Surgical Solutions for Regain?

 Hi there,

It's been a really long time since I've been on this board, so consider me a newbie.  I'm 7 years post-op, and 110 lbs. down from my pre-surgery weight.  Problem is, I *used* to be 150+ lbs. down. So finally, after 2 post-op pregnancies, regain has caught up with me.  I also finally quit nicotine, and finished breastfeeding.  Within a couple months of that the weight started piling on.

Mind you, I ate a lot during and after my pregnancies, had 2 very healthy 7 lb. babies naturally, and breastfed successfully.  I am really proud of that.  I never gained more than 10 or 12 pounds while pregnant and have generally taken very good care of my health.  But I know I stretched my stomach.  I still have a probably adequate amount of malabsorption, but I'm reallllly hungry all the time, and my stomach is always sending me crazy messages that I must eat eat eat.  I try to cut carbs, I keep food journals, walk around all day with a pedometer,  and have a PCP appt. tomorrow to figure out how I injured my knee while exercising so that I can get back on track.

Anyway, in the event that I cannot lose the 40+ pounds through diet and exercise alone (imagine that!!!) and do not want to be over 300 pounds again, does anyone know about a surgical solution to research?  I'm not up on everything these days.  Another VSG?  A Lap Band?  Or am I the first person with this problem daring to ask this.  

The DS still rocks the world and I would do it 10 times over!!!  I kind of want to :).
Annie

You might want to try keeping some high protein snacks at hand so that when you wake up NEEDING to eat, you can take something that's good for you.

Refined carbs are notorious for making you want to eat more the more you eat refined carbs.  A real vicious circle.

 Congrats on breast feeding!  I am jealous....something in my vitamins really made my son scream.  I managed six weeks before switching to formula..

I am almost seven years out....one baby post op (I hope for another!). I lost 275lbs from my highest weight (210 from surgery weight).  I have maintained 235lbs of that....I am also up forty from my lowest and boy can I eat!  I easily eat 5000 calories a day...and not all 'healthy' calories.

I have seen some DSers either get a band over their stomach or a revision to make  the stomach smaller.  I haven't been around enough to know if they were successful or not.  

I figure a second surgery probably would yield success but for how long?  I am guilty too...I need to get my eating under control.

I know for me if I cut out all flour, bread, rice, pasta and sugar (I mean eating veggies and meat only) I can lose 10lbs in a week or so.  

Talk to your surgeon and see what he says.


Cindy

Good luck!

Cindy

Well, I  could recommend opening a restaurant.  I dropped 15 lbs quickly doing that myself and never worked so hard in my life.  I thought I was active enough, but my body obviously needed more. Do the protein loading and your crazy messages will subside.  Of course that protein has to be as easy to grab as a cookie in the jar, because with 2 toddlers, that's all you have time to do is grab something and shove it in your mouth. 

Well surgical options would be getting sleeved again for increased restriction.

Being sleeved again can be dangerous as is any surgery.    Do you feel that your malabsorption is still good (ever see oil with your stool etc.?) but your restriction is gone?  

If we are talking 40 lbs. you may or may not even qualify for any revision work.   Most have found even years after surgury ... just getting back to basics will get things moving again. 

High Protein
Carbs under 50 a day
lots of water
get moving to whatever level you can

Good luck.

 Cut your carbs drastically and increase your activity. Regain can be lost if you go back to basics. Make sure you have easy to go to protein foods on hand and opt for them over carbs.....fill in the gaps with protein shakes.  I would really have to be desparate and exhausted all of my efforts to consider a revision. Revisions are so risky!