Didn't work for me.

[Band07 374]

I was sleeved on 9/20. Iv lost 15 lbs and that was all the first month. I was very successful with my band for 6 years and only revised after being sick of that stuck feeling and all of the inconsistency with the band. Now don't get me wrong I can't eat as much as someone who has never had surgery but I honestly feel very little fullness or restrictions with the sleeve. I can eat a 6" sub from subway and a bag of baked ruffles just to give you an idea. I don't know yet if I regret it or not but I do know I'm making the decision to make it all about me. As far as I'm concerned I'm living life and taking care of myself as if Iv never been on the operating table. I will trust in myself for maybe the first time ever. I'm training for a half marathon this year and making good food choices because I want to. I'm still about 12-15 lbs from my goal, but when I get there I will know that it's because I worked hard for it and I'm okay with that. I wanted that feeling that Iv read so much about, I wanted to be full after 6 or 8 bites but I didn't get anything close to that. I just want others to know there are no guarantees with revision and prepare for the "what ifs " . It's funny to me now I was actually worried about losing too much weight being a low BMI patient to begin with. Now I just worry about getting to goal. I can tell you if I left it to the sleeve I never would but then again maybe that's how it should be...

[Montegirl 1]

Hi There,

I was sleeved on August 12th and I can hardly eat anymore than the 6-8 bites you are referring to. I can eat just about anything I want but I'm eating smaller portions. This has been a life changing event for me so I have changed the foods I eat but the last few weeks I've eaten some not so healthy foods because of the holidays. I did learn at one of my appointments some doctors leave the actual stomach size smaller or larger depending on how much weight loss is required. I had a friend that had the same surgery a month before me and 8 weeks after surgery she was eating two pieces of pizza and even now (almost 5 months out) there is no way I can even eat a full piece that is thin crust. But it sounds like you are doing well and are on the right path, the surgery is a tool and what we do with it is all up to us. I have had a lot of success with the sleeve, but I was larger to start out and I do exercise heavily boot camps, body pump and I have started running, no marathon by any means (kudos to you for that!!). Keep up the good work and just stay focused on the end result.

[PdxMan 4,292]

This is a tough one for a couple reasons. So, first off, please don't read my tone wrong. This comes from a place in my heart where I trying to help. I just don't have the literary skills to express myself and not come off like an a-hole, so ... here goes.

When I started reading your post, I was like, "Woa! Why would you even TRY to eat a 6 inch sub let alone add chips into the mix?" I'm over two and half years out and like MonteGirl, I can only eat about half of a 6" tuna sub and I am stuffed. It goes back to the whole thing of just because we CAN eat something doesn't mean we SHOULD. Are you eating slowly taking time in between each bites? When I eat now, I always put my utensil down after each bite and assess how the last bite went. In the case of Subway, I put the sub down, chew about 40 times and wait a few minutes before grabbing the next bite. I might have one or two Cheetos from my kid's bag. I will eat the rest of the sub later.

But then, I continued to read and saw that you are training for a half marathon. Well, two years ago I also was running and exercising a lot. I put in no less than 35 miles per week and was running at a fairly decent pace around 8 minute miles training and 7 minute miles for races. When I was in this mode, I could eat a lot more than can now. I attribute that to my body just being able process food far more efficiently. I didn't worry about the quantity or the amount of calories I was consuming because I knew I was training hard and my body needed it to be able to maintain the level of energy I was expending.

So, I guess the bottom line is only you can tell whether this is working for you. I don't know the level of training you are doing. I don't know if when you get halfway through that sub, does your body give you a signal that you are full and you are ignoring it because, out of habit, you finish the food in front of you. I know this can be a problem for me sometime where I eat out of habit, not out of hunger. Do you know what your "full" signal is? Do you stop "before" you get full? Why do you eat all of the 6" sub AND the bag of chips?

[Band07 374]

Thank you both for your insite. I'm not at all offended. I work in the business (weight loss surgery) and believe me I'm usually the first to doubt when someone tells me they are doing everything "right" and still not losing. Iv put a lot of time and work into my relationship with food. I do listen to my body, eat slow, chew well all of those good things. Lately my body tells me often I'm hungry, I'm still taking Prilosec for acid and I'm afraid to stop because before that the hunger was terrible !! Why eat a 6" sub? I didn't get a chance to pack my lunch last week and it was a better alternative than other fast food options at the moment. I do listen to full signals and Iv never once thrown up or even eaten to the point of being uncomfortable With the sleeve. I have gotten very very nauseous a couple of times but I think that was more of a poor food choice ( too greasy too sweet) than a volume issue. I don't know what size my sleeve is but I do know I have a small pouch at the top left over from my dilation With my band, I saw it myself on the X-ray, my doc says it shouldn't make much difference but I don't see how it can't, obviously food has more room to fill at the top before moving on down. Regardless, I'll keep working on me, trying to make good food choices when I can and increasing my milage each week. I never regretted my band, ever. I hope to one day say the same about the sleeve but only time will tell. Thanks again !

[PdxMan 4,292]

Well, then, since you work in the business, then you know WLS procedures are merely tools to help us with our decisions. Just because you had the 6" sub doesn't mean you have to eat the entire thing. You don't have to eat until you are "full". Next time, just try eating half of it and evaluate how you feel. If you are still hungry, stop and question what it is you are feeling? Why do you feel you need to eat the other half?

That is what I have to do to truly understand how I have abused food in the past. Seldom did I eat because I was actually hungry. I was either bored, rewarding/punishing myself or eating out of habit. "It's 6:00 so I have to eat dinner now."

I've stopped doing that and for the most part, I eat when my body says it is nutritionally deficient. It hasn't been easy, but it was part of the work I needed to do on me.

[mountaingirlCO 9]

Band07,

I can totally relate. I was banded in December 2010 and it was fantastic for about the first 18 months. I lost about 90 pounds with the band before I started having problems, managed to maintain for the next 16 months and had revision surgery to the sleeve on October 1, 2013. Since then I have lost 20 pounds. I keep telling my surgeon's office that I don't feel anything and even jokingly (sort of) asked if they forgot to do the sleeve. I haven't felt full, sick and only get to satisfied when I eat more than the recommended 4 oz (usually more like 6-8 oz or I am hungry again in no time). They keep telling me this isn't suppose to be really uncomfortable or difficult like it was with the band but I truly feel nothing unless I am eating 6-8 oz of more dense food. I work out 30-60 minutes 6x a week which I have done ever since the original band surgery but wonder if I will ever make it to goal. I have 35 more pounds to go before I hit the very top of the normal BMI chart. I guess I was hoping for more too and still hoping I might get there eventually. This is probably not much help but at least you know you are not alone - and now I do too so thank you for your post.

[livelyterry 55]

It seems that everyone is so different. One person with revision loves their sleeve and does well losing weight, and the next person does not do so well and is able to eat more than desired.

There are also so many variables….the surgeon's technique, the size bougie used, damage from the band...

I guess there is really no way to know what kind of results we will get until it's done. I am scheduled for January 13th.

Hoping I am doing the right thing.

[brittu 42]

Have you had a scope to check the size of your stomach? The one thing I'd be worried about after a band to sleeve revision is a stretched esophagus. Mine was caused by the band and about a year after my sleeve I discovered that overeating can case it to stretch, the food stays there instead of going down into my stomach. Since I now have a higher chance of Barret's I really need to protect my esophagus as much as possible. If you're having that kind of capacity it's well worth getting checked and seeing if your stomach is either too small of the food is pushing up into your esophagus.

[Band07 374]

Thanks mountain girl. Yes it does make a Difference to know I'm not the only one. I had the leak test the day after surgery. I requested copies and I do have a dilation on top of my sleeve. When I talked to my doc he said it happens with band patients but when you are inside he says it doesn't show up, it's just on the X-ray and he didn't think it should make a difference in my eating.

[kvlasy 195]

I wonder if your stomach acid is being adequately controlled with Prilosec. Just a thought.

[LifeLiver 22]

This hits home. I am 2 months out, struggle every day starving. Eating 1200 cal a day..I could eat 12000. I have gained 10 lbs in a month, even with low calories and exercising I am so sad...surgeons are perplexed why i am not loosing...logged all my food and staying away from carbs. I am distraught..

[Nicolanz 1,484]

You got sleeved 30 pounds from goal, lost 15 and need 15 more to goal? Is that correct? I need to lose 25 to get to my goal and I've only lost 10 pounds in the last 4-5 months. It gets harder to lose the closer you are to your goal weight.

It does seem like you can eat a lot. Did the doc say anything about making the sleeve larger due to scar tissue from the band?

[Band07 374]

No he didn't mention that but Iv seen for myself that I have more room on the top of my sleeved stomach. Yes I was about 30 lbs from goal and I'm 15 now, Iv actually gained about 3 lbs the last month. I do think the Prilosec helps, it has decreased my hunger.

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

I think getting a scope is a good idea. they can measure your capacity.

I don't know exactly how much i can eat, but I know very well when I eat too much, it's very painful so I try my best to stop before I am full.

[mistysj 1,939]

I would get a second opinion about that dilation and your capacity. I'm 8 months out and I can't eat half a 6" sub. I would just throw up. I can't even eat 4 ounces of meat.