To set the stage, I must tell you that I am over 50. I had my stomach "stapled" way back in the early 1980's. I went from 225 to 125 and maintained for 6 years... then slowly gained it all back over the past 20 years.

In 2011, reaching 205 and struggling, I decided to try the sleeve. I went to Mexico in July, 2011 and had it done. I had a bad infection from the drain tube a few weeks after I got home and had to be hospitalized for 10 days. The money I saved going to Mexico was spent recuperating at the hospital. I was glad my insurance covered most of my hospital stay. lol. sigh.

Anyway, the first couple of months after the surgery I lost 30 pounds. yay.

A couple of months after that, I gained back 10 pounds.

I felt pretty sorry for myself. I spent all that money and all that time -- for 20 pounds. The MOST expensive diet plan to date.

What was I eating? Anything I wanted. Somehow in my mind I had a wrong idea and because I had heard someone say, "You are eating so little that it won't matter what you eat!" There was a younger woman who had the sleeve a year prior and she was eating M&Ms and drinking cokes. She had lost 100 pounds. Wrong.

Jumping forward ... January 1st I decided to try Low Carb eating again. It was obvious that the sleeve did not work for me and I had to at least try something. I had made it through the holidays maintaining the 20 lb loss, in spite of eating as much sugar as I wanted. Yikes.

My history with low carb diets in the past has been a roller coaster ride that left me angry and frustrated and sad and very little weight loss to show for all the work. I would diet and diet and diet and lose 1 pound. I would eat ONE thing off plan and gain back 3 or 4. I would cook ahead and write everything down. etc etc. I would plateau every 4-5 weeks. I would shake my fist at the "diet" and yell at it... and my body & metabolism just wouldn't cooperate. I hated the scale - typical stuff, ya know?

January 1st, with much resignation, I sucked it up, put on my big girl panties, bit the bullet and got down to brass tacks. I hit the low carb track again. I stopped ALL sugar. I stopped eating all starches. I eat grilled meat & vegetables. I eat an occasional Atkins bar if I feel like I am craving something sweet. If I get home at night and I am too tired to cook, rather than standing in front of the fridge just stuffing things in my mouth, I will cook an egg. Of course, I am eating smaller portions than before the sleeve, but it is clean eating.

I was SO hoping that the sleeve would be a cure-all. I was hoping that just eating less would suffice. I really wanted to think that I was 25 years old again and had plenty of time ahead of me. lol.

Yeah... I see you shaking your heads. hahahaha

SO, I may not have the shining report about the sleeve that others seem to have. I didn't drop to 120 wearing a size 4... don't know if that is even possible... BUT I feel like there is more control. I cannot finish everything on my plate. I cannot stuff myself. I cannot. I have to chew slower. I have to restrict eating beef (it doesn't go down easily). I have to be VERY careful when I go out to eat with others because I get full before they are barely getting started with their meal.

So, as of January 1st, 2012 and 3 weeks of eating clean low carb, I have lost 10 pounds. Wow, that was fast. The light bulb is starting to come on --> sleeve + low carb = steady loss

I am hopeful that this trend will continue. I am calm. I am changed. I'm losing.

You are working your sleeve. That is amazing!!!!

What a story. What a trooper you are lady. You can do this. Thank you so much for posting this. I will be sleeved in a few days and one thing that I have learned is this surgery IS NOT a fix all. You have to work it. You can not try to fool yourself or the sleeve .

Keep up the great work.

Congrats! you got off track with faulty thinking and now here you are, back on track, and have lost 10 lbs! Thanks for sharing your hard work and determination. You can do this and here's the evidence. Keep up the hard work.

I am so glad you posted your story. The truth is that this journey is so difficult. This surgery does not fix our minds. Congrats on your success. I know you can keep it up and make it to your goal.

Congrats on getting back on track! We all know what to do, but actually DOING it, is what is hard. Keep up the good work!

Kudos to you...you are an inspiration! This IS a tough journey...I almost can't wait for someone to dare to tell me I took the easy way out...haha let me at them!! You and your bid girl panties hang tough!!

I so appreciate your post!! This is a super slow journey for me and reading what you said is an encouragement. I'm trying to get protein in and that is tough. It was easier the first month than it is now. At lot of what you said resonates with me.

I, too am a past 50 sleever. Wow, wouldn't it be great if we could have been sleeved in our 20's and not have to waste the last 30 years doing all those other things we did to lose weight?

I had my epiphany about the sleeve recently. Clean eating alone is not going to do it for me as I approach maintenance. I must embrace regular exercise and make it a part of my life. Forever. (Gulp)

I wish you success on your sleeve journey.

Sharon

I really appreciate your post! I am also over 50 and knew having the sleeve was not going to be a "miracle cure". I've battled my weight for 30 years and have gotten so discouraged at losing at a snail's pace, just to put it right back on the minute I had a "normal" meal. I've gained weight on 1200 calorie Dr. prescribed diet!! I've learned so much about my body in the past few months, and I will have to work this sleeve like crazy to get rid of the pounds...then I will have to deal with the maintenance issue. I am eating a clean diet of mainly protein and fresh veggies with extremely low carbs and no sugar. I feel so much better knowing that I am not alone in this!

Sorry I have not responded sooner but I did not get any notifications that there were responses.

It is a couple of weeks later now.. and I am stalled. up/down/up/downol/up/down SAME two pounds. But I keep eating low carb. I keep eating Protein first.

Sort of had a weird thing happened today, I was changing clothes and noticed that my bloat was gone. My tummy looked sort of like a wrinkly raisin - very large raisin. lol. So changes are happening. My clothes are loser, no matter what the scale says.

I just keep hoping and believing. SURELY the weight will come off. SURELY I can hang in there long enough - not get discouraged or give up -- and THEN I'll see things turn around.

I still have hope.

Keep up the good work Sand Sandles! You will see the results, even if it takes longer.

If you want to speed up loss, I really recommend exercise. It has really helped me. I work out 5 days a week. I'm struggling with the last few pounds to goal, but I have been snacking, drinking calories, and eating higher-calorie Protein.

Lynda

Checking in... Down another 10 pounds. Slowly, but steady.

I too am over 50.....ok, way over, but who's counting ... lol.... Keep up the good work...your story is an inspiration and very motivating .... Very proud of your determination ....

You GO girl!!!!!

I'll hit the big 5-0 next month, and man oh man, is it different losing weight now than in my past! I am exercising but not at the intensity level I did in the past. The years of doing heavy aerobics, running with weight on me, wearing cheapo high heels and such have caused aching knees & feet so the exercise changed due to those factors as well as my age. I am sure the losing & regaining large amounts of weight has messed up my metabolism as well. I am just over 7 mo's post sleeve op, have lost 84 lbs and slowed to what feels like a crawl. But, truth be told, I have not been as strict w/ low carbing, sweets, etc as of late. Reading ur post helps motivate me! Thanks for posting & hang in there. If we eat right (protein first!) and move our bodies, we WILL be successful!

I too am over 50 and I enjoy your telling it like is. This is just a tool. If we make the right decisions, it helps. If we make the wrong decisions, it's useless. Keep it up. You body is eating away the fat and you are seeing NSVs. Sounds like a success story to me.