Question:
will this time be different? after wLS
i keep reading about amazing folks doing what needs to be done to improve their life after wls. excercise? ok. diet? ok. drink my water? ok. i would like to believe the same could be true for me but in the past i have always been my own worst enemy. i know i'm not the only person that tried all the diets and lost hundreds of pounds only to gain them back with interest. what makes those of you who have had success, successful? why is this time different from the last? i'm a self pay single dad of four kids and this surgery is a big chunk of cash. i see the potential benefit for all of us but only if this time can be different. — martyp (posted on December 2, 2004)
December 2, 2004
Marty,
Yup it will be a huge chunk of cash... but isn't the rest of your life
worth it?
How will this time be different? It won't be unless you fully commit
yourself to making sure that this is the right path for you to follow.
You'll hear this over and over... WLS is just a tool, you do all the hard
work, and yes, it is hard work. You must keep yourself in check, you will
be aided by medical marvels, but, its up to you. :)
I made the decision to have my rny when I really realized if I continued to
progress the way I was, I probably would not make it to my 50th
birthday...a scarey thought in my book...
I got myself in therapy to help me BEFORE my surgery, and still go 19
months later. I also get myself to a support group when I can, because
those people know exactly how I am feeling- both physically and mentally.
The bottom line? You must decide you will change, and you won't fall back
into old habits... you can do it--all of us here are testaments that it can
be done.
Look at your children, that alone is probably enough motivation for you.
Best of Luck.. don't hesitate to ask any questions.
Peg L
lap rny 4/9/03
311/154/-156 lbs.
[email protected]
— Peg L
December 2, 2004
Its different and heres why. A normal weight persons stomacch is the size
of their fist. Baby? Baby fist? A MOs stomach is the size of their head.
The very top of the stomach is the part that detects your full. With a
overstretched stomach it never gets much pressure, and your always hungry.
Go on a diet and your body thinks its starving:( Sending the EAT EAT EAT
message, you cant ignore. Its NOT YOUR FAULT! After surgery the sensing
part of the stomach is what your pouch is made of. most never feel hungry
early on. It works wonderfully! See my profile, men tend to loose fast and
loose it all:) The explanation is from my surgeon you can see his on line
support group meeting here.
<P>http://www.upmc.edu/obesitysurgery/monthlySupportGroup.htm
— bob-haller
December 2, 2004
Marty, let me give you a slightly different take on things. Like Bob said,
men lose fast and most reach their goal weight. I, being a woman, wasn't
supposed to lose all of my excess weight by 13 months but I did. I was
down 242 lbs by then and since then have reached a total of 252 lbs lost
but tend to float in a 5-7 lb range. My goal weight is a realistic number
that I can maintain without living on a diet for the rest of my life. It
is 200 lbs. I hung in the mid 190's before this last PS. My hope is when
everything settles down I will be between 185 and 190, but if it's 195, no
big deal. My long term goal is to just keep my weight below 200. I am 5'9
and large boned in my legs, so I will always be on the larger side and
losing more will just make me look horrible. Other than large bat wings
there ain't no fat left above the hips after my PS's, so the top cannot get
any smaller.
<p>So the moral of my story here is set a realistic goal weight. One
that you won't end up being a slave to. One where you can enjoy life, have
some goodies occassionally and still keep things in check. I am a firm
believer in counseling before and after WLS. There are so many stresses
that come along with the surgery and the PO life and having that resource
can end up being invaluable. You are about to make a huge change in your
life. Next get involved with and stay involved with a local support group
long term. I am almost 2 yrs PO and I still go. I do not get as much from
it anymore as it's mostly pre-ops and early PO's but it does help me to
hear them talk about why they choose surgery and the hopes they have for
their new healthy lives. It keeps me more focused on why I chose this
route. I was very involved with providing support to newbies from our
program the 1st year PO. This past year has been a little nuts as I fell
in love and got married and I have been focused on us, but I'm finding I
need to get back to group and being involved more. Fortunately our program
is starting up a group for people who are at least 1 yr out, as they are
realizing that our issues are indeed different the further out we get.
<p>I followed the program to the T and then some. I lost fast and am
thrilled with my success but the truth is the old habits have indeed
returned and I have not been able to push them away. Should I be able to,
yes, but I am human. However, I am able to keep the beast in check because
of the limitation in quantity I can eat, the malabsorption and because I
know when I've gained even a few lbs and get things back in line. It is a
yo-yo effect, which is not ideal, but it is the best I can do right now. I
was concerned of hitting goal weight too fast and the weight loss not
slowing down like most experience and how was I ever going to deal with
eating more carbs than protein again in my life. Many thought I was
worrying about nothing, but I knew myself. I probably would have been
better had I had to struggle for every last lb, but I didn't. I went into
my LBL losing 9 lbs the 10 days before surgery and in theory came out of
surgery, minus 19 lbs of skin, and below goal weight. Granted it took 2
months for the scale to reflect it, but BOOM, I was at goal and how did I
stop the train. My way was with carbs as I really did not know any other
way to do it. I seem to malabsorb the fat quite well so even eating higher
fat foods will not cause me to gain. If I just go hog wild and eat total
crap and don't get any exercise, yes I gain and I could potentially gain a
lot, but like I said my body talks back to me and says the skin is getting
too tight and the clothes are getting too tight.
<p>I did lose 200 lbs in one stretch, 10 years ago, but was not able
to keep it off due to a severe depression surfacing. I had reached that
amount of weight loss in about 13 months, so it was similar to this time.
However, I lost it by eating 1200 calories, very low fat and way too much
exercise. I set myself up for failure from the start because I had a
program I could not keep up with the rest of my life. So this time I set
out to make sure that did not happend to me again and it hasn't. My
exercise is very moderate, 3 days per week of 30 minutes of weight training
and 30-45 minutes of walking/biking. If my knees suck really bad then it's
much less walking or biking. Also with the 3 PS's I've had this year it
has put a major crimp into my exercise as each time I've been off of
working out for close to 2 months. But I do get back at it and get back to
a routine. Any more exercise than that and my body would not take it. I
have a number of medical conditions that would not allow excessive
exercise, without paying for it dearly and actually setting myself
backwards. This is also why I set the higher goal weight. If my body is
acting up it isn't absolutely critical that I get in all 3 days. If I need
a rest I take it and then get back at it. My weight doesn't go wacko
immediately unless I am just eating total trash.
<p>My old eating habits of eating without thinking of what I am
putting in my mouth are back and many times I give in. Grazing can be
another issue some days. I am good about getting in my protein but then I
have a tendency to jump to carbs, skipping the veggies and fruit. I know
it's not ideal, but it's reality for me. I do not beat myself up for it,
but instead find a way to make it work. If I was constantly gaining I
would have to make some changes. The bottom line is each person has to
figure out what will work for them. There is no one size fits all. I
applaud the people who have 1000% embraced their new life and follow a
strict eating plan. I have 1000% embraced my new life but I do struggle
and am not afraid to admit it. I am not perfect and never claimed to be.
It truly hit me about 4 months ago that WLS absolutely was the right thing
for me and it was because of the old habits coming back. I knew I could
not go through losing 200 lbs again only to regain it. I needed something
to help me long term to keep the tiger reasonably caged. Had I lost the
weight and did not have surgery I guarantee you I would be up at least 25
lbs by now. Even though I can eat way more than I ever thought I would be
able to, I still get that full signal. Granted many times I eat past it,
but that still is so much less food than I ate pre-op it isn't funny. It's
the tool that my surgeon gave me to help me that has been my saving grace.
I knew from the start that I would likely struggle with eating issues the
rest of my life and I guess because I went in with realistic expectations
it has not sent me into funk or depression. I just take one day at a time
and adjust things as I need to. Even though it sounds like I am not
committed to my new life, I am. I follow the docs orders on supplements
and get my blood work done every 3 months. My internist is anal about the
blood work and wants to make sure he keeps a close eye on things. I do run
a little low or borderline on a few things but we are able to keep them in
check.
<p>The bottom line is you will have to do your part, but it doesn't
have to feel like you are in a prison. You just need to develop some new
ways of thinking and realize that you took a huge risk to have surgery and
have been given a 2nd chance. When I start to get too careless I try to
refocus on that. Going to support group and hearing all the pre-ops and
early post-ops talk about how they want to do the simple things brings me
back to reality and where I came from and what life was like and where it
was going. I never want to be there again and will keep working at it
daily to find the balance I need with my eating habits. Make sure your doc
is doing the right amount of bypass and pouch size and stoma size for your
situation, as that can be a large part of your long term success. My doc
does the tiny pouch (15cc's) and 150cm bypass on the SMO as he feels this
is what we need long term to keep things manageable. Good Luck! Do all
your research and make sure you understand PO life as best a pre-op can.
Until you actually live PO life and realize that 2 tablespoons of food can
be too much, you truly cannot comprehend it. Best Wishes! Sorry I rambled
on so long.
— zoedogcbr
December 2, 2004
At your BMI in particular, please check into the DS surgery -- you have an
excellent surgeon in your area, Dr. Elariny, who may be able to perform the
procedure laparoscopically as well. http://alagsa.com/ The DS has the
highest likelihood of giving you excellent weight loss and the ability to
maintain that weight loss over time.
— [Deactivated Member]
December 2, 2004
First of all you have to believe in yourself enough to do this. I have not
yet had my surgery, but before I made my first appointment, I had to make
sure I could be committed. This surgery is not a quick fix. You have to
work with it. Believe me, I also have tried many diets, over the counter
and prescription meds. They work for a while, then I always gained the
weight back, plus more. You can do it, but you have to believe in yourself
and commit yourself completely. I am a mother of four girls. I want to
live to see them grow up. Good luck! I wish you the best of luck.
— hot-n-sexy-mama
December 2, 2004
I would say WE ALL struggle with our diet demons. Some have stayed on track
and others struggle like everyone else who follows a normal diet. We still
have to watch what we eat, where, etc. We still have to exercise, etc. You
have to master the MENTAL GAME we play with ourselves. Why do you think
the diet industry is still in business today. The diets are good, its the
EMOTIONAL ISSUES they can't get their arms around and if they did they
would go out of business. Some of us seek out professional help to get
over these issues. I think this is very important. For many years we used
food to cover our emotions. What happens with this surgery is you can no
longer eat so how do you control those emotions. I strongly recommand that
they seek professional help when these issues start to surface. We have to
suck up our pride and realize we may need help to get over some issues that
we covered up with food. Good Luck.
— Linda R.
December 2, 2004
I truly believe that with this surgery you should have counseling as well.
You need to find out what triggered the food addiction in the 1st place and
deal with it. When combined with the surgery, your then setting yourself
up for success rather then drifting back into bad habits. Having been
overweight all my life, this surgery has been a godsend. And even though
I'm paying for all my plastic surgeries to correct the years of abuse I've
heaped on my body, I'm still glad I did it and I would do it again except I
would have done it at 18 rather then 38.
— Patty H.
December 2, 2004
Marty, once you have surgery and see that scale start dropping, you will
start to feel better about yourself and the changes seem to come easier. My
husband, who started with a BMI of 38.5, lost 50 lbs in 52 days after
surgery (then it slowed down). Now, he has had some bounce-back weight, but
he is working on losing it. It is far easier to look at losing 10 lbs. than
100 lbs or more. He is 1 1/2 years out from surgery, and it is just as hard
to lose weight now as before surgery, but, being a man, he seems to drop it
faster and easier! (Not fair!) I practically have to stop eating to lose.
(I am two years out). The best thing, for both of us, is that our
cholesterol and insulin levels have normalized and we both are probably
going to be around a lot longer! It will be different this time - it is
virtually impossible not to lose weight after surgery, and you will have a
life long tool you can use to keep the weight off. You will do great - I
think the fact that you have these concerns is a good thing.
— koogy
December 3, 2004
There are so many factors that make this surgery a success. For me
personally, I do not like pain, any sort of pain. And before, when I would
eat wrong foods, or eat too much, I would only suffer weight gain. Now, I
will get severe cramps, diarreah, vomiting, sharp stomach pains. And it
happens very quickly after eating. So you begin to see food in a differnt
light. It can be your friend, or it can be your worst enemy. You've
probobly heard about the dumping syndrome. I know some WLS patients do not
dump, and some have even chosen the types of bariatric surgeries that don't
cause one to dump, but for me, the dumping is one of the main things that
has helped me to lose. I used to eye a lemon cake, with the intention of
eating the whole thing, and now, although I remember lemon cake with
fondness, I can't even have a bite, because the sugar will cause me to
dump. The wheat will cause my stomach to swell. The fat will give me
stomach cramps. Do you see my point? This surgery changes your relationship
with food because it completely changes the way your body responds to,
digests, and absorbs food. Also, your body will have some malabsorption
issues, which is normal with the surgery, and that assists in the weight
loss. So it is true that you will have to do what is necessary on your end
to make this work after the surgery, but believe me it will be much easier.
— [Deactivated Member]
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