Other sleeve forums..noticing the trend Frisco referred to growing larger

So sometimes I head over to other sleeve forums just to poke around. I posted on them a lot when I was pre op and for a while post op, but have since spent most of my time here. Lately, the trend that Frisco has been posting about is definitely taking place on an even higher alarming level than I thought.

The VSG is becoming more popular, more surgeons are starting to do them without learning the most proven techniques, making large sleeves, and giving high calorie post op plans. A lot more people are eating 1200 calories at 2 or 3 months post op and eating much higher carbs (over 100!). Their sleeve capacities are larger. They are not measuring their portions at all. They don't even consider eating protein first most of the time.

One lady just posted she has been eating 1200-1600 cals for months, that her sleeve can hold a lot of food, and she doesn't understand while she's only lost 30 lbs in 8 months since being sleeved and she still weighs well over 250 lbs.

I have to agree with Frisco. More new surgeons are doing the sleeve, don't care as much about making a nice, tight sleeve and doing it with proven  methods, they are giving high calorie post op plans, and they aren't even mentioning protein first.

Yup, he's right. The sleeve is NOT standardized. The post op eating plans on many of them are asking for too many calories fresh out of surgery even, and no mention of trying to get in plenty of protein or protein first.  Now I see what he's worried about on an even more alarming level than I thought!

Hope I don't get a lot of pissed people eating higher calories and higher carbs. I do realize that for some people that plan works okay and that is cool. But what about people like the poor lady I mentioned who had only lost 30 lbs since she's been sleeved in 8 months? I tried to message her about lowering her cals and eating protein first and she said she's basically just given up and her sleeve holds so much food she can't lower her cals now.

 

In the beginning, I fought the trend, but now, I embrace it.  I realize that there is no way to fight the majority and it's not my or Frisco's job to do it.  I stopped posting so much about the eating plan and portion sizes and sleeve sizes because obviously more and more people are going to get angry when I do.  It was never meant for post-ops, only to help the pre-ops come to their own conclusions.  I have come to accept that I just can't "save" people from themselves and it has to be OK.  It will work for some, but fail many.   We are going to start seeing pretty poor long term results studies soon.  How soon?  Maybe another few years, but it is already unavoidable.  I have stopped going to all support groups that are not run by my doctor because most of the people there are post-op and I walk out feeling sad rather than inspired.  I hope I am wrong, I want to be wrong, but my RL experience so far has been confirming all the trends that you mentioned and the results don't  look great unless I start playing mind games with myself and telling myself that "everyone has different goals, and you shouldn't impose your goals on others".  I have had to give myself that pep talk quite a bit lately, but I usually don't buy it and think that everyone really wants to reach goal and it is really sad that many will never get there. C'est la vie, I don't run the word. (thank goodness).

I just want to say I'm grateful that you have posted that. Your surgeon's plan is very similar to my surgeon's plan, and seeing people like you and Frisco who have had great results sing the praises of it really made it a lot easier for me to commit to it 100% (frankly I'm the kind of person who doesn't always do what they are told without seeing real evidence that there's a solid reason I should do what I'm told and someone isn't just pulling ideas out of their ass).

Right now I'm trying to train myself not to be angry at all the people who post "hey, I'm two weeks out of surgery, is it okay for me to eat grits/spaghetti/ice cream/lasagna/crusty sourdough bread?" type of questions. 1. Why isn't their surgeon giving them instructions? 2. Isn't eating that crap how they ended up deciding to get 80% of their stomach removed in the first place?

Sorry /rant over

If you could come and sit in on my doctor's support group, you would get enough inspiration to follow your doctor's program fully until goal.  It is always an amazing experience to sit in a group of people who are at goal or close to it and are many years out from surgery.  There are newbies too and pre-ops but everyone is fully committed and driven.  I always walk away full of resolve and re-energized to continue in maintenance and to stay vigilant. 

The closer you stay to your doctor's plan (if it is similar to mine) the better you will do.  Also, don't be tempted to change things up much if you run into stalls, ride them out, and you will end up losing more in the long run.  Just stay strong and constant all the way to goal.  It is so very worth it.

Yes Elina, you're right! You have definitely mentioned the trend a lot too! I don't blame you for not trying to "save" everyone because it's not your job! It's supposed to be the surgeon's and their "educated" staff! I have tried helping some people too but usually it's on deaf ears. These other forums are where it's much more rampant. Occasionally, I've been able to steer some people to losing on the 600-800 cal plan and 40 grams or under carbs or at least I try to get them to eat protein first for each meal to help them with staying satiated longer. Sometimes, at least the protein first helps when they won't lower their cals and carbs. I've helped a few people but like you said they don't always want to hear it or just can't or won't change what they are doing even if it no longer works.

That is just devastating the sleeve should be regulated. People are having the surgery because they need it, its not for cosmetic reasons. It is ment to give people a new lesson on life. A way to get healthy and stay healthy.

I agree with you great.lakes.girl. I needed the sleeve and it saved my life and for another reson too that I needed the sleeve. The OH.com is the only site that I know that has the sleeve forum and other forums on it.

I haven't heard or even seen othe sleeve forums, but I would like to see this trend that Frisco referred so I can take a look at it and read it.

I haven't posted a lot lately but this is the truth.  I was in shock when I found out how much people were being told to eat.  I was told I needed a minimum of 1500 calories at almost a year out but only because I found out I was pregnant.  Pregnancy was non viable and I am back under 1000 a day.  Usually around 800 and if I go over 60 carbs a day I don't lose or lose very very slow.  If I go under 30 carbs I feel like I am dying and just can't function. 

ya do cite a couplea stories....but  I can cite ya THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of SUCCESSFUL VSGrs losing all the weight they need to ...without following the "Frisco plan"/our forums sponsor's diet:    

 

Calories:  no more than 800 cals every day your first year ....or.... until you reach GOAL

DAILY Macronutrients:     protein ..90 grams 

                                            carbs ...first year....less than  40 gs TOTAL  (never NET)

                                                         1year+ out ...never more than 60gs  TOTAL for LIFE

                                            fats..... never more than 30 grams for LIFE! 

DAILY Measured food amounts:  

NEVER ..eat more than 4oz of food , no matter the type........ at any meal.... FOR LIFE.

 

A couple noteworthy Ten Commandments:

Thou shall not eat more than 3 meals per day and shall not have unhealthy snacks between meals. 

Thou shall exercise 5 times per week for 40-45 minutes.

Thou shall ONLY weigh yourself once per week 

Thou shall not covet the carbohydrate.

Thou shall take your vitamins EVERYDAY!!   

 

NO ONE CAN FOLLOW THEIR POST OP DIETARY orders...including that ^^^ one its unsustainable "dieting"

One posted here that kept their cals as low as 300 a day months post VSG. Obviously wasn't following ^^ plan since protein alone is supposed to be 90gs a day followin surgery..thats what 360 cals right there. but they followed this unsustainable "dieting" to a T. No proof..doesn't add up....or else just make up "stories" for some reason

 The 3-5 lapsf pts that promote this unsustainable dieting plan...in the past 5 years on OH...obviously it works for them...so they promote it...even if they don't follow it. 

I don't have a need to promote my surgeons diet plan...I couldn't follow it either. Its based on malabsorption/RNY. I couldn't get in that much water that much protein in my first few weeks,  eat that much food when on a regular diet. 

Do you do the Frisco plan? Does it work for YOU ?  Isn't THAT all that really matters at the end of YOUR DAY?  

                                                   Can't save the world

                                    

Carmelita, the plan you mentioned is A WHOLE HELL OF A LOT BETTER than the ones I'm seeing on the other forums! They are eating over 100 carbs a day and talking about eating 1200 calories at 2-3 months post op!

Your plan sounds FINE for a lot or some people. The carbs and the calories don't sound bad at all! Although I was closer to 600 calories the first 5 months to maximize weight loss and my restriction was so good that I was not hungry or interested in eating more than that. I was closer to 800 cals after 5 months because 600 was making me weak finally so I had to up them.

It's the 1200 calories just a couple months post op and high carbs and no mention of eating protein to these people that is bugging the **** fire out of me!! SOME people can lose on that 1200 high calorie, high carb plan but not a lot of people.