Clearly it was the right decision for you.You are doing wonderfully.  It is working very well for you.  Keep up the great work!  Tri

To begin, I don't quite meet your qualifications - I will be going on my fourth year as of this New Year's Eve.  

I have lost 217 lbs.  from 347 to 130 and am 5'5" in height.  I am actually below 130 pounds now, but I maintain at around 135.  I do not allow it to go over 137: that's my "warning" weight.  

My BMI went from 57 to 21.6.  I never allow it to go above 22.6 (which is anything over 137).  

I do not feel "burdened" by the negative consequences of surgery, but rather relieved of the multiple negative co-morbidities of being super morbidly obese.  I have gone from an insulin dependent diabetic with high blood pressure, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, tachycardia, high lipids, neuropathy, and plantar fasciitis -- to having absolutely none of those issues.  My only hiccup has been low-iron -- which only started after having 3 major hernias repaired last December with appreciable blood loss.  It's been a small price to pay.

That said, maintenance has been appreciably more difficult than the honeymoon/losing phase.  I could have easily regained a good portion of my weight in this last year especially.  Indeed, I have seen many in my RL support group do just that -- many before the 3rd year.  However, I can always see exactly why they are regaining.    I have to work tirelessly to maintain my loss.  I have been completely committed, post here nearly daily and have never missed a day of logging and weighing my food.  I treat my recovery from obesity as a recovery from addiction -- because for me, that's exactly what it is.

 

 

That is spot on KAT.

We have to WORK in maintainence just has hard, maybe even HARDER, to maintain the gift (I.e. weight loss) that the surgery gave to us.

We can't let our diligence fall for even a moment. Seriously, I can chug an angry orchard down in 30 mintues...that is 200 needless calories.

Hi Skinny Scientist

I don't know what an angry orchard is but an empty calorie always goes down easily.   If that has alcohol that causes a lot of people to regain too. You're right...we really can't let our diligence fall.  I have seen many, many people begin to regain after year 2.  Sounds like you will defy the odds.  Your surgery is working well.  Tri

Hi Kat

I know exactly what you mean.  In 1988 I weighed 276 lbs.  I went to weight  watchers meeting religiously and got down to my goal weight of 168.  I maintained for 5 years and then had the RNY.  It is disheartening to watch support group members regain along with me.  You are inspiring me to continue on with the battle.  Tri

I am going to start this out with a kind of "blame the patient attitude".

I am only 3 years out (well about to start year 3 I think), so I am not the vet you want, but I am going to be honest.

I lost weight quickly and relatively easily during my first year.  When my weightloss plateau'ed or stopped, I would just throw in a new workout or a new activity or UP the current activity. I changed my eating habits and was super strict on EVERYTHING. I recognized I had a honeymoon of one year. So I was going for broke.

Year 2-Went on a honeymoon. Gained weight cuz I didn****ch my portions or diet on the boat. Had to diet and exercise that weight off.

 

Towards the end of this year-if I "lost focus" and let my portions get too big, drink too many liquid calories (Hello Angry Orchard) or ate things I shouldnt have (like too many potato chips while running in the sun or treating myself to a beer after a long run while freezing my ass off in an icebath.  Hell, beer and potato chips together!!!) I would gain weight.  And then I would have diet and exercise that fat off. And the longer out from surgery it was, the harder it was to get it off "fast".

 

So currently, I am back at goal weight (i.e. 142).  The times the surgery "failed me" was WHEN I FAILED the surgery by not eating according to plan, drinking too much, or not keeping my portions in check.  

So-when people successfully lose and put the pounds back on years later, I have a tendency to believe it is complacency and letting "bad habits" slip back in. I dont think it is the surgery's failure or something inherent to the surgery.

But like I said, my current experience (I.e. ME) has lead me to a "blame the patient" attitude because I WAS THE **** UP when I gained the weight.

My two cents, take with salt

 

Hi skinny scientist

Thank you for taking the time to write your response.  3 months post op I felt the same way.  I quit my profession to destress because I thought I was the problem...not my surgery.  I went back to WW meetings.  I biked 12 miles every morning, swam 30 lengths in the afternoon and walked 3 miles in the evening.  I did triathlons.  Then I found this web site and realized most WLS patients had a honeymoon period.  Many people told me to find a lawyer.  I didn't because I blamed myself for not being able to lose weight. 13 lbs. after 1 year...seriously.

Most people that are relatively new do "blame the patient".  That is probably why people who   regain don't post.  

Shortly after surgery I had an xray of my stoma which was 25 mm.  That is like a quarter.  My surgeon absolutely, positively failed me.  Then I found out he gave me a huge pouch and a short bypass.  Everyday I under eat my surgery or I would weigh 300 or 400 lbs. I seriously could win an eating contest.  I only need to eat 250 calories less and burn off 250 calories more every day. That sounds so simple...doesn't it? 

Over the years I have noticed that many people whose surgeries were fine at the beginning began eating more and fighting to keep pounds off.  Then they would disappear.  I noticed other friends and support group members also regain.  

I honestly do think many, but not all, surgeries fail and many people need revisions eventually.  I have noticed that DS and some VSG work for a longer period of time. I wish the medical community would take a closer look at what they did that worked better and what they did that didn't work as well.  Does the pouch size, stoma size and bypass length make a difference?  Does the size of the sleeve make a difference?  Over the years I also have noticed that the beginning BMI makes a difference. Does a larger person get a more restrictive surgery?  I have asked that question a million times over the past 10 years.  What lasts 5 years out?

I also notice that removing the deflated fat cells and extra skin seems to help keep weight gain at bay.  Do those empty fat cells scream out for more nutrition?  If that is the case that would help patients receive approval for plastic surgery.  10 years ago I read a study on removing fat cells from abdomens and blood sugars improving.  That never got any more attention.

Someday I hope a medical society somewhere will start looking at why sometimes wls works for many many years and why sometimes it fails.  As long as the professionals keep "blaming the patient" they won't look for answers.  None of us wants to fail.  Sometimes we can't succeed...no matter how hard we try.  

I will get off my soapbox now...sorry about that :)

Please continue being a success.  Please ask your surgeon the specifics of your surgery and share so that others can request the same pouch size, stoma hole punch and bypass length and have a successful surgery like yours. You do need to continue being diligent...you are right!  You can do it!

Thanks so much for your input.  Please continue to share your journey with us. Tri 

 

That is very interesting on the removal of the 'empty' fat cells.  I will have to do more reading on that.

I really think there is a need for medical researchers (not doctors who are biased by the surgeries they can perform) to look at WLS as a whole to get some answers. I am VERY happy with the DS, and while the eating is low maintenance, I take a lot of vitamins..and get labs regularly. I know that a lot of people do not do that...or want to do that...in that case they should NOT get the DS.

There is this trend now, to do the DS with a much longer common channel...I cannot see myself having been able to maintain my weight loss with a long common channel. I needed to have a lot of malabsorbtion to maintain.

TRI- Thank you for your well thought out post.  So you had a surgeon that was "creative" and did his own ad-lib operation on you to?  There is another girl, I believe Sheriberi, who is suffering from the same thing!!  You two may want to talk.  I am so sorry.

 

Your theory about the deflated fat cell appears to be correct.  Fat cells release hormones and store them too.  They have endocrine and paracrine functions.

 

I must head to work now. But you have given me a lot to think about.

 

Thank you