7 years this month

And I am still happy to have had my RNY!   I had complications at first and spent 1 month in hospital and another 4 on bed rest and was unable to start exercising but I still lost just not as fast.  I had gotten down to between 160 - 170 and stayed there for a couple of years.  I was still happy because I had lost 1/2 me. A whole person even.

Then I got a Silver Sneaker card in the mail from my insurance company and I was able to join Curves for free.  I am now exercising 4-5 times a week and enjoying it!  Amazing!

I also don't diet, dieting never worked before why should it work now?  I followed the meal plan carefully for 2 years, then mixed it up a bit.  I now eat like a normal person should, by making healthy choices and sometimes less healthy choices and I refuse to feel guilty about the less healthy choices that leads to over eating.  In fact if there is something I crave, you know those comfort foods...I wait a week, telling myself I can have it next week.  Next week comes around and the fixings go on my grocery list.  I get it home and then tell myself if I still want it next week, I will fix it.  It usually doesn't get that far and I can use most of the stuff in something else or give it to the kids.

I have come a long way and don't intend to go back, I can fly without a plane with my batwings and everything below the hips is down around my ankles, the girls have fallen and can't get up, but who cares? (I do but can't do much about it)  It is a badge of honor so break out the spanx and the support hose to hold it all together.  I had the panni removed when they took care of my hernia Babette(she was as big as a basketball and I had to laugh or I would cry.)

I have had several family members have either the RNY or the Sleeve and they are doing good as well.

I love reading success stories years out.  I hope I can be one at 7 years.

You can be a success just by making the right choices.  The years that I thought of this as a diet lead to the what I called the 10 pound shuffle and stall.  Once I changed my mindset and made choices, good and not as good things changed.  It may not work for all of us but thinking of it as diet....well we all failed at dieting or we wouldn't be here.  So hang in there and don't stop moving!

Congratulations on your hard work. You look amazing. Thank you for posting. It is always great to hear from people who are further out

Oh, wow, I love hearing success stories, and kudos for all your work with yourself over time, because I know it takes that. Great to hear about your family members, too!

I hope and intend to do what I can so I can get where you are!

Thanks for posting!

Anne it is possible and yes after the "honeymoon" we have to work at it, just like everyone else.  But!  we have a tool they don't we can no longer eat as much!  And for some of us we still can't do much in the way of sweets.  Birthday Cake and ice cream, I can do about 1 sq inch of cake and no ice cream except for a teaspoon of my hubby's.  This is a good thing    I don't dump or do foamies, just feel miserable for far too long to want to pu****   And chicken white meat still is not my friend but that is not a big deal anyway, take the skin off the thigh and it has more protein then white.

So use the first 18 months wisely, exercise and re-train your brain.  This is when the weight comes off the easiest.

Great tips for how to work the small tummy!

I do carb coma when I eat too many sweets- out like a light! I also consider myself a sugar and white carb addict because it sets up such a vicious cycle with cravings for me, so I just avoid them as much as possible. On the other hand, I can eat pretty much anything. I only dump on ice cream. I am also faithful to my exercise- I put it first priority in my day because I still don't like doing it. Mostly I do it for my health, which is so much better, though I do like looking better and having small clothes.

I'm grateful I used my honeymoon period for all it was worth, and I'm always suggesting that to the newbies.

I'm so scared of regain and long term complications. But the payoff of the work is enormous for me- keeps me going at this point! And I'm hoping it helps me avoid the complications. For sure it's helping the regain part.

As far as Spanx goes, I would not recommend wearing them as they tend to push in your internal organs and causing problems...I am experiencing dehydration from wearing too tight jeans.

Thank you, but I have to say that the spanx are less constricting then the support pantyhose that my Dr prescribe for my veins.  I do watch for any problems that either one of them may cause and believe me I never thought I would see the day spanx would feel comfortable but compared to the support hose they are nothing.