Status Update 2 yrs Post-op
Hi,
I haven't been around here in a while so I thought I'd drop by and check in. May 2013 was the 2 year anniversary of my VSG. To say my live has changed would be gross understatement. I am a new man, literally. I don't look the same, feel the same, eat the same or think about myself in the same way. The decision to have this surgery has completely transformed my life and given me the good health, energy and vitality to live the life I had dreamed of.
I've lost over 100 pounds and I'm completely free of the Diabetes and High Blood Pressure medications I was taking. I have virtually limitless energy to accomplish all the things I want to every day. In May of this year I became a StrongFirst certified Kettlebell Instructor http://www.strongfirst.com/instructors/20965/christopher-wishnie/.
I checked in today after a long absence because I felt someone may be on the fence or unsure about what direction to take with their weight management challenges. If that's you today, consider your options carefully, as I did, and take action. You won't believe how dramatically your life can improve. If I can help someone in any way to move closer to achieving their weight management goal, please feel free to contact me.
I have a before and after pic posted in my account here and on the StrongFirst link but I'me having trouble adding it to this post.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=525105797575549&set=a.525105774242218.1073741833.438699962882800&type=1&theater
Great, ABath! I was stirred this morning that someone would need to hear this. If you are comfortable with and confident in your surgeon, stay the course. It's perfectly natural to have some reservation, this is a big decision. Keep your mind focused on the life you want to have, take action toward it every day and soon it will come into being. You're doing the right things pre-op because you're down some pounds which is good. Keep it up and let me know if I can help.
Hey, thanks for posting. I have been contemplating both sleeve and DS. I am just curious, has it been difficult to maintain the weight and do you have to work out a lot to maintain it? I have heard over time the Sleeve can stretch and then you essentially have to go back to dieting again. Please share your thoughts on this and strategies you have used to maintain your weight.
Thanks and congrats on your success!
Hi sunshine, I don't know anything about the DS but the VSG was the correct surgery for me. I eat a bit more now than I did before my sleeve "broke in" but way less than I ever did pre-op. The sleeve forces you to eat less even when you may have the desire to continue. I've learned about my capacity and simply never overeat now although over these 2+ years since surgery I have on a few occasions either eaten too much or eaten the wrong foods and paid the price. Very unpleasant!!! So I've learned not to do that any more. I can count those times on one hand. One of the worst was cheerios with milk and bananas. The banana formed a cork in my sleeve and the milk sat on top of it. OUCH....excruciating, for hours. I won't be doing that again.
I generally eat a small portion of protein and vegetables. I take a liquid vitamin, supplement with protein and or vegetable/fruit shakes. It's really pretty simple really, eat delicious nutritious food in small portions and move your body every day.
I do exercise a lot. Every day. Kettlebells, barbells, body weight and yoga. I love them all and look forward to my training every day.
Thanks so much for your response. Is "dieting' or watching what you eat now easier with the sleeve than prior to surgery and has your appetite decreased any? It's hard for someone who has not yet had surgery to completely understand how you can go from eating extreme amounts of food to eating very tiny bits of food without feeling deprived or hungry. Do you ever feel hungry and can you eat a normal size meal-ie piece of chicken, baked potato and some veggies. Do you by chance know what size bougie you had?
Sunshine,
It's very peculiar, the feeling of satisfaction after eating a meal doesn't feel any different than when I was eating like a voracious animal. In some ways it's even better because as I consistently make better food choices I'm feeding my body better. So when I finish a meal now I not only feel satiated from an appetite standpoint but I feel nourished and healthy which makes me feel great. It certainly was not a feeling I experienced after stuffing my face like I used to. Back then I felt overly full to the point of discomfort, tired and sluggish. Being comfortably fed and nourished is so much more satisfying.
I don't remember what bougie my surgeon used but we did discuss it and I recall he went pretty tight.
I have not a single regret about my procedure to this day.
