Just thanks for your words of wisdom. We share a re-birth month. I too had surgery in August of 2001. I have lost over 200 pounds and have the same daily struggle that you have (minus the pregnancy) Thank you for your courage and your insprirational truths. God Bless Pam Emery [email protected] ChattanoogaTN

Wish for you the very best. I know that being single you may not feel that I understand, but I do have to learn to reconnect with myself and it has not been easy. As I look back on where I have been the last two years I can't believe myself. I looked at a family picture taken of me, my brother and sister and I was wondering who that stranger was standing there with my family, couldn't even recognize myself. And now, I am coming to terms with that stranger and my kids are feeling that they lost their mother, glad they are grown up and they have to deal with it. We loose some, a lot, and we all have to regain. Mary Driever

I had my LAP RNY 8/7/03. I was 290. By 8 months post op I had lost 116 lbs. to bring me down to 174. My goal was 165. At 8 months post-op I found out I was pregnant. I gained 47 pounds during my pregnancy, so watching the scale go up was emotionally trying after what I went through to lose it. Being well over 200 pounds again was so hard, even if it was for a wonderful reason like my first baby! When I came home from the hospital February 9, 2003, I cried when only my size 22 jeans fit me again. (Thank god I kept 1 pair!) I thought I was destined to be a failure, but in the two weeks that followed, I dropped 37 pounds, so I was back under 200! I breathed a huge sigh of relief! (Thank God for breastfeeding!!!) I am, as of today 187. I was at 190 for the longest time, but I decided to go back to basics...a low carb lifestyle. I'm not doing Atkins, and I do allow myself some carbs, but complex carbs like wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, and whole grains and fruit. I make sure that I eat my protein first at every meal, and while I might indulge every so often and eat something I really shouldn't, I've basically been very good. Though I've only lost 3 more pounds to bring me to my weight today, I'm back in my 14 jeans...the jeans I wore when I was 174. I can't figure it out, but that's fine with me. My biggest problem is grazing. I still get full eating 1/2 a hamburger. 1 slice of pizza is my limit. My problem: I have to be careful not to go back to the table 1/2 hour later and finish the burger, or get another slice of pizza. I think a lot of people experience this problem. When a meal is really good, it's hard not to go back and finish where we left off when we were full. I weigh myself every morning. I have to. I'd gain back 15-20 pounds in the blink of an eye if I didn't. If the scale goes up a pound or two, I jus****ch what I eat for a day or two until it goes back down. I find it's a lot easier to maintain 190, knowing that I'm pretty much where I want to be, rather then when I was 290, and losing a pound or two just meant that I had 129 pounds to go! I'd love to reach my goal of 165, or even go a little below that to 160 or 150, but I'm happy where I am. Whenever I start getting depressed (a trigger to eat, eat, eat) all I have to do is look at the pictures taken the night before my surgery to get me in line. One woman asked about the malabsorptive qualities of this surgery. The human body is a wonderful, highly efficient, complex machine. It adapts to changing conditions. My surgeon explained that the body will eventually be less malabsorptive because the body adapts, and the physiology of the digestive track changes over time to compensate for what was "lost". The highest malabsorptive rates are in the first 6 months after surgery. I don't know how true this is, but it makes perfect sense to me. Another woman spoke about weigh****chers. I think anything we do to eat healthier is wonderful. Weigh****chers, protein power, The zone, Jenny Craig...whatever...if you can stick to it, do it!!! I keep remembering what I heard at my very first pre-surgery orientation: this is just a tool, and it's up to all of us to work with that tool to make this surgery a success. That is why so many Doctors stress learning new, healthier eating habits in the beginning so that when we start eating more, and our stomach starts emptying faster, we'll have better habits already in place. Maybe in a perfect world... Ahhh...I do have a few regrets...I didn't follow that wise advice, so I learn now because I have to. I have no choice...I will NEVER be that obese again! Now that I've rambled on and on, I'll conclude with this: all of us, whether we've maintained our goal weight, or put on 15 pounds, all of us are still much better off then we were 2 years ago! We've all done such a wonderful, miraculous thing, and we shouldn't down play that success...no matter what!! Spotlight that success...learn from whatever little mistakes have caused us to stumble, and thank God every day that we are so much better now than we were before WLS. I wish everyone success and happiness!! Happy Fall!

I feel all of your pain!! I started out at 372 and my lowest weight was 155. Now I fluxuate from 164 to 167. It's very frustrating!!! One thing that everyone should have checked regulary is your Thyroid. I have been on Thyroid hormones for 12 to 13 years. Prior to the surgery I was hypo which is under active then to hyper to over active after the surgery. The last appointment I had my levels were off again. Your Thryoid is such an important part of weight loss. It controls your metabolism. Look it to!!! Also I have found that I am not eating properly. I can handle more sweets which is really bad! The demons do not go away. The food monster sits on my shoulder everyday. I got married in January and now I cook everyday for my husband and 2 step children. And being raised in the south....I can cook all the good home cooking and they love it. I find that I do it to please them. But, I'm not helping myself or them. All we can do is work harder. When I had surgery my doctor told me the key to it all was walking and water!!! Good luch everyone!

I will be two years out this August. I had stopped losing weight as of the end of last October. That is 8 months of no weight loss! I thought I was through for good! I thought that I would have to have the rest of it taken off by plastic surgery! WRONG! My two older sisters have been on Weigh****chers for a while now and they kept swearing to me that it works. I kept thinking to myself that it was too slow or that I wouldn't like keeping track of what I was eating! WRONG! I will have been on Weigh****chers a week today and I've already dropped 5 pounds! Now for two years out that's awesome! I can't believe I've done it! It's so EASY to count points instead of calories too! Now, granted I still do my journal on FitDay and so I'm keeping count of calories, fat grams, carbs, etc., also. What I have found is that when I'm through with my points for the day, I'm also right around 1200 calories for the day also. I realize now that even though I was eating mostly protein, I was eating too many calories! Protein is great but your body can only burn up so many calories in a day! So, WE HAVE TO COUNT THEM, even if it is by points instead. The point is that WEIGH****CHERS WORKS! TRY IT! The weight will come off more quickly than you think! I can't believe I've lost 5 pounds in a week! I'm going to be 45 in a month and if I can do this, anyone can! Just write me at: [email protected]!