Greetings from Sydney

Hi and welcome

Yes you are definitely not alone here.

I am coming up nearly 2 years sleeved.

Worked hard in the first year to get where I am, but then all my bad habits starting coming back.
If I wasn't sleeved by now all my weight would be back on, BUT I have only regained a couple of kilo's. I can graze, but you can only eat so much or you will be sick and in pain!! Great deterrent to stop eating let me tell you.

I have seen a pschologist, with some success.

I have no hunger what so ever, was one of the lucky ones there.

For me definitely worth it. I am now fit and healthy, and I did this for health reasons.

I can't say this year hasn't been a bit of a battle with my eating, but as I said I have only regained a couple of kgs, and my eating isn't out of control all the time, I just have my moments. I feel I am getting better, and I think 40 years of bad habits your can't change overnight. I will keep working at it and win.

Good luck with your journey.
And never give up!

Hi Sean,

I would definitely talk to a surgeon about the sleeve.....after all what harm can an appointment do. One major difference I can think of between the band and sleeve is that the grehlin is removed in the sleeve op which, I'm told, I haven't had my sleeve op yet, stops you from feeling hungry. Perhaps this will be enough to help with your cravings. Your surgeon will be able to answer this question better of course. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.



Cheers

Kate

Hi Sean,



Lots of us past or current overweight people have the same habits as you, don't feel alone. The only suggestion I have for you at this stage is to not give up asking for psychological help, it may be that the people you've seen were not the best match at the time.

Two of the best eating disorders psychs in Sydney are Dr Chris Basten (I saw him for a few months, very helpful) and Chris Thornton at the Redleaf Practice - it may be worth giving them a go.


All the best,



Adriana

Hi Sean

I am currently going throught the band to sleeve and I have a date set for the 28.10.11. I have been overweight all of my life, I remember being in the class room back in 4th class and I was the tallest and the heaviest in the SCHOOL. Ok it was a school of about 100 students, but that really did not help me in my life as a not very confident person. I think that was the start of my awful journey into Obesity, I think I went from being a girl who was, tall but normal, to someone who is morbidly obese who will, and who has tried every diet in the universe. I had my lap band in 2001 when I turned 30, it worked wonderfully for me for the first year and then after that it as they say " all went to shit". I became sick of travelling to Brisbane, I lived in Gunnedah at the time so it was a 8 hour trip, so my adjustements where not regular and I just let it fall by the wayside. I would get adjusted occasionally but not as often as I should because I really learnt how to cheat and I snacked and drank my calories.

I had the band in when I was 145 kilos and 11 years later I am now 155.9. Done great haven't I?

I am sorry to rant and rave but I just have the feeling that all the things tha you are doing to sabatage yourself is what I do. Things to go shit and I eat and and eat and eat......

Also the dietition said the we would not be able to handle fizzy drinks after the sleeve, so maybe that will be a good thing for you. I don't really drink it, so that is the one thing I do not have a problem with.

Hope to hear from you

Flick

Thanks Kylie. Grazing and drinking is my problem now and when I was on the band. I'm surprised that there haven't been more responses. My situation can hardly be unique. Oh well. Signed up at the gym this week. If cutting out the liquid calories and stopping grazing needs to be done in either case, I may as well leave my stomach intact :)

Above all else make sure you are totally and completely honest with your surgeon about your eating habits. The sleeve may

not be the best option if you have a sweet tooth.

The sleeve can be cheated...just graze all the time or drink your calories.

Good luck with it all and welcome to the forum

Cheers Kylie

Hi folks,

I'm Sean, I'm 40 and I'm from the leafy Sydney suburb of Forestville. I'm ~195kg and have had steady weight increase since late primary school. Never had a gf, spend all my time sleeping or playing with the computer and live with my parents. I don't even practice my guitar any more because the damn thing rolls around this massive belly which makes playing it more trouble than it's worth.

I had a lap band installed in Dec 2007 which helped me lose 30kg but I learned to cheat the band and subsequently put it all back on. I had the band removed in March 2011 in preparation for the sleeve. Since the sleeve is such a drastic procedure, I did not set a date and have "tried" to lose weight "the honest way" since then but this morning I had to make the call that I've made no improvement since March. I've walked a couple of times recently but it's hard work and didn't continue. The other night after dinner, I went to the shop and bought 2 small packs of chips and a 200g bag of chocs and ate the lot in the next couple of hours. I'm also smoking again.

That basically describes the last 20 years of my life. Naturally, depression (even medicated) is a big issue for me (for so many reasons) and I tend to sleep away unpleasant things like study, work and getting out into places where I might meet the future Mrs Sean. So that's where I'm at. I'm pretty much convinced that the sleeve is the way to go. I discussed it with my folks tonight; they hold the same reservations that I do, but we seem to be in agreement. I have spent a couple of hours reading your stories, the good and the bad. Perhaps some of you can address the specific niggling doubts that remain.

---

I currently drink about 4-5 litres a day of diet soft drink and as mentioned, I also have a poor quality of diet (fried foods and meltable calories). Despite being very intelligent in so many ways, overcoming these hurdles remains elusive. I have spoken to two psychs and both have come to the realisation that I already know all the answers and none of us have been able to devise a method of getting over the mental hurdles.

I understand that the sleeve physically prohibits the amount of food that can be consumed. My main concern is that just as I learned to cheat the band, post-sleeve I'll not be able to overcome the habit/compulsion/reflex to shove the bad stuff into my mouth.

I'm sure that others on this forum will have been in a similar place to me, physically, dietarily and emotionally. How did you deal with replacing the bad habits? Is the physical restriction enough to help you conquer the choc?

Thanks,
Sean