BE HONEST SLEEVERS, did anyone think okay they are going to cut half of my stomach off and the weight will just fall off?

[MichiganChic 3,262]

I think I got what I expected, or maybe a little better. I lost more than 140 pounds,or 95% of my excess weight, (and 100% if I call this weight good ) in about 14 months. I've kept it off over a year. It's hard work but so much easier than before surgery. I could have never lost 10 pounds a month on any diet because I just couldn't get to and sustain the needed caloric deficit to do that.

Sometimes I think if I would have had the bypass I'd have lost more, but I'm still happy with my decision to have the sleeve. Not sure that last 5-10 pounds lost would add any value to my life.

Looking back, I remember feeling like it was not coming off fast enough. I worried that every pound I lost would be my last. I understand the fear that somehow, something isn't right. I know you see posts "I lost 100 pounds in 6 months!" but that's not the norm. Most people lose 8-10 pounds a month. This is a time for learning new habits. Contrary to what they say, it takes way longer than a few months to learn new eating habits, and it's way easier to slip back into old ones. At 2.5 years out, I'm still learning.

[ProjectMe 909]

My team (Surgeons, Nurses, Nutritionists, Psychologist) made it very clear that I would lose 50-60% of the excess weight IF I followed the plan. I knew wholeheartedly that WLS was only 1 leg of a 3 legged stool (the other 2 legs being diet & exercise).

So keeping all that in mind and knowing that I wanted to reach goal in as quick a time frame as possible, I very purposefully followed the bariatric plan 6 months prior to surgery. I lost 60 pounds before I had the sleeve so my BMI the day of surgery was fairly low @ 31-32. I am 5 months out from surgery and 10 pounds away from goal. But losing the weight is just half the battle. I'm hoping that I've done the plan long enough to where it has been ingrained as habit...but I know that I have to follow the plan for life in order to keep the weight off.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

^^^^ doinitrite.

Respect!

[Croaker 26]

The human body is an incredible thing, capable of adapting to whatever conditions thrown at it while still driving the important things to it - providing enough fuel to survive on and storing what isn't used into fat. We are hard coded in our DNA to gain weight easily, to survive what used to be lean times between meals, and be reluctant to give up those fat stores unless absolutely needed.

We walk a fine line in trying to lose the weight, by proving to our body that through exercise that we need our muscle mass, while taking in few enough calories to force it to burn fat.

Once you realize that this process goes against our biology, it's easy to see that this is going to be a challenge.

[Jb1176 79]

Sleeved in April of this year so I am five weeks out. I was told specifically the advantages and disadvantages of both bypass and sleeve. I was not a candidate for the bypass so the sleeve was my only choice. I was told the responsibility was on me to make this journey a success. I was also told ahead of time to expect a 1-2 lb weight loss per week on average. Having averaged 3 lbs a week in five weeks to me is acceptable. I don't expect to reach my goal until April of 2016. I'm happy with the surgery and comfortable with my progress. I feel in control for the first time in years regarding food.< /p>

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

I'm actually doing way better than I expected to. I wasn't expecting more than 65lbs lost or even 70 lbs. I had hoped I would achieve more and I did, but my expectation was very low. I'm at about 95lbs down. I'm hoping to hit 100 by my 1 year. I went into this knowing exactly what the averages were and expecting to be on the low end so that anything above that would be amazing, and it is.

[Rogofulm 2,440]

For those of you who have had recent surgeries, remember that you might not lose any weight at all in weeks 3-6 after surgery. That is normal and expected, but if you keep following the rules, the inches will still be coming off. After that, the weight will start coming off again too.

For those of you regretting your choice of the sleeve, my doctor says that statistically, bypass patients lose the quickest, then sleeve, then lapband. BUT..... After 18 months or so, they all end up at around the same percentage of excess weight lost. So the difference is not as big as you might think.

What it boils down to is what we put in our mouths. It sounds like some of you didn't get much advice and nutritional counseling prior to surgery. In my opinion, that's criminal! So here's a site I've found that provides a lot of valuable information about the entire process. It covers all stages of the program, including advice on what to eat, what not to eat, what Vitamins to take, and what exercise you should try to do. There are a ton of web sites providing this type of advice, but this site seems pretty comprehensive. Good luck!!!

http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/

[Swampdoggie 477]

I was revised to sleeve from a band so I thought i had no illusiions about the effort it would take to lose. That said, I am surprised by how little it takes to go wrong. More than 50 carbs and I gain. More than 1000 calories and I gain. That has been a surprise. (It shouldnt have been i know):

However I continue to learn and adjust and am very pleased with how the sleeve and I are turning out. Its not fast, but its going along.

[ThreeFifty 166]

I haven't had the surgery yet (waiting on sleeve surgery), I'm finished all of the requirements and I'm waiting for my doc to submit to my insurance co for approval.

The thought I had/have this whole time is the opposite. I don't really see how making your stomach smaller can be as effective as some of the success stories Ive been reading about.

The surgery itself to me doesn't seem like it causes you to loose any weight, its basically the diet that you have to follow that causes you to loose the weight.You can still eat bad, you can still eat the wrong things, you can still eat often (even if the portions are smaller). I often wonder if I just follow the diet plan without surgery would I have the same success.

One of the things I've read a lot at the beginning of my research is that you don't get hungry because the the part of your stomach that contains most of that hunger causing hormone is removed. Then you find out lots are indeed getting hungry so that isn't even a benefit for a lot of people.

so my answer to the question, I don't think the weight will just fall off. I think you have to work at it yourself

I think the smaller stomach helps keep you from over eating but you can also eat around that if you try.

Maybe I'm wrong about my thoughts

[Rogofulm 2,440]

Nope, you're pretty much right on all counts. So how does the magic work? Most of us probably had the same thoughts you are processing right now. If it's all about what I eat, why don't I just follow the Bariatric Eating plan and avoid getting cut? Guess what? You can! BUT.... If you've tried any variations of the Atkins diet, or other high-protein, low-carb, drink plenty of fluids, and get some exercise programs, you know that except in rare cases, it's unsustainable. You'll lose a bunch of weight, then stop following it so closely. And when you do, the weight comes back on -- and brings friends. We've all been there. So what's the difference with the sleeve? It's really about the constriction. You physically can't put that much food in your stomach at a time. Even a year out, most of that constriction is still there. As you say, you can cheat it, but the sleeve makes it much easier to make better choices. And the removal of the ghrellin manufacturing plant helps too. Especially during the first 9-12 months or so, when you have your best opportunity to lose the most weight. Yes, people report being hungry shortly after surgery, but typically that's either thirst disguised as hunger, or stomach acids which can be controlled by Protonix or an OTC Omnaprazole pill like Prilosec. As you get farther out, more hunger returns, but it's not the ravenous "I could eat a horse" type of hunger. And I've been reading a lot about a "reset" program that people have been using to return their sleeves and pouches to their original effectiveness. So, is it easy? No way. But it is much easier that it would be without the surgery. It takes work, dedication, and constant vigilance, but the rewards are well worth the effort! Good luck with your surgery, and I look forward to hearing from you down the road.....

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

My take on the sleeve is the same as Rog's. The surgery makes it possible (finally) for us to behave consistently in ways that help us lose weight and maintain our weight loss.

That is all.

And boy, is that a lot!

[Edavidson 84]

I did a lot of research and I knew I would have to work hard to get the weight off. I lost way

more than I expected to lose but it was due to complications. I can't eat much so I am having a

steady weight loss. 8 to 10 lbs. a month. I walk a lot, everywhere. I stalled for about two weeks

but when I started walking I started losing again. It is very hard, I could not have done it

without the sleeve. The only thing that has really been a bummer for me is that I stay hungry.

I was told that when they do this surgery they remove the part of the stomach that makes you

hungry. It didn't work for me, I am hungry 24 hours a day. I can only eat a few bites of food and

I am full but 30 minutes later I am hungry again. Is there anyone out there that is Never hungry.

[Rogofulm 2,440]

Nope, I get hungry. But I can mostly control it by drinking TONS of fluids – like 120 ounces a day. 30-45 minutes after eating, you should already be drinking. Try to drink 24 oz of fluids between Breakfast and lunch, between lunch and dinner, and between dinner and bedtime. That's 72 oz a day right there! I like Crystal Light (or generic) Decaf, sugar-free iced tea, and I Water it down so it's not so sweet. Once I add in my shake, 2-3 cups of coffee or hot tea, and evening hot chocolate, it's always around 120 oz. It doesn't take away all the hunger, but it sure makes it manageable. Good luck!

[Babbs 14,680]

@@Edavidson

You're doing great! And I get hungry too. The biggest challenge I face is deciding if it's real hunger, stomach acid, or just plain wanting to eat for the heck of it. I honestly think I rarely feel "real" hunger.

[Edavidson 84]

I don't know what I am having, but it sure feels like starvation. I would give anything not to

feel this way but it is what it is. The amount of weight that I have lost is not normal. I was

very sick for three months so I don't really know if my weight loss is from the sleeve or my

other surgeries. I do feel better though.