poll - for those at least a year out

I am looking forward to reading that blog!  A lot of days I feel "dissatisfied" too.  A lot of it is probably my own doing, my years of noncompliance.  But I just do not have that happy with myself feeling that I was hoping to have.  And now that I've been dutifully eating right, exercising and taking my supplements for the past few months, the scale is not showing me the love.  I know it's not all about the scale, but I am not happy at this weight.  I plan to keep at it and stick around here for motivation, but it just plain sucks sometimes.

Now see, that’s where I get even stranger (if that’s possible).

 

I like me. I’m good with me. My dissatisfaction sort of stems from a place where I feel like my progress doesn’t seem as awesome as I THINK that I am. If that makes any sense.

 

I’ve spent a lot of time building that self-esteem and some days I feel sort of like a hypocrite. On the one hand, I talk about self-acceptance a lot but there is part of my mind that cannot, WILL NOT accept that I had WLS and ended up 200 lbs. (never mind the fact that I USED to be 330).

 

So I am a bit ball of contradictions. I think I look fabulous, but I could use some work. I feel great about what I can do, but I want to do more. I love me, but I hate the regain.

 

All stuff I need to work out. I’ll post a note about when the blog goes live. I’m not promoting it as heavily as I do BF or the Miranda blog. This one is mostly for me to work some things out and, hopefully, through that process, get insight and help from others.

Nik, I think that all makes perfect sense.  You do look fabulous, but is there anyone that looks so perfect there is nothing that could be improved upon?  What you can do is great, and it's also OK to want more.  I'm not sure it's good to be totally satisfied and never want anything more.  The wanting, the trying to acheive, is part of what makes life interesting and fun, isn't it?  And it's possible to love yourself but hate specific things.  Not liking the regain doesn't in any way mean you don't love yourself.

I am very happy with my results. Of course, in terms of my actual weight, but more so in terms of the improvements in my health and quality of life.

I do 'follow the rules' most of the time. When I say I follow the rules, I mean that try to eat 5 to 6 times a day, leading with protein and following with complex carbs. I find that minimizing the amount of simple carbs I consume have been the biggest key to my long term success.

I did experience some regain after I initially hit maintenance and had a series of significant stressors. I went back to the comfort foods that I had always retreated to when I was under stress. As I recognized what I was doing, I was able to 'leverage' my tool and get the weight off. I've kept if off even though we went through even more difficult and trying times. That gives me hope that I will be able to maintain my weight in the long term. 

I had my surgery in June of 2007, so I'm about 4 and half years post op.

Would you say you are very happy with your results, somewhat happy with your results, or unhappy with your results?  I am THRILLED with my results! I could have never imagined that I could weigh what I do!!

Would you say that you have been "following the rules" most of the time, some of the time or hardly ever?  Most of the time...right now I am dealing with a 3.5 pound gain.  I baked like a fool the past week - red velvet white chocolate buttercream frosted brownies, PMS bark (white chocolate with oreos and cheez its melted together, crumb cake) and I am suffering for it now.  Everything is tight and I am stopping this nonsense today.  No more baking.  At least not stuff I like! 

My "rules" are that I can eat what I want within moderation and have the rest of the day reflect my choices.  If I know I am going out for dinner and drinks, I eat light that day (current gain nothwithstanding).


For those more than a year out, have you had any regain?  And if so, are you OK with it or do you weigh more than you'd like to now?  I will be 3 years out in April (I am done counting the time spent with the crap band!).  I have maintained within a 3 to 5 pound range - 105 - 107 is where I am comfortable.  This morning I weighed in at 109.5 and I can really see the difference in how my clothes fit.  Not good.  I have been maintaining since April-ish 2010.

Oh, and how far out are you?  I will be 3 years out in April (I am done counting the time spent with the crap band!).

Three years and four months post op

Very happy with my results

I'm a fan of anything in moderation so I do indulge; however,I'm also amazed at what I prefer to eat now..I'm diligent about protein and water.

My absolute lowest was 127 post plastics but that soon rebounded to about 135. I'm holding about 143-145 right now -- dr goal was 145 and my goal was 140. Is that regain? don't know.

Surgery date - 3/31/10.

I'm very happy with my results.  My weight has essentially (within 5lbs) stayed the same since about 1 year post op.  Lower than I imagined that it could be.  No unexpected side effects.

I follow the rules most of the time, but not all.   Some rules, like eating/drinking timing, I follow all the time.  Carbs can still be a problem for me, so can grazing.

I have not had regain, yet.....

At just 14 months out I am very happy with my results. 

I follow the rules most of the time.  I am very good about my vitamins and protein.  Carbs remain (and always will) a constant battle.  Exercise keeps coming and going.  


I am at 10lbs below my goal so I feel I have some wiggle room for bounce back weight.  Not that I am looking forward to the scale bouncing back up some but I am doing my best to brace for that.

Ten years post op here!

Would you say you are very happy with your results, somewhat happy with your results, or unhappy with your results? I am happy with my results.

Would you say that you have been "following the rules" most of the time, some of the time or hardly ever?   I had a period of YEARS where I followed no rules....not even the supplement rule! I had some regain and came BACK to OH for support; since then, I have been following the rules most of the time. I am a very black/white thinker; what I've seen described as an "abstainer" rather than a "moderator". Overall, I do much better if I abstain from certain foods and follow ALL the rules, rather than try to do "all things in moderation". I recently went thru a period, since last summer, where I have been doing NOTHING I know I should be doing and as such had a 20 pound regain. So starting today I am back to tracking my intake, vitamins, etc. Exercise will wait...I have a new puppy so getting to my gym is HARD. I do commit to taking him for a nice long walk at least once a day.

For those more than a year out, have you had any regain? And if so, are you OK with it or do you weigh more than you'd like to now? See above. Plus, in my ten years I have had three periods of regain....anywhere from 20-30 pounds. I have been able to get it off when I am conscious about what I am eating, how much I am moving, etc. So I am starting that again, today.

I'm just over 4 years out, and I'm very happy with my results.  Like Nik I've only lost down to about 195-200 but I started at 360, so I think that's a success, at least to me it is and really that's all that matters.  I follow the rules most of the time but I do treat myself sometimes, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!  :)  I've never really been able to exercise as much as I would like to and am "supposed" to, due to other physical issues.  No regain so far, I bounce about 5 lbs. back and forth regularly.
-Flo