Welp. I just scared the cr@p out of myself.

Was awake & watching YouTube videos & came across one about VSG failure. This woman basically said she did everything right and still regained - never even got to goal & then gained back 25 lbs from her lowest. People in the comments were talking about their failed VSGs and how so many fail and it's really common. None of my research backs up the statement that most VSGs fail, but it still made me very nervous. 

I don't want that to be me. I'm doing everything I can so far & have a plan for future months. I'm down a good amount after just two weeks, getting my protein in (most days I hit 60-65, others have been lower) and water (lowest was 48 oz). I'm walking more each day. I'm not even sure why I'm posting this, just having a mini-freak out, I think. 

Be scared, be nervous, be freaked out..... fear failure....

Use it in to your advantage and knowledge base..... more people should.

The VSG is not a standardized procedure..... surgeries can vary greatly, plans are all over the place, good aftercare seems rare and most seem to go without it. Results can be all over the place.

Over confident is the downfall of many. When you read about a 3 month out telling a 3 year out how to get back on track..... you do have to wonder.

The numbers that get bounced around for the VSG is an average EWL of 50-60%

We have about the same numbers with about 200lbs. to lose. This would mean we would lose about a 100lbs. as per the average.

It sounds like your doing great and very committed to this process. Revisit your post here every so often to remind yourself. Your posting here makes me remind myself that even at near 6 years out, I don't have anything in the bag and I must always be vigilant and mindful of what I have to do.

Keep the path !

frisco

About 5 years before my surgery, I had a friend/acquaintance who was having weight loss surgery.  She was so enthusiastic and hopeful and reasonably successful after surgery. I hadn't seen her in years, so when I finally decided to have my VSG, I called her to share my good news.  She told me that she had never reached goal and had gained most of the weight back.  I was stunned.  She was so optimistic, and yet had failed.  I asked her why and she told me, she broke all the rules.  She'd drink liquids with her meals,  she didn't eat dense proteins first, she got in the habit of grazing again, and she didn'****ch her calories.

This was sobering to me.  It made it clear that you can defeat the sleeve if you don't follow the program.  I decided right then and there that if I was going to do something as drastic and removing most of my stomach, I darn-well was going to stick to my plan. 

Her story  helped me to make the commitment.  You really have to follow your plan, but if you do, you can succeed.  I always say that weight loss surgery doesn't make it easy, but it makes it possible.  You have to do the work.  But it is possible.  I know.  I lost 225 pounds and went from a BMI of 60 to a BMI of 24.  I'm a normal weight now.  And I'm still diligent about following my plan. 

best wishes,

Carol

The overwhelming majority of those who never get to goal or gain most of the weight back are those who did not learn a new lifestyle. They wanted a "magic" surgery and did not want to do any work. Their surgery did not "fail". Some do learn their lesson and get themselves back on track, but many do not. It is easier to blame the surgery than to take responsibility for our actions. Those who are successful getting to goal and staying there made big changes in their eating habits and are active. You get to decide your path.

Frisco nailed it on what is officially considered "successful" being 50-60% ewl.  That being the case, the poster you saw *****gained 25 lbs is still considered successful regardless of how she felt about it. 

In reality, a little regain from the lowest should be expected over the course of a few years post op.  Thats why it's so important to maximize that first year to not goof off, because it gets harder after that.  Even with the Duodenal Switch, average bounceback is about 15-20% of ewl.  I regained 14%, which equals about 20lbs.  Knowing that this is normal, I'm not stressing over it and it came with boobs, LOL.

It is sobering.  And it is good to keep in mind.  I'm nearly 1.5 years out and I can easily eat enough food to gain weight.  If I follow my program it is not hard to maintain, but if I start eating the wrong things -- watch out!  

You can do this.  The key is understanding it is a change forever, not just until you lose the weight.

First off thank you all for shareing your words of wisdom. I needed to hear them all today and yes I needed to hear that you got scared molfish. I need to get scared I am at goal or was at goal and maintaining for about a year and a half and in the last two months I have put on 2 to 3 lbs and can't seem to get them off. I know that does not sound like much in the overall plan, but it is a slippery slope. I stay within calories and I work out/run. In the last few months I have been slipping on my running - due to an injury - but mostly due to being not focused. I have been eating the wrong things not all the time but enough to make a difference in the scale. I know how easy it is to lie to myself about food and kid myself. At three years out this is still very much me who has to decide what I want and do what I need to do to keep my weight loss. So again Thank you everyone for your comments and my reality check!  Lorna

I found various 'fails' before I had surgery - I think that is why I have a goal that is quite different than my doctors. 

My goals are to hit 200 pounds, be fit and healthy and stay there using the tool surgery gave me - anything more (eg, the docs 180-85) is icing on the cake, so to speak. It would not be a standardized 'normal', but when have I ever been 'normal'? Lol!

I've never looked at myself and seen a 150pd person trying to get out, so I dont feel the push to be there and that I will be a failure if I dont. Everything less than my starting weight is a healthier, longer living, happier me.

I know most will think that is a self defeating mind set, but it works for me for now. Who knows, maybe I'll blow right past It and find myself with a new goal of a lower weight that I will see then as feasible.

Today, achieving 112pds lighter sounds like a pretty damn good effort at reinventing my health - of course, achieving it might be the easier path, keeping it off I am learning from those more years out is quite a different thing, and I'm sure I will have to refigure my goals to stay there quite considerably.

one of the best things to help manager staying on plan and limiting gain back is support , a great support group does wonders , go to your surgeons support group if he/ she does not have one start on your self

 also a  good friend  or family member  that can gently remind you to stay on plan helps many , set a new goal , get down to a certain size so you can fit into nicer summer cloths , you need to keep you mind on staying on plan

Well that's whats good about this board. It keeps it green. So we see someone else do something wrong and they gain it back. I know it can happen and I don't want it to be me. I will keep coming back daily to read about success and failures. Thanks for posting