taking a poll

To all you RNY'rs out there who are post-op 2 years or more...I am taking an unscientific survey...
1)  How many of you, prior to your surgery of course, were considered overweight most if not all of your life?
2)  Are you or have you struggled to maintain your loss after you hit the 2 year mark?

Curious...I'm a 7 month post-op who's suffered from being overweight my whole life and just sorta wondering...

I have been overweight all my life; 5'9 and around 230-290 from the time I was a teenager
I have never made goal but lost 100 and am a size 12-14 and am happy, healthy and active.
It is not a terrible struggle but it takes work and awareness every day of being active and eating for health and not out of boredom or stress.
Mary

Thanks Mary - Your the exact type of WLS Grad I am hoping will respond to this post!!!  Wishing you continued success!!!

I have always been a big girl but I was in shape most of my life but got out of control after I had my kids. I am at the size when I was in my twenties, 180-185. I wanted to lose more but I'm a 10-12 so pretty happy.

I think being aware of what I put in my mouth is the biggest struggle. I'm a food addict. I have to watch this every day.

ps I'm not quite two years out.

1. I have been fat since 2nd grade
2. I got to a "normal" BMI but both my PCP and WLS doc said it was to low for my frame. I'm 4'10" so the charts say I should weigh between 120-89 (YEA RIGHT) so I got to 114.  They both wanted me to be anywhere from 115-130.  I got back up to 120-124 and everyone was happy. Then I got LAZY and stated to GRAZE and got all the way back to 141.  Now I'm holding at 130-128 and at my 5 year check up WLS was VERY PLEASED. According to the charts I'm still FAT but my PCP keeps telling me I'm 47 not 17 and so I'm allowed to weigh a little more my BMI is about 26-27 and 'normal is 24.9 -19.  My WLS doc has us eat WHATEVER our pouch can just in much smaller portions. 
WLS is easy but maintance can be hell untill you find the right nitch.
Good Luck,
Robin

I was just looking at photos the other night. I've been chunky (they called me husky, big boned, full figured) since I was 10 years old with brief periods (like when I was 16-18) of normal/alittle round weight. After I had a baby at age 26, I yo-yo'd up to 185 and then the second child brought me over 200 for the most part and finally ended up at 240 in 2005.

I'm 3 years out July 2009 and I've managed to maintain 125-130 since 11 months out.

1) Yes
2) No

Now relating to #2, I would advise the following:

* Always remember you are a food addict so a lot of the "work" in maintenance is mental.  As is often said, Surgery cannot fix your head

* Excercise.  Do it early and do it often.  I would rather forget to shower than forget to excercise AND excercising needs to be thought of as a personal care habit, not an option.

Well said.  I struggle every day but keeping your comments in mind will help.  Thanks.

Hi Joyce

Congrats on coming this far in your journey, its for life so just know, you will make it if you just keep following the course, stick to the rules and do the best you can and keep a positive attitude...

I'm coming up to my 4 yr anniversary June 7th...Would say not drastically overweight my WHOLE life but in the BMI chart overweight range since my early teens ( lets say I was always volumptuous  ) and got steadily heavier with kids and multiple attempts to loose by drastic measures I could not maintain...I hit my surgeons goal @ 9 months, my personal goal @ 11 months and slid  lower until about 14 months learning how to maintain...Since settling into maintenance I have picked up a few and vary between 133-137lbs, which I am quite comfortable with and still under my surgeons goal...Overall,  maintance has not been a struggle, I still journal my food daily except when I am on vacation ( on vacation I let myself relax a little on following the rules and just try to limit my total intake but not really watch my food choices too much )...

Good luck, enjoy your new life...Alesia, 5'5", 135 lbs

1.  I have been over weight for my entire life, I came into the world at almost 9lbs.
2.  I am 4 yrs out now and I have to fight to maintain.  I have gained 20 lbs from my lowest, but I can live with that. Just refuse to gain any more.