What I have learned about WLS 3 years later
Hi, Everyone,
I had WLS 3 years ago and I want to talk about some of the things I have learned and what helped me along the way. The first thing I had to learn was I this was totally ALL about me and no one else. I had to put my energy into myself. You may be lucky and have a lot of support. I had a lot of support at home. My two kids who do not live at home were not supportive at all—they were sure I had made a huge mistake and would suffer medically. I now know that they were just scared and did know a lot about my “Sleeve" Surgery and had the wrong information
. It is still hard for them to compliment me on my weight loss. My husband was fabulous when it came to my support.
As I started to lose weight and my friends could see that I had lost a lot of weight. My eating habits had certainly changed just like yours have.
My friends would watch what I ate when we went out to eat. I am sure they thought I was going to starve myself—LOL.
We all know that is NOT true at all. If you do not have a sleeve, you can’t possibly understand or know that we are eating is just what we need unlike how we used to eat. This is NOT a diet; this is a lifestyle change that I will do the rest of my life. 
Three years later I can eat a little more than I did the first year.
I was sitting eating lunch today and thinking about how I chew. At first it was difficult to chew a tiny bite 30 or 40 times or until it was like a liquid in my mouth. Now I don’t think about it. I have learned that I don’t have to chew it that much to swallow it. Then I got to thinking about it, it really is much better to take the time to chew it 30 or 40 times. It takes me longer to eat when I chew my bites 30 or 40 times and I honestly try to listen to my stomach that says it is full. If I go back to just shoveling the food in like I did in the past that isn’t good either. So it is important that you keep using the skills that you are learning when it comes to eating. 
I want you to become creative when it comes to meal planning, and don’t eat the same things over and over.
You will get bored and start looking for the wrong things to eat. Try something new at least once a month. These weight loss support boards have a lot of great recipe ideas. I bought a book on how to cook chicken a lot of different ways. Find foods you like and use them in a lot of different ways. I recently learned how to make apple crisp that is so yummy
, and I make it for dessert. It is healthy and something my husband and I have and we do not feel guilty about what we are eating.
I want you to be successful and if anything I learned along the way helps you, then this is good news. I started this journey after a lot of research. I took the time to find the best surgeon I could. My surgery was done by Dr. Aceves. He and his staff have ALWAYS answered ANY questions I had before and after the surgery. I can’t say enough good things about him and his entire staff.
I was given the tool—my sleeve so that I could be successful at weight loss and keep it off for ever. I had a fear of regaining, but with my new tool and my lifestyle change that will never happen to me again. I struggled like so many of your trying to make up my mind about should I or shouldn’t I have WLS. Then I realized I had a disease and this was going to be my cure for my disease. It is nothing to be ashamed of. It takes more courage to have WLS than just sitting there doing nothing.
It isn’t about will power and pulling yourself up by your boot straps and getting serious and doing a diet and exercise. Do you know how many times I thought “Well I should be able to do this on my own" If that honestly worked, you would have lost weight a LONG time ago, because you have tried to diet and exercise already.
I am willing to bet you have done the Yo, Yo thing—lose it and gain it back.
It just feels so GREAT to be healthy again after many years of being unhealthy and fat. I wish you great success with your WLS journey. If you have any questions about my WLS or why I picked Dr. Aceves please send me an E-mail and ask your questions.
Hugs,
Suzanne
I had WLS 3 years ago and I want to talk about some of the things I have learned and what helped me along the way. The first thing I had to learn was I this was totally ALL about me and no one else. I had to put my energy into myself. You may be lucky and have a lot of support. I had a lot of support at home. My two kids who do not live at home were not supportive at all—they were sure I had made a huge mistake and would suffer medically. I now know that they were just scared and did know a lot about my “Sleeve" Surgery and had the wrong information
. It is still hard for them to compliment me on my weight loss. My husband was fabulous when it came to my support. As I started to lose weight and my friends could see that I had lost a lot of weight. My eating habits had certainly changed just like yours have.
My friends would watch what I ate when we went out to eat. I am sure they thought I was going to starve myself—LOL. We all know that is NOT true at all. If you do not have a sleeve, you can’t possibly understand or know that we are eating is just what we need unlike how we used to eat. This is NOT a diet; this is a lifestyle change that I will do the rest of my life. Three years later I can eat a little more than I did the first year.
I was sitting eating lunch today and thinking about how I chew. At first it was difficult to chew a tiny bite 30 or 40 times or until it was like a liquid in my mouth. Now I don’t think about it. I have learned that I don’t have to chew it that much to swallow it. Then I got to thinking about it, it really is much better to take the time to chew it 30 or 40 times. It takes me longer to eat when I chew my bites 30 or 40 times and I honestly try to listen to my stomach that says it is full. If I go back to just shoveling the food in like I did in the past that isn’t good either. So it is important that you keep using the skills that you are learning when it comes to eating. I want you to become creative when it comes to meal planning, and don’t eat the same things over and over.
You will get bored and start looking for the wrong things to eat. Try something new at least once a month. These weight loss support boards have a lot of great recipe ideas. I bought a book on how to cook chicken a lot of different ways. Find foods you like and use them in a lot of different ways. I recently learned how to make apple crisp that is so yummy, and I make it for dessert. It is healthy and something my husband and I have and we do not feel guilty about what we are eating. I want you to be successful and if anything I learned along the way helps you, then this is good news. I started this journey after a lot of research. I took the time to find the best surgeon I could. My surgery was done by Dr. Aceves.
He and his staff have ALWAYS answered ANY questions I had before and after the surgery. I can’t say enough good things about him and his entire staff. I was given the tool—my sleeve so that I could be successful at weight loss and keep it off for ever. I had a fear of regaining, but with my new tool and my lifestyle change that will never happen to me again. I struggled like so many of your trying to make up my mind about should I or shouldn’t I have WLS. Then I realized I had a disease and this was going to be my cure for my disease. It is nothing to be ashamed of. It takes more courage to have WLS than just sitting there doing nothing.
It isn’t about will power and pulling yourself up by your boot straps and getting serious and doing a diet and exercise. Do you know how many times I thought “Well I should be able to do this on my own" If that honestly worked, you would have lost weight a LONG time ago, because you have tried to diet and exercise already.
I am willing to bet you have done the Yo, Yo thing—lose it and gain it back. It just feels so GREAT to be healthy again after many years of being unhealthy and fat. I wish you great success with your WLS journey. If you have any questions about my WLS or why I picked Dr. Aceves please send me an E-mail and ask your questions.
Hugs,
Suzanne
Suzanne B
Eugene, OR
Dr. Aceves
10/21/2008
Start lbs 225
Now 120
Eugene, OR
Dr. Aceves
10/21/2008
Start lbs 225
Now 120
I enjoyed reading your post and can relate to a lot of things in there even though I am only 2 years out. Congrats on your success and thanks for sharing your knowledge and tips with us!
Lisa
Lisa
www.geekmomblog.com -My Mom blog were I talk about my journey through weight loss & weight loss surgery, my kids, cupcakes, Star Wars & pretty much everything!
Hi,
Thanks so much. I just want people to know that WLS can and does work. We will always follow the lifestyle changes we have made in our life. It is normal to us now to eat the way we eat. I am NOT saying I am perfect by any means. I do eat something sweet now and then --like a cookie or a tiny piece of cake or something like that, but I never eat as much of it as I used to. I really watch my carbs. Those were the things that made me fat! Too many carbs a day. You have done an amazing job yourself. Congratulations to you too.
Hugs,
Suzanne
Thanks so much. I just want people to know that WLS can and does work. We will always follow the lifestyle changes we have made in our life. It is normal to us now to eat the way we eat. I am NOT saying I am perfect by any means. I do eat something sweet now and then --like a cookie or a tiny piece of cake or something like that, but I never eat as much of it as I used to. I really watch my carbs. Those were the things that made me fat! Too many carbs a day. You have done an amazing job yourself. Congratulations to you too.
Hugs,
Suzanne
Suzanne B
Eugene, OR
Dr. Aceves
10/21/2008
Start lbs 225
Now 120
Eugene, OR
Dr. Aceves
10/21/2008
Start lbs 225
Now 120
Hi,
I really hope that your insurance will pay for your WLS. I honestly think and hope that we will see more and more insurance companies starting to pay for WLS. This will be something that will change your entire life and all for the better.
Hugs,
Suzanne
I really hope that your insurance will pay for your WLS. I honestly think and hope that we will see more and more insurance companies starting to pay for WLS. This will be something that will change your entire life and all for the better.
Hugs,
Suzanne
Suzanne B
Eugene, OR
Dr. Aceves
10/21/2008
Start lbs 225
Now 120
Eugene, OR
Dr. Aceves
10/21/2008
Start lbs 225
Now 120
Hi,
I know for sure you will be successful. You really want for this to happen. You are going to be excited after the first month is over. Just remember I am always out here to ask questions if you have any. There is ANYTHING that we can't talk about. I have a lot of questions once I started to lose weight.
Hugs and thanks,
Suzanne
I know for sure you will be successful. You really want for this to happen. You are going to be excited after the first month is over. Just remember I am always out here to ask questions if you have any. There is ANYTHING that we can't talk about. I have a lot of questions once I started to lose weight.
Hugs and thanks,
Suzanne
Suzanne B
Eugene, OR
Dr. Aceves
10/21/2008
Start lbs 225
Now 120
Eugene, OR
Dr. Aceves
10/21/2008
Start lbs 225
Now 120
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