2 YEARS OUT!

Thanks for the post CB. You've got a real handle on it all. And still so much to explore! -Dan

you got that right dan. like i mentioned in an earlier response i feel like i'm just starting now. able to eat again and able to eat almost anything presents real challanges for me now. i have to admit. i think carrying more muscle really helps in the long run. being fit, we burn more calories just sitting around. i never really did cardio before. doing both now has kept my metabolic rate much higher even though i'm older now. well, i don't have to tell you about the benefits! thanks....carbonblob

hey tony,

isn't it a blast to look at our avitars now? we would never know each other with these new pics. funny how i would never show my face for so long. so my arms are bigger if that helps.....lol.

i sure hope i'm looking like Dx over four years out. i'm so compelled to keep exercising and eating right that i think half the time it's just plain fear of backsliding that keeps me on the path. so congrats to your two years and lets see that 2 year post and tell us all about it too. thanks.........carbonblob

Hey carbon....nice to read your posting -- and like the rest who've posted here, I'm proud of what you've accomplished AND the guns you show in your avatar are impressive too! at 62 weeks out, 38" waist down from 60", 215 lbs down from 404 lbs and wearing L in shirts and sweaters...all I can say to your own "thiness" is JOB WELL DONE! I too eat everything and drink everything I used to, but in MUCH MUCH less volumes of course. And that "hey, I get loaded so quick" I used to read and not understand a year ago has come true for me too....2 glasses of wine or 3 beers and I'm toast !  Yup, at 104 weeks out, you sound like you've totally been reborn and you're enjoying where you are....and I can't wait to be there too! Jim

hey jim,

i remember when you first came aboard here. i was thinking how you really asked the good questions and expressed your concerns. if i can remember you were concerned if you were really going to feel full! the reason i remember something like that is because once you had your surgery i remember how you lost weight so fast. you kept to the diet big time too. the surgery just seemed to go so good for you. plus i think you didn't even have that much pain after the surgery. maybe i'm mixing you up with someone else but i think you just did great from day one, right?

doesn't matter, the point is that you've lost a lot of weight and are fighting the good fight like the rest of us. you're right too about being effected by booze and such. i don't drink but when i was on the pain meds they would hit me like a brick. gail would say i would sit on the couch and drool! great pic huh? i noticed another funny thing about fast reaction. if i drink something hot, my whole body gets hotter than hell. same with something cold. if i eat a popsicle i start to freeze. so if i want to warm up or cool down i do it with food or drink! i guess once we lose the blubber we are so easy to modulate our temp. i'm always freezing now and i live in LA!

so keep up the good work too jim. you're doing great! carbonblob

Thanks for your comments.  I, too am two years out and I find I need to watch my diet, avoid high carb grazing, sweets and booze and get enough exercise. My surgeon said a year ago that at this point I have to eat and behave like "ordinary people". I am still "fat" at 260 lb - 40 pounds over my personal goal but it just burns my ass when a doctor who doesn't know my history jumps on me for not losing weight. -- Incompetent, pompus, condescending  pill pushing *******s!!!! What bothers me most now is my inability to fully  partake of holiday feasts, potlucks and buffets. I stay away or use a salad plate.  Have a great day. Rich

hey rich,

thanks for the reply. man can i relate to you! i practically have to go back to nutra system. i have to constantly watch my portion size. i'm starting to eat past the full point. something i swore i would never do. it took two years to realize i could go to eat and be satisfied with just appetizers. i still think i need two burritos on the plate. it's different when going out with people too. i have spread out my eating because i just fill up so fast. i went to breakfast with friends, ate part of a muffin and had them bag my entire breakfast to take home!

i started out 27 pounds over your current weight. now i'm small so believe me, i was fat. a 52" waist. i don't know how old you are but for me, i had to be realistic about expectations. i'm older, over 50 so i knew i would not snap back. also, joint pain is going to keep me from doing some things as well. so try to set a realistic goal for yourself. just get close that's all. the biggest thing i ever learned on this journey is this. don't beat yourself up over a bad day or not losing. just say, i'll do better tomorrow. then try to do just that. it takes a lot of pressure off. yeah, it sucks, even the doctors give you **** i hate that too. i had to see two docs yesterday and i told one of them f you, i'm not coming back. i do my best and that's it.

so i say have fun during the holidays and act normal again. what i do is selective grazing....lol! i don't really have the main meal. i just cruise the layout all day and eat a little at a time. rich, it's ok to have fun and go off the diet from time to time! you have to have a life you know. when superbowl comes around, i plan on stuffing my face with the worst crap i can find like i always have! we have to go to a dinner tomorrow night and the host is a great cook. she'll have sweets and all kinds of bad crap there. so what? i'll eat it. two years ago i actually did just that at her party. i was two weeks out and had a cup of hot chocolate. i was in their bathroom dumping for 45 minutes. and i mean loud! with about 30 people there and only two bathrooms! my point is i say partake. just go about it in a different fashion. you'll have the rest of the week to diet or whatever you feel you have to do to burn off those calories. or do nothing at all! simple. just go back to your daily routine, the calories will come off.

please don't deny yourself a life just because of this surgery. someone here used the word moderation. don't try to punish yourself just because you cruised the food table. just do better tomorrow. i promise, you'll feel a lot better......carbonblob

Congrats CB.  I'm new to this forum but been trying to get WLS for over a year.  I seem to find your posts everywhere and they are all great.  You have a terrific outlook on life and give really good advice.  I'm glad I found this site and this place.  I hope to read more from everyone who was successful at WLS. 

hey tommy,

welcome to the board. glad you enjoy my ramblings! when i first came here i found guys telling guys just how it is. you know, your surgeon, the nurses, the staff, they all don't know what it's like. hell, they may not have been fat for all we know. you really need to get down in the dirt with someone who's been there. it's not easy for guys to talk so this forum opens the door. i'm really glad you found us. i learn so much coming here. like i said, i don't always post lately but i do read everyday. it's my program. even if you have to pay out of pocket try to get the surgery. it's almost impossible to gain a lot of weight back even if you do slip and you know what? that's the safety net we need. when i would gain a few pounds i gave up. got stuck at the same weight, gave up. this makes it really hard to stuff yourself so you see results even if they come slow. so i can catch myself and do better and see results. PLUS, i just don't feel like i'm starving anymore. that was a huge plus for me. just those two simple points got me over the edge and helped me stay on target. i sure hope you find a way. if you do pay remember, they drastically reduce the price of the surgery so look into it. maybe band since it's cheaper. i had to have the rny because of other problems. they all went away! the rny will do that where a band won't. so if you're ill you might need the rny.

so thanks for the post and have some fun here. i even like the drama sometimes just to shake the tree. i'm having a blast with that obscene language post. it brings out the best in the guys! lots of humor here. i would look into Dx's posts as well. he's the real obi-wan around here and posted all kinds of great things. so keep us up to date on your journey and feel free to contact me anytime you want.......carbonblob

Carbonblob, Let my tell ya, as you said DX has been a huge source of info, and I really do look to guys like you, Notdave, and Tim, etc for examples of what might be.  Will my body ever look like yours? Realistically, probably not without major plastic surgery.. LOL.. but it's nice to have the inspiration of what is possible. One big difference here is that I know you guys know where I"m coming from.  I was a weightlifter for years, til my back injury, and I"m hoping that once I'm able to hit the gym again my body will respond.  Not expecting ripped.. just healthy and strong again. Right now, down 54 pounds as of this past Monday (3 weeks out) anything seems possible.. LOL.  Jeans that were snug before surgery, now have a 2 inch gap between them and my belly.. and my belt is on it's last hole! Crazyness...  but it sure makes protein taste better.. LOL. Dale