How are all the Dec folks hanging?

Our year anniversary is coming up everyone!!!! Congrats to all. You are here, and that matters. How does everyone feel, physically and emotionally? Can you notice the weight loss now (mind catching up to body)? How is your appetite at almost 1 yr out? How are you managing any depression or anxiety that may be popping up? How have those around you (work, home, socially) changed in response to your weight loss? Have you forecasted how you will handle 1+ yrs post op? If so, any specific 1+ year post op goals? What about where you are this year makes this a wonderful year compared to last year? I can't wait to hear back from everyone...I am at work now, so my post is forthcoming! Best, Megan

Hey Megan, I'm at work too - and I am looking to do anything EXCEPT tackle the mountain on my desk. To answer your great questions: - Physically I am doing really well. I haven't gone for my 1 yr labs yet (waiting until next yr's insurance to kick in) but I feel good. When I get sick though, I notice it takes a little longer to bounce back. - Emotionally I am in a good place. Actually I am in an awesome place compare to where I was pre-WLS. My mom said she can really see the happiness in me now. - My appetite is very good. I crave flavors and textures more now - and knowing I reallly don't need quantity gives me a great sense of contentment. I have to control carb intake, as I will want carbs all day if I take too much in for brkfst. - Managing my moods seems to be a lot easier. I'm feeling empowered, stronger, more in control. I still have things that set off anxiety - but I am able to cope and it gets better all the time. Depression isn't really an issue - right now. - It's interesting to see how people have changed towards me in the last year. Most people who are close to me seem to be proud or happy for me and enjoy being around me more. Social contacts, aquaintances and distant family members seem to make over me more. All in all it's mostly positive. - Goals - Go back to school part time and get at least an associate's degree. - Actually get a tan this next summer. - Help my son begin the process of getting to a healthier weight (he's 14 and weighs 250#) - Re: this year vs last year... You know, before WLS, I really thought I was a happy person. I thought my life was good and that I had actually accepted myself for who and what I was. This year has shown me just how unhappy I really was - and the true source of that unhappiness was my weight and it's affect on my life. I understand what it is to truly be happy now. To wake up happy and to really laugh and feel good. I feel more centered and comfortable in my own body - as if the REAL ME is actually represented both inside AND out. I feel strong now. Thanks for posting this - can't wait to see what others post. - Kerdeeya

Hi Megan, I was thinking about everyone the other day on how our first anniversary is coming up. This is exciting. I feel wonderful physically and emotionally. My mind is starting to catch up now. I am still having difficulty seeing what others see, or what they say the see, but maybe one day I will. Right now I am 145, but feel like I look like 200. My husband is a little concerned because I keep changing my goal. He is afraid that no goal will be enough and will eventually be too thin. I am not having any problems with depression or anxiety. I stopped taking my medication a few months ago and I feel great. I have to say that outside of my home things have certainly changed. People in society just treat you different. I like it, but at the same time it bothers me that people are not the same to someone who is obese. As for my goals I want to lose 25 more pounds. I don't know if it will happen or not, but I hope so. I also want to finish my masters degree to be a psychotherapist. It is costly and I am paying out of pocket instead of getting student loans so it taking longer. What is different about this year? There are too many things to even count that I have been blessed with, I could not even begin to name them all. Life is wonderful and I am truly grateful for my blessings. Now I believe it is your turn to answer your own questions. Terisa

Holy Smokes.. 25 more pounds? There won't be anything left you are so tiny now! At last that is what I see.. I look at you in that dress and all I see is pure beauty! You look terrific Terisa but I do understand, I keep reaching goals and lowering them myself. *hugs*

Melissa, You are just too sweet. I wish I was tiny now, but thanks so much for the compliment. I do love hearing it. I know you keep changing your goals, you and I seem to be heading down the same path as far as weight. We are close to the same size, but with every pound we lose we want to lose more. I think you are teeny now, I can't believe you want to lose more either. I keep thinking I wish someone would just be honest with me and tell me how big I really am now and how much more I should lose, but no one ever does. Is it because that is not true or is some other reason? I get frustrated with my mind not seeing my size. I don't want to be too thin, but if I cannot see the size I am how will I know? HUGZ!!!! Terisa

Well I think that is just it, do we really see ourselves as we are? Once I reached goal of 140 for some reason I feel I do see myself as who I am..or least better. There was a girl that was so thin looking to me and I asked DH how much bigger I was than her.. he hates when I do this. He says "you are the same." YEAH RIGHT! I just laughed and then I wonder.. well do I or he just being a typical "male" not really looking hard enough? Men I tell ya... I honestly do look at your pics and I see trim trim trim.. not lying. I think you have done a terrific job. I am so proud of you.

Hi Megan! It is amazing to think that our year anniversary is fast approaching us isn't it? Wow.. I love the idea of this post and thanks so much for asking these questions, it will be fun to real all of the replies! 1) I feel great physically. My energy is endless so much so that I don't sleep at night well anymore (the only down side) like last night I swear i slept 2 hours and today you would think I would be dragging.. nope. I know this isn't good for my body though so I am going to start taking melatonin and see if that helps at all. Emotionally I have my good days and hard days. Days where I feel I am conquering my obesity well and other days I feel I could revert right back.. those days suck honestly. I hate feeling that way. I absolutely hate PMS week (as I am sure you all know, I am so open and honest how I feel that week, Im sure I drive you all nuts!) It feels like bottomless pouch syndrome and a STRONG desire to eat and eat.. I *hate* it, but once it goes away all is good again. 2) I think my mind started to catch up a lot when I reached my person goal of 140 lbs. Since then my image is better of what I really look like but there still are days I feel honestly like i'm just huge.. dont know why that is but I know women who haven't had surgery go through the same thing. 3) My appetite is definently there... has been since 4.5 months out. I eat on a schedule usually 5 times a day and keep my cals where they need to be, make my diet highest in protein and lower on carbs but I think I am going to be making some changes here soon as I am below goal and will need to slow it down some I think. I am having my BMR tested dec 12th and that will tell me a lot more. Then I see my doc that same day for a 1 year follow up. Hope to get a good plan going. Right now I eat around 1200 calories and still losing slowly, lost 6 this month so far with a few days left in my month. 4) I have a lot of anxiety I am not gonna lie. I have anxiety of failing and the need to be "perfect"... sigh. I get this from my upbringing. I am seeking therapy and it was discussed that I really need to get on some anxiety medication. So I am going to see if my PCP can make me referral when I follow up with him in mid december. Anyone know of something that works well for them? I know a lot of the drugs out there cause weight gain so I am thinking wellbutrin may be the safest bet. Plus it is supposed to curb hunger. 5) My coworkers and friends have all been great about my weight loss. Once I got past 150 though I noticed most of the compliments stopped (not sure why?) and the only comments I get are negative from my family.. "you are too thin" etc.. 6) I am seriously just going to take this postop life a day at a time. Get my BMR tested and get a plan going with my doc and ride the waves as they say. I can't live for tomorrow or yesterday, it has to be for today. Goals? Well, I wanna maintain my weight for sure, remain comorbidity free and run a 5K finally since the weather did not pan out over Thanksgiving for me to do so. 7) I had every comorbidity aside sleep apena and ashtma. I was literally dying at the age of 29 afraid I would not wake up the next day.. total ticking time bomb. I no longer fear my life anymore.. I have a large sense of freedom, now if I can just get my confidence to match. Working on that presently pretty hard. I am also dealing with people liking me b/c I am thin who would not have when I was heavy.. its hard to deal with that emotionally.. society is what it is but is still isn't right.

How does everyone feel, physically and emotionally? better than i have in at least 5 years Can you notice the weight loss now (mind catching up to body)? i still have some body dysphoria. i do notice some weight loss (it's hard not to when you go from size 20 to size 2) but i still see myself as larger than i really am...maybe at size 10 How is your appetite at almost 1 yr out? there with a vengeance--can outeat most pre-ops if i let myself. How are you managing any depression or anxiety that may be popping up? therapy and happy pills (anti depressants, anti-anxiety). to be very clear, WLS didn't cause those problems, i had them way before and, if fact, they caused my weight gain. now that i have positive body image, they are easier to manage How have those around you (work, home, socially) changed in response to your weight loss? home--same (but they've seen me skinny as well as fat before). work--not sure; socially--like you wouldn't believe--even though i was bigger before, i was somewhat "invisible". now that i'm the 'pretty" girl in a group, many people pay much more attention Have you forecasted how you will handle 1+ yrs post op? If so, any specific 1+ year post op goals? forecasted some but a lot of it came as a surprise. 1 year goal--to be 115lbs (i'm 10lbs away from that one) What about where you are this year makes this a wonderful year compared to last year? i don't feel trapped inside my own body. i'm comfortable in my own skin.

Hey, Melissa As far as the meds go (and i know that i'm going to sound like a walking pharmacy), here's what i'm on now and it seems to be working and be weight-neutral (which was not the case with some stuff i tried in the past and which i refuse to continue taking. wellbutrin--300mg (don't worry, no weight gain there and it does very marginally curb appetite)--the one thing to remember it's an effective anti-depressant but not an anti-anxiety medicine now for anxiety--BuSpar--30 mg (10mg 3 times daily)--a mild anti-anxiety pill that takes about 2 weeks to kick in next, my favorite (and i've been only taking it for 3 days now) Klonopin. i'm on the starter doze of 0.5 mg and will have my doc. increase it as much as possible. it's very effective for anxiety, kicks in right away and, while in the same class as Xanax or Valium, is much less addictive last but not least--trazodone 50mg for insomnia (i just switched to that from ambien which was giving me weird side effects.) hard to say if it's working so far, we'll see. that, combined with therapy, will probably help me with all those issues. good luck and let me know if you have any questions since, as you can tell, i've been going trough all that stuff for the last few month love Nat