After the Honeymoon Phase is Over...

[alanabee 0]

Hello

I'm considering the surgery (self-pay).

I know that I can deal with the pre/post-op diet and the pain/discomfort of the surgery.

It's the maintenance that I'm worried about. Is it difficult to keep the weight off, say, a few years after the surgery?

How much discipline is required to keep the weight off? I binge eat. Even if I'm not hungry, I eat. Is it possible to binge after the surgery? Like would I still be able to eat an entire family-size bag of popcorn after the surgery? I'm hoping "no".

Any insights are greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

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[buttacup25 6]

Well I'm going to be honest, it doesn't sound like you're ready. I say this because you have to control yourself, if you are looking for something to control you "THIS IS NOT IT". I'm currently 2 days post op and it was a long journey to get here. There are phsycology visits, nutritionist and support groups that you have to participate in. Set yourself up for success by completing everything. Wishing you the best of luck on your journey.

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[MichiganChic 3,262]

You are asking yourself the right question. At 4 years post sleeve, I can eat anything and everything in large enough quantities to gain weight. And even though I can't eat as much at once as I used to, I can graze all day and eat enough to weigh 300 pounds.

Maintenance is hard. And losing any regain is just as hard as losing weight before surgery - almost impossible. So, you have to be diligent all day, every day.

Having said that, I would still do it again. What IS different is that I know what it takes to lose weight. For me, a 1200-1500 calorie diet will cause weight gain. I know that I need around 800-900 calories a day to lose, and the year it took to lose my weight taught me how.

So just because it's not a magic bullet doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. Only you can decide if you are ready to commit - and it's only worth it if you are committed.

[RNMomof4 86]

Yes you can still binge eat on "slider" foods such as popcorn. They go right through the sleeve and do not fill you up. Spend some time in counseling if you can to get to the bottom of why you binge eat before getting surgery. It is a lot of money to spend!

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[Healthy_life2 8,330]

@@alanabee

Many surgeons offices require a mental health screening. They are looking to see if you are in the right mind set to be successful with weight loss surgery. Others have suggested seeking counseling before surgery. Its a good idea.

I'm two and a half years out. I still maintain my weight in the 130's. Changing your behaviors and your relationship with food is work. Just know it can be done.

Your dietician will give you a maintenance meal plan. Each of our plans look differently.

What maintenance looks like for me:

(1)I make my food choices. (by the time you hit maintenance you will know what your healthy choices are. (I may indulge once in a while) I don't binge.

(2) I weigh myself each morning

(3) If I see a weight gain, I adjust my eating and increase my exercise to move the scale down to my maintenance weight.

I gave myself a weight bounce range. 130 to 142 to maintain

[Andrew0929 1,102]

You've gotten some very sound advice already. I'm 3 years post-op and at goal for 2 years (down 150 pounds).

Everyone is different, but I still need to log and monitor all food as well as weigh daily. When I gain or exceed daily calories, I cut back. Also, I work out 6 days/week.

The work will never end, but surgery has enabled me to achieve success. Beforehand, nothing worked.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

You can still binge eat if you want.

Get into therapy and get to the root cause of why you binge eat. Once you understand that and fix that, then have surgery.

Once you can stop binging on your own surgery will help you support that.

It is very easy to eat around you sleeve and binge especially if you like carbs that break down to nothing.

[zeyad 2]

Guys I couldn't agree more,

I would add something else binge eating is not worse than alcoholism, anger issues they are all ways to deal with different kind of stress ,

but in my opinion find a healthier type of binge , you have plenty of options hiking,bilking and being outdoors.

Anyways guys I used to have Six abs and i lost 100 pounds from a 6 month in a boot camp and I maintained it for 3 years but then my fat person inside me came back.

You have to love yourself when your fat so after you lose it you will be happy.

Im 10 days post vsg and im planning to use this surgery as a tool to get back to the gym and eating healthy.

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[clc9 644]

The surgeon told me this surgery gives you a "do over" to reset your body's weight set point so you aren't in a fight with your body to get back to your high weight, but it's only that - a one time chance to start over. You can mess up that chance by not changing the way you eat for good. Your new set point still has every opportunity to rise if you aren't careful. And set points can only go up. Surgery is the only thing available today that can lower it. So do what you can now to prepare yourself mentally to protect your new set point and keep it low.

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[glitter eyes 1,398]

I am two and half years post op and have been maintaining since about month 9. I agree with @MichiganChic. I could easily gain my weight back. I log all my food intake and I do have days/events where I choose to eat unhealthy (bring on those Christmas cookies). However, I watch my diet most days. I too have to eat very low calorie in order to lose any weight I may gain. I maintain on about 1000-1100 calories a day. To lose I have to keep it below 900.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

The surgeon told me this surgery gives you a "do over" to reset your body's weight set point so you aren't in a fight with your body to get back to your high weight, but it's only that - a one time chance to start over. You can mess up that chance by not changing the way you eat for good. Your new set point still has every opportunity to rise if you aren't careful. And set points can only go up. Surgery is the only thing available today that can lower it. So do what you can now to prepare yourself mentally to protect your new set point and keep it low.

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Man I wish we could sticky this. People need to understand that the losing phase post-op I'd a one time chance.

Go as low as possible as fast as possible while still being healthy. This is the only time it is going to be this "easy" later you have to fight like everyone else.

All the band revision people pretty much prove this theory.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

I'm not sure it's a "one time chance". That is a very disheartening thought. And we do see people lose their regain, so that makes me think it's not quite accurate. However, I do think it's harder for people like us to lose weight than the general population, and I do agree it is wise to take advantage of the first year or so. It's imperative to learn how to manage our weight and make some permanent life style changes.

The surgeon told me this surgery gives you a "do over" to reset your body's weight set point so you aren't in a fight with your body to get back to your high weight, but it's only that - a one time chance to start over. You can mess up that chance by not changing the way you eat for good. Your new set point still has every opportunity to rise if you aren't careful. And set points can only go up. Surgery is the only thing available today that can lower it. So do what you can now to prepare yourself mentally to protect your new set point and keep it low.


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Man I wish we could sticky this. People need to understand that the losing phase post-op I'd a one time chance.
Go as low as possible as fast as possible while still being healthy. This is the only time it is going to be this "easy" later you have to fight like everyone else.

All the band revision people pretty much prove this theory.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

A lot of doctors say that changing your set point is a one time chance and a few studies prove it.

That is why people should go as low as possible as soon ss possible.

Most of the people that regain never got to goal in the first place.

Anyone can lose weight at any time but it is never going to be as easy as it is immediately post op. People should stop squandering that chance.

[theantichick 2,204]

I'm not sure it's a "one time chance". That is a very disheartening thought. And we do see people lose their regain, so that makes me think it's not quite accurate. However, I do think it's harder for people like us to lose weight than the general population, and I do agree it is wise to take advantage of the first year or so. It's imperative to learn how to manage our weight and make some permanent life style changes.

It's possible to lose weight without the surgery, so it's not the only chance to lose weight. But the evidence is pointing to a one-time chance at re-setting the "set point". That set point is one of the factors that makes weight loss such an uphill battle. Uphill battles are not impossible to win, but certainly harder than those on level ground.

So I'm treating this as my one and only "get out of jail free" card, with "jail" being the fat prison I've been in most of my life.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

Set point is so important and Matthew Weiner has a few videos on it on you tube.

Lowering your set point and resetting it not only make weight loss easier, it also makes defending. That weight easier. When you body has a new set point it tries to stay there.

The set point is why people can stay the same weight for years. Their body wants to be the there and will resist losing or gain weight to stay in this range.

Resetting it and getting it as low as possible helps with preventing regain.

It is more complicated than I can explain in a forum post while I'm at work but it is worth researching since it seems like most WLS patients don't understand it at all.