WLS and Regain
I posted this morning on the home board I participate in (PA, yeah, I know I live in NJ, but just a mere 5 miles from the border and since NJ board is not very active, I was told way back when to go there), figure I would post here too, since this is the board I am most active on. . .
Well something said at last night's meeting, not for the first time, but voiced by many of us in the past year, is that dirty word, regain. . .
I think we need to come out of the closet here, were we ever in a closet? and take the shame away from that word. Way back when I was exploring this surgical intervention, I heard many a naysayer tell me about this person and that one, who had this surgery and gained all their weight back and I'll bet just about everyone has heard of such stories if they shared that they were considering WLS, well I am sharing my experience as I am wont to do and so this is about my perspectives here and I am opening the door to hear yours. . .
I researched and read that there was a certain rebound weight gain for many WLS patients and that it was normal, however, I thought to myself, self, I will not be one of those. . . ha ha, what made me think I'd be different, the same thought that made me believe that once I reached my goal I would be able to maintain it for life, gee, life now might be a very long time now and reality has bit me in the butt. . .
I've read it, I've heard it and now I know it to be true, this is NOT an easy way for any of us, at losing weight we excelled, at maintaining weight loss we failed repeatedly, so that is where my fears come from, realizing that here I am at that place I never succeeded, which is so why Shauna coined the word "Successing" because this is not one and done, this is lifetime commitment and that commitment means, some days I detour, but the hope in making this commitment is that I don't wind up in a ditch somewhere all by myself, well not really by myself, with my old companion food and nothing but feelings of failure to keep me company. So now, how to combat that. . .
Get back on the road to successing, do what I know and was willing to do during my honeymoon period, the tool, as we discuss, has been placed in our hands, but have we put it down somewhere and let it get rusty? Well for those of you, who like me, are struggling with fears or anxieties about regain, let's pick up our tool and live our lives as WLS people who can and do live successful lives. Success is not a number, it has no destination, it means simply that we strive to get up each day and do our best. Hope you saw some of my humor in this, because while the nature of this post is serious, I cannot fail to find humor in my thinking. . .
You are not alone, I am not alone, what I cannot do alone, we can do together. . .
Laureen
Well something said at last night's meeting, not for the first time, but voiced by many of us in the past year, is that dirty word, regain. . .
I think we need to come out of the closet here, were we ever in a closet? and take the shame away from that word. Way back when I was exploring this surgical intervention, I heard many a naysayer tell me about this person and that one, who had this surgery and gained all their weight back and I'll bet just about everyone has heard of such stories if they shared that they were considering WLS, well I am sharing my experience as I am wont to do and so this is about my perspectives here and I am opening the door to hear yours. . .
I researched and read that there was a certain rebound weight gain for many WLS patients and that it was normal, however, I thought to myself, self, I will not be one of those. . . ha ha, what made me think I'd be different, the same thought that made me believe that once I reached my goal I would be able to maintain it for life, gee, life now might be a very long time now and reality has bit me in the butt. . .
I've read it, I've heard it and now I know it to be true, this is NOT an easy way for any of us, at losing weight we excelled, at maintaining weight loss we failed repeatedly, so that is where my fears come from, realizing that here I am at that place I never succeeded, which is so why Shauna coined the word "Successing" because this is not one and done, this is lifetime commitment and that commitment means, some days I detour, but the hope in making this commitment is that I don't wind up in a ditch somewhere all by myself, well not really by myself, with my old companion food and nothing but feelings of failure to keep me company. So now, how to combat that. . .
Get back on the road to successing, do what I know and was willing to do during my honeymoon period, the tool, as we discuss, has been placed in our hands, but have we put it down somewhere and let it get rusty? Well for those of you, who like me, are struggling with fears or anxieties about regain, let's pick up our tool and live our lives as WLS people who can and do live successful lives. Success is not a number, it has no destination, it means simply that we strive to get up each day and do our best. Hope you saw some of my humor in this, because while the nature of this post is serious, I cannot fail to find humor in my thinking. . .
You are not alone, I am not alone, what I cannot do alone, we can do together. . .
Laureen
My Mantra is that I do not determine my success by the number hanging in my closet, nor will I let the scale determine that success either. . . It is through trial and error I will continue to grow and succeed. . . Laureen
"Success is a journey, not a destination." Ben Sweetland
This is my first time to visit this site and am happy to of found it. I unfortunatly have gain back about 45 of the 120 pounds that I lost. I have been trying for about 6 months to loss it without sucess and have an appt. with my surgeon to do a B.O. B.. I know that my insurance will not cover this but I am willing to withdrawl money from my $)!k to do this. it is my desire to reach my goal weight this time (was off getting that by 25-30 lbs) so in total I need to lose about 70 - 75. I'm excited to do this and get back on the road to recovery.
Shockey
Good to have you join our little group. Don't beat yourself up for the gain. Anyone who is honest will tell you that we all have regained. We just have to pull ourselves up short and do what we need to do. WLS is not a magic pill even if it seemed so in the beginning. It is a tool ( I know redundent...we say and hear it so often). We have to learn how to use it. I don't know what a B.O.B. is and if that is what you and your surgeon feel is appropriate, then I wish you the best with the procedure and your recovery. However, please be aware that this journey is work. Don't set yourself up for a major emotional decline by thinking any procedure or medication will take care of the problem. All these things help us but we must do our part.
I wish you well
Good to have you join our little group. Don't beat yourself up for the gain. Anyone who is honest will tell you that we all have regained. We just have to pull ourselves up short and do what we need to do. WLS is not a magic pill even if it seemed so in the beginning. It is a tool ( I know redundent...we say and hear it so often). We have to learn how to use it. I don't know what a B.O.B. is and if that is what you and your surgeon feel is appropriate, then I wish you the best with the procedure and your recovery. However, please be aware that this journey is work. Don't set yourself up for a major emotional decline by thinking any procedure or medication will take care of the problem. All these things help us but we must do our part.
I wish you well
A BOB is a Belt over Bypass. I've been investigating some of the new procedures (ROSE and StomaphyX) but haven't heard about satisfactory results from either of those. I want to do a revision that would be sucessful but also one that is less evasive. I have to see what the final decesion is from my surgeon. I know that I need to involve myself and be more proactive about not setting my self up for failure. When i had my initial surgery I wasn't offered much in the way of support or inforamtion but my surgeon openned a new practice that is wonderful and has a great/extensive support team as part of his office. (it's the Khalili Center) located in Loas Angeles, CA. I'm looking forward to being a sucess this time around. ☺
Welcome to this very supportive place, where many of us came hoping to gain some knowledge to combat our fears and learn what it takes to do this successfully and some have chosen to stick around as a comaradarie abounds here based on our common goal to fight obesity from shortening our lives.
I just want to say, as Linda so pointed out and as my post also voices, WLS, no matter which one is simply a tool and the problem is not the tool, it is the use or misuse of the tool. The tool you had put in you is, not necessarily broken, but you willingness to use the tool the way it was meant to be is what you need to adjust. This my friend is no easy feat and truth be told, is why I spoke out on the regain, because we speak or skirt it and then it becomes something to weigh us down once more, so the feat is in claiming ownership of and putting to good use that tool that you originally had your surgeon give you.
If you opt for another surgical intervention, make sure you use what tools you are given and stay on the path that gets and keeps you where you want to be.
Laureen
I just want to say, as Linda so pointed out and as my post also voices, WLS, no matter which one is simply a tool and the problem is not the tool, it is the use or misuse of the tool. The tool you had put in you is, not necessarily broken, but you willingness to use the tool the way it was meant to be is what you need to adjust. This my friend is no easy feat and truth be told, is why I spoke out on the regain, because we speak or skirt it and then it becomes something to weigh us down once more, so the feat is in claiming ownership of and putting to good use that tool that you originally had your surgeon give you.
If you opt for another surgical intervention, make sure you use what tools you are given and stay on the path that gets and keeps you where you want to be.
Laureen
My Mantra is that I do not determine my success by the number hanging in my closet, nor will I let the scale determine that success either. . . It is through trial and error I will continue to grow and succeed. . . Laureen
"Success is a journey, not a destination." Ben Sweetland
Hi Shockey!! Welcome to OFF (over 50 forum) best that OH has to offer in my opinion!!!!
You are looking into another surgery? Have you tried going back to the start of your first surgery to get the regained pounds off? If not, why not try that and see how it goes for you before putting money out and going through another surgery? But whatever you do, we will all be here to support you if you keep coming back to share.
HUGS
I actually did try going back to the diet that i was on right out of surgery - 2 weeks of that was basically only liquids then food slowly added. It worked fine in that after 1 month I lost 10 pounds but as soon as i started eating again (following the plan) the weight came back on. I've really struggled with the food because I do not eat fish, seafood, or turkey, only white meat chicken, i have lactose intolerece so no milk products (cheese, yorgurt, cottage cheese) and i have sensitively to all stone fruits (peaches, cherries, avocado, etc. Anyway thats part of my big problem.
Oh ok then...but if I were you I would still look for another way to get the regained pounds off before I did another surgery...but that is me not you. Hope you talk long and hard to your WLS about this and what they want or will do to help you out. How about talking to a nutritionist about this? Don't you have one from where you had your surgery?
Wish you the best of luck on doing what is right for you....
HUGS
Regain has always been a concern and seldom out of my head.
While losing felt like hard work, maintaining has been the most difficult part of WLS.
Too many times I lost weight only to gain it all back plus more. Going to the gym when every joints sounds like a rusty hinge can be hell. Taking all those damned supplements can be a bother. Weighing and measuring food, turning down a hunk of cake, NOT slurping a Diet Pepsi - not always my favorite things to do.
BUT ... if I ever had to cry because the stores don't carry clothes big enough to fit over my fat ass - now that would be the hardest of all.
Thanks for your humor and common sense. It is good to have so many friends working together. We CAN do it together.
Kisses
While losing felt like hard work, maintaining has been the most difficult part of WLS.
Too many times I lost weight only to gain it all back plus more. Going to the gym when every joints sounds like a rusty hinge can be hell. Taking all those damned supplements can be a bother. Weighing and measuring food, turning down a hunk of cake, NOT slurping a Diet Pepsi - not always my favorite things to do.
BUT ... if I ever had to cry because the stores don't carry clothes big enough to fit over my fat ass - now that would be the hardest of all.
Thanks for your humor and common sense. It is good to have so many friends working together. We CAN do it together.
Kisses
Annette 
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