Before & After Gastric Bypass RNY with Hsmcc1
January 3, 2017Celebrating Hsmcc1’s Journey Before & After Gastric Bypass RNY!
Ten years has passed since my Gastric Bypass RNY surgery, and it seems so unreal! How did I reach this point in my journey? Why was I successful? The questions swirl in my head, but the answers are not what you think.
After many years of hiding, I finally pulled back the curtain on myself. I made the decision to be honest. I had lied for so many years to my family, friends, and my doctor about my weight, my hidden health issues, and the reality of my situation. Being completely honest gave me the strength to try weight loss again.
OH Username: Hsmcc1
Weight Loss Total: 115 pounds
Surgery Type: RNY Gastric Bypass
Date of Surgery: 7/24/2006
Surgeon's Name: Dr. James Davidson
When I started this quest, I knew this about myself…. I was 271 pounds and at my lowest point. I had tried every diet known to man, lost some weight, then gained it right back plus some more. Since I knew if I faltered along the way, I would give up as I had always done that and I could not let this happen this time.
Once I started looking into WLS, I made it a point to be held accountable. I put people in place to help keep me on track. The first thing I did? I joined a gym and signed up for their six-week challenge which included a weekly group weigh-in. This caused me to attend the full six weeks and lose 17 pounds and 12 inches, which got me motivated to begin my journey.
I started seeing a psychologist to work through my emotional eating and head hunger issues. I realized that I needed to learn how to deal with stress besides bingeing and overeating or I would never get out of that vicious cycle. Later, I continued to go to the psych appointments because of a new issue….relationship issues. Sadly, some people were NOT happy for me losing weight, and that was quite surprising. I would have never guessed this to be a problem, but it was.
Essentially, I invested in myself for the first time ever! I spent my hard earned money on gyms, medical professionals, and healthy foods; even though I thought it had been wasted money in the past. Looking back, I'm WORTH a whole lot more than a $30 monthly gym membership. Back then, my main concern was…..food, of course. What will I be able to eat after the surgery? Can I still eat all my favorite foods? My priorities were so out of whack. I was food obsessed, but the people I put in my life helped me through. My gym counselor and psychologist were my MVP's! They were money well spent because they got me past the hardest part, the beginning.
Ohhhhh, the beginning was scary. Making changes is hard. But letting go was the worst. Then, I discovered it wasn't as awful as I thought. Dedication, patience, and persistence will carry you further than you realize. Then it happens….Pride in yourself, it was bound to reappear. I had to have patience with myself, my body, and my sometimes slow or idle weight loss. PATIENCE IS KEY! Hang in there & celebrate the little victories because they become bigger and bigger as you get stronger and stronger.
10 Years Later
Okay, what you probably want to know is how my life is now…..ten years later.
I never dreamed of how my life would be after WLS. You see, I am no longer trapped in a morbidly obese body, but I am NOT free from body issues. Yes, my body is slimmer now, but I still had to learn how to love my imperfect body. This is what I want you to know….self-acceptance, and personal growth are the BEST gifts to oneself after weight loss, not a HOT body as I once believed.
EXERCISE - I never exercised, EVER. Never wanted to and when I did, it exhausted me. I was uncomfortable, embarrassed, and honestly, afraid of being shamed. In 2006, I started doing the Curves workout three times a week and true to form; I wanted to quit after three weeks. Somehow, I completed the 6-week challenge and lost 17 lbs. and 12 inches. This was when I started believing in myself
I was successful for the first time EVER, and I WANTED more! Since that time, I fell in love with exercise and became an aerobics instructor in 2008. Yes, an aerobics instructor who had NEVER danced a day in her life, who had two left feet, was shy and had an "imperfect" body. This is the time I quit being scared and came out of my shell.
In 2010, I changed my life AGAIN. I felt so great exercising and losing weight that I became much stronger and needed more challenges. So, I signed up for a childhood sport, soccer! I joined an over 30 co-ed team, and it all came back to me! I felt so great that I also joined an over 40 ladies indoor team and surprisingly, I started scoring goals! In my 40's, I felt like a kid again. Who is this person? This is ME? YES and this is how much energy you will have, I promise you! My soccer career is now over due to an injury, but my teammates are friends for life. I would have never met these people sitting on my couch. Again, more people to love and support you! So get out there!
FOOD - My pouch is still picky. It hates anything dairy, greasy, heavy, or fried. After ten years, I know what it likes, and it likes "clean food." Fish, poultry, steaks, couscous, quinoa, veggies, salads, soups, and fruit! I am more adventuresome now because my taste has changed and I'm always looking to try foods that could be "pouch-approved"!
Each meal is a new opportunity, and by thinking this way, my diet is 1000 times better now than my pre-WLS diet of fast food and junk. To be honest, I rarely cooked because it hurt my back and feet standing in the kitchen. I fought against cooking, but I needed to make these changes to be successful.
Luckily, I learned from Curves how to plan my meals for the week so I had no excuse not to eat right and it was a breakthrough! Nowadays, Pinterest is my food bible and Sunday is my day to meal prep breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner for the week. My meals that I have waiting for me at the end of the day are what I race home for!
ALCOHOL - After surgery, you're tolerance changes. I always have drunk beer, wine, and whiskey, and I still can. But, there is one MAJOR problem....alcoholism. In the third year after my surgery, I developed a drinking problem. I didn't drink a lot but could not gage when I had too much, and that was a BIG problem. Sadly, I would attend dinners and barely eat, just drink. My family & friends were concerned for me, and I had to admit that I had a problem. So, now I have a three drink limit.
SUPPORT - Family, friends, doctors, counselors, support groups and fitness professionals. Whether you blaze your own diet trail or sign up for Weight Watchers, Curves, or some other national diet /exercise chain.......you will need a helping hand here and there.
I joined a local WLS support group who traded WLS stories, clothing, and it was wonderful to have someone to talk to who has been where you're at. After surgery, I went through clothing sizes fast, and I can't say enough about having "free" clothes that fit as you lose weight. It felt really good to meet other patients and to give my clothes away to someone else that had the same clothing issue as I had. Such an amazing experience. Win-Win!
ROUTINE - Changing my life means getting out of your comfort zones. You have to get up and move around. In addition to working out three times a week, I found new hobbies to enjoy to get me out of the house or to stop me from thinking about food. It took about three months to get used to my new routine and be happy about it. I was starting to think less about Big Macs and more about my exciting new life!
WEIGHT LOSS STALLS - They happen and sometimes for several weeks. This is the crucial period where you will either give up, or you will continue following your diet and exercise routine. These stalls would depress me, then infuriate me, and then I would get back on track and usually the next week I would begin losing again. I would visit my Curves counselor and my psychologist when I encountered a plateau; again, setting myself up for success is imperative! The human body fights to keep the extra fat, refuses to let go sometimes and there is nothing you can do about it but get past it! Keeping up a good attitude pays off in more ways than one!
FINAL THOUGHTS - I chose a surgeon that was strict and had an excellent after-care program. His tough love was exactly what I needed, and I accepted the help instead of fighting it. Knowing oneself is crucial….Set yourself up for success. Don't leave it up to chance. Don't go the easy route or you will be sorely disappointed.
Dr. Davidson gave me the tool to save my OWN life and I did. I lost 140 pounds initially, basically another person. You probably want to know if I am at goal…..No, I am not. I regained 15 pounds back since having my WLS 10 years ago. I now weigh 156 pounds, and I still FEEL amazing! My weight loss journey has had ups and downs, but the constant has been me, I kept moving forward. If I fell off the wagon, I got back up and kept moving towards my goal, 1 inch, 1 pound at a time. That's what I recommend….Just take one step at a time, and you will reach your destination!
This is my story, a REAL success story that I, MYSELF, still find hard to believe but is documented and true. My blog covers my experience from start to finish! Check it out! I hope these tips help you or someone you know; because we all have it in us to improve our lives. Anything is possible as long as you believe in yourself and sets you up for success!
I give all of my best wishes on your journeys! My favorite mottos…
Eat to live, not live to eat
Move to lose
Let go & move on
How has ObesityHelp.com been a part of your journey?
ObesityHelp was the first and only website that I have ever blogged on, and it is all there….Every moment from start to finish. Starting out, I was so encouraged by other member stories that I documented my journey as well. Recently, I re-read it from the beginning and have been in a state of shock ever since. Wow! I cannot believe we are now talking about me! Mind-blowing!
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