OMG please help! I had a VSG 18 months ago and successfully lost about 80lbs. When the pandemic hit my anxiety went through the roof and I have gained back 30lbs. I still feel full after small servings but it’s SUGAR that is doing me in. Oddly I can easily eat a pint of ice cream in a sitting but cannot eat more than half a serving of “regular food”. Have I killed my sleeve? Do I need a second surgery. I’m so embarrassed to call my surgeon.

ice cream is a slider food - it melts quickly in your stomach and goes right through - and it's full of calories to boot. If you're still feeling restriction after "regular food", you haven't killed your sleeve (and I'd be surprised if you'd "killed" it in the first place!).

you'll have to try to get back to what you were eating before the pandemic started....focus on protein first, track everything that goes into your mouth - you know the drill. If you feel a binge attack coming on, get out of the house - or if that's not possible, be sure you have lots of safe stuff around, like raw veggies (you can even make a dip for them out of plain Greek yogurt if you want - I stir in or season it with different things), SF Jello, SF popsicles, lots of fun zero or ultra-low calorie beverages, maybe some grapes....

your surgeon will not be mad. They've seen this before - and probably moreso than usual with the pandemic going on.

edited to add that sometimes when I'm starting to binge, I'll have a big bowl of something like All Bran or Trader Joe's High Fiber Cereal. They're super filling because of all the fiber (but you may want to start with a more manageable amount if you're not used to a huge fiber intake, though -- or you may be sorry a few hours later!)

Edited August 22, 20205 yr by catwoman7

So you don’t think I killed my sleeve!!! I m clearly addicted to the sugar and I totally get what you’re saying about the ice cream just disappearing in my stomach. I want to get back on track but I miss the days of low gherilin and not having any cravings. Thank you for your encouragement

It sounds like it is still restricting your eating so I don't think you "killed it" however sugar is the enemy. I'd find some sugar free options like popsicles or pudding to curb your sweet tooth.

There are keto options for ice cream, but you have to be read the ingredients to make sure it is still low carb/low sugar.. Some say they are keto, but they're not.

But if you are eating a pint at a time - I don't think Keto ice cream is a good idea either, because the calories and carbs can add up. The serving size for Keto ice cream is three per pint.

I would try to stay far away from ice cream, if you can. Get back on track and stay away from carbs and sugars.

3 hours ago, Meggie1111 said:

OMG please help! I had a VSG 18 months ago and successfully lost about 80lbs. When the pandemic hit my anxiety went through the roof and I have gained back 30lbs. I still feel full after small servings but it’s SUGAR that is doing me in. Oddly I can easily eat a pint of ice cream in a sitting but cannot eat more than half a serving of “regular food”. Have I killed my sleeve? Do I need a second surgery. I’m so embarrassed to call my surgeon.

3 hours ago, GreenTealael said:

LOL Good one Greentealael!

I am in the same boat. I go see my primary doctor on Monday. Want to get her input.

Edited August 23, 20205 yr by vdbarbie

@meggie 111

You are not alone in having a gain. Your team is there to help. Give them a call. They will decide if a revision is right for you.

A weight gain can be worked back down. I agree with @catwoman7 Get temptation food out of the house. Buy groceries that fit your eating plan, Log your food (stay within your weight loss calories, protein, carb, and fat goals) Find a way to manage stress/emotions without food. Keep healthy options for sweet and salty cravings on hand.

Years out, I miss tight stomach restriction.

Some things that help manage my hunger. I fill my extra sleeve space with low calories foods at each meal. I detox off real sugar and extra carbs. ( I'm not a carb aphobic) For my body to drop weight I stay in a carb range. low glycemic carbs work for me.

Be consistent not perfect. Healthy is the goal, right? Many people on this site will help you get back on track.?

Try doing different things and see if it works. After gaining back 40 pounds over 8 years post losing 140 pounds .... I had to go slowly ...it is what worked for me. First I planned a sugary snack each day. And made sure that it was ONE. ONE skinny cow ice cream. ( I can't eat" sugar free" products - all sugar alternatives make me violently ill ) But for me, knowing I had that one treat.... did it . Then it was going back to protein first. And making really good vegetables, and really fresh salads. And eating with intention of fueling my body. And getting healthy. And changing old habits that crept back....

But that is me. YOU Have to figure out what will work for YOU - for me it was going back to what worked back when... and amazingly enough I had not "broken my sleeve" either. I still have restriction. Just not with chips or ice cream either ! For me - as long as I have the reminder of ONE serving of a treat, and remembering that it IS a treat keeps me from eating more than one. And you know what happened ? Watermelon got really sweet, as did berries and cherries and grapes... and sometimes my treat is fruit !!! I have seen the past 13 months SLOWLY changing my eating habits AGAIN. Life is a journey. Have lost that 40 pounds plus two more.

You CAN do this. !!!

I guess I'm a bit confused. Are wls clinics not explaining to their patients that most people's appetites return and in order to maintain the weight loss it will require them to stick to a new way of eating (low calorie diet) forever? I was told this and also it was drilled into me that if I fall back to my old eating habits, the weight WILL return.

That is true. Its a lifetime change and everybody body is different.