10 years! Still so happy but reality is this journey never ends.

I honestly don't remember the last time I logged in here and it took a bit to get into my account but I felt it was important to post an update. I remember how much it meant to read about others' progress through the years. So I'lll try to be as honest as I can about my journey.

I had a vertical sleeve on November 4, 2013. I started at 317 on the day of surgery (my high weight was maybe 20 pounds higher but lost that in the excitement leading up to my surgery). It took 9 months to reach my goal of 190 and another 3 months to reach my lowest weight of 158. That was a bit too low and I settled around 163-165 for about 5 years. In the subsequent 3 years I gradually gained up to 195 and have been here +/- 7 pounds for the past 2 years.

I was consistently active for the first 6 years (yoga 3 x week, running 2 x week, hiking alost every week). There were breaks in activity following my tummy tuck/breast lift and augmentation in 2017 but I got back on track pretty quickly. Then in late 2018 I had a hysterectomy for a massive fibroma and took a bit longer to get back to my routine. The real fall off was when I started dealing with spinal issues and couldn't do yoga anymore. I even hired a private yoga instructor for a few months to try to keep it up in a way I could handle but then there was Covid. I was lucky enough to work every single day throughout Covid but I allowed myself to fall into a very sedentary life at home and that is when I worked my way up to where I am now. I was so proud of how dedicated I had been and tried very hard not to allow myself to feel like a victim of my spinal issues but I failed to keep myself motivated. I am well aware this is of my own doing.

As far as food is concerned my restriction is still very good. I don't feel I can eat much more than I did by the end of year one. But I'm not an idiot. I know I can eat more if I just wait a little bit so eating by the clock and not wavering is probably the best plan for me moving forward. I can eat anything and I do. I go through periods of being very strict about carbs and focusing on protein and vegetables but I have plenty of breaks where I eat anything and everything and pay the price on the scale.

The most glaring reality of my regain and inability to get back on track is alcohol. The moment you want to start gaining weight and stop losing or maintaining weight, just start drinking. I don't recommend it. It has been the most difficult thing to manage. I can easily stop drinking for long periods of time but eventually I'll start up again. I don't really drink alone or for no reason at all but it's just such a social thing for me. I will continue to try to manage this but I am also trying to be realistic.

VSG is still the most important and amazing thing I have ever done for myself and I am still happy with all I have accomplished. I came here today to talk about my life 10 years after surgery but also in an attempt to take the first real step in making a new goal that I can work toward.

My goal is 175 pounds (20 pounds) but I also want to be strong again. At my fittest I had the type of muscle definition I had dreamed of and my core strength was amazing. My goal now is to be "fit" in that I am active at least 4 days a week, have a bit of definition, and fit back into all those lovely clothes I bought. I don't think that is an unreasonable goal and I think 6 months is a reasonable amount of time. We'll see.

Thank you if you made it through my rambling post as I didn't have a plan when I started typing except to just type.

Your plan to get rid of those last pounds sounds great - good luck! And thanks for the update.

Thanks!!

I can relate and also intend to re-commit to my nutrition and exercise goals. I too have 20 lbs of regain to shed. We can do it!..together ?

You are so correct about the alcohol. I originally got down to the 130's at my lowest but I did not look good. i looked like I needed dentures (and food!). I gained once I started eating regular meals (albeit healthy) but maintained at 155-163 for about 9 years. After not being much a drinker throughout my life, I was introduced to moscato about 3 years ago and it was a taste that really appealed to me. I am by no means alcoholic, but drinking alcohol even socially are just calories we do not need. I have gained since then and while I have noticed that since I became a woman of a certain age, I crave carbs and salt, I really believe the wine is just adding insult to those injuries. I wish you and me all the best as we recognize this and hopefully, we both control that unnecessary intake of calories and carbs.

Hi Kerry! I remember you very well from back in the day. It's nice to see you back.

I share some of your path. I had regain after covid, about 7 or 8 years out. Getting motivated to stay on the right track was really, really hard.

I had left OH for a couple of years, but sucked it up and came back. It was a big help. Most any activity these days is on the RNY board, in a daily menu thread. It's great for accountability. People of all surgeries are there. It would be wonderful if you wanted to try it out.

Hello, I very much understand weight gain during covid and your spinal issues. Great job getting back on track. I to have 19 pounds to lose.

I gained a total of 64 pounds due to covid, an accident and a surgery. Butt sitting/healing and eating slider foods really packed it on. I had kept the weight off for 10 years until this perfect storm hit.

I've already lost 45 pounds since November of last year by being on a keto diet, so 19 pounds to go to get back to 158.

At 13 years post op, I was wondering what my sleeve capacity had become. I had stayed at 6-8 ounces since 6 months after surgery, but my husband thought he noticed I could eat more.

I did the cottage cheese test and saw I am at 11 ounces. Even though dinner tonight I was full at 6 ounces of food. I am happy that I still have good restriction, my faith is restored.

How is your restriction/capacity at 10 years out?

I have been reading about fundus regrowth. Apparently there is a VSG revision surgery offered to patients for regrowth and no restriction.

I hope that never need that surgery. But, my doc wants to have it looked at to check the health of my sleeve.

P.S. I can't restore my login, so I made a new account. I had been on here since 2010.

Surgery date-Oct 2013

HW-222

LW-142

CW-177