XP: Am I just lucky or was this the easiest weight you ever lost?

I know WLS is not the "easy way out" and would never say it was. 

Considering that only 2% of diet and exercise programs succeed, I would say that WLS may be the ONLY way out for most people. 

But if I'm honest, this IS the easiest weight loss I have ever had. 

I'm slowly upping my calories now trying to get to maintainance (trying to stop losing) now and even that is easy. 

My I've not had as many struggles as most because I have followed my surgeon and RD's advice TO THE LETTER.  I am compliant to the point that it is anal.  But I want to be a long-term success.  I didn't have this surgery just to lose weight.  I had it to keep it off FOREVER.  So I do follow their advice like it is biblical. 

I don't "test the waters" or any of that self-sabotaging bullcrap that some people do.  If it is not in my plan, I do not do it.  It is simple. 

In fact, it's been so easy and simple that I'm kind of worried something is going to happen and it's all going to fall apart.  That probably sounds paranoid.  But oh well. 

So am I missing something?  Does anyone else feel this way?  Is this the easist weight you've ever lost? 

Hi Wendy, I'm going to throw some things out here, please don't take it personally as I know where you are coming from, believe me.

Losing the weight was a breeze for me also, I lost below goal in less than 9 months (134 lbs).  In fact the first 2 years were all rainbows and puppy dog tails.....then it came to PS, a change in job, selling a house and moving to a different state, leaving a group of friends that were there for me during my WLS, buying a new house, etc.....this past year has been one of the toughest years for me in a long time.  Why, I can't pinpoint it exactly, I'm sure all of the above attribute to the emotional and mental things I've had to deal with in life and WLS.

I've found myself all of a sudden reaching for comfort (food) to deal with the emotions of life.

I too thought oh this is easy, I can't eat much, I've conquered the food issues I had.....WRONG, at 3 years out this sometimes sucks.  I get tired of having to live every day thinking about if I took all my vitamins, ate enough or too much, was my protein intake where I need it to be, did I drink 80 oz of water.

I just want you to be aware that even though you feel it's been 'easy' don't be surprised down the road it this becomes consuming and yes actually overwhelming some days; because I didn't prepare for this and NEVER expected it.

Best wishes,

Bravo!
Wendy I am over 3 years out and still lose consistently.  I also committed to staying on track and sticking to the plan that was outlined.  I never skip my vitamins, I don't eat sugars, my carbs come from fruits and veggies and I exercise religiously.  I just went through a round of plastic surgery having to take 6 weeks off from the gym and still managed to maintain a loss.
I've tackled death, job change, marriage status change, a couple of unexpected surgeries and child off to college in the last 3 years.  Some will fight a daily battle and it will be the first thing on their mind in the morning, and the last thing at night.  Give thanks for the small battles won and remember the war is not over. 

A while ago, the best phrase I came up with the describe the WLS process is: "A lot of this job is mental."

Meaning, the struggles with food addiction and whatever else turns people into a "head case" is the part that really needs work. So, I guess, what it really comes down to isn't fixing your diet so much as it is fixing yourself.

So if you anyone contemplating surgery saying: "I just want to have surgery, lose weight and get back to normal." BZZZT, wrong answer. After surgery, if you are to be sucessful, you need to become a different person.

Yep, the losing was EASY, but I'm with Dana on this one~things were all peaches and cream for the first 2yrs and then the hard work (maintainance mode) started. Finding just the right balance of food and exercise to maintain well (not gaining and not losing) isn't always easy and lets face it, most of us have lost weight before having wls but it was the maintaince that got us in the end. If I was good at maintainance I wouldn't have ended up at 328lbs!!!! I'm like you in the fact that for the first 18mths I did not deviate for my surgeon's plan at all~I followed it to the "T" and that is always my best advice to anyone new to wls~follow dr's orders for optimal success!!!! At 3+yrs out I"m not always "perfect" anymore, but I am pretty on target most days, thank goodness. Anyway, I wish you continued success in the future!

Hi Wendy,

Your letter sounds just like me.  I am one year out from surgery as of yesterday.  I have been following Dr's orders to a T.  I went below goal back in March and have been managing a 5 pound swing since then.  It was the easiest weight  loss I have every done ( 103 pds in 11 months).

However, I agree with Dana and the others who have provided some great advice.  I have just started to notice I am getting a little bored with following the Dr's orders.  Listening to the cues of your body is what I am practicing now.  I weigh everyday and make adjustments as needed.  It is a mind game.  I can see that it would be almost as easy to gain weight back.  In fact this is a constant fear.  I know I must change myself for life.  Excercise is here to stay, I still have a trainer to help me out. I promised myself that luxury for 1 year.  I am trying different receipes to help me out with boredom towards the same food. 

I continue to go to our local support group for people on maintenance and I am not going to forget whence I came.  As a matter of fact I am now working on my journal journey.  There were so many positives happening in the first year I didn't think I needed one.  Now I think it is important to bring out the reminders, look at the pictures and keep reading the boards!

Lucky for us our maintenance ishould be easier then in the past due to our tool (RNY).  I get full on small meals and I really am not that hungry at least not the same hungry as in the past!

So like you I am fearful of gaining the weight back, but plan on using many techniques so it won't happen.  I have seen to many people do just that.  But there are many people who do not.   Let's be one of the later group!!  It is so much easier to get off 5 pounds then 20, 30 or more...

Kelli

The "weight loss" has been easy I suppose. Lost 100 pounds in 6 months without doing much so yeah - short answer - sure in the beginning it was easy.

6 months out I have my first binge episode. I don't care how perfect you can be every single day - if you're an addict like I am, and choose to binge to make yourself feel better, you'll find a way to make it happen. Well guess what? I didn't get the high like I did pre-op. I didn't feel any better. I didn't have anything that tagged along with the binge except a couple extra hundred calories in my gut ruining all of my effort. You'd think this was awesome right? Well the first time not so much. I needed the comfort I thought food was going to offer. It didn't happen. How horrible to be left with NOTHING to comfort you when you feel so terribly weak? It was a bad day indeed. What was I going to do? How could I live the rest of my life without the high of the binge?! Man oh man - what a bleak thought to never feel hope again. And what a sad realization what power food held over me.

Now it's interesting you call self sabotage "bullcrap" just because you don't do it. Yeah - I had and still have a lot of the same bullcrap that helped get my ass up to 400 pounds. So it's not a HUGE surprise to me that I'd still deal with the same "bullcrap" even now. And guess what? I'm a hardcore cardinal rule follower. I have to believe in the promise of the cardinal rules because if I don't I truly believe I will die. Pretty drastic huh? Death (stupid simple carbs) or life (rules) - hmmm I think I'll follow the rules. Does that mean I don't slip up? No. But with my slip ups I have learned that food doesn't have the same control over me, I'm a heck of a lot stronger then I thought, and I'm no longer powerless when it comes to choices. And I've shed a lot of tears and made my voice hoarse from screams of rage to help get over my crazy with food. Am I perfect? Nope. But I'm a heck of a lot better off. And it's been very very hard to get to this point.

I wish you continued success in your journey. I hope if the day comes where your bubble gets a slight tear you're able to repair it quickly without complete breakdown. My friend Russ from the TX board told me once it's really easy when you're juggling one ball - the new post-op nutrition ball. It's when you're juggling 10 more balls (kids school, work, family, etc) years down the line that you choose to keep that nutrition ball in the air and make it as important as everything else. Because you won't be a new post-op forever. And a day may come where you have to face your own bullcrap and see it for what it's worth. And I have a feeling you won't be saying that day is easy.

Jenny

 3+ years out, would do it again.

Yes, I focus more on food now then ever  before, but I control it, IT does not control me.

I stick to the plan and like you have not introduced sugars, and stay away from carbs, exercise and keep my liquid protein part of my diet.  That is the way I was told I would have to live, and I took it seriously...and that includes watching vitamin intake carefully.

maintenance is not easy...I lost fast too. numbers on the scale drive me crazy but my size is the same and I look good. That is what matters.

Support and accountability...so important. I think its healthy to realize that we are food addicts and we could fall into a bad habit pattern again...that is reality. But the key is that we become the master of food...and I tell you that is great.

I don't get tired of it....I've accepted this as part of my life. And  thin and healthy is better than thighs rubbing together, bubble cellulite butt, pregnant looking belly...and size 22.  I'll take size 4 anytime!!

You are still inthe honeymoon phases!  I know you've heard that before!  Just like everyone a few years out...I totally agree...maintenance is totally different than losing.

Yes...losing was easy!  It was great and exciting and just amazing...Then it just stopped and that was even great....Then I gained 7 lbs back after being sick one summer and I heard that 10% gain was normal, plus I was wearing the same clothes and working out hard....so I was fine with the gain....

Fast forward another 2 years (4 yrs PO) and I'm fighting a 10 lb winter grazing gain that I put on sometime between Halloween to New Years! EEK!  So I Work my buns off to lose it in 4 months only to find myself vitamin deficient and told not to get my heart rate up...so the pounds really wanted to creep up...And I waved goodbye to "easy"....

So suddenly my easy stroll thru the park became a struggle to keep my weight down and get my vits up and all with NO exercise....So I found myself counting calories to learn where I lose or gain....and I had to cut my calories nearly in half, JUST to maintain my weight!  I went from some 1800+ calories and an active lifestyle to 1000-1200 just to maintain.  It was a bummer!  I'm better but still counting those cals because things are not quite back to normal just yet...So I've had to totally change my diet to leaner and 10 time more strict with myself, basically for the last 6 months and it's been anything but EASY! 

It gets a little harder...but it's not impossible as so many of us are doing pretty good...I don't think any of us would call it "easy" anymore!  LOL  So jus****ch for weirdness or weight fluxes and pounce on them immediately!  It's soooo easy to become complacent...Hallowen did it for me. I learned I could handle a little chocolate and that was the end of "easy"  LOL I've never quite been right in the head since! LOL

You've done wonderful and look fantastic with that lil teenager body you got going on in those jeans!

I hear what you are saying. After dieting forever (I'd lost over 100 pounds 3 times in my life), so I knew I'd be a compliant patient...was and am.

Yes, my weight loss has been very easy. I've done everything I was asked to do...and eve more. I worked hard. 2.25 years later...it is easy to keep it off. I have a few pounds window and if my weight goes to a certain point, then I cut back on the crap.... and up the protein.  "Normal" people do not eat with wild abandon. They do watch what they eat, eat treats and sweets sometimes and just live their lives. It is so nice being on of those "normies".

Dianne from FL