Reading posts about regain after sleeve. It's terrifying me

I have been reading a lot of posts this morning. The ones about regain are really scary. I got this way because I LOVE food. I love the taste and the texture. And I guess I get bored or unhappy, and I eat more. I am a sugar-hoilc. So, if or when I do the sleeve, I will STILL be me.  I will still love Ice Cream and coke, everything sweet. I am afraid that it will all be in vain. What is worse then being fat? Possibly having a major surgery that my insurance doesn't pay for, risking my life, and then REGAINING it all back. I am not trying to pessimistic, just honest to myself. Where will I find a strength I haven't found in all my 44 years so far?? How will I become this vigilant person who can suddenly successfully mange her eating?? Insight, please.

I understand your fear, but I have read the same about RNY and Lapband.  You can regain weight after having any of these surgeries. My sister gained back 1/2 of her weight loss after RNY. 

 I look at is as a tool, but if I don't follow a strict plan, I'm going to gain in back.  I have a food addiction, and need to treat my "recovery" as such.  Drastic surgery (I was sleeved), regular exercise, peer support, thearapy if needed. I believe I can do this, and will do what I need to for success.

I wish you the very best.  I get the fear.  I believe you can do it :)

Karen

Counseling.  Really.  In order to be successful, you have to make a commitment to change.  If you are not ready to make that commitment, or don't know how to make that commitment or are afraid of making that commitment, a good counselor can help you figure that out. 

Your surgeon's office may have names of counselors experienced in weight issues.  If you have an employee assistance program, you may be able to get counseling for little to no cost.  

You are right on with being worried about this -- I'm in my mid-50s and love food!  I love to bake.  I watch Food TV on the recumbent bike in the gym (and feel guilty!  LOL!).

But this is a decision you have to make.  How important is it to get healthy and stay healthy vs eat sweets?  I LOVE to bake -- I have had to accept that I cannot bake things right now.  The temptation to have a cookie, then another is just too strong -- and cookies were the first step in my slippery slope post-Atkins.

I am guess that you have probably lost and gained weight in the past.  Really take some time to figure out what caused you to regain your weight, and figure out how you can avoid that in the future.

There is an interesting new approach called the Beck Diet Solution (http://www.beckdietsolution.com/) which you might find helpful.  I think there is another poster who mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, so you may want to search the posts for it.  it's not about a food plan, per se, but about changing your behavior and your responses to triggers to help you not cope with problems by eating.  It's on my list of things to read, but I haven't read the book yet -- so this is not an endorsement, just passing along something I thought sounded interesting.

In the end, we just have to make up our minds and do it.  There is no magic that I've found.  I am still tempted by sweets, and from my previous success with Atkins, I have a better idea of what my limits are (ie, I can have a bite of something truly special, but not a piece or a whole cookie --- or the cravings get triggered).

I made a bunch of lists:  Why I want to lose weight, what caused my failure in the past, what foods trigger cravings, what foods l like, what foods I hate, what can I do differently to help increase my chances for success.  Then I looked over all of my lists, and determined that I could be successful, if I wanted it bad enough.

So, how bad to do you want it -- and do you want success more than you want ice cream and sweets?  Do you want it bad enough to figure out ways to cope that don't involve food?  Only you can decide that.  

PS -- Here's an example of my crazed thinking, lest my post comes across as sounding like a "know it all"  -- One of the reasons I preferred VSG over bypass -- after seeing many bypass patients regain their weight back.  I thought, "We'll, with VSG, at least if I screw this up, I won't have had my entire GI system rerouted for life, I'll just have a smaller stomach.)  So, yes, I planned for success, and in some sick way, I was also planning for failure.

Feel free to message me if you want to talk more -- I am going on 7 months out, and am starting to believe that  I might actually reach a reasonable weight !

You're right, you are still going to be you after surgery. No surgical option is going to change the way you look at food and the fact that you eat when you are bored or unhappy. I hear you sister, I was the same way and could easily fall back into those habits.

What I will say is that while I was a sugar-holic before.... it took probably 2 1/2 weeks of eating no sugar and no simple carbs for me to kick the cravings. I can't tell you how much easier it was to avoid those things just after 2 1/2 weeks of being militant in what I ate... I could physically feel different!

I think all people that go through this surgery should see a therapist... maybe not forever but at least when they are starting out. I started seeing one towards the beginning of my supervised diet and it has been a great help. Between the therapy, hitting rock bottom, working hard, and self reflection I've been able to keep the emotional eating in check. It might not always be that way... I might slip in the future... but I'm trying everything I can to prevent that from happening and trying to learn all that I can so that I can get back on the wagon immediately if I do.

I get you totally. I still break out in a cold sweat when I read those posts. I am 8 months out after a sleeve. I have lost 65 lbs since surgery and about 80 in total from my highest weight. I also love food. More of a savory than a sweet tooth though. But still the same result. Love love love food - everything about it - from buying it to cooking it to eating it. And I live with the fear of regain every single day. I am not yet at my goal weight. I think the fear is a healthy thing actually. It keeps me in check. If I lose the fear then I might allow myself to eat mindlessly and that would definitely lead to regain. I think having this fear is a good tool in addition to the sleeve to keep at the forefront of your mind the knowledge that this is not magic and that you have to make lifestyle changes and make sure that you eat appropriately forever. The sleeve is a great tool. Your brain is an even greater one! Embrace this fear and use it to your advantage.

Ii read each and every weight gain and stall post. Invariably the poster gives the reason it happened by saying "I don't really log my food anymore" "I eat basically whatever I want but sill less than preop". Getting and staying healthy is a lifelong commitment and surgery is not a quick fix. Recently I have been thinking I can have (insert food choice that led me to 270) but I recently saw a post from someone who had surgery on the same date as me 3/18/13 and is struggling to get back on track. Reading that post scared me straight.

I know your fear..but I can tell you that I am just over 3 years postop..and have not had ANY regain.  I drink regular Pepsi..I eat what i want. I don't live my day to day life always thinking about my next meal anymore. I simply eat much less.  I still eat only about 2.5oz of protein and i am full and satisfied. I have told myself i will NEVER regain..because i know how hard it is to lose. It's all a matter of what you want...and working towards that goal. I am almost 43 years old..and for the first time in my life i feel normal..

I am right there with you but when I decided to do this surgery it was for me to get healthy.  I know that if I regain the weight that I will more than likely become sick again.  My will be something that I struggle with for the rest of my life but the difference is that I want to live a long and healthy life and be here for my kids and their kids!

Prior to surgery, I drank regular coke all of the time.  I ate lots of pasta and carbs.  Not so much on desserts.  I also ate my feelings and generally was an unhappy person.  I am almost 6 months out and I do not crave these things any longer.  I physically can not eat my feelings or it makes me uncomfortable and sick.  I have to find other ways to deal with my feelings but I am doing it.  I have not gone to counseling but it is something that I am considering, but I have started going to church again and it really makes me feel better and I talk to God about what I am going through.

My point being is that you need to figure out what is going to work for you.  You may be one the people who can not give into your old habits at all or it will be a major set back for you.  There are people here than can have a bite or two of something and be done with it and not have it trigger bad eating.  Through your journey you need to be honest with yourself and do whatever it takes to stay on track.

I personally am going to follow what Elena has talked about and set my goal and then give myself an upper range that I am not going to let my weight go past and if I do then I have to go back to basics until it is back down again to an acceptable weight.  This is something I will need to do for the rest of my life!  This surgery was something to help me manage my weight and not a magic cure.  With all surgeries you can regain if you go back to your old habits.

I can relate to your concerns.  I am also very concerned about regaining the weight.  I've had a good 50 years of not being able to control my eating.  Why would this be any different?  Also, I had an acquaintance who did the RNY about 6 years ago, and was so enthusiastic, encouraging me to also do WLS.  When I made my decision, I called her and she told me she has regained about 2/3 of the weight she lost.  Sobering! 

I finally decided to have the surgery, but I also decided that I need to really commit to this. the surgery is only a tool. I am now 5 weeks post-op and I can tell you that food does not have the allure that it did in the past.  Now I eat to feed my body and stay healthy.  I have no desire to eat for the pleasure of it.  My relationship with food is very different.  I feel like I am normal and it is such a relief  to be rid of the burden of food driving me.

I don't know if this will last, but I hope it does. 

Best of luck on your weight-loss journey.

Carol

 

On the other hand... I'm 2-years-out, haven't been able to really work out due to some back/neck/depression issues and I'm currently maintaining an approximate 220 pound lost.

The difference? I log my food. All of it. Every drop. Every carb. Every calorie.

I'm in therapy. The first 18 months, every week and every other week since then.

You can't deal with your weight until you deal with your mental **** in my opinion.

For what it's worth, that's the harsh truth. My depression WAS related to my weight loss. I couldn't eat my pain away. I couldn't cover up my feelings. Now that I'm on the other side, I'm no longer mad that I can't drown myself in chocolate, I'm happy that I have the mental health to NOT do that and a brand new stomach to help me along the way.