Effect of the surgery <3 years or 5 years

Long term - some of the complex carbs are stil  carbs that may turn to sugar. I.e. grains.   I avoid grains and most fruits.   You would have to find out what works for you long term. 

My doctor at the Cleveland Clinic told me that the real "tell" of long term success comes between years 3 and 5.  He said that in his opinion, these are the years that show fully if effective changes have really been made or if the person has relied solely on surgery to "fix" the problem.  

He joked that he's never had a patient worry that they are losing too much once they're in year three. By year four, many are asking about revisions.  He said he can usually predict those patients by their attitudes at the three year mark.  He is very matter-of-fact.

He warned that in year two to three (where we both are since we share surgery dates), it's easy to have "diet fatigue" -- we've had the high of losing an enormous amount of weight, we begin to forget the misery of where we come from and we just want to believe that we are now "normal."  A bit of leniency here and there -- lets the carb monster sneak back in --- and like any addict, we begin to justify and ignore the signs of impending disaster.

He is a strong advocate of a very low carb eating plan and getting below goal during the first two years... to give a small bounce back cushion.  So far, his advice has been good for me.

It's a daily struggle.  That's why I try to learn as much as I can from all the successful vets who paved the road before me.  I am so grateful for their wisdom.