Discouraged

Shawn, you have been given an incredible opportunity to be able to have the surgery and come as far as you have. I hate to say this, but your not learning from this experience and going back to your old ways of eating is exactly why it is making it harder for people like myself to get approved for the surgery. too many people gain the weight back and are looking for a quick fix and learn nothing. You need to change yur entire life. I guarantee that if you where 363 pounds again you would wish you were 215. Do not let all that you have done be of little value. You have an incredible jump start and hopefully you will continue to lose the weight and stay healthy. My best of luck to you. Regina

Regina- Thanks for your reply to my post on Obesity.com. However, I take issue with your comments. First of all, it is not my fault that you are having a hard time being approved. My weight lost concerns have no bearing on hopeful patients like your self. Neither is it making hard for "people like you". I haven't gained back any of my weight. Of course if I was still 363lbs, I would wish for the 215 that I use to weigh. ( I am at 200lbs now). At that time the 215lbs wasn't good enough for me, because I wanted to lose so much more and I compared myself to others who were sizes 8 and 10. I thank GOD often that not only have I came this far, but that I did not die nor have complications after surgery. Since you are someone who seeks weight loss surgery, then I know that you are someone who struggles with your weight as well. So you know it is not easy; and it doesn't get any easier after the surgery. It doesn't change your "eating" mind only the amount that you CAN eat. I learned that and had to make changes. I learned that the surgery was not "magic", as I once thought it to be. Visits to a Nutritionist helped me, and the increase my exercise regime. The post from other former patients on Obesity.com guided me in that direction. I felt compelled to post that message to get encouragement and possibly some answers from people like me, in hopes that they could guide me down a different path, and they did. I am thankful for those POSITIVE messages that I received. Good luck with your journey.

Shawn V. Thank you for your org. post. I also felt discouraged. There is a lady where I work that had WLS only a few months before me. She weighed in the high 290's when she had the WLS. I weighed 360. She is now a size 6 and I am a size 18w. I see her everyday and I am happy for her, but sometime it gets me down. The other day I found your post and all the replies. I tried some of the sugestions, Like protien. I went to the GNC store and got protien powder. It has helped. Down 3 lbs in 3 days. Anyway reading about everybody else makes me feel better and gives me the encouragement to continue on. I still have about 50 lbs to go. I am happy where I am now, but I will not stop. I know with the support of everybody I can do it. THANK YOU ALL Carol

Carol Congrats!! I have about 25lbs before my goal. I am happy that I am maintaining and not gaining at this point. Gaining the weight back is a very big fear of mine, just as it is for most of us Im sure. I understand exactly what you mean when you see other people who seem to have made great strides with WLS, but we are going to make it too. Your encouragement and good spirits make me feel better and lets me know that I am not alone. Thank you as well.