Hi There! I'm considering having the VSG in a few month in Mexico. I'd be very interested in speaking with Post Op patients that are further along say 2 years or more post op of Dr Aceves and Dr Alvarez. These are the two doctors I'm still on the fence which one to choice. I have spoken to a few post op patients that recently got the sleeve. But now I'm more interested in hearing from patients that had the surgery done by either of these 2 doctors 2 or more years ago. If you are able to talk with me can you post below and than I'll private message you my number. Thank you so much! ~Tammy

P.S. Please too I want to hear it all. Not just positive experiences! Thanks!

I am interested in this too! My sister is having her VSG with Dr. Alvarez June 1. I had mine in San Antonio about 8 months ago. I want to know everything there is to know about Dr. Alvarez so peeps who had their surgery there please do chime in! If you dont want to put it here, (if you are a newby and the OP is looking for more expereinced peeps) in box me please!

After two years I don't think the doctor actually matters that much in reference as to how well you are doing. I'm 2years and 7 months out. Not donde by any of those doctors but it was in Mexico. Anything in particular I could help you with?

did you lose all the weight you wanted to and are you able to maintain your loss? That is the burning question that I have....

I lost 130 pounds which is even a little more than I aimed for. No I haven't been able to keep it all off. I recently posted this in another topic, it's what I've learned and love to share with anyone who asks. Here it goes:

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Hi all! I was sleeved back in september of 2009 so that would make it 2 years and 7 months now. I had to register again because I hadn't used my account in ages (was never a big poster, more of a reader).

I remember looking for answers like the ones your asking a lot because I think it is very important for us to know what happens later on, to have someone reassure us that everything is still going great.

Here is my brief story: I lost a total of 130 pounds with my surgery. I got to goal at about ten months. I went from pants size 48-50 to size 36. And from shirt XXL, and sometimes XXXL to size L.

My story is similar to others'. No sweet cravings, no carb cravings, stopped drinking soda (diet and no diet) since my surgery and haven't drank it since. Got filled up quickly, specially with Protein, not so much with slicer foods. People telling my amazing things about how I looked, in general got a better mood and a lots of security. I was even able to get my wife pregnant after trying for some years! Succes story of which you've read a few here.

My program was great because I had full support of a nutritionist and a psychologist all the way to the 1 year mark.

At about the 1 year and 9 month mark I had to change my job, my city and lifestyle to a more stressfull job. More money almost always means more hell to put up with. I started drinking coffe and in general I had to go to a lot of events with tons of food always available for free!

Long story short: In one year I regained 33 pounds, I actually regained 44, but have worked my way down.

I have found it pretty easy to go down again once I get fully commited to it, which I fully am right now.

Lessons learned for you newbies out there, never forget what I write here:

1) Yes they fixed your stomach not your brain. Get help from a professional to deal with the issues that make you eat, do it, I'm not kidding, it helps, a lot! but most importantly. DON'T STOP GETTING THAT HELP! That was my biggest mistake. I would even say that once a nutritionist teaches you what you're doing wrong, the help you get from a psychologist is more important than the help you actually get from the nutritionist.

2) Yes you can still eat a lot if you want to. Small portions times many times and you can still eat hundreds and hundreds of calories per day. Your stomach does get more tolerant of amount so you can't always rely on the tool to do all the work by itself. You have to work with it.

3) Drink a lot of Water. It helps control hunger. Coffe is not so good, it actually helps to get more food in. I have been trying to stop drinking coffe to maybe one or two cups a week.

4) Never believe that you can eat anything you want and not suffer the consequences. Once I reached goal, I noticed that I could indulge some with some sweets, some Cookies, some whatever and nothing happened, I did not gain, not a half a pound, I felt immortal! WRONG! You stop weighting yourself and before you know it all of a sudden you have gained ten pounds! And the worst part is that you will have a hard time breaking all those bad habits again. You will have to get really commited again.

5) Once you reach goal it is impossible not to gain about five pounds every now and then, but do determine which is your tolerable limit, and never never go over it. Don't say, "I'll allow just a couple of pounds more". Do relax, but never so much that you forget how much work reaching goal costs.

6) Excercise. You don't have to over do it, you can just walk fast or whatever you want, but get off the couch. It does help and we do need it anyway. I've never been very good at it, but I try to walk-run at least four times a week.

I hope this helps. I'll let you know once I reach goal again. Because I will reach goal again.

I have no doubt that you will. Thanks so much for the very insightful information. I am 8 months post op and some days find myself snacking a little too much on slider foods. I know that can be dangerous since I have not quite made it to goal and I certainly dont want to gain! I am going to omit these slider foods and stick to three meals a day, and only the occasional snack. I dont want to gain any of my weight back and your experience really helps me realize I still have head work to do. Thanks again. Tammi

No problem in snacking, actually my Nutritionist layed a 5 meal a day plan which included snacks, one snack of about 60 calories, anotherone of no more than 100. And water in between. Be careful with what you snack though. Glad I could help.

That sounds like a plan I could easily do. How many calories were you to have a day back in the losing phase? I eat about 850 a day now. I was eating about 600 and very comfortable with that but now i can hold slightly more and it has crept up to 850, which I still think is ok. I just dont want to go over that because I know I have a slooooowwww metabolism and would not lose if i did.

At my losing phase (after about the second month) I would guess I was at about 850 cals. Right now I have lost 11 pounds in 12 days at around 1000-1050 cals. To be at around 650 which I guess I did for around the first two-three months you really need your sleeve at full gear. Right now it is tough. The cool thing I've noticed is that with a few days of eating way less your sleeve tends to at least "feel" like its getting smaller again. I guess its as much a head game as a stomach game. I'll keep it up at around 1000 cals and see what happens for about three months. It is doable.

Hi Tammy, I had my surgery with Dr. Aceves a year ago, my 1 year anniversary was last week. If a year is good enough (I know you said 2 years), feel free to browse my posts and/or send me an email at wendyjwolf@yahoo.com. I am totally willing to share my experience, highs and lows via email or phone....

I lost 130 pounds which is even a little more than I aimed for. No I haven't been able to keep it all off. I recently posted this in another topic' date=' it's what I've learned and love to share with anyone who asks. Here it goes:

---

Hi all! I was sleeved back in september of 2009 so that would make it 2 years and 7 months now. I had to register again because I hadn't used my account in ages (was never a big poster, more of a reader).

I remember looking for answers like the ones your asking a lot because I think it is very important for us to know what happens later on, to have someone reassure us that everything is still going great.

Here is my brief story: I lost a total of 130 pounds with my surgery. I got to goal at about ten months. I went from pants size 48-50 to size 36. And from shirt XXL, and sometimes XXXL to size L.

My story is similar to others'. No sweet cravings, no carb cravings, stopped drinking soda (diet and no diet) since my surgery and haven't drank it since. Got filled up quickly, specially with Protein, not so much with slicer foods. People telling my amazing things about how I looked, in general got a better mood and a lots of security. I was even able to get my wife pregnant after trying for some years! Succes story of which you've read a few here.

My program was great because I had full support of a nutritionist and a psychologist all the way to the 1 year mark.

At about the 1 year and 9 month mark I had to change my job, my city and lifestyle to a more stressfull job. More money almost always means more hell to put up with. I started drinking coffe and in general I had to go to a lot of events with tons of food always available for free!

Long story short: In one year I regained 33 pounds, I actually regained 44, but have worked my way down.

I have found it pretty easy to go down again once I get fully commited to it, which I fully am right now.

Lessons learned for you newbies out there, never forget what I write here:

1) Yes they fixed your stomach not your brain. Get help from a professional to deal with the issues that make you eat, do it, I'm not kidding, it helps, a lot! but most importantly. DON'T STOP GETTING THAT HELP! That was my biggest mistake. I would even say that once a nutritionist teaches you what you're doing wrong, the help you get from a psychologist is more important than the help you actually get from the nutritionist.

2) Yes you can still eat a lot if you want to. Small portions times many times and you can still eat hundreds and hundreds of calories per day. Your stomach does get more tolerant of amount so you can't always rely on the tool to do all the work by itself. You have to work with it.

3) Drink a lot of Water. It helps control hunger. Coffe is not so good, it actually helps to get more food in. I have been trying to stop drinking coffe to maybe one or two cups a week.

4) Never believe that you can eat anything you want and not suffer the consequences. Once I reached goal, I noticed that I could indulge some with some sweets, some Cookies, some whatever and nothing happened, I did not gain, not a half a pound, I felt immortal! WRONG! You stop weighting yourself and before you know it all of a sudden you have gained ten pounds! And the worst part is that you will have a hard time breaking all those bad habits again. You will have to get really commited again.

5) Once you reach goal it is impossible not to gain about five pounds every now and then, but do determine which is your tolerable limit, and never never go over it. Don't say, "I'll allow just a couple of pounds more". Do relax, but never so much that you forget how much work reaching goal costs.

6) Excercise. You don't have to over do it, you can just walk fast or whatever you want, but get off the couch. It does help and we do need it anyway. I've never been very good at it, but I try to walk-run at least four times a week.

I hope this helps. I'll let you know once I reach goal again. Because I will reach goal again.[/quote']

Thanks for sharing!

Miguel thank you for sharing your important story. So you are saying that getting back to basics is a bit easier with the sleeve than before surgery? The little tummy is still working, huh? Staying away from those sliders sounds super important.

That is exactly what I'm saying. I'm doing all the stuff I did one I was about 1-2 months out and I can eat basically almost the same way. I do get hungry, but I do get full fast. I have really behaved for the last two weeks and its working. I will not stop until I am back on goal. Never drop your guard. Not one year out, not two years out, not three years out and probably never. You always have to be mindful of what you are eating. Always. Its not easy, it's just that the weightloss process felt so easy that you start to believe everything is just as easy, its not. You really have to work with your mindset and your tool.

Great week everyone.