GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAL and a question

You look fantastic, well done!

If I can give you one extra piece of advice? Don't be a stranger! Accountability is key to long term success and you have friends here who will continue to give you support and advice as you carry on living with WLS. How many people do we see disappear only to return 2, 10, 15 years later with significant regain? And they're the ones who can swallow their pride!

^^^ THIS ^^^^

I actually believe that this is crucial. Also, it's important to pay-it-forward.

Thanks!

Totally agree! I'm planning on sticking around and do the menu thread every day.

What we call bounce back I also call healing. Your body overcomes the malabsorption and learns to absorb calories again.

When that happens you gain weight again. Lose enough so you have a 20 pound cushion for when your body is more normal sometime in year 3

Wow...20 lbs? I can't even remember weighing 130 lbs, maybe in high school? I'll see how I feel when I get to 140.

Thanks!

It was White Dove's advice that I followed when I was about a year out.

She was 100% on the mark.

BTW, you will feel great at 140, and you already look great where you are now.

You're already successful, it's just insurance.

Thank you!!!

I expected bounce back at 18 months. Did not happen. At 2 years, I not regained an ounce.

I thought I was going to avoid it.

At 36 months, I gained a pound, then a pound a week for 14 weeks. No change at all in what I was eating or how I was exercising. It was my bounce back and stopped at 14 weeks, because I took control and started counting every calorie.

I was glad that I had that extra cushion when it happened.

That is so scary to me. I have nightmares that I step on the scale and I see my original surgery weight. I dream about it at least once a month.

Thank you again for your expertise and advice.

Hang around this board and you will greatly increase your chances of maintaining your weight loss. It is never going to be as easy to lose weight as it is right now. Take full advantage of it.

Use this honeymoon period to lose as much as possible and to learn great eating habits that will sustain you once the malabsorption and restriction are gone. The people who have been around here for years will tell you the truth and help you avoid the pitfalls.