I have read the post and responses to the "Who is a Vet question", and I am choosing to reply with a new thread, so my responses does not get buried.

First, I hope that people with the first week whinies, have seen my as a VET and taken comfort from my crab cake story.

Second, I hope that people who, at one month out begin to regret their decision to have the surgery, see me as VET and take encouragement from my suggestion to withhold final judgement for a year - at 4 weeks the anesthesia is not even out  of your system.

At 18 months, I have gone through major transitions and challenges and maybe I would not fell like such a grizzled old vet if I didn't have 2 more surgeries in the past 3 months.  A short shoulder surgery which interrupted my exercise program and caused me months of grueling phy therapy and a long PS which had its own recovery problems.

Third, to those who are 5 years out - you are not just vets, you have gone into the statosphere of role model (STAR) status. When I come across your posts, I have tried, maybe not always to my regret, to recognize your successes and that you have stayed with this community of newbies, middle of roaders, vets, and stars.

Forth, I write in outrage to the post that, I'm paraphrasing here, that anyone can lose weight for the first three years and eat candy.  That is not supported by the data.  See graph below - the average person does not even get rid of all their EBW and by year 3 is already regaining. I'm not saying that it will not get more difficult, I am saying that the first three years are not a cakewalk - just look at the graph below. If it were so easy, everyone would lose all of their EBW by year 3.   

What a way to denigrate one's effort and achievement. In my 50 years of memory, many OB people consisting undervalue themselves, their achievements and accomplishments and set unrealistic or even impossibly high bars for themselves, and them are surprised when they are disappointed.  So, how do you get to be successful, at 5 years - you get successful at 1 year, and 2 years and 3 years etc.  Many of you that are far shy of the 5 year make are vets to me.  If you lost nearly all of your EBW - you are a VET and have accomplished far more than the average person may.

So, I am a VET - I have been through it and came out on the other side.  Am I a VET to you, well, in a way, your opinion of me is not my business, but where I am in my journey should make a difference.  That is why we post when we had our surgery, and other key facts. It give s

I hope that anyone just having surgery can be as successful or more than I have been and hope the 5 year STARS look at my posted surgery date and know where I am coming from. 

I'm the one who made the candy comment. Why not reply to me directly instead of venting your spleen in a separate post? 

My statement was not meant to be absolutely literal. It is pretty easy, comparatively, to lose weight the first three years without Herculean effort. 

For clarification, I am almost 5 years out and lost my excess weight. I've also kept it off. That doesn't make me special or precious. I'm sure as hell not a vet or a star.

I read a bunch of comments and they sort of blurred together.  I made mine a sep post because there was already so many replies and I felt what I had to say was important so I put it where people would see it - rather than buried at the ~20th reply.  And I summarized my feelings as to the topic as a whole.

My post was not about venting my spleen - I assure you I could have done that I could have done that in just one sentence.  I replied to educate.  Take it as you chose.

Your last your comment reinforces what I said about many overweight/even formerly overweight people - They/you/we often undervalue their/your/our achievements and ourselves.   I know your efforts or not over, neither are mine.  And speaking for myself, mine will prob never be over - I expect to be using all the tools I know - label reading, portion control, healthy stress control, etc., for the rest of my life. 

But Oxford Comma Hag, take a bow from time to time - so few people make it to where you are.  Thanks for showing it is do-able because I hope to be where you are in a few years. Whether you like it or not, you are where not many make it. (You don't have to think of yourself as a Vet, or Star, or precious because you are still a role model to people like me and you can't make be believe otherwise. It just comes with the territory.)

The other thing I have to say, is to everyone: That by being successful at 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, 1 yr, 2yr, etc, each of us had to deal with the barriers that present themselves and we will continue to do that when things may get really slogged down at year 5,6,7 yr etc.  (Do you hear Gloria Gaynor singing "I will survive" in the background?  I do.)  That is how we will make it far into the future and still be healthy.

I may have misunderstood Oxford Comma Hag's post, if so, I apologize.  My comments are to reply to the whole blog, not just one entry. 

I think you got some stones girl!  :)  And I admire you.

"the average person does not even get rid of all their EBW and by year 3 is already regaining."

-This is true!  If you watch my 600 lb life, the doctor has operated on some people, they start to lose then ignore his advice. They eat to much or eat candy or the wrong things and they GAIN WEIGHT.  I think Penny was one of them, then there was an African American lady who did the same and she had like 3 or 4 kids that were adopted for THIS season (or last season).

I am also glad that you recognize the difference between excess body weight and getting to a "normal weight".

Like people in my pre-surgery classes thought they would "lose all the weight" My surgeon made a point of having a height weight table. And having us CALCULATE the difference between what we "should" be and what we were (i.e. the excess body weight). Then taking 80% of the excess body weight and SUBTRACTING IT from our current weight (i.e. the weight we would be if we lost 80% of our excess body weight)>

I was like "MY GOODNESS!  I WILL STILL BE OVERWEIGHT!!!"

It was disheartening and I ALMOST BACK OUT OF SURGERY FOR THE THIRD TIME because I was scared that I would still be "fat" and not normal.

Then one of my closest friends encouraged me not to because I STILL would have lost  a lot, it would be better for my back and health.

So I decided I would do the surgery.

But then once I decided to do it, I became "entrenched" on the thought that if I was surgerically re-reouting my insides, I had damn well better get to a normal size and I went gang busters.

And now I am normal, and having the best life I have ever had. I have never had so much fun. I can climb volcanoes (did that on a honeymoon) and keep up with the 20 year olds while doing it (I am 40ish), run half marathons, figure skate and now I am trying to run a full marathon.

When I was close to 300 lbs, I couldnt do ANY OF IT. None!

To me, a vet has gone through the whole cycle.  Lost their excess weight, maintained, gone through about 20 pounds of bounce-back regain, lost the regain.

It took me about five years.

I am happy to hear that - every time someone gets a grip on a problem and reverses the problem, we all win. 

My orig goal was 165.  Because I know that I could gain 20 pounds, I continued to 140-145 so I would have some cushion.  But I know how I felt when I weighed in on the doctor's scale about 2 months ago and it said 147!!!  I was not happy - it was after my shoulder surgery, percosets, and before I could really move.  I got it off when I could move and get off the percs.  I know I could regain that entire 20 pounds - more easily than I would like to admit, but, hopefully not risking hubris (dangerous over-confidence), I hope never to be a vet in your definition.  But, if I regain those %$#^ 20 pounds, I hope I will lose them, or make peace with the 165, whichever is the healthier option.  (165 was my lowest high school weight, but that will be a decision for me and my doctor.) 

PS  At least your criteria are 'do-able.'  To me, some people's criteria amounted "Walks on Water" which is what did not seem reasonable to me amounted to undervaluing accomplishments. 

Yeah, until you've also had to face regain and losing it, I don't think you really truly qualify as a "vet".

I was great for 6.5 years... Then the knee replacements and the weight gain.  Still trying to get it all off...

Sorry, but I consider you a Work In Progress, not a Vet.

Why?  Although you've done a great job reaching goal, you have not maintained the loss for an extended period of time.

I'm sure that almost all of the people who have had WLS have been on diets where they have reached their goal weight.... but most of us regained the weight we lost, plus more.  We never maintained the loss.

That's not to say you can't give valuable input on preparing for surgery, going through the post-op eating stages, etc.  I've read some of your responses to other posts and you've been head-on.  But I think you have to maintain your weight loss before you can be a vet.

Me, I'm a WIP.  I look forward to becoming a true Vet some day, but it's a long way down the road for me.  I've received a lot of support and information on OH, from Newbies, WIPs and vets alike.

I hope I'm always a work in progress (even when they're throwing the dirt on me and I'm 6 feet under).  I post the info of when I had the surgery so you can put whatever perspective you want and take that info into consideration when you read my posts - something we all should do when we come across new info. I encourage everyone to post that info because for some posts it helps to more fully understand what the person means.

My point is that by putting all these criteria you take away from a Vet being someone who has been through the battle and has lived to tell the story.  You might even be belittling your own accomplishments - that is something for you to consider.  You might not think that you have been though the battle, but I know I have.  I do not think this is a battle that you win once and for all - like the Allies won WWII -- but you battle everyday and win as often as possible. 

While I see this differently from many - I think some of you are selling yourselves short - but that is for you to consider.  I do agree that there is nothing magical about maintaining for 5 years - you can run into a problem at 5 years and 1 day that will be more difficult than anything you ran into before.   

PS - Many of you have not added your surgery date or other info about yourself to your banner.  These discussions are contributing to the understanding of the phases most people go through in the years after WLS.  I encourage all to post that info. I did not do that at first, but awhile ago, someone asked that I add the info and I did.  

Sharon, how do you add that info? I've looked, but don't find this site particularly intuitive, so haven't figured it out. THanks!