LessieBelle

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It has been 3 years since surgery - I have lost 140 lbs from high weight, and about 120 since surgery.  I have kept it off for the past year (maintaining, even though I want to lose a few more pounds).  I would say I was a textbook case, no complications post surgery and the good news is that I do get dumping syndrome if I screw up and eat the wrong stuff. 

Gastric bypass surgery definitely enabled me to lose the extra weight that I carried most of my life.  It does stop working and your pouch does stretch out and allow you to eat more (because you ate more).  Some weeks I have "small pouch weeks" - get full fast, some it is like "where is the bottom of this bottomless pit?

I have switched to low carb/paleo eating - I just feel better doing it and it enabled me to lose more weight.

I love listening to podcasts about health, fitness, low carb, paleo, etc.  They help me stay focused.

To help me stay focused, I have also signed up for two more half-marathons - which means you have to train, which means you don't just sit on the couch. 

Thank you supporters and my doctors!

I have competed in two half marathons in the past 6 months - WOW - never even thought of this kind of thing when I was morbidly obese.  Really enjoy the process of training (keeps me on track with doing something - exercise), getting outdoors, seeing places I have never seen, and the inspirational feeling you get for the cause you are helping.

The first one, November of 2011, I must have trained for better, because the second one really had an effect on me.

I recommend these to people trying to stick with a program.  If you know you have to walk/run 13.1 miles, you tend to continue to train for them - plus you put money down to compete.  Also, it is nice to improve your time!  Progress!

Next event is a 15K in the hills - only 9.6 miles - hahahaha - ONLY.  Wish me luck.

Wow, learned a lot since surgery in August 2009.  Learned that it pretty much stops working so hard for you after that first year.  Learned that it is much harder losing the last few than it is to lose the first 100. Learned that you can eat more!  Learned that I would definitely do it again and recommend it highly to people who have struggled all of their life with food/weight. 

Learned that low carb/paleo is how I am going to have to live the rest of my life to keep the weight off - and that is okay.  Very easy to follow and I feel so much better. 

I learned that I am glad that post surgery my pouch doesn't like bread, pasta, and bubbly stuff - so I just don't do it - that really helps me stay on track. 

Kind of did a test over the holidays of eating anything I wanted - just didn't feel good - not dumping syndrome, just the feeling - so it was easy to hop back on the low carb/paleo lifestyle.  It was nice to have the few things that I really wanted to have.  Might be the plan every year at Christmas - hmmmm. 

I learned the value of podcasts - Dana Carpender (she also has great low carb recipe books), Jimmy Moore, Rob Wolff - listening to these keeps me focused and has educated me.

I learned that having goals keeps me focused, tracking food intake keeps me focused, watching Biggest Loser keeps me focused, and I have learned that I really like walking/running.  I did a half-marathon in November, something I have never considered in my life, and after finishing it I was totally motivated to continue to train  and do others a few times a year.  If you know you have to walk 13.1 miles in say February, you have to do SOMETHING to train for it - right?


Anyway, good luck to all of you on your journey.  You can do it.

Well, it has been a year!  I am so blessed to be able to say it was EASY!  I have lost right at 100 lbs and am feeling wonderful.  Looking forward to getting rid of those last 20.  I know that I have to get off the couch to make that happen, thank God I still make good food choices.

I am also blessed to have made this journey with my husband - together we have lost a person.  We just can't believe how much we used to eat and how little we eat now.  You know . . . the Black Angus $38 dinner special, with the huge appetizer, a couple bowls of soup, three loaves of that yummy bread, dinner, and the huge Rocky Mountain Fudge Cake!  OMG.  Now we go and split one dinner, and bring stuff home because it is just too much.

Now when I look at old pictures I say "how did I let myself get that huge?"  Disgusting to me, really. 

Thanks to the surgery, yes my life has changed for the better.

Today was my one year appointment - all blood work perfect, dexascan results great - so I really couldn't be happier. 

Goal for the next 3 months - Get under 200!  To do that, I have to work at it now - exercise and good food choices.

Hopped on the scale (I know shouldn't be doing that), but saw that I had lost the 16 pounds worth of fluids weight that was added during surgery, so now I am really starting.

Feeling pretty good, having the occasional pain.  BM's are an adventure, can't wait to start something besides fluids, maybe it will make those more normal.

I've been browsing the boards and looking at recipes, so many of you are so talented.  Thanks for your hard work.

 More news - my wonderful doctor - Dr. Sprunger - called to check up on me today.  Spent a lot of time on the phone with me, asked questions and cheered me on.  What a guy!  I so appreciated his time.

Well, home recovering - had surgery Monday and honestly I can't believe how incredible the human body is.  I feel as though I am heeling very well and I have had any issues - yet.  Surgey went great (so I was told) - gained 16 pounds of fluids on the table, so need to work through that.  Right after the surgery and recovery, they took me to my private room and then let you rest for a bit . . then the walking starts.  I was really sore that first night and with all the IV's and catheter, you really think "oh my gosh, this is tough".  The next morning they took out the catheter and that give you a better feeling about getting up and walking around in front of other people who had bariatric surgery.  Met up with some fantastic ladies who also shared the surgery date, so it was great to make friends, too.  I'm doing pretty well at getting my water in - but it honestly is tough.  Walking was a little easier in the hospital than it is in my house, so working through those issues - making sure I get outside early in the a.m. and in the evening.

Everything has been just as I thought it would be - no real surprises.  Sure I have some pain, but I had major surgery.  The last day at the hospital, I showered and then took the car ride home - those two things wore me out, and I did take a few naps while sitting in my recliner.  But I still got up and walked and got up and drank water. 

So weight wise, I started surgery at 313 - was up to 329 the day after surgery - and am now down to 322 - so the water weight is leaving - yeah.

So far, so good.  Best to all of you on your journey.