7 years today

7 years post op and I can't gain a pound if I try.  This can be true for any one of you if you follow your doctors program.  If WLS didn't save my life, I'm sure it added quite a number of great years for me and my family. 

The journey is different for all of us, but there are a few pieces of advice that I would like to share with anyone who it may help.

Don't make it too complicated.  Count your water and protein, and watch your sugar.  Do not count anything your doctor or NUT did not tell you to.  Too many people try to count calories and make it way too much work

Stay off of the scale.  For my first 9 months post opp I was only on the scale at my doctors office at my 3, 6, and 9 month appointments.  You can not drive yourself crazy when you are on a stall if you have no idea that you are.  I geared my progress by the way my clothes fit.  Once I hit maintenance I started to hit the scale once a week and didn't worry unless I got 10 pounds past my happy weight, then I would watch what I ate for a while.

Don't stretch your pouch.  I still can only eat 3/4 of a cup of cereal or 4oz of meat with a side of veggies and a couple spoons of starch.

Change your habits while in the honeymoon stage.  Learn to only eat at your planned meal times and plan all of your intake.  To help make that change I  advise that you become very active so you do not have time to think about food.  I started doing all the things that my weight hindered me from doing.  For one I started snow skiing again which morphed into ski racing and then the National Ski Patrol.  Do what you enjoy, join a club of people with the same interest so you have a push to stay active.  Join a volunteer organization, they will keep you busy every minute that you let them.

WLS is a quick way to lose the weight to give yourself a chance to start over and do it right.  Make the most out of the new beginning, and do not beat yourself up when you slip.  We all slip, pick your ass up and get back on the program do not dwell on the mistake it will drag you down the wrong path.

Good luck friends, I wish all of you the success I have achieved.  If you need help or a swift kick, I am here to help.

Thank you Dr Kothari.

Robert,
Great post and inspirational. It's good to hear from someone who has stuck to the program and proves it can work. Continued success to you....I don't say good luck, because it's obvious to me that you are making your own good luck by doing what works.
Ken

Robert,

Thanks for sticking your head in and posting since we have not heard from you in a while!  Your seven years of continued success is proof that it is not the various surgeries that keep the weight off long term.  It is the new habits and attitudes developed during the "honeymoon" stage that keep it off long term.

Great post.  Thanks, I needed it!!

AMEN Robert

Congrats on the results of the proper use of our tool!!!!

 I enjoyed how you stressed that the post op WLS program need not be complicated.  I agree that newbies should relearn how to eat during the honeymoon phase and especially in the beginning.  Most weight loss programs I have come across other than Weigh****cher tell you NOT to weigh yourself weekly.  Oh, I do beat myself up when I slip and have for 30-40 years.  I do mean slipping when eating incorrectly or even doing things that may not be wrong but where I could have made a better choice.  I've had therapy and realize the effects of negative thinking.  Obviously, I know the power of positive thinking, but I tend to conveniently forget that when I am tempted.

Hey Robert,

   Congrats on all of your success. Thank you very much for your advise, It is great.

John

Congratulations for your success and thanks for your advice!

First of all congratulations on your success.

The advice is right on the mark.

Thank you for reinforcing that important, life saving information.