2 Year Anniversary

[Supersweetums 1,164]

I wonder what you need to do to keep your stomach from stretching or is it unavoidable? I haven't had surgery yet, but trying to learn as much as I can.

I just realized that I misunderstood your question! Oops! From what I understand, unlike a bypass, the portion of the stomach that is the sleeve portion is very muscular and does not stretch much. I can eat more than I could at the beginning, but I still have really good restriction. The best thing is to listen to your stomach. Even now, one or two bites extra is too much for me. Eat slowly and when you start to feel even just a little full stop.

[Supersweetums 1,164]

I wonder if we'll ever push the thoughts out of our heads, the ones about gaining it back. Like you, I always re-gained. I make mistakes too, but I don't really think of it like that since my surgeon said, "this is not a diet, it's a way of life" I think I make poor choices sometimes, and sometimes, like when making christmas Cookies and sampling more than I should....I just felt yucky. I'm up five lbs as of this morning, from a week ago. I've had the munchies for some reason, but I just cut out a couple of Snacks and it comes right off. I am upping my Protein a little, that always does it. I've been maintaining for two years, but have been 'stable' for about 20 months. I lost too much and had to add some calories to get back up a little. I'm fine now, I know I could still lose if I wanted to. I am never hungry, are you? I have a new hunger, it's more of an empty feeling, something I can ignore if I choose to. It's weird, but I hope it stays this way forever!

I struggled through Christmas and gained 4 lbs, but it mostly gone now, just back to normal eating. If food is in front of me, I eat it, even if I am not hungry! The more junk I eat, the more I crave it too! Once I was home, it took me at least a week before I stopped craving stuff. Plus, my hormones are the devil. I can tell every point in my cycle because I will start to want to eat like there is no tomorrow! I know that I have a problem with food and being a food addict, so I have really tried to set my life up for success. I do not keep anything in my house that I know I will eat. I have turned a lot of the foods that I enjoy into sugar free, low sugar or low carb. I made many changes that I could live with, not a drastic diet that would help me lose quickly but I would not be able to maintain forever. I was a really slow loser, so I have been maintaining now for about 8 months without struggling. I wish I had the problem of dropping too much! But I never thought I would. In the past, no matter how hard I worked, the weight came off slowly, so I was not surprised when it came off slowly even with the sleeve.

I do get hungry, but it is not really the same as before. Like you said, it is sort of an empty feeling. I get a little twinge in my stomach but nothing like before surgery. I hope it stays too!

We will have to keep in touch, it is sometimes hard to find people on here that are 2 years plus out to talk too. I think this is when a lot of us need the support the most. The losing was the easy part, the maintaining is always the harder part. Most of my new habits are entrenched now, so I can't see myself having a lot of problems, it is just the brain stuff sometimes that gets to be. The 4 lbs gain over Christmas almost drove me off the deep end!

[NtvTxn 1,262]

I struggled through Christmas and gained 4 lbs, but it mostly gone now, just back to normal eating. If food is in front of me, I eat it, even if I am not hungry! The more junk I eat, the more I crave it too! Once I was home, it took me at least a week before I stopped craving stuff. Plus, my hormones are the devil. I can tell every point in my cycle because I will start to want to eat like there is no tomorrow! I know that I have a problem with food and being a food addict, so I have really tried to set my life up for success. I do not keep anything in my house that I know I will eat. I have turned a lot of the foods that I enjoy into sugar free, low sugar or low carb. I made many changes that I could live with, not a drastic diet that would help me lose quickly but I would not be able to maintain forever. I was a really slow loser, so I have been maintaining now for about 8 months without struggling. I wish I had the problem of dropping too much! But I never thought I would. In the past, no matter how hard I worked, the weight came off slowly, so I was not surprised when it came off slowly even with the sleeve.

I do get hungry, but it is not really the same as before. Like you said, it is sort of an empty feeling. I get a little twinge in my stomach but nothing like before surgery. I hope it stays too!

We will have to keep in touch, it is sometimes hard to find people on here that are 2 years plus out to talk too. I think this is when a lot of us need the support the most. The losing was the easy part, the maintaining is always the harder part. Most of my new habits are entrenched now, so I can't see myself having a lot of problems, it is just the brain stuff sometimes that gets to be. The 4 lbs gain over Christmas almost drove me off the deep end!

I understand putting on the four lbs. It happens really quickly, but unlike before, when you don't have real hunger, it is easier to get it off. I'm with ya.....if there is food in front of me, I'll eat it. Since I'm never really hungry, I eat because it's fun, tastes good and 'everybody's' doing it!!! We do need to keep in touch, the time has flown by, I can't believe it will be three years for me, in June. There aren't that many of us here to talk to. My new habits are really routine now. Yesterday I sat in a local Star Bucks at the mall and drank two cups of coffee, I love their pumpkin bread, 390 calories for a piece. I really wanted some, but it is much easier to not give in since surgery. This is something I get when my husband is with me and we SHARE one piece, which puts my portion at just under 200 calories. Not bad at all, I just skip a snack at home. I feel normal, I do not feel deprived EVER. Before surgery, I struggled and deprived myself, or at least I FELT deprived......just to maintain 225 lbs, give or take a few lbs. It was horrible, this is easy, easy! Do you attend a support group? I haven't been since Oct. (we bought a house and with the holidays.....too much) but I love going. It is fun to be there with others, most have had OUR surgery.....and occasionally there will be someone who is an 'old timer' like us, 2+ yrs out!!!! It is nice to be there for the newbies as well, they love to hear how we did it, how we're doing etc.

[rdoactv 218]

Congrats!! What a wonderful accomplishment!

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

You guys over 2 to 3 years out are doing great. I know that I will and am having the difficulties as u are. I am 14 months out and am reading all kinds of books need to learn as much as I can. I do struggle with head hunger and will eat anything in front of me even when I am not hungry. I know this is hard work thank you so much for sharing with us.

[Diamondeyed 399]

Congrats