regaining 22 months post op

Hi, I am curious for those of us post-ops:

How much did you lose total on your best day?

How much have you regained on your worse day?

Where are you now?

Here is my info:

Started:  302 best day: 154 (148 pounds lost) worse day:  183  (29 pound REGAIN) today:  180 (26 pound regain)

I am so frustrated.  My capacity is so large, I feel like I eat just like I did pre-WLS capacity wise but I do make wiser eating decisions.  At 180+ I am OBESE again on the BMI charts.

I am thinking about the stoma tightening surgery....has anyone thought of it?

Please share if you've regained, I hope I'm not alone.

You are so not alone!  The typical WLS patient regains 15 lbs from their lowest weight.  From my very lowest weight I am up 14 lbs.  I am consulting with a surgeon on this Tuesday about the stoma tightening procedure you describe.  I don't have any real information yet  or am not sure I will do it, but, since I never got to my personal goal of 199 (I'm about 250 now) I would really like to take off more weight and I feel I never really feel full as food seems to just pass through my pouch. Lori

Thanks for posting.  Can you let me know how your visit goes on Tuesday?

Will do.  If I forget to post, please email me [email protected]

KB, I just got back from the doctor.  I don't know what I'm going to do.   This is a very new procedure.  It is not covered by insurance.  He estimated the cost at $7000.  I've been saving for my plastic surgery so I have it, but, should I really do this????  He says he would do an upper GI endoscopic procedure to see if I'm a good candidate and if I am he said he can do the procedure while he was there.  It is an outpatient surgery.  He basically puts in a device that tightens the stoma.  He says most patients return to work after a few days.  He has only done this on 15 patients.  He said there is a surgeon back in New York that perfected the procedure and so even though he has only done 15, there is only 1 guy with more experience.  It was just recently approved by the FDA as safe.  I would be a guinea pig, in that there is not a long track record with this.  I just don't know...part of me really just wants to do this...part of me feels like I still haven't done as well as I could on my own... Lori

Hi KB, On my best or the lowest weight that I have been at I have lost 140 lbs.   At my worst....probably 130.   I am 4 months post op from a LBL and the swelling is driving me NUTS !!!   My weight is a roller coaster from day to day.   It is up one day and down the next.   It is so frustrating.   I weight 2 times a day which I have been told is a NO NO but ya know....if it keeps me from getting fat again....then who is it hurting???   It is keeping me from going overboard with my weight.   I don't ever intend to be morbidly obese again......EVER !!!!   Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

Hi, KB!  I'm just over 22 months out, so you and I are in the same boat, so to speak.  To answer your specific questions -

How much did you lose total on your best day? 199 pounds How much have you regained on your worse day? About 10 pounds Where are you now?  201.4

Here are my stats: Beginning weight:  396 Surgery weight:  386 Today:  201.4 I have not experienced the same regain that some folks have.  Or perhaps I should say I haven't experienced that regain YET.  I'm doing three things to try and prevent regaining any substantial portion of what I've lost. First, I still keep track of everything I eat every day.  I use software from calorieking on my Palm Pilot.  You can also use the free tracking program at fitday.com.  I think this is critical because it helps me understand the relationship between how many calories I eat and what I weigh.  It also helps me maintain a good relationship between carbs, proteins and fats.  (I am for 50% of my daily calories from carbs, 25% from protein, and 25% from fat.)   Second, I weigh myself every day and I keep track of that information.  Combined with the information on my daily calorie/protein/carb/fat intake referenced above, this helps me understand the relationship between how much I eat and what I weigh.  If I have a few bad days, it shows up on the scale pretty quickly.  And then I change whatever I've been doing "wrong" (too many carbs, not enough fluids, not enough exercise, not enough proteins, too much fat, etc.).   Third, I exercise 6-8 times per week.  I do strength training 2-3 times per week, plus cardio 4-5 times per week.  I still like to eat, and the exercise helps me burn off calories so I can eat some of the things I want.  Also, the strength training helps build muscle tissue, which in turn increases my metabolic rate.  Increased metabolic rate = more calories needed on a day-to-day basis to function.  Again, back to the idea that I still like to eat.  So my reasons for exercising are two-fold:  (1) maintaining improved health, and (2) being able to eat more carbs that most WLS folks.   In terms of food capacity, I cannot eat as much as I could prior to my surgery at one sitting.  But I can still eat 4,000 calories in one day by grazing and drinking when I eat.  Especially if I eat a lot of processed carbs.   Good luck getting a grip on your situation.  It's a challenge -  Kellie