Long term success stories?

I am considering by pass surgery but have some fears.  I understand that in time your stomache can expand  and you can regain the weight.   I guess that scares me because what's left to try if I fail after by pass surgery?  Yikes! Any advice?   Are you happy that you did it?  Any experiences that you can share would be appreciated. Thanks, Tricia  

Tricia, I will be three years out on May 5th. I started out at nearly 350. I have hovered around 165 for the past 2 years. I consider myself a success story. I am off 18 daily medications, I no longer am diabetic, need oxygen or banned from all roller coasters. I am not the size 2 that I wanted to be, and may never be. My body seems to like this weight.  I think after being so super morbidly obese for so long its very difficult to get down to the skinny skinny that I wanted. But I am healthy, can walk miles, swim, hike, have very little loose skin on arms and legs.  I think the pouch does stretch somewhat. But more than that our brains stretch. We start ignoring the feeling of being full after a few bites. We start drinking with our meals etc. Sooo I am determined to get down 30 pounds by my 3 year anniversary date. I am journaling my food consumption again, I am listening to my pouch.. It is a tool for life if we allow it to be.   I have NOT ONE REGRET for doing it. I would have been dead by now or felt dead.   You have to want it.. Want it badly.. You have to have something in mind that it is so important to you to be able to easily do once you lose the weight. For me it was as simple as riding rides at amusement parks. I never wanted the embarrassment of having two men trying to force the bar down so I could ride the ride and then have to heave myself up out of the seat and walk off.. I will never forget that moment, and will NEVER allow myself to go there again. That is my incentive to keep my brain and my mouth connected; The best of luck to youi :Laura

Hello Laura...I haven't seen your post's on here in a while. I was wondering how your CHF was doing?...hope all is well. As to you Tricia.....I think the pouch does stretch some. But like Laura said, it's usually mind over matter. I've kind of gotten of the beaten path a little bit and not paying attention to my pouch telling me that it is full. The people who usually gain weight back are the people who graze all day long. They just munch on bad foods that are high in calories and fat. Don't worry about it Tricia you'll do just fine. It's the best thing I have "ever" done and I'll be 61 in April....so good luck young Lady!!! Dave

Hi Dave, The CHF has been very well controlled and I very rarely have to even take my lasix anymore. Just when I have been on my feet too much at Walmart working... I feel so blessed that I was able to have the WLS.. I cant imagine my life now if I hadnt gotten it done. I think I would have ended up 400+ pounds and my heart would have given out by now. So for me each day is such a gift. I am looking forward to my 47th birthday on  April 18th.. Most women dont cherish those birthdays but this one does.. It means I am alive and beating the odds. I am very far from perfect and will always be an emotional eater. But I am working each day to THINK before I eat and not let myself get so hungry I reach for the wrong thing. I now know why they make you go through all the psychological hoops. Because after the pouch honeymoon period is over, Its YOUR choices that keep you losing or gaining. The best of luck to you Dave Hugs from Southeast Ohio Laura

You didn't say whether you are considering RNY, DS, or one of the other surgeries, but as far as RNY goes.... according to my surgeon, the current procedure uses the very top portion of the stomach which has the least stretch (older versions used a lower portion and stretching of the pouch WAS a problem), and the vast majority of the time time when people with RNY re-gain weight, it is because they stopped paying attention to portion sizes, started eating high-fat or high-calorie foods again, or started grazing (snacking between meals) rather than from ANY change in the pouch itself.  If you have RNY you MUST make a commitment to change your eating habits as well. Val or some of the other folks who had DS can address the DS better, but it was my understanding that DS is far more forgiving about what you eat (because there is more malabsorption) and therefore decreases (but does NOT eliminate) the chances of regaining a significant amount of weight. None of these surgeries is a magic pill (I had a client once who came for counseling because she gained back 50 pounds after WLS and when she showed me her food diary, it was filled with potato chips, corn chips, breads, etc. ), but they DO offer the ability to get the weight off and learn healthier ways of eating.  For many of us, losing the weight is a really good, positive reinforcement for the new eating habits (which also contributes to keeping the weight off down the road). Lora

WLS is not an easy fix or a magic tool.  To be successful, you will have to change your eating habits and you should start exercising.  My diet today is very similar to what I knew it should have been before WLS:  lean proteins, fresh fruits, fresh veggies, whole grains, low-fat dairy and very occasional treats.   But at 396 pounds, I was facing so many issues I did not know where to start.  WLS put one powerful tool in my arsenal, and I had to bring the remaining tools to bear.  I had to face the reasons I had becoming super morbidly obese, and those were demons I would have preferred to leave buried in the back of the closet.  But I wanted to be healthy more than I wanted to hide.   My doctor recommended WLS to me about 5 years before I looked into it.  I had to wait until I was emotionally and psychogically ready to face my demons.  I've worked hard at this -- probably harder than I've ever worked at anything -- but I am determined not to be another statistic in someone's failure column.  I started at 396 pounds, am currently at 183 pounds, and I am still losing 3-5 pounds per month at 28 months out.  I have to work pretty hard to lose now, but my goal is in sight and I will reach it. Whether WLS is the right choice for anyone is a very personal decision.  Continue gathering information and doing your research; if you are ready to commit to a new lifestyle, it may be right for you.  If you're looking for the easy way out, keep looking -  Good luck on your continuing journey -  Kellie