first time posting

Hello everyone! I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm a farm girl from Iowa. I just turned 31. I've always been overweight since I can remember. I've always wanted or have thought about having gastric bypass. My mother had it done when I was a little girl. They did hers differen't than mine. She said her stomach is still attatched. She also has the long scar as mine was laproscopically done. Anyways hers was unsucessfull. So whenever I talked about beung interested in this surgery she had nothing but negativity. I really wished I knew someone when I was in my early 20's to talk to about it. When I turned 30 I pretty much had my mid life crisis and decided If I wanted to live a long healthy life I needed to make some major changes in my life. So I quit smoking :) It's been 10 months of no smoking!!! I had smoked for15 years! So that is a huge accomplishment to me. After I did that I knew once again I needed to look at my physical health. My friend had just had gastric bypass and I asked probably way too many questions. lol.  She gave me a name and number to call and let me know what I had to do. So I pondered on it for a few weeks and got the courage to call my insurance company and call the hospital/clinic and the rest is history. So right now I'm happy to say I'm on my 7th week right now :) My boyfriend has chosen to do the same surgery. I'm actually at the hospital right now as he had his surgery yesterday! :) I'm really bad at technology stuff as I'm trying to figure the website out and everything. lol  So I will get more of my stats and everything when I get a chance :) Otherwise any words of wisdom or advice is very much welcomed. I'm sure I will be posting many questions as I go a long on my journey :)

Congratulations to you and your boyfriend for taking control of your lives and health. I wish I had been smart enough to had surgery at age 30. I had surgery 18 months ago at age53 and have gone from 260 to 120-123 pounds. I have been at this weight for about ten months. I had been overweight my whole life too. Keep us posted and feel free to ask any questions you my have.

You are doing awesome!! I have quite a bit to loose. I'm super optimistic though :) I'm 5'9" when I went into the clinic I weighed 307 lbs. I did 6 months of behavior modification and saw a dietician once a month for 6 months as my insurance required that. I was 289 lbs. the day of surgery. I 'm currently at 262 lbs. I can't get over how good my knees already feel!! I have soo much more energy already! I get super frustrated when people comment on how easy that must have been. Right away I defend on how hard it is and the most complicated and restrictive diet I've ever been on. When I start naming all of our restrictions and how we have to do things they realize it's not easy and we have these restrictions and responsibilites the rest of our lives. That usually shuts them up. lol sry for the ranting. I find that very difficult  when I get someone like that.

Welcome and congrats on surgery! (congrats to your boyfriend too )  I am 5 months post op and also wish I had done this a long time ago, and it is the best thing I ever did!!  

Your Mom's story is so familiar, I know quite a few people who had this surgery done or the lapband done 20 years ago and all have not been successful and they have gained all the weight back and then some. The follow up nowadays is so much better and much better programs out there now.  I wish you success and feel free to ask any questions, I am happy to share my experience so far. I have lost 84 pounds in 5 months and feel like a new woman. I love this OH site, specifically the RNY forum and I post on the daily "what's on the menu today RNYers" it has helped me A LOT!  

Don't be afraid to ask questions, there are no dumb questions, we were all new at one point as well.  At the top right of your screen is a white magnifying glass, when you click that a drop down menu shows "Search" type in any topic or word and you will get all the responses related to that, for example: multivitamins.  Everyone here is great and I wish you much success.

Take care,

Daisy 

Thank you for the kind words and support! It's much appreciated!! I know I'm not that far out.... but I absolutely do not regret it at all. The first couple of weeks I was thinking what the heck did I get myself into and now I'm very happy about it. Definitely still learning lots! Reading everybook out there that I can find lol. I will definitely keep posting :)

If you click on my picture and go to my homepage you will find my Bariatric reading List.  I read  a lot about weight loss, behavioral and cognitive approaches, healthy eating, etc.

Also - the surgery is only a "tool" and you will lose weight no matter how you eat for the first 12 months or so.  Use that time to begin new eating habits.  Stop fast food, white food (bread, potatoes, rice, sugar) and eat good raw food, food that has high nutrition value for energy and healing & supplying nutrients to your brain, heart, liver, kidneys, etc.).  If you do this for the first 12 months, then your sweet tooth and eating of high calorie/low nutrient foods (crackers, pizza, bread, cookies, any white flour/sugar foods, fried foods, colas, etc.) then you will have developed new habits that will take you the rest of your weight loss and maintanence phases.

It really is changing the way you think about food.  Many books on the list will help you.

Best wishes to all of you, Penny

Hi Penny,

I just wanted to say great post!  I LOVE to read and will check out your reading list if that's ok?  And I love what you wrote to the new poster, this is a tool and use your time wisely for the first 12 months.  That has really hit home for me and I just wanted to say great post and thanks for sharing your wisdom.

Daisy

Thank you soo much for your words of wisdom. Yes this surgery is my tool :) I tell myself this everyday! I will definitely be checking out your book list :) I can tell my taste for things really has changed already. Being on bland food and liquids for so long I can taste how food really tastes. I'm liking foods I didn't like before and now I do. 

Thanks again!  Dee

Congratulations on making such a difficult decisions. I too am new and currently day 6 post-op. I hope all goes smoothly on your journey. Best of Luck!!