Today I am 9 years out from Weight Loss Surgery! Wow how time flies!!! When I was pre-op I promised myself (like so many others do) I would finally lose the weight and for once in my life keep it off!! With a lot of work and a lifestyle change I have been able to accomplish these goals. In the 9 years I have heard so many people say, “5 lbs, 10lbs, 20 lbs, 100 lbs gone forever!" And a few years down the road they were eating their word literally! The reason I think this happens is because initially the weight just melts off sometimes without much effort from the individual. And in their euphoria they think, “This is so awesome, I have lost the weight and I will stay like this!" (They think it is so awesome because for the first time in their lives they can eat whatever they want and still lose weight because of the small portions they are eating!) THEY ARE WRONG!!!! Guess what, later you will be able to eat more!!! I know it will come to a surprise to you when you can….however it WILL HAPPEN!!! I remember the first 6 months or so post-op, I could only eat 2 oz 3 times a day….and I felt like I was going to pop!!! Now, I am just like anyone else who has not had the surgery. I can finish an entire meal. I could go to lunch with you and with the amount of food I can eat you would never know I had Gastric Bypass. So, keeping this in mind…..Use your “Honeymoon" stage as a time to create Healthy Eating and Exercise Habits FOR A LIFETIME!!! (This is not a DIET they are temporary). Otherwise you will be back where you started before WLS (or close to it). Through the years I have seen it so many times! I DO NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO YOU!!!! And if you find after a few years you are falling back into you old habits….STOP….Get back to your healthy habits….IT IS NEVER TO LATE!!! Beware of who you are getting your advice from, where are they in their WLS journey, are they a newbie? (If so they have no idea what it will be like later…how could they possible know?) Are they successful with “their" journey? Think about it like this….would you chose a personal trainer who didn’t look like one? I know I wouldn’t. Plan your healthy meals, get your water in, take your vitamins, and exercise at least 4 – 5 times per week (and there are no excuses….for not doing it) You may think, “I’m too busy, I don’t have time, the kids need me, I need to spend more time with my significant other, I’m too tired". OK, THEN DON’T DO WHAT YOUR SURGEON TELLS YOU TO DO! That’s OK, it is your life and this is your weight loss journey! But ask yourself, “Do you want to be successful?" I know you do!!! Then do what it takes to get where you want to be and stay there!!! It really doesn’t matter which surgery you have….if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do you CAN GAIN WEIGHT BACK!!!! SORRY, THERE IS NO MAGIC PILL! Weight loss surgery is only a tool to use to lose the weight! How are you using your tool? Where will you be years from now? I hope you will be where you want to be and living life to its fullest and doing all those things you always dreamed of doing!!! Off all the medications, living a happy healthy life! Here’s to you, living the life you want!! I can tell you from personal experience, the life I am living in this body now is a life I have dreamed about living since I was in middle school!!! I truly cheri**** and you would have to drag me kicking and screaming to go back into the 400 lb body I used to live in!!! Believe in yourself…..You can get where you want to be!!! I believe in you!!!! Hugs, Ginger
MY DS!
