When it all comes down to it......This is totally your decision! No one knows what you're going through and as much as I hate to say it, they don't really care. Everyone has an opinion! This is about you and how you feel about your decision to do something for YOU. No on has the right to make you feel guilty about your decision nor make you feel bad about it. Don't feel bad about it, do it for you!

Wishing you success in your decision.

TheWombat, sorry I missed this post. I've been a bit more busy at work during this month. You have really made me aware of something that's very interesting to me, thank you! Sometimes we go through life without appreciating the other senses that can contribute to us being happier and healthier people. I'm going to put that in my journal of things to include on my healthier path! I work from home right now, and had a nearly every day ritual of watching the sun set, and I realize that for about two weeks now, I've only watched maybe one. It's a peaceful and beautiful time that I enjoy and it helps to round out my day. Back to the sunsets and noting other things that can help ground me! I appreciate your input!

I am 6.5 (Aug 14,2014) years out and myself was becoming frustrated because it seemed that after 2 years I had lost all the weight that I could lose. I started at 347lbs, got down to 247lbs after 2 years and then just remained around that weight for the next 4 years no matter what I did-even exercising and what I thought was restricting my calories. I would go between 247-255lbs, one time even up to 262lbs! But for the most part I stayed between 247-255 and just accepted it. I just assumed surgery changed my metabolism because I knew I was eating 1600 calories or less-but a lot of it was carb and/or sugar laden.

I came to realize that the kind of food we ate was important regardless of the caloric total! 1600 calories of bad carbs-donuts, cereal, pizza, chips, etc is a lot different than 1600 calories of complex carbs such as veggies, lean meats, nuts, etc. I was almost like what they call a "Dry Drunk", one although not drinking alcohol still showing the effects of it! So I was I guess like a "Dry Overeater!? So at onset of pandemic I decided to make a change. First I did intermittent fasting because it is a lot easier for me to stick to, and I've learned over the years the only "diet" that works is one that is sustainable but also it gave me a window in which to eat in (11am-7pm) and I found that I not only made better choices in what to eat but after a few days I.F.'ing I was not always that hungry and it also took away my "snacking" period which was after 7pm. And although high in sodium I know-dill pickles helped me out a lot-I would just cut them up along with cucumbers and carrots which helped satisfy my crunch desires and so forth. I also started walking the dog for longer periods making sure at end of day I had 10,000 steps in.

I know in the end it all came down to C.I.****alories In, Calories Out) i.e. "eating less and exercising" the time-honored procedure for weight loss but I guess in our journey we have to find a way to make it difficult and what we think is our own originality? At current, I am 235 lbs, so about 17 lbs lost since the pandemic started. So it had been a long time that I was stuck at what I thought was my body's chosen weight (4 years!!), but I was determine just not to go back to my old ways which gradually I was doing and why the weight stall. So all in all, I.F. worked for me because I was able to restrict my calories (which we are supposed to do anyway!) and basically get back on the program as originally planned. So this is what worked for my, not saying it will work for others, but just the way my twisted food addled mind works!

Hi Kay,

I've been resleeved now. I had a hiatal hernia fixed (acid reflux), and my stomach had a bulging end that looked like a tennis ball and now is a sleeve shape again.

So, why did I do it at only 25lb regain? (It turned out to be 30lb, actually.) I think I answered that in my post. The same reason I did it the first time. My health is more important than anything else. I have no restriction. I want my restriction back. I have good food habits, but one can't eat 600-800 calories a day without restriction. Actually, yes, models and actresses do it. Perhaps a regain at 3 years would not have been a big deal because I still had some restriction. One of the questions the surgeon asked me when I first contacted him was how much of a sandwich I could eat. I had to go out and buy a sandwich, which I hadn't done in 7 years, and then, try to eat it. It blew my mind that I could eat the whole thing. Another tidbit, a couple I'm friends with who had their VSGs 10 years ago, have both regained 75% of their weight and both had plastics -- I have not had plastics.

I've read all the clichés on this board: My feeling is that the opinions expressed by others are not informed by who I am, where I come from nor what my genes or DNA are nor my experience. We are not all the same. However, I enjoy reading everyone's experience because I learn something here and there.

I know my biggest mistakes: carbonated water and prosecco. I drink carbonated water, like it's regular water. Every day for the last 3 years -- huge mistake. In my professional life, there was much socializing, before covid. I drank prosecco and champagne, 2 to 3 nights a week. Both very bad for the stomach. Huge errors I will not make again. I stopped drinking carbonated anything in June of this year.

And another big reason, that is personal, is that there is rampant diabetes causing blindness in my family, my great-grandfather, grandfather and mother are/were blind (great grandfather and grandfather are deceased), but none is/was obese, just 20 to 40 lb overweight. That scares me.

Anyway, Kay, my journey is not yours. You have your own reasons for doing or not doing what you do, of course, and I wish you all the best.

Good Morning!

I wrote this blog post for anyone that has anxiety before their Gastric Sleeve Surgery.

Check it out here:

https://www.endobariatric.com/weblog/2020/12/02/calming-anxi ety-before-gastric-sleeve-surgery/

Regards

Dr. Alvarez