VSG over five years out

[JackieOnLine]

I had my VSG in Mexico over five years ago and I got down to goal in about a year and a half. I will never know how much I lost because when I got to 220 pounds I stopped weighing myself, but it was a bit over 100 pounds. the lowest weight I reached was 130 and I've since put on roughly 10. I don't currently own a scale but I wear size 8 jeans. so besides a VSGer I am also a Lightweight.

what a truly dull post! :LOL: I used to read and post daily, at least, on the subject of WLS and I seem to have lost the knack.

I can tell you a lot of people had very different experiences than I did - my restriction was extreme and my honeymoon period (where you lose weight easily) went on for years. about 3 1/2, seems like. I truly felt like I had "taken the easy way" and see nothing wrong with that. but I know a lot of people have to work at it and I do, too, now that I am finally in maintenance.

My take is that there are few absolutes when it comes to a post-op program but there are a lot of things that seem to help most people. tracking your intake, for example. drinking water.

whatever your experiences or your questions, please feel free to post. the vertical sleeve gastrectomy is an excellent surgery and I am very glad I learned about it from reading other people's experiences online.

 

[huneypie]

Who was your surgeon?

 

[JackieOnLine]

whooops - duh. I was planning on putting that in my sig. It was Dr. Alberto Aceves - he was excellent and the hospital was wonderful, too. I'd get surgery there again anytime.

 

[huneypie]

He has a good reputation. Now that you mention it, I think you posted that elsewhere. Surgeon and surgery type are handy in the siggy ;-)

 

[southernlady]

The VSG is an excellent option for those who do not need the malabsorption.

Glad you are doing so well, Jackie.

 

[Jo777]

Hey Jackie!

 

[Lynn5707]

I am about 2 1/2 years out, lowest weight was 128 for about one week, slowly this past year I've gained up to 149!!! In process of it coming off now. Thank you for your post, it really helps me to know people do keep it off!

 

[Jo777]

Aceves does do tight sleeves, and for that I'm really happy. My restriction leveled out at about a year, and has stayed the same.. I still get full on less than 3/4c of food, or 3 oz or less of pure meat.. As long as I eat 3 meals, a few snacks and stay away from sugar and grains (for the most part, save for the rare pizza night, where 1.5 slices is done) I'm pretty good. I went in at 264 (had been losing before), bottomed out at a very boney (like, icky boney no-chest 130 something) and hold steady somewhere in the mid-mid/high 140's. If I hit 155, I'm having way too much fun, and need to dial it back. I like to stay in sz 8, have drifted up, and been lower.. but unless I'm being stupid about my nutrition, maintenance is fairly decent with the tiny-stomach help. If I gain, I can easily pin it on bad food choices or being too liberal with bad drink choices. Real food, meat, fat and veggies don't seem to do any harm.. add in simple carbs or that sort, and insta-puff happens.

 

[bearmom]

So we sorta have the same birthday! But I'm a year ahead, so I get to be the bossy one.

I'm curious if you know what size your sleeve was made originally.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

My sister had VSG in October of 2011. She lost well over 100 pounds, but couldn't break the 200# weight mark. She had plastics, because she was TRULY misshapen, with LOTS of hanging outer thigh tissue just hanging there. Post-PS in February of 2013, she was down to 182, but still "needed" to lose another 50# or so.

But she gained 17.

So she started going to the gym and has lost five of those pounds.

She is just a better human than I am. So she is working it. I'd probably be doing severe depression and digging my way out of a bag of peanut butter cups.

I think she'll be headed toward her goal in no time.