Help me??? Stretched Pouch

I am a little over 3 yrs out (March 2008, starting weight 298), and I've fallen way way off the wagon.  I initially lost 91 pounds (I have never reached my goal weight yet).......and I've gained 23 pounds back just in the last year.  I can eat practically anything I want, and I'm SO afraid I've stretched my pouch to the point of no return.  I am going to start the 5 day pouch test, but I'm not sure what to expect really.  I mean, how do I know if the pouch is working?  And, once it's stretched to a certain point, will it go back?  I'm so afraid I've gone through all of this for NOTHING.  I am starting to also find that NOTHING looks good on me......I just can't buy fat clothes!! I WON'T!!  I REFUSE!!!!!  HELP????

Hello

I am in the same boat I was 3yrs out on March 8th, and I feel the same.  That is a good idea to do the 5 day pouch, but I am not sure what I need to do that
can you please be so kind as to email me with how to do the 5 day pouch at my email [email protected]


Thanks
Dawn

It's almost impossible to stretch your pouch, and you probably haven't. What DOES stretch easily---and through no fault of yours---is the stoma.

You need to read this thread:www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/4416773/quotDoes-the-Patient -Fail-the-Procedure-or-Does-the/

I lost 100 and gained back 10.  Never lost all I was supposed to either.  I had an endoscopy done to see why I could eat so much and was told I had a hernia and stretched pouch.  They fixed the hernia and redid pouch.  After surger Dr said my pouch was not as stretched as they thought, but the hernia was way worse than they thought.  I am now 3 weeks out and only 6lbs down.  I give up!  Good luck!

I'm only 5 months post op and I feel like my pouch may be stretched too. I'm not quite sure how this happened but I have never thrown up since the surgery like everyone else I know.

I can eat over a cup of food or more at one time. My hungry and full signals seem to be reverting back to my pre-surgery levels.

I'm really scared. I hate to think I did all of this for nothing and I've only lost about 50lbs in 5 months. I keep seeing people say they lost 90lbs by 6 months and other people who had the surgery the same week I did are much smaller than I am. Will going back on liquids for 5 days really "reset" things??? : /

You're not supposed to throw up with surgery, thats not a good thing and when you say you can eat a cup, a cup of what?  If you can eat a cup of steak run back to your doctor and ask for a refund, because at 6 years out I still couldn't eat a cup of steak, a cup of yogurt sure, or anything that isn't dense and can slide through your body.  You have lost 50lbs in 5 months and you think thats not great?  I think its awesome, how much do you have to lose, what percentage of your weight loss is it?  I started at 283.5 and it took me 2.5 years to get to 138 but I did it, and you can too, you need to eat the foods that are on your plan and consistantly move and you will lose, seriously it works, I was scared too but you don't need to be unless something is truly wrong which I am sure isn't or you wouldnt have lost 50lbs.  

Good Luck

50lbs is approx 44% of the total weight I need to lose. And I'm not sure if I could eat a cup of steak, I have a hard time eating meat, it hurts and if there is any fat it makes me really queasy. I do a lot better with soft lean proteins. I can eat a cup of cottage cheese, yogurt, diced cucumbers, cheese, sliced berries... most things except heavy or hard to digest things.

Thank you for responding to my post, I am trying to be positive but its hard when I go to my support meetings and talk to people who were bigger than me pre-op and are smaller than me now. I feel I must be doing something terribly wrong.

I don't always stick to my program, I have a bad sugar craving and can eat an entire bag of cotton candy in one sitting because it doesn't take up any room, it just dissolves. I KNOW I can't be doing that and I've really set my mind to stopping that for good but I have spent the last month stuck at 185lbs because of this. 

The worst part is that I work out about an hour every day, sometimes more on the weekends. Vigorous mountain hikes! and these women who have lost more say they havent worked out at all! : /  sigh. They're probably not eating bags of cotton candy though either.

OK PLEASE don't take this the wrong way but a WHOLE bag of cotton candy what the heck were u thinking? Why did you have surgery if your gonna sabatoge yourself that way. Oh  don't get me wrong I am very postitve we have all made food mistake I know I have but then I take a step and go humm do I wanna keep going the right way or go back the wrong way.  

I am 2 years out and barely eat 3/4 c of NSA ice cream without feeling icky. So PLEASE step away from the cotton candy forever. You might not have as much to lose as those other women PLEASE, take this from my experience DO NOT compare yourself with others. You can eat the cup of  those foods because  like the other poster said they are slider foods heck I could eat a cup of soup sometimes and feel like I had nothing and barely get a 1/2 cup of chicken in without feeling over stuffed!

Your doing GREAT 50 lbs in 5 months. I had a huge stall at 5 months and again at 8 almost gave up as one lasted a month but you know what I just kept in check did what I was suppose to and I kept losing weight till I was 18 months out! Just do what your suppose to keep eating and drinking your protein and taking your vits and keep on trucking.  That cotton candy may slide thru but as another wls'er put it to me, it turns into a sludge of goopey fat/sugar that stores in your body and can VERY much hinder your weight loss! Step away from it and get back on the train keep working out and move on!