Regaining of weight

[LFitz66 8]

I am scheduled for surgery on the 7th of April. I have been scouring the forums for good information and to get myself mentally prepared for all the ins and outs. I have been quite surprised by the number of people who comment that they are around a year out from surgery and that they can eat "anything". Does thing mean that they are "tolerant" to all foods or that you can literally sit down and eat just as you could before surgery?? I get that if you sit there and munch on small amounts of crummy foods all day that you end up consuming a lot of calories. I didn't expect that in only one year, things would be back to pre-surgery.

Can anyone share there experience? Thanks:)

[Chelenka 827]

Hi there. I was 1 year post-op on Feb 28th. While everyone's experience is unique, I can eat pretty much whatever type of food I want with a few exceptions. Very spicy and/or greasy fried foods don't agree with me and there is a fine line I try not to cross when it comes to sweets. (I have a sugar addiction issue) If I do give in to my addiction and have a very sugary treat it goes down no problem but then I feel like crap. I call it a mini-dumping syndrome. Even at this point I am still learning what works best for me. My capacity has increased slightly to approx 1 cup of food but that also depends on what the food is. I made a beef stew that I could only eat about 1/2 cup probably because of the dense Protein. I can eat quite a lot of salad which isn't a bad thing. It is important to remember that this surgery doesn't cure your food issues. Now I must employ some self control and make good choices with food just like anyone else but the advantage of the surgery is that I can't eat anywhere near as much as I used to, nor do I want to. Sure, sometimes I'll see someone else's plate of nachos and think how much I would love to eat that but then I realize how I would be totally miserable if I tried and not to mention hate myself! LOL! There are a lot of surprising "slider" foods too, mostly simple carbs, like popcorn and potato chips, which don't fill you up like dense protein.

[LFitz66 8]

Thank you for your detailed reply. This is what I thought and I sure hope it is true for me. I totally have the expectation that I will need to make good choices and that this surgery is simply a tool. Portions have always been my problem.

Hi there. I was 1 year post-op on Feb 28th. While everyone's experience is unique, I can eat pretty much whatever type of food I want with a few exceptions. Very spicy and/or greasy fried foods don't agree with me and there is a fine line I try not to cross when it comes to sweets. (I have a sugar addiction issue) If I do give in to my addiction and have a very sugary treat it goes down no problem but then I feel like crap. I call it a mini-dumping syndrome. Even at this point I am still learning what works best for me. My capacity has increased slightly to approx 1 cup of food but that also depends on what the food is. I made a beef stew that I could only eat about 1/2 cup probably because of the dense Protein. I can eat quite a lot of salad which isn't a bad thing. It is important to remember that this surgery doesn't cure your food issues. Now I must employ some self control and make good choices with food just like anyone else but the advantage of the surgery is that I can't eat anywhere near as much as I used to, nor do I want to. Sure, sometimes I'll see someone else's plate of nachos and think how much I would love to eat that but then I realize how I would be totally miserable if I tried and not to mention hate myself! LOL! There are a lot of surprising "slider" foods too, mostly simple carbs, like popcorn and potato chips, which don't fill you up like dense Protein.< /p>

[PdxMan 4,292]

I will be 3 years post-op this July. When they say they can eat anything at a year out, they mean exactly that.

But the portions ... now that is the difference. Remember, VSG is a restrictive surgery, meaning it restricts the portion sizes. In your readings, you may have come across the phrase, "eating around your sleeve". There are some foods, termed "slider" foods, which will "slide" through your stomach easily where you will not feel the restriction.

Let's talk about this for a second as I think it is quite important.

One aspect of the sleeve is that everything is there and functioning just as we were created. Your pyloric valve is the thingy at the bottom of your stomach which opens to allow the mushed up contents of your stomach to pass through to the large intestines where absorption begins to take place. Some foods are either already in that mushed up consistency or get to that state very easily. These will quickly move through leaving your stomach ready to take on more food.

Ice cream, for example. I can eat the same size bowl of ice cream (chocolate) post-op. It moves right through. Potato chips and crackers also move right on through. Hardly feel any restriction.

So, if we want success, we follow the guidelines, two of which suggest we eat our lean Protein first and avoid liquids around eating. Protein takes longer to get to that mushy stage, so they pyloric valve won't open immediately. This is when we really feel the restriction. Also, the no drinking thing. Having liquids in the stomach only hastens the mushy phase. Again, feeling fuller longer and not even having the ability to add more food to the stomach is the idea, here.

Also know that while we can eat anything, doesn't mean we do. I can eat breads, rice and Pasta, but I don't. I know these are what I call nutritionally irrelevant foods. When I sit down to eat, I want the best bang for my buck, and these foods definitely miss that mark. I also know that in this first year, I had to do a lot of soul searching. I mourned not being able to abuse food the way I used to. When I would react to a situation in my life where I usually would turn to food, I was forced to confront the emotions which let me to abuse food. I have a poor relationship with food.

The guidelines and my relationship with food are things I will always work with, but, I do believe issues with re-gain later center around these issues.

Good luck and keep on reading!

Edited March 24, 2014 by PdxMan

[Recycled 2,182]

I will be 3 years post-op this July. When they say they can eat anything at a year out, they mean exactly that.

But the portions ... now that is the difference. Remember, VSG is a restrictive surgery, meaning it restricts the portion sizes. In your readings, you may have come across the phrase, "eating around your sleeve". There are some foods, termed "slider" foods, which will "slide" through your stomach easily where you will not feel the restriction.

Let's talk about this for a second as I think it is quite important.

One aspect of the sleeve is that everything is there and functioning just as we were created. Your pyloric valve is the thingy at the bottom of your stomach which opens to allow the mushed up contents of your stomach to pass through to the large intestines where absorption begins to take place. Some foods are either already in that mushed up consistency or get to that state very easily. These will quickly move through leaving your stomach ready to take on more food.

Ice cream, for example. I can eat the same size bowl of ice cream (chocolate) post-op. It moves right through. Potato chips and crackers also move right on through. Hardly feel any restriction.

So, if we want success, we follow the guidelines, two of which suggest we eat our lean Protein first and avoid liquids around eating. Protein takes longer to get to that mushy stage, so they pyloric valve won't open immediately. This is when we really feel the restriction. Also, the no drinking thing. Having liquids in the stomach only hastens the mushy phase. Again, feeling fuller longer and not even having the ability to add more food to the stomach is the idea, here.

Also know that while we can eat anything, doesn't mean we do. I can eat breads, rice and Pasta, but I don't. I know these are what I call nutritionally irrelevant foods. When I sit down to eat, I want the best bang for my buck, and these foods definitely miss that mark. I also know that in this first year, I had to do a lot of soul searching. I mourned not being able to abuse food the way I used to. When I would react to a situation in my life where I usually would turn to food, I was forced to confront the emotions which let me to abuse food. I have a poor relationship with food.

The guidelines and my relationship with food are things I will always work with, but, I do believe issues with re-gain later center around these issues.

Good luck and keep on reading!

PDX, you need to copy this post and have it ready to re-post often, as this question will be asked over and over and your reply is insightful and accurate.

[PdxMan 4,292]

You are right. I post this all of the time.

What amazes me, though, is how much backlash I get sometimes. There are folks who refuse to believe they have a poor relationship with food. They do not wish to label themselves as an addict. They feel they can control what they eat at any time. While I agree, I am not going to restrict myself from having a cookie or that bowl of ice cream occasionally, it is confronting the reasons why I want those items and if am I abusing them. It is the difference from having a glass of wine once a week and having 3 glasses every night. There is a point somewhere in between where there is a problem. That point is different for everyone.

It is difficult for me to wrap my head around the notion of somebody needing WLS who doesn't have a poor relationship with food. I know I am not the only one who feels this way, and I do not understand those who are on the other side of the fence. But, I also do not understand the person who can enjoy drinking a half a glass of wine or a half pint of Guinness leaving the rest at the table when they leave. Are you really going to leave half a piece of hazelnut cheesecake at the table?

Huh?

I gots issues ...

*** Edit ***

Crazy quoting issues

Edited March 24, 2014 by PdxMan

[Chelenka 827]

Pdxman you are a font of wisdom today! I think there are many people who think the WLS will be an easy fix. The want to stay knee deep in deNile! Confronting any sort of addiction-type behavior can be very painful and food-addiction is a tough one to crack because we all use food to comfort ourselves, for celebrations, whatever, any emotion will do really.

To the OP you are well prepared it seems for your surgery. I didn't find this forum til about 1 month post-op. In a way I'm glad because I think all the info might have scared me away from the surgery. In order to go thru with it (I am very terrified of surgery in general) i really had to put my blinders on and focus on the finish line of the surgery. Of course that is really just the beginning.

Best of luck to you!

[BeagleLover 1,020]

I am pre-op and will be done with my insurance requirements Sept. 5th. I don't have a good relationship with food either. I do OK with the quality of the food I eat (balanced meals w Protein, low fat, decent portions). I start eating chocolate, and it goes out the window. I beginning to think that, if it takes so much control to not gain weight back, maybe getting sleeved is not such a good idea. Maybe I'm not ready for it now, if ever!

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

@@BeagleLover ...

Come on, now! Yes, you are ready for this surgery.

But if you already know there are aspects of food that you cannot control, it's time to (as they say) "do something different."

In my case, that has meant finding a therapist. I have committed to myself to be in in therapy with him for three years. That gives me the Honeymoon Year (of weight loss), the Second Year (of learning how to maintain), and the Third Year of Boring, Real Life (when lurking old habits will want to creep back in).

That's my plan.

So far.

[Chelenka 827]

I am pre-op and will be done with my insurance requirements Sept. 5th. I don't have a good relationship with food either. I do OK with the quality of the food I eat (balanced meals w Protein, low fat, decent portions). I start eating chocolate, and it goes out the window. I beginning to think that, if it takes so much control to not gain weight back, maybe getting sleeved is not such a good idea. Maybe I'm not ready for it now, if ever!

I just got back from vacation where I cooked and ate lots of great food, drank beer and wine and ate dessert every night. I didn't attempt to track my calories but I did pay attention to portions just because the sleeve forces me to do that. I also rode my bike almost every day and enjoyed swimming in the ocean a lot. The result, I lost .8 of a pound! Holy crap! I am thrilled! I thought I was going to be up at least 5 lbs! So what has changed? I think the sleeve gives me a lot more self control than I ever had before and also I'm much more active because it's enjoyable now to get out and exercise. Are there foods that I struggle with and emotional eating triggers? Of course! Don't let your fears hold you back from doing something you really want to do.

[BeagleLover 1,020]

@@VSGAnn2014, I have been going to a therapist since 2002. I have done a lot of research and it occurred to me last night as I was "finishing" a large bag of baked potato chips, that I was a "binge eater." There is a DSM category for that now and medication. I think I should try all the non-surgical means possible before my stomach is made the size of a sausage.

[BeagleLover 1,020]

@@Chelenka, thanks for your response too. Just curious-- how far out are you from your surgery?

[BeagleLover 1,020]

@@Chelenka, thanks for your response too. Just curious-- how far out are you from your surgery?

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

OK.

Bye.

[BitterSweet* 835]

@@BeagleLover, you've been in therapy for 12 years and your eating disorder still has you in it's clutches? Then, you're right, you're not ready for this surgery and pills won't fix that.

People with addictions are self destructive by nature and the chosen vice (food in this case) has little to do with the problem. It could be crack cocaine or black tar heroine for that matter, and having more pills thrown at you will not fix the reason for your "binge" behavior with food.

Get a therapist who specializes in eating disorders, if that's not the type you're currently seeing. It's great that you know enough to be in therapy in the first place, but if you find yourself in the same position that you were in 5 years ago, then something needs to give, and getting a new pill isn't the answer. Just my thoughts.