has my wls failed?

I had open rny bypass on October 24 I have lost about 70 lbs. my insurance had a exclusion so I paid out of pocket. I never have had dumping or any of the bad side effects. Bad thing is slowly I am getting into those same old habits. When I went for my follow up appointments I told the doctor I was disappointed he just said I was on track if I had lost more weight he would be worried. What should I do I feel like with all the money I paid it should be easier to loose this weight.

Dear Pamela: 70 pounds in 6 months is pretty good, give yourself credit for coming as far as you have. If you allow yourself to become discouraged and give up, that is when your problems will begin. Seventy pounds coming off of a body, means 70 pounds less strain on the heart, bones, and joints. You did not say what your starting weight was, because that will make a difference in how fast you will lose. Some medications also make a difference in rate of weight loss. Remember, we are all individuals and lose at different rates. For me when I felt the weight loss was stalling, I would try to go back to the basics, make sure I am drinking at least 60 ounces of fluids, taking in at least 50 to 60 grams protein, exercise 4 times a week for at least 40 min, and try to keep some kind of record to evaluate how I am doing. I have to keep reminding myself that WLS is only a tool to help us, but we have to do the really hard work. I know from my own experience that old habits are hard to break, for me I have used food as a means of coping for my whole life- one day of surgery is not going to change that. GOOD LUCK to you and keep working on improving your health. Bridgette

Pamela, I wholeheartedly agree with Bridgette Kearns. Her information is right on the money. We all lose so differently. Meds, comorbities, quantity and quality of foods, vitamin sups, protein sups all play together. I started out with approx 200 lbs to lose and by 6 mos, I had lost 114 lbs. Don't highlight "just" 70 lbs. Go to a grocery store and put 8 gallons of milk in your buggy (that's what we call them in Alabama) and you will quickly become very proud of those 70 lbs. The average gallon of milk weighs 8 lbs. So be thankful for the 70. And if you are still overly concerned, go speak with your Nutritionist. Remember that consultation???, protein first, green and good veggies next, fruit, and lastly carbs. By the time you get to carbs, your hunger has been more than satisfied. Good luck to you! No this wasn't a bad decision for you. The surgery is only a tool. Go back to your Nutritionist. Keep focused on the goal!

Dear Pam, I had my gastric bypass two years ago and have lost 236 lbs. I have learned that the bypass is no "get out of jail free" card. If you don't change your old eating habits, the weight will come right back on. I have to count my calories daily to stay within 1500 to 2000 calories to maintain my weight loss. The surgery does not take away the old desire to soothe yourself with food. Even though I have a much smaller stomach, I am not above still eating until I am literally sick. I have no OFF switch to my appetite. I must lay out my portion sizes in advance and this tells my brain that this is all there is. You have to learn different methods of dealing with your inability to control your food consumption. I have also had to force myself to change what I eat. I have come to love salads, soups, diet tv dinners, and the such. I still have a sweet tooth that drives me to distraction. I eat graham crackers, small cookies, and even cut up an angel food cake in portions, freeze them and eat a piece when I get a craving. It takes longer to eat when it is frozen. I drink a lot of tea with Splenda to satisfy my sweet tooth. I am afraid too many bypass patients think the surgery will do all the work for them in losing and keeping off the weight. It doesn't work that way. I will have to deal with my craving for food for the rest of my life. You will have to stay vigilant always! It is worth it though. Once you get to your goal weight, just the thought of putting the weight back up brings such sheer terror to my mind, tha****ching what I eat seems a minor inconvenience. Oh, by the way, I have my "bad" days. I allow myself a couple of days, once in awhile, to pig out. You just can't do it too often but it is like a mini-vacation and you will feel quite decadent. I wish you luck but what you need most is determination.

I whole heartedly 100% agree with Pamela Nugent's remarks on living after WLS, I live exactly as she does! Every day I remind myself that the work that I do is a very small inconvenience to keep my behind in a size 7/8 seeing as I was a 30/32 18mos. ago!!! I had RNY open on 1/6/03 and to date have lost 163, only 5.5 more lbs. to goal!! THE WORK IS WORTH IT ALL!!! and Pamel is right, this definitely is no "get out of jail free card", or a miracle, far too many people go into this with that mindset, I don't believe enough drs. are telling the patients how much real work goes along with this surgery!!, but I would call it a "miracle tool" the tool behind all of the work that helps!!

Lisa, Hi my name is Debbie and I just read your post from July 8th replying to the lady about her lack of weight loss. I so agree with what you said, and said so nicely! The surgery is just a tool, I laugh when I hear someone say that having the surgery is taking the easy way out. There is NO easy way to lose weight. I certainly wish I didn't have to go this route, but I did and I'm so happy I decided to do it. I'm much healthier than I've been for over 20 yrs. I started out at 386 last Dec, from meningitis in Jan I lost almost 30 lbs so by my surgical date I was about 360 lbs, I gained some back in the 3 weeks from scheduling my surgery to having it. I'm down 71 lbs since surgery, down to 289. I'm just amazed at how good I'm feeling. If the weight loss stopped today for some strange reason I'd still be happier than I was last Dec when all I could get my big behind into where 32 stretch pants! I had the Micropouch procedure done and so far, with over 4000 surgeries performed no one has needed a revision. I'm sure hoping that stays true. Supposedly with this procedure the pouch cannot stretch out. I had my surgery thru CORI center here in Michigan. Take care and good luck with your weight loss Debbie

I must recommend the book When Food is Love by Geneen Roth. 70 pounds is an enormous amount of weight to lose, but for many of us the act of getting thin is what we crave, rather than arriving at thin. You may be unknowingly sabotaging yourself to avoid reaching your goal. So much of why we were morbidly obese to begin with came from issues in our brain that surgery on the stomach almost seems misplaced. There's more to this journey than smaller portions. There's that whole hungry organ that lives in your head that has to be dealt with. Good luck, and celebrate your amazing loss!