People Suck!

I am 9 years post-op in US. I chose to still go to see my surgeon once a year. My 9th year post op visit is on Monday.

I don't have to - but I chose to see them because the team knows my insides. And since I may need a surgery (hernia, twisted guts, etc) - I believe they would be the best to handle that. Plus - if i really need a great specialist - they have ways to make sure i get in...like hematologist for iron, or great endocrinologist...

I don't think that we have the option to continue on with our surgeon past the scheduled time here in Canada. Our whole health care system is government funded, so I doubt that its allowed unless we were having a major health issue. Regular followups past the 5th year is not done. We are told to get our bloodwork done through our family Dr at that point.

It sounds like you have a good system wherever you are.

yes I do. I pay for it a lot of $$ but I am lucky to have that option.

Most people don't need to see a surgeon past the first year. I am one of those that needs to..

But..when I gained 30 lbs - it was my PCP (an old guy) who told me that i got too fat and that I need to lose at least 15 lbs and come back in 3 months. I lost 18 lbs .. and when I returned I hugged him. Thank him for being direct with me. He later told me that for a short while he worried that I was offended.. But that was my wake up call.

What was funny - is that even with me regaining weight and having BMI of 30.1 - with my bones and muscles - I was still wearing size 8-10, size L or 12 tops (big boobs). But that 30 lbs extra was too much for my bac****pt seeing my PCP every 3 months for a year... to make sure I don't regain and at maintain my loss. Accountability visits...

I'm part of the new 1 year f/u program. Glad I have this forum and an amazing GP though!!

Well, I'm a fellow TWHer and most likely only a few months ahead of you surgery-wise so most phases will probably be fresh in my mind if you ever want to pick my brain

My ex sister in law is 15+ years out. She got down pretty thin, then gained a little back. I'm going to assume she's still not eating healthy, as she never did change her eating habits, but she's not MO - from the pictures my kids share with me anyway. I know of two other women that gained it all back, plus some.

I lost 50 pounds a few years back... I actually remember standing there talking to my friends saying "I'm never going to be that big again!"... and I wasn't... I ended up 35 pounds heavier than I was before I lost those 50 pounds.

I'm only a year out. I'm not a perfect patient. I worry a lot that I'll gain it all back. I am glad I have that fear... because I don't ever want to be ****y again like I was the last time I lost.

These posts are sobering to read... it sucks, because when you first start out you are on such a high! Getting to goal (and beyond) is such a high! You feel so good about yourself, and I know that I've murmured to myself while reading on here "I'm not like THAT person"... But I am.

I am going to stick around here, continue to be accountable, and pray that I have the strength in me to continue my good eating habits WAY more often than when I don't.

And most importantly, I'm going to stand back up, dust myself off, and continue on my lifelong journey of eating healthy! I think that's the key... if there is only one key to success anyway.

Everyone I know personally,not on these forums has gained it all back. Sad. I am almost 14 years post op and below goal. It can be done !!! A good support group, the wise grim on this board can help you achieve and maintain your goal.

cool!

i delayed surgery for years because I had 3 friends who had surgery and all of them are each about 100 pounds heavier than they were pre-surgery. I think it has been said already, but they all regained because they either got overly confident, never understood what they were really doing (no mastery) and/or never had the mind set of permanent change. I remember [vividly] going to brunch with one of them right after he hit goal. This is what he ate (it still haunts me) - 1.5 cups of oatmeal with 4 creamers and the entire 2oz container of brown sugar added; a 4 egg omelette; 3 strips of bacon; 2 slices of toast with butter and jelly; and for the love of god well done hashbrowns. All of this in about an hour. I asked him how he could eat so much after the surgery. He actually didn't understand the question - he didn't seem to understand that he was supposed to permanently eat the way he was taught right after surgery. What he didn't know was that I happened to be following his same route home (at least for the first few miles) and I happened to see him pulling out of a Dunkin Donuts 20 minutes after we left the restaurant. He had one of their coffee rolls in his mouth. I think I actually saw his eyes roll back as he bit into it. He later told me he didn't even know he was starting to gain his weight bac****il it was too late. It took me years to overcome this interaction before I even considered getting surgery myself. He now just goes around saying the surgery failed and it doesn't work for most people. He blamed the surgeon.

But I think this friend above just didn't get it. But the other two seemed to believe they did it once and that they were invincible. They started with little cheats and then all their old habits fired up and it was all over. It's one of the reasons I engaged a therapist before starting this process to be ready to help me address all the little things I wasn't even considering. He really has opened my eyes to the real meaning of addiction and WLS. If you haven't already, you might consider this aspect of the journey. I think its the most important part of what I'm doing.

I have a coworker that had surgery about two months before me - oddly by the same surgeon. She is already struggling and she still is about 50 pounds to goal. She started with program adherence and then little cheats. Now she goes weeks eating off plan and can't seem to stop herself. I really think I'd be in her shoes if I didn't start the counseling. It's eye opening to all the BS we kid ourselves about.

For those that have read my story so many times you want to gag, do not read LOL

I lost over 200 pounds back in 2004/2005. Kept it off until early 2015 when my husband's health went down hill and I lost him. I gained 60 pounds for the first time EVER and didn't give a sh**! Why? I didn't give a ****he man I had met when I was 18 and celebrated 39 years with was gone. It took me awhile but I did get out of what I call my rabbit hole. It took several starts and stops but lost the 60 pounds and now I am back to "me"

I will tell you my opinion why people gain the weight back.

They don't deal with head issues and head issues win out "always"

They got comfy and lose focus.

They got ****y and decide they don't need to do the basics that got them to goal.

Life reaches up and knocks you on your butt and out of habit you turn to what you have lived and done your entire life.

If you work the tool the tool will work for you. DON'T STOP WORKING THE TOOL MY FRIEND!