X post - 4 years out today

I hesitated about writing a surgiversary post. I am not a WLS success story in the sense that I am one of those who blasted to goal and maintained the loss from that point forward. Yes, I got to goal fairly fast and maintained for about a year. In December of 2013 I started gaining weight.

Fast forward to today. I'm 4 years out and while this journey has not been easy at times and I regained weight, I would do it over again in a heartbeat! I'm am very happy with where I am today and can with sincere honesty write that I have an overall peaceful relationship with food and have truly accepted my disordered eating.

Some personal AH-HAs from the past 4 years:

• I followed a traditional high protein low carb diet to get to goal. I weighed, measured and tracked EVERYTHING. If I had continued that same behavior well into maintenance with fidelity, I may have avoided the regain I experienced.
• It is unrealistic to expect to be perfectly on plan 100% of the time. Expecting perfection was detrimental to my success and perpetuated my all or nothing dieting mentality and cycles.
• Knowing I have food issues wasn't enough. Accepting those issues as my truth and really being okay with them is what brought about change.
• My VSG has never failed me, but there was a period I failed it.

 2 HUGE mistakes I made that I hope others avoid:

• As much as I wanted to believe differently, I treated my post op period as a diet, not a change in lifestyle. On the day I reached my goal weight there was an underlying feeling of. "Whew! I'm done." NOT GOOD! It wasn't until this spring I realized that I'd been dieting rather than changing my core belief about how I needed to eat to stay at a weight that promoted health.
• I had no plan to transition into maintenance. Seriously, NONE! Maintenance is far more complex than the initial weight loss phase. A structured plan to transition to a lifetime of healthy eating habits is as equally important as your weight loss plan.

Advice? Yup, I've got some:

• Use your post op period to its fullest advantage. There is a true honeymoon period in which the weight comes off more easily. That period is different for everyone. For me, it lasted about 15 months then things evened out. LOSE AS MUCH WEIGHT AS YOU CAN DURING THIS PERIOD. Be deliberate, diligent, and yes, militant about getting the weight off.
• Life happens. Don't put your weight loss on hold to deal with life. You can do both. You're going to have to deal with life and maintain your weight. Staying on your WL plan will be good practice for the future. Take it from me; it's very hard to switch back into WL mode. I have a friend (and know of others) who put her weight loss efforts on hold to deal with a life situation (work). She never lost her last 25 pounds.
• Weighing, measuring and tracking/logging your food intake is the number one key to success. Having a great food plan makes for even more success.

I have some more pounds to lose to get back to where I want to be. I'm happy to say that my sleeve works just as well, if not a little better, as it did at a year out. I have great restriction and am rediscovering just how little I really need to eat to be satisfied. At 4 years out 3 oz of protein and 1/3-1/2 cup vegetables is more than satisfying. My capacity is roughly a cup by volume.

I'm 4 years post op. I had the experience everyone says/hopes/prays they won't experience - regain. Was it embarrassing for a time? Um, yeah! But, regain was the key for me to really understand what changes I had to make to be ultimately successful.

I'm back from the Dark Side. I'm very close to an acceptable weight. I'm healthy, fit and strong. To celebrate the eve of my 4 years I had a kick ass workout followed by a 2 mile interval training session. No more pre diabetes, no more sleep apnea, no more being out of breath and no more asthma attacks.Today I take for granted so many things that were so troublesome in the past: tying my shoes, traveling by airplane, keeping up with my students, doing yard work, taking the dogs for walks, getting out of a chair or up off the floor, and my favorite - sitting in a booth at a restaurant!

Today I am my own success story. My path is not the one I'd suggest anyone follow, but it was the path meant for me. Following that path brought me here and "here" is a great place to be.

What a great post! Thanks for sharing your journey!

Morning everyone

well said and heartfelt Kairk.  thank you.  Echo you completely although am not where you are with the regain.  

Yesterday was a strange day.  Had been invited out to a soup and sandwich event. Should have brought my own lunch but somehow it did not register.  Fell at the egg salad sandwiches.

later at another event gave myself permission to have a slice of Christmas cake.  

So calories were way up 1689, but am pleased that was able to consciously enjoy the treat.

Weather way to dangerous to walk as branches and limbs are coming down all over the place, and the ground is spongy from the torrential rain.

A new week.  Happy Monday all.

Thanks Kairk.

Congrats Devon!  So glad to be celebrating this milestone with you today. I'll respond directly over on the VSG board. 

I'm up another pound to 115. I think it was due to a super salty Chinese soup last night, but will see what the next few days brings. Back on the straighter more familiar path this week, other than a dinner guest this evening. I'm serving simple fare and will skip the pie. 

DH showed tremendous patience with me yesterday as we drove all over looking for the perfect Christmas tree. I found it! It had to be tall and slim to properly fit the space we have been temporarily living in. Haven't put up a tree in many years but this lovely character home built in 1912 kind of begs for one!

Am back down this morning the .6 I was up yesterday. I'm sure the other .5 will be off in a day or two and then some. 

Have a full day - school, then an appt. with the food psychologist, and then home. No workout scheduled for today, but have it on the books for tomorrow. 

Not much to say that wasn't already said. Feeling happy about my 4 years. 

So happy to have you all to share this leg of my journey with. While this leg isn't causing the euphoria that my initial journey to goal did, the peace and calm and security I have and the belief in myself I and my abilities to maintain my weight once at goal this time around are far more valuable to me than any temporary euphoria. 

Oh!! Happy Day!  Devon...regain or not...You are truly a success story in my book!!!  I've learned so much from you and your journey!  Thank you for always being willing to share the WHOLE journey. 

I'm a little grumpy this morning at the scale.  Now I know  this is not a true gain, but it's really scared me and maybe that's a good thing. 

Busy day at school, hand bell rehearsal and  home for chicken and green beans for dinner.  No snack before bed!!!

Hey Kairk, congrats on the 4 years and thanks for all your thoughtful posts,  you are indeed a "Champion" of the wls journey,  You will win this one. All the best  diane

Well my own journey ha**** a speed bump.  up to 129 from 127.5 yesterday.  I ate a 10 oz bowl of split pea soup at the craft fair.  kind of over did it volume wise but it was really good.  probably loaded with fat and salt.  then ate a regular dinner.   Really think i need to start tracking again and go for high mileage on the fit bit.  Gotta wear out those little dog legs too.     diane

Happy surgiversay Kairk!  Beautiful picture Linda - love the sparkly shoes!

Today's weight is the same as Friday's.  Today we had a pot luck at a small meeting I chair.  As usual, I didn't touch the desserts, but ate way too many refined carbs.  That doesn't mean that I have to eat that way for the rest of the day, though.  Back on track right this moment, not tomorrow, as for me, most of the time tomorrow never comes or at least takes its sweet time.

Otherwise, life is life - nothing of interest to report.

Have a great rest of the day.

Mary