22 months out now from RNY gastric bypass.  Started at 286 and now at 146 and loving it.  Went from a size 24-26 to a size 10-12.  I'll take that any day.  I was able to have a total knee replacement in January with a good recovery because of the weight loss.  I had an unexpected bowel obstruction down by my appendix a month ago, totally unrelated to the gastric bypass, it was from abdominal adhesions (scar tissue) due to my hysterectomy in '94.  So now that I'm through all that, I'm very happy.  At two years in a couple of months I'm going to put my before and after pics on here.  It is so shocking to me to look at them.  I hardly look at all like the same person.  I've had people I've known for years walk right by me and then do a double take.  Its great.

My food habits have defiitely changed.  I eat pretty much anything I want but just smaller volume.  Sugar of course is not tolerated well but I can get away with 4 to 8 grams once in a while.  Definitely behavior modified myself away from it.  Greasy fried things are not tolerated well either.  I have three meals a day and one or two snacks.  I eat by choice mostly protein, but add other things with it.  Yes, I eat potatoes, pasta, and rice rarely but I do have it for variety, usually a little bit along with a main protein part for the meal. Fruit and vegetables are also mixed in for variety.  I take all my vitamin and calcium supplements.   I'm very very happy and would do it all again in a heartbeat.  I still wait an hour after I eat to drink fluids.  Sometimes if I forget to drink before the meal to not be so thirsty afterwards I might drink one mouthful of water just to be more comfortable on thirst.  It works.  Any more than a mouthful and it is uncomfortable.  So it definitely trains me to make sure I'm tanked up with water or fluids before a meal so I am not desperately thirsty for an hour.

My goal weight was 135 pounds.  I leveled out at 160.  Then with the bowel obstruction recently I lost 14 pounds so now am maintaining easily at 146.  I am thinking that when I get more active after the knee rehab is complete the rest of the 11 pounds will come off naturally.  I'm not worried, not stressing, and just living life.  I love not worrying that the weight will come back.  I just don't snack constantly, wait the hour to drink water (critical to success), and limit sugar (I dump if I have too much).

I am still in the rehab from my total knee surgery for another few months up to a year, but I am looking forward to the summer for the first time as a more active person who can tolerate heat and activity better than in 30 years.  So amazing.  The rewards to all of this hard work are 100 fold, more than I can even put on paper.  The self confidence is amazing and the joy of simply moving is in every minute of every day.  I am so grateful every day.

Still struggling with maintaining and not losing.  Not journaling.  Weighing every day.  I'm happy I'm maintaining and not gaining though.  Gained 5 pounds at one point and then got right back on track and went back down.  I am 6 weeks from my 57th birthday.  Would really like to see some more weight loss by my birthday on Sept 5th.  That would be great.  Have lost 136 pounds and have 20 to go.  A real tough 20 pounds.  I guess it depends on how badly I want it.  My knee has declared itself also, really need replacement.  Plus the need to have the extra taken off with plastic surgery.  Have to do that before the knee replacement but need 6 months of stable weight first.  But I don't want to quit the weight loss until I reach my goal.  A catch 22, guess I'd better get my act together. 

I am still at the same after two months.  Not journaling.  Just maintaining.  So discouraging.  I'm so happy where I am I just lost the drive to keep going down. I've lost between 127 and 132 pounds depending on the day.  24 pounds to go.  I feel fabulous, that is a good thing and bad thing at this point.  How bad do I want to do the very final leg of this journey?  I will need to do some serious self talking and figure that out.  I see my surgeon for my one year check back on 5-26, one day after my one year anniversary two weeks from now.  We'll see what he and I come up with. 

Wow, what a journey its been.  I am soooo happy, smaller, healthier, feel amazing.  All of the things I've dreamed about.  Smaller clothes, nice body, stamina, health, everything.  I have 25 pounds to go!  But now comes the hardest part, believe it or not.  The discipline that I've had to have so far during all of this is starting to slip occasionally.  I am maintaining very nicely but the weight loss has slowed wayyyy down.  It is so hard to continue to journal food, to stick within the 600 to 700 calories that promotes the weight loss.  It would be so easy to go to maintenance at this point.  Exercising and drinking the water is hard also, still a focused purposeful activity, not second nature.  A lifetime of bad habits to change in a year.  It comes slowly.  But I am still very happy, not giving up on the whole dream.  I will do this complete transformation of lifestyle no matter what.  I will never go back and I will achieve my goal one hundred percent!!!  I am less than 3 months from my one year anniversary from surgery!  I am hoping that I can reach my goal by one year or at least be very close to it.  It is inspiring approaching the one year mark.  It makes me dig in and do everything right and really try to finish this.  Then get to maintenance and reach an even keel.  That will be sweet!!  I know I can do this!!

Still working hard, getting this new lifestyle gradually.  It doesn't come naturally, being more active, drinking more water, eating the right foods, even after 8 months.  Its easier, but just doesn't come naturally.  It's still a conscious thing, I decide to do the right thing or not, every day.  From 114 to 118 pounds off now 35 or so to go.  Finally drinking more water so I don't get kidney stones back, an issue I had before surgery.  Down to a size 12 to 14 from 24-26, woohoo!  Still shocking when I wake up each day what size my body is.......a good shocking.  Meeting some old childhood classmates after work tonight, should be fun.  Took my first hike a few weeks ago, 2 to 3 hour hike, hardly got winded, didn't even break a sweat, unbelievable.  Will do more of that no doubt.  Life is sooooo good.