very little to 1800 if I exercise a lot (for me- dancing, weight lifting, some extra walking or heavy gardening such as shoveling and moving dirt, pruning and such). myfitnesspal and fitbit tall me how many calories to add...

[Escape_Pod 358]

You might enjoy reading Debra's Just Maintaining (justmaintaining -dot-com). Her blog is no longer active, but she's left it up, and I found it a wonderful resource for insight into what goes on with our bodies after a substantial weight loss. She's not a surgical patient, but it's a great resource, and if you check it out, be sure to read the comments as well - she really had a great group going, and I wish she was still actively blogging.

[swizzly 901]

EP -- that is a great blog, thanks for sharing!!

[M2G 1,836]

I am right there in the fight with you ladies! Thanks FYE for the article. I've actually READ that article before, but this time I bookmarked it. TY!

Here is what I have found for me. I "average" 1,200 calories a day (I've been tracking my food since Jan, but not perfect 100% strict, there are days I don't track what I eat) and I have lost -9lbs of my almost 20lb regain from 2012. It is coming off painfully slow, but I think in order for me to get the weight off faster I would have to cut carbs and calories (I average 70-100 carbs a day) so I would probably have to do the Atkins method and go less than 30g carbs for quicker weight loss. I do have days where I'm around 40g or less of carbs but under 30 only happens on the rarest of days.

I have repeated asked my NUT about the final outcome of our surgery being metabolically ALTERED and she agrees that we are but I can't find statistical data showing what changes and how.

I'm interested in this (cut and pasted from the article):

For instance, a gastric hormone called ghrelin, often dubbed the “hunger hormone,” was about 20 percent higher than at the start of the study. Another hormone associated with suppressing hunger, peptide YY, was also abnormally low. Levels of leptin, a hormone that suppresses hunger and increases metabolism, also remained lower than expected. A cocktail of other hormones associated with hunger and metabolism all remained significantly changed compared to pre-dieting levels. It was almost as if weight loss had put their bodies into a unique metabolic state, a sort of post-dieting syndrome that set them apart from people who hadn’t tried to lose weight in the first place.

Since the VSG eliminates some or all of this hunger hormone, how does that affect our metabolism long-term?

I vascillate between annoyance at having to be so vigalent about what I put in my mouth to grateful-ness (is that a word?) that I can subsist on 1,000-1,200 calories a day and not be a raging angry b**ch. To me that has been the biggest benefit of the sleeve, is that I do feel full and (on most days) satisfied with a low-calorie diet.

One last mention...when I was about 15 months POST-OP I went and had a body scan done. Fancy equipment that you stand on barefoot, and hold on to, that will send a bioimpedance throughout your body and spit out a very scientific sounding sheet of info. It is a bit fancier than just the hand-held versions or the scale you can buy that tell you your fat or Water ratios. This actually broke down my muscle percentages in my left vs. right leg (arms, torso, etc.) And it said that my RMR is 1,450. Meaning I should be able to EAT 1,450 calories a day while doing absolutely nothing. Factor in working out and I ****SHOULD**** be able to MAINTAIN my weight loss on 1,700-2,000 calories depending on how hard I work out on any one given day. I'm not sure how accurate that is, and I've been wanting to go back and have a rescan done JUST to see if my RMR is the same or different. I will post if I am able to go back for a scan...maybe before or around my 3 year post-op appt in Oct.

[Georgia 2,908]

Well, I am happy to say that I have been able to whittle down about 7 lbs as of this morning. From my almost 20 lb Regina also, M2G. But it has been by extreme LowCarb and vigilance. I admit, though, I am not an exerciser. I do walk. Some. . I know I should get physically better fit but, honestly, I am so tired at times after work that the thought of it just doesn't feel worth it yeah, I know, I'd feel better. Lol. I feel really good with my Jammie's on in my comfy chair or lying on the couch! Ha! Think I might be battling a little depression also. Going to read the blog. Sounds interesting. As to grehlin, I think the jury is out on that. Some thi gs you read say it is not as reduced as first thought. I have wondered why if at the beginning you're to really hungry sometimes at all and as time goes on, hunger increases. Restriction is still strong IFyou eat correctly and not junk. I do think as the articles/nut said metabolism is altered. Gonna keep working it. I'm trying to figure out HOW once I re lose my gain what I can do LONG TERM to hold it! I know they have said that for your body to hold a new set point it must be maintained for a long period of time. Hopefully, that will be true for me. Anybody know what the longest timeframe we have on VSG is and how they have maintained? I'm coming up on 3 yrs 6-10. Happy weekend to all!!!!

[feedyoureye 3,087]

Here is one small study

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/matrix/bt_supp0511/index.php?startid=3#/12

6 years out

53%EWL maintained at 6 years out

and

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20622654

over 50% at 6 years + reflux return

[swizzly 901]

Why is it that I seem to eat so much more than anyone else?? I always have I guess? I eat up to 2000 cals per day, haven't regained anything yet. Fingers crossed. If I start gaining, I will have to adjust I guess. I'm like 93% EWL at two years post op.

[M2G 1,836]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20622654

Intersting this article is the first one I've seen that has mentioned a resleeve. I know someone who once wanted a resleeve because she didn't feel like she ever lost her hunger. She woke up from the OR table starving and thus has battled it since (she will be 3 years post-op next month) But I have not heard of this being common. I wonder what it entails. I imagine that first your sleeved tummy would have to be at a greater size bougie perhaps than "normal or average" to work a resleeve. But then again I've heard of cancer patients who survive with little to no stomach at all.

Swizzly you are SO lucky! YAY! I have read on VST about people who have gone about RESETTING their metabolism but I'm not ready to tackle that yet. I would LOVE to eat 2,000 calories a day and maintain...

[swizzly 901]

I have NEVER lost my hunger, though. I was only un-hungry for like two days LOL. So I didn't have some period of eating like a bird and feeling no hunger. I was HUNGRY and I ATE all along. I also had no liquid or puree phases, straight to normal food here, so I think I just felt sort of 'normal' all along and just couldn't eat very much. Also, if I'm completely honest, even before the sleeve I only ever ate mostly when I was actually hungry and stopped when I was full, so I wasn't a binge eater or anything. I do the same now, it's just less food at one go. I do choose healthy food and very low carb, though -- just so that no one's thinking I'm scoffing down pizza and maintaining like that. I also (usually, when not having back problems grrr) go to the gym three times a week and walk a lot as well. But really? I live a very normal life, for which I am EXTREMELY grateful.

Edit: my NUTs and Drs here are all very keen that you shouldn't stress your system or metabolism too much by going all starvation-y post WLS, so they also wanted to keep as normal an intake and metabolic rate as possible (also to keep the whole stomach/digestive system 'active' by eating real food, etc.). So it's not like I did something special, I was just following my local rules.

[Georgia 2,908]

Well, reading that at 6 years I would be up approximately 50lbs (53% EWL) according to averages is NOT an option for me. So gotta get this remaining regain off and learn how to maintain. Per the article referenced.

[swizzly 901]

Well, reading that at 6 years I would be up approximately 50lbs (53% EWL) according to averages is NOT an option for me. So gotta get this remaining regain off and learn how to maintain. Per the article referenced.

Yeah, seriously. I'm personally not gaining past 3-5 kg (my 'bounce' range) without some intervention. If I got to to 50lb suddenly? Somethign will have TRULY gone wrong. Not. happening.

[Georgia 2,908]

Swizzle, how much have you lost and how long did it take you?

[Georgia 2,908]

Sorry, Swizzly, didn't see your ticker

[swizzly 901]

No worries, I got to my original 'goal' at about nine months, mostly been maintaining since then. Shape and composition still changing over time, but weight only changed another 5kg down after that.