Can You Tell Me?

 Hello my Beautiful Friends! I wanna hear about YOU!   Share your Wow Moments, Updates, Struggles, and Successes! Hearing about others traveling the same road is so comforting and re-affirming.  It helps us feel more connected and I believe to stay grounded!

So, no matter where you are in your journey, let us hear about it!

Good Morning, Jackie....... Well, at over 2 years out, the WOW moments become fewer and fewer.  I have pretty much maintained my weight (within 5 or 6 pounds) and have defiantely become stronger, both mentally and physically.  I am doing things that I never thought I could, or would do. I have the confidence to use pole dancing as a form of physical activity.  I can run 6 miles without dying, I've hiked 10 miles on the Applician (sp) Trail in northern VA and have learned to drive a motorcycle (and now own one of my own).  These are things that I never thought I would be able to do....EVER. I've met the most amazing people on this journey.  I have learned something from every person I have met. Some lessons have been very positive, and yes....some lessons have not been, and it was from those people that I learned that it is important that I never forget where I came from, because I do not want to be like them. I still struggle with the demons...I have come to terms that I always will.  For me, that will just be part of my life, and it's ok.  No surprises in that area.  My other struggle is that I often push my body to limits that it cannot go to.  So, I'm trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I still have limitations due to my body.  Part of it is age, part of it is being inactive for a very long time.  Sometimes it feel like my body has let me down.  But...it's ok.  I'll work through that one. So....how are YOU doing????

I just passed my 3 year WLS anniversary and am feeling great!   The WoW moments are few and far between now, but that's okay because I am finally in a place where I am comfortable with myself.  Not saying that I don't have work left to do, because there are days that I still feel that fat girl lurking under the surface.   For me, losing the weight was the easy part.  Losing a part of myself and learning to adjust has been  the HARDEST!  I eat to live, and not live to eat.  While I do have to graze to try and maintain my weight, my eating habits have changed!  No more junk for me!   Now, if I could only gain some weight so I can get my plastics done....

I hear ya on the losing weight.  That was easy, but making sure that the lifestyle changes were there for maintenance...well...that's tough.  If it wasn't for my physical activity, I'm not sure where I'd be - haha.  Fortunately, I don't do well with a lot of junk.  I can eat a little and be ok.

My journey started last June.  I had requested the packet of information from the obesity surgery center and had it in my hot little hands since January, but kept heeing and hawing about how I could do it myself, one more try, yadda yadda yadda.  Finally in June I bit the bullet, filled it out and mailed it into the doctors office.  It took a couple of months but in September I had my initial consult.  At that point I had firmly decided that surgery was the way to go, but wasn't sure which surgery I would choose.  I discussed gastric bypass and lapband with my doctor, and ended up deciciding that bypass was my best option.  I decided on it because of the length of time the operation had been performed and perfected, the proven results, and the amount of weight to time frame ratio.  I was happy with my decision.  :)  On Dec 10th, I rolled into surgery and it took an extra hour and a half, but I was very thankful that he didn't have to open me up.  I also thought it was funny that he told me afterwords that it was a hard surgery because I was "so small inside"  go figure.  HA HA.  The first three weeks were rough for me.  I had to go back in the hospital for a week because of a lactose interaction and dehydration, and dealing with the schedule of eating and drinking and taking pills was daunting.  I also didnt' feel myself the first couple weeks and started to have feelings of regret.  I was SO happy that passed within the month.  I started dropping weight and feeling better.  It took me a good two or three months to really start feeling an energy difference, but slowly and surely I have started to get a spring in my step.  Now I'm about 4.5 months post op and down 111.5lbs and feeling great.  I'm looking and feeling better and am so thankful for my new tool. I'm also thankful for the wonderful group of people I have met here on OH.  I'm such a social hermit these days with having never met a friend base since moving to VA 10 years ago and having a demanding job that it makes me smile each evening to get online and read about other's lives and questions and comments and know we are all in this together. :)

Hey there Jackie , Congrats again on the 3 year Mark .  For me , everyday is a wow moment . Just waking up to one more day, knowing that I am beating Obesity is my wow moment .   I will be 4 years out May 27th. Total weight loss to include all the PS skin is 225 pounds.  I am maintaining my weight now since my 19th month out . I have been through some really nasty illnesses but have managed to come out alive . My plastic surgery journey was probably the hardest , as my healing was hindered by my adrenal insufficency . But I am here and alive .  My struggles are daily , I am a food lover , and each day is a new adventure on fighting the demons. But I do it . I now do not allow food to be my comfort , but my fuel .  I never ran a day in my life pre-surgery, but was able to run 5 miles about a year and a half ago, but have not been able to get back to that , as I am having issues with my knees.  I work out daily . I weight train and am now practicing boxing . I enjoy the work out boxing gives , now it is shadow boxing , but OMG it is so awesome for the cardio portion of my day.  I am not working , I have decided to retire - well some what retire . I will be starting school in the Fall to obtain my trainers license. My goal is to work only with Bariatric Patients. I had started this last year prior to my plastics , but was unable to complete as I .. well had some pitfalls in my healing . So I am now cleared ( As of yesterday with my Ps Check up  ) to go full steam ahead with what ever physical goals I want .  I am very passionate about helping others. I am working now with Jill Dennis in our Firm Beelievers Support group . She and I plan on doing mentoring and one on ones with people in our area as well as group sessions . I am also involved with the fight against Childhood Obesity . http://www.childrensalliance.org/whatwedo/childhood-obesity-campaign.cfm  I am a Nannie to 2 beautiful boys. Who if not for this surgery , I would not be alive to see. I have a daughter in nursing school  , and my son is studying sports medicine . I am very proud of them both and my success has really boosted them to do better about their eating and physical activity . They were against the surgery at first , but now thank the Lord I had it . As I am here to keep them in line . LOL  I am also working to start a modeling portfollio . I modeled as a Plus Size Model many years ago. And now I have gotten the bug again . I hope to have it completed by year end . I want to work with local ad agencies . Mostly for fun . I also want to do Models of the South this year, but not sure my schedule will allow , but if it does, you can bet I will be in Hilton Head in November. Just one of my many " bucket list " things to complete .  WLS has given me my life . I am and will be forever greatful for my Mentor's before me. I will never forget where I came from and will always keep a plath clear for where I am going .  Have a great day,  Nat

I am just over one year out...recently had another diagnostic lap for adhesions that tried to twist my small bowel, but other than that, I have been doing very well. I have lost 162 pounds, depending on the day. Highest weight was 308, lowest and current is 146. I am 5'4 and a half tall and I wear a size 6, sometimes a 4 depending on the designer. Labs are perfect and I exercise 3 to 4 times per week. It is time to start adding weight training to my regimen because I am not feeling as challenged with my workouts, and I am struggling to lose the last 10 pounds because there's a lot less to lose and my caloric needs are lower. I did a calculator online that said I needed 1630 calories to maintain my active lifestyle and still lose 1 pound a week to my ideal weight. I currently eat about 1000-1200 calories a day with about 100 grams of protein and no more than 100 grams of carbs. I know if I build up calorie-hungry muscle, that will help. Finding the time to do that is going to be a challenge, as I have a busy teenage son, I work full-time and have a lot of extracurricular stuff myself. I have gone back temporarily to a stage 1 or 2 pure protein diet, because I have been giving into carbs and grazing way too much. Nothing like when I was preop, but enough to make me go on red alert because I never want to go back to anywhere near 308!! I am very much a boredom eater and I love crunchy foods that keep my mouth busy, so I am busily trying to find strategies to keep myself from grazing unnecessarily when I am not really hungry. I also discovered in the last few days that I have developed lactose intolerance (that was the cause of the gas I posted about), so I am making the switch to soy milk for my shakes and supplements. My biggest wow moment occurred just  yesterday when someone told me I was 'petite', and someone else said I was 'tiny'. Like our dear Natalie said, every day I wake up is a 'wow' moment and I never thought I would ever be able to realize my dream of living life as a thin person making good nutritional and lifestyle choices for myself and getting the result of a beautiful, healthy body in return. Never thought I would see the end of the yo-yo cycle, and that is also such a blessing.

Hi Jackie, This is very cool hearing about others successes! I am so very lucky because I haven 't run into any substantial issues with my RNY Mini GBP. and the  fantastic results I have been so fortunate to receive have simply been the benefits of following the program pretty much the way I was told to! I have been very open to taking the suggestions given by my  incredable doctor, superior nutritionist, and  phenominal physician's assistant. I go to support group religiously and follow a mixed exercise regimin for the maximum burn, and I do eat appropriately and observe the drinking rules.  Here are a few of the many wow moments that I have been so delighted to experience: I wore a dress from my high school days ,1977, to a seventies party in the fall and it fit to a T. I am essentially my high school weight again which is my goal! I can go into a store and try on clothes and be delighted about the fit and how nice it looks as apposed to being terrably diaappointed that I can't find anything that looks decent! I can sit on an airplane for hours without any discomfort which is great because I love to travel! I can now enjoy foods that are good for me, I have a whole new appreciation for fruits and veggies and I can stear away from the  excess carbs and sweets that I used love. I am trying the sports that I always thought would be great fun! I recently took a scuba diving class and I am traveling to Florida in a couple of weeks to do my open water dives for certification! I am so proud, this was a personal challenge that I gave myself! It is so much fun to dive and now I will have access to a whole new world under the sea that most people don't  get to experience. i don't feel like a beached whale in a swimsuit any more and I actually have muscles that you can see. Who would have thought!!!! The best part of all, is how my weight loss has brought me together with others who have also experienced being overweight and we all work together and interact with one another to get to and maintain our goals! The friendships I have made throughout this process are priceless!!! I have a wonderful husband who has been my rock of support . We have always had a great marriage but now , somehow it's even better!!!! My 13 year old son whos raging hormones are sometimes making us all rather nuts said today how much his friends liked me and how funny and cool they thought I am. This one really made my heart sing, I think he's really proud of me! The last 18 months have been a lot to adjust to but it has also been the best 11/2 years of my life. I am so greatful to have had my surgery and to have been able to comfortably learn a new way of life to support my much healthier body and I am exilerated!  I do hope pre- surgery people can read  about our experiences here and understand that they will get out of this endeavor what they are willing to put into it! Good things will come to those who follow the program!!!

Well, today is my big ONE MONTH surgerversary, i'm down about 44 lbs and feel great.  Can't wait til i feel more energetic, but i do feel much better! - Lys

Well I am just over 2 years out and it has been a ride of wows and thankfulness on my part. I have enjoyed the airline seat changes where even if I get a middle seat now I can fit in it like an "normal"person; I can fit in booths in restaurants; I don't get out of breath running upstairs  - all wow moments for me..... Now my quality of life is better and I have a new focus. Sue Baker and I are developing the company we set up over a year ago and there are lots of exciting things going on there!! We want to help others get the best from their surgery and so we have developed the techniques and expertise to do that.... so now I am doing something I am very passionae about! I have a different focus in my life now!  I am always here to help anyone if I can - this is a very great family as we are all here for each other... through the ups and downs - and your journeys all motivate me!! Jackie