Question for the vets: Fear of regain

^^^This exactly

So much wisdom in this post. i have learned so much reading the responses. i am still a newbie, but i have wondered if this fear i feel would be permanent. fraud is the perfect word for it. i feel like a fraud. but knowing others have felt it,and moved past it is liberating. thank you to everyone who posted here and especially to Mahonia R. who posted originally it was so helpful

All I can say is that it can and does happen .. No use in "scale denial" ..

My personal story, utilizing the supposedly fool-proof DS procedure:

1- Starting weight was 461 lbs., 61 BMI (i.e. "super obese").

2- Lost approximately 210 lbs. in 10 months following surgery in 8/06 (a "record" for my surgeon's previous patients), going down to 251 lbs.

3- Before the end of year 1, I noticed a very gradual increase in weight taking place. This was very frustrating, being that I had wished to get down to the 180s (IIRC, 251 was "obese").

4- Weight regain was still fairly slow, but steady, over the next 8-9 years, finally hitting 300 again.

5- Within the past two years or so, weight has floated between 324 and 330. This means I have regained about 1/3 of what I lost originally (i.e. EWL). I know some folks would point to that as "not bad" @ 16 years post-op, as many WLSers, esp. non-DSers, have regained more than that amount within that same period of time (or less). . Even the nurse to one major WLS (DS) surgeon has told me that WLS should not be considered a failure until and unless the patient regains at least 50% of their EWL. Oh well, at least my lipid levels (with the sole exception of my triglycerides @ last blood check) are still well within normal levels and my diabetes, although somewhat returned, only requires oral meds and not insulin again.

PAUL - You are NOT NOT NOT a failure!! Not even a SEMI one! You can get back on track, lose that regain, and keep on going, to your original goal, if that is what you want to do. You just have to WANT it!

There are a million things I don't know jack about, but I DO know about regain/reloss/regain/reloss...I was a hot mess...It took me 9 YEARS to get to goal, but I'm 16 years out, now, and stay at about 15-20 pounds BELOW goal...and I'm 60 years old...with no plastics...I am proof ANYTHING can be done, if you can get mad enough, at yourself, and want to change!

I will absolutely help you, any way I possibly can

I do not consider myself a vet, however I am nearing 5 years post-op VSG. I still fear regain, every day. But I never looked at that as a bad thing. To me it's a good thing because if I stop fearing it, I feel I may become to lax and slip back into bad habits. So it's always there in the back of my mind and I think about it at least once a day. It doesn't interfere with how I feel, but that thought it always there. A constant reminder that I do not want to go back where I came from.