Veteran VSG'rs: What's your post surgery life like?

The good, no, the great: you can lose weight and hit goal with VSG. You don't have to take a slew of supplements. You don't have "bathroom" issues. You feel fantastic. Not near the risk of post surgical problems and the best is that the part of the stomach that produces grehlin (the hungry hormone) is removed, so you don't feel hungry. I mean that, my stomach hasn't growled since 2012!

The bad: you still get head hungry but that is a human trait whether you have had rny, vsg, or lap band or nothing. If you overeat or eat fatty foods, you will pay. 6 years out, I still carry papaya enzyme because my head makes stupid choices for my stomach and then I get the foamies. But that keeps me in check. I have gained a little weight back, but am still not in obesity range. It is not food that caused that, although I did carb binge for awhile while family members were in the hospital for months and I ate out of machines a lot.

My biggest issue is finding time to exercise. I have excuses and some are legitimate, but then doesn't everybody? The truth is, I went through this, am thankful that I could and I DESERVE to make time to exercise. I have 12 lbs I want to lose and with my lasting help of surgery, I know I can.

Almost 8 years out, and loving it :)

Here is my life now:

• I can go out to eat with people, try a bit of everything I want, and feel fine. People who don't know I've had surgery think I'm a light eater, but not weird :)
• I can't eat too much sugar, or I'll get barfy. This is good though! I can have one, "normal" serving of something like cake or ice cream, and feel fine.
• I get full right away if I eat 3-4 ounces of protein. A normal day of eating for me is: 5am-11am: 2 hardboiled eggs, small skim latte, and a cup of grapes; 11am-5pm: half cup of veggies, 3-4 ounces of protein, a little weigh****chers bar, a little bag of weigh****chers hummus chips; 5pm-9pm: half cup of veggies, 3-4 ounces of protein, a glass or two of wine
• If I go all off plan (I like to follow the WW plan) for several months, and go crazy with the carbs, I WILL gain weight. Then, I have to get all serious for a couple of months :)
• I can COMPLETELY eat way to much non-sugar carbs. Stuff like chips, cheezy poofs, Chex Mix. During "cabin season" during the summer I can easily snack my way into gaining 10 lbs, if I don'****ch it
• I am so, so happy! I mean, I was happy before, but even happier now! I'm still not 100% used to NOT getting mean looks from strangers...
• I went from a tight size 24 pant, to wearing a 2/4/6, depending on the brand.

Heather, of course I can't tell you which WLS is best for you. But you're not asking us to do so. :) So I'll just tell you my story.

My situation was that I was sleeved at age 68 with a BMI of just under 40. In the few months prior to surgery and over a period of 18 months I lost 100 pounds. And that's where I sit today, 4.5 years post-op -- maintaining at that point.

So how have I maintained a 100 pound loss for the last 3 years? By continuing to plan and track my food, by eating a helluva lot healthier than I used to eat, by exercising almost daily (walking, yoga, aquarobics, and FINALLY a month ago starting pumping iron), seeing a therapist, and always, always keeping in mind WHY I wanted to become healthy again.

BTW, I'm able to be very active post-op because my knees now function instead of hurt. Also, I no longer take NSAIDs (Aleve was a berry berry good friend of mine pre-op) because, as I said, my knees seldom hurt.

And if I do say so myself, I look pretty damn good for my age, which is now 73.

Re therapy, I've been in therapy for nearly five years (since before WLS surgery) to support my changed lifestyle and to navigate some massive slings and arrows life has thrown at me since I was sleeved. I'll spare you those details. But I'll just say that what drove me all my life to comfort-eat and, eventually, into obesity were life's stresses, which we all have and will always have, and how I self-medicated myself to navigate those. Spoiler: I ate. And then ate some more.

Yes, I'm a tough chick. Chances are, we all are tough. But until you can decide to put YOUR needs before those of all others whom you love deeply (or those of random strangers, if you're so inclined to help everyone before yourself), you probably won't be able to sustain the lifestyle changes you probably (?) need to make for the rest of your life. And the need for that mental shift is common to all WLS procedures, not just VSG or RnY or DS or any other procedure.

Very best wishes to you, no matter which surgery you choose. I hope you can make all the changes you need to make to be successful long-term.