Long Term Success

Hey Darcie, you've got 3 months on me!  WOW, it's so cool to find another person.  I noticed your picture in Cabo. I'd love to know where you were.  We stay at the Regina when we go.  This is actually a picture of me in Cabo! (I think you look much better in the blue dress though)



hugs, Y

 Yvonne -- Youre totally hot!! Congrats and the red dress is awesome!!!!!!!!!  I go to Cabo 2 or 3 times per year --- hope to one day live there ... you should see the pics from my latest trip a few weeks ago -- tee hee hee ... My condo is off the party strip - but I visit there!!!!  Jungle Bar? Of course The Office and I love Nik San!!! We will have to chat about this!!1

OH BOY, I've got links from a few years ago scattered around but here's a few.  There's some really pretty pictures here.  You'll probably recognize some of it!

CABO 1

CABO 2

CABO 3

CABO 4

My husband wants to move there too.  I'm a little hesitant because of several reasons but I do love the having summer and winter in Texas.  About the time I'm sick of summer the fall comes and there's sweaters and coats and then when I'm sick of winter, I'm loving the pool and the sun.  There's a little place to eat at the corner of the marina that I just totally blanked on.  Tony's maybe. 

Thanks for the kind words!  I see you do it for an occupation.  I do WLS 24/7 but I am totally volunteer.  I hope the people that you work for understand what a valuable asset they have in you!
hugs, Y

 Yvonne --

The pics are gorgeous!!!! My condo is just just on the other side of Lover's Beach -- I have 3 gorgeous pics of the rocks and beach blown up oppostie my bed --- every morning I dream.. and remember... I was from NJ and lived 2 blocks from the ocean until I moved 4 1/2 years ago across country to AZ for my ex... Cabo was to help me adjust and rejevenuate at the ocean.... Its always been like a caling to the waves.. a zen peaceful settled feeling... The crowd the ex and I went with was .... country club - my ex was country club .... and I dont mean that negatively ..... wonderful nice people and we enjoyed the best of Cabo.... But life changes and that life is over so I went all by myself this past time and experienced a whole new Cabo -- might be best to not post some of the pics - the fireman might get in trouble at work..... Kidding!! lkind of... ololol 

Funny tho - Im 42 and mom told me I couldnt go to Cabo by myself .... cute huh?  I put my big girl panties on - and faced that challenge of choosing to now go it alone in life ...... 

WLS 24/7 has been my life since 2000 - sometimes voluteer sometimes paid and now a career that I am grateful and so happy to be a part of - best part is because we do not work with a specific surgeon so we can develop our own truly patient based program ,.... I get to now work one-on-one and give patients individual attention and guidence.... It really has become a calling for me... Today I was able to arrange an amazing opportunity for our new support group with a local celeb chef and cooking school.... Any way.... Congrats on your success and happiness! Truly excited for you!

I'll bet we stayed at yours one time because The Regina was full.  It was awesome being right by Lover's Beach.  I found one more Cabo link that's from my photography site.

http://yvonne.proimageguide.com/layout/0001/gallery_view.cfm ?startrow=1&g=50

I'm so proud of you for going to Cabo by yourself.  Isn't it amazing what you can do now that you wouldn't have done before WLS?  I would have never been there before WLS because I was really into isolating.  A whole new world opened up to me.  I went deep sea fishing as a kid and I thought I'd never have the opportunity to do it again.  In Cabo I caught a yellow fin tuna that weighed 130 pounds...the same as I do.  I also am rejuvenated by the ocean and the beautiful beaches.

I think it's incredible that you give patients individual attention.  That's got to be so inspirational for your patients. I think it's so important for them to be able to see somene like you in flesh and blood. I sometimes wish I could have done the surgery earlier in my life but it's OK because everything I've done has gotten me to where I am today.  I'm 55 and I feel younger than I ever have in my life.  I also have a you tube video you might like.

My WLS video

It's been great to swap info.  You're beautiful!
hugs, Y

I Love Love Love this Thread!!   I find my self so much more interested in what works, as oppossed to what 'doesn't' Hell...I already know what 'Doesn't'! 

Lilitu you are so funny!  Yep, I could write a book on what doesn't work.  I spent most of my life doing it.  I'm actually basically working on a written version of what I believe WLS'ers should be aware of.....mostly directed at newbies....and when I get it done I'm just going to post it on my website.  It will be long and divided into sections.  I hope it will help others and it will allow me to give better answers to the questions and posts that I get over and over. It's interesting there are some emails that I get that are virtually the same exact wording. I don't want to leave anything out when I'm sharing information so I hope it will be a win/win for anyone that wants to look.  I'll also welcome and seek out additions by others.

You're a cutie!
hugs, Y

**I forgot to add to my list
TAKE YOUR VITAMINS EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!! 

Thank you so much for your posts. As a very newbie, 4 days out,  I was sitting here reading all the " I wouldnt do it agians" and was thinking what did I just do to myself?

I know we need to be aware of the bad as well as the good, but sometimes just seeing a refresher, I am a long timer and do not regret it, is good for us newbies!!!!



You look amazing and are an inspiration, Thank you.

My surgery was so long ago that I spent 5 days in the hospital because it was "open" which was the only thing available at the time.  Due to a very unusual mix up I was without pain medicine for 8 hours.  They didn't have the machine ordered for the pain and since a shot was not ordered they couldn't give me one.  Long, awful thing but I knew that one day I woudn't actually remember the pain and I knew it would be very much worth it.  To be honest I would repeat that procedure every year if necessary...that's how much it changed my life. 

There's a book you might like to read and I would have liked to have found it when I was a newbie.  This is the name of it.
Obese From The Heart: A Fat Psychiatrist Discloses by Dr. Sara Stein. 

There are so many things that speak to me but one of them is the part where she talks about wondering what it would feel like to be comfortable in clothes? How does it feel to be in sleek clothing that fits no matter how you move?  When we are obese we dream of these things and somehow I see a lot of women that get to a good weight and yet they are still unhappy because they forgot how much they just wanted to be comfortable in clothes.  When you get complacent you are apt to fall back to old habits or take your weight loss or your surgery for granted.  That's when you get in trouble.  Respect and nurture your miracle and it will do the same for you.  Every morning I visualize myself in that picture the night before surgery.  Here's that picture.


I think about it hard and I think about how much I wanted to be out of my obese body.  I think about all the things I did for over 30 years to lose the weight and never was able to keep it off.  I finally was given the miracle and because I am very mindful of never forgetting this moment when this picture was made, I am super motivated to not return.  The day of this picture I made a deal to not eat sugar, to not eat junk, to follow the rules because it had to be easier than all that CRAP I did for 30 years.  Besides some other little rules, this is a very important part for me and it keeps me from taking anything for granted.

Thanks for your kind words. 
Don't forget where you came from and you might want to check out some of my blog.  I don't post every day...just when something stirs me.  I hope this has helped you in some small way.
hugs, Y

Hi Theresa,
Like you, I am always looking for long-term successful bariatric patients to see what they are doing that keeps them on track.  In March, I will be 7 years post-op and, depending on the day, have maintained a 125-135 lb weight loss from my highest weight.  It has become easier to gain weight over the last year or so and much more difficult to lose it. As a former yo-yo dieter, maintaining is the hard part.  Secrets to success?  No secrets here:  I still take protein supplements.  I try to eat healthy.  I continue to exercise and take vitamins.   I'm not perfect and have to constantly remind myself that life isn't perfect and enjoying something once in a while is okay; but slipping back into old habits is not.  Maintenance is the hard part! 

Thanks for the thread,

Sharon