9 years out from WLS I LOVE MY LIFE!!!!!!

I am always so glad to hear from the vets.  It seems like after the honey moon no none posts anymore or if they have problems then they post.  We never hear the good news of either surgerys.  I am glad to hear you are doing good and keep it up.

I am still in the begining process and in doingm y research I like to read up on vets on all the surgeries.

Congrats Ginger!  No truer words were ever said, sadly I can predict with pretty good odds who will and will not be successful right from the beginning.  It is easy at first, almost too easy, I kind of felt guilty like this shouldn't be this easy, but in the end it gets hard when I have to really diet to keep myself where I am.  And like you I will never go back no matter what.  I still love to eat but I don't let my love of eating take over my love of weighing less then half of my former self.  As long as I stay under 145 I am happy, although my goal is 138 and I float around I have never seen 150 back on the scale and I refuse too, or will be naked because I have no other clothes in a larger size.

Enjoy your success!
Hugs Heidi

Good for you!!!!!  I know....at first the weight melted off.....I worked hard and lost 244 in 1 year!  And I stay on top of it every day to maintain my weight.  It is very easy for me to gain and I do go up and down a little.   I have talked to so many newbies who just think it will be easy forever and it isn't unless you Create Healthy Habits.


I have Empowered myself for the first time in my life!  Food does no longer has control over me!  I have control or it and I plan to keep it that way! 

The funny part is I don't feel deprived at all.  I eat and I enjoy eating!  I change recipes when I want something so I can eat it.

If you like go to my blog I have posted many recipes there.  I am always looking for yummy recipes too!

Keep up the great work and enjoy your success too!

Ginger

Have you had your staple line checked? Your era, your surgeon, lack of restriction make me ask. If your staple line is gone, in essence you ARE living without surgery.

I agree with the 2 or 3 year wall, for sure, but in your particular case, because Dr W never transected, if you are suddenly different, please check it out. Mine lasted 5 yrs. I didn't feel any different, nor was I able to eat appreciably more, BUT Mt Vesuvius went off in my esophagus! ACID! FIRE! BURN! OW! And thus, I was revised before I gained much. Whew

Yes, you are right....my stomach and pouch are only seperated by staples.  However my staples are fine.....but the pouch does stretch.  I know people who are only 1 year out and they are seperated and can already eat much more and are gaining weight.  I also know people with fobbie pouches and many other surgeries that can eat morem after a few years.....that is just the way it is.  It hurts my heart when I see people 3 year or more years out who has put on 50 plus pounds and then they feel like a failure!  They feel like they did before surgery.  So, I guess some might feel like I preach about creating healthy habits....but the fact is I know what can happen, I have seen it so many times!

I do feel a full sensation, however it is nothing like what I felt when I initially had the surgery.  And I do not feel the full feeling until I have eaten much more than I could when I inially had the surgery.  It is not like it was pre-op.  Before surgery I didn't have a full switch at all.  I could vertually eat as much as you would at a Thanksgiving meal and still want more. 

What I am saying is CREATE HEALTHY EATING AND EXERICISE HABITS FOR A LIFE TIME.  Don't treat this like another DIET!  Later no matter what surgery you have you WILL be able to eat more, and you will be able to graze.  So figure out what your individual patterns and what your bad habits are and change them.  The surgery is a tool.....and it is a wonderful tool.  But the Honeymoon stage is not very long and it is different for everyone, so figure out what works for you so you can be healthy for a life time!

Hugs, 

Ginger
 

Ginger,

I met you at the OH conference, and from day one you have been a true inspiration to me.  I am now down 142 lbs at 9 months post-op, but I can ALREADY relate to what you are saying.  We have got to change our eating habits. 

Yes, I do mess up occasionally, but all in all I know when I've messed up and I correct it immediately instead of letting the lbs add up.  That's where we get in trouble.  Once we gain 5 lbs, we let it begin to multiply until it is totally out of control, and we feel "out of control" and the more out of control we become, the deeper we become engrossed in the "obesity" cycle.  That's why this time it is different.  I feel IN CONTROL.  I have never felt that this was an easy journey.  I have counted calories, fat grams, carb grams & proteins from day one.  I keep a daily journal, and I have to MAKE MYSELF NOT graze.  That is where we can really get in trouble. 

Thanks for sharing your experience with us ... and please continue to give us advice.  We only have the knowledge of vets to really give us reality advice, because you are the ones that have "been there, done it, and have a t-shirt or two"! lol .. !! 

Gay

Thanks Gay,

You have got it girlfriend!  Keep doing what you are doing and don't stop!!!

I hope to see you again soon.....and I know I will be seeing a lot less of you!!! (smile)

Take care,

Ginger

Wow- I love a good long-time success story, we need more, don't be a stranger!

I won't, I am here as much as I can.  I am going to school now so it is hard juggling family and school. 

I do post on my blog if you would like to go there.

Take care,

Ginger