stretching and shrinking

I was sleeved 4 years ago.  I have not followed the rules and I am beginning to pay the price.  The real culprit (aside from myself) is carbonated beverages.  I drink them ALL the time and have for a long time.  It finally occurred to me that that might be the reason that I have gained 10 lbs.  I do eat more than I should, but I have regained control in that aspect.  I KNOW that me and only me is responsible for this.  I know I have stretched my sleeve.  I know that without question.  I know that I can lose the weight if I follow the rule.  I do not worry about that at all.  What I fear is that my sleeve has stretched and cannot be shrunk.  I have searched these boards and I see lots of posts about this on these boards, but I haven't found real answers to this question.

I accept responsibility, and I deserve what I get whatever that might be, but I need to know no matter how bad the news may be.

I'm leaving this for the sake of OH's tech support.  I typed a completely different reply, but it somehow changed to just be a repeat of the original post - which I hadn't even quoted.  What the hell?!  We shouldn't have to double check our comments to make sure they stay the way we've written them.

I was sleeved 4 years ago.  I have not followed the rules and I am beginning to pay the price.  The real culprit (aside from myself) is carbonated beverages.  I drink them ALL the time and have for a long time.  It finally occurred to me that that might be the reason that I have gained 10 lbs.  I do eat more than I should, but I have regained control in that aspect.  I KNOW that me and only me is responsible for this.  I know I have stretched my sleeve.  I know that without question.  I know that I can lose the weight if I follow the rule.  I do not worry about that at all.  What I fear is that my sleeve has stretched and cannot be shrunken.  I have searched these boards and I see lots of posts about this on these boards, but I haven't found real, definitive answers to this question.

I accept responsibility, and I deserve what I get whatever that might be, but I need to know no matter how bad the news may be.

I really don't think that you can stretch your sleeve through carbonation. Your stomach is not a balloon, it has openings at the top and bottom. The CO2 is going to come out one end or the other, it doesn't inflate your stomach. Some people do associate carbonated beverages with psychological associations with bad eating habits and maybe that's something to address, but from a physical standpoint I think it's nonsense that you can chalk any increased capacity to carbonation. 

Now, sleeves DO have more capacity as people get further out. And of course, even at an early stage people have a lot more capacity for carby things that dissolve quickly and move through the stomach faster than dense protein. That is just normal.

How do you feel when you eat 3-4 ounces of dense protein? 

I'll try to comment again, hopefully it won't get screwed up this time.  

The only way to know that your sleeve has stretched is to see your surgeon and have an endoscopy.  In the meantime, focus on eating the way you should and eat dense proteins first.  For most people who fear sleeve stretching, they find that going back to dense proteins demonstrates that the restriction is still there.  (I know I feel it in full force whenever I eat chicken breast, even though I could eat a ton of salad.)  

I'm just a little more than a year out but I don't think carbonated beverages in itself is the real culprit, now if its filled with regular sugar & empty calories yeah, but carbonation in itself?, not likely. I do think since you're further out that your sleeve has fully matured & stretched a little but your restriction is still there. 

I don't think you can shrink your sleeve, but you can under eat it. You don't have to eat till you feel full, just enough to feel satisfied. You'll have to go back to the basics of measuring & weighing your food, but I'm sure if you eat dense protein you'll feel that restriction.

Don't beat yourself up, you fell off the wagon, it happens, at least you recognize the problem & are looking to resolve it now at a 10lb gain, not a fifty. There's a back on track forum that I think Kathy runs that are filled with people who fell off but are on track to lose the regain. Maybe they can help you.