If I could go back 7 Years....

Then let me add courageous to the list of attributes that you have displayed. This is one of the the hardest parts, admitting to yourself and openly to others that you weren't able to maintain the weight loss. Perhaps, more so because you had judged others for the same situation that you now find yourself in.
The truth is, we are human and while we may have the best intentions - it isn't always enough.

Mostly, there are 'success' stories posted here. It may have been tough, the individual may be fighting the good fight - but they've successfully maintained their weight loss. Their stories are equally important and a blessing for others too.
Stories such as yours are equally important, for we know that in every situation - people respond differently and have different outcomes. It is good for people to hear various viewpoints and learn from the mistakes of others.

It didn't seem to me that you were blaming anyone or looking for sympathy. I believe that this is your moment, your time. You've made your acknowledgements and can now make a new course. I wish you well.

Hi Heather, thanks for the post. We all fall. Admitting it is the first step. Glad to know you are human like me. Having the courage to share your failures, successes with others is what this site is about.

A to let u know great minds think alike, I only read the first few posts, after the first negative I began,to type. Afterward, I read OH2012s...we have to remember that this is a support site

I've been where you are at.  I had nothing but regrets for opportunities wasted.  I'm here to tell you that you can fail any WLS if you eat enough crap.  I know that from first hand experience.  I know my surgery didn't fail, I failed but I am not a failure.  I just didn't grasp what it meant to have a tool.  I allowed myself to believe I had a cure.  For the first 2 years I ate what I wanted and lost all my excess weight.  I thought I had found the holy land.  But of course it was too good to be true.  There is no free pass.
One thing I can say is things have changed over the years.  The information is better and post ops are more knowledgeable.  Hopefully the surgeons will do a better job of educating their patients and following up on them.  I do tend to think that if I had my first WLS today instead of 10 years ago I may have done better because of what has been learned in the last decade.  But I can't change the past.  I did get a second chance and for that I am grateful but I never say never.  I will never say that I won't mess up again because I am still the same person and I still have the same eating issues.  I just do the best I can on a daily basis.  I learned from my mistakes and that makes the mistakes I made easier to live with, not only because I have learned from them but hopefully I can help others so they don't make the same mistakes or at least won't have to suffer as long as I did before they get back up again.
I hope you are able to use all that you have learned to put to work with a successful surgery.

That is very encouraging and you are so right! I really did think I had it all figured out, the vitamins, the water, the protein the whole concept. Your body is amazing and tries to fix itself as best it can after you manipulate it. It wants desperately to store fat and protein for a rainy day. One vitamin supplement that my primary had me start taking in the last few months that REALLY helped my over all feeling of well being was chromium piclonate. He said we don't get enough in our diet, and I only take 200mcg a day but it turns your carbohydrates into fuel, into energy, instead of storing them as fat. Dr. Rabkin said it was good to take also. I have stopped gaining, and I feel "happier". Weird but good! So that, is progress! Another step forward. Thank you for your reply!

Heather,
Great post!
Thank you for sharing....and you are one brave soul.
Best of luck on your journey!
BTW, you have gained a fan in me :-)
Thanks

 Thank you! Right now I think my credibility as a WLS graduate is a little shaky~ but I am definitely back here for mutual moral support and probably an example of what not to do? :)))

Regrets waste energy.  We can't change any choice we made in the past.  We have to start from where we are at.  All those rules you would have followed - why don't you follow them now?  It is never too late.

All Best

P.S.  skinny people do not eat whatever they want - NOT!!!  Yes, you must be concerned about protein FIRST.  Even if you revise, it is protein first.  Taking vitamins should be a given!

Agreed. I am physically and mentally taking my own advice and doing as I should. Walking, no alcohol, no processed foods. Seriously, no processed foods, no shakes. All my vitamins, iron, calcium, b12, chromium piclonate, vitamin d, c, magnesium, and my levothyroxine. No weight loss, but more energy, and feeling over all, better. :)) it's a start..

That sounds great!

I think you said you eat no more than 1000 per day - are you tracking every morsel, every caloried liquid.  Try tracking for a while with something like myfitnespal.com.  Energy  can motivate weight loss so it is fantastic that you gaining energy.  I suffer with low energy a lot of times and it makes things difficult.  We have to "up talk" ourselves on a constant basis.  You will win this battle just keep pressing forward.

Heather I wish you the absolute best.

Thank you, thank you! Yes, I really am counting every morsel and even vitamin. Yesterday, was 866 calories but almost 100g protein, and 100g carbs. Hypothyroid causes my blood pressure to be low, and my body temp to be low, my anemia that I have regular infusions for restricts the amount of oxygen into my red blood cells, that I embarassingly get exhausted after only five minutes of walking and that is when I only weigh 150, let alone the extra weight. It's tiresome, but I am going to keep doing it. My husband was laid off for almost 9 months and I had zero insurance to get my iron infusions. I took the liquid supplement which did raise it a tad, but not above an 8 hgb. 14 is normal. So, now that he was rehired and I can get all my levels back up, I feel positive I am headed in the right direction. :)))