I am not sure if this will come out right, so here it goes. I am wondering about the honeymoon period I see people referring to as related to the sleeve. If your stomach ( with the sleeve) doesn't stretch over time- why is there a honeymoon period where you tend to lose the bulk of your weight ... or is that not true ?

I recently read a thread about a Dr who told a patient not to eat bread, rice, Pasta, etc during this weight loss time/ honeymoon period and I was wondering why just this time ? Why not restrict these foods longer ... does this question make sense ?

Sent from my SM-T530NU using the BariatricPal App

The first 6 months after the sleeve you are healing and your stomach is swollen so you have the most restriction and can eat the least. This is the best time to build good healthy habits because your stomach is going to offer you the most support and you should hopefully have no legit physical hunger during this time period (notice I said legit physical hunger, you can still have head hunger or confuse acid for physical hunger).

6-18 months you are fully healed but you should still have little to no ghrelin (stomach hormone that signals the brain for hunger). It gradually returns over time.

The first 18 months you get the most physical support from your body to facilitate weight loss. You also have your set point lowered so your body is not actively trying to maintain a higher weight.

So while you have this support from your body and this hormone and physical reset, you should take advantage. Learn new eating habits so they because a new lifestyle not a diet and avoid things that cause weight gain.

I don't eat carbs, I didn't eat them during the first 6 months and now I don't want them. If I have the occassional carb, it is a once a day once a week kind of thing, not a habit. They just don't appeal to me.

You can really change the way you think about and relate to food if you follow the eating steps laid out in your plan. WLS is more than a physical thing, it offers the chance for a complete mental reset in how you think about and relate to food. If you don't follow the plan or the steps you blow that chance and a lot of people end up feeling like they are dieting forever. So the difference ends up being, creating a new way of life, or being on a diet forever, or worse, failing.

This Dr has a lot of very good information about Weight loss and weight loss surgery

I am 3 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. It is my impression that this term applies more toward RNY than sleeve. Generally the honeymoon period is the period around a year in length after RNY surgery when you no longer feel hunger. Prior to surgery, hunger was constantly continuously gnawing at my bones. When I was eating, I was already focused on my next meal. After surgery hunger was completely gone. It wasn't hard to lose weight when hunger was not gnawing at your bones. Therefore this is called the honeymoon period. After about a year, hunger returned but it was less intense than prior to surgery. (I do not know if sleeve patients also lose their hunger after surgery.)

There are two phases to weight loss surgery. These are the "Weight Loss" phase and the "Maintenance" phase. The goals and objectives for these two phases are different. They require a different strategy. I transitioned between the two phases at around 7 months. But sleeve patients can stay in the "Weight Loss" phase for much longer, sometimes 2 years. They can achieve the same total weight loss as RNY patients. This is an article that I wrote about the Maintenance phase. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf

In general, you want to maximize your weight loss during the Weight Loss phase. Bread, Pasta, rice are complex carbs and you should stay away from these during the Weight Loss phase. In the Maintenance phase their use should be limited to around 1 meal with complex carbs a day.

@@James Marusek

Sleeve patients have the part of our stomach that produces Ghrelin removed from our body (that 85% stretchy part is the part that produces ghrelin, which is part of the reason that the Sleeve is so effective) so we definitely experience reduced hunger, probably more than Bypass patients.

Thanks for both of your responses. I think I knew some of what said, but I wasn't putting it all together - appreciate your time. James - I have read your articles before and enjoyed them ( so thanks)

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

As an RNY patient, my actual hunger returned around 4 months post op. That being said, the malabsorption continues for me even 2 years post op. I have to work hard at this point not to lose weight.

Given everything I have read with folks on this site, it really is about the loss of the Grehlin for sleeve patients that give you that honeymoon period.

The problem I do see with both surgeries...LOL is that we all struggle with head hunger forever so learning the difference between actual hunger and head hunger is something of a mental battle.

But the honeymoons are different for both.

My surgeon explained after my sleeve that I have a golden window of 12-14 months to lose the weight as after this time you tend to get hungrier and portion sizes increase. This actually happened to me 5 months post op so I am careful to restrict my portion size, eat until satisfied rather than full and track everything I eat and stick to under 1000 calories. I'm now 5 1/2 months post op and 79lb down. I've lost almost 60% of my excess weight so I'm on track.

Sent from my SM-G935F using the BariatricPal App

Edited August 16, 201610 yr by madadams

I am bit over 5 months post sleeve, and still in the honey moon period.

Lately I have noticed that I can eat more, but still measure my food.

I am rarely hungry, at this stage. Still stick to the food plan, with high good quality proteins and plenty of water.

I stalled when I had few evenings of eating ice-cream, then swapped to frozen yoghurt, alas both are sugary carbs, and once I started to eat more of these, I decided to completely cut it out of my diet.

Have berries and rock/honey dew melons for desserts now, my weight is peeling off again, and I don't have the sugar cravings.

I lost 60.5 Ibs so far, and am now considered a WLS success

I however want to reach my personal weight-loss goal, so I am making the most of this honey moon period, to lose another 22-30 Ibs.

I too track my calories, proteins, carbs on MyFitnessPal.

WLS is a temporary solution to a permanent problem. This makes the honeymoon period so critical.

It's so important to take advantage of the honeymoon phase when the hunger is low, portions are small, and the weight loss is easy. Lose as much weight as you possibly can and don't squander it by giving in to old habits.

Once you lose the weight and have better habits under your belt, you're better prepared for when years down the road the effects of the surgery wane. Studies show as the years progress, hunger and cravings return to almost pre surgery levels and portions significantly increase (although still never to pre surgery levels). Ultimately, it's our good habits that will keep the weight off, not the surgery.

@@Babbs

Well said, Babbs. My whole surgical team said the same to me. Make the most of the honey moon period!

This should be a poster or a T-shirt. Well said.

WLS is a temporary solution to a permanent problem.

First response answer is excellent. I miss the honeymoon period. Sooooo much

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Great question and great responses. I've found this thread really helpful

Sent from my SM-G925I using the BariatricPal App

The first 6 months after the sleeve you are healing and your stomach is swollen so you have the most restriction and can eat the least. This is the best time to build good healthy habits because your stomach is going to offer you the most support and you should hopefully have no legit physical hunger during this time period (notice I said legit physical hunger, you can still have head hunger or confuse acid for physical hunger).

6-18 months you are fully healed but you should still have little to no ghrelin (stomach hormone that signals the brain for hunger). It gradually returns over time.

The first 18 months you get the most physical support from your body to facilitate weight loss. You also have your set point lowered so your body is not actively trying to maintain a higher weight.

So while you have this support from your body and this hormone and physical reset, you should take advantage. Learn new eating habits so they because a new lifestyle not a diet and avoid things that cause weight gain.

I don't eat carbs, I didn't eat them during the first 6 months and now I don't want them. If I have the occassional carb, it is a once a day once a week kind of thing, not a habit. They just don't appeal to me.

You can really change the way you think about and relate to food if you follow the eating steps laid out in your plan. WLS is more than a physical thing, it offers the chance for a complete mental reset in how you think about and relate to food. If you don't follow the plan or the steps you blow that chance and a lot of people end up feeling like they are dieting forever. So the difference ends up being, creating a new way of life, or being on a diet forever, or worse, failing.

This Dr has a lot of very good information about Weight loss and weight loss surgery

Thank you, such an awesome video.

Sent from my VS986 using the BariatricPal App