Happy 2 years to me! Weight this am: 142.6. (edited in some paragraphs!)

 

Some long-winded thoughts for the main VSG board, but the short of it is- this is the first time I have ever been able to maintain like this after a massive weight loss, ever. No regrets, not of surgery choice or how I live post-op.

 

I have hit an all time low of 133 (post illness, virus=quick drop!) and have hit a high of 150lbs once after a long vacation of indulgences and fun.. but settled back into my comfort zone of the mid-high 130's to low 140's, higher=poochy, lower=skeletal face and more bones than I care to see poking out. I am 5' 6.5" to 5' 7" depending on whether I'm standing straight or not- so this range puts my BMI at around 22-23, and my BF% hangs around 25% or a bit under, though I wonder about this as I've been told by someone who tests for a living that I do not look that high- skin skewing the results? Anyway.. bodycomp could always improve, but it's always a work in progress!  

 

Couple basics: got to goal within a year on the plan that my dr uses that is basically what's recommended around here: 600-800cal/sub 40g carbs/ 70+ protein. I spent the first year reading a metric ton of info, and learning how to cook whole, real foods that would satisfy.. I cook for my normie husband, and occasionally parents, so I needed to make sure I was feeding everyone well. I went on to lose about 10-15 below goal.

 

I am a firm believer in real whole foods, and ditching grains/starches (aka sugar once it's processed in your body).. eating real fats (butter, lard, olive oil, coconut/macnut oil), moderate protein and lots of veggies. It goes way beyond the weight/fat topic, but that is a discussion for another place and time. There's plenty of resources to dig into if you wish to look into stuff like that.. That is on each of you to find your comfy lifestyle post op, there is not one size fits all.. 

 

In the early phase- yes, you will need shakes/supplements to get your protein in.. and you will be living lower fat regardless if you are restricting cals and  hitting your protein goals.. this is not a forever thing, so make sure you understand and plan your life after the very short weight loss phase of the first year or two.. in the scheme of things, a couple years isn't long- right? You have the rest of  your life to live post-op, better make it something you can enjoy & sustain so you don't fall back into the trap of eating the same way you did that got you to and maintained you at a size where you needed surgical intervention. 

 

Same with exercise aka activity.. Understand YOU, and figure out what you will live with in reality, not in the rose-colored glasses world. Some do find their inner-athlete for life, most find it for a couple years, but understand even athletes have off-training phases where they do have to eat less during their non-training time to offset gains. Do what you enjoy, and what your body likes.. and work your eating around that. Weight loss and maintenance really falls majorly on intake, not on expenditure for the vast majority.

 

On tracking/weighing/measuring/charting. Do it.   

This is training wheel time.. take all the tools you can gather and re-learn/learn some better behaviours. Do it till goal and for some time after. The training wheels can come off later when you are stable, comfortable and maintaining without stressing over-much. This will not happen for some time!   I tracked with pen & paper/food scale for the first 6mo, really precisely tracked for the next 18 mo with MFP & scales, and now am back to jotting down my intake via email/pen paper w/o scales.. but once in a while I pop my meat onto a scale to check- and it invariably falls at about 2.5oz... that's my capacity still, unchanged from about 9mo out, I eat till satisfactorily comfortably full, not stuffed, but yes- full, happy belly, done. I can eat more of some things like shrimp, a handy slider for me.. but overall, my capacity in total volume has settled at under .5c or so if I eat real food.. Veggies are sliders for me, as is anything mushy. Protein (solid unprocessed meat) is still is something I eat at every "meal", and I eat it first. I eat 3 "meals" a day, 2-4 "snacks" and can lose any small gains easily on about 1200 cals while feeling satisfied without resorting to any extreme measures, and to maintain, I need a significant amount more than that.. which I get from switching up what I put in my snacks to make them more calorie dense as my meat first meals don't leave a lot of room for much else but a bit of veggies/fat.

 

Read through this forum * read all the way back from the beginning.. consider it homework, it's important.. it's worth your time, this is a major deal, you are having life-changing major surgery... Read it all, then go over to the VSG Maint forum and do the same, then start posting!*

 

Also to anyone pre-op still, please, PLEASE read and fully understand each effective WLS performed today.. the DS, VSG and RNY, before you choose to have elective surgery. Read on here, but especially read published medical studies that a little googling will pull up, understand your anatomy fully before you alter it.. and what altering it will mean for you. Be very discerning about where you get and take your information from.. Internet forums are great, but understand they are not real RESEARCH! Keep in mind- the majority that post on them are also within the first couple years or mostly even just months post-op, when everything looks great and wonderful. This doesn't give you real info, just an opinion early out of their choice (remember that early phase of "falling in love" with someone, before the dirty laundry piles and annoying habits started popping onto your radar?.. same analogy applies to WLS forums.

 

A couple pics, posted the other day.. this is me now.. and the day before leaving for Mexico, for my surgery.  

My jeans fit perfect. I am happy.

 

                

 

Happy for you & enjoy Mexico!!! You look fantastic!!!  

Thanks! The Mx comment was my before pic- that was taken the day before I had self-pay surgery with Aceves :)

WHat an inspiration you are! Thank you for your post! 

Great two years! Thank you for all your advice and input in my journey so far and congratulations on your success.

Dammit Jo, 142 looks perfect on you!  You look thin & gorgeous but you were before too.  I think you are awesome!!!  Thank you for coming back to post!!!

Awesome update!  I'm happy to see you doing so well and it's great to hear your thoughts and updates. Keep rockin' that sleeve and Happy Surgiversary!  (I remembered we had our surgeries really close together. My 2 years is Monday and my big post will be coming next week.)

Congratulations on a job well done.  Excellent post with lots of sound practical advice.  You look great!

Thanks for coming back to post!  You look beautiful, and I really appreciate the honest advice in this post. 

I'm with Shagdoll on this.  You ARE awesome and inspiring and wise.  Thank you Jo.  I'm glad you're back.

Fiona