Starting the program....

I saw Dr. Hess and found I'd gained 25 pounds in the past year trying the conventional way of losing weight one more time. Part of me feels I wasted a year, but I realized I wasn't ready for this op back then. After doing research on here, on BariatricEdge.com and on the web, talking to people and reading up on procedures, I am going forward now, oficially. Hess suggested I can have either the lap band or the RNY. The more I think about things, the more I am leaning towards the RNY. I DO have a few questions for those who care to respond...I know this is a TOOL...NOT a magic wand, and I know why I eat to excess. Do most programs help you focus on the why's to your eating habits? I feel that w/out knowing what the triggers are, it's hard to change the ha*****ell, it's hard to make a permanent change regardless!) Have you followed the rules as prescribed? I'm told you hve to stick to the rules for a year, and that many bend them. Those that do tend to fall back into bad eating habits and regain part or most of their weight back. How do you feel about exercise? Before the surgery and after? I have always wanted to be in better shape and lose my motivation all the time. Seems like I lose my oomph after a few days. I wonder how you folks feel about exercise now. Lastly, overall with your life, your health and your appearance, are you satisfied with your results? Thanks so much for reading this! Marie

Hi Marie I had open RNY surgery on 11/21/05. I have lost 107lbs. to date. The program I followed did not focus on why I over ate in the past. I guess I could have followed through with a counsler who specializes in that area, which I could not be bothered to do. I had my focus on getting surgery and working with what I had, which was my new stomach. I have not fallen into old eating habits mainly due to my pouch can no longer tolerate high sugar and high fat foods. I am determined not to gain any weight back or very little. I did not have this surgery to fail. I was given a tool to work with. As for exercising before and after. Before surgery if I was doing a weight loss program/diet I would walk and I joined curves. It was very hard for me to stay motivated. Now I go to a regular gym 4 times a week and I stay for about an hour. There are times I need to force myself to go. I still do not find exercising enjoyable. But is is part of the program to have success. I am very pleased with my results, I have gone down 10 pant sizes. I now wear a size 8 pants and a medium top. My health has improved as well as my quality of life. For the first time I went to Disney World with my family this past summer. I was able to get onto all the rides, fit comfortably on an airplane seat, I was also able to walk around all the parks all day long. As for apperance i am looking to have some plastic surgery done due to an excess amount of skin hanging. I am much more aware of it than other people. I feel my stomach is to large for my body, and I have a flat hanging butt. My arms and legs look O.K. and my neck has a small amount of extra skin. This was the best decision I could have made for myself.I am also determined to be successful and stay successful Only you can decide what is best for you. Good Luck! Janet

Janet thanks so much for your reply!! I know this is a must for a patients health. I'm just full of questions about how to handle my insulin needs afterwards. (I'm sure my endo will get his fill of them!! LOL!) Actually, hes' great, very supportive and was the first one to bring this up to me right after my double heart attacks in 2004. I'm feeling like this IS the right thing for me for the first time in a year. You mentioned an improved quality of life. THAT statement really hit home! I know that if I do nothing, my life and its quality is going to be shorter. I have too much good stuff going on and too much to look forward to!! Thanks again and I hope to talk with you again! Marie

Hi Marie.. I had my surgery with Dr. Hess and his team.. they are truly wonderful.. especially Wendy.. such a great support. Wendy's support groups focus on the "tool" all the time.. at least the ones I've been able to go to (I live on the Cape). I found that I learned about my triggers soon enough after having WLS.. you kinda learn pretty quickly when you just aren't able to satisfy those desires. Sure it sucks at the time.. but you learn so much.. you loose so much.. it feels so great to change your relationship with food in your head.. and really you just have no choice about it in the beginning. I really feel that if you don't have a good attitude about this in the first 3 months.. you are at great risk for having trouble later in the process.. you kinda have to embrace all the lessons for it to stick I guess. I have stuck to Wendy's program.. but not to perfection.. Diets were about perfection.. WLS is about progress and allowing yourself space to be human. But.. with that said.. you get the most bang for your buck in the first 6 months.. that's when you really want to stick to the plan about 95% of time. I would like to note that I absolutely stuck to the plan for the first 12 weeks.. which with Dr. Hess means no carbs.. I believe it really helped my pouch heal and it made me very strong.. it was a hard task to accomplish. Now I stick to my plan about 85% of the time and have several meals a week where I have what I want.. I can eat almost everything.. and feel safe in doing it because it's always a planned and controlled event. I truly like exercise.. and I did before the surgery.. except I could never see my results back then.. blahh. I find that you have to find an exercise that you like in the beginning for it to really stick and help you stay motivated. I enjoyed Curves and when that wasn't "enough" for me anymore.. I joined a gym and got into step aerobics which I absolutely adore. I go 4-5 times a week now.. I am amazed with the results.. I finally feel like I'm in the right body.. truly belessed. I lost the weight gradually over time so I don't have crazy skin issues.. very happy about that. I love shopping in the regular sizes.. I wear between size 10 and 12 depending on the brand.. my goal is an 8. I'm short. Since surgery.. I've gone from 254 to 158.. 96 pounds. I actually hit Dr. Hess's 70% weight goal today.. at 158. I would still like to loose about 20 more.. we'll see.. The surgery just re-routes your guts.. which kinda forces you to re-route the way you have to relate to food in the beignning of all this.. if you embrace that time period and learn to listen carefully and to like what you are hearing and learning.. you will surely succeed in all this Good luck to you April R

Hi April! Thanks for replying! I too like exercise, but like Janet, there are days that I just dont' want to. Those days are the ones I need to push myself more. When I lifted weights I was far more motivated than I am right now. I'm looking forward to this journey. I imagine I'll have my first group meeting in November. I know I need to think about food and my relationship with it very differently. I recently taped an Oprah episode where three GB patients (including Carnie Wilson) talked about trading one addiction (food) for another. (mostly alcohol or prescription drugs or sex in one womans case). I wonder that most WLS patients have an obsessive/compulsive cmplex so I have to wonder what I might turn to next. I just got a book from Amazon today written by a woman who had a 'gut splice' as I've come to call it! One chapter deals with 100 non-food things that will replace the food. I think I'll need to get back to working with stained glass again! That and exercise will help me. My doc thinks I won't have to worry much about excess skin issues either, so that's going to be a major coup! Thanks again for the reply and I hope to talk with you again! Marie