I am 5 years post-op with my gastric sleeve surgery. I have lost over 220 pounds. I give all the credit and honor to God for this great blessing. Now, in the past couple months, I have gained 15 pounds. This to me is very scary - I do not want to go back up the scales. I am trying so very hard to never take advantage of this blessing. I have try also to stick very closely to my plan that I have used since the surgery, yet still I have gained this weight. I have read about taking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with water can curve your appetite and help cleanse your system. Is this true or is it too hard on the stomach? Help! I cannot and will not go back up the scales.

I've never heard of apple cider vinegar doing this. Question though. You said that you TRY to stick to your plan. To me, that means that you're not fully doing your program correctly. I'm just basing this on you saying that you're trying and that you've put on some pounds. Can you post what you typically eat and drink in a day?

KeyLady42, we've all been in your shoes--or we wouldn't have needed bariatric surgery. I don't think there is such a thing as "trying to stick to your diet plan". That's like being a little bit pregnant. You either are or are not sticking to the plan--no in between. Since you're five years post-op, the original post-op plan may not be the right plan for you. Your nutritional needs may be different now. You should probably make an appointment with your surgeon for a follow up and meet with your practice's nutritionist to come up with a plan that may be better for you. Personally, I think a keto style diet would be a really great option for someone that's five years out and has regained a little (15 pounds regain after losing 220 isn't a huge amount, but I understand your concerns about how that can snowball). You need to find a dietary lifestyle that will be sustainable for your now and into the future.

Also, regardless of what dietary lifestyle you are following, are you tracking your marcros and calories using an app like MyFitnessPal??? Some dietary lifestyles place less emphasis on calorie consumption (which is ok), but calories always matter in the end. You can't lose weight on even keto or atkins if you're eating 4500 calories a day of healthy fats and proteins. If you are getting out of that habit of tracking your macros and calories, it's time to start it up again. It's hard to know how much you are consuming if you're just eyeballing your food and guessing how many calories your eating. If you do that, chances are that you'll be off by hundreds of calories at the end of the day (usually underestimating your consumption). It's time to get that food scale out so you know what you're putting in your mouth. It's ok to go off diet every once in a while, but you can't let one bad meal turn into one bad day, turn into one bad week etc. You need to get right back on the bandwagon and double down on your discipline.

Finally, are you sticking with your exercise program or have you given up on that? Weight is lost in the kitchen, not the gym---but it still helps a little with weight loss and it's very important for overall health. Physical fitness and regular also helps motivate most people to eat better (particularly when they see and feel how hard it is to burn off those calories).

I wish you the best of look with the continuation of your WL journey!!

52 minutes ago, keylady42 said:

I am 5 years post-op with my gastric sleeve surgery. I have lost over 220 pounds. I give all the credit and honor to God for this great blessing. Now, in the past couple months, I have gained 15 pounds. This to me is very scary - I do not want to go back up the scales. I am trying so very hard to never take advantage of this blessing. I have try also to stick very closely to my plan that I have used since the surgery, yet still I have gained this weight. I have read about taking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with Water can curve your appetite and help cleanse your system. Is this true or is it too hard on the stomach? Help! I cannot and will not go back up the scales.

Congrats on five years out and all your weight loss.

Weight loss takes work. There are no shortcuts. I'm glad you are taking control of this now. It's easier to take off a 15 pound gain than a 30, 40, 80 or more.

I'm a sleeve four and a half years out. I've had to work off a regain.

some things to try:

• Log your food and stick to your weight loss calories and macros for the day
• Sleeves can consume more food years out. Eat more veggies with your protein to fill the extra space and keep your calories down. It will help with hunger
• Spread meals out 5 to 6 meals a day
• Get temptation food out of the house
• Keep healthy options for sweet and salty cravings in the house

Join a weight loss challenge.

If you use Myfitnesspal food log - download app here: myfitnesspal

Just give me 10 days challenge:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10721257/just-give-me-10-days-round-66

January 2019 weight loss challenge on bariatricpal. (Feb challenge is in the works)

https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/421742-❤-january-2019-challenge-❤/

Good Luck on your journey! I was going to add some advice but from what i have read here, the other posts have it covered!! Great Job to all!! I am the worst at tracking! I track on paper but not to the T.. I eat right, but dont track. I know at the moment it wont get me in trouble but i know for sure it will down the road.

Funny part of this all is i HATE creating the recipes of what i cook in order to track what i eat. If it was just logging food in general i would be ok doing it. But its the creating stuff to track that is my issue. I seem to not have time or dont want to be bothered with it UNLESS i am curious which shouldnt be that way. Go Figure.. I do audits and analagies all the time through work as i am an Financial Analyst, but i cant create recipes to analyze LOL

We all have our strength and our follies, keeps the world interesting. Remember the shoemaker children going barefoot? Well one of my BFF in Columbus wrote her due date on a card and put it next to her dear hubby's breakfast, he was an OB/Gyn but failed to notice HER tiny pot belly at all!?

Hi! I would take a real strong critical look at my diet before doing anything else, and eliminate things that aren't super clean

From what I personally have read, apple cider vinegar does not help with curbing appetite/weight loss. I considered it myself, but have read it does nothing, and it does not exactly taste the best so I would say don't bother.

Don't be too hard on yourself! Weight gain, I feel, is inevitable. It is going to happen. Just think - compared to what you have lost, 15 lbs is a quite small number. You have obviously done it before - I know you can do it again. Just don't get discouraged, you are stronger than you are giving yourself credit for.

2 minutes ago, GreenTealael said:

I love Dr. Berg and have been using ACG (with the mother) since I was 2 weeks post op. It helps cut cravings and I am sure it's doing other good things for me (although with so many changes happing at once, it's hard to isolcate the causes).

11 minutes ago, anl1990 said:

From what I personally have read, apple cider vinegar does not help with curbing appetite/weight loss. I considered it myself, but have read it does nothing, and it does not exactly taste the best so I would say don't bother.

Don't be too hard on yourself! Weight gain, I feel, is inevitable. It is going to happen. Just think - compared to what you have lost, 15 lbs is a quite small number. You have obviously done it before - I know you can do it again. Just don't get discouraged, you are stronger than you are giving yourself credit for.

I beg to differ. If you put two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (with the mother) [the real thing, not some premixed drink) into 8oz of water, add a teaspoon of lemon juice, some sea salt and a little cinnamon--then drink it all--you will feel those hunger pangs subside immediately. Also, ACV is great for controlling insulin responses and blood insulin levels (not just blood glucose levels). There are plenty of studies on this on the NPI. Problem, apple cider vinegar isn't very tasty--so, you have to take it like it's medicine. Give it a shot and see if it doesn't make a difference.

Edited January 28, 20197 yr by SteveT74

32 minutes ago, Healthy_life said:

Congrats on five years out and all your weight loss.

Weight loss takes work. There are no shortcuts. I'm glad you are taking control of this now. It's easier to take off a 15 pound gain than a 30, 40, 80 or more.

I'm a sleeve four and a half years out. I've had to work off a regain.

some things to try:

• Log your food and stick to your weight loss calories and macros for the day
• Sleeves can consume more food years out. Eat more veggies with your Protein to fill the extra space and keep your calories down. It will help with hunger
• Spread meals out 5 to 6 meals a day
• Get temptation food out of the house
• Keep healthy options for sweet and salty cravings in the house

Join a weight loss challenge.

If you use Myfitnesspal food log - download app here: myfitnesspal

Just give me 10 days challenge:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10721257/just-give-me-10-days-round-66

January 2019 weight loss challenge on bariatricpal. (Feb challenge is in the works)

https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/421742-❤-january-2019-challenge-❤/

Good advice, but the idea of spreading meals out is kind of outdated. It's based on studies done with athletes and bodybuilders (which most of us are not). Having 5 or six meals a day causes you're body to increase and maintain high levels of insulin throughout the day. This is a recipe for insulin resistance, which leads to more weight gain. The current science seems to support the opposite, which intermittent fasting. Most people seem to do very well going with a 16:8 fast, with a 16 hour fast a week (no calorie consumption at all after 8pm and then next meal/calorie would be lunch at 1pm). This can be done three times a week, with the other days have three meals a day spaced at least 5 hours apart. Most people tolerate it really well and even if the calorie consumption is the same, weight loss numbers increase because of the increase in insulin sensitivity.

4 minutes ago, SteveT74 said:

Good advice, but the idea of spreading meals out is kind of outdated. It's based on studies done with athletes and bodybuilders (which most of us are not). Having 5 or six meals a day causes you're body to increase and maintain high levels of insulin throughout the day. This is a recipe for insulin resistance, which leads to more weight gain. The current science seems to support the opposite, which intermittent fasting. Most people seem to do very well going with a 16:8 fast, with a 16 hour fast a week (no calorie consumption at all after 8pm and then next meal/calorie would be lunch at 1pm). This can be done three times a week, with the other days have three meals a day spaced at least 5 hours apart. Most people tolerate it really well and even if the calorie consumption is the same, weight loss numbers increase because of the increase in insulin sensitivity.

That's great, intermittent fasting is your preference . I'm glad the original poster has many options to try to see what works for them.

1 minute ago, Healthy_life said:

That's great, intermittent fasting is your preference . I'm glad the original poster has many options to try to see what works for them.

It would be, but I am only 6 weeks post op. I am eating 3 meals a day, spaced out at least 5 hours apart. I have done it a couple of times since surgery, but it's not something I would do on a regular basis until I am much further out from surgery.

You are six weeks in to this and never experienced a regain? or are you a revision?

5 minutes ago, SteveT74 said:

It would be, but I am only 6 weeks post op. I am eating 3 meals a day, spaced out at least 5 hours apart. I have done it a couple of times since surgery, but it's not something I would do on a regular basis until I am much further out from surgery.

repost

Edited January 28, 20197 yr by Healthy_life