I am desperate. I really would like advice and information from those of you who tried extensive dieting without success and then experience success with sleeve surgery.

I have been on diets and restrictive eating plans for seemingly ever! I had the adjustable gastric band for about 10 years which did nothing. I eat extremely healthy foods and have been on diets with restricting grains, dairy etc. for a long time. And on average I eat around 1200 to 1600 calories per day. And I exercise a lot. But it's impossible to lose weight. Have any of you had long periods of time with moderate calories, and eating healthy without losing any weight?

So, it looks like it's time for me to consider the sleeve.

Have any of you had the experience of dieting with restricted calories to about the 1200 to 1600 range prior to the sleeve without weight loss, and then having the sleeve and experiencing success with weight loss? It seems that the goal for calories is around 800 calories for weight loss, with the sleeve? Is it possible to maintain good nutritional status or get all of the nutrition needed with only 800 or 1000 calories per day long term? I am just so tired of years of dieting, restriction, being hungry, watching what I am eating, and just not losing weight. There just doesn't seem to be a way that dieting can work. So maybe sleeve surgery is the only alternative. I don't feel that I over eat and I always was under the impression that surgery was for people who could not control their overeating. But maybe I am wrong. Maybe the surgery is so that it is possible to eat well under the average number of calories per day.

So, just wondering how many of you were never able to lose with extensive dieting and exercise but have now lost with sleeve surgery?

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For me, I have been overweight all my life and had minimal success with dieting over the years but would always gain the pounds back and then some. The difference now is I have a tool, my sleeve keeps me from overeating. I have a new way of eating FOR LIFE. I follow a high Protein and low carb lifestyle. I eat my protein first, then my non-starchy veggie and I am done. I don't eat sugars, high fat, junk foods or sodas.

It works because I am not able to eat as much so no overeating. It works because I have to focus and pre-plan what I will eat. It works because I do good to get in 600 calories a day at this point instead of 1600. Heck I was probably eating 2200 before surgery. It works because this is not a diet but a life change. It works because it isn't a temporary eating change and when I m done I won't stop but will continue to eat the same for the rest of my life.

I started eating high protein and low carb at my consult and lost 45 pounds prior to surgery and have lost 18 pounds in the 5 weeks following surgery, I feel better than any diet I ever did. I have energy, I feel happy, I am not tired or starving. I never feel hungry. I don't sit and snack like I used to.

It is amazing! Good luck whatever you decide!

I can speak to the second part of your question. I've been eating 800-1000 calories per day for two years now -- actually more like 500-800 for the first year. I'm down over 180 lbs and am perfectly healthy. I take my Vitamins and eat a diet focused on lean meats, healthy fats, and green veggies. I also eat fruit, tree nuts, and dairy (mostly just yogurt) sparingly. I have my blood work done regularly and it always looks great. I have tons of energy, and do serious exercise (running, HIIT, etc.) for at least 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week. The idea that you have to eat at least 1200 calories a day in order to be healthy is a myth. I'm almost convinced it's perpetrated by the diet/weight loss industry (Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc.) in order to keep people fat and ignorant. If we actually succeeded at weight loss, we wouldn't keep going back to them and paying them more and more money.

eta: I don't want to sound like I am discouraging anyone from the sleeve surgery -- I love my sleeve! But unless there is a medical reason not to, I would encourage you to also discuss the gastric bypass with your surgeon. It is a great surgery, and I know lots of people who have had it with terrific results. Since restricted calories alone has not worked for you in the past, the extra mileage you get from malabsorption might be what you really need for the greatest success. Just something to think about!

I was sleeved April 20 of this year. Up to then, I had been on every diet and considered myself pretty much a professional dieter. I had yo-yo dieted so long that I truly messed up my metabolism.

As soon as I was sleeved, the weight started to drop.

Yes, because of the sleeve, I am surviving on fewer calories than I did before surgery when dieting, but it's a very different experience (physically and mentally).

Now, rather than focusing on deprivation and being hungry, I have to focus on maximizing my nutrition, getting in enough Protein, and staying hydrated, all while not being very hungry.

Focusing on calories, in my educated opinion, is asking the wrong question. Yes, the calories are low, but minimizing calories is not the primary goal. It's a byproduct.

Before surgery, I would not lose weight even with an intake of 1500 calories a day. And yes, even without the addition of exercise my weight would not back down. I did have severe hypothyroidism, which may have played a huge factor in my inability to lose weight. When I did lose weight, it was only because I got my calories below 1000. Of course, the weight would never stay off very long. I would became terribly hungry and slip up and eat a cookie. With my all or nothing thinking, I would cave in and give up quickly after small slip ups.

My bariatrician made it clear that I could eat a small amount of calories everyday and still be healthy. You just have to be sure to get your Protein, Vitamins, and Water in everyday. So, for the first 6 months after surgery, I restricted my calories to 500-700 per day. Miraculously, I didn't die from hunger or become malnourished. If I wasn't hungry, I didn't force myself to eat. My blood work was good and my energy level was ten times better than before surgery. I ate smarter and hardly ever felt deprived.

At exactly 5 months pre-op, I lost a total of 100 pounds since the date of surgery. My only exercise was a daily hour walk. Oddly, my thyroid condition never has improved. I still stay under 1000-1200 calories a day. Based on my experience, I think starvation mode is a myth and you don't necessarily have to have 1200 calories everyday to be healthy. Yet, everyone is different and what worked for me may not work for all.

Before surgery I asked the doctor if someone post menopausal with hypothyroid could succeed with a sleeve. Doctor said there was no specific research on it but thought I could be at a healthy weight in one year from surgery. Surgery was almost seven weeks ago and I'm very happy with the results. I eat around 600 calories a day, meet the upper end of protein goal each day, exercise 5 days a week and feel great. Pre-surgery it would have taken me 6 months to lose as much weight as I have lost in 7 weeks and let's face it, I probably would have given up before getting to 6 months!! LOL