Lack of results from weight loss surgery?

[Princesca]

Just wondering if anyone here had had weight loss surgery, specifically gastric sleeve, and not had the results they were expecting. I had it back in 2018, never lost more than 30% of my excess weight from surgery. Even in the beginning, I had way more of an appetite than other people I knew who got the surgery, but the surgeon's office just kept saying to be patient, it would come off. Now, three years later, I have gained everything back that I lost from surgery. I've only kept off what I lost on the pre-surgery diet.

My diet prior to surgery was not bad. My classes were filled with people who lived on Mt. Dew and Doritos. I haven't had sugared soda in decades. Yes, sometimes I ate (and eat) things that aren't conducive to weight loss, but I've been obese pretty much my entire life and have always had a terrible time losing weight and am way too fast at putting it back on. I did Whole30 for a month and lost 3 lbs, and gained it back as soon as we went back to normal eating. My wife lost around 15 lbs. that month.

I don't really know what to do now. For me, WLS was the 'extreme' option. I was sure it would work. I know it's just a tool, not an answer, but even as a tool it was never as restrictive as it should have been. Am I just biologically programmed to be the lone survivor of global famine?

At the moment, I'm doing My Fitness Pal, logging my food with a goal of one lb per week weight loss. It's going okay, but I'm still left wondering why WLS works for so many people and did not work at all for me. My SIL had sleeve and is eating things like Pop Tarts and fast food and has kept off all her weight loss for almost two years now.

 

[mommasita]

That sounds so frustrating. What % are you, or what us the norm after such a surgery ? I am sorry, I have no experience in this, and do not know anyone who has had it.
That really doesn’t make sense though, logically. Are you able to see another surgeon? What if there was a mishap in surgery ?

Although your SIL may be eating those things, you know you are what you eat right ? I mean, I hope she is not eating that religiously.

 

[Karin1984]

I had two colleagues who had a gastric sleeve. One lost the weight, the other hardly. And it was very clear why, it wasn't necessarily what she ate, but how much. The colleague who lost the weight really paid attention to her portion sizes. Always. Whenever there was cake at the office, she took a little bit, and/or saved it for later. The other didn't pay attention at all to portion size and that her stomach no longer had the original size. With the result she stretched her stomach back to her original size (sort of).

I would stop comparing yourself to others. You have your body, they have theirs. Not a soul will be 100% honest with you about what they eat or not eat when you are not around. You will never hear their full story. And even if you did know, your body is different from theirs, you can never copy 1-1 and get the same results.
Focus on a healthy diet you can maintain for the rest of your life.

 

[Lewisc]

Weigh and log your food for a few weeks. You want to know if you're eating more then you realize.

You need the help of professionals. Review all your medications. Some "promote" weight gain.

THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO YOU. I read about a number of patients who drank full flavored milk shakes after gastric surgery Satisfied cravings but not weight loss

 

[Princesca]

THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO YOU. I read about a number of patients who drank full flavored milk shakes after gastric surgery Satisfied cravings but not weight loss

Yeah, you can definitely out eat the sleeve if you eat sugar, esp sugar in liquid form. Sleeve is volume restriction, and sugar packs a ton of calories into a small space.

 

[Princesca]

That sounds so frustrating. What % are you, or what us the norm after such a surgery ? I am sorry, I have no experience in this, and do not know anyone who has had it.
That really doesn’t make sense though, logically. Are you able to see another surgeon? What if there was a mishap in surgery ?

Although your SIL may be eating those things, you know you are what you eat right ? I mean, I hope she is not eating that religiously.

I was told the "average" weight loss for sleeve was 65% of your excess weight. I never got that. For me that would have been like 90 lbs, and the most I ever got to was about 50, and that was a real struggle.

In retrospect, I wish I had been more appreciative of how far I came, rather than being anxious over it not working for me to the degree I was assured it would. I wish I had focused more on maintaining that, but that's just not where I was then and now I'm almost back to square one.

Sometimes restrictions aren't as small as they should be and people do get revisions, but I don't think I want to go there again.

 

[bakerworld]

As someone who has fought weight all my life my only answer is motivation to eat 90% vegetation and 10% protein consistently. When I don't eat that way - which I often do not - than I just keep gaining until I scare myself back into a vegetative diet. It's depressing and boring but it's my reality. Good luck with finding your reality.

 

[AgentMama]

Weight loss truly is calorie reduction, and to maintain it, its a change of lifestyle for how you eat. You can't diet. Like a previous poster said, you have to maintain the eating lifestyle that created the weight loss. It is indeed a boring lifestyle.

 

[DVC92]

I was overweight as a teen but lost weight once I got to college where my parents weren't overfeeding me. To stay fit I do two things. One is watching my calorie intake, and the other is exercising daily. There is only one way to lose weight w/o surgery and that is to burn more calories than you consume. The only place I overeat is Disney but with all the walking I do there, it is easy to get away with.

 

[Princesca]

I was overweight as a teen but lost weight once I got to college where my parents weren't overfeeding me. To stay fit I do two things. One is watching my calorie intake, and the other is exercising daily. There is only one way to lose weight w/o surgery and that is to burn more calories than you consume. The only place I overeat is Disney but with all the walking I do there, it is easy to get away with.

I've done a pretty good job the past month or so logging all my food in MyFitnessPal. I have it set to lose a pound a week, which doesn't feel like I'm sacrificing a whole lot. I figure a very gradual weight loss is probably best, since fast did not work for me at all.

The exercise is a little more challenging :/

 

[Goldelpack]

My weight loss surgery experience: History - I had major foot, knee, lower back issues from my late teens onward. I was overweight but quite active for the most part. I'm about 5'. Every doctor said the same thing - lose weight. Lose weight. Lose weight. My 1st attempt was going on an OPTIFAST only "diet" where I drank supplemental shakes for 6 months (my early 20's at this point). At the end I was around 100 lbs and my body looked great but I felt like crap - no energy, dizzy all the time, sad. At first I was able to walk much longer without stiffening up or pain but not always. Once back on regular food I followed a very very low calorie diet and consistently gained weight. The more I tried to exercise the more discomfort I felt. Had lots of lower body issues - cortisone became my pal as well as pain reducers, etc. By the time I hit my 30s I was renting a scooter for the duration of any vacation. In my 40s I had a bunch of tests and it was determined that I had degenerative disc and joint issues related to both psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis with some different types of nerve issues and some conditions I was born with concerning my back & hips... turns out that even if I'd been 100 lbs my whole life I'd have issues! However, being overweight poses other issues and I truly believed if I could keep the weight off I would be able to walk & exercise more - and my Drs agreed.
In 2006 I had a full gastric bypass and once again was able to lose massive amounts of weight. I was close to 300 lbs at surgery and got back down to 125. Looked and felt pretty good and was unable to eat very much due to my smaller than egg size stomach. (Still had lower body issues!) By 2016 I noticed that my entire body was "shifting" - as in I had rolls of skin developing everywhere.
FF to now - I still can't eat very much. My metabolism is completely screwed up - and all the issues I had the surgery for are completely still there. It is suggested I have "panniculus" treatment - surgery to remove the buildup of fat tissue. I'm 60 now (well in JULY) and not sure that's worth it.
What I learned over time is that being as active physically as you can and eating 1/2 of what you normally do works great. But losing the weight is not necessarily the cure. If someone looks at me I look completely obese! But it's 80% skin. Good luck to all who struggle with this.

 

[disneyerin]

Just wondering if anyone here had had weight loss surgery, specifically gastric sleeve, and not had the results they were expecting. I had it back in 2018, never lost more than 30% of my excess weight from surgery. Even in the beginning, I had way more of an appetite than other people I knew who got the surgery, but the surgeon's office just kept saying to be patient, it would come off. Now, three years later, I have gained everything back that I lost from surgery. I've only kept off what I lost on the pre-surgery diet.

My diet prior to surgery was not bad. My classes were filled with people who lived on Mt. Dew and Doritos. I haven't had sugared soda in decades. Yes, sometimes I ate (and eat) things that aren't conducive to weight loss, but I've been obese pretty much my entire life and have always had a terrible time losing weight and am way too fast at putting it back on. I did Whole30 for a month and lost 3 lbs, and gained it back as soon as we went back to normal eating. My wife lost around 15 lbs. that month.

I don't really know what to do now. For me, WLS was the 'extreme' option. I was sure it would work. I know it's just a tool, not an answer, but even as a tool it was never as restrictive as it should have been. Am I just biologically programmed to be the lone survivor of global famine?

At the moment, I'm doing My Fitness Pal, logging my food with a goal of one lb per week weight loss. It's going okay, but I'm still left wondering why WLS works for so many people and did not work at all for me. My SIL had sleeve and is eating things like Pop Tarts and fast food and has kept off all her weight loss for almost two years now.

I know how frustrating this can be. I've tried just about everything as well.

Have you heard of a brand new drug called Tirzepatide? It sounds kind of amazing in that it helps with hunger and weight loss and has already had break through results for folks with diabetes.
But the rub is that you have to have Diabetes. I'm pre-diabetic so I don't qualify right now. Just sitt'n here with my Nutri-System meals....

But I'd check it out.
Good Luck!

 

[Princesca]

I know how frustrating this can be. I've tried just about everything as well.

Have you heard of a brand new drug called Tirzepatide? It sounds kind of amazing in that it helps with hunger and weight loss and has already had break through results for folks with diabetes.
But the rub is that you have to have Diabetes. I'm pre-diabetic so I don't qualify right now. Just sitt'n here with my Nutri-System meals....

But I'd check it out.
Good Luck!

Yes! I have been following the results people are getting with semaglutide and tirzepetide. I'm planning to go to see an endocrinologist after vacation and I'm hoping he might be able to get tirzepatide for me. My A1C is one tenth of a point outside the "normal" range, so maybe...

 

[disneyerin]

Yes! I have been following the results people are getting with semaglutide and tirzepetide. I'm planning to go to see an endocrinologist after vacation and I'm hoping he might be able to get tirzepatide for me. My A1C is one tenth of a point outside the "normal" range, so maybe...

Good Luck!

 

[DL1WDW2]

Trying to research those new drugs on market.
Please report back after your doctor visit.

What is this Keto diet ? Anybody finding this as healthy choice?

 

[Princesca]

Trying to research those new drugs on market.
Please report back after your doctor visit.

What is this Keto diet ? Anybody finding this as healthy choice?

Keto has good short term weight loss results but not great long term ones for overall health, at least from the research I've done. Gradual weight loss is more likely to stay off as well. I'm trying to focus on eating whole foods, more plants, less processed and red meat.

 

[Pamela_Mit]

Trying to research those new drugs on market.
Please report back after your doctor visit.

What is this Keto diet ? Anybody finding this as healthy choice?

Yep, the Keto diet is good I practiced it last year. It helps to reduce weight, that is right but when I stopped the diet the weight gained rapidly. Then I started to follow some simple weight loss exercises at home with the help of a therapist. It made a big difference in my weight. Better to practice exercise follows by a diet that makes you successful.

 

[FAITHOMAS]

Just wondering if anyone here had had weight loss surgery, specifically gastric sleeve, and not had the results they were expecting. I had it back in 2018, never lost more than 30% of my excess weight from surgery. Even in the beginning, I had way more of an appetite than other people I knew who got the surgery, but the surgeon's office just kept saying to be patient, it would come off. Now, three years later, I have gained everything back that I lost from surgery. I've only kept off what I lost on the pre-surgery diet.

My diet prior to surgery was not bad. My classes were filled with people who lived on Mt. Dew and Doritos. I haven't had sugared soda in decades. Yes, sometimes I ate (and eat) things that aren't conducive to weight loss, but I've been obese pretty much my entire life and have always had a terrible time losing weight and am way too fast at putting it back on. I did Whole30 for a month and lost 3 lbs, and gained it back as soon as we went back to normal eating. My wife lost around 15 lbs. that month.

I don't really know what to do now. For me, WLS was the 'extreme' option. I was sure it would work. I know it's just a tool, not an answer, but even as a tool it was never as restrictive as it should have been. Am I just biologically programmed to be the lone survivor of global famine?

At the moment, I'm doing My Fitness Pal, logging my food with a goal of one lb per week weight loss. It's going okay, but I'm still left wondering why WLS works for so many people and did not work at all for me. My SIL had sleeve and is eating things like Pop Tarts and fast food and has kept off all her weight loss for almost two years now.

As someone who gains weight even by smelling food, understand your frustration. But, I know people who out-eated their sleeve. consult a nutritionist who will specifically make a plan for you. Good luck

 

[Miffy]

OP, I'm very sorry to hear about your experience. However, I do think you can turn this into a positive for yourself. Realize that there is no quick fix for you and that you have to stop "dieting." Why? Because basically all diets work, it's just that staying on them is next to impossible for most people. That's why people regain the weight they lost on their diet.

Your job is to find a lifestyle change that you can live with indefinitely, one that includes some kind of food restriction (type of food, quantity of food, time of eating/fasting, portion size, or all of these things) and a regular exercise regimen . . . all that are things you can keep doing.

And do not focus on how much weight you're losing per week or per month, because if you make a lifestyle change that's about healthy eating and regular exercise, you will eventually lose all or most of the weight you want to lose. It just may take a lot longer than you wish it would.

Good luck to you, and be grateful that you didn't have the experience that someone I know did--they developed peritonitis after their WLS and died. Yes, I'm not making this up.

ETA: When I refer to "fasting," what I mean is the period between stopping eating for the day and resuming eating the next day. If you aren't having a period of no food consumption--for example, between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.--that's something you should look into doing.

 

[Disturbia]

Congrats on loosing 50lbs! That is no easy feat.

The problem is insulin resistance. Insulin is a very powerful hunger hormone. If you get stressed, the hormone cortisol blocks something that is supposed to stop insulin and then you end up looking like someone with Addison's disease (hint me). All the chemicals in the food don't help. I have CFS and I suspect stage 3 Adrenal Fatigue (I get sleepy when I drink coffee, I need to drink 2 cups in order to feel exhuasted to get a good nights rest; its so confusing).

There is a drug called phentermine that would suppress all the insulin being released by an enlarged stomach, but an EKG is necessary and it can't be taken long term. Fasting insulin (not glucose) has to be less than 5 for any weight loss to occur. Inositol is really good to help the body process sugars. You can research inositol and insulin resistance.

There is also Metformin (depletes B12 so methyl B12 supplement required) which would help the liver and things that clean the liver (coffee - drinkers have less fatty liver (don't use sugar, use monk fruit sweetner instead); omega 7-reduces triglycerides, choline-reduces triglycerides along with Omega 3; apple cider vinegar (mix with olive oil or sprinkle on a salad); l-methionine). I routinely do a liver cleanse under my Doctor's supervision called Core Restore by Ortho Molecular. Dr runs bloodwork before and after; now I'm allowed to do it on my own but I monitor my BP (it can cause low bp. You can do it without fasting as well. You can divide up the shakes and have one scoop in unsweetened ripple pea milk 4 times a day to get through 'fasting' (so no sugar drops). Those fasting days do end up being around 500 calories (dangerous if you go any lower, so add those extra cups of vegan milk) so someone needs to be on hand to help. At the end of it even cinnamon tastes super sweet.

https://www.matrixagemanagement.com/blog/the-raw-truth-a-review-of-the-core-restore-detox-program

https://paleoleap.com/paleo-liver-health/

You could do Keto but I believe that has its own side effects so 2 months off and on and that helps normalize insulin levels and causes weight loss. Eating things like eggs, full fat dairy don't cause spikes in insulin hence drop in hunger. Dr. Berg (chiropractor) has great videos online about insulin resistance foods and what to avoid. You don't want to be eating all meat and fat (mistake many people who do Keto and end up with heart attacks make). You need lots of veggies.

Snacks are a big problem for me. Try a detox salad from Whole foods with Raw Tahini or no sugar added almond butter (brown rice unsalted cakes with a few berries). You can soak chia seed overnight in ripple unsweetened milk with a spoon of cinnamon and eat that with unsweetened raisins (tastes like oatmeal). I love Holy Basil tea and drink it routinely (helps stop racing heart).

Get your thyroid checked. TSH should be less than 2 and free T3 (this is what your cells use not regular T3). Stop the thyroid madness is a good resource for more info on thyroid issues.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/metabolism-dysfunction-th_b_6430370

Do not take any supplement without Dr.'s approval. Excess vit D can cause AFIB for example.

My naturopathic Dr recommended Ozempic, I chickened out after reading about side effects (pancreatitis) and that it was derived from lizard saliva. It’s been in the news that celebrities have been buying using it off label for weight loss.

Weight loss is not the end all. Keep trying to live as healthy as you can. I wish you the best of health.