What is the difference????

The more I read, the more I've come to realize that after you are sleeved, you have to make sure you are getting in all your protein, carbs, etc. correctly (basically, keep track of what you're eating).  So, what is the difference before getting sleeved?  Isn't the fact that we are not able to (or don't want to) keep track of what we're eating what got us to become obese to begin with?  This is one of the questions I'm asking myself because if/when I take this HUGE step in my life, I want to make sure I am able to do it.  So, how does getting sleeved (other than you're physically not able to eat a lot for the first xxx months) help you?

Success is the difference for me. =). I could lose weight before...no problem. I have a chance to keep it off now. I weigh/measure/log and track every bit of food that I eat. I kept my calories and carbs low for 12 months. In that time, I have lost 205 LBS. From a size 24 pants and 3X shirts to size 4 and mediums. Could I have done that without vsg..sure, in theory. In reality, no way! I will have to watch what I eat my entire life...I suppose you could think of it as a diet. I will have to make good choices forever to keep this up. Small price to pay to feel and look better. I think you are asking a good question. For me, vsg was what I needed to help get me here. It is now my job to keep me here. Best of luck with your decision!

someone posted that having a sleeve is like bowling with gutter guards, so that when you have a bad day you dont dig a huge whole for yourself that starts a cycle of gaining. made sense to me. however i am still waiting for surgery so what do i know.

alex

I asked myself the same question before surgery.   I was very successful with my pre-op diet, losing 50 pounds in three months.  So I asked myself if I really needed the surgery.  After much soul-searching, I realized I did need the surgery.  My issue was never with losing weight.  It was with maintaining the weight loss.  Add a little stress and the diet would go out the window and the weight piles back on. 

Statistically, the surgery does help people maintain the weight loss.  I don't think anyone really knows why.  But it does. It could be the, restriction, or the lower gherin production, the cutting of all the nerves when part of the stomach is removed or the change in the bacteria in the stomach post surgery.  But the statistics show that more people succeed at maintaining a lower weight after surgery.

The surgery is no magic bullet.  It has to be combined with commitment and hard work.  But it gives us a fighting chance.  And that was enough for me.

Good luck on your journey.

Carol

I think what it comes down to is that the biological changes PLUS the behavioral changes = success. Our sleeves can only hold such a small volume, which makes that 600-800 calorie/day diet feasible. I do not think that sort of eating would be sustainable without the surgery. The removal of the GhrelIn-producing cells removes the ability to feel hunger.

So, to your point, yes, we could do this alone, but surgery gives us a boost to get there. In my case, I managed to get only so far multiple times using diet, exercise, and meds from my doc.

You'll also hear people refer to the sleeve as a tool, not a magic bullet.  It's a physical reminder to stop eating before you snarf up that whole table full of food!  Other tools you need to use are nutritional counseling, sometimes psychological counseling, and exercise.  Once you're fully educated, you can choose to change your behaviors in order to live a healthy, fit life.  Or not.  

My advice to you?  Try it out before the surgery.  Sign up for MyFitnessPal and log every bite of food that goes in your mouth.  Keep it between 600-800 calories per day, minimum 70-80 grams of protein, under 40 grams of carbs.  Most of us have been able to follow strict diets for awhile, but never really changed our behaviors.  So after the "diet", where do you go?

 

The difference FOR ME....
I never lost more than 15# from dieting preVSG, no or rare physical hunger that is easily satiated with small amounts of lean protein (still have head hunger that is easy to cave in to), able to introduce an exercise plan that will help me stay thin but also strong and healthy, reduced volume, helped me learn how to make better food choices based on need instead of want
I'm at goal after 9-10 months with a current BMI of 21.3. I'm still learning how to make this last for my lifetime but I have already achieved more than ever before in my adult life.

The difference is you will have better control if you choose to exercise it because your physiologic hunger is greatly diminished and your capacity for food is greatly diminished.

Being 5 days PRE sleeve, I can tell you that if you look at my previous posts you will see I had many of the same questions/fears/thoughts.  As I study the folks that have been successful it appears that you still need the mental "click" of life change.  If you have the sleeve but fill it with sugars and refined foods it will make little difference.  Even with RNY people are able to "eat through" the sleeve.  In fact, I met a woman this weekend that weighed at least 300 who had the RNY 5 years ago. 

I am looking at the sleeve as an insurance policy.  I have cut out all refined sugar, nearly all processed foods and I have lost 25 lbs in 2.5 months.  But, while I have done well with what I take in, I still struggle with how much I take in.  The 1200 pre surgery diet has affirmed that for me....I have made excellent choices, but quantity is my demon now and the sleeve is a great tool for that.

For the mental part of this I agree with therapy and support groups, but for me the best thing I did was read two books:  Fat Chance by Dr. Lustig and "Salt Sugar Fat".

Good luck with your decision making process.

Anne

For me the difference is twofold...well maybe threefold...1. I have no hunger since surgery. I hope it never comes back! It makes it much easier to resist the bad stuff; 2. My capacity is small. Super small. 3 oz of protein and a bite or two of vegetables a meal. I feel like I have eaten a horse and have to close my eyes and visualize just how little I have actually consumed! And 3. Because precisely it was such a major step and major surgery and I feel so lucky to have had a really easy ride so far, I am mentally really committed to making this work and that makes all the difference for me. 

I feel that this is a question of medical compliance now much more so than before when doctors told me to lose weight. 

I feel all the chances are on my side this time to make it work and sustain the loss for the long term.