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Gwen, thank you so much for sharing this, and always sharing so much of yourself.
As a newbie, less than 4 months post op, I do read a lot about the honeymoon phase. I have watched with wonder at your posts about how much weight you've lost this past year, and connected the dots that you put together so eloquently in your post, but reading it is great validation. Yes... the honeymoon phase is "easy", with restriction and malabsorption and excitement to get the weight off. My journey is not perfect, so I can see how it can be difficult down the road.
IF, my centre's goal for me is 180 to 195, and at 5'2, that's just not doing it for me!! I am so glad to have the support of this group because if they said to me, when I hit that range, "ok you're in maintenance", I'm not sure how I would have reacted. Now, I can smile and nod and keep doing my thing.
Gwen, keep shouting from the rooftops your message of seeking help. Those who need to hear it need you to keep saying it!
((Hugs))
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. Choose happy. 
Opti -10 / M1 -25.5 / M2 -10 / M3 -14.5 / M4 -13 / M5 -10 / M6 -5.5 / M7 -9.5 / M8 -13.5 / M9 -0.5 / M10 -2.5 / M11 -2.5 / M12 +2 / M13 -5.5
Century Club and Onederland in month 7!!
Great post Gwen,
My clinic, although great in some regards, really falls into this category. First, their expectation was for me to maybe get to 230.... Then, at my one year appointment, when I weighed in at 170ish, the NP decalred I was in maintenance, and that I was done losing weight. Just like that.
Some of this journey can be such a long slog, that hearing things like that can be the justification for allowing old habits to creep back in.
To be honest, 230 was coincidentally my lowest adult weight, and I know I could have been content there. But that weight wasn't good for my health, and was still MO.
Same with 170. Just out of the obese range, I could have used her declaration of maintance as a cop out. It can be scary to have so many changes happening and I'm definitely in new territory, the temptation to declare maintance was definitely there.
No thanks. While the weight definitely doesn't come off the way it did those first months, it is still definitely coming off.
I think we bang the drum on the first year so loudly, is because it really is the "easiest" time to maximize the loss. Our focus and will is resolute. the momentum of rapid loss is validating. When you go from losing 5 pounds a week, to 5 a month (if that), you need to switch gears, and find new metrics to feel like the effort is worth it.
RNY Sept 8, 2016
M1:23, M2 :18, M3 :11, M4 :19, M5: 13, M6: 12, M7: 17, M8: 11, M9: 11.5, M10: 13, M11: 10, M12: 10 M13 : 7.6, M14: 6.9, M15: 6.7
Instagram:InsertFitness
Thank you very much for sharing your journey. So much of weight loss is a mind-game to me. It really helps to hear from others on the same journey.
I posted this in the VSG forum, but figured I'd post it here too because it's probably even more relevant to those of us who start off in the SMO range.
---
My fourth surgiversary isn't until March 2018, but I started the surgery process a bit over four years ago and I started in on lifestyle modification for REAL at the beginning of 2014. So I'm in that four-year time period and I wanted to share my experience with weight loss. I'll try to keep it brief.
I'm sharing this because I see a lot of comments that if you don't lose it in the first year, you won't lose it. Doctors say this - that you can expect to lose all the weight you're going to in the first year and then that's it. I see (and hear) people say, "don't waste your honeymoon period" and imply that if you don't reach your goal in the first year you're doomed.
I'm 5'4" and was 319 pounds at the beginning of 2014. This was my highest weight that I was aware of. I might have weighed more than this, but, if I did, I didn't step on a scale to know of it. [This put my BMI at 55.]
2014 - I started lifestyle modification at the beginning of the year and lost 27 pounds between January 1 and March 14 when I had surgery. In 2014 I lost 124.4 pounds total.
2015 - My dad's cancer spread to his brain, previous habits started creeping back into my life, weight loss slowed. In 2015 I lost 14.3 pounds.
2016 - My dad died, Binge Eating Disorder began to rule my life, but I sought diagnosis and medication. In 2016 I lost 8.4 pounds. (This is net loss. I gained weight during 2016, lost it, and lost 8.4 more pounds.)
2017 - While this year has been challenging due to college (finished my AA degree and started my BS!) and reconstructive surgeries (recovering from third and final one now), it has not been the complete emotional rollercoaster that 2015 and 2016 were. I attended bereavement group through the local hospice, I continued seeing my therapist on an "as needed" basis, I started going to a local professionally organized support group once a month, I exercised regularly for the first half of the year until surgeries waylaid mobility for the remainder of the year. In 2017, so far, I've lost another 24.2 pounds (skin weighs very little, so this weight loss cannot be explained away entirely by reconstructive surgery).
So I guess my point is, and what I want to try to convey to anyone reading this, is that you CAN still lose weight after the first year. The weight loss will probably never be as fast as it was in that first year without serious intervention, but the weight loss CAN continue. If you've stopped losing weight, or even gained weight, you CAN get back to losing.
Never let anyone convince you that whatever success you achieve in the first year is it and that you need to be satisfied with what you've lost by that point because it just is not true.
And if, like me, you get to the point where you find that your pre-WLS habits are taking control of your life, please, please, please seek professional help. You are worth it.
VSG with Dr. Salameh - 3/13/2014
Diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder and started Vyvanse - 7/22/2016
Reconstructive Surgeries with Dr. Michaels - 6/5/2017 (LBL & brachioplasty), 8/14/2017 (UBL & mastopexy), 11/6/2017 (medial leg lift)
Age 42 Height 5'4" HW 319 (1/3/2014) SW 293 (3/13/2014) CW 149 (7/16/2017)
Next Goal 145 - normal BMI | Total Weight Lost 170
TrendWeight | Food Blog (sort of functional) | Journal (down for maintenance)
Enjoy your trip! Traveling is SO MUCH BETTER when smaller. How long will you be gone?
I refuse to use anyone else's scale except my own, since they're DIFFERENT. When I was spending every third week with my parents during my dad's treatments, I actually bought a second scale to keep at their house so I could continue to weigh myself with the "same" scale :P When I go to Norway/Denmark in May, though, no scale for 9 days. Whee! And I'll probably wait another week after getting home before stepping on my own since I truly believe travel weight is not real weight :P
I'm still not weighing myself regularly because my routine is off from normal still due to surgery recovery. Once I'm able to dress my own wounds and garment myself I'll be able to start showering in the mornings again, and then my daily weighing will be able to be back on track.
However, I'm joining in the post today because I DID do the "regular" routine on Saturday morning! I woke up, used the bathroom, weighed naked, showered, and then took progress pictures of my surgery recovery.
HW: 319
Last weight (11/27): 153.6
Current weight (12/9): 151.5
Next goal: 145 - normal BMI!
I know I've still got swelling from surgery(ies) but it feels awesome to be down 2.6 pounds since the day before my most recent surgery and down 13.3 pounds since my first reconstructive surgery in June. I'm still not quite back to my lowest ever which is listed in my signature, but I'm really super close! And it's nice to see TrendWeight giving me a goal achievement prediction date again. For a while there, it was like "yeah, you'll never reach your goal with the way your weight is trending." :P
VSG with Dr. Salameh - 3/13/2014
Diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder and started Vyvanse - 7/22/2016
Reconstructive Surgeries with Dr. Michaels - 6/5/2017 (LBL & brachioplasty), 8/14/2017 (UBL & mastopexy), 11/6/2017 (medial leg lift)
Age 42 Height 5'4" HW 319 (1/3/2014) SW 293 (3/13/2014) CW 149 (7/16/2017)
Next Goal 145 - normal BMI | Total Weight Lost 170
TrendWeight | Food Blog (sort of functional) | Journal (down for maintenance)
Hello,
Have fun on your trip.
My weight is up a little but I feel backed up so miralax it is.
Hw 368
Lw 170.2
Tw 171.8
Have a good week
Good morning weekly weighers!
well, I had another good weigh in this week. I don't want to jinx it, but there is a reasonable chance I might see a weigh in under 160 before we fly out on Friday for Germany. I mean, I'm fine if we don't. I just like the idea of it...and it gives me a good reason to stay super on plan until we leave.
im not bringing my scale with me, but I will use my sister in laws while we are there, to at least keep an eye on fluctuations.
I know I will be eating more carbs over the holidays than usual, but there will always be lots of protein forward options. The Germans love their meat and cheese! (But also love wine, beer, sauces....)
stats:
HW: 378
LW: 163.something
TW: 161.4
Goals: under 160, then 145, top end of a healthy BMI.
RNY Sept 8, 2016
M1:23, M2 :18, M3 :11, M4 :19, M5: 13, M6: 12, M7: 17, M8: 11, M9: 11.5, M10: 13, M11: 10, M12: 10 M13 : 7.6, M14: 6.9, M15: 6.7
Instagram:InsertFitness
It will be here before you know it!
HW: 375 SW: 282 CW: 167 GW: 159
on 12/8/17 9:14 am, edited 12/8/17 1:14 am
Thank you! And... re op... barring any complications - Spring 2018- latest summer 2018 ... I hope!
That was sweet. Thank you. When is your surgery?
I do the same thing. I read and read -- and I don't always comment. But this site has been crucial to my journey. We are not alone. I was going to say we are not weird, but I can't promise that. 
HW: 375 SW: 282 CW: 167 GW: 159
