Vets who have lost over 200 pounds...

Just out of curiosity, for the vets who are post-WLS and have lost over 200 pounds....we're you able to imagine that you coul be 200 pounds less? It was a conversation a friend and I had. My friend has always been bigger, never been thin, and is starting to wonder how people deal with being "normal"?

Although I have lost 100 pounds, I have been at 162 in my adulthood. It is odd being 127 now and hard to get used to. But I can't imagine going from always being very overweight my entire 39 years to being thin.

Any input?

Nope, I could not.

And I still feel cautious about narrow passages and small looking chairs...

How long did it take you to get buses to the "new" you? As much as looking at narrow paths or little chairs goes, do you see yourself as the size you are?

My big thing is still eating in public. It was all in my head before, but it's still there. I still think people are watching the fat girl eat (no matter what it is).

Oh don't even start the eating in public thingy... it's hilarious for me now!

I'm a DSer - to keep weight off I eat low carb, whole grain and high protein and fat. Here how it looks at grill station:

can I get cheeseburger with double bacon on whole wheat? No ketchup, just double mayo on the side and diet coke.

4 times out of 5 they mess up my order - who orders double bacon/double mayo and diet coke? And the comments I hear... sometimes I run into a health obsessed gym rat (no offense I am also one of those) and they start pointing out that if I eat less bacon and take low fat pasta instead I would lose 10 pounds and be size 6. Duh! It's always fun to eat out, lol.

I don't think I'm at the right place mentally yet, rather "on the way". I'm used to the way I look, but it took almost two years to stop staring at windows... My big thingy was sizes... for almost two years I couldn't go to a normal size store and try stuff on. I was afraid they're going to tear... Even now I often start shopping at size 12, even though most of the time size 10 is too big... I still start with 12, lol. Sometimes at fancy stores where they bring you stuff, they ask what size do you wear, and I force myself to say 8-10, because my natural instinct screams "go somewhere else where no one would see what you're trying on".

As for the plans and expectations... I didn't care at all about weight or looks. I was injecting up to 700 unit of insulin a day and 3 out of 4 of my grandparents died from complications of diabetes before age of 60 - heart, kidney, blindness, amputations... name the complication, we had it in our family. I had been diagnosed at 32 and by 38 insulin already stopped working. All I cared about was - curing this dreaded thing, the rest were "bonuses". That's must be the reason why I don't understand people with "buyers' remorse" postop, people worried about excess skin, folds, rolls, wrinkles and batwings, etc. Duh... I compare anything to alternatives of my grandparents and myself if I hadn't gotten rid of disease... 

You were diabetic, right? you should understand, even though you probably were in better condition than I was, but it is a progressive disease, so getting to "dead end" was only a matter of time. IMHO, diabetes gives you totally different perspective on wls.  

Yes I was diabetic, just getting to the point of switching from Metformin to insulin injections ( which I had during pregnancy). That with sleep apnea, depression, and also the high blood pressure made for a very sick young lady. Walking out if surgery without taking Metformin again was a miracle to me. And now being off all meds as of last week, another miracle. I am very grateful for my panni surgery, the rest...oh well. It doest hurt me physically, so i'm not saving up for thigh lifts, new boobs or arm surgery for my wings.
Running has helped with my mental attitude about myself. I could never do it before. it helps me appreciate the surgery and the work that comes with it. I can't wait to run again...without panni pain and rashes bugging me!!
I suppose in the grand scheme of things, 100 pounds/200 pounds, everyone has something to get used to. Everyone ends up different, inside and out, I think, no matter how much you try to stay the same.

At one point I was down 225 lbs, or back to what I weighed in grade 8 - only now I`m  61! 

I`m beginning to realize that now I`m not just `normal`- I`m actually seen by many as small, and OMG it`s a real head trip. 

To cope, I asked my family to point out people I looked like or were the same size as me to help me adjust my internal image, and I also asked took the initiative to ask them if I was the same as people I myself noticed.  They always pointed out people I thought were too small, and I consistently chose people that were too big.  That visualization process probably helped me more than anything to adjust to the change, but they got pretty sick of it (it took about 6 months).

I`m very comfortable with the new me now, saggy skin and all.  My expectation going into the surgery were to loose 100 lbs (to a weight of 250), so anything beyond that was a HUGE bonus.  I never expected to come out looking like a young model (haha) - which I think some people seem to expect - so no serious disappointments for me.

WOW - what a ride.  I love my RNY!!!

Claire

HW 350  CW 141  Surgery Feb 2011

 

 

Claire!! Thanks so much for posting!! Your loss is amazing! I'll let my friend know your tactics!

My friend doesn't believe she'll get to 150, and will be happy with 175. I bet that she would get down under 150 by her second year out. that floored her and freaked her out! Understandable!!

I absolutely cannot imagine being an ideal weight. The last time I was in Onederland I was probably 19 years old, and was a "plump" baby, "chubby" child, and " overweight adolescent ". I fully expect that it will be a long time after the # on the scale is idea that the reflectioin in the mirror will also be ideal.

Mona,

I completely agree. It's almost unimaginable to me.

What a great topic! Thanks for that Kell!