Is it difficult to keep the weight off with the sleeve?

I know folks can lose a lot of weight with the sleeve but is it difficult to keep off once you have lost it?  I have heard that some folks that are out several years have to eat very little calories and work out daily to maintain. What has been your experience and how far out are you? Also, some folks have said they made life changes after their surgery such as watching fat content, calories and working out often. I'm curious as to how folks are able to do that post surgery when they weren't able to do it pre-surgery. What enables them to do so?

Sunshine,

I like your name! I am 17 months out from surgery and Love to exercise. When I was at my highest weight (267) exercise was not possible due to sore and arthritic knee joints (even walking was a challenge). I grew up swimming, dancing, playing tennis, running and with water sports galore. I'm been living near the beach for nearly 10 years, but hated to go because I did not look decent in a bathing suit. As my weight loss progressed, so did my activity level. After an initial 40 pound loss walking was much easier...so I started hiking and doing the treadmill. Then I was dancing again, so another 20 pounds came off. It just got easier and easier to exercise as the weight loss happened and I felt "successful." Now, I feel like a winner all the time and my personal trainer calls me her "athelete." I'm grinning and feeling great as I write this. It's a process....but a fun one! I'm certain you will be successful at it too.

 

I'm 3.5 years out on Dec. 11th. I reached goal in six months, so I've been maintaining for almost 3 years. I do NOT find it difficult at all. I need 1300 calories per day to maintain. I have good restriction and don't experience real hunger. I purposely did not become an exercise "guru" after surgery. I knew I'd get bored, so I made lifestyle changes, as natural to me as breathing. I track my food on my fitness pal, I weigh every morning, I weigh and/or measure my food. Simple as that....and I attend a support group, one with real, live people.

A twisted ankle, boredom nor old age will risk re-gain!! Life is good, and for the first time in my adult life, I feel no guilt when I eat something that prior to surgery I might have. I do "move", I park out when I go to the store, on purpose I make additional trips upstairs....but I haven't been in a gym for over ten years for formal exercise. I have leg weights that I wear occasionally, I have a weighted ball that I'll toss around, but "real" exercise. No.

I am 23 months out, and so far maintaining has been easy.  Every so often I fall off the wagon, the weight takes a tick up, but then I crawl back on and clean up the eating.  I am 13 pounds under goal at the moment.  I eat 1600+ calories a day.  During weight loss I exercised 6 days a week, but now it is only 2-3 and less strenuos too.  I do find when I don't exercise I am more prone to eating crap.  It is much easier to maintain post op than preop- less hunger and less capacity goes a long way!  I do eat mindfully, but pretty regularly eat sweets or other forms of junk food- more than I should, but not enough to gain.  For me, the several months right after surgery helped to reset everything- I started craving healthier foods, lost my taste for fast food, appreciate just how easy it is to grab a shake (yea, I am that lazy), etc.  Tough to wrap your head around preop. 

I absolutely LOVE that I had the gastric sleeve.  I am 27 months out from surgery and about 5 pounds below my original goal.  With the sleeve you have a lot of restriction so will probably only be able to eat a cup of food at a time for the rest of your life.  Of course, this depends on the type of food.  You can eat more soup/liquid foods and less proteins like chicken or steak .  You will focus on eating 60-80 grams of protein a day which isn't really difficult.  I keep track every day on My Fitness Pal and have for over 740 days.  I walk 3-4 miles up to 5 times a week, depending on the weather.  Of course you have to work your way up to that.  I started walking about a mile and gradually increased the distance.  That is the name of the game, gradual change.  Since weather is cold now I am working out at home some.  Exercise is almost addictive but I would never have believed I could do what I do now.  If you are trying to choose which surgery to have, please seriously consider the gastric sleeve.  I believe it is the most normal lifestyle after surgery.  BEST of luck to you now and forever!!!