It's been a while......

These last couple years have been pretty tough for me. I didn't take responsibility for my own actions and gained a lot of weight back. I dropped out of counseling for a while due to me being really busy with work and school. I decided to take baby steps and get back in the swing of things while I think about getting the switch. I have a gym membership for the first time in three years and have some very supportive friends who will work out with me so that's good. I'm trying not to beat myself up and trying to just progress forward from here.

Welcome back.

What do you mean about "getting the switch"?

Sounds like you're ready to take responsibility again and get back on track. Baby steps are fine...they get you moving forward, and that's good progress.

Best of luck to you.

Wb James. I am new here so I was not around when you first were on OH. You're back though and ready to tackle this weight again. Which is great! I see you are thinking about revising to the DS from the VSG..My thoughts are do you think you still have restriction with your sleeve? When you eat protein first do you get full? What kinds of foods have you been eating that caused you to gain alot of the weight back? Are they the same types of foods that will cause a revision surgery to allow the weight to come back? How many times a day have you been eating? These are the kinds of questions I would ask myself before thinking about a revision. A gym membership is great but maybe a nutritionist would be better..regular appointments where you can get weighed in and be accountable to someone other than yourself.

I myself know that this will always be a daily struggle for me. I truly believe i could get to goal weight and be the type to say I did it! and regain it all back faster than it took to lose it. I have to take this one meal at a time. 3 meals a day. If I mess up during a meal..I can get back on track at my next meal. Because I know from my past history that Tomorrow will Never come.

I do still have the restriction. Bread and really fibrous foods are tough on me. I have a sweet tooth so chocolate is a vice and chips another weakness of mine. I get full very quickly and I still can't eat out at restaurants without getting very sick and throwing up. I tend to stick to appetizers since they are so much smaller in portion

If you still have restriction, why revise to DS...it's not medically necessary. You have "head issues" that are interfering with your weight loss. Whether you stay with the sleeve or switch to DS, your behavior has to change. Bread, chips and chocolate have to go.

I would do some more reading here. I've noted that revision surgeries generally do not result in major weight loss. I've also read that the DS surgery can have some terrible "bathroom" side effects.

Personally, I lost 160 pounds, but never got close to goal. Maintained the loss for a few years, then started gaining. I tried and tried to get back on track, without success. Thought about revising to RNY, but I got honest with myself. I didn't need more surgery...I still had revision. Instead, I went back to surgeon's office and got on their non-surgical track. Met with surgeon and nutritionist, got blood work done, and got back on vitamin regime. For accountability, I meet with the nutritionist every month and I can call her anytime in between appointments. It's working for me. I've lost 37 pounds since December, bringing me to Onederland, and I've got 25 more pounds to lose to reach my goal.

Keep us posted!

Honestly you are right. I know it is mainly a head issue. I do plan to see a nutritionist

Chocolate is my weakness as well, but I've found a couple of ways to get my chocolate fix without messing up my diet. Maybe they will help you?

To coffee (usually decaf) I add a half scoop of protein powder, tbsp cocoa, a dash of almond extract, and a dash of cinnamon. Makes a decadent chocolate "latte". And unlike a piece of candy which is gone in seconds, you can enjoy this chocolate-y concoction for much longer. Experiment with different protein powders. I have found a brand called Spiru-tein dissolves more quickly in ho****er.

Chocolate "pudding": I discovered by accident that you can make high-protein "pudding" by adding Spiru-tein to nut milk and blending it in a Nutri-bullet or similar high-speed blender. Add cocoa powder plus artificial sweetener. I've had good success doing this with nut milk (e.g., almond, cashew), but non-nut milks (e.g., rice, oat) don't give me the pudding consistency. I don't know if other protein powders will work.

Make chocolate oatmeal by adding cocoa and protein powder. I usually use about 30 g of dry oats with boiling water.

Some other tips:

• Instead of expecting to feel full after I eat, I aim to feel "not hungry". If I do feel full, I adjust my portion size down slightly the next time. That saves me some calories that I can use if I'm hungry later.
• Although I try to keep my carb intake low, I have found oatmeal very helpful. A small amount keeps hunger at bay a long time, plus it helps keep me regular. I add vanilla protein powder to it, plus a small amount of fruit. ****ep bags of frozen fruit in the fridge for oatmeal and protein smoothies. It's very convenient.)
• Adding a small amount fresh fruit or veggies to a meal makes it a lot more filling while only adding a small amount of calories.
• I've noticed that hunger is more of a problem for me in the evenings, so I eat lighter in the morning and save more calories for the evening.
• Low calorie jelly (jell-o) comes in handy times when when I'm hungry but have run out of calories.

Thanks for the advice. I will keep in mind the advice to feel not hungry and not full. Also I tried the shamrock rockin protein coffee shake which has 30g of protein and 6g of sugar and was surprised by how delicious it was. I'm pretty sure shamrock is a regional dairy company.

If you read the DS threads, most of us do not have bathroom issues at all. The DS can also reset your metabolic rate. Last, did you know the DS is the complete WLS and the the VSG is just 1/2 of a surgery?

Plus I've know a lot of people who have lost more weight after their revision than before.

Research, ask question, and talk with with your surgeon.