My worst fear came true. :(

I was sleeved in 2012 with a starting weight of 208 - lost 60 lbs, lowest weight ever was 145, now up to 160. I've noticed I can eat so much more, so went to my surgeon. He did an upper GI and found out my sleeve had enlarged over time. UGH. Apparently, it happens...though they don't tell us this when we sign up. I asked him why....did I overeat, did I stretch it? He was very vague and said it was hard to say, probably not, but it was just how my body reacted to the surgery. Now, I have the choice to do nothing and probably keep gaining weight, or to try to get a revision, which he is not sure my insurance will cover. So......feeling blue and confused. So, naturally, I asked what would happen if I did end up getting the revision surgery....would I be back again 4 years later with an enlarged sleeve? And he said "we really don't know." Has anyone else had this experience?

My sleeve was mishapen due to a hiatel hernia. Nearly all of the stomach was in the chest area, and it was stretched out and such. However, the surgeon said when he put the stomach back where it belonged it resumed back to the normal shape for the most part. 

It is not a forgone conclusion that you have to gain weight. You can do this- put yourself back in the weight loss mode mind set and work at it. You know how to lose 60 pounds! Exercise, eat protein first, all the normal stuff we always talk about here.

This might not be a popular opinion but, at this point, you shouldn't be relying on your sleeve to "make" you lose weight.  In the last 4 years you should have developed good eating, and tracking habits.  While your sleeve might be larger it's a) still smaller than your original stomach and b) you gain weight because you eat more calories than your body needs.  

If you eat fewer calories than your body needs, you will lose weight.  

Start tracking everything you put into your body and figure out what you need to change in your diet.  

Hi Gwen, I appreciate your candor and feedback. My problem is not what I eat but the volume at which I am eating it. I still start with protein, avoid simple carbs, sugars, etc.......but the volume of my meals is much greater than it was before, and time it takes me to get hungry after a meal has also changed. And yes, you are right, I can tell that my enlarged sleeve is still smaller than my original stomach. That is why I am not back over 200lbs yet, thank heavens. I asked for your advice and I am grateful for it. Maybe you are right, and I need to really re-focus and get back on track, and not worry about the stretch as much as worrying about what is going in.......thank you! :)

It's definitely hard to get back on track, but you CAN do it.  You've had success before and you can get there again.  I'd recommend that you weigh what you're eating before you sit down and then only eat what you've weighed for yourself.  Stick with dense proteins.  Then really examine why you're feeling hungry.  Are you really hungry?  Could it be acid mimicking hunger?  (This happens to me, every so often I have to take Nexium for two weeks and then it stops.)  Could it be boredom?  Are you thirsty?  Are you not actually eating dense proteins?  Could it be something a therapist might be able to help you with?  

If you have stopped tracking your food, that's a really good place to start.  

Thank you! I really needed to hear all of this!

Regain is not entirely uncommon even if the sleeve does not stretch. I am about 30 pounds lighter than my one period that I regained. It went slower to get it off, so be patient. But it can come off! Maybe make a small goal to start with, like 5 pounds?

I SOOOOO feel you!  I started at 260 when I had my surgery in 2008.  Life went sideways in 2010 and downhill from there.  I finally got tired of it early last month and contacted my surgeon about a revision.  He told me that I needed to have a barium swollen and EGD for him to review first - that happens tomorrow.  Oh, did I mention that I'm up to 235?  So I threw myself back into the meal plan.  After the first couple of weeks, it got easier.  I've noticed that my tummy is telling me when it's full. The carb cravings are mostly gone.  And I've lost 15 pounds in the last 30 days.  Don't give up.  Give your tool another chance and whip it back into shape!  If I can do it, you can do it too!

Congrats on getting back on track! Good luck with barium swallow. That is the same test they gave me. Let me know how it works out and keep up the good work!

Revision won't fix the cause of weight gain if the cause is habit and behavior driven.  If your sleeve is intact, it is still doing its job even if it holds more.  It does not preclude us from doing ours.

The painful truth behind weight loss is that biological factors are excluded, behavior fuels it or squashes it.  Anyone who has been obese should never rely on fullness or capacity for weight loss if they struggle with regain.  You must examine your diet carefully.  We do not have the malabsorption of other procedures, and so we must always watch what we eat.  Low carb diets, for example, have better weight loss because they suppress hunger more easily, and they eliminate foods we often overeat because they have loads of carbs.  I have even seen clients with the DS who gain weight because they have not completely fixed this.

It is hard, but you absolutely can do this!