I know Alex and B-52 and others have had success with lap-bands, but I also keep hearing about people who have had them and the initial restriction helped them lose weight, they eventually gained it back. And that makes sense to me as more and more evidence comes out showing sleeves and gastric-bypass are much more than restrictions. At some point, they might figure out that it is hormonal surgery. There are diabetics who are off their meds more quickly than people who were losing the equivalent amount of weight.

Well, how long this hormonal effect last? The Cleveland Clinic Study is showing it works for at least five years...https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160404152903.htm

I am going to make a hypothesis based on this study: just because your honeymoon period (the first 6-8 months post surgery) is over, you can still get the benefits of WLS a couple of years out. I keep wondering if the reason I was losing so quick up front is because I was really mindful for the first few months. And yes I was really excited too. But like many, I slacked off. The very real restrictions in my stomach/sleeve have made it easier to maintain, but I can restart my weight loss.

I posted about how my view of how I see my body has changed over the last 18 months (http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/386931-who-dat/), and I'm about ready to start a rather intense six-week program this week designed to jump start weight loss. It should be interesting because the diet looks like what I was eating on week five following my surgery, only this time with more intense exercise. In short, I'm really excited, but also I'm looking at this as a follow-up experiment. I feel like I did when my post-surgery restrictions ended and the weight loss journey really began.

I've sort of beat myself up mentally for not being as diligent as I could have been, but I've been putting some of the techniques from this article into practice: http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/03/well/mind/the-year-of-conquering-negative-thinking.html?ribbon-ad-idx=5&rref=health&module=Ribbon&version=origin&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Health&pgtype=article. I embraced what I did and didn't do. I believe it is possible to have multiple second chances.

If I'm right, my sleeve is still a great tool, even 2.2 years out. I'd love to hear from others who lost their focus but came back years later to finish what they started when they had their surgery.

At 3 1/2 mos I'm too new to speak to long term concerns. But as someone who went in with a serious ankle tendon injury, had a hiatal hernia repair with 6 weeks of "no abs!", and developed pretty bad anemia post op, I'd like to second the PT idea. I'd get a list of restrictions from medical team and she'd work around what I could and couldn't do towards both strengthening my leg and general fitness. After losing muscle post surgery, I've started gaining again at the 3 mos mark. That's while still using a cane to walk, btw. .

The medical staff was super impressed. Otoh, I've become an athletic stretchy pants person and I feel like I need a "I did PT today!" sticker to justify fat woman with cane in athletic clothes.

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